Marty Sloan – Living the Dream

Virtues Part 2 – Thankfulness – “ Thank You”

11 22 09 HT AM

Psalms 100 NKJV

Open your Bibles this morning to Psalms 100!  I love this chapter; this is the first chapter of the Bible that I ever memorized. I was in elementary school, and I am pretty sure I received a reward for it!  The Psalmist David sets the tone here for literally everyone, for every part of our life.  We should all live a life of thanksgiving unto God! This week we will all be focused on Thanksgiving, a wonderful time of setting aside some time for the showing of thanks. The First Thanksgiving was celebrated to give thanks to God for helping the pilgrims survive the brutal winter.  It’s extremely proper to thank God! You would have to question the intelligence or agenda of any person that tries to break away from our God fearing and God thanking heritage.

Psalm 100:1 NKJV

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!

Psalm 100:2

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Psalm 100:3

Know that the Lord, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Psalm 100:4

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Psalm 100:5

For the Lord is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

The previous chapter gives us an amazing overview of who God is, what He has done for us and how we should approach Him.  Verse four brings us to keywords like thanksgiving and thankful. The overall chapter declares that literally everything about us is because of His goodness, mercy and truth.  Today I would challenge all of us to be alert to and mindful of all God is and has done for us!

A funny look at things we might be thankful for – in preparation for Thanksgiving lets take a fun look at things that make our life a bit better, again this a bit fun!

1. Caller ID

2. Post it notes

3. Express check out

4. Google

5. GermX

6. Plastic things at the end of your shoe lace

7. Geeks

8. That people cannot see your thoughts

9. Chuck Norris

Move over with me to the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke – a powerful story of transformation, thankfulness and thanklessness.

Luke 17:11 NKJV

Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

Luke 17:12

Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.

Luke 17:13

And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

Luke 17:14

So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

Luke 17:15

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,

Luke 17:16

and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:17

So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?

Luke 17:18

Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

Luke 17:19

And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

When reading this story the word EXCUSES comes to mind.  What excuses could the other nine have given for not returning and thanking Jesus?

• “But he told us to go to the priests – we’re only doing what he said!”

• “He’s God, he knows I’m grateful.”

• “I have so many things to do now that I can be a normal person again! I’ll thank Him later.”

• “I have been out so long I have to get back in!”

Do we often make excuses for not thanking God? What excuses do men make today for not thanking God? Our current culture is driven by a entitlement mindset not a thankfulness mindset.  The flesh nature has a natural bend toward “you owe me”.  This is displayed in our jobs, marriages, families, churches and even in our spiritual relationship with God. This morning I hope to bring you to a Holy pause in your life.  I want more than anything to turn your heart toward the idea of being thankful!

Thoughts on being thankful:

1. Its effort

Sometimes you have to turn around and go back. This is the part of the story where you pause your life to invest in and recognize another.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 NLT

Always be joyful.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Never stop praying.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

This word effort sort of points us toward another word called WORK ☺

2. Its expressive

You do not feel thankful within yourself – you extend thanks to another.

John 14:15 NLT “If you love me, obey my commandments.

This verse models for us that the internal feelings and emotions are displayed externally. A core conviction I have is that people only know what you tell them. Who do you need to thank today?

3. Its expected

Jesus asked where are the “others”! Let me pass on to you this day the reality of EXPECTATION!  Many run from this heavy word.  It creates responsibility, reality and ownership.  Considering everything about our life is subject to the allowance of God – being thankful to Him is probably a good idea.

James 1:17 NLT

Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

James 1:18

He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

4. It’s exceptional

It’s the exception because our own human nature tends to minimize what God has done in our life and maximize what we think we have done.  Ultimately thankfulness is recognizing that He is the cause and effect component in our life.

Romans 1:19 NLT

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.

Romans 1:20

For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Romans 1:21

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.

5. Its exported

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Instructions for Christian Households

Colossians 3:18

Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.

Colossians 3:19

Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly.

Colossians 3:20

Children, always obey your parents, for this pleases the Lord.

Colossians 3:21

Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged.

Colossians 3:22

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord.

Colossians 3:23

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

Colossians 3:24

Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

Thankfulness is exported, meaning what we do here is observed up there (Heaven).

As we close our time – what does Heaven need to hear or see today from you through another?

Unthankful people have company! Go home and read 2 Timothy 3:1 – 5 NKJV