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The Model Life: Adoration, Part 6 · CCC West Covina

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Today is going to be a day in which when you leave today you
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will say, I am so glad that I came to church today.
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I would hope you say that every Sunday.
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I know you don't probably. But on this Sunday I can almost
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guarantee that you will be saying, I am so glad that I went
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to church today. We are looking at a verse in
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First Thessalonians 5 verse #18 that says in everything give
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thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning
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you. It is a one of of a trilogy of
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commands that says that we are to rejoice always, we are to
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pray without ceasing, and we are to give thanks in everything
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because those 3 commands are God's will in Christ Jesus
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concerning you. It is the model life.
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It's the model life of of adoration, the life that adores
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God, a life that lives according to Christ design.
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And as we think about what God has said, that we are to be
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joyful, prayerful, and thankful, those 3 commands sum up the
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essence of true adoration of the believer.
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When it comes to being thankful, we usually fall into one of
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three categories. Let me explain them to you.
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One category is that we are thankful after the adversity or
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after the the affliction or after the adverse circumstance.
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We'll call this post thankfulness after everything is
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said and done. I'm thankful for instance, in
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the book of Exodus after the party of the Red Sea and Israel
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murmured and complained that that Moses had dragged them out
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of Egypt to to die in the wilderness.
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And Moses said, just stand still and watch the salvation of the
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Lord. And the waters parted.
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They went through on dry land and Pharaoh and all of U.S.
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Army were drowned in the sea. Everybody was thankful.
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They were so thankful before the party of the Red Sea, but after
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it was over, everybody's saying praises to God.
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Read about in Exodus chapter 15, the great song of Miriam, the
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song of praise of song of Moses, right?
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And Miriam was the one who led them with dancing in
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tambourines, praising God for what he had done.
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One of the 10 lepers, after he was healed of leprosy, came back
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and gave thanks to God. This is the easiest category of
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thankfulness, isn't it? We go through a situation of the
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adverse circumstance and we come out the other side and we say,
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Lord, we are so thankful and rightly so, we should be.
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But then there's another category of thankfulness.
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Not just those who are thankful after the adversary.
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This was a little bit harder. These are the ones who give
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thanks to God before the battle. We're going to call this.
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We're going to call this pre thankfulness.
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In other words, they give thanks before the battle begins.
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These are the people of faith like Daniel.
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You remember Daniel, it was said that Darius signed a decree that
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nobody can bow down or pray to any other God but him.
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And so it says that Daniel 6 verse #10 Now when Daniel knew
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that the document was signed, he entered his house.
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Now in his roof chamber he had windows open towards Jerusalem
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and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying
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and giving thanks before his God as he had been doing previously.
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This is before the battle. You give thanks to God.
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This was Daniel, a man of great faith and of course you know the
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story. He was thrown into the lion's
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den and and God spared his life and he became just another great
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individual in that land. There's also King Jehoshaphat.
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We talked about him a couple of weeks ago.
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He would say, Lord, we don't know what to do, but our eyes
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are upon you as the kings of Ammon and the Moabites and the
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Edomites came against Israel to fight them.
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Listen to what Jehoshaphat did in Second Chronicles chapter 20
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when it says verse 20. They arose early in the morning
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and went out to the wilderness of Tacoa, and when they went
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out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Listen to me, O Judah and
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inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the Lord your God,
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and you will be established. Put your trust in his prophets
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and succeed. When he had consulted the
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people, he appointed those who saying to the Lord and those who
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praised him and holy attire as he went out before the army and
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said Give thanks to the Lord for his loving kindness is
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everlasting. So Jehoshaphat gathers the
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people of Judah around, tells them to trust in the Lord, and
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then gets the choir and puts them in front of the army and
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sends them out first to sing praises to God and give thanks
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to God for his loving kindness. And of course Israel won the
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battle without ever having to lift a finger, because the
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armies of Edom and Moab and Emin destroyed themselves.
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But they gave thanks before the battle.
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Jesus did the same on the eve of the crucifixion, when he broke
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the bread and gave thanks. He blessed the cup in the same
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manner, by giving thanks Before the battle, before the garden,
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before Calvary, he gave thanks. I wonder if that's you.
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You know the battles coming. You know it's on the horizon.
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Do you kneel and and give thanks to God for all that he's about
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to do? Comprehending the fact that God
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is sovereign. He's in charge, He's in control.
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You're not, but God's going to do something.
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So you have you have the people who give thanks after the
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affliction. Those are post thankful people.
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Yeah, those who who give thanks before the battle, those are pre
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thankful people. But the rub is this.
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Those who give thanks during the difficulty, during the hardship,
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we call this mid thankfulness. Those who give thanks right in
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the middle of the turmoil. These people are unique.
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They're like Jonah we saw last week in the belly of the fish.
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In the middle of his of his trial, he offered a sacrifice of
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Thanksgiving. It's like the apostles when they
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were beaten in Acts chapter 5 and they gave thanks to God
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because they were able to suffer for his name's sake.
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It's like Job, well, he lost everything he said, blessed be
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the name of the Lord, for it's the Lord who gives and the Lord
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who takes away. It's like the Apostle Paul in
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Silas in Acts 16 when they were in prison and they begin to
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sing, sing praises to God and give thanks to him while in
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prison. Paul had probably the best
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prison ministry anybody ever had, but he was always giving
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praise and thanks to God. Just read the the book of
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Philippians where he tells those in in Philippi to rejoice in the
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Lord always. And again.
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I say rejoice because he would give Thanksgiving to his God in
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the midst of his prison cell. I wonder if that's you.
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That's what Paul says. And 1st Thessalonians 5 verse
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#18 in everything, not before everything, not after everything
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in everything, give thanks for this is the will of God in
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Christ Jesus concerning you. How on earth can anybody ever
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really truly do that? Even though we have examples in
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Scripture of those who did, How do we do that?
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We told you last week that that Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving
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reveals my conversion to Christ. It reveals my commitment to the
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will of God. It also reveals my my condition
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spiritually. Nothing reveals your spiritual
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condition more than when you give thanks.
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Remember, Thanksgiving is not a matter of feeling thankful.
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Thanksgiving is a matter of obedience to God.
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It's like forgiveness. You don't forgive because you
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feel like forgiving. If that's the case, you probably
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never forgive anybody. You forgive because you obey the
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command of God to forgive. The same is true with a thankful
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heart. You give thanks to God because
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it's a command and you adore Him and you worship Him and you want
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to obey the commands of God. Turn with me if you would to the
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book of Colossians, the book of Colossians in the 3rd chapter.
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This how you know Thanksgiving reveals your condition
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spiritually when Paul says in verse 12, chapter 3.
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So as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on
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a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and
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patience, bearing with one another and forgiving each
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other, whoever has to complain against anyone, just as the Lord
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forgave you, so also should you beyond all these things, love,
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which is the perfect bond of unity.
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And then he says this, Let the peace of Christ rule in your
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hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be
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thankful. Let the peace of of Christ rule
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in your hearts. Let the fact that you are now no
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longer the enemy of God, but that you're the friend of God.
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You're at peace with God. Having been justified by faith,
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we have peace with God. Let the fact that you're at
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peace with God be the governing factor in every decision you
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make. In other words, the word rule
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means to umpire to make the final call.
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In other words, let Christ make the final call in every decision
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you make and then be thankful. Let the peace of Christ rule in
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your hearts, and then he says, let the word of Christ reside in
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your heart. He says, let the word of Christ,
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which He dwell within you with all wisdom, teaching and
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admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual
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songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
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How do you sing with thankfulness in your heart to
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God? Because the word of Christ is at
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home. It richly dwells in your heart.
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The word of God is not a stranger to you.
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When the word of God is a stranger to you, you have no
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song of Thanksgiving. But when the word of Christ is
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no longer a stranger, it's at home in your heart.
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It resides as supreme in your heart.
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You sing with Thanksgiving. So Paul says let the peace of
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Christ rule in your hearts and be thankful.
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Let the word of Christ reside in your heart so you can sing with
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thankfulness. And then he says, let the name
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of Christ reign in your hearts. He says verse 17, whatever you
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do in Word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
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giving thanks through him to God the Father.
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In other words, whatever you do in Word or in deed, no matter
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what you're doing, no matter where you're going, Christ
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reigns supreme. The name of Christ, the nature
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of Christ, the character of Christ who He is, reigns
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supreme. And when He does, you give
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thanks. That's why we say that
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Thanksgiving reveals our condition spiritually.
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When the peace of Christ rules, when the word of Christ resides,
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and when the name of Christ reigns, thankfulness just spews
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out. Now having said that, how is it
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possible for anyone at any time, no matter how adverse the
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circumstance, no matter how bad the battle, no matter how severe
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the suffering, can one be thankful?
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Well, This is why you will be so glad you came today.
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I'm going to give you 7 principles that will help you
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understand how I can obey the command of God to be thankful in
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everything so that my life of adoration becomes a model that
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exemplifies Jesus Christ my Lord.
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Follow through with me very carefully.
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Number one, I am thankful always, at all times in
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everything for a throne that is graceful.
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A throne that is graceful. You know the verse Hebrews
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chapter 4, verse #16 Therefore, let us draw near with confidence
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to the throne of grace so that we may receive mercy and find
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grace to help in time of need. There is a throne, it's heaven's
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throne, and it's where the King himself sits.
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It's called the throne of grace. And I'm able to go there
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confidently when I am in need of God's grace to be poured out in
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my life. We are saved by grace, for, you
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know, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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And that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor.
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Why set you through his poverty might become rich?
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2nd Corinthians 8 verse #9 For by grace are you safe to faith?
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We're saved by grace. We're strengthened by grace.
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Second Timothy 2 verse #1 Be strong in the grace that is in
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Christ Jesus. You can read Titus chapter 2
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verses 11 the following We we are sanctified by grace.
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Everything about our lives comes because of free sovereign favor
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that God gives to the ill deserving.
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That's that's Benjamin Warfield's definition of grace,
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God's free favor, free sovereign favor that he gives to the ill
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deserving. The Bible is so replete with
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God's wonderful grace. Listen to what the Lord says to
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the pen of Isaiah and Isaiah 30 verse #18 Therefore the Lord
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longs to be gracious to you. Imagine that the Lord longs to
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be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to
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have compassion on you. For the Lord is a God of
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justice. How blessed are all those who
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long for Him. The Lord waits on high to have
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compassion upon you. He wants you to come to the
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throne of grace because He longs to show you His loving kindness.
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He wants to be gracious to you. And so the right of Hebrews
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tells us we can go to that throne with confidence, knowing
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that God will bestow grace upon us.
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There's a throne that is graceful.
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That's why I can be thankful in everything, because I need God's
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grace to sustain me. I need God's grace that's
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sufficient for me from day-to-day.
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I need God's grace to strengthen me from day-to-day.
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I can't make it without God's grace.
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And there's a throne that is graceful, where the God of grace
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sits and waits because he so desperately longs.
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To be gracious to you, let's know what Peter says.
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Peter said that this way in first Peter 5 verse #10 he says
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after you have suffered for a little while.
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How long is that? I have no idea because heaven
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has no clock, has no calendar, so I don't know how long a
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little while is. The peace is after you've
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suffered a little while. The God of grace, the God of
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grace who sits on the throne of grace, who longs to be gracious
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to you, the God of grace who calls you to his eternal glory
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in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and
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establish you. That's what God wants to do.
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He wants first of all, to perfect you.
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He wants to to restore that which is missing.
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He wants to take that which is broken and put it together.
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He wants to establish you. He wants to make you solid as
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granted. He wants to strengthen you.
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He wants to fill you with strength.
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He wants to settle you so you have a firm foundation.
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What God wants to do, someone comes along as well.
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I know the God of grace. I've I've gone to the throne of
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grace. I, I've begged for grace and,
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and and and I haven't received grace.
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Well, Peter answers that when he says this.
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God is opposed to the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.
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If you're not experiencing God's grace, it's because of your own
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pride for the humble person God just longs to be gracious to.
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So there's a throne that is graceful so I can give thanks in
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everything because that throne is always available for me to
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approach confidently #2 Not only is there a throne that is
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graceful, there is a hope that is delightful, a hope that is
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delightful. Hope is not guesswork.
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Hope is not speculation. Hope is assurance.
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In the Bible, it's it's a conviction that God will fulfill
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every promise. It's the anticipation of every
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promise that God gives will be accomplished in the life of His
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own. Listen to what Paul says in
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Romans chapter 8. He says in Romans 8 verse #24
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For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen as not
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hope for who hopes for what is already sees.
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But if we hope for what we do not see with perseverance, we
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wait eagerly for it. Then he goes on to say verse
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#828 for we know that all things work together for good to those
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who love God in a called according to his purpose.
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Why he tells you he says for those who he foreknew verse 29.
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He predestined to become conformed to the image of his
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son. See, there's a hope that's
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delightful. What's the hope?
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The hope is not going to be conformed to the image of his
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Son, and God will use any measure to make sure that my
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life represents him to the best way possible.
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And God will stop at nothing to to make you, to mold you, to
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form you, to be this best representative on earth.
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So God does that. There's a hope that is
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delightful because it's a throne that is graceful #3 There is an
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advocate that is needful, an advocate that is needful.
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What is John saying in first John chapter 2?
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He says in verse #1 My little children, I am writing these
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things to you so that you may not sin.
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And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus
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Christ the righteous. You know, so many times in the
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midst of our trial, in the midst of our tomorrow, there is sin
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that occurs, but we have an advocate that's absolutely
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needful. Now, here's here's the key
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point. We have a advocate in heaven and
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we have an advocate in our heart because the word for advocate is
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paracletos. Same word used of how Christ
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describes the Spirit of God. When he says that I'm going to
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send to you another comforter, another paracletos, another
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advocate. So you have an advocate in your
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heart, right? An advocate in your heart who
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soothes you in your difficulties, and an advocate in
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heaven who speaks in our defense.
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We have an advocate that's needful.
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That's why I can give thanks and everything because there's a
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throne that that's graceful that I can approach at any time.
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And there's a hope that's delightful because God's doing
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something unique and special in my life that I have no idea what
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He's going to do, but I hope in the hope of His promises.
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And I have an advocate that will soothe me from the inside my
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heart and speak for me on the outside in heaven, because Satan
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is the accuser of the brethren, and Christ is my great defense.
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That's how I know I can give thanks in everything.
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But it gets better. Not only is there a throne that
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is graceful, hope that is delightful, and advocate is
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needful, there is a new life that is meaningful.
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If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.
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All things have passed away. Behold, all things have become
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new. There's a new life that's
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meaningful. How can I give thanks and
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everything? Because Christ gave me his life.
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Christ, who is my life? Colossians 3 verse #3 He's my
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life. And listen, it is a meaningful
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life. So it's so important to realize
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that there's a new life that's meaningful.
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I've been saved by His grace. I'm a child of the living God.
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Therefore, listen. Listen.
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As Christians, we don't find meaning in our education.
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We don't find meaning in our job.
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We don't find meaning in our marriage.
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We don't find meaning in our children.
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We don't find meaning in my bank account.
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Those are all temporary things that come and go.
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You find meaning only in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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He gives you meaning. He gives you significance.
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He gives you everything you long for because He's the God of the
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universe and He's your God. And therefore you don't find
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meaning in your work, in your money, in your marriage.
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You bring meaning to your work. You bring meaning to your
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marriage. You bring meaning to your
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workplace, to your school. You bring meaning to everybody
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you come in contact with because you have a new life.
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So now you have a new life that's meaningful.
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So in the midst of whatever it is you're going through, realize
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that you're a child of the living God whose life is
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completely and totally meaningful, not because of you,
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but because of Christ. And I'm going to bring meaning
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to that environment, that difficulty, that hardship, to
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whoever it may be and whoever it affects.
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That's how I can give thanks. Thank you, Lord, for a new life
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in Christ. Thank you for a throne that I
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can approach, Thank you that I have an advocate in my heart and
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in heaven. And thank you, Lord, that my
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hope is fixed on you. This is the will of God, that
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you give thanks in everything. How there's a throne that is
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graceful, a hope that is delightful, an advocate is
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needful, a new life that is meaningful #5-A king who is
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powerful. A king who is powerful.
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Psalm 6211. Power belongs to God.
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He is the king of all kings. He is the Lord of all Lords.
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And Isaiah 96, he's called the AL Gabor, the Almighty God in
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the Book of Revelation 9 times. He's called the Pantocrator the
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Almighty. He's my king and my king is all
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powerful. Jeremiah 3217 says, Behold, thou
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has made the heavens and the earth by thy great power,
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therefore nothing is too difficult for thee, nothing he
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is able to do. Ephesians 320 exceeding
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abundantly above all that we ever ask or think, according to
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the power that works in US. There's a power that works in us
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because we serve a king who is powerful.
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That's why 2nd Corinthians 69 says the eyes of the Lord search
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to and fro throughout all the earth, so that he might
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strengthen, give power to those whose hearts are completely His.
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That's what God wants to do. That's how God does that, so I
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can give thanks in everything because there's a throne that is
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graceful, there's a hope that is delightful.
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There's an advocate that was needful, a new life that is
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meaningful, a king who is powerful.
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Number six, there's a father who is merciful, a father who is
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merciful, the Bible says over in Second Corinthians chapter 1,
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blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
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Father of mercies. God doesn't have mercy.
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God is mercy. That's there's a big difference
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there. God doesn't have love.
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He is love doesn't have grace. He is grace.
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That's who He is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
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who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be
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able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort
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with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
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He, he's called the Father of mercies, and so how can I give
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thanks and everything is because I have a Father in heaven who's
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absolutely, truly merciful to me.
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God's grace is for those who are guilty.
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God's mercy is for those who are miserable.
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And that's why God's mercy is so great.
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Ephesians 2. Four.
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He is rich in mercy. Hebrews 27 Christ is called our
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merciful and faithful high priest in Psalm 136.
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Every verse ends with his mercies endure forever because
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there's a Father who is merciful.
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Listen to what the psalmist did. Psalm 69, verse #13 But As for
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me, my prayer is to You, O Lord, at an acceptable time.
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O God, in the greatness of Your mercy, answer me with Your
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saving truth. Deliver me from the mire, and do
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not let me sink. May I be delivered from my foes
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and from the deep waters. May the flood of water not
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overflow me, nor the deep swallow me up, nor the pit shut
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its mouth on me. Answer me, O Lord, for Your
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mercy is good according to the greatness of your compassion.
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Turn to me, the psalmist did He approached the God of mercies so
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that the waters would not overflow him, the grave would
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not swallow him. Who else do you go to but the
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Father of mercies? And then over in, in Psalm 86,
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first number one, incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for
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I am afflicted and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am a
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godly man. O you my God, save your servant
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who trusts in you. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for
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to you I cry all day long. Make me glad or make glad the
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soul of your servant. For to you, O Lord, I lift up my
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soul. For you, Lord, are good and
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ready to forgive and abundant in mercy to all who call upon you.
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He's abundant in mercy to those who call upon him.
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Verse 11 Teach me your ways, O Lord, I will walk in your truth,
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unite my heart to fear your name.
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I will give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
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and will glorify your name forever.
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For your loving kindness or your mercy toward me is great, and
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You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
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This is so good. It's the mercy of God, the
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Father of mercies. That's why I can be thankful in
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everything. I have a Father who is
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absolutely merciful. The Bible says He's abundant in
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mercy. Psalm 90.
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Psalm 90, verse #14 O, satisfy us in the morning with Your
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mercy, that we may sing for joy, and be glad all our days.
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And then he says something very, very interesting.
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Let's know what He says. Make us glad according to the
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days you have afflicted us and the years we have seen evil.
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The psalmist says. In the morning you show mercy,
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in the morning you give mercy, and we shout for joy, and our
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hearts are glad. But Lord, make us glad according
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to the days in which we were afflicted.
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You see, there's something about affliction that draws you so
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close to the Lord that without affliction you would never
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experience it. There's something about
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suffering, hardship, difficulty, pain that does something that
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nothing else on earth can do. It drives the believer to the
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Father of mercies. Why?
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Because there the throne of grace, mercy is dispensed.
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So there's a throne that is grateful, There is a hope that
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is delightful. There is an advocate that was
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needful, a new light that's meaningful.
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A king was powerful, a father was merciful.
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And the number seven, I'm sorry, did I say 7 earlier?
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There's really eight. Sorry.
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You go pastor, there's really 10.
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No, that's not true. There's an unspeakable gift that
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is wonderful thanks being to God for his unspeakable gift, the
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gift of eternal life. It's not eternal life is not
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longevity of life, although it does last forever.
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Eternal life is, is knowing Christ, John 17 verse #3 this is
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eternal life that they may know the one true God and Jesus
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Christ who now has sent eternal life is quality of life.
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And so there's an unspeakable gift that's wonderful.
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How wonderful is it? It's the gift of God's eternal
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life. And so I can give thanks to God
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in everything, because what I'm experiencing right now is only a
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a blip on the screen of eternity.
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I will one day spend all my glory days with my God because
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He's given me the gift of eternal life that comes only
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through His Son, Jesus Christ. So how can I give thanks and
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everything? How does someone like Erica
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Kirk, after the assassination of her husband this past week, how
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does she give thanks and everything?
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What would you tell her? How would you encourage her to
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give thanks? How would you encourage a loved
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one who is going through great bouts of suffering?
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You show them there's a throne that's absolutely graceful,
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There's a hope that's delightful.
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There's an advocate who is needful.
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There is a new life that is meaningful.
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There's a king who is powerful, a father who is merciful, an
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unspeakable gift that is wonderful.
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Lastly, there's a Lord who is faithful.
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A Lord who is faithful, Paul says in First Thessalonians 524,
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Faithful is he who calls you, and he also will bring it to
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pass. Psalm 33, four says, For the
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word of the Lord is righteous in all his works.
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All of them are done in faithfulness.
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Isaiah 11 verse #5 says faithfulness is the belt around
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His waist. In other words, faithfulness
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ties all of His attributes together.
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And then Psalm 37 three says feed securely on His
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faithfulness. In other words, your food.
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Spiritually speaking, this is faithfulness.
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Hebrews 10/23 says he who promised is faithful, and then
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Second Thessalonians chapter 3 verse #3 says the Lord is
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faithful and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil. 1
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the Lord who is faithful. The psalmist Psalm 119 said
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this. I know, O Lord, that your
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judgments are righteous. So I ask you, do you know that?
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Do you know that God's judgments are righteous?
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He's a righteous God. All of his judgments are done in
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righteousness. And God is a faithful God, so
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his righteous judgments are faithful judgments.
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So the psalmist says in Psalm 1/19/75.
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I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are righteous and in
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faithfulness You have afflicted me.
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The psalmist knew his affliction was because of God's
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faithfulness. Well, why would God and His
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faithfulness afflict you? The psalmist answers that
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question too. Verse 67.
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Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep Your
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word. Lord, You are so faithful to
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afflict me. Why?
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Because before I was afflicted, I just did whatever I wanted to
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do. I went my own way.
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But now because of affliction, I keep your word.
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And then he says in verse 71, It is good for me that I was
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afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
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Without affliction, you'll never learn the statutes of God.
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So God is doing everything He can to bring you closer to Him.
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And so unfaithfulness, because His judgments are always
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righteous. He afflicts you so that you'll
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no longer go your own way, but that you'll keep His word and
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that you'll learn all you can about him, because without that
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affliction you would not learn. So if you are astute, you know
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that that was an acrostic for the word thankful, so that in
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everything you can give thanks, you can obey that command.
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Isn't it interesting that Paul never tells him what I told you
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today? But he didn't have to.
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He didn't tell them how to rejoice always.
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He just told them to rejoice always.
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Didn't tell them how to pray without ceasing and didn't tell
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them how to give thanks in everything, even though this is
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God's will for you. Because the First Thessalonians
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213 and that is when they heard the Word of God, they knew it
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was God's holy word and they just put out the welcome mat and
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received it as God's word and they welcomed it with joy.
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I want all of us to be able to give thanks and everything
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because this is the will of God for you and for me.
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And May God give us the grace to accomplish that.
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Let's pray together. Lord God, we thank you for this
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day, Lord, so much, so much to address and talk about.
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So little time seems to do it, to do it all.
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And yet, Lord you, you've given us your precious word.
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I pray and word for everyone in the room today.
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I don't know what but hardship or pain or difficulty things are
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going, people are going through in this, in this, in this room.
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But Lord, you know, and you long to be gracious to them.
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You wait on high to show compassion upon them.
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That's you. That's what you do.
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And our prayer, Father, is that we would be a thankful people no
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matter what the situation, no matter what the circumstance, no
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matter how bad the turmoil, no matter how deep the water, how
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gross the grave maybe truly give thanks to you and everything,
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for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning each and
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every one of us. So we thank you for today as we
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leave, maybe leave differently than when we arrived.
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Maybe say I'm so glad to have come today to worship the King
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in Jesus name, Amen.