The Dangers of a Therapeutic Gospel: When ‘Gratitude’ Replaces Repentance

[00:00:05] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]:
So let's go to 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 16 through 18.
[00:00:09] Be joyful always.
[00:00:11] Now isn't that hard for someone that doesn't just have a continual smile?
[00:00:16] Because some of us see the glass half empty, some of us see it half full, right?
[00:00:21] Some of us tend to be a little more melancholy, some of us tend to be a little more optimistic.
[00:00:26] We all have different views and lens, but God doesn't say, hey, if you happen to be one of those, like Rachel, I call her sunshine.
[00:00:32] Now she's got an edge to her, don't be fooled, okay?
[00:00:36] But she's just like, Asher and her like sunshine.
[00:00:39] Brad and I are a little bit more like moonshine, I don't know.
[00:00:46] We see light, but it's usually kind of in a darker atmosphere, not that kind of moonshine.
[00:00:53] So her name is Rachel Joy Knight, Joy, you know?
[00:00:59] All right, so some people, but God doesn't say, those who are optimistic, be joyful always.
[00:01:07] He says to all of us, be joyful always.
[00:01:13] Pray continually.
[00:01:15] Now watch this, this is God, give thanks in all circumstances.
[00:01:22] Give thanks when you just, whatever, got married.
[00:01:25] Give thanks when you had the baby.
[00:01:26] Give thanks when you got the home.
[00:01:28] Give thanks when you got the promotion.
[00:01:30] Give thanks when you fell in love.
[00:01:32] Give thanks when you found out you got cancer.
[00:01:35] What?
[00:01:37] He didn't say for cancer.
[00:01:39] He says in all circumstances.
[00:01:43] Give thanks.
[00:01:44] Man, really God?
[00:01:46] For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
[00:01:50] This is the will of God for me.
[00:01:52] So it's interesting because the message says, be cheerful no matter what.
[00:01:56] Pray all the time.
[00:01:57] Thank God no matter what happens.
[00:02:00] This is the way God wants you who belong in Christ Jesus to live.
[00:02:04] And then it goes on to say, may God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole.
[00:02:11] So this has a lot to do with my holiness and my wholeness.
[00:02:15] So this gratitude thing has to do with holiness and wholeness.
[00:02:21] may he make you holy and whole put you together spirit soul and body and keep you fit for the coming of our master jesus christ now he's including this whole beginning part and this precedent to what's making me fit it's all about gratitude so part of me being fit how many of you want to be fit when jesus comes all right it doesn't just mean i know how to slay the devil it doesn't mean i just know how to quote 22 scriptures or 500
[00:02:46] and 32.
[00:02:47] It means that I am giving thanks in all circumstances.
[00:02:52] This is God's will.
[00:02:53] I'm praying continually and I'm joyful always.
[00:02:57] Help me, Lord Jesus.
[00:02:58] Anybody need some help today?
[00:02:59] Come on, we're going to get there.
[00:03:01] And it says the one who called you is completely dependable.
[00:03:04] If he said it, he'll do it.
[00:03:06] So we already learned what you appreciate, appreciates, right?
[00:03:09] And so when you appreciate something, it gains value.
[00:03:13] If you want more love,
[00:03:15] You have to appreciate the love you have.
[00:03:17] If you want more friends, you've got to appreciate the friends you have.
[00:03:20] What you appreciate appreciates.
[00:03:22] If you appreciate your blessings, they increase.
[00:03:25] So we learned the principles.
[00:03:26] We found out that practicing gratitude has a lot of good things.
[00:03:30] It impacts our well-being from improving mental health to our social life to our relationships.
[00:03:36] It boosts all those.
[00:03:38] It makes you happier, less depressed, less stressed.
[00:03:41] It relieves pain.
[00:03:42] I mean, there's so many studies out there on what all gratitude does.
[00:03:46] We went through this for about 20 minutes.
[00:03:48] Grateful people have higher levels of an ability to control their circumstance, including their outcome and their outlook on personal relationships.
[00:03:58] They can reinterpret pain better.
[00:04:00] So there's so many benefits to gratitude.
[00:04:03] They spend time planning to deal with future problems.
[00:04:08] They have less negative coping strategies, like they don't have addictions as much.
[00:04:13] They don't deny there's a problem.
[00:04:14] They don't blame others for a problem.
[00:04:16] There's a lot of reasons to be grateful, right?
[00:04:18] They did mental health care studies.
[00:04:20] I was studying all this week.
[00:04:21] Y'all always know I'm getting into that psychology stuff.
[00:04:24] And they took three different people and put them in a placebo or 300 people, put them in placebo groups.
[00:04:30] One, they had write letters for
[00:04:31] Gratitude one did nothing one expressed them and what the best and biggest benefits were and by far those who were truly expressing gratefulness had had scientific mental health care improvement I mean it just goes on and on they sleep better how many of you need a better night's sleep come on optimistic they they have greater achievement of their goals but while all this is wonderful I didn't have to go and do the research for the psychological
[00:05:00] or the emotional or the relational well-being.
[00:05:03] God's Word has said this all along.
[00:05:05] So if I go back to the Word of God and look at it, let's just sign a few.
[00:05:10] One of my favorite is Psalm 138 because I'm going to start here and I'm going to end here.
[00:05:13] And the message says this, thank you.
[00:05:16] Can somebody just shout thank you?
[00:05:18] Come on.
[00:05:18] Thank you.
[00:05:19] I'd write it on my notes.
[00:05:20] Thank you.
[00:05:21] Every day wake up and tell somebody thank you.
[00:05:24] Start with God.
[00:05:25] Thank you for allowing me to wake up.
[00:05:27] Thank yourself that you're getting up.
[00:05:30] you know thank the people around you every single day be intentional about saying thank you and he says thank you everything in me not a few things in me but everything in me my heart my soul my mind my body my actions everything in me says thank you now watch what it says angels listen as i sing my thanks
[00:05:52] I can imagine the psalmist is like Elder in the shower with the windows open where Elder Fred would say hey shut those and just be singing out thank you see I can't sing y'all already know that they're like that's enough I can yeah y'all know I can't but that's all right I'm gonna lead choir when I get to heaven God and I have a pact already
[00:06:13] You guys want to be in my choir?
[00:06:15] Come on, it would be awesome.
[00:06:16] We'll have City of Destiny choir.
[00:06:19] I'll ask God for the first service on Sundays.
[00:06:22] So, he says, thank you.
[00:06:24] Angels, listen as I sing my thanks.
[00:06:26] I kneel in worship, facing your holy temple, and again I say thank you.
[00:06:31] Think about it.
[00:06:32] Thank you.
[00:06:33] And I gave you four things.
[00:06:34] If you go, well, I have nothing to be thankful for.
[00:06:36] Yes, you do.
[00:06:37] Because this is what the Psalmist says.
[00:06:39] Thank you for your love.
[00:06:40] Thank you for your faithfulness.
[00:06:42] Most holy is your name.
[00:06:44] Most holy is your word.
[00:06:46] You say, well, I just don't have anything.
[00:06:48] I'm single.
[00:06:48] I'm lonely.
[00:06:50] I'm depressed.
[00:06:50] I don't have any money in the bank.
[00:06:51] Thank you.
[00:06:52] Thank you for your love, God.
[00:06:54] Thank you for your faithfulness.
[00:06:56] I might not have woken up faithful, but you were faithful to me.
[00:06:59] I might not have been steadfast, but you've been steadfast to me, oh God.
[00:07:04] Thank you.
[00:07:05] Come on.
[00:07:05] Thank you for your love.
[00:07:06] You loved me when I wasn't even lovable.
[00:07:09] Thank you, God.
[00:07:10] Thank you for your faithfulness.
[00:07:12] Thank you.
[00:07:13] for your holiness thank you for your word thank you for your name come on his word and his name he honors above all things at the name of jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess every name will confess and bow at the name of jesus there is not a greater name than the name of jesus cancer has a name diabetes has a name poverty has a name
[00:07:38] sickness has a name death has a name defeat has a name and everyone will bow at the name of Jesus if we had really understood the finished work of the cross and the implication of the cross that it defeated death it defeated hell it defeated the grave it defeated defeat come on that God gave us victory he spoiled the principalities and he made a spectacle of him
[00:08:04] they have no power the greatest power is the name of Jesus his word is above all it is supremacy heaven and earth shall pass away but the word shall remain forever come on come on God is a good God Isaiah 55 11 the word will not return empty void but it will prosper it will advance it'll push through it'll break
[00:08:26] It'll prosper that which it is sent to.
[00:08:29] That's why I send the word to your body.
[00:08:32] Send the word to your mind.
[00:08:34] Send the word to your circumstance.
[00:08:36] Send the word to this community.
[00:08:38] Send the word to your prophetic promise.
[00:08:40] Send the word.
[00:08:41] The word in the name of God.
[00:08:43] You have so much to be grateful for.
[00:08:46] If you only can go over four things, thank Him for His love.
[00:08:49] Thank Him for His faithfulness.
[00:08:51] Thank Him for His name.
[00:08:52] Thank Him for His Word.
[00:08:54] We thank You, God.
[00:08:55] We thank You.
[00:08:56] Your Word was more than enough.
[00:08:58] In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
[00:09:02] I thank You that Your Word rescued me and delivered me and revealed to me and saved me and set me free and redeemed me.
[00:09:11] Hey!
[00:09:13] Come on and give God some praise.
[00:09:15] Come on and give God some praise.
[00:09:17] You've got a lot to thank Him for.
[00:09:20] He's worthy!
[00:09:22] He's worthy!
[00:09:24] He's worthy!
[00:09:25] Thank you!
[00:09:26] Y'all better be seated.
[00:09:31] So the psalmist goes on and I'm starting with this because I'm gonna end with this and there's a lot in between and he says the moment I called out the moment I called out you stepped in the moment I called out you stepped in and you made my life large with strength
[00:09:50] He didn't say, you made my life big like you gave me everything I wanted and you were my Santa Claus and you were my sugar daddy.
[00:09:56] He said, no, you made my life large with strength.
[00:10:00] If I had to face another day in the trailer, you gave me the strength to do it.
[00:10:04] If I had to face another day not knowing how I was going to feed my child, you gave me the strength to do it.
[00:10:09] If I had to walk the halls of the White House and carry a weight that I was not prepared for,
[00:10:13] you gave me the strength to do it if I got a doctor's report I didn't want to hear you gave me the strength to do it you stepped in every single day the moment I called out and you made my life large with strength
[00:10:28] If I had to believe God for one more day in my marriage without a divorce, you gave me the strength until I could make it until God changed that spouse, until God changed that child.
[00:10:39] Oh, you have no idea.
[00:10:40] I'm fired up today.
[00:10:42] I am the most blessed woman in this world.
[00:10:45] You go, that's so arrogant.
[00:10:46] No, that's so grateful.
[00:10:47] I saw my son preaching today.
[00:10:49] I remember the day he was going to hell I remember the day he was a crack addict I remember the day he was an atheist I remember the day that he shook his fist and said there is no god I remember the day that he almost married the wrong girl I remember the day when he was don't even make me mess up come on my god's a good god he always steps in and always gives me strength to make my life sufficient for that day hey
[00:11:19] God is faithful.
[00:11:20] You have a lot of reasons to be grateful.
[00:11:23] I could have complained every single day this past year, but I just kept saying, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.
[00:11:33] I'm so grateful for all of you, but you want to know the truth?
[00:11:37] I'm grateful for you.
[00:11:38] Yes, I'm excited for you, and I'm so thankful.
[00:11:42] But the reality is my hope doesn't rest in you.
[00:11:45] I love you.
[00:11:46] Don't get upset.
[00:11:47] My hope rests in God, and God has sent you.
[00:11:50] Therefore, I'm grateful for you, but my real gratitude is to Him for bringing you.
[00:11:56] Come on.
[00:11:57] To Him for what He's done.
[00:11:59] It's to Him for who He is.
[00:12:02] Oh, you aren't hearing me.
[00:12:05] Anytime God gives you a gift, be thankful.
[00:12:08] Your pastor's a gift to you.
[00:12:09] You're a gift to me.
[00:12:13] Be thankful.
[00:12:15] Amen?
[00:12:16] Psalm 75, 1 says, We thank you, God.
[00:12:20] We thank you.
[00:12:20] Your name is our favorite word.
[00:12:22] Your mighty works are all we talk about.
[00:12:25] Think if we just changed our language, because language is a locator, and every single day we just talked about the works of God.
[00:12:32] I decided, you guys, thank you for all your prayers, by the way.
[00:12:36] I had my eye done, it's done.
[00:12:37] You're blurry a little bit, but it'll be clear.
[00:12:40] But the painful one was the tooth.
[00:12:42] Y'all, I am toothless.
[00:12:43] I'm for real toothless.
[00:12:44] I'm like real country bumpkin right now.
[00:12:46] And ooh, this one hurt.
[00:12:48] Oh my goodness, it hurts.
[00:12:50] That one's the hard.
[00:12:51] They did the bone graft, they did the end.
[00:12:53] they took the root out they took the tooth out etc etc probably grinding those teeth a little too much but you know it is what it is and uh and in this though i decided instead of complaining because thank you for you know pastor todd check on me and how you doing i was much better this week i didn't say oh it's so bad i'm hurting i want to take all these drugs oh come on y'all
[00:13:20] I didn't.
[00:13:20] I said, I'm so grateful.
[00:13:22] I shifted it this week.
[00:13:24] I said, I'm thankful.
[00:13:25] I said, I'm on the other side.
[00:13:26] I said, I'm recovering.
[00:13:28] God is good.
[00:13:29] And the reality is I hurt like heck.
[00:13:31] I hurt right now, but I am good.
[00:13:34] all is well and that's not a fake it that's a reality because i'm so grateful because it could have been so different all of our stories could be different so no matter what you're facing watch he says your mighty works are what i'm going to talk about your mighty works every day i can focus on what's right or what's wrong
[00:13:56] Every day, every moment, I can focus on what's right.
[00:13:59] So, yeah, my tooth hurts right now, but the million other parts of my body are working fantastic.
[00:14:05] I'm so grateful that you're causing all things to function and work out well.
[00:14:10] Be grateful.
[00:14:11] 1 Chronicles 16, 8.
[00:14:13] It says, Thank God.
[00:14:16] Call out His name.
[00:14:17] Tell the whole world who He is and what He's done.
[00:14:20] He's telling you, thank Him.
[00:14:23] Call out His name.
[00:14:25] Tell the entire world, starting with your family, starting with those around you, in your... Don't be a closet Christian.
[00:14:32] Tell the whole world what He's done and how good He is.
[00:14:37] Psalm 3012, I'm about to burst with song, I can't keep quiet about it.
[00:14:41] God, my God, I can't thank you enough.
[00:14:43] Psalm 54, 6 and 7, I'm ready now to worship, so ready.
[00:14:47] I thank you, God, you're so good.
[00:14:48] You got me out of every scrape and I saw my enemies get it.
[00:14:52] You took care of my enemies.
[00:14:54] But we're going to springboard off this one, 2 Chronicles 3.12.
[00:14:58] It's where Hezekiah is coming in and he's restoring the temple.
[00:15:02] And Hezekiah says in verse 2, I'm sorry, 2 Chronicles 31 verse 2.
[00:15:08] it says Hezekiah and I'm reading you the message version Hezekiah organized the groups of priests and Levites for their respective tasks how handing out job descriptions it's good information for conducting the services of worship making the various offerings and making sure that thanks and praise took place wherever and whenever God was worshiped
[00:15:34] Now I need you to see something.
[00:15:35] How many of you think worship is really important to the Lord?
[00:15:38] Okay, so he says, when the temple got restored, when they brought back in the glory and God did a sudden thing in eight days, because they had been under this horrific leadership of Ahaz, they had corrupted the priesthood, the nation had just about lost its entire way with God.
[00:15:58] And so God raises up and Hezekiah comes in and restores the temple.
[00:16:01] He opens up the door.
[00:16:03] He puts worship back in.
[00:16:04] And when worship and offering and thanks and all this stuff, well, let me get before that.
[00:16:08] When worship comes in, he says this, thanks and praise took place wherever and whenever they worshiped God.
[00:16:19] Now let's get a little bit deeper.
[00:16:21] It means worship cannot take place without thanks and without praise.
[00:16:27] So we talk about worship, but worship, and I love all her songs and golden, beautiful testimony.
[00:16:33] And really, you truly worship because you gave thanks to God for the breath in your body.
[00:16:38] That was the most powerful part, not the song.
[00:16:42] The song itself, and us lifting our hands or not, is not the most powerful part unless there's a heartfelt connection that says, I thank you, God, because I'm reminded your goodness and mercy is flowing over me.
[00:16:56] I thank you because all the days of my life, come on,
[00:17:00] and you start thinking you're faithful God and it's a singing not just out of this is a cute tune and this is awesome and oh wow isn't that great and but all of a sudden there's a connection between heart, head, spirit, soul, body that says true worship is me thanking you God whether I do it sounding like a frog or whether I do it sounding like an angel that I'm giving you a heart that says thank you
[00:17:24] I'm giving you a heart that says God I love you I'm praising you and thanks so God mandated thanks and praise as part of his worship so this is interesting because all this is very intertwined see as I said God is very relational you've got to understand that's why we did three months on the tabernacle Exodus 25 8 I'll always take you back there make me a sanctuary not just a building this is announced not just a building a sanctuary a dwelling place
[00:17:52] God always wants to have habitation with you.
[00:17:56] God's greatest desire is relationship.
[00:17:59] his desire the church is is to have relationship with him he says make me a sanctuary that i may dwell right that i may homestead have permanent lodging with you and so god's desire has always been to dwell with man and that's so important because god wants relationship and so everything becomes out of watch this is a fine line this is kind of like which came first the chicken or the egg
[00:18:26] Seriously, because there's a fine line right here why you can't ever judge somebody's walk or their worship.
[00:18:34] Because he says, I desire a heart that seeks after me, don't I, David?
[00:18:41] And David would restore our worship and he knew all the importance that pants after me is the deer pants after the water.
[00:18:47] So God is relational more than he is transactional.
[00:18:53] Now a transactional praise and a relationship praise can sometimes look the same because only God knows the motive of a heart because sometimes someone's doing something to get something and sometimes someone's just doing something because
[00:19:11] So your worship has to have thanks.
[00:19:14] Your worship has to have praise.
[00:19:16] We can have a whole room of praisers, a whole room of thankers, but it's not always the same.
[00:19:23] And it's important because God is very relational.
[00:19:26] Keep that in mind.
[00:19:27] Because much of what we do, even people bring their tithe because it's like fire insurance to some people.
[00:19:33] They just, they're like, you were raised in a wrong concept of God.
[00:19:38] You're raised with your pastor saying stuff like, bring your tithe or God gonna get your hide.
[00:19:43] No, he's not.
[00:19:45] No, he's not.
[00:19:46] You're just gonna miss out on an opportunity to express to your daddy, to your Abba Father, to your loving, faithful God, thank you.
[00:19:57] You see, if you ever get out of fear and really start moving in faith and love, it's not an obligation to come and give God everything.
[00:20:04] It's an honor.
[00:20:06] It's an honor to lay down my life.
[00:20:08] It's an honor to lay down my sacrifice.
[00:20:10] It's an honor to say thank you.
[00:20:13] What else can I thank you with?
[00:20:14] My time, my talent, my being, my mind, my body, my money, my family, my husband.
[00:20:20] Everything I have is yours, God.
[00:20:22] So you don't have to ask for anything.
[00:20:24] I'm not here for a transaction from you.
[00:20:27] because I already know You're a good, good Father and You're gonna take care of me.
[00:20:30] I already know that You're gonna heal me.
[00:20:32] I already know You're gonna provide for me.
[00:20:34] I already know that You have all my days until the one I'm called up to be with You.
[00:20:38] I already know that You have provision.
[00:20:40] I already know that my footsteps are more than just ordered.
[00:20:42] They're ordained, which means before I ever took my first breath, You've already furnished me with everything I need to every day that I'm ordained into by You because I already know I'm submitted and surrendered.
[00:20:54] Here I am, God.
[00:20:56] Man, help me.
[00:20:58] This is more than transactional.
[00:21:01] This is relational.
[00:21:03] So gratitude, true biblical gratitude, comes out of relationship.
[00:21:09] Not out of transaction.
[00:21:11] I started with benefits because everybody likes benefits.
[00:21:14] Sleep better, better mental health care, spiritually, because we all like benefits.
[00:21:20] But if the benefit gets you there, then I can woo you in.
[00:21:25] Because what this is really about is me always giving you an opportunity to get closer to God.
[00:21:31] And I hope to provoke you through a woman in Mark chapter 14, which I could exhaust this woman all day long, into understanding the real principles of this gratitude.
[00:21:41] So let's figure out how all this works.
[00:21:44] Ready?
[00:21:44] Can we journey a little bit today?
[00:21:46] Can we go?
[00:21:47] So how does this tie, how do we tie this thing, gratitude, in according to the Word of God?
[00:21:53] So I laid out just some etymology.
[00:21:55] Can we go there?
[00:21:56] Say, bring it on, Pastor Paula.
[00:21:58] First God said, give thanks in.
[00:22:00] all things not for all things that's important word in it usually always in the greek means by your relationship of resting the only reason i can have thanks is because i'm resting in him
[00:22:13] It's the only way I can even see things with the right perspective.
[00:22:17] It comes from, the English word usually comes from an en word in the Greek.
[00:22:21] And it means I have to develop an attitude of gratitude.
[00:22:25] Sounds like a nice little cliche, but let's get into it because attitude is a state of mind.
[00:22:30] It's a feeling, it's a disposition.
[00:22:32] Here's the best way to describe attitude.
[00:22:35] It is a settled way of thinking about someone or something.
[00:22:40] it's a settled way of thinking so when you have an attitude like Cameron congratulations with you and Adriana on the big beautiful engagement party etc so when you have an attitude that you're the most blessed man because you get to marry this amazing woman and you have that attitude you're settled in your mind you aren't out there going well I wonder if there's something else you're settled in your mind you're set on your way so now your actions towards her become loving
[00:23:07] become gentle become kind become good become appreciative right because you're settled in your mind you made a decision you put a ring on amen it's a beautiful one too amen
[00:23:19] Come on.
[00:23:20] It's good.
[00:23:20] We had their engagement party yesterday.
[00:23:23] You're settled.
[00:23:24] Adriana, when you said he's the one, you're settled in your mind and your way of thinking.
[00:23:29] So now you aren't going like, well, maybe he is, maybe he's not, maybe he is, maybe he's not.
[00:23:34] So you're settled in your mind, your way of thinking.
[00:23:36] So now your actions towards him are commitment.
[00:23:39] Honor, Respect, Understanding, even Submission.
[00:23:45] Amen.
[00:23:46] It's all the wonderful things that we naturally are, right?
[00:23:51] So your attitude of gratitude means you're settled in your thinking about who God is, okay, what God has for you.
[00:24:00] Think about that.
[00:24:01] You don't wake up every day with a bad attitude.
[00:24:05] Because you wake up going, if God be for me, who can be against me?
[00:24:11] So when all things flow from God first, I'm going to tell you, if you're trying to get something settled in your life by another person, unfortunately, we're always going to come up a little bit short and a little disappointed.
[00:24:21] It's not because people are bad.
[00:24:23] They're not.
[00:24:24] They're just where there's no good thing in us, according to Paul.
[00:24:27] it's just we all have failures we all have flaws but when you reposition that person and the relationship and you try to stop making them god and you make god god and you're grateful for who they are in your life it changes everything about them because we all have some rough days we all have some bad days right but you're going to find out you're able to have a lot greater grace during those tough times okay let's keep going so god said give thanks what in all things an attitude is a what
[00:24:56] a settled way of thinking a settled it's settled someone said once a concrete settles it's sealed right it's foundational a settled way of thinking about someone or something so what do we have that attitude we have a settled way of thinking about this i'll put that in fill in the blank taking notes crystal i have a settled way of thinking about attitude a settled way of thinking about
[00:25:22] Gratitude.
[00:25:22] Let's find out what gratitude is.
[00:25:24] A settled way of thinking about gratitude.
[00:25:28] It means feeling of thankfulness and appreciation.
[00:25:31] The etymology is thankful and pleasing.
[00:25:33] It's from the root of gratis, which means grace.
[00:25:38] Grace.
[00:25:40] And this is where it's going to get really important.
[00:25:41] I said it's simple, complex.
[00:25:43] Y'all ready?
[00:25:44] Say, bring it on, Pastor Paula.
[00:25:45] Bring it on.
[00:25:47] Which is God's favor.
[00:25:50] So, favor
[00:25:51] Everybody's like, favor ain't fair.
[00:25:53] Favor is very fair.
[00:25:55] There is a clear pathway to favor.
[00:25:58] So favor
[00:25:59] which is God's grace or his kindness it literally means so gratitude comes from the root word gratis which means grace which means God's favor or help and this means pleasing quality favor goodwill agreeable it's from the pi base you know I'm gonna keep breaking it down etymology pi base this you got to get down to go what does it literally mean from the pi which means giver giver
[00:26:27] which means to praise, to welcome, to announce, and to sing.
[00:26:33] So if I break down what the word gratitude is, to be grateful means to praise.
[00:26:41] So remember an attitude is this, a settled way in thinking about who I'm praising for what.
[00:26:52] A settled way of thinking
[00:26:54] about who I'm praising for what.
[00:26:58] a settled way of thinking that's an attitude of gratitude about who I'm praising for what now so if if if Satan's job which it is we'll never understand that whole dynamic I mean it's fullness is to kill till still and destroy which is to get you away from God he wants you to be unsettled watch in how you think about God right
[00:27:28] and what you are telling God.
[00:27:31] He wants you unsettled in that.
[00:27:33] So, in other words, God is saying, live grateful and Satan say, I'm gonna create everything that causes confusion to you that you will not be settled in the way you think or feel about who God is and what you thank Him for.
[00:27:48] Because you're not really sure deep in your heart if Matthew 6 is really real.
[00:27:53] If you should really not take any thought for what you're gonna eat, what you're gonna wear,
[00:27:57] How are you going to put your head?
[00:27:58] So you're going to always have a backup plan because after all, you're a Western Christian.
[00:28:09] So we're going to go to church and we're going to feel good out of our duty.
[00:28:14] But God forbid if tomorrow communism came in
[00:28:19] Wait, you're still Christians, right?
[00:28:21] Wait, we're still Christians.
[00:28:22] You're not just an American Christian, right?
[00:28:25] You're still Christian whether you're in Afghanistan or Armenia or wherever you are, right?
[00:28:30] Oh, I just got everybody's attention.
[00:28:32] I thought that first Thessalonians said, be thankful, be joyful always.
[00:28:37] Thank God in all circumstances in America.
[00:28:42] Y'all are too quiet on me right now.
[00:28:44] Jane, they just went whoop.
[00:28:47] because we want to limit the Bible to our Western mindset and the way that we perceive things and this is not at all what God is saying.
[00:28:56] So let's go back an attitude of gratitude and I've got to get you into this woman today.
[00:29:00] An attitude of gratitude is a settled way of thinking about someone, right?
[00:29:06] And so it's a settled way of thinking about someone.
[00:29:10] Y'all help me out.
[00:29:11] Come on.
[00:29:12] and what they've done for you, right?
[00:29:14] That's it.
[00:29:15] So if we have that attitude of gratitude, what does Satan want to do?
[00:29:18] Sabotage that.
[00:29:19] He wants you unsettled in how you see God.
[00:29:23] He wants you unsettled about how you feel about God.
[00:29:26] He wants you unsettled about the gift that God brought in your life.
[00:29:29] Remember when you stood at the altar and you knew that God brought the two of you together?
[00:29:34] But now that y'all are going through a little road bump, he wants you unsettled in that.
[00:29:38] Well, maybe God didn't bring it together.
[00:29:40] Well, maybe Satan's just being really good at what he does.
[00:29:42] He's deceiving.
[00:29:43] So you stop giving gratitude and now you get into the problem more than the provision.
[00:29:50] Oh, I'm helping somebody right now because it's a settled way of thinking.
[00:29:55] See, that's why he said in all circumstance.
[00:29:57] He didn't say for all circumstance because he said, I know you're going to be in a situation that you're not going to see the fullness of who I am because you have limited understanding.
[00:30:06] for who has known the mind of the Lord or who at first been his counselor according to the book of Roman or who had given to him and it shall not be recompensed unto him again for we see in dark right now but there will be a day that we'll see in the completeness of revelation and an understanding who God is and so during the darkness you gotta trust the destiny that God has for you
[00:30:27] You've got to be able to walk it out because you are settled which means you've got to wake up every day and be joyful in all things.
[00:30:34] I don't know how this is working for my good but I know it is.
[00:30:37] I don't know when this is going to turn but I know it is.
[00:30:41] I don't know what you're going to do but I know you're Alpha and I know you're Omega.
[00:30:45] I know you're the end, I know you're the beginning and I know somewhere you've got all the in-betweens even though I don't understand all the mess in the middle.
[00:30:52] but I'm gonna wake up and praise you today I'm gonna thank you that even this was a hellacious day even though this was a hard week this week worked for me this week was taking me to the place exactly where I needed to be because had it not happened that way I would not grow I would not be who you called me to be so God I give you praise I thank you now you become a force
[00:31:14] Now you're becoming a force.
[00:31:17] Now you're not a little milk baby Christian anymore.
[00:31:20] Satan's got to sit there and scratch his head and say, how can Bobby praise him and keep coming to church when he had cancer?
[00:31:27] How can he keep drumming?
[00:31:28] How can he keep going out to those kids and doing what he's doing?
[00:31:31] How can he continue?
[00:31:32] I keep messing up his vision.
[00:31:34] I keep trying to sabotage him.
[00:31:36] I keep trying to mess up his image of me so that he won't be settled in his way of thanking.
[00:31:44] See, that's why attitudes are important, because attitudes, you're going to find out, are going to determine atmospheres, which are going to create your actions.
[00:31:51] So let's keep going.
[00:31:53] So to grateful means really that I'm praising.
[00:31:56] Period, Angela.
[00:31:58] Period.
[00:31:59] And praise is something that you're thanking someone for who they are and for what they've done.
[00:32:04] It's to acknowledge someone.
[00:32:07] It's not even the thanks, the thanks comes, but it's the acknowledgement.
[00:32:11] I turned over to Elder, used to, I'd say, Pastor, and Pastor Todd, I'm so grateful for you and Elder and Elder Harold and the board, because before I'd say, I've been here 10 years now, and before, nine years, and I'd say, well, it doesn't really matter, and I'd forfeit everything.
[00:32:26] I always forfeit it.
[00:32:27] I mean, a few times I took what they gave me for pastor appreciation, but if they'd want to bonus me or do something nice, I'd be like, and I turned over, I said, it actually matters to me.
[00:32:37] because I give my life so you can have your best life in Christ.
[00:32:42] It matters to me.
[00:32:43] I really do.
[00:32:44] It matters to me.
[00:32:48] So I'm not even gonna pretend it doesn't matter to me.
[00:32:49] Like, oh, I'm okay.
[00:32:51] I'll always be okay because we find our way to okay, don't we?
[00:32:55] With or without things coming through for us, we find our way to okay when we're rooted in Jesus Christ.
[00:33:00] But it matters.
[00:33:01] You know what matters, JR?
[00:33:03] Acknowledgement.
[00:33:05] Acknowledgement.
[00:33:06] You're giving the best of your life.
[00:33:08] I'm not 20 anymore.
[00:33:09] I'm not 30 anymore.
[00:33:10] I'm not 40.
[00:33:11] I'm not even 50 anymore.
[00:33:13] I'm approaching the 60 side.
[00:33:15] I'm closer to 60 than anything else.
[00:33:17] You've given the best of your life for the kingdom.
[00:33:21] You give the best of your life for Jesus.
[00:33:24] So you know what?
[00:33:25] It's important that that's acknowledged to me.
[00:33:28] that's important don't tell me let me tell you something you don't acknowledge your husband that marriage probably ain't gonna last too long it's important she's acknowledged you you all her man you her boo all the way Mr. Greg she and she look at her she rubbing you right now after how many years 25 years right 27 oh she got 27 she corrected me like that she like you two years short Pastor Paula
[00:33:54] See, now Anna's snuggling up to Todd there.
[00:33:56] See?
[00:33:57] Everybody's starting to snuggle.
[00:33:58] I got the snuggle ministry going on right now.
[00:34:01] Because it's important.
[00:34:07] Every time John comes in, he's doing a memorial today.
[00:34:09] He flew out early this morning, stayed with me last night, got up early.
[00:34:12] It was important to me he didn't fly out last night.
[00:34:15] So he got up at 5 o'clock, flew out, he's doing a memorial, and he's flying back tonight so I'm not alone.
[00:34:20] That's important to me.
[00:34:22] Acknowledgement.
[00:34:23] I acknowledge.
[00:34:24] Right now, our time's valuable.
[00:34:26] You need me.
[00:34:26] You've been going through this.
[00:34:28] Acknowledgement's important.
[00:34:30] So this is an important part because praise is more than just thank you.
[00:34:33] It's acknowledgement.
[00:34:36] And that acknowledgement, every time John comes in, if I hear him, my hearing's gonna little.
[00:34:41] Maybe I gotta get that worked on next time.
[00:34:43] This is just a tune-up for my next half, Felipe.
[00:34:46] But what happens, every time I hear him, especially if he comes in the front door, I don't just sit in my office and act like he's not coming in.
[00:34:53] Did I, Crystal?
[00:34:54] I get up, and I walk, and I go, Hi, baby.
[00:34:57] I give him his peck.
[00:34:59] I love him.
[00:34:59] I go, Thank you.
[00:35:00] Put your groceries away and I go back in.
[00:35:02] What am I doing?
[00:35:03] Acknowledge His presence just came in.
[00:35:06] Acknowledge Him.
[00:35:07] That's called respect.
[00:35:09] When the King comes in the room, you don't just chew your gum or look at your phone and do your thing.
[00:35:15] When the King of Glory, you acknowledge that the King of Kings is here.
[00:35:18] We are gathered.
[00:35:20] Where two or three of us are together, He's in the midst of us.
[00:35:24] You acknowledge His presence.
[00:35:26] You acknowledge His glory.
[00:35:28] You acknowledge His goodness.
[00:35:31] That's gratefulness.
[00:35:32] That's praise.
[00:35:33] To praise is to acknowledge someone for who they are and then for what they've done, for who they are.
[00:35:40] So Dr. Robert Edmonds, the psychology professor in gratitude research at University of California, Davis, explains there are two key components of practicing gratitude.
[00:35:50] Number one, acknowledge the role of other people that they've played in providing our lives with goodness.
[00:35:57] Acknowledge the role other people have played.
[00:36:01] for the goodness that's come in your life.
[00:36:03] Think about that.
[00:36:03] That's loaded right there.
[00:36:05] Because you're like, oh, just back.
[00:36:07] No, even the ones, you wouldn't be where you are if some people that even hadn't brought things that you thought, oh, that wasn't so good.
[00:36:15] If they wouldn't have played that role, you would have never got where you were.
[00:36:19] So that's why all things work for your good.
[00:36:22] And the greatest provider for goodness coming in our life is God.
[00:36:26] So every day waking up, come on, and acknowledging your love, your faithfulness, your words, your name.
[00:36:31] Then the second thing is to affirm the good things we've received.
[00:36:35] So it's like Goldie said.
[00:36:37] Goldie, so perceptive for a young person.
[00:36:41] When you go by and think, that could have been my name.
[00:36:46] And you know yourself.
[00:36:47] If you really know yourself, go, that probably should have been my name.
[00:36:52] But somehow, which I'll show you, by His grace.
[00:36:57] Now you're gonna wanna write that word down, by His grace.
[00:37:00] I have a feeling I'm not gonna get you into Mark 14.
[00:37:03] By His grace.
[00:37:06] By His grace, by His grace, I am here.
[00:37:10] I am.
[00:37:10] So when I pray, it always brings, or when I praise, it always brings provision in God's presence.
[00:37:16] There's a reason.
[00:37:16] Psalm 34, I will bless the Lord at all times.
[00:37:19] Come on, help me out.
[00:37:21] His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
[00:37:23] My soul shall, help me out, make her boast in the Lord.
[00:37:28] The humble shall hear thereof.
[00:37:29] and Be Glad.
[00:37:31] Oh magnify the Lord with me and let us do what?
[00:37:34] Exalt His name together.
[00:37:37] Now the only way I can praise or have an attitude of gratitude, the only way that I have the settled way of thinking of who God is and what He's done in my life and all things is by His grace.
[00:37:51] Now we're going to get into this grace because your case is grace, my case is grace.
[00:37:55] So, Todd, this is where it's like really understanding because I think there's some sloppy grace, but I think this is real grace right here.
[00:38:03] Okay?
[00:38:04] In all things is by His grace, which means His kindness and His favor.
[00:38:11] Stay with me.
[00:38:12] So, like the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 10, which is a mentality I've got to develop, but by the grace of God, I am what I am.
[00:38:24] and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain.
[00:38:30] So by the grace of God, I am what I am.
[00:38:34] We didn't find God.
[00:38:36] God wasn't lost.
[00:38:39] We didn't redeem ourself.
[00:38:44] We had no ability.
[00:38:45] We weren't bought by silver and gold, but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
[00:38:49] And Paul says, I am what I am by the grace of God.
[00:38:55] Now he goes into another.
[00:38:57] Put a pause there.
[00:38:59] He said, and that grace is not in vain.
[00:39:01] In other words, I'm not wasting the grace card.
[00:39:05] the grace card is not for a get out of jail and get go free he said for i labored more than them all because i am who i am because of your kindness because of your favor i will spend the rest of my life laboring so that other people can have that same grace and have the knowledge of it that's what paul's saying he's not talking about i am who i am because i'm so great like grace is this get out of jail he's saying grace is action
[00:39:34] This is important.
[00:39:35] Grace is not an action we can take.
[00:39:37] Grace is an action God already took.
[00:39:40] Grace is something we receive.
[00:39:41] So let's dig deeper.
[00:39:42] Come on, say, bring it on, Pastor Paula.
[00:39:45] So when grace becomes your case, which grace is your case, whether you realize it or not, because the only way I can live grateful is by the grace, which means the favor and the kindness of God.
[00:39:57] It's the only way.
[00:39:58] Are you ready?
[00:39:59] So when grace becomes my case, then I'm nonjudgmental.
[00:40:03] Non-judgmental of myself, non-judgmental of you, non-judgmental of events, non-judgmental of situations.
[00:40:13] Now I'm gonna start tying in because you're gonna, I'm gonna go deep but I'm gonna try to keep it simple here.
[00:40:18] Because now you're tying in how you can be joyful always.
[00:40:22] How you can give praise always.
[00:40:25] Because I'm not judging the situation or the event or the person or even myself in it.
[00:40:31] I'm observing it.
[00:40:34] Big difference there, because I can observe something, okay, and out of that observing, I'm not judging.
[00:40:41] You go, why?
[00:40:42] Because, boy, I'm just going to barely touch on this and I'm going to get it deeper later.
[00:40:47] Because if you judge it, once you judge something, let me get to the end and tell you, judgment basically is left only in the hands of God.
[00:40:59] Because he says, if you judge something, you're going to be judged with the same metron or the same measure, period.
[00:41:06] So if I retain your sins, you missing the mark, if I retain the offense or the wounding or the hurt or the misstep or the knowledge that I have about you or your past, if I retain anything against you, which you have a legal spiritual right, you can do.
[00:41:23] You can do that.
[00:41:24] But the moment I do that, I've just set myself up in the place of God.
[00:41:30] So the only just judge is God.
[00:41:33] Oh, you aren't hearing what I'm saying.
[00:41:35] Help me, help me, help me, Holy Spirit, get this out.
[00:41:40] So it says, you who have been forgiven, forgive.
[00:41:45] Because if I don't forgive you, then I hold you to the judgment that I'm judging.
[00:41:50] Now, the judgment that I judge is absolutely gonna be nothing compared to what God's doing, all right?
[00:41:55] It's important because now what I've just done is set a law in motion of what's gonna come on me.
[00:42:01] and my children and ten generations and ten generations so God says here's the better choice the better choice is forgive because when you forgive then I judge let me deal with this let me be the just God important that'll be a deeper teaching but just put that little side note there so when grace because the apostle Paul let's go back how we got here right
[00:42:29] because he says, I am what I am by the grace of God, all right?
[00:42:35] And His grace which is bestowed upon me is not in vain.
[00:42:38] So when grace becomes my case, then I'm non-judgmental.
[00:42:42] Now this is important because you cannot have gratitude and live in unforgiveness.
[00:42:47] Well, the reason you're living in unforgiveness is because you've inserted yourself as getting justice instead of God being judge.
[00:42:56] You've inserted yourself.
[00:42:58] So God's going to move out of the way.
[00:42:59] Say, you want to play God?
[00:43:00] I'm going to let you.
[00:43:03] I'm going to let you because it's a spiritual law.
[00:43:06] But if you move yourself out and let me bring justice, I am a just God.
[00:43:13] Now God's a just God.
[00:43:16] And that's important because we think just grace erases everything.
[00:43:20] No, it doesn't.
[00:43:22] It's not sloppy.
[00:43:22] This is... Are you here?
[00:43:24] Do you have an ear to hear in the name of Jesus?
[00:43:26] Are you with me?
[00:43:27] Okay, so this is important because, Bobby, I can't be grateful with unforgiveness.
[00:43:34] If I'm thinking about what people did to me or when they did it or who hurt my feelings this week or what went wrong or why they abandoned me in my childhood, I am never living in gratitude because I'm still retaining their sins.
[00:43:49] I'm still retaining the wounding, the offense, the hurt, the bitterness, the envy, the jealousy, the why me, the this, the that, all the confusion.
[00:43:58] As long as I retain that,
[00:44:00] then God's like I'm out you're in and JR the crazy thing is he doesn't tell us you cannot do that he says don't do it but he doesn't tell me you can't he says if you do it you are going to be judged with the same judgment that you're holding on them so whatever you got on them here it comes down to you and your children and your children's children and your children's children's children and this is going to be retained because you are making a decision to stand in a place that I've removed you from by grace
[00:44:32] Are you with me?
[00:44:33] So, being grateful is not you hyping your mind up to go, thank you for food, thank you for this thing.
[00:44:44] Being grateful has to do with forgiveness.
[00:44:47] Being grateful has to do with grace.
[00:44:50] Being grateful has to do with the finished work of Jesus Christ.
[00:44:54] Being grateful has to do with you dying to your will and surrendering to Him.
[00:44:58] Being grateful means I am living this out
[00:45:02] and who I am I am what I am by the grace of God let's keep going okay so when when I am when I I'm going to become gracious I'm going to get I won't even get you to mark 14 mark 14 will be it won't even be next week it'll be the following week all right but we're going to get to mark 14 I promise
[00:45:21] but if I don't lay these strong foundations you're not going to appreciate all the different things because I've got to give you the what I call the twist it's the twist it's the sermon but I won't have time unless I keep you to one and I'm not going to do it I just want Phyllis like thank you I'm hungry so hush she's like she went thank you I don't I see it all Phyllis so when grace is look she's like I'm messing I love you she goes you're non-judgmental watch
[00:45:49] Romans 3 23 tells us why in verse 24 real clear for all have sinned that means all have missed the mark all have a mistaken identity and come short of the glory of God the weight the splendor of God verse 24
[00:46:05] But being justified freely by what?
[00:46:08] His grace.
[00:46:10] Being justified, whose does justice?
[00:46:14] God.
[00:46:15] Being justified freely by His grace through redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
[00:46:23] and this is the most basis of understanding of everything we have guys if you don't ever get anything down get the deity and get this down right here get this down because everything you're struggling with up here means somewhere foundationally there's a flaw if you're struggling with being grateful if you're struggling with grace if you're struggling with forgiveness if you're struggling with all these things up here means somewhere foundationally this most basis thing
[00:46:53] All.
[00:46:55] Michelle, you're in all.
[00:46:57] Yolani, you're in all.
[00:46:59] Cameron, you're in all.
[00:47:00] Asia, you're in all.
[00:47:01] Gina, you're in all.
[00:47:02] Greg, you're in all.
[00:47:04] Steven, you're in all.
[00:47:06] Paula, you're in all.
[00:47:07] Lynette, you're in all.
[00:47:08] Nicolette, you're in all.
[00:47:09] Samantha, Victoria, you're in all.
[00:47:11] Every one of us are in all.
[00:47:14] All have sinned.
[00:47:17] Let me give you the most basis of hermetology.
[00:47:21] Say it for me, Todd.
[00:47:22] Hermetology, right?
[00:47:24] Doctrine of sin.
[00:47:27] The doctrine of sin.
[00:47:30] The doctrine of sin.
[00:47:33] Watch.
[00:47:33] The most basis of the doctrine of sin is a mistaken identity.
[00:47:38] You've missed the mark because of a mistaken identity.
[00:47:42] What did I say in the very beginning?
[00:47:45] Stupid thing.
[00:47:45] If I were Satan, what would I do?
[00:47:47] So create a false image of who God is so you won't be settled in your thinking, your attitude.
[00:47:55] Am I making gratitude make sense right now?
[00:47:58] Are you starting to see the importance that gratitude's not just, oh, I woke up and I thank you for my car today.
[00:48:03] I thank you for my clothes.
[00:48:05] No, no, no, no.
[00:48:05] This goes deep into the foundational levels of everything that has to do with redemption, salvation,
[00:48:13] Grace, who you are, your identity.
[00:48:16] So let's go all have a mistaken identity.
[00:48:21] Every single person has missed the mark and not hit the bullseye.
[00:48:25] And every person came short of the glory of God.
[00:48:30] But, aren't you glad for but?
[00:48:32] I mean for real, but just cancels everything that was said.
[00:48:35] It just canceled it all.
[00:48:37] He says cancellation, but being justified.
[00:48:43] freely by His grace.
[00:48:46] How is that justified?
[00:48:48] It really isn't free, but it is free.
[00:48:50] It's freely received.
[00:48:52] Being justified freely, it costs God everything.
[00:48:56] It costs God His best.
[00:48:58] It costs God His son.
[00:48:59] He learned to become a son by obedience.
[00:49:03] He didn't have to say yes to the cross.
[00:49:06] He didn't have to go through.
[00:49:07] He could have called a legion of angels.
[00:49:09] If you have nothing to thank Him for, thank Him for that day that He hung on Calvary when He could have called all of heaven and all of earth to attention, when He could have left us in our mistaken identity, where He could have left us captive to death
[00:49:24] Sin, Hell, and the Grave, where He could have left us in defeat, where He could have left us as a broken humanity, where He could have left us unreconciled and not redeemed to God, where He could have left us separated and severed from having the presence of God.
[00:49:40] You and I don't even know that except for our short time that we spent without saying yes to God.
[00:49:46] And that short time was enough to make us absolutely transform everything and say yes to Jesus.
[00:49:51] He could have left us.
[00:49:53] He didn't have to do this.
[00:49:54] He didn't even probably, I know He didn't want to do this.
[00:49:57] He said, if there was any other way, let this cup pass from me.
[00:50:01] But He had you on His mind.
[00:50:03] He had me on His mind.
[00:50:04] And because of His love that compelled Him and because of His heart for His Father, He kept pursuing.
[00:50:10] He kept pressing so that I, Paula, so that you, Jane, could be justified, watch, by His grace.
[00:50:19] By His gratitude, by His grace, my gosh, by His grace, that's what grace and gratitude are, that I would be justified.
[00:50:28] Now I'm not even going to get into this flip side.
[00:50:31] I'd be justified by His grace through redemption.
[00:50:38] that is in.
[00:50:40] Redemption's not in anything else.
[00:50:41] Money couldn't buy me back.
[00:50:43] All the prayers in the world couldn't buy me back.
[00:50:46] All the rituals in the world couldn't get me back.
[00:50:49] The only way redemption is, it's in Christ.
[00:50:53] it is in Jesus there that's why there is no other way not because he's a superhero though he is a superhero not because he's batman or superman because he's god the son the only way to the heart of the father the only one who is submissive and obedient to say yes to pay a price to redeem mankind back to him that is gratitude that is grace so you don't find out gratitude is a lot more than just one way
[00:51:23] Gratitude is going to become an exchange which we're going to get into.
[00:51:27] We'll get into it.
[00:51:28] I'm going to keep this going until we get it.
[00:51:31] We get it beyond a head mind and we get it into a spiritual revelation of living in a place of grace, gratitude, praise.
[00:51:44] I'm going to show you at least five examples.
[00:51:47] I'd say a thousand, but at least five examples of God's amazing grace and what gratitude looks like from a biblical perspective.
[00:51:56] So being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
[00:52:00] Don't ever underestimate the power and the strength of that grace.
[00:52:07] The power and the strength of that grace.
[00:52:10] Gratitude is confirmation of relationship.
[00:52:15] Think what I'm saying.
[00:52:16] Gratitude's confirmation of relationship.
[00:52:19] So remember, gratitude, grace, praise.
[00:52:22] Are you pulling all this together?
[00:52:23] So remember, I'm freely, I'm justified freely by His grace.
[00:52:31] Gratis, favor and kindness, right?
[00:52:34] Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
[00:52:37] There's parts that we'll never know.
[00:52:40] See, it's okay to think.
[00:52:44] Give yourself permission to think.
[00:52:46] For real.
[00:52:47] Have you ever wondered why Jesus really did say yes?
[00:52:52] I mean, you're like, well, because he loved me.
[00:52:55] The Bible doesn't say that.
[00:52:56] The Bible says God loved you.
[00:52:57] God the Father.
[00:52:59] The Bible says that Jesus loved the Father.
[00:53:06] That Jesus was obedient to the Father.
[00:53:11] I know, I'm just getting them thinking today.
[00:53:16] Because everybody thinks like, well, He just loves me, Jesus just loves me.
[00:53:21] God the Father so loved you that He gave His Son.
[00:53:27] But what made the Son give His life?
[00:53:31] It doesn't say He loved me like that.
[00:53:33] God the Father loved me like that.
[00:53:36] I need to do a whole Trinity teaching right now, Pastor Todd, because they're all looking at me like, what?
[00:53:41] They're like, it's all the same.
[00:53:43] It ain't all the same.
[00:53:45] And we aren't Jesus only either.
[00:53:47] We're God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.
[00:53:51] Oh, I've got to do a Trinity teaching now.
[00:53:55] Y'all are like, y'all are like, I just got to, it's good teaching.
[00:54:01] You're going to be glad you sat under good teaching.
[00:54:03] You're not going to go to hell in Jesus' name.
[00:54:05] You're going to know who you are.
[00:54:06] So watch.
[00:54:10] Don't ever underestimate because gratitude is confirmation of relationship.
[00:54:15] So whenever I'm grateful or gratis, I praise.
[00:54:19] It's done by grace, loving kindness, favor.
[00:54:21] We're going to close this up in just a second.
[00:54:23] It's confirmation of relationship.
[00:54:25] I can't have a real relationship and not walk in gratis.
[00:54:29] not walking gratitude there's no way so then you say what was the relationship why Jesus did that there was gratitude who'd he do it for the father I do nothing except for by the father absolutely nothing I have meat that you don't even know of but you're hungry nobody fed you you've been here alone there's no food out in this desert he looks at his disciples he goes my meat is to do the will of the Lord
[00:54:56] He said there's sustenance that's feeding me that I can't even begin to explain to you because you won't understand it.
[00:55:04] You've been around me every day every night for three years and you can't comprehend what is making me move.
[00:55:11] You can't comprehend what is driving me every day.
[00:55:14] You won't ever get this personal passion that's pushing me into it.
[00:55:22] Because I've got something going that's probably not even fully or even tapped into in all this I left you.
[00:55:30] That drives me so deep that I'll let my body be bruised and beaten and broken.
[00:55:35] Not because I love you.
[00:55:39] He does love you.
[00:55:40] I don't want to mess your mind up, but not because I'm like, Jesus doesn't love me.
[00:55:46] I'm just getting real technical in theology right now, okay?
[00:55:50] Y'all are like, oh God, there went my Sunday school, Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.
[00:55:58] Y'all better get that theologically right.
[00:56:03] Jesus is doing it for the Father.
[00:56:05] Am I right, Pastor Todd?
[00:56:07] Do I have a witness?
[00:56:09] Amen.
[00:56:12] Y'all are like, half the songs y'all sing are wrong anyway.
[00:56:15] It's okay.
[00:56:16] It's well intended.
[00:56:19] Man, think about this.
[00:56:23] Gratitude is confirmation of relationship.
[00:56:26] We'll never know the personal passion that caused Jesus to push through and be beaten to a bloody pulp to bring deliverance to you.
[00:56:37] Let's get real right now.
[00:56:39] Let's get real.
[00:56:40] I was brutally raped.
[00:56:43] My father, Rachel, as you know, committed suicide when I was five years old.
[00:56:48] Pastor Brad said something so powerful.
[00:56:50] 75% of people who list out characteristics of God list the same thing as their earthly father.
[00:56:58] A girl like me had no idea what an earthly father was because the only time I grabbed up in the lap of a man, they did something violating to me.
[00:57:08] How's a girl like me ever get a right image of God?
[00:57:13] Oh, if you only knew.
[00:57:16] If you only knew how possible it was for you.
[00:57:19] If you only knew how he'll take a woman who's possessed with seven devils and change her and transform her into being one of the biggest king in room builders and being at the foot of his tomb.
[00:57:29] If you only know he'll take a leper whose house he's not supposed to be in and cleanse him although he's still got bowls on his body.
[00:57:36] If you only knew how He'll take someone that everybody else has given up on and that just comes to Him with just an ounce of hope and all their brokenness and pain and just says, Jesus, I receive you.
[00:57:50] If you only knew what He'll do.
[00:57:52] You'll never know why some person can really break an alabaster box and worship the way they can and have passion because I'll never know what really drove Jesus to do what He did, which is where I would find my redemption because I'd have no way to the Father without Jesus being who He was.
[00:58:13] Grateful.
[00:58:16] Grateful.
[00:58:18] I've got to be honest with you.
[00:58:20] I love all you, but I'm not doing it for you.
[00:58:24] I'm doing it for Him every day of my life.
[00:58:26] I'm not building the city for you, but I'll build the city.
[00:58:31] We'll do it together.
[00:58:32] And I want your honesty too.
[00:58:38] You're not showing up for pastor.
[00:58:40] I hope so.
[00:58:41] I hope you're not.
[00:58:43] You're showing up for Him.
[00:58:44] And out of showing up for Him, you'll honor your pastor.
[00:58:49] You're not going home and loving your spouse just because he's the greatest spouse.
[00:58:54] I hope he's the greatest spouse.
[00:58:55] I hope she's the greatest spouse.
[00:58:57] But the reality
[00:58:58] The reality?
[00:58:59] You better do it for Him.
[00:59:01] Because when you do it for Him, it's going to be completely different.
[00:59:05] The reason that I'm waking up, and the reason that I keep praying, and the reason I keep pressing, because Jesus and I've got something going on so deep, and I'm envious in a good way, and I'm curious in a really good way, and I'm like speaking through going, what do you have going on with the Father?
[00:59:22] Because it's what I feel for you, Jesus.
[00:59:25] What happened between the two of you that made you give so much and push through everything that I can say thank you Jesus?
[00:59:33] What is this kind of relationship?
[00:59:35] Because gratitude is confirmation of relationship.
[00:59:39] Grace is confirmation of relationship.
[00:59:42] You aren't hearing what I'm saying.
[00:59:44] Am I making sense right now?
[00:59:46] listen you don't have to tell people who've really been transformed by a holy god to show up to serve to give to do to tithe to worship to thank to praise you're just giving them another opportunity remember gratitude is rooted in grace therefore without grace i can't truly be thankful and appreciative in conclusion watch so what happens when i'm
[01:00:10] When I have gratitude, I become what?
[01:00:14] Because it's grace.
[01:00:14] I become gracious.
[01:00:17] So what's the word gracious mean?
[01:00:19] Ready?
[01:00:20] It literally means enjoying favor.
[01:00:24] You want to know why people aren't gracious and they're so nasty?
[01:00:29] I'm giving you a peek behind the curtains right now.
[01:00:31] We might have a nasty day.
[01:00:33] Come on, we have a moody day sometimes.
[01:00:35] You with me?
[01:00:36] But you don't have a nasty spirit.
[01:00:39] a nasty attitude a nasty outlook you're not out to people they're out to hurt me they're out to do wrong to me what's wrong especially in the church they aren't not watch not maybe an organized religion a little bit but not in the true church not in the true church watch because if I'm gracious I'm enjoying favor
[01:01:10] Favor is kindness and grace.
[01:01:13] I can't be enjoying favor and be ugly to you.
[01:01:19] So if I'm being ugly to you, I'm either not enjoying favor, and this is the difference between relationship and transactional.
[01:01:27] So I'm doing things to try to get God to transaction me into favor.
[01:01:32] If I bring you an offering, if I show up and make 42 phone calls, if I do this, if I do that, I transaction, get favor.
[01:01:40] Doesn't work that way.
[01:01:43] Doesn't work that way.
[01:01:45] Because it's the fear of the Lord that brings you into favor.
[01:01:49] Fear isn't I'm afraid, it's reverence and respect that can be felt and heard.
[01:01:53] it's reverence and respect that can be felt and heard and so what happens is when i'm grateful are y'all with me because gratitude is confirmation of relationship which is grace so when i have grace when i'm grateful i'm gracious which means i'm enjoying favor so all those sermons y'all heard like do this do that you get favor favor favor favor
[01:02:17] Favor is very fair.
[01:02:20] Favor is relationship.
[01:02:22] Favor is you enjoying the grace that's been given to you.
[01:02:29] Enjoying.
[01:02:31] Because favor and gratitude and grace and the kindness of God are inseparable.
[01:02:38] I'm using words interchangeable, but they're all together.
[01:02:42] So you want favor, but you don't get favor with a nasty spirit.
[01:02:46] You don't give favor with a nasty attitude.
[01:02:49] A settled mind and a settled way of thinking about something or someone.
[01:02:53] And many people have eliminated enjoying the kindness of God.
[01:02:57] And they're working out of transactional instead of relational things.
[01:03:02] Are you hearing me?
[01:03:03] Going to church, working out a transactional instead of relational, not enjoying the favor because you've already got in your mind, there's that judgment thing, not forgiving, I'm not going to get over her.
[01:03:14] Paula, she called all those African angels and those South Americans, she crazy and she does this and da-da-da.
[01:03:21] I'm sorry, I love you, but I'm going to enjoy my favor.
[01:03:25] And I'm going to be gracious.
[01:03:27] It's okay.
[01:03:28] Watch what I'm saying.
[01:03:30] So you've got to make a conscious decision.
[01:03:32] Here's the sentence, and I'll get into Mark 14 later with you.
[01:03:36] Make a conscious decision today.
[01:03:41] Now I need you to work in your head and your spirit.
[01:03:43] I just gave you a lot of spirit stuff.
[01:03:46] To look at what's right.
[01:03:49] What's right?
[01:03:50] What's right?
[01:03:51] I already told you.
[01:03:53] His love, His faithfulness, His word, His name.
[01:03:58] His love, His faithfulness, His word, His name.
[01:04:00] His love, His faithfulness, His word, His name.
[01:04:02] His love, His faithfulness, His word, His name.
[01:04:05] Look at what's right and appreciate it.
[01:04:07] The more you're going to appreciate that, the more it's going to appreciate.
[01:04:11] I told you last week I like the expression, gratefulness means experience great fullness.
[01:04:17] Like gratefulness, G-R-A-T-E, fullness means experiencing great, G-R-E-A-T, fullness.
[01:04:25] That is feeling full in every moment and appreciating exactly what it is.
[01:04:33] See, happiness is not what makes us grateful.
[01:04:38] Gratefulness is what makes us happy.
[01:04:43] End of story.
[01:04:43] Selah.
[01:04:45] End of story.
[01:04:47] Now I'll get into why that is next week or two, okay?
[01:04:52] Wednesdays and Sundays.
[01:04:54] And I'll start bringing all this together.
[01:04:56] And I'll show you biblical examples.
[01:04:59] I think the lepers have been preached strong a long time, but there is a great thing there.
[01:05:04] You want me to tell you why they've been preached strong?
[01:05:06] Okay, there were ten lepers, right?
[01:05:08] And Jesus heals them all.
[01:05:10] All of them got healed, right?
[01:05:12] Right?
[01:05:13] And then they said, why did only one come back and say thank you?
[01:05:17] Right?
[01:05:18] But what happened?
[01:05:20] So I'm going to tie all this together.
[01:05:21] I'm going to pull all these biblical examples.
[01:05:23] That actually is a story of gratitude, not because somebody came back and just said, thank you.
[01:05:28] Because he says, go show yourself to the priest.
[01:05:31] So you know what that meant?
[01:05:33] That they had to go to the man that had condemned them with leprosy.
[01:05:37] Now, not all priests are good people, just like not all pastors are not all doctors are not all business people are not all fathers.
[01:05:44] and so they had to go to the one that separated and made a decision whether it was a mole or sunspot or whether it's leprosy for whatever reason they had a control over their life they had ecclesia they had they had religious control they had societal government controls they had the complete law over them and they said condemn move them today put them in a leper's colony there's a whole thing to that and when he came back he had to look the man in his eyes it's like look at the person who killed your dad
[01:06:13] looking at the person who stole your wife he had to go back to him and that person he had to show himself and he had to give him an offering and when it came can I really get beyond you taking 30 years of my life can I really get beyond you were the one that abused me can I really get beyond you were the one that brought so much pain in my life can I really get beyond you were the one that did this they all turned away except for one
[01:06:44] One went, what I just received from Jesus and that grace is so much better than no matter what you've done here.
[01:06:52] It's hard for me, but here.
[01:06:54] I'm not going to retain you because I need this.
[01:06:58] That was gratitude.
[01:06:59] That was grace and work because it had to do with forgiveness.
[01:07:02] It had to do with that ability.
[01:07:05] That's why he could go back and say thank you.
[01:07:09] That's why he could go back and say thank you.
[01:07:11] so maybe if we were honest we'd say we've been coming home taking some things for granted we we've been going to work taking some things for granted and that's where i'll get you in mark chapter 14. we've been we've been just showing up and honestly you know it's like i get more excited about this than i do that because sometimes familiarity will become fatal
[01:07:38] and we haven't really been, I've just been coming to church taking God's work in my life for granted.
[01:07:45] Taking so much for granted until someday it's gone.
[01:07:51] And if we'd be honest, listen, I had to reset myself because once you start getting negative, it's easy to get more negative.
[01:07:58] I had to reset myself, and I'm pretty good at that.
[01:08:01] God's really good at kicking me around.
[01:08:04] I don't mind a good little kick in the butt every once in a while, because He chastises those whom He loves.
[01:08:10] And so when you reset yourself, you're going,
[01:08:14] Okay, I'm going to choose to be grateful.
[01:08:16] But when you're saying that, it's not just this mentality of getting up and going, I'm going to start a gratitude journal.
[01:08:22] That helps you.
[01:08:23] I'm going to acknowledge.
[01:08:24] That helps you.
[01:08:25] I'm going to appreciate.
[01:08:27] Those are all good habits.
[01:08:30] But that's not the root of it.
[01:08:32] If you were to get honest with me and I were to get honest with you, what's wrong deep in the core of you that the flow of enjoying favor is not happening?
[01:08:43] that the flow of not just walking in that grace.
[01:08:48] Whose sins are you retaining right now?
[01:08:52] Who are you not forgiving?
[01:08:54] What are you not getting over?
[01:08:57] What are you mad about?
[01:08:58] It's okay, because we all go there.
[01:09:01] In other words, there's blockages.
[01:09:04] There's blocks to gratitude because the nature of a born-again believer is grace.
[01:09:13] So when the favor's not being enjoyed and life is more hard, what I'm saying is like, there's more, you gotta go, wait a minute, why am I sour?
[01:09:25] Why am I nasty in my spirit?
[01:09:27] Why am I seeing this?
[01:09:28] Why is he getting on my nerves so easy?
[01:09:30] Why am I so OCD and try to be a perfectionist and make everything around me just right?
[01:09:35] God said be thankful in all circumstances.
[01:09:41] Why am I short?
[01:09:45] Is Pastor the only person that gets here?
[01:09:48] Am I the only person?
[01:09:49] Yolani, thank you.
[01:09:50] Me and you, we're in this together, girl.
[01:09:52] Am I the only person?
[01:09:54] I have to reset.
[01:09:56] And then I gotta pray, man, I hope I didn't do too much damage in the midst of those days or that week I was like that.
[01:10:03] And to think we're always gonna be perfect just walking in this way, we're just not.
[01:10:08] Sideway, we're not.
[01:10:09] But this is the opportunity, God says, if you're here this morning,
[01:10:15] And you want to get to know me more on relational, not transactional.
[01:10:20] He's a transactional God too.
[01:10:21] He's a covenant-keeping God.
[01:10:24] That's the whole book of Malachi.
[01:10:26] He's like, you want transaction?
[01:10:28] We'll do transaction.
[01:10:30] But relationship's better.
[01:10:33] He's transactional God too, but he wants relationship.
[01:10:38] Oh, I do transactions all day.
[01:10:41] But man, if those babies or that girl
[01:10:45] and that boy and that man that's usually playing that piano do some now that's in here that that kind of stuff moves me Todd see that's different that's relationship that's not like John you do this I do that and then we'll come to no he gets off you following me God's like I'm relational