2018-11-18
Scott Bullman
KEY VERSE: “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thess. 5:16-18 – NLT)
Thanksgiving is more than a holiday…it is a lifestyle. We’ve heard it said that “God’s gift to you is your life, but what you do with it is your gift to Him.” Giving thanks is not a response to circumstances or possessions…it is a posture of worship.
Psalm 50:23 (NLT) – “Giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me.”
A Lifestyle of Thanksgiving requires…
1. AWARENESS
Psalm 31:19 (NIV) – “How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you.”
Psalm 103:2 (NLT) – “Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.”
Philippians 4:6 (NLT) – Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
“Reflect upon your present blessings of which every man has many – not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” – Charles Dickens
2. ATTITUDE
¬ CONTENTMENT
Philippians 4:12-13 (NIV) – “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
3 Enemies of Contentment:
1. Complaining
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (The Message) “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”
2. Comparing
2 Corinithians 10:12 (NLT) – “Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!”
3. Coveting
Ecclesiates 6:9 (NLT) – “Enjoy what you have rather than desiring what you don’t have.
¬ GRATITUDE
Lamentations 3:24 (NASB) – “The Lord is my portion…therefore I have hope in Him.”
– Gratitude turns what we have into enough.
3. ACTION
¬ Giving
2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NLT) – “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.”
– All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors. – John Calvin
¬ Serving
1 Peter 4:10 – NLT – “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.”
1 Peter 4:10 (THE MESSAGE): “Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything.”
¬ Telling
Psalm 107:1-2 (NIV) – “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.”
“Oh give thanks to the Lord! Call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people!” – 1 Chronicles 16:8
¬ Worship
Psalm 100 (NIV) – “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”