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November 24, 2021 7:00 am
Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ person tell me that I'm not hurt, in the midst of all the stuff about, there's a group of people in the country.
The Christian and only talk about was how thankful I saw the how can this be in the midst of all writer different joining us today on this additional fellowship of the word pastor broke your heart Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us God's word meets our thanks for all things are good.
I doesn't mean it that way he means it from a little bit different perspective. The circumstances of life change were sinful people will live in a cursed planet. A lot of bad stuff happens. The whole idea of being God is God's as that taken care of that. I redeem everything I can turn everything to good effect. The same phrase all things pan test is the word all all things Paul writes to the Romans and says all things work together for what good all think maybe it's a all things are good all things work together for the good that happened is I make that happen. I can take anything attentive or good as my business.
That's what I'm about. That's how I work.
So when you're in the middle of all things. He said how about thanking me, you mean covert. Yes, I mean covert isn't a part of all things for the economy sagging okay thank me. What will be able to get together were 71 relatives on Thursday is okay. Thank me.
He said you give thanks in all things. When you are thankful in your spirit, you're not controlled by the spirit of God, controlled by your flash she that's what you say and we are most thankful people on earth. Now go with me to Colossians Colossians chapter 3 in verse 16. Another prison epistle, but this time pulses a little bit differently. He said, let the word of Christ richly dwell within you.
Let the word of God richly dwell in you, he said with all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And then he says and whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the father. So when you're not thankful and you're not submissive to the word of God or not.
You don't let the word of God dwell in you. So whenever were not thankful were not controlled by the spirit of God and were not submissive to the word of God. In fact were just like someone else come back with me to Romans chapter 1 Romans chapter 1 in Romans one, Paul is making his case against mankind because he is rejected God and he says they are without excuse.
He said he says through inspiration of the spirit, he says, look, God has revealed himself to mankind, first through creation. Secondly, to his conscience so that without excuse, but then he says this about them in verse 21 for even though they knew God, they did not honor him as God, and there is or give thanks says they became futile in their speculations and are fully heart was dark. Not only are you not controlled by the spirit of God, not submissive of the word of God but your attitude is just like the unbelieving lost when you're not thankful why you see the time together you honor God by what thanking God. That's God's expectation of you and me. You have every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. As I said earlier, what he could do to earn knows nothing. Your contribution zero with the God everything and it's a revocable.
So what's got one from you about your saying thanks thank you that's what he wants from us. It honors God. You see the culture we live in the world that don't know God.
That's why they say every time on the news Thanksgiving is about family. What's the word say thanks giving you have to give thanks to somebody not to say that is not something you going to say it all know it. It's about family and there's nothing for is a blessing, but I'm not thanking my family.
I'm thinking my God, let me show you how far they've taken this with this all they do this all the holidays some time ago they said you know because we don't want to thank God were not going to do that we need to make some make it better.
Okay, we got an idea.
Black Friday. Black Friday. That's the key it's about us again, shopping, shopping, shopping more for me. People of that. Just a couple years ago now. Black Friday is started on Thursday when the exact date we going to happen. We can have Black Friday on Thanksgiving. This is even better when get more stuff now with covert I've been hearing that this whole month is Black Friday month the whole month is Black Friday Mike it's about us is about shopping. This is great this is about thanking God for our culture does one on or about the real, give thanks because we don't want God to be honored in that way all you and I should bleed gratitude we should just leave it doing. I've not had a person tell me and I'm not heard from the culture yet in the midst of all the stuff for going through turmoil. There's a whole group of people in the country. We don't understand the Christians and all they talk about is how thankful they are so they talk about. I'm so thankful. How can this be in the midst of all that were going to how many do this summer.
I hear little bit different than it REO white said this and applied to gratitude is a British preacher. He said this, the surest sign that you are carrying a full bucket of water is wet feet sure sign that you are thankful Christian is a news is out of everybody sees no matter what the circumstances. When more. I went to go with me to first Thessalonians 1st Thessalonians chapter 51 verse verse 18 Paul writes this when 16 he says rejoice always means now I just Christmas morning means of rejoice always, pray without ceasing. Always have relationship with God. Then he says this in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God. And everything you mean now.
Yes you mean in the midst of covert yes I but in the midst of economic uncertainty. Yes, I but in the midst of the election. Yes, yes, in everything give thanks.
I'm not giving God thanks for the circumstances.
The way I like to be giving God thanks for being God in a relationship with me. That's what I'm saying. He says in everything give thanks social distancing. We give thanks for that.
We had terrible is it everything in everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Over the years. I can't tell you how many times this is been asking me pastor. My problem is I needed. Could you tell me what the will of God is for me. Should I stay here or should I move the Schenectady TellMe passion, what's the will of God for me to keep this job or take another one.
Is this the right person for me.
America was or someone else tell me the will of God. Prepare give thanks in everything for this is the will of God for you when what the will of God is that simple. Give thanks in everything. I know I did mean that of course you should mean that it covers every other question I can give God thanks.
He says give God thanks in every thing it doesn't matter Thanksgiving should be the natural response for all that God is done for me.
Couple things. One, giving thanks honors God.
Every time you think would honors God nothing when the circumstances are terrible in your for Thanksgiving. Just think of how pleasing that is the God you not thanking because you got what you wanted your thinking. When difficult circumstances for who he is, that honors God is important to God have been keeping 1/3 said this.
True thankfulness recognizes our total dependence on God and stems from realizing that everything going on in our lives and all that we have is the product of God's sovereign control, God's infinite wisdom, God's purposes, God's grace and God's goodness, everything, nothing in our culture. This happening is ever surprised the God he knew, 2020 was coming when he created the creation. He's not shocked he can't be all.
I can't believe it when I go to do this covert dilemma going to do. He knows that she that's the point.
Secondly, we are commanded by God.
I'm sure he doesn't like that he commands us. He commands us to give them thanks in everything give thanks, that's a that's an imperative mood in the Greek's commitment in everything give me thanks. He said in Ephesians 4 everything to me. Thanks in everything to me now we sing in the beginning of the service.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving. We sing that in the Psalms. That's a PL stem. That means it's commandment coming to my presence. Give me thanks for who I am and how I relate to you.
I actually believe with all my heart that there thankfulness is a spiritual barometer of the true spiritual life. I think spiritually mature people are very thankful. I think people who are not spiritually mature. Nothing; what I think they've administered enough of that going on the ship whiners one bores me so bad. This is so hard and should never be child of God talks every I read a book part of the book. I will blowing and it's called a complaint free world. It's an interesting book and he said I want you to think of your mind as a manufacture. He said in your mouth, he said, as the customer.
Your mind manufactures your mouth is the customer.
He said the manufacturer produces negative thoughts that are purchased by the customer when they are expressed as complaints. It goes like this. The manufacturer your brain produces negative, unthankful thought which the consumer in your mouth. He says purchases by complaining and expressing ingratitude.
He said if the customer will stop buying what the manufacturer produces the manufacturer will have to retool. He said when you stop complaining about what you perceive to be wrong and begin to speak about what you are thankful for you force the manufacture brain to develop a whole new product line put great imagery from your mouth. Listen to your brain is as awful. This is terrible when we going to do, how we gonna make it. If we would do that process should be life-changing for us to be life-changing but were buying it are mouth buys it. This is been a record-setting year to fill your brain with complaints submitted to those seat that's a very important question.
Is your mouth buying what your brain is producing. I hope not. I sure hope you know one of the most interesting things is I think to the closing of this is a very famous Psalm Psalm 100 of us can read you have to go there but want to think about that. He said shout joyfully to the Lord all the serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him with joyful singing, know that the Lord himself is God is he who is made us that we ourselves we are his people with the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name for the Lord is good and the lovingkindness is everlasting and his faithfulness to all generations.
That's what we should be. That's where life should be. It would be great to be surrounded by your extended family this Thanksgiving. He was on the be thankful for.
That's not the reason we have Thanksgiving mounted on but if you don't have your extended family around you remember the it's called Thanksgiving because God wants us to think. It honors then Mobius is a missionary Dallas seminary grad who's in Bucharest, Romania, and that he wrote this, and by the way, he just wrote this week that they're going through a second very difficult wave of covert and old country. Romania and so this is what he wrote. He said none of us know the future even related to politics or pandemics. Nevertheless, we can still be thankful because our gratitude is grounded in the only one who does know the future and every single detail regarding our present circumstances, the one who was in absolute control over all things, including pandemics, politics, or any other problems we might face the Lord our God is still on his throne. He is still all-powerful, all-knowing, all loving and all sufficient. Our Thanksgiving is rooted in his character, not our circumstances are gratitude's rate is rooted in our faith not our fears, our faith is strengthened by the Lord's presence with us in the present.
His promises force in the future and his many blessings he has given us in the past, may we never forget all the good things that he is done for us. Maybe we should all just look up to the sky and say thank you God this Thanksgiving. Try to remember it was I was thinking about all the different examples, who's the best example we know the Scriptures are Lord Jesus Christ is an amazing thing. The things that he has done so. I want to go to first Corinthians 11 verse 23 and I want to see something that Paul wrote this is on the night before the crucifixion by the way, was that night fight for. Remember, any sweating going on, droplets of blood because of the pressure crying out to God, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not my will them, but yours. He's about to have the worst day any human beings ever had in history are completely terrible, horrible. So here's what he does, he says, for I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus and the night in which he was betrayed took bread, and he says and when he had given thanks, this is the worst night of his life for the worst day of his life and he takes the bread and to give thanks and that example for us.
Because of this unique year were doing the Lord's table in a very unique way. You picked up one of these when you came in. If you would just take the cellophane off the top. I know there's a temptation to take it all apart. Just take the cellophane off the top first.
And here's the waiver for the bread the bread's unleavened reason, the bread's unleavened as the bread represents something good when he says body, he means more than that the bread represents the bread represents the life of Christ. That's what the bread represents its unleavened which means it is without sin. If Jesus Christ had lived a perfect life he in no way could've been a substitute for us on the cross he lived the perfect life. He is the Lamb of God, sinless, perfect Jesus thanking the father for this opportunity.
He lived among people who didn't believe him. People who dislike them. People who struck him people who scourged them and yet we got on the cross. The first thing he said was what father forgive them know what they're doing. So when we take this just like Jesus we are thinking God memory, prayer, short prayer father, thank you for the life of Jesus Christ.
Thank you that he lived this life, not just the show we can live a sinless life you live this life for me and for all people that we could have an assurance that when he went to the cross, he could be an appropriate substitute for our sins. We know father did your your holiness. You were satisfied because raising from the dead.
Thank you. In Jesus name.
Paul goes on and says when he had given thanks, he broke it and he said this is my body which is for you to do this in remembrance of me. In the same way he took the cup, also after supper and he said this cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
So when we come to the cup and you could top up about when we come to the cup were not represented through not remembering the life of Christ will remembering the death of Christ. That's what it is that's what he said, let this cup pass from me. How do I spiritually died for all mankind.
How do I barrel the sins of the world.
Nevertheless, not my will be done, but yours every time we do this we remember that we remember the agony of the cross seat.
We remember the cost to God's grace is for each and every one of us and we can do so with four assurance because once again he raised him from the dead because he was satisfied. Father, thank you for the death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ and so this is all I would want you to do is to think about this Thanksgiving of I hope you're with your family members extend that if you want to that's fine if you don't change the hoarder factor in a very real one for us pastor broke your heart on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcasting or maybe you just think of a smoother message one more time. Remember the good a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online event website you will find on today's broadcast.
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