Study Notes

Foundation Statement: The thankful life is the sweet life full of light that gets brighter and brighter; the unthankful life is a bitter life that gets darker and darker

 

I.      This heavy, sorrowful, sad, bitter, self-pity, self-loathing, pouting life, this dark life is not okay and it’s simply the result of you being unthankful: Thanksgiving is the activator of peace-Philippians 4:6-7

A.    Paul is in prison when he’s writing this

1.     4-Rejoice always and again I say rejoice (Be glad)

B.     6-You make your requests known to God in every thing by 1) Prayer-Believing you received 2) Supplication-Passionate 3) Thanksgiving-Thank you I have it

1.     AND-That will connect you to peace that passes all understanding 

C.    Thanksgiving is the activator of peace that passes understanding

1.     When your attitude is bad (frustrated, angry, worrying) it’s b/c you have no peace & you have no peace b/c you are not being thankful

a.    If peace is absent, thanksgiving is not coming out your mouth

2.     Peace will be on guard as long as thanksgiving is coming out of your mouth

a.    The fact that you have no peace is evidence that you’re not being thankful

b.    A long face is the result of an unthankful mouth

c.     Being miserable is the result of being unthankful

D.    8-Don’t focus on what you’re not, what you don’t have, what you can’t do b/c if you do you’re not going to be thankful and you’re going to have no peace

1.     9-Those things that they’ve learned, received, heard and see or V4-8

E.     11-He learned how to be content in every state-He’s in prison and content and peaceful because he is thankful

1.     Content isn’t “not desiring more”; Content is not needing more to be happy

a.    Content doesn’t mean he doesn’t want out of the prison; it just means he’s not going to delay his happiness and peace until he gets out

1)       My happiness & contentment is not postponed until I get it; I’m content now

b.    It’s fine to believe for more & to believe for better, but if you can’t be content w/o it, that’s not okay; If you’re unhappy b/c you don’t have it that’s wrong

1)       That is that dark life of misery and pouting

c.     This dark non-content, miserable state that believers are living in is not okay and it’s the result of not being thankful

2.     Hebrews 13:5-You can be content in any situations if you’ll be thankful

a.    Covetousness is the idea that I have to have it and can’t be happy w/o it

b.    Be content-You don’t have to have it and you can be happy w/o it

c.     The only person/thing you have to have and you can’t do without is Jesus

3.     If you learn to not allow yourself to think about what you don’t have and only think and talk about what you do have, you’ll always be content

F.     13-He’s referring to he can be content in any situation no matter what’s going on

1.     He can keep his peace, his joy, and be happy and not pout and be thankful and stay in faith in any situation

2.     This is a sign of a strong spirit-If every time something goes bad you lose your peace and you get angry, and frustrated, and upset, and sad, and bitter, you are spiritually weak

II.     The more unthankful you become the darker your life will get-Romans 1:21

A.    It can be clearly seen in your life that God has been so good and gracious to you and it is understood by all the good things you see

1.     20-This is talking about people who reject that there is a God, but it applies to us too

2.     20-There is no excuse for being unthankful

B.     When God’s done something good in ur life & u don’t appreciate, acknowledge, & express thanks to God for it’s dangerous-That’s the path to a dark life

1.     21-You know all the good stuff that happened in ur life was God, but were u thankful

a.    James 1:17-If it’s good it came from God and it was by his grace b/c you didn’t earn it or deserve it and you should be saying thanks

b.    They got in trouble b/c it was clear that it was God and then knew it was God and yet they were not thankful

2.     If you are unthankful you let darkness in

C.    21-They became something in response to their being unthankful: Lack of thanksgiving has this effect 1) You get dumb 2) You get dark

1.     21-Vain imagination-The more unthankful u are the dumber you get

2.     21-Darkness came into their heart and life

a.    God is light-Light is love-Light is life-it’s the force behind all good

b.    Satan is darkness-Darkness is death-Darkness is hate-it’s force behind all bad

c.     If you have darkness in your heart, you have it in your life (Prov 4:23, 23:7)

3.     21-31-When you are unthankful your life gets dark; stress, anger, worry, bad attitude, disobedience, strife, talking about people, ill-will, proud, unsociable, judgmental, no mercy; All this stemmed from them knowing it was God and not being unthankful

III.   How would you get to a life so dark? You allowed yourself to focus on what you are not, don’t have, can’t do, you became unthankful & gave darkness place

A.    Luke 11:34-If you’ll keep your eye on the word you’ll be thankful and full of light

1.     The light of the body is the eye – if your eye is dark you’re body is dark

2.     You got to have a single eye to be thankful and you’ll have light in your life

3.     Psalm 119:130-If you were focused on the Word you’d be thankful & it’d give light

B.     Psalm 42:1-11-His whole situation changed when he looked at the right thing by remembering; as a result of that he got thankful and when he got thankful his life got brighter is countenance changed and life was sweet again 

1.     3-He’s crying day and night; he’s down/dark; He’s not being thankful & this is not ok

a.    This darkness shouldn’t go on day after day, hour after hour

2.     4-He starts looking at the good things and it changes His whole attitude

a.    What he looks at turns this whole situation around

3.     6-When ur soul is trying 2 despair u need to remember how good God has been 2 u

a.    Remembering is acknowledging and acknowledging is being thankful

4.     7-8-He gets in faith like 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

5.     9-Why go I mourning/dark/heavy because of the oppression of the enemy?

a.    You can be under attack and not be despairing (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

b.    Just because you’re going through something doesn’t excuse darkness & despair

6.     11-It looks bad and things aren’t going great, but that’s no excuse for you to murmur, tumult, be troubled, and in despair soul

a.    I will praise Him-I’m not going 2 wait 4 this good stuff 2 happen b4 I say thank you

b.    I will YET praise him; This stuff won’t stop me from giving thanks

7.     11-God is the health of my countenance

a.    Some believers need to get delivered in their face/countenance; they need to get victory in their countenance

b.    If you’re not winning in your face, you’re not winning inside & u won’t win outside

c.     When he started thanking God his countenance changed; his attitude changed

d.    When you’re not thankful your face show it

C.    Hebrews 12:1-3-Look to Jesus and you’re life will be a sweet one full of light

1.     1-Since we’re surrounded by such a great record (everybody who lives by faith wins) don’t be heavy

2.     1-Lay aside every weight-load, burden, hindrance; he doesn’t want you heavy

a.    It’s easy to get unthankful; just focus on the wrong thing

3.     1-Run with patience-Not heavy and dark, but with cheerful endurance

4.     2-How would you run and not be heavy and be cheerful? Look to Jesus

a.    Look-Separate and look; separate yourself from the wrong stuff and look to him

b.    He is the word made flesh and you look to him, by looking to the word (Jn 1:14)

5.     2-He’s is the leader and captain of your faith

a.    Play follow the leader; look to him and do what he did; he’s your example

b.    When he got into pressure situations he lifted his eyes and looked to the Father and operated in thanksgiving and he wasn’t heavy or dark (Jn 11, Mt 14)

6.     2-He’s the finisher of your faith-make perfect, complete, fulfill conclude the act

a.    By God’s grace and mercy you make ever effort you can to live by faith the exact way that Jesus did and if you fall short he’ll join his faith with yours and complete your faith and it’ll work the way his did

7.     2-For the joy of winning Jesus paid the price of enduring

a.    The price for winning is enduring

8.     2-Endured-Remain, stay in a given place, persevere, abide, continue, be present

a.    When God does the faith role call you better be saying “PRESENT”

9.     2-Depsing the shame

a.    He didn’t exalt it, he didn’t magnify it, he disesteemed it; this is nothing

1)       It was nothing in his mind, he belittled it, looked down on it, it was insignificant

2)       He neglected it and didn’t focus on it

b.    Psalm 69:30-If you’ll engage thanksgiving you’ll see him bigger and when you see him bigger you get light (not heavy), bright

10.  3-Consider him that stayed the same and was always present

IV.   Thanksgiving will effect your attitude; it’s the remedy for a bitter and stinky attitude

A.    Job 7:1-19-Being unthankful will lead you to a bitter life

1.     Job’s having a pity party-Job’s been through a lot, but this is never okay

a.    3-He’s saying, “Misery has just been appointed to me as my lot in life.”

b.    4-He’s saying, “I toss and turn all night and can’t sleep.”

c.     6-He’s saying, “My life means nothing to nobody.”

d.    7-He’s saying, “My life is useless, I might as well just die already.”

e.    7-He’s saying, “Nothing good will ever happen to me again.”

f.      11-Is “not refraining your mouth” okay? NO

g.    11-If his spirit is “distressed” he allowed it to be that way (Phil 4:6-7-If he was thankful he’d have peace)

2.     He’s bitter because he’s unthankful

a.    11-I WILL complain; This is an act of his will; He could have chose to be thankful

b.    11-Bitterness led 2 him complaining-complaining is a manifestation of bitterness

1)       Bitter-Unpleasant, harsh, resentful, unkind, mean, nasty, brutal, merciless, difficult, cynical, critical, fault-finding, judgmental, accusing, afflicted, distressed, sharp, cruel, severe, misery, extreme hostility, antagonism, and hate, grudge, an excessive degree of passions and emotions as the bitterness of anger, severity of temper

3.     Job is looking at the wrong stuff and in turn he’s not being thankful

a.    He gets his eyes on all the stuff that he doesn’t have & all the stuff that is going wrong and it gives birth to bitterness in his life

4.     Job is going through an extremely difficult time, but that doesn’t excuse his behavior

a.    He could have chose to get his eyes on the right things & he could have found something to be thankful for

b.    God blessed him with all that stuff he had many years with his children; he’s alive

B.     Bitterness and unthankfulness go hand in hand; You’re bitter b/c you’re unthankful

1.     The remedy & cure 4 a bitter life is 2 cultivate thanksgiving b/c that’s bring peace

a.    Unthankfulness is a pathway that will lead you to a BITTER life

b.    Life can be SWEET if you will be thankful. 

c.     The more unthankful you are, the more bitter you’ll be; The more thankful you are the sweeter your life will be

2.     People get bitter towards God/other people & it’s 1 of the ugliest things you’ll see

a.    The only reason a person would be bitter is because they believe they deserve something better than what’s happening to them right now

3.     A bitter, unthankful attitude stinks-2 Corinthians 2:14

a.    A thankful attitude smells good to God; an unthankful attitude stinks

b.    Their offering smelt good 2 God; thanksgiving is sacrifice smells good (Ph 4:18)

4.     Ephesians 4:31-Put away bitterness by being thankful

a.    Hebrews 12:15-Bitterness will trouble you, disturb you, vex you

b.    Proverbs 14:10-You know if you’ve become bitter

5.     The sweetness of thanksgiving to God

a.    Hebrews 13:15-Thanksgiving is a sacrifice

b.    Psalm 69:30-31-The sacrifice of praise is likened to a sacrifice of animals

c.     2 Chronicles 29:31-A thank offering

d.    Exodus 29:25-Their burnt offering would smell sweet to the Lord

e.    When God smelled something sweet he did something sweet in the life of a man (Gen 8:20-9:1-3)

f.      When Noah gave thanks and made an offering and sent sweetness to the heart of God his life got sweet; God blessed Him

C.    1 Samuel 1:5-19

1.     6-She has no peace, she’s weeping, not eating; she’s miserable & she’s not thankful

a.    This went on for years and this is not okay

2.     8-She had a great husband, she’s got a double portion, she was alive and breathing and well, but she’s unthankful b/c she’s got her eyes on what she doesn’t have

3.     10-She’s bitter, angry, heavy, & discontent – NO PEACE

a.    She’s praying, but there’s no faith in it

b.    If ur putting off you’re happiness, joy, peace until victory shows up ur not content

c.     She’s not content b/c she’s supposed 2 have this baby, it’s God’s will 4 her & it’s not happening

1)       She just has 2 have what God has 4 her & that attitude is not ok-Not thankful

2)       In the violence & intensity of our faith the opportunity is there to get so caught up in what you’re believing for that you get unthankful for all God has done

4.     11-She’s trying to get it not by grace, but by a deal

5.     15-She’s sorrowful of spirit & she feels justified in being this way b/c she doesn’t have what she’s supposed to – NO PEACE

a.    15-She thinks this wailing and crying is being spiritual

6.     16-This abundant grief and complaining produced no baby

7.     17-Go in peace and (connection) you’ll get what you asked

8.     17-She took his Word as the Word of God and that was all she needed

a.    18,19-She’s not sad, she’s eating, her countenance has changed b/c she believes what God said, She’s worshipping God

b.    She didn’t have to make a deal; she had to get in faith and thanksgiving so God could be gracious to her

D.    1 Kings 21:5

1.     1-Ahab is the King living in the palace; he’s probably got hundreds of vineyards

a.    He’s got so much to be thankful for

2.     3-Naboth said the Lord won’t allow me to do what

3.     4-He has no peace, he’s not being thankful, he’s dark, he’s down

a.    He got that way because he got his eyes on the one thing that he didn’t have and it caused him to be unthankful and robbed him of his peace

4.     5-Never pet a pouter: This is the worse thing that she could do for him

5.     He was unthankful and it got darker and darker

a.    9-13-Lying comes out of this

b.    14-Killing came out of this

c.     15-Stealing came out of this

d.    18-Naboth’s wife and children just lost their husband and Father and Ahab’s down there taking their land