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[0:00] what I call different character colors, and we're going to continue that this morning. And the more we add these character colors each week, we see that the image coming into view and focus is indeed the person of Jesus Christ.

[0:22] I mentioned my sister is an artist three weeks ago last time I taught. Well, there was another famous artist, well, she's not famous, but there was an artist much more famous than her that I used to follow, and some of you might recognize him if I used the phrase that he would paint happy trees.

[0:45] Anybody know who I'm talking about? Bob Ross. We'd watch him sometimes on PBS. I don't even know what morning it was. But I can't even remember how long the show was.

[0:59] Maybe half hour, half hour, he'd start painting and have it done. And what was interesting was you could sit there and he'd get started, and he'd be drawing, painting, adding, painting.

[1:10] What in the world is he painting? Well, with a half hour show, it doesn't take long for the full picture to come into view, and there's this beautiful scene there.

[1:22] Well, that's what we've been doing by adding these portraits. It's taking a little longer than a half hour, but as we add these colors to the portrait, character colors, indeed the person of Jesus Christ comes into view.

[1:37] He is the radiance of the glory of God, the exact imprint of his nature as God, and as such he is complete and perfect godliness, the person of Jesus Christ.

[1:56] But there's more if you look closely at this portrait. I think there are other artists in the past, much more famous than Bob Ross, or maybe not as famous as him, that used to include their image in the painting, kind of secretly, but their image was in the painting.

[2:15] And so as we look at this portrait and develop this portrait of Christ, there are other images in this portrait, and those images are other people who have placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, those who are united to Christ by faith.

[2:33] We look at that image, and we're seeing the person of Jesus Christ look closely. Indeed, there are some others in that portrait, and those are the ones who are united to Christ by faith.

[2:46] And being united to Christ, they also possess those same character qualities. And we do possess them in their completeness. Even Paul makes that known in Romans 8 as he goes, Romans 8, 28, God uses everything, works everything for our good, and that good is our transformation into the likeness of Christ.

[3:11] And then he uses all these really past tenses, in the sense that we are sanctified, we are glorified. It really is a complete work that God has done in us, in our union with Jesus Christ.

[3:25] But while we are in this world, that which we do have in completeness in Christ, really the master artist, the Holy Spirit, is continuing to work and bring that which we are in Christ complete, bringing it into a greater expression in our daily lives, practically.

[3:50] So that who we are positionally in Christ is being worked out in us practically, day by day. And so, these character qualities that we've been talking about, and indeed are, in their completeness, in Jesus Christ, are being added to our lives in a practical sense, day by day.

[4:15] And that's what we look forward to. The fact that what will finally be complete when we are in Christ, we're not waiting for all that now. it can be added little by little while we're in this world, and we can actually begin enjoying more and more who we will be in completeness when we are with Christ.

[4:36] We can be enjoying some of those riches even now while we're in this world. And so we're adding another character quality this morning, and that is the character qualities of praise and thankfulness.

[4:53] Watson, in his book, has this quote, praise and thanksgiving is the work of heaven, and he, the Christian, he begins that work here which he will always be doing in heaven.

[5:09] So we don't wait to be offering praise and thanksgiving to God when we get to heaven. We'll be doing that and won't have any problems doing that when we are there.

[5:20] But we can be and need to be doing it now. Jesus Christ is just as worthy of that praise and thanksgiving now as he will be in heaven. And so we can be doing that now.

[5:33] And Watson connects those two, praise and thanksgiving. And they do go together. Another quote that I found in a little booklet by Susan Lutz on thankfulness in the original Greek and Hebrew, the words that our Bible translates as thankful are related to words translated as blessed, praise, to declare blessed, to give glory to.

[6:01] So we can see the connection between the two. When we give thanks to God, really, I'm indicating that, okay, I recognize God's favor toward me, his generosity toward me, his action on my behalf for my welfare.

[6:19] And when I give thanks, I'm praising him for what he has done, graciously done, for me. And the fact that he is well able to provide what I needed.

[6:32] And so I'm giving thanks to him, exalting him, and praising him. But not all people do that toward God. And Watson makes this point in his book in wanting to clarify who is really capable and able to give thanks to God.

[6:51] Who is qualified to offer up praise and thanksgiving? And the first point he makes, it's not the ungodly, those who are outside the family of God.

[7:03] The portrait of the individual outside of Christ is that their hearts are not tuned. They're not inclined, as the old hymn goes, they're not tuned or inclined to sing God's praise and really to give him thanks.

[7:19] We see that in the scriptures as we learn of the real condition of the person outside of Christ. Ephesians 2, 1 through 2, Paul says, And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

[7:44] And then in 2 Corinthians 4, 4, The God of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers. That's their condition. That's their nature. And they are unable.

[7:57] He keeps them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God. And it's something similar to what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3, 3.

[8:07] Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. That's why they're not qualified to really offer up that praise and thanksgiving to God.

[8:20] They're not fit to do that. They really cannot see the reality of God and his goodness toward them.

[8:32] And of course, because of that condition, there is a corresponding behavior that we read about in Romans 1, 21. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him.

[8:46] There was all kinds of witnesses that God had provided in creation, even the law written within their hearts. And yet, that still, being dead in their trespasses and sins, they didn't honor God as God.

[9:00] Instead, they suppressed the truth. They push it away in keeping with their nature because they do not see the reality of the kingdom of God, do not recognize God as God.

[9:12] And then Paul describes it to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3, 2. But mark this, there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, and then he goes on and on.

[9:31] But that part of that, what's in keeping with who they are as those who are separated from God is that they are ungrateful and they're not expressing praise and thanksgiving to God for who he is and indeed for what they have in daily life.

[9:49] So the ungodly person acts in keeping with his nature. You know, he might be thinking that he's painting his own portrait and that's basically what the unbeliever is doing, living their lives independent of God, pretty much saying, I don't need you to paint this portrait of my life.

[10:11] I'm in charge. I'm independent. I want to do this myself. And so he'll use different colors to organize and live his life, thinking, these are just vibrant colors.

[10:27] This is just what I want and what I need and I'm just painting this beautiful picture. But in reality, the person standing over here who sees the reality and seeing with new eyes who has that spiritual life wonders, look at what they're painting.

[10:47] It's all dark and smeared and terrible looking. And sometimes you try and go and explain that to the person and say, no, you know, I don't need God.

[10:58] Everything's going well. I'm going fine and my life is good just where I want it. But as the foolish man built his house upon the sand, there will come a time when it will collapse in total ruin.

[11:16] And sometimes that is in this world, apart from Christ, with a great calamity and collapse of life. But even when they're prosperous, it's still collapsing and calamity apart from Christ.

[11:33] But indeed, they'll recognize it when they have to stand before Jesus Christ and recognize the failure and the inadequacy of living life apart from Christ.

[11:48] But that makes them unqualified to offer up praise and thanksgiving to God. Susan Lutz in her booklet again, writes, those that don't praise and give thanks to God are out of sync with who they were created to be and with the rest of creation.

[12:07] I thought that was such a good way to put it. While they're thinking everything is good, they're really out of sync with who they were designed to be as a creature of God, as a human being, especially the rest of creation.

[12:24] While the rest of creation is offering praise to God in the way that it can, even though it's groaning for the time of its future redemption, even the rest of creation, Psalm 19.1, the heavens declare the glory of God.

[12:44] In another verse, Luke 19.40, when the Pharisees told Jesus to rebuke his disciples for their praise of Jesus, Jesus said, I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.

[12:58] So picturesque of what creation is doing and what creation was designed to do, we especially as human beings.

[13:09] And when we don't do that, we are out of sync with who we were really designed to be as God's creatures. Now, that is the unbeliever, but just moving, taking a break from what Watson was presenting in his book, at times that even happens in our lives as Christians.

[13:32] We function as an unbeliever when we lose sight of God and his goodness toward us.

[13:42] I mean, certainly we're still qualified being united with Christ. We're qualified to offer up to him praise and thanksgiving, but there are those times that we don't do that.

[13:57] And so I think, well, what's happening? What's going on at those times? And just to quickly run through that, just some thoughts. What are some of the outer influences that are taking place in our lives that might move us in that direction of not wanting to offer praise and thanksgiving to God?

[14:16] And this is something we're all familiar with, right? There are times in our lives that we lose sight of the reality of God, reality of who we are, being united to Christ, and all of a sudden we are not offering praise and thanksgiving to God, but quite possibly the very opposite.

[14:34] We see that in the scriptures written as well, so we're not in this on our own, but some of the outer issues and influences trials.

[14:47] It's during such trials that the Christian's attention is turned away from Christ, the gospel, and necessary truths we need during those difficult times. So many times we see the writers in the scriptures trying to bring the people back to reorient their thinking back to where it needs to be because they've lost sight of the greater reality that will help them during those times.

[15:16] In 1 Peter 4, 12 and 13, Peter says, Dear friends, don't be surprised at the painful trial you're suffering. You see what he's doing here, helping them regain a proper perspective of what's going on in their lives, very difficult times they were going through, as though something strange were happening to you, but do what?

[15:36] Rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. So even though these circumstances are severe, they can face them differently.

[15:49] And it could be also pressure from other people. In Colossians 2, 6 through 8, Paul's writing, So then just as you receive Christ Jesus the Lord, taking them back to the reality, the gospel, what has transpired in their lives, continue to live in him.

[16:08] Okay, you're in these kind of circumstances that if you're not careful, your mind could be turned away from the grating reality that will help you stand and live for Christ during these days.

[16:21] So just as you receive Christ Jesus as the Lord, now continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, overflowing with thanksgiving.

[16:31] Okay, bring it, let's bring it back. And realize that while people are trying to turn you away from Christ, know, come back with thanksgiving now to him.

[16:44] See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy. So there's all kinds of pressures out there from people trying to get us to fix our attention and focus on something or someone other than Christ Jesus.

[16:59] And so it's in those times if we succumb to that, that we're going to find that our mouths and minds aren't quite as full of praise and thanksgiving to God as normally it should be that we're qualified to be giving.

[17:14] Or it might be prosperity. Israel was warned about this as they were about to enter the new land. And in Deuteronomy 6, 10 through 12, Moses is writing, when the Lord, your God, brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, a land with large, flourishing cities, he says, you did not build houses filled with all kinds of good things, you did not provide wells, you did not dig vineyards and olive groves, you did not plant.

[17:44] Then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. So even during the times of prosperity, we at those times could all of a sudden have our minds turned away from the Lord thinking, well, I'm getting along so well and not really giving thanks as much as I have in the past or praising God for even the things I'm enjoying in my prosperity.

[18:17] So those are just three examples of the outer issues. But the outer issues really aren't the determining factor of why I'm not giving praise and thanksgiving to God.

[18:28] It's really what's going on in the heart. because if we have the right heart and right focus, no matter what the circumstances outwardly, we can be giving praise and thanksgiving to God.

[18:40] So not only are we looking at what's going on in a greater sense, we're looking at what's going on inside me that even these things could influence me in that direction.

[18:52] So there's something going on inside of me and it could be pride and self-accomplishment. Now Nebuchadnezzar wasn't a worshiper of God at this time but just showing the principle of what was in the heart was being expressed outwardly.

[19:08] In Daniel 4, he said, Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?

[19:19] And so what was going on in the heart, his own pride, self-accomplishment was being expressed outwardly, not giving praise to God.

[19:30] Now eventually that did change when he had a different heart. But the same thing for us as well, needing to be careful during those times. Could be a matter of safety and security that we want.

[19:45] The children of Israel complained when they were at the Red Sea and Pharaoh and his armies were in pursuit. I can understand that. That would be a concern for me and it might be for you as well at times that when the armies of finances are coming up against you and you see the struggles or health or whatever it else could be and you see the threat there and if our longing and heart's desire is so strong for financial stability, physical health which good things to have but if they become preeminent in our lives when those are threatened all of a sudden we could not be praising God as much as we normally would be or offering him thanks for things that we can be thankful for even if those things are removed from us.

[20:36] and so the need to guard our hearts and I won't take time to read those verses but you get the idea here of those inner heart influences but getting back to the fact that we as Christians we are qualified to give praise and thanksgiving to God.

[21:00] Watson says it's none but the godly that can praise God aright and it is comely for the godly.

[21:12] Psalm 33 1 Shout for joy in the Lord O you righteous praise befits the upright. That's what we're qualified to do.

[21:23] It's fitting for us to be offering up praise to God. We see him. We see the reality that he is there. We see the reality of ourselves where we were at and how God has worked the wonders that he has done so it's fitting especially for us as God's children to be offering up that praise and thanksgiving to God.

[21:47] Quote from Watson The godly alone are fit to be choristers in God's praises. He says the garment of praise which is referred to in Isaiah 6.3 fits handsomely only on the saints back.

[22:05] So it is comely for the godly to offer up that praise and actually it's a distinguishing work of the godly. That's what we are really designed in Christ to be able to do.

[22:19] He says the saints are temples of the Holy Ghost. Where should God's praises be sounded but in his temples. I mean that's what the temple was all about.

[22:30] And temple could be temple individually each one of us individually are temples 1 Corinthians 6.19 and 20 but also corporately we are a temple.

[22:43] So many times in our culture we tend to think so much individually that we forget about the corporateness of the body of Christ that yeah I am a temple individually but I am a temple with you we together are a temple and many times I think we need to think that way think corporately more and that's where the praise is offered up to God in his temples and offering up that praise in thanksgiving well he is exalted in that thanksgiving is a God exalting work in fact that's our purpose our purpose in life is to glorify God and when we offer up praise and thanksgiving to him we are glorifying him Psalm 50 verse 23 the one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me so if you're thinking well I really can't glorify

[23:45] God I'm not a pastor missionary or Sunday school teacher or deacon or whatever else you could think of can you give thanks can you offer up praise you sure can every day we can do that and in that way we glorify him praise and thanksgiving is a personal testimony that God is good another quote from Watson I thought was good praise is a setting forth of God's honor a lifting up of his name a displaying of the trophy of his goodness a proclaiming of his excellence a spreading of his renown a breaking open of the box of ointment whereby the sweet savor and perfume of God's name is sent abroad into the world I can't imagine I've ever thought of it that way certain writers can put things together in a way that I certainly can't but he just really gives us a fuller understanding of what really is happening when I'm offering up praise and thanksgiving to God spreading around his renown and that which is excellent about him just in giving thanks in offering up a sacrifice of praise to him really that's what praise and thanksgiving is all about well what does it look like let's move on to that well first of all it looks like the example of Jesus

[25:24] Christ John 11 41 so they took away the stone then Jesus looked up and said this is when he was at before the tomb of Lazarus father I thank you that you have heard me I knew that you always hear me but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here that they may believe that you sent me so the spreading of the renown of God even Jesus put that into practice before the tomb and as he prayed and the people heard him even at the last supper and he took bread and gave thanks and broke it and gave it to them saying this is my body given for you and even when he was feeding the 5000 Mark 6 41 taking the five loaves and the two fish looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke the loaves well following the example of Jesus Christ offering up that kind of praise and thanksgiving we can do that three times a day or eat that many times or if eat more whatever offering up praise and thanksgiving here we have our family set before us the children set before us many times we don't think of that as maybe a discipling opportunity with our children but here we are expressing before our children

[26:48] God is worthy to be praised God is worthy to be recognized as the one who has given us these things yeah I go to work every day your mom goes to the store but I want you to understand there's something bigger going on here when we sit at this table God is the one who has enabled us to have this food he is the one that we are praising as we give him thanks so a lot going on when you say that brief prayer at those mealtimes and your children are there maybe you don't think they're listening but as we do that habitually day after day after day they're hearing that message that God is worthy to be acknowledged as a God who is involved in our lives and not someone who is far out there so following the example of Jesus Christ but praise and thanksgiving also is to be done often and is ongoing Psalm 34 1 bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth

[27:48] Psalm 146 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live I will sing praises to my God while I have my being Psalm 79 13 but we your people the sheep of your pasture will give thanks to you forever from generation to generation we will recount your praise and then Psalm 145 1 through 2 I will extol you my God and King and bless your name forever and ever every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever all your works shall give thanks bless you what a build up we see in these verses over and over again every day from generation to generation forever and ever what an exhortation and encouragement to us that let's do it often and let's do it continually let us do it forever and ever no matter what after all we will be doing it forever and ever so let's start even now developing that habit more and more so we have to think well is that my daily portrait that kind of constant praise or are there times that

[29:11] I go without offering that praise and thanksgiving to God as I move through a day and think day has gone by a couple days man I've just been kind of going through my day without giving much thought to God's involvement in my day well it's also to be done in all kinds of circumstances Watson says he will be thankful in adversity as well as prosperity he says a gracious soul is thankful and rejoices that he is drawn near to God though it be by the cords of affliction the apostle Paul wrote about that first Thessalonians 518 give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in everything and this is to a people who were being persecuted by their countrymen life was not going easy!

[30:02] for them at all! they were experiencing some great trials and so the circumstances Paul isn't saying the circumstances are going to change no he's helping them remember in the midst of these circumstances there's still something that you can be praising and giving thanks to God for so we're going to be going through difficulties in life so let us remember these people that Paul wrote to if Paul was encouraging them to be giving thanks thanks as well Ephesians 5 15 through 20 look carefully then how you walk and we do need that that kind of exercise in our lives so that we're not just going every day every day every day without even giving it consideration well how is my walk going today and so he's encouraging look carefully then how you walk not as unwise because an unwise person would not be giving praise so certainly

[31:04] I don't want to be walking as an unwise man in these circumstances but I do want to be giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ so being ready to offer God that kind of praise and thanks giving and this would be one of those times that we if we had time could have some discussion and consider why is the godly person able to give thanks in everything I mean he's exhorting us that we can do that what makes it possible for us to do that so you're thinking about all kinds of reasons right now it would be great to hear those thoughts expressed times that we do express our necessities what we need we're going to

[32:28] God but in our thanksgiving we're declaring God's excellencies in what he gives or what he withholds from us all that in that time of prayer Philippians 4 6 don't be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God go to God in prayer you see that the circumstances weren't changing there were still circumstances that were had the possibility of producing anxiety within them but he's helping them understand how to deal with the anxiety in the midst of these circumstances and the way you deal with that you go to God and you offer up your prayers and supplications with thanksgiving to him and that's how we can come through this without being people who are torn in two like a dog grabs a rag or something and you've seen it before shakes his head back and forth it's the way it is sometimes when we give ourselves over to these anxious circumstances feels like we're being shaken back and forth and torn asunder but we don't have to be we can be going to anxiety and we also thank

[33:49] God constantly for this that when you received the word of God which you heard from us you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is the word of God which is at work in you believers so Paul and his co-workers constantly thanking God going to God in prayer those times could be as a group that they were gathered together thanking God as they heard this word about the believers in Thessalonica could have been individually offering up this praise and thanksgiving to God but it also is to be done in recognition of God's glory and his good gifts to us Exodus 15 13 Moses saying to God you have led in your steadfast love the people you have redeemed you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode so that's something we can be doing as well as Moses offered up this song of praise to God we'll be singing songs this morning as we go from Sunday school and enter the morning service singing praises to

[34:56] God offering God thanksgiving I mean what a glorious thing to be able to maybe you sing privately at times through your day of God's goodness and God's praises maybe you do that even as a family another way to do that and nurture your children in the Lord have those times of family gathering when we're singing and offering praise to God helping them understand the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ and offering these songs of praise to him Psalm 59 16 but I will sing of your strength I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning I don't know about your spouse if they would enjoy that hearing you sing but their heart is tuned to the Lord no matter how you sound musically they'll be praising God that you're singing such a song as that sometimes Carol and I what we do in the morning is I try and hit the whatever music player CD player whatever it is and play at least one song and it be surprising how that song stays with you during the day you know

[36:03] I'll find even before I go out for the day Carol is either humming the song so it stayed with her and I'll find it true of myself so it's a good way to start your morning sing aloud of something of the character and beauty of God and in starting your day so that's something you can do maybe if you're not a singer just as you wake up think of what can I praise God for today as I start this day I know there's all kinds of things that are going to happen in my day there's some challenges I'm going to face but in order to face those I need to remind myself that I'm not starting this day in my own strength but I'm starting this day in the reality of who I am and in the reality of who God is what can I offer praise to God for right now that will help me move through my day or what can I give thanks to God for as I start my day and move through my day offering up that praise and thanks giving to

[37:05] God well let's keep going there's a couple more verses there that we're going to have to keep on going here next one it stimulates a greater love for God as we offer up praise and thanks giving to him Watson says we are rightfully thankful when the favors which we receive endear our love to God the more it's one thing to love our mercies it's another thing to love the Lord many love their deliverance but not their deliverer God is to be loved more than his mercies I read that wow that's good I mean I like anybody else love the deliverance from my troubles and breathe a sigh of relief and but if I'm not careful I can be so focused on the deliverance from the troubles that I forget the one who delivered me in the midst of the troubles and how he has entered my life how he is in himself as

[38:11] God that has enabled me to continue on through the challenges of life so in praise and thanksgiving can endear our hearts even more to God Psalm 116 I love the Lord because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy he was refocused back on what has happened in my life I've been delivered from my miserable condition but it's the Lord who has delivered me I love the Lord for what I am experiencing in my life but it also is to be declared to the next generation Watson says by transmitting our experiences to our children God's name is eternalized and his mercies will bring forth a plentiful crop of praise when we have gone you want to have an ongoing praise and thanksgiving to God well then pass it on to the next generation as we said earlier you do that at the table or any number of other ways throughout the day that's the

[39:24] Deuteronomy 6 passage when you're standing lying down sitting walking by the way all kinds of opportunities that we have to express praise and thanksgiving to our children and grandchildren that's something that I try and focus on and recognize that there's days that go by that I don't point them in some way my grandchildren to the glory found in the person of Jesus Christ and that I can affect them in their days ahead now is the opportunity that I have how can I unfold for them that which they might not be seen in the person of Jesus Christ his involvement in my life his involvement in their lives that's part of our responsibility as adults unfolding for them the things of God that they don't see in their immaturity or youthfulness we're the ones that can unfold that and cast the light on the person of

[40:31] Jesus Christ for them they need that the next generation well how can we be thankful let me finish up with this Watson writes a proud man will never be thankful!

[40:44] So what we need to start with is that we need to have a heart deeply humbled with the sense of our own vileness I mean that's something we don't hear a whole lot about today even as I read that I thought that's pretty strong using that term vile such as we were certainly thankfully in Christ Jesus now we are not but such as we were and still in a sense being not totally redeemed yet I mean in the presence of Jesus Christ the existence of the flesh still within us and being careful and needing to abstain from those fleshly lusts that wage war against our souls so having a real sense of my vileness before

[41:44] God 1st Timothy 1 12 through 14 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has given me strength even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief the grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus so the apostle Paul he understood his true condition apart from Christ and as a result he had a heart and a mouth full of praise and thanksgiving to God that God had shown him mercy and so again we can also as we understand the true sense of who we are apart from Jesus Christ and will result in praise and thanksgiving to God which he richly deserves but then also have a mind focus on the constancy of God's loving kindness his abundant grace and his mercy and we could go on and on with that listing of the abundance of

[42:51] God's goodness Watson said hearts deeply aware of God's love yield the sweetest praises so hearts deeply aware of God's love yield the sweetest praises from David song of praise in first chronicles 16 34 he says give thanks to the Lord for he is good his love endures forever and that's while he was being attacked by ruthless men so what sustained him during those times an accurate understanding of reality of who God is to him when David in Psalm 86 14 through 16 he said the arrogant are attacking me oh God a band of ruthless men seeks my life my life men without regard for you but you oh Lord are compassionate and gracious God slow to anger abounding in love and faithfulness turn to me and have mercy on me grant grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant so having that proper understanding that constant mindset of who

[44:02] God is and how he expresses who he is to me and those that love him but then also we can join with others who praise and give thanks to God and many examples in the Psalms where the groups as a group they offered praise and thanksgiving to God that's what the Psalms are singing together the glories of God in all kinds of situations and circumstances then also in Colossians 3 15 through 17 let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts since as members of one body you were called to peace and be thankful again he's writing to them corporately here they were being bombarded by those who were trying to devalue Christ and what Christ had accomplished apostle Paul coming to them writing to them no no refocus here let's get our minds set right again here individually but also corporately and be thankful let the word of

[45:05] Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom and as you sing psalms hymns spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God and whatever you do whether in word or deed do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him so there we are the next character color to be applied to our lives in greater abundance praise and thanksgiving how will we do that this week well we know as I've already said we have opportunity to do it this morning as we gather together and sing some songs and do that together with each other as we join together in prayer we're led in prayer but as we follow along with prayer as well as the word of

[46:07] God is presented by our pastor we sit and listen and praise God as we have listening ears hearts ready to receive word from him all kinds of ways that we offer up praise and thanksgiving to God so let's pray for one another that this character color would really be more of our daily walk today and throughout the whole week and glorify God and really enjoy the riches father this morning even coming to you you're worthy of praise and we can thank you because there was a time we were outside the covenants of promise weren't members of the family of God separated from God not united to Christ and yet you and your great love that you manifested toward us even while we were yet sinners Christ coming leaving not holding on to all that he had as

[47:08] God but willing to come and humble himself and become obedient unto death even the death of the cross for us we who were undeserving and yet you worked in that way and now we have the opportunity to come into the very presence your very presence in times of need we're needy people certainly even today as we come here but we want to offer up sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving so help us to do that this morning our minds sometimes can be turned aside to so many other things but we want to offer up to you praises and thanksgiving genuinely from our hearts so help us to do that this morning and not just this morning as we go home in our conversations with each other with our children grandchildren even before the world who is lost and yet in darkness and don't see your worthiness of praise accomplish your good purposes that your name would be esteemed even while we're still in this world we ask in

[48:18]  Jesus name amen thank you