WEBVTT 00:00:00.239 --> 00:00:00.560 Amen. 00:00:00.800 --> 00:00:06.959 Well, you may be seated, and uh it is such a wonderful morning to be in church. 00:00:07.280 --> 00:00:17.519 How many of you think that the best place to be on Thanksgiving is in the house of God, thanking the Lord, blessing the Lord, honoring his name? 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:23.199 Um, some of you, you know, have heard me share a little bit of my background and Thanksgiving. 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:26.640 And, you know, I I've asked before to this congregation. 00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:34.079 I know that Thanksgiving isn't something we all grew up with, but it is a beautiful thing to participate in. 00:00:34.240 --> 00:00:56.640 Whatever it looks like, it might not be turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce and you know, all the fixings and things that we do, but it's a beautiful thing to just put it on your calendar, gather as a family, gather as friends, gather as the body of Christ, and be intentional about thanking God for all of his goodness. 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:07.120 Because, you know, some people out in the world, they've kind of watered it down and they they don't even call it Thanksgiving anymore, they just call it Turkey Day. 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:10.239 It's not about the turkey, amen. 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:18.079 It's about having someone to thank for all of the good things that we have enjoyed in our life. 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:40.640 And that's the beauty of something like Thanksgiving, amen, is that we remember for a moment that all of the blessings that we enjoy is not just because we're strong, because we work, because we put in the time and we get a paycheck, but we recognize that everything we have is a gift from God. 00:01:41.920 --> 00:01:42.560 Amen. 00:01:45.359 --> 00:01:54.480 I'm so grateful to God for life, for the spirit, for church, for the move of God. 00:01:54.640 --> 00:02:01.359 I'm grateful for my family, I'm grateful for my children, I'm grateful as I look around this room. 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:22.719 I'm grateful that in 2026 in Canada, despite you know all of the trends and all of the pressures and all of the work of the enemy, that there's still a room full of people who love God, who worship God, who want more of God, who aren't satisfied with what society has to offer. 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:27.680 I'm grateful that he shed his blood for me. 00:02:28.800 --> 00:02:37.120 I'm grateful that we had our eyes open to see who he is and what he has done. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:42.960 Come on, are you grateful that your sins are forgiven today? 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:47.120 Are you grateful that he has washed you clean? 00:02:47.759 --> 00:02:51.360 Are you grateful that you have a hope and a future? 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:59.120 Are you grateful that the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus? 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:01.840 Come on. 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:08.960 If I can't get you excited enough, I'll get on of me up here with a microphone. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:13.120 Let him run some laps and shout some hallelujahs for you. 00:03:14.560 --> 00:03:16.400 Oh, praise God. 00:03:17.039 --> 00:03:21.039 Um, you know, I'm grateful for the strength of God. 00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:27.919 Our friends and missionaries, Stephen and Carlos Staffelson, landed last night, and they were supposed to be getting in at 7 p.m. 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:29.680 Good reasonable time. 00:03:29.840 --> 00:03:31.120 Well, they missed that flight. 00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:38.159 They got in after midnight, and all their bags, uh, you know, are we the last ones to come out? 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:45.680 So everybody just say one quick prayer for Pastor Adam up here, as uh we didn't get home until late. 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:51.759 And for Steve and Carla, for that matter, they're ministering already this morning in Prince Albert. 00:03:52.240 --> 00:04:00.240 So, God, we extend our faith and our prayers to Stephen and Carla today, to Caleb and little David. 00:04:00.479 --> 00:04:12.560 Lord, that your hand is upon them, strengthening them, and that you would use them mightily in Prince Albert to be a light, to bring hope, to bring life to that community. 00:04:12.800 --> 00:04:14.400 In Jesus' name. 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:15.360 Amen. 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:16.800 Amen. 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:21.519 Well, I suppose we should get into the word of God, shouldn't we? 00:04:21.920 --> 00:04:25.439 Let's turn to Matthew chapter 17. 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:30.720 And I obviously want to hit on Thanksgiving today with you. 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:37.680 Big topic in the Bible, an important topic to refresh ourselves on in life. 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:42.160 Thanksgiving can literally change your life. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:51.279 And again, we're not talking about the turkey, about the food, about, you know, it might feel life-changing. 00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:51.759 Yeah. 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:54.079 Who's had their turkey already? 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:55.360 Their big meal. 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:56.560 Only one or two of us. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:02.000 How many of you are having some sort of meal, you know, tonight, tomorrow? 00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:03.759 And reach out. 00:05:03.920 --> 00:05:12.480 I always encourage people at these special times, reach out and, you know, put an extra chair at the table. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:24.000 You know, there's always enough when you open your doors, when you open your home, when you extend that hospitality and invitation. 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:33.279 Because it'd be kind of sad if Thanksgiving turned into just the nicest, biggest, fanciest meal I can have with my little family. 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:36.720 It's supposed to be about community, amen. 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:38.240 Amen. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:46.160 And you know, we're just gonna start this morning with the lesser known of Jesus' miracles of multiplication. 00:05:46.879 --> 00:06:02.560 We're all very familiar of the time that Jesus prayed and he broke bread, he received the loaves and the fish, and he divided them, and they were multiplied to feed 5,000 people. 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:08.959 But in Matthew's gospel, we discover that Jesus actually did this at least twice. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:18.319 I say at least twice because how many of you know that there's a lot more things that Jesus did that didn't make it in the book? 00:06:18.879 --> 00:06:21.519 And John's gospel makes that explicit. 00:06:21.600 --> 00:06:25.600 There's so many things that Jesus did, we couldn't write it all down. 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:38.399 But we know that yes, Jesus multiplied the loaves and the fish, and that in Matthew's gospel is just a few chapters prior, but here in chapter 17, he's doing this again. 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:40.240 And so we'll start in verse 14. 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:44.959 It says, When he came to the crowd, a man came up to him, kneeling before. 00:06:45.279 --> 00:06:47.759 I'm not in the right spot at all, am I? 00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:52.000 You people help me out here. 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:56.240 I am supposed to be a few chapters back, that's why I was feeling odd. 00:06:56.480 --> 00:06:59.839 It's chapter 15, verse 32. 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:01.120 My apologies. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:03.600 My brain, I tell you people. 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:12.000 Lay down. 00:07:12.079 --> 00:07:17.600 That would I've seen a lot of things in church and a lot of different ways of preaching. 00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:20.240 I've never seen a laying down sermon. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:27.600 We're just gonna enter into the Lord's rest this morning. 00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:31.600 We're gonna have a soaking session. 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:33.199 How many of you remember those, right? 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:37.360 Where the Spirit of God would move and we would just be there in his presence. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:39.199 It was so beautiful. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:43.279 No, so we're in chapter 15. 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:44.079 My apologies. 00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:45.680 We're in verse 32. 00:07:45.920 --> 00:08:02.720 Jesus called the disciples and said, and he said to them, I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have had nothing to eat, and I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way. 00:08:02.879 --> 00:08:09.120 And the disciples said to him, Where are we to get enough bread for such a crowd? 00:08:09.759 --> 00:08:16.079 Now I I love that because it's like they hadn't been there, done that, seen it before, but they had, right? 00:08:16.160 --> 00:08:20.399 And it was in chapter 14, just not that long ago. 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:28.560 How are we going to get enough bread in such a desolate place to fit feed such a great crowd? 00:08:28.800 --> 00:08:32.960 And Jesus said to them, How many loaves do you have? 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:37.279 And they said, Seven and a few small fish. 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:39.840 Similar setup, similar story. 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:44.799 They're in the wilderness, they only have a bit of bread and a bit of fish. 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:53.440 Verse 35, and directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish. 00:08:53.600 --> 00:08:55.039 And what does it say? 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:58.720 And having given thanks. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:10.960 You know, this passage jumped up to me, jumped out to me, because, you know, we're all about Jesus and his miraculous power. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:17.200 We're all about talking about faith when it comes to these sorts of miracle stories. 00:09:17.360 --> 00:09:24.240 But how many of you know that thanksgiving is a brother, a sibling to faith? 00:09:24.960 --> 00:09:28.399 Faith and thanksgiving go hand in hand. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:34.559 You can't be ungrateful and walk in faith. 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:36.559 Can I just say that? 00:09:37.360 --> 00:09:43.360 You can't be complaining, grumbling, and negative and be in faith. 00:09:43.919 --> 00:09:53.759 So we often talk about how faith and fear are opposites, and that if we allow our fears to dominate us, that we won't be able to walk in faith. 00:09:53.840 --> 00:09:56.480 We won't see God's hand in the miraculous. 00:09:56.639 --> 00:09:59.679 But you know, some of us need to just take a step back. 00:09:59.840 --> 00:10:07.679 You know, what before we try and, oh, I'm I have mountain-moving faith, and I'm gonna speak to mountains and I'm gonna believe God for miracles. 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:27.360 A lot of us just need to reorient our hearts in gratitude, and that flow of gratitude will reorient us towards the one that we're giving thanks to, the one who is able to multiply the little we have. 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:54.080 And I will encourage you, you know, when Cecilie and I started opening our home, uh, I'm sure many of you, as you know, married people, established families, can look back and kind of remember there's some place in your life that you go from waiting to be invited somewhere to opening your home and inviting others in. 00:10:55.840 --> 00:11:00.320 And that is an important shift in our life, right? 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:04.879 We go from being receivers to givers, right? 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:08.960 And we go from, you know, you know, you kind of stand there. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:20.879 I I can remember being a young person, and you're just trying to fit in and you know, whatever, and you'd kind of hang out in the back of the church at the end of service waiting to be invited. 00:11:21.840 --> 00:11:27.279 You kind of got that face, that those invite me eyes, right? 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:31.919 You know, and it worked out most of the time. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:33.679 People are friendly and all of that. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:47.120 I remember this, I don't I don't know why I'm thinking of this one story, but I remember um we were all there, kind of young adults at the end of service, and people are talking, oh, we're gonna go here, we're gonna go there, let's go out and eat. 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:50.000 And I'm like, no, I'm not going today, it's all good. 00:11:50.320 --> 00:11:55.679 And uh somebody walked over to me and they said, Um, are you fasting? 00:11:57.679 --> 00:12:00.159 And I'm like, well, no. 00:12:00.720 --> 00:12:10.000 And then they're like, okay, I'll pay for your meal because I know if a Christian's not fasting and they're not going out to eat, it's because they're broke, so come with me. 00:12:11.600 --> 00:12:12.480 And it was true. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:23.600 I was uh, you know, I was just getting through Bible college and I didn't have any extra money to eat out, and you know, I had a pot of soup at home, I could put a little extra water in, make it through another day. 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:28.159 You know, toast and peanut butter's great stuff. 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:31.519 I don't know why I'm sharing that. 00:12:31.679 --> 00:12:44.480 I guess I'm sharing that because Thanksgiving shifts us into something that says God is able to take what I have and make it enough for more than just me. 00:12:45.279 --> 00:12:45.919 Amen? 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:47.840 Come on. 00:12:52.320 --> 00:13:07.120 So I love that that Jesus, how many of you know that Jesus was actually one of the characteristics, the trademarks of Jesus that his disciples recognized was how he gave thanks. 00:13:09.840 --> 00:13:12.000 You're like, what are you talking about? 00:13:12.320 --> 00:13:18.080 As I studied this out, well, we see this story that he's giving thanks for the food. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:23.679 He's beginning to break it and then divide it, and so that they can go and feed everybody. 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:33.120 But how many of you know that even at the Last Supper, you know, we're so focused in the Last Supper about what it represents, right? 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:40.480 This is my blood, the new covenant, my blood that is shed for you, that is shed for the sins of all mankind. 00:13:40.639 --> 00:13:41.919 Take, receive this. 00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:44.559 This is my body which is broken for you. 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:51.519 How many of you know that the Last Supper, it says, having given thanks, he broke the bread? 00:13:52.639 --> 00:14:00.879 This is something that Jesus had a particular way of giving thanks, of honoring and blessing his father. 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:06.879 Yes, for something as simple as a meal, but of course that was more than a meal. 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:16.559 That even later on, after he died, and there's confusion, and they're they don't know if he's risen again, they don't understand. 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:29.679 It was when he, how many of you know at the end of Luke's gospel, there's that interesting little story where there's a couple of disciples heading down the road, leaving Jerusalem, they're all downcast, right? 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:31.279 And they're heading to Emmaus. 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:33.360 How many of you remember that story? 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:39.759 And he's talking, he's opening the scripture to them, their hearts are burning. 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:42.480 And I don't know why. 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:48.320 It's interesting, God's way of you know opening eyes, revealing himself. 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:55.200 It was actually the moment that he broke the bread and gave thanks, that their eyes were open. 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:56.480 This is Jesus. 00:14:57.440 --> 00:15:13.840 So I I don't want to make a huge doctrine out of this, but I do think that says something to me about Jesus' attitude towards gratitude, giving his father thanks for the everything that he had. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:20.399 Gratitude makes life better. 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:37.840 Your life will change, and I'm not joking, your mental, your emotional, your spiritual life will change if you can go from complaining to gratitude. 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:57.440 Because we don't have time to get into the whole story today, but an awful lot of the old covenants, you know, the stories that we have from the days of Moses is about how they couldn't enter the promised land because grumbling and complaining. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:07.519 And again, notice how grumbling and complaining are the ugly siblings of unbelief, of doubt. 00:16:08.399 --> 00:16:09.039 Right? 00:16:09.519 --> 00:16:18.240 Because where does that story, you know, what it's not the only complaining story, but we always think about how the spies were sent into the land. 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:23.039 Two brought a good report back, the other ten said, no, we can't do it. 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:23.919 It's impossible. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:26.639 They grumbled, they had no faith. 00:16:26.879 --> 00:16:36.000 Grumbling and complaining will rob you of what God has promised you. 00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:59.039 How many of you know that you can have the exact same physical lived reality and have a completely different future based on how you respond to what you have and don't have. 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:22.720 Because grumbling and complaining, doubt and all of that looks at what's wrong, what don't I have, what am I desiring that I have not yet laid hold of, and vocalizing that, making that what comes out of my mouth. 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:32.240 The Bible says, Jesus says that out of the abundance of our heart, what? 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:34.799 The mouth speaks. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:52.240 How many of you know that if you find yourself whining, complaining, grumbling, not having gratitude on your lips, that is God trying to send you a warning, your heart has gone amiss? 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:56.079 It's hard. 00:17:56.240 --> 00:18:04.880 It's coming out of your heart, it's coming back to your ears, and somehow we've got to react and be like, wait a minute, how did I get here? 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:20.319 How did my heart get so focused on the what I don't have, what I want, and I can't seem to lay hold of, instead of saying, every good thing that I have is a gift from the Father of lights. 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:22.160 James says that, right? 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:29.759 Every good and perfect gift has come to us as a gift from our Father. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:32.720 We need to give thanks for it. 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:54.799 And I don't know how it works, and I don't have a bunch of stories today to share with you, but I can testify that when you go from waiting and looking at what you don't have to taking what you have, giving thanks for it, and even inviting others to share in it, like Jesus did. 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:58.319 You notice he didn't say seven loaves and some fish. 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:04.799 That might, we can spread that around the disciples so we can hightail it back to Capernaum for the next phase of ministry. 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:05.759 See ya. 00:19:07.440 --> 00:19:11.680 They took what they did have and they said, Thank you, Lord. 00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:14.160 Thank you, Lord. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:16.240 Our hands are not empty. 00:19:16.480 --> 00:19:17.279 Thank you, Lord. 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:18.880 There is something here. 00:19:20.400 --> 00:19:25.440 You never know what God can do with your little something and a lot of gratitude. 00:19:26.480 --> 00:19:34.799 Gratitude, a shift of heart can be the very thing that step that takes you out of doubt and into faith. 00:19:35.039 --> 00:19:39.359 I don't know if I'd ever really thought about that till I looked at these stories again. 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:48.319 Faith, thankfulness has the ability to shift your heart and your mind from doubt into faith. 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:53.519 Because you stop looking at, oh, I don't have Lord, why hasn't it happened yet? 00:19:53.599 --> 00:19:55.519 Why am I living this to Lord? 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:57.359 This is what you have done so far. 00:19:57.519 --> 00:19:58.640 You are so good. 00:19:58.880 --> 00:20:01.440 God, if you've done this, you can do more. 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:03.839 God, I thank you for this. 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:13.680 And as I said, when when Sessie and I started to make that shift, it's like, you know what? 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:15.119 We're we're adults. 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:17.200 We got, you know, a place of our own. 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:19.039 We want to invite people over. 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:30.720 I will admit, the first time I went shopping for a big Thanksgiving meal or whatever meal it was, I was just a little bit taken back by how much I was spending on groceries. 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:34.640 And the people of God say, Amen, right? 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:50.480 Like, you know, it's just like when you're just used to kind of, you know, your regular budget menu rationing it out, you know, especially if you're on a tight budget or whatever, it can be this is one meal, and I just spent how much money? 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:52.960 How much did that turkey just cost? 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:56.400 How much that ham, that whatever just cost. 00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:07.759 But again, God honors our gratitude, He honors our hospitality, and I've seen it in our life. 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:10.640 We lived it, you know, in my wife's family. 00:21:10.799 --> 00:21:19.759 I saw it in my family, where God always blesses those whose tables are open to others. 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:21.039 Come on. 00:21:27.519 --> 00:21:29.119 So I just want to drive home. 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:45.440 We're not doing uh communion today, but it's interesting that actually the traditional way of talking about communion or the Lord's Supper, there's an old word, and forgive me if this triggers somebody who, you know, has, say, a Catholic background or whatever. 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:48.640 There's a Greek word called Eucharist. 00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:52.240 And it's not a bad word, it's a biblical word, actually. 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:59.759 And how many of you know that they speak about communion in that term because Eucharist simply means thanksgiving. 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:06.960 And for that matter, here's a little fun language trail for you today. 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:14.160 Have you ever asked yourself, why is the prayer we say before the food called grace? 00:22:15.920 --> 00:22:17.119 You ever think about that? 00:22:17.279 --> 00:22:25.839 Like, okay, you know, uh, we're we we don't say, can somebody say joy before the meal? 00:22:26.480 --> 00:22:28.799 Can somebody say peace before the meal? 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:29.519 You know what I mean? 00:22:29.599 --> 00:22:32.640 It's like, what what's with the whole say grace? 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:40.640 Because Eucharist is connected in the Greek to the word charis, which is grace. 00:22:41.440 --> 00:22:45.119 So it's the same idea, grace, thanksgiving. 00:22:45.200 --> 00:22:51.759 I it's hard to kind of make the connection for us in English, but just understand that that's what we're doing. 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:56.319 We're being thankful for what God has given us. 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:00.319 For what God has given us. 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:05.119 I know some people, you know, well, we're not gonna pray for the food, whatever. 00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:11.519 It's not about when you pray, it's about the fact that you do pray and give thanks. 00:23:13.200 --> 00:23:20.480 I mean, we could say grace, we could give thanks every time we bring the groceries home from the grocery store. 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:27.119 We could say grace, we could say thanks every time that we deposit our paycheck. 00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:34.960 We could give thanksgiving to God every time that we go shopping and we bring new clothes home for the wife, for the kids. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:44.160 These are opportunities to recognize I'm not doing this out of my own strength, out of my own ability, but what does God say? 00:23:44.880 --> 00:23:49.359 He is the one who has given us the power to make wealth. 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:52.000 He is the one who's given you health. 00:23:52.160 --> 00:24:00.319 How many of you would be in a bad place, real quick, if you had a prolonged sickness and you couldn't get out there and make your paycheck? 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:02.000 Well, who gives you the health? 00:24:02.160 --> 00:24:06.640 Who gives you the strength to be able to go out and do the work that you do? 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:08.160 God does. 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:09.920 God does. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:19.839 You know, if we flip over just another chapter, maybe this is why I was getting confused earlier. 00:24:20.160 --> 00:24:21.920 No, it's just the sleeplessness. 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:26.799 Um, but uh we have uh this story. 00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:28.319 Oh, it's see what I mean? 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:29.839 It's not the next chapter. 00:24:30.559 --> 00:24:32.559 I was thinking I was in Matthew 17. 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:34.480 Let's go to Luke 17. 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:40.079 A well-known story here. 00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:56.799 Hopefully a well-known story, but Luke 17 says that Jesus had ministered to ten lepers, and that probably has already let you know a little bit about what we're gonna say. 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:03.759 On in verse 11, it says, On the way to Jerusalem, he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:07.440 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers. 00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:14.240 Say lepers, not lepers for all of the okay, there's an old joke about that, right? 00:25:14.799 --> 00:25:19.359 Anyway, he heals the leopard's spots. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:21.440 No, this anyway. 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:33.759 And as he entered the village, he was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance, and he they lifted up their voices, saying, Jesus, master, have mercy on us. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:39.920 And when he saw them, he said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. 00:25:40.160 --> 00:25:43.680 And as they went, they were cleansed. 00:25:43.920 --> 00:25:45.920 It's an interesting story, right? 00:25:46.079 --> 00:26:00.079 We all like to think that everything that happened in Jesus' ministry was like an instantaneous, you know, when his hands touched their bodies or when he declared a word, it was like zap, and it happened. 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:09.519 But we see several of these stories in the Gospels where he does declare a word, but as far as we know, there's no immediate effect. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:14.240 How many of you know that no immediate effect doesn't mean that nothing's happening? 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:22.799 And we need to have that faith, church, when we come and get prayer that, oh, well, they prayed for me and I didn't feel something, I didn't fall to the ground, I didn't, whatever. 00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:25.839 No, you stand in faith. 00:26:26.160 --> 00:26:30.400 And one of the ways you stand in faith, what are we learning this morning? 00:26:30.480 --> 00:26:33.759 It's connected to thankfulness. 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:42.400 You thank the Lord for what he has spoken, for what we're believing God for, for what he accomplished on the cross. 00:26:42.640 --> 00:26:43.279 Amen. 00:26:44.559 --> 00:26:47.200 So he says here, go and show yourselves to the priest. 00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:50.480 And as they went, they were cleansed. 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:57.839 And then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, like I try and put myself in this story. 00:26:57.920 --> 00:27:03.680 It's like there's 10 guys, they get a word from Jesus, they're starting to act on their faith. 00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:04.240 Amen. 00:27:04.400 --> 00:27:10.559 They're like already heading to the priest, when as far as we can tell, they're still leprous. 00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:30.079 But from a word, by a word from Jesus, they're starting to walk that out, and they're starting to say, if he said to go to the priest, I believe that by the time I get to the priest, I'm gonna have this leprosy gone, and I will have a reason to be there and for him to declare me clean. 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:37.680 So they're walking along, they're heading towards the temple, and then the one guy realizes, I'm clean. 00:27:37.839 --> 00:27:39.519 The leprosy's gone. 00:27:39.680 --> 00:27:43.279 And you can imagine they're all probably excited and talking on the road. 00:27:43.440 --> 00:27:44.240 We're all clean. 00:27:44.319 --> 00:27:45.440 Isn't this amazing? 00:27:45.680 --> 00:27:48.240 But we know the story, right? 00:27:49.759 --> 00:28:04.720 It says in verse 15, then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:08.559 Now he was a Samaritan. 00:28:09.839 --> 00:28:14.720 And then Jesus answered, Were not ten cleansed? 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:20.240 Where are the nine? 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:29.200 That's that's quite the sobering story when you stop for a moment and you put yourself in the story. 00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:41.039 Because you don't have to be a leper who's been cleansed of a disease, you just have to be one who, amongst many other people, has received the same blessings. 00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:45.440 There is only one person who had the right response. 00:28:46.000 --> 00:28:50.799 And Jesus' question was where's everybody else? 00:28:52.000 --> 00:29:02.240 Thanksgiving is the appropriate, God-oriented response to every blessing that we receive in life. 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:08.240 And hopefully we work with our kids on these things. 00:29:08.480 --> 00:29:25.759 You know, and it's funny how we can, as parents, we can notice the unthankfulness in our children that we're probably just as guilty, if not more guilty of some of the time. 00:29:26.640 --> 00:29:27.039 Right? 00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:31.839 Because we're standing there and you know, we have this, you know, clear relationship. 00:29:32.000 --> 00:29:36.720 I am the parent, I am the provider, I am the blesser. 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:38.240 Right? 00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:52.720 You know, that I am here, God has placed me here to look after you, to clothe you, to feed you, to, you know, to look after you in sickness, to do all of these things. 00:29:52.960 --> 00:30:06.079 And sometimes, you know, in our fallen state, we can really struggle if our children don't have an appreciative, thankful response to us, can't we? 00:30:07.599 --> 00:30:09.519 Or am I the only one? 00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:25.920 You know, they walk in and you know, they just if there's a if there's a sense of demanding, if there's a sense of entitlement, if there's a sense of, I'm just gonna take that and go on my merry way, it's like, hello. 00:30:27.519 --> 00:30:29.440 What do you say to mom? 00:30:31.119 --> 00:30:31.759 Right? 00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:40.319 But you know, if you're gonna teach your kids to say, thank you, mom, for cooking supper, what should you say to your wife? 00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:49.680 Or should you sit down angry to the table like it's your God-given right for that woman to cook me dinner? 00:30:50.720 --> 00:30:53.599 Oh, I'm gonna get myself in trouble today. 00:30:55.359 --> 00:30:56.000 Right? 00:30:56.640 --> 00:31:02.799 Gratitude, by the way, will completely shouldn't it show you something? 00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:08.799 How much gratitude changes the dynamics of relationships? 00:31:09.599 --> 00:31:13.920 How much different is your heart towards your children? 00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:15.359 Let's just be honest. 00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:30.480 When you give them something and they don't need to be prodded, they don't need to be reminded, but they're just so, thank you, dad, thank you, mom, and they give you a hug, and then you know, they go off, look what mom and dad did. 00:31:31.359 --> 00:31:34.640 You know, it's just like, oh, I love that kid. 00:31:35.279 --> 00:31:40.160 You know, you're thinking about the next good thing that you want to do for that kid, right? 00:31:41.119 --> 00:31:50.640 But then, you know, it's like sometimes in our busyness and our humanity, you know, we we do our best, we we provide, and it's just like, is this all there is? 00:31:50.880 --> 00:32:02.720 Oh, it's just like that will be all there is if you don't have a little shift in attitude. 00:32:04.720 --> 00:32:05.359 Right? 00:32:06.079 --> 00:32:12.880 But you know, and you think again about your relationships, I I've seen it time and again for myself. 00:32:13.119 --> 00:32:17.759 It's easy to just get in a rush, get busy, to not be grateful. 00:32:17.839 --> 00:32:26.240 How many of you know that it is important to express your gratitude, yes, to God, but also to other people. 00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:40.880 Your marriage could change if you were more grateful for your spouse. 00:32:42.319 --> 00:32:52.079 Of all of the people on the planet that they could be with, they're stuck with you. 00:32:54.000 --> 00:32:56.079 She is stuck with me. 00:32:57.119 --> 00:32:57.759 Right? 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:04.720 And it just is a lot better when there's gratitude in the mix. 00:33:05.200 --> 00:33:08.559 Sometimes, and I'm not perfect and I don't always do sometimes. 00:33:08.640 --> 00:33:12.240 I'll thank my wife for things, and she'll look at me like, Why are you thanking me for this? 00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:15.759 And it's just like, I just want to be grateful. 00:33:15.920 --> 00:33:17.039 I'm grateful for you. 00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:18.559 I'm grateful, you know. 00:33:18.799 --> 00:33:29.599 Even if we sometimes cook a meal together, and you know, she might be like, Well, you did more work than I did, but you still helped, you still contributed, so I'm grateful for that. 00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:33.359 She says, good. 00:33:35.519 --> 00:33:38.960 So, gentlemen, that's every other wife in the room saying good. 00:33:40.559 --> 00:33:41.200 Right? 00:33:42.640 --> 00:33:56.640 Gratitude changes relationships, it changes our hearts, it changes, it changes our ability to receive from the one who blesses us. 00:33:58.480 --> 00:34:02.480 And only one of the ten lepers had the right response. 00:34:02.720 --> 00:34:17.599 And I don't think Jesus put this in here to scold us, to browbeat us, but it does show us that every blessing, there's an old song, I'm just remembering that every blessing you pour out, I'll turn back to praise. 00:34:17.840 --> 00:34:18.320 Amen. 00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:20.719 That should be our attitude, amen. 00:34:20.880 --> 00:34:25.599 That there is nothing that we receive that we can't thank God for. 00:34:26.079 --> 00:34:36.960 And you know, the Jews, they they actually developed a system of prayer where they would bless God for things that you would consider inappropriate and ridiculous. 00:34:37.679 --> 00:34:41.360 And maybe I'm reminded of this because we watched Fiddler on the Roof the other day. 00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:42.719 Anyone seen that one? 00:34:43.440 --> 00:34:46.000 Uh it's quite anyway. 00:34:47.760 --> 00:34:50.239 There's a blessing for everything, right? 00:34:52.000 --> 00:35:00.000 And uh how many of you know that yes, the Jews, they had a blessing before their meal, and they had a blessing after their meal. 00:35:00.800 --> 00:35:09.360 And they had a blessing just as they woke up in the morning, Lord, thank you that the that there is breath in my lungs today. 00:35:09.920 --> 00:35:12.480 Thank you, Lord, for another day of life. 00:35:12.559 --> 00:35:16.880 How many of you know they even had blessings when they went to the bathroom? 00:35:19.039 --> 00:35:20.719 I'm not lying, this is true. 00:35:20.800 --> 00:35:35.280 You can look this up like it's rabbinical, you know, stuff written down that there are, Lord, thank you that I am able to do what I need to do on the ivory throne. 00:35:37.760 --> 00:35:46.079 I I tell you what, if you weren't able to do what you need to do in the bathroom, it would be a cause for prayer. 00:35:47.440 --> 00:35:48.400 Come on. 00:35:48.960 --> 00:35:53.599 So if you're able to do what you need to do, then the Lord thank you. 00:35:54.239 --> 00:35:58.000 That everything is functioning as it is supposed to function. 00:35:59.039 --> 00:36:00.719 Like, seriously. 00:36:01.199 --> 00:36:04.559 That just shows you how much we take for granted, right? 00:36:05.039 --> 00:36:16.960 Like, I can walk, I can talk, I can use my hands to build things, to make things, to look after myself, to look after my children. 00:36:17.119 --> 00:36:18.559 Thank you, Lord. 00:36:19.920 --> 00:36:21.440 Thank you, Lord. 00:36:24.159 --> 00:36:27.039 So many verses that we could look at today. 00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:30.960 I'll just read some of these off to you and we won't flip in our Bibles. 00:36:31.039 --> 00:36:35.039 I say it like everybody's out there with a paper Bible trying to keep up, right? 00:36:37.119 --> 00:36:38.320 Yes, some of you are. 00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:39.519 God bless you. 00:36:40.480 --> 00:36:54.880 But look at some of these verses out of the New Testament, and a couple of these verses, one of the things that God was just speaking to me about is how thankfulness and joy are also connected. 00:36:57.440 --> 00:37:00.960 Thankfulness and joy are connected. 00:37:02.079 --> 00:37:07.119 Because if you lose your thankfulness, it's gonna be really hard to be joyful. 00:37:08.079 --> 00:37:08.639 Right? 00:37:08.880 --> 00:37:11.119 And it is inevitable. 00:37:11.760 --> 00:37:23.039 I have never experienced a time where, you know, sometimes I don't feel it, you know, I'm just my whatever, dragging myself along, human self. 00:37:23.119 --> 00:37:33.519 And it's just like I have to sometimes just say, okay, like the psalmist says, speak to your soul, bless the Lord, oh my soul. 00:37:35.119 --> 00:37:45.679 Come on, whether your soul feels it, whether your body's into it, whether you know all your aches and pains are gone or whatever, it's just soul, bless God already. 00:37:46.400 --> 00:37:47.360 Come on. 00:37:51.840 --> 00:37:54.400 And sometimes I just begin to list things off. 00:37:54.559 --> 00:37:59.679 Lord, thank you for my wife, thank you for my children, thank you for a roof over my head. 00:37:59.840 --> 00:38:05.519 Like, thank you that the furnace is working, you know, thank you that I have hot water. 00:38:05.679 --> 00:38:07.280 Thank you, Jesus. 00:38:08.079 --> 00:38:12.079 I don't know about you, but that's something I think about quite a bit. 00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:13.440 Thank you, Jesus. 00:38:13.599 --> 00:38:20.079 I was born in a time when I can go in the shower and hot water comes out. 00:38:20.639 --> 00:38:22.559 Like, thank you, Jesus. 00:38:23.119 --> 00:38:24.559 Thank you, Lord. 00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:27.599 Thank you, Lord, that I have a closet full of clothes. 00:38:27.760 --> 00:38:29.840 Thank you, Lord, that there's food in the cupboard. 00:38:29.920 --> 00:38:30.480 Thank you, Lord. 00:38:30.639 --> 00:38:37.760 And it is inevitable that, you know, I might have just felt blah, dull, lifeness. 00:38:38.159 --> 00:38:41.920 There's life that comes when you begin to give thanks. 00:38:42.400 --> 00:38:46.480 There's joy that comes when you begin to give thanks. 00:38:47.599 --> 00:38:52.320 Thankfulness changes us in the best possible way. 00:38:52.559 --> 00:38:56.239 And you always have something to thank God for. 00:38:57.760 --> 00:38:58.719 Always. 00:38:59.519 --> 00:39:04.320 In fact, the New Testament says, in all things, give thanks. 00:39:04.960 --> 00:39:05.840 In all things. 00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:14.639 That means no matter what you're going through, no matter how hard it gets, even if there's pain, even if there's persecution, thank you, God. 00:39:15.119 --> 00:39:19.119 There's always something to give God thanks for. 00:39:19.679 --> 00:39:27.679 So 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 16 and on says, Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. 00:39:27.760 --> 00:39:30.480 And look at this: giving thanks. 00:39:30.719 --> 00:39:35.440 You're gonna have a really hard time having a prayer life if you lose your thankfulness. 00:39:36.239 --> 00:39:43.199 Thankfulness is the key, one of the keys to a dynamic, lively prayer life. 00:39:43.599 --> 00:39:49.599 Because again, we can sometimes be so focused on, oh, I'm interceding for this situation over here. 00:39:49.760 --> 00:40:09.199 Or Lord, I'm calling out to you to provide supplication for, you know, my my household, for my family, and we can be so focused on what's not there, what we're trying to see happen, that it actually can be lose, it can lose sight of all that God has already done. 00:40:09.920 --> 00:40:18.880 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, giving thanks in all circumstances. 00:40:19.920 --> 00:40:22.880 Just look at look at that, those three points. 00:40:23.199 --> 00:40:25.119 Rejoice always. 00:40:30.400 --> 00:40:33.280 Give thanks in all circumstances. 00:40:33.599 --> 00:40:38.960 But this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 00:40:40.320 --> 00:40:41.920 The will of God. 00:40:42.880 --> 00:40:44.880 Another thing that we struggle with, right? 00:40:44.960 --> 00:40:49.199 That seems mysterious, that we we like, God, what is your will for your life? 00:40:49.360 --> 00:40:52.159 Thankfulness, that would be a good place to start. 00:40:53.840 --> 00:40:58.960 Joy, thankfulness, prayer, that's the will of God for your life. 00:40:59.199 --> 00:41:04.159 You know, before you're worried about what is my calling, and am I in the perfect will of God? 00:41:04.239 --> 00:41:07.360 And, you know, all of these different things, are you rejoicing? 00:41:07.519 --> 00:41:08.159