The Art of Gratitude!
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The Art of Gratitude!
The Art of Gratitude!
Luke 15.11-
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’ So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
Intro:
Keenan Lowe’s story.....: Parkrose High school football coach wrestles shooter and gives him a hug
Hh school football coach wrestles shooter and gives him a hug
(pause)
Our lives are not much different.....
I wondered who might be the biggest loser in this narrrative.......
.....and at first it appears to be the Prodigal son
........but the value of those things he has lost are replaceable
.......as horrible as his circumstances are.......at some point there is a likelihood of recovery
However.........
........if this son never returns to his father
...................there is absolutely no replacement!
And so for me......
The Biggest Loser is the person who is motivated to show the greatest Gratitude!
Because they recognize the VALUE of what they lost.....cannot be recovered
We never quite know how God is working to make our hearts more thankful!
(pause)
In today’s text......
......and so once it is FOUND, they increase their level of investment towards it with a spirit of Gratitude
................we find the dramatical account of a father and two sons that is described in Jesus’s parable.
According to the text....
Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them.
Luke 15.11-12
And so.....
.....immediately we find that Jesus is throwing us into an intense conversation that this youngest son is having with his father.
His request alone is filled with
“Give me the share of the property that will belong to me.”
........and its that part in his statement that says.....
“I want the part of my inheritance that.......
“WILL belong to me”
In other words...
“Give me what I would receive when you die........ right now, while you’re still living!”
And.......
....for me it is in this statement made by this youngest son where we find the absence of gratitude.
(pause)
Jesus does not include any other words in this parable that would lead us to believe that at this point the son is.....
....thankful for his father life affording him the opportunity to receive an inheritance
As a matter of fact.......
......there is nothing in the text that causes us to believe that at this point he tells his father thank you.
It simply shows us that he is.....
......making his demands known to his father.
(pause)
Freedom family.....
(pause)
......I think we have to be careful that we don’t develop a mindset or an attitude that is absent of gratitude.
Because.......
......its easy to get to a place where we believe that our God is able to bless us
..........and then feel as though we are deserving of those blessings
...............and then never even tell God thank you!
(pause and expound)
Look at it now....
A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.
(SUMMARIZE)
Luke 15.13
A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.
Luke 15.
The text says that he.....
“gathered everything he had and then squandered it with reckless living.....”
Gathered - to bring together
Squandered - to scatter or waste
(pause)
....watch this now
......because his first action after showing us that he is absent of gratitude towards his father is to
Bring together what he has...............and scatter it with reckless living.
(pause)
And this is why it is so dangerous to lack gratitude......
......because an ungrateful heart towards relationships will never be able to properly handle the resources of that relationship.
(pause)
In other words.....
.....You can’t begin to appreciate what I can do for you, if you don’t first love who I am in your life.
(pause)
....because if all you see is what you can get from me
.....you’re too immature to value what you receive
(pause)
And.....
.....that’s what’s happening in this parable....
......this son is reckless with what he receives from his father because he has forgot how to be grateful!
(pause and expound)
Freedom family......
It’s dangerous to forget how to be grateful!
(pause)
Look at it now....
When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.
Luke 15.14
According to the text....
He finds himself in an empty position......
......and not only that but his surroundings are suffering.
.........and so he finds himself the bible says....
“to be In Need!”
to be in Need - (Gk) - To fail to reach, [Hystereo]
........maybe that’s how we get our definition for the word
- Hysterical - deriving from or affected by uncontrolled extreme emotion.
because..........
when we are in need........
.......and everything around us is empty
......we become unhinged, or overwhelmed
because.......
because we are “IN NEED!”
(pause)
And I know it sounds off the wall.............
.......but I just believe that sometimes this is the best antidote to an ungrateful heart
(pause)
Keys in the text
1. Emptiness is the beginning of gratitude’s return
I don’t think you can really be grateful until you have learned what it means to be “IN NEED!”
(pause and expound)
And according to verse 15......
.......this son starts to experience the pressure of being in need which starts the process of gratitude returning into his heart
Because the bible says....
So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.
So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.
Now I want you to see something.......
Now I want you to see something.......
Because in my spiritual imagination this pressure that is being experienced by this son....
.....has shown us that not only has he run out of finances
.........but he has also run out of friends
(pause)
Which helps us to see
...................that if we build relationships without gratitude
............sooner or later those relationships are going to prove that who we were calling friends were never really friends.
Because you cannot build a friendship without GRATITUDE......
(pause)
Think about it.............
How could an UNGRATEFUL person be GRATEFUL for your friendship?
(pause)
The bible says.....
We will Reap whatever we Sow....
(pause and expound)
And the only
And so according to the text.....
We are watching Gratitude slowly return......
......because his need has broken him down
.....and because he has not completely learned the art of gratitude just yet he has to go into the pig pen.
(pause)
.....and this is called SURVIVAL MODE
.......he is willing to eat what the pigs eat!
.....watch his displaced gratitude
(slight pause)
...........because now he would be grateful to just eat something he should not eat
(pause and expound)
Look at it now....
.....watch the text
He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.
But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!
The text says,
“He came to himself” or “He realized what he was doing!”
(pause)
And in my spiritual imagination I see him........
Remembering his fathers Generosity that was birthed out of his Gratitude!
(pause)
And this is why we should show gratitude towards others.........
..........so that when they are acting foolish and at the end of their ropes sitting in their metaphorical pig pens they will be able to
.....REALIZE what they are doing
(pause and expound)
And according to the text
.....he begins having a conversation with himself,
“Here I am dying of hunger.....
........and at my Daddy’s house he’s got plenty of food!”
(pause)
And I almost said.............
Here we go again...............
.......here he is trying to see what he can get from his father without a grateful heart....
(pause)
But in verse 18 and 19 he makes it clear that his heart has been changed.....
Because the text says......
I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.” ’
In other words....
I’m not coming back saying this is what I deserve......
I’m not coming back with my hand held out.........
I’m coming back saying this is what I would be thankful for!
(pause and expound)
I wonder if there’s anybody in here that has ever said.....
And I believe this is why UNGRATEFUL people are always trying to keep from hitting ROCK BOTTOM
God I’m not coming to you with my hand held out and a ungrateful heart....
..............because when you have been operating without the currency of Gratitude
But.....
Lord I’m coming back saying this is what I would be thankful for!
(pause)
Look at it now....
So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.
Freedom family......
According to the text.....
we are watching “THE ART of GRATITUDE” unfold.........
..............the only thing that can get you out is someone who can look beyond our faults and see our NEED!
Because.........
Now this son is returning back home
.......but before he could even get close to the house the FATHER sees him.
(pause)
(Expound)
And I wondered......
.........How long has this father been looking out in the distance hoping his son would return?
Because when you have the kind of heart that this father has......
......you’re praying for a reason to be thankful
(pause)
And the text says......
When he sees him.........
“He is FILLED with COMPASSION”
(pause)
And that’s what a heart full of GRATTITUDE will do to you....
He should be COMPLAINING!!
.....but he’s TOO GRATEFUL!!!
(pause and expound)
Watch the text....
“And he ran......
put his arms around him
......and kissed his son”
(pause)
Church family the last thing I want to show you.....
........in the ART of Gratitude
....is that it PRODUCES FORGIVENESS
(pause)
Watch this.....
........before the son can even speak to the father
..............the FATHER excercises forgiveness
And in my spiritual imagination the reason this happens is because
........the fact that he is COMING back home
.............proves to the father that his heart has been changed!
(pause)
And with a heart full of GRATITUDE
....this father receives a son who had been lost!
(pause and expound)
And Freedom I believe that GRATITUDE
.......will help us build the way God wants us to build!
.......because when everybody is thankful for who God is
.........and when everyone is thankful forGod’s people
........it builds a community of faith that pleases God and allows us to IMPACT everything around us!
(pause)
Maybe that’s why David danced before the Lord...
r...
Because.....
.......he was THANKFUL for how good the Lord had been to him...
Freedom......
God has been Good to you!
And I believe that we should respond with GRATITUDE!
........in our community
.......with our families
........in the work of the ministry
........in all that we do...................let’s build with GRATITUDE!
....................................COMPLETION............................