Thanks Living 2

Thanks – give – ing

· Many sermons were written about thanks and about how to give,

· but what about the “ING”? part?

· It is great to thank God for what He has DONE.

· But aren’t there many areas in our lives that that God is “DO – ING” today?

· The more we REMEMBER His great works in our lifetime, the more we should REALIZE the awesomeness of God and REJOICE by giving Him CONTINUAL praise!

What are we to give thanks for?

Thank You for Being God

– Thank God that He IS!

Creating me – Psalm 139:13

NLT

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Loving me - Psalm 107:1

God loves first, before He does anything else….

God is good! - Ed young

Psalm 107:1 (NLT)

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful loveendures forever.

The first prayer most of us offered as children was “God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food.” Little did we know that perhaps the most profound words that anyone could ever utter in this universe would be, God is good!

Good all the time

What if God were capricious? What if God could have a bad day? That would be serious. Isn’t it wonderful that God is good? And He never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. So let us thank God for who He is – Good and Great!

“God has been good to me!”

Seeking me and finding me – Luke 19:8–10

NLT

8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”

9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Thanks shown by repentance – change – righting the wrongs

Saving me

· Loving comes before saving

· For God so LOVED that He GAVE…

Healing me – 1 Peter 2:24

Ten lepers – have mercy on us

Luke 17:15–16 (NLT)

15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!”

16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

Don’t be like the other nine!

Raising me up to new life – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Carving my name in Your Hand – Isaiah 49:16 NIV

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

Sanctifying me – 1 Thessalonians 5:23

NKJV

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Redeeming me – Isaiah 43:1

NKJV

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

Hagin - A Great Plan

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. — GALATIANS 3:13

Part of the inheritance that Colossians 1:12-14 tells us we should be giving thanks to the Father for, is “. . . redemption through his blood . . . ” (v. 14).

What are we redeemed from? From the curse of the law. And what is the curse of the law? The only way to find out, is to go to the law and see what it says the curse is.

The term “the law,” as found in the New Testament, refers to the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch. Reading there, we find that the curse, or punishment, for breaking God’s law is threefold:

1. Spiritual death (Gen. 2:17)

2. Poverty (Deut. 28:15-68)

3. Sickness (Deut. 28:15-68)

Galatians 3:13 tells us that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, and Colossians 1:12-14 tells us to thank God for our redemption! We are to thank the Father for this great plan of redemption which He planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate!

Confession: Thank You, Father, for Your great plan of redemption which You planned and sent the Lord Jesus Christ to consummate! Thank You because I am redeemed from death! Thank You because I am redeemed from poverty! Thank You because I am redeemed from sickness! Thank You, Father!

Rescuing me – Colossians 1:13

(NLT)

13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

Delivering me – Luke 8:35

Mad man delivered – sat at feet

Luke 8:35 (NLT)

Mad man sat at Jesus’ feet, fully clothed and perfectly sane

Those who appreciate will dedicate!

Examples of deliverance:

canceled doctors reports, coming off meds

· From bad HABITS – addictions

· From bad SITUATIONS – Daniel and the lion’s den

· From bad PEOPLE

Adopting me

– into the family of God

– name written in Book of Life

– spirit of adoption

–

Including me in God’s divine plan for salvation

Justifying me – Romans 5:9

· just as if I had never sinned

· Romans 5:9 –

· Romans 8:30

Sharing the Kingdom with me – Colossians 1:12

(NLT)

12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritancethat belongs to his people, who live in the light.

Hearing my prayers – Philippians 4:6

(NLT)

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need,and thank him for all he has done.

“Gratitude Attitude” - David Jeremiah

The most important thing to notice about Paul’s words is that he doesn’t say to give thanks for everything, but in everything. Paul wouldn’t expect us to give thanks for some painful event or an evil person’s actions in our life or in the world. Rather, we can be thankful that God is sovereign over everything, that God can cause all things to work together for our good when we belong to Him. We can be grateful in every circumstance because God will use it to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29).

Calling me to Your heart – 1 Corinthians 1:9

(NIV84)

9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

Matthew 4:18–20 (NLT)

18 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.

19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.

Filling me with Your Spirit – Acts 2:4

NKJV

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

· Available Only for this church age

Forgiving my sins – 1 John 1:9

Faithful and just to forgive and cleanse

Guarding me – Psalm 121

He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you!

Guiding me – Proverbs 4:18

NIV

The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

Providing for me – Psalm 37:25

NKJV I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

Praying for me – Hebrews 7:25

NKJV

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.

Encouraging me – Joshua 1:9

NKJV

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Empowering Me – Luke 9:1

NKJV Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.

Strengthening me – Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Supporting me – Isaiah 41:10

NKJV

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Holding me – Psalm 119:117

NKJV

Hold me up, and I shall be safe, And I shall observe Your statutes continually.

Growing me up – Colossians 2:6

(NLT)

7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will growstrong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Glorifying me with You – Romans 8:17

(ESV)

17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Hiding me – Psalm 32:7

(NLT)

7 For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude

Staying with me - John 14:16

NKJV

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—

Helping me – John 15:26

NKJV

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

Blessing me – Ephesians 1:3

NKJV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

Transforming me - Romans 12:2

NKJV

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Keeping me – Sustaining – Psalm 3:3

Keeping me from falling

Glory and the lifter of my head – Psalm 3:3

Jude 1:24 NKJV

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

Ordering my steps

Righteous person’s steps ordered of the Lord

Prospering me – 3 John 1:2

NKJV

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Giving me Yourself – John 3:16

John 3:16 (NLT)

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Caring for me – 1 Peter 5:7

NLT

7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

– cast my cares, for You care for me

Restoring my soul – Psalm 23

– Psalm 23

Mind, will, emotions

Turning my situation around – Psalm 30:11

Mourning into dancing

Psalm 30:11–12 (NLT)

11 You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,

12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Protecting my life – Psalm 18:2

Psalm 18:2 (NIV84)

2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Directing my steps

· Man plans his ways, but the Steps of a righteous person ordered by the Lord – Prov 16:9

· Rod and staff comfort me - like a guardrail

Correcting me –

· disciplines those You love –

· proves my family status –

· that You are my Father

Coming back for me – 1 Thess 4:16

· rapture

Raising me – Resurrecting - 2 Corinthians 4:14–15

(NLT)

14 We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you.

15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

1 Corinthians 15:42 NKJV

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption.

2 Corinthians 5:1 NKJV

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.