Scripture:
Colossians 3:15-17-And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18-Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
INTRODUCTION: This morning, I am beginning a three-part sermon series on A THANKFUL HEART. Today, I will focus in this first message on THE MEANING OF A THANKFUL HEART. In other words, I want us to focus our hearts and minds on the thought of having a thankful heart and in these verses that we are going to examine this morning we are going to talk about what it means to have a thankful heart. They tell us where a thankful heart comes from, what it can accomplish in us personally, and what it can accomplish for the kingdom of God. As we deal with these verses, ask yourself, “I controlled by a thankful heart? And even if the answer is yes, have I told anybody about my thanks lately?” By the time that we get done today, I hope that your motivation for being thankful and giving thanks will have been increased to the point that you will make it the predominant pattern in your life.
Pastor David Jeremiah once said, “It’s possible to be thankful wherever you find yourself.”
Dwight L. Moody encouraged the church to “Be careful for nothing, prayerful for everything, thankful for anything.”
1. A thankful heart is a heart where Christ’s peace is in control.
Colossians 3:15-And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
“peace of Christ” – the peace that Christ controls; the peace that Christ had [in the midst of his troubles & in the midst of those who disagreed with Him]; the peace that Christ commands.
Mark 9:50-"Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves and have peace one with another.”
“rule” – the word which is used here for rule is not the kind of word that would speak of a king or an elected official. The idea is more of a judge or an umpire. Both a judge and an umpire take the information that is available to them, and based on that information, they make a call as to what course of action is going to be followed. One or all parties may not like what the judge has to say, but they have obligated themselves to do whatever the judge says. He is in control.
Some persons allow pleasure to control them. Whatever it takes to get more pleasure – sexual pleasure, social media or tv pleasure, food pleasure – I’m going after it no matter if I have to put myself in debt to get it, no matter if I break God’s laws to achieve it, no matter how big the consequences are going to be, no matter if I hurt my wife and kids . . . Others allow the desire for control to control them. My way or the highway. My way or no way. Even if you convinced me that your way was the best way, I wouldn’t go that way because then I would no longer be in control.
None of these things that I have listed, nor any other thing is supposed to control the decision-making process in my mind. It is the peace of Christ that is supposed to control me. So, when my bills pile up, it is not my bills that control my actions or my attitude; it is Christ’s peace. When my health goes bad, it is not my body that controls my spirit or my relationship to other people; it is Christ’s peace. When I have a disagreement with someone, it is not my emotions that control my thoughts or my actions; it is Christ’s peace. Christ’s peace decides how I’m going to respond to the events and people of my life.
This “peace of Christ” shows itself in three different areas.
First, there’s the internal peace – “ . . . in your hearts . . .” That’s the peace that allows you to deal with your world. It’s the peace that prevents you from caving in on yourself when your world is caving in all around you. It’s the peace that enables you to look at who you are, where you are, and what’s going on in your life and be satisfied with what God has done and is doing.
Secondly, there’s external peace. “. . . members of one body . . .” That’s the peace that enables me to effectively deal with other members of the body of Christ even though I might have theological, relational, or cultural differences with them. It is what allows these gen x kids to work with us older adults, and sometimes even to enjoy it, although they might not admit it. It is me putting Christ’s peace as the ruling factor in my relationship with you. I’m not going to let our differences come between us. In fact, I’m going to work to make sure that our differences enhance our effectiveness rather than limiting our effectiveness. Do you understand that in order for a body to be effective, there MUST be differences. It is not an option. It is a necessity. Each Christian that is in this place today is a member of this body, this church. Whether or not your name is on the roll as a “member”, if you call this place your home church and this people your church family, then you are a member of this church body.
The Apostle Paul wasn’t just writing to the church body as in all Christians of all time. He was writing to a local church. As a member of this body, we don’t all have to agree to work together. We don’t have to all be alike to be useful. We don’t all have to have the same ideas or even the same interpretations to be used of God.
As long as we are headed in the same direction, we can be used of God. What direction are we supposed to be headed in – the direction that promotes the peace of Christ in the church and in the world. When the peace of Christ is the umpire in our church – when bringing people to peace with God through salvation and forgiveness and achieving peace with one another – is the guide that determines the decisions that we make and the pathways that we follow, then we can work together in spite of our differences.
Thirdly, We have eternal peace. “ . . . you were called to peace . . .” That’s the third way Christ’s peace is shown. You and I have been called into a relationship with Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:9-God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. Since the Father has called us into a relationship with Jesus, we now have peace with God that will last forever. We were once bitter enemies with God, but now, we are at peace.
Romans 5:1-Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Paul is saying here that since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is this eternal peace that allows me to have internal peace and the external peace. Saints of God, if I didn’t have peace with God, I couldn’t have peace in my heart even if I had 100 million dollars in the bank, good health in my body and friends all around me. And if I didn’t have peace with God, then when you and I have a disagreement with one another, then I would be free to concentrate on that disagreement rather than concentrating on bringing peace between us. I would be free to let go of my relationship with you rather than working through our differences. Let the peace of Christ rule.
Then Paul says, “. . . and be thankful . . .”. It almost sounds like a thought that Paul just threw in for good measure. It didn’t really fit anywhere else, but it was important enough to include somewhere, so he just decided to stick it here. “Let the peace of Christ rule and be thankful." I submit to you that I think Paul was very intentional when he tied peace and thankfulness together. When I am thankful for my world, then I can be at peace with my world. When I am thankful for my brothers in Christ, then I can be at peace with them. And when I remember what God has done by bringing me into relationship with Himself through Jesus and am thankful for that, then I can let the peace of Christ control every thought, every action, every word. The more thanks, the more peace. The less thanks, the less peace. The two are in direct proportion to one another. You want peace? Try being thankful.
2. A thankful heart is a heart where Christ’s word is overflowing.
Colossians 3:15-16-And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
“Let the peace of Christ rule”. Then Paul says, “Let the word of Christ dwell”
“word of Christ” – It is the word about Christ. Everything that describes Him – what He did while on the earth, how He reacted to people, the sacrificial life that He lived and death that He died. It is the word by Christ. The words that He spoke to His disciples. The thoughts and ideas and ways of Almighty God. The perspective that He has on this world. The way that He sees people. And it is the word which is Christ.
Remember, John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Jesus Himself.
“dwell” – It is that word which Paul says is supposed to dwell in me. From time to time, I have had persons come to my house and spend some time there. They stayed overnight or even for a few nights. Some of my family has come; some of Stephanie’s family has come. Different speakers for the church have stayed in my home. All of these persons were guests. There is a difference between a guest and someone who dwells in a home. A guest is not a permanent resident. A dweller is. A guest comes and goes according to what is convenient for him and for his host. A dweller remains regardless of the circumstances. A guest does not have the right to go in and paint the walls a different color if he wants to. Many years ago, my friend Pastor Danny Norris, came and preached a fall revival for our church. During that week that he was here, Brother Danny stayed at my home. There were times that he was alone at our home while I was out doing my duties here at the church. What if one day I came home and found him painting the walls in my living room purple or some other color? How do you think that I would react? But he didn’t do that. He didn’t move any furniture. He didn’t even do any laundry. It wasn’t his home. He didn’t have the right to make any changes to it. A dweller has that right. I am a dweller in my home; I have the right to paint my living room purple or any other color I choose. I have the right to make changes.
“richly” – Paul says that this word is supposed to dwell in me richly. Whatever you are rich in will make most of the decisions in your life. If you are rich in love, love will make your decisions. If you are rich in mercy, mercy will color every relationship that you have. If you are rich in wisdom, the decisions that you make will be governed by that wisdom. Paul says that we are supposed to be rich in the dwelling of God’s Word in us.
A few moments ago, I said that if I wanted to, I have the right to paint my living room purple. Well, that wasn’t exactly true. I can do that if it’s okay with my wife. She has to look at those walls too. We make decisions that will affect us both, so many times we make together. We have a partnership.
But if I were dwelling richly in my house, I would be allowed to make any decision regardless of what Stephanie thought about it, and she would have to go along with it. Christ’s Word dwelling richly within me is supposed to do all those things. He’s supposed to have the right to change whatever about my life that God doesn’t like.
Paul’s words here about the word dwelling richly remind me of some other verses.
Psalms 1:2-3-But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Joshua 1:8-This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
When we allow Christ’s word, Christ Himself, to have control over our thoughts and actions, there will be a result.
“teaching and admonishing with all wisdom” – Teaching – that’s communicating information about what I am supposed to believe and know. Admonishing – that’s warning people about the beliefs they hold right now and the direction that they are headed in. Both of those are my responsibility as a pastor. But Paul wasn’t writing to a pastor here. He was writing to the church as a whole. Each of us have a responsibility to teach other persons including our children, fellow Christians, anyone we come in contact with. And we have a responsibility to warn. That’s not always easy. But it is necessary. The way that you know what to teach and the way that you recognize when to warn is by filling yourself full of Christ’s word.
“singing” – There is another result when the word is overflowing in your life. You will sing. Now, some of you who have the KJV of the Bible have a slightly different translation of that last phrase of verse 16. Instead of “with gratitude”, you have “with grace”. The actual word in the Greek text of the Bible is the word for “Grace”, but that doesn’t mean that gratitude is a bad translation or different from what the Holy Spirit intended here. If you look up the word “gratitude” in your English dictionary, you will find that it comes from the word “grace”. When you sit down to the dinner table, you might still call the prayer of thanks that you say “Grace”. “We’re going to say ‘grace’ over the meal.” Grace is all about gifts, and gratitude is the proper response to any gift. So Paul says that I’m supposed to sing with thanks to God . . . for what? He doesn’t say. But that’s part of the point. My attitude at all times is to be one of thanks regardless of what the circumstances may be. And it’s not just an attitude that I have way down in my heart. I’m supposed to vocalize those thanks. Let those thanks come out of my mouth in the form of a song.
“But God, I don’t feel like singing. I’d rather complain.” “Sing!!” “But God, my throat hurts. I’ve been yelling at the kids.” “Sing!!” “But God, my singing makes me sick. No one else wants to hear me.” “Sing!!!!” Who is supposed to be in control here? The word of Christ. From who’s perspective am I supposed to be looking at my world? From Christ’s. Who has the right to change me because He’s richly dwelling inside of me? Christ.
If the word of Christ is going to richly dwell in you, you’re going to have to get it down off of the shelf. You’re going to have to do more than just read a verse or two a day just so that you can say you fulfilled your duty. You’re going to have to study it. You’re going to have to start memorizing it. There’s been a lot of things that have happened in the last couple of weeks that haven’t been too pleasant to me. But one church member came to me this week and thrilled my heart. He talked about the fact that he wants to get to know the Bible better and that he’s started trying to memorize verses. The only way any of us are going to escape our tunnel vision, see things from a different perspective and get thankful is as we fill our minds with the word of Christ.
3. A thankful heart is a heart where Christ’s name is lifted up.
Colossians 3:17- And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
“And whatever you do” - that means everything including your job, your parenting, your shopping during the Christmas season, your driving on the road – ‘do it all” – that means every part of everything that you do even those boring parts or those parts that you do because no one else will do them or those parts that really don’t seem to matter too much – “in the name of Jesus” – knowing that what you do and how you do it will color what people think of Jesus, will at least partially determine whether they want Jesus in their life or not, will determine whether you were a faithful servant or not – “giving thanks”. There’s that thanks word again.
I have to think that that simple act of unexpected thanks lifted a little higher the name of Christ and Christians in her view. Thanks, will do that. It will do some other things too.
It will cause us to look...
“Upward – It looks upward to God and bows in worship to Him. It realizes that it is our Heavenly Father who has blessed us and that all good gifts come down from above (see James 1:7). It knows that thanks should be given for all things to the one who cares for us. As Paul tells us, we are to give thanks “always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 5:20). Giving thanks is” not just a vocal thing. It is “a spiritual thing, and it is a great prayer and crown of worship.”
“Around Us– As we give thanks to God, we look around us and find a source of joy in the bountifulness of our God.” Many times, when we are depressed or despondent, it’s because we are only looking in one direction at one thing and at one time of our life. Look around. See your friends. See what God has done. See what God has given. Count your many blessings – don’t just sing it, do it!
“Outward – Are you trying in vain to find something to be thankful for? Try looking at someone else.
We need only to look” outward from ourselves “to see others who have greater needs than we do. Then, our troubles seem small, and our sorrows seem few.
Inward – We are thankful not only for what has happened and what we have acquired on the outside, but also the changes that have occurred in your character on the inside. As I look inward, it also reminds me that I am not worthy to receive the goodness of God anyway.
Beyond –Do you remember the leper that we studied about a couple of weeks ago? That’s what he did. He looked beyond the gift of his healing to see Jesus, the One who had healed Him. The other nine didn't remember who it was that healed them, but this one leper looked beyond and he was thankful.
In this Thanksgiving season, remember to concentrate on the Giver of all gifts. For the greatest gift is not what God does for us. The greatest gift is God Himself.
CONCLUSION
The story is told of one of the wagon train parties on the Oregon Trail. Water and grass had been scarce for several days. Some of the wagons were broken down, with consequent delays amid the stifling heat. A general feeling of fretfulness had succeeded the early optimism and cheer. So it was decided that, at the next night’s stop, a meeting would be held to air their troubles. When the immigrants had gathered around the campfire, one of them arose and said, “Before we do anything else, I think we should first thank God that we have come this far with no loss of life, with no serious trouble with the Indians, and that we have enough strength left to finish our journey.” This was done, and then there was silence. No one had any complaints to make. Looked at in such a light, it seemed they really were fortunate. This is the transformation the thankful heart can often make. It enables us to see the real dimensions of many worth-while things that might be passed over.
You may or may not accept my belief that having a heart full of thanks will change you and change your outlook on life. But can I make this request of you? Try it out. For one week, whatever happens in your life, find something in that situation for which you can give thanks. You may have to look pretty hard but look for something. It may be very small but find something to be thankful for each and every day. And try to find something different each day. Then, once you’ve found that thing to be thankful for, express your thanks to the person or persons who are responsible for that item of thanks. Don’t keep the thanks inside. Let it spill over the sides and run down into the saucer. Then, your attitude of gratitude will not only affect you and your outlook on life, but it will also affect the people around you.
