Thankful
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Let’s pretend we are playing $25,000 pyramid; I’ll give the clues and you try and figure out what all of these things have in common.
Slow WiFi… Lengthy waits in the drive-through…Bad weather
Waking up early in the morning…The toilet seat being left up…Mondays
Politics…Sitting on hold w/ customer service…Telemarketing calls
Things people complain about! Good gravy - We complain about people complaining
I find myself complaining more than I care to admit
This world is filled with enough grumbling & complaining
The church is filled with enough grumbling & complaining
But it seems like this life has so much to grumble & complain about. I mean, really, there’s plenty of evil in this world. I joked of a few things earlier, but there’s serious stuff that does seem like worth complaining about… I mean, if we are really honest with ourselves, there are things that seem justifiable in our complaints -
Loss of life - especially when it’s way to early; sickness & illness; physical pain & suffering (cancer, heart attacks, strokes, Diabetes). Haven’t even touched on wars or suicide, atrocities, human oppression, child trafficking… the list goes on.
atrocities, human oppression,
But God’s word says in : Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Series Verse: Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
The next time someone asks, What’s God’s will for my life? “Be thankful…in all circumstances”; not “because of”, but “in” all circumstances.
How is this possible, and what is it that produces the outward signs of thankfulness? Because that’s what we see, but that’s not all there is. There’s something deep within us that bubbles up and over - it’s called GRATITUDE!
And if we ask the question… Where does this gratitude come from?
And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.
We talked a whole lot two series’ ago about what a disciple looks, sounds, acts, smells like - “accepted Jesus as Lord”, but more than just that, you must continue to follow him.
Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
You ever ask, How can I have stronger faith in Jesus? How can I trust Him more? Let your roots grow down deep into the truth which Jesus offers; Align your life / Live in such a way that your life reflects His. Live like Jesus.
Do you know what is a product of that kind of living? An overflow of thankfulness! Where does it flow from? It flows from within us. It flows from the joy of knowing Jesus in a personal way. It flows from the blessings of accepting & following Jesus.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
We are representatives of Jesus. We were created in the image of god. As we call ourselves Christians and we align our lives with His, we must know that when we claim to be followers of Jesus, responsibility to represent Him can be our greatest witness.
We can’t be both at the same time...
Complaining attitude Thankful attitude
Focus is ourselves Focus is on God
Focus is ourselves Focus is on God
We are not in control Dependency on Him; Recognize we need Him.
Focus on problems Reminded of even the little things to be thankful
The world revolves around me God is the giver of every good thing
Filled with negativity Life marked with joy
Drag down one another Encourages others to be thankful
Invites the enemy in Praise & thanksgiving will make him flee
Shuts down the flow of blessings Opens up the floodgates of heaven
Stifles the Spirit’s work Invites His presence ever more
A heart of gratitude leaves no room for complaining. For it is impossible to be truly thankful and filled with negativity and ungratefulness at the same time.
I’d like to wrap up with where we began… : Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. We have a few in our family who have some significant health issues and need our prayers.
It makes the enemy flee. The forces of darkness can't stand to be around hearts that give thanks and honor to God. Our praise and thanksgiving will make them flee.
It opens up the door for continued blessings. It invites His presence. Our spirits are refreshed and renewed in Him. God loves to give good gifts to His children. He delights in our thankfulness and pours out His Spirit and favor over those who give honor and gratitude to Him.
Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.