SERMON: THE PROMISE OF A HOME

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to 1 Chronicles 17:1-14

 

1 Chronicles 17:1 After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”

 

2 Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.”

 

3 But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:

 

4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. 5 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. 6 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

 

7 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth. 9 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 10 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.

 

“‘I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: 11 When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. 14 I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’”

 

            -- in 1942, a dream was born in rural south Georgia – while studying God’s word, the eyes of a young man were opened to the reality of social and economic injustices and inequalities in the south – instead of adopting the ubiquitous racism of his society, Clarence Jordan began to see how the culture and society of the south at that time were not congruent with the message of God’s word

            -- and while recognizing that he could not change society as a whole, he could do one thing – he could take the resources that he had been given, and seek to make a difference in his community – and with that vision and with a goal of emulating Christ’s kingdom on earth, Clarence Jordan created what he called the Koinonia Community – “a place where everyone — no matter race, gender or wealth — would be welcomed”

            -- working side-by-side with his poor black and white neighbors alike and in the face of sometimes extreme opposition and persecution, Jordan’s vision grew and the 400-acre farm became profitable, changing the trajectory of the lives of those involved as they tried to implement biblical principles into their overall lives together

            -- when economic realities took over and the younger members of the community decided to leave to seek better economic opportunities elsewhere, Jordan looked at the dwindling membership at Koinonia and realized that more than just community was needed – people needed to be able to transform their beliefs into tangible economic realities that would sustain them in the future – and part of that was improving their living conditions

            -- partnering with Millard Fuller, “they developed the concept of “partnership housing” — whereby those in need of adequate shelter would work alongside volunteers to build affordable houses. The houses would be built at no profit. Homeowners would pay no-interest loans over a 20-year period. Those payments, along with money earned by fundraising, would create “The Fund for Humanity,” a revolving fund which would enable the continual construction of homes for more families.”

            -- this movement would eventually become the heart of the ministry, and Habitat for Humanity was born – an international ministry that works to provide housing to the most needy and to help them transform their lives – economically – materially – and spiritually – by helping them realize their greatest hope – a home of their own¹

 

            -- the greatest hope and dream of most people today is having a home – a place of their own – a place of safety and security in the midst of the storms of life – a place where you can go and be safe from the evils of the world outside

            -- it’s always nice to travel – to go out and see new places and meet new people – but one of the best things about a trip is when you come home – when you unload the car and you take your bags inside and you set them down – for in that moment, there is a sense of peace – a sense of belonging – a sense that everything is right and secure again – home means something special

            -- and in a very real sense, this hope is the promise of the gospel – for through His atoning death on the cross and the resurrection, Christ has given us the promise of a home with Him in eternity – and it is this promise of home that gives us hope and that sustains us through our lives here on earth today

            -- the Israelites certainly understood the hope that was inherent in a desire for a home – for generations, they lived with the hope of the Promised Land – as they were captives in Egypt – as they were exiled in Assyria and Babylon – as they were scattered throughout the world – their hope was always in home – in returning to a place that would be their own – established for eternity as promised by God

            -- this desire – this longing – for a home is something that God has placed in all of our hearts – all humans, everywhere, have this desire and longing – and the homes that we all enjoy – the homes that we all will return to after this service – are but a picture of the eternal home that God has promised us in His word – this is our hope – this is the promise of Christmas

 

II.  Scripture Lesson (1 Chronicles 17:1-14)

            -- as we continue on in our Advent season and prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ, I wanted us to look at a passage from the Old Testament where God implicitly links the promise of home with the Messiah

            -- if you would, look back with me now at 1 Chronicles 17:1-2

 

1 Chronicles 17:1 After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”

 

2 Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.”

 

 

            -- as this chapter opens, we find David firmly established in Jerusalem as the king of all Israel – the civil war within Israel was over, with Saul and his sons having been killed in battle by the Philistines, effectively ending his pursuit and jealousy of David – recognizing God’s anointing of David and his military prowess, the people of Israel gathered at Hebron to make David king of all Israel – and he made Jerusalem the seat of his government

            -- it was shortly after this that David had the Ark of the Covenant moved to Jerusalem and the tabernacle – the tent that God had Moses prepare in the wilderness – set up in Jerusalem as the official place of worship for all Israel

            -- one day, as David is relaxing in his palace, the thought came to him that God had blessed him with a house and a home, and he desired to do the same for God – to build for God a permanent structure where God’s presence could reside among the people of Israel

            -- it seemed like a good idea – and initially, Nathan the prophet agreed with David to press forward with his goal – but later that night, God spoke to Nathan in a dream

 

            -- verse 3-6

 

1 Chronicles 17:3 But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:

 

4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. 5 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. 6 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders whom I commanded to shepherd my people, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’

 

 

            -- as you know, the Ark of the Covenant represented the presence of God for the Israelites – it was there – above the Ark in the Holy of Holies – that God would meet with the High Priest and the Shekinah glory of the Lord would be manifested

            -- it was there that atonement was made for the people on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement – the one day of the year when the High Priest was allowed through the veil and into the presence of God to offer sacrifices for the sins of the people

            -- for over 400 years -- ever since the people of Israel had been redeemed from Egypt and brought across the Red Sea during the exodus, the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant had moved with them – as they had wandered in the wilderness and as they had entered into the Promised Land, God had the tabernacle move alongside them – His presence going with them wherever their feet might trod

            -- and God reminds Nathan here in this dream or vision that at no point during this wandering had He commanded anyone to build Him a permanent home – a house of cedar where the Ark might reside permanently

            -- I think there was a reason God did that – I think there was a reason God chose not to establish a permanent home among the Israelites up to that point – you see, our hope is in eternal life with God – our hope is in an eternal home with God – a permanent dwelling place with Him in heaven

            -- by having the tabernacle move and the presence of God on earth move with it, God was reminding the Israelites that this world was not their home – that even the Promised Land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem was not their home – and the Holy of Holies where the Ark and His presence resided pointed to the hope of a permanent home with God in heaven forever

            -- this wandering was to keep the eyes of the Israelites fixed on their true hope – not a land in which they could dwell – but a home with God forever

 

            -- verse 7-10a

 

1 Chronicles 17:7 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth. 9 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 10a and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.

 

 

            -- the main difference between the nation of Israel and the nations around them was how they related to their gods – Israel knew the One True God – Yahweh – the Lord God Almighty – who had called out to Abram in Ur and given him the hope of a home in the Promised Land – who had called the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob His own – the chosen – the ones that He had elected out of all the world to be the bearers of His name – the race through which His Word and His Messiah would come

            -- and the Israelites recognized that all they were and all they had came from the hand of their God, Yahweh – it was He who blessed them – it was He who had done such great and wonderful things for them – God had called them and chosen them by His grace to be His people – and this was different from the way the other nations looked at their gods

            -- in their religions, their gods had called them and created them to serve – because their gods were not capable of doing all things on their own, the people were created to meet the needs of their god – they were created to serve and provide for their god – and their worship of idols and sacrifices they made were ways to appease their god and provide for them what they needed

 

            -- God affirms that difference here in these verses – He tells Nathan to remind David of the blessings that God had given David – that it was God who took David from the pasture and anointed him as the ruler of God’s people Israel

            -- it was God who empowered David to lead the armies of Israel to victory against their many enemies – it was God who blessed David and made his name great

            -- it was God – omnipotent – omnipresent – omniscient – all powerful – all present – all knowing – that did all these things – so, what could David do for Him?

– if God had wanted a permanent home on earth, then God would have made it happen – He would have commanded it – because He was not like the false gods around them – He did not need men to serve Him as these gods did – because the God of Israel was the Lord God Almighty and all things and all blessings flowed from Him to us and not vice versa

 

            -- so, as David expresses his desire to serve God by creating a permanent house for the Ark of the Covenant, God reiterates the promise that had been made in the beginning – He tells David that He will make David’s name like the names of the greatest men on earth – and He would provide a place for Israel and plant them there so that they could have a home of their own

            -- this would be a place of peace and safety and security – no longer would they be disturbed – no longer would they be oppressed – no longer would their enemies come against them, because God would subdue all their enemies

 

            -- now, something you need to realize here is the dual fulfillment of prophecy that we see in the Bible – remember, that everything – that all the promises of God – that all the prophecies of God – ultimately point towards Jesus and the salvation that He brings

            -- with a lot of the prophecies in the Old Testament, there is an immediate fulfillment of the prophecy that is experienced by the people that the prophecy is given to – but there is a complete fulfillment of the prophecy at the end of time – that is the case with this prophecy and promise that God is giving to David through Nathan

            -- for a time, the nation of Israel would enjoy peace and security under David – David would continue on and subdue all his remaining enemies through the power of God and God’s will – God would make a secure and firm place for the nation in Israel and put His presence in Jerusalem – but it would not be permanent

            -- lest we forget, not long after David dies, the nation of Israel is split into two – the people stray from the true worship of God and chase after idols and false gods – and are

punished by exile into a foreign land

            -- and even after returning to the Promised Land, the nation no longer is free but remains under the authority of other nations – all the way through the time of Jesus, when the Romans ruled over Israel – and all the way through modern history – as the Jews were dispersed throughout other countries in the world and had no nation of their own, until 1948 when the modern nation of Israel was formed

            -- so, this promise of God to David here is a temporary promise for David and Solomon – it has an immediate fulfillment through David and his son Solomon, but it does not last

            -- instead, it points to a future fulfillment through Christ – when, at the end of time, the people of God will receive their permanent home with Him forever

 

            -- look at verse 10b-14

 

1 Chronicles 17:10b “‘I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: 11 When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. 14 I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’”

 

            -- once again, we see one of those promises from God that has an immediate and an eternal fulfillment

            -- God tells David that David will not build a house for Him, but that He will build a house for David – speaking of the legacy of David’s lineage

            -- He says that one of David’s own sons will succeed him and that the kingdom will be established through him – He will be the one who builds a house for God, and his throne will be established forever

            -- God will be his father, and he will be God’s son – God will never take away his love from him, as He took it away from Saul – David’s descendant will be set over the house of God and His kingdom forever, and His throne will be established forever

 

            -- so, what’s going on here? – obviously, God is talking about Solomon here – for we know that Solomon becomes the king of Israel after David and we know that Solomon builds the first temple for God – the permanent structure that mirrors the tabernacle and that will serve as the place of worship for the nation of Israel – it is here in this temple that God will allow the Ark of the Covenant to be installed in the Holy of Holies as a permanent location where His presence interacts with earth and with His chosen people

            -- but there are things that God promises here that don’t fit Solomon – we know that Solomon died and that his son Rehoboam failed in his leadership of Israel, leading to the split of the nation into two separate nations – we know that the temple no longer exists – it was destroyed around 587 BC when Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and took the people captive to Babylon – and we know that there is no king in Israel today – there hasn’t been since the last king was taken into captivity in Babylon – so, what’s going on here?

            -- this promise that God is giving to David here is the promise of the Messiah – all that God promises here will be fulfilled by Jesus, the son of David – Jesus is the Son of Man and the Son of God – the Bible tells us that God is His Father and He is God’s Son – we know that God’s love has never been taken from Him – and we live in the hope and promise of the ultimate fulfillment of God’s Kingdom on earth, which will happen when Christ returns

 

            -- but what about verse 12, where God promises that the Messiah is the one who will build a house for Him? – what does that mean?

            -- does this mean that Jesus is going to build a temple for God in Jerusalem when He returns? – the answer is “no” – in Revelation 21:22, we read that there was not a temple in the city of God that comes down from Heaven at the last days because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple

            -- the thing you need to realize about the temple of God is that it not about a structure or a building – that’s the whole point that God is trying to make to David here in this message He is sending him through Nathan

            -- the temple itself was not holy – the tabernacle itself was not holy – this building we are sitting in is not holy – it is not the permanence of the structure or the purpose of the structure that makes it sanctified – it is the presence of God therein

            -- the tabernacle and the temple were merely the locations where God’s presence interacted with earth – where God’s presence was made manifest to man – the tabernacle and the temple were no more holy than the burning bush – but in all of those places, God’s presence made them holy – in all of those places, God was found

            -- so, in the last days, we do not need a place to go to find God because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are there – they are the temple – that doesn’t mean that they are a building or a structure or a house – but they are the place where man finds God

 

            -- so, if Jesus is not going to build a house for God in that sense – if Jesus is not going to build a new temple in Jerusalem – a building – a house – for us to go to, then what is God talking about here in verse 12? – what is the house that Jesus is going to build for Him? – and what is the place that Jesus said He was going to prepare for us in John 14:3?

            -- I’m glad you asked, because I know where the answer is – remember, the house we are talking of is going to be the place where God is found – just as God was found at the burning bush and in tabernacle and in Solomon’s temple, there will be another place for all eternity where God’s presence resides

            -- 1 Corinthians 3:16

 

1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

 

– we are that place! – we are the temple of God – the place where His presence is found today – the church of God – the people of God – filled with His very presence in the person of the Holy Spirit – is the temple of God today

            -- the house that Jesus was going to build for God was not a building of stones and timber – instead, it was a house made of living stones – the people of God – who come together to make a home for God in this world today

            -- Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:5, that we are like living stones being built into a spiritual house so that we might become a holy priesthood – offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ

            -- when God told David that his Son would be the one who would build a home for Him, He was not referring to Solomon, but to Jesus – who would build His church through His death and resurrection – who would build His kingdom through the people that were indwelt with His Spirit

            -- so, our home is found in Jesus – and our ultimate hope – that desire for home that we all have – finds its fulfillment in Christ as the Head and Cornerstone of His church and His kingdom

            -- this is the promise of God to us this Advent Season – it was this temple and this house for God that the people of Israel longed for – and it is us – God’s people, filled with His presence, who are living in the reality of this promise today as we look forward to its ultimate fulfillment in Christ at the end of days when Christ returns and dwells with us forever

 

            -- I want to close by reminding you that this promise that God gave to David was given to us in Isaiah 9:6-7, as we are told that the Son of God is coming to establish His Kingdom forever, just as David was promised here in 1 Chronicles 17

            -- listen as I read this passage to you

 

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born,

    to us a son is given,

    and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace

    there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

    and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

    with justice and righteousness

    from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

    will accomplish this.

 

            -- and with this hope in our hearts today, let us close in prayer and look forward to the return of Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom on earth forever

            -- Let us pray

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 Paraphrased from story on webpage, Love Never Quits, https://www.habitat.org/stories/love-never-quits

SERMON: RISEN CHURCH

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Ezekiel 37:1-14

 

Ezekiel 37:1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”

 

I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

 

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

 

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

 

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

 

11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’”

 

            -- I saw a cartoon this week that really made me think – the first character asks the other, “Are you feeling any better?” – they said, “No, so I googled the symptoms” – “And, what was the result?” – they replied, “Well, according to this, I’m clinically dead”

            -- and I know the cartoonist was trying to make a joke, but when I read that cartoon, I couldn’t help but think about the church in America today

            -- I am worried about the state of the church in America -- I am worried about the state of Christians in America – things just don’t seem right

            -- when I look around me, I literally see churches on every corner -- every flavor -- every tradition -- every liturgical style -- from Baptist to Methodist to Presbyterian and all the way to the independent, nondenominational churches -- over 200 churches in Valdosta and at least 7 churches right here in Naylor – the problem isn’t the number of churches – it’s what we are doing in those churches – as those churches…

            -- when I look at the things that we have been through in the last several years in our country, from the pandemic to the divisive politics to everything else – I have to ask the question, “Where has the church been in this?”

            -- Paul and Silas were accused of turning the world upside down with the gospel of Jesus -- but no one is ever going to accuse the church in America of doing the same thing today -- as I've pointed out before, we don't even live differently from those around us -- most Christians today don't really reflect Christ and follow His commands in their lives – instead, they reflect our modern culture and hold fast to societal values more so than Christian values

            -- and with this Christian nationalism push, we’re seeing Christians trying to find power and influence in politics and government instead of trusting in God and in His power and trying to do things in accordance with His will

 

            -- in 2 Timothy 3:5, Paul warns Timothy about people like these -- "the time is coming," he wrote, "when you will see people who have a form of godliness but deny its power -- have nothing to do with them," he writes

            -- I know what it's like to have a form of godliness without the power -- I've been there -- done that -- I've lived it in my own life -- I've experienced it in many churches -- and I see it when I look at the church in America today

            -- we're like the walking dead -- we think we're alive, but when you google our symptoms, we’re really clinically dead

-- we're doing all the things we think a good church should -- we're filled with people -- we're known for our activities and our programs -- we're applauded for our ministries -- we have a reputation for being a really vibrant church, when in reality we are dead, dead, dead -- we're like the church of Sardis in Revelation 3:2 who God told, "I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead"

            -- I know this seems harsh -- I know this seems critical and judgmental -- but Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 that we would know them by their fruits -- that we would recognize true believers and true churches by the fruit they bore

            -- if you're honest -- if you look at the church in America today -- if you compare our churches to the portrait of the early church that we see in the Bible -- can you say that we're bearing any fruit at all?

            -- over the last 2000 years the vibrant body of Christ that we see described in the New Testament has been replaced with an empty shell -- having a form of godliness but none of the power of God -- alive on the outside but spiritually dead on the inside

            -- is it possible for the church in America to rise from the dead? -- is it possible for the church in America to live again?

           

            -- the answer is “Of course!” – as Jesus said, “With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible” – when God gets involved, the sick are healed – the lame will walk – and the dead will be raised to new life again

            -- that’s the message of the gospel – and we see that promise given to us right here in this passage from Ezekiel 37

 

II.  Scripture Lesson (Ezekiel 37:1-14)

            -- look back at Ezekiel 37:1-3

 

Ezekiel 37:1-3

1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones.

2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.

3 He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know."

 

            -- this passage in Ezekiel is a prophecy to the exiled nation of Israel – as you remember, although the nation of Israel started as one unified country, following the death of Solomon, the nation split up into two countries -- Israel to the north and Judah to the south -- but rather than following God and His commands, both countries had turned away from God and started worshiping foreign gods and relying on their own strength to save them -- and so God's judgment fell upon them

            -- both the northern and southern kingdoms ended up in captivity in Babylon -- Nebuchadnezzar had burned both the city of Jerusalem and the temple of God and carried King Jehoiachin and the leaders and young men and women of Judah and Jerusalem into captivity in Babylon -- Ezekiel was one of those who was carried to Babylon

 

            -- in these verses, Ezekiel writes that God brought him to a valley full of dry bones -- and as God led him back and forth among these bones, Ezekiel grasped what they represented -- they stood for the people of Israel – they represented the people who made up the nation of Israel -- and they showed what God's people had become by rejecting the true worship of God for a form of godliness devoid of His power

            -- notice that Ezekiel tells us these were dry bones -- everyone here knows that bones are living organisms -- when you break a bone, it will mend itself if you set it back in place -- and most of us are familiar with the medical practice of grafting bones -- inserting living pieces of bone from one person into another and having the entire bone grow back together -- bones are living organisms

            -- but, we all recognize that bones die -- if they're removed from the body -- if they're separated too long from their source of life -- they lose all signs of life and dry out -- and once a bone dries out, it dies -- a dead bone cannot be repaired -- a dead bone cannot be grafted onto another bone

            -- this is what happened to the nation of Israel – the people of Israel had turned from their source of life -- they had broken their attachment with the body -- with God -- and they had become dry and spiritually dead -- and this is what is happening to God's church in America today

            -- after God showed Ezekiel this valley of dry bones, He asked Ezekiel the question that should be on our lips today -- "Can these bones live? -- Can this nation be revived? -- Can these people become spiritually alive again?"

            -- to which Ezekiel answered, "only You know" -- God is the source of life and only God could revive these dry bones and make them live again

 

            -- verse 4-8

 

Ezekiel 37:4 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!

5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.

6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'"

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.

8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

 

            -- God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the dead bones -- to prophesy means to proclaim the word of God -- to speak God's word and God's life into a situation

            -- God said, "Ezekiel, prophesy to these bones -- tell them that they will live again -- that I will bring life to the dead -- tell them that I will restore their faith -- that I will make them spiritually alive again"

            -- and as Ezekiel proclaimed God's word, the bones came together -- tendons and flesh appeared on them -- skin covered them -- but look what was missing -- there was no breath

            -- these dry bones looked alive -- if anyone had happened on this valley, they would have seen a valley full of living people -- but these restored bodies were still dead, dead, dead, because they lacked the breath of life -- the presence of God

            -- that sounds a lot like our churches in America today, doesn't it? – like a lot of us Christians today? -- alive on the outside, but spiritually dead within

 

            -- verse 9-10

 

Ezekiel 37:9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'"

10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army.

 

            -- the first time God had Ezekiel prophesy, he spoke to the dry bones of Israel -- but this time, God has Ezekiel prophesy to the Breath -- what does this mean?

            -- this is a prayer for revival -- Ezekiel cries out to the Breath -- to the Spirit of God -- and asks that the Spirit enter the walking dead standing there on the valley floor and make them wholly alive again

            -- and, as Ezekiel prayed, the Breath entered them and they became alive again -- transformed into a vast army of saints

 

            -- this picture of the dry bones coming to life after the Breath – the Pneuma -- the Spirit – entered them was a fulfillment of a prophecy that God had given Ezekiel earlier – look over at Ezekiel 36:24-28

 

Ezekiel 36:24 “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. 28 Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.

 

            -- this is the gospel of Christ – this is the promise of the Messiah and the effects of the indwelling presence of God in the person of the Holy Spirit – this is a picture of what will happen to the nation of Israel when the Spirit comes on the Day of Pentecost and the church is born

            -- before Christ – before the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost – the religion of the Israelites was void of true power – they had the law – they had a form of religion – but they didn’t have the power to follow God’s commands – they could not keep the law and they could not save themselves from the penalty of sin and death

            -- but Christ came and conquered sin and death on the cross and the empty tomb, and then He sent the Spirit to empower us and help us to live a life of true faith and obedience in Him

            -- that is what we see described for us here in Ezekiel 36 – God promises to the nation of Israel that they will be cleansed from their impurities and their idols – their sins will be forgiven

            -- they will be given a new heart and a new Spirit – in verse 27, God promises to put His Spirit in them and to move them to follow His decrees and to keep His laws

 

            -- and then, in Ezekiel 37, when He has Ezekiel prophesy and speak to the Breath, that is pointing to the Day of Pentecost, when the promise of salvation and the indwelling presence of His Spirit within us will be realized

            -- the message in these two verses is clear -- we cannot become spiritually alive on our own -- only God can bring the dead to life -- and if we want to see true and lasting revival in our lives and in our churches, we have to look to the Spirit of God, and only Him, to revive us

            -- I don't care how many revivals a church schedules -- I don't care how many guest preachers someone brings in -- unless the Holy Spirit shows up, revival is not going to happen -- only God can bring the dead to life

 

            -- verse 11-14

 

Ezekiel 37:11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.'

12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.

13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.

14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'"

 

            -- C.S. Lewis wrote that you had to first convince someone they were a sinner before they could accept Christ -- that's the reason God had Ezekiel prophesy first to the dry bones of Israel in the valley of the plain

            -- the nation of Israel thought they were saved because they were the chosen people of God -- they thought they had all the answers because they had the Scriptures and the Law of Moses -- they thought that just going to Temple on the Sabbath and following the laws were enough -- but they were wrong -- dead wrong

            -- and so, God prophesied through Ezekiel to open the eyes of the dead -- to hold up a mirror so they could see their true spiritual reflection and recognize what they had become so that they might turn from their ways and turn back to Him

 

            -- David Jeremiah tells the story in one of his books about a pastor who was fed up with the lack of life in his church -- and so one Sunday morning, he got up in the pulpit and pronounced that he wasn't going to preach that day -- that this church was dead and that night they would hold a funeral service for it -- and with those words, he walked out, got in his car, and left

            -- well, everyone was very upset and angry at what he said, but their curiosity got the best of them -- so the entire church showed up for the evening service -- and when they walked in, they were greeted with the sight of a casket at the front of the church

            -- the pastor took the pulpit and said, "This church is dead -- and the body of this church is right before us -- I want each of you to come up here and take a look at the dead, lifeless body of this church" -- and he had each of them file up and look in the casket

            -- and when they looked in, they saw a mirror had been placed in the bottom, and the face that stared back was their own

 

            -- that's what God was doing through Ezekiel -- He wanted the nation of Israel to see the truth of their spiritual state -- He wanted them to see with open eyes how far they had fallen from His image

            -- and once they recognized their spiritual state -- once they realized that they had indeed sinned against God by turning away from Him and His presence -- then they would be ready for revival – then they would be ready to put their faith and trust in the promised Messiah for their salvation and deliverance

            -- we see that here in verse 11 -- the people of Israel have looked into the coffin and seen their reflection and cried out to God -- "We are dead -- our bones are dried up and our hope is gone -- we are cut off from Your presence"

            -- but God said, "Hang on, because I'm not done with you yet -- when the Spirit comes in response to Ezekiel's prayers, you will know that I am God -- I will bring you from your graves -- I will restore your faith -- I will bring you back to the Promised Land -- and when this happens, you will know that it was I who did this and I alone -- you will know that I have spoken -- you will know that I am God"

            -- and, once again, we see the promise of the Holy Spirit in verse 14 – “I will put My Spirit in you and you will live…”

            -- the only way to live again – the only way to raise the dead – is through the power and the Spirit of the Lord

 

III.  Closing

            -- God is in the business of bringing the dead back to life -- isn't that what the gospel of Christ all about? -- eternal life through Christ?

            -- but we forget that this promise of life is not just for the future -- it's a promise for us today -- Jesus said "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" -- the King James Version says, "abundant life" -- not future life -- not life in heaven -- but an abundant and full life now with the very Spirit of God within

 

            -- who knows what this is? -- a popcorn kernel -- look at it -- it looks dead and dried out, doesn't it? -- if I was to leave this popcorn kernel right here on the table, it would stay in this same dead and dried out condition

            -- but, if I take this piece of popcorn and put it in a pan with a little oil and add some heat, it will explode into new life, ending up as a tasty treat

            -- do you know how popcorn works? -- you see, even though the kernels look dried and dead, there's just little bit of moisture trapped inside the kernel -- and when the kernel is heated, the moisture turns into steam and the pressure inside the kernel builds until it pops open

 

            -- the church in America is just like this popcorn kernel -- we might be spiritually dry right now -- we might look like dry bones in a valley -- lifeless -- fruitless -- but there's always a remnant -- there's always just a little bit of life left inside

            -- and if we turn back to God and ask the Holy Spirit to revive us, then that little bit of life will cause us to pop just like this popcorn kernel

            -- over in Acts 4:33 it says that the apostles gave witness about Christ with great power from the Holy Spirit -- the original Greek for the term "great power" is dunamis -- it's from this word that we get our English word, "dynamite."

            -- this means that the power of God is literally explosive in nature -- and when we allow ourselves to come under the power of the Holy Spirit, we will literally explode for Christ

 

            -- Isaiah 26:19 says, "But your dead will live; their bodies will rise" -- it was this dunamis power that raised Jesus from the dead -- and it was this power that raised dry spiritual bones here in Ezekiel 37 and gave them new life – and this is the power that will raise us back to the abundant life that Jesus promised

            -- you have to agree that our churches are not what they should be -- our lives are not what they should be -- but God's not done with us -- He hasn't given up on us -- He wants us to experience His dunamis power and real life with Him -- He wants to see us turn our communities and our cities and our world upside down

 

            -- there's only two steps in becoming alive again

            -- first, we have to admit our spiritual state -- we have to recognize how far we are from God's ideal image -- how far we are missing the mark

            -- second, we have to ask the Holy Spirit to revive our spiritual lives -- to make our churches alive with His presence

 

            -- I wanted to close by sharing with you the chorus from Andy Cherry's song, "Our God is Alive," that I think speaks to the heart of the message of Ezekiel 37:

 

            -- "Rise with a shout -- Cry out, our God's alive -- Rise holy fire -- burn bright, burn bright

            -- "Rise with a shout -- Cry out for freedom -- Rise church, arise -- our God's alive"

             

            -- let this be our prayer and our cry today as we pray for the church in America to once again rise up and be who God called them to be

            -- let's pray

SERMON: CHOOSING TO BE GRATEFUL

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

Naylor, Georgia 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Romans 1:18-23

 

Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

 

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles.

 

            -- in my office, I have two coworkers who both had babies over the last year – and listening to them talk to each other about their babies and their experiences with them, it seems like there is one thing they both agree on – babies complain a lot

            -- we all know that – when things aren’t good for a baby – when they’re hungry or tired or have a wet diaper – when they get too cold or too hot – when their needs or their wants are not getting met the way they think they should, they cry – that’s how babies complain – it’s how babies say, “I’m not happy with this – something is wrong in my life, and I am going to complain until it gets better”

            -- this is normal for a baby – they can’t take care of themselves – they can’t do anything on their own to improve their situations or meet their needs – and so, they cry and complain until their parents or someone else does something to take care of their problems

            -- but in listening to these two young parents talk about their shared experiences with their babies, it occurred to me that I have the same thing going on at work, too – except my complainers are not babies – they’re adults

 

            -- I spend a good amount of time every day listening to people complain – they complain about their work -- this project is stupid – why are we doing this – why do we have to tell the boss the same thing over and over

            -- they complain about their work conditions – my internet is too slow – my email is not working – my office is too cold – the lights are too bright – someone heated up fish in the microwave again

            -- and they complain about each other – this person keeps talking too much – this person won’t return my calls – this person isn’t doing their part – my boss doesn’t listen to me

            -- it just goes on and on and on

 

– a couple of months ago, I called a meeting because we had a project that wasn’t getting done – it required two people from two different offices to work together to make sure their data was correct and that we were ready for an audit – so, I brought them in – showed them the discrepancies in the data – and told them they needed to get together and get this corrected and I gave them two weeks to get it done

            -- fifteen minutes after the meeting, I had one of them come to my office, close the door, and complain about the other person for thirty minutes – about how they were the problem and they’re the reason everything is wrong

            -- they left – and it wasn’t a few minutes later, the other person came to my office, closed the door, and complained about the first guy – for thirty minutes, they pointed out why they were the problem and weren’t doing their job correctly

 

            -- and I bring this up – not to complain – but to make a point – we have turned into a people who are acting like babies and who spend all our time complaining and murmuring and grumbling about everything in life

            -- I’m not telling you anything that you don’t know – everyone in here uses some type of social media or follows the news – and you see it every single day – post after post after post filled with negativity and grumbling and complaining – it is rare to see any good news or to hear anyone say anything good anymore

            -- and we experience it when talk to each other, too -- Research shows that most people complain once a minute during a typical conversation¹

            -- does that describe you? – I think it certainly describes me – I’m just as guilty of this as my coworkers are and my friends on social media – this has gotten out of hand – and I think it’s time for us to take a hard look at ourselves and see if we, too, aren’t people who are living like this – because the Bible tells us that this is not the way we should be

 

– I wanted to read this passage from Romans to get us started this morning to just point out how God feels about people who are negative and complain and never are grateful in their lives

            -- in this passage where Paul is talking about sinful humanity – about the godless and wicked people in this world who have rejected God and the word of God – he makes a point here about their attitude towards life and towards the things they have in their lives

            -- look at verse 21 again

 

Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

 

– out of all their sins – out of all their wicked behavior – Paul points out a particular one that was a big problem – although they knew God, they didn’t glorify Him or give thanks to Him

            -- instead, the implication here is that they did the opposite – they ignored God – they ignored His blessings – and complained about their lot in life – and that led to futile thinking and darkened, foolish hearts

 

            -- when you spend all your time complaining, it affects who you are and how you think and what you do – science agrees with the Bible on this

            -- I don’t want to spend a lot of time on this, but I do want to point out what scientists and psychologists and social workers are saying about the negative effects of complaining and what happens to us when we absorb so much negativity in our lives

-- research says that complaining affects our health – people who complain and who have a negative outlook on life are more likely to suffer sickness and death than those who are optimists – it affects our mental and emotional health – it makes us negative and cynical people – and research from Stanford University shows that the habit of complaining can also affect the physical structure of your brain – complaining shrinks the hippocampus and causes changes in your brain similar to those we see in people with Alzheimer’s Disease

-- and if that’s not enough to be worried about, studies have shown that complaining rewires the synapses in our brains – it literally rewires our brains to make future complaining more likely – over time, we find out it’s easier to be negative all the time rather than to be positive, regardless of what’s happening around us¹

– complaining becomes our default behavior – it becomes who we are – and that affects us physically – emotionally – behaviorally – and spiritually

 

-- so, what can we do about it? – first, we need to realize that gratitude is not a reaction – it’s a decision – it’s something that we choose to do – all of us can become people of thanksgiving and gratitude by choice and through the power of the Holy Spirit within us

-- and, over time, we will learn how to give God the thanks and glory He deserves – whether we are experiencing blessings in our lives or whether we are in the midst of a storm

-- to become truly grateful and thankful people, we need to learn the Four As of Gratitude:  Appreciation – Approval – Admiration – and Attention

-- and to help you learn them and see how to apply them in your lives, I want us to turn over to Exodus 15 and look at how the Israelites expressed all four of them in their response to God following their deliverance from Egypt

 

II.  Scripture Lesson (Exodus 15:1-22)

-- if you would, please turn over to Exodus 15:1, and we’ll start there

-- while you’re turning over there, let me briefly give you the context and background of this passage – Exodus 15 occurs immediately after the parting of the Red Sea and the destruction of the Egyptian army by God

-- this comes after God has sent Moses to Egypt to free His people – and Moses and Aaron had appeared before Pharaoh and his court multiple times telling them what God had commanded – that Pharaoh was to let the Israelites go – to free them from their captivity and slavery – but, as you know, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he refused, even after suffering through the 10 plagues that God sent

-- it was after the last plague – the death of the firstborn throughout the land – that Pharaoh initially relented and let the Israelites leave and begin their journey to the Promised Land – but he changed his mind and sent his army after them – with armed men and warriors in chariots too numerous to count

-- they pinned the Israelites against the shore of the Red Sea – and with no way out – with no hope for survival – they cried out to God – and He parted the Red Sea – allowing the Israelites to walk across on dry land – when the Egyptians tried to follow, the sea crashed over them – drowning the army and destroying the chariots at the bottom of the sea

-- Exodus 15 is the story of the nation of Israel standing on the distant shore of the Red Sea – watching as the water has covered the dry land once again and as the army of Egypt has been destroyed – and realizing that they were indeed saved from the hand of Pharoah

 

-- so, look now at verse 1, and let’s start our journey towards understanding thanksgiving and gratitude there

-- Exodus 15:1-2

 

Exodus 15:1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:

 

“I will sing to the Lord,

    for he is highly exalted.

Both horse and driver

    he has hurled into the sea.

 

2 “The Lord is my strength and my defense;

    he has become my salvation.

He is my God, and I will praise him,

    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

 

            -- here we see the first A of Gratitude – Appreciation

            -- Moses and the Israelites all join together in a spontaneous song inspired through the Holy Spirit, giving thanks and praise to God for what He has done

            -- they recognize God’s hand in their deliverance – and even though the text doesn’t say this, I can picture the nation on their knees on the sand there by the Red Sea as they dropped down in relief because they are still alive and in praise and worship to God

            -- they sing out to God for He is highly exalted – He is worthy of all praise – in appreciation, they declare God to be their strength and their defense – they acknowledge they are saved solely because of Him and not because of anything they had done

            -- on their own, they faced sure and certain defeat – on their own, they faced death and destruction – but through God, they were delivered from the hand of Pharaoh and his army

            -- the nation comes together as one and affirms that God is their God – and proclaims that they will exalt Him in appreciation for His blessings and deliverance and salvation

 

            -- verse 3-12

 

Exodus 15:3 The Lord is a warrior;

    the Lord is his name.

4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army

    he has hurled into the sea.

The best of Pharaoh’s officers

    are drowned in the Red Sea.[b]

5 The deep waters have covered them;

    they sank to the depths like a stone.

6 Your right hand, Lord,

    was majestic in power.

Your right hand, Lord,

    shattered the enemy.

 

7 “In the greatness of your majesty

    you threw down those who opposed you.

You unleashed your burning anger;

    it consumed them like stubble.

8 By the blast of your nostrils

    the waters piled up.

The surging waters stood up like a wall;

    the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.

9 The enemy boasted,

    ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them.

I will divide the spoils;

    I will gorge myself on them.

I will draw my sword

    and my hand will destroy them.’

10 But you blew with your breath,

    and the sea covered them.

They sank like lead

    in the mighty waters.

11 Who among the gods

    is like you, Lord?

Who is like you—

    majestic in holiness,

awesome in glory,

    working wonders?

 

12 “You stretch out your right hand,

    and the earth swallows your enemies.

 

            -- in these verses, we see the second A of gratitude – Approval – and here the people remember and recount the mighty deeds of God on their behalf

            -- they speak of God as the mighty warrior who hurled Pharoah’s chariots and army into the sea and drowned his best officers

            -- they proclaim God’s majesty and power – of His mighty right hand that shattered the enemy before them

            -- they speak of God’s burning and righteous anger – how He moved against the Egyptians because of their injustice and unrighteousness and pride

            -- at the time of the exodus, Egypt was the unparalleled world power – it was the world’s greatest government – it controlled trade – it exerted its demands on other nations – Pharaoh ruled the world through the power of his armies and Egypt’s economic might

            -- so, when the nation of Israel fled Egypt, the people of Egypt boasted and proclaimed that they would pursue them and overtake them and destroy them – but just like the people we read about in Romans 1, they forgot about the Lord – and God moved in a mighty way that defined the people of Israel forever

            -- He parted the Red Sea with His breath to allow the Israelites to escape, and then covered the Egyptian army with it once again – His power was shown to be greater than the most powerful nation on earth – and so, the people of Israel sing out in praise and worship and thanksgiving in verse 11, “Who is like you, O God? – Who among the gods – meaning the idols and the manmade powers and governments of the world – who compares to the Lord God Almighty? – You are awesome in glory, working wonders for Your people – you stretch out Your right hand, and the earth swallows all your enemies”

            -- so, the Israelites sing in approval of who God is and what He has done – and then they move to the next phase of gratefulness

            -- the Third A of Gratitude – Admiration

 

            -- verse 13-18

 

Exodus 15:13 In your unfailing love you will lead

    the people you have redeemed.

In your strength you will guide them

    to your holy dwelling.

14 The nations will hear and tremble;

    anguish will grip the people of Philistia.

15 The chiefs of Edom will be terrified,

    the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,

the people[c] of Canaan will melt away;

16     terror and dread will fall on them.

By the power of your arm

    they will be as still as a stone—

until your people pass by, Lord,

    until the people you bought[d] pass by.

17 You will bring them in and plant them

    on the mountain of your inheritance—

the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling,

    the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established.

 

18 “The Lord reigns

    for ever and ever.”

 

 

            -- when we turn our eyes upon Jesus – when we look at Him and remember what He has done – when we lift up our eyes to Heaven and see the glory of God on His throne – we can’t help but be filled with admiration and honor and praise for God

            -- the people sang out to God about His unfailing love and submit to His Lordship and Leadership – in verse 13, they say that He will lead the people He has redeemed – that His strength will guide them to His holy dwelling – as they admire His power and goodness and might

            -- they proclaim that others will see Him and know Him because of His great and mighty acts – that the other nations around them will hear and tremble – they will be filled with fear and anguish – that terror and dread will fall on them as they come to realize how good and great and powerful the Lord God Almighty is

            -- no one will be able to move against the Israelites again because God is with them – He is their God and they are His people – they will stand as still as a stone as the people of God pass by until God brings them into the Promised Land and plants them on Mount Zion – the mountain of His inheritance – the place He has made for His dwelling and sanctuary on earth forever

           

            -- even though God has not yet given the nation of Israel the Tabernacle or the Ark of the Covenant, they still know in their hearts that God is doing something special with His people – that He will always be with them and will never leave them or forsake them – and just as the Tabernacle and the Temple were the places where God’s presence interacted with earth, it pointed towards His final kingdom and the moment when God’s presence would reside with us forever

            -- and the people sang out in praise and joy and worship to God, as they admired who He was and that He was with them and would be with them forever

 

            -- verse 19-22

 

Exodus 15:19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[e] went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam sang to them:

 

“Sing to the Lord,

    for he is highly exalted.

Both horse and driver

    he has hurled into the sea.”

 

22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.

 

            -- the final A of Gratitude is Attention – and the message from these verses is for how we should act in light of who God is and what He has done – we should pay attention to Him – we should set our mind on Him – we should fix our eyes on Him – we should turn our hearts towards Him

            -- Miriam, Aaron and Moses’ sister, took up a timbrel – a tambourine – and led the women of Israel in dancing and jubilation as she sang praises to the Lord and called on the nation to remember the Lord God Almighty – to sing to Him for He is highly exalted – to remember what He has done – and to trust in His mighty acts in the future

 

III.  Closing

            -- Appreciation – Approval – Admiration – and Attention – these are the foundation that we must build in our lives if we are to change from being people who are negative and complain to people who are positive and who live lives of gratefulness and thanksgiving to God for all that He is and for all that He will do

 

            -- it is just so easy for us to fall into a lifestyle where we do nothing but complain and grumble and murmur about everything – and I’m speaking for myself, if not for you

            -- so, I want to encourage you this morning to really consider the harmful effects of complaining and negativity – complaining is not harmless – it’s like planting weeds in your own garden that grow up and choke out the good things and the blessings you have been given

            -- complaining all the time weakens relationships and how you are viewed – there are people on Facebook that I just hate to see their posts because I know they’re going to be negative – I know that they’re going to complain about something – and when I read them, it doesn’t make me a better person – which should make me wonder what effect I’m having on people through my posts and conversations, too

            -- and like I pointed out earlier, complaining compounds – as the physical structure and the synapses in our brains change through constant complaining – we start to see everything in life from a negative standpoint – we see everything as something to complain about

 

            -- it reminds me of the old joke about the prank that some kids played on their grandfather when he came to visit -- he had fallen asleep in the guest room, and they went and got some limburger cheese and smeared it right under his nose -- now, limburger is a really stinky cheese

            -- wasn’t very long before their grandfather woke up, and looked around and said to himself, “This bedroom stinks” -- he got up and walked into the living room, looked around, and said, “This whole house stinks” -- he opened the door and walked out to get some fresh air -- he stood in the sunshine, took a deep breath, and said, “The whole world stinks”

            -- that’s what happens to us when our lives are only filled with negative thoughts and complaints – it makes us think the whole world stinks and we can’t see the goodness and the blessings of God in our lives

 

            -- but when we start living lives of gratitude – when we choose to stop complaining and stop being negative and focus our attention on God and on giving Him thankfulness and praise on a regular basis, our lives will be transformed

            -- the focus shifts from problems to solutions – when we start to focus on the blessings instead of the problems, we naturally find ways to improve things that aren’t going well

            -- it strengthens relationships – grateful people are more pleasant to be around – no one want to have Debbie Downer as a friend – but we’d all like to have a Barnabas in our life --  someone that the Bible describes as a son of encouragement – a positive person that everyone wanted to be around -- and just like complaining compounds negativity in our lives, when we start to live lives of positivity and gratitude and thankfulness, our eyes are opened and we start to see the many blessings that God has given us – blessings that we just took for granted or ignored in the past

            -- the more positive you are, the better your life becomes – the more positive you are, the more you are grateful for the presence of God and for His blessings

 

            -- so, I have homework for you today – this is Thanksgiving week – this is the time in the US when we stop and take a day to give thanks to God for all the blessings He has given

            -- and, to be honest, a lot of us still find time to complain even as we get ready for the holiday – we’re too busy – groceries are too high – we’re tired from staying up and making dishes for Thanksgiving – there’s too much – too many people – and we have to sit next to that person whose opinion we don’t like

            -- so, here’s your homework – this week, make a special effort to think about what you are feeling and saying – and when you find yourself having a negative thought or find yourself complaining about something you are doing or someone else in the room with you, find the good in it

            -- turn your eyes towards the heavens – remember the blessings of God – and try to find something good in what would normally cause you to complain

            -- we may be busy this week, but be thankful that we are looking forward to a time to celebrate with family and friends

            -- grocery prices may be too high this year, but be thankful that you have enough money to make a good dinner regardless and that you’re getting to enjoy dishes you might not get on a regular basis – like pecan pie and deviled eggs

            -- you may be tired from all the work, but thank God that He has given you the ability to do what needs to be done and to strengthen you during the chore – it could be you need to let someone else help this year, and be thankful for that blessing

            -- there may be too many people at the table to be comfortable and you might have to sit next to that extremely opinionated relative you just can’t agree with, but thank God that the table is full and that your family member is still there

            -- find the good – turn away from the negative and spread joy and gratefulness and thanksgiving this year

            -- this is your homework for this week – and for all the weeks to come – and I’m going to try to join you in this and hopefully, God can turn us all into encouraging and positive people that are grateful for God’s blessings and who pour out God’s love to everyone we meet

            -- so, with that homework, let’s pray and get ready to celebrate a great week with family and friends

            -- Let us pray

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 [How Complaining Rewires Your Brain for Negativity by Travis Bradberry, https://www.talentsmarteq.com/how-complaining-rewires-your-brain-for-negativity/]