Live Thanks Pastor Nathan Weller November 18, 2018 Series: Thanksliving

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” --Mark 12.28-31 ESV

A proper response to God’s grace is a life that shows thankfulness to God and others

Guilt

Guilt  Grace

Guilt  Grace  Gratitude

Q. How are these commandments divided?

Q. How are these commandments divided? A. Into two tables. The first has four commandments, teaching us how we ought to live in relation to God. The second has six commandments, teaching us what we owe our neighbor.

1 Then God gave the people all these instructions: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3 “You must not have any other god but me. 4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. (cont’d) --Exodus 20.1-11 NLT

7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. 8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. --Exodus 20.1-11 NLT

Number One (We’ve just begun) God should be first in your life

Live thanks by putting God first in your life

--Exodus 20.1-3 NLT Then God gave the people all these instructions: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3 “You must not have any other god but me. --Exodus 20.1-3 NLT

That I rightly know the only true God, trust him alone, and look to God for every good thing humbly and patiently, and love, fear, and honor God with all my heart. In short, that I give up anything rather than go against God’s will in any way. --Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 94--

4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands. --Exodus 20.4-6 NLT

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. --Acts 17.16 ESV

If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I‘ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.” --Tim Keller--

Live thanks by realizing that God is enough

10 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 4.10-12 NIV

Live thanks by respecting God’s name

You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name. --Exodus 20.7 NLT

I am the LORD your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. --Exodus 20.2 NLT

5 How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire 5 How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness --James 3.5b-6a ESV

Live thanks by worshiping God

8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. --Exodus 20.8-11 NLT

--Abraham Joshua Heschel-- “To gain control of the world of space is certainly one of our tasks. The danger begins when in gaining power in the realm of space we forfeit all aspirations in the realm of time. There is a realm of time where the goal is not to have but to be, not to own but to give, not to control but to share, not to subdue but to be in accord. Life goes wrong when the control of space, the acquisition of things of space, becomes our sole concern.” --Abraham Joshua Heschel--

Live Thanks Pastor Nathan Weller November 18, 2018 Series: Thanksliving