back to index2019-01-27 Thankfulness: A Shield Against Falsehood
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As you guys are well aware, our Bible study during the midweek, we're going over the book 00:00:12.400 |
Our youth group is going over Colossians as well. 00:00:15.320 |
And so I'm going to be doing just a theme of the fact that if we have Jesus Christ, 00:00:21.240 |
the high king, who is to us then our highest riches, then our hearts should be overflowing 00:00:28.340 |
And so with that said, let's take a moment to go before the Lord and then we'll dive 00:00:40.200 |
Lord, we thank you so much that you reveal to us your truth and all the more, God, that 00:00:47.920 |
you continue to extend your love through your son, Jesus Christ. 00:00:52.200 |
And we also thank you that you involve us in your plan, that God, you would call us 00:00:57.900 |
to carry the message and God, that you would continue to fill our hearts and our lives, 00:01:03.140 |
Lord, that we would overflow to the people around us. 00:01:05.740 |
I pray, Father, God, that we would fulfill this design, Lord, that we ourselves would 00:01:11.300 |
be so enamored with the love of Christ and God, that our gratitude would go forth to 00:01:22.020 |
If you could keep your finger there on Colossians chapter one, I want to introduce the topic 00:01:28.900 |
and introduce, go into the passage with an interesting catchphrase. 00:01:33.940 |
This catchphrase is from a movie that was produced a long time ago, back in 1976, from 00:01:42.860 |
And once I say it, you might be like, "Oh, even though the movie's old, I know what you 00:01:46.220 |
mean because many people have said it in the past." 00:01:50.620 |
It sounds a little horrible, so I'm only going to say it once. 00:01:53.580 |
And the quote is this angry man saying, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." 00:02:06.300 |
Now, the reason why I bring this up is because it's actually been floating on lots of different 00:02:10.380 |
news circles, whether it be BBC, whether it be New York Post saying that this long-ago 00:02:15.700 |
40-year-old movie has actually encapsulated how we feel right now. 00:02:20.140 |
And so what's really interesting is that I found it because I was just perusing and it 00:02:25.900 |
And then once I started looking at the video, I realized maybe this guy was actually onto 00:02:32.780 |
I'm going to read for you just a portion of it. 00:02:34.260 |
He says, "I don't have to tell you things are bad. 00:02:40.140 |
Everybody's out of work or scared or losing their job. 00:02:42.500 |
The dollar buys and Nickelsworth banks are going bust. 00:02:48.700 |
The guys are running wild in the streets and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know 00:02:55.580 |
We know that air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat. 00:02:59.640 |
We sit just watching our TVs while the local newscasters tell us today that there's been 00:03:07.300 |
And if that's the way it's supposed to be, we know things are bad, it's worse, it's crazy. 00:03:23.340 |
I don't want you to go write to your politician because I don't even know what to tell you 00:03:30.420 |
Stand up, open your doors, go into the street and tell them, 'I'm mad.'" 00:03:38.580 |
And all of a sudden you see the TV screen and the shots and the video go to the streets 00:03:43.020 |
of Atlanta, New York, California, and the people are busting open their windows in the 00:03:53.180 |
Now what's funny about this is that the comments underneath, and I wasted my time the other 00:04:03.180 |
And here now, many people sympathize with that kind of statement. 00:04:07.460 |
And there are all these individuals saying, "Oh, so relevant. 00:04:12.260 |
And then there are other people who are trolling or whatnot. 00:04:15.660 |
And what's really interesting is that this was then shared on lots of different blog 00:04:20.780 |
And I Googled kind of a funny thing, which is angry blogs, because there are so many 00:04:28.540 |
Did you know that there is a angry black man's blog and there's an angry black woman's blog 00:04:33.620 |
and there's also angry white man and white woman, and there's also an angry Asian man's 00:04:38.220 |
blog, which this video is where I got the fling from. 00:04:43.420 |
To me, all that says is people have this sentiment. 00:04:48.500 |
The thing is, the danger to us is as we hear the news, as we see the blogs, and as we read 00:04:55.100 |
these articles and all this kind of stuff, you and I could then share the sentiment. 00:05:01.700 |
The world has a voice and that voice can come into us and then it'll go through us and we'll 00:05:12.200 |
But we have to take a moment to stop as believers. 00:05:15.620 |
And the thing about it is just as people trying to be wise, we have to take a moment to stop. 00:05:19.980 |
Because we ask the question, is this the right sentiment to have? 00:05:24.780 |
And if we actually took a step back and put ourselves in the shoes of other people in 00:05:28.860 |
this world, would they be like, "Yeah, I agree with you." 00:05:32.620 |
Or for example, would some of the people who are desperately trying to get into this country 00:05:43.780 |
I'm literally risking my life to sit where you sit watching your TV. 00:05:49.380 |
I'm literally risking my family's life to work where you work and to walk the streets 00:05:57.020 |
And the thing about it is, yes, if we did open our windows and scream into the air, 00:06:08.620 |
The spiritual truth is, we're not just speaking into the air because God hears. 00:06:14.500 |
And if God were to hear us and also to see the sentiment of our hearts, would he also 00:06:20.340 |
look and say, "You crazy people, why are you so thankless? 00:06:33.180 |
You see, right now there is such an atmosphere of anger, disgruntled, complaining and grumbling, 00:06:42.140 |
We have to be incredibly cautious because then we can buy into the voice of the world 00:06:49.420 |
So the challenge today is that from the book of Colossians and the rest of the New Testament, 00:06:56.580 |
God desires for us to walk in a manner that's worthy of God. 00:07:02.660 |
And in that walk, what we're going to have is an overflowing thankfulness. 00:07:07.740 |
Let's take a look at the verse that I asked you to turn to, Colossians 1 verses 9 through 00:07:14.020 |
We studied it this past week, but we want to take a moment to revisit and go through 00:07:18.900 |
systematically several passages in the book of Colossians as a theme. 00:07:23.700 |
So we take a look and this is what the passage says. 00:07:28.180 |
For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you 00:07:34.020 |
and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and all spiritual wisdom 00:07:37.900 |
and understanding so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please him 00:07:42.520 |
in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. 00:07:47.860 |
Strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for the attaining of all 00:07:51.860 |
steadfastness and patience, joyously giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us 00:07:57.720 |
to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 00:08:02.940 |
So as we take a moment to think about this, this passage is very clear. 00:08:09.940 |
Apostle Paul is praying and striving so that first we would have a knowledge of God's will, 00:08:16.260 |
that we would have a filling and understanding. 00:08:19.340 |
But what that's supposed to produce is a walk in our lives that's worthy of God. 00:08:26.980 |
The challenge for us is not to simply have eyes to see all that's corrupt with the world 00:08:34.300 |
because that's already been actually told to us. 00:08:37.140 |
It's not wrong for us to see the things that are problematic, the things that are unjust, 00:08:41.660 |
but rather within the context of a broken and fallen world to walk in a manner that's 00:08:50.500 |
But what's interesting about this passage is Apostle Paul then describes and unpacks 00:08:57.780 |
And we have to ask the question, what is that? 00:09:00.800 |
What does it mean to have a life that's worthy? 00:09:03.220 |
And although we talked about it before, I want to refresh because it's so important. 00:09:07.980 |
To take a moment and stop and think, wait, wait a minute, you want us to have a life 00:09:19.260 |
I mean, isn't the Christian gospel all about how you're actually not worthy? 00:09:24.300 |
Well, actually, when you look at the terms, I want to go with you to this introductory 00:09:30.460 |
thought as a worthy walk and say the term for worthy in the Greek is axios, and what 00:09:48.580 |
The way that other passages translates it, it's suitable, it fits. 00:09:53.200 |
The way that I want to talk about it with you today is the question, is it appropriate? 00:09:59.900 |
So on the next slide, I want to show you that the idea we're trying to hit today is that 00:10:04.940 |
our walk should be worthy of God and on the trail of the various descriptions, the various 00:10:10.760 |
descriptions of our walk being worthy of the Lord, it includes, yes, all the things of 00:10:15.800 |
pleasing the Lord, bearing fruit, increasing, being strengthened, but notice how it concludes 00:10:29.620 |
How is it that thankfulness in our hearts, how is it that our attitude of gratitude is 00:10:35.220 |
appropriate to the Lord, is appropriate to the Lord? 00:10:39.300 |
So I want to tackle here the very first point. 00:10:42.620 |
The very first point is going to be this, thankfulness is an appropriate response to 00:10:51.940 |
Thankfulness is an appropriate response to God's instruction. 00:10:57.300 |
When we take a look at this passage in Colossians 1, verse 9 through 12, one of the things that 00:11:10.180 |
And this progression is instruction, it's discipleship, it's sanctification. 00:11:16.560 |
It begins with your heart being filled, your mind being filled and being encouraged with 00:11:21.780 |
all spiritual wisdom, sorry, all knowledge, all wisdom and understanding. 00:11:27.100 |
So there is this instruction where it goes from doctrines and truths to skillful application, 00:11:32.860 |
and then your mind actually maturing so that you appreciate and you perceive what's good. 00:11:39.340 |
And from that, then you move into a fashion in which your walk, your manner of life is 00:11:44.460 |
pleasing to God, it's bearing fruit, and it's increasing in every way, both wisdom, knowledge, 00:11:53.660 |
And what I'm talking about is highlighting the idea that God as both our good teacher, 00:12:01.220 |
the perfect disciple, and our good heavenly Father is instructing you. 00:12:06.340 |
And my question then is, are we then mature individuals who are having received that kind 00:12:11.620 |
of instruction, who are having received that kind of sanctifying process of discipleship, 00:12:19.380 |
I mean, we've all been to high school, and it's unfortunate that many students in high 00:12:25.900 |
They don't want to be in class, they don't want to take the exams, and they just cram, 00:12:29.660 |
cram, cram, they barely get by, and they're like, "Whew," right? 00:12:36.340 |
To look at that privilege of being educated, to look at the investment of teachers and 00:12:43.180 |
No, the mature ones look back and say, "Thank you." 00:12:54.840 |
To exemplify this point even more, now how many of you guys had controlling parents? 00:13:00.340 |
Or overbearing parents you could call like "tiger moms," you know, the crazy controlling 00:13:07.460 |
How many of you get -- you don't have to raise your hand. 00:13:13.900 |
I don't know your background, maybe you had parents who were really just hands-off. 00:13:17.780 |
They let you have the freedom that you want to, and you made your own choices. 00:13:22.100 |
What's really interesting is that parents who have that tendency of wanting to really 00:13:26.900 |
have input into your life, they don't let that go. 00:13:31.960 |
You might be a full-grown adult and they always ask you, "Did you eat? 00:13:37.300 |
Like they just ask you -- they ask you the whole process. 00:13:40.180 |
And you're sitting there thinking, "I'm a full-grown adult. 00:13:44.340 |
But you look back and you realize, "Man, ever since I was young, they had an input as to 00:13:48.100 |
what I should dress like, who I should hang out with, when I should sleep, what grades 00:13:54.100 |
And now that I'm even getting married, and I do this a lot when I do premarital, I ask 00:13:59.580 |
And they'll say, "Oh my goodness, she thinks it's her way." 00:14:06.100 |
Now I'm not just taking a moment to doggone parents. 00:14:09.740 |
What I'm saying is, the mature individual as they grow, they'll look back and realize, 00:14:18.760 |
You were never like this to my neighbor's child. 00:14:31.620 |
The mature individual will go back to the parent and say, "You know what? 00:14:34.780 |
I got to call you up and talk to you right now because I got something to share with 00:14:48.100 |
Because in as much as you were a control freak, you the control freak love me. 00:14:53.500 |
Because you didn't treat anybody else like this. 00:14:56.980 |
So mom, dad, thank you for that kind of attention. 00:15:03.380 |
And then you just sit there and watch your parents cry. 00:15:08.740 |
And then they'll probably scold you, "Oh, what took you so long? 00:15:16.460 |
There is a maturity of growth that leads to a product or a result when you look back and 00:15:23.140 |
And Hebrews talks about this and says, "Your earthly father tries to treat you as they 00:15:30.060 |
Do you recognize for a moment God your father rules over your life? 00:15:36.020 |
As a matter of fact, if you talk about an individual who is constantly trying to instruct 00:15:51.100 |
But now it's on us, not like immature children to look and say, "Well, just leave me be. 00:15:57.580 |
No, it's maturity for us to look back and say, "God, thank you so much that you cared 00:16:05.100 |
That every little stage of my life, you instructed me. 00:16:09.500 |
Every hard moment, every joyous moment, you were there with your presence and your word. 00:16:16.260 |
Thank you so much that you cared to that detail." 00:16:23.940 |
The flip side would be absolutely unsuitable. 00:16:28.640 |
To have your arms crossed like, "Oh, here you go again." 00:16:34.740 |
To not recognize the value of somebody wanting for you to be better. 00:16:40.020 |
This is one of the things that I've been really harking on the students in the youth group 00:16:45.260 |
The gospel is not just simply that you have freedom from evil stuff. 00:16:52.000 |
The scripture says the righteousness of God is being revealed. 00:17:06.580 |
And the amazing truth of the gospel that it's transformative. 00:17:11.580 |
It's actually causing you to be better, righteous like him. 00:17:18.100 |
I don't know how many parents, their main objective is, "I want you to live a better 00:17:32.860 |
And it's upon us to have an appropriate gratitude for that. 00:17:38.220 |
Now, as we continue to look upon the passages, that was the first point that thankfulness 00:17:45.980 |
But what's more, thankfulness is appropriate to the overflow from God's grace. 00:17:52.580 |
Thankfulness is appropriate to the overflow, as an overflow of God's grace. 00:17:59.260 |
Now, may I please ask you to turn over just the page to Colossians chapter 2, verse 7. 00:18:09.300 |
And in this passage, so this is the second point here. 00:18:13.620 |
Thankfulness is appropriate to overflow from God's grace. 00:18:16.460 |
And Colossians chapter 2, verse 7 says, "Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus, the Lord, 00:18:22.360 |
so walk in him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in him and established 00:18:27.580 |
in your faith, just as you were instructed and what? 00:18:35.340 |
Listen, you were instructed, you'd be thankful. 00:18:38.860 |
You've been filled with Christ, you'd be thankful. 00:18:41.900 |
What's interesting is, is actually from that passage, if you scroll up and you review verses 00:18:49.660 |
He says, "I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf. 00:18:53.420 |
And for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my 00:18:57.320 |
face, that," okay, this is what Apostle Paul wants, "their hearts may be encouraged, having 00:19:04.180 |
been knit together in love and attending to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance 00:19:11.020 |
of his standing, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is Christ himself, 00:19:20.980 |
I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument." 00:19:31.180 |
I want you to have the true, the entire wealth of it all. 00:19:38.820 |
I want you to be so capped full, you're just overflowing with gratitude. 00:19:44.620 |
And so one of the things that Apostle Paul does in the book of Colossians is he gives 00:19:55.860 |
And typically I don't like doing this because it takes so long, but we have to because Apostle 00:20:00.260 |
Paul then, starting from chapter one to two, gives you a list, and I'm going to go through 00:20:06.740 |
I have this in the slide later on if you guys want to turn there. 00:20:10.740 |
Here, the way I want to present it to you, it's a list, but rather than calling it a 00:20:15.900 |
laundry list, I want to call it your trophy case, and there's going to be a reason why. 00:20:20.580 |
This is your trophy case, a trophy case that you did not earn, but a trophy case where 00:20:31.540 |
In chapter one, verse 12, he qualified us to share the inheritance with the saints. 00:20:37.500 |
In verse 13, he rescued us from the domain of darkness. 00:20:41.580 |
Also in verse 13, he transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son. 00:20:45.760 |
In verse 21, he reconciled us, although we were alienated, hostile, and evil. 00:20:51.860 |
Verse 22, he presents us holy, blameless, and beyond reproach. 00:20:56.540 |
Verse 27, he reveals the riches of the glories of Christ. 00:21:00.180 |
Chapter two, verse 10, he says, "In him, you are absolutely complete." 00:21:04.460 |
Chapter two, verse 11, you have spiritual circumcision. 00:21:08.160 |
If circumcision in the Old Testament was the indication, the identifier, you belong to 00:21:18.540 |
What's more, verse 12, you have the true baptism, a oneness with Christ. 00:21:22.500 |
What's more, verse 14, you have your certificate of debt canceled, having it nailed to the 00:21:31.820 |
That's just some of the various things Apostle Paul says, "Look at what you have in full." 00:21:44.300 |
For us to have an overflow, you have to have an understanding. 00:21:52.980 |
And in order for us to be encouraged by this, I just want to tackle one, the very first 00:21:57.660 |
thing on the list, which I said was God has qualified you. 00:22:02.540 |
Now, again, we tackled it on Wednesday, but I want to spend some time on it because, you 00:22:09.620 |
know, to think of God qualifying us, you have to wrestle with a few things. 00:22:15.740 |
When you think of qualifications, you automatically think, "Oh, goodness, that means there's some 00:22:22.660 |
That means there's some kind of measure and standard. 00:22:31.460 |
Here he says, "You've been qualified for inheritance." 00:22:39.300 |
There's absolutely no way for us to be qualified by our own power. 00:22:45.380 |
You do not get to go to Bill Gates and say, "My goodness, look at the size of your inheritance. 00:22:56.820 |
He's going to look at you and say, "You nerd. 00:22:58.500 |
There is no such thing as qualifiers for my inheritance. 00:23:07.100 |
Apostle Paul, take a moment to think about this. 00:23:09.900 |
I'm just going to reference this passage for you, 2 Corinthians 5, verse 9. 00:23:16.480 |
He says this, "Therefore, we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing 00:23:26.260 |
Verse 10, he says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that 00:23:30.740 |
each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body," listen to this, "according to 00:23:39.540 |
Okay, please think with me this idea of qualification. 00:23:47.420 |
Apostle Paul says, "We must all come before the judgment seat, and we are going to be 00:24:00.260 |
You know, people in here who are individuals who are driven by performance, want to accomplish 00:24:04.540 |
every task, you're pretty ambitious or whatever it may be, and you're very, very scared of 00:24:14.340 |
And I wrestled with it because I asked the question, "What does this mean? 00:24:17.220 |
Does this mean that if I do something bad as a Christian, that in some way there's some 00:24:26.740 |
It's like, there were times when I used to think, like, "You know what? 00:24:30.500 |
Early on as a Christian, I remember thinking the 11th hour dilemma, which is, you live 00:24:35.220 |
as a pagan doing all sorts of wicked stuff, stealing, lying, lust, and all this kind of 00:24:40.020 |
crazy stuff, and let's say you did something really, really, really immoral, the unmentionables, 00:24:46.940 |
and then you're about to die and some guy comes and preaches the gospel to you, and 00:24:57.980 |
Confess Christ at the end of your life and everything will be peachy, right? 00:25:02.460 |
And then there's that question, "What if you are a Christian and then you do other stuff 00:25:13.900 |
Have I ever lusted after becoming a Christian? 00:25:17.920 |
Now, I don't have the time here and now to wrestle with all of you now, but the reason 00:25:24.100 |
why I'm bringing this up is because I want you to focus on what a treasure, what a huge, 00:25:31.780 |
unmentionable, indescribable treasure it is to be qualified by Christ. 00:25:37.540 |
I do believe we are all going to show up on Judgment Day. 00:25:46.580 |
It's Jesus Christ who said, "You know that careless word you spoke? 00:25:53.140 |
You've heard it said, 'Do not do X, Y, and Z, but I see your heart.'" 00:25:57.220 |
And what Scripture says is that when we come before this judgment seat, things will be 00:26:05.620 |
That Judgment Day is going to be the most emotional day ever and no one's going to ask, 00:26:16.860 |
And even us as saints, we're going to come before the Lord and we're going to be shown 00:26:24.380 |
And then Christ is going to say, "But if you bear my name and if my blood covers you, 00:26:30.660 |
I have become your sin and I've nailed it to the cross. 00:26:52.080 |
But God says, "I qualify you for my inheritance because I make you a son. 00:26:56.680 |
When you are in Christ, you are fellow heir." 00:27:02.280 |
Those are the kind of treasures you can't even ask for. 00:27:08.660 |
And therefore, when our hearts are filled with that understanding, you give thanks to 00:27:16.060 |
"Lord, you grant me mercies that I didn't even know how to ask for. 00:27:21.780 |
And yes, if my sin be before me and be made manifest, there's even no way I'm going to 00:27:32.380 |
That's just one, just one of the things Apostle Paul mentions as a list of the things that 00:27:41.420 |
And so if you turn over to Colossians chapter 3, verse 15, Colossians chapter 3, verse 15, 00:27:51.380 |
Apostle Paul says this, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart, to which indeed 00:27:58.380 |
you were called in one body, and be thankful." 00:28:01.660 |
Verse 16, "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom, teaching, admonishing 00:28:07.420 |
one another, with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts 00:28:17.100 |
But when you hear the sweet words of God, when you have the amazing peace of Christ, 00:28:22.420 |
then you are going to be overflowing and singing with gratitude. 00:28:29.660 |
Now if you look at verse 17, it introduces our next thought, which says, "Whatever you 00:28:33.220 |
do then, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him 00:28:41.160 |
And my third point is going to be this, thankfulness is appropriate to the glory of God. 00:28:46.020 |
Okay, point number three, thankfulness is appropriate to the glory of God. 00:28:53.340 |
Now each one of these points, that it's appropriate to the instruction of God, that it's appropriate 00:28:58.180 |
to the overflow of God's grace, these aren't like new profound statements, but it's important 00:29:03.780 |
for us to think through, especially this one, that thankfulness is appropriate to the glory 00:29:10.040 |
The passage in Colossians chapter 3, 17 says very clearly, "Whatever you do," right? 00:29:15.700 |
This is what Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 10, "Whatever you do, even if you 00:29:20.100 |
eat, drink, sleep or awake, do all to the glory of God." 00:29:27.060 |
Paul recognized here, he's tying that with thankfulness, that your thankfulness is appropriate 00:29:33.060 |
because the glory of God inspires your thankfulness and therefore is the reason for your thankfulness, 00:29:38.900 |
but also your thankfulness then results in the further glory of God. 00:29:43.940 |
Your thankfulness is tied intrinsically that God would be glorified. 00:29:50.500 |
I'm going to borrow a famous statement by Pastor John Piper. 00:29:54.740 |
If you guys read his book, "Let the Nations Be Glad," he says this, "Missions exist because 00:30:00.420 |
I'm going to borrow that and use it for my sermon, which is, "Missions exist because 00:30:08.580 |
Missions exist because thanksgiving does not. 00:30:12.980 |
Because in the passage in Romans chapter 1, verse 21, what the scripture says is that 00:30:20.280 |
They see God, but they do not acknowledge Him. 00:30:22.660 |
Once more it says, "Although it is evident, they neither give thanks to God or worship 00:30:28.700 |
They don't give thanks to the Lord, but rather they do what? 00:30:32.220 |
They keep exchanging the madman stuff rather than give honor to God. 00:30:39.180 |
And now, if you would please turn to 2 Corinthians, turn in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 00:30:54.940 |
Apostle Paul then gives the premise for my statement, "Missions exist because thanksgiving 00:31:00.020 |
He says this, "Having the same spirit of faith according to what is written, I believe, and 00:31:09.460 |
We also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus 00:31:13.580 |
will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you." 00:31:18.460 |
Listen to this, "For all things are for your sake so that the grace which is spreading 00:31:24.140 |
to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God." 00:31:33.340 |
Your thanksgiving is going to abound to the glory of God. 00:31:42.060 |
And now to bring then conviction, if we buy into the voice of the age, "Because my education 00:31:49.140 |
is horrible, because my job is horrible, because X, Y, and Z is horrible, I have every reason 00:32:03.200 |
We have to ask the question, "In what I am saying, in my attitude, in what I am feeling, 00:32:09.340 |
is this giving further abounding glory to the Lord? 00:32:13.980 |
Is this going to inspire thanksgiving amongst all the people, to the people that I shine 00:32:18.420 |
the light, to the people that I witness and evangelize? 00:32:21.040 |
Is it going to then produce greater thanksgiving to God? 00:32:26.120 |
Or are they going to be confused looking at you? 00:32:29.900 |
Why are you acting like a crazy person, opening up your window at night, walking through the 00:32:34.140 |
street screaming, "I'm mad and I'm not going to take it anymore." 00:32:39.980 |
Unfortunately, unfortunately, as I read articles, it's a little bit discouraging, because people 00:32:45.820 |
keep buying into this rant, vent, maybe because it feels good. 00:32:52.340 |
I'm going to close by bringing this idea, the sermon title is actually "Thankfulness, 00:32:59.340 |
And the reason why I say this is because when the full kind of process of God goes from 00:33:04.100 |
instruction, knowledge, to walking, to bearing fruit, and it's going to produce in you a 00:33:11.940 |
That's going to actually build strength in you. 00:33:15.140 |
And what Apostle Paul is doing, if you guys recall, in Colossians, Apostle Paul is writing 00:33:19.940 |
to them because he's also trying to protect them. 00:33:22.220 |
He says, "I write this so that you will not be deluded with persuasive arguments, things 00:33:30.660 |
It actually makes sense to some degree, and that's why people buy into it. 00:33:35.260 |
You know what's really interesting is, again, I wasted my time reading all these comments 00:33:40.940 |
And so there are some trolls, you know, people who make fun of each other, and then somebody 00:33:46.740 |
We're here now with Trump and the government and media, blah, blah, blah, blah." 00:33:51.460 |
And what's really funny is one of the trolls was like, "Oh my goodness, I can tell you 00:33:55.900 |
But the man who says, "I'm mad, I'm not going to take it anymore," who's actually, he's 00:34:04.740 |
He says, "I'm going to commit suicide on live TV." 00:34:07.860 |
And rather than putting him down, the network says, "Let's show him. 00:34:19.020 |
And when the world thinks you're crazy, they don't listen to you. 00:34:24.060 |
The only thing that's done is push the ratings. 00:34:28.980 |
So one of the guys are trolling like, "You never seen the movie, you idiot, blah, blah, 00:34:32.740 |
And then one of the people they write back is like, "No, but it really captures the sentiment 00:34:37.580 |
And whether it actually makes a change or not, that's not the point. 00:34:40.700 |
The point is we came together in something we felt deeply. 00:34:48.020 |
The world isn't going to say stuff like to you. 00:34:53.380 |
Sometimes to just break a plate, sometimes to vent and let it out. 00:35:01.540 |
But we're asking the question, is it appropriate to the instruction of God? 00:35:08.460 |
Is it appropriate to the grace I've received? 00:35:14.540 |
If we are as believers are keeping sober about those things, we are going to be protected 00:35:18.820 |
and guarded from all these idiocies, all this frivolous attempts to feel a little better, 00:35:26.940 |
You are not going to sit there buying into that kind of garbage. 00:35:33.220 |
Because honestly speaking, if you are thankless, our enemy is going to attack you. 00:35:38.620 |
He's going to look for you because all he knows then is he just needs to inspire a thankless 00:35:46.860 |
But if you're being sober and your heart is overflowing, you're going to recognize, you 00:35:54.100 |
It's not only full, it's actually gushing over. 00:36:00.500 |
Let's aspire to walk lives that are worthy of God, overflowing with gratitude in everything 00:36:10.620 |
Our God, we thank you so much for your grace. 00:36:17.860 |
Lord, your scripture says that your will is for us to be thankful. 00:36:22.060 |
God's scripture says you want your will for us just to pray. 00:36:26.860 |
Your will for us is to do your will in this life. 00:36:30.540 |
I pray, Father God, that whatever it is, the climate of the age, help us to be strong in 00:36:36.580 |
Not to buy into the sentiments, the feelings. 00:36:39.700 |
But God, as we're maturing children of God, I pray, Lord, that we would emulate the Savior, 00:36:47.500 |
That in all things, we would first consider you and then overflow to gratitude.