Prisonchaplain is thankful - Holiday Teaching

[prisonchaplain]

Here are the notes for my teaching this Sunday. I figure that giving thanks to God is something we do all share. :)

I AM THANKFUL

Introduction:

· Imagine you are 10-12 years old. You’ve been asked to memorize some lines to say in front of your class.

· You were very nervous, but after three weeks of study and practice you were ready for the big day. You were about to overcome one of your greatest fears.

· Just before you are to get up, your teacher says to you and the class, “I know you’ve been afraid to say the lines in front of everyone, so I have decided you don’t have to.”

· You are shocked. You feel slightly relieved, but rather sick. When you think of all the work you did, you feel angry and cheated.

· Then, with a big, condescending smile, she adds, “So…What do you say???” You mumble, “Thank you teacher.”

· But you are not! You are furious that your hard work has been dismissed without consideration. Your teacher meant well, but did you no favor.

· God is good. God is just. God will never fail us. Romans 8:28 is true: 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19: 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.

I. I am thankful today…first For God’s Preparation in my life.

a. Lutheran grandma who prayed for my soul, and, at 92, still prays for me.

b. The angel who cause me to look when a car was speeding and would have hit me…all well before I knew Jesus.

c. Raising up Bro. C. and Mr. E., who drove the church van that came to my neighborhood to recruit and pick up kids for Sunday School.

i. Last time I visited my childhood church Mr. E. had gone to his reward.

ii. Bro. C. was still at it some 40 years later.

d. Those Sunday school teachers who taught us about Jesus and the ABCD’s of salvation.

i. That if I would ADMIT I was a sinner…

ii. That according to John 3:16, if I would BELIEVE Jesus was my Savior…

iii. That according to 1 John 1:9, if I would CONFESS my sins, and invite Jesus into my heart…

iv. Then I could become a DISCIPLE, and be with Jesus forever!

II. I am thankful today For God’s Promise of the Blessed Hope.

a. This is one of our church’s cardinal doctrines…that according to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

b. The world has changed in my short life time.

i. When I was coming of age the one threat in the world was Soviet communism.

ii. My act of college rebellion was to form a political club that lobbied for social morality.

iii. Today there are rumors of war from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia once again, China, North Korea, and, now from our own streets.

c. But I have a promise. 1 John 14:1-3: 1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 My Father’s house has plenty of room; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

d. I am often comforted by promises of God’s present helps.

i. However, when we hit rock bottom. When there is bad sickness, financial trouble, marital problems, addictions, afflictions, and when darkness seems like a friend—KNOWING that heaven awaits me is the anchor I hold on to.

ii. The promise of the eternal kingdom is what carries me through.

III. I am thankful today For God’s Provision

a. He grants me my daily bread

b. He sometimes says “No” but always gives me his best.

c. The most classic example of God providing, even in the midst of trial, and certainly afterwards, has to be the story of Job.

i. We believe this was the first book of the Bible actually written.

ii. It describes a time well before the Law of Moses.

iii. To review, Job had lost his fortune, his family, and his wealth. To make matters worse, his wife tells him to curse God, and his closest friends insist God has cursed him—for undisclosed sins.

iv. After God reveals himself, and reminds Job that He is God, and Job is but a created man, Job responds: 1 Then Job replied to the LORD:

v. 2 “I know that you can do all things;

vi. no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

vii. 3 You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’

viii. Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,

ix. things too wonderful for me to know.

x. 4 “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak;

xi. I will question you,

xii. and you shall answer me.’

xiii. 5 My ears had heard of you

xiv. but now my eyes have seen you.

xv. 6 Therefore I despise myself

xvi. and repent in dust and ashes.”

xvii. Despite all of his suffering and troubles, Job worships God. Because he chooses to thank God for his provisions, despite great trouble, Job’s life ends very well:

xviii. 7 After the LORD had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. 8 So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite did what the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job’s prayer.

xix. 10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought on him, and each one gave him a piece of silver[a] and a gold ring.

xx. 12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the former part. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers.

xxi. 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so he died, old and full of years.

IV. I am thankful today For God’s Presence

a. I remember, as a teenager, in church, often thinking, “Wow this is good. I wonder if my classmates could be here, if they would not immediately repent and believe God?”

b. Am I alone in this, or does anyone else in God’s house not sometimes think, “I wish my brother/sister/ mother/father/spouse/child/friend/ colleague could be here and feel God’s presence like this!”

c. I think of that great gospel chorus: Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place/I can feel his mighty presence and his grace/I can hear the brush of angels’ wings/I see glory on each face/Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place!

d. The model for this type of church is found on the Day of Pentecost, in Acts 2: 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them… 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.

e. I’ve tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and that his presence is oxygen for my soul. I can no longer live any other way. And so I join the Psalmist in crying out to God is Psalm 51: 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

V. Finally, I am thankful today For God’s Purpose

a. Look again to our banner with the verse praying, “Lord of the Harvest send laborers.”

b. I firmly believe that God has sent me to be one of those laborers for Angle Lake Neighborhood Church.

c. I thank God that he has provided us wonderful pastors, in the K's, the M's, and the M's.

d. I rejoice that he has sent Sis. P. to director our children.

e. So many others could be named, who help make ALNC what is has been thus far.

f. And yet, don’t you sense it? We’re growing. REVIVAL is in the air.

g. More laborers will be needed. Perhaps God has sent you to us for such a time as this.

h. We’re told in Romans 9: 20 But who are you, a mere human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’”[a] 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for disposal of refuse?

i. God, if you want to use me for the disposal of refuse, I will thank you for the honor of serving your purpose! Who’s with me?

j. Then again in 2 Timothy 2: 20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for disposal of refuse. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

k. Any time I am doing what God wants, I am serving a noble purpose.

l. I still recall a cartoon I once saw.

i. There is a man standing nervously before a vending machine.

ii. He holds in his hand a roll of quarters.

iii. The sign on the machine says, “Justifications for existence."

VI. Closing

a. I thank God that he prepared me to be his child.

b. I thank God that he promises me an eternal life with Him.

c. I thank God that he provides me just what I need.

d. I thank God for his presence to assure and direct me.

e. Finally, I thank God for his purpose. I know who I serve, and that my service is valued by Him.

f. Perhaps today, you realize God is preparing you.

i. It could be for salvation.

ii. It could be for a greater sense of his presence.

iii. It could be for the faith that He will provide.

iv. I could be for a special purpose—in this church, and where you live and work.

v. Let’s pray.

Edited November 26, 2011 by prisonchaplain
removed full names

[Blackmarch]

Thanks for sharing :)