Gospel Gratitude Part 2

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Gospel Graditude

(Part 2)

Welcome to Jesus Church here and online

Two weeks ago I preached a sermon on gratitude

• It was meant to just go one week… and then be done
  • But it became pretty obvious that God’s not done yet
  • So I guess the month of November is gonna be about gratitude
• So two weeks ago we talked about soup…grateful for Top Ramen
  • Just kidding – Looked through a passage in the book of Hebrews
  • Talking to a persecuted church but it wasn’t always that way

Heb. 12:15-16

See to it that no one fails to obtain the Grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau who sold his birthright for a single meal.

• What writer is talking about… don’t stop valuing what God provides
  • Because as humans we have a desire for the next new thing
  • And the bleeds into our relationship with Jesus… whats next?
  • I know about grace… Jesus sacrifice… but now what.
• And Hebrews uses this guy from the OT named Esau as an example
  • Esau gave up his entire inheritance for a bowl of soup
  • It was rightfully his as the firstborn son of his father
  • He didn’t value what was his – WHY NOT
• Esau was born with that inheritance – So he didn’t value it
  • Paul is saying make sure what was given to you through Jesus
  • Doesn’t become an inheritance you devalue
  • We must always remain grateful for what we have in Jesus

Today I want to talk about “Daily Gratitude” – Pray

1 Thes 5:16-18 (3 verses – 1 sentence)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in ALL circumstances

Have you ever misunderstood a situation… super embarrassing

• Remember being an 8^th grade kid at a school event
  • Super popular girl who was a senior is waiving in my direction
  • I’m like… WOW – and of course I’ve gotta wave back
  • Probably didn’t have to show so much enthusiasm
• Then to my horror I realized at that point she actually noticed me
  • Because she was waiving to her friends who were behind me
  • And I don’t know what is worse… the initial blunder
  • Or the sympathy wave that made the situation last longer
    • Or her friends that patted me on the head as they walked by

Here’s what’s interesting – Give thanks in all circumstance

• In the moment you think things are great… and when they’re not
  • Here’s why at times we don’t practice daily gratitude…
  • Its called circumstance
• Many times our circumstance determines our level of gratitude
  • And that has to change
  • And the only way it can change – Is Jesus
• Because its so easy… and lets talk about the holidays…
  • God thank you for dinner/food/roof over my head/steady job
  • And that’s great to be thankful for
  • But notice what they’re connected to – CIRCUMSTANCE

Give thanks in ALL circumstances

• Do you know what that means
  • Means gratitude level shouldn’t be connected to circumstances
  • Its trying to disconnect gratitude from linear/short time & space
• We say to ourselves… I’d be grateful if this or that would just happen
  • But that’s not how the process is supposed to work in the Bible
  • Its not be grateful when you feel a situation requires gratefulness
• Wanna know the most powerful time you can be grateful
  • When nothing in your circumstance say you should be grateful
  • Because that’s the time you get to be grateful for the eternal
  • When you connect to something outside of food/health/wealth

1 Thes 5:16-18 (Let me read this again)

Rejoice ALWAYS, pray without ceasing (talk to God throughout your day), give thanks in all circumstances…

Now listen to next part because its hugely important

…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Wow: If I got up here and said: I’m gonna show you God’s will for your life

• All of you would lean in and get out your notes
  • Think… Finally he’s gonna come with some good content
  • If I were to say “I know what the perfect will of God is” for ur life
• We here “WILL OF GOD” and automatically think linear time/space
  • We hear… should I be a doctor or a lawyer or a teacher
  • We hear… should I move to L.A. or stay in Phoenix… or England
  • We hear… Do I take the new job or keep my old one
• And we just want to know the will of God for our lives… what is it!!!
  • And you know what the perfect will of God isn’t so much about
  • Its not about things that are tied to linear time and space
  • And its not that God doesn’t care about what house you buy
    • God cares about everything in your life
    • From paychecks to parking spots

But do you know what the will of God is for your life???

• Rejoice ALWAYS… always – Yes all the time
  • At funerals and weddings
  • Oh…
• Pray without ceasing
  • Well this isn’t as fun as I thought it would be
  • Why can’t the will of God be something I do with my life
• Give thanks in all circumstances
  • Is there any way that “ALL” can mean something besides “ALL”
  • Nope… Greek/Hebrew/Aramaic

And this is the WILL OF GOD in Jesus for you

• And I really believe if we start living the actual will of God in our life
  • We could change the world… just living like this
  • If you find someone who is living out this will of God (your single)
  • MARRY THEM
• Lets talk for a minute about how attractive Jesus is if we live this way
  • Because way too often we are so stressed out with Gods will
  • That its impossible for people to see the light of Jesus through us
  • Yet the will of God is right there in front of our face
    • Statistics will tell us – Christians just as anxious as the world
    • But how can that be… don’t we know this isn’t home
    • We know we have the hope of the ages

And here is the problem… Gratitude is not a natural human reaction

• Babies don’t come out saying “Thank you”!!!
  • No baby is born happy to leave the warm comfort of a womb
  • Its cold… you have to breathe… you have to eat AND poop
  • They come out saying “AHHHH… put me back in there”
• Remember 10 lepers Jesus heals… remember how many came back
  • ONE… only about 10% are grateful
  • I bet more people tithe than practice gratitude
  • Most of the time we are part of the 90% who never return
• What happens is we get what we want from God… and on our way
  • Thanks God – See ya soon!
    • 90’s… 00’s… 10’s…
    • Things are good and I’ve got this
  • Then comes 2020 – Think I can see clearly now the rain is gone
  • Then it starts pouring and its… “Get me back in contact w/ God”
    • My business just went bankrupt
    • God have you seen inflation lately
    • I am coming back to you… because we need the Lord!
  • And we think I didn’t need him as much in 2010
    • But actually we did… just circumstances were different
    • And this is the cycle… I need healing (God says do this)
    • Yeah I’m healed – Lets get on with life now

Thing is: GOD WANTS TO BE YOUR LIFE – HOPE – Source of gratitude

• And so we want God in our vulnerability… but then we get secure
  • And we haven’t wanted God in the same way sense then
  • Be careful what you wish for – What does it profit a man…
  • Or in other words… lose sight of what really matters
• Isn’t he the pearl of greatest price hidden in the field
  • Jesus says you sell everything just to have it in your possession
  • Because Jesus and his kingdom is the treasure that we seek
  • Nothing else… and no one else – Its only Jesus

Rejoice always… pray without ceasing… and be grateful and thankful in all circumstances for this is the will of God for your life

• We are way to busy trying to decipher the will of God
  • But nothing needs to be deciphered…
  • Its there in plain English
• Evidently God is more invested in your practice of gratitude
  • Than what you do for a living… but we don’t preach on that
  • Because all we’ve ever knowing is linear time & space
  • So when the preacher don’t emphasize importance of time/space
    • A lot of time those listening start to check out
• Because I don’t wanna hear that God’s will for me is to be grateful
  • That’s not constructive… I need a 3 step plan to my promotion
  • I need next steps in:
    • What I show do
    • Where I should go
    • Who I should be

As if that’s the goal… and listen – If you want a change in your life

• I’ll be the first pastor in line to pray over you… why not
  • But some of us are so busy obsessing over the question of WILL
  • Yet we have the answer right here in plain text
    • Rejoice all the time
    • Talk to him throughout the day
    • And NO MATTER what… Be grateful
• And it ends with: “In Christ Jesus”
  • Which means this is the will of God for your life because of Jesus
  • He did all the heavy lifting and work
  • Now your life is a response to Him is THANK YOU
    • Its simple… but its not natural

Now check this out… research shows that Gratitude is actually healthy

• Choosing to be grateful puts frontal cortex into overdrive
  • What does frontal cortext do… it makes your decisions for you
  • How crazy is that… Frontal cortex is where you make decisions
  • And when you are grateful – Helps your mind work more efficient
• Which means when you are grumpy and ungrateful
  • That’s probably when you make less healthy decisions
  • And you become even less grateful because of those decisions
• And of course it makes sense… We live longing to make decisions
  • Wishing God would tell us– dissatisfied with not knowing His will
  • But if you would just understand what his will ACTUALLY is
    • Your brain will become better equipped to make a decision
    • Which in return will help you live a better life
    • Its like God actually knows what He is doing

Did you know… It takes 72 different muscles to produce speech

• On average we speak 16000 words/day: Lifetime is 860 million words
  • You know what I believe God’s desire for us is
  • That the majority of those words are prayer & gratitude
• Many would love to be told: How to change the way you think/act
  • But instead lets just talk about the will of God
  • Because if we speak in gratitude for even half (430 million words)
  • I don’t see how it can’t help change the way you think

So here is your homework

• The next time you struggle with your thoughts/tendencies/addiction
  • In the middle of your struggle… practice gratitude to God
  • And I don’t mean think it – use those 72 muscles and say it
• Next time u feel hurt & want to emotionally lash out at someone
  • You start to SPEAK gratefulness
  • Your emotions are spiraling out of control
    • I want you to thank God he is your source/savior/deliverer
• If you struggle with alcohol and can’t stop drinking – It’s a problem
  • The next time you pour that glass…
  • I want you to thank God you are his child/righteous/loves you

And then after a few weeks – Want you to get back to me

• You will be amazed… and not that it all just disappeared
  • I’ll be honest – It might be something you’ll always long for
  • I don’t know how that works… Paul asked God to take it away
    • God said no because when you are weak – I am strong
    • And my power rests upon you
• We think goal is perfection… goal is to focus on perfect work of Jesus
  • So the next time your addiction to anger gets the best of you
    • And you scream and shout and break things
    • And that cloud of condemnation comes in to collect to toll
    • Saying ‘You are a joke… you think you’re a Christian’
  • You come back with the truth of who God sees you as
    • You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus
    • You are his son and he Loves You
    • You aren’t defined by your addiction

When you grab onto gratefulness like this… it becomes your weapon

• This practice guarantees your issues never keep you from will of God
  • Because the will of God is that I rejoice always
  • That I pray without ceasing
  • And that I give thanks in all circumstances
• And I can do that and so can you…

[PRAY]