Conspicuous Gratitude

A lot of people say I want to know what the will of God is for my life.

Well, there are some very specific things God wants to reveal to you about his plan to use you but please don't ever ignore the general will of God because it is our view fulfilling God's purpose. Do you want to know God specific will for your life. Start by walking in obedience to what is already told you hello and welcome to this Wednesday edition of Destin for victory with pastor Paul Shepherd part of God's will for all believers in Christ is that we give thanks in all things. If you're on top of the world. Give thanks.

If the world was untimely. You give thanks, anxious for nothing. The Bible tells us, but all things by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Pastor Paul explores the concept of a grateful heart.

In today's broadcast. So stay with us here. If you can visit pastor.net anytime to listen on demand can also download the podcasting Google podcasts or wherever you get your doubtless join Pastor Paul for today's message. Conspicuous gratitude. First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 18 and it says this in Emily thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you whole lot of people say I want to know what the will of God is for my life. Well, yes, there are some very specific things God wants to reveal to you about his plan to use you but please don't ever ignore the general will of God because it is part of you fulfilling God's purpose and we noted two things rejoice evermore or do rejoice always, we noted praying without ceasing, and now we're on the third of these cliff notes in this short passage in everything give thanks for this is the will of God for you and my premise is simple. If you want to live your best life. Develop heart and by habit of conspicuous gratitude. That's the title of this message conspicuous gratitude. I want you to understand that the will of God is for you to be a grateful person and for that to be widely known and seen and heard conspicuous gratitude.

Let me unpack that for you in this message. Let me make some basic points.

Here is the first of them. Gratitude demonstrates honor to Lord God. Gratitude demonstrates honor toward God, stop and think about it, we live in a world where there are many people who either did not altogether the existence of God and for those that do acknowledge there is a higher power, at least, many will say many of them take that higher power completely for granted because the world we live in. Some people deny the existence of God altogether.

All I don't believe in God. Well, I'm sorry that you don't believe in God. God believes in you and in him you live and move and have your being and we pray that your eyes will be open. Please understand, you could not explain and universe with life and it without a life giver and God's nature is beyond ours you say well how did he start not all God is beyond our comprehension.

But we know he exists and he has shown himself in conscience and creation. Ultimately he showed himself very emphatically and the person of Jesus Christ and you stand on a planet that is in our solar system that is in a vast universe created by God in the beginning God if you say in the beginning bank. You gotta tell me where the stuff came from that bank at the end of the day.

In the beginning God. I want you to understand that that God deserves our honor and we give him honor by being grateful to him. Gratitude demonstrates honor to the Lord God, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament we are constantly told to practice thanksgiving to God. There are literally thousands of verses that tell us to give thanks to God throughout the Scriptures.

There were so many as I was putting this message together. I said, there's no way I could give an exhaustive list.

I just decide to just grab a handful, about eight or eight or nine versus limited share with you real quick and first Chronicles chapter 16 verse eight you see these words all give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. What is it they all did. Thanks.

First Chronicles 1634 old give thanks to the Lord for he is good. Psalm 100 verses four and five enter into his gates with what thanksgiving and into his courts with praise be thankful to him and bless his name life for the Lord is good. His mercy is everlasting and his truth in doors to all generations. Psalm 1061 all dear thanks to the Lord for he is good.

Next chapter 1st verse.

Psalm 107 verse one all give thanks to the Lord for he is good all over and over and over and over again. The Bible says dear God thanks what you give to the one who has everything you give him thanks and praise in the New Testament, Ephesians 520. The apostle Paul said, giving thanks always for all things to God giving thanks always in the same way. We were told just to versus earlier in our text and first Thessalonians 2 rejoice always. Now that same writer says and give thanks always daughter of flip is six and you'll find be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication boxes with banks.

Give me just ask God don't just be a gimme follower gimme gimme gimme.

I mean I need I want I want to please God, don't pray like that exclusively. It says yes you want to pray with prayer and supplication, but make sure that you include Thanksgiving make your requests known to God in the context of thanksgiving just one more Scripture though. Although I could just go on the whole message is give descriptors when we give you one more Colossians 317 and whatever you do, and word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus wants this giving thanks to God the father through him.

Whatever you do as you live your life, whatever you do, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus do it because he authorize you to do it because it is part of his plan is what he would do if he were still here on earth doing in his name and give to him while you're doing it so you will see, the Bible says thank God all the time we were out of atheists and agnostics that even people who believe in a higher power.

They take that higher power for granted. We need to stand out. We are his people, when called by his name and we ought to show his praises and we were told in the Scriptures as we give him thanks we are to show his deeds so that all peoples can see there is a God he is the one blessing us and we owe him thanks and we owe him glory. I hope that settles it on, you really ought to be people who honor God. As a matter of lifestyle and one of the best ways honor God is to be a person of things giving to constantly give God thanks. Thanksgiving then should just be a day in November. Great the other day that gives us a chance to literally stop as societally and to offer thanks and course you know as well as I do. Many people don't really pray on that day is all about turkey and stuff but missing the fact of the matter is you are to live. Thanks.

Not just give it on a day you want unlimited every day. Thank you Lord himself doing you'll have a God that is being ignored. Imagine imagine a God who is so gracious and kind, giving people breath to breathe and they use that to say he doesn't exist.

It happens all over the world. But the fact of the matter is we are called to lift up his praises to proclaim his goodness and a safe time to when you set out I don't go to restaurants these days with the scope. 19 but when you do get back to going to the restaurant you need to do what you do any time and hopefully you learned from the word before you put on a stop and give God some thanks coming up next. The rest of today's message. Conspicuous gratitude with pastor Paul Shepherd, senior pastor at destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California. If you've never stopped by our website pastor Paul.net. I invite you to do it today, you'll find all pastor Paul's recent messages on demand plus some great resources and online store, including books, MP3 downloads and DVD messages from Pastor Paul pastor Paul.net is also a great place to learn more about the ministry and all the great things friends like you are doing through your prayers and financial support will gratitude gives honor to God, but also do something else. Pastor Paul again with the rest of today's destined for victory message.

Conspicuous gratitude. When I'm at a restaurant, meditate what other people and they ought to pray with me that they want to be starting without branded not just about but I will stop and pray over my food if I'm eating what believers say, hey, let me offer thanks will have one of them do it.

But even if I eating with people who don't know the Lord will force them to pray, Alameda, Alameda, not all nonplussed people into the will of God. And also my face and then go to Eaton that sometimes people see you and it strikes them wide because folks are not used to living. Thanks.

I'll never forget one time, a group of us believers were out of meal and we stopped and we offered prayer and the right person came over right at the time when we all had our heads bow and discounted panic little bit and select we lifted our heads. The leadership is everything all right and said all yeah yeah yeah not use this play fact of the matter is that everything is just fine because I got to pray over this food thank him for and ask him the blessed clown mill back there in the kitchen on the laconic day and I'm not going let them mess with my food and get away with it. Some ask God to have mercy and if some commitment is not right for me, Lord, and let me go on and do your will, gratitude, honors God and you and I need to live a life of conspicuous gratitude because it honors God.

Now I need you to see something else.

The second point is gratitude demonstrates humility among people. Not only does it demonstrate honor toward God. It demonstrates humility among people you haven't noticed, we have among many people who are entirely too self preoccupied and entirely too entitled to give God the credit for the good things in their lives, much less give him glory. Some people won't even acknowledge that God bless them if they think that they are so brilliant and wonderful and they just got it like that too self absorbed way too entitled to attribute any of their blessings to God and it is sad when you see people trying to pretend like they are self made.

I've heard people brag on myself made millionaire. I'm a self-made entrepreneur, self-made success and they are sold is seen not one is self-made God blessed you with the ability with the talent by giftedness with abrasions. God blessed you with it all then God blessed to have people who would be used.

To bring you along to Gabby self-made if you had to go to school and somebody had to teach you how you will be self-made you show up as a teacher that showed up as the student and you had to learn 01230 ABC you had to learn disciplines every step of the educational ladder.

And finally, you had enough education that you had grasped and comprehended where you were able to then apply some of that and so happy to be self-made and you had to go to school while I dropped out I was too brilliant for the professors well along the way. God help to get to the place where you were so smart you could drop out and start this worldwide Corporation or whatever it is you want to brag about at the a God is the one who blessed you don't you dare say that you you lifted yourself up by your own bootstraps. God gave you the boots the straps and the strength to lift and so you need to give God glory and when you see he's blessed you. You need to express gratitude conspicuous gratitude toward God. Listen, and while you do that you'll be doing it among people who will stand out just because they're not doing it. I want you to notice something Paul said in second Timothy chapter 3 verses one into second Timothy chapter 3 verses one and two.

Here is what the apostle Paul had to say about this whole business of humility among people, he said. But know this, that in the last days, powerless times will come. Now this is Paul first century A.D., say looking down the corridor time by the power of the spirit of God, and he says I see that in the last days, powerless times are going to come out. What's amazing to me about that. Paul lived and ministered in perilous times and administered in a world where male role was in charge. He lived in a period of time where Christians were persecuted for their faith. In a time where people are being killed just because they name the name of the Lord, and he looks down the corridor time and says I can see that in the last days there are some powerless time coming and I will let you know. Powerless times are here now look at verse two, he says, for men will be just plowed to your pen or pencil and you can just check it all if you wonder when the last date men will be lovers of themselves, check himself seems so many self absorbed people in all your born days, self absorbed. One of the worst things we got was southeast self absorbed people already click click click click click click lick is just amazing how many pictures of yourself.

Are you interested in the parts.

1001 stop okay out of Norma Plaza limited back the printed lovers of themselves, full of themselves to the next phrase, lovers of money, check, lovers of money, money can buy. They did love the money they love having it and sure they also love what I can buy. But here's the problem.

Money doesn't have life money doesn't have purpose money has to be assigned. Money is a settlement and what Paul says is people going on money and they're going to have no sense of needing to use it in the way that glorifies God and benefits the world. They just love being rich money money money. My mind they yelled and grew up in the old days is back in my day. All right themselves, lovers of money, the next one bolsters check bolsters.

Have you seen so many balls and people and all your born days, and what they did, where they been how great they are bolsters that's not good when you see people who cannot even acknowledge anything less than brilliant and wonderful about themselves – the group that Paul was talking about when you think the chips factor you you got a few things that are good about you and yes okay now is old but you know as well as I do that some go-go don't think there's some good things about them. They think they are. It anything when you look up in the dictionary is grinning.

Listen let me tell you something when you will bolster and when you are full of your self. My dad used to say when you are wrapped up in your self.

You are a small package you're a small package. There is much more to the world than you and unfortunately a lot of you all know that you are not. It you need to get out here and see there is so much around you.

The Bible said in this way Paul said to visit when in Romans chapter 12. He said don't think more highly of your self then you will, meaning that some good things are coming out of the good things about you and thank God for them think more highly of yourself that you are. That was the next phrase he said he said think soberly, think soberly, you got some good things about you. Thank God for those but you so think it will let you know I also have some jacked up to this about myself. That's a word doc I don't look up in the dictionary is not there. I personally coined that phrase I want royalties for jacked up to less you got great things which are not jacked up. You know as well as I do, do some stuff about you MMS a modest stop that you want to look at just a burnout in the mirror and some of which are if you don't do that all right you got more learning about yourself to do. God doesn't want you to condemn yourself, but he does ask that you examine yourself to think soberly and honestly about the areas in your life that need a little work you humble yourself in that way, God will exalt you in due season. Thanks for joining us for today's destined for victory message.

Conspicuous gratitude. If you need prayer, please visit Pastor Paul.net use the contact feature the top of the homepage to share your request with us the ministry team here destined for victory considers it privileged to join you in prayer so contact us. And when you do, be sure to ask for pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement. Yours, at no cost or obligation in here something else for you. A booklet from Pastor Paul Shepherd called your purpose is calling if you're seeking God specific will for your life. This will be a great resource for you, one that will give you three directives to help you discover his unique plans for you.

That's your purpose is calling our gift to you by request for your generous gift to destined for victory and today is the final day of the special offer so please contact us right away. Call 855-339-5500 to give over the phone or mail your gift to destined for victory.

Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 can also make a safe and secure donation from our website. Pastor Paul.net thanks in advance for helping keep destined for victory on the air. The gratitude in your heart. Do anybody any good cycle in your heart, all not all I have on I have a heart full of love wasn't love to hang out in your heart. Love has to be express in order for the benefit anyone. Don't tell me you love me, show me you love me that's next time it Pastor Paul Shepherd's message. Conspicuous gratitude.

Until then, remember he who began a good work and you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory