The Way of Gratitude: "Tailored For Thanksgiving”

The Way of Gratitude

Introduction:

Good morning Eastern Shore Baptist Church. If you are visiting with us today, welcome. We are honored that you would choose to come worship with us today. My name is Stuart Davidson and I am the pastor here. At the end of today’s service, I’ll be in the back of the sanctuary, in the foyer there, and Id love to meet you. Stop by and let’s talk. 

Today we are starting a new series entitled “The Way to Gratitude”. 

That title may lead you to scratch your head. The way to gratitude? Is there a way to being grateful? Is there a path or a plan to being thankful? Aren’t most people grateful? 

Well it is sort of a complicated question. The truth is that we are actually living in a season where gratitude is on the rise. It’s true. However, that gratitude is often linked to positive outcomes. People show more gratitude when they are in healthy relationships, when their health is good, or when their finances are strong. 

That makes sense in a worldly way doesn’t it? Of course people are more thankful when things are going well. As Christians, we are called to be grateful no matter our situation. We are called to show gratitude when our finances are in the dump, when our relationships bottom out, and when our future is up in the air. 

Another thing that I discovered is that feeling grateful and expressing gratitude are not the same thing. The research that I performed noted that many people feel gratitude on the regular, but fewer people say “thank you”. 

That data point reminds me of the story captured in Luke 17:11-19. Jesus was traveling towards Jerusalem. He was passing between the border between Samaria and Galilee. On the trip, He encounters 10 men who are eaten up with leprosy. 

“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the priests. They agreed and obeyed. As the 10 men walked, their leprosy was cured. They were disease free. They were clean. 

Sadly, out of all 10, only one man came back to thank Jesus for what He had done. That one man came and fell at Jesus’ feet, praised God, thanked Jesus, and worshiped. 

What does that story tell us about gratitude?

True believers, true followers of Christ show gratitude. Unfiltered, unfettered, daily thanks to God. 

It also reveals that while God blesses people, all kinds of people, obedient people and disobedient people, lost people and people that Christ, few people give God His glory for all that He has done. 

What about yo friends? When is the last time you just said “thank you Jesus”? 

When was the last time that you said “God, you’re enough for me”?

If you are like me, we get so caught up in taking our needs, our grievances, our problems and our pain to God that we forget to say “thank you” for all the blessings that He has given us. 

Well, you may not know it, but if you are in Christ you’ve been outfitted, clothed…Id even say tailor made to be thankful. The moment that Jesus Christ enters your dead heart, the moment that the Holy Spirit generates new life in your rotting soul, you are instantly given a heartbeat of gratitude. 

Don’t get me wrong, you can suppress that heartbeat. You can pour cold water on that fire of thankfulness. You can quench that spiritual thirst to give God glory. 

However, God’s desire is that you would wake up everyday ready to praise Him. 

Friends, the title of my message this morning is “Tailored For Thanksgiving”. 

Today’s Message:

“Tailored For Thanksgiving”

Illustration:

A couple of months ago, my son Jack went to Daphne High School’s Homecoming Dance. He came to his mother and me and said, “I need a suit.” You could hear the excitement in his voice!

So we made it a family event. We drove over to Belk at the Eastern Shore Centre and started the hunt. Jack tried on jacket after jacket, one was too big, another too small. One fit up top but the pants were too short. You parents know the drill. Finally, we found a suit that was close enough. We bought it and took it to the tailor.

The tailor measured, pinned, and marked every detail of that jacket and those pants. A few days later, I went back to pick it up. When Jack tried it on, it fit perfectly, like it had been made just for him. You could see the confidence on his face. It wasn’t just a suit anymore; it was his suit, tailor-made to fit him perfectly.

Scripture says something similar about our walk with Christ.

Romans 13:14 tells us,

“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Ephesians 4:22–24 reminds us,

“Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life… Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God, truly righteous and holy.”

And Galatians 3:27 gives the clearest picture of all:

“For those of you who were baptized into Christ have been clothed with Christ.”

Jack had a new suit. He traded his everyday clothes for something new, something sharp, something that changed the way he looked and the way he felt.

In the same way, when we are in Christ, we’re clothed with something far greater than fabric. We are covered in His righteousness. We’re wrapped in His grace. We’re tailored by His Spirit. We trade the discouragement of the world for devotion to Jesus. We trade the hate, the hurt, and the hurry of life for God’s hope, His healing, and His help.

I’ll never forget handing Jack that suit. He took it, gave me a big hug, and said, “Thanks, Dad.”

I smiled and said, “You’re welcome, son. Enjoy it.”

That moment reminds me of what our Heavenly Father does for us every day. He clothes us in Christ, and it fits perfectly every time.

Brothers and sisters, do me a favor and fill in the blanks under “Today’s Thought”. 

Christian, may we be dressed in devotion, driven by love and defined by gratitude. 

If you were to summarize Colossians 3:12-17, that would be the way that I would do it. If we are Christians, we should be devoted to Christ. We should be motivated by love. We should be a people known for our praise, our graciousness, and our thankfulness. 

Today’s Thought:

Christian, May We Be Dressed In Devotion, Driven By Love, And Defined By Gratitude!

Mary K. Mohler is the wife of Southern Baptist Theological President Al Molher. She recently wrote a book entitled “Growing in Gratitude: Rediscovering the Joy of a Thankful Heart”. I was scanning through a review of the book and found this quote. I thought it was applicable to our time together this morning. Listen to what she says about showing gratitude. 

“This is the time to show gratitude for the truth that Jesus loves you. He made you, he’s kept you, and he’s preparing a home in heaven for you that you’ve done absolutely nothing to earn or deserve. And you believe that with all your heart. And that’s why you smile, and that’s why you’re at peace when bad things happen.” 

Today’s Quote:

“This is the time to show gratitude for the truth that Jesus loves you. He made you, he’s kept you, and he’s preparing a home in heaven for you that you’ve done absolutely nothing to earn or deserve. And you believe that with all your heart. And that’s why you smile, and that’s why you’re at peace when bad things happen.” 

-Mary K. Mohler’s “Growing in Gratitude: Rediscovering the Joy of a Thankful Heart”

There in lies the trick. Remember, most people are grateful when positive outcomes are on the menu. But what about when life falls apart, when disease strikes, when anxiety knocks on your door?

Thankful then? Grateful then? Feeling gratitude then?

Possessing gratitude no matter the situation, no matter the circumstance, is a sure fire mark of a mature obedient believer in Christ Jesus. You can quote me on that. 

This morning we are going to be reading from Colossians 3:12-17. Before we read from God’s Word, I want to take a moment and give you the background, the context. 

Background and Context:

Paul wrote the letter to the Colossians while imprisoned in Rome around A.D. 60. This is an important fact to consider since Paul is writing about gratitude and thankfulness. Paul was in prison, not in a palace. Roman prisons were awful. They were dark, damp and dirty places. Roman prisons were typically underground, poorly ventilated, and filled with filth. Prisoners sat in darkness with no natural light. The air was thick with disease, the smell of human waste, and the rot of unwashed bodies. Prisioners like Paul were chained and terribly mistreated. In several of his letters, Paul refers to being in chains. This was not metaphorical but actual. Paul was literally chained. Making matters worse, prisoners were regularly beaten, starved or left malnourished for long stretches of time. Here in America, prisoners are fed, looked after, and given medical care. Not so in Paul’s day. Prisoners had to look out for one another. People on the outside, maybe friends or family had to smuggle food and drink into the prisons if they wanted their loved one to stay alive. Like I said, Paul was writing about thankfulness and gratitude in these conditions. One wouldn’t think he’d be so thankful but when you have Christ, you have plenty to be thankful for. 

Back to the letter, though he had never visited this church, he cared deeply for them. False teachers had crept in, claiming that faith in Jesus wasn’t enough, that believers needed extra rules or hidden knowledge to be truly spiritual. Again this letter was not written to unbelievers. This was written to professing Christians, followers of Jesus. 

Paul reminds them…and us…that Jesus is all we need. If all we had was Him, if all we had was our salvation, we have more than enough. More than enough to be thankful. In Him, we are complete. Chapters 1 and 2 focus on who Christ is; chapters 3 and 4 explain how we should live because of Him.

By the time we reach chapter 3, Paul tells believers to “put on” the character of Christ. Colossians 3:12–17 describes the new wardrobe of a Christian life, compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, love, and above all, gratitude.

So, turn in your Bibles to Colossians 3:12-17. While you are heading there, I want to remind you that…

Statement of Faith:

“This morning, we opening the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.”

Today’s Scripture:

Colossians 3:12-17 CSB

Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, [13] bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. [14] Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. [15] And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. [16] Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. [17] And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Pastor: This is the Word of the Lord.

Congregation: Praise His name, praise His holy name. 

Paul’s Path For Remaining Thankful In A Thankless World

I. Daily Dress With Devotion vs. 12

So, let’s jump into these next three points this morning. Let’s look at Paul’s patch for remaining thankful in a thankless world. Our first point this morning is daily dress with devotion. Go back to verse 12 this morning. 

“Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience…”

I put a short explanation there on your order of worship.  

“It is a daily decision to display outwardly what God has already done inwardly. Christians are intentionally clothe themselves each day with the character of Christ.”

We made a big change in our family recently. Jett, our youngest son started a new school. He now attends Central Christian in Robertsdale. One of the biggest changes that Jett has had to endure is a new dress code. When he was attending public schools, he could pretty much go to his closet and wear whatever he wanted. 

Not any longer. 

Now he has to embrace a much stricter dress code. It’s a white polo shirt. That shirt has to remain tucked in all day mind you. It’s kaki pants. Dark socks. Brown shoes with dark soles. Belt pulling it all together. 

Everyday that Jett puts his feet to the floor, he knows that this is going to be the routine. The guess work has been removed. Angela and I visited the school the other day and it was a change for sure. Every kid dressed the same. The boys all had the same look. The girls dressed in their uniforms. They all looked the same as well. Uniformity is the expectation. 

Why? Why does Central Christian in Robertsdale enforce this rule?

There are probably several reasons. I bet one of those reasons is so their students look distinct from everyone else. By the way, Central is not the only school that has this rule. So does Bayside. So does Bayshore. They all have unique and different uniforms that set their students apart from everyone else. I have lived here in Daphne for 15 years and I know what a Bayshore student looks like and I know what a Bayside student looks like. I can visually tell the difference. They are set apart. They are different. They are unusual. They are unique. 

Paul in verse 12 tells the believers living in Colosse that they are to “put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience”. Like spiritual clothing tailor made for the followers of Christ, these spiritual clothes are expected to be worn so as to set Christians apart from the rest of the world. 

Oh friends, this world is filled with hate. Malice from all directions. People are quick to anger, hot headed, poor listeners, quick to speak, easily offended, triggered at the smallest slight. The world is filled with lies. Lies are so common today. Rarely do we see men and women embrace honesty. Our world is filled with selfishness and selfie sticks. Everyone is trying to create their own brand. We have Christian influencers online singing the latest worship songs in one post while peddling sexually explicit clothing in another post while thinking nothing of it. 

If you were to truly commit to living as a Christian, I mean really commit to it, you would be so counter cultural that people would sit up in their seats and take notice. 

Imagine for one second that you and I truly put on the uniform of Christ. Imagine if we really did walk with compassion. Imagine if we jumped to grace instead of jumping down someone’s throat. 

Imagine if, instead of returning hate with hate, we returned hurt with humility. What if, in a world that screams for attention, we quietly served in love? What if, in a culture obsessed with being right, we were more concerned with being righteous? You see, when believers truly put on Christ, it turns heads. It confuses the angry. It softens the hard-hearted. It shows the world a better way, the way of Jesus.

Oh, how our world needs to see that right now. It doesn’t need more shouting. It doesn’t need more arguing online. It doesn’t need more pride disguised as passion. What this world desperately needs are believers who look like Jesus, talk like Jesus, and love like Jesus. When you clothe yourself daily in devotion, when you make Christ your covering, the world takes notice, not because of your polish, but because of your peace.

Friends, when we walk out the door dressed in Christ, we’re making a statement to the world around us. We’re saying, “I belong to Him.” And when you belong to Him, you reflect His heart in every word you speak and every action you take. So tomorrow morning when you wake up, before you check your phone, before you reach for that cup of coffee, stop and pray, “Lord, help me to wear You well today.”

Before our feet this the floor, we ought to be praying, “Lord, dress me in your grace today. Clothe me in compassion. Cover me in humility. Bless me with a patience spirit.”

Everyday we should essentially let the Lord take control. Control of our minds, our hearts and our mouths. 

Reminds me of Romans 13:14, 

Romans 13:14 NLT

“But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don’t think of ways to indulge your evil desires.”

Paul’s Path For Remaining Thankful In A Thankless World

I. Daily Dress With Devotion vs. 12

II. Faithfully Forgive Your Friends vs. 13 and 14

So, daily dress with devotion. Our second point this morning is to faithfully forgive your friends. Go back to verse 13 and 14. 

“bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

Like I said earlier, Paul wrote this letter to believers. If you were to do a bit of research on the church in Colossae, you find out that it was not a large church. Hardly a mega church. It was actually a pretty small congregation. It may have been a small group but it was extremely diverse. You had Gentile believers who had turned from pagan idol worship. You also meeting there Jews who converted to Christianity. The church met in Philemon’s home who along with his friends and family made up the core of the church. This meant that slaves were worshipping together with their masters. There were men and women worshipping along side one another. All of these brothers and sisters were trying to live the difficult Christian life in a spiritually confused culture that did not understand the church. 

Because you had so many different people all meeting and worshipping together, the opportunity to accidentally offend was certainly on the table. When you stop to consider all the pressure pushing in on the church from the outside world, you can see where conflict, bitterness, and misunderstandings might have been common. 

That is why Paul wrote that they were to forgive one another. Don’t hold grudges. Give grace. Why? Because God has shown you grace upon grace. Who are you, who am I, who are we that we would withhold grace from someone when you think about how often God has had to forgive us? 

“Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

Paul understood this one central truth when it came to the church…

“Forgiveness is the fabric that holds Christian unity together. We forgive others because Christ first forgave us.”

Paul knew that the church would never survive if they could not bear with each other, forgive each other, and show mercy to one another. 

You might be thinking right now…

“But preacher, you don’t know what that person did to me. You don’t know the hurt that I have been carrying. You don’t know the abuse that I have had to endure.”

All of those things are true. You may be hurt. You may have been abused. 

But then there was Jesus. Naked. Beaten half to death. Hanging on the cross. Eyes nearly swollen shut. Moments from death. 

“Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”

Paul give these instructions in Ephesians 4:31-32…

Ephesians 4:31–32 ESV

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

You see friend, Jesus forgave His murderers. He forgave Peter and the disciples who betrayed Him. He knows what betrayal feels like. He knows abuse. If Jesus can forgive, so can you. 

Reminds me of the story of Chris Singleton. In June 2015, Chris Singleton’s life changed forever. His mother Sharonda was at her church. It was Wednesday night and she went to her church’s prayer meeting. She never missed. She loved her church, Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. 

On that terrible night, a gunman walked into the prayer meeting. The young man was welcomed in, offered a seat, and asked if he had any prayer requests. As the church bowed their heads to pray, the young man stood up and opened fire. He killed 9 people. Sharonda was one of those whose life was tragically taken. 

One day after the mass shooting, Chris Singleton was interviewed by reporters from around the world. He look at all the cameras that had gathered there and said that he had forgiven the man who had murdered his mother. 

“Love is stronger than hate. My mother taught me that. And the best thing we can do is love the way she would have loved.”

Chris went on to be an evangelist, traveling the world, telling people of Christ and sharing the good news of forgiveness and grace. 

I have a saying, I don’t know if God gave it to me or if it came from someone else but I say it all the time. 

“Give grace. Give grace generously, continually. Give grace because one day you will need it yourself.”

Let’s move to our last point this morning. 

Our first point was to daily dress with devotion. Our second point was to faithfully forgive our friends. Our last point this morning is that Scripture is the starting point to gratitude. 

Paul’s Path For Remaining Thankful In A Thankless World

I. Daily Dress With Devotion vs. 12

II. Faithfully Forgive Your Friends vs. 13 and 14

III. Scripture Is The Starting Point To Gratitude vs. 16

“When God’s Word fills our hearts, gratitude flows naturally from our lives and our worship.”

Go back to verse 16 this morning. 

Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 

Paul understood that the Word of God is not meant to visit our lives, it’s meant to dwell there. That word “dwell” literally means “to make itself at home.” God’s Word isn’t a guest that we invite in on Sundays and then send away by Monday. It’s the foundation we build everything on.

If you want a heart full of gratitude, it starts with a mind full of Scripture. When God’s Word saturates your thoughts, it changes your perspective. It reminds you of who God is, what He’s done, and what He’s promised to do. The more we know His Word, the more thankful we become, because His Word keeps pointing us back to His faithfulness.

Psalm 119:105 says,

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (NASB)

You see, the world will constantly tell you what you deserve. But the Word tells you what you’ve been given, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and hope. The more we read it, the more our hearts overflow with thanksgiving. Scripture doesn’t just inform us, it transforms us.

Think about the two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24. They were defeated, discouraged, and disappointed after Jesus was crucified. They thought the story was over. But as they walked, a stranger joined them, it was Jesus, though