Keys To Thanksgiving

open your bibles with me into the book of philippians at chapter number four philippians 4. verses six seven and verse number eight and i want to preach about keys to thanksgiving keys to thanksgiving be careful for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known under god and the peace of god which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through christ jesus verse 8 reads finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue and if there be any praise think on these things thank you you may have your seats the grass withers and the flower that rub fadeth away but the word of our god shall stand forever as christian believers i should hope that we would not just use this time of the year to give god hearty things i would hope that every day every moment that you think about it every time it runs across your mind every time you get quiet and have a silent moment or two you are reminded of how much you have to be thankful for i think it it becomes apparent to us the older we get how grateful we are when you get a certain age for just small things i wish i had a witness here when i was immature and growing in my faith i was thankful for a car and thankful for clothes and money those are temporal blessings that of course you ought to be thankful for but as you mature and as you grow and as you start to age you start thanking god just to be able to get up in the morning you thank god that nobody had to feed you you were able to dress yourself in the language of our elders we were clothed and in our right mind with a reasonable portion of our health and strength just that is enough to be thankful for when you look at television and read the newspaper and look at what's going on in third world countries and how persons right in our own country are suffering with no jobs and people are homeless and begging and sleeping on the streets and last night you had a comfortable bed to sleep in you had a warm house to walk around in that's enough for you even right now this morning this this hour this very second to tell god thank you i could have been dead sleeping in my grave but god in his infinite mercy god in his gracious loving kindness has given us another opportunity to give his name thanks when we look at this text that paul shares with the church at caesarea philippi he's showing us that there are three looks or three keys that the church ought to have whenever you think about thanksgiving and verse number six the the first look the church ought to have towards thanksgiving is a look upwards when you look up you can give god thanks he says be careful for nothing that word be careful means don't be anxious don't be worried over anything oh don't don't don't don't let life get you all twisted up to where you get nervous about whether or not god is going to come through that ought not ever be a concern of the believer because with god there's no such thing as an emergency i need to tell somebody here god neither slumbers nor sleeps and there's nothing that will ever catch god by surprise and whatever happens in your life is no shock to god be careful be anxious be worried over nothing but in everything that's how you keep from being anxious that's how you keep from worrying in everything by prayer and supplication make your request known unto god if you're going to worry then don't pray but if you're going to pray then don't worry you look up and realize that your blessings don't come from your bank account somebody ought to help me preach it your blessing don't come from your connections and your hookups your blessings don't come from your degree or your social strata your job or your income all i help comes from god again you've got to be awfully young here not to realize where your blessings come from it comes from looking up and realizing that when you pray that's a sign of dependence when you praying you're saying to god i can't but you can you're saying to god i don't have it but you do i wish i had a bible reader the scripture says the cattle on a thousand hills belong to the lord the earth is the lord's the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell therein the lord is my shepherd i shall not want the lord is my light and my salvation whom shall i fear everything i need comes not from down but from up you have to you got to you got to get your mind right if you're going to be a thankful person because you woke up this morning there's no guarantee that you're going to wake up tomorrow morning oh and and and and and when you wake up there's no guarantee you're going to get up your strength got to come from god have i got a witness your help got to come from god your good mind has to come from god we take for granted just breathing every day when you when you got into bed last night you knew what time you went to bed but you don't know what time you fell asleep and while you were sleeping god kept your heart beating all night god kept your lungs expanding with air going in and out all night according to your autonomic nervous system that god just put in your body to regulate you while you're not even making it happen god did that while you slept so when you woke up this morning if you didn't say thank you now would be a good time because some people went to bed last night who didn't wake up this morning god woke you up in your right mind that didn't come from you every time you look up you ought to tell god thank you for the air you breathe for the clothes you wear for the house you live in for a job in the morning you're able to put food on your table you provide for your family i wish i had one or two witness here those are small things that we just take for granted but there are so many people outdoors with no coat to wear no shoes to put on but god's been good to us and as long as you keep looking up blessings will always come down because when praises go up blessings come down i was i was getting out of my driveway yesterday and uh young man it was cold and young man was was trying to get his bags together to get his coat out a little shabby coat he put on and had no socks on short pants and some tennis shoes with no strings in them and i thought about that i looked at that a long time and thought about that i'm not that far removed from that being me you see the the the problem with being in church a while is you start thinking you more than focal not in church and you think that life can't turn on you and you can't have a reversal of fortune and the same people you're looking down your church nose at god may raise them up and they will have much and you will not i don't take my blessings for granted i don't think i don't take what god does for me for granted because god does not have to do anything for me all my blessings come down because of god's mercy it is of the lord's mercy that we are not consumed and those mercies are new every morning great is the lord's even when i'm unfaithful great is the lord's faithfulness towards me you have to take an upward look and when you look up you ought to say thank you and then verse 7 tells us we ought to look around verse 6 talks about looking up be careful be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto god that's that's looking up but verse 7 is looking around and the peace of god which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through christ jesus look around you while you were sleeping last night ambulances were rolling all over houston police sirens were all over houston shootings and deaths were everywhere in this city every time you turn on the television there's some shooting some robbery some kidnapping this now you can't go to a party at somebody's house without some fool coming over there in some gang-related shooting uh i saw on the television this morning they just walk up to people and knock them out on the streets that's the craziest thing i've ever heard in my life you're not safe even in your own home well they they'll break in your house and and hold hostage your whole family when you look around and see all of the stuff that's going on but in christ there's a peace and a contentment that surpasses all understanding now i got reason to be nervous because i'm in the hood but i've got a peace that surpasses all understanding because brothers and sisters listen i've just made up my mind since the lord is going to be up all night it just makes sense for me to go to sleep since he neither slumbers nor sleeps what am i going to do walking around all night because except the lord keep your house burglar bars can't keep them from coming in i wish i had some noise here unless the lord built a fence around you your alarm system can keep death from coming to your house there's a peace that comes to you when you know christ that surpasses all understanding i need to talk to somebody here who knows a little bit of what i'm talking about i need two or three witnesses here that i know can help me testify you didn't have a job for a year but you never missed a meal there were days when you didn't know if you could make ends meet but you never got put out of your house somebody help me i know some folk here who didn't have an income and there were foreclosures in their neighborhood but they went to bed every night with a peace that surpasses all understanding because his word says i will keep him in perfect peace whose mind i wish i had some noises is stained on me you can't be with your children all the time you don't know what's going on in that school you don't know what's happening at the bus stop you don't know who is walking around the school but when you put him in the lord's hands you got a peace that surpasses all understanding i wish i had somebody to help me here and when folk around you are falling apart and looking at you wondering why are you still keeping your cool they don't understand that you got something going on on the inside that can't be disturbed by atmospheric conditions i i wish i wish we had more uh people at lilly grove who were thermostats instead of thermometers thermostats go up and down depending on parametric pressure and atmospheric conditions but thermostats control what's going on on the inside no matter what the weather condition outside it could be 44 outside but 74 on the inside because the thermostat is not worried about atmospheric pressure the thermostat controls conditions on the inside every true christian here today has a thermostat on the inside that's called the holy spirit that when your world is crumbling outside you you got a peace that passes all understanding you can shout when you're broke you can shout when you got a chat you can shout when you're sick shout when you well shout when they like you shout when they're talking about you behind your back shout when you're up shout i can do all faith through christ who strengthens me just just just look around that's what verse 7 is talking about just look around i was mitch i was trying to mention it this morning in the in the message this morning that uh shouters and praisers people who shout and praise god have learned to shut out the noise from people who don't like shouting and praising i was trying to talk this morning about that woman with that alabaster box she came in that pharisee's house and just broke open that alabaster box and poured it out on jesus knowing that she could have been stoned for that expressive act of extravagant love and faith but when you want to see jesus when you are desperate enough you don't care what convention says you don't care what protocol says you don't care what decorum is you just want to give god glory for who he is and for what he's done in your life and if that aggravates folk around you oh well i woke up this morning with my mind have i got a witness stayed on jesus because i've got a story to tell i don't want you to i don't want i don't want you to do it right now because they're looking at you but about five six minutes from now just look around look around at folks who haven't opened their mouth look around at people who haven't said amen god has kept you from last sunday until this present moment don't look at him now but about five or ten minutes from now i just want you to turn around and say girl you crazy are you out your mind do you know what's gonna happen to you from last sunday to this sunday somebody ought to help me preach it i don't want you to do it now because they're going to be waiting on it but after a while i want you to say are you losing your mind god kept you all night last night god kept you on 45 north on 59 south on 6 10 that was an accident that you could have been in and when you look around if you've got good sense you've got to tell the lord thank you i'm through now i'm finished i'm going to make my gumbo here in a minute but i got one more verse for you verse 6 says if you look up you got to say thank you verse 7 says if you look around you got to say thank you but verse 8 says if you look ahead you got to say thank you finally brethren let's look in the head whatsoever things are true i wish i had somebody to help me close it whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue if there be any praise even though you don't have those things yet think on it you still in an apartment but god got a house in your future is getting you from one place to the next but there's a new car in your future sink on it somebody ought to help me here there's there's poor health right now you're struggling going to the doctor and taking medication but think about this one day and he doesn't have to take you out of this world to do it god can give you stress god can renew your body and give you a peace and a joy and a satisfaction that no bottle of medicine will ever be able to produce i need a bible reader to help me right here paul said i've learned you're going to help me close this won't you in whatsoever state i find myself in i'm going to be content have i got a witness i know how to act when i'm empty and when i'm full i know how to act when i'm up and when i'm down when you walk with the lord he will give you a peace and a contentment that no money can buy ever got a witness here because money can buy food but not an appetite medicine but not good health a house but not a home you need something money can't buy and that's a piece that passes all understanding and listen if the blessings you are praying for has not come to you yet paul says look up look around and look ahead your miracle is on the way your breakthrough is on the way now you're looking at somebody and listening to somebody who's got a personal story and a testimony that you already know that god knows how to resurrect a dead life dead hopes dead aspirations dead expectations because you are looking at a miracle somebody ought to help me close right here i am god's trophy of what looking up and looking around and looking ahead will do in a person's life i've already seen god move in some miraculous ways not just in my life but there are others of us in here today with our own testimony that when you look up and look around and look ahead god is doing great things i wish i had somebody who was thankful this morning i wish i had somebody who was grateful this morning now i told you about five six minutes ago to look around you and look at these people and see how they respond to god's goodness god's been good to you i say god's been good to you that man walked out and left you with those children and you raised them by yourself nobody but the lord did that ever got a witness here sometimes you had more months than you had money but god always made ends meet you ought to tell god thank you right now your enemies thought that you'd be finished by now they lied on you but they couldn't stop you they put stumbling blocks in your way but they couldn't hinder your progress they tried to pull you down but every time you fell god always was there to pick you right up that's enough to you for you to look up and look around and to look ahead and tell god thank you when my enemies and my foes i wish i had a bible reader came upon me to eat up my flesh the bible says they stumbled and they fail the host should encamp against me and this will i be confident one thing have i desired of the lord and that will i seek after that i may dwell in the house of the lord all the days of my life for in the time of trouble yeah you can help me he shall hide me anybody here ever needed the lord to hide you anybody here ever needed the lord to be your shelter anybody here ever needed god to be your strong tower then you ought to help me testify that when you look up and look around and look ahead god will show up i said he will show up has thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting god the father the creator of the ends of the earth there is no searching of his understanding i wish i had one or two more bible readers the youth shall grow weary and the young men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not get weary they shall walk and not faint god will provide god will open doors god will make a way if you look up if you look ahead if you look around god is doing great things now i told you to look at some of these people and see what their response is some of them haven't opened their mouth yet some of them haven't clapped their hands they haven't shake their head they haven't nodded they haven't rocked back and forth maybe they don't have anything to be thankful for so just leave them alone let them stay right where they are but if you got something to be grateful for if you got something to tell god thank you for don't let those people stop you don't let them folk hinder you from praising god you got your own testimony you got your own story to tell god has been doing great things god has been up to something in your life and if you trust and never doubt come on you can help me he will surely bring you out god's been a mother for somebody god's been company for somebody god's been a friend when you were friendless bred when you were hungry is there anybody here got a story to tell is there anybody here got something to be thankful for you don't have to wait until thursday to tell god thank you sunday would be a good time to tell him thank you for all you've done for me thank you for the many storms you brought me through thank you for the many doors you opened for me thank you for being my savior and my god thank you when my loved ones left me i recognize that weeping may endure for night but joy will come in the morning when i was down to my last dime i recognize he's jehovah jarrett the god who will provide is there anybody here got a story to tell if the lord opened doors for you don't wait for pharisee to say thank you tell him thank you right now if the lord been good to you don't wait till thanksgiving to tell him thank you tell him thank you right now if the lord made a way for you don't wait till thursday to tell him thank you now would be a good time to say thank you if the lord made your enemy your footstool if the lord i wish i had to witness it shine shining light on you you want to tell them thank you right now why don't you grab somebody tell them i'm not gonna wait till the battle is over i'm a shot right now i'm not gonna wait until my answer comes i'ma praise god in advance i'm not gonna wait for anybody else to praise it i will bless the lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth is there anybody here want to bless the lord at all time shake somebody's hand tell them i don't know about you but i will bless the alone i will praise the lord i will thank the lord i will i will i will i will tell god thank you he's done so much done so much no he's alright lord i thank you lord i thank you lord i thank you i could have been dead sleeping in my grave but lord i thank you i could have been outdoors last night but lord i thank you lord i could have had nobody to love me but lord i thank you has he been good i said hasn't he been good if the lord been good to you help me bless his name help me praise his name help me shout hallelujah help me lift your hands and tell god if he doesn't do anything else he's already already already done more than enough if he doesn't answer another prayer if he doesn't open another door if he doesn't make another way i got so much to be thankful for why don't you drive somebody tell them i got so much i got so much to be thankful for cautions us to look up to look around and look ahead and that will give you reason to tell god thank you uh one day the skies will break wide open and the warrior king christ will leave his seat at the right hand of god with power and swear the time that has been shall be no more but if he delays coming and i die in the meantime if this earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved i have another building a house not made with hands but eternal in the heavens that's something to be thankful for i got a mother over there i've got a father over there but as soon as my feet strike zion i'ma lay down my heavy burden and tell the lord thank you for all you've done for me my last words i hope before i leave this world would be to tell god thank you for your meaningful blessings you

Channel: lillygrovembc

Views: 114,234

Rating: 4.7151337 out of 5

Keywords: Reverend Terry Anderson Pastor Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church Houston Texas

Id: _N3hZR9NxBw

Length: 37min 44sec (2264 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 26 2014