Text: Hebrews 12:28
It is important that we recognize the many things we have to be thankful for. But it is also important that we allow this sense of gratitude to impact how we conduct ourselves. So in this short series, we are going to be discussing how we conduct ourselves with gratitude. In this first lesson, we will discuss how we serve God with gratitude.
Serving God Is a Necessity
- Jesus has all authority, and we must do what He has commanded (Matthew 28:18-20) – this is what it means to be a disciple; it is necessary if we wish to claim Him as our Lord (Luke 6:46)
- We show love for God by keeping His commandments (1 John 5:3) – “His commandments are not burdensome”; his instructions are not unreasonable or undoable
- Jesus is the author of salvation for those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9) – if we do not obey the gospel, we have no hope (2 Thessalonians 1:8)
How Gratitude Affects This
- We are thankful for God’s word that shows us how to please Him (Psalm 119:105) – we know the way to take; there is nothing missing from His word (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3)
- We are grateful for all of the trouble and hardship we avoid by following His will (Proverbs 13:15) – sin often has negative consequences; we are better off following God’s way (Jeremiah 10:23)
- We recognize that we are “unworthy slaves” (Luke 17:10) – we serve God, but do not “earn” His favor; we obey, but salvation is a gift (Romans 6:17-18, 23)
What Happens to This When We Lack Gratitude
- We start to resent God’s instructions as being too restrictive (Genesis 3:1-3) – then we question God for giving the instructions (Genesis 3:4-5), as if we know better than He does
- We envy the wicked who live as they please (Psalm 37:1-3) – the wicked may seem to prosper now, but this will not last (Ecclesiastes 8:12)
- We become arrogant over how great we are for our righteousness (Luke 18:9-14) – yet God does not “need” our service (Acts 17:24-25); even if we perfectly obey His will, we are still unworthy slaves (Luke 17:10)
Conclusion
- We have a responsibility to serve God – but we need “gratitude” for our service to be accepted
- Be thankful for His word rather than resenting the instructions in it
- Be appreciative that we avoid hardships by following His will rather than being envious of the wicked
- Be grateful for the privilege to serve Him rather than boasting in our righteousness
