Thankful To God For All His Benefits

THANKFUL TO GOD FOR ALL HIS BENEFITS

PSALM 103:1-22

#Thanksgiving2019

INTRODUCTION… Warning Labels (p)

[Images of Funny Warning Labels 1-11]

Some of these warning labels are funnier than others. Others of them make you think as to why the label had to be created… probably because someone legitimately asked a question about dangerous use or misused a product.

You might find it strange, but I would like to offer a little bit of a warning label on our passage today. Psalm 103 is a passage all about the goodness of God and His blessings. It is the perfect passage as we are in this season of #Thanksgiving2019. Verse 1 at the very beginning says, “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.” Then, verse 2 says, “Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” and the entire Psalm recites the countless bountiful blessings of God. Verse 22 at the end says, “Praise the LORD, O my soul.”

Here are my two warning labels at the onset of thinking and praying through Psalm 103:

Warning Label 1:

The reason for having a relationship with God is for the care of our souls and not so that we can “get stuff” from God. God does bless us, but God is not a vending machine where I go to church and God gives me stuff I want because I did what He said. Christianity is about connecting our soul to God the Father through faith in Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and is not about if I’m obedient then God gives me blessings.

Warning Label 2:

Jesus is more than a “get out of Hell free” card in Cosmic Monopoly. It is a spiritually dangerous place to be in to say that we have faith in Jesus Christ and we maintain that faith simply because want Jesus to be our ticket out of Hell. That is religion. That is a self-centered religion rather than a Christ-centered relationship. Christianity is about a soul relationship with Jesus Christ.

GOSPEL MESSAGE

Please understand that God loves you deeply and sent His one and only Son to pay the penalty for sin. Accepting Jesus means we receive Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus is more than a way out of Hell or access to God’s stuff. Saving faith in Christ means we submit to Jesus’ way of life over and above all other ways of life. Saving faith in Christ means we desire to have a relationship with Him and not just what he can do for us.

Jesus is not a ticket; He is a heavenly treasure.

Jesus is not a way of life; He is life.

At the end of the service, if you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I would like to invite you to come forward and talk with me. Let’s talk about what obstacles you feel are in the way of not accepting Jesus. I want to pray with you and for you and answer any questions that I possibly can.

PSALM 103:1-22

All that being said, there are countless bountiful blessings from God that we should be mindful of this #Thanksgiving2019 season so that our souls are in the right place in worshipping Him. Psalm 103 has much to say to us about being thankful to God. What I would like to do this morning is talk about some verses and then give us an opportunity to praise God for these things and offer Him our thanks and our elders will pray for us as well. What does Psalm 103 say?

VERSES 1-5: GOD IS GOOD

Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. 2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits-- 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

As I read the beginning of this Psalm, I notice “forgives,” “heals,” “redeems,” “crowns”, “satisfies,” and “renewed.” Those are all very good benefits from God our savior. Good. Our God is good. The Lord of the Universe and Creator and Sustainer of our lives is at His very core good and has no hint of evil. Everything He does is good. His judgements are good. His wrath is good. His Word is good. His discipline is good. His will is good. His blessings that satisfy are good. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.”

[I am going to pray and then we will have a time of silent prayer as you offer your own prayers. After a few minutes of prayer, an elder will conclude with prayer.]