Introduction
One lady writes, I tell you, men drivers are a hazard to traffic. Driving to work this morning on Highway 11 from Albert Street, I looked over to my left and there's this man in a Mustang doing 95 miles per hour with his face up next to his rear view mirror.... shaving!!! I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back, he's halfway over in my lane. It scared me so bad I almost dropped my eye liner pencil in my coffee.
This morning in preparation for our national Thanksgiving Holiday I thought I would talk about attitudes.
I am going to read a number of isolated passages from the New Testament:
2 Corinthians 4:15 NKJV
For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 9:11 NKJV
while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.
Philippians 4:6 NKJV
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Colossians 2:7 NKJV
rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2 NKJV
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
1 Timothy 4:3-4 NKJV
forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. {4} For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;
The overriding attitude spoken of in these verses is gratitude, Yes gratitude is an extremely important attitude.
But I want to explore another attitude. This story comes from the 1960's. We all know what this country was like back then. A young man, a beach bum, we might have called him, came to know Jesus Christ as his Savior. Come Sunday morning he knew he needed to go to church to worship Christ. So he selected his best cloths for the occassion. His best tie died shirt, his best beach shorts and his best flip-flops. He went to an old church in town, the church was well over 100 years old, solid gray stone, stained glass windows and the like, you know the type. In the church were women in diamonds, firs, and pearls. The men in three piece suits, diamond stick pins, and silver headed canes. Into this fine church came the young hippy. The congregation was aghast, how could this hippy just waltz into their church? The young man walked down the center isle looking for a good seat. Can you imagine what those good Christians did as he approached their row? They spread out a little to insure that he might not think there was enough room on their row. But he walked on, think of it, the very best place in the church was vacant, just waiting for him. He reached the very front of the church and sat right there in front of the pulpit on the floor. The people were horrified. But an elderly man, in his three piece suit walking along with his silver headed cane began to walk down the isle toward the young man. As he walked down, the people relaxed, brother Jones would set that hippy right, he would escort him out before the service started. Brother Jones got to the young man and leaned down and said something in his ear, the young hippy nodded then brother Jones struggled to sit down next to the young man and put his arm around him and nodded to the preacher to begin.
Years ago, we lived in Massachuset and attended Highland Baptist Church in the town of Leominister about 40 minutes from our place. One Sunday a family walked into the church just about the time to begin the worship service. The wife and kids were clean and polished, all decked out for church. But the father’s hands and cloths were covered in dirt. In my mind, to my shame, I judged the guy as not being worthy to worship with us. I found out after the service that on the way to church they had a flat, dad had to put on the spare. In doing that little chore he got dirty. But instead of going back home to clean up, he decided to go to church and still be on time, a little dirty.
Lets examine some attitudes in these two illustrations
In the first illustration about the young hippy the first attitude to look at is the attitude of the young fellow.
He had come to know Jesus Christ as his Savior.
Not unusual in its self.
But, he knew he should go to church to worship Christ. How many Christians do you know that attend worship services regularly. Better yet, how many people do you know, who claim to be Christian, find other things to do on Sunday morning other than attend worship services?
Turn to Hebrews 10:24-25
The watchmen gospel quartet sang a song about this very thing
The song was title excuses. One verse went like this: Little Johnny has a cold, pneumonia do you suppose, why the whole family had to stay home just to wipe that poor kids nose. Another verse talks about the benches being to hard and the choir bing to loud. Then there’s the comments about the preacher being to proud.
Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, {25} not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Excuses, excuses you hear them every day, the devil will supply them if from church you’ll stay away. When people go to church the devil always loses, so to keep them away from church he offers them excuses.
That young hippy knew he had to go to church to worship, so he chose his very best cloths. I have heard many people say, “God doesn’t care about what you wear.” Usually its because to excuse their manner of dress. But, they are correct, “God doesn’t care about what you wear.” But God does care about why you wore them.
I look around this church, We have mismatched pews. In the back we have home made kitchen cabinets. If we look at it with the attitude, its the best we can afford for now, that’s one thing. But, I have heard some people say it good enough. Solomon when he commissioned the building of the temple he demanded the very finest materials and workmanship, Gold, Bronze, Silver, Cedar from Lebanon, finely woven materials And the highest quality workmanship.
Our place of worship should be the very best we can afford
What is our attitude toward our Sunday go to meeting clothing and our place of worship?
The young hippy chose the very best he had. I am sure the congregation of that old church wore the very best they had
The question is why, what was their attitude.
In equatorial Africa there was a native people who wore no clothing. The weather was hot. The people saw no problem being naked. Missionaries came to preach Christ. But one thing they did was try to impose their western morals on these people.
The consequences were when the people began to wear clothing, as the gathered for church they began to compete and compare their dress, to the determent of Christian worship. The competition became such that it was disrupting the services. So what the missionaries finally had to do was forbid wearing clothing to the worship services.
Lets go back to the others in that illustration about the young beach bum. What was the attitude of the congregation toward the young fellow? Did they rejoice to see a new person come to church? Were they welcoming?
A few years ago a newspaper reporter in Lincoln Nebraska decided to see what the city’s church were like. He established a point system. He would give 10 points for people who greeted him. He would give 20 points if he was invited to sit with some one. He would give 20 points if he was invited to fellowship time. He would give 20 points if some one introduced him to another individual. And he would give 50 points if some one introduced him to the preacher. He gave the church every chance to gain points. He walked slowly down the main isle, crossed over to a side isle down again the center isle and over to the other side isle. Both before and after the service.
He visited every church in Lincoln. No church was ever given anywhere near 100 points.
As you know I wear western style clothing. Back east we attended church and I wore my western style suit. I could award no points to any church we attended. One lady approached me with a smile and handshake once. That church got 10 points. However, the church we attended in Warrenton, Virginia had to be given several hundred points. Their greeting was warm and sincere. We were introduced to many people in the church and invited to sit. Afterward we were treated like very old friends.
But what about brother Jones? Dressed in his three piece suit, silver tipped cane and all. I can see him walking slowly down toward the young fellow seated on the floor right before the pulpit. He stopped and leaned down to whisper in the young man’s ear. What did he say? “I’m so glad to see you here. May I join you?” The young fellow nodded his head and probably enthusiastically said, “Yes!” Brother Jones probably rejoiced to see this young beach bum in the worship service.
Can you see the attitudes in this illustration? Christ has saved my soul, I must worship Him.
My very finest for His highness.
He is not like us, he doesn’t belong here.
I rejoice to see another young heart won over to the Master.
Then in the illustration about the family with the dirty father, my attitude is my shame. So much like the well to do congregation when the young hippy came to church, he doesn’t belong here. How dare he?
But the attitude of the father was that the family needed to be in church even if it meant that he would sit in church with dirt on his hands and clothing. I used to attend a men’s prayer time. 6:30 in the morning. In the pastor’s office were men. One in a suit. Another in farmer’s attire, Another in mechanics overalls, Another in street clothing, And me in my duty uniform.
Does God care what we wear? No! But He does care about why we wear it. Our finest for His Highness.
Now, let turn to Mark 12:41-44
The widow’s mite.
Mark 12:41 - 44 NKJV
Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. {42} Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. {43} So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; {44} for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."
I heard one preacher who said that the widow was a poisoner of an apostate religious system. But the Bible does not say that.
In fact Jesus points out that the woman put in more than all the rich and prosperous people around her.
Jesus comment seems to be one of a positive observation. Since Jesus knows the heart, how could He make such a positive comment if the sacrifice was out of obligation? No, the widow’s attitude must have been one of worship, giving to God, Giving to God all that she had.
Turn to Psalms 122:1
Why do we come here Sunday after Sunday? Why do we wear what we wear? Do we rejoice to be in church? Can we say with King David in Psalm 122:1
Psalms 122:1 NKJV
I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD."
139 times in 134 verses in the King James Bible we would find the word thank and all it derivative words, thankful, thankfulness, thanksgiving and so on. As we approach our National Day of Thanksgiving let us approach it with an attitude of gratitude .
