Absolutely Thankful

Intro

I was told not to speak in absolutes. But today we are going to be dealing with a passage that is pretty absolute.

Be thankful always, for everything.

Look at the Text

Our main passage this morning is , focusing on verse 20.

Paul paints a general picture of “don’t live like this, but instead live like this”

Paul gives some great advice: Be Wise and Don’t Be a Fool

A rich teaching on what it looks like to live life as a Christian

Specifically look at the command he gives in verse 20.

Be careful, use time as you should,understand the will of God, Be filled with the spirit, address other Christians well, give thanks for everything all the time, submit to one another.

Be Wise--- Be careful, use time as you should,understand the will of God, Be filled with the spirit, address other Christians well,Submit to one another, give thanks for everything all the time.

So, its that simple.

SLIDE. Be thankful. Period.

We are commanded to be thankful.

We are REQUIRED

This pasage

- give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

- And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

- do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God

English Standard Version Chapter 5

Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

- Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

Not Just Words, Not Just Actions

*** Mine. “I am just glad to be here” ***

*** I am reminded of when you’re a kid and you were TOLD to be thankful. OR when Someone would tell you how thankful they were.... “up hill both ways, with no shoes, in the snow, with a fever- and we were thankful!***

Everyone here can recognize the empty words. Every one knows that the whole crew was not thankful one bit. It was just the words.

Thankfulness can be faked another way too. Sometimes more sinister is the thankfulness that is just action.

*** I am reminded of when you’re a kid and you were TOLD to act like you’re thankful. OR when Someone would tell you how thankful they were.... “up hill both ways, with no shoes, in the snow, with a fever- and we were thankful!***

Thankfulness is not just actions.

Acting the part, going through the motions, though. That is hollow and can be even worse than nothing at all.

If you have ever given a thoughtful, intentional, nice gift and recieved the obligatory hug you know what I mean.

God knows that feeling too.

God Hates The Sacrifices

In the OT they used a system that God gave them to sacrifice animals. It was a way to pay for sins. We messed up, so we kill a goat or a dove or an ox or burn some wine or grain or something. This is a payment because we have done something wrong.

But, then God sends Jeremiah and Isaiah. And this is what they said:

- What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD;I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls,or of lambs, or of goats.

says the LORD;I have had enough of burnt offerings of ramsand the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls,or of lambs, or of goats.

I have had enough of burnt offerings of ramsand the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls,or of lambs, or of goats.

and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls,or of lambs, or of goats.

- Stop bringing useless offerings. Your incense is detestable (abhorrent) to me...

Your incense is detestable to me.

Both Isaiah and Jeremiah go on to say even their singing he hates.

God hates what they are doing

I do not delight in the blood of bulls,or of lambs, or of goats.

Sounds unfair, because he told them to do it.

God says offer sacrifices, they go and offer sacrifices, and then he says he hates it. Kind of hard to understand.

But what God is pointing at is the fact the Israel has managed to take his system and use it to sin against him

They have decided to obey with their words, obey with their actions, and not with their hearts.

God sent Isaiah and Jeremiah to tell people about the judgement that is coming against those who do not serve God with their hearts.

- For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

This is condemning people of taking religion, checking the boxes, learning the language, giving the money, showing up to the events, and leaving their hearts far, far away from him.

or of lambs, or of goats.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

God’s Desire

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

And part of the message that these prophets had from God was “I hate your sacrifices.”

If God doesn’t just want sacrifices, what does he want?

If He doesn’t just want tithing, what does he want?

If the God of the universe is not out for you to post some verses on facebook or to say “I’m blessed” when someone asks about you, what is he getting after?

SLIDE. God is after your heart.

- For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

When your heart is his, that will drive the actions.

It isn’t words, then actions, then you become child of God.

No, He changes you, transforms you, and then you live differently.

The Human condition

This is our problem. Even when our hearts are far from him and we try so hard to earn it, we try so hard to give it more juice, we try so hard to live better— we just mess it up more.

*** Giving my toddler a mop/ (Nehemiah spitting water to clean up pee)***

--- We make more of a mess the longer we are at it and the harder we try.

That is why we need a Savior. Even to say “thank you” the right way

The Tri-state Condition

These towns and the folks in churches in these towns have a temptation that surprised me: Becoming a prettier and prettier christian.

Real life change doesn’t matter— but I have checked the boxes and made the statement.

SLIDE.

The Self-Centered Christian life is the temptation---- And God hates it.

The self-centered Christian is opposed to the Savior-centered Christian

I have seen in Scripture two really easy always to check ourselves and realign the way we live to do so with Savior- Centered thankfulness.

Thankfulness in our Tri-State lives

So, we understand that we are called to live a Savoir-Centered life, giving thanks for everything, all the time. What in the world does that look like?

We are not going to walk around like Marx Brothers act thanking each other for thanking each other.

So, how are we going to do it?

SLIDE. Savior centered thankfulness is not repaid— (Warning before the parable)

So, with thanksgiving coming up here is a practical passage for you: Who did you invite to thanksgiving dinner? Or, maybe I need to ask, are you even inviting anyone outside of your circle?

Do you need to have a tax-write off to give to church? Because we might not always be able to offer that. Do you need to have a photo op of you doing charity work to be worth it? Do you need the pat on the back when you give to others?

Or, maybe I need to ask, are you even inviting anyone? if you are

The Savoir centered thankfulness is going to be so thankful for what they have been given that they will search out opportunities to give to others who couldn’t hope to repay.

Like Jesus did with you and me.

SLIDE. Savior Centered thankfulness is not restrained-

It doesn’t matter what is set before you— you are thankful to do it

The Lord gives and the Lord takes away and we are so thankful for everything he gives and everything he takes away.

Even when it is painful. Even when it is not what we wanted. Even if it upsets everything that we think we have been working for.

I will jump back to the challenge I threw out there earlier: some of us are extremely uncomfortable with the thought of ruining family turkey day in order to show love to others. Why is that?

Why is that?

Some of us are lazy and just don’t want to do it.

Some of us have been ripped off before by people, so we make exceptions to who we show love to.

But, for the most part, I think a lot of us are just kind of scared.

It is a scary thing to give up your warm and lovable, comfortable little piece of your life.

Especially to invite someone in who you don’t like, who has a disease, who has made some mistakes or just plain bad decisions, someone who isn’t just like you.

So, what do we do? We bend the law around the hard parts in our life.

We do it all the time. Some of us in this room are trying to make an exception right now. “Jesus didn’t mean to invite people over for all our meals because then we would never have a family meal, or a church dinner, or a family reunion ever again.”

God said to be charitable and kind to others, but that would be really inconvenient for this holiday meal that I planned.

(The most evil thing in Christianity is using a half-truth to knock down a full truth. )

Half-truth: God wouldn’t want me to ruin all my family dinners, my comfort, or my routine.

Full truth: God has given you everything in your life so that you can thankfully sacrifice it back to him. You are called to live a radical life because your sin is so radically evil and God is so radically good.

REVIEW:

The Savoir-centered thankfulness is not repaid. And it doesn’t seek to be repaid. At least not in this life.

The Savoir centered thankfulness is not restrained because you will sacrifice comfort and convenience in thankfulness to God.

REVIEW: The Savoir- Centered thanks is

Savoir centered thankfulness sees God working in the good and the bad, and when it can’t see it as clearly as it would like it has faith in the promises of God to be true, no matter what.

Outro

Imagine what we would look like, what our families would look like, what our church would look like:

If our hearts were behind our religious actions

If our hearts were behind our religious actions

If we gave and loved others, not because we are going to be repaid-- but doing it knowing that we will not be repaid.

If we lived so thankful for what we have we would give up anything, do anything, go anywhere to show our gratitude to God

Imagine how different our lives would look if we gave thanks for everything.

SLIDE.

Challenge: Figure out how different this thanksgiving is going to look because of everything that God has given you