1 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:14,200 Isaiah 45 eight is the theme verse that we have begun the 2 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:19,800 year with, with this idea of God opening up the heavens and 3 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:25,640 raining righteousness upon us so that salvation and righteousness 4 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,400 would sprout up. It says it like this shower, oh 5 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,760 heavens from above, let the clean the clouds rain down 6 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,200 righteousness, let the earth open that salvation and 7 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,200 righteousness may bear fruit. Let the earth 'cause them both 8 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,720 to sprout. I, the Lord have caused it. 9 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:46,240 This is what we want. We want the righteousness of God 10 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,800 manifested in our lives and then through our lives in the lives 11 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:51,560 of other people. We want in our city, we want in 12 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:53,920 our county, we want the righteousness of God in our 13 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:58,040 community and businesses and the streets and homes and stores and 14 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,680 marriages and schools and beyond all the places we do art, 15 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,560 entertainment and recreation. We want the righteousness of God 16 00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:09,920 to sprout up God to shower it down and for it to produce fruit 17 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,160 for God's glory. One of the ways that we've been 18 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,320 seeing that and one of the reasons why we're taking 4 words 19 00:01:16,320 --> 00:01:20,760 in January is because of the work that God's been doing in 20 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:24,400 the schools and the the County School specifically that I 21 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,240 exposed you to last week as I interviewed Dr. Clint Terza. 22 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,920 As they've taken 4 words right out really of the one another 23 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:33,560 subscription and they're training them to every student, 24 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:37,200 every teacher and every administrator. 4 things the 25 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:39,480 Bible says human beings need to flourish. 26 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,400 Those 4 words we're actually taking one at a time on Sunday 27 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,640 mornings because they're manifestations. 28 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:46,400 They're ways that if righteousness was going to rain 29 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,240 in our city, you know what it sound like? 30 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,360 It sound like kindness, and it'd sound like gratitude, and it'd 31 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:54,560 sound like hope, and it'd sound like forgiveness. 32 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,920 And then guess who is going into these schools to do the training 33 00:01:57,920 --> 00:01:59,840 for all these people on these biblical things? 34 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:05,600 Pastors of local churches. Unbelievable, right? 35 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,320 I mean, my goodness, if God was going to give an opportunity for 36 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,039 righteousness to reign, that's partly how it would look, no 37 00:02:11,039 --> 00:02:12,920 doubt. But God wants to do this even in 38 00:02:12,920 --> 00:02:14,680 more and more ways. But we're just taking a moment 39 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,120 to remind ourselves, starting off the year, if this is our 40 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,480 trajectory in focus, if this is what we're praying for, what we 41 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,080 want, then how should this practically actually look in our 42 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:26,440 lives? And so the word for today, right 43 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,200 out of Scripture is the word gratitude. 44 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,320 All right, I love Christian biography. 45 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:35,920 If you don't read stories of fateful Saints, let me just tell 46 00:02:35,920 --> 00:02:40,360 you, you ought to It will bolster your faith. 47 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,160 I think people can disciple us from the grave If you'll read 48 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,440 what they wrote and how they follow Jesus by faith. 49 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,160 If you'll read their stories. One of the stories biographies 50 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,960 you should read is the titled The Hiding Place by Corey 51 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:54,200 Tenboom. All right. 52 00:02:54,520 --> 00:02:58,600 She was the daughter of a Dutch watchmaker during the early 53 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,360 well, the years of World War 2 when Nazi Germany was seeking to 54 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,920 overtake and they were rounding up and confiscating the Jews and 55 00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:11,040 of course the the horrors that took place during that time. 56 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,520 But many people like Corey and her sister Betsy and her father 57 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:17,920 were part of what they called the resistance where they 58 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:21,400 realized what was going on. And they actually to the risk of 59 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:25,560 their own health and safety and lives went out of their way to 60 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,440 provide name of the book a hiding place for people that are 61 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,160 being hunted by the government so they could hide and escape 62 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,680 with their lives. By the way, you'll read in the 63 00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:39,600 home of how that father read the word of God to his family every 64 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:41,320 day. I mean, they're just little 65 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:43,520 things you'll pick up by reading about faithful Saints. 66 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:47,280 So guess what they were ready to do when evil came because they 67 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:48,800 were bolstered by the word of God. 68 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,080 They were ready. They were ready as weapons of 69 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,480 righteousness. And so they began to put their 70 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:56,240 lives on the line for others. And as you read the story, 71 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,600 you're going to find out that both the father and Betsy and 72 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:01,960 Corey are eventually taken into custody for what they were 73 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:03,760 doing. And they were put into 74 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,880 concentration camps. And as you can imagine, they 75 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:10,640 suffered horrendous horrors at the circumstances they endured 76 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,800 for the decision to operate righteously in the face of evil. 77 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,959 They were imprisoned at Ravensbrook concentration camp 78 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:20,480 and there their barracks were overcrowded. 79 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:24,200 The ladies, Betsy and Corey, had food that was poor and meager. 80 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:26,800 When they got food, their accommodations were filthy. 81 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,720 One of the most unbearable elements that they endured in 82 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:35,840 these barracks was a was a flea manifestation where Betsy 83 00:04:35,840 --> 00:04:38,560 arrived and she got in her bunk and she said the lights went off 84 00:04:39,280 --> 00:04:41,640 and all the sudden she felt her whole body being bitten by 85 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:42,880 something and they knew immediately. 86 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,480 What it was, what they suffered, was unbelievable. 87 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:52,960 And yet Corey had stuffed and hidden a copy of the word of 88 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,960 God, and on her it was never discovered. 89 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:01,160 And while behind bars and in these barracks, these two ladies 90 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:05,080 would lead a Bible study. It would start from one end and 91 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,960 it'd be translated and Polish and Hungarian and other 92 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:10,600 languages. As it made it, it made its way 93 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:14,040 down the barracks as the word of God was translated softly under 94 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:15,960 their breath so the guards wouldn't hear outside. 95 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:18,640 And they led countless ladies to Christ. 96 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,920 But as they did this, one of the things that they felt led to do 97 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,440 was what 1st Corinthians 518 says. 98 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,320 When Betsy was lying on her bed being bitten by fleece, she said 99 00:05:28,320 --> 00:05:30,960 she felt like the Lord told her what the word of God says. 100 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:37,560 Give thanks in all circumstances, she whispered to 101 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,080 Corey. They ought to give thanks, to 102 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:44,800 which Corey said, Uh, uh, I'm not thanking God for the fleets. 103 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:48,360 There's no way, there's no way God could have anything good 104 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,200 going on because of these fleas. I can't imagine thanking God. 105 00:05:51,200 --> 00:05:54,320 And yet Corey was eventually persuaded by her sister to obey 106 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:56,640 the word of God. They began to thank God even in 107 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,600 the circumstances and situation of being man, of being infested 108 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:02,960 with fleas, where the Bible study went on and countless 109 00:06:02,960 --> 00:06:05,640 ladies went confessed Christ as a result. 110 00:06:06,280 --> 00:06:07,920 And of course, Corey ends up surviving. 111 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,800 Betsy eventually finds out later on the reason why they were able 112 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:17,080 to have the Bible study and lead so many to Christ is because the 113 00:06:17,080 --> 00:06:19,320 guards would not enter the barracks. 114 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:22,440 And do you know why the guards would never enter the barracks? 115 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,800 Because of the fleas that Betsy said. 116 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:29,960 You know what we ought to thank God for? 117 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,320 Without the fleas, there may have been no Bible study. 118 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,840 Maybe nobody led to Christ and they thank God even. 119 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,680 Even for the fleece, the Bible says to give thanks in all 120 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,360 circumstances. Our word that we're going to 121 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,720 look from the Scripture at today is gratitude. 122 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:49,760 One of the ways God wants to reign righteousness in our lives 123 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:54,040 and through our lives is through a life lived out of gratitude 124 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,240 grounded in the gospel. Gratitude. 125 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,400 What is it y'all? Gratitude is a way of seeing the 126 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:01,640 world. I want you to listen to a verse 127 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:05,280 of Scripture that ought to be an anchor point of our worldview as 128 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:08,360 believers. James 117 says every good. 129 00:07:08,760 --> 00:07:12,760 Gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the 130 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,920 Father of lights with whom there's no variation or shadow 131 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,360 due to change. All gratitude is a worldview 132 00:07:20,640 --> 00:07:25,000 that says life owes me nothing and everything I do have that's 133 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,920 good is a gift. And every gift is from God. 134 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:33,320 It's a worldview. The life owes me nothing, and 135 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,840 every good gift I have I've received, and I've received it 136 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:39,600 ultimately from God. This is what gratitude is. 137 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:41,520 Let's define it this way if you're follow along in your 138 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:44,200 notes. Gratitude is appreciating every 139 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:47,880 good gift in life and recognizing that it all 140 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:53,320 ultimately comes from God. No one should be more grateful 141 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,000 than a Christian. Let me give you a few reasons 142 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:56,880 why. A few reminders this morning for 143 00:07:56,880 --> 00:07:59,600 us as believers. Second Corinthians 915 says 144 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:03,600 thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift. 145 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:05,360 Don't you think about that descriptor there of gift? 146 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,320 What gift have we been given and received as believers? 147 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:10,920 It's our salvation through Jesus Christ. 148 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:12,440 It's a gift that's inexpressible. 149 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,680 You can't fully put into words just how wonderful, just how 150 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:19,800 magnificent, just how breathtaking the fact that God 151 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:23,480 would love us so much in our sin and rebellion and ingratitude 152 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:25,720 towards Him. That He would send His one and 153 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:28,280 only Son to live a sinless life in our place. 154 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:31,960 To die and pay for our sin debt on the cross. 155 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:36,559 To be buried in a tomb tasting death and by the power of God go 156 00:08:36,559 --> 00:08:40,360 victorious over death by walking out alive, never to die again. 157 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:43,400 Offering us forgiveness and life and eternity with Him. 158 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:46,520 If only we would believe by faith that He did it for us out 159 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:48,760 of His love. Unbelievable. 160 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:53,400 Inexpressible, right? This is why Christians ought to 161 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:55,320 be the most grateful people on the planet. 162 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,400 We've received what we could have never earned or deserved in 163 00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:00,440 the Gospel. Let's keep going. 164 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:04,360 First Corinthians 1556 and 57 says this the sting of death is 165 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:06,480 sin. The power of sin is the law. 166 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:09,840 But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord 167 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,120 Jesus Christ. We haven't yet seen Christ face 168 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,400 to face when he returns as we're going to do right now. 169 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,080 We're battling sin. We're battling the the forces of 170 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,240 darkness and the evil one who's got an agenda that's opposing in 171 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:24,000 opposition to God and every day is a good fight of faith as we 172 00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:27,640 walk against the forces against us and yet we've been given the 173 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,600 victory through Jesus Christ. Hebrews 12/28. 174 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:34,200 Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a a Kingdom that 175 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,320 cannot be shaken. You know, we got a future coming 176 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:37,920 that we cannot even put into works. 177 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,240 A new heavens and a new earth, The presence of God, life, 178 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,680 eternal life. I mean, try to wrap your mind 179 00:09:44,680 --> 00:09:46,440 around this this afternoon. It'll blow your mind to keep you 180 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:51,320 awake during your nap. Forever, Forever with God. 181 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:57,760 Forever with God, with no more death, no more pain, no more 182 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:02,200 tears, no more struggle. Forever with God. 183 00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,080 Life forever y'all. Gratitude ought to be the ground 184 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:09,400 we walk as Christians. It's our response daily as 185 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:12,120 children of God. It's our posture because of the 186 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:14,680 gospel. It is our attitude as followers 187 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:17,240 of Christ. Gratitude is the is the reality 188 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,800 of appreciating every good gift and recognizing it's all coming 189 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:21,800 from God. I just want to stop before I go 190 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:25,360 any further and ask you to ask yourself the question between 191 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,160 you and God. Have you received the 192 00:10:27,160 --> 00:10:30,120 inexpressible gift of salvation through Jesus Christ? 193 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,160 Listen, that's where real gratitude begins. 194 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:38,800 When you realize what God has done for you that you couldn't 195 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,320 do for yourself. That changes everything. 196 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:44,520 And, and, and if you say I pastor God, I'm not, I'm not 197 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,960 sure that's happened for me. Then listen, right now what you 198 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:49,840 need to understand is what I told you earlier, what Jesus has 199 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,640 done for you, living for you, dying for you, and defeating 200 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,000 death for you. And the Bible says all who call 201 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,680 on the name of the Lord will be saved. 202 00:10:56,680 --> 00:10:59,320 It's a matter of believing that Jesus is who he is. 203 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:04,720 He's done what he said he did as the Bible says so clearly, and 204 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:07,760 it's asking him for forgiveness to be your Lord and Savior and 205 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,600 giving your life to him as he's given his life for you. 206 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:15,040 You can call on him even now and receive salvation if you by 207 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:19,760 faith will receive it #2 Gratitude, y'all is a command 208 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:23,800 for all Christians in all. Circumstances to go back to that 209 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:27,480 First Thessalonians 518 give thanks in all circumstances for 210 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,000 this is the will of God for you in Jesus Christ. 211 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:34,600 Paul doesn't say notice he doesn't say give thanks for all 212 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:35,960 circumstances. What does he say? 213 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,960 Give thanks in prepositions matter. 214 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:44,240 That's a big difference between for all circumstances and in all 215 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:45,720 circumstances, there's a difference, right? 216 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:48,360 Some things we're going to experience in life are evil. 217 00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:50,680 They are wicked, they are confusing and they're not of 218 00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:52,240 God. And yet God is in control. 219 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:54,680 But even he allows us to experience things that are that 220 00:11:54,680 --> 00:11:57,720 that are not good, that we that we obviously wouldn't want that 221 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:03,200 are evil and not of him. And yet he calls us through this 222 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:06,720 command to, even when we're walking through things in life 223 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,560 that we wouldn't want, that are painful and difficult to look 224 00:12:09,560 --> 00:12:14,720 for God's presence, His promises, and his purpose that 225 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:16,840 he's working through these things in our lives. 226 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:20,160 And This is why no matter what we're going through, we can, by 227 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,720 the power of the Holy Spirit, actually give thanks to God. 228 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,680 No matter what the circumstances are, we can give thanks in all 229 00:12:25,680 --> 00:12:27,760 circumstances. And like we put last week, do 230 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:31,320 you remember when we said that kindness is a spiritual weapon? 231 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:35,360 Gratitude is also a weapon of war. 232 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:39,560 In spiritual warfare. Gratitude is a response to 233 00:12:39,560 --> 00:12:42,880 wickedness and the lies of the enemy that allows us to strike 234 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,600 back with the truth of God. Listen to how the lies of the 235 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:47,480 enemy will come your way. They're going to come in the 236 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:49,480 form of entitlement. There's going to be days the 237 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,960 devil whispers in your ear. You deserve better. 238 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:56,600 You deserve more. He's going to whisper to you, 239 00:12:56,600 --> 00:12:58,640 you know, God's been better through comparison. 240 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,440 God's been better to him. God's been better to her. 241 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,120 God's holding out on you. And entitlement will creep in 242 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:07,800 and comparison will creep in. And this is the spiritual 243 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:10,320 warfare of the enemy. And then cynicism will kick in 244 00:13:10,320 --> 00:13:12,320 and then you're going to think, well, it doesn't matter anymore. 245 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:14,680 God's checked out on me. I might as well check out on 246 00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:16,600 him. And the lives of entitlement and 247 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:20,200 comparison and cynicism and gratitude is like a sword of the 248 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,160 truth of the Word of God, which you stand on the promises of 249 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:25,560 God, and you wield the truth back in the face of the enemy. 250 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:29,080 And you fight back by faith, by walking in gratitude based on 251 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:34,200 the promises of God, looking for His presence, seeing His purpose 252 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:36,000 and understanding, even when you don't know everything and 253 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,080 understand everything and can't see the destination. 254 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:40,920 God's right there with you. He's not left you nor forsaken 255 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:43,920 you. And so this is gratitude. 256 00:13:44,560 --> 00:13:48,280 Gratitude is an act of war against unbelief. 257 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:53,920 Have you learned by the power of the Holy Spirit within you, to 258 00:13:53,920 --> 00:13:55,440 give thanks in all circumstances? 259 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:58,720 I say by the power of the Holy Spirit, because you're not going 260 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:01,440 to do it in your power. You know a lot. 261 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,840 Of times we think the manifestation and work of the 262 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,160 Holy Spirit in our lives should be kind of like fireworks going 263 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:07,360 off. And that's usually not the way 264 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:10,040 it happens. The Holy Spirit wants to allow 265 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:13,480 you to do the ordinary mundane things that Scripture tells you 266 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:15,120 to do that you can't do without his help. 267 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:18,640 Where you just going to have to say, Lord, I don't see it, I 268 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:20,480 don't understand it, but I believe you. 269 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:23,920 And I'm going to trust your word just like Betsy and Corey and 270 00:14:23,920 --> 00:14:26,520 Corey 10 Boom did while they were being bitten by fleas and 271 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,920 say, God, I don't know what these fleas are accomplishing. 272 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,720 But you know, the whole time God could see it, God could see it. 273 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,920 The whole time they couldn't see it, God could see it. 274 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,880 They trusted by faith. And that faith allowed them 275 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:41,240 eventually to see that God had a purpose even when they couldn't 276 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:43,640 see it. The great Bible commentator 277 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:46,040 Doctor Matthew Henry was once robbed. 278 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:51,000 As he walked along the highway Afterwards, his friends said 279 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,840 that there were four things that he said to them through being 280 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:56,840 robbed, that he was going to give thanks anyway. 281 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,560 Listen to this, he said. First, he was grateful that he 282 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:08,880 had never been robbed before. Second, though they took all my 283 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:12,160 money, he said, they didn't take very much. 284 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:16,800 Praise God. Third, though they took my, 285 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:21,000 though they took my money, they did not take my life. 286 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,520 Thank you, Lord. Finally, he said, I'm thankful 287 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:27,600 that it was I who was robbed and not I that robbed. 288 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:29,920 Got to think on that one for a second. 289 00:15:30,160 --> 00:15:32,120 That's a little example, little insight. 290 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,240 What does it mean to give thanks in all? 291 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:37,800 Can you give thanks even when you've been mugged along the 292 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:43,760 highway? Yes, he did an example of just 293 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:45,040 that. This is someone who's learned to 294 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,120 give thanks in all circumstances. 295 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:49,200 Again, this is going to make you look and sound weird to 296 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:52,360 everybody else around you. They're not going to understand 297 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:54,600 you start living gratitude. You're going to start raining 298 00:15:54,600 --> 00:15:57,920 righteousness. Salt and light is going to be 299 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,200 put in the wounds of people that are hard hearted toward God and 300 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:05,400 wondering what is that healing agent I'm being exposed to that 301 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,280 is radically different than living how I live. 302 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:11,320 Then you got an opportunity to give an answer for the hope that 303 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:13,000 you have. By the way, no matter what 304 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,280 situation or trial, there's always a reason to give thanks. 305 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:19,720 If Romans 828 is true and it is that for those who know God and 306 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:22,680 who love God and are called according to His purpose, all 307 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:26,240 things work together for what? For good for those who love Him 308 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,560 and are called according to His purpose. 309 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:31,160 And then furthermore, scripture shows us that practicing 310 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:33,680 gratitude is like an antidote to our anxiety. 311 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:35,680 Listen to Philippians 4-6 and seven. 312 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:39,080 Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and 313 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:43,320 supplication with a little small ingredient here we often we 314 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,240 think we can substitute that ingredient with something else. 315 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:46,720 Sometimes y'all try to cook like that. 316 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,040 Sometimes I have put a different ingredient in there than what it 317 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:51,880 calls for. God says it calls for 318 00:16:52,120 --> 00:16:55,640 Thanksgiving, which Sir. And then let your request be 319 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,480 made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses what 320 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,640 human understanding it can't be explained. 321 00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:05,520 It's supernatural, it's of the Holy Spirit, it's provided by 322 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:08,560 God, it's from heaven, it's not from earth, it's not in peel 323 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:12,480 form, it's not in person form. You can't go buy it on a shelf 324 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:16,079 form. It's from God form because it 325 00:17:16,079 --> 00:17:19,359 passes all human understanding with not peace which passes 326 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:22,119 understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus 327 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:25,800 shall the truth is right. So many, so many professing 328 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:29,760 Christians, including you and me, we struggle with often times 329 00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,960 perpetually being pulled back into a cycle of living stressed 330 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:40,840 out of living, worried of living anxious of living in fear of 331 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:44,760 living insecure of living with a nervousness maybe about us and 332 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:47,760 what could happen and what if this or what if that what if and 333 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:49,640 God didn't design us to live that way. 334 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,240 And God says, you bring, you bring your stuff to me and you 335 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:57,680 bring it with an attitude of faith because you're not going 336 00:17:57,680 --> 00:17:59,080 to give thanks. You're not going to give thanks 337 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:02,640 unless you believe God's good and then he can be trusted. 338 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:05,320 So it's that little ingredient that's got to come with it. 339 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:08,560 You bring your stuff to me and you bring it with Thanksgiving 340 00:18:08,560 --> 00:18:11,600 and who I am. And you let me give you a way to 341 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:13,880 do life, that when Jesus has come to me, all who are weary 342 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,800 and have you late and I'll give you rest. 343 00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:19,960 There's a way to do life that's abundant when we abide in 344 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:21,840 Christ. There's an antidote to our 345 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:23,960 anxiety. It's God's goodness and our 346 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:25,880 gratitude. How do you, how do you grow in 347 00:18:25,880 --> 00:18:27,520 gratitude? Well, let me give you just three 348 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:31,440 simple things that I think are really easy to overlook. 349 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,760 Number one is to notice. Let me give you a, a verse that 350 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:38,200 should anchor how we notice the goodness of God and his goodness 351 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,400 is in our life. John 116 says from his fullness, 352 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:43,320 that's the fullness of Jesus Christ. 353 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:49,800 We've all received what grace upon grace the Bible doesn't 354 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,280 say. God drips grace like a dropper, 355 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:57,720 like from a eyedropper bottle. God says grace. 356 00:18:58,120 --> 00:19:02,280 God flows in our lives wave after wave after wave, like the 357 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:05,040 ocean continuing to crash on the beach. 358 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,080 It just constant. It never stops. 359 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:10,320 The tide of God's grace is always in our lives and it is 360 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:14,120 always wave after wave. Grace upon grace of the kindness 361 00:19:14,120 --> 00:19:16,880 and goodness of God. One man said gratitude begins 362 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:21,600 when a man stops treating grace is rare and starts recognizing 363 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:24,880 it as reality. The more clearly you see his 364 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:28,240 that's God's fullness, the more naturally thank you becomes the 365 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:32,280 posture of your soul. So we first must just notice 366 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:35,520 like the wake up and realize man, I need to notice the grace 367 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:37,760 and wave upon grace of God in my life. 368 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,520 That's all around me #2 is to think. 369 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:44,880 Once you notice, think about. Consider the source of 370 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:47,600 everything good in your life. Think about their origins. 371 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:51,240 Spend time remembering The Who, the what, the why, the how. 372 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:54,840 It's been said that gratitude is simply the art of paying 373 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,040 attention. And the more we pay attention, 374 00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:59,960 the more we see what has always been true. 375 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:07,080 Our lives are soaked in grace. The third notice. 376 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:10,040 Think and think. Think, actually express 377 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:13,760 gratitude. Live by a habit of saying thank 378 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:19,080 you verbally, tangibly. Thank you notes and showing up 379 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:21,560 and blessing God. Waking up and writing down thank 380 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:24,200 you over and over for what God's given you in your prayer 381 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,680 journal. Waking up and smiling and living 382 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:30,720 with a grateful heart because of all the wave after wave after 383 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:33,680 wave of grace in the smallest of things in your life. 384 00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:34,920 I'm going to show you a short video. 385 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,320 I know it's Christmas themed, but I think it's going to give 386 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,280 you a visual of what did. What would it be like to 387 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,280 actually notice and think about and thank? 388 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:45,600 For all the. Small things, like ordinary 389 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,840 things in our lives. Watch this. 390 00:20:54,480 --> 00:20:55,160 I'm alive. I'm alive. 391 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:04,040 Yeah. Hey, Christy, you're here too. 392 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:05,400 I love you. I know. 393 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:12,800 What's happening? Hunting. 394 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,680 The power works. It's going. 395 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:17,960 It goes on and off. Whatever we want. 396 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,040 We've got clean water. That's great. 397 00:21:23,000 --> 00:21:27,120 Look at that. I bet I know what this does. 398 00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:36,120 Bring down the glorious water shoes. 399 00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:43,480 Oh, what do we got here, guys? Food. 400 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:46,640 I love soup. What a a booth please. 401 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:51,520 Will you not have work just for something? 402 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:53,080 Come on. Listen here, Dee. 403 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:55,880 Do what, Jack? Be careful. 404 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:56,120 I have. A. 405 00:21:57,840 --> 00:22:01,880 Car. Did you guys see this? 406 00:22:02,600 --> 00:22:05,200 You have a car. A car. 407 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:12,040 And don't forget your coffee. You're the best. 408 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:23,000 That's pretty eye opening, isn't it? 409 00:22:24,120 --> 00:22:26,280 I mean, you may be like, well, if somebody provided my 410 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:29,360 breakfast that way and handed me my keys and, you know, brought 411 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:32,160 me my briefcase and, I mean, handed me my coffee, I could 412 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,840 wake up like that every day too. And maybe so, right, be a little 413 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:39,400 bit easier, but just all the basic things of life. 414 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:44,360 I mean down to the very breath and our lungs is provided and 415 00:22:44,360 --> 00:22:48,240 sustained by God. And This is why our lives are 416 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,720 wave after wave soaked in God's grace in all kinds of ordinary 417 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:56,760 and extraordinary ways. Famous author by the name of GK 418 00:22:56,760 --> 00:23:00,080 Chesterton once wrote you say grace and what he means is by 419 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,600 saying thank you, praying before meals, you say grace before 420 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:06,160 meals. But I say grace before the 421 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:10,160 concert and the opera and the sporting event, before I open a 422 00:23:10,160 --> 00:23:12,880 book, before I dip my pen in the ink. 423 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:14,520 What is he saying? He's saying listen. 424 00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:16,800 Yeah, you may have the habit of stopping and saying thank you at 425 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:18,640 meal time. But listen, saying thank you 426 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:22,040 should be the habit and posture of a Christian at every time, 427 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:24,760 because everything that we experience, not just the food in 428 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:27,240 our mouths or on our plates, is a gift from God. 429 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:31,080 This is ought to be a way of life in which we live. 430 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:36,800 To live grateful is to live awake to the grace of God #3 I 431 00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:39,200 want to point this out. Ingratitude. 432 00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:42,640 Ingratitude is one of the worst of sins. 433 00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:49,040 It's one of the worst of sins. Doctor HA Ironside, well known 434 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:53,520 preacher, theologian and writer of yesteryear had dinner at a 435 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:57,920 restaurant by himself and after he found his seat and he had 436 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,360 ordered his meal, a gentleman walked up to him and said, 437 00:24:01,360 --> 00:24:04,160 Doctor Ironside, would you mind if I sat down with you? 438 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:07,080 To which he said, no, go right ahead, that's that's just fine. 439 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:11,720 Once his food arrived, Doctor Ironside bowed his head as was 440 00:24:11,720 --> 00:24:16,720 his custom and silently prayed a prayer of thanks over his food, 441 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:21,560 to which the guest that had joined him looked at him and 442 00:24:21,560 --> 00:24:23,480 asked the question. Doctor Ironside, do you have a 443 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:27,360 headache? No, I'm. 444 00:24:27,360 --> 00:24:28,160 I'm fine. I feel fine. 445 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:31,600 I don't have a headache. Well, do you feel sick? 446 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,720 No. I, I I don't feel sick. 447 00:24:34,800 --> 00:24:36,680 Is there something wrong with your food? 448 00:24:37,280 --> 00:24:40,360 No, no, not that I can tell. Nothing's wrong with my food, he 449 00:24:40,360 --> 00:24:42,560 said. Well I saw you sitting there and 450 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:44,560 then bow your head, I thought you must be sick. 451 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:46,040 Something that must be wrong with your food. 452 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:49,040 Something must be off. To which Doctor Ironside said, 453 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:52,160 no, I'm simply returning thanks to God, which is my habit every 454 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,560 time before I eat. To which this gentleman then 455 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:57,040 responded. Oh, you're one of those are you? 456 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:03,840 He said in response. I want you to know, Doctor 457 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:05,760 Ironside, that I never give thanks. 458 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:10,600 I earn my own money by the sweat of my own brow. 459 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:16,960 I don't have to give thanks to anybody when I eat, I just start 460 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:20,600 right in to witch. Doctor Ironside looked him in 461 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,280 the eye and said Yep, you're just like my dog. 462 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:34,100 He does the exact same thing. Now here's the non funny truth, 463 00:25:34,100 --> 00:25:38,260 you ready? Many dogs and men act the exact 464 00:25:38,260 --> 00:25:45,080 same towards God. Many dogs and men act the exact 465 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:46,880 same. The ones created in the image of 466 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,880 God, the ones that God sent his one and only Son for, often act 467 00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:55,040 the same way as irrational animals towards the one who 468 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:58,440 sustains the molecules of oxygen in their blood. 469 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,080 It ought not be the sin of ingratitude. 470 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:06,360 You all actually started in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve 471 00:26:06,360 --> 00:26:08,880 said, God, what you've given us is not enough. 472 00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:12,640 We want more. We're ungrateful, God, for your 473 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:15,280 provisions that you've given us, we want more. 474 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,640 They rebelled against God. Sin entered the world. 475 00:26:18,360 --> 00:26:20,920 The rest is history. Obviously one of the other 476 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:23,960 places in Scripture I want to show you just real quick that is 477 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,360 really one of the most powerful illustrations of the ugliness of 478 00:26:27,360 --> 00:26:31,000 the sin of ingratitude comes out of Luke 17 as Luke records an 479 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:34,280 incident in the life of Jesus that goes like this beginning in 480 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:36,360 verse 11 on the way to Jerusalem. 481 00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:40,080 He that's Jesus was passing along between Samaria and 482 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,560 Galilee and as he entered a village he was met by 10 lepers 483 00:26:43,720 --> 00:26:46,640 who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices saying 484 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:50,560 Jesus Master have mercy on us. And when we saw them he said to 485 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,680 them go and show yourselves to the priest and as they went they 486 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:56,080 were cleansed. Then one of them when he saw 487 00:26:56,120 --> 00:26:59,240 that he was healed turned back praising God with a loud voice 488 00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:02,600 and he fell on his face at Jesus's feet giving him thanks. 489 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:07,040 Now he was a Samaritan and then Jesus answered, we're not ten 490 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:10,760 cleansed. Where are the 9 was no one found 491 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:14,160 to return and give praise to God except this foreigner and he 492 00:27:14,160 --> 00:27:15,800 said to him, rise and go your way. 493 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:19,520 Your faith has made you well. Now this is fascinating, right? 494 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:23,280 To be a leper was to be someone who had a disease that was so 495 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:27,040 contagious and without cure that you were cut off from your 496 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,200 entire family, from your friends, from society. 497 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:34,680 You lived off in a commune with other lepers and you did not get 498 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,840 to participate in the normal walk of life of society. 499 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,000 You lived a totally different, cut off, separated, pretty 500 00:27:41,000 --> 00:27:44,680 miserable life. There was no hope physically for 501 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,000 a leper. When they see Jesus, they don't 502 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:48,640 get close. They know kind of the social 503 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:50,800 custom not to get too close, but they call out. 504 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,320 They know this one has the power to heal. 505 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:56,280 They've heard they want help. They cry out in faith. 506 00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:58,400 Jesus tells them to do something. 507 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,440 That sounds odd, right? He says go and show yourselves 508 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,640 to the priest. And that sounds weird, but 509 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,200 during the Old Testament days, the law prescribed if you were 510 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:10,800 healed, if you thought you were healed, you would go and show 511 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:14,080 yourself to the priest who would inspect and see and then declare 512 00:28:14,080 --> 00:28:16,040 you clean if you were in fact healed. 513 00:28:16,040 --> 00:28:19,000 Know what's odd about this is Jesus tells them to go show 514 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:22,280 themselves before they're before they're healed. 515 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:24,520 They got to exercise. Some faith and start walking and 516 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:28,240 they do. And guess what happens on the 517 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:32,200 way? They look down and their flesh 518 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:39,400 is completely restored, and yet they do what mankind generally 519 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,360 does in light of all the goodness of God. 520 00:28:42,640 --> 00:28:46,800 In general, mankind does not return thanks to God, and the 521 00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:50,320 story illustrates that. How many out of 10/1? 522 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,160 And this one? Not the one you would have 523 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,240 expected. This one was a Samaritan one 524 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:57,600 that was hated by Jews and hated Jews in return. 525 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:02,040 Ethnically, there were some differences that caused the two 526 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,840 to hate each other in ways they didn't even pass by or go 527 00:29:04,840 --> 00:29:09,160 through one another's regions. And this Samaritan came to 528 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:13,560 Jesus, a Jew, the one you'd least expect to give thanks, 529 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:18,880 while 90% of them didn't, just went about their lives as if 530 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,520 Jesus had never done anything for them. 531 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:28,440 This is the ugliness of the sin of ingratitude, in fact. 532 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:31,200 The Bible in this story, you would think, well, that's 533 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:32,960 certainly that's not like typical. 534 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,960 That's not typical of mankind. No, it's in the Bible because 535 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,640 Jesus wants us to know that is typical of mankind. 536 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:41,440 In fact, the Bible reinforces it in other places like Romans 537 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,720 chapter one, verse 21. For even though they they're 538 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,480 he's talking about Paul's talking about mankind in general 539 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,560 and at large, although they knew God, they didn't honor him as 540 00:29:50,560 --> 00:29:57,760 God or give what or give thanks. The majority of mankind has 541 00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:02,000 chosen to act like a dog towards God and act like he hadn't given 542 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:06,320 him anything. Ingratitude is a sin, y'all? 543 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:10,800 That characterizes the lives. Of the lost, the don't know 544 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:16,240 Jesus, Second Timothy 3 one through 3 says. 545 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:20,040 But understand this, that this, that in the last days, as we get 546 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:23,360 closer to the return of Christ, there will come times of 547 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,280 difficulty. For people will be lovers of 548 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:28,480 self. Listen to this description and 549 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:31,000 ask yourself, is this not a description of the world we live 550 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:33,320 in? For people will be lovers of 551 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:38,760 self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient 552 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:41,600 to their parents, ungrateful. I mean, of all the sins you 553 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,040 would think are listed right there, you wouldn't think that'd 554 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:46,080 be one of them. Like maybe that doesn't sound 555 00:30:46,080 --> 00:30:50,280 like a big deal, but when it's toward God, it colors the whole 556 00:30:50,280 --> 00:30:53,240 deal. Ungrateful, unholy, heartless, 557 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:57,120 unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, 558 00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:00,640 not loving, good, ingratitude. God's word says it's going to 559 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:04,640 only grow in the last days. This response towards God is not 560 00:31:04,640 --> 00:31:07,400 going to decrease, it's going to increase. 561 00:31:08,760 --> 00:31:13,560 Believers are called to live just the opposite. 562 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,520 Just the opposite. And in this way we reign 563 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:20,720 righteousness. In our lives, by the power of 564 00:31:20,720 --> 00:31:24,480 the Holy Spirit, in the lives of others, y'all, it's been said 565 00:31:25,440 --> 00:31:28,320 that we could actually do a measure, You could actually do a 566 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:32,240 measure of your spiritual health this morning by the single 567 00:31:32,240 --> 00:31:36,480 criteria of gratitude. And here's how I'm about to list 568 00:31:36,480 --> 00:31:40,400 off a bunch of things that are not going to be in your life, 569 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:42,680 that are not going to be healthy in your life, that are not going 570 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:47,000 to flourish in your life unless gratitude has been put in first. 571 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:51,040 Unless gratitude is in the foundation you ready So here's 572 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:53,920 just a list of things that they're not going to be true in 573 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:55,720 your life unless gratitude is happening. 574 00:31:55,760 --> 00:31:59,880 Number one, you're not going to be a positive person unless 575 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:03,240 gratitude is in your life. You're not going to be a person 576 00:32:03,240 --> 00:32:07,080 aware of God's presence unless gratitude is in your life. 577 00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:10,680 You're not going to be a humble person unless gratitude is in 578 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:12,520 you're going to be like I earned my money by the sweat of my own 579 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:14,120 brow. God's got nothing to do with it. 580 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:19,120 You're not going to be peaceful because you're not going to be 581 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:20,680 bringing your stuff to God with Thanksgiving. 582 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:22,440 If gratitude is not, you're not going to have, you're not going 583 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:24,720 to be thoughtful of others without gratitude. 584 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,280 You're not going to be generous, you're not grateful, you're not 585 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:31,280 going to be unselfish, you're not going to be evangelistic, 586 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:34,040 You're not got you're not going to add an overflow of a love for 587 00:32:34,040 --> 00:32:36,000 Jesus and love for God based on what he's done for you in the 588 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,360 gospel. Share with anybody else, unless 589 00:32:37,360 --> 00:32:39,920 you're first grateful for what God has done for you in the 590 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,280 gospel, you're not going to be friendly, you're not going to be 591 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:43,640 contagious. You're not going to be 592 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:46,240 motivated, servant hearted, faithful, fruitful, or joyful. 593 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:50,000 And that's just a sample list of what's impacted in your life if 594 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:53,400 gratitude is not flowing from being grounded in the gospel of 595 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:55,080 Jesus Christ because of what He's done for you. 596 00:32:56,040 --> 00:32:59,440 But we're not. This is something so simple, but 597 00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:03,360 I'm telling you the tributaries of righteousness it produces are 598 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:10,920 pervasive in your life or not, depending on I came across this 599 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:12,960 statement. This guy's not even a believer 600 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,760 and yet he recognized the truth of a man by the name you'll 601 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,800 recognize of Cicero. But he said gratitude is the 602 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:24,960 mother of all virtues. You know, sometimes even a lost 603 00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:27,360 person can speak the truth of God when they see it for 604 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:30,920 themselves. Y'all, when we struggle for 605 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:33,760 gratitude, we ought to examine the cause. 606 00:33:33,920 --> 00:33:37,640 What I'm about to do next is list a few things that could be 607 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:41,200 could be a cause of a lack of gratitude in your life. 608 00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:45,560 This list is not exhaustive, but this list is meant to be 609 00:33:45,560 --> 00:33:48,480 introspective so that you can maybe just, hey, bounce these 610 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,400 off your heart. Bounce these off your mind, see 611 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:53,920 if you might be stuck or struggling in any of them and, 612 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:56,960 and, and, and you may have a decision to make #1 You might be 613 00:33:56,960 --> 00:33:59,720 lacking gratitude because you might not be saved. 614 00:34:01,520 --> 00:34:05,920 Doctor Richard Blackaby, son of Henry Blackaby, spoke to our 615 00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:08,760 Bartow Baptist Minister ministerial association for 616 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:11,600 lunch on Wednesday. He made a statement when he was 617 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:14,239 talking out of John 3. When Jesus looks at Nicodemus 618 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:17,440 and says you must be born again, he says, listen, many people 619 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:20,639 have prayed A sinner's prayer that have not been truly born 620 00:34:20,639 --> 00:34:23,040 again. You know, sometimes it's 621 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:25,159 possible to do something you think you should do or your 622 00:34:25,159 --> 00:34:27,560 parents want you to do, or the church says you should do, or 623 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:30,560 you think the pastor thinks you should do, but it's not really. 624 00:34:30,639 --> 00:34:33,239 It's not really from you, in the depths of your heart and your 625 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:35,639 soul with your faith in Jesus, not yours. 626 00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:38,120 It may be something you did to please others or to do because 627 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:40,639 you thought it was the right thing, but prayed a prayer but 628 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:43,239 never been really changed by the love of God. 629 00:34:43,840 --> 00:34:47,239 Calling out with all your heart and soul to be saved and 630 00:34:47,239 --> 00:34:51,840 forgiven may not be saved #2 You might be dealing with doubt and 631 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:54,639 unbelief in the goodness and power of God. 632 00:34:54,840 --> 00:34:57,200 You know how easy it is to begin doubting the power and goodness 633 00:34:57,200 --> 00:35:01,440 of God when you're hurting. You start wondering, don't you, 634 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:05,040 God? Why God? 635 00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:10,160 What God? What if all the sudden doubt and 636 00:35:10,160 --> 00:35:14,400 unbelief to creep in #3 you could be infected with some 637 00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:17,080 selfishness and worldliness, right? 638 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:20,560 It's not hard to go out into the world and see the world pursuing 639 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:24,000 what everything they think makes a human being happy. 640 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:30,560 More stuff, more pleasure, more me, more mine, more success, 641 00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:33,920 more earthly things. It's pretty easy to get caught 642 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:37,040 up in that current, But if you do, you'll never actually be 643 00:35:37,040 --> 00:35:39,320 satisfied. Somebody's always ahead of you 644 00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:43,920 with a little bit more that can infect our hearts #4 we may have 645 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:47,360 contracted a critical spirit. You know what a critical spirit 646 00:35:47,360 --> 00:35:50,120 is? It's what happens to a human 647 00:35:50,120 --> 00:35:52,840 being when typically they've been hurt in the past and 648 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:54,960 they've never really fully healed from that hurt. 649 00:35:57,120 --> 00:35:58,760 Don't you hate when a rock hits your windshield? 650 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,280 My kids keep asking me when am I going to replace my windshield? 651 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:08,160 Like, well, when I actually can't see through it or it 652 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:11,720 really becomes a problem. Kind of at the bottom. 653 00:36:11,720 --> 00:36:14,880 It's not in my line of sight. So there you go. 654 00:36:16,480 --> 00:36:18,280 I'm just being transparent right here, NSF. 655 00:36:19,960 --> 00:36:24,920 You know, what happens is in life, we can be hit by rocks and 656 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:27,080 sometimes we refuse to have our windshield changed. 657 00:36:28,920 --> 00:36:33,200 And So what happens is we can't see life outside of the the hurt 658 00:36:33,960 --> 00:36:38,120 that we've experienced. And it colors everything we see. 659 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:40,440 It colors everything we say. It colors everything we do. 660 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:44,720 And then what happens is we're fearful it'll happen again. 661 00:36:44,720 --> 00:36:46,640 So we exercise control. We got to control everything. 662 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:50,080 Or we're critical of others because you know what? 663 00:36:50,200 --> 00:36:52,840 There's no way to see a positive outlook on life when my 664 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:56,040 windshield is cracked. Don't y'all know rocks fly 665 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:58,120 around here? You're going to get hit. 666 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:03,400 We fail to realize. Listen, God's in the business of 667 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:07,200 replacing windshields by His grace, but we just maybe haven't 668 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:09,800 let Him replace ours. Rob, you I. 669 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:14,200 Don't rob you of gratitude #5. We might be spiritually. 670 00:37:14,200 --> 00:37:16,640 Lukewarm. You've kind of lost. 671 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:19,400 Your first love and joy in. Jesus, your zeal for God, your 672 00:37:19,400 --> 00:37:23,120 passion and prayer and worship, love for the Word, gotten an 673 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:25,040 appetite for things of the world, and it's killing your 674 00:37:25,040 --> 00:37:26,680 gratitude. Number six, we might be in 675 00:37:26,680 --> 00:37:28,960 rebellion against God. This was the most extreme, 676 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:30,800 right? When you actually say God, I'm 677 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:32,800 going to turn my back on you. I'm going to raise my fist at 678 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:35,280 you, maybe even worse because God, I'm angry at you. 679 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:42,640 And that one will kill. Will kill gratitude y'all. 680 00:37:42,640 --> 00:37:46,360 The truth is, thankfulness is a choice and it's a choice by 681 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:48,440 faith. You can only choose by the power 682 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:52,520 of the Holy Spirit and sometimes. 683 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:53,800 You got to pray, God. I don't want. 684 00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:55,520 To be thankful. But God, I know you can make me 685 00:37:55,520 --> 00:37:56,960 thankful. You can change my heart. 686 00:37:57,240 --> 00:38:00,640 And God, I want to wage war on ungrateful ingratitude. 687 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:02,120 In my life. And all the things that are of 688 00:38:02,120 --> 00:38:04,640 the enemy. And I want you to flow out of me 689 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,520 the fruit of what righteousness would bring in my life if I 690 00:38:07,520 --> 00:38:10,480 chose gratitude. 4th And finally, let me just show you 691 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:11,960 this. Let me just be honest. 692 00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:14,880 This is not Bible for what I'm about to tell you. 693 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,200 But I bring it up even just quickly because I want you to 694 00:38:18,200 --> 00:38:20,560 recognize that even people who don't believe the Bible are 695 00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:23,480 recognizing how good what the Bible says is true and what it 696 00:38:23,480 --> 00:38:26,000 does in our lives. All right, so listen to this. 697 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:30,360 Practicing gratitude actually blesses every area of our lives, 698 00:38:30,360 --> 00:38:33,240 even recognized by those who are not followers of Christ, people 699 00:38:33,240 --> 00:38:35,920 that study this kind of thing. Studies show that gratitude 700 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:38,640 reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. 701 00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:41,520 Gratitude improves sleep, strengthens our immune system, 702 00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:44,400 lowers blood pressure and heart rate and relationships. 703 00:38:44,400 --> 00:38:47,000 Gratitude strengthens connections with other people 704 00:38:47,240 --> 00:38:49,160 and improves our overall well-being. 705 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:51,800 If you could go to the doctor and they could put that in pure 706 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:57,200 form, it would be called a miracle drug and we couldn't. 707 00:38:57,200 --> 00:38:58,400 Afford it? They'd ask. 708 00:38:58,400 --> 00:39:04,240 You to pay that much? God says listen, you just come. 709 00:39:04,240 --> 00:39:07,920 To me, all you who are what weary and heavy laden, I'll 710 00:39:07,920 --> 00:39:08,440 give. You. 711 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:11,960 I got a way to do life that's life giving. 712 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:15,440 I want to reign righteousness in your life and through your life 713 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:17,640 to others. But you got to choose by faith, 714 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:21,640 even when life's hard, to say that God is good and I will obey 715 00:39:21,640 --> 00:39:24,960 even when I don't understand, so that God. 716 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:26,400 Can do what he's promised. To do. 717 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:30,880 In your life I. Want you to do something right 718 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:32,800 now, John and Priest seem. About to come out now. 719 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:35,480 The first service I don't think really wanted to do this, so I 720 00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:36,920 need y'all to do a little better. 721 00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:38,120 You ready? I need you to pull out your 722 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:40,640 phone, all right, because I'm asking. 723 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:42,840 You to send a text message. In the next 30 seconds. 724 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:44,880 So if I know you're looking at me. 725 00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:46,680 You're not obeying what I'm asking to do, all right? 726 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:49,880 So you can't use your thumbs and look at me at the same time. 727 00:39:50,840 --> 00:39:53,760 I want you to just say I. Want you to just practice 728 00:39:53,800 --> 00:39:57,480 gratitude right now. Send a send a text to somebody 729 00:39:58,040 --> 00:40:02,480 saying thank you for some. Reason now if you get a text 730 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:05,560 back that says what's going. On don't tell them. 731 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:08,240 Pastor Kyle told me to do. It all right, just said I was 732 00:40:08,240 --> 00:40:10,200 led. It could have been your pastor, 733 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:11,960 could have been the Holy Spirit I was led to. 734 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:13,760 Just couldn't help but say thank you. 735 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:16,960 Tell them thankful. For something they've done. 736 00:40:17,240 --> 00:40:23,960 Maybe for who they are, tell somebody thank you and when you 737 00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:26,880 get done with that. I want you to put. 738 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:29,240 Your phone aside and. I want you to bow your head and 739 00:40:29,400 --> 00:40:32,640 close your eyes because I want to go from texting somebody to 740 00:40:32,640 --> 00:40:36,000 talking to God. Our prayer time before we 741 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:37,080 observe. The Lord's Supper. 742 00:40:37,080 --> 00:40:39,960 Together, which, by the way, is one of the greatest acts not 743 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:42,720 just of remembrance, but of gratitude for what God has done 744 00:40:42,720 --> 00:40:45,200 for us. I want us to simply have a 745 00:40:45,200 --> 00:40:48,360 chance to voice out loud some things we're grateful to God 746 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:50,520 for. Maybe one sentence, prayers, 747 00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:52,200 God, I'm grateful for this or for that. 748 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:54,600 Maybe something related to what we're about to celebrate in the 749 00:40:54,600 --> 00:40:56,600 supper. For the gift of Jesus, His body, 750 00:40:56,600 --> 00:40:59,760 his blood, his suffering, and His sacrifice for something 751 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:02,400 God's provided you. I want us to just simply enter a 752 00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:06,120 time of expressing gratitude before we partake and remind 753 00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:08,320 ourselves of the greatness of God's love for us. 754 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:11,520 So if you sent your text, I want you to bow your head, close your 755 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:13,440 eyes right now and somebody's going to start us. 756 00:41:14,160 --> 00:41:15,240 Somebody's going to say something. 757 00:41:15,240 --> 00:41:16,400 They're. Grateful for and I just want to 758 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:18,360 give us a couple minutes to do this and I'll finish this so 759 00:41:18,360 --> 00:41:20,880 somebody start tell God something you're grateful for 760 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:25,880 somebody follow that and let's just voice our gratitude to God 761 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:28,880 right now somebody start father everything we. 762 00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:32,240 Have is from you and. We say thank you. 763 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:35,400 God, I want. To ask that you would allow us 764 00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:37,520 to live. Out every day that gratitude 765 00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:40,600 because of Jesus and because of the power of the Holy Spirit in 766 00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:44,160 US and Father as. We come to a time where we. 767 00:41:44,160 --> 00:41:49,200 Come to the table that you've prepared before us, sending your 768 00:41:49,200 --> 00:41:56,920 Son to take on human flesh, to actually live sinlessly, to pay 769 00:41:56,920 --> 00:42:04,200 for the price of our sin on the cross, to suffer, to experience 770 00:42:04,640 --> 00:42:09,840 the depth of the pain of He who knew no sin becoming sin for us, 771 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:13,080 that we might become the righteousness of God, That he 772 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:17,400 would go to the grave, that he would taste death, that he would 773 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:19,440 walk out alive by the power of God. 774 00:42:20,160 --> 00:42:24,480 Lord Jesus, we rejoice. We rejoice in you by the gift of 775 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:27,160 your Son. And I pray that as we move into 776 00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:30,760 a chance, Lord, now, to even physically participate in the 777 00:42:30,760 --> 00:42:34,440 bread and the cup reminding us of the broken body and the shed 778 00:42:34,440 --> 00:42:37,880 blood, that God, you'd flood us with gratitude for your 779 00:42:37,880 --> 00:42:40,640 goodness. Lord, this would be what we live 780 00:42:40,640 --> 00:42:42,160 out of. This would be the roots of our 781 00:42:42,160 --> 00:42:44,640 lives. This would touch everything else 782 00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:47,480 we do and say. And God, I pray. 783 00:42:47,480 --> 00:42:48,520 That if we're struggling for any. 784 00:42:48,520 --> 00:42:52,880 Reason for gratitude we would be willing to say, God have your 785 00:42:52,880 --> 00:42:55,160 way. We surrender ours, change our 786 00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:59,720 windshield, heal our hearts. God, we trust you even when the 787 00:42:59,720 --> 00:43:02,560 fleas are biting. We trust that you're good. 788 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:06,120 I pray this in Jesus name, Amen.