THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - Sermon outline for October 27, 2019 - (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church of Christ in Livonia, MI, on October 27, 2019)

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - Thanksgiving for God's Refuge - October 27, 2019

Video - Worship countdown

Prayers

INTRODUCTION

Preparing for the Big Day -
Parades
Food prepped
Family coming over
Turkey Bowl
Buying two newspapers for Black Friday ads

Lordship, justice and righteousness

Modern approach to the divine is anthropocentric

God stands on top, not man.

Prayer

“Lord my God, I take refuge in you; save and deliver me from all who pursue me, or they will tear me apart like a lion and rip me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

Lord my God, if I have done this and there is guilt on my hands— if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe— then let my enemy pursue and overtake me; let him trample my life to the ground and make me sleep in the dust.

Arise, Lord, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice. Let the assembled peoples gather around you, while you sit enthroned over them on high. Let the Lord judge the peoples. Vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High.

Bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts. My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day. If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he makes ready his flaming arrows.

Whoever is pregnant with evil conceives trouble and gives birth to disillusionment. Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out falls into the pit they have made. The trouble they cause recoils on them; their violence comes down on their own heads.

I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭7:1-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬ (RPB #582)

I.  THANKSGIVING FOR HIS SALVATION (vv. 1-2)

A.  Our refuge
1.  Salvation
2.  Deliverance
B.  Our enemies
1.  Tear and rip to pieces
2.  Like a lion
C.  Our only hope of rescue

II.  THANKSGIVING FOR SELF-REFLECTION (vv. 3-5)

A.  "If I have"
B.  "Then let my enemy"
C.  Our ability to change

III.  THANKSGIVING FOR HIS JUSTICE (vv. 6-8)

A.  Inviting God's justice
B.  Judge me
1.  According to my righteousness
2.  According to my integrity

IV.  THANKSGIVING FOR HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (vv. 9-13)

A.  Righteous God - actions
B.  Righteous shield - protection
C.  Righteous judge - discernment
D.  Righteous indignation - judgment

V.  THANKSGIVING FOR HIS PROVIDENCE (vv. 14-16)

A.  Not dertermined, but designed
B.  Recoiled trouble/self inflicted violence
C.  Arrogance and humility

VI.  THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE (v. 17)

In an uncertain world, we can be certain of His salvation, justice, righteousness and providence and give Him praise.  Without acknowledging who God is, how can we understand who we are?

CHALLENGE

Look back on your life where you feel abandoned or wronged by what God allowed to happen in your life.  How was God's justice or righteousness at play during that moment in your life?  Do you believe that God is just?  Do you believe that God is righteous?  How can your perspective on these issues change your outlook on life?  Take one event from your past where you felt God was unjust to you.  Pray for insight into God's justice and righteousness in that moment.  Speak to another person about this event and ask them how God showed his justice/righteousness.

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - Thanksgiving for His Righteousness - Psalm 7:1-17 (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church of Christ in Livonia, MI, on October 27, 2019)

Psalm 7:1-17

I Take Refuge in You

A Shiggaiona of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

1O LORD my God, I take refuge in You;

save me and deliver me from all my pursuers,

2or they will shred my soul like a lion,

and tear me to pieces with no one to rescue me.

3O LORD my God, if I have done this,

if injustice is on my hands,

4if I have rewarded my allyb with evil,

if I have plundered my foe without cause,

5then may my enemy pursue me and overtake me;

may he trample me to the ground

and leave my honor in the dust.

Selah

6Arise, O LORD, in Your anger;

rise up against the fury of my enemies.

Awake, my God, and ordain judgment.

7Let the assembled peoples encompass You;

take Your seat over them on high.

8The LORD judges the peoples;

vindicate me, O LORD,

according to my righteousness and integrity.

9Put an end to the evil of the wicked,

but establish the righteous,

O righteous God who searches hearts and minds.c

10My shield is with God,

who saves the upright in heart.

11God is a righteous judge

and a God who feels indignation each day.

12If one does not repent,

God will sharpen His sword;

He has bent and strung His bow.

13He has prepared His deadly weapons;

He ordains His arrows with fire.

14Behold, the wicked man travails with evil;

he conceives trouble and births falsehood.

15He has dug a hole and hollowed it out;

he has fallen into a pit of his own making.

16His trouble recoils on himself,

and his violence falls on his own head.

17I will thank the LORD for His righteousness

and sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Footnotes:

1 a Probably a musical or liturgical term
4 b Hebrew the one at peace with me
9 c Hebrew hearts and kidneys

The Berean Bible (www.Berean.Bible) Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018, 2019 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - Sermon Outline for October 20, 2019 (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church of Christ in Livonia, MI, on October 20, 2019)

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - Thanksgiving for Everything - October 20, 2019

Video - Worship countdown

Prayers

INTRODUCTION

Pilgrims had it right we should throw a feast for every good thing God has done.

"Blessed" - "Too blessed to be stressed"
How should we respond to what God has done for us.

Gratitude journal

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
‭‭I Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

I.  ALWAYS REJOICE

We have much to rejoice about - celebration of Shirley's life, our new digs, a Savior who died for us

A.  "Always"
B.  Greetings, joy, glad
C.  Good/bad, happy/sad

II. ALWAYS PRAY

Shortest verse in the Bible

A.  "Unceasingly"
B.  Wish, ask

III.  ALWAYS GIVE THANKS

A.  "In everything" - same root as "always"
B.  Everything means everything - big/little, difficult/beneficial
C.  Euxaristeite - word for communion, the Lord's Supper, "good grace"
D.  Always!!!!

Christians should always be rejoicing, praying, thanking

CHALLENGE

Gratitude does not have to be saved for the "big" things in life.  The habit of being grateful starts with appreciating every good thing in life and recognizing that there is nothing too small for you to be thankful for.

Even if it is as simple as appreciating the clear weather or how quickly your mailman delivered your mail last Friday, don't leave anything out when practicing your gratitude.

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - I Thessalonians 5:16-18 (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church of Christ in Livonia, MI, on October 20, 2019)

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:16-18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - Sermon Outline for October 13, 2019 (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church of Christ in Livonia, MI, on October 13, 2019)

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - Thanksgiving and Worship - October 13, 2019

Video - Worship countdown

Prayers

INTRODUCTION

Christianity as response of grateful hearts or latest attempt at humanism

Thanks and worship - intertwined (Burns and Allen, Ernie and Bert, Batman and Robin, biscuits and gravy, peanut butter and jelly, ham and cheese, thanks and worship.  It doesn't roll off the tongue the same, but . . .

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:1-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"It is he who made us, and not we ourselves."  Psalm 100:3a (alternative)

Appropriate ways to respond to our God

I.  SHOUT FOR JOY TO THE LORD

A.  When is the last time you acted like a fanatic?
B.  Let out a shout
C.  Express yourself

II.  WORSHIP THE LORD WITH GLADNESS

A.  Worship Class at KCC - "Define worship"
B.  Gladness
C.  Christians - "the frozen chosen," dour, sullen, gloomy, grumpy, mean

III.  COME BEFORE HIM WITH JOYFUL SONGS

A.  Not worship style
B.  Joyful

IV.  KNOW THAT THE LORD IS GOD

A.  It is He who made us.
B.  We are His.
C.  We are His people.
D.  We are the sheep of his pasture.

V.  ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING AND HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE

A.  Show up

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
‭‭ Hebrews‬ ‭10:24-25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

B.  Gates with thanksgiving
C.  Courts with praise

VI.  GIVE THANKS TO HIM

A.  Words
B.  What else?

"Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son"
by Don Moen

VII.  PRAISE HIS NAME

A.  For the Lord is good
B.  His love endures forever
C.  His faithfulness continues through all generations

CHALLENGE

Express yourself.  Sometimes it's not enough to simply keep your gratitude to yourself. You can increase your feelings of gratitude by expressing that same gratitude to the people your care about.  Soul Pancake, a group that works to discover the "science of happiness," ran an experiment where they encouraged people to write a letter to a person they were grateful for.  By itself, this exercise increased their levels of happiness from 2 to 4%.  However, when the same people made a phone call to the person they were thankful for to express their gratitude directly, happiness levels jumped from 4% to 19%.

Not only does expressing your gratitude for someone make their day a little brighter, but it can do wonders for increasing your own levels of gratitude and happiness in the long run.

Let's express our gratitude to others with spoken words.  Let's also express our thanks to God in words.  Out loud!

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - Thanksgiving and Life (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church of Christ in Livonia, MI, on October 13, 2019)

So many have been so helpful as we have been undergoing our renovation at Kenwood Church.  To list the number of people would be an undertaking.

One of my greatest concerns has been removing and reinstalling our sanctuary sound system.  Last night Jeff Nolte put everything back just the way it was.  He had done the work of labeling and organizing our entire system so that reinstallation would go smoothly.  After quite a bit of putting, placing, moving, and figuring, our sound system was ready to reboot.

While there was one minor hiccup, the system came back up, and we are ready for Sunday.  The minor hiccup was a power button that needed to be in the "off" position and not the "on" position.  I was so thankful that Jeff figured it out.  I am so grateful that he knew what he was doing.  I am thrilled that he had put all the hard work into preparing for this process.  I am glad that he considered that a switch might need to be "off" for everything to turn "on."  I am very thankful.

Thanks, Jeff, for your great work.  One of my greatest concerns is no more.  On to the next concern.

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - Perspective (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church of Christ in Livonia, MI, on October 13, 2019)

"Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture."  (Psalm 100:3)

It seems only fitting that the creature should be thankful to the creator.  We, his people, his sheep, should be grateful for life and all that entails.  We should give thanks to the one who has given us everything.

We are so blessed!

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - Psalm 100:1-5 Oct. 13 sermon text (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church of Christ in Livonia, MI, on October 13, 2019)

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

1Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

2Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

3Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his ^a ;

we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name.

5For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

his faithfulness continues through all generations.

---

Footnotes:
a 3 Or and not we ourselves

---

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church of Christ in Livonia, MI, on October 13, 2019)

"Thanksgiving: An Attitude of Gratitude" is our new sermon series.  We will journey through the Scriptures as we look at being thankful. 

Last week we considered Philippians 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  I confessed that my life has been full of anxiety during our building renewal.  In fact, I think I was more stressed returning from vacation than before I left.  

Thanksgiving allows me to express that it is going to be OK even before the events unfold.  Paul's admonition to pray and petition "with thanksgiving" seems to put the cart before the horse but actually gets the horse where it ought to be.  I should have been thankful for what God would do to get us through the renovations.  I really should have.

Before I left for vacation, we thought we would have to destroy the majority of the pews in order to get them out of the way.  After returning, God showed that He had already taken care of it.  Jim Pittman, Betty Page's nephew, graciously took all of the pews to Saranac and is repurposing them.  He has a history of helping people in need and intends to use the pews to do just that.

I challenged us all to keep a "Gratitude Journal" for the next 2 months until the sermon series concludes at the end of November.  I have also asked that you consider posting a comment on this blog, www.kenwoodsermons.blogspot.com, about your reasons to be thankful.  

Let's be thankful people.  Let's show people what's in our hearts.  

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - October 6, 2019 sermon outline (a blogpost for a sermon to be preached at Kenwood Church of Christ in Livonia, MI, on October 6, 2019)

THANKSGIVING: An Attitude of Gratitude - October 6, 2019

Video - Worship countdown

Prayers

INTRODUCTION

New sermon series - Thanksgiving: An Attitude of Gratitude

Gratitude

Thankful for you as we have made this journey to improving our facilities to the glory of God.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I cook, cook, cook.  Until this year.

Home Depot - Halloween and Christmas, no visible Thanksgiving stuff

We have a lot to be thankful for (ask people)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I.  DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING

A.  Don't be anxious about "anything"

B.  "In every situation"

C.  Pews are part of "anything" and "every situation"

II.  PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING

A.  "Pray believing"

B.  How often do you ask and don't believe

C.  You can think, worry, consider, ponder, rationalize it; pray about it.

III.  TELL GOD WHAT YOU NEED

A.  Acknowledge your need

B.  How 

1.  Prayer - "wish toward" "pray toward" properly "exchange of wishes"

2.  Petition (supplication) - ask

3.  Presentation - make them known like a presentation

IV.  THANK HIM FOR ALL HE HAS DONE

A.  Eucharist - the Lord's Supper  

B.  We have enough reasons to be thankful that we don't need another

C.  Thanksgiving begins and ends with His sacrifice on our behalf

CHALLENGE

Keep a gratitude journal.  Comment on my blog with reasons for thanksgiving over the next 2 months .  Start to collect reasons to be thankful.

Sent from my iPad