Sunday, March 3, 2013

What am I thankful for? - Psa 77:11

What Am I Thankful For?
March 3, 2013
Psa 77:11

Introduction
- How many here have a praise report this morning?
- Each one has something to be thankful for
- Often we only look at today's circumstances, and forget the things God has done for us
- Sometimes we become depressed and discouraged
- David had this happen to him too
- He had been anointed to be king, and yet Saul was still on the throne
- He grew tired of waiting, tired of running for his life
- He wrote a psalm which shows the way out of discouragement
- Today we are going to look at what God says to us about thankfulness

Reading
- Psalm 77

Be positive
- Paul too experienced a lot of adverse things in his life
- He learned that it was better to look at the positive things than to dwell on the negative
- Phil 4:8 - whatever is true, noble, right
- It is better to look at the positive things, because it causes a release of chemicals in your brain which are beneficial for you and make you feel better
- What are the positive things in your life?
- During this service, list as many as you can remember, on the slip in your bulletin
- Each of us has a lot of positive things to remember
- You may say no, pastor you dont understand me
- But each of us is blessed to be alive, to be saved, to have a gl;orious future ahead of us
- Go ahead and fill out the list, during the service.
- I will ask for some testimonies at the end of the service

Be content
- Paul experienced a lot of bad stuff
- 2 Cor 11:23-30 - Paul defends his credentials for ministry to the Corinthians
- Paul experienced a lot of hardship, things we have not even come close to
- And yet Paul was a man of peace
- He repeatedly prays for peace for individuals and for churches, in the many letters he wrote to his sheep
- Paul learned to be ok with whatever situation he was placed in
- Phil 4:10-13 - I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances
- This of course means we are content to be where God has placed us
- It means we trust that he is taking care of things
- Paul mentions this in verse 19
- God has all the resources, all he asks of us is that we put him first
- Then he will supply all our need
- Mat 6:33 - seek first the kingdom of God

Remember
- God does intervene in our lives in so many ways
- Psalm 77:11
- Remember those times
- that time we were inattentive on the road and narrowly missed an accident
- that time he intervened and gave us the perfect job for that moment in our life
- the time he answered our prayers when our baby was burning up with a fever
- that time we were sitting in the exam room and could not remember what we had studied
- Add these things to your list too
- The people who made us welcome when we moved into a new city
- The home that God allows us to live in
- The children he has given us for a time
- They will grow up and leave home, and perhaps move far away
- But we have been blessed to enjoy and rear them for a time, before they spread their wings

Testimonies
- What things have you written on your list, to be thankful for?

Song
- We Will Remember - Tommy Walker   

No comments:

Post a Comment