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Now listen, I don't know about you,

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but as the years have gone by, have you noticed this,

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that Thanksgiving is somewhat fading into the background

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as a unique day in our culture?

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It feels like, and maybe I'm just crazy,

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we get past Halloween, right?

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And then everybody immediately starts talking about Christmas.

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We're like leapfrogging right over Thanksgiving.

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I hear and see people that are already

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talking about putting up Christmas decorations.

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I hear about Christmas shopping.

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I know that not only has Hobby Lobby put their Christmas

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stuff out, it's picked over, which tells you everything

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about the Christian community.

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That was for my wife, by the way.

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But in doing this and leapfrogging

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over this important holiday, I think

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we are missing out on a grace from the Lord,

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just a small injection of His grace into our calendar.

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I know it's only one day, but at least it's

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one day that sort of forces us to slow down

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and to consider the goodness of God

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and to consider the importance of thanking Him,

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the importance of giving thanks in our lives.

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As many of you know, Thanksgiving

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is a holiday that was born out of all kinds of adversity

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and struggle and loss.

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It dates all the way back to the year 1621.

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Long before America was even an independent nation.

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And we know a little bit about the history

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of these English separatists, Calvinists,

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who got on a ship, we call them pilgrims,

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and they landed in the new year, in the year 1620,

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about 100 people fleeing from religious persecution

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in England, but completely unprepared for what they

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were about to face, woefully unprepared

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for the brutal conditions they would

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face when they landed at this place we know

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as Plymouth, Massachusetts.

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In fact, get this now, roughly half of the pilgrims

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died in that first year.

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Now, try to imagine what that level of suffering and despair

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must have been like.

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Imagine having to bury half of your friends and compatriots

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who took this journey with you, watching them suffer,

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watching them die, and burying them in the cold soil.

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Imagine.

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Were it not for the help of the native Wampanoag tribe, who

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taught the pilgrims how to farm, can you

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imagine how unprepared they were?

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If the native tribes had not helped them to learn that,

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none of them would have made it.

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But among those who survived, there

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was a man named Edward Winslow, and he left a testimony

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to that first Thanksgiving meal in 1621.

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Here's what he said.

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He said, our harvest being gotten in,

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so they had a first successful harvest,

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our governor sent four men fouling.

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Anybody know what that is?

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Hunting for birds.

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OK, turkeys, sure.

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Turkey's the worst kind of meat there is.

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I just decided to inject my personal opinion.

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It's the worst.

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But anyway, I understand they needed to go fouling.

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I get that, right?

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Our governor sent four men fouling

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that we might, in special manner, rejoice together

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after we gathered the fruit of our labors.

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And although it be not always so plentiful as it

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was at this time, here's the key phrase,

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yet by the goodness of God, we are far from want.

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Now fast forward almost 250 years to the year 1863.

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America is in the middle of a tragic and bloody civil war.

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And in the midst of the nation being torn in two,

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President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation

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for a national holiday of Thanksgiving.

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Imagine the midst of all of that chaos and all of that division,

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he said, we need to stop and give thanks.

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Here's part of what he wrote.

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The year that is drawing towards its close

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has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields

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and healthy skies.

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To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed,

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that we are prone to forget the source from which they come,

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which are of so extraordinary a nature

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that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften

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even the heart which is habitually

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insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

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It has seemed to me fit and proper,

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then, that they should be solemnly, reverently,

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and gratefully acknowledged.

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In the middle of civil war, despite three years of fighting,

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Lincoln says, we are still a blessed people,

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so blessed in so many ways by the gracious hand of God.

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So then he says, I do therefore invite my fellow citizens

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in every part of the United States, north and south,

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and also those who are at sea and those who are so journeying

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in foreign lands to set apart and observe

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the last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving

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and praise to our loving and generous Father

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who dwells in the heavens.

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Amen.

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In a time of great adversity.

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So with that backdrop, here's what

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I want to ask you a couple of questions.

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I want you to try, we do this a lot at Oak Hill.

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Put yourself in the shoes of people

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who lived at a different time and a different culture

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so you can kind of understand what they're going through.

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What do you think thankfulness looked like for the pilgrims

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in 1621?

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What did it look like for them to be thankful?

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A single meal?

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A single meal on any given day?

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One set of clothes to help ward off the cold?

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A small, drafty home made of wooden planks with a thatch

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roof and probably just a dirt floor?

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All of your family crammed into this one small space?

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Or simply this, we didn't have to bury anyone today?

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Thank you, Lord.

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What about 1863?

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What would thankfulness have looked like for soldiers

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who were still on the battlefield?

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Or families back home on the homestead

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wondering what's happening?

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Or slaves in chains on plantations in the South?

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What would thankfulness have been like?

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Well, I'm still alive.

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I haven't received a gruesome injury

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or been taken captive in battle.

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I haven't got any word that my husband fell

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at Gettysburg or Vicksburg.

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I haven't been whipped or beaten today.

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Thank you, Lord.

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Let me back up historically now and go biblical on you.

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We've been preaching through the Psalms recently.

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And one of the most common themes of the Psalms is what?

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Praise and thanksgiving.

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We heard it in our call to worship this morning

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from Psalm 100.

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So what would thankfulness have looked

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like for the ancient Israelites in 1,000 BC?

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Well, the Philistines haven't attacked us recently.

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Enough rain fell to harvest our food for the winter

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so that we'll get by.

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We have a sheep or a goat worthy of bringing

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to the temple for sacrifice, just one.

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But we have one.

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Thank you, Lord.

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How about the time of Christ in the New Testament?

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What would thankfulness have looked

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like for a Jewish family living in Galilee in the first century?

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Simple roof over our heads, a community

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of faith and a synagogue, being left alone by the Romans

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at least for a time, no invasions on our northern border.

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Thank you, Lord.

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And with all that in mind, counting our blessings,

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now consider you and I. What does thankfulness

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look like in your life today?

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With all the conveniences, the general ease of life

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that we have, what are you truly thankful for?

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And then the follow-up question, how often

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do you thank the Lord for all that He provides for you?

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You probably know this already, but most people in America

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are completely blind to the many blessings

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that God graciously showers on them from His common grace.

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And sadly, it's true of professing Christians as well.

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We awake in comfortable beds.

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We see that the sun is shining outside,

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and we go to our coffee maker, and we pour a cup,

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and we just turn a handle, and we have a hot shower

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each and every morning.

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But we don't give thanks to God.

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We hear the birds chirping outside.

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We see flowers and trees and hills all around us.

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We have multiple sets of clothes for every season

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that we encounter each year.

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We live in a safe environment with relatively few threats,

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but we don't thank God.

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We drive cars that take us places at 65 miles an hour.

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While the interior temperature of that car

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is heated and cooled to our pleasure,

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we travel down roads that are paved.

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We have grocery stores and restaurants

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on every corner in this valley.

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We can just walk in and buy any food that we want,

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but we don't give it a moment's thought

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that God has provided those things for us.

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At times, we grumble about our jobs,

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about our housing situation, how busy our schedules are,

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not realizing that there are people all over this world

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today who would do anything to have a job like yours,

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a home like yours, and a life like yours.

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We wish we could have this or that material thing,

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but life is so expensive, we say,

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and we find ourselves dissatisfied and discontent

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while forgetting how wealthy we really are

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and how much we do have relative to other cultures

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and other times in human history.

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So whether a person is a believer and a follower of Christ

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or not, this one fact remains for every single human being.

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Our gracious creator has blessed each of us

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far more than we realize and far more than we deserve.

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Grab your Bibles.

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I want to look at just a couple of passages of scripture

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this morning to help us start to think about Thanksgiving.

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And we're going to start in the Gospel of Luke, Luke chapter

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17.

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We're going to read a familiar story to many of us,

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the story of the 10 lepers.

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But before we jump in, let me just say that as a preacher,

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when you take on the subject of thankfulness,

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there's very few new things that I can say about it.

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We all know we should be thankful, right?

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I mean, even the most hardened pagan is taught as a child,

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you should be thankful.

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To who or what, I don't know.

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But you should be thankful.

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We know, right?

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So there's not a whole lot of new things I can say.

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So this message is not going to deliver any brand new truths

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or mind-blowing insights.

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What I want to do this morning is just

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exposit some scripture, give you some examples,

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and then get out of the way for the Holy Spirit

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to convict your hearts about this issue of giving thanks.

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And maybe you do wonderful at this, and maybe you don't.

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But I'm going to let the Holy Spirit do that work.

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All right, Luke chapter 17.

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Let's start at verse 11.

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So Jesus has been traveling the land with his disciples,

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teaching them as he goes.

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And verse 11 says, while he was on the way to Jerusalem,

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he was passing between Samaria and Galilee, right?

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The two provinces to the north of Judea.

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As he entered a village, 10 leprous men who stood

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at a distance met him, and they raised their voices,

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saying, Jesus, master, have mercy on us.

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Now, it's important to note that the Greek word for master

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here is epistates.

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It's a term of admiration.

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It's for an overseer or a master or commander.

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It's not kurios, which would be translated lord,

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but it's a respectful thing.

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Verse 14, when he saw them, when Jesus saw them,

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he said to them, go and show yourselves to the priests.

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Now, remember, when you had leprosy in that day,

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you were, in Jewish culture, you were ceremonially unclean.

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And even if you were healed, you had

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to go to the priests at the temple

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and go through this extensive ritual of cleansing

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before they would give you their stamp of approval

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and you'd be allowed back into the worshiping community.

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But this must have seemed like a strange command to these men

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because Jesus says, go to the priests

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while they're still leprous.

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Right?

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He hasn't healed them yet.

261
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And they do.

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They go.

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00:13:20,060 --> 00:13:22,840
Jesus says, go, show yourselves to the priests in your

264
00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:24,720
condition, and they go.

265
00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:30,000
Verse 14, as they were going, they were cleansed.

266
00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:32,800
Imagine what that was like.

267
00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:36,920
Imagine their skin healing in those moments.

268
00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:38,880
By the way, that's an impressive healing power,

269
00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:43,560
that Jesus didn't have to touch their skin to heal them.

270
00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:46,200
Verse 15, now one of them, when he

271
00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:50,400
saw that he had been healed, he turned back,

272
00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,160
glorifying God with a loud voice.

273
00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:55,120
And he fell on his face at Jesus' feet,

274
00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:57,720
giving thanks to him.

275
00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:59,480
And then look at this last statement.

276
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He was a Samaritan.

277
00:14:00,520 --> 00:14:02,880
That's interesting, right?

278
00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:04,680
This one healed leper was not Jewish.

279
00:14:04,680 --> 00:14:06,120
Now, maybe the other nine were.

280
00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:07,000
We don't know.

281
00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:08,120
But this one was not.

282
00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:09,720
He was from Samaria.

283
00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:11,440
A hated Samaritan.

284
00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:12,960
And Luke, I think, is pointing this out

285
00:14:12,960 --> 00:14:15,680
in the flow and context of his gospel.

286
00:14:15,680 --> 00:14:17,620
He's showing that the salvation of the Lord

287
00:14:17,620 --> 00:14:20,680
was open to all who will call upon the name of the Lord,

288
00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:23,560
first to the Jew, but also to the Gentiles,

289
00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:26,360
to a Samaritan like this.

290
00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,320
And it seems that this man's praise is very authentic,

291
00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,520
in some sense, by calling him master.

292
00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,000
He understands that Jesus is a great man that

293
00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:35,560
has the power to heal.

294
00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,000
But look who he gives glory to.

295
00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:40,040
To God.

296
00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:41,560
He gives glory to God.

297
00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:43,160
And he does it with a loud voice.

298
00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,080
He doesn't care what people think about him.

299
00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,000
He's just gone through the greatest transformation

300
00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:48,880
of his life.

301
00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:50,560
And he is going to shout about it.

302
00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,160
And he doesn't care what people think about him

303
00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:56,200
or who's concerned about what's your problem.

304
00:14:56,200 --> 00:14:58,520
He's been healed.

305
00:14:58,520 --> 00:14:59,840
And then he approaches Jesus.

306
00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:03,600
And I have tried to picture this scene in my mind's eye

307
00:15:03,600 --> 00:15:04,680
so many times.

308
00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:06,160
Imagine this.

309
00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,440
How grateful this man must have been.

310
00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:12,120
Guys, his entire life has changed.

311
00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:17,880
He has been reborn, able to join the worshiping community.

312
00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,360
You could imagine how he must have approached Jesus

313
00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,000
with head bowed, absolute humility,

314
00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,520
how he must have looked up into Jesus' eyes with tears

315
00:15:26,520 --> 00:15:28,400
coming down his cheeks.

316
00:15:28,400 --> 00:15:32,240
And he falls on his face at Jesus' feet.

317
00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:34,480
He takes the posture of what?

318
00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:36,560
Of worship.

319
00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:37,680
And rightfully so.

320
00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:40,200
Listen, he's done nothing to deserve this, right?

321
00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:41,920
All he did was cry out.

322
00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:44,520
But he has done nothing to deserve this healing.

323
00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,400
It is a gift of mercy from God.

324
00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,200
He's received undeserved favor from the Lord.

325
00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:52,240
What do we call that?

326
00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:55,080
We call that grace.

327
00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:59,600
Now, do you see yourself in this story?

328
00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:00,800
Do you see yourself?

329
00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,040
Now, not saying you were once a physical leper,

330
00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:07,160
but spiritually you certainly were.

331
00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:08,760
Certainly.

332
00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,080
And by his grace, you've received

333
00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,800
a gift of spiritual healing and salvation.

334
00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:17,880
You too have been given a whole new life.

335
00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:20,480
That's part of what this story illustrates for us.

336
00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:24,320
But then we have the tragic news in verse 17.

337
00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:29,840
Jesus answered and said, were there not 10 who were cleansed?

338
00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:32,640
But the nine, where are they?

339
00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:35,240
Was no one found who returned to give glory to God

340
00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:38,920
except this foreigner, this Samaritan?

341
00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:43,320
And he said to the man who worshiped him, stand up and go.

342
00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,840
Your faith has made you well.

343
00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:52,280
So we have a shocking example of ingratitude here, don't we?

344
00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:55,000
This is a general truth for all of us to take note of.

345
00:16:55,000 --> 00:16:58,520
There are far more people prone to ask for mercy

346
00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:01,480
in a time of need than to praise God

347
00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,760
once that need has been met.

348
00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,920
When we get desperate, we'll cry out to God.

349
00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:11,760
But once the need gets met, what will we tend to do?

350
00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:14,640
Just move on.

351
00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:18,720
It's like the old story of the man who was lost in the woods

352
00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:19,360
for a time.

353
00:17:19,360 --> 00:17:21,200
And later on, he was describing to a friend

354
00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:23,160
about how scared he was.

355
00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:25,160
And he was really worried he was going

356
00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:27,200
to die out there in the forest.

357
00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:31,120
And so as a last ditch effort, he fell to his knees

358
00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:34,200
and he prayed to the Lord and he cried out for help.

359
00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,800
And the friend said, so did God deliver you?

360
00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:38,440
He said, oh, no, no, no.

361
00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:39,080
He didn't have to.

362
00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:40,920
About an hour later, a ranger came by

363
00:17:40,920 --> 00:17:41,920
and showed me the way out.

364
00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:47,320
Right?

365
00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:49,200
Didn't even recognize it.

366
00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:50,880
Did not even recognize it.

367
00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:53,840
The great Oswald Chambers once said this.

368
00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:57,400
Troubles nearly always make us look to God.

369
00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:02,040
His blessings are apt to make us look elsewhere.

370
00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:03,200
Think about that for a second.

371
00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,440
Is that true in your life?

372
00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:06,240
I have a need.

373
00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:07,960
I will cry out to God.

374
00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:12,200
But all the things that we're given and provided for,

375
00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,360
even answers to prayer, oftentimes, we

376
00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:19,620
will look elsewhere to give credit for them.

377
00:18:19,620 --> 00:18:21,240
So here's one of the things I want

378
00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:22,740
to say to you this morning, you guys.

379
00:18:22,740 --> 00:18:27,520
For everyone here, we are all in a battle every day

380
00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:29,800
to be thankful.

381
00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:31,680
And maybe you've never thought of it that way.

382
00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:35,940
We are in a battle for thankfulness every single day.

383
00:18:35,940 --> 00:18:38,560
Although we were born again to a new life by the Spirit,

384
00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:39,900
guys, we have to recognize this.

385
00:18:39,900 --> 00:18:43,880
We still have this remnant of the flesh operating within us.

386
00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:46,000
Paul talks about this in the book of Galatians.

387
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:47,240
Galatians 5, right?

388
00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:50,120
The spirit and the flesh are at war with each other

389
00:18:50,120 --> 00:18:53,560
so that we don't do everything that we wish we could do.

390
00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:54,240
Right?

391
00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,200
They set themselves against each other.

392
00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,360
That battle is taking place within us.

393
00:18:59,360 --> 00:19:02,400
And Paul says, therefore, walk by the spirit

394
00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:05,000
so that you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.

395
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,920
So we've got to walk by the spirit in this battle

396
00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:08,720
for thankfulness.

397
00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:12,240
Now, it probably is smart for us to stop for a second

398
00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,240
and say, OK, well, what are, where

399
00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,160
is the battle for thankfulness?

400
00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,680
What are the enemies that we have

401
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,600
that are fighting against us in terms of thankfulness?

402
00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:23,520
Well, let me give you a list of them.

403
00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:25,160
Let me give you eight of them.

404
00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,400
The first one is pride.

405
00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:32,080
Pride works against our spirit of thanksgiving.

406
00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:36,080
We tend to credit ourselves for everything that we have.

407
00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:38,880
And we may not even recognize it as pride, but it is.

408
00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:41,720
We say, well, it's my intellect and my planning

409
00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:45,520
and my hard work that made it happen.

410
00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:47,120
I'm sure God was there.

411
00:19:47,120 --> 00:19:49,000
I'm sure he approved.

412
00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:49,960
But I made it happen.

413
00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:56,200
Number two is prosperity.

414
00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:59,680
And obviously, this one will naturally flow out of pride.

415
00:19:59,680 --> 00:20:01,960
How much do I really need to acknowledge God

416
00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,120
when I already have so much?

417
00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:06,120
When I have so much success, do I really

418
00:20:06,120 --> 00:20:08,840
need to thank God for it?

419
00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:11,480
So the pride flows into prosperity.

420
00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:13,920
I'm not saying that you can't be thankful when

421
00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:18,080
you're prosperous, but it's hard to be a rich man

422
00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:21,520
and enter the kingdom of God, isn't it?

423
00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:22,880
We all know that teaching, right?

424
00:20:22,880 --> 00:20:23,880
OK, good.

425
00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,360
Number three, entitlement.

426
00:20:26,360 --> 00:20:27,760
Entitlement.

427
00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:29,760
This is when you get to that place where you say,

428
00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:32,600
well, look, I deserve a certain amount of things in life,

429
00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:34,400
at least the basics.

430
00:20:34,400 --> 00:20:37,880
And I'm a child of God, so somehow my Father in heaven

431
00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:42,440
is obligated to give me some things to provide for me.

432
00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:45,800
So why would I thank Him for scraps

433
00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,760
when He could give me everything that I want?

434
00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:52,160
And I feel entitled to things.

435
00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,280
And that leads to number four, discontentment.

436
00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:56,880
I'm just not happy with what I have.

437
00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:58,800
I am not satisfied.

438
00:20:58,800 --> 00:21:02,480
I am not fulfilled by the things that God has chosen to give me.

439
00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:03,400
It's not enough.

440
00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,240
I want so much more.

441
00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:09,920
And until God, now, look, we would never say this out loud,

442
00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:10,760
so check your heart.

443
00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:13,080
This is an internal conversation.

444
00:21:13,080 --> 00:21:17,600
Until God starts to fulfill my desires, not just my needs,

445
00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,000
but my wants and my desires, I don't

446
00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,960
see how I can be thankful.

447
00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:25,520
I'm discontent.

448
00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,400
The next one will lead to even greater discontentment.

449
00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,800
Comparison.

450
00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,360
This is where the whole life isn't fair

451
00:21:33,360 --> 00:21:35,720
mantra comes into play.

452
00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:37,560
Well, why is God blessed them and not me?

453
00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:39,280
I do more in the church than they do.

454
00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:47,160
This can take you down into a very deep spiral.

455
00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,440
It will steal your joy.

456
00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,240
It will cause you to be blind to the good things

457
00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:52,840
that you do have.

458
00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:56,000
Because you only have eyes on what's happening down here

459
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,680
on Earth in other people's lives,

460
00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:02,080
but your eyes aren't up on Christ in the heavens.

461
00:22:02,080 --> 00:22:03,520
Comparison.

462
00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:05,720
Number six, having a good heart.

463
00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:09,400
Number six, having a critical spirit.

464
00:22:09,400 --> 00:22:13,960
This is when you just can't see good in anything.

465
00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:18,120
So you become the proverbial grumbler.

466
00:22:18,120 --> 00:22:19,720
You can't be thankful for the good gifts

467
00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:21,440
that God has brought into your life,

468
00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,360
because in every single thing, you pick it apart.

469
00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:26,720
It could be better.

470
00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:28,320
It could be more.

471
00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:30,400
I'm not happy with it.

472
00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:33,440
You just don't find the good in things.

473
00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:37,080
Number seven is worry or fear.

474
00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:39,040
It's really difficult to stop and be thankful

475
00:22:39,040 --> 00:22:41,800
when you live in a constant state of worrying

476
00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,360
about what is around the corner.

477
00:22:44,360 --> 00:22:46,120
When you live in a state of worry and fear,

478
00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:49,280
you will grip onto everything as if you're in control,

479
00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,280
and by doing that, you will fail to see how God does it work,

480
00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:55,280
how He is the one who is sovereignly sustaining you

481
00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:56,920
and providing for you.

482
00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,840
You're trying to hold onto it because you're fearful.

483
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:05,520
Now, maybe you see yourself in a little bit

484
00:23:05,520 --> 00:23:07,800
in some of those seven things, and it's good.

485
00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:08,800
You can take a picture of it.

486
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:10,400
You can say, okay, I need to work on these things.

487
00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:14,320
It's good, but I saved the best to last,

488
00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:20,200
because it's probably the most common one, busyness.

489
00:23:20,200 --> 00:23:23,000
And we might say this is forgetfulness,

490
00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:25,400
because of the pace of our lives.

491
00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:28,440
We live in it, guys, compared to previous generations,

492
00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:32,720
we live in an age of great temptation,

493
00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,360
because we have so much going on in our lives.

494
00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:37,720
We think living in the modern world is an advantage,

495
00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:39,280
and it is to some extent.

496
00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:43,480
It's also a disadvantage because we don't slow down much

497
00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:48,080
to really think about things, to really count our blessings.

498
00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:50,280
So busyness gets in the way, right?

499
00:23:50,280 --> 00:23:52,280
We just don't pay attention to the blessings

500
00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:54,400
because we gotta get to the next thing,

501
00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:56,680
or we gotta meet all these responsibilities

502
00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:59,080
and all these obligations.

503
00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,720
So we don't take time to reflect on things and give thanks.

504
00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:04,000
And let me just say with this one,

505
00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,600
you know when it will sneak up on you?

506
00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:09,000
When you're not in the Word,

507
00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:11,560
when your prayer life has diminished,

508
00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:15,200
when you're not involved in the body life in the church,

509
00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:16,840
when you're not walking by the Spirit,

510
00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:18,840
when you're just going through life day to day,

511
00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:23,480
again, with your eyes fixed down here,

512
00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:27,120
that's when you're gonna fall into this pit.

513
00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:28,440
Busyness, forgetfulness.

514
00:24:28,440 --> 00:24:30,320
You will end up taking every blessing

515
00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:33,520
that God has given you, and you will take it for granted.

516
00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:37,720
So that's a really important list to look at

517
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,640
and to sort of process with the Holy Spirit in your life.

518
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:42,480
Okay, let's turn it positive now.

519
00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:44,440
Let's talk about the other side of the coin.

520
00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:46,960
What does it look like when we're winning the battle

521
00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:47,800
for thankfulness?

522
00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:50,680
Well, first of all, let's acknowledge a very simple fact.

523
00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:52,120
Let's all agree on this.

524
00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:54,120
God's people are thankful people.

525
00:24:56,120 --> 00:24:57,680
Can we say amen?

526
00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:00,560
God's people are a thankful people.

527
00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:01,920
And it's for this simple reason.

528
00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,280
Above all other people on the earth,

529
00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:07,160
we realize how much we've been given

530
00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:08,680
and how little we deserve it.

531
00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:12,400
Because we know God and we know ourselves.

532
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:14,240
That's just a basic fact.

533
00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,960
We are thankful because of all the Bible tells us,

534
00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:20,920
repeatedly, in both Old and New Testaments, by the way,

535
00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,000
that God is sovereign over all things

536
00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:24,360
and he's the giver of every good gift.

537
00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:26,360
He does as he pleases.

538
00:25:26,360 --> 00:25:28,360
He oversees every detail of our lives.

539
00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:31,120
He is the source of every good thing given,

540
00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:33,920
the Bible says, every spiritual blessing.

541
00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:35,880
And he is presently working all things

542
00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:38,840
after the counsel of his perfect will.

543
00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:40,600
So we start with the truth that our God

544
00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:42,440
is worthy of being thanked.

545
00:25:44,200 --> 00:25:48,280
And his children are commanded to thank him.

546
00:25:48,280 --> 00:25:51,600
Centuries ago, Martin Luther wrote this incredible piece.

547
00:25:51,600 --> 00:25:54,320
It was a commentary on the Apostles' Creed.

548
00:25:54,320 --> 00:25:57,640
And it's one of the most concise yet complete statements

549
00:25:57,640 --> 00:25:59,720
about thankfulness that I have ever read.

550
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:00,800
So I wanted to share it with you.

551
00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:02,720
It's not long, but I want you to listen

552
00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:04,480
to the scope of his argument here.

553
00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:06,600
Here's what Luther writes.

554
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,720
He says, I believe that God has created me

555
00:26:09,720 --> 00:26:11,760
and all that exists.

556
00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,560
That he has given and still has given.

557
00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:21,560
He has given and still preserves to me body and soul,

558
00:26:21,560 --> 00:26:26,440
eyes, ears, and all my limbs, my reason, and all my senses.

559
00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:28,840
So everything about both Luther

560
00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:32,200
and every other human being, mind, body, and spirit.

561
00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,680
And also, he says, clothing and shoes,

562
00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:39,640
food and drink, house and home, wife and child,

563
00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,760
land, cattle, you guys all got your cows?

564
00:26:42,760 --> 00:26:45,360
Cattle and all my property.

565
00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:48,920
So God is also in charge of all the material things

566
00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:50,120
that Luther has.

567
00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:51,880
And then he goes on.

568
00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:55,760
That he provides for me richly and daily

569
00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:57,760
with all the necessities of life.

570
00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:00,200
He protects me from all danger

571
00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:03,680
and preserves and guards me against all evil.

572
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:06,760
So do you get this so far?

573
00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:11,200
Mind, body, and spirit, every material blessing,

574
00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:14,520
provision, protection, and sustenance.

575
00:27:14,520 --> 00:27:18,400
And, and, all this out of what?

576
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,560
Pure, paternal, divine goodness and mercy

577
00:27:22,560 --> 00:27:25,240
without any merit or worthiness of mine.

578
00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:29,400
And there you see God's motivation

579
00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:32,720
for the way he blesses you and provides for you.

580
00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:36,000
It is his perfect fatherly character

581
00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:38,200
to provide for his children.

582
00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,320
Not because we're worthy of it, right?

583
00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:41,680
Not because we deserve it.

584
00:27:41,680 --> 00:27:45,320
And then Luther ends with how we should respond.

585
00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:50,320
For which I am duty bound to thank, praise, serve,

586
00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:51,360
and obey him.

587
00:27:52,720 --> 00:27:53,560
Right?

588
00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:56,400
Super concise but very broad in scope.

589
00:27:56,400 --> 00:27:59,400
So listen, do you have eyes that can see?

590
00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,520
Do you have a mind that can think?

591
00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:07,400
Do you have shoes on your feet?

592
00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:08,240
It looks like it.

593
00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:10,600
Do you have a place to lay your head at night?

594
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,440
Do you have food on your table?

595
00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:17,400
Luther says then thank him and praise him

596
00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:22,400
and serve him and his people and obey God's commands

597
00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:24,920
because they're given to you not as a heavy weight

598
00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:26,560
but as a blessing to you.

599
00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:31,720
And this is one of the key ways that we as believers

600
00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:36,240
grow in our knowledge of God, grow in our enjoyment of God.

601
00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:39,800
First we recognize that he's the source of all these things

602
00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:42,400
and then we consider, and maybe you've never done this

603
00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:46,040
before, consider what God has given you.

604
00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:47,400
What does that say about him?

605
00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:50,960
What does that tell you about your Lord and your master?

606
00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:55,960
What does it tell you about his divine character?

607
00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:59,240
When you take stock of all the things that you truly have,

608
00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:02,840
all the things that you count on daily, take for granted.

609
00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:05,600
When you look at the things that you have,

610
00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:07,960
when you look at that scope of how God has blessed you,

611
00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,080
you think what does this tell me about him?

612
00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,200
And if you start to think about that and meditate on that,

613
00:29:14,200 --> 00:29:16,560
what that will do is stir up in you

614
00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:18,120
praise and worship in your heart.

615
00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:21,280
And it's important for us to understand guys,

616
00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:22,560
when we talk about being thankful,

617
00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:24,880
it's not just a tip of the cap to God.

618
00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:27,600
We do this easily, right?

619
00:29:27,600 --> 00:29:30,080
Oh, I thank God for everything, for my home and my wife

620
00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:31,840
and my church, that's great.

621
00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:33,920
But it's more than that.

622
00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:36,160
Thankfulness is an act of worship.

623
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:38,960
It's more than just a tip of the cap.

624
00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:41,920
Every day when we give thanks,

625
00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:46,520
it should take us beyond just acknowledging God

626
00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:49,200
to worshiping him, to enjoying him,

627
00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,280
as we learn more about him

628
00:29:51,280 --> 00:29:53,400
through the things that he gives us.

629
00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:56,040
And we saw this as a common theme

630
00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:57,840
throughout the Psalms, didn't we?

631
00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:01,080
The psalmist would often start with very specific things

632
00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:03,680
that God had done to bless his people

633
00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:05,120
and then he would,

634
00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:07,160
and Psalm 103 is a great example of this,

635
00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,920
then unfold for us all of the attributes of God

636
00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,280
that led him to do those things, right?

637
00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:16,480
Here's what God has done to bless his people.

638
00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:18,040
This is why he does it.

639
00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:20,680
And the psalmist would go on to talk about

640
00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:24,120
his great divine attributes, his heart for his people.

641
00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:25,560
So we hear, for example,

642
00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:28,600
it's because God is filled with loving kindness,

643
00:30:28,600 --> 00:30:30,120
steadfast love for his people,

644
00:30:30,120 --> 00:30:32,200
that he is righteous, that he is just,

645
00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:35,040
that he is merciful and he is gracious and more.

646
00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:38,720
So a sound theology of thanksgiving

647
00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:42,880
becomes for the believer a conduit of communion with God.

648
00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:45,600
Think about this for a second.

649
00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:51,120
Thankfulness is a conduit to abide more and more

650
00:30:51,120 --> 00:30:54,440
with the Lord, to come into his presence,

651
00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:55,880
to spend time with him,

652
00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:59,760
to thank him for all of your blessings, all the things,

653
00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:01,760
each and every day that he's given to you,

654
00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:04,400
all those little things that you take for granted.

655
00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:06,800
Sit with him in those things.

656
00:31:06,800 --> 00:31:09,440
Abide with him and commune with him.

657
00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:12,800
So that's the enjoyment side of thankfulness.

658
00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,920
But the other thing that we have to talk about

659
00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:20,200
this morning and recognize that because of our busy lives

660
00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:22,440
and because of how stubborn we can be,

661
00:31:22,440 --> 00:31:25,640
sometimes we just have to recognize thankfulness

662
00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:29,880
as an act of our will, a decision that we make,

663
00:31:29,880 --> 00:31:34,880
a decision that we make to choose joy, to give thanks,

664
00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:40,160
and not to do it empty-headedly, is that a word?

665
00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:44,040
But based on evidence we have in Scripture

666
00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,480
and evidence we have in our lives, right?

667
00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:50,520
Those two things matter.

668
00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,200
We make a decision to give thanks to God,

669
00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:55,800
but we can look at Scripture and see why we should do that

670
00:31:55,800 --> 00:31:58,000
and we can also look at our lives and say,

671
00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,000
yeah, I've seen that happen in my life.

672
00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:01,160
God has been so good to me.

673
00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:05,280
So for example, Paul says famously in Philippians 4,

674
00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:07,720
rejoice in the Lord when?

675
00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:08,880
Always.

676
00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,080
That's an act of the will.

677
00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:15,000
I'm always gonna rejoice.

678
00:32:15,000 --> 00:32:16,960
And in case you dozed off and you missed

679
00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:20,280
that important command, he repeats himself.

680
00:32:20,280 --> 00:32:23,120
Again I say, rejoice.

681
00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:27,240
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything

682
00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:30,200
by prayer and supplication with what?

683
00:32:30,200 --> 00:32:32,040
Thanksgiving.

684
00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:34,160
Let your requests be made known to God.

685
00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:37,240
So friends, what we do is we steward our minds

686
00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:41,400
and our hearts and intentionally direct them

687
00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:44,880
to meditate on the gracious ways that God has blessed us.

688
00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:47,200
It's a decision that we make.

689
00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:50,160
We choose joy and if we have worries,

690
00:32:50,160 --> 00:32:53,320
we take them to the Lord in prayer as we thank him

691
00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:55,800
for the ways he's taken care of us in the past.

692
00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:57,600
You see that?

693
00:32:57,600 --> 00:32:58,880
We all have worries.

694
00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:02,920
I have worries, things that are on my heart,

695
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:05,480
but I can look to the past and go,

696
00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:07,240
Lord, you've been so faithful and good.

697
00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:10,840
I can thank you for all the ways that you have bailed me out,

698
00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:14,080
all the ways that you have blessed me more than I deserve.

699
00:33:14,080 --> 00:33:16,000
And now because this thing is on my heart

700
00:33:16,000 --> 00:33:17,160
and I'm starting to feel anxious,

701
00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:20,600
I can come to you with that Thanksgiving

702
00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:22,800
and I can lay it before you

703
00:33:22,800 --> 00:33:25,600
and let the peace of Christ rule my heart.

704
00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,560
Such an important, such a simple, simple teaching,

705
00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:30,920
but so important for our lives.

706
00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:32,320
It's an act of our will.

707
00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:35,080
Because we don't have a promise in life

708
00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:37,240
that everything's gonna go well, right?

709
00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,840
That we're gonna be free of pain or free of trials,

710
00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:42,360
yet we are called to rejoice

711
00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:44,680
and to come to the Lord with thankfulness.

712
00:33:44,680 --> 00:33:47,480
Paul writes something similar in 1 Thessalonians 5.

713
00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,760
Rejoice always, pray constantly,

714
00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:55,680
and give thanks in everything.

715
00:33:56,800 --> 00:33:59,640
For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

716
00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:01,200
So I hope you caught that.

717
00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:03,720
For every single person in the room this morning,

718
00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:05,720
this is God's will for your life.

719
00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:06,680
How often do we say that?

720
00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:07,840
I don't know what God's will is.

721
00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:11,160
Okay, well, here we go.

722
00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:12,800
Rejoice, pray, and give thanks.

723
00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:13,960
You can at least start there.

724
00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:16,720
That is God's will for your life, for every one of us.

725
00:34:18,400 --> 00:34:19,680
Now upon reading this verse,

726
00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:22,000
what we try to do sometimes is we say,

727
00:34:22,000 --> 00:34:24,800
well, how can I dilute the language here?

728
00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:27,760
I mean, I can't really give thanks in everything, right?

729
00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:29,600
This is our flesh again, rising up.

730
00:34:29,600 --> 00:34:31,280
Well, everything?

731
00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:32,280
Yeah, everything.

732
00:34:33,240 --> 00:34:34,080
But let's be honest,

733
00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,320
not everything in life is going to

734
00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:39,200
easily produce a thankful spirit in us.

735
00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:41,480
Some things are just brutally hard to endure.

736
00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:44,000
But note the important distinction here.

737
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:47,800
Paul's command isn't to give thanks for every circumstance,

738
00:34:47,800 --> 00:34:49,800
but in every circumstance.

739
00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:50,640
You see that?

740
00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:55,600
We wouldn't give thanks for evil that comes upon us.

741
00:34:55,600 --> 00:35:00,080
I don't give thanks for a cancer diagnosis.

742
00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:02,880
I don't give thanks for a tragic accident.

743
00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:07,280
But recognizing God's providence over all things,

744
00:35:07,280 --> 00:35:11,160
we give him thanks in those circumstances.

745
00:35:11,160 --> 00:35:14,720
We give thanks in the midst of that type of difficulty.

746
00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:16,760
And friends, there's always something

747
00:35:16,760 --> 00:35:19,480
to give thanks to God for.

748
00:35:19,480 --> 00:35:21,720
Even in the midst of the hardest thing you can imagine,

749
00:35:21,720 --> 00:35:24,000
there's always something to praise God for.

750
00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:27,560
That God is always working in every situation

751
00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:30,680
to bring good to those who trust him and belong to him.

752
00:35:30,680 --> 00:35:32,080
But I think it's so important to say,

753
00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:33,440
when we talk about thankfulness,

754
00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:35,640
if we don't go deeper, we should say this,

755
00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:38,760
that Christians are not called to be Stoics,

756
00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:40,800
that are just indifferent to pain,

757
00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:41,880
that just walk around saying,

758
00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:43,680
oh, everything's fine all the time.

759
00:35:43,680 --> 00:35:44,920
Sometimes it's not.

760
00:35:46,760 --> 00:35:48,240
Sometimes it's not.

761
00:35:48,240 --> 00:35:51,080
We will at times experience very real hurt

762
00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:54,200
and disappointment and confusion and failure.

763
00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:56,520
And the Bible does tell us that there is a time

764
00:35:56,520 --> 00:36:00,400
and a season to lament and to sit in grief

765
00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,040
and to express to the Lord how bad things are.

766
00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:05,600
In fact, when we looked at the Psalms, we saw that, right?

767
00:36:05,600 --> 00:36:09,760
How often did David lament worshipfully before the Lord?

768
00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:12,680
But through all those times,

769
00:36:12,680 --> 00:36:17,680
we can and we must rightfully give thanks to God

770
00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:21,800
in those circumstances, even the hardest ones,

771
00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:24,200
because we can view the hardships of life

772
00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:26,200
in light of the much bigger plan

773
00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:28,800
that God is sovereignly ordaining,

774
00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,720
where we're promised that he is working all things together

775
00:36:31,720 --> 00:36:33,040
for our ultimate good.

776
00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:35,440
Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next month,

777
00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:38,080
but for our ultimate good, he's working in that thing.

778
00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:41,520
What I found over the years,

779
00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:45,360
in pastoral ministry, is this is something of a learned skill.

780
00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:48,800
I look back on my life, I didn't do this well

781
00:36:48,800 --> 00:36:51,000
when I was most of your age.

782
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:52,440
But over time, you grow in this.

783
00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:55,200
Over time, you see a pattern of God's faithfulness

784
00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:57,320
in your life, and it gets easier,

785
00:36:57,320 --> 00:36:59,400
and you get stronger in your perseverance

786
00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:00,760
as the years go by.

787
00:37:01,560 --> 00:37:02,960
And again, what I love is,

788
00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,600
God doesn't just give us a command in Scripture and say,

789
00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,320
hey, gut it out and follow this command.

790
00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:10,480
He says, you know what, let me give you a couple examples.

791
00:37:10,480 --> 00:37:12,600
Let me give you a couple examples that you can follow.

792
00:37:12,600 --> 00:37:14,040
He gives us Paul.

793
00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:17,680
How many of you guys thought Paul had an easy life?

794
00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:20,440
Nobody believes that.

795
00:37:20,440 --> 00:37:23,120
This is a guy that was constantly persecuted

796
00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,520
under immense pressure, suffering at every step,

797
00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:29,120
yet he writes in 2 Corinthians 2,

798
00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:33,240
thanks be to God, who always, always, always, always,

799
00:37:33,240 --> 00:37:36,080
leads us in triumphal procession in Christ,

800
00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:37,760
and through us spreads everywhere

801
00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:39,760
the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

802
00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:41,280
That was Paul's goal.

803
00:37:42,320 --> 00:37:46,600
He'd suffer, but Christ is always triumphing, he said.

804
00:37:47,520 --> 00:37:49,280
And Peter, how many of you guys think

805
00:37:49,280 --> 00:37:50,800
Peter lived an easy life?

806
00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:53,520
He gives us a reason to be thankful

807
00:37:53,520 --> 00:37:55,800
for grief and all kinds of trials,

808
00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:58,200
telling us that it's through those hardships

809
00:37:58,200 --> 00:38:00,680
that our faith is proved genuine,

810
00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,160
will result in praise, glory, and honor

811
00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:04,960
when Jesus Christ is revealed.

812
00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:07,080
So here's the, can I just give you a bottom line?

813
00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:08,840
So if we're found in Christ,

814
00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:12,080
we can always be thankful for at least three things.

815
00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:14,320
There's many, many more, but at least three things.

816
00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:16,440
Number one, that my circumstance

817
00:38:16,440 --> 00:38:18,160
is not as bad as it could be.

818
00:38:20,240 --> 00:38:21,080
Am I right?

819
00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:26,680
Number two, that somehow God is at work

820
00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:28,000
in what's happening right now.

821
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,320
And number three, that every circumstance

822
00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,760
I have to endure down here on the earth

823
00:38:32,760 --> 00:38:34,480
will ultimately be swallowed up

824
00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:38,880
by the glory of eternal life in heaven.

825
00:38:38,880 --> 00:38:41,960
That's a minimum of three things you can thank God for.

826
00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:45,320
But there's so much more, even in hard times, amen?

827
00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:48,800
Okay, one last scripture I wanna look at.

828
00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:50,720
Turn your Bibles over to Colossians 3.

829
00:38:56,680 --> 00:38:59,280
This last passage sort of encapsulates

830
00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:02,080
the teaching on this subject.

831
00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:03,400
This is one of my favorite chapters

832
00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:04,520
in the New Testament, by the way.

833
00:39:04,520 --> 00:39:07,520
We're just gonna look at four verses, 12 to 15.

834
00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:12,800
This section of Paul's letter is so beautiful

835
00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:14,520
and so practical for all of us,

836
00:39:14,520 --> 00:39:16,520
instructions in the Christian life.

837
00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:19,040
So let's just work through it one verse at a time.

838
00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:22,160
Colossians 3, verse 12.

839
00:39:23,840 --> 00:39:26,480
So it's those who have been chosen of God,

840
00:39:26,480 --> 00:39:28,680
holy and beloved.

841
00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:30,160
What does that mean?

842
00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:32,920
It means that what follows is a set of instructions

843
00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:34,920
for every single Christian.

844
00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:37,080
Not just leaders, not just pastors,

845
00:39:37,080 --> 00:39:40,360
but for every Christian in every congregation.

846
00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:42,320
All those who have been chosen by the Father

847
00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:43,800
and are loved dearly by Him.

848
00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:44,680
Do you believe that, by the way?

849
00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:46,840
Do you believe that if you've been chosen by God,

850
00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,880
you were dearly beloved in His eyes?

851
00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:51,400
You are.

852
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:54,160
Write it down, mark it down, seal it in your heart.

853
00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:57,960
So here's what you should do, Christian.

854
00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:02,640
Put on a heart of compassion, kindness,

855
00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:06,400
humility, gentleness, and patience.

856
00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:08,800
Those first two words are the key.

857
00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:10,320
Put on.

858
00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:13,560
An act of the will.

859
00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:15,440
Put these things on.

860
00:40:15,440 --> 00:40:17,000
Now the Spirit will strengthen you in this

861
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:18,000
and grow you in these things,

862
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:20,560
but it's a decisive act of your will to say,

863
00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:22,560
I'm gonna put these things on.

864
00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:23,560
Now earlier in the chapter,

865
00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:26,640
he talked about putting some things off, ungodly things,

866
00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:29,560
but now he says, put on this set of attributes right here,

867
00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:31,280
these five things.

868
00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:32,960
And this is consistent throughout the Bible.

869
00:40:32,960 --> 00:40:34,800
It's a double motion, right?

870
00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:35,720
In the Christian life.

871
00:40:35,720 --> 00:40:38,040
Putting off the old self, putting on the new.

872
00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:41,120
Killing one thing, bringing another to life.

873
00:40:41,120 --> 00:40:43,240
Consistent throughout the New Testament.

874
00:40:43,240 --> 00:40:46,320
By the way, both of those things have to happen.

875
00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:48,720
We don't do one to the exclusion of the other.

876
00:40:48,720 --> 00:40:50,640
We put off and we put on.

877
00:40:50,640 --> 00:40:52,200
Both are required.

878
00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:54,840
The most effective way to force sins out of your life

879
00:40:54,840 --> 00:40:56,920
is to crowd them out with new affections.

880
00:40:58,280 --> 00:40:59,120
Say that again.

881
00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:01,720
The most effective way to force sin out of your life

882
00:41:01,720 --> 00:41:03,640
is to crowd them out with new affections

883
00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:05,240
that lead to new behaviors.

884
00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:10,960
So we kill covetousness, for example,

885
00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:13,380
by practicing generosity.

886
00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:18,560
We put to death anger by consistently practicing mercy

887
00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:19,520
and forgiveness.

888
00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:21,200
Does that make sense?

889
00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:23,040
Putting off and putting on.

890
00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:25,640
And each of the qualities mentioned in this verse,

891
00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:27,920
notice how they get expressed in relationship

892
00:41:27,920 --> 00:41:31,280
to other people, especially those in your local church.

893
00:41:31,280 --> 00:41:32,120
Look around.

894
00:41:32,980 --> 00:41:37,640
Those five things were to put on in our relationships

895
00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:38,800
with the people in this room.

896
00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:41,860
Even if they're difficult to get along with.

897
00:41:41,860 --> 00:41:43,360
Even if they're not like you.

898
00:41:43,360 --> 00:41:46,200
Even if they have different likes and dislikes.

899
00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:49,420
This is what we do as a decision of our will, to put on.

900
00:41:50,360 --> 00:41:52,000
And as we grow in maturity in our faith,

901
00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:54,200
we're strengthening the inner man to love

902
00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:56,200
and to serve others in those five ways.

903
00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:57,280
Let me say them again.

904
00:41:57,280 --> 00:42:02,040
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

905
00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:05,880
And the more thankful we are for God's grace in our lives,

906
00:42:05,880 --> 00:42:09,000
the more committed we'll be to doing those things.

907
00:42:09,000 --> 00:42:10,880
So it actually starts with thankfulness.

908
00:42:10,880 --> 00:42:12,960
Lord, thank you for your grace in my life.

909
00:42:12,960 --> 00:42:15,400
Thank you for the way you're strengthening me.

910
00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:16,840
Now help me to put these things on

911
00:42:16,840 --> 00:42:18,200
so I can love other people.

912
00:42:19,280 --> 00:42:20,960
Verse 13.

913
00:42:20,960 --> 00:42:24,800
Bearing with one another, he adds that on top of it.

914
00:42:24,800 --> 00:42:27,440
And forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint

915
00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:30,920
against anyone, just as the Lord forgave you,

916
00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:33,360
so also should you forgive.

917
00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:36,060
Now this is obvious, right?

918
00:42:37,040 --> 00:42:39,800
When we begin to understand the staggering debt

919
00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:44,800
that Jesus has washed away on our accounts,

920
00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:48,360
when we really grasp that, how crazy that is

921
00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:50,320
that God has washed my record clean,

922
00:42:50,320 --> 00:42:55,320
we will have joy in extending forgiveness to other people.

923
00:42:55,880 --> 00:42:58,880
And if we struggle with having joy to forgive others,

924
00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:01,720
it's because we haven't understood fully

925
00:43:01,720 --> 00:43:03,640
what Christ has done for us.

926
00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:04,640
And so we practice that.

927
00:43:04,640 --> 00:43:07,260
We study that over and over again.

928
00:43:08,400 --> 00:43:11,300
And as we practice that radical form of forgiveness,

929
00:43:11,300 --> 00:43:14,580
we find it easier to bear with people in the church,

930
00:43:14,580 --> 00:43:16,620
to bear with people who might be struggling,

931
00:43:16,620 --> 00:43:20,820
to bear with people who may be immature in their faith walk

932
00:43:20,820 --> 00:43:22,160
right now.

933
00:43:22,160 --> 00:43:24,080
We bear with them, we endure with them,

934
00:43:24,080 --> 00:43:26,120
we come alongside them, we don't reject them,

935
00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:28,700
come alongside them and say, how can I help?

936
00:43:28,700 --> 00:43:30,440
I know it's not easy.

937
00:43:30,440 --> 00:43:31,920
It's not easy.

938
00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:34,680
But this is a supernatural kind of love

939
00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:35,920
that Paul's talking about here.

940
00:43:35,920 --> 00:43:37,480
We'll get to that.

941
00:43:37,480 --> 00:43:38,580
Verse 14.

942
00:43:38,580 --> 00:43:41,720
Beyond all these things, as if that's not enough,

943
00:43:41,720 --> 00:43:45,840
put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

944
00:43:45,840 --> 00:43:47,680
So Paul talks about love as the summary

945
00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:49,500
of all those other things, right?

946
00:43:49,500 --> 00:43:51,480
You can think of those attributes,

947
00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:53,860
those five things plus bearing with and forgiving

948
00:43:53,860 --> 00:43:56,400
as a set of garments that we put on.

949
00:43:56,400 --> 00:43:58,560
And then the last thing we put on is the outer coat,

950
00:43:58,560 --> 00:43:59,440
and that's love.

951
00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:02,520
And it sort of wraps everything else together.

952
00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:04,360
That's the Christ-like life.

953
00:44:05,440 --> 00:44:06,880
And this is what we have to recognize.

954
00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:08,600
All of this, guys, I just said it,

955
00:44:08,600 --> 00:44:11,160
as a supernatural form of love.

956
00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:15,280
Listen, we all, we all by nature love certain things.

957
00:44:15,280 --> 00:44:16,920
We love ourselves first and foremost.

958
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:21,040
But even the most pagan unbeliever loves his or her spouse.

959
00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:22,440
They love their children.

960
00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:24,040
They love their country.

961
00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:25,480
And that's all wonderful.

962
00:44:26,680 --> 00:44:28,160
But look at this type of love.

963
00:44:29,240 --> 00:44:30,840
This is the type of love that's compassionate,

964
00:44:30,840 --> 00:44:32,960
kind, humble, gentle, and patient

965
00:44:32,960 --> 00:44:35,140
with people that sometimes hurt us,

966
00:44:36,060 --> 00:44:38,480
with people who sometimes disappoint us,

967
00:44:38,480 --> 00:44:40,940
who are difficult to get along with.

968
00:44:40,940 --> 00:44:43,980
Guys, this is a distinctly Christian love

969
00:44:43,980 --> 00:44:47,320
because it's the type of love that Christ loved us with.

970
00:44:49,120 --> 00:44:49,960
Right?

971
00:44:50,920 --> 00:44:52,300
When you were unworthy,

972
00:44:53,660 --> 00:44:55,160
when you were ungrateful,

973
00:44:56,480 --> 00:44:58,740
when you were difficult,

974
00:44:59,880 --> 00:45:00,880
Christ loved you.

975
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:04,160
And it's the same type of love

976
00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:05,800
with which he continues to love us

977
00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:07,740
even when we choose to sin against him.

978
00:45:09,240 --> 00:45:10,820
He continues to love us.

979
00:45:10,820 --> 00:45:12,540
So this is a supernatural love

980
00:45:12,540 --> 00:45:14,960
that Paul's describing here in Colossians 3.

981
00:45:14,960 --> 00:45:16,360
Last verse, verse 15.

982
00:45:17,400 --> 00:45:19,920
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts

983
00:45:19,920 --> 00:45:22,160
to which indeed you were called in one body.

984
00:45:22,160 --> 00:45:23,800
So that's peace in your heart

985
00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:27,000
and that's peace with others in the local church.

986
00:45:27,000 --> 00:45:30,600
And then look at how he sums up the thought process here.

987
00:45:30,600 --> 00:45:32,280
What is the final phrase?

988
00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:34,260
And be thankful.

989
00:45:35,520 --> 00:45:36,380
And be thankful.

990
00:45:37,840 --> 00:45:40,400
That too is supernatural in nature is what he's saying.

991
00:45:40,400 --> 00:45:43,360
It's a distinct mark of a true believer.

992
00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:46,280
We walk in thankfulness, friends,

993
00:45:46,280 --> 00:45:49,360
both as a duty in response to the command

994
00:45:49,360 --> 00:45:51,960
and as a habit cultivated over time

995
00:45:51,960 --> 00:45:53,800
as we keep coming back to the cross

996
00:45:53,800 --> 00:45:55,120
and we keep looking to Christ

997
00:45:55,120 --> 00:45:57,520
and we keep seeing how he has loved us

998
00:45:57,520 --> 00:45:59,460
as we see how he has forgiven us,

999
00:45:59,460 --> 00:46:01,600
how he has been compassionate with us

1000
00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:05,320
and kind to us and gentle with us and patient with us.

1001
00:46:06,320 --> 00:46:07,860
And it becomes a habit over time.

1002
00:46:07,860 --> 00:46:09,720
The thankfulness of a true believer

1003
00:46:09,720 --> 00:46:13,120
will find itself being expressed more and more

1004
00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:15,300
in every facet of our lives.

1005
00:46:16,640 --> 00:46:20,400
It ought to spread throughout your life in every area.

1006
00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:21,240
Think about it.

1007
00:46:21,240 --> 00:46:24,320
Thankful in your private devotion time.

1008
00:46:24,320 --> 00:46:25,520
That should be a regular part

1009
00:46:25,520 --> 00:46:27,900
of your private devotion time, thankfulness.

1010
00:46:27,900 --> 00:46:31,880
In your corporate worship, when you come here on Sunday,

1011
00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:34,960
as you enter those doors, you should already be thankful.

1012
00:46:35,840 --> 00:46:38,400
But then let the singing of praise songs,

1013
00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:41,800
let the preaching of the word make you even more thankful.

1014
00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:44,520
In your relationships in the church,

1015
00:46:44,520 --> 00:46:46,220
as you see friends here,

1016
00:46:46,220 --> 00:46:48,400
as you see people who have served you,

1017
00:46:48,400 --> 00:46:51,000
as you see people who have encouraged you and loved you,

1018
00:46:51,000 --> 00:46:53,520
and yes, when you see people who are difficult,

1019
00:46:54,640 --> 00:46:55,580
we're thankful.

1020
00:46:57,000 --> 00:46:59,840
In the practical service, in the meeting of needs of others,

1021
00:46:59,840 --> 00:47:02,800
in the workplace, in the home, we should be thankful.

1022
00:47:02,800 --> 00:47:04,220
How about in marriage?

1023
00:47:04,220 --> 00:47:06,920
Should we not practice thankfulness in our marriages?

1024
00:47:06,920 --> 00:47:09,520
Always thinking the best of that spouse

1025
00:47:09,520 --> 00:47:13,160
that God has gifted to you, that one flesh partner,

1026
00:47:13,160 --> 00:47:16,040
for life, thank you, Lord.

1027
00:47:17,640 --> 00:47:20,600
And in parenting, of course, thankfulness,

1028
00:47:20,600 --> 00:47:23,480
not just thanking God for our children as gifts,

1029
00:47:23,480 --> 00:47:25,760
though they are, but parents,

1030
00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:29,800
also in leading your children, setting an example for them.

1031
00:47:29,800 --> 00:47:33,520
Kids, this is what thankfulness looks like.

1032
00:47:33,520 --> 00:47:36,760
This is what thankfulness looks like in life.

1033
00:47:38,520 --> 00:47:40,720
In every facet of life, we give thanks.

1034
00:47:43,120 --> 00:47:45,320
Let me wrap up with this quick story.

1035
00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:46,160
This is a great story.

1036
00:47:46,160 --> 00:47:50,040
13 years before he gave his heart and his life to Christ,

1037
00:47:50,040 --> 00:47:55,040
the great John Wesley, great man of church history.

1038
00:47:55,280 --> 00:47:56,720
So when he was an unbeliever,

1039
00:47:56,720 --> 00:47:59,480
he had a very impactful conversation with a man

1040
00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:02,400
he never knew the man's name, but he writes about it later.

1041
00:48:02,400 --> 00:48:03,800
He wrote it one night.

1042
00:48:03,800 --> 00:48:07,880
Some people would call it a chance encounter.

1043
00:48:07,880 --> 00:48:09,960
He doesn't see it that way.

1044
00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:14,960
But Wesley discovered that this man had one set of clothes,

1045
00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:18,040
and on the day that he had this conversation with him,

1046
00:48:18,040 --> 00:48:19,360
the man hadn't eaten yet.

1047
00:48:21,040 --> 00:48:22,400
And yet the man said to him

1048
00:48:22,400 --> 00:48:25,400
that his heart was full of gratitude to God.

1049
00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:27,240
Now for an unbeliever, that's shocking.

1050
00:48:27,240 --> 00:48:28,280
Like, really?

1051
00:48:29,400 --> 00:48:30,440
And Wesley said to him,

1052
00:48:30,440 --> 00:48:33,000
thank God when you barely have anything to wear

1053
00:48:33,000 --> 00:48:34,320
and nothing to eat.

1054
00:48:35,680 --> 00:48:38,040
And then with sarcasm dripping, he said,

1055
00:48:38,040 --> 00:48:40,800
oh, well, what else do you thank him for?

1056
00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:44,000
This is what Wesley said the man's answer was.

1057
00:48:44,000 --> 00:48:48,400
I thank him that he's given me life and my being,

1058
00:48:48,400 --> 00:48:51,600
a heart to love him and a desire to serve him.

1059
00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:57,680
Just one simple random conversation

1060
00:48:57,680 --> 00:48:59,760
that led to John Wesley,

1061
00:48:59,760 --> 00:49:02,600
at that moment he realized, he writes about this,

1062
00:49:02,600 --> 00:49:05,840
he says, I realized there was more to this Christianity thing

1063
00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:07,360
than I'd ever thought before.

1064
00:49:08,560 --> 00:49:10,520
And he never forgot that conversation.

1065
00:49:11,560 --> 00:49:14,280
13 years later, he would give his life to Christ

1066
00:49:14,280 --> 00:49:16,800
and minister to people for decades.

1067
00:49:18,480 --> 00:49:21,400
We have 12 days now to get our hearts ready

1068
00:49:21,400 --> 00:49:22,880
to celebrate Thanksgiving.

1069
00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:26,160
12 days to prepare for whatever lies ahead for you.

1070
00:49:26,160 --> 00:49:29,240
You're probably gonna sit down somewhere at a table

1071
00:49:29,240 --> 00:49:30,560
and you're gonna have a lunch or a dinner,

1072
00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:31,760
something like that.

1073
00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:36,200
But I want you to think about a couple of questions.

1074
00:49:37,400 --> 00:49:39,360
Have you neglected giving thanks to God

1075
00:49:39,360 --> 00:49:40,640
for things in the past?

1076
00:49:42,280 --> 00:49:46,000
Have you failed to give thanks to God for things in the past?

1077
00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:49,920
Is there any form of ingratitude in your heart

1078
00:49:49,920 --> 00:49:51,360
that you need to deal with?

1079
00:49:53,120 --> 00:49:54,560
In your relationships in the church,

1080
00:49:54,560 --> 00:49:57,640
has your thankfulness for God's saving grace in your life

1081
00:49:57,640 --> 00:50:02,440
led you to become more compassionate, kind, humble,

1082
00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:07,440
gentle, patient, forgiving, and loving?

1083
00:50:09,680 --> 00:50:11,880
Most of all, what are you truly thankful for?

1084
00:50:13,080 --> 00:50:16,640
What are you truly thankful for this year?

1085
00:50:16,640 --> 00:50:19,800
In a moment, I'm gonna put those questions up on the screen

1086
00:50:19,800 --> 00:50:23,920
and give you a chance to meditate on them for a few minutes

1087
00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:25,240
and to talk to God.

1088
00:50:25,240 --> 00:50:28,040
And they're important questions that we should answer,

1089
00:50:28,040 --> 00:50:31,000
not just for that meal on November 28th,

1090
00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:34,400
but for every day that God grants you breath in your lungs

1091
00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:36,200
and a chance to praise his name.

1092
00:50:37,720 --> 00:50:39,280
Amen?

1093
00:50:39,280 --> 00:50:40,120
Let's bow our heads.

1094
00:50:40,120 --> 00:50:42,000
I'll put these questions on the screen

1095
00:50:42,000 --> 00:51:01,000
and spend a few moments talking to the Lord.