Measure Sermon Series
Measure
Part of the Simplify Series
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Measure-April 19, 2009
I. The Wrong System
Romans 12-2 “Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this
world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of
your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God—what is
good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.” (Today’s English
Version—TEV)
1. We measure the wrong things.
2 Corinthians 10:12 “They make up their own standards to measure
themselves by, and they judge themselves by their own standards!”
(TEV)
- Possessions
Luke 12:15* “(Jesus) said to them, ‘… a man’s life does not consist
in the abundance of his possessions.’ ” (“Real life is not measured
by how much one owns.”) New Living Translation—NLT
- Appearance
1 Samuel 16:7 “… The LORD does not look at the things man looks
at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at
the heart.’ ”
1 Peter 3:3-4 “What matters is not your outer appearance - the
styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes -
but your inner disposition.” (The Message—MSG)
- Popularity
1 Corinthians 4:3
Luke 6:26 “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the
approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges
them… Your task is to be true, not popular.” (MSG)
Matthew 20:25-26 “You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their
weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It’s not
going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must
become a servant.” (MSG)
2. We measure the wrong way.
- Value by comparison
2 Corinthians 10:12b “When they measure themselves by themselves
and compare themselves with themselves, they are not
wise.” *All Scripture is NIV unless noted otherwise.
II. The Right System
Refer back to Romans 12:2
1. We measure the right things.
- Our personal spiritual progress
2 Corinthians 13:5a “Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in
the faith.” (MSG)
Galatians 6:4-5 “Each one should test his own actions. Then he
can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody
else… ”
- Our words
Proverbs 10:19b “… the wise measure their words.” (MSG)
- Our heart
1 Corinthians 11:28 “Examine your motives, test your heart… ”
(MSG)
Luke 6:45 “The good man brings good things out of the good stored
up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil
stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth
speaks.”
- Our love
1 Corinthians 13:1-3
1 Corinthians 14:1 “Let love be your highest goal.” (NLT)
2. We measure the right way.
- By our intrinsic worth
Genesis 1:27 “So God created man in his own image, in the image
of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Psalm 139:13-14 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me
together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full
well.”
Romans 12:6
- By our individual uniqueness
Galatians 6:4 “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the
work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that.” (MSG)
2 Peter 1:5 “… you must learn to know God better and discover what
he wants you to do.” (The Living Bible—LB)
- By our Christ-likeness
Ephesians 4:13 “… continue … until we become mature, until we
measure up to Christ, who is the standard.” (God’s Word—GW)
♥ Christ is our ultimate standard
This Week’s Assignments:
We live in a society that is obsessed with measuring everything. The
problem for the believer is that we can become so accustomed to the
world’s standards of measurement that we end up drawing the same
kind of conclusions the world does and miss God’s standard of measurement.
Measuring in and of itself is not a bad thing. It’s the value we attach to
the object being measured that draws us away from God’s perspective.
When I allow the world’s assessment of what is valuable or important
to shroud the clarity Christ wants for me, I begin to experience a
distracted reality. People are deemed as beautiful or ugly, talented or
dumb, cleaver or daft. If I gauge some people as worthy of my love
and attention and others as unworthy of what I have to offer, I’ve
a dopted the world’s view and I’ve lost connection to the heart of God.
Review the list of wrong measurements from Point One. Consider your
own propensity to gauge your own value or someone else’s by one of
the false measurements. Take a few minutes to write down the specific
ways that you have bought into the world’s system, i.e., I feel less
valuable because of where I live or because of what I drive…
How significant is your own compulsion to compare yourself to someone
else? Who are they, how do they look or what do they own?
Comparing ourselves to others distorts our judgment. Comparison is
the mechanism that engages envy, jealousy, greed and pride. Look up
the following passages to contrast how this behavior destroys community.
Colossians 3:4-13, 2 Corinthians 12:20 and Galatians 5:16-26.
Wrong measurements produce wrong results and right measurements
produce right results. Over the next several weeks, we are going to
seek to measure the right things the right way. Take a few minutes and
measure or test your own spiritual journey. Are you moving forward or
are you stalled or going backwards? What do your words that you say
to yourself and others, illustrate about your faith and walk with God?
When you look deep into your own heart, are you pleased with what
you see? Is there a deep love for God and others or is your heart
reflective of culture instead of Christ? I pray that you will join me next
week as we continue to measure where we are; and together move
forward to be more like Christ.
In His Love,
Pastor Jeff
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Measure-April 26, 2009
Learn to Say, “I Love You”
1 John 4:7-12, 20-21*
I. Loving People and God is simply
inseparable.
Verses 7-8 “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes
from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows
God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God
is love.”
Matthew 22:36-40
Verses 20-21 “If anyone boasts, ‘I love God,’ and goes right on
hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he
won’t love the person he can see, how can he love the God he
can’t see? The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving
God includes loving people. You’ve got to love both.” (The Message—
MSG)
- Paradigm shift: Love does not build from an emotion toward people but a devotion toward God.
- Simple step: Pray for anyone you struggle to love.
Matthew 5:44 “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you… ”
Luke 6:28 “When someone gives you a hard time, respond with
the energies of prayer for that person.” (MSG)
II. Loving People Grows by Simply
Following God’s Example.
Verses 9-11 “This is how God showed his love among us: He
sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live
through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he
loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one
another.”
How does God say ‘I love you’?
Romans 5:6-8
1. Paradigm shift: Love doesn’t grow by thinking on it but by acting on it.
“It’s easier to act yourself…” & 1 John 3:18 (NLT)
2. Simple steps to follow: (what to measure)
* By showing
> It’s visible
Question: What am I doing that demonstrates love to others?
*By sending
>It’s receivable
Question: What am I giving that could be rejected by others?
* By sacrificing
>It’s valuable
Luke 9:24-25 (MSG)
Question: What am I spending that invests in the lives of others?
“A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing is worth nothing.”–Martin Luther
III. Loving People is a Simple Gauge of
our relationship with God.
Verses 11-12 “Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we
must love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love
each other, God lives in us, and his love is truly in our
hearts.” (Contemporary English Version—CEV)
John 13:35 “By this all men will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.”
* The greatest evidence for my love for God is my love for others.
This Week’s Assignments:
If loving God and loving people are inseparable, what does that say
about God’s heart toward people? How do the following passages
reaffirm this first point from today’s message? Matthew 22:36-40,
Galatians 5:6, 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 and John 13:35-36.
How conditioned are we to make choices based on our emotions
versus our values? Where have you seen this conditioning in your own
life? Are you open to changing your conditioned response? If you were
to recondition your responses, what do you think you would need to
do?
As you work through today’s assignment, try and focus on a person or
two in your life who you know that God is calling you to show love.
Reread Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:28 from your notes and try to pray
for one of those individuals in your life who are more challenging. Try
the following prayer. Dear Lord, I pray for _____________ right now.
You love them so much that you were willing to die on their behalf.
Help me to love them too. Reveal yourself to them today and work in
the details of their life to draw them closer to you. Reveal to me ways
that I can express your love to them.
Loving others, even those closest to us, is not always easy. If I wait
until I “feel” like loving someone, it may never happen to those who
need my love the most.
Jesus came to bring us the freedom of forgiveness, the joy of
acceptance and the courage to follow Him. He is our supreme
example. How does the life of Christ illustrate a commitment and a
practice of loving others? What insights into being loving can you draw
from the following passages? John 13:1-15 and John 21: 15-17.
From your sermon notes, look back over the three questions under
Point II. Take a few minutes and answer each question for yourself.
What would happen, or could happen, if you faithfully followed God’s
example for loving?
What do you think of the statement I made that “it is easier to act yourself
into a new way of thinking than it is to think your way into a new
way of acting”? Replace the word “think” with “feel.” Is there any
difference?
Our love grows as it is expressed. My prayer for you is that your love
will grow more and more in depth of insight and expression.
In His Love,
Pastor Jeff
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Measure-May 3, 2009
Learn to Say, “Yes”, Part 1
I. Let’s Measure our “Yes”
Matthew 5:37 “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’
Your word is enough. To strengthen your promise with a vow
shows that something is wrong.” (New Living Translation—NLT)
1. Your words (your yes) are a measurement
of your integrity.
Luke 6:45* “The good man brings good things out of the good
stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of
the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart
his mouth speaks.”
2. Your words (your yes) are a measurement
of your heart.
> Question: Do the things you say yes to
reflect your love for God and others?
Ephesians 3:16-18
When you are “In” a relationship…
Psalm 51:6
II. Let’s Manage our “Yes”
The Good News is that God…
Three Things to Yes to:
1. Say yes to others.
John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all
men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Our ability to love others is a measurement of
our love for Christ/God.
There are 52 “one another” passages in the
New Testament. They are all examples of saying
“yes” to others.
Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted
you, in order to bring praise to God.”
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
>Question: Where are you learning to say “yes” to others in healthy community?
I’m Not I am I am I am
Connecting Some Connecting Weekly Connecting Daily
•1———————————————————5————————————————-10•
Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider how we may spur one
another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up
meeting together, as some are …”
2. Say yes to service.
1 Peter 4:10 “Each one should use whatever gift he has received
to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various
forms.”
Galatians 5:13 “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do
not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve
one another in love.”
>Question: Where are you learning to say yes to others through healthy service?
I’m Not I I I live out
Serve Occasionally Serve Weekly an attitude of service
•1—————————————————————————–5——————————————————————————10•
Philippians 2:5-7 “Your attitude should be the same as that of
Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself
nothing, taking the very nature of a servant …”
3. Say yes to Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:19 & 20 “Jesus Christ… is the divine Yes –
God’s affirmation. For no matter how many promises God has
made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the
‘Amen’ (which means ‘yes’) is spoken by us to the glory of
God.” (NLT & NIV)
>Question: Are you experiencing God’s affirmation?
Not yet I’m Not Sure I think so I Know so
•1——————————————————————5——————————————————————10•
This Week’s Assignments:
You can measure a person’s life by what they are saying yes to. In our series,
Measure, we are asking ourselves to measure our own lives, not someone
else’s, by our ultimate standard, Jesus Christ. Jesus, through the scriptures,
calls us to obey Him over all else. In fact, Jesus tells us that we can measure
our love for Him by our level of obedience. See John 14:15, 21, & 23.
Obedience is nothing more than saying yes to what Christ asks us to do. See
Matthew 22:36-40 and John 13:34-35. When we are pulled by the world
around us or even unhealthy relationships or habits, we end up saying yes to
things that ultimately distract us from God and His purposes for our life. One
way you can measure your spiritual progress and your genuine love for Christ
is by what you are saying yes to.
If you were to measure your own integrity by what you say yes to and follow
through on, how would you measure up? Why do you think we say yes to
things and don’t follow through?
The religious standard Jesus is talking about in Matthew 5, in the opening text
of the message, was a double standard about making “oaths” or “swearing by
some important thing.” We’ve all heard someone say, “I swear by my mother’s
grave”, as if that will make their statement more true. Jesus’ point is that our
word should be our bond. We shouldn’t need to swear by anything. Our simple
‘yes’ or ‘no’ should be enough.
The Luke 6:45 passage helps us to recognize if there’s a problem. What needs
to change is our heart. When our heart is divided, our words will be a type of
double speak. How does James 1:8 & 4:8 relate to this idea?
Take a few minutes and study a few of the “one another” passages in the New
Testament. How would saying yes to others, following the instructions from
these passages affect or create a healthier community of Christ followers?
Colossians 3:13, 16; 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 4:9; Hebrews 10:25, 13:16 and
James 5:16.
What did you think of the testimonies from the Biloxi Team? Have you chosen
to serve in some area consistently out of your love for Christ or people? If so,
are you growing in a heart of service? What I mean by that is, are you finding
spiritual pleasure through service? Look at Philippians 2:1-12 and rewrite the
verses that speak to you in your own words.
Do you sense God’s affirmation? Do you know His love and forgiveness? What
would keep you from saying yes to letting Him fill your life with His presence? If
you have any doubt about God’s affirmation, whisper right now: “Dear Jesus, I
say yes to You, to your forgiveness, your love, your promises and your
presence in my life. Enter me and conceive your life in me.”
In His Love,
Pastor Jeff
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Measure-May 10, 2009
Learn to Say, “Yes”, Part II
Luke 10:25-37*
I. From the right motivation.
1. The danger of seeing ourselves as an
expert.
Verses 25-28 “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test
Jesus. ‘Teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’
‘What is written in the Law?’ he replied. ‘How do you read it?’ He
answered: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself.’ ‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied.
‘Do this and you will live.’ ”
> The right doctrine is no guarantee for right motivation.
Philippians 2:3 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better than yourselves.”
> It’s pretty hard to see others as better than
yourself when you are constantly thinking
you’re better than others.
2. The danger of wanting to justify ourselves.
Verse 29“But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who
is my neighbor?’ ”
3. The need to purify ourselves.
>The right reason to measure is to purify ourselves, not to justify ourselves.
Psalm 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me …”
II. From the right concentration.
Practice saying yes:
1. To those right in front of you.
Verse 30 “In reply Jesus said: A man was going down from Jerusalem
to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of
his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.”
>Why? Because of their intrinsic worth.
> Regardless of religion.
Verse 31 “A priest happened to be going down the same road, and
when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.”
>Regardless of rules.
Verse 32 “So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him,
passed by on the other side.”
> Regardless of race.
Verse 33 “But a Samaritan… took pity on him…”
Verse 36-37a
I struggle with I am learning I seek to love
prejudice toward others to love others everyone I’m around
•1————————————————————5——————————————————————-10•
2. To those who need your time.
Verse 33a “But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was;
and …”
I am too busy I am trying to make I am open for God
to love others time to love & care for others to interrupt my schedule
for others to be loved
•1—————————————————————————5———————————————————————10•
3. To those that need your heart.
Verse 33 “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw
the man’s condition, his heart went out to him…” (MSG)
I don’t see the I sometimes feel I regularly express
needs around me compassion for others compassion for others
•1———————————————————————-5—————————————————————————10•
4. To those that need your resources.
Verse 34b-35 “Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an
inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and
gave them to the innkeeper.”
I am too busy I am trying to make I am open for God
to love others time to love & care for others to interrupt my schedule
for others to be loved
•1——————————————————————–5———————————————————————10•
5. With those who are willing to network.
Verse 35b “… to the innkeeper. Look after him, he said, and when I
return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.”
> Go and do likewise.
This Week’s Assignments:
In our series, we have been learning that the ultimate thing we should
be measuring is our ability and commitment to grow in our love for God
and others. (Matthew 22:36-40) That is the goal of all spiritual development.
(1 Timothy 1”5) When I am developing as a Christian, a Christ
follower, I am progressively becoming more like Christ, who was and is
the consummate expression of God’s love. (Ephesians 4:13) In today’s
message, we have focused on two things that need ongoing development/
measurement, in order to learn to say yes to love others like
Christ calls us to: Our motivation and concentration—our heart and
our deeds; what is on the inside and how I live it on the outside.
Take a few minutes and look over your notes. To which of the dangers
are you most vulnerable to: seeing yourself as an expert or justifying
something you do? Isn’t it easy to seek some form of justification for
why we don’t get more involved with serving opportunities, or play with
our kids more, or tell our spouse that we love them more, and so on
and so on. We say things like, “I have a lot of things on my plate” or “I
was never told I love you by my parents” or nobody’s serving me”.
When we are measuring ourselves to see if we are keeping up with the
Jones’, our motivation gets all turned around; but when I am measuring
myself against Jesus, who loves me unconditionally, it helps turn
me around. I get motivated to love and live like he does. Where do you
need purification? What is skewed in your motivation? What can you
identify that you would like God to help you change in order to be more
like him?
When your motivation changes, it is a lot easier to alter your concentration.
Take some time now to review the five things that the “Good
Samaritan” did. How can you begin to concentrate more on these
behaviors? Who is right in front of you that you have been stepping
around or side stepping instead of loving? Do you tend to be more
prejudiced of people who are not of your religious or political persuasion,
those who break rules that you value, or are of different ethnicity?
Who could you confess that to as a step away from that ungodly
behavior? Would you like to network with others to meet the needs of
those right in front of us? Pick one or two things from your notes and
concentrate on them this week.
In His Love,
Pastor Jeff
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Measure-May 17, 2009
Learn to Say, “No”
Titus 2:11-14*
I. The First Thing to Say “No” to
(is the World’s Merit System)
Verse 11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to
all men.”
“Grace” means unmerited favor.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through
faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by
works…”
One of the greatest barriers to…
*That is called “justification”; positionally
we are like Christ.
Romans 5:1-2a “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”
When you accept…
II. The way we learn to say “No”
Verse 12 “It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present
age…”
God’s grace, His unmerited favor, unconditional
love, extravagant forgiveness, teaches us to say
no.
“Teaches” is “paideuo” in the Greek (from
“pais” = child) childrearing, training, instructing,
guiding, disciplining, correcting and educating.
Hebrews 12:5-10 “… have you forgotten how good parents treat
children, and that God regards you as his children? My dear child,
don’t shrug off God’s discipline, but don’t be crushed by it either.
It’s the child he loves that he disciplines; the child he embraces,
he also corrects. God is educating you; that’s why you must never
drop out. He’s treating you as dear children. This trouble you’re
in isn’t punishment; it’s training, the normal experience of children.
Only irresponsible parents leave children to fend for themselves. Would
you prefer an irresponsible God? We respect our own parents for training
and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can
truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to
them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s
holy best.” (The Message—MSG)
That is called “sanctification”; progressively
we are becoming like Christ.
When I embrace what God has for me…
III. The Things We Say “No” to
Verse 12 “It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present
age…”
1. No to ungodliness. This is an automatic “no”
because it is wrong.
Galatians 5:19-21 “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality,
impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord,
jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and
envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that
those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
2. No to worldly passions. This is a boundary
“no” because it can go wrong.
1 John 2:15-16 “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone
loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything
in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the
boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from
the world.”
1 Timothy 4:4 & 1 Timothy 6:17c
3. No to distractions. This is a priority “no”
because my focus can be wrong.
Verse 12 “… self-controlled, upright and godly lives …”
IV. Jesus’ Most Powerful No
Luke 23:37 “They called out to him, ‘If you are the King of the Jews,
save yourself!’ ” (New Living Translation—NLT)
Matthew 26:53
This Week’s Assignments:
The great mathematician, Pythagoras, said, “The oldest and shortest words,
yes and no, are those which require the most thought.” Learning to say no is
not as easy as some may think. The “Just say No” Campaign illustrates how
our culture recognizes how critical it is to resist certain things because of the
potential damage that can come from saying yes to the wrong things.
According to our text, Titus 2:11-14, the grace of God, His unmerited favor, is
the school master for the believer. How has the love and acceptance of God
influenced you to say no to things that you previously yielded to? Take a few
minutes and review the following, in light of your sermon notes.
What are some good and bad things that come out of the world’s merit system?
How do you fall into the world’s measuring mentality (system)? How does
it impact your relationship with God or others? How do the following passages
encourage or discourage living by a merit system? Galatians 1:10, 2:6; 1 John
4:18; Romans 5:12 & 8:1-2.
What things in your life, right now do you need to say an automatic “no” to?
Are there some things that are clearly wrong that you need to declare not to
continue? Review the passages in Galatians 5 to help you measure your own
need for the automatic “no.” If we continue on a path that is not His path, we
are inviting the Lord’s discipline. The sooner we adjust our course, the sooner
we’ll experience His profound peace.
Are there areas of your life that you need to say a boundary no to? A boundary
is like a fence. It is suppose to be a tool for us to keep bad (unhealthy) things
out and good (healthy) things in.
Pleasure, possessions and power, in and of themselves, are neither good nor
bad but when our motivation is coming from the world and not God’s word, His
heart, they cross a boundary. God clearly calls us and wants to teach us to say
no. Where are you learning to say no in order to create better boundaries?
What is within this category? If you are unsure or think you have no boundary
issues, you are sorely mistaken. Much of our emotional and relational problems
are results of poor boundaries.
Take a few minutes to write out the boundary no’s that you are currently committed
to, i.e., not to drink alcohol, or know when to stop; not to exercise power
over another person in a manipulative way; not to spend your money on unbudgeted
or inappropriate items, etc.
Lastly, are you a disciplined person? Are you learning to say no to things that
are blocking you from spiritual growth? The person with “self-control” has
learned to say no when their body wants to stay in bed, or their mind wants to
wander, or their thoughts want to complain.
I hope and pray that you are experiencing so much of what God has for you
that you are empowered to say no to what the world offers you.
In His Love,
Pastor Jeff
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Measure-May 25, 2009
Learn to Say, “Thank You”
Luke 17:11-19*
I. Why Say “Thank You”
1. Because it honors God.
Verse 15 “Now one of them, when he saw that he had been
healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice…” (New
American Standard Bible—NASB)
Psalm 50:23 “The sacrifice that honors me is a thankful
heart.” (Contemporary English Version—CEV)
2. Because it is good medicine.
Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed
spirit dries up the bones.”
3. Because it changes your perspective.
Verses 17-18 “Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where
are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise
to God except this foreigner?’ ”
Roman 1:21 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified
him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became
futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God.”
4. Because it expresses your faith.
Verse 19 “Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made
you well.’ ”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 “… give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the
good of those who love him, who have been called according to
his purpose.”
II. How to say “Thank You”
1. Audibly.
Verse 15 “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back,
praising God in a loud voice.”
Romans 14:19 “… Help others with encouraging words…” (The
Message—MSG)
2. Indiscriminately.
James 3:9 “We use it to give thanks to our Lord and Father and
also to curse other people, who are created in the likeness of
God.” (Today’s English Version—TEV)
a. When you are hurting, you’re less
prejudiced.
Verse 11-12 “Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along
the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a
village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a
distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity
on us!’ ”
b. When someone is compassionate to
your need, you let go of your prejudice.
Verse 16 “He fell flat on the ground in front of Jesus, … thanking
Him for what He had done. This man was a despised Samaritan.”
(The Living Bible—LB)
3. Personally and specifically.
Verse 16 “He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him… ”
4. Consistently.
Romans 1:8-10a “… I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all
of you… constantly I remember you …”
1 Corinthians 1:4 “I always thank God for you … ”
Philippians 1:3 “I thank my God every time I remember you.”
1 Corinthians 10:16 “We give thanks for the cup
of blessing, which is a sharing in the blood of Christ. And
the bread that we break is a sharing in the body of Christ.
(New Century Version—NCV)
This Week’s Assignments:
One of my favorite quotes is from A.W. Tozer, who pastored in Chicago for 30
years at the same church and wrote the Christian classics, The Pursuit of God
and The Knowledge of the Holy. He said: “A real Christian is an odd number.
He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen; talks with familiarity
every day to Someone he cannot see; expects to go to heaven on the virtue of
Another; empties himself in order to be full; admits he is wrong so he can be
declared right; goes down in order to get up; is strongest when he is weakest,
richest when he is poorest. He dies so he can live; forsakes in order to have,
gives so he can keep, sees the invisible; hear the inaudible; and knows that
which passes knowledge.” It is from that same place of spiritual paradox that
we must seek to live out a theology of thankfulness. There can and will be, at
any given moment, dozens of reasons to be cynical, skeptical, or negative. But
the real Christians, the ones who have genuinely discovered God’s reliable
presence, choose to make a fundamental shift that moves them from a circumstantial
perspective to a Christ-centered perspective.
We can feel hypocritical to say thank you to God or to others if we do not feel
it, but that is far from true. How I feel has very little to do with whether it is true
or not, or if it is the right thing to do or not. Faith is not the presence of my
emotions but the confidence in his presence. Thankfulness is a choice and
expression of our faith, which then begins to have a supernatural affect on our
lives. If I’m not feeling thankful, scripture would lead me to see that at least
part of my condition is the absence of gratitude. Proverbs 17:22 reminds us
that a “cheerful heart is good medicine”. If I choose to express thanks and
gratitude I naturally begin to feel more thankful. God never tells us if we “feel”
thankful, to praise him. On the contrary, he commands us to praise him,
whether we feel like it or not.
Who in your life has impacted you for good that you’ve walked away from without
turning back around to say “thank you”? Are you like the nine lepers that
walked away from Christ or like the one who returned? How do the following
scriptures challenge us to choose to give thanks in some way? Notice what the
subject is in each text and in what context we are called to give thanks.
Ephesians 5:20; Colossians 3:17; 1 Timothy 4:4; Hebrews 13:15 and 12:28.
The relational impact of saying “thank you” to others is hard to quantify but the
effects are enormous. Mother Theresa said, “Our words can be short and easy
to speak but the echoes are truly endless.” Well put; whether negative or
positive they have an ongoing influence and consequence on those who are
the recipients. How does the Bible address our verbal contribution to others?
Look up Romans 14:19, 1Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 3:13, and Colossians
3:15, and make a few notes about why and how you can reinforce your
commitment to be obedient with your words.
Is it a mother or father, a husband or wife, a brother or sister, a friend or leader
who you need to express thankfulness to today? Before you do, think about
doing it audibly, indiscriminately, and personally, and then, go for it. You’ll be
glad you did.
In His Love,
Pastor Jeff
