Episode 2

Thanksliving (North OC)

After giving thanks what should we do? We should go from thanksgiving to thanks-living.

Click here to donate to the program

Click here for more sermons

OC Church of Christ

Transcript
Speaker:

Wow.

2

:

Look at that.

3

:

What a warm Welcome to North O.

4

:

C.

5

:

Man, I know these guys have probably

been working on that all week.

6

:

Thank you guys.

7

:

Uh, well guys, it's

great to be with you all.

8

:

For those who don't know who I

am, my name is Kyle Lounsberry.

9

:

Along with my wife, Jasmine Lounsberry.

10

:

We lead our campus ministry

here in Orange County.

11

:

And we are so grateful to be here.

12

:

Amen?

13

:

Um, let's see if this works.

14

:

There is a picture of our family.

15

:

We have a newborn named Luca.

16

:

Luca Lounsberry, for

those who haven't met him.

17

:

He is there in the back with my wife.

18

:

Feel free to go back there and say hi.

19

:

Uh, we are so grateful for

truly just the support.

20

:

And the, the meals from some of you

from the, the barbers and the barons

21

:

and the halls and many of you just

pouring out and loving us, we're so

22

:

grateful, um, for your guys support.

23

:

During Jasmine's pregnancy and even

during the birth of our baby boy and a

24

:

few weeks, uh, of him being a newborn.

25

:

And it's been a great time, lots of fun.

26

:

And we're so grateful to be

able to be back and serving and

27

:

being able to speak here today.

28

:

I'm so grateful.

29

:

So thank you guys.

30

:

I just want to personally

thank the Norto's.

31

:

You have a special place in our

hearts and we truly are grateful.

32

:

For all that you've done for our family.

33

:

Amen.

34

:

So thank you guys.

35

:

Love you guys.

36

:

Yes.

37

:

Love you.

38

:

Um, for those who don't know, we actually

recently transitioned to the Central

39

:

OC Ministry down in Irvine to help with

our campus ministry at UC Irvine and

40

:

some of the surrounding schools there.

41

:

And that's been a lot of fun.

42

:

Um, but quick update, we haven't

physically moved down there yet.

43

:

So I'm still 10 minutes away here in Brea.

44

:

So that was an awesome drive this morning.

45

:

Not having to go all

the way down to Irvine.

46

:

But, uh, what I will say is that we

actually found a place and we'll be

47

:

moving in the middle of December.

48

:

Um, so we're very excited and

grateful and looking forward to that.

49

:

So campus, I'll be

needing your help moving.

50

:

Okay, Evan?

51

:

Alright.

52

:

Um, so that'll be an awesome time.

53

:

You know, this past week we

all celebrated, well most of us

54

:

probably celebrated Thanksgiving.

55

:

Thanksgiving is an amazing holiday.

56

:

You know, in my family, my great

grandfather, my dad's dad, uh, it's

57

:

really the only holiday he celebrates.

58

:

He's not religious, he's an atheist, he

doesn't really like Christmas or Easter,

59

:

um, but he loves Thanksgiving because it

brings the whole family together and it's

60

:

an opportunity to be able to give thanks

for how much we have been blessed with.

61

:

And that's one holiday that has

a special place in my heart.

62

:

So this past weekend we went up to Uh,

Pismo Beach area and we got to celebrate

63

:

Thanksgiving with my great grandpa

and, uh, my dad's side of the family.

64

:

That was a great time bringing the

little one up there and showing

65

:

him off to the whole family.

66

:

Um, so hopefully you had

a great Thanksgiving.

67

:

Um, what I will say is last week

Marcel started a two part series,

68

:

uh, on the idea of giving thanks.

69

:

Last week they, you guys, uh, you

guys discussed how Thanksgiving's

70

:

more than just a turkey, right?

71

:

More than a turkey.

72

:

And this week, we're going to

talk a little bit more into

73

:

this idea of giving thanks.

74

:

I want to share here the

definition Marcel brought up.

75

:

And I love this because it's the

expression of gratitude, right?

76

:

So I'm going to use the word

gratitude quite often today.

77

:

And so if you hear that,

it's interchangeable with

78

:

this idea of giving thanks.

79

:

But it's especially great to God.

80

:

Amen?

81

:

And when we give thanks, it's

something we can do to our Lord Jesus.

82

:

And he also mentioned how giving

thanks is important to God.

83

:

It's something that, as

Christians, is very vital for our

84

:

spirituality, to give thanks to

God, because it's important to Him.

85

:

And so today, Marcel mentioned this

last week, but today we're going to

86

:

be talking about how living thanks...

87

:

is important to God.

88

:

And so the title of today's

message is, thanks, living.

89

:

Alright?

90

:

Not just giving it, but also living it.

91

:

Amen?

92

:

You with me?

93

:

So let's go ahead, let's say a

word of prayer, and we'll jump

94

:

into God's word this morning.

95

:

Lord, thank you so much for this

time to be able to worship you.

96

:

So grateful for my family

here in the North O.

97

:

C.

98

:

and being able to see people who

have just been amazing disciples and

99

:

so faithful to you for many years.

100

:

Thank you so much for the family

that we've been able to develop here.

101

:

Uh, Jasmine and I just being here for a

few short years in the north and building

102

:

the relationships we've got to build.

103

:

God, I'm so eternally grateful

for how much you've blessed us.

104

:

And God, I pray that this morning as

we read your word, as we talk through

105

:

this idea of living out our thanks and

living out our gratitude, God, that

106

:

we can truly have a heart of humility.

107

:

Have a heart of desiring to

please you with our lives.

108

:

We love you.

109

:

Please speak through me this morning that

it's not me speaking, rather it's you.

110

:

We love you and thank you in Jesus name.

111

:

Amen.

112

:

Alright.

113

:

Today we're gonna turn again

to the book of Leviticus.

114

:

Alright.

115

:

Marcel mentioned Leviticus last week.

116

:

I'm not gonna hang out in this chapter too

long because then I would just get lost.

117

:

Alright.

118

:

But we're gonna look at one passage here

in the book of Leviticus, chapter 22.

119

:

Alright.

120

:

In verse 29, it says, When you

sacrifice a vain offering to the

121

:

Lord, sacrifice it in such a way that

it will be accepted on your behalf.

122

:

It must be in that same day.

123

:

Leave none of it till morning.

124

:

I am the Lord.

125

:

So why am I bringing this up?

126

:

You know, the book of Leviticus

is about the Jewish law, right?

127

:

There's tons of laws in there.

128

:

I believe there's over 600 laws.

129

:

This specific passage is describing

and talking about a vanquish offering.

130

:

That in this time there was an

opportunity for, for the Jews to

131

:

be able to vanquish God through

an offering, through a sacrifice.

132

:

But what we see here that I think is

really unique is the, the phrasing that it

133

:

says, that, uh, sacrifice it in such a way

that it will be accepted on your behalf.

134

:

Who here has ever received a gift before?

135

:

Okay, all of us received a gift, right?

136

:

Who here has ever received a

gift that you're like, I don't

137

:

really have any use for this?

138

:

Or I don't really like this?

139

:

Some of us?

140

:

Okay, yeah.

141

:

So when you receive that gift,

you're kind of like, Okay, thank you.

142

:

Right?

143

:

But it has no use for you.

144

:

You with me?

145

:

Well, if there's a sacrifice or an

offering that's useful, or that is,

146

:

excuse me, accepted by God, Wouldn't

you think there could be an offering or

147

:

a sacrifice that isn't accepted by God?

148

:

Right?

149

:

That's an observation here.

150

:

A vain offering that is acceptable

to God means that there can

151

:

be one that is unacceptable.

152

:

So we're going to look a little bit into

this today and what that might mean.

153

:

But I think it's important we

draw from that scripture this idea

154

:

that God looks for a specific...

155

:

Thanks.

156

:

Specific gratitude in the

way we live our lives.

157

:

He's looking for something in our hearts.

158

:

He's looking for something

the way that we live.

159

:

You with me?

160

:

And there's a cool parallel

passage that we're going to focus

161

:

in on today in the New Testament.

162

:

Turn with me in your Bibles, if

you will, to Luke chapter 17.

163

:

Alright?

164

:

Many of you know this passage,

Luke chapter 17, verse 11.

165

:

We're going to pick up here.

166

:

And it reads, He's now

on his way to Jerusalem.

167

:

Jesus traveled along the border

between Samaria and Galilee.

168

:

As he was going into a village,

ten men who had leprosy met him.

169

:

They stood at a distance and

called out in a loud voice,

170

:

Jesus, Master, have pity on us.

171

:

When he saw them, he said, Go show

yourselves to the priests, and they went.

172

:

They were cleansed.

173

:

One of them, when he saw he was healed,

came back praising God in a loud voice.

174

:

He threw himself at Jesus

feet and thanked him.

175

:

And he was a Samaritan.

176

:

Jesus asked, We're not all ten cleansed?

177

:

Where are the other nine?

178

:

Has no one returned to give praise

to God except this foreigner?

179

:

Then he said to him, Rise.

180

:

Go.

181

:

Your faith has made you well.

182

:

Alright.

183

:

So let's paint the

picture here for a second.

184

:

We have this really cool passage

where we see ten men with leprosy.

185

:

Now, leprosy was a horrible skin

disease that, in that time, if you

186

:

had that disease, you were outcasted.

187

:

You had to stay away.

188

:

Think of social distancing

times ten, right?

189

:

You were gone, you could

not interact with anybody.

190

:

Most of you know this, right?

191

:

But that's what leprosy was.

192

:

And so, ten of them, let's look

back, ten of them come to Jesus with

193

:

leprosy, and it says they stood at a

distance, and they yelled out to him.

194

:

Jesus, Master.

195

:

They reference him as Master.

196

:

It's interesting.

197

:

Have pity on us.

198

:

Asking for pity.

199

:

And when he saw them, he said, go

show yourselves to the priests.

200

:

He says, go get cleansed.

201

:

And as they went, they were cleansed.

202

:

So, here's an observation.

203

:

These guys go, based on their

faith that Jesus told them to go.

204

:

Because they could have

gone and nothing happened.

205

:

But they decide, you know what,

we're going to trust you, Lord.

206

:

We're going to trust you, Jesus.

207

:

They call him Master.

208

:

They reference him as Master.

209

:

The Lord.

210

:

Okay, we're going to go.

211

:

And they go, and they're healed.

212

:

They're cleansed.

213

:

Cleansed from their horrible skin disease.

214

:

I was going to put a picture up

there, but it's just too graphic.

215

:

Alright, I wasn't going to put it up there

because I was like, this is really bad.

216

:

They get healed.

217

:

But only one of them returns.

218

:

Only one of the ten.

219

:

That's ten percent.

220

:

Comes back and praises God.

221

:

Says he came back praising

God in a loud voice.

222

:

He threw himself at Jesus feet.

223

:

On his knees, praising Jesus.

224

:

Thanking Him.

225

:

Now think about this.

226

:

Imagine if you were that leper.

227

:

Imagine if for years you had

this horrible skin disease.

228

:

This horrible ailment that outcasted you.

229

:

You had no friends.

230

:

Your only friends were other lepers.

231

:

First, imagine what you would

be feeling for all those years.

232

:

Imagine the pain, imagine the

suffering, imagine the loneliness.

233

:

Now think about the joy he must

have felt when he was healed.

234

:

He takes himself, he goes over to Jesus,

and he kisses his feet, thank you.

235

:

He expresses his gratitude

with true, genuine action.

236

:

And I believe, brothers and sisters,

that this morning, as we think through

237

:

what it means to live a life of

gratitude, that it has to be genuine.

238

:

It has to have a response of, man, this

is my heart, this, thank you, Lord.

239

:

The other nine, they took it for granted.

240

:

The other nine, they ran off,

they're like, we're healed,

241

:

we can go do whatever we want.

242

:

But the one said, no.

243

:

It's because of you.

244

:

Immediately, he made the connection,

this is only possible because of Jesus.

245

:

And I think for, for some of us, we

may not realize that we, it's essential

246

:

to express our gratitude to God.

247

:

Sometimes we receive so much in our lives,

we receive healing, we receive counsel,

248

:

we receive advice, we receive joy, we

receive forgiveness of sins, but we still

249

:

live a life taking things for granted.

250

:

We still live lives not

expressing our heart to God.

251

:

You with me?

252

:

I know I can be this way.

253

:

And what we can see from this

passage is that a response

254

:

of gratitude glorifies God.

255

:

It is glorifying to God.

256

:

It's not just a thank you.

257

:

It's not just a nice gift.

258

:

It glorifies Him.

259

:

It honors Him.

260

:

It makes Him the main character

in the story and not you.

261

:

Jesus was honored by that one man.

262

:

And he ends up saving this man's soul.

263

:

It says that your faith has made you well.

264

:

Saves his soul because of his

faith and his gratitude in response

265

:

to what Jesus did in his life.

266

:

You with me?

267

:

So I want to ask you this

question this morning.

268

:

How do we respond when Jesus

does miracles in our lives?

269

:

Are we grateful?

270

:

Do we respond with gratitude

or do we just blow it off or

271

:

say, Oh, it's just coincidence.

272

:

Or, oh, that just happens to people.

273

:

Or, are we full of gratitude?

274

:

Do we have a response of, Man, I just

want to beg you and thank you, Lord,

275

:

for what you've done in my life.

276

:

Sometimes we can be unaware, let's

be honest for a second, of the good

277

:

things God is doing in our lives.

278

:

Sometimes we're just totally

unaware, we're aloof to it.

279

:

God is doing miracles

amongst our lives today.

280

:

But we don't even realize it sometimes.

281

:

Either, one, we're just disconnected

from it, we're not really realizing

282

:

that it's God working there, or...

283

:

We choose not to believe that it's God.

284

:

We choose not to believe or,

or, or accredit it to God.

285

:

Are you, this morning, unaware of the

good things God's doing in your life

286

:

or in the lives of people around you?

287

:

I think it's important we, we get

in touch and get in tune with what

288

:

God's doing so that we can live a

life of thanks and gratitude to Him.

289

:

Amen?

290

:

We must live lives full of gratitude.

291

:

You know, something starts to happen in

our hearts In our lives, in our minds,

292

:

when we have a mentality of gratitude.

293

:

You with me?

294

:

Uh, I'm sure there's tons of studies.

295

:

I think Marcel brought it up last week

that, that it's, it changes your mind.

296

:

When you're grateful, when you're

praying to God, when you're thanking

297

:

God, when you're thinking about how

much God is doing in your life, you

298

:

start having a very positive outlook.

299

:

You start having an optimistic mentality.

300

:

You start having a faithful mentality.

301

:

You start thinking about things

from a, God point of view rather

302

:

than a worldly point of view.

303

:

You with me?

304

:

And you know what starts

to happen in our hearts?

305

:

We become Servants.

306

:

We start to give.

307

:

We want to help people.

308

:

We want to spread what

God's doing in our lives.

309

:

We want to share the

good news about Christ.

310

:

We want to share what

God's doing in our lives.

311

:

We become givers rather than takers.

312

:

And we start realizing

life's not really about me.

313

:

It's not about myself anymore.

314

:

It's not about how good I look,

or how much money I make, or

315

:

what it is I, I'm always doing.

316

:

It's not about me, but we desire

to serve and give for Christ.

317

:

Amen?

318

:

You know, when we live thankful

lives, we desire to give and serve.

319

:

Let's live lives full of gratitude.

320

:

So that way we can also pass on to

others what God has passed on to us.

321

:

But, here's the, the reality.

322

:

When we lack gratitude, We take

things for granted and become selfish.

323

:

Just what happens.

324

:

We take things for granted.

325

:

We become selfish.

326

:

It's all about us.

327

:

You know, lately I've been hearing

this analogy going around different

328

:

churches and even in our fellowship

and it's a great analogy that I think

329

:

is so practical and helpful for us

to truly apply this type of heart.

330

:

Amen?

331

:

Being a new father, my son's not here

yet, but eventually he's going to start

332

:

wearing a bib when he eats, right?

333

:

Right now he's just eating milk.

334

:

But eventually he'll start wearing

a bib so that way when he makes a

335

:

mess, it doesn't get on his clothes,

it gets on his bib, you with me?

336

:

So here's a bib, right?

337

:

Feed me!

338

:

Well, sometimes in our lives as

Christians, we like to wear the bib.

339

:

We like to come to church wearing a bib.

340

:

Feed me.

341

:

Give to me.

342

:

Consumer mentality.

343

:

You with me?

344

:

We, we put on a bib mentality.

345

:

I do this all the time.

346

:

What can I receive?

347

:

Right?

348

:

What can I get?

349

:

You know, I'll share.

350

:

This past week, we got

home from Thanksgiving.

351

:

It was a long drive.

352

:

Pismo Beach.

353

:

Four hour drive home.

354

:

We got home Thursday night.

355

:

It was late.

356

:

And our son was, his sleep schedule was

very off because we're traveling all day.

357

:

Right?

358

:

And we get home, and my wife is amazing.

359

:

Alright, let me just say this first.

360

:

My wife is an amazing

mother, an amazing servant.

361

:

She, she embodies this mentality.

362

:

Okay?

363

:

Not the bib mentality, but

the mentality of a servant.

364

:

Right?

365

:

I embody the mentality of a bib.

366

:

Okay?

367

:

If I'm just being honest.

368

:

And we get home, it's like 11.

369

:

30 and I'm wiped.

370

:

I'm tired.

371

:

She even drove some of the way.

372

:

Um, she's just amazing.

373

:

We get home, and she's like, Hey, can

you just help me stay up and take care

374

:

of him, burp him, let's get him to sleep.

375

:

And I'm like, yeah, yeah, I'll help.

376

:

Well, twenty minutes

later, I'm passed out.

377

:

On the bed.

378

:

And she, obviously, she's mad.

379

:

Alright?

380

:

She's mad at me, cause I'm being selfish.

381

:

And, you know, I end up waking up briefly

and she's like, Thanks for nothing.

382

:

Like, you're not even helping me.

383

:

I was like, oh man.

384

:

So I'm like, okay, how can I help?

385

:

How can I help?

386

:

Like, you want me to

throw away his diaper?

387

:

So I go throw away the diaper.

388

:

But she's already mad at me and

I already, I already lost, right?

389

:

And so then, you know,

finally gets to sleep.

390

:

It's like 12.

391

:

30am.

392

:

She was up for an extra hour.

393

:

And, uh, the next morning I'm like,

Oh man, she's gonna be mad at me.

394

:

She didn't sleep.

395

:

So luckily, I, I feel like I

somewhat redeemed myself, you

396

:

can ask her if I did or not.

397

:

I got up with him when he first woke up,

took him out of the room, burped him,

398

:

let him nap a little bit more, and, you

know, let her sleep for a couple hours.

399

:

But I was being selfish, alright?

400

:

I was taking on the bib mentality.

401

:

Brothers and sisters, we gotta

take on the apron mentality.

402

:

We gotta put on the apron.

403

:

We put on the apron when we're

full of gratitude for Christ.

404

:

For what God's doing in our lives.

405

:

We want to go up to church to serve.

406

:

We want to hang out with each

other to serve one another.

407

:

During family group or Bible talks

or whatever it is, we're here to

408

:

serve and give to one another.

409

:

We're going to serve the community

because we are so filled with

410

:

the gratitude God has given us.

411

:

How much God has given us.

412

:

We're full of this gratitude.

413

:

And so we desire, at your

service, how can I give to you?

414

:

Campus students, how can we give?

415

:

Yeah, I'm going to call you out.

416

:

You're my ministry.

417

:

We talk to you all the time.

418

:

How can we serve one another?

419

:

How can we serve our parents?

420

:

How can we serve our families?

421

:

We've got to take on this heart and this

mentality because the Bible says that the

422

:

greatest among you is the servant of all.

423

:

In fact, it says the slave of all.

424

:

Jesus wants us to take on the

mentality, the heart of a servant.

425

:

This is how we ought to act.

426

:

This is the mentality we ought to take on.

427

:

And there's a huge difference.

428

:

So I want us to imagine for a

second, imagine the impact, and I,

429

:

I do want to just say, our church

is full of apron servants, amen?

430

:

Tons of you serve, getting here this

morning, seeing the kids kingdom workers

431

:

serving, getting here early, setting

up for our kids, seeing the welcome

432

:

booth, the worship team, the AV team,

people serve, not just on Sunday,

433

:

but throughout the whole week, amen?

434

:

So we have many servants,

but imagine if all of us...

435

:

Took on this heart and this mentality

to put on the apron and think about the

436

:

impact we could have in our community.

437

:

Just for a second, think about it.

438

:

Imagine how you might feel if you show up

and you don't have to serve all the time

439

:

because so many people are serving you.

440

:

It's just this big cycle

of serving and giving.

441

:

That's awesome.

442

:

That's special.

443

:

That's something that God is glorified by.

444

:

Amen?

445

:

And that's how we ought to live our lives.

446

:

When we have a serving

mindset, it glorifies God and

447

:

it encourages the fellowship.

448

:

It encourages others.

449

:

So why should we serve and

give to God out of gratitude?

450

:

Why should we do it?

451

:

God deserves our best.

452

:

God deserves our best.

453

:

Amen?

454

:

He deserves our best in everything we do.

455

:

God deserves the best.

456

:

He doesn't deserve the leftovers.

457

:

He deserves the best.

458

:

Romans 12 verse 1.

459

:

It says, Therefore, I urge you, brothers

and sisters, in view of God's mercy.

460

:

For a second, just think about that.

461

:

The mercy God's given us, in view of

that, offer your bodies as a living

462

:

sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.

463

:

This is your true and proper worship.

464

:

In view of God's mercy.

465

:

Again, we're accrediting this to God.

466

:

It's because of God.

467

:

That we live this way.

468

:

It's because of God

that we have gratitude.

469

:

It's because of God we are

doing the things we're doing.

470

:

So, therefore, offer your

bodies as a living sacrifice.

471

:

Jesus sacrificed his life for all of us.

472

:

For our sins.

473

:

Well, let's offer our lives

as a daily living sacrifice.

474

:

So, what is that going to mean for you?

475

:

What does it mean to offer

yourself to God on a daily basis?

476

:

as a living sacrifice.

477

:

We talked earlier about a

sacrifice that's acceptable to God.

478

:

Right?

479

:

Well, an acceptable sacrifice for

our lives is to do it every day.

480

:

Denying myself.

481

:

Carrying my cross.

482

:

What can I give up to honor God?

483

:

What can I maybe not spend as much

time doing to help serve others?

484

:

To serve God?

485

:

You with me?

486

:

Giving God our best.

487

:

It requires sacrifice.

488

:

We can't just give God our best and just

like, poof, here it is God, took no work.

489

:

No, giving God our best

requires sacrifice.

490

:

It requires it.

491

:

We have to sacrifice daily

to give God our best.

492

:

You with me?

493

:

So maybe for some of us, maybe for some of

the newer Christians, or people who have

494

:

been disciples or Christians for a long

time, maybe we've gotten out of the habit

495

:

or out of the practice of just the basics.

496

:

Just the simplest, simple little things

that we know draw us nearer to God.

497

:

Maybe that's a prayer time.

498

:

Maybe that's, for some of us, we know

getting out of the house and praying

499

:

helps us connect better to God, but we've

been too lazy, or we've been too busy,

500

:

or we haven't really prioritized that, so

we're just praying quickly in our homes.

501

:

That's a small little sacrifice

you can apply just like that.

502

:

We've got to require, our

best requires sacrifice.

503

:

We have to sacrifice in

our lives for Christ.

504

:

Amen?

505

:

I want to share one last example here.

506

:

That I think is really key.

507

:

And Marcel, I'm going to

credit this one to Marcel.

508

:

This is a good one.

509

:

Imagine on Thanksgiving, this past

Thursday, you had your whole family over.

510

:

You showed up.

511

:

You know, you, you, you

know, planned this out.

512

:

You even sent an invite out.

513

:

And you've never really hosted

your house, but you're like, I'm

514

:

having the whole family over.

515

:

In fact, I'm going to

bring some friends over.

516

:

People who, you know,

whose families live far.

517

:

I'm going to have the

whole crew at the house.

518

:

Right?

519

:

I'm sure many of you did that.

520

:

But imagine if you did that,

and for Thanksgiving dinner, you

521

:

laid out yesterday's leftovers.

522

:

Imagine.

523

:

Say, alright guys, this is

turkey I made last week.

524

:

It's been sitting in the fridge.

525

:

You know, I actually chewed up the carrots

for you guys, and then spit it out.

526

:

I grabbed some of the salad out of

the trash and threw it on there.

527

:

Like, the leftovers, right?

528

:

Imagine if that's what

you served your guests.

529

:

How would they be feeling?

530

:

They will walk out that house so fast,

you'll be like, this guy's crazy.

531

:

There's no way, right?

532

:

Because that's not your best.

533

:

That's not how we give,

that's not what we give God.

534

:

We don't give God our leftovers.

535

:

What do we do?

536

:

We give Him our best.

537

:

We lay out the whole spread.

538

:

We get the nice silverware

out of the cabinet.

539

:

We get the plates.

540

:

We don't just get paper plates.

541

:

We go and we buy the porcelain

plates, or whatever they call it.

542

:

Did I get that right?

543

:

Okay, China plates.

544

:

We brine the turkey.

545

:

24 hours.

546

:

Maybe 48 for some of you.

547

:

We put in the extra effort.

548

:

We think through how

it smells in the house.

549

:

We think through all the things,

because it's our best for God.

550

:

We want to give our best to God.

551

:

Not our leftovers.

552

:

Not our second.

553

:

Our absolute best.

554

:

You with me?

555

:

Church, how can we give our best to God?

556

:

As we walk out of this building today.

557

:

What are the ways we're going to

be able to start giving our best?

558

:

Maybe you are giving your best in one

area, but in another area you're like,

559

:

Oh, I know, I don't really want to.

560

:

It's going to take more time and effort.

561

:

How can we give our best?

562

:

Living sacrifice.

563

:

We're called to be living

sacrifices for Christ.

564

:

What can we do to improve

God's kingdom with one another?

565

:

Let's give our best to Him.

566

:

Amen?

567

:

Giving God our best,

it requires sacrifice.

568

:

Let's not give them our leftovers.

569

:

Let's give them the best

feast we can possibly provide.

570

:

So we've got to put in time.

571

:

We've got to put in effort.

572

:

It's going to take a lot of

soul searching for some of us.

573

:

And we put in thought into

how we serve and give to God.

574

:

Amen?

575

:

And so let's get real practical here.

576

:

Let's look at some action steps.

577

:

Alright?

578

:

Some action steps are key here.

579

:

Let's think about the ways

you maybe have worn a bit.

580

:

What are some of the ways that you

have this selfish mindset, where

581

:

you're wearing a bib, maybe when you

wear that bib, it makes you critical.

582

:

Maybe you just start pointing out all

the flaws because you're only consuming.

583

:

What are the ways that

you've been wearing a bib?

584

:

Another one is, I think it's

important we commit as a church.

585

:

What's one new serving opportunity?

586

:

What's one way I can put on the apron?

587

:

Alright, it can be something

small, it can be something big.

588

:

Wherever God is convicting

your heart, how can you...

589

:

Commit to one new serving opportunity.

590

:

And lastly, I want you to share with a

friend one way you can give God your best.

591

:

One way you can start improving

and giving God your best.

592

:

In your own times with Him, whether it's

in your servitude, whether it's in your

593

:

relationships, whatever it is, what's

one way you can give God your best?

594

:

And please, let's share it with one

another to have some accountability.

595

:

Amen?

596

:

You know, as we are closing out

today, we're going to go ahead

597

:

and be taking the communion here.

598

:

And as we take the Communion, we read that

scripture in Romans 12 that talks about

599

:

how we have to be a living sacrifice.

600

:

Well, we know that the greatest

sacrifice in all of humankind,

601

:

mankind, is the sacrifice of Jesus

dying on the cross for our sins.

602

:

Amen?

603

:

And so as we pray, as we reflect,

and as we take the Communion, let's

604

:

remember that the sacrifice that

Jesus gave for our lives prompts

605

:

us, out of gratitude, to live.

606

:

Sacrificially in our lives.

607

:

Let's pray.

608

:

God, thank you so much for this

morning, and this time, to be able

609

:

to worship you, to be able to think

about living a life full of gratitude.

610

:

God, that, our gratitude isn't just a

lip service, isn't just something we say,

611

:

but it's something we actually live out.

612

:

That our gratitude for you, for the

blessings you've given us, For many

613

:

things that you've given us, God,

I pray that that gratitude urges us

614

:

to live a life full of sacrifice.

615

:

To live a life that's

giving our best to you.

616

:

To live a life that's not putting on

the bib and consuming, God, but it's

617

:

putting on the apron and serving.

618

:

Giving to you.

619

:

And Lord, I pray that this morning, as

we think through even some of the action

620

:

steps in our lives, that we are motivated

by your Son, Jesus, dying on the cross.

621

:

That we're not doing this just because...

622

:

I'm up here telling us to do

it, but we want to, we want to

623

:

truly apply these things because

we're motivated by the cross.

624

:

We're moved by the love you've shown us.

625

:

And God, I pray that we can live

our lives in devotion to you always.

626

:

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

About the Podcast

Show artwork for OC Church of Christ Sermons
OC Church of Christ Sermons
Hear the latest sermon from the OC Church of Christ