Title: Seeds of Gratitude
Contents
Sermon Day-081116 Thanksgiving Day
Title - Seeds of Gratitude
Bible - 2 Corinthians 9:10
The Apostle Paul emphasizes that thanksgiving should dwell in God in every examination of the words and deeds of the saints.
And it teaches us that thanksgiving is possible through Jesus Christ.
As there are principles and principles in all things in the world, in order to please God and bring blessings to the saints, you must live a life of giving thanks in accordance with the principles of the Bible even in giving thanks to God.
An act of gratitude that ignores the principle can easily become shamanistic or secular.
Now, let's think together about what principle an act of thanksgiving should be done and how blessings are given accordingly.
Yehwa - Did you forget thanks?
A young couple moved to an area called Banfra in Canada's Rocky Mountains.
It was a place where the scenery was so beautiful that it cannot be described in words. The couple looked at the superb view and thanked God.
But after a year, they were no longer grateful. Already tired of the scenery.
Just as the Israelites complained that they were tired of eating only manna. So are we. We always pray for something special to give thanks. Even though there are many things to be thankful for.
"Lord, we forget to be grateful and we love to complain. You know our weakness, help us to overflow our lips with thanksgiving."
If it blows, blow, winter wind, blizzard mixes with it. Even if there is no circumstance, it is not worse than the unthankful heart of life.
1. Thank you for giving me material blessings
Gifts are sometimes accompanied by the acts of thanksgiving of the saints.
That is, not only the mind, but also matter may be involved.
The Bible exhorts, “Your wealth and your produce… honor the LORD with Then your storehouses will be full, and your presses will overflow with new wine” (Proverbs 3:9,10).
However, when giving these materials as a token of gratitude, we must remember the principle of giving according to the “quantity of blessings given to us.”
On the other hand, the Bible says, “Do not be grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).
To be stingy is to give an inadequately small gift to a saint in a wealthy situation.
Giving by force means “a member who is not able to afford it and wants to give a gift that he cannot afford.”
Giving voluntarily according to the circumstances given is the correct principle of giving thanks.
Example - People who turn gratitude into complaints
In a certain village, there was a strange place where hot springs and cold springs gushed together. A bubbling hot spring gushed out from one side and an ice-cold cold spring from the other side. used to take it to A tourist who saw it asked the guide, “It’s great that the people here can use hot and cold water as they please. The people of this village must have a lot of gratitude for God.” Then the guide said, “It’s okay. People in this village complain more. It is good to have hot and cold water, but there are many complaints that even laundry soap does not come out.”
Just like springs of hot and cold water, people's hearts will also spring up with gratitude and complaints. The important thing is that if you give thanks, there will be more things to be grateful for, and if you complain, there will be more and more things to complain about. Just like the Samaritans who returned and thanked us, we must change our lives with a grateful heart and a grateful life.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good and his mercy endures forever; give thanks to God, who is superior to all gods, for his mercy endures forever” (Psalm 136:1-2).
2. Giving with faith sowing seeds of blessing
Saints are stewards of God.
Life, faith, and material things were originally entrusted by God.
Those who received much or those who received little do not have much meaning in the amount.
However, what matters is what you sowed and cultivated in the field of the world according to the will of God the Lord.
Therefore, the thanksgiving and almsgiving of the saints should be carried out with the attitude of sowing and planting the seeds of God-given blessings.
The gift you give to God is not to be consumed, but to be given with joy knowing that there is a principle that you can reap a hundred, sixty, or thirty-fold fruit.
“You throw your plants on the water. After many days they will be found” (Ecclesiastes 11:1)
Yehwa - A hymn of gratitude during complaints
Gates, the lyricist for Hymn 315 "Come Back, Come Back," said that one winter day in 1960, when he was 25, a storm struck.
When all his schedules were canceled because of the bad weather, he became annoyed, complained, and turned to God.
I was disappointed. But when she saw the snow drifting out of the window, her heart calmed down.
felt that Then she said, "If I can't go out, I can't do good in the house.
Couldn't it be possible?" and wrote the following hymn lyrics.
Come back, come back, you who have a hard time
The road is very dark and very rough.
You who left the house, come back now
come back
As such, the act of thanksgiving and confession of the saints is not merely subjective.
It is given as a principle to help believers grow in faith, as a principle to multiply seeds of blessing, and as a principle to expand faith.
Therefore, we should live a life of gratitude with an attitude of fulfilling the mission and duty of the saints with a holy and reverent heart.