Sunday Sermons
Forget None of His Benefits
Forget None of His Benefits
Do you realize how overflowing your spiritual cup is? Try to wrap your head around the fact that if you love and serve God, your eternal destiny at your baptism into Christ moved you from an eternity, ETERNITY, of unthinkable painful, fiery torment to an ETERNITY of pain-free, joys indescribable gazing on the face of your Creator. When you repented, you can live guilt-free, for He has moved your sin as far as the east is from the west. Of all the people that have lived on this good earth how many of them have experienced and enjoyed the wonderful blessings that we currently possess?
How valuable is free access to the complete Word of God? What would your life look like today, if you were not living moment by moment in the light of His wisdom? Jesus reminded His generation, “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (Matthew 13:17). In some ways, you are even more blessed than John the Baptist, for he never lived to enjoy membership in the Lord’s church, preach the full gospel or partake of the Lord’s Supper with other believers – all priceless privileges we enjoy. “Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11).
“In God’s kingdom, you have a place, a purpose, a role, and a function to fulfill. This gives your life great significance and value. It cost Jesus His own life to purchase your salvation… We don’t serve God out of guilt or fear or even duty, but out of joy, and deep gratitude for what He’s done for us. We owe Him our lives. Through salvation our past has been forgiven, our present is given meaning…” (Rick Warren)
We also enjoy the freedom of assembling to worship without threat of persecution – what would many of the early Christians have given for that? It was explained to me by a friend recently that in the country in which they live, if one is at a coffee shop with one's Bible open – one will be asked to leave. What a reminder to not take our present religious freedom for granted.
Physical Comforts Galore
Consider just a few the physical conveniences and blessings that we enjoy that are actually only recent innovations in our world:
“Every day that I am making my bed, a persecuted Christian in the North Korean gulag is getting up off his rat-infested floor. Every morning that I am eating my savory yogurt with fresh fruit, he is headed out to the logging site or mine or quarry or factory on an empty stomach. Every morning that I sing to the Lord in the beautiful sycamore-tree lined cemetery, he is working her 13- to 15-hour day and forced to sing patriotic songs while doing it or incur a beating. Every noon when I stop for a sandwich, he gets his only food allotment of the day, a few ounces of corn. When I feel a chill and reach for my sweater, he is put outside for the freeze treatment. I don’t know if most Christians pray for the martyrs, but I’ll bet they pray for us. Why wouldn’t they? They see things more clearly, their vision undulled by entertainment and comfort”. You and I could have been born in the middle of a scorching foodless desert in Africa. Instead we were born in virtually the most prosperous country that has ever existed. Just being born when and where we have, in this era of modern medicine and technology, places us in the most affluent time in the history of the world. Let's determine not to take a single blessing for granted. Let's not let our vision be dulled by out comforts and entertainments.
- If you or your child needed surgery a couple centuries years ago, it would have likely been incredibly painful. The first public demonstration of anesthesia was in 1846 with ether. Then Cocaine was used. The first local anesthetic was demonstrated in the 1930’s.
- The discovery of immunization may be the reason you and your children enjoy good health today, for smallpox resulted in an estimated 300-500 million deaths in the 20th century. Even as late recently as 1967, 15 million people had contracted it that year. The last naturally occurring case was documented in 1977. In the 19th and 20th Century there had been major Polio outbreaks in both Europe and the United States, but after the vaccine for Polio was licensed until 1962, children no longer needed to live in iron lung machines.
How grateful are you that we live in a time when we are allowed to benefit, as do the children you love, from these and hundreds of other medical advances?
The Ten Lepers: Luke 17:11-19
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and ten lepers met Him. They called Him “Master” (17:13) and they asked for mercy. He sent them to the priest and on the way they were healed (17:14). Yet only one of them turned back, fell on his face, expressed a heart full of gratitude and glorified God (17:15-16). Jesus then asked the question, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine – where are they?” (Luke 17:17). What were the other nine thinking? They were probably thinking very shallowly about who they could hang out with now, where they could work, and what they could do with their restored health.
What about Us?
Do similar thoughts keep us too busy to count and thank God for our blessings? Are we like the nine that completely forgot their former condition and the magnificent Person that just changed their life forever? Or do we currently resemble the one leper who turned back, fell on his face, poured out his heart in gratitude and gave glory to God? If you had been cleansed would you not instantly return and just sit at His feet soaking up His wonderful teachings? Would you not ask Him, “Jesus, you know all things, what can I do to live a life that best glorifies and gives pleasure to God?"
Don’t Forget: Psalm 103:2
“Bless the Lord, O My soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name, and forget none of His benefits”.
I was reminded of this recently when I had a conversation with a faithful Christian who had reached out to a Christian I had known who is now unfaithful. This wanderer had experienced many of the same things I had for a period of about ten years, and yet their perspective of that time was entirely different from mine. Their memories were not happy or grateful ones of that time period, yet I looked back on the same period of time as a very special time filled to brim with the priceless blessings of spiritual productivity and great progress, laughter at continual social gatherings, and great companionship. That conversation reminded me of the following quotation about never forgetting the goodness of God: “The Psalmist isn’t telling us not to forget God’s benefits because it’s impolite. He’s telling us not to forget God’s benefits because it’s deadly. After all, all we have to go on as our encouragement in this present day’s troubles is the record of God’s faithfulness in yesterday’s troubles. And not only our own yesterdays, but other people’s yesterdays (our own individual histories being so short a paper trail). That’s why fellowship is crucial (Hebrews 10:25; Malachi 3:16). You need to hear about the impossible things God has done in other Christians’ lives. Bill Johnson of California made an absolute statement – that every time ancient Israel backslid it was because she had forgotten God’s miracles. Said Johnson, “Read Psalm 78 and see if you can reach any other conclusion.” So I read it, and it is so” (Andree Seu)
The Gratitude Lifestyle
May I suggest to you that gratitude can be clearly seen. Grateful people appreciative of God’s truth. They have no interest in false doctrine or departing from the faith (Romans 1:21). The thankful are eager to worship and do not take times of public worship for granted – because they realize that such blessings can at times in history, be rare ( Psalm122:1). Appreciative children are respectful and continually helpful to their parents, realizing how very much they have sacrificed in their care and well-being. Good spouses appreciate the husband or wife in their life, for having chosen them above everyone else to build a family and a happy life. Every day is a blessing – for it is a day in which I enjoy God’s forgiveness.
Gratitude: The Best Fuel For Faithfulness
Everyone who serves God, does do for various reasons. Some attend worship, only because they don't want to have the uncomfortable confrontations that would occur with faithful brethren, should they themselves turn on God. Others do Christian things out of habit, or because they were raised in a lifestyle of Christianity. Some do a minimal amount of Christian activity in order to avoid being plagued with feelings of guilt. Some might serve for some kind of spotlight or to otherwise be seen and respected by men. Most of these motivations will only take you so far on the narrow road that leads to life. They have little longevity. The truth is, God, accepts no motivation for service to Him other than sincerity in hearts that serve because they absolutely adore Him and feel an eternity barely feels long enough to express to Him all the gratitude that lives in their overflowing heart.
Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net
