November 25, 2018 "After Giving Thanks" Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley

[Applause] your neighbor may know how good god is but they have no clue how good God's been to you that each and every one of us ought to have our personal reason why we praise and thank the Lord the way we do and it's so deeply embedded in me that your evil stare and your snarl on your face and you're giving me that sit down look really doesn't affect how good God's been to me and if you allowed me to praise him the way I want to praise him I'm gonna allow you to praise him the way you want to praise him but you can't dictate how I praise the Lord because you don't know how good god has been so if you know he's been good to you you've got your own reason for a choice and be grateful thank you don for being good [Applause] [Music] [Applause] behind all the glory behind it there's a story of how good god has been to me yes as we revel in this moment of giving thanks when you hear reading from the Word of God that I believe challenges us on how we live who are grateful to God it comes to us on the 12th 12th chapter of the Gospel of John and I'm going to invite you to hear a reading from the New International Version of God's Word John chapter 12 like to reading your hearing verses one through three and it is our custom - those who are physically able to stand with us as together we reverence the reading of the Word of God John chapter 12 beginning in verse number one six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus lived whom Jesus had raised from the dead here a dinner was given in Jesus honor Martha served while Lazarus is among those who work was reclining with him at the table then Mary took about a pint of pure nard an expensive perfume she poured it on Jesus feet and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume that's enough right there today I want to talk to you about what you do after giving thanks you may be seated in the presence of the Lord after giving thanks I'm gonna ask you all to pray with me and for me I'm a work in progress and the Lord has been working on me about learning to deal with all types of people and although I'm growing in my prayer and I'm a work in progress I'm a practicing Christian I want to testify that there's some folk that's just hard to get along with some people some people just I don't like mean people people wake up angry always have a bad attitude a chip on their shoulder nothing nice to say I don't like cheap people you know the friends when you go out to brunch and y'all have one ticket and you pass the bill around and it comes back short cuz people don't know how to tax and give tip and they want to argue that they didn't have a coca-cola that was your iced tea I don't I don't like cheap people I don't like people who are a bit relate to everything if if you know it starts at 9:30 as a grown person you should know how long it takes you to get ready to be somewhere at 9:30 and you are the plan appropriately trust I don't like folk that have no sense of urgency about nothing walk slow move slow talk slow drive slow listen if you ain't got nowhere to go you need to get out of my way I don't I don't like takers you know folk that have the audacity to ask you for everything but never want to give anything back in return you know come to the potluck empty-handed get in your car never put five in the tank folk that ask you for stuff that's inappropriate to ask we do not have a relationship where you ought to ask me to use my car good bye Felisha you know folk that I have problem with folk that live online too much posting all your feelings I don't trust you I'm not gonna let you take a picture of us together because I don't know where it's gonna go and I told you a few weeks ago I really don't like ungrateful people people can have someone go above and beyond what they ought to do and they don't have enough good sense to say thank you so our challenge you two weekends ago in that sermon be grateful that if you know God has done above and beyond and exceedingly what God had to do it what God should have done that within you at some moment there ought to bubble up a thank you there ought to rise up at a man there ought to be a hallelujah ought to be some lifted hands that that I believe when you know God's have been good at least once a day your mind ought to begin to think about what God has done like the ways God has made the doors God has opened the prayers God has answered the blessings God has given it at some point every day a true believer ought to be grateful for what the Lord has done and I pray that this past week you found some time to give God thanks I hope you paused to praise I hope there's a moment when you reflected and reminisced over what the Lord has done for you and if only on Thursday at that dinner table with cousins you ain't seen in a long time you didn't hold back your Thanksgiving your praise nor your gratefulness for how good god has been that somebody this week should have known that you know how to give thanks that's what we did this week it took the boys on vacation with some friends and y'all we did a big Thanksgiving we we we start cooking on Wednesday and you know it takes all day to prep and cook and get up early Thursday I was responsible for the turkey yes sir so after the turkey had been brined cuz you know I know how to brine a turkey we we got that thing right we made all the side dishes and we sat down to eat it was a long day we went around the table naming our Thanksgiving and sharing how grateful we were to God by about 10 o'clock at night I was worn out from Thanksgiving and I did what you're supposed to do on Friday I slept in somewhere somehow my youngest son didn't get the memo that Friday is sleeping day for the brothers the ladies was up shopping but the brothers was knocked out he came knocking on my door came in and said dad what are we doing today I say we ain't doing nothing today but sitting down and this what he said Thanksgiving is over that quickly I know we gave thanks on yesterday but what do we do today I know we said thanks yesterday but what do we do today because he realized that when you're really grateful and really thankful and know that God's been good to you the day after giving thanks something ought to Bruin sighs you to say what should I do now because Thanksgiving it's so much more than a day Thanksgiving is more than a Sunday shout it's more than the praise rendered in the sanctuary it's more than words that come out of your lips that when you're truly grateful to God it ought to make you want to do something that after the giving of thanks should come the living of thanks the Thanksgiving ought to show up in thankful living that's what the psalmist meant when he sat down in Psalm 116 the psalmist began to think about how good God had been and began writing what shall i render to the Lord for all of his benefits unto me when I think about the benefits of God and the blessings of God and the provisions of God and the protection of God and God's resources and God's blessings what should I do when I think about how good god has been what do you do after you've given thanks well a couple suggestions may show themselves in John 12 in John 12 Jesus is on his way back to Jerusalem and that's usually the case on his way to Jerusalem he stops in a loose City two miles outside of the city called Bethany Jesus likes going to Bethany why because he's got some personal friends there Mary Martha and Lazarus these are some of Jesus closest acquaintances they don't treat him like Reverend Bishop Jesus they treat him like Jayde they are his friends and we know Jesus goes to Bethany we see at least three instances in the Bible one is in Luke 10 Jesus goes to Bethany it is there that Martha begins putting together a den party and gets upset because she looks over and sees that her sister Mary is just chilling with Jesus and so Martha looks at Jesus a Jay tell Mary to get up and help me get this thing together it's not cool that she's sitting there while I'm doing all the work you know she's a friend cuz only a friend could talk to Jesus like that Jesus turns to it says Martha Martha you're worried about too many things then there's another instance when Jesus is in Jerusalem and Mary and Martha sin for Jesus and they tell them listen we know you're in Jerusalem but you need to get yourself back here to Bethany cuz Lazarus is sick hurry up and get back right now you know they're friends of Jesus cuz only friends could talk to Jesus like that you know the story Jesus hangs out a few days too late gets back to Bethany and Lazarus is dead and Jesus is met with anger and apathy he comes back to Bethany and Martha is furious with him she runs outside and she sticks that finger in Jesus face and she says if you would have come when I called you this wouldn't have happened you know she's got to be a friend cuz only a friend could talk to Jesus like that Jesus has met with Martha's anger but Mary is apathetic to Jesus Jesus shows up and she refuses to get out of her room she will not leave her bedroom the door is closed she wants nothing to do with Jesus because Jesus has let her down the first trip is in Luke 10 the second trip is in John 11 the third trip is here in John 12 Jesus comes back to Bethany goes back to the house of Mary and Martha and this time there's no anger this time there's no apathy this time there's no disappointment this time he has met with joy and excitement and enthusiasm they throw a dinner party they send people out now the question I have is how can the same Mary and Martha whoo one chapter ago met him with anger and apathy not meet him with excitement and enthusiasm how can the same sisters who are angry and furious now be joyful and excited how can the same sisters who didn't even want to talk to Jesus now throw a dinner party for him what made the difference well you gotta remember what happens in between the two trips Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead and because he raises Lazarus from the dead anger is turned to excitement apathy is turned to enthusiasm now that they know what the Lord has done for them and in John chapter 11 when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead there ain't nothing but Thanksgiving nothing but hallelujah nothing but a man nothing but shouts nothing but praise and going on because they know how good the Lord has been to them when you know God's been good there ought to be some Thanksgiving there ought to be some praise there ought to be some hallelujah there ought to be some lifted hands and now Jesus shows up again and this time they realize we've got to do more than just shout we've got to do more than just wave hands we've got to do more than just say thank you because if the truth be told God deserves more than a shout the Lord is worthy of more than Sunday praise the Lord desires and deserves more from you than simply shouting in the sanctuary on Sunday over his goodness so right here we see what you ought to do after you've given thanks can i press it oh you real quick the three examples are right here the Bible says that we they realize what the Lord had done and the Lord came back number one Martha served that when she began to think of what Jesus had done for her her response was to serve the Lord with her gifts you got to remember Martha is gifted in hospitality in Luke 10 we find out that Martha is an event planner she knows how to throw a party together Martha is a cook she puts a foot in it cake nobody throw down like Martha Martha keeps a spotless house you know where the carpet is vacuumed and you can see the lines in the carpet mark Martha knows how to put gift bags together and create centerpieces can't nobody threw a party like Martha because Martha is gifted in hospitality Martha knows how to throw down and you ain't been to a party till you've been to a Martha party cuz a Martha party is a real party and ain't no party like a Martha party cuz the Martha party just don't quit it's it's a thing you want to be at and Martha when she realizes Jesus has come back decides what I'm gonna do in my gratitude is utilized the gifts I had in a way that serves the one who's been good to me so she plans a party she goes out shopping she cleans the house she sends out the e bites she prepares the meal she opens the door of her home and puts on a feast for Jesus because she says when I think about what the Lord has done for me the least I can do is take my gifts and my skills and my talents and render them in service to the Lord for all that the Lord has done for me she says God's done too much for me and my family just to sit and watch worship and let everybody sing for me and everybody ministered to me and everyone volunteer to take care of my kids and everybody everything for me when I think what he's done for me I will serve him with my gifts can I tell you what the body of Christ needs most some martha's some folk will realize you've been gifted and skilled and talented and all your gifts all your skills all your talents at some point you ought to be serving the Lord with what the Lord has gifted you with because you're too gifted and to bless to just sit in this sanctuary every Sunday and let everybody do everything for you everybody got to hold the door for you everybody got to walk you to your special seat that you complain about because you want to sit down closer everybody got a volunteer to take care of your kids every week in higher ground and crossover and kids street everybody's got to feed you everybody's got to sing to you everybody's got to keep the climate open for you everybody's got to smile at you everybody's got to make room for you and all of a sudden you don't realize how good god has been to you and you aren't at some point take your gifts and render them back in service to the bike don't preach pastor Wesley how are you serving the Lord Martha says something use what God gave me and I'm using it in service and that's what I like about it number one nobody had to ask her to do it she sees the need as she steps up to do it herself let me tell you what hinders the body of Christ you're a gifted and got to be bathed you're gifted and got to be made chair just to serve you get it but you won't sing unless you get the solo everybody's got to beg you and plead with you when in essence when you know how good god has been there to come a moment when you say I'll do whatever needs to be done it I'll humble myself and use whatever gift i if you need somebody to pick up gum at the church I'll pick up gum after church if you need somebody hand out water for the 1130 service I'll hand out water for the 1130 service if you need a volunteer I'll be a volunteer cuz I'm too gifted not to serve there's good quiet how nobody should not to be asked watch this one this is good a sheen have to be paid to do it either you you know what kills the church now this doesn't happen in in little family churches but in you mega churches with thousands of members and millions of dollars there's this expectation that every time you use your gift you should be paid we were down on vacation and the boys took their PlayStation 4 that I bought them for Christmas last year they took it down to the house we react because they want to play on a Playstation now you need to know I don't really play a lot of games but every now and then I like pewter games I want to play and won't name them some of your business and so so then set the games up and do smo just was on PlayStation 4 and I came down said say listen get off a little bit let Daddy play let daddy play playstation 4 a little bit and this way he said to me say okay dad how about this I'll let you play if you buy me the new game that I that that I'm looking for I said what he said I'll let you play on the PlayStation if you buy me this new game I said hold on you you want me to pay to play on a gift I gave you I gave you the gift and now you want to charge me to use the gift that I gave you you little slow you wouldn't have it if I hadn't given it and now you're telling me I got to pay you for you to use the gift that I gave you in the first place if if it weren't for me you wouldn't have the gift that would hurt so many churches our people have you're destined to think that God ought to pay you to use the gift that God gave you in the first place you are to serve God with what he gave you God shouldn't have to pay for you to use your gift God shouldn't have to rent your talent does God have to lease your skill set the Lord says what gifts have I giving you that you are not using in service because whatever you do well in the world you ought to do better in the kingdom and shame on you if you sit week after week and never serve the Lord a grateful heart serves well if you don't like that you ain't gonna like number two Martha served the Lord with her talents watch what Mary does though Mary while Martha's doing all that Mary is in the back looking for some oil not just any cheap oil her most expensive oil and you know the story she breaks it open pours it on Jesus feet and wipes his feet with her hair she said the Lord sent so much for me Martha may share her talent Mary sacrifices her treasure said I'm gonna take that which is most valuable to me and I'm gonna give it to the Lord now when you keep reading the Bible says that it's about an annual it's a it's a yearly wage it's an annual salary she gives the Lord an annual salary do you like that sorry oh you like he better not say what I think about to say can you imagine being compelled to give the Lord an annual salary what's that about 131 140 and whenever you want to give of your best to the Lord like that watch what happens keep reading after verse 3 because when she decides I'm gonna give all that I have to the Lord my best there's a voice that raised an objection because whenever you feel compelled to give of your best to the Lord there's always a voice either in your head or in someone's mouth that tries to talk you out of it when you feel compelled to give of your treasure to the Lord there's always a voice that says you must be out of your mind whatever you want to give me your best the Lord there's always a voice that says I wouldn't do that if I were you whenever you can't feel compelled to give there's always a voice that whispers in your ear you have other things to do with that money whenever you feel compelled to give of your treasure to the Lord there's always a voice that says student loan there's a voice that says trip to Dominican Republic there's always a voice that tries to talk you out of giving what the Lord has put on your heart to give so keep it in the voice objects and the voice is a disciple but make certain you know which disciple it is it's not Peter the faithful one it's not John the Beloved Disciple it's not Thomas the doubter it's not Matthew the tax cuts Judas the betrayer is the voice there tries to talk you out of doing what God has put on your heart to do and you've got to be careful of allowing a Judas voice to talk you out of the sacrifice that God requires keep reading Jesus is listening he hears what Judas says and he says to Judas leave her alone she's doing what she feels compelled to do because I won't always be here in other words Judas she senses this is the opportunity to obey what God has commanded her to do beloved don't ever let a Judas voice talk you out of the season of opportunity when God has called you to do something when God calls you to do something obey because great things are down the road when God tells you to pick up the phone and call her call when God says go to the hospital and make the visit make the visit when God says listen I want you to apologize even though you don't think you started it apologize and when I put on your heart to give of your treasure to the Lord give because amazing things happen when God calls your heart and you say yes to what God wants you to be to what God calls you to do and everybody in here knows what happens when God called you and you missed the season called a week too late and they were gone didn't apologize and the thing never got right again when God speaks to your heart don't let a Judas talk you out of it Martha shares her talent Mary sacrificed his treasure but then there's a third one there his name is Lazarus and watch what Lazarus does Lazarus when he remembers how good Jesus had been to him the Bible says this what Lazarus did Lazarus sat at the table and reclined with Jesus Lazarus says you know what I'm gonna sit right here with the Lord because not only do you share your talent none of you sacrifice your treasure but the best way to be grateful is to surrender your time and say I'm gonna give God the time of my life I'm gonna share my mornings with him I want to spend my afternoons with him I'm gonna talk with the Lord in the morning that what God desires most from you is quality time Lazarus says I'm gonna hang out with the Lord now I begin to ask Lazarus mark why why give Jesus your time why spend so much in your day hanging out with Jesus and this word Lazarus said in response he said hey you got to remember I was dead and the only reason I solved this day it's because the Lord blessed me with this day and if the Lord blessed me with a day I don't have enough good sense to get some of my day back to the one who blessed me with this day if you know this is a day the Lord has made you ought to take some of that day and give it back to God how many of you all have read will know of John Chapman's five love languages Gary Chapman five love languages Gary Chapman it's a book that helps you understand how you receive love like what your language is and you know that there five of them that their words of affirmation there's physical touch there's acts of service there's gifts and there's quality time those are the five love languages and and Chapman says you should identify your one or two because you speak to love languages now here's the problem with being a relationship with God God speaks all five yes God God speaks touch God speaks intimacy did you know the word for worship literally means to kiss so that when you worship God you were being intimate with God you are touching God which is why God says what I want from you is worship that when sunday comes don't you leave yourself at home talking about you tired and you don't feel like fighting traffic and you don't want to sit in the overflow no I've been too good to you for you just to sit and not be intermitted with me and not worship me God God likes words of affirmation God loves it when you kneel down and being dragging on God to God gods you are awesome God you are wonderful Oh Lord our Lord how excellent is thy name in all the earth God ain't nobody like you the God you did that dag little thing God you're amazing in my sight God love words of affirmation God loves acts of service God loves it when you say you've been too good for me for me just to sit I will serve you I will volunteer I'll be part of the ministry I'll sing in the choir I'll work with the kids God I serve you God loves gifts God loves it at offering time when you open your heart and say I'll give of my treasure Lord because I love you but above all of that you know what God wants most with you quality time what God wants most from you is time alone with you that's the word of conviction because so often we spend so much more time with bffs and booze than we do with our God this with Lewis says I want somebody who knows I've been so good to you then when you wake up in the morning before you reach for your phone and before you turn on CNN you get on your knees bow your head and thank the Lord I want someone who knows I've been so good to me that that in the middle of the day they got to close their door in the office because if your coworker here's what's about to go down they're gonna call HR but when I think about his goodness in the middle of the day right then and there I worshiping me ain't got to be Sunday it doesn't have to be a sanctuary I can worship God in my cubicle God says I want someone who loves me so much that they can't go a whole day without talking to me they have to read their Bible cuz I just want to hear your voice and the amazing thing is that God wants quality time with you because the more time you spend with God the more you begin to look like God the more you pray the more like Jesus you become the more you read your Bible the more you sound like the one who's talking God wants to be close because being close transforms you I figured this out when I first came to Alfred Street I met a beautiful couple Vance and Louis Shaw they're both bout to turn 80 and they've been married almost 40 years Vance and Louis Shaw beautiful beautiful elderly couple in this church let me say when I first met them the first time I met them was that one of the church cookouts at Virginia Theological Seminary and if you all remember those who were there that was a hot day it was it was hot out there and Vance and Louis Shaw had brought to lawn chairs and they found some shade off on the side and I saw them sitting way off in the lawn chairs in the shade and so as I'm making my rounds to speak to people I want to go speak to Vance and Louis Shaw I want to go say hi to them and I wanna go introduce myself and as they get closer to them they're sitting in the lawn chairs in the shade and I noticed that they'd fallen asleep they're taking a nap together in the shade away from y'all and brother charity as I got closer I mean I know something that's amazing they were in lawn chairs in the shade taking a nap and they were holding hands sleep and I said to myself what a wonderful thing they've been married 40 some years they still take naps together holding hands as I walked up closer brother Shawn woke up and saw me he walked her up and it was still holding hands I said what a beautiful thing you all had this ol been married this long you're sitting off in the shade you're holding hands and he said I just love being close to her after 40 years [Applause] can say even better so they're sitting here I'm talking to them they're sitting at his long chairs in the shade they've taken a nap they woke up they were still holding hands and then I noticed something else they were dressed alike their outfits were coordinated not you did that when you were 17 18 19 but going on 80 married 40 years they still get up in the morning and coordinated their outfits because wherever they go they won't folk - no I'm with her and he's with me and we've been together for a long time and we still love each other and it's still so close that we even dressed alike but I noticed something else they're sitting in the lawn chairs in the shade taking a nap they just woke up they're holding hands they love being close each other their outfits are coordinated but then I noticed something that I've seen in couples that have been married for many a year when you've been married for decades something phenomenological happens in your genetic DNA that you've been married so long that y'all start looking like each other oh my god have you ever seen a couple been married so long their color is the same their hair is the same their facial structures are the same they walk the same they're made the same they've been together so long that they look like they are one can I tell you why God wants time with you and why God wants to talk to you and why God wants to hear from you every day because the longer you're with God the more you look like God the more you walk like God the more you sound my god God what's your time and the greatest gift you can give God is to share your talent sacrifice your treasure and surrender your time that's what you do after you give thanks after the shell after the priests so lord I acknowledge how good you have been to me there's no doubting it there's no denying it you've been better to me than I deserve and I'm not just gonna come to church and shout and say thank you lord I'm gonna serve you with the gifts you've given me they're one of the great gifts I can give you is to give you my gift back I sacrificed my treasure what do you put on my heart to do I give no matter how expensive it is I ignore the Judas's in my life who tried to talk me out of what God has talked me into and God I surrender to you my time in the morning I spend time with you in the middle of the day you've got my undivided attention before I go to bed I want to say good night to you Lord that the more time I spend with you the more I might look like you and live like you and be like you accept these gifts beyond my Thanksgiving my talent my treasure and my time in Jesus name we pray amen

Channel: Alfred Street Baptist Church

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Keywords: Alfred Street Baptist Chruch, 2018, After Giving Thanks, #aftergivingthanks, #pastorhjw, #thanks

Id: B4IxMmeqXGY

Length: 40min 4sec (2404 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 27 2018