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November
17-18, 2001 THANKFUL IN TROUBLED
TIMES! Psalm 100 EXPRESSING GRATITUDE TO GOD! *** Col. 2:7 “Let your lives overflow with
thanksgiving for all he has done.” [NLT] *** Psalm 100:1-5 “Shout with joy to the Lord,
O earth! Worship the Lord with
gladness. Come before him, singing with
joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his
pasture. Enter his gates with
thanksgiving; go into his courts with
praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.
For the Lord is good. His
unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each
generation.” [New
Living Translation] WE
EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO GOD: 1. BY KNOWING
THE TRUTH! A.
THAT THE LORD IS GOD AND WE ARE HIS PEOPLE! *** Psalm 100:3 “Acknowledge that the Lord is
God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his
pasture.” [NLT] 1. GOD KNOWS IT ALL! *** Psalm 139:1-6 “Lord, you have examined me
and know all about me. You know when I
sit down and when I get up. You know my
thoughts before I think them. You know
where I go and where I lie down. You
know thoroughly everything I do. Lord, even before I say a word, you already
know it. You are all around me—in front
and in back—and have put your hand on me.
Your knowledge is amazing to me; it is more than I can understand.”
[New Century Version] HE
KNOWS IT ALL AND HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING! 2. HE IS ALWAYS THERE WHEN I NEED
HIM! *** Psalm 139:7-12 “Where can I run from
you? If I go up to the heavens, you are
there. If I lie down in the grave, you
are there. If I rise with the sun in
the east and settle in the west beyond the sea, even there you would guide me.
With your right hand you would hold me.
I could say, "The darkness will hide me. Let the light around me turn into night." But even the darkness is not dark to
you. The night is as light as the day;
darkness and light are the same to you.”
[NCV] HE’S ALWAYS THERE WHEN I NEED HIM – THE LORD IS
IN THIS PLACE! 3. HE HAS ALL THE POWER I
NEED! *** Jeremiah 32:27 “I am the Lord, the God of
every person on the earth. Nothing is impossible for me.” [NCV] *** Isaiah 40:29-31 “The Lord gives strength
to those who are weary. Even young
people get tired, then stumble and fall.
But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring
upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.” [CEV] WE
CLAIM THIS POWER BY FAITH! HE HAS
ALL THE POWER WE NEED – SO WALK IN FAITH! B.
THAT THE LORD IS GOOD AND WE ARE HIS PEOPLE! *** Psalm 100:5 “For the Lord is good. His
unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each
generation.” [NLT] 1. HE HAS GIVEN US REDEMPTION
FROM OUR SINS! *** 2 Cor. 9:15 “Thank God for his Son—a gift
too wonderful for words!” [NLT] *** 1 Peter 1:18-21 “It cost God plenty to get
you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with
Christ's sacred blood, you know. And this was no afterthought…God always knew
he was going to do this for you. It's
because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and
glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.” [Message] B. HE HAS GIVEN US A WAY TO LIVE
VICTORIOUSLY ON EARTH! *** 1 Cor. 15:57 “How we thank God for all of
this! It is he who makes us victorious through Jesus Christ our Lord!” [Living] *** Phil. 4:13 “I can do all things through
Christ, because he gives me strength.”] C. HE HAS GIVEN US A GOOD
SPIRITUAL FAMILY! *** Hebrews 12:28 “Do you see what we've got?
An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be?” [Msg] *** 2 Thes. 1:3 “My dear friends, we always
have good reason to thank God for you, because your faith in God and your love
for each other keep growing all the time.”
[CEV] D. HE HAS GIVEN US A LIVING HOPE
IN HEAVEN! ***
Col. 1:12 “And you will joyfully give thanks to the Father who has made you
able to have a share in all that he has prepared for his people in the kingdom
of light.” [NCV] GOD IS
GOOD – ALL THE TIME! 2. BY SHOWING
THE TRUTH! A. BY LIVING JOYFULLY! *** Psalm 100:1 “Shout with joy to the Lord, O
earth!” [NLT] LIVE
GOD OUTLOUD! B. BY PRAISING JOYFULLY! *** Psalm 100:4 “Enter his gates with
thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.” [NLT] *** 1 Cor. 11:23-26 “The Lord Jesus, on the
night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it
and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of
me." After supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new
covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me” [NIV] C. BY SERVING JOYFULLY! *** Psalm 100:2 “Serve the Lord with joy; come
before him with singing.” [NCV] *** Psalm 116:17 “I will give you an offering to show thanks to you, and I will pray to the Lord.” [NCV] |