you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you ♪ Holy, holy is the Son of God ♪ ♪ None can stand before His majesty ♪ ♪ Beautiful beyond our highest thought ♪ ♪ Worthy, He is worthy ♪ ♪ Holy, holy is the Word made flesh ♪ ♪ King who bore our pain and poverty ♪ ♪ Come to claim the rebel and the wretch ♪ ♪ Worthy, He is worthy ♪ ♪ All glory and honor, all power and praise ♪ ♪ Be to Your name, be to Your name ♪ ♪ For none can rival Your glory and fame ♪ ♪ We lift high the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ ♪ Holy, holy is the Lamb who died ♪ ♪ Canceling our dead at Calvary ♪ ♪ Rising from the grave to reign on high ♪ ♪ Worthy, He is worthy ♪ ♪ All glory and honor, all power and praise ♪ ♪ Be to Your name, be to Your name ♪ ♪ For none can rival Your glory and fame ♪ ♪ We lift high the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, Lord Almighty ♪ ♪ Worthy is Your name ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, none beside You ♪ ♪ Greatly to be praised ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, Lord Almighty ♪ ♪ Worthy is Your name ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, none beside You ♪ ♪ Greatly to be praised ♪ ♪ All glory and honor, all power and praise ♪ ♪ Be to Your name, be to Your name ♪ ♪ For none can rival Your glory and fame ♪ ♪ We lift high the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ For none can rival Your glory and fame ♪ ♪ We lift high the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, Lord Almighty ♪ ♪ Worthy is Your name ♪ ♪ Holy, holy, none beside You ♪ ♪ Greatly to be praised ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ This life is an altar ♪ ♪ Where I wanna offer ♪ ♪ My soul and my mind and strength ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Cleansed by Your mercy ♪ ♪ To live a life worthy ♪ ♪ Of the One who called my name ♪ ♪ Jesus, be glorified ♪ ♪ Jesus, be magnified ♪ ♪ Let me be a pleasing sacrifice ♪ ♪ Jesus, be glorified ♪ ♪ Jesus, be magnified ♪ ♪ Here at the altar ♪ ♪ My life is an offering ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ How could I not love You?

♪ ♪ You offered my rescue ♪ ♪ Raised me up from death to life ♪ ♪ Your Spirit is in me ♪ ♪ Revealing Your glory ♪ ♪ Oh, what joy as I give my life ♪ ♪ Jesus, be glorified ♪ ♪ Jesus, be magnified ♪ ♪ Let me be a pleasing sacrifice ♪ ♪ Jesus, be glorified ♪ ♪ Jesus, be magnified ♪ ♪ Here at the altar ♪ ♪ My life is an offering ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ I choose to lose my life, Lord ♪ ♪ And find it in You ♪ ♪ I choose to lose my life, Lord ♪ ♪ And find it in You ♪ ♪ I choose to lose my life, Lord ♪ ♪ And find it in You ♪ ♪ I choose to lose my life, Lord ♪ ♪ And find it in You ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Oh, I give my life for the glory of Your name ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ My life is an altar ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Jesus, be glorified ♪ ♪ Jesus, be magnified ♪ ♪ Let me be a pleasing sacrifice ♪ ♪ Jesus, be glorified ♪ ♪ Jesus, be magnified ♪ ♪ Here at the altar ♪ ♪ My life is an offering ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Oh, Jesus, be glorified ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Father of kindness ♪ ♪ You have poured out grace ♪ ♪ You brought me out of darkness ♪ ♪ You have filled me with peace ♪ ♪ Giver of mercy ♪ ♪ You're my help in time of need ♪ ♪ Lord, I can't help but sing ♪ ♪ Faithful You are ♪ ♪ Faithful forever You will be ♪ ♪ Faithful You are ♪ ♪ All Your promises are yes and amen ♪ ♪ All Your promises are yes and amen ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ Beautiful Savior ♪ ♪ You have brought me near ♪ ♪ You pulled me from the ashes ♪ ♪ You have broken every curse ♪ ♪ Blessed Redeemer ♪ ♪ You have set this captive free ♪ ♪ Lord, I can't help but sing ♪ ♪ Faithful You are ♪ ♪ Faithful forever You will be ♪ ♪ Faithful You are ♪ ♪ All Your promises are yes and amen ♪ ♪ All Your promises are yes and amen ♪ ♪ Faithful You are, yeah ♪ ♪ Faithful forever You will be ♪ ♪ Faithful You are, yes You are ♪ ♪ All Your promises are yes and amen ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ I will rest in Your promises ♪ ♪ My confidence is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ I will rest in Your promises ♪ ♪ My confidence is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ I will rest in Your promises ♪ ♪ My confidence is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ I will rest in Your promises ♪ ♪ My confidence is Your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Faithful You are ♪ ♪ My heart is singing ♪ ♪ Faithful forever You will be ♪ ♪ Faithful You are, yes You are ♪ ♪ All Your promises are yes and amen ♪ ♪ Faithful You are ♪ ♪ My Father is faithful ♪ ♪ Faithful forever You will be ♪ ♪ My Father is faithful ♪ ♪ Faithful You are ♪ ♪ My Father You're faithful ♪ ♪ All Your promises are yes and amen ♪ ♪ All Your promises, all Your promises are yes and amen ♪ ♪ All Your promises, all Your promises are yes and amen ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I will trust my Savior Jesus ♪ ♪ When my darkest hours befall ♪ ♪ Trust Him when to simply trust Him ♪ ♪ Seems the hardest thing of all ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I will trust my Savior Jesus ♪ ♪ Trust Him when my strength is small ♪ ♪ For I know the shield of Jesus ♪ ♪ Is the safest place of all ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Jesus, only Jesus ♪ ♪ Help me trust You more and more ♪ ♪ Jesus, only Jesus ♪ ♪ May my heart be ever Yours ♪ ♪♪ ♪ I will trust my Savior Jesus ♪ ♪ He has set His way His best ♪ ♪ And I know the path He's chosen ♪ ♪ Leads to everlasting rest ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Jesus, only Jesus ♪ ♪ Help me trust You more and more ♪ ♪ Jesus, only Jesus ♪ ♪ May my heart be ever Yours ♪ ♪ Jesus, only Jesus ♪ ♪ Help me trust You more and more ♪ ♪ Jesus, only Jesus ♪ ♪ May my heart be ever Yours ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Oh, on that cross ♪ ♪ How it was seen ♪ ♪ I can go now ever trusting ♪ ♪ In the One who died for me ♪ ♪ What could I bring ♪ ♪ For Your gift is complete ♪ ♪ So I trust You, simply trust You ♪ ♪ Lord, with every part of me ♪ ♪ Oh, on that cross ♪ ♪ How it was seen ♪ ♪ I can go now ever trusting ♪ ♪ In the One who died for me ♪ ♪ What could I bring ♪ ♪ For Your gift is complete ♪ ♪ So I trust You, simply trust You ♪ ♪ Lord, with every part of me ♪ ♪ Oh, on that cross ♪ ♪ How it was seen ♪ ♪ I can go now ever trusting ♪ ♪ In the One who died for me ♪ ♪ What could I bring ♪ ♪ For Your gift is complete ♪ ♪ So I trust You, simply trust You ♪ ♪ Lord, with every part of me ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Jesus, only Jesus ♪ ♪ Help me trust You more and more ♪ ♪ Jesus, only Jesus ♪ ♪ May my heart be with Yours ♪ ♪ Jesus, only Jesus ♪ ♪ Help me trust You more and more ♪ ♪ Jesus, only Jesus ♪ ♪ May my heart be with Yours ♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ Who else commands all the hosts of heaven?

♪ ♪ Who else can make every king bow down? ♪ ♪ Who else can whisper when darkness trembles? ♪ ♪ Only Your holy God ♪ ♪♪ ♪ What other beauty demands such praises? ♪ ♪ What other splendor outshines the sun? ♪ ♪ What other majesty rules with justice? ♪ ♪ Only Your holy God ♪ ♪♪ ♪ Come and behold ♪ ♪ The one and the only ♪ -All right.

Well, good evening, everyone. Hope you enjoyed the meal that you had together and you were able to share in the Thanksgiving Feast and in the company that we had together. I think many years ago, we used to do it. It wasn't that many years ago, actually, when we probably did it here at church, but as the church has grown, to be able to separate like this so that we can have the more tight-knit community, it is hopefully a sweet time for everybody.

So thank you especially to the hosts who opened up their homes. Tonight, we're going to be spending just a little bit of time singing some praises together. So even from home, please do sing along, and afterwards, there will be a brief time of sharing followed by some discussion. So I'll pray for us, and then we'll move into some singing together.

Heavenly Father, we thank You for drawing us together. Lord, for those of us who already know each other and especially for those we were just able to meet, God, I pray that our hearts would overflow together with gratitude towards You. God, we pray that You'd be honored in the way that we would speak to each other, that we would speak of You.

And Father, that it would be something that we treasure, God, that we are marked by being joyful people. And so, Lord, as we sing these praises to You, we do pray that You'd be honored, You'd be glorified, and Lord, would You affect our hearts. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

(gentle music) ♪ The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend ♪ ♪ The agonies of Calvary ♪ ♪ You, the perfect Holy One, I trust Your Son ♪ ♪ You drink the bitter cup reserved for me ♪ ♪ Your blood has washed away my sin ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Our Father's wrath completely satisfied ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Once Your enemy was seated at Your table ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ By Your perfect sacrifice ♪ ♪ By Your perfect sacrifice I've been brought near ♪ ♪ Your enemy, You've made Your friend ♪ ♪ You're pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace ♪ ♪ Your mercy and Your kindness ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Your blood has washed away my sin ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Our Father's wrath completely satisfied ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Once Your enemy was seated at Your table ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Lover of my soul ♪ ♪ Lover of my soul ♪ ♪ I want to live for You ♪ ♪ Lover of my soul ♪ ♪ I want to live for You ♪ ♪ Lover of my soul ♪ ♪ I want to live for You ♪ ♪ Your blood has washed away my sin ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Our Father's wrath completely satisfied ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Your blood has washed away my sin ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Our Father's wrath completely satisfied ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Once Your enemy was seated at Your table ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ ♪ Jesus, thank You ♪ (gentle music) (upbeat music) (gentle music) ♪ Here is love ♪ ♪ Here is love vast as the ocean ♪ ♪ Loving kindness as a flood ♪ ♪ When the prince of life, our ransom ♪ ♪ Shed for us His precious blood ♪ ♪ Who is love will not remember ♪ ♪ Who can cease to sing His praise ♪ ♪ He can never be forgotten ♪ ♪ Throughout heaven's eternal days ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ On the mount of crucifixion ♪ ♪ Fountains open deep and wide ♪ ♪ Where the floodgates of God's mercy ♪ ♪ Float a vast and gracious tide ♪ ♪ Grace and love like mighty rivers ♪ ♪ Poured incessant from above ♪ ♪ Heaven's peace and perfect justice ♪ ♪ Is the guilty world in love ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ Here is love that conquered evil ♪ ♪ Bites the bruise born from the grain ♪ ♪ That thus failed to be found equal ♪ ♪ To the life of Him who saves ♪ ♪ In the valley of our darkness ♪ ♪ Longed is everlasting light ♪ ♪ Perfect love in glorious radiance ♪ ♪ Has repelled this valiant fight ♪ (upbeat music) ♪ No love is higher, no love is wider ♪ ♪ No love is deeper, no love is truer ♪ ♪ No love is higher, no love is wider ♪ ♪ No love is like your love of old ♪ ♪ No love is higher, no love is wider ♪ ♪ No love is deeper, no love is truer ♪ ♪ No love is wider, no love is wider ♪ ♪ No love is like your love of old ♪ ♪ Here is love as dazzling heavens ♪ ♪ Countless as the stars above ♪ ♪ Are the souls that He has ransomed ♪ ♪ Precious daughters, treasured sons ♪ ♪ We are called to feast forever ♪ ♪ On a love beyond our time ♪ ♪ Glorious Father, Son, and Spirit ♪ ♪ Now with man are intertwined ♪ - All right.

Well, again, welcome back everybody to our Thanksgiving annual dinner that we do. We do this every year. And something that we wanna take the day and the season to remember, even as was preached today, to be thankful together. Why it is that we have so much to have a great gratitude over and as we're eating, as we're spending company with each other, I hope that that is what ultimately kind of overwhelms us, to be thankful as believers.

Even as we're singing, the first song that we sang talked about the gratitude, that we're saying thank you to our God. And it's not very difficult to take a moment and look at a passage like Romans 8:31, a very, very familiar passage to all of us, where it says, "What then shall we say to these things?

"If God is for us, who is against us? "He who did not spare His own Son, "but delivered Him over for us all, "how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" And so when we're saying thank you to God, it's easy as Christians to be able to kind of say these things out loud, that we're so thankful to God for what He has given to us.

Namely, this is His Son. It says, "He did not even spare His own Son. "He delivered His Son over to us. "And so in this, He will then with Him "give us all things freely." That is God's heart for us. We have much to be thankful for. In James 1:17, it says, "Every good thing given "and every perfect gift is from above, "coming down from the Father of lights, "with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

"In the exercise of His will, "He brought us forth by the word of truth "so that we would be a kind of firstfruits "among His creatures." So anything that is good, anything that is given as a gift, is perfectly given from God. And this God is a Father of lights.

He doesn't change. He can only exercise this giving in accordance to who He is. So tonight, we'll go through two main things, but I wanted to ask that question. If we are to be beyond grateful for all that He has given, then what is causing in us a complaining and a grumbling spirit?

So why are we not perpetually grateful people when we've been given such a great gift? So our first point here is that we are not grateful because we confuse desires with needs. And this is something I'm sure many of us have thought about. We're confusing our desires with needs.

I think there should be a, okay, good. There's a picture. This one is a shout-out to PPK, his favorite place. But when you look at it, you don't have to turn very far to see faces like this at amusement parks. It doesn't have to be Disneyland. It could be anywhere.

And you can see these children who are crying at these parks, and perhaps it's very, very simple to kind of look into why they might be crying. They're crying because they've confused the desire with the need. So it's okay for somebody to have something that they would want, but when they say, "I must have it," or else, and you fill in the blanks, there's going to be many teary-eyed children at these kinds of amusement parks.

Essentially, in their tears, and they're crying, they're saying, "I must have it. I need to have this." And so this is the opposite of gratitude, this grumbling and complaining spirit where someone says, "I need it. I must have it." In essence, one is saying that, "I deserve it. I'm supposed to have this thing." And sadly, we look much more like this crying child than we'd like to think.

We confuse our desires and see them as needs, and in that, we will not be grateful people if we think of so many things in our lives as something that I must have, I deserve to have, and I need to have. So we could go down a laundry list of things.

In our careers, be honest with yourselves. We have to be honest with self and our hearts. I need to have this career. I need to get this raise. I need to climb this ladder. And we confuse our desires and needs. I need to have control, then comes into the picture.

In our relationships, I need to be respected. I need to be loved. I need to be known. There are many things that our hearts might demand as something that we deserve, as something that we need, and we confuse our desires with needs. In our leisure, I need to have my own time.

I need to have this vacation. I need to have work-life balance. It needs to look a certain way. All of these things are when we confuse desires and needs. And just like this child back here, the two-- I forget how many there are. There's two. There's probably many more in that park.

They're saying that. We're saying that. In our hearts, when we grumble and complain, we're saying, "I need, I must have, I deserve." This is the opposite of gratitude. If you can imagine any person who's just incredibly entitled, if you've come across anybody that just feels so entitled to something in their lives, you can see a person who confuses desires and needs, that they're saying, essentially, "I deserve these things.

"I must have this. "And I'll be angry. "I'll be upset. "I'll do whatever I need to do with my words, "with my behavior to manipulate the situation," versus if you've come across a genuinely humble and grateful person. They can desire, but they'll be grateful when they receive. Needs are something that we cannot do without.

It's essential. We can go to the next slide for this one. So when we're talking about, "I need something," we're saying that we cannot do without it. It is an essential thing in my life. So when we look at needs and desires, we have to ask ourselves, honestly speaking, "What are we saying I need to?" So Philippians 4:19, it says, "And my God will supply all your needs "according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus." So that ends our case.

It's done. What this passage is saying, in other words, there is nothing that we can complain about ever again. All our needs are met. We have everything that we need. And so there's nothing that we can be grumbling and complaining over. Just as we might look at those children and say, "You have everything.

"You've been given such a great gift. "This is such a happy place to be at," and for them to be weeping because they don't have something more. Many of us look more like that. In this place where we have these needs that are met by our God, present-day circumstance then doesn't dictate our contentment.

In Philippians 4:11, it says, "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content "in whatever circumstances I am. "I know how to get along with humble means, "and I also know how to live in prosperity. "In any and every circumstance, "I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, "both of having abundance and suffering need." You can have somebody that has so much, and they could be unhappy.

And on the flip side, you can come across somebody who has so little, and yet they are so content. So it has very little to do with that present circumstance. I'm sure we've heard of fellow believers who have gone on mission trips and witnessed how sometimes Christians around the world have so little in comparison to what we have, and yet because they have Christ, the same Christ we have, they are so content.

They are so happy. Materialism really has decimated the church. Elizabeth Elliot says, "God has promised to supply all our needs. "What we don't have now, we don't need now." I thought that quote was very short and succinct, but very clear. "What we don't have now, we don't need now." Why?

Because we have Christ. We have all that we need in Christ. We are content forever, and there is no grumbling or complaining that can come out of the mouth of a Christian. Contentment is something we have to shoot for because it goes hand-in-hand with gratitude. This is what Jerry Bridges says.

"Gratitude is a handmaiden of contentment. "An ever-growing attitude of gratitude "will certainly make us more content "since we will be focusing more on what we do have, "both spiritually and materially, "than on what we do not have. "But contentment is more than focusing on what we have. "It is focusing on the fact that all we do have, "we have by the grace of God.

"We do not deserve anything we have, "materially or spiritually. "It is all by His grace." So there is no grumbling or complaining that can come out of the mouth of the believer. We are marked by being grateful people, filled with joy, filled with contentment. And essentially, this is what worship is.

And this is our second point, our last point. Gratitude is the natural fruit of worship. Very, very interconnected. Gratitude, worship. God is the only place-- when you think of these two questions that I have up here, what is our greatest need? And what is our greatest desire? If you were to answer these two questions, what is our greatest need?

And we would say, without blinking an eye, as quick as we can, that it is God that is our greatest need. He is our greatest need. And if we were to answer the second question, what is our greatest desire, then we would say God is our greatest desire. God is supposed to be our greatest desire.

Both of these questions have already been answered for the Christian, and it's true to us, and we say amen to this, because God is our greatest need. God is our greatest desire. God is the only place, in effect, where needs and wants really converge. Needs and desires converge in this place with God, and this is where genuine worship is born.

It's the essence of worship. When we cry out our need for God, when we cry out our desire for God, this is the place where God meets us, and it is His desire to give all of Himself to us. It's this idea of abide that we've talked about. In John chapter 15, verse 5, it says, "I am the vine, you are the branches.

"He who abides in me and I in him, "he bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. "Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. "Abide in my love. "If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, "just as I have kept my Father's commandments, "abide in His love.

"These things I have spoken to you so that my joy may be in you "and that your joy may be made full." All of this is going to be found in our communion with the Lord, that He is our desire, that He is our contentment, He is our need, He is everything that we can want and have.

Pastor Mark preached on that today. We're joyful people because of this. This passage shows us that all that we desire is found in God, that He is our heart's cry, and all of our needs have been met in God. There is nothing else that can be done to us.

You can take away everything that we have. You can take away our very lives. And as believers, we would communally say amen to that. Tonight, I hope that we can remember that together. J.I. Packer says, "We need to discover all over again "that worship is natural to the Christian, "as it was to the godly Israelites who wrote the Psalms, "and that the habit of celebrating the greatness and graciousness of God "yields an endless flow of thankfulness, joy, and zeal." So we're going to go through some discussion questions tonight, and I hope that you can be honest with these and ask yourself all throughout, "Am I a content child "who is happy because I have God, "who understands the great gift of salvation that has been given, "that Jesus Christ has been given, "and that then we are able to understand that God is not somebody "who keeps those things away.

"He will give every good gift. "He will not withhold anything good from us." And so while many things ultimately is going to be realized in the kingdom, that today, all that we have, events up and down, good or bad, are good gifts from our God, and so we can be joyful.

God loves a content child. Hebrews 13.5 says, "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, "being content with what you have. "For he himself has said, 'I will never desert you, "'nor will I ever forsake you.'" Notice that he doesn't say here that he will give more money.

Although he can, he says, "I will never desert you. "I will never forsake you." It's him. Colossians 3.15 says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, "to which indeed you are called in one body, and be thankful. "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, "giving thanks through him to God the Father." Our gratitude is going to be a testimony to the world.

To any unbeliever, our gratitude shows how precious God is. If we are not content with God, if we are grumbling and complaining, it will mar our witness to the world. We're called to be content people, and that's our light. So I conclude with Psalm 23.1, and it's just the first part of this verse, where it says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." That is our light.

It's not going around to people just preaching this. It's that this is our realized, true desire. That I have nothing that I want. There is nothing more that can be added to me, and nothing that can be taken away. That is going to cause in me any kind of shifting.

And so when we are struggling and wrestling with these things, and we all are, that as we come together, and especially tonight as we discuss these things, I hope that our hearts can come together in this kind of gratitude. Reminding each other, pushing each other, regardless of wherever we are, whether we're in a time of abounding or a time of need, that we're filled with joy.

I'll pray for us to close. Heavenly Father, God, wherever we are here in Southern California, wherever we're gathered, I pray that it is your people who are going to be raising worship to you, who are going to be reminding each other that we will remind each other of how great you are, how sweet you are, how good you are, that you are our shepherd and we have nothing that we want.

God, please, I know that we are so grumbling and complaining. God, we look just like those Israelites. Be gracious to us, Lord. Open our eyes to see what a great gift we have in you. Teach us again to open our mouths only to worship, to give you glory and honor, and that your church then would be a great testimony, witness, and light to the incredible value and preciousness of the great God that we serve.

So thank you, Lord. Thank you that you gave us tonight to be able to, with a smaller group, eat together, share together, and we pray for genuine fellowship and communion now. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. There should be some discussion questions provided to everybody, so go ahead and go through that however the group see fit.

Other than that, that concludes tonight. So we hope that you have an enjoyable rest of the night.