Sermon: “Thanks-Living” College Ave Church of Christ
Text: Colossians 3:15-17
Dan Williams
Aim: to remind Christians of the benefits of a thankful heart.
Thesis: an attitude of gratitude will enrich all of life: it will help to make our RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT, to make our ATTITUDE ATTRACTIVE, and to make our LIFE LOVELY.

Introduction:

THANKSGIVING is a holiday in which we are doubly blessed. From a purely human standpoint we appreciate Thanksgiving because we get a couple of days off, we enjoy the opportunity to be with our family, and we have a socially acceptable excuse to eat a lot! Friends, that’s a combination hard to beat!

But from a spiritual perspective Thanksgiving is also a blessing because it reminds us of one of the most pleasant duties in all the Bible: the command to give thanks to God for all the good things we have received!

It is always pleasant to “Count Our Blessings” because in so doing we are reminded of the good in our life, and of the God who has gifted us so richly (James 1:17). It is impossible for a Christian to take a sustained inventory of all for which we have to be thankful without being moved to praise.

The Bible says a great deal about “thanksgiving,” but it is the apostle Paul who, more than any other individual, returns again and again to the subjects of “thankfulness” and “gratitude.” It is a major theme of all his writings. I’m not sure why Paul was so fond of the topic of “thanksgiving”, but I suspect it has something to do with the circumstances of his conversion.

Paul was one of those people who have experienced a dramatic change in their life. He was headed down the wrong road when God unexpectedly intervened; as a result, Paul got a second chance, a chance that deep down he knew he didn’t deserve.

Now, don’t get me wrong – we’re all sinners: none of us “deserve” to be saved. But I DO believe some people have a strong sense of how their life could have turned out differently had they not found the Lord– and I believe Paul was one of those fortunate Christians who never take their salvation for granted, who never quite get over the “wonder” of God’s marvelous grace, and consequently he was grateful for the rest of his life.
Whatever the reason, we do know that Paul’s letters are punctuated with expressions of thankfulness and exhortations to bethankful. For example, TURN to the little book of Colossians, the setting for today’s text. In just four chapters Paul manages to speak of “thanksgiving”, “joy”, and “gratitude” 10 times! In fact, he mentions the subject in every chapter!

In Chapter 1 Paul begins in verse 3 by thanking God for the faith and love of the Colossian saints. Later, in verse 12 of that same chapter, he encourages them to give thanks!

Notice in Chapter Two how Paul describes the Christian life: v. 6-7 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing withthanksgiving.”

Later, in Chapter 4 Paul gives one final reminder to “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (4:2).

And in Chapter 3, in our text for today, he mentions “thankfulness” 3 times in 3 consecutive verses! And each verse reminds of us one of the BENEFITS of thanksgiving! We’ll see that an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE is always good for us, because:

BODY:

I. IT MAKES OUR RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT!

Verse 15 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

For years I read this verse without comprehending the significance of those last three words – “and be thankful.” I thought they were just “tacked on”, added “for good measure” (like when you’re following a recipe for cookies or cake, and it calls for a “pinch of salt”). I didn’t understand the connection between “thankfulness” and Paul’s subject. But, look at the context:

• v. 12-14 RELATIONSHIPS
• v. 15a “peace of Christ in your hearts” (INDIVIDUAL ATTITUDE)
• v. 15b “members of one body” (CONGREGATION HARMONY).
Then one day it hit me! Paul says “and be thankful” because an attitude of gratitude helps create harmony among brethren. That is, if I have peace WITHIN me, then I can experience HARMONY with others!

Thankfulness helps me to be content, and at peace – and that in turn enables me to get along with others (cf. James 4:1). A grateful person is going to be a POSITIVE person, and a positive person is not looking for a fight, isn’t quarrelsome or contentious! Ungrateful people, on the other hand, are going to be dissatisfied with themselves and unhappy with others, and they will cause resentment wherever they go.

STORY: A man writing at a post-office desk was approached by an elderly fellow who asked, “Young man, I can’t see very well: could I ask you to address this postcard for me?” “Yes sir, I’d be glad to.” “And while you’re at it, would you put this stamp on it?” “Sure, no problem.” “One other thing: could you write out my message on the back?” So the man gladly took down the message he dictated. Then the man asked, “Now, would you sign my name?” The man dutifully signed the older man’s name, held up the card and said, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

The old fellow looked at the card, thought a moment, then ordered, “Yes. Add this at the end: ‘P.S. Please excuse the sloppy handwriting.’”

Look at it this way – who would you rather associate with: someone who is always grumbling and complaining – or someone who is optimistic and cheerful? People who routinely recite their burdens in life – or people who continually count their blessings?

You know the answer! When people go to a pet shop to buy a bird, they’re looking for a songbird – a parakeet, or a cockatiel, or a finch. I’ve never heard of anyone going into a pet shop and asking for a buzzard! No one wants to be around a person who always looks for the rotten in life! An ungrateful person is never at peace – not with himself, not with others!

So, the first thing thankfulness does is to make our RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT – it keeps us from becoming sour, bitter, hard-to-get-along-with grumblers! “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
II. IT MAKES OUR ATTITUDES ATTRACTIVE!

Verse 16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God”.

Note first: WE CAN CHOOSE OUR ATTITUDES! If we can choose to “LET the word of Christ dwell in (us) richly” – then we have the ability determine what we will think about, focus on, what we will dwell on in life! Look back at verses 1-2 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Setyour minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

I have a friend in Virginia who has an unusual radio in his office– he received it from a local radio station many years ago as part of their promotional campaign. It was FREE – but there was a “catch”: it could only pick up that specific station! His radio only had one setting!

Have you noticed how many folks go through life with the same problem? They are only “tuned in” to the trials and troubles that come their way. That’s ALL they can focus on! Thank God we can have more than one “setting”! Difficulties will come, but by faith we can choose to “set our minds on things above”, to “let the Word of Christ dwell in (us) richly.”

Note second: WE CAN CHOOSE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE! Thankful people have a healthier perspective on life, because gratitude causes us to focus on our blessings, not our burdens. Without a sense of gratitude, we can never experience the blessing of contentment.

Some friends were planning a shopping trip and their four-year-old daughter had some birthday money and chore money to spend. My friends are good Christian parents, and wanting to use this as an opportunity to teach a lesson in perspective, they told their daughter: “Now, we don’t need to buy everything we see – we need to be thankful for what we have.” The girl replied“When I have EVERYTHING I want, THEN I’ll be thankful for what I have.” Now that isn’t unexpected logic for a four-year-old; but you know, there are a lot of 40-year-olds who feel the same way, and it absolutely makes them miserable!

When we have an attitude of gratitude, when we choose to focus on what we DO have, and be thankful for God’s goodness, it sure improves our perspective on life! GRATITUDE is the ATTITUDE that makes life GREAT! And the third reason thankfulness is good for us:

III. IT MAKES LIFE LOVELY!

Verse 17 “and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

This is the third verse in a row in which Paul commends “thankfulness.” Do you think perhaps he’s trying to tell us something? Well, in case we haven’t gotten the message by now, in this verse he makes it unmistakably clear: WE CAN ALWAYS HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!

Consider what a comprehensive command this is! “WHATEVER you do…whether in word or deed…ALL”. God’s Word is emphatically telling us “thanksgiving” is not just a holiday- it’s a way of life! In fact, we could say it’s more than “thanks-giving”- it’s “thanks-LIVING”!

No matter what life throws at us, we can choose to be positive – to focus on our blessings! That reminds us of another passage by Paul:

Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, Rejoice!…Do not be anxious about anything, but ineverything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, presents your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (cf. Ephesians 5:20)

As children of a gracious Father (cf. Matthew 7:7-11) we know that in difficult situations we can ask for help and be confident that our Lord is willing and able to answer prayer. But note HOW we are to make those requests – “with thanksgiving”.

Why? Could it be that whining, demanding, self-pitying people are tiresome – even to God? Self-centered prayers must weary the Lord, because he knows that blessing UNGRATEFUL people is a waste of time – they’ll only find something else to grumble about!
In one part of Mexico, because of a geothermal quirk deep underground, a hot spring and a cold spring can be found bubbling up side by side. Years ago the women of the nearby village could be seen boiling their clothes in the water of the hot springs and rinsing them in the cold springs. A tourist, watching this procedure, remarked to his Mexican friend, “I guess they think old Mother Nature is pretty generous.”

“Oh no, senor”, the other replied. “There is much grumbling because she supplies no soap.”

Well, God wants to rescue us from the prison of such pettiness – so he commands us to be thankful, in part for our own benefit! When you think of it that way, its just another reminder of how good God is – we can even be thankful he commands us to be thankful, because an attitude of gratitude makes life lovely!

CONCLUSION:

This is the time of year when we are reminded of our blessings – but our text teaches us that for children of God “thanksgiving” is more than a holiday- it is a way of life! It is, if you will, “Thanks-Living.” And this morning we have been reminded why an ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE is good for us:

• It makes our RELATIONSHIPS RIGHT.
• It makes our ATTITUDES ATTRACTIVE.
• It makes our LIFE LOVELY.

STORY: Some years ago Keith Obraske of Fridley, Minnesota went to an ATM machine just before Thanksgiving to withdraw $20- instead, the machine spit out $5,580! “I felt like I’d won the lottery,” said the young man who works as a ceiling sprayer. “I just kept scooping it up!” That’s a parable of MY life- and YOURS! All of us have received so much more than we ever expected- deserved- or earned.

By the way, Obraske did the honest and honorable thing- he gave the money back! God doesn’t require us to return all of his bounty- just a part. But He DOES ask for one very important response in return- AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE!