Thanksgiving Day
Preaching
THE WESLEYAN PREACHING ANNUAL 2001--2002
CALL TO WORSHIP
Leader: God is the ruling King of life.
People: God is robed with strength.
Leader: God is firm, immovable from His foundation.
People: God is eternal and nothing shall move Him.
All: God is worthy to be praised.
OFFERING THOUGHT
Jesus will meet all of our needs as we give Him our hearts. Isn't it wonderful to know such a God?
BENEDICTION
Abundant living and eternal life pour forth from the everlasting fountain of God. Let us go forth today bathed in His Presence!
SERMON BRIEFS
His Indescribable Gift
2 Corinthians 9:6--15
Perspective. It can be difficult to find and even more difficult to sustain. Webster calls it "the ability to see all the relevant data in a meaningful relationship." Our world loves to compartmentalize. Yet, when something is viewed in isolation it is never fully understood. It can only be comprehended in relationship. Poverty teaches us about true wealth. Pain makes pleasure more meaningful. Mourning turns into dancing. Self--denial opens the door to contentment and sufficiency. So it is no surprise that Paul teaches us generosity by putting it in its "meaningful relationship" to gratitude. When talking about how we give we must consider how we receive.
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously" (v. 6). In this passage Paul succinctly summarizes the experience of giving. He's not describing the way things ought to be. He's describing the way things are now. The more that is planted, the more that is harvested. This leads him to tell us what brings joy to the one who created this planting paradigm. "God loves a cheerful giver," he says, therefore we should not give "reluctantly or under compulsion" (v. 7). We should give with joy not only because we know it pleases God, but also because He promises that at all times we'll have all we need (v. 8).
But can we speak of our generosity in isolation? Can we possibly understand it without at least trying to comprehend the generosity of our Heavenly Father, the One "who supplies seed to the sower"? (v. 10).
Of course we cannot because He was giving to us before we began giving to Him. God told the Children of Israel what He would give them when they entered the land that was promised to them. They would receive "flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant" (Deuteronomy 6:10--11). This of course, would follow the manna that they did not harvest and the Red Sea that they did not part. God was their total sufficiency and he wanted them to always remember that. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates" (Deuteronomy 6:4--9). The goodness, the generosity, the love and the mercy of God are to be constantly on our minds and on our lips. We are to live lives filled with gratitude.
Can we be generous without being grateful? Can we be grateful without being generous? Although receiving and giving seem to be opposite ends of the spectrum, they really become impossible to separate from one another. When gratitude is removed from generosity, we find ourselves giving in precisely the manner that Paul warned against. We give "reluctantly or under compulsion" (v. 7). When generosity is removed from gratitude, well we don't even have a category for that mode of living.
Gratitude is the great perspective giver. You've never met a person who lived the abundant life that Jesus described who was not filled with gratitude.
I must be grateful to keep my perspective. I must be generous to be grateful. I must be grateful to be generous. That is why Paul's insightful, instructive words on giving in 2 Corinthians 9:6--15 inevitably end with words expressing deep gratitude.
"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (vv. 12--15).
Phillip Stout
Praise In Waiting
Psalm 65
High school physics taught me well the lessons of potential and kinetic energy. Potential energy is energy waiting to happen. It is like holding a book in the air. The potential for energy exists because if the book is released gravity will cause the book to fall. Once the potential energy is released, it becomes kinetic energy. The trick in turning potential energy into kinetic energy is to find a change agent.
The psalmist opens his psalm loaded with potential praise. But it is at best praise in waiting. As the psalm unfolds, however, the potential praise becomes kinetic praise. The change agent called "focus" unleashes this kinetic--active praise. When I was in grade school my parents gave me what they thought was a scientific instrument: a magnifying glass. It did not take long for me to realize it was really a weapon of mass destruction. It could take the sun's rays and with the right focus burn a hole in the upholstery of my dad's new car. If you want to change your potential praise to kinetic praise, it is a matter of focus.
I. We turn potential praise into active praise by focusing on God's past blessings. (v. 3)
The psalmist first of all points to the blessings of the past. The main blessing of the past that he focuses on is a spiritual one. He gives thanks to God for the forgiveness of sins. It is not difficult for him to remember what it was like to be overwhelmed by his sins. The memory of the day of forgiveness will never be erased from his mind.
When you are tempted to falter in your praise to God, remind yourself of when God forgave you of your sins. If that were all God ever did for you, it would be enough! Think of it. You were headed the wrong direction, but God turned you around. You traded a cubicle in hell for a mansion in heaven. Turn the praise in waiting to active praise right now. Thank Him for what He has done for you. Praise Him for Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection. Praise God for His past blessings. As you focus upon them, you will find the praise in waiting turning into an active praise.
II. We turn potential praise into active praise by focusing on God's present blessings. (v. 5a)
Verse 5 begins with these words: "You answer us...." That is a statement showing present tense action. It shows that God is at work right now in the life of the psalmist. Yes, the blessings of the past are enough to make the praise flow. But how wonderful to see the hand of God at work in the moments of each day!
As you also begin to focus on God at work in the moments of today, you will turn the potential praise into active praise. In the moments of this day look for the hand of God. Even if you are going through a difficult time, if you look hard enough, you will see God. If nothing else, hold your hand over your chest and feel the beating of your heart. With each beat remind yourself that your heart beats because of God! With each heartbeat you are experiencing God's present blessing. As you focus upon His present blessings, allow your potential praise to be transformed into an active praise.
III. We turn potential praise into active praise by focusing on future blessings. (v. 5b)
In the second part of verse 5 we see these words: "The hope...." What wonderful words. The word "hope" directs us to the future. The psalmist is looking down the corridor of time and seeing that the hand of God is already there. As he focuses on that thought, he bursts forth in praise.
If you think of the hope Christians have in the future, you will automatically turn your potential praise into active praise. In fact, I dare you to think about the hope we have as Christians without praising God. We are on our way to an eternity of being in God's presence. It is a place where the tears are wiped away from our eyes. It is a place that does not need the radiance of the S--U--N because there will be the radiance of the S--O--N! There will be no sickness, no pain, and no tax forms to file!
As you focus on the future hope of God's blessings, you will turn the potential praise into kinetic praise.
Praise in waiting, like potential energy, is of little value unless it is turned into kinetic praise. Today turn your praise in waiting into an active praise by focusing on the wonderful blessings of God!
Randall Hartman
Leader: God is the ruling King of life.
People: God is robed with strength.
Leader: God is firm, immovable from His foundation.
People: God is eternal and nothing shall move Him.
All: God is worthy to be praised.
OFFERING THOUGHT
Jesus will meet all of our needs as we give Him our hearts. Isn't it wonderful to know such a God?
BENEDICTION
Abundant living and eternal life pour forth from the everlasting fountain of God. Let us go forth today bathed in His Presence!
SERMON BRIEFS
His Indescribable Gift
2 Corinthians 9:6--15
Perspective. It can be difficult to find and even more difficult to sustain. Webster calls it "the ability to see all the relevant data in a meaningful relationship." Our world loves to compartmentalize. Yet, when something is viewed in isolation it is never fully understood. It can only be comprehended in relationship. Poverty teaches us about true wealth. Pain makes pleasure more meaningful. Mourning turns into dancing. Self--denial opens the door to contentment and sufficiency. So it is no surprise that Paul teaches us generosity by putting it in its "meaningful relationship" to gratitude. When talking about how we give we must consider how we receive.
"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously" (v. 6). In this passage Paul succinctly summarizes the experience of giving. He's not describing the way things ought to be. He's describing the way things are now. The more that is planted, the more that is harvested. This leads him to tell us what brings joy to the one who created this planting paradigm. "God loves a cheerful giver," he says, therefore we should not give "reluctantly or under compulsion" (v. 7). We should give with joy not only because we know it pleases God, but also because He promises that at all times we'll have all we need (v. 8).
But can we speak of our generosity in isolation? Can we possibly understand it without at least trying to comprehend the generosity of our Heavenly Father, the One "who supplies seed to the sower"? (v. 10).
Of course we cannot because He was giving to us before we began giving to Him. God told the Children of Israel what He would give them when they entered the land that was promised to them. They would receive "flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant" (Deuteronomy 6:10--11). This of course, would follow the manna that they did not harvest and the Red Sea that they did not part. God was their total sufficiency and he wanted them to always remember that. "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates" (Deuteronomy 6:4--9). The goodness, the generosity, the love and the mercy of God are to be constantly on our minds and on our lips. We are to live lives filled with gratitude.
Can we be generous without being grateful? Can we be grateful without being generous? Although receiving and giving seem to be opposite ends of the spectrum, they really become impossible to separate from one another. When gratitude is removed from generosity, we find ourselves giving in precisely the manner that Paul warned against. We give "reluctantly or under compulsion" (v. 7). When generosity is removed from gratitude, well we don't even have a category for that mode of living.
Gratitude is the great perspective giver. You've never met a person who lived the abundant life that Jesus described who was not filled with gratitude.
I must be grateful to keep my perspective. I must be generous to be grateful. I must be grateful to be generous. That is why Paul's insightful, instructive words on giving in 2 Corinthians 9:6--15 inevitably end with words expressing deep gratitude.
"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (vv. 12--15).
Phillip Stout
Praise In Waiting
Psalm 65
High school physics taught me well the lessons of potential and kinetic energy. Potential energy is energy waiting to happen. It is like holding a book in the air. The potential for energy exists because if the book is released gravity will cause the book to fall. Once the potential energy is released, it becomes kinetic energy. The trick in turning potential energy into kinetic energy is to find a change agent.
The psalmist opens his psalm loaded with potential praise. But it is at best praise in waiting. As the psalm unfolds, however, the potential praise becomes kinetic praise. The change agent called "focus" unleashes this kinetic--active praise. When I was in grade school my parents gave me what they thought was a scientific instrument: a magnifying glass. It did not take long for me to realize it was really a weapon of mass destruction. It could take the sun's rays and with the right focus burn a hole in the upholstery of my dad's new car. If you want to change your potential praise to kinetic praise, it is a matter of focus.
I. We turn potential praise into active praise by focusing on God's past blessings. (v. 3)
The psalmist first of all points to the blessings of the past. The main blessing of the past that he focuses on is a spiritual one. He gives thanks to God for the forgiveness of sins. It is not difficult for him to remember what it was like to be overwhelmed by his sins. The memory of the day of forgiveness will never be erased from his mind.
When you are tempted to falter in your praise to God, remind yourself of when God forgave you of your sins. If that were all God ever did for you, it would be enough! Think of it. You were headed the wrong direction, but God turned you around. You traded a cubicle in hell for a mansion in heaven. Turn the praise in waiting to active praise right now. Thank Him for what He has done for you. Praise Him for Jesus, the cross, and the resurrection. Praise God for His past blessings. As you focus upon them, you will find the praise in waiting turning into an active praise.
II. We turn potential praise into active praise by focusing on God's present blessings. (v. 5a)
Verse 5 begins with these words: "You answer us...." That is a statement showing present tense action. It shows that God is at work right now in the life of the psalmist. Yes, the blessings of the past are enough to make the praise flow. But how wonderful to see the hand of God at work in the moments of each day!
As you also begin to focus on God at work in the moments of today, you will turn the potential praise into active praise. In the moments of this day look for the hand of God. Even if you are going through a difficult time, if you look hard enough, you will see God. If nothing else, hold your hand over your chest and feel the beating of your heart. With each beat remind yourself that your heart beats because of God! With each heartbeat you are experiencing God's present blessing. As you focus upon His present blessings, allow your potential praise to be transformed into an active praise.
III. We turn potential praise into active praise by focusing on future blessings. (v. 5b)
In the second part of verse 5 we see these words: "The hope...." What wonderful words. The word "hope" directs us to the future. The psalmist is looking down the corridor of time and seeing that the hand of God is already there. As he focuses on that thought, he bursts forth in praise.
If you think of the hope Christians have in the future, you will automatically turn your potential praise into active praise. In fact, I dare you to think about the hope we have as Christians without praising God. We are on our way to an eternity of being in God's presence. It is a place where the tears are wiped away from our eyes. It is a place that does not need the radiance of the S--U--N because there will be the radiance of the S--O--N! There will be no sickness, no pain, and no tax forms to file!
As you focus on the future hope of God's blessings, you will turn the potential praise into kinetic praise.
Praise in waiting, like potential energy, is of little value unless it is turned into kinetic praise. Today turn your praise in waiting into an active praise by focusing on the wonderful blessings of God!
Randall Hartman
