This sermon introduction reflects on the tragic deaths of Chadwick Boseman and Kobe Bryant, prompting introspection about life's significance and the importance of gratitude in receiving and giving God's grace.
Our nation was doubly shocked this year by the tragic deaths of two profound, legendary men, The Black Panther Chadwick Boseman and The NBA Mamba Kobe Bryant.
When we mourn the loss of someone who has achieved greatness in his own right and consider his achievements, we often follow a draw to look inward and evaluate our life's significance. It's as if the grief, shock, anger, possibly denial, and at times, the deep sense of loss, has given us a pass to still our life and inquire of the stir within us that beckons us to consider the significance of our own experience on this side of heaven.
As humans, desire a life of worth, of significance. It is part of our DNA. Although significance is in the eye of the beholder if we believe our life carries a weight of goodness that benefits the world and those we love now and, in the hereafter, we will desire to leave this world knowing it served a purpose.
So, what makes our life significant? We know that work, play, things, our tribe of people, our house, investments, and even our service can add value to our lives, but they do not define it. Therefore, if I want my life to be significant, what underlying values or practices should I be participating in so that it is significant now and hereafter?
The Bible says that the practice of gratitude gives us a life here and after of significance. Through gratitude, we appreciate life's goodness, which compels us to pay this it forward. Gratitude creates within us a deep sense of happiness and satisfaction, which in turn enriches our relationships, nurtures the formation of new friendships, and underlies the very foundation of human society.
The Bible says that the practice of gratitude gives us a life here and after of significance.
So, what is gratitude?
Gratitude is the practice of actively remembering and expressing the grace (benefits we do not deserve) and goodness bestowed in our lives.
We have an innate desire to show gratitude for the goodness and grace we receive.
Early in the Bible, we witness one of the first acts of gratitude through the life of Noah.
Read Genesis 8:15-20
After being on the Ark for approximately a full year, Noah walks off the boat, and then (ESV) Noah builds an altar to the Lord. Noah's first recorded act upon leaving the Ark was an act of gratitude.
When listening to or reading this story told, this act of worship is easy to read over. Without close reading, it appears to be a simple practice. But when we do a little more digging, we see it is an extraordinary act of thankfulness.
First, consider the fact that Noah spent approximately 356 days on the Ark. As he walks off the plank, Noah makes a conscious decision that the very first thing he will do is to say "thank you" to God. God did not direct him to do so.
At this time in ancient Near Eastern civilization, God had not given commandments or statutes regarding worship. No organized religion and faith practices were still a thousand years away from formation (Exodus 20). Noah and his family had been the only followers of God amongst a society of evil heathens (Genesis 6:5-6). Therefore, this was a singular practice to God, not a communal practice of his people. Offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving was not a social-religious-economic habit of his day. In ancient Near Eastern pagan worship, when a sacrifice was made, it was offered to appease the gods and keep them happy so that the people would receive good fortune.
Noah did not offer a sacrifice out of the need to have good fortune, a desire to keep God happy, or appease him. He offered his sacrifice out of a heart of gratitude. His natural inclination upon leaving the ginormous wooden box was to say, "thank you."
Let's consider the many things Noah could have done upon leaving the Ark by taking a moment to imagine ourselves in this scenario:
For a solid year, you have stowed inside a dark ship. A ship drenched in the stench and mess of every animal on earth. During this time, you have been tossed around the Near Eastern world by the tumultuous winds, rains, and waves. When the Ark finally banks itself on a mountain top, and you can walk out into the fresh air, what do you imagine your first act in this new world be?
Would it be to build an altar and say, "thank you"?
How does God respond to this act of gratitude?
God, knowing Noah's heart, understood that Noah leaving the ship and offering a sacrifice was more than sacrifice.
Read Genesis 8:21-9:1
As the aroma of Noah's sacrifice drifted up to the Lord, His heart is touched, and in turn, He says, I will never again curse the ground because of man's evil heart or kill every creature. And God blessed Noah.
Blessing Noah was not a response to anything Noah had earned. His blessing was not because he was a stellar ship captain who kept the morale of his crew in high spirits, nor for having completed the ark build by God's building code, nor was it a reward for his exceptional care of God's last remaining creatures on earth.
Noah's blessing was not a response to his obedience, although blessings do come from choosing obedience. In this story, we learn Noah received his blessing because he chose to worship, which pleased the Lord. Because his heart was thankful, and Noah's emotion overflowed into an act of gratitude – an offering.
The English word gratitude stems from the Latin word gratia, which means to give thanks ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium
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