THX - part 1 - “Thankful for What’s Before Me”
Ephesians 5:16
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Redeem = to buy back to its original purpose.
Evil = ponéros - slothful, toilsome, difficult, just plain bad…
It is not saying “THE DAYS ARE BEING USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE EVIL ONE!” (which some of them are)
INSTEAD - Paul says… over time… it is just…
• EXHAUSTING “toilsome”
• HARD TO PLAN “difficult”
• I DO NOT EVEN FEEL LIKE CELEBRATING “slothful”
• IT IS NOT LIKE IT USED TO BE “just plain bad”
Psalm 118:24
24 This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
THX
• T hanks for what is before me.
• H onor those around me.
• X eXamine what is inside me.
THE KEY TO HAVING THE LIFE YOU REALLY WANT. YOUR SUPERPOWER. YOUR KEY TO THE LIFE YOU WANT IS
God’s first purpose for ALL celebrations = “Be Thankful for What is before me.
GRATITUDE IS NOT
GRATITUDE IS NOT AN ATTITUDE - IT IS A PRACTICED
Too often we become PROFESSIONAL COMPLAINERS!
The people of Israel constantly dwelt with an issue of being ungrateful:
- THEY GOT SAVED FROM EGYPT - AND NOT EVEN A WEEK LATER COMPLAINED ABOUT THE LACK OF FOOD
- God gave them food… THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF FOOD.
- GOD gets them to the promised land… THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PEOPLE.
GOD GAVE THEM GOOD THINGS… but it did not keep them in joy.
God’s gifts can NEVER keep you in joy if you do not
- IF GOD’S BLESSINGS DO NOT TURN INTO PRAISE - THEY WILL BECOME CORRUPTED INTO PRIDE.
- WHEN GOD IS BLESSING YOU - YOU BETTER NOT SIT AND RECIEVE IT LIKE YOU DESERVE IT.
YOU CAN NEVER BE GRATEFUL FOR SOMETHING YOU FEEL ENTITLED TO.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
“GIVING THANKS IN EVERYTHING!”
THIS SCRIPTURE IS NOT SAYING THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING!
IT IS not because of everything, but in the MIDST of everything.
DO NOT THANK GOD FOR THINGS THAT HE IS NOT THE SOURCE OF…
- Confusion
- Sickness
- Lack
- Destruction
GIVE THANKS - IN THE MIDST - OF EVERYTHING.
You may find yourself in a situation that does not arouse thankfulness…
But there is always a way to thank God EVERYDAY!
Sometimes we need to do “a search”
• (searching for the hidden bread in Jewish celebration)
o Passover - find the hidden bread; give to the temple
o Rosh Hashanna - we thank God for another year; we give to the temple and to each other.
o Yom Kippur - prayers of thanksgiving; give to the temple
o EVERY CELEBRATION GOD CREATED HAS THANKFULNESS AS A PART OF IT
THIS IS SO VITAL TO GOD BECAUSE GOD WANTS TO CELEBRATE WITH US!
1) GRATITUDE ALLOWS
Psalm 100:4
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
What you can not do with
GRATITUDE ALLOWS HIM TO
Philippians 4:4
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
Re joice - make the joy sound with your voice again!
Rejoice can not be done without your voice!
ENTITLEMENT KEEPS YOU OUT
GRATITUDE GETS YOU IN HIS PRESENCE!
and in HIS PRESENCE ~~ His will is clearly seen.
GOD WANTS TO CELEBRATE LIFE WITH YOU!!
You can not get into His presence without thanksgiving and praise!
2) GRATITUDE
Ecclesiastes 6:9
Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire: this is also vanity and vexation of spirit.
Solomon says - CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE!
DO NOT LET WHAT YOU WANT ROB YOU OF THE JOY YOU GET IN EXPRESSING YOUR THANKFULNESS IN WHAT YOU HAVE!!
Gratitude will change your outcome, but not before it changes your outlook.
Many times what we need to do is shift our perspective.
Matthew 14:16 - 20
*16* But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
JESUS THANKED GOD FOR WHAT HE HAD
JESUS LOOKED AT WHAT HE HAD (he brake it)
JESUS GAVE OF WHAT HE HAD
That miracle could not have happened without GRATITUDE!
Philippians 4:11 - 13
*11* Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL AND THE POSSIBILITY,
BUT WILL YOU CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE?
If you do not learn this secret right now…
NO MATTER HOW MUCH FOOD AND DRINK YOU GET - you will never be full.
NO MATTER HOW MANY RELATIONSHIPS YOU HAVE - you will never be satisfied.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU DO ~ HOW MUCH YOU EXPEREINCE ~ you will ALWAYS be lacking.
Until you learn the KEY SUPERPOWER ~ LIVING
You do not need more to have enough… you need gratitude.
GRATITUDE CHANGES HOW YOU SEE BEFORE IT CHANGES WHAT YOU SEE
GRATITUDE INVITES GOD INTO YOUR CELEBRATION…
3) GRATITUDE
FAITH IS NOT OPTIMISM. ~ FAITH IS REALISM.
FAITH DOESN’T DENY THE FACTS ~ FAITH JUST DENIES that FACT CAN STAY!
- Gratitude sees in ways others can not.
- Gratitude turns your have to’s into get to’s.
Psalm 103:2
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
How often do we forget the benefits and blessings of God?
HUMANS ARE SO FULL OF FORGETFULNESS WHEN WE FACE FRUSTRATIONS.
EVERY RESPONSIBILITY IS AN
A BENEFIT NOT TURNED TO PRAISE - TURNS TO
Complaining about your BENEFIT - is being prideful.
- That is entitlement
- It kept a son out of the presence of his father
- It made the devil a rebel
GRATITUDE IS NOT A
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
OUR GRATITUDE ~
- invites God to the celebration.
- changes how we see before what we see.
- turns our responsibilities into opportunities.
DOING THIS WILL CHANGE OUR PARADIGM…
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
WE BECOME VICTORIOUS OVER WHATEVER ISSUES WE WERE COMPLAINING ABOUT!!
EVERY PARTY…EVERY CELEBRATION…EVERY MOMENT OF GATHERING…
God has designed as a time of praise and thanking Him!