THE CHRISTMAS ANGELS: Divine Messengers - The Angel to Zechariah (Luke 1:1-25) 12-1-24

THE CHRISTMAS ANGELS: Divine Messengers - The Angel to Zechariah (Luke 1:1-25) 12-1-24

INTRODUCTION

Video - Good New (Christmas)

Give out “The Life and Teachings of Jesus of Nazareth”

Sheep, shepherds, and angels - church Christmas programs

There was a couple who desperately wanted children. They prayed to the Lord and he gave them 4 children in 4 years. When the children were still 5 years old and younger, they were the stars of the Christmas pageant. Here are the mothers words to describe the production: “My daughter was playing Mary, two of my sons were shepherds and my youngest son was a wise man. This was their moment to shine. My 5 year old shepherd had practiced his line, ‘We found the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.’ But he was nervous and said, ‘The baby was wrapped in wrinkled clothes.’ My 4 year old (playing the part of Mary) said, ‘That’s not wrinkled clothes, it’s dirty, rotten clothes.’ A wrestling match broke out between Mary and the shepherd and was stopped by an angel, who bent her halo and lost her left wing. Finally, my other son stepped forward wearing a bathrobe and a paper crown, knelt at the manger and announced, ‘We are the three wise men, and we are bringing gifts of gold, common sense and fur.’ The congregation dissolved into laughter, and the pageant got a standing ovation. ‘I’ve never enjoyed a Christmas program as much as this one,’ laughed the preacher, wiping tears from his eyes. ‘For the rest of my life, I’ll never hear the Christmas story without thinking of gold, common sense and fur.’”

Davon Huss, Sermon Central, December 24, 2012.

This sermon series will focus on the Biblical stories about the angels of Christmas.

Angel = messenger

“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.” Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.””

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1:1-25‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  LACK OF FAITH

A.  Zechariah was startled and gripped with fear.

B.  Zechariah did not believe the Angel of God.

“Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.””

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Zechariah did not believe God could do it.

“I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so made that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety.

In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath--these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely--these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, "We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact."

But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality.”

Dr. E. Stanley Jones

II.  FULL OF FAITH

A.  Elizabeth was with child when she was well along in years.

B.  Elizabeth gives credit to God.

“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭1‬:‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Elizabeth believed God could do it.

"Faith enables us to understand what God does. Faith enables us to see what others cannot see. As a result, faith enables us to do what others cannot do."

Warren Wiersbe

III.  A CALL TO FAITH

A 2001 newspaper article explained that the president celebrated many faiths during the holidays – not only Christmas, but also presiding over a Jewish Hanukkah celebration and commemorating the end of Ramadan in a Washington mosque. Ari Fleischer, presidential spokesman, said, "The purpose is not to preach a particular faith. The purpose is to celebrate faith itself."

Christianity offers something different. Christmas preaches a very particular faith, because it is God’s specific fulfillment of a very precise promise.

Glenn Durham, Sermon Central, “The First Promise – The Enduring Hope”, 6/7/2010.

A.  The birth demands our faith.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

‭‭ Isaiah‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  Our faith in the Christ child changes everything.

“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Our faith now is the hope for others to have faith at some unknown point in the future.

“For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

‭‭Titus‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

CONCLUSION

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

This reminds me of the story from Alex Domokos of Winnipeg as told in Readers Digest, Dec. 2004.

My mother, a teacher, was having a hard time settling on a suitable role for one of her students in the Grade 3 Christmas pageant. Finally, she decided he should be the innkeeper, a role she felt he could handle. All he had to do was tell Joseph, "There is no room at the inn."

Everything went fine at rehearsals, but when Joseph begged for a room for his pregnant wife during the first performance, the lad didn’t have the heart to turn him down. To everyone’s surprise, he said, "If it’s so urgent, please come in."

This story is so urgent that God sent messengers to deliver the message.  As you are confronted with an opportunity to demonstrate your faith, will you?  Will you be faithful?  Will you live by faith?

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.

S.U.M. It Up! 11-27-24

    

11-24-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The fulfilled vow 11-24-24

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The fulfilled vow 11-24-24

INTRODUCTION

We need to act grateful.

We need to proclaim gratitude.

In the middle of President Lincoln’s Presidency, an elderly lady made an appointment to see him. As she entered his office, he inquired, "How can I be of service to you, Madam?"

The lady answered, "Mr. President, I know you are a very busy man, and I have not come to ask you for anything. I simply came to bring you this box of cookies."

There was a long silence. Tears flowed from Lincoln’s eyes as he began:

"Madam, I am greatly moved by what you have done. For since I have become President, people have come into this office one after another asking for favors and demanding things from me. You are the first person who has ever entered these premises asking no favor but bringing a gift. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

Jeff Strite, Just "That Close" To Loving God, 2/7/2010.

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

‭‭ Psalm‬ ‭116:12-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  RECOGNIZING GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭ 1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I’m sure you have all heard of Rudyard Kipling. He is the author of famous books like The Jungle Book and Captain Courageous. His writings not only made him famous but also brought him a fortune. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, "Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over one hundred dollars a word.” Then the reporter reached into his pocket and pulled out a one hundred-dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said, “Here’s a one hundred dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now you give me one of your hundred dollar words.”

Rudyard Kipling looked at the money, put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks!"

Sajeev Painunkal, Sermon Central, October 10, 2010. 

A.  Count your blessings

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”

‭‭ Psalm‬ ‭118‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  How has God been good to you?

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  God’s blessings in Jesus

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

‭‭ Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

II.  FULFILLING OUR VOWS TO THE LORD 

Eric Snyder, Minister of the Farwell Church of Christ tells this story:

I recently did a wedding. During the wedding rehearsal, the groom pulled me aside and made me an offer.

He said "Look, I’ll give you $100 if you’ll change the wedding vows. When you get to me and the part where I’m to promise to ’love, honor and obey,’ I’d appreciate it if you’d just leave that part out." He gave me a $100 bill and walked away.

The day of the wedding the bride and groom were in front of me and we were to that part of the ceremony where the vows are exchanged. When it came time for the groom’s vows, I looked at the young man and said "Will you promise to bow down before her, obey her every command and wish, serve her breakfast in bed every morning of your life and swear eternally before God and your lovely wife that you will not ever even look at another woman, as long as you both shall

live?"

The groom gulped and looked around, and said in a tiny voice, "Yes." Then He leaned in and asked “what happened I thought we had a deal."

So I gave him his 100 dollars back and told him that she had made a better offer.

Eric A. Snyder, Minister, Farwell Church of Christ, in the sermon,"A Friend Like That.”

A.  Doing what we say

“When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”

‭‭ Numbers‬ ‭30‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  Completion of a promise

        It’s the story of a friendship forged during one of the worst battles of World War II, and a promise made almost 60 years ago, a promise that was finally kept Thursday, Aug. 2, 2001. HAROLD HUGGINS, a veteran of 10 major campaigns in World War II and the last survivor of his battalion, traveled halfway across the country by train on one last mission in memory of his best buddy.

"I had this on my mind for 57 years, trying to locate his sister and loved ones out there in California," says Huggins. "Part of him lives in me."

Huggins, from Albany, Ill., and Mack McClain from Marysville, Calif., were best friends in the army. They wound up together at Anzio Beach, Italy, scene of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. Mack had a premonition that he wouldn’t make it out of there alive, so he gave Harold some mementos, a belt, some photos, and said: "’Give this to my sister, tell her that I love her,’ Huggins recalls. ’You can even give her a kiss.’"

Harold promised if anything happened to Mack he would do what was asked. One day later, Mack was killed in an artillery barrage. After the war, Harold looked for Mack’s sister but he never found her until Harold’s daughter sent out e-mails to various veterans groups. Some California vets found Mack’s sister, Grace, whose last name changed when she married.

"We have always hoped and prayed that we would meet somebody that would tell us about Mack," says Grace.

Thursday, Aug. 2nd, at the place where his buddy’s name is engraved in marble at the veterans memorial in Marysville, Calif., Harold Huggins kept that promise he made 57 years ago, meeting Mack’s sister for the very first time and giving her that kiss that Mack asked Harold to deliver, turning over those mementos from his fallen friend.

Steve Shepherd, Sermon Central, October 31, 2002.

“If you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the Lord your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the Lord your God with your own mouth.”

‭‭ Deuteronomy‬ ‭23‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.”

‭‭ Ecclesiastes‬ ‭5‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Honoring our Lord

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭33‬-‭37‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

  

III. FULFILLING OUR VOWS AS GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

A.  Fulfill a vow you made to the Lord.

B.  Tell someone else why you fulfilled your vow to the Lord.

C.  Demonstrate your devotion in the presence of all his people.

CONCLUSION

We must recognize God’s goodness to us.  We must “fulfill our vow to the Lord.”  We must demonstrate our devotion in the presence of all his people.

Writer and speaker Lewis Smedes says:

Yes, somewhere people still make and keep promises.

They choose not to quit when the going gets rough because they promised once to see it through.

They stick to lost causes.

They hold on to a love grown cold.

They stay with people who have become pains in the neck.

They still dare to make promises and care enough to keep the promises they make.

I want to say to you that if you have a ship you will not desert, if you have people you will not forsake, if you have causes you will not abandon, then you are like God.

What a marvelous thing a promise is!

When a person makes a promise, she reaches out into an unpredictable future and makes one thing predictable: she will be there even when being there costs her more than she wants to pay.

When a person makes a promise, he stretches himself out into circumstances that no one can control and controls at least one thing: he will be there no matter what the circumstances turn out to be.

With one simple word of promise, a person creates an island of certainty in a sea of uncertainty.

When a person makes a promise, she stakes a claim on her personal freedom and power.

When you make a promise, you take a hand in creating your own future.

Lewis Smedes, "The Power of Promises," A Chorus of Witnesses, edited by Long and Plantinga, (Eerdmans, 1994).

“Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

‭‭ 2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.

S.U.M. It Up! 11-20-24

    

11-17-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The proclamation of gratitude 11-17-24

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The proclamation of gratitude 11-17-24

INTRODUCTION

A young salesman lands a job selling new windows door to door. On his first day of the job he comes across this sweet older lady who agrees to purchase a beautiful new window in her living room. A few days after the job was completed the salesmen gets a call from the lady informing him that she is not happy with the view from her new window.

Wanting to make a good impression at his new job the young salesmen works with the lady and replaces the window with a much larger one at no additional cost.

A few days pass and he once again gets a call from the lady saying that she is not happy with the view from her window; once again the salesman doubles the size of the window at no additional cost.

As predicted a few days pass and the lady calls him again letting him know that she is not happy with the view from her new window. The young salesman explains to the woman that he has just installed the newest, most efficient, largest window that the company sells and asks her what the problem is with the window.

The lady responds that every time she looks out the large new window she can still see the ugly old oak tree in her front yard.

Bill Love, Sermon Central, July 29, 2009.

We need to act grateful.

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

‭‭ Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

John Henry Jowett said, “Gratitude is a vaccine, an antitoxin, and an antiseptic.”

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

Cicero

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

‭‭ Psalm‬ ‭116:12-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  RECOGNIZING GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

“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

A.  Count your blessings

What is your second greatest blessing?  How many blessings were in the running?

B.  How has God been good to you?

In a sense, gratitude is an expression of modesty. In Hebrew, the word for gratitude - hoda’ah - is the same as the word for confession. To offer thanks is to confess dependence, to acknowledgment that others have the power to benefit you, to admit that your life is better because of their efforts. That frame of mind is indispensable to civilized society.

Jeff Jacoby, "The Power of Giving Thanks,” Boston Globe Staff, 11/23/2000.

C.  God’s blessings in Jesus

A lady was on a lake steamer when her little girl fell overboard, and the woman was almost frantic. A gentleman on the boat had a large Newfoundland dog. The dog was directed to leap into the water and save the child. He did so and swam ashore with the little girl, part of her dress in his mouth, I suppose. The mother seized her saved child, and kissed her again and again. Then turning to the dog, she hugged and kissed that dog, with a heart full of gratitude to the animal.

That’s more than some people have ever done for Jesus Christ, although He hung on the cross to save them from sin and hell.

William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

II.  CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD

"If Jesus Christ be God and died for me," said the great British athlete C. T. Studd, "then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him."

Norman Grubb, C. T. Studd, Cricketer and Pioneer, p. 141.

A. Verbal proclamation 

Too often our gratitude is dependent upon the circumstances of life. A beautiful hymn was written by Martin Rinkart during the thirty-year war to help us look beyond our circumstances and see the hand of God. Rinkart was a pastor in Saxony, Germany as the turbulent years of the war dragged on. For a time he was the only pastor in his town. His pastoral duties caused him to preside at nearly 4500 burials in 1637 alone. In the context of this sad situation and these unfavorable circumstances he penned the words to Now Thank We All Our God. It is a hymn of unconditional gratitude to God.

Now thank we all our God

With Heart, hands, and voices

Who wondrous things has done

In whom his world rejoices

Thankful people don’t have to have everything going their way to rejoice.

John Roy, Sermon Central, January 19, 2001.

“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 ‭7‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  Speaking to God

Fanny Crosby was only six weeks old when she developed a minor eye inflammation. It was a simple thing to treat even in 1820, the year she was born. All the doctor had to do was apply some poultices to her eyes with a little medication. Only the doctor that treated Fanny Crosby was careless. He put too much medication in the poultices, and she went totally and permanently blind.

Later in life, she said of the doctor, "If I could meet him now, I would say 'thank you' over and over again for making me blind." That’s because she saw her blindness as a gift from God. It’s what helped her see Jesus in ways others seldom saw Him, for her blindness had given her spiritual insight few ever had. (Bible Illustrator #500-502, 10/1988.19)

C. Philip Green,Sermon Central, “The Blind See,” 10/28/2009.

C.  The name of the Lord

“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭69‬:‭30‬-‭31‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

D.  Private or public?

  

III. PROCLAIMING GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

A.  Say something that shows you are thankful.

B.  Tell someone else that you are thankful to God.

C.  Challenge others to proclaim gratitude to God.

“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

CONCLUSION

We must recognize God’s goodness to us.  We must “call on the name of the Lord.”  We must proclaim our gratitude for God’s goodness to us.

To illustrate how we often fail to give God the thanks he deserves, Chuck Swindoll told the following story of a man he visited in a dismal veterans hospital:

The day I arrived to visit, I saw a touching scene. This man had a young son, and during his confinement in the hospital, he had made a little wooden truck for his boy. Since the boy was not allowed to go into the ward and visit his father, an orderly had brought the gift down to the child, who was waiting in front of the hospital with his mother. The father was looking out of a fifth-floor window, watching his son unwrap the gift.

The little boy opened the package, and his eyes got wide when he saw that wonderful little truck. He hugged it to his chest.

Meanwhile, the father was walking back and forth waving his arms behind the windowpane, trying to get his son’s attention.

The little boy put the truck down and reached up and hugged the orderly and thanked him for the truck. And all the while the frustrated father was going through these dramatic gestures, trying to say, "It’s me, son. I made the truck for you. I gave that to you. Look up here!" I could almost read his lips.

Finally the mother and the orderly turned the boy’s attention up to that fifth-floor window. It was then the boy cried, "Daddy! Oh, thank you! I miss you, Daddy! Come home, Daddy. Thank you for my truck." And the father stood in the window with tears pouring down his cheeks.

How much like that child we are.

Neil Olcott, "Our Identity In Christ," 7/9/2009.

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.

S.U.M. It Up! 11-13-24

    

11-10-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The cup of salvation 11-10-24

THANKSGIVING: The Outward Expression of an Inward Reality - The cup of salvation 11-10-24

INTRODUCTION

Thanksgiving - my reasons for giving thanks

Let's consider the first Thanksgiving in America. It was in the fall of 1621, one year after the Pilgrim’s landed. There was great affliction in their voyage. 102 Pilgrims the left Holland, stopped briefly in England before sailing to America. They were at sea for 66 days. There were fierce Atlantic storms, so severe that at the half-way point, the sailors debated whether or not to turn back to England. Their accommodations were very limited, with all 102 Pilgrims below deck in the ship’s hold which was smaller than a volleyball court! With the hatches closed to keep out the beating ocean, the air grew foul, making their sea-sick condition even worse. There were no fires, and little water. Two Pilgrims did not survive the journey, and two were born during the journey.

When they landed in Massachusetts, they had no place to go. There were no villages. No stores. No one to welcome them. No way to restock their ship. They lived on and off the ship, surviving basically on the ships provision through the first winter. They built one make-shift building, and lived in fear of the Natives who were not known. They were supposed to land somewhere north of current NYC on the Hudson river, but strong winds kept them from getting there. 47 of the 102 pilgrims died during the first winter!

Govenor William Bradford wrote concerning their faith, “God gave them health and strength in a good measure; and shewed them by experience ye truth of ye word, Deut. 8. 3. Yet man liveth not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of ye mouth of ye Lord doth a man live.

Bradford, William (2011-03-17). Bradford’s History of ’Plimoth Plantation’ From the Original Manuscript. With a Report of the Proceedings Incident to the Return of the Manuscript to Massachusetts (p. 133). Kindle Edition.

“What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people.”

‭‭ Psalm‬ ‭116:12-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I.  RECOGNIZING GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

A.  Count your blessings

While on a short-term missions trip, Pastor Jack Hinton was leading worship at a leper colony on the island of Tobago. A woman who had been facing away from the pulpit turned around.

"It was the most hideous face I had ever seen," Hinton said. "The woman's nose and ears were entirely gone. She lifted a fingerless hand in the air and asked, 'Can we sing Count Your Many Blessings?'"

Overcome with emotion, Hinton left the service. He was followed by a team member who said, "I guess you’ll never be able to sing that song again."

"Yes, I will," he replied, "but I’ll never sing it the same way."

Guy McGraw, Sermon Central, February 16, 2012.

B.  How has God been good to you?

C.  God’s blessings in Jesus

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”

‭‭ Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭8‬a ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

D.  Jesus’ cup 

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.””

‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?””

‭‭John‬ ‭18‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

‭‭ Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

II.  LIFTING UP THE CUP OF SALVATION

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.””

‭‭ Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

A. The cup symbolizes something received.

B.  The lifting up of the cup symbolizes an oath.

C.  The cup of salvation is a reminder that salvation is a gift.

D.  This act is an outward expression of an inward reality.

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,”

‭‭ Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

After one of the terrible battles of the Civil War, a dying Confederate soldier asked to see the chaplain. When the chaplain arrived, he supposed the young man would wish him to ask God for his recovery; but it was very different.

First the soldier asked him to cut off a lock of his hair for is mother, and then he asked him to kneel down and thank God.

"What for?" asked the surprised chaplain.

"For giving me such a mother. Thank God that I am a Christian. And thank God for giving me grace to die with. And thank God for the home He has promised me over there."

And so the chaplain knelt down by the dying man, and in his prayer he had not a single petition to offer, but only praise and gratitude.

Bill Butsko, Sermon Central, May 9, 2008, from the Christian Herald.

  

III. DEMONSTRATING GRATITUDE FOR GOD’S GOODNESS TO YOU

Think of that little band of people who crossed the Atlantic in a boat that was 26 feet by 112 feet and landed on the New England coast during a bitter cold winter. At times that first year the daily ration of those who were well was only five grains of corn. In early New England, it was the custom at Thanksgiving time to place five kernels of corn at every plate as a reminder of those stern days in the first winter when the food of the Pilgrims was to depleted that only five kernels of corn were rationed to each individual at a time. The Pilgrim Fathers wanted their children to remember the sacrifice, sufferings, and hardships through which they had safely passed -- a fitting hardship that made possible the settlement of a free people in a free land. They wanted to keep alive the memory of that sixty-three-day trip taken in the tiny Mayflower. They desired to keep alive the thought of that stern and rock-bound coast, its inhospitable welcome, and the first terrible winter which took such a toll of lives.

They did not want their descendants to forget that on that day in which their rations was reduced to five kernels of corn, only seven healthy colonists remained to nurse the sick, and that nearly half their members lay in the windswept graveyard on the hill.

They worked seven years to repay London the loan for their trip. That was before the days of credit cards. After suffering every kind of hardship, they had a harvest of 21 acres of corn and in the fall of 1621, they immediately offered thanks to God for His blessings. This little group led by Gov. William Bradford marched triumphantly through the cornfields singing, "The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein." Then they sat down to a meal in gladness and joy. They were giving thanks to God no matter what.

Gerald Steffy, Sermon Central, “Thankful No Matter What”, 10/14/2009

A.  Do something that shows you are thankful.

B.  Say something that shows you are thankful for your salvation.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

‭‭ 1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  Share your hope of salvation with someone else as an act of gratitude.

CONCLUSION

We must recognize God’s goodness to us.  We must “lift up the cup of salvation.”  We must demonstrate gratitude for God’s goodness to us.

In the 18th-century classic, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, William Law made the following statement:

“Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. Could you therefore work miracles, you could not do more for yourself than by this thankful spirit, for it turns all that it touches into happiness.”

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭9‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.

11-3-24 Kenwood Church of Christ Live Stream