Sermon Notes 7/20 – Thankful Obedience

1 Thessalonians 5:18
18 In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
 
What’s God’s Plan for my life? To be Thankful
 
  • God’s will is associated with obedience being thankful in the process.
  • Being ungrateful will cause disobedience, distancing you from His will 
Secular Research 
A one-time act of thoughtful gratitude produced an immediate 10% increase in happiness and 35% reduction in depressive symptoms
 
Forbes Magazine Study: 
1. Gratitude opens the door to more relationships
2. Gratitude improves physical health (Tested 400 Patience) 
3. Gratitude improves psychological health.
  1. Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression.
  2. Grateful people sleep better.
  3. Gratitude improves self-esteem.
  4. Gratitude increases mental strength
In Christ, the statistics are off the charts
From the Word 
  • When we have a thankful heart, we are obedient to the very will of the father….
    • The constant attitude of being grateful to God for all things will turn everything else around
 
Read Jonah 1:1-3
 
1. Being thankful gives us Life
 
Jonah was a prophet (Chosen by God) We are all Chosen by God 
 
Jonah had such a heavy hatred for the Assyrians, God’s Will for him as a prophet (his gift) was put aside.
 
Jonah had such a heavy burden, he ran from God because he knew what he was to do. 
 
  • Jonah saw with his own eyes and could not see past himself.
  • Jonah could not see the reason for his purpose because he was ungrateful.
The great Turnaround 
When Jonah Gives Thanks: Read vs 7-10
 
Only when Jonah gives thanks is when he was restored back to the “Will of the Lord”.
 
His heart was finally ready to do what the Lord needed him to do
 
HE realized that God was in control 
 
It was not his decision to determine if these people could be saved 
 
He made a vow as a messenger and he was going to be Grateful in his calling 
 
You Can’t Do What God Wants You to Do with an Ungrateful Heart
 
God Will Use You When You Are Open and Available
 
You Are Grateful for What He Is Doing, because You Know He Is in Control.
 
The Freedom Comes in When You Know That No Matter What, Gods Will be done 
 
Being Thankful Places God in Control
 
Jonah wanted to be in Control, Tarshish was the absolute opposite end of the world for them. 
 
Bad attitude: Places us in disobedience, even when we don’t understand it…
Thankful Heart: Brings us to obedience, even when we don’t understand it.
The Proper Statement When we wake up in the morning:
Even Though I Don’t Understand, I Trust You Lord and I Am Thankful
God has created every Human with free will. 
  • We must give up control in our hearts
  • We must be grateful for whatever the outcome
  • We must not alter the plans if they don’t go our way
 
Being Thankful Places things into Perspective

Philippians 2:13-15

Two Perspectives in Life:
  • When we are complaining and ungrateful, we will always get the result of defeat.
  • When we are thankful, we shine as lights of the world 
Perspective is how someone sees things
 
We can all go through the same thing but see things differently.
 
See through the eyes of Jesus 
(Blameless and Holy) because of the blood of Jesus
 
Allow the Lord to Change your perspective 
 
The Perspective is that God is in Control 
Everyone and everything was made by God and for His pleasure 
We are his workmanship, no mistakes were made (Not even us) 
We desire God’s will, your confident life will go according to His will
 
Change your prospective
Jesus wanted us to be thankful, thankful for what He did on that cross so His children would have victory over the sin of the world.
Here are some practical ways we can be thankful 
  • Open up every prayer with thanksgiving (Thanking the lord for what He has done… Tanking Him in advance )
  • Write down what you are thankful for and go over them as the Lord adds
  • Share with others on a regular basis what you are thankful for
  • Tell others, what you are thankful for in them
  • Thank Jesus throughout the day for the victories