.Gratitude!Colossians 1:1-8
Introduction: A husband gave his wife a beautiful skunk coat for Christmas. When his wife opened it up she said, "I can't see how such a nice coat can come from such a foul smelling little beast." The husband said, "Look, I don't ask for thanks, but I would like a little respect."
Gene Perrett says that there are eight things to be grateful for:
Be grateful...
* for automatic dishwashers: They make it possible to get out of the kitchen
before the family come in for their after-dinner snacks.
* for husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house: They usually
make them big enough to call in professionals.
* for the bathtub: The one place the family allows Mom some time to herself.
* for children who put away their things and clean up after themselves:
They're such a joy you hate to see them go home to their own parents.
* that we can still have a good heart-to-heart talk with our youngsters:
They need a good nap now and then.
* for gardening: It's a relief to deal with dirt outside the house for
a change.
* for teenagers: They give parents an opportunity to learn a second language.
* for smoke alarms: They let you know when the turkey's done.
Gratitude -- what does it mean to show gratitude? Dictionary: gratitude
is to have a feeling of thankful appreciation. For what things in your life
do you show gratitude? For what things do you have a feeling of thankful
appreciation for favors received? Paul shows us that we need to exalt Christ
through gratitude. There are different areas in which we can do that.
We show gratitude when we;
1. THANK GOD FOR GOD
Paul begins vs. 3 by saying, "We always thank God..." And he goes on to say that they thank God for the Colossian's faith, love, & hope. He gives gratitude to God for these virtues in their lives. Someone once said "Thank God for God" That is what Paul is saying here. Thank God that He is God;
Thank God that He is willing to give us these qualities. Thank God that He is willing to work in our lives. Why should we thank God for God?Paul has given us 3 reasons here in our text.
Thank God ... He has given us faith.
1 Cor. 12:9 includes faith as a spiritual gift from God. Eph. 2:8 - faith along w/grace are a gift from God. Paul thanked God for the Colossians faith. If it were not for God we would not have faith. Who do we have faith in? God! Who gives us that faith? God!
We have a choice as to whether we want to receive faith or not --that is free-will. It is God who gives us faith. Thank God & exalt the name of Christ because He has given us faith to believe in Him and the work He has done on our behalf.
We cannot take credit for our faith! We simply have believed what God has revealed to us. He has taken the initiative in our salvation. We simply are willing participants.
Thank God ... He has given us love.
1 John. 4:19 "We love because He first loved us" Again, God has taken the initiative. We do not know how to love. God had to love us first so that we could love Him back. Paul was giving thanks to God, because He is the giver of love. The Colossians were simply returning the love God had given them. Our love for each other is in relation to the love God has shown us through Jesus Christ.
Thank God ... He has given us hope.
Our faith & love are the expressions of the hope that is within us.
Where does this hope come from? Paul says it is "stored up for us
in heaven". In other words: It comes from God. In Colosians 1:27 he
tells us that this hope is:
"Christ in you, the hope of glory". The hope that God has given
us in not uncertain hope -- it is based upon our relationship w/Jesus Christ.
If we have given our lives to Christ than we have a certain hope that we will be w/Him in glory. From this hope springs out the qualities of love & faith in our lives. Thank God for God ... He has given us faith; love; & a certain future.
We show gratitude when we;
2. THANK GOD FOR GROWTH
We always want to be growing in Christ. The growth that we experience comes from the same source. - GOD. As Christians we should never become satisfied.
As we grow in Christ we grow in faith.
As we grow in Christ we grow in love.
As we grow in Christ we grow in hope.
Growing in faith.
Paul says "we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus" Having faith in Jesus Christ is not something that happens only one time. The invitation for someone to come to Christ, of course we want them to acknowledge Him as Lord & Savior. Real faith doesn't stop at accepting the invitation.. The Christian must continue & grow throughout his/her Christian life. We don't come to Christ & say "I've fulfilled my duty." We continue in faith! The longer we are in Christ, the stronger our faith should be.
Growing in love.
Paul also commended them for the love they had for fellow believers. Some churches are filled with people who do not love their fellow believers. The people go home & complain about their brother. But this is contrary to God's plan. The longer we are with each other -- the more our love should grow for one another.
We share Christ; we share the same purpose; we share the same goals. As Christians we come together & love one another because we are in love with Jesus Christ.
Growing in hope.
Paul says that faith & love spring from hope. The hope that we have is that Christ Jesus loves us, & He wants us to be w/Him forever. The longer I am a Christian the more assured I am of my salvation.
The longer I walk with Him the more intimate our relationship becomes. When the New Testament talks about hope it is not talking "pie in the sky." It is talking of the surety we have in our relationship with Christ.
As I grow in assurance I growing in faith & love. Growth in faith, love, & hope result in numerical growth. Paul says that the gospel was bearing fruit among the Colossians. They were winning people to the Lord. Our growth will build up one another: Thank God for growth.
3. THANK GOD FOR GRACE
The word grace has been defined in several ways: "unmerited favor"; "God's Righteousness At Christ's Expense." The idea is that God has given us everything in Jesus Christ freely. We have done nothing to earn or deserve His love.
Two aspects of God's grace
The Grace of the Gospel
When the Bible speaks of "the Gospel" it is speaking of the death; burial; & resurrection of Jesus Christ. All of these acts of Christ were done on our behalf. I have done nothing that merits the gift of the gospel coming into my life. You have done nothing that merits this divine favor from God. God in His mercy sent His Son to die for you & me. He rose for you & me. We have never done anything to deserve it. I must show gratitude to God for what He has done. There are no words I can say to thank God adequately for the grace of the Gospel. I still must praise Him for this glorious act on my behalf.
The Grace of the Truth
We know what it means to speak the truth, or to be honest. Pilate asked Jesus in Jn. 18:38 "What is truth?" That is a question that many in the past have asked and many are asking today. Paul in says that the Colossians had come to understand "God's grace in all it's truth".
The greatest truth that we will ever know is simply that "God is". The greatest truth about grace is that "God loves us". Thank God that He has chosen to reveal Himself to us. Thank God that He has revealed Himself to us as a God of grace.
For what do we need to show thankful appreciation to God today?
We must thank God for God;
We must thank God for Growth;
And we must thank God for Grace.