Introduction: We have tried to focus everything in our time of worship today on the importance of being thankful. This is the last of the qualities that bring unity within the church that we have been studying over the last two months. We began with love and then moved through compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, acceptance, forgiveness, and then we talked last week about peace. Now we come to the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle of unity—thankfulness.
Text: Colossians 3:16-17
Here are some questions that came to my mind as I prayed through and prepared my message for today:
What does it means to be thankful?
What do we have to be thankful for?
How do we show that we are thankful?
What expectation is there if we truly are thankful?
Hopefully as I try to answer those questions it will help each of us take inventory of our spiritual lives.
1. DEFINING
The words thankful, and thanks in our text today are a compound words that comes from two Greek words; the word for “good” and the word for “grace.” That is the background behind what we refer to at our mealtime prayers when we ask someone to “say grace.” To be thankful is to acknowledge that God’s “grace” is “good” and that He has given it to us as a testimony of His love for us.
What do you and I have to be thankful for today? First, and foremost, we have the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God’s “good grace” is seen fully in Jesus Christ who willingly gave His life on the cross so that you and I could be forgiven of our sins and receive the promise of heaven. When Jesus rose from the dead He conquered sin and death and has offered to all people the greatest gift of all—salvation of our souls. He didn’t die and rise again so that people could be “religious” He gave His life so that we could have a personal “relationship” with Him!
Do you have that assurance? Can you with certainty today give thanks because you know that Jesus is your Lord and Savior? If not, then right now you need to humble yourself before the Lord, confess your sins, and open up your heart to Him. It doesn’t matter if you have been a member of this church for 30 years; your salvation is not based on your church membership. When you face the Lord at the end our your life He isn’t going to ask you what church you were a member of, He’s going to ask you what you did with His Son Jesus Christ! There is a huge difference between knowing “about” Jesus, and knowing Jesus “personally.”
I was listening to some tapes as a traveled to Montana and back and one of the preachers made a statement that I believe we all need to deal with today:
“If Jesus hasn’t changed you, He hasn’t saved you!”
Some of you sitting here today need to ask yourself, “How has Jesus changed my life.” If He is not shaping you into His image on a daily basis…If His Holy Spirit is not guiding you and teaching you to live like Him…then you need to ask yourself: “Do I know Jesus, or do I know about Jesus?”
Here’s another way to look at this—if everyone here today who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ truly is a believer, then why aren’t we seeing the power of God displayed in our lives and in the life of this church? I’m not saying that God isn’t working, or that there aren’t some good things going on, but come on, if everyone who is a “member” of FBC has truly surrendered their heart to Jesus Christ, don’t you believe “HE” would be doing as He said, “even greater things than these.”
2. REVEALING
How do we “show” our thankfulness for who God is, and what He has done for us and in us? Paul summarized it with these two thoughts:
The message and the music need to be all about our gratitude to Jesus Christ!
I like the fact that Paul laid out several different “types” of music: Psalms, Hymns, & Spiritual Songs. What that tells me is that Paul wanted us to understand that the “heart” of the worshipper is way more important than the “style” of the music. If our worship is not centered in genuine thankfulness to the Lord it doesn’t matter what kind of songs we sing!
The other side of this coin of gratitude is the message—the Word of God. What are we supposed to do with God’s Word? Paul says it should “dwell” among us. That means it should “take up residence” within our lives and the life of the church.
If God’s Word ever “moves out” then it is time to “move on.” Any church that does not make the Word of God a priority has lost sight of what we are called to be and do. That doesn’t mean that the only thing we have to do is preach it, and teach it in Sunday School, we are supposed to be “living the Word.”
Paul said that we are to “teach and admonish one another with wisdom.” What does that mean? Well, I have a simple definition for wisdom that I think can answer that question.
Wisdom is the practical application of Godly knowledge.
In other words, it is to DO what God has shown us to do! We shouldn’t teach just to provide more knowledge, we should teach God’s Word to show people how to live for Jesus Christ. We don’t admonish just to criticize and give people are hard time, we should admonish people with the Word of God because we all need help living for Jesus on a daily basis.
Do you think the world is going to come along side of you and say, “Hey your being a little selfish, you really ought to live for Jesus and others instead of for yourself.” The world is NEVER going to tell you that! The world is going to tell you to get ALL you can and that life is really about YOU and what YOU make it!
Well, I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but you really aren’t that important! I don’t care what you think, or what anybody else has told you, but this world doesn’t revolve around you or me. This world belongs to its Creator, Jesus Christ, and He ought to be at the center of everything we say and do, and there isn’t any place better to find out what that means than being faithful to His Holy Word.
3. APPLYING
So what do we DO with this whole issue of thankfulness? I think we ought to start “living” what we say we “believe.” That is what I hear Paul saying in verse 17:
And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
Whatever you DO…not what you THINK…not what you WISH…not what you MAY DO someday…. Paul said, “Whatever you DO, in word or in deed, do it all in the name of Jesus and with a heart of thanksgiving.”
There are some of you sitting here today who aren’t DOING anything for Jesus Christ, in word or deed. You have taken His gift of grace, said a quick “thank you,” and have gone on with your life. That is not how Jesus wants you to live. If you can’t identify a way that you are striving to serve the Lord in your life then you need to examine your heart today and ask yourself just how thankful your really are.
Conclusion
In just a few minutes we are going to share in the Lord’s Supper together. We are going to celebrate Communion by remembering what Jesus taught and did for us at the cross. In some churches they refer to the Lord’s Supper or Communion as the Eucharist. Do you know why? Because that is the English equivalent to the Greek word we’ve been talking about this morning. When Paul said, “be thankful,” and challenged his readers to, “give thanks,” the word he used was eucharistos—which means, “good grace.”
As we celebrate the “goodness” of God’s “grace” I want to challenge you to ask yourself two questions today:
Do I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? I’m not asking if you are “religious” or if you are a member of this church or any other. I don’t care if your Baptist, or Catholic, or anything else, I want you to ask, “Is Jesus my Savior and my Lord? Does He have first place in my heart and my life?
Am I truly thankful? I want you to let the Holy Spirit reveal to you whether your life is a genuine expression of thanksgiving to the Lord. If you are truly thankful it ought to be evident, if its not, then you need to renew your relationship with Christ right now.
According to God’s Word we are to each examine ourselves before we come to the Lord ’s Table to determine whether we are worthy to share in His suffering. There is only one way to be worthy and that is through Jesus Christ Himself. That is why we need this time of invitation to allow the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin, and to draw us to the throne of grace where we can find acceptance and forgiveness in our time of need.
