Title: Inexhaustible Christian Gratitude / (Colo..
Content [sermon]
Then, how can we always be filled with gratitude in our hearts without being exhausted? Why can the normal Christian life always be overflowing with gratitude? Today we will look at the answers to these questions.
First, in order to live a life of abundant gratitude that is not exhausted, we need to be thankful in terms of time, present, past, and future.
In the old days, the Israelites came out of Egypt under the guidance of Moses and marched toward the land of Canaan, which God had promised. However, many people were abandoned by God and died in the wilderness. Why? It was because of their constant complaints and resentment.
The abuse and suffering they suffered in Egypt was terrifying. When the king of Egypt saw that the number of the children of Israel had increased greatly, he was afraid and attempted to destroy the nation of Israel. They made them do the heavy labor of building the state treasuries of Pidom and Rameses for the king of Egypt. Of course, they were mercilessly beaten for slow work, making it difficult to obtain building materials without paying them properly for their labor. Meanwhile, he commanded the midwives in Egypt to kill an Israelite woman when she gave birth to a male by throwing him into the Nile River. In this way, the people of Israel were in a desperate and desperate situation that they could not help themselves.
God saved them. He sent Moses as the leader and struck Egypt with ten plagues to subdue Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God led them across the Red Sea like land, and gave them manna as their daily bread. As time passed as they passed through the wilderness, their experiences of God's help accumulated. Still, they ignored and forgot all the things of the past. Why did their appreciation run out so quickly? Because they were only grateful for the problems they were experiencing. If they had known how to reflect on and appreciate God's grace and love in the past, they would not have stopped giving thanks and praise.
Another reason the children of Israel fell into the poverty of thanksgiving was that they did not live a life of gratitude, thinking about the grace God had in store for their tomorrow. They didn't just go out of their way to get rid of their tedious life in Egypt. They were heading towards the welfare of Canaan, which God had promised to their ancestors. Then, while they were marching through the wilderness, they would have had to make a flower of talk about the land of Canaan flowing with milk and honey that they would enjoy in the future. Unfortunately, however, they clinged to the current reality, interpreting only the current inconvenience and lack, resenting and complaining.
Dear saints, fill your hearts with thoughts about the glory and abundance you will enjoy in the future. God has given us blessed promises for our future. Always remember that you will be resurrected, put on a glorious body, receive the Lord's reward, and live forever in heaven. So let your mouth be full of laughter and your tongue full of thanksgiving and praise.
May your gratitude be never exhausted and always overflowing, as it has all the sources of past, present and future.
Second, if you want to live a life of abundant gratitude that will not be exhausted, you must learn to be grateful in all three cases.
We should be grateful for everything we have. The Bible says, “…what did you have that you did not receive…” (1 Corinthians 4:7). We acquire countless things in our lifetime. Everyone is born empty-handed. Therefore, everything you have is a gift from God.
And the saints should be able to give thanks even when they lose what they have or when the current situation is not good. The Apostle Paul had a thorn in the flesh, a chronic disease or disability, and asked God three times to remove it. But instead of taking it away, God said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness..." (2 Corinthians 12:9). So the Apostle Paul was rather overjoyed and boasted about his many weaknesses. When you are weak, lacking, or uncomfortable, I hope that you will use it as an opportunity to cry out to God, rely on God, and surrender to Him, thinking, 'Therefore, apart from God, nothing can be done.'
Furthermore, the saints should be able to thank God for receiving something valuable that is not lost under any circumstances. The Apostle Paul spoke of two things that can never be lost to those who are in Christ Jesus. “Who is able to bring charges against God’s elect? It is God who justifies; who can condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, and was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who intercedes for us” (Romans 8:33,34). I did. The righteousness that God gives to those who are in Christ Jesus is not lost. Even if we fall and fall because we are weak and needy, the righteousness of Christ God is not lost.
And "I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8 :38,39) did. The love of God poured out on those who are in Christ Jesus, this love is eternal. never lost.
The promise that God is with us, the righteousness that God has given, and the love that God has given, these things cannot be bought even if we give the whole world. It is irreplaceable and nothing in the world can match its preciousness. Compared to this, everything else is trivial. I hope that you will not be discouraged by small things so that you do not complain. 'Even if I lose all my wealth, status, honor, authority, and even my health, there is something I will never lose. There is the noblest treasure. The Lord is with me. God has justified me. The love of God has been poured out on me in Christ Jesus. This is not lost. This should be enough.' Think of it this way. This will make you very happy and grateful.
A normal Christian life cannot but overflow with gratitude. This is because the saints have an inexhaustible source and reason for gratitude. For this reason, the believer's state of faith and spiritual state can be known by looking at how much he lives a life of gratitude. If there are believers who are in the poverty of gratitude, they should repent and quickly restore normalcy. The poverty of gratitude is the cause of all kinds of unfortunate things. It is futile to seek happiness while leaving the poverty of gratitude alone. Even if there are times when we cannot give thanks to people, there is no case where we cannot thank God. And don't forget to actively express your heartfelt gratitude. Devotion and sacrifice to express our gratitude will never go to waste. The expression of gratitude glorifies God and enables us to experience God's salvation more abundantly. The normal Christian life does not run out of gratitude. Gratitude abounds.
Beloved, I bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be one of the saints who testify to this fact.