Part 3 in a series called “Blessings”.
In part 1 we looked at how God blessed man.
Our key verses in part 1 were:
• Genesis 12:1-3,
o where we learned that God told Abram if you get out of your country, from your family, and fathers house, to a land I will show you, I will make you a great nation.
• Deuteronomy 28:1-2
o If you obey My commandments
o Then I will overtake you with blessings
• Both of these passages have if/then clauses.
o If YOU do this, I will do that!
In part 2 we examined how man blesses man.
Our key verses were:
• 2 Corinthians 9:6-11,
o Paul was talking about being a cheerful giver:
o Sow stingy, reap stingy
o Sow bountifully, reap bountifully
o Give from the heart, not grudgingly or of necessity
o Because God loves a cheerful giver, and
o He abounds us in His grace
• 1 Peter 3:8-9 Called to Blessing
o Basically Peter is telling us to love and have compassion on everyone, even those ones that are tough to love, and we will inherit a blessing.
o I love the feeling I get when reading “and we will inherit a blessing”.
o Unexplainable how that brings peace to my spirit.
• Then we considered what it looks like to bless others.
In parts 1 & 2 we examined that we must be obedient and have faith, to receive blessings.
Today, we will look at one final element of blessings.
As we wrap up this series, I pray you have heard something to stir in you, a desire to dig deeper into Gods’ Word about blessings.
-Let’s go to the Lord in prayer-
Before we get into todays’ message, I have to ask:
• Did you learn something new in Gods word this past week?
• Or did you read a familiar passage with new eyes?
This week we celebrate Thanksgiving.
• As Christians and Americans, I’m sure we each have our own perception of our National Day of Thanksgiving.
• I came across something this week, that I am compelled to share with you today.
Read pages 655-656 in The Founders Bible.
I think sometimes we lose sight of the importance and magnitude of Gods hand in the founding of our nation.
Key points:
Elias Boudinot proposed the resolution on September 25th, 1789
8 Days later George Washington proclaimed a Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving, and the official day of observance was November 26th, 1789 which btw was a Thursday.
Lincoln officially set Thanksgiving, as the 4th Thursday in November on October 20th, 1864.
2 things:
1) Look how fast Congress moved two hundred years ago! It took only a month!
2) You didn’t know you were going to get a lesson in American history in church today, did ya?
-Ask Dan to come up-
Set up 2 Chronicles 5 (Bringing into the temple: Ark of Covenant, treasures, holy furnishings)
Ask Dan to read:
2 Chronicles 5:12-14
Take a few seconds and try to imagine this event!
Today our key scripture is Psalm 100:4.
• We are in part 3 of Blessings, as we wrap up this series, titled:
• “Bless the Lord, O my soul”
• As I began this series, I thought it a bit ridiculous that man could bless God.
• Think about it, what could we possibly do that would “increase” God?
• Let’s go back to Vine’s Expository Dictionary’s definition of the biblical word “blessing/blessed”
o Blessing connotes the state of prosperity or happiness that comes when a superior bestows his favor (blessing) on us. In most passages, the one bestowing favor is God Himself.
Given that definition, how could man possibly bestow prosperity or happiness upon God?!
Let’s unpack this together today.
So exactly how do we bless God?
We begin blessing God by acknowledging His attributes.
I’m going to list an attribute and a verse that coincides with that attribute, for those of you taking notes.
Some of His attributes are:
His: Holiness Exodus 15:11
Sovereignty Psalm 103:19
Omnipotence Job 42:1-2
Providence Exodus 19:4
Preeminence Colossians 1:15-18
Immutability Malachi 3:6
We acknowledge these attributes through:
If I give you a verse, I will also ask you to put an F or an O next to the verse. I’ll explain more on this later.
Prayer (f) (specifically praying in His name)
Y’all, I’m a little slow on the uptake.
I didn’t realize until about 5 years ago that Jesus gave us permission to pray in His name. So many prayers we end “In Jesus’s name”. John 14: 13-14 Jesus gives us permission “and whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
V.14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it”
We pray in Jesus’s name so the Father may be glorified. We’ll look at “glorified” a bit later.
Worship(o)
By telling others (o) Romans 1:16 (I saw this verse several times this week “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God t salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Gentile.
Our fear and awe of Him (f/o) Deuteronomy 6:1-2
“Now this is the commandment, and these are the statutes and judgements which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you, that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess, that you may fear(deem awesome) the Lord your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, you and your son and your grandson, all the days of your life, and that your days will be prolonged”
Exalt His name (o) Psalm 34:3 “Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt HIS Name together.”- On Wednesday nights we are studying The Power in Gods names’ by Tony Evans. Although we are actually only in the first week, we are already getting a richer understanding of the names of God.
Live lives that reflect who we are as His (f)- 2 Corinthians 3:18 “but we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory just as by the Spirit of the Lord”
In our quiet time-(f) Luke 24:45 “and then He opened up their minds to understand the scriptures. Don’t let this one slip past you. This is the passage where Jesus appears to the disciples after the resurrection. Read the entire passage of Luke 24:36-45. We bless Him in our quiet time. This is our chance to spiritually understand scripture.
In our giving hearts-You want to bless God? Show Him your giving heart! (o/f)
• Tell story of Shaye at Serve-All
By loving others as ourselves (o) John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another”
In our Thanksgiving to Him
• We begin our message today, with a brief history of our National Day of Thanksgiving. I’d like to end the message with a word on Thanksgiving.
• Stand with me while we honor God as we read His word. Psalm 100:4 x3
o In our Sunday morning small group, we are studying The Sermon on the Mount. At the beginning of each session, we read the entire Sermon on the Mount. Each time we are instructed to go through and circle, underline or highlight a specific word or phrase. So our Sermon on the Mount is beginning to be very well read, to say the least.
o I’d like to challenge you to go through the Psalms and make note of every time the Psalmist uses the word blessed/blessing. You’ll be amazed.
• Psalm 100:4 Let’s read vs. 1-5 (read from my bible)
o Our praise is a gift or offering that we bring to our King as we enter into His presence.
o Concerning gifts: Isn’t it true that sometimes we are blessed when we GIVE gifts to others, while other times we are blessed when we receive gifts from others?
o This verse tells us that we are to bless God through our gift of praise to Him.
o It also encourages us to bless God by singing our praises to Him.
o We bless God by submitting ourselves to His will.
Quick recap:
We bless God through:
o Prayer
o Worship
o Telling others
o Fear and awe of Him
o Exalting His name
o Living as HIS
o Quiet time to spiritually understand scripture
o In our giving hearts
o Loving others as ourselves
o Thanksgiving
These truly just scratch the surface!
In the first two parts of this series, we learned that two elements of blessings are:
obedience and faith.
If you go back to those verses that you put an o/f those letters are for “obedience and faith”
In todays’ message, we learned a third element…Thanksgiving.
As you go through this week. Spend some time blessing others and blessing God.
Write down everything you are Thankful for, and you’re your Thanksgiving up to the one who supplies all your needs.
