Mike Bickle emphasizes the stark contrast between complaint and gratitude, illustrating how a life filled with complaints can damage our spiritual health and relationships. He references Paul's teachings, highlighting that gratitude liberates the heart and allows us to experience God's love more fully. Bickle encourages believers to cultivate a mindset of gratitude, which requires intentionality and reflection on God's goodness, rather than succumbing to the negativity of complaints. He uses biblical examples, such as the ten lepers and Isaiah's vision, to demonstrate how gratitude can lead to deeper relationships with God and a more fulfilling life. Ultimately, he asserts that gratitude is essential for sustaining love in our hearts both now and in the age to come.

Sundays I've been talking about complaint and Gratitude and those are extreme opposites I've been talking about the perils and the damage that complaint brings into our life when we have Lives of complaining which are very very it's very normal for us to do that but Paul points out how Harmful it is to our spiritual life and how harmful it is to our relationships And then the scripture points out gratitude the exact opposite and how it liberates the heart How it positions us to experience more of God's love and it sustains love in our heart So I'll look at paragraph a first Corinthians 2 just the verse we've looked at each time We've considered my fourth message on this over the last month or so First I mean a Philippians chapter 2 just read it real quickly Paul says do all things without complaining without disputing that you may become blameless and I pointed out how Paul identifies blameless as being connected to refusing a life of complaining and at first it seems that's exaggerated that our life would be blameless if we would Consistently resist complaining and and Paul is saying in essence I don't think you really understand the connection of what complaining does to you What it does inside of your own heart. I'm talking about godly people who love the Lord Who grew up in a family culture of complaining and so it's second nature to do it Anyway, because we're sinful people and then to grow up in a in a family culture that complains and then our society guy that complains Doesn't seem that weird to be a complainer and Paul is saying no, it's it's more destructive than you understand That it damages your spiritual life. It dulls the vibrancy in your spiritual life But not only that it's an enemy that hurts relationships It damages marriage relationships parents to children friendship to friendship, etc, etc. We all know that and So Paul is pointing out the need to resist this Now the last few sessions I've defined complaining a bit, but I'll just give one or two quick statements of review complaining is Based on feeling that we deserve to be treated better. It's just kind of that simple Lord, we think you should treat us better We think that you have left out a few things that you've been negligent in your leadership in my life Why did you let this happen? Why is it more happening? Or we think we deserve to be treated better by people and many times we should be treated better by people but what Paul's really saying is don't let the narrative of Feeling like you're getting a bad deal dominate your life Because if it does a lot of negative things will take place in you now complaining in another simple very simplistic definition is It emphasizes what we don't have instead of what we do have And we go that's obvious and it is obvious because it's no mystery how complaining works The important part about complaining is seeing how damaging it is It's very simple to define it and it's very easy to get sucked into the bubble of The frustrating annoying things in our life in the people around us We can get stuck in that bubble for a few weeks a few months Where the what's happening in our physical bodies and our finances what's happening with these two three people in our life? Whether they're in our family or they're just close to us and it just uh, it just seems so intense And the Lord says it it is troublesome and it's and it's good to work to see those things corrected But don't let that narrative dominate your life Don't lose sight of the bigger picture of what's going on between you and me And that's what Paul is pointing out here And so he's calling us to resist it and to see it for the enemy that it is. I compared it to the The the doctor who told the man he says you've got traces of Malignant cancer in your body very small traces and the guy goes. Well, I feel the same. I feel great I don't see any evidences of it and the doctor says we treat it now you get free of it But if you don't it will destroy you and the guy goes it doesn't seem like that big a deal It's only a small thing and the doctor says no. No, you need to take this more seriously And when you read what the New Testament how and Old Testament Describes the peril and the damage and the repercussions of complaining in our heart and in our relationships. It's far more serious Then we would naturally assume because it's so common in our life and our culture and our backgrounds. It's like what's the big deal? paragraph B I'm going to talk about gratitude, which is the exact opposite Now when you talk about gratitude There's other biblical words That we're familiar with it's bless the Lord. That means be grateful to the Lord Praise the Lord give thanks Gratitude all of these are the same general truth, you know when the scripture says bless the Lord at all times It's not saying just saying at the worship service or it's saying Intentionally connect with the larger story of God's leadership in your life It's not just verbalizing. Thank you God, but it's actually taking a moment and pondering in a deliberate thoughtful way the real story of Who you are to the Lord and his leadership in your life and how the frustrating Setbacks obstacles are real, but they're small and we need to see them as a In the in the light of the true storyline of our relationship with the Lord Now gratitude it doesn't or praising the Lord or giving. Thanks That doesn't happen just by gritting our teeth to say. Thank you more. Thank you more. Thank you more He's not just saying just kind of you know, memorize Phrases and say praise God praise God praise God praise God but rather He's calling us To see more clearly because when we see more clearly Jesus's leadership in our life gratitude is automatic Gratitude comes by seeing So it's not the effort to verbalize praise praise you God praise you God praise you God It's the effort to take time to cultivate a new perspective a broader perspective a deeper perspective of who he is in our life Because what gratitude really flows out of is that we understand we're getting better than we deserve complaining is we're getting less than what we deserve and Gratitude is we're getting better than we deserve and they are extreme Opposite perspectives and we all know we're getting better than we deserve in reality We say we know Jesus is treating us better. We deserve but what Paul is saying here in the scripture overall It's not enough. Just agree with the concept Let that narrative dominate your inner life Let it be the the primary mindset and it takes effort to cultivate that mindset. It's not automatic Now here in 1st Corinthians chapter 2 Paul points out something that is emphasized in scripture many places that the glory that God has Has releases in and through his people is not Immediately obvious to even believers or unbelievers. We we lose sight of it It's not obvious But when we see what the scripture says and we see evidence of his glory in creation and evidence of his glory in our life we were to take a step back and intentionally connect the dots and Not give ourself to that bubble that get lost to that bubble of short-term frustration It may go on a few months or a few years, but it's still short-term in the big picture of our life But rather were to really cultivate this idea that the glory that God has Has released in our life and promised to our life is actually a far bigger and more dominant Permanent storyline that were to be connected to but it's not automatically evident even to believers But it's documented in the word and there's evidence of it in creation and evidence is evident of God's leadership in our life but we got a pause and we got to think on it to recall it and Reconnect the dots and bring it to the forefront of our thinking in our perspective and that's called praising the Lord That's called giving. Thanks to God Now look what he says here in first Corinthians 2 Paul says we speak The hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory Verse 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew Verse 9 I has not seen Nor has the ear heard Nor has it entered the heart of a man the things that God has prepared the glory that God has prepared for the people who love him the people that Give themselves to Jesus in relationship into his under his leadership Now let's look at this passage again Verse 7 it says we speak. It's a hidden wisdom. It's not obvious It's not immediately obvious Again, it's documented in the written word. And so we find what the word says we go. Okay We don't always feel what the word says. I mean, we don't feel it's all I mean We can't feel the power of it that who we are to God and what he's planned for us And Paul says yes, it is hidden from your natural senses your immediate observation, but it's there Take a step back and look at what the word says Look at evidences of it in your life You'll see them if you pause and you ponder on it look at evidences of it in creation and God's leadership of history Connect the dots and enter in engage into that narrative or to that storyline for your life He goes on in verse 7 he says it's a wisdom it's a plan It's God's plan for your life. It's God's plan for his family It was ordained for your glory In other words God ordained a plan that you would encounter the glory of God in the most remarkable Permanent eternal long-term way God the Father does not have to be convinced to allow us to encounter his glory. It's his plan He's convincing us not us convincing him He says no before you did anything before you were born before the ages before you ever sin Before you ever said yes to the Lord. He had a plan in place that he's deeply committed to He says in verse 9 He goes it's hidden from you No matter how much you think you understand it even the most devout Bible student the most devout Worshipper of God he says, you know, you'll get glimpses. Yes But it's far beyond what you understand or what you imagine Verse 9 no, I has ever seen it Even a a visionary encounter of the Lord is only a glimpse of it He goes no, I John in the book of Revelation saw the New Jerusalem he only got a glimpse Paul could say no, it's more than that more than John saw John got a glimpse of it. No ear has ever heard He says it's never been told the most Extreme rendition of what glory could look like comes up greatly short of the truth of the glory God has planned for your life He says it's never entered the heart of a man, you know, you take Walt Disney Combining with Steven Spielberg with CS Lewis and about ten other guys with high-tech everything They won't even touch the beginning of where this thing is going the most, you know, the most celebrated imaginative minds could not Touch this thing. It's far beyond Anything that they would gather he goes it's never entered the heart of a man the fullness of what is planned for you and it's Guaranteed it is yours No, devil could steal it from you. No, man could steal it from you. You're in it the day you're born again You're a part of it. He goes take a step back and enter into this engage in this. It's amazing Beloved I love to say we have it made Honey, we really do have it made as people that have by the grace of God given ourselves to Jesus as leadership Paragraph C now I looked at this last week It lacks in the last couple of sessions on this, but I don't think I could say this too many times. I love to say it We're let's just consider that the God story of our life just a couple Simple points that we need to regularly realign because though we know them We don't regularly realign with this God's story this narrative of our life the God's story about our life Beloved you and I are fully Freely accepted by God totally. I mean this is Indescribable the implications of that forever Fully freely we can't earn it. We can't lose it by our failure Our weakness is not going to disqualify us if we say yes to him and his grace and his leadership Not only that We have God Dwelling in us. I mean this is it's just unimaginable what that means The day you were born again God God lives in you forever a billion years from now. He will still be in you He lives in us it says in the scripture the very seed of God is in the born-again believer That the angels cannot claim that The angels are not in God's family. They're in God's service But they stand at a distance and they serve God They don't call God father when they address God they they address him in respectful Titles and descriptions but never father only you call him father the born-again believers through history or just the redeemed through history I'd rather say We're sons of God. I Mean, that's amazing. We're the bride of Christ. We are his eternal companion his partner Forever and ever and ever ruling beloved. What what's the deal about you? Why are you so? Why are why does he want you so near and dear to him Because he sees something in you and has given something to you far bigger than you and I can see about our own lives Not only that he delights in us. I mean, he's not gritting his teeth relating to us. He actually enjoys the relationship I mean, I don't know why he enjoys it so much. I mean, we're not that interesting, but he's that engaged He goes. No, I really delight in this. This is who I am This is how I view you like really, you know, I've often asked the Lord over the years Lord, why do you care about me pray? Why do you want me talking to you so much? Again, I don't have that much to say Interesting you are so interesting. What is it that you see that you want so much about us? Well, it's because of who he is It's the nature of what he's like it's his personality Well, not only that our life our routine mundane day-to-day life The smallest acts of obedience. I say this week after week I can't say it enough the giving of a cup of cold water the smallest acts of obedience done in the will of God Having a short conversation with somebody to help and encourage them a little bit of money a little bit of time A little bit of service in your home. This isn't just outside your home what moms do in the kitchen? What happens in the neighborhood what happens in the marketplace? That's done in the will of God beloved Jesus said surely I won't ever forget it. I'll show you in eternity how much it moved me That means every single day of our life has relevance has meaning. I mean what a glorious reality Beloved nobody can take this from you the guy that's resisting you the guy that's annoying you the guy that's Bothering you that is a story and we don't like all of those kind of frustrating things The financial situation the physical situation. We don't like those things But again, there are small Parts of a very big story and the enemy wants us stuck in the small bubble of that frustration So we cannot see the grandeur of the thing. We're a part of that makes our heart abound in love It's a it's the most remarkable thing that God has called us to in paragraph D You know when we complain We're actually giving airtime to the devil's accusations by complaining. We're vocalizing We're expressing the accusation of the enemy Many many times. I mean there are legitimate faith times to point out things that need corrected. That's not what I'm talking about I'm talking about that spirit of complaint not appeals, you know to correct something to make it different etc, etc Look at paragraph D Gratitude does opposite of giving expression to accusation of the enemy against God and against people Gratitude magnifies Jesus's leadership and when we express that gratitude But the the feeling the the change in us grows the love grows It sustains us in a way that's remarkable the very presence of gratitude Brings Liberty to our heart and brings the release of God's presence to us in a great way. I Love grows in this age and the age to come Gratitude is the root system for which love is sustained in this age and in the age to come I believe in the age to come When we have resurrected bodies and we're on this earth with resurrected bodies as heaven has come down to earth The New Jerusalem is descended Here we are ruling and reigning on the earth resurrected bodies living in the New Jerusalem Our love will be sustained and why will our love grow and be sustained I don't believe it's because we will be automated or wrote, you know robotic I don't think that in the resurrection we get a chip where we just are now automated to love I don't think that's what the Lord is interested in But I think that what happens is that we see him face to face and his Glorious beauty and his kindness we see the fullness of Our own failure and we see the failure of the human race, but his generosity Towards us and it moves us so deeply plus the fact there is no sin There is no devil around and we have the Spirit of God fully manifest in us But I don't believe that we're just automated to love. I believe that Gratitude as seen in the hymns in the book of Revelation, you know in the hymns of Revelation that we have these about 20 different hymns or whatever the number is where they're Magnifying God and that's all gratitude based. They're extolling and magnifying how cool and how powerful how kind how generous he has been in our life and I think Gratitude along with house having the indwelling spirit and again No, devil the whole combination of the of it together. That's what is going to motivate and sustain love forever and forever You know the angels Back before the you know in ages past it says that one-third of the angels are described as falling The rebelling against God and falling they didn't have a sin nature But they didn't have gratitude. I mean they were face to face in the glory of God. They saw the glory But they had not Experienced the sort of thing that created gratitude like the Saints will have when we see this extreme outrageous forgiveness and Graciousness over in the in the face of our brokenness and so though the angels they were in the very perfection of glory They still sinned But the one they did not have gratitude. I believe that was one of the primary issues that was going on They didn't they were not motivated by the Gloriousness of God's kindness to them even in the midst of their failure Etc. Etc. And of course, it's a bigger story than that. But I think that that's an important part of Viewing our future that gratitude will sustain us in this age as well as in the age to come Well here in Luke chapter 7. It's a very famous story Luke 7 Jesus goes to a Pharisees house Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7. It's quite a long story. You can read it later and He's having a a business lunch. I mean they're inquiring about who he is what he stands for they wanted to know his plan his agenda his doctrine, you know, but they were sincere and they were inquiring and and Jesus is enjoying this Lunch with them and they're interacting and this lady this prostitute this Sinner breaks into the guy's house the Pharisees house. Well, that's pretty unorthodox thing to do Particularly the ancient world she breaks in she falls at Jesus's feet she weeps and with her hair washes his feet and kisses them and Simon says, you know teacher. What's the deal with this lady? I mean, are you okay with this? I mean, it's a little extreme. I mean Said do you know who she is? Are you getting who she is? And Jesus is yeah, I'm getting who she is because Simon said if you're a real prophet, you'd know this isn't good And Jesus was saying no Simon. The problem is you're not getting what's going on right here You're not getting what's going on and here in Luke chapter 7 verse 47 at the end of the story Jesus gave the principle. He said therefore he goes reflecting the story that he gave to to Simon and the explanation he goes, let me tell you her sins were many and She has the fresh understanding of forgiveness of them Therefore great love is shown towards me. She loves me so much Because she sees how much she's been forgiven He goes, but you is the essence he goes you're not aware of how much you've been forgiven in Your estimation you've been forgiven very little you don't really get how much you have been forgiven Simon That's what the the real story is And Simon, you don't really understand the greatness of the glory. God has planned for his people So therefore you love little yeah In that kind of general way because you don't get the magnitude of what you're forgiven Nor the magnitude of the plan for your life you don't get either one of them and how undeserving you are for both of them and how Gracious and abounding God is towards you. That's why you love so little Simon But this lady you don't understand the story. She gets the story She knows how much she's been forgiven and she touches a little bit of the implications of where this thing might be going He goes that's therefore she loves much so I think that as we make the correlation between How much we're forgiven and we bring it to mind and how great the plan is for God's plan for our life We connect the dots That's what it means to bless the Lord That's what it means to give thanks always Again, it's not sort of just a religious rhetoric of bless the Lord bless the Lord bless the Lord It's not something a phrase to memorize and repeat Although I don't think it's bad to memorize and repeat it at all But but the point is that's not exactly what the scripture saying They're saying engage in the larger narrative in an intentional thoughtful regular way Realign Consciously intentionally Realign with the story pause and ponder reflect and vocalize your gratitude back to God Because just like complaining if you complain the trouble the the Unsettledness the frustration actually grows Gratitude is the same way if you express gratitude the goodness and the love and the peace actually grows You know the guy thinks well, I complain to get off my chest and as I've said the last few weeks That's not how it works. You could play you get that in your mouth. It will actually go deeper in your heart It will it will bother you more. It will defile you more having a complaint and vocalizing the complaint Vocalizing it actually increases its impact in a negative way. It's a small increase, but the increase is real. Well Gratitude has the same. It's the same principle. We take time to cultivate this Storyline, it's like all have been forgiven much and plan. God has planned great glory. Lord. This is remarkable But then we actually Vocalize it to God and to others the sense of the peace and the Liberty will actually Grow and grow and grow not not remarkable like a giant leap forward every time we do it But it's a small incremental increase It's a lifestyle called praising the Lord blessing the Lord giving. Thanks at all times Let's hear a look at paragraph F here We're gonna continue in the gospel of Luke chapter 17 Now we're all familiar with this story as well. It's the story of the ten lepers so there verse 12 these ten lepers they come and meet Jesus and They cry out in verse 13 heal us have mercy and the Lord heals them. You could read the whole story It's a it's a well-known story, but it's a story that we don't want to move on quickly and just kind of think well We got that one down Well, the ten were healed of leprosy this terrible Contagious skin disease that would cause deformities in their body and and even sometimes they're there there would there would be disfiguration of their hands in their face and and Jesus heals them and they are so happy to have a blessing of God of that magnitude in their life But verse as they're running they're going down the road. Oh, this is amazing God blessed us. God blessed us. This of this terrible disease has been healed. This impossible situation has been turned around but verse 15 One of them one of the nine he saw that he was healed and He returned and the other dying went on down the road and went on with their life But this one guy came back and it says he fell down don't miss the significance of this He fell down at Jesus's feet. I mean he's overwhelmed And he says thank you Thank you Thank you. I Understand there's more than just a blessing that touched me There is a man who is the source of the blessing and I want to thank you I want to know you that it's not just a a glorious event in my life That it was a token that there's a relationship with a great leader a king a Messiah and he hadn't put all that together But he was coming back to who are you? I mean, I love the blessing I love the blessing, but there's something else going on here and Jesus in verse 17 He said where the other died. Well, they were content with God blessing their life and they moved on But he says here in verse 19. He goes, but you're different you have a significant added Additional blessing your faith has made you well and the vert and the Greek word there we all know Today, it's a common word. So so Your faith you've come into salvation He goes those guys encountered the blessing of God, but you've got a relationship with a king It's gonna last forever. You're touching a whole nother storyline in your life Now the principle is not only if we have gratitude We get saved and we go to heaven when we die. That's not the Primary point that I'm emphasizing here. It's that pausing in the midst of blessing Going back instead of going on our way about our business happier. No, we pause We pull aside we go to the feet of Jesus We rehearse it to him with Thanksgiving We connect the man and his plan over our life with the blessing the the one-off blessing We put it together and we say Lord. We want to enter into more of who you are and Understand you and say thank you and it was the very presence of the thank you that brought the wholeness And this principle is true in our lives if we will take more time To pull aside the nine went on their way rejoicing in the blessing of God I mean they loved it, but they went on about their business and we pull aside and we intentionally come before the Lord and we Rehearse the narrative and we give Thanksgiving to him and we look into his face and Lord Thank you and and we get captured into that larger story of what he has about our life beloved There's greater wholeness. I mean we're already going to heaven when we die We know that and the vast majority of this room. You're secure about your salvation But there's a wholeness Even in this life that is available But it only comes in the spirit of gratitude and it's again. It's not an occasional. Thank you God that's amazing, but it's a it's a rehearsing it's a pulling aside it's a Contemplating it's it's intentional. It's letting that that narrative dominate in our life and in our heart and some Bible teachers even say that that one leper got the extra blessing of his fingers restored or his body restored since I've heard different people Say he got even more than just what the other nine God I'm not sure if that really happened or not, but the point is is that with Thanksgiving with gratitude. There's this whole nother dimension that happens in our life Even as believers look at top of page two in Isaiah chapter 6 I love so much. I so appreciate the message that Alan gave a couple weeks ago about Isaiah 6 when Uzziah Died and the young prophet Isaiah saw the King the true King Jesus the Messiah he saw the King of Israel in his glory and The point I want to highlight is the seraphim these living creatures were around the very presence of the great King which was a picture of Jesus which is a description of the living creatures Magnifying Jesus for who he is in his glory, but it's interesting what these creatures say they say holy holy holy and then it goes on to say the whole earth is filled with your glory Now that's an interesting statement Because Isaiah the young prophet might have said well Israel is really troubled right now. I mean there's compromise all over the nation. There's political Unsettledness there's the Assyrians the enemies are attacking us or Approaching us on the on every corner and there's a disruption spiritually in the society and all kinds of trouble But the seraphim said yes. Yes, that's true But we see what you don't see There's evidences of the glory of God everywhere. I mean the seraphim are described as being full of eyes I mean, that's a that's strange to us, but they're full of eyes Which lets us know they have remarkable capacity for Understanding and for seeing what God sees that is their most distinct characteristic their ability and capacity to see what God sees and Isaiah the prophet he saw sin and trouble and political Instability and all kinds of compromise and threats of enemies and the seraphim said the whole Is filled with evidences of the glory of God Only Isaiah you could see what we see You could see what the seraphim see because the seraphim see more of what God sees than any other of the creatures described in the Word of God But the idea is that this is beckoning us is that the world has Evidences of the glory of God in creation in his leadership over history in his redemptive accomplishments at the cross in your own life, but we it's all written much not all but much of it is written in the Word of God and And the application is we take a step back We take what the Word says we're sons of God God dwells in us. We're in the family of God. We're going to the New Jerusalem of the resurrected bodies Forever and we take what the scripture says about the glory the glorious storyline We see evidences in creation little glimpses only We see glimpses of it in history and the Lord says take time Be intentional engage in the story. Don't get lost in the bubble of your short-term struggles Note step out of the bubble see the big picture Develop it connect the dots Not a quick kind of run by praise the Lord praise the Lord and then we're done with it not just a worship service on Sunday, but a cultivation of Gratitude of seeing the big picture and it takes time to do that. It takes intentionality to do it It takes some effort to give ourself to do that. But the impact is real. It's powerful What it does inside of us? Here in Colossians chapter 3. I mean, this is a remarkable passage Colossians chapter 3 Paul is Gonna refer again to this idea that the glory is hidden Meaning it's not immediately obvious The evidences are there the tokens are there we can get glimpses of it and The glimpses of it will make a great impact on us a great impact to see glimpses of the glory Because again it changes the whole way we carry our heart And we don't get captured in the bubble of the frustration that's in front of us That might go on a few months or a few years, but we well again, we still acknowledge those frustrations We still want to fix them and see them change that that's good to do But we don't let them do that that doesn't dominate The storyline the narrative of our own heart and life in our dialogue with the Lord Here in Colossians chapter 3 Paul said for you died now He's talking to believers who have come to Christ and what he means by you died your old identity Who you were outside of Christ how you defined yourself is gone Your old destiny where you were going outside of Christ is gone Your life goals and values they're changed that man With that identity that destiny those life goals and values that guy's gone You got a new identity a new destiny a new agenda a new set of plans under his leadership He doesn't let me tell you about what that leadership looks like He goes you've got a life But he says be patient Because your life is hidden in God. It's not Immediately obvious all that's involved in that life He says but be of good cheer verse 4 when Jesus appears When he comes at the second coming he goes and we all get our resurrected bodies He goes then You will appear in glory the full truth about your life will be evident to you then Now the the glory of our life that is fully evident to us on that day The glory is still true today Meaning the glory doesn't begin at the resurrection the glory begins the day you're born again Every cup of cold water I've given in the name of the Lord is remembered every single Movement of my heart to say no to sin and yes to loving God. It moves him. He remembers it My life your life, it's crowned with glory. We don't see the glory so clear right now Paul says it's a bit hidden from you. Well, it is hidden from you, but he goes it's there's the word says it it records it There's evidence. It's different around there's glimpses of it He goes take time to give yourself to those glimpses. That's what exhortation to gratitude is all about He goes but I assure you Your life is hidden not just is it obscured from you it's hidden in that way, but it's hidden in a second way It's hidden in Christ's hand Meaning it's secure Nobody will pry your life out of his hand. It's secure. It's final No devil can take it. Nobody can stop it happening the will of God and the glory of God in your life You know, I love the this analogy about the life of David and David as you know King David in Israel's ancient history He was pursued by Saul then Saul tried to kill him Then the Philistines tried to kill him then other enemies tried to kill him Then he was betrayed many times even people within his own nation But beloved Saul can't stop David doing the will of God The Philistines can't stop David's the will of God in David's life Nobody can stop the will of God in David's life But David and the same is true with you and that's what Paul is saying Nobody can interrupt the will of God in any kind of way that derails it in your life though in that group of guys that standing as an obstacle to your money or your Promotion or the fullness of what God has called you to nobody can stop God's will in your life I mean they might have a few moments of Standing in the way and frustrating you and and like tempting you and the Lord says no don't go there Your life is hidden in Christ's hands I mean nobody can stop the only man that could stop David was David and the way only way David could stop is by quitting beloved if you don't quit you win and And the Lord's saying There's no reason for you at all To have to lose sight of who you are to the Lord. There's no reason to quit There's no reason to draw back at any of these these issues Yes, you see the frustration. Yes, you see the setbacks Yes, the family relationship is hard. The work relationship is hard. The other relationships are hard. There's Hassles financial limitations and hindrances and setbacks Beloved that's not the main story of our life Your life is hidden in the hand of Christ Jesus. The will of God is secure There's a glory that will be even fully evident, but there's glimpses of it now all around I want to enter into that man. I want to touch that. I want to go there. I want to go there deep Because I know this is what will liberate my heart This is what will make me grow in my experience of God's love. It will sustain love in me It will fuel it. It will cause it to it will a propel it forward in a greater way And this is true of your life. It's true of all of us that will say yes to his leadership Let's look at paragraph C paragraph C here Gratitude is so Attracting to God It says here in Psalm 147. It is good to sing praises to God For it is pleasant and praise is beautiful Now instead of verse 1 Psalm 147 verse 1 Instead of it is good to sing praise say it is good to express gratitude to God Instead of the word bless God or praise God or thank God put cultivate gratitude Because it's it's saying the exact same thing But again, it takes time to do this and the reason I would urge you to put that word exchange those words Because if you think praise God, it's good to praise God you might think of a short worship service on Sunday and while I praise God this week and The psalmist is saying so much more than sing a few songs when you gather at a church service or a home group, etc It's good To be intentional about cultivating gratitude He goes because it will be pleasant. It will be pleasant its impact in you will be pleasant instead of being dominated by anxiety Frustration Annoyance this I'm just so tired of how all this always happens the Lord says no You don't have to live tired of everything not going, right? Yes, we don't like it when things don't go right, but it goes you don't have to be in despair a ball of frustration Ready to snap at any time If you will cultivate Gratitude, it's actually will be pleasant. It will go well with your soul There will be a whole different environment inside of you. It's called in Philippians for the passage We've been looking at it's called the peace of God guarding your heart your emotions the peace of God guarding you He goes it will be pleasant to you You'll be glad you took the time to cultivate this perspective of life and this interaction with the Lord He goes, but not only that Praise is beautiful. It's beautiful to God God will look at this praise even in our weakness and brokenness and the Lord will say this is beautiful to me the way you're responding to me that you're connecting the dots of what the Word says and the Evidences of my glory in my leadership through history and in your life and glimpses of glory in your life You're putting it all together The Lord says it's beautiful to me This is beautiful to me and it's beautiful to other people The folks that live next to you that are connected to you. It will change the way you interact with them it will change it will impact them in a way that will be a helpful and inspiring to their life Peter addresses the same point in 1st Peter 3 He calls it it's an incorruptible beauty. I mean what a phrase Gratitude of course in this context. It's it's trusting God's leadership in 1st Peter 3 is the exact context But it's your leadership is good. Oh God your leadership is good. Thank you. Oh God for your mercy and Peter says it's an Incorruptible beauty this work in you No matter what's happening on the outside. This beauty is growing in you. Then he goes on to say it's very precious to God Beloved this is not a small thing This isn't a thing that we again we go to a worship service or we say praise the Lord a few times a day We check the box we move on. This is a whole life a Narrative that we want to dominate in our in our in our life We wanted to dominate in us this whole way and it takes time. It takes intentionality It takes resisting the complaining the urge to give ourself to complaining to get Trapped in the bubble of the frustration in front of us. That's real But seeing it in its perspective taking a step back and say I don't like that frustration But it's only a very very small part of my life story and I want that frustration to change But hey, I'm gonna enjoy the Lord between now and that frustration changing. I'm not gonna lose my way in the midst of this Let's look at paragraph G Just uh, just a real quick glance at Psalm 34 here Now, uh, you know last year and I hop you I taught a 24 Class sessions on the life of David and when you teach 24 sessions on one man's life I mean you you have to really get up close and personal and the thing that struck me about David I've taught his life a number of times over the years, but I was struck in a new way about how much trouble David had We always think of David as you know, the man after God's own heart. He killed Goliath. He was the great king of Israel He was the man known for loving God. Wow. I want to be like David Well 24 sessions later teaching sessions. I went Lord. I Like part of being like David. I mean my goodness. I don't know of anybody that had more Consistent troubles in his life. I mean over an entire life than David did I mean, maybe I'm forgetting somebody But I mean every decade of his life every season was filled with troubles Betrayals his family friends government enemies setbacks attacks. I went Lord, I Want my friend Alan to be like David and I want Dave's like I want my friends to be all like David and I do Sort of want to be like David now that I'm more informed. Wow And so but the power of David's life Was his this what he's known for his is this Unrelenting giving himself back to loving God. I mean in his failures He would come back and love God with confidence in his attacks and his setbacks. I mean family troubles time and time again Government troubles political intrigue against him enemies attacking him Sickness attacking him over and over this man was hit and I look at his life Wow, what a remarkable but Psalm 34 Gives us a little insight into how he sustained love how that first commandment was first in his life Look at this. He says in verse 1. I will bless the Lord at all times What again he's not talking about a worship service. I mean, I'm certainly it's included but he's saying I will cultivate Gratitude in all the seasons of my life. That's what he's saying. I will bless the Lord I will cultivate gratitude in an intentional way He says this praise will be continually in my mouth. I'm gonna engage in the God story the big picture I'm not gonna get lost in the bubble of my Frustration of the short term the one month or you know, the two three months or two three years Frustration that bore down on him many many many times He goes no, I'm gonna his praise I'm gonna which means gratitude I'm gonna show gratitude for his leadership I Am being treated better than I deserve. There is a master plan that's bigger than the frustrations. I'm facing I'm gonna praise the Lord all the time Verse 2 I'm gonna make my soul my soul shall make its boast of the Lord I mean David had every right if a man had a right to be focused on the frustration and the setbacks I mean if anyone had setbacks to be focused on David could have an argument for it because he had so many he goes No, I'm not gonna do it. I'm gonna get above the storm. I'm gonna swim against the current I'm gonna touch the God story and boasted his leadership. I'm not gonna complain about what he's not doing in my life I'm gonna boast and how kind he is and how good the plan is. I look at this like Wow beloved This is a recipe for love growing right here. Psalm 34 Look at verse 2. He says the humble will be glad the people around David They were impacted by this disposition. They were by David. They were going. How are you carrying your heart this way? Why is it you're not quitting? Why is it you're not caving in? Why aren't you against everyone? Why aren't you bitter the folks around him family members? His in the government in the army. I mean he had a lot of betrayal in those areas as well But they're looking and David says they're glad They're they're touched. They're inspired by this way this Perspective it's impacting others, but then he tells verse 3 the people around him. He goes magnify the Lord with me Don't enjoy me enjoying God. I want you to engage too He goes I want you to lay the the the bubble of your frustrations decide get out of it magnify the leadership of God Yeah, but David we don't have the money and the people are against us and our impact isn't what we wanted We don't feel God the way we should he goes. Yeah. Yeah, I got all that He's got plenty of Psalms to prove it. He goes. I did all that. Yeah. Yeah, I got it. Take a step back Magnify enter into the story of his grand leadership Make that the story of your life Keep reassigning and realigning your life to that and then verse 5. I have the worship team. Come on up There the people around him. He he convinced them They look to the Lord like David did those that would respond and they experienced what David experienced They were radiant they found a Liberty they allow David man I teach us more we found a little bit of what you found There's a radiance in our life when we get caught into this God Centered view of our life even in the midst of setbacks and troubles and frustrations Beloved there are so many people in the body of Christ. The folks around them are repelled. They're not glad at their disposition You know, I want to help that guy But it's just so heavy all the time and I we need to press it and help people But I tell you you can be a person that is responding in the most difficult Challenges in a way the folks around you are not only glad they want what you have and they find out that their own lives are radiant as Family members. I mean as moms and dads you want to cultivate a Culture of gratitude at every cost whatever it costs a culture of gratitude in your family communication You don't want sarcasm You don't want complaining getting into your family culture if it shows up declare war on it Whether you're in the marketplace or you're leading a team in a worship team or a department You want a team that has a culture of gratitude? Whatever you do in all of your leading get a culture of gratitude established around any sphere you're over and I'm telling you it will impact the people around you and Many many good things will be released and the glory of God will be more evident and hearts will become radiant Instead of so resistant like normal humans are to one another and in the midst of a darkness that's increasing in the culture The church is going to be walking in the glory of God and This is my story and I'm sticking with it. Amen. Let's stand Lord here we are