Christianity is An EXTREME LIFESTYLE - There is Nothing Mediocre Nothing Casual about it. Religion has TRIED to WATER DOWN Christianity

Transcription

1 Spc Extreme Thankfulness Eph 5:20 Christianity is An EXTREME LIFESTYLE - There is Nothing Mediocre Nothing Casual about it Religion has TRIED to WATER DOWN Christianity But The Christianity of the Bible Is the MOST Extreme Lifestyle a person can live INCLUDING when it comes - to Being Thankful If you are a Christian today - You KNOW that Thankfulness to God should be a Regular Part of the Christian Life & MOST of us have expressed the THINGS we are Thankful for on Thanksgiving Day or at OTHER times But - There s a Part of our Customary Thankfulness - That might actually FALL SHORT - of EXTREME THANKFULNESS Often - Our approach to Thankfulness is Primarily in response to Good Circumstances & Material Blessings & DON T Get me Wrong - we SHOULD be Thankful for those things The Bible has PLENTY to SAY on our Thankfulness to God - for Good Circumstances & Material Blessings But I d Like to talk today - about a Thankfulness that is FAR MORE POWERFUL 1

2 & To try to Convey The Difference I Want to use The Phrase - EXTREME THANKFULNESS EXTREME THANKFULNESS is NOT Connected to ANY - Good Circumstance, or Material Blessing EXTREME THANKFULNESS - Goes BEYOND our Good Circumstances & Material Blessings EXTREME THANKFULNESS is the FRUIT of a Relationship w/ God that SURPASSES ALL Circumstances (Good or Bad) EXTREME THANKFULNESS Goes Beyond ANY Circumstance to WHO GOD IS - in our Lives - (repeat) Let s Pray A.W. Tozer - in The Pursuit of God: The man who has God as his treasure has all things in one, and he has it purely, legitimately, and forever. & RIGHT THERE - Is THE SOURCE of Our Extreme Thankfulness God HIMSELF is our Treasure God HIMSELF is the Ultimate Reason for our Thankfulness & if we will GROW in our BELIEF of THAT Great Truth we will GROW in our life of EXTREME THANKFULNESS 2

3 EXTREME THANKFULNESS to God Continually FLOWS Out Of the Writers of the N.T. Paul exhorts us - in EVERY book he writes - to LIVE a Life of Extreme Thankfulness - Not Tied to ANY Circumstance & 1 of the Best Vs s of this Critical Truth - is Eph 5:20 (turn there) The Context here - is Being FILLED with the Spirit & v.20 is PART - of The FRUIT (Evidence) of Being Filled with The Holy Spirit Eph 5:18 says Be continually being filled with the Holy Spirit & THEN The Following Vs s ELABORATE on that COMMAND... MEANING THIS is what it LOOKS LIKE when we ARE FILLED with the Holy Spirit AND These are also ALL PROOFS (Evidenices) of a LIFE of EXTREME THANKFULNESS Ephesians 5:19 20 (ESV) 19 (1) addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, (2) singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 (3) giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, What a Great Picture of EXTREME THANKFULNESS!! (1) addressing one another in psalms, hymns & spiritual songs, (2) singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 3

4 (3) giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, THIS - is the EXTREME LIFE Jesus Christ DIED to GIVE US THIS - is the EXTREME LEVEL of THANKFULNESS that is Available to us RIGHT NOW Now - The First TWO Evidences are Great but we re going to focus on just the THIRD ONE today giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Guys We can KNOW that Our Relationship with the Lord is reaching a New Level When we begin to be Thankful to God - IN THE MIDST of Every SITUATION - In the Midst of Every THING When we begin to GROW PAST - Thankfulness based on Good Circumstances & Material Blessings & begin to Live a LIFE - of Extreme Thankfulness & PRAISE So- HOW do we do that? HOW do we BEGIN to GROW PAST - Thankfulness for Good Circumstances & Material Blessings... INTO a LIFESTYLE - Where we are TRULY giving thanks ALWAYS and for EVERYTHING 4

5 The FIRST STEP is a TRUE & Complete SURRENDER to the LOVE and CARE - God has for us It s Trusting Him Completely INCLUDING a FULL & Complete SURRENDER to God s PLAN & God s DIRECTION for our Lives I think Most Christians END their Journey to EXTREME THANKFULNESS RIGHT HERE! Because - If we Don t Truly TRUST God s Love & Care for us & If we Are NOT Fully SURRENDERED to God s PLAN & DIRECTION for our Lives Then we can t even Hope to even BEGIN this Journey So, FIRST This is Matter of COMPLETE SURRENDER & an ALL IN FAITH NEXT - There is a HUGE FOUNDATIONAL BELIEF That must LIE as the BEDROCK - UNDER Every Situation & Every Circumstance in our Lives This Command in Eph 5:20 to give thanks always and for everything is NO Willy-Nilly Statement for Paul There is a Rock-Solid FAITH that Brings About this EXTREME THANKFULNESS 5

6 There is a MASSIVE FOUNDATIONAL BELIEF - that UNDERLIES this Statement & that Massive Foundational Belief - Is This... If you are a Child of God today, thru Faith in Jesus Christ Then - God is AT WORK For Your Ultimate Good & For His Ultimate Glory ALWAYS - & IN EVERY THING [repeat] That means there s something going on - BEHIND what you see The TEMPORAL, & the PHYSICAL - DO NOT have the FINAL SAY The ETERNAL Work of God - has the FINAL SAY Extreme Thankfulness Looks PAST the Temporal - To the Eternal Looks PAST the Present - & Trusts God with the Future BECAUSE of WHO God IS in our Lives Because of WHO God IS in our Lives... We CAN have this Rock-Solid FAITH We CAN have an IMMOVABLE FOUNDATIONAL BELIEF That God is AT WORK - For Our Good - & For His Glory... In EVERY Circumstance & EVERY Situation 6

7 & the More you Build That FOUNDATION OF FAITH in your life The More you will Develop EXTREME THANKFULNESS EXTREME THANKFULNESS Looks PAST The Temporal - & to the Eternal & EXTREME THANKFULNESS is always TRUSTING That God is AT WORK - For OUR Good - & For HIS Glory Now - It might also help to know - The Greek word FOR (Eph 5:20) (giving thanks always and FOR everything) The Word FOR can also be translated OVER - BEYOND - & even - IN PLACE OF Because EXTREME THANKFULNESS is Thankfulness OVER our Circumstances BEYOND our Circumstances & EVEN IN PLACE OF our Circumstances Amen? NEXT HOW does the End of Eph 5:20 tell us We can Do This? Eph 5:20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, In the Name of - Means - According to WHO Jesus Christ IS We Give Thanks to God ALWAYS - & in EVERYTHING According to WHO Jesus Christ IS in our Lives 7

8 NOT Because of WHAT we SEE But Because of WHO is AT WORK in our Lives We Give Thanks According to WHO Jesus Christ IS in our Lives NOT according to what our Circumstances may or may not be THAT - is the Beginning of EXTREME THANKFULNESS & THAT will radically change a Christian s life NEXT In order to Begin to GROW in EXTREME THANKFULNESS WE must... FIX OUR EYES We must always have our EYES FIRMLY FIXED on God s ETERNAL PLAN & FIRMLY NOT-FIXED on our Temporal Circumstances Turn over to - 2 Cor Ch4 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT) 17 For our present troubles are small and won t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! From an ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE From GOD S PERSPECTIVE Our Present Troubles are SMALL & WON T LAST Very Long Yet these Present - Small & Temporary Troubles are PRODUCING in us... a GLORY that Vastly OUTWEIGHS them - & will LAST FOREVER! 8

9 These Troubles are PRODUCING IN US The WORD (producing) means to CULTIVATE to PREPARE Like you would CULTIVATE the Ground to Produce a CROP It s NOT JUST that we have to PUT UP with these Small & Temporary Troubles It s that THEY are Actually - PRODUCING IN US the Eternal GLORY that God has PLANNED for us Our ETERNAL GLORY is NOT going to Come IN SPITE of our Difficulties Our Eternal Glory is actually BEING PRODUCED BY our Difficulties Just WRITE this REF Down 1Pet 1:3-7 1 Peter 1:7 says - (NLT) 7... when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. Can you hear me when I say Please... The Eternal Work God is Doing In you is NOT IN SPITE of your DIFFICULTIES... God is Actually USING Your Difficulties To PRODUCE the Eternal Glory He has PLANNED for you BELIEVING That is Growing in EXTREME THANKFULNESS 9

10 Are you still at 2COR 4:17?? ok NEXT - EXTREME THANKFULNESS is a Matter of WHERE YOU LIVE! If you are Living FOR TODAY For what you can GET TODAY For what God can DO for you TODAY Then you are Living In A Place where EXTREME THANKFULNESS will be COMPLETELY FOREIGN to You & you re probably thinking right now... What do you mean my present troubles are small & temporary? What do YOU know about my troubles...? I know what GOD SAYS About them!! & there s a CHANCE you may be FIGHTING God on that a bit HOW can we LIVE in The RIGHT PLACE? HOW can WE get God s Perspective? HOW can WE JOIN GOD in how HE sees Our Troubles? (Nxt Vs after 2Cor 4:17) - 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NLT) 18 So we don t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. EXTREME THANKFULNESS is a MATTER of Where you LIVE! 10

11 If you LIVE in the Temporary Troubles you can SEE NOW You can Forget ever having this level of Thankfulness But if you will FIX YOUR GAZE on the Eternal Things you CANNOT SEE God will Begin to TRANSFORM You, by The RENEWING of your MIND WHERE do you LIVE in Regard to your Troubles? Do you live in the MIDDLE of them? Or do you live BEYOND them? Because if you will MOVE From Living in the Middle of your Troubles to Living BEYOND them... Then you will END UP being able to SAY WITH Paul in Romans 8:18 (ESV) 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. THAT - is some EXTREME THANKFULNESS I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. & THAT Promise - is Worth Being EXTREMELY THANKFUL For 11

12 Extreme Thankfulness is the PERSPECTIVE of All NT writers - & it s the Perspective - EVERY Believer is Exhorted to Have In fact - EXTREME THANKFULNESS is one of the Great Signs Of a Heart that is Truly CONNECTED to Jesus Christ It s the MARK of a Christian who Understands Their REAL LIFE - & Their REAL BLESSINGS Come THRU a PERSON NOT a Circumstance Colossians 3:3 (nlt)... your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (esv) For all the promises of God find their Yes in him (Jesus)... Colossians 2:3 (NLT) 3 In [Christ] lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. When a Christian stops trying to Get STUFF from God & realizes that God HIMSELF is THE TREASURE They will begin to Understand EXTREME THANKFULNESS & Consider Paul s THORN IN THE FLESH?? Did Paul have Extreme Thankfulness for THAT?? In 2Cor 12:7 Paul says that FOR HIS GOOD he was given a Thorn in the Flesh & THREE TIMES he Begged the Lord to take it away 12

13 But in 2Cor 12:9 - Each time the Lord said to Paul My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. & Paul understood - God was doing Something BIGGER than just making his circumstances right God wanted to be Glorified - THRU Paul s Life & so Paul - SEEING Things From GOD S Perspective says in the remainder of 2Cor 12:9 - Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. & then Paul Summarizes his Extreme Thankfulness in 2Cor 12:10 - For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. THAT - is EXTREME THANKFULNESS & now you want to Say - HOW DAVE - HOW?? & I believe the FIRST KEY QUESTION - that determines whether we can Live a Life of EXTREME THANKFULNESS is this: Are you living for YOURSELF? Or are you Living FOR Jesus Christ? 13

14 Because - if you are still living for YOURSELF & you Still THINK - God s Role is to make YOU Happy Then You will never live in EXTREME THANKFULNESS BUT - Do you understand - that right where you find yourself today You can begin Living your life for Jesus Christ? Probably the Most Influential Single Document that came out of the Reformation of the 16th Century Is called - The SHORTER WESTMINSTER CATECHISM in which the Grand Theology of the Protestant Reformation is Summarized in 107 Questions Question #1 - Put at the TOP for obvious PRIORITY Reasons, is: Q. What is the chief end of man? A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. A True Christians Life is NOT SELF-FOCUS - it is a GOD-FOCUS it s not a Life of Demanding FROM God it s a Life of GIVING God Glory - & ENJOYING Him forever & you can CHOOSE to BEGIN doing that TODAY As Colossians 3:17 says (esv) 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 14

15 WHERE-EVER you Find Yourself Today you can begin to GLORIFY God & ENJOY Him forever & one of the KEY WAYS to do that is to begin practicing EXTREME THANKFULNESS ALWAYS - & for EVERYTHING (as Eph 5:20 says) & if you d like a TRAINING MANUAL on Extreme Thankfulness Go to AMAZON.COM - & buy this book 31 Days of Praise - by Ruth Myers Guys - the Christian Life is a life of EXTREME THANKFULNESS Thankfulness that GOES; Beyond Good Circumstances - & Beyond Material Blessings It s an EXTREME LIFE of Giving Thanks always to God & Giving Thanks for (above & beyond) everything to God & Giving Thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ 15

16 & the #1 question that Determines whether you will Experience EXTREME THANKFULNESS or NOT - is this one WHAT CONSUMES YOUR FOCUS? If you are FOCUSED on the circumstances of this Temporal, Fleeting, Vapor of a life Then you will never be able to Experience This EXTREME THANKFULNESS But if your Focus is FIRMLY FIXED on Eternity On God s Eternal PURPOSE for you On God s Eternal REWARD for You On God s Eternal RELATIONSHIP with you Then THAT is what your EXTREME THANKFULNESS will COME FROM Please Hear Me If you have Fully Surrendered your life to Jesus Christ Then God is with you He is AT Work - IN your circumstances, & FOR your ultimate good And He is worthy of your EXTREME THANKFULNESS, at all times. Let s Pray 16