Active Gratitude

Scripture

Judges 6:36–40 ESV

36 Then Gideon said to God, “If you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said, 37 behold, I am laying a fleece of wool on the threshing floor. If there is dew on the fleece alone, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you have said.” 38 And it was so. When he rose early next morning and squeezed the fleece, he wrung enough dew from the fleece to fill a bowl with water. 39 Then Gideon said to God, “Let not your anger burn against me; let me speak just once more. Please let me test just once more with the fleece. Please let it be dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground let there be dew.” 40 And God did so that night; and it was dry on the fleece only, and on all the ground there was dew.

We often talk poorly of Gideon. But, God worked through Gideon’s reluctant obedience. Gideon one of the great stories out of the book of Judges, and there are plenty of good stories out of the book of Judges.

Gideon in hiding. Fearful. One great quality, desired to obey the Lord.

God Desires Obedience

Isn’t that what God wants? Obedience.

1 Samuel 15:22 ESV

And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

God desires for us to obey.

But often we are content with simply talking. But we talk too much.

Today what I want to talk about is actually found in Matthew 12 and I want to read 34-37, but I want us to focus on verse 35.

Matthew 12:34–37 ESV

34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

We talk a lot about what we are thankful for, but how do we show that we are thankful? I do not know that I ever thought about how do I show my thankfulness. I just know I need to be thankful. I just know I have been told to have an attitude of gratitude.

Today I want us to think about how our actions, especially our obedience to God, show our thankfulness. To consider that if we are truly thankful it will not just be something we talk about, it will be something that actively influences our life.

How did I get to this place? I was thinking about being thankful. About what Paul says in 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

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

This got me to thinking, let me go and look at how Adam and Eve said thank you to God. Guess what? Can’t find it.

Noah. Abram (then Abraham), Isaac, Jacob, Joseph. even Gideon. The key here being said.

Remember once again we emphasize what we say, even if our hearts are far from what is coming out. But the bible says that what we believe is directly tied to our words.

James 2:18 ESV

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

We have a disconnect.

The thankfulness that we had is showed by obedience. Our thankfulness is showed by our actions. The Scriptures know nothing of a person that claims to be something and yet their life is disconnected from what they claim. Folks who talk a talk, and yet have no walk.

You know what I noticed as I went through the book of Genesis. There is never a moment that I found where a person said thank you. That struck me as odd.

You know what I did notice.

Thankfulness is an Action

Thankfulness was shown, not spoken. It was made manifest in actions, not words. It was revealed in obedience, not fluffy words.

This is most evident after God chooses to bless Jacob and change his name to Israel. He does not say he is thankful, he shows that he is thankful.

Genesis 35:14–15 ESV

And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone. He poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the name of the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.

This set up a two fold purpose.

It was like sending a card to God. This pillar showed God Jacob’s thankfulness. We often say we are thankful for others, our wives, our children, our friends, but how are we showing this thankfulness? Notes, actions, a hug.

It served as a reminder to all those who come by this way that God is faithful. Jacob continued on his journey. The pillar remained. A testimony of God‘s goodness. Our actions serve as reminders. When I look back at those that I knew were thankful for me the most impactful remembrances are those physical things that I can hold.

Our thankfulness is shown by what we do, and by what we say.

Why then did I open with Gideon?

Because I wanted to show you that messed up people can still do great things for God.

Raise your hand if your are not a mess. Raise your hand if you have it all together. No one.

Gideon is a mess. For that matter Adam and Eve were a mess, Noah was a mess, Abraham was a mess, Jacob, Isaac, Saul, David, every single person is a mess. Why then are they mentioned in the bible? Because they showed the beauty of flawed obedience.

I think many of you this morning would agree with the Apostle Paul.

Romans 7:19 ESV

19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

I do not think there is a single person here this morning that wants to sin against a holy God. Once you know who God is, once you have met Jesus, once the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, you don’t want to sin any more. You want to be obedient. God knows this.

Paul goes on to say just this:

Romans 7:21–25 ESV

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

We each struggle with this very thing. A desire to do what God wants us to do because of Jesus, and yet a fight with our flesh that is still drawn to sin.

I am not saying that we are not to strive for holiness, I am not here saying that we should not desire complete obedience, I am saying that we have to be mindful of grace as we strive to show the world thankfulness through what Jesus has done for me.

Back to Gideon. Messed up and yet obedient. What would have been the best thing for Gideon to do? To simply trust God and do what he was told. But he did not. He chose to put out his fleece.

I am not advocating that your sin is ok. You should hate your sin. You should be doing everything that you can to rid this mortal body of sin with the help of the holy Spirit.

What I am advocating for is that when you sin you do not throw your hands in the air and give up. You repent and press on.

What does God want from you? Obedience. What does the enemy want from you? Not to be obedient. God never tells us that he does not love us because we messed up. The enemy tells us that God does not love when we mess up. Today I want you to know that when you mess up God still loves you, he still wants to take your flaws and to transform you into a victorious follower of Christ.

Let me close.

How are you showing those around you thankfulness? Maybe this week you need to send a text, write a note, make a call, buy a cup of coffee, or any number of ways that you show the people around you that you value you them.

How are you showing God that you are thankful for the salvation that was purchased by the blood of Jesus? Are you taking time to listen to him? This means reading the bible. This means taking quiet times and praying and meditating on Scripture.

Can I tell you the most appropriate way you can show thankfulness? By getting saved. Jesus died on a cross for your sins. He is offering you salvation, forgiveness for your sins, a gift of eternal life. God wants you to take this gift. It is the first step of obedience. I can do nothing else until I know I am saved. Listen, you can be the best person who ever lived. Friendly, give. Without Jesus those things offer nothing. Let Jesus save you and then watch him radically change you.

Finally, for those of us here who are not perfect. Do not get discouraged because you can’t ever seem to get it right. Instead remember what Paul told us:

Romans 8:1–2 ESV

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

If you are in Jesus, if you are saved, you are free from sin and death. This means that when sin shows up and attempt to wrap you up again you do not have to be bound. Jesus has freed you. Sin no longer defines you. Do not stop doing what God has called you to because you slip occasionally. Instead, get up, turn back to Jesus, walk in the Holy Spirit and the victory will be yours.

I do not know how God is working in your right now. As the musicians come the altar is open. Maybe you need to come and do business here. Maybe you need to come and let me pray with you. Whatever it is, where ever you are, do not leave this place the same as you came in.

Amen!