Thankfulness vs bitterness
Attitude of Gratitude • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 6574 Between Prison and Monastery
Dr. David Soper, in God Is Inescapable, suggests that basically the difference between a prison and a monastery is just the difference between griping and gratitude. Undoubtedly this is true. Imprisoned criminals spend every waking moment griping; self-imprisoned saints spend every waking moment offering thanks. Dr. Soper says that when a criminal becomes a saint, a prison may become a monastery; when a saint gives up gratitude, a monastery may become a prison.
Over the years I have heard many sermons on how to be thankful
In fact, I have preached a lot of messages on how to be thankful
And yet, I always felt like there was something that was missing
AS I began to prepare this week, I began to pray to the Lord and ask for some fresh insight into this subject.
Not looking for something new, but something that I have been missing.
Each step of the way, I kept coming back to Christ, and scripture like Philippians 2:5-8, which states,
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
or 1 Corinthians 2:16
16 For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.
or Romans 12:2
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
As I contemplated our current series, Attitude of Gratitude, with having the mind of Christ, I began to ask the Lord, how do these two subjects intersect each other.
As I began to consider these two subjects, it became very clear in my mind that in order to have an attitude of gratitude, we must first have the mind of Christ.
We come to a Scripture today, at first look, has nothing to do with gratitude or thankfulness.
But really, gratitude comes out of a life that has been transformed by Christ, a life in which our desires and values have been changed from self gratification, to finding our joy in what Christ has done in our life, and the life he has called us to live.
Consider this statement by Christ
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
In order to gain an attitude of Gratitude, we must take on the mind of Christ, and the mind of Christ is this,
In order to experience an attitude of Gratitude, we must first learn to serve and give ourselves to others.
At the last supper Jesus, took both the cup and the bread, and in both cases he gave thanks to God, for through his sacrifice, he would make a way back to God the Father.
In the brink of the darkest hours of Christ life, right before he would endure the cross, he gave thanks for the opportunity to make a way back to the Father
If you have your bibles, I would like for you to turn to Colossians chapter 3, as we look at verses 1-17 and discover how to truly gain an attitude of Gratitude.
READ Colossians 3:1-17
This passage is broken down into three sections:
Re-orienting our minds
Put off the old man and ways that encourage bitterness
Put on the new man made in Christ, for this life will lead to a life of gratitude
Section 1 Vvs. 1-4
There are two areas that Paul encourages the believers in the church of Colossie with, and two area we need to consider; our desires and our values
In order to develop and attitude of gratitude, we need to understand where the focus of our desires lay.
Paul encourages us set our hearts on the things that are above, where Christ is.
To focus our attention on things that will last for eternity
Matthew 6:21 “Where your heart is, your treasure will be”
When we align our desires with the desires of Christ, we become other focus, and begin to serve, and through our giving we take on the mind of Christ, the mind of gratitude, because people now see God
Paul secondly, encourages to focus our minds, our thoughts, toward Christ thoughts
Taking on the mind of Christ, is taking on the mind that brings every thought under the authority of Christ
It is allowing our minds and our wills to be controlled by truth, love, grace, and mercy.
As we impart truth, love, grace, and mercy, we begin to experience a life of gratitude, as we are reminded of what Christ has done for us.
We are living in a world where Christ is no longer acknowledge
We are not to live in the same way as the world, a world that has been deprived of thankfulness, because it is no longer about others, it is about self.
We place to high of a value on self
Remember what Jesus said, that he, the second person of the trinity did not come to be served, but to serve.
And yet, self has entered the holy of holies
Where rock star pastors have more executive assistants than the second person of the trinity did.
Where they have been placed upon on the pedestal of man’s perceived greatness
Where they draw crowds and through their fake self righteousness tell people to imitate them.
The church has adopted the business model of stardom
Where the pastor no longer serves, but is being served by his congregation
Where burn out for the average pastor happens at the age of 40
Where gratitude is not an attitude, and bitterness reigns, because they don't have the respect they believe the deserve.
When we put self in front of others, we can never gain the mind of Christ, and the attitude of Gratitude that comes from serving others.
SECTION 2 Vvs. 5-11
In order to put on the mind of Christ, with his values and his desires, we must first put off the life that esteems and places self as the greatest of all.
Each of the traits listed above are all traits that depletes or detracts us from becoming people of thankfulness
Paul literally say’s put these values to death
LIT. to stop a state or activity with lethal determination.
We must determine that we no longer want to live in a state of bitterness, and rather everything that is in us to put to death those things that are holding us back from being thankful people.
Idolatry does not produce a life of gratitude, it produces a life of entitlement.
Each of the areas in which the Paul describes here are built upon selfish desires an not serving others
At the heart of God is service. For service takes the focus off or self, and watches how GOd will operate through us, which produces a life of gratitude.
Paul tells us is Philippians 1:6
6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
When we are serving others, it is God who is working is us, empowering us, working his love through us, helping us, which in turns makes us people of gratitude, for God is faithful to keep working through us.
SECTION 3 Vvs. 12-17
To be people of gratitude we must, with the same degree and passion, put on the mind of Christ.
Paul immediately provides the basis for our attitude of gratitude---
God’s chosen ones- God has chosen you, even when it feels sometimes that everyone around you has rejected you.
And then he declares, you are holy and beloved
We have been made whole through the blood of Jesus Christ, we are no longer doomed to hell
But not only we made whole, we are loved by the almighty
We can walk in thankfulness and in gratitude that God has chosen us, made us whole, and we are loved.
No matter what the world says about you, treats you, or puts on you, You are a child of the kings
Therefore, knowing what God has done for you,take that gratitude and spread it throughout the world
compassionate hearts---look at those in the world, the mean hearted, down cast, the depressed and our enemies, with the heart of Christ
Love our enemies, for they do not have or have experienced a life made free through Christ Jesus
Kindness
Humility
meekness
Each of these areas we have experienced through Christ
It is why we can be grateful people
Through our service to others, they too can experience the joy of our salvation and possibly be introduced to the king of kings
Be thankful, and let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
Secondly, to gain an attitude of Gratitude, we must allow the word of God to hit our hearts on a daily basis
Once again everything we do, we do in service of others, and we do we will discover that we become people of gratitude
We are serving them with the same service Christ served us with.
That is why Paul stated as I follow Christ, follow me. He was leading people back to Christ, the place where we become people of gratitude.