‘An Attitude of Gratitude’ – Thanksgiving Message

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! - to our American Friends

      (Originally broadcast on October 9^th, 2011, for Canadian Thanksgiving)

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Click on the following link to listen:
 http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/4759/good_news_647_oct9.mp3

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Rev. Donald S. Crisp

'An Attitude of Gratitude'

By Rev. Donald S. Crisp
Pastor of First Baptist Church, Smiths Falls, Ontario 
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Broadcast Notes:

Theme from:

1 Thessalonians 5:12-18

We are now living in the days of ‘entitlement’ or perceived ‘entitlement’……

Giving ‘thanks’ today seems to be a lost art.

Giving ‘thanks’ in good times is easy.

Giving ‘thanks’ all the time is another matter.

Rudyard Kipling lived from 1865 to 1936.

He was English, yet born in Bombay, India.

He wrote poetry and is the author of books like

Captain Courageous, How the Leopard Got His Spots, and The Jungle Books. Who was this man?

Kipling’s writings not only made him famous but also brought him a fortune. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, "Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over one hundred dollars a word.”

The reporter reached into his pocket and pulled out a one hundred-dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said,

“Here’s a one hundred dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now you give me one of your hundred dollar words.”

Rudyard Kipling looked at the money, put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks!"

What is God’s Will for you life?

He wants us to be:

·         Joyful

·         Prayerful

·         Thankful

What is God’s Will for your life?

Well, our text say:

·         Rejoice evermore

·         Pray without ceasing

·         In everything gives thanks

This is the Will of God for you, in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle Paul is writing the Church so that they can

get ready for the Return of Christ will require each of us being in God’s Will according to His written Word.

God’s Will for you and me, is to have an ‘Attitude of Gratitude’

That means  - rejoicing – praying – and thanking God

This translates into a life of ‘Thanks-Living’

Remember that ‘Attitude determines Action’ It’s a Choice!

V. 11:  is our ‘Ought To’

‘Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.’

After reminding us of what we ‘Ought to Do’

Starting in v. 12 until v. 22, Paul lists ‘Sixteen ‘how to’s’

This is in the context of Family

That is:  the Church Family  -  Your Family

1          Respect Leadership          v. 12

We have such a lack of ‘respect’ in our society today.

Lack of respect for our spouses

Lack of respect from our children

Lack of respect for each others

We live in a world of put-downs….

We need to return to the world of encouragement and building each other up.

My point for this message today is that this passage is not just for us as individuals…. but for us as part of the Family of God.

And as part of the Family of God we need to rejoice with the Family and pray without ceasing and give thanks for the Family of God…. for this is God’s Will for us in Christ Jesus.

God gave the Church - leaders

Ephesians 4:11

‘Apostles – Prophets – Evangelists – Shepherds – Teachers’

We have the opportunity to fulfill the first ‘ought to’  that is….. give ‘respect to our Spiritual leaders’…..  given to the Family of God…..  we must apply this principle to our Family Units as well.

Listen to God’s Word

·         Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you.

Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.                                                 Hebrews 13:7

·         Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account.  Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.’

                                                                  Hebrews 13:17

·         The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially, those whose work is preaching and teaching.  Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.  Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that others may take warning.’             1 Timothy 5:17-20

·         I urge you brothers/sisters to submit to such as these and everyone who joins in the work and labors at it.

1 Corinthians 16:16

2          Esteem Leadership           v 13

·         To ‘Honor’

3          Be at Peace                          v 13

As we travel the turbulent waters of life there is peace.

Principle

Where there is depth, there is peace

4          Admonish the idle   v 14

·         To reprove gently but earnestly.

·         To counsel (another) against something to be avoided; caution.

·         To remind of something forgotten or disregarded, as an obligation or a responsibility.

5          Encourage the faint hearted

To encourage a person is not to simply give them a pat on the back and say…. good for you

To encourage in the Biblical context is to ‘encourage forward’

To encourage a brother or sister in The Lord forward in their faith.

We need to encourage our leaders

We need to encourage ‘the idle’ – yes

The fact is sometimes we all get stuck

And we need to encourage and be encouraged to move forward.

6          Help the weak

The best way of helping the weak is by ‘empowering – equipping them’ so that they can move forward…..

7          Be Patient

·         Love is patient

8          See that no one repays evil for evil

Romans 12:9-17

V. 17 says

‘Do not repay anyone evil for evil.

Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.

V. 19

Do not take revenge, …. For God says: 

‘It is mine to avenge.  I will repay.’

9          Rejoice Always

Here’s a truth!

When we are not in the centre of God’s Will for our life and we are embracing sin, we loose our Peace and Joy and our Testimony.

When we are in the centre of God’s Will according to His written Word, the Bible…. He blesses us with Peace and Joy our testimony is enriched….. 

Here’s the truth!

If you are ‘respecting’ – ‘Esteeming’ and are at ‘Peace’ with the leadership of the church then you will be able to rejoice.

When you ‘admonish the idle’ – ‘encourage the faint hearted’

- ‘help the weak’ – are ‘patient’ with everyone ‘ and are not repaying evil for evil’ then you will be able to ‘Rejoice’ in the Lord.

10        Pray without ceasing

            Listening to God without ceasing

Constant, consistent, consecrated listening (prayer)

Listen

Prayer is to be focused on ‘listening’ to God without ceasing.

We often think this means to ‘keep talking’ without ceasing.

Not so….  The most important voice in prayer is not yours it’s His.

11        Give Thanks in all circumstances

We are now living in the days of ‘entitlement’ or perceived ‘entitlement’……

Giving ‘thanks’ today seems to be a lost art.

Giving ‘thanks’ in good times is easy.

Giving ‘thanks’ all the time is another matter.

Too often our gratitude is dependent upon the circumstances of life. A beautiful hymn was written by Martin Rinkart during the thirty-year war to help us look beyond our circumstances and see the hand of God.

Rinkart was a pastor in Saxony, Germany as the turbulent years of the war dragged on. For a time he was the only pastor in his town. His pastoral duties caused him to preside at nearly 4500 burials in 1637 alone.

In the context of this sad situation and these unfavorable circumstances he penned the words to the Hymn.  Now Thank We All Our God.                                                                     It is a hymn of unconditional gratitude to God.
“Now thank we all our God
With Heart, hands, and voices
Who wondrous things has done
In whom his world rejoices”

Rejoice Evermore

Pray without ceasing                                                                                                 

In everything give thanks

So what are you thankful for in your life

The Hymn writer wrote:

“Count your many blessings

Name them one by one…..”

Lord I thank you for:

1     You

2     Your love, forgiveness, compassion and mercy

3     Jesus

4     The Cross

5     My Salvation

6     You lead, guide and provide

7     Giving me purpose in my life

8     My wife, Tricia

9     My daughters

10   Grandchildren

11   The Ministry that you have called me to

12   That I am never alone

13   My friends

14   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(Broadcast closed with prayer.)

To listen to the above broadcast, click on the following link:
 http://proxy.autopod.ca/podcasts/chum/6/4759/good_news_647_oct9.mp3