11/25/2018 Sermon Thanksgiving to Thanksliving
And now how many had a great Thanksgiving?
Some of you were still sitting a little bit further back in your chair. I notice from I must be all the turkey pecan pie mashed potatoes and all of those type of things. How would you like to turn everyday? inter Thanksgiving Right, you say well, I don't know if I don't think I could survive eating everyday like that, you know would be one of the biggest problems but you know what Christians really need to understand the way of got such an incredible amount to be thankful for everybody does but the Christians are realize it. Change the Christians out of being too and the Christians are to realize it. I thought of showing that video this morning that is going around the internet that a church put together. I don't know how many of you seen it where the husband and wife. Wake up in the morning all wrapped up in in present paper. How many of you seen that video the point of the video is a good one, you know, they they wake up there all wrapped up and and and they break through the wrapping and and they they immediately hug and they say we're thankful that we have each other and then he gets up the husband gets up and there's wrapping around the light switch any tears that need flips on the light switch and he says it whatever his wife's name is look very we have electricity and lights aren't you thankful for that in about that time to kids come in wrapped up. They unwrap them. They've got killed. You get the idea it goes on and on and on and on David they go to the sink and they turn on water. They have clean running water. Do you realize how few people in the world can do that? You think you think that clean running water is just normal. You need to go with us to Sammy chike sometime. And see what it's like not to have clean running water and to be kneeling down on rocks in a muddy stream to do your wash and sometimes forget your water out of that same stream. So all of those type of things and it's and it's true, isn't it? We if we're not careful, excuse me, if we're not careful we take so much for granted. You've got decent clothes on you. Probably drove a car to come here. You know, you probably drove the car from your home. Rather you own it the bank owns it or you know, you're living in an apartment. You still got a roof over your head?
There's so much to be thankful for and for that reason. I want to talk to you today about turning Thanksgiving into everyday thanksliving an attitude of gratitude. An attitude of gratitude being happy in your heart and glad for all the blessings that just keep coming and just keep coming and just keep coming. You know, there's an old song in the in the song but count your many blessings name them one by one count your many blessings. See what God has done. You know, if you actually did that you'd be here the rest of the day. With a big list if you really tried to count them all out and you know so often when we ask for praise report. Well, you know, I thank God for the big praise reports all I thank God that you know, there's a healing that's that's happened or you know an answer to prayer about a job situation or you know, whatever. I thank God for all those but you know what every single person that's there when you're in the middle of a of a praise report. I want to be able to stand up. I think God for another day of salvation. I thank God for a roof over my head. I thank God that I breakfast for I came here this morning cuz we have food in the house. Excetera excetera those are good praise reports people. You don't have to wait until you fall out a 30-story building and and survived to give a good praise report to the Lord. Amen. So remember that next time you're somewhere that they're doing a praise report we did praise reports last Sunday cuz so many people either traveled away for Thanksgiving or didn't want to travel on the ice. chicken
but you know, they didn't want to travel on the eyes to know I know ice is not your friend. That's why I put out that phone gas and everything. I'd I'll drive and you know 3,000 feet of snow before I'll drive on Ice if I can choose Isis nobody's friend and I understand that and I want you to be safe first always be safe first and we'll we'll have another assembly another time any day. I want you to think with me as you turn to Psalm 107 about turning every single day. You live in two things living every single day you live. We're going to read Psalm 107 20 through 22. I'll be reading out of the Mev. It's up there on the overhead where you follow along in the version that you have. I hope all of you brought your Bibles your swords your lightsabers. You don't know what a lightsaber is. That's when you have your Bible on a cell phone or a or a tablet. That's a lightsaber. Alright, would you stand and honor reading God's word, please?
Gst's thank you for your word.
He sent his word and healed them and delivered them from all their destruction. Let them praise the Lord for his goodness. And for his wonderful Works do the people and let them offer the sacrifices of Thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing Lord God. We thank you and praise you and glorify your name. Not only for how great you out. You are how awesome you are. What a wonderful God you are the Lord you love this so much that you left us your word. You had your word pinned by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and left it for us so that we could read it. So the we could learn it so that we can hide it in her heart. So we might not sin against you now Lord send your hole. Spirit we pray and illuminate your word to our heart mind and spirit so that we can get it in on the inside and walk it out and live it out on a day-to-day basis and Lord God we will be so thankful. If you would annoy me each one of our hearts and Minds to receive everything that you have for us here today in Jesus name we pray amen, and you may be seated.
Hallelujah Now, you know, I think that every single person on the face of the planet.
I want to give thanks to God for the blessings in their lives. Now if that's true every single person on the face of the planet, then let's use that old hebraic term that I've taught you so many times, which is the old rabbinic way of saying if a is true how much more is be true. You see that teaching all the way through the Bible because it was a very rabbinic way of teaching. So if everybody a ought to praise the Lord then be how much more true is that of Christians who know God who knows Jesus who know is incredible word, who knows how much he provides for you, you know, there are some people that get a paycheck on Friday. They look down at that paycheck and it says paid to and it says paid from How many actually think the name paid from is who's giving them that money?
Best friends giving them that money. You don't get your money from Walmart or whoever it is. You work for you get your money from God. He gives you the ability to go out and earn a living and he just allows you to partner with the company that you're working for and they get the privilege of cutting the check for God and giving it to you, but your job is in his hands. And he provides a way for you. So if you understand who and what you are in Christ Jesus then how much more should you be on the Forefront of praising God look at a couple other verses with me don't need to stand 1st Peter 2:5 you also as living stones are being built up into a spiritual house as a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Who is he talking about folks? Us all of us that are Christians all of us to call on the name of the Lord. It says we are a holy priesthood on the Earth. Offer up holy and special and spiritual sacrifices unto God looking with James says every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of Lights. With whom there is no change or shadow of turning. How many good gifts? every your job your health your home your car your family. Yes your family your family your you know, some of you may have had a little run-in with some but they're your family.
You're a little slow on the amen right after meeting with him last week, but they're your family and and you know, the love of your life your husband your wife, you know, everything like that. Those are good and perfect gifts not to mention salvation. Jesus Christ name written in the Lamb's Book of Life Heaven bound excetera. So here we are we're going to we're going to look at one more verse like this, but I want you to get what I'm painting for you. Here we are. About priesthood being built up together to offer spiritual sacrifices recognizing that every good and perfect gift is from above and then let's go back to Peter but you are a chosen race a royal priesthood a holy nation. Excuse me people of God's Own possession so that you may declare the goodness of him who is called you out of darkness and Into His Marvelous Light. I hope you got the picture now. You've got the picture God Is providing the air you breathe. When was the last time you think God that you could take another breath? You see what I mean about. There are so many things that we could just take for granted and not even think about.
Right, so you need to back up you need to back up once in awhile? You need to go out and look at a sunrise or Sunset and go. Wow God that is beautiful the other night. We were pulling out and I tap Paula under shorts and look at the Moon. The Moon was like this, you know Harvest Moon thing that was going on one of these it barely fit in between were up in the springs it barely fit in between buildings. It was it was so cute and beautiful. We need to do a better job. Of recognizing all the blessings around us all the blessings around us and then realize that we are called and set apart to offer. Thanks unto God more than anybody else. You know, God's even got nature thanking him. And yet so many people won't. Don't be one of those people don't ever be one of those people that fails to thank God for so many blessings in your life. We have so much to be thankful for and I guarantee you I guarantee you you haven't even thought of half of them. You haven't even thought of half of it.
but look at my title again look at my title again when you think about being thankful because I said let's turn thankfulness into everyday. Hey, thanks living everyday. Thanks living. But you know. What gets in the way of everyday thanksliving? your stupid emotions
We've all got them. God made us that way. And your emotions there's there's going to be days when you're on the Mountaintop and you're all excited and boy you could do a dance and and thank God for all those blessings and then there's other days you're down in the valley you feel like. Was which one was it? Was? It Linus that have the little Cloud over them in Peanuts Pigpen had a little Cloud over them peanuts all the time everywhere. He went and there were days that you feel like that. But I'm here to tell you. That your emotions are extremely fickle. How many of you ever been happy and mad within a few minutes? That's how fickle your emotions are. What in the world. Are you doing Basin anything on them? The truth of God and his word is not based on emotions, or I'm the first one to tell you. I love it when my emotions line up with the word of God the lover with my emotions line up with worship and we can have a Hallelujah hoedown. I love that. But if I'm sitting back there and that particular day, the worship isn't getting to me. And I'm not ready to do a Hallelujah hoedown whose fault is that?
It's your stupid emotions. Let's call them for what they are. It's your stupid emotions that are keeping you from coming in to God's house joyous. Because even if you were having some bad things happen in your life, that doesn't change you got is that doesn't change all the blessings. He has blessed you with that doesn't change Calvary that doesn't change the blood that bite you and is made the way straight for you to heaven because of you being Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb my friends. It's gentle I am a firm believer that the first worship service in heaven is going to be at least 10,000 years old. And you get tired in 45 minutes. The first one's going to be at least 10,000 years long because we got to have at least that long just to begin to think Jesus.
I got another piece Information Form you for you. There's no back seats.
The throne room of God is so big that there's only one row everybody gets to sit on the front row. Sorry all you guys like sit on the back row you're in for a shock. You're coming up to the front row emotions. Don't necessarily have anything to do with reality folks. They don't necessarily have anything to do with reality, and I'm not saying we just deny them. We are emotional beans and all of us go through bouts of depression in the end feeling down and feeling that's not it that's not wrong. But don't stay there. Get your mind on Christ. Get your mind on what he is done for you then you can have every day Thanksgiving. Thanks living. Excuse me the secret to mastering. Listen to me the secret to mastering every day. Thanks living is by practicing thankful giving
when you live your life with an open hand full of God's blessings, but open. Not only look what God gave me. open
that is going to turn you into a thankful person. It's going to give you the right perspective of what he is giving you.
God will give you all that you need.
Time and time again and God has this amazing principle. If you will if you will allow His blessings to flow through you.
He'll keep more coming.
If you want to say, oh, I want to build a dam and get all I can. Number one. He'll cut off the supply at some point number 2 if you don't know it, that's the definition of a stagnant Deadpool. Water runs in but doesn't flow out. You see running water. It can have all sorts of stuff all over it. You can drink out of that water. But if it's in a stagnant pool you drink out of it. You're going to be laying next to the pool pretty soon. And how many of you ever met people?
Yeah, well, okay.
They've got a lot more stagnant stinky dead in their life than they do flowing spirit of God.
And a lot of it has to do with how do they handle would God blesses them with?
Now I'm also going to warn you this before we get I haven't even got into the sermon yet folks. I'm also going to warn you this. Because your emotions will not always be in sync. sometimes a true and Pruden and mature Christian will understand they have to offer the sacrifice of giving ever heard the song sacrifice of praise
Sometimes you come in and circumstances have not got you on cloud nine. That's okay start offering God the sacrifice of praise. It won't be long and you'll be praising him for real.
But if you sit back there.
You know, you know Nancy and the rest of the worship team one of these days. I'm going to hide a camera in these bushes up here.
Get halfway through worship and turn it on. So you can show all of you out. There can see what the people up on the platforms C. I Love You Lord and I love my hair.
gag me with a spoon
offer the sacrifice if your emotions aren't there offer the sacrifice of praise Jesus kind of sacrifice for you.
offer the sacrifice Now I want to show you. I want to show you some things that will help you to harvest.
Thanksliving everyday of your life. If you practice these things if you master these things now when I say master, I always put a little bit of quotations about that because how many of you know, we're all on a journey. We're all on a journey everyone in here and we're all trying to be perfect in Christ. Which means we all fail. We all fall short. That's okay. Get up dust yourself off. Keep on going. Just like a little kid just learning to walk. You know, how many times do they fall? But eventually they get up and they learn how to walk. That's what we have to do. So let's look at these things that if we Harvest this everyday, it'll help us the Harvest if we practice this everyday, it'll help us the Harvest thanksliving first of all the sacrifice of giving yourself. Romans 12:1 says I urge you therefore Brothers by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice. Holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service of worship.
Now I'm going to tell you something in advance. I put the hardest first and last bookends. the harnesses first and last you know why this is the hardest offer yourself because the most valuable commodity commodity you have is not your bank account. The most valuable commodity you have is your time.
And when someone says Hey, brother, could you help me work on my car? Hey brother. Could you help me come over and move this? Hey brother. Could we could we just get together and spend some time together and fellowship whatever it is. He's asking you to sacrifice the most valuable thing you have. your time You may even have a good time. But your time is the most valuable thing and if we're going to harvest everyday thanksliving. We've got to learn to give ourselves. We have to learn to give of ourselves. We have to learn to leave our comfort zone. We have to learn this sometimes. You know, what we're going to have to get out on that limb to meet the the birdies out on the end of that.
We're going to have to do some things folks. We're going to have to volunteer to minister over here. We're going to have to volunteer to get involved in a community outreach. We're going to have to volunteer all of these things come under the category of sacrifice of giving of yourself.
and with no renumeration
I'm not you know, I'm not impressed by people that say well I went and did this big Ministry and and and they paid me $100 to do it.
Well, then it wasn't her Ministry. Was in the ministry cuz you you didn't do it unto the Lord you did it for money. You didn't do it for that person. You did it for money.
So be willing to sacrifice and give of yourself. Your time your most precious commodity second of all the sacrifice of giving of your praise. We've already talked a lot about that. But look at this verse Hebrews 13:15 through him. Jesus through him then let us continually offer to God the sacrifice of praise which is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Again, we go back to and I won't harp on a long time cuz we've already talked about it, but you're not there emotionally. You're not there. Spiritually you come in and the devil the devil. Let me tell you the Devil comes in a lot of times with you. And he sits there right on your shoulder and says you hypocrite. You're trying to sit here and praise God and you know how low you feel. You are trying to praise God and you know, what a bad day you had yesterday?
That's when you need to look at it right now and say yeah because I know who Jesus is and I know who I am in Christ, and I know what he's done for me and none of that is changed because I had a bad day yesterday. Hey, by the way, the devil, I know your future and my future glad mine and yours.
That's where you offer up a sacrifice of praise. You're giving that. You notice that I changed the word. I I added to work. I added a word giving each one of these. Sections has the word giving in it. You know why? Cuz you have to give it.
God isn't going to come down and say let me rip that prays out of you.
He's not going to rip that time out of you either. He isn't going to rip any of these things. I'm going to share with you out of you. But if you give it. As a sweet-smelling sacrifice unto the Lord.
He'll receive it with gladness. And that's why we have to give him our praise. We have to give him our time. We have to give him Who We Are. He should say oh, but Pastor you don't know. Oh, yes, I do. I know exactly how rotten to the core you are because I am too.
We're all peas in the same pod here apart from the grace and mercy in the blood of Jesus Christ or nothing. We're lower than Pond scum.
It's Christ in you and Christ in me. The makes us anything worthwhile.
the sacrifice of giving of your prayers
Psalm 141 to let my prayer be sent for set forth before you as increase in the lifting up of my hand for the evening sacrifice.
Magpies I said this kind of last week and let me say it again. There's a few more of you here men. Let me talk to you a minute. Let me talk to you man a minute ladies. You can listen, but let me just talk to the minute Minute Men. We are usually the first ones to have problems with prayer.
The reason why is because if you were raised to be a man. You were raised to have a take-charge. I'll get it done attitude. You may be a bull in a China closet, but boy you are going to get her done one way or the other. That's the way you were raised us away. I was raped will think about it. The very first concept of prayer is I can't do this God. I need you. So it goes against our DNA. It goes against everything. We understand everything we've been raised to do everything we live for so to speak is is in this on the man and you know Hear Me Roar and then the woman comes up and thumb shoe with something but you know, you're sitting there going. I want to let you know Flex my muscles and all this kind of stuff your muscles in your strength and your stability and your manliness and everything is no match for anything in the spiritual world.
The laziest most out of shape tiniest a little demon can whoop you any day of the week.
What I got quiet.
That's why you need prayer guys and ladies. That's why you need prayer. Because the spiritual world is the real world. You're living in of in a fake facade. That's only going to last for so many years. You think this is reality? Because you can reach out and touch it and see it but friends. It's it's a facade that in a few years time whenever God deems it's going away. All of this reality goes away in the blink of an eye When God says it's time. the spiritual world Keeps going.
And the only way to tap into the spiritual world or not, the only way but the main one of the main ways to tap into the spiritual world is through prayer.
So you need the offer the sacrifice of giving your prayers, you know, another thing that butts right up against that is the first one.
Cuz you need to give your time.
To have a prayer life. You need that, you know prayer when I talk about praying. I'm not talking about saying grace over your meal. I hope you do but if that's the total of your prayer life haven't helped you. seriously
or a quick Lord be with me today as you go out the door and do you you know, I do whatever it is you got to do that day. That's not a prayer life folks. That's not a prayer life. No one's home.
That's not a prayer life. so just the answering machine or pick it up in the second Kurt. I'm I'm sure it's not the present in calling for advice. So we'll let it go. Saw it and I know it's not God calling for advice. So we'll let it go. But anyway, you know will we have to give our time don't we? We not only have to say God I can't do this without you. We then have to give our time to enter into prayer meaningful prayer set some time aside for prayer and it should be prayer devotions the whole nine yards and the sacrifice of giving of your possessions. I told you I saved. the hardest for the first and the last
How many of you own a house? How many of you own a car? How many of you have a bank account? So you don't.
You don't own a single solitary one of those things. Why do you think you own them? Cuz you got a piece of paper. Give me a match. I'll take care of it.
And you're not taking that house that car that bank account with you?
You may have a lease option type thing on a house or car some close a bank account. But you're not taking a single one of those things with you. You're going home the same way you came out of your mother's womb.
naked and with nothing
You are called to be a steward of what God gives you and a lot of people about this time start going always talking about money. No, I'm not. A steward is someone that manages every single thing that is given to him? His time his talent is testimony his treasury the clothes on his back the place. He lives he manages and rightly manages a good Steward everything that is given to him.
Hebrews 13:16, but do not forget to do good and to share for with such sacrifices God is well pleased that there's a few visiting here today. So let me tell you what I tell my people all the time. If you remember God had a lot to say about rich people.
Didn't he had a lot to say about rich people and what was one of the most to write down there where the rubber meets the road saying? It's easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter Heaven.
No, that was not a small gate in Jerusalem.
Luke use the term in the Greek for a suturing needle he was talking about the eye of a needle that's called hyperbole. Hyperbole. It's like saying it's 300 degrees outside it so hot. That's hyperbole if it was 300 degrees you die. . It wouldn't be hot you did that. Jesus was overstating something for emphasis.
And if it scares anybody, all you got to do is read the next verse. Next verse says it's impossible. But With God all things are possible. I got to do is keep breathing.
A text out of context is a pretext will get you in trouble. But here's my point in bringing this up. Because he was talking about you.
You say waiting Pastor. I'm not rich or yes, you are. You're sitting in Florence, Colorado in the United States of America. You are one of the richest people on the face of the planet.
Our middle and lower class of people in this country are richer than 90% of the rest of the world. If you are a solid middle-class American you are in the top 7% of the world. And remember the gospel was not written for America.
So you're a rich person.
And Jesus says especially the more that is given to you the more that will be required of you. That's in a lot of areas. The more you know, the more you have the more. fill in the blank to my friends hold your possession if God blesses you you know, what are the most misquoted verses in the Bible is is, you know talks about money. And it says money is the root of all evil. Right, that's the misquote. The love of money is the root of all evil and you can be poor and love money. You can be middle class and love money. You can be rich in love money. And it's the same sin for all of those people.
Don't hold your possessions like this. Hold them like this. Be instant in season and out ready to share whether it is a meal or a dollar or a word. Or appraise or a thank-you or you know hold everything with an open hand that has to do with you and be ready to share and that's an awful lot more than your wallet. That's an awful lot more than your wallet.
So if you want a harvest if you want to turn thanks giving into every day. Thanks living. If we will continually give God these four spiritual sacrifices, and obviously there's a lot more I had to draw the line somewhere the sacrifice of giving yourself. That includes time the sacrifice of giving your praise the sacrifice of giving your prayers the sacrifice of giving your possessions. Giving you intentionally premeditatedly giving of those things. That is what is going to help you master. master thanksliving on a day-to-day basis by your house with me, please. Lord God