WEBVTT 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:03.200 Amen. 00:00:03.520 --> 00:00:08.560 Well, hey, you can uh turn in your Bibles to Psalm 100 today. 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:11.839 Um, that is uh that's where we're gonna be uh this morning. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:21.440 And I just want to say off the top uh thanks so much for those of you who uh who prayed for me as I was uh teaching at Harvest Berry last uh last weekend. 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:27.359 They have uh three services, and I'll tell you that is a marathon to uh to preach three services. 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:29.359 My voice had uh just about had it. 00:00:29.440 --> 00:00:36.000 Um but it was so good to be back uh at our old church and to see so many familiar faces and uh reconnect with all of them. 00:00:36.159 --> 00:00:40.560 But uh in the words of Dorothy, uh there's no place like home, right? 00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:47.520 And it's so good uh to be back with you, and as fun as it was to be up there, it made me be like, man, I miss I miss Harvest New Market. 00:00:47.600 --> 00:00:48.799 I miss being back with our people. 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:52.159 So I was excited for this weekend, uh, for sure, to get into this. 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:56.799 So again, turn your Bibles to uh 100, uh Psalm 100. 00:00:57.039 --> 00:01:13.760 Now, um if you are a parent of small children, um, you know that one of the things that you spend just an obscene amount of time uh telling them to say uh are those words, thank you. 00:01:14.480 --> 00:01:15.599 Thank you, right? 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:28.079 I mean, it would be probably impossible for you to count just how many times uh someone has given something to your child, right, and they just took it and walked away, right? 00:01:28.239 --> 00:01:31.040 With saying uh nothing, no response. 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:37.120 You know, and your your reaction every time is to say, hey, hey, what do you say? 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:37.599 Right? 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:39.040 What do you say? 00:01:39.760 --> 00:01:52.560 Now, what's sure to follow in those moments, again, if you're a parent, you know exactly what I'm talking about here, is just that classic, forced, monotone, thank you. 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:54.879 Right? 00:01:55.040 --> 00:02:00.959 Every every time, so so utterly void of heartfelt emotion, right? 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:09.199 So um, so so combined with an agonizing lack of proper eye contact, right? 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:14.080 They just they just look away, you know, no, no volume level in their voice, right? 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:17.439 The one time you're gonna be quiet is when you need to say thank you. 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:21.840 You know, and as parents, we often we just stand there mortified, right? 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:31.280 Appalled that our expert parenting skills have been rejected and cast aside uh once again. 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:33.360 Here's the thing. 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:40.479 How like our children we are when it comes to expressing proper gratitude to God. 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:41.120 Right? 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:43.280 How like them we are. 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:47.280 You know, we are, we we lack thanksgiving. 00:02:47.439 --> 00:03:03.520 But you know, when we when we stop and and and think about it and really examine who the Lord is and and what he has done all throughout history and in our lives alone, we should be bursting at the seams with gratitude. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:04.960 We really should. 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:12.240 We should be welling up in our hearts and just kind of spilling out of us constantly. 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:16.719 Okay, but too often we we forget to thank him, don't we? 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:21.520 We we go through the motions, but we lack sincerity. 00:03:22.159 --> 00:03:25.599 We we force it, but we don't feel it. 00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:36.000 Okay, but all through the scriptures, all throughout human history, we see the Lord reminding us and urging his people to give thanks to him. 00:03:36.319 --> 00:03:40.240 And I'll read through just a couple of places here throughout Scripture. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:44.000 1 Chronicles 16, verse 8, oh, give thanks to the Lord. 00:03:44.240 --> 00:03:47.759 Call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples. 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:54.080 First Thessalonians 5.18, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 00:03:54.319 --> 00:04:00.639 Ephesians 5.20, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:08.159 Philippians 4, 6, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:14.719 And then 2 Corinthians 9 15, thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift. 00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:21.519 Now again, when you stop and really think about it, we should never ever run out of things to thank God for. 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:33.199 And without question, our thankfulness or our, you know, our lack thereof is really a sign or an indicator of our spiritual health. 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:35.120 It's a massive sign of that. 00:04:35.360 --> 00:04:43.279 And so the question for us then becomes you know, how are we doing in this all-important area of gratitude? 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:45.920 And then, of course, how can we grow to become? 00:04:46.160 --> 00:04:53.759 We're never gonna be perfect at this, but how can we grow to become more thankful to God for who he is and what he's done? 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:56.800 Well, I trust that you're turned to Psalm 100 now. 00:04:56.879 --> 00:04:57.680 I'm gonna read this. 00:04:57.759 --> 00:05:02.319 Why don't you stand with me as we honor God through the reading of his word? 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:08.639 It says this make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth. 00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:15.199 Serve the Lord with gladness, come into his presence with singing, know that the Lord, he is God. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:20.480 It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. 00:05:20.800 --> 00:05:34.240 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise, give thanks to him, bless his name, for the Lord is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:46.480 God, we come before you this morning and recognize, Lord, that our hearts often have a long way to go when it comes to being appropriately thankful to you. 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:51.680 Lord, what have we other than what you have already given us? 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:57.199 Lord, you have given us so many things that we can point to, but Lord, most of all, you have given us yourself. 00:05:57.360 --> 00:05:59.279 You have given us your Son, Jesus Christ. 00:05:59.519 --> 00:06:11.120 And so, Lord, I pray that this morning as we dive into a well-known psalm, Lord, a psalm that's so applicable to the church at all times, Lord, I pray that we would grow in gratitude to you, Lord. 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:20.319 I pray that you would you would you would break down our crusty, hardened hearts, Lord, and soften them, Lord, so that we would love you more deeply through this, Lord. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:24.000 I pray that gratitude would, in fact, spill out of us at every turn. 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:27.120 Lord, would you do this in a way that glorifies you, Lord? 00:06:27.199 --> 00:06:29.519 We want you to be high and lifted up. 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:30.879 Teach us, Lord, from your word. 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:32.639 We pray this in Christ's name. 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:33.360 Amen. 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:34.000 Amen. 00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:34.800 You can take a seat. 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:36.000 Thanks so much. 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:41.839 All right, here's the first thing, then, as we go through this. 00:06:41.920 --> 00:06:45.040 I trust you've got your notes there and you're uh ready to rock. 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:46.800 I know I am, but here's the first thing. 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:51.439 Uh it's all nearly burst with thankfulness to God when my goal is to worship him. 00:06:51.839 --> 00:06:54.720 Okay, when my goal uh is to worship him. 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:58.480 Now, really quick, um, I want you to count this up in scripture. 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:03.439 How many times in Psalm 100 can you count an exclamation point? 00:07:03.680 --> 00:07:09.439 Okay, take a look at your uh passage right now and just count it up, and then somebody kind of yell it out once you got it. 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:11.680 How many exclamation points do you see? 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:12.240 Six. 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:12.800 Exactly. 00:07:12.879 --> 00:07:14.000 That's how many I counted up. 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:16.879 Now, how many verses are there in Psalm 100? 00:07:17.600 --> 00:07:18.319 Five, right? 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:19.360 So six. 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:23.519 Six exclamation points in only five verses. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:30.959 Now, whenever you see this uh in scripture, really whenever you see it anywhere, in a text, in an email, wherever it is, it indicates joy, right? 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:35.680 It indicates a special level of excitement and passion. 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:51.040 Okay, so so the bottom line here in Psalm 100, the thrust of it is that it's nothing short of an all-out heartfelt, passionate explosion of gratitude and worship to God. 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:54.319 That's what you see here all throughout these five verses. 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:57.600 And you can just tell there's so much, there's so much energy in it. 00:07:57.759 --> 00:07:58.000 Right? 00:07:58.160 --> 00:08:02.639 So often we tend to read it with kind of, again, like a monotone kind of a voice. 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:06.560 We don't we don't put the energy into it that this was really coming from. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:09.040 But there's passion in here. 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:19.199 Now, do you ever have those types of moments, those Psalm 100 type moments, where you are just welling up with gratitude? 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:25.040 When you are welling up and you you you can't hold it back, and it just it just comes out of you. 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:31.360 You're compelled to express genuine thankfulness and worship to God. 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:33.279 Do you ever have those moments? 00:08:33.759 --> 00:08:42.639 Now I think if we're honest here today with ourselves, I think we would probably admit that we often struggle with that, don't we? 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:46.000 We struggle with the passion piece of that. 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:50.159 We struggle with the genuineness of our gratitude. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:55.279 I mean, how many times have we prayed for meals and we're just we're just we're just saying words? 00:08:55.519 --> 00:08:55.759 Right? 00:08:55.919 --> 00:08:56.240 Really? 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:58.399 Are we thankful for the meal that we have in front of us? 00:08:58.559 --> 00:08:59.120 Are we thankful? 00:08:59.200 --> 00:09:00.799 Do we really want it to bless our bodies? 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:02.960 You know, do we really think about it? 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.200 We struggle with passion. 00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:14.000 And I think another thing that contributes to that is we are so Canadian sometimes. 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:14.639 Right? 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:15.279 We really are. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:16.240 We're so Canadian. 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:21.039 We're just we're just not as expressive as a nation in general. 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:23.759 Sometimes we're just way too polite for that. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:33.200 Uh we're we're way too reserved, and and sometimes I really feel like this gets in the way of properly expressing gratitude uh to God. 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:44.320 I mean, how many times have maybe you've been on a mission trip before overseas somewhere in a much different culture than ours, and you have seen their passion in worship? 00:09:44.559 --> 00:09:44.879 Right? 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:47.840 You you you've seen that, the joy in their thanksgiving. 00:09:47.919 --> 00:09:50.000 It's just at another level. 00:09:50.799 --> 00:09:53.759 It's beyond where we are, where you are. 00:09:53.919 --> 00:10:05.440 And maybe when you see that and you experience that, part of you longs for that, you wish that you could express in such a uh real way and uh and mean it. 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:16.399 You wish that you could worship and and thank God and praise him for all the little things, uh, so to speak, in life, like like they do. 00:10:17.200 --> 00:10:17.519 Right? 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:22.960 And it reminds me of, I've been on a bunch of missions trips, but it reminds me of one that I went to uh to Cuba. 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:29.039 We went to Havana, Cuba, and I brought a bunch of students uh with us, and we did kind of like a VBS day camp type of a thing. 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:35.600 And and I don't know if you've ever been to Havana before, but it's like stepping back into the 50s, and they don't have a lot. 00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:48.720 And we hung out with this church for an entire week, and and and we couldn't really speak the language, and many of them couldn't speak English, and and but we spent time with them, and they just invited us in in the community that was there, and and and they had so little. 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:59.759 They had like a bag of rice and flour, and for them to have like chicken with their rice was huge, and so because we had they had guests coming, you know, they went and spent the little money that they had on that, and they thanked the Lord. 00:10:59.840 --> 00:11:04.080 They were so excited about that, they they worshiped with such passion. 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:09.279 And I remember thinking, man, I am missing something here. 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:10.960 I am missing something huge. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:18.799 And the church in North America in general and and Canada, and let's get real specific here, Newmarket, right? 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:34.240 We are we are missing something, and you know, it doesn't really take a whole lot of reflection on our part to realize that our gratitude and our passion in worship is lacking something. 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:39.919 Now, in the fall, we're gonna be going through uh a four pillar series. 00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:57.200 These are the the four pillars of of our church, and these are the things that we are passionate about and that we are committed to as a church, and and they are preaching and and and worship and prayer and evangelism, and you'll see them on the four pillar banners when you walk into church uh every Sunday. 00:11:57.360 --> 00:12:10.639 And in the the worship message, I'm gonna go uh at length more into this and the type of worship culture that we're trying to develop and establish and cultivate here at our church in in Newmarket. 00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:12.879 Okay, so more on that to come. 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:20.320 I won't I won't get into it too much, but but for now, let's just take a look at these verses here as we uh work our way through God's word. 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:21.519 Take a look at verse one. 00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:24.320 And really, again, note the passion here, right? 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:26.720 The pleasure that they have in God. 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:32.559 Um, as they would have sung this out, listen, it says, make a joyful noise to the Lord. 00:12:32.799 --> 00:12:34.159 Make a joyful noise to the Lord. 00:12:34.240 --> 00:12:36.080 I love how it doesn't say, sing well. 00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:37.919 Notice that? 00:12:38.240 --> 00:12:39.279 Make a joyful noise. 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:41.600 As long as you're loud, it's all good. 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:42.000 Right? 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:44.320 It says, make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:45.519 Greg loved that, by the way. 00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:46.480 I heard that laugh. 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:47.919 Greg loved that. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:50.559 Okay, serve the Lord with gladness. 00:12:50.960 --> 00:12:53.039 Come into his presence with singing. 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:55.200 Now jump down to uh verse four. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:59.279 It says, enter his gates with thanksgiving and his and his courts with praise. 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:02.799 Give thanks to him, bless his name. 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:04.960 Hey, real quick, write this down. 00:13:05.039 --> 00:13:06.159 You got a pen handy? 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:07.200 Write this down. 00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:12.399 Okay, the ultimate goal of gratitude is worship. 00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:16.240 Okay, the ultimate goal of gratitude is worship. 00:13:16.559 --> 00:13:24.320 Now, that does not mean that that worship and being thankful are the exact same thing. 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:24.879 Right? 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:29.120 I had to think about that uh a bunch this this week as I was working through this. 00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:31.600 Because I was like, isn't being thankful worshiping? 00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:35.600 And isn't worshiping really just giving thanks? 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:38.960 Well, here's the thing as I kind of work through it in process. 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:48.240 Um, gratitude, okay, gratitude is expressing appreciation, whereas worship is ascribing worth. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:49.679 Let me say that again. 00:13:49.919 --> 00:13:54.799 Gratitude is uh expressing appreciation, where you're you're thanking God. 00:13:55.279 --> 00:14:02.879 Where worship is ascribing worth, where you're you're telling him, you're ascribing to him how great he is. 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:06.399 All right, so there's a difference there. 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:10.159 They're not the exact same thing, they're not exactly synonymous. 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.960 However, they are very closely linked. 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:15.279 They're very closely linked. 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:25.759 And these verses show us that as they go back and forth very seamlessly between this idea of praising the Lord and this idea of thanking him. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:28.559 It goes back and forth. 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:38.240 So, hey, to become more thankful Christ followers, our end goal has to be to become greater worshipers of God. 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:40.399 That's what our end goal has to be. 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:43.600 Because thankfulness leads us to worship. 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:45.120 That's what it does. 00:14:45.519 --> 00:15:01.600 So let me just ask you the question: is becoming a greater worshiper of Jesus Christ, more passionate, more spirit-filled, more exclamation-laden worship, is that your overall mission in life? 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:03.200 Is that your overall mission? 00:15:03.279 --> 00:15:05.840 Is that what you want your life to be all about? 00:15:06.559 --> 00:15:15.840 Because once you realize that that's what God created you for, that's the entire reason he put you on the planet. 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:27.840 As a side note here, I love the line by John Piper where he said that missions, as in missions trips, evangelism, all of it, missions exists because worship doesn't. 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:29.840 Missions exist because worship doesn't. 00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:30.639 How true is that? 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:35.600 We wouldn't have to do missions trips, we wouldn't have to do much of anything if everybody already worshipped. 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:40.320 The end goal is that God is calling out worshipers. 00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:42.240 That is what he wants. 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:55.360 Once you realize that that is what God wants from you, it's your entire reason for living, and you embrace that for yourself and and and growing that and and living that out becomes your life goal. 00:15:55.519 --> 00:15:56.960 You know what happens? 00:15:57.840 --> 00:16:00.399 You automatically become more thankful. 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:05.919 You automatically become more thankful because now your focus is in the right place. 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:08.159 It's on him. 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:10.480 It's on Jesus Christ. 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:13.679 He's the object of your affection. 00:16:14.559 --> 00:16:22.320 And you appreciate him for just who he is, and of course, for all the different things that he has done. 00:16:23.360 --> 00:16:26.159 Again, thankfulness and worship, they're so closely linked. 00:16:26.240 --> 00:16:29.919 You can't really uh pull them apart. 00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:42.000 Listen, one of the biggest reasons why why young kids don't say thank you when they receive something is because they aren't focused on the giver. 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:43.600 They're not focused on the giver. 00:16:43.919 --> 00:16:49.360 They're only thinking about themselves, and they can't think beyond the thing that they've been given, right? 00:16:49.440 --> 00:17:07.680 So they they take the lollipop that you have given them and and they just they begin immediately pulling off the wrapper, and and all of the noise that you who gave it to them, the parents, the wa Charlie Brown voice in the background, fades out, and they're just focused on the thing, and they can't think outside of themselves, right? 00:17:07.759 --> 00:17:10.319 They can't think outside of the gift. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:13.200 We're the same way with God. 00:17:13.839 --> 00:17:15.680 We do the same things. 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:20.400 We often aren't thankful because we're not even thinking about him. 00:17:21.759 --> 00:17:31.200 You know, or maybe we we manage to thank him, but it's only because we've learned how to how to kind of put it all together. 00:17:31.359 --> 00:17:35.680 We've learned how to behave and make it look like we're doing the right thing. 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:44.960 But it's really this forced thing because we know it's the right thing to do, and and it kind of comes out awkward and and unnatural. 00:17:45.200 --> 00:17:52.319 It's not genuine, it's it's not passionate, it's not from a heart of uh of real gratitude. 00:17:53.759 --> 00:18:06.240 And as we kind of think about this and we examine our own lives, we need to really ask ourselves the question and and wonder, you know, do I love the gift more than I love the giver? 00:18:06.880 --> 00:18:12.319 Do I love what God gives me, but maybe not Him so much? 00:18:13.599 --> 00:18:20.000 I mean, how many times have I caught myself asking the Lord for things in prayer? 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:22.000 Right, Lord, would you give me wisdom? 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:23.440 I need help in this. 00:18:23.680 --> 00:18:26.319 God, would would you transform my life? 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:31.440 Would would you forgive me for for my sin this week and the things that I've been struggling with? 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:34.880 And you know, I'm asking him for those things, but I don't just want him. 00:18:35.359 --> 00:18:35.599 Right? 00:18:35.759 --> 00:18:38.160 I don't just want to be in his presence. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:40.319 Verse 2 says that, right? 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:43.440 It says, come into his presence with singing. 00:18:43.920 --> 00:18:45.680 Come into his presence. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:50.000 And hey, where I'm in that place and I don't just want the Lord, I just want the thing from him. 00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.240 There's no real worship taking place. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:58.880 No, no authentic thanksgiving when God answers my prayer. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:03.519 I I just I just take the thing from him and move on. 00:19:03.839 --> 00:19:04.480 I run. 00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:08.720 When worship is the goal. 00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:12.160 Okay, that is that is the focus of our lives. 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:14.240 We want to worship him in all things. 00:19:14.480 --> 00:19:17.279 Our thanksgiving will just be bursting at the seams. 00:19:17.599 --> 00:19:19.200 It'll be pouring out. 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:21.920 We won't be able to contain it. 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:28.319 We'll be blown away, we'll be so shocked that he would think about us and give us anything. 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:31.440 Let alone the thing that we've asked for. 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:36.160 We won't have to try and remember to thank him. 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:37.920 It'll just happen. 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:42.799 It'll happen naturally from a heart that's just captivated with him and who he is. 00:19:44.799 --> 00:19:46.640 Here's the second thing. 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:53.839 I'm nearly burst with thankfulness to God when I know my place and I'm good with it. 00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:57.119 When I know my place and I'm I'm cool with that. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:00.960 Okay, we've kind of already hinted at this already, but here it is, clear as day. 00:20:01.440 --> 00:20:03.279 Take a look at the verse, verse 3. 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:07.279 He says this know that the Lord, He is God. 00:20:08.079 --> 00:20:11.440 It is He who made us, and we are His. 00:20:11.599 --> 00:20:16.079 We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:24.880 Okay, this verse, it's it's so incredible if you really stop and think about it, because it's so rich with humility. 00:20:27.039 --> 00:20:30.799 It's so not the position we naturally operate from. 00:20:31.920 --> 00:20:32.319 It's not. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:36.079 I mean, you can tell that this has been written by a person here who just gets it. 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:36.559 Right? 00:20:36.640 --> 00:20:38.000 That they they they got it. 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:41.759 He's like the the Lord's on the throne, not me. 00:20:42.079 --> 00:20:42.400 Right? 00:20:42.559 --> 00:20:43.279 He is God. 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:44.480 I I'm not. 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:48.559 You know, I'm simply a sheep, so to speak. 00:20:48.880 --> 00:20:52.000 He is my shepherd, he is in charge. 00:20:52.559 --> 00:20:55.680 And again, I just love the humility of all of that. 00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:56.799 It's incredible. 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:04.480 I love I love how clearly the psalmist here, he sees his place, he gets it, he knows that he's he's good with it. 00:21:04.640 --> 00:21:06.880 He's like, Lord, you're on the throne. 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:09.920 And my response is to bend my knee. 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:20.799 And what's more, and on top of that, and this is what I love too, and this kind of goes back to the exclamation points thing that I was talking about, is is you sense the the joy in him. 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:33.759 You sense the joy in him as he he understands that that being subject to God, being underneath him, being the sheep, when he is the shepherd, that's that that's where it's at. 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:34.400 Right? 00:21:34.559 --> 00:21:36.000 That's the place to be. 00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:44.559 Now, sometimes when uh when a child doesn't show gratitude, it's because they just don't know their place. 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:45.279 Right? 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:46.640 They don't know their place. 00:21:47.759 --> 00:21:50.240 They don't have any concept of this. 00:21:50.799 --> 00:21:51.119 Right? 00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:56.559 They you know they think it's unfair that their that their parents don't let them stay up even later. 00:21:56.960 --> 00:22:02.480 And and they're not grateful for the fact that that mom and dad have already Let them stay up late enough. 00:22:02.799 --> 00:22:04.559 They should be thankful for that. 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:06.880 And on top of it, there should be no arguing. 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:09.839 This should just be an appreciation. 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:12.480 And they should understand that they're the child. 00:22:12.559 --> 00:22:14.720 They have no right to argue and fight back. 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:16.240 They have zero authority. 00:22:16.799 --> 00:22:17.279 None. 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:18.160 No say. 00:22:18.720 --> 00:22:22.720 Their job is simply to obey and like it. 00:22:24.000 --> 00:22:26.240 Kids have a hard time with that, but so do we. 00:22:26.960 --> 00:22:28.960 And you see what I'm getting at here. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:31.839 Again, we're that child. 00:22:32.160 --> 00:22:33.200 We are that child. 00:22:33.839 --> 00:22:38.720 We would do well to know, as the verse says here, know that the Lord, He is God. 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:40.400 He is God. 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:43.039 He has all authority. 00:22:43.519 --> 00:22:45.279 We have zilch. 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:49.119 You know, He gives us far more than we deserve. 00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:51.599 But we complain when we don't get more. 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:58.240 You know, we're the sheep, but we think we should be the shepherd. 00:22:59.440 --> 00:23:06.160 You know, when we operate from that position, gratitude is nowhere to be found. 00:23:06.640 --> 00:23:08.720 And listen, it's it's pride. 00:23:09.039 --> 00:23:12.960 It's pride that that stops us from knowing our place. 00:23:13.920 --> 00:23:15.359 Pride demands. 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:18.480 Pride causes us to complain. 00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:23.519 Pride is really the opposite, the antithesis of thankfulness. 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:37.759 When we're anywhere then less than at a place where we're bursting with gratitude to God, we need to ask ourselves the question, you know, how is my pride getting the best of me here? 00:23:38.160 --> 00:23:48.400 You know, if I don't care, if I'm not feeling it, if I'm not pumped about the Lord and what he has done, if I'm not grateful, there's some kind of pride in my life that is hindering me from this. 00:23:49.039 --> 00:23:52.799 And we really do need to give it a really hard look in each one of our lives. 00:23:52.960 --> 00:24:01.759 Do that spiritual inventory thing where we look in and what is it that's holding me back from all this, and then of course deal with it through repentance. 00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:04.079 We need to deal with it through repentance. 00:24:04.160 --> 00:24:08.000 That's confessing our sin, apologizing about it to God. 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:09.599 Do you do that? 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:12.720 Because here's one of the things that I've found that's so easy in my life. 00:24:12.799 --> 00:24:14.240 It's easy to realize, yeah, you know what? 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:15.599 I haven't been that thankful. 00:24:15.759 --> 00:24:17.519 I'm gonna try harder next time. 00:24:17.680 --> 00:24:19.279 And that's really all I do. 00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:22.000 Good reminder, need to be thankful. 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:23.599 I'll try that next time. 00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:24.000 Right? 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:31.440 But we don't we don't confess the sin that got us into that place of lack of thankfulness in the first place. 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:33.200 Right? 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:34.720 Do you deal with the sin? 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:45.599 Are you keeping short accounts with the Lord where you're you're confessing it daily, you're confessing it often, saying, Lord, forgive me for the arrogance of thinking that I don't have anything to be thankful for. 00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:48.000 Forgive me, Lord, for this. 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:57.359 What I love about verse three here is the genuine joy that the author has from his position of humility. 00:24:57.599 --> 00:25:00.960 Okay, he loves that that God is God and he is not. 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:02.880 He's all about it. 00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:08.640 He loves that he is the is the sheep, that that God's job is being the shepherd. 00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:10.400 He's like, I want no part of that. 00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:18.400 He truly finds satisfaction and happiness in his role, in this place of humility. 00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:29.359 Listen, listen, the Lord is not fooled by our pathetic, our pitiful acts of false humility. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:39.200 You know the ones where we you know we kind of act humble on the outside and and we've got the mask in place, and again, we know how to behave real well. 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:44.559 We've got that game all figured out, but but inside our hearts are just drowning in pride. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:46.000 Drowning in pride. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:54.079 You know, he's he's not looking at you to to grit your teeth and bear it and say, you know, fine, you're God. 00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:56.240 Have it your way. 00:25:57.680 --> 00:25:59.599 That attitude doesn't please him. 00:26:00.240 --> 00:26:04.079 That attitude shows that your heart is is is not in a good place. 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:09.200 Listen, true humility loves being humble. 00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:10.960 It loves it. 00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:17.599 True humility is the realization that humility is the best place you could possibly be. 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:20.640 It's where all the blessing is. 00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:28.880 When you've been humbled, you'll be so thankful for every little thing that God has blessed you with. 00:26:29.359 --> 00:26:32.240 And again, you're not gonna have to try and come up with a list. 00:26:32.319 --> 00:26:33.359 We've all been there though. 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:35.279 We're like, man, I should thank God for some things. 00:26:35.359 --> 00:26:37.519 And then we sit there like blank, right? 00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:39.759 We're like, what are those things? 00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:42.400 And I guess I I guess I gotta think about it. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:45.680 No, you won't have to come up with the list every single time something happens. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:47.440 You'll be like, thank you, Lord, this is incredible. 00:26:47.759 --> 00:26:49.200 You're pouring this out on me. 00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:52.319 It's all just gonna, it's all just gonna flow out. 00:26:52.559 --> 00:26:58.799 And it happens because you're in a position of of humility and and and you're good with that. 00:26:59.200 --> 00:27:00.160 You love it. 00:27:02.000 --> 00:27:03.279 Here's the last thing. 00:27:04.559 --> 00:27:11.759 I'll nearly burst with thankfulness to God when I'm struck by his incredible generosity. 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:14.559 I'm struck by his incredible generosity. 00:27:14.720 --> 00:27:17.039 Okay, take a look at verse five now. 00:27:17.279 --> 00:27:27.200 Verse five says this for the Lord is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. 00:27:27.599 --> 00:27:33.039 Okay, so here the psalmist he recognizes very clearly, it's obvious to him that the Lord is good, right? 00:27:33.279 --> 00:27:38.400 And his goodness is seen, is is is evidenced in how generous he is. 00:27:38.720 --> 00:27:40.240 He's so generous to us. 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:44.880 He gives copious amounts, as the psalmist says here, of his steadfast love. 00:27:45.599 --> 00:27:50.000 His steadfast love and his and his faithfulness to all generations. 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:52.720 You see the generosity there? 00:27:54.000 --> 00:28:06.160 Hey, listen, it's it's really, really important that we as the church, we as individuals, learn to do what the psalmist is doing here as he recites this. 00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:12.720 It's to remind ourselves, to focus on his generosity. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:19.279 Because sometimes I think we can get into this place where we kind of think that God is being stingy. 00:28:19.759 --> 00:28:20.960 He's being stingy. 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:24.319 And maybe it's because you've been praying for something for a while now. 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:28.799 You're like, man, why won't the God just why won't the Lord just pour this out on us? 00:28:29.519 --> 00:28:30.880 Why won't he answer this prayer? 00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:32.720 Why is he holding back? 00:28:34.079 --> 00:28:35.279 Does he even care? 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:38.960 Maybe he's not so good. 00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:42.079 Maybe he's not faithful. 00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:45.440 Maybe he's not generous. 00:28:46.640 --> 00:28:58.160 And so when we remind ourselves of his goodness and we're thinking about that in our own lives, it begins to soften our hearts as the Holy Spirit works and begin to appreciate all the things that he has done. 00:28:58.480 --> 00:29:06.799 And I don't mean that we should just kind of robotically sort of rehearse that his steadfast love endures forever. 00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:07.279 Right? 00:29:07.759 --> 00:29:11.440 We shouldn't be like that, or they're faithful to all generations. 00:29:11.759 --> 00:29:19.279 It's not this like check a box, I did my duty, I read that verse, I've reminded myself of it, and I've moved on. 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:28.480 No, we we need we need to allow ourselves to be struck by it, to be moved by it, to be captivated by his generosity. 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:43.279 And I think it means that we need to give ourselves adequate opportunity, adequate time and attention to these things so that they sink in. 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:49.279 Now I know we struggle with the time thing, but we all have the same amount of time in a day. 00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:52.880 It really comes down to priorities. 00:29:53.279 --> 00:29:54.160 Do you ever do that? 00:29:54.240 --> 00:30:06.799 Do you stop and really think and meditate on and prayerfully consider all the different ways that God hath poured his love out on you, all the different ways that he has been faithful towards you? 00:30:07.039 --> 00:30:11.039 You know, think about all the prayers that you have prayed over the course of your life. 00:30:11.279 --> 00:30:12.640 That seems pretty overwhelming. 00:30:12.799 --> 00:30:15.279 Think about it over the last six months or a year. 00:30:15.440 --> 00:30:19.839 What are the things that we've been praying for as a family or me as an individual? 00:30:20.240 --> 00:30:23.759