Thanksgving is Supernatural

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We can appreciate the blessings that God has bestowed upon us in such a remarkable year to the point of the major markets is why thankfulness is a natural rather supernatural byproduct of the Christian life is good is a special message. Thanksgiving is supernatural range of ever thought about this thing about the fact that children are born into this world thankful them no concept of what that means that all theirs is a wanting give me mentality, but thank you. Listen in their vocabulary words Thanksgiving has to be taught. It has to be learned. We have to develop that characteristic in our lives, and God promises us that when we do that we will be rewarded. Wonderful to be able to share these moments with you on a very busy day for many of us as we go about the task being thankful and enjoying the fellowship that we have with our families.

I mentioned earlier that because of the many many challenges of 2020. You may think you don't have much to be thankful for what that's not true. If you stop and remember what God has done for you, even in times like this, you will be filled with gratitude and then you will begin to see all kinds of things that have happened because of the grace and goodness of God.

Let's make that our goal on this day as we give our thanks to the Lord. Now, before any other announcements. Let's enter into our discussion. This is called Thanksgiving is supernatural. We know that the Bible speaks very strongly question about the great spirit. In fact, the word face and its various cognates appear hundred and 50 times in the old and New Testament command to gift bags appears three times in the Bible but it may surprise you that the Bible often very carefully links the spirit of gratitude in the Christian experience. I don't know if you haven't connected these thoughts, but twice in the New Testament.

I found this to be true first and second Corinthians 214 these words now thanks be to God who gives us triumph in Christ, thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, so triumph are together first 1557 it's like this. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ thought about the fact that a grateful spirit, triumph and victory in your Christian life going in the same package triumph in the same context with gratitude. You show me somebody was experiencing spiritual victory sense of triumph and I can promise you know that individual will find a man or a woman who was the spirit of gratitude.

Gratitude you see is one of the evidences that God is in us working in us. Why do I say that because in the world in which we live today there are so many reasons to be ungrateful. We can find a reason almost every hour to complain or be ungrateful. So if the spirit of God is us. That's the supernatural element of our lives. And it's the spirit of God's tables us to have victory even in the midst of our situations and our circumstances can give us victory over the negative self thoughts that so often want to take over in our lives is unfortunate that the doctrine of gratitude which is paramount in the New Testament is often relegated to an optional or seasonal spirit spirit of Thanksgiving should be true of all of us. If we know Jesus Christ and of God's Holy Spirit is in control of our lives. So today in this message to give you a little foundation for your gratitude. I want to show you how prominent this concept is in the New Testament five principles that will wrap all of this together around the core of these truths, and I hope you take these and make these part of your life in the days ahead.

First of all, the Bible teaches that when you are controlled by the spirit of God Thanksgiving is the result listen to the words of Ephesians 518 to 21. Do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but with the spirit speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord to bring thanks always for all things to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ submitting to one another in the fear of God. I don't know if you noticed it, but in the Scripture. There are four different words that in ING. Those words are what we call participles and a participle is a word that modifies the statement that goes before it sold in the text it says be filled with the spirit and then you have always participles telling you what that means giving thanks making melody submitting to one another and what it says is that when you are filled with the Holy Spirit.

One of the things that will be true for you is first of all you be filled with joy. You will have a desire to see if you don't have a good voice. You want to express your worship to the Lord.

The Bible even says that when you are filled with the spirit of God, you will have a submissive battle toward other people will always be upon your high horse running your own rights filled with the spirit of God. The Scripture says you are submitting to another day together with these two words is the expression giving thanks giving thanks always for all things to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So the third evidence Ephesians of being filled with the spirit isn't speaking in tongues or doing miracles or raising people from the dead. It's simple basic concept of having of gratitude of being thankful to God and to others for all that they have done and are doing for you is the second one and this one takes us to the book of Colossians chapter 3 verses 16 and 17. Here we learn that when we are committed to the word of God. Thanksgiving is the result. These two passages are very much alike, except for one difference.

See if you can figure it out when I read it.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your heart to the Lord and whatever you're doing were doing well in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father to him. Select sounds almost like the verse we just read well.

It is almost like the verse we just read, except the first verse fashions were told that when you are filled with the spirit thankful this verse in Colossians it says when you are filled with the word of God in your thankful. So when you're committed to the word of God. Thanksgiving is the result a spirit filled Christian you see is a Scripture filled Christian camping filled with the spirit without some relationship with the word of God.

Someone once said that the Holy Spirit uses the Bible as his toolbox is instrument he uses to change us. Conformist image of our Lord and Paul is saying that when you spend time as a spiritual Christian reading the Bible will come out, a grateful person.

It's the natural result of being filled with the word of God.

Let me show you the third one when you are controlled by the spirit of God. Thanksgiving is the result when you are committed to the word of God. Thanksgiving is the result and number three and when you are characterized by the peace of God. Thanksgiving is the result here again in the book of Colossians we read these words and let the peace of God rule in your heart to which you were called in one body and the thankful I am so shocked at how many times that shows up in the New Testament literature that God wants his people to be faithful people person is characterized by peace. He has that piece because it's one of the fruits of the spirit.

Peace is the fruit of the spirit we are controlled by the spirit.

You have a sense of peace is one aspect of the fruit of the spirit and everywhere Paul talks about peace talks about it in the context of Thanksgiving spirit, plus the word plus peace, all surrounded by an of gratitude is the fourth one.

When you're constantly in prayer to God. Thanksgiving is the result is that wonderful verse. We all know Philippians 46 be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. The Bible says in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

Don't ever leave Thanksgiving out of your prayer. Don't ever overlook that distinctive. It's so important it's always to be mixed with thanksgiving when you're asking God for something always with thanksgiving praising God for something it's always with thanksgiving when you're interceding for someone it's always with thanksgiving when you are a watchman on the wall for your church and for your family formulation. Don't forget all of those request all of those should be mixed and blended together with thanksgiving to God for all he has done in Philippians 4, six, Paul seems to be mentioning several kinds of prayer, but he focuses in on one kind of response that is the response of gratitude present in all of our praying, no matter what the content of our prayer may be. And then there's one last one. Let me go through them again. So we stay together when you are controlled by the spirit of God Thanksgiving is the result when you're committed to the word of God. Thanksgiving is the result characterized by the peace of God. Thanksgiving is the result when you're constantly in prayer to God. Thanksgiving is the result.

And here's the last one when you're concerned with the plan of God. Thanksgiving is the result is a verse that troubles a lot of people, especially after going through some tough things its first but solo hymns 518 and this is what it says in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you read that again wanted to read it with me out loud in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you first thing we learn about this last principle is that God's will concerning Thanksgiving is very clear.

I often have people some of you on occasion send me emails or you catch me in the hallway or we have a conversation about the will of God for your life and it's a legitimate question and we should be pursuing knowledge of God's calling God's will for us. But there are some things we already know the will of God are some things you don't have to pray about. You don't have to get on your knees and say Lord I'm thinking about being a faithful person what you think will God already expressed himself as not God's already said that it is his will for us to be faithful. One of the parts of God's will for every single Christian is found in this verse could the will of God make any clearer than this.

This is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you and for me I don't know how this resonates with you, but as you see this in the greater context of the New Testament is a powerful thought to show you how powerful this is taught in God's word. For instance, in the first chapter of Romans, which I think is a terrible chapter in the sense that it outlines the fall of civilization fall mankind away from God. Paul is describing what it's like when civilization unhooks from the Almighty, and I want you to listen to what he says because they knew God did not glorify him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts and their foolish hearts were darkened and professing to be wise, they became fools. Paul told the Romans.

Let me tell you what happens to a culture that rejects God head down, down, down, and one of the evidences of the decadence of the rebellion against God will be there lack of gratitude civilization that is coming unglued becomes an ungrateful civilization stopped for a moment and consider where are we as a civilization when it comes to this whole spirit of gratitude. In fact, isn't it true that somebody uses.

Thank you, or is grateful anymore is almost an anomaly part of our culture wasn't well I been around for a long time. It used to be a lot more than it is now people today expect things they feel entitled. It's a part of what's happened to our culture and that's at the beginning of the process you want to see where it ends up. The Bible says that is this culture continues to unfold as it continues to decline. When you get to the end of times. Paul writes to Tim since this is what is going to be like with the Lord Jesus comes back know this, that in the last days perilous times will come for man will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, bolsters proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, and what is the next word on thankful and gratitude travels in some pretty bad company doesn't self-love greed, pride, blaspheming disobedience in gratitude. When we are controlled by the spirit of God will start to exude from our lives and may even catch you by surprise, you will certainly catch others by surprise when they notice your change in attitude and you will know that what is coming forth from your life is not something that is naturally yours.

It's the supernatural evidence of the Holy Spirit who is in your heart and work God's will concerning faithfulness is clear but notice one last thing. It's also very comprehensive. In Ephesians 520, Paul says that the spiritual believer gives thanks always for all things to God the father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in Colossians 3 he expands it.

Whatever you do in word or deed, all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the father through him. So you write down whatever we do, whether we do it in word whether we do it. Indeed we do it all and we do it all with thanksgiving. In other words, and everything. The most amazing thing about the apostle Paul that we might call grateful apostle is setting in which you wrote these things. Almost all of his great Thanksgiving passages were written in the books of Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, and Philemon.

Those books have one thing in common. The prison epistles were written by Paul while he was incarcerated. You say no right.

He must've been in the palace somewhere faithful about these things, though he was impressive in the plain fact is that the man who wrote these letters that so permeated with thanksgiving difficult life. Listen to the recitation he gave to the Corinthians in the 11th chapter of second Corinthians road I have worked harder than any of them. I have served more prison sentences times without number. I have faced death, again and again the regulation 39 stripes by the Jews. Five different time, I've been beaten with rods three times I been stolen once I've been shipwrecked three times I've been 24 hours in the open sea. In my travels I been in constant danger from rivers and floods from bandits from my own countrymen, and from pagans I have faced danger in city streets danger in the desert danger on the high seas danger.

Among the first questions I have no exhaustion pain long vigils of hunger and thirst doing without meals cold and lack of clothing and it's this guy who said and everything give thanks and I look at that and I say if Paul can give thanks with the stress he had in his life is not anything that's ever happened to me the name and compares to his list. You see, thanksgiving is not situational. It is not circumstantial, it is not something that is in us because of that which is going on around us.

Some of those things are there.

We give thanks for what Thanksgiving is a spiritual God gives us when we become Christians. And when we allow that attitude to grow and develop. We can even grateful for what God does for us when were going through difficult times.

All these things. The Bible says we can become more than conquerors, and the only reason can be like that is because of the spirit of God who lives within us. I wish I had time to give a little exposé on what it needs to be filled with the spirit. But it simply means that when the spirit of God comes to live within you. When you become a Christian. He is a resident in your heart.

But when you come to him and say Lord I am not happy any longer with you just being a resident in my heart. I'd like for you to be the president of my heart and I want to give my life to you and serve you and I will be submissive to whatever you say and all of a sudden when you do that genuinely you will find yourself saying and doing things that seem unnatural to you because they are unnatural, supernatural or spiritual will say thank you and times when you might have complained grateful for things that you never noticed before. Thanksgiving is a practical response to what God has done for us, but it's a discipline of life. Resident I promise you I don't want to be a grouchy old man. I don't want to be a grouchy middle-age man. I don't want to be a grouchy nomad wanted to be grouchy for not careful along the way we allow our mind keep producing these products of ingratitude. We think always about the things that are good instead of the things that are. And you know what it's a choice that we make. It's a choice that you and I make one to break the hold of ingratitude in your life you have to go before the Lord and ask him to forgive you for an ungrateful life and ungrateful heart and then began to two today what the Scripture says express your gratitude to God and to others who you minister to them. Bible says you are ministering to God himself to Jesus Christ. I know it seems like the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

I know that every day's recent get up and watch the news and before we even leave the house you are depressed worked up about everything that's wrong. I promise you that you can take control of that by what you allow into your mind of God getting your mind with the Holy Spirit getting your heart with the peace of God take over your life prayer and ask God to fill you with a sense of his wonder and you will have these moments that catch up with you when you just stand in all that you are a child of God in a country where the gospel has been able to be preached for everything that's negative in your life. There's 10 things that are positive. You just have to be willing to discipline your mind to find and give thanks to God. This is one of those areas where perspective is everything. Some years ago someone said something like this to me payment understand that the worst day of your life is better than the best day of the lives of most people who live in the world. We something about that. That's probably true, and yet we have a way of not looking at life that way we think.

All of our days need to be our best days and they can't be in in 2020. We learned that lesson the hard way and there were still learning.

We still haven't completed the course and that God's not going to lift the pressure until he is done with the slogan have to be patient, but one of things we can do in the meantime is give thanks to God for all that he has done for us for safety for the provision for our needs were all so grateful we can go back to church now and be with our loved ones we have are Christian schools are open. Many of the businesses are starting to open again would come through a really hard time and God has been faithful and will continue to be faithful as we know so on this special day. Make sure you count your many blessings name them one by one, and you will be so surprised at what the Lord is he is a faithful God worthy of our worship and certainly worthy to be the object of our Thanksgiving have a special day. God bless you and be sure to join us tomorrow. Right here on the screen station. More information on Dr. Jeremiah special message. Thanksgiving is supernatural, please visit our website where you also find ways to help you stay connected monthly magazine Turning Points in our daily email device. Sign up today and I was Jeremiah.org/radio that Jeremiah.org/radio sure to ask you a copy of Ali's Hogan's Bible finding Jesus in every book in the Bible is yours for the gift of any amount you can also purchase the Jeremiah study Bible and the English standard version. The new international version and you can filled with helpful notes and articles. Jeremiah Jeremiah told/radio join us tomorrow as we continue the series in search of the Savior is here on Turning Point. Jeremiah will