Gratitude

Gve Thanks, 24 November 2024

Give Thanks
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
November 24, 2024
1 Chronicles 16:34-36
 
Big Idea: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
 
Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 16:34-36
 
What’s your favorite holiday? My friend, Scott, is almost famous for declaring Thanksgiving his favorite holiday. It’s not as commercialized as Christmas and Easter. You don’t have to buy gifts. Most people get a bonus day off on Friday. There are special things to eat and football games to watch. Oh, and it’s a day to give thanks!
 
On this Sunday before Thanksgiving Day, we’re going to explore the biblical theme of gratitude and, perhaps, help you prepare for not only Thursday, but also the rest of your life.
 
 
Gratitude is popular these days. It’s on bumper stickers and greeting cards. I’ve seen people make gratitude posts on social media. My friend Thomas recently moved to South Carolina where he makes Facebook posts beginning with “SC Thankfulness journal.” There are even paper journals designed to help us give thanks. But obviously gratitude did not begin with the start of Hallmark or even the pilgrims. It’s an ancient command from scripture.
 
If we go back a few thousand years to the book of 1 Chronicles, King David writes a psalm of thanks. It begins,
 
Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. (1 Chronicles 16:8)
 
This is really the heart of our mission, the Great Commission, to love, equip, and send, to go and make disciples of all nations. The known world was much smaller in the 5
th century B.C. than it is today, but we have greater access, transportation, and technology to make the LORD and His actions known among the nations. After all, God so loved the…world! One of the things I love about Findlay—and College First—is we have people from around the world…Japan, India, Haiti, Ghana, …even Pure Michigan!
 
As I have said, many in our world have never heard the name of Jesus. They haven’t experienced the gospel, the good news, that Jesus is LORD. They don’t know they are loved and seen by their Creator. Family, we’re on a mission from God…to seek and save the lost.
 
People all over the world know the names of Putin, Trump, Biden, Taylor Swift, but none of them will save, heal, cause demons to tremble, or offer lasting hope, meaning, and purpose. The only name that can do that is…Jesus!
 
Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. (1 Chronicles 16:8)
 
David continues,
 
9          Sing to him, sing praise to him;
                        tell of all his wonderful acts.
10         Glory in his holy name;
                        let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
11         Look to the LORD and his strength;
                        seek his face always. (1 Chronicles 16:9-11)
 
The following verses are beautiful, like many found in the book of Psalms. They declare God’s goodness, faithfulness, glory, and worth. Jumping down to verse 34,
 
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
 
The verse speaks about God’s faithfulness in the past.
 
Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
            gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
            and glory in your praise.” (1 Chronicles 16:35)
 
This is clearly about the present, asking for God’s intervention with a promise to give thanks upon deliverance.
 
Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
            from everlasting to everlasting. (1 Chronicles 16:36a)
 
This addresses our need to celebrate God’s presence in the future…forever!
 
Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.” (1 Chronicles 16:36b)
 
The NIV translation of the Bible contains 29 uses of the phrase “give thanks” including this one:
 
Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
 
Give thanks in all circumstances? It doesn’t say for all circumstances, but even in our most dire situations, there are blessings to acknowledge. Someone always has it worse. God is good…all the time, even when we’re not comfortable or happy.
During our nine-year trial with a sick child, I remember driving our daughter from the Cleveland Ronald McDonald House each day to outpatient therapy at Cleveland Clinic. It was a horrendous season of life, to say the least, but as our girl transported on crutches, I remember seeing a younger boy in a wheelchair, severely deformed. There was hope for our child to someday be “normal,” but it was obvious the birth defects of this little masterpiece were permanent. I began to give thanks for what I had rather than complain about what I wanted to change in my situation. Here are some things we can all be grateful for, regardless of our income, housing status, or health:
 
1.    Life. Every breath is a gift. You did nothing to deserve today.
2.    Freedom. The USA is deeply broken, but we have freedoms many envy.
3.    This church family. God is doing something special right here, right now.
4.    Clothes. I remember meeting a boy in Africa whose entire wardrobe was a t-shirt!
5.    Food. It’s hard to be truly hungry in Findlay with so many paid and free options.
6.    Health. You are here, aren’t you?!
7.    Transportation. You are here, aren’t you?! Unless you’re online!
8.    Shelter. Even the unhoused among us have access to temporary shelter.
9.    Safety. No place is perfectly safe, but we are not living in a war zone.
 
You probably know what I’m saving for last! The very best!

10.  God! He knows you, sees you, and loves you…unconditionally. He’s why we’re here. He’s worthy of our thanks and praise…always…forever!
 
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
 
This same phrase appears in Psalm 106, 107, 118 (twice), and 136. Whenever there is repetition in the Bible, pay attention. They didn’t have bold or italics or colored fonts to emphasize writings on scrolls so repetition was often used to make an important point.
 
So What?
 
I want to offer three simple next steps for you.
 
First, give thanks to others. Write a thank you note. Send an encouraging e-mail of appreciation. Express gratitude face to face. So many people are starving to hear, “I’m glad you’re my friend” or “you have a great smile” or simply “I appreciate you.” Give thanks to others.
 
Second, give thanks to yourself. No, I’m not saying send yourself a thank you card, but begin a gratitude journal…digital or paper. List the blessings in your life. I gave you ten to get you started!
 
Third, give thanks to God. Jesus’ half-brother wrote,
 
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)
 
You can pray it, say it, sing it, dance it, play it, write it, however you want to express your thanks to God, do it!
 
One more thing…
 
Growing up, Thanksgiving was by far my favorite day of the year. We would have up to 100 Schneemanns gather at a church fellowship hall for a day of food, music, sports, and gratitude. Generations of Christ-followers would share how God had been faithful to them, we would form a choir and orchestra and sing and play to the LORD. Thanksgiving was more than a day or meal, it was an event. I deeply miss those family reunions, making me thankful for those precious memories…and inspiring me to create new ones for my biological and spiritual families.
 
On Thursday, Heather and I will be participating in the Turkey Trot to benefit the Women’s Resource Center and then we’ll be here for the College First Thanksgiving Meal. I can’t wait!
 
Let’s not limit giving thanks to a Thursday in November. Let’s make every day Thanksgiving!
 
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Honesty & Contentment, 6 October 2024

Honesty & Contentment—Commandments 9-10
Words of Life: Jesus on God’s Top 10
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
October 6, 2024
Exodus 20:16-17
 
Series Big Idea: Jesus had much to say about God’s Top Ten list.
 
Big Idea: Contentment and honesty honor God and bring us satisfaction and peace.
  
If the legend is true, the first billionaire in the USA, John D. Rockefeller, was once asked, “How much is enough?” to which he replied, “Just a little bit more.” 
  
Today we’re concluding our five-week series on the Ten Commandments through the eyes of Jesus. Throughout history, many have tried to obey God’s Top Ten List perfectly, though only Jesus has been successful. They contain four commandments—not suggestions—relating to loving God:
 
No other gods
No idols
Don’t misuse the name in word or deed
Delight in sabbath rest
 
The final six related to loving others, which can sometimes be more challenging than loving the LORD.
 
Honor parents
No murder
No adultery
No theft
 
and todays two
 
no lying
no coveting
 
or put another way, honesty and contentment.
 
I want to take them in reverse order so we will start with contentment.
 
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:17)
 
This is clearly a heart issue, but that’s how sin starts. Temptation is not sin, but sinful deeds begin with sinful desire. I like Rob Lacey’s rendition in The Street Bible:
 
No. 10: You won't drool over your mate's wife, his house, garden, staff, equipment, gadgets or anything he has and you don't.' (Exodus 20:17, The Street Bible)
 
On average, USAmericans encounter between 4000 and 10,000 advertisements every day, including tv, billboards, online, and product placements. That’s a lot of marketing! Is it any wonder our brains are filled with impulses to buy more? I have a degree in marketing, and I’ve discovered many commercials are designed to make us discontent! How’s that for messaging? Add to that the highlight reels people post on social media and it’s no wonder some of us feel like we need “just a little bit more.”
 
Obviously, this isn’t a new struggle since the commandments were written thousands of years ago.
 
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:25-27)
 
Do you worry? I do! I’ve struggled my entire adult life with a scarcity mentality, yet God has provided. Heather had to put a sign in our bathroom that said, “Pray about everything. Worry about nothing” from Philippians 4:6.
 
“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:28-33)
 
Jesus doesn’t say we’ll get everything we want, but if we seek first his kingdom and righteousness, He will provide for our needs. Another time he said,
 
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
 
Do you have possessions or do your possessions possess you? Paul wrote to friends and said,
 
I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:10-13)
 
This was written in prison! If you can be content in prison…and the secret was Jesus. Christ gave him strength. God was his provider, his source, his life.
 
Maybe the greatest solution to discontent is to count your blessings. What do you have? Don’t wait until next month to give thanks.
 
Greed is not good. It can lead to theft. It violates the tenth commandment. Don’t covet. It can even lead us to lie.
 
The 9th commandment says,
 
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16)
 
The specific context seems to indicate a trial during which someone testifies. In the culture, you were guilty until proven innocent, you could be convicted on the testimony of one witness—except among the people of Israel—and the death penalty was in play.  
  
Since 1989, there have been over 3000 exonerations of wrongfully convicted individuals in the U.S. and according to the outstanding movie Just Mercy, for every 9 people who have been executed in the U.S., one person on death row has been proven innocent and released, a shocking rate of error. False testimony is a factor in around 60% of exoneration cases.
 
False witnesses were brought into Jesus’ trial!
 
But the command is not limited to a courtroom where we are to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. In place of the Hebrew word for “false testimony” found here, “shaqar,” Hosea used a word, kachash, which applies to any lie when we listed several of the commandments in Hosea 4:2. Your lie might not result in the wrongful death of someone, but it can do tremendous harm…to you and/or others.
 
Nobody likes to be lied to, but more than the momentary tension it creates between two people, trust is shattered, something that can take years to build and seconds to destroy. To make matters worse, lies often compound. It sometimes takes a lie to cover a lie to cover a lie to…who can keep track of all the lies?!
 
Why do people lie? I submit to you that they want something and see deceit as the path…toward something they want, whether it’s a person (adultery), a product (stealing), the absence of a person (murder), or simply wanting to save face.
 
I believe there is only one time I lied to my wife in more than 34 years of marriage. She asked me not to reveal some confidential information which I shared with a friend. I denied revealing it before fessing up. I felt terrible…more for the lie than spilling the beans.
 
It has been said that honesty is the best policy, and the 9th commandment would agree. Is there ever a time to lie? The subject has been debated, but there’s nothing like the truth…even when someone can’t handle the truth!
 
Maybe you’re thinking, “I never lie.” Is that true or is it a contradiction?!
 
Do you gossip? Do you listen to gossip? Have you ever told a “little white lie?” There’s no such thing! People lie on resumes, nearly 50% of the time according to a survey of nearly 3 million job applicants. They lie on their tax returns. I even heard a rumor that presidential candidates are capable of false statements!!!
 
To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
 
Jesus always spoke the truth, but he even claimed to be the truth.
 
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
 
Truth is not only the absence of lies, it is more than statements of fact, it is a person!
 
So What?
 
Contentment and honesty honor God and bring us satisfaction and peace. This is what happens when we play by the rules, when we obey the LORD, when we focus on others rather than ourselves, when we have an attitude of gratitude, and when we follow the Golden Rule. Perhaps the final six commandments can be summarized in Jesus’ vision for his followers.
 
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)
 
The Ten Commandments were difficult for the Israelites to follow, yet Jesus raised the bar and made them virtually impossible to follow, reminding us of our need for a Savior. How has Jesus loved us? He gave us everything, even his own life. He died in our place to offer us reconciliation with the Father, forgiveness of sins, freedom of peace, hope for the future, and the joy that comes from being clean and right with our Creator.

Gratitude & Generosity, 26 November 2023

Gratitude & Generosity
Luke 17

Big Idea:
Every day is an opportunity to give thanks for our many blessings.
 
The year was 2004. I was in San Diego, California at the National Pastor’s Convention at the beautiful Town & Country Resort. Although I barely had a dollar in my bank account, I felt like a millionaire staying that this fancy place. I have many great memories of the event, but one that I likely never forget occurred in a breakout session with Dr. Tony Campolo, a sociologist who has done a lot of work with the poor, especially in Latin America. I don’t agree with everything he believes, but during a Q&A, someone asked, “Dr. Campolo, how can you talk about the poor while we’re staying in this luxurious resort.?”
 
I was on the edge of my seat! For years, I had struggled with being a USAmerican with virtually unlimited access to clean water, food, and shelter while millions are on the brink of starvation. I had felt some guilt about my religious freedoms knowing I have spiritual siblings imprisoned, tortured, and even martyred by the same faith I possess. What if the money I spent on this conference (actually, it was on someone else’s dime!) was used to print Bibles or feed hungry children? I loved the audacity of this man’s question and then Campolo responded something like this…
 
For everything there is a season,
                        a time for every activity under heaven.
2          A time to be born and a time to die.
                        A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3          A time to kill and a time to heal.
                        A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4          A time to cry and a time to laugh.
                        A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5          A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
                        A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6          A time to search and a time to quit searching.
                        A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7          A time to tear and a time to mend.
                        A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8          A time to love and a time to hate.
                        A time for war and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
 

He added something like…
 
“A time to stay in a fancy resort and a time to live and work among the least of these.
 
Wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.”
 
Wow! I thought his response was brilliant, and it has stayed with me for nearly twenty years.
 
A lot has been said about the diversity of our First Alliance family. That diversity relates to age, ethnicity, education, zip code, spiritual background…and certainly income. Some of you own your home debt-free while others are unhoused. Some arrived in nice, newer vehicles while others wondered if they would have to push theirs to get here today…and still others took the shuttle. The issue of wealth is not what you possess, but what possesses you, and it’s our subject today.
 
As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:11-13)
 
Leprosy is a terrible disease, one so dreadful that it often required total quarantine…in another village! Perhaps the only thing worse than the physical agony of leprosy was the social toll it took. You remember lockdown three years ago and how lonely and awkward it was for all of us. Imagine being sent away to another village, leaving all of your family and friends and having no way to communicate with them…no FaceTime, e-mail, phone, or even letter. These ten men were desperate.
 
He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. (Luke 17:14)
 
Were they healed at that moment in the presence of Jesus? No! One of the fascinating things about Jesus is he rarely healed the same way twice. Sometimes he touched a person, but sometimes they were not present. His instruction to these ten men was simply to go to the priests, the ones who declared people clean or unclean. Departing Jesus’ presence was probably an act of faith, and certainly going to the priest was, since the priest could not touch a leper. “As they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy,” a brilliant miracle!
 
Have you ever been healed? Have you ever had God answer a prayer…perhaps for a physical healing, but maybe a relational healing, a financial situation, a prayer for a job, car, housing, food, spouse, or child?
 
We are all blessed. We are all rich, by the world’s standards.
 
According to the Global Rich List last year, if you have an annual income of $32,500, you are in the top 1% of global earners. This does not mean you’re in the top 1% in the USA, but globally, you are among the world’s richest 1%. If you earn $16/hour, that’s you! That’s most of us. If you earn $12,000 or $1000/month, you’re in the top ten percent!
 
Even if you have zero income, you are here today, have clothes, food, access to shelter, freedoms many in the world would envy, and greatest of all the opportunity to have a relationship with the Creator of the universe! You are blessed!
 
In our text for today, these ten men were blessed. Their lives were transformed from outcasts to recipients of healing and wholeness.
 
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” (Luke 17:15)
 
One out of ten.
 
He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. (Luke 17:16)
 
One out of ten gave thanks. Luke tells his readers he was a Samaritan, a half-breed, a despised one, yet he was another example of a “good” Samaritan.
 
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” (Luke 17:17-19)
 
We always need an attitude of gratitude. This isn’t just a November thing. I hope you were able to celebrate Thanksgiving this past week. It’s one of my favorite days of the year (despite spending it in Germany this year!). It’s a day to pause and give thanks…to God, and maybe others, too.
 
The challenge for many of us is the pause. We’re so busy. We’re not only busy in work and entertainment and parenting and activity, we’re busy comparing ourselves to others.
Comparison kills. Our screens scream at us every day…look at that car, that vacation photo, that new outfit, that new gadget, that house, that beautiful person, that…
 
We’ve been blessed. You’ve been blessed.
We need to count our blessings…daily. I have a friend who used social media to list his blessings…I think it was five per day. Think about your blessings.
 
 
Researchers have discovered the power of gratitude. When we focus on what we don’t have, it’s easy to become discouraged, discontent, and even depressed. When we pause and give thanks, the opposite occurs. As usual, “science” confirms the truth of the ancient scriptures. King David declared,
 
I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. (Psalm 7:17, NLT)
 
Paul wrote,
 
Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NLT)
 
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Philippians 4:6, NLT)
 
The Bible is filled with instructions to give thanks. It’s also filled with instructions to give. Remember,
wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.
 
We are to give thanks, but we can also give. We can share. We can take what we have and be generous. Maybe it’s something as simple as a smile or a kind word. It might be taking someone out for coffee. Generosity might look like time, truly listening to someone’s story rather than being distracted by your phone.
 
We’ve all been blessed to be a blessing. The one thing we must never do with our gifts is hoard them. Jesus famously said,
 
‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” (Acts 20:35b, NLT)
 
 
As I sat in that San Diego resort all those years ago, a sense of relief and mission came over me. I was relieved because I didn’t have to go home, sell my clunker of a car, and ride a bicycle to work in the winter snow! I didn’t have to feel guilty about the blessings I had received. Instead, I needed to have an attitude of gratitude. I also had a mission of generosity. It really is more blessed to give than to receive. I love to give. I love to give to First Alliance Church because I know every dollar is invested carefully in God’s Kingdom. It’s a joy to support the work here. As our income grew with Heather’s new job, we’ve been able to give even more. We’ve had occasions to take faith-filed risks financially, and it’s exciting! You can’t outgive God!
 
In this season of Thanksgiving (before Amazon and the mall begin telling you about all of the things you “need!”), let’s commit to being grateful and generous rather than greedy and fearful.
Everything we have belongs to God. We are His stewards. Jesus said if we’re faithful in the small things, more will be given to us (Matthew 25). You may recall a young boy who only had a small lunch of bread and fish, yet when he was generous, thousands were fed…and he probably had the day of his life!
 
Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (Luke 6:38, NLT).
 
Video: Extend Hope (Alliance Christmas Offering)
 
Wealth is an issue of the heart, and our attitude should be one of gratitude and generosity.

Even blogger Seth Godin came to this conclusion!
 
I pray that as we enter the season of consumerism, we will experience contentment, gratitude, and generosity.
 
You can listen to this message and others at the First Alliance Church podcast here.

You can watch this video and others at the First Alliance Church Video Library
here.