Introduction:
Three Reasons We Are Giving Thanks Today (Psalm 138):
- Adoration : We give thanks for what God is Doing . (Ps 138:2-3)
- Anticipation : We give thanks for what God is Going to Do . (Ps 138:4-6)
- Assurance : We give thanks that God Always finishes His work . (Ps 138:7-8)
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
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Speaker 1:
00:00-00:01
Good morning, Harvest Bible Chapel.
Speaker 1:
00:02-00:02
Good morning.
Speaker 1:
00:04-00:07
Welcome to gratitude service.
00:11-00:12
[Applause]
Speaker 1:
00:19-00:22
I mean, can you believe this?
Speaker 1:
00:23-00:24
[Cheers]
Speaker 1:
00:26-00:32
I can barely wrap my brain around this at the way that the Lord has provided for this church.
Speaker 1:
00:32-00:39
So what else could we possibly say today other than, "Thank you, God."
00:39-00:47
[applause]
Speaker 1:
00:48-00:52
All right, who still brought their Bibles with them today? You got your Bibles?
Speaker 1:
00:54-01:01
If you do not, I'm gonna give you a moment to look it up on your phone, because I bet you brought your phone even if you didn't bring your Bible.
Speaker 1:
01:03-01:06
Open up to Psalm 138.
Speaker 1:
01:10-01:11
Psalm 138.
Speaker 1:
01:15-01:26
While you're turning there, many, many years ago, when Cade was just a little squirt.
Speaker 1:
01:26-01:34
He was going to the school that was actually meeting next door to where the church normally meets at Hope.
Speaker 1:
01:35-01:38
And they had a Halloween trick or treat.
Speaker 1:
01:38-01:40
They had like costume day, right?
Speaker 1:
01:41-01:45
Well, this school had such a cast of characters.
Speaker 1:
01:45-01:48
And we would hear about them all the time when Cade would come home.
Speaker 1:
01:49-01:50
And there was one little boy.
Speaker 1:
01:50-01:52
I'm going to call him Joey.
Speaker 1:
01:53-01:57
But he was obsessed with elevators.
Speaker 1:
01:58-01:59
Obsessed with them.
Speaker 1:
02:01-02:07
And on this costume day, this Halloween day, it was a kind of parent open house thing.
Speaker 1:
02:08-02:12
And Cade was standing next to Joey.
Speaker 1:
02:13-02:15
And they had their costumes on.
Speaker 1:
02:15-02:19
And little Joey was dressed up like a stormtrooper from Star Wars.
Speaker 1:
02:21-02:29
And Cade, when he was little especially, he-- are you familiar with the expression, learn how to whisper in a sawmill?
Speaker 1:
02:32-02:35
So Cade was introducing Aaron and I to his little friend.
Speaker 1:
02:36-02:39
And Cade goes, this is Joey.
Speaker 1:
02:39-02:45
And then he puts his hand over his mouth like he's whispering something to us, but it was on the wrong side.
Speaker 1:
02:45-02:53
He goes, he thinks he's a storm trooper, he thinks he's an elevator, but he's actually a storm trooper.
Speaker 1:
02:54-02:56
Don't tell him.
Speaker 1:
02:56-02:57
(congregation laughing)
Speaker 1:
03:01-03:03
And we're like, well, now the whole zip code knows.
Speaker 1:
03:04-03:08
But I mentioned little Joey because I think about him often.
Speaker 1:
03:08-03:11
He had a bit of a self-awareness issue.
Speaker 1:
03:14-03:21
And truthfully in church, I think a lot of times, even as Christians, sometimes we have a self-awareness problem.
Speaker 1:
03:24-03:27
Let me ask you this, are you a thankful person by nature?
Speaker 1:
03:33-03:44
Well, that's sort of a hard question to ask in church because everyone thinks of themselves as thankful.
Speaker 1:
03:45-03:51
I mean there wouldn't be anybody that we could pull aside here today now or later on when we're eating.
Speaker 1:
03:51-03:54
There's nobody we'd pull aside that would say, "You know what?
Speaker 1:
03:54-03:59
Deep down I'm not thankful for nothing." There's nobody like that, that would say that.
Speaker 1:
04:02-04:15
So maybe a better question is, "Do you give thanks?" Maybe that's a more objective way for us to examine if we're really thankful people.
Speaker 1:
04:16-04:23
Do you actively, consistently give thanks to God?
Speaker 1:
04:25-04:27
Well Psalm 138, look at verse 1.
Speaker 1:
04:28-04:35
It says, "I give thanks, excuse me, I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart.
Speaker 1:
04:38-04:46
Before the gods I sing your praise." The gods, what does that mean?
Speaker 1:
04:49-04:50
Before the gods?
Speaker 1:
04:51-04:53
I did a lot of studying this week.
Speaker 1:
04:56-04:56
What does that mean?
Speaker 1:
04:56-05:05
Well, some people say, "Well, the Hebrew word is Elohim, and that's a word that's used of the Lord." So some people are saying it's just poetic.
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05:05-05:07
He's talking about God.
Speaker 1:
05:07-05:10
Some people say, "No, no, no, he's talking about idols.
Speaker 1:
05:10-05:38
You know, there's a lot of false gods out there, and in the face of all these false gods I'm giving you thanks, true living God." And some people say, "Well, you know, that word is sometimes used in the Old Testament to describe prominent people, like the important people of society." I'll be honest with you, that's not the phrase in that verse that really bothers me.
Speaker 1:
05:39-05:40
You know which one it is?
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05:40-05:42
Do you know what phrase in that verse bothers me the most?
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05:45-05:46
Whole heart.
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05:51-05:53
Because I too often fail at that.
Speaker 1:
05:55-05:56
And so do you.
Speaker 1:
05:58-05:59
You know what the difference is?
Speaker 1:
05:59-06:01
The difference is like this.
Speaker 1:
06:01-06:08
You know, imagine you come to the picnic and somebody, if you have children, somebody gives your kid a lollipop.
Speaker 1:
06:09-06:12
As a parent, what do you say to your kid?
Speaker 1:
06:13-06:15
Say thank you, right?
Speaker 1:
06:15-06:17
Say, hey, hey, hey, hey!
Speaker 1:
06:19-06:22
I mean, that's how some parents say it.
Speaker 1:
06:22-06:23
Hey!
Speaker 1:
06:24-06:28
"Hey, say thank you." And then what does your kid do?
Speaker 1:
06:29-06:45
"Thank you." There's a difference between that versus somebody really doing something for you where you genuinely, "Hey, hey, "I just wanted to say thank you.
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06:45-06:47
"That meant so much to me that you did that for me.
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06:47-06:49
"Thank you." See the difference?
Speaker 1:
06:53-07:00
You see, we're no different than the little kids being forced to say thank you for the lollipop.
Speaker 1:
07:00-07:10
We're no different than that when we come to church and we just sort of mouth the words during the music time.
Speaker 1:
07:15-07:17
And all I'm saying, church is.
Speaker 1:
07:19-07:19
Not today.
Speaker 1:
07:21-07:32
All of this today is for us to come together, all of us, and to give thanks with a whole heart.
Speaker 1:
07:34-07:40
So in Psalm 138, we're going to look at three reasons we are giving thanks today.
Speaker 1:
07:41-07:52
Three reasons we are giving thanks today. Number one is adoration. We give thanks for what God is doing. Look at verse 2.
Speaker 1:
07:54-08:20
David writes, "I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness for you have exalted above all things your name and your word." God takes His Word very seriously.
Speaker 1:
08:22-08:29
And you know, this church was founded on the belief that the Word of God does the work of God.
Speaker 1:
08:31-08:41
And I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but the world more and more and more is denying God, and denying God's Word. Have you noticed?
Speaker 1:
08:46-08:49
But Harvest Bible Chapel, we have drawn a line.
Speaker 1:
08:51-08:53
We're saying, not here.
Speaker 1:
08:56-08:56
Not here.
Speaker 1:
08:57-08:58
We are building a different place here.
Speaker 1:
09:01-09:03
God, your word is going to be exalted here.
Speaker 1:
09:05-09:07
God, your word is going to be preached here.
Speaker 1:
09:07-09:18
And God, there are going to be a generation of children that come up in this church here, who are going to have a regard for your word love for the God who gave it.
Speaker 1:
09:27-09:36
I got to tell you, I've been choking back tears many, many, many times over the past couple of months and many times today.
Speaker 1:
09:39-09:41
Because this church started with nothing.
Speaker 1:
09:42-09:49
No people, no money, no anything.
Speaker 1:
09:50-10:11
I remember going to the bank and opening up a bank account and they're like, "What are we gonna put in it?" Like, "Nothing." Like, "Let me go see if I have change "in the cup holder in my car." And now, we're sitting on nearly 12 acres and on our way to fundraising for a new building of our own.
Speaker 1:
10:12-10:13
(applause)
Speaker 1:
10:16-10:22
Church, how can we not give thanks for what God is doing?
Speaker 1:
10:24-10:25
Look at verse three.
Speaker 1:
10:27-10:30
On the day I called, you answered me.
Speaker 1:
10:31-10:36
My strength of soul, you increased.
Speaker 1:
10:40-10:56
Look, I've got to say this, you know, I've heard so many people over the years that I've ministered to say something like this, "You know, I tried praying and nothing happened." Have you ever felt like that?
Speaker 1:
10:57-11:08
"I tried praying, nothing happened." What people mean when they say that is this, I tried praying and my circumstances didn't change.
Speaker 1:
11:11-11:15
And honestly, isn't that what we're usually asking for when we pray?
Speaker 1:
11:15-11:27
God, I need you to take this away or God, I need you to give me that or God, I need this to be fixed in my life or God, I need this healed for this person.
Speaker 1:
11:30-11:31
But do you know what verse 3 reminds us?
Speaker 1:
11:32-11:33
A very important truth.
Speaker 1:
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Listen very closely.
Speaker 1:
11:38-11:49
Answered prayer doesn't always, and I should say, answered prayer doesn't usually mean that circumstances change.
Speaker 1:
11:51-11:53
Did you see what he said in verse 3?
Speaker 1:
11:55-11:58
David said, "God didn't take away the trial." What did he say?
Speaker 1:
11:59-12:56
strength of soul you increased. And my friends I found as I've prayed that God doesn't usually change my circumstances but he always changes me. And God is going to use the trials in your life to draw you closer to him in total dependence on him. I thought about that a lot that week this past week and I thought you know what truth be told isn't that better? That instead of God always changing circumstances God always strengthening you isn't that better? And I think and I would suggest to you I think that's way better. You know Why? Because trials are going to keep coming.
Speaker 1:
12:56-13:03
Have you noticed trials are always going to be coming in different degrees, in different ways.
Speaker 1:
13:03-13:04
Trials are always going to be coming.
Speaker 1:
13:06-13:07
God's not going to make your life easy.
Speaker 1:
13:09-13:10
Instead, what he's going to do.
Speaker 1:
13:12-13:13
As he's going to strengthen your soul.
Speaker 1:
13:16-13:26
At Harvest Bible Chapel, from the very beginning until today, we have witnessed God at work in the souls of people.
Speaker 1:
13:28-13:32
And again, Church, I would ask you, how can we not give thanks for what God is doing?
Speaker 1:
13:34-13:40
I've asked some of those people to give testimony for the way God has been at work in their lives in this church.
Speaker 1:
13:40-13:43
First I'm going to ask if Jay and Andy Naur would come up and share.
13:45-13:45
[applause]
Speaker 2:
13:55-13:59
Hi, my name is Jay Kauer, and you know what I'm excited about?
Speaker 2:
13:59-14:00
You know what I see here?
Speaker 2:
14:01-14:07
I see Matt Cole going 20 yards that way, cutting right behind that groundhog, and me hitting him with a pass.
Speaker 2:
14:07-14:09
This is a football field times 10.
Speaker 2:
14:10-14:11
This is fabulous.
Speaker 2:
14:13-14:22
So I just wanted to let you know that this church started on October 1st, the year of our Lord, 2011.
Speaker 1:
14:23-14:25
October 2nd, but close enough.
Speaker 2:
14:25-14:26
You were a day early.
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14:26-14:27
We were a day early.
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14:28-14:29
Andy and I were there.
Speaker 2:
14:30-14:31
And we've never left.
Speaker 2:
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No clapping.
Speaker 2:
14:33-14:33
No, no, no.
Speaker 2:
14:34-14:36
So it's been 13, what's that?
Speaker 2:
14:37-14:38
Why are we still here?
Speaker 2:
14:38-14:40
Is that what, I'm glad you asked.
Speaker 2:
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We are still here because of leadership.
Speaker 2:
14:43-14:44
It's very simple.
Speaker 2:
14:45-14:49
This leadership is, I've never seen leadership like this.
Speaker 2:
14:51-14:53
Absolutely uncompromising on the word.
Speaker 2:
14:55-14:57
That's rare these days, I don't know if you've noticed.
Speaker 2:
15:00-15:03
They're ready for anything that would come along.
Speaker 2:
15:03-15:04
Persecution's coming.
Speaker 2:
15:05-15:20
I don't know if you know this, but for the first time in the history of the world, there's been deception that has been put on the world, and everyone's falling for it.
Speaker 2:
15:21-15:23
Not that leadership of this church did not fall for it.
Speaker 2:
15:25-15:32
In a lot of ways, they're just being very strong, and that's what's keeping me here.
Speaker 2:
15:32-15:33
A lot of good friends have left.
Speaker 2:
15:34-15:36
You're supposed to go to church where your friends are.
Speaker 2:
15:37-15:45
No, go to church where God is blessed, where God is strengthened, where God's kingdom is strengthened, and where the word is being uncompromisingly preached.
Speaker 2:
15:45-15:46
And that's what we get here.
Speaker 2:
15:47-15:48
Not, yeah, amen.
Speaker 2:
15:48-15:49
Not just from him.
Speaker 2:
15:50-15:51
I'm not just talking about Jeff.
Speaker 2:
15:51-15:54
There's other, like this guy here, Taylor.
Speaker 2:
15:55-15:55
Taylor's another one.
Speaker 2:
15:56-15:57
And there's like-- - Oh, he's another one.
Speaker 2:
15:58-16:04
(audience laughing) There's like 12 others that preach uncompromisingly.
Speaker 2:
16:05-16:06
I can't see you over here.
Speaker 2:
16:07-16:08
There, that's better.
Speaker 2:
16:08-16:08
Okay.
Speaker 2:
16:10-16:21
So, see, as a byproduct of this leadership, what we are creating here at Harvest Bible Chapel is a culture.
Speaker 2:
16:22-16:51
And this culture is like causing you, You may not even know it, but it's causing us to kind of react in a second nature kind of way, biblically. And I see it all the time. I'm seeing it more and more. And here's an example of how that culture is affecting our life right now, in our lives. And I'm so grateful for this.
Speaker 2:
16:52-16:54
I have to read this because I'm not going to get through it.
Speaker 2:
16:57-17:58
I'm just gonna read it so I can just Get through it a Young woman who attends here Made known that she desired to serve God by cooking for a family in need That family was mine It's my sister and mom actually and this woman who now I refer to as the casserole Queen has been providing meals for my mother and sister for months now, and my mother is touched by this generosity for certain, but she has commented to me how my sister's attitude toward the church has been changing as a result of this stranger's act of caring. When a stranger blesses a stranger, they don't stay strangers, and the Holy Spirit is working through this woman's personal ministry in my life and in my family's life.
Speaker 2:
17:59-18:01
And I'm ridiculously grateful for that.
Speaker 2:
18:01-18:02
To the Lord.
Speaker 1:
18:02-18:03
Amen, amen.
Speaker 2:
18:06-18:07
Yeah, clap for that.
Speaker 2:
18:08-18:10
I and my family are loved.
Speaker 2:
18:10-18:11
Something keeps stinging me.
Speaker 2:
18:13-18:14
Sorry, did I take too long?
18:15-18:16
(laughing)
18:17-18:18
I'm
Speaker 3:
18:18-18:18
I'm Andy.
Speaker 3:
18:18-18:21
I just wanted to add more blessings.
Speaker 3:
18:21-18:24
We've been blessed since the first day that we've been here.
Speaker 3:
18:25-18:34
Small groups for sure have been a blessing for the prayer, for the relationship that we have with a lot of people in here.
Speaker 3:
18:35-18:40
Getting to know people to support the physical, emotional, and prayer support.
Speaker 3:
18:41-18:43
The prayer team, thank you all so much.
Speaker 3:
18:43-18:50
It is such a blessing to get an email in the middle of the week that, hey, I just prayed for a need that you had.
Speaker 3:
18:50-18:51
That is amazing.
Speaker 3:
18:52-18:58
And the young families, as Jay was just alluding to, There is one person in particular that has helped our family.
Speaker 3:
18:58-19:01
We've been helped by many others though as well.
Speaker 3:
19:01-19:15
And when I see you young families, it is so encouraging because you're not just ready and able to help, you are enthusiastically diving in and serving the Lord by serving His church.
Speaker 3:
19:15-19:18
This is a wonderful church family that we have been blessed by.
Speaker 3:
19:18-19:19
Thank you all.
Speaker 3:
19:19-19:19
>> Amen.
19:20-19:21
Thank
Speaker 1:
19:21-19:21
you, guys.
Speaker 1:
19:21-19:22
Thank you.
Speaker 1:
19:24-19:25
[ Applause ]
Speaker 1:
19:25-19:27
Miss Debbie, where's Miss Debbie?
Speaker 1:
19:27-19:27
I know you're here somewhere.
Speaker 1:
19:28-19:29
You can stand up.
19:33-19:33
I
Speaker 2:
19:33-19:35
think he was joking about your height.
Speaker 1:
19:35-19:36
Yeah, that was a short joke.
Speaker 1:
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Remember, remember, remember, we're thankful.
Speaker 1:
19:44-19:45
We're thankful.
Speaker 4:
19:45-19:47
This will be my last day at the church.
Speaker 4:
19:47-19:51
Hi, I'm Debbie Simons, and I live in Natrona Heights.
Speaker 4:
19:52-19:54
So it's quite a hike for me to come here.
Speaker 4:
19:54-19:58
However, this is my church, my family.
Speaker 4:
19:59-20:01
The church is not a building for me.
Speaker 4:
20:01-20:02
It's a group of people.
Speaker 4:
20:04-20:21
I started coming here with my husband in 2012, and sadly he passed away that very year, and God dropped Jeff out of the sky at my house that year, and he has taken care of me and my family ever since.
Speaker 4:
20:21-20:22
I have three children.
Speaker 4:
20:24-20:28
None of them come here but my granddaughter Charlotte, I think most of you know.
Speaker 4:
20:30-20:34
Over the years I've been blessed with a vehicle, a furnace.
Speaker 4:
20:35-20:42
I have been, I mean you saw me raw as a widow and just have walked me through that time.
Speaker 4:
20:42-20:56
And recently my daughter's house caught on fire at Christmas and my small group jumped into action and just refurbished her with everything she needed.
Speaker 4:
20:56-21:01
She is a non-believer and she was truly blessed by that.
Speaker 4:
21:02-21:11
And also recently a small group, not my own, came to my house and worked tirelessly.
Speaker 4:
21:12-21:18
They were like a well-oiled machine and they were so joyful and the kids that came, so joyful.
Speaker 4:
21:19-21:27
This is a church that gives and loves without measure and beyond anything you could ever dream or imagine.
Speaker 4:
21:28-21:36
So make yourself known and know some of these people because they don't just provide physical things.
Speaker 4:
21:36-21:42
They take care of your heart, point you back to the Lord, and they're all about Him.
Speaker 4:
21:43-21:44
So thank you, Harvest.
21:46-21:47
This will be my last day here.
Speaker 1:
21:49-21:51
I love you. I love you, God. Thank you, God.
Speaker 1:
21:51-21:53
Thank you so much. This better not be your last day.
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21:56-21:57
This better not be your last day.
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22:00-22:01
Bow with me in prayer, please.
Speaker 1:
22:02-22:04
Father in heaven, we just want to pause right now.
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22:06-22:10
As your word teaches us, Father, we give thanks.
Speaker 1:
22:10-22:12
We give thanks, God, for your love and faithfulness.
Speaker 1:
22:14-22:20
And as we heard from Debbie, as we heard from the Nauers, God, you have demonstrated your love through the people in this church.
Speaker 1:
22:20-22:22
God, you've demonstrated your faithfulness.
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22:22-22:24
And God, we thank you for that.
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22:25-22:27
You have demonstrated your faithfulness to your word.
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22:27-22:28
Hold it above all things.
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22:29-22:32
You have demonstrated your faithfulness, God, and we thank you for that.
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22:32-22:36
We have nothing to offer anyone in and of ourselves.
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22:38-22:44
But it is your word that changes people, and it is your word that strengthens the souls of people.
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22:44-22:46
And for that, God, we thank you.
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22:47-22:49
God, we ask that you would continue.
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22:53-23:00
To demonstrate your goodness and faithfulness, and we will continue to give you thanks, we pray these things
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23:00-23:00
in Jesus name.
Speaker 1:
23:01-23:01
Amen.
23:07-23:07
The
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three reasons we are giving thanks today, second on the list, anticipation.
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We give thanks for what God is going to do.
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23:14-23:17
We often have such low expectations of God, don't we?
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23:17-23:22
Our anticipation of what He's gonna do in the future can be very weak.
Speaker 5:
23:22-23:27
We set the bar so low for Him so we can avoid frustration and disappointment.
Speaker 5:
23:29-23:32
'Cause if you don't get your hopes up, you can't be let down, right?
Speaker 5:
23:33-23:44
Well, David does not choose to think that way in verse four because he swings for the fences for his expectations of what God will do and what God will accomplish in the future.
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23:45-23:46
Let's read the beginning of verse four.
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All the kings of the earth shall give thanks, O Lord.
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At this time in history, David was probably the only king on planet Earth who worshiped and served the one true God.
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23:58-24:03
Every other king bowed down to handmade idols that could do nothing for no one.
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24:04-24:10
But David doesn't just focus on the here and now, he focuses on the there and then.
Speaker 5:
24:10-24:25
He calmly looks ahead and he is a hundred percent sure that Gentile rulers will abandon their foolish idolatry and join him in a worshipping and thanking the Lord Why will this happen?
Speaker 5:
24:26-24:40
Well David tells us why at the end of verse 4 and in verse 5 For they have heard the words of your mouth. They shall sing of the ways of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord So again, why will this happen?
Speaker 5:
24:41-25:09
Because God is too great and glorious for it not to happen. Amen King David is saying God is too big. God is too awesome just to be worshipped by me. I know the other rulers will get in line behind me David had no evidence of this future except for God's character and track record which are more than enough Why are we so confident that the Lord is gonna use Harvest Bible Chapel in a great and mighty way in this area?
Speaker 5:
25:10-25:33
Because he is too great and glorious for it not to happen Amen Because he is worthy of the worship of every single person in that neighborhood next to us because he is worthy of the worship of Everyone on Klein Road because his name is worthy of being lifted high in New Swickley in Zillian Opal and Cranberry Wexford and beyond. He is worthy of being lifted high in Pittsburgh and throughout this world.
Speaker 5:
25:36-25:39
You know, this church isn't just about all of us in this field right now. Do you know that?
Speaker 5:
25:40-25:46
This church is about the Lord drawing more and more worshippers and disciples unto himself through us.
Speaker 5:
25:47-25:52
If we lose that expectation, if we lose that anticipation, we are so lost.
Speaker 5:
25:53-25:56
We are dead in the water and this move is pointless.
Speaker 5:
25:57-26:06
As we move forward as a congregation, we must constantly make sure that our expectations, anticipation are wholly focused on God.
Speaker 5:
26:08-26:10
David reminds us of this important reality in verse 6.
Speaker 5:
26:11-26:20
He says, "For though the Lord is high, He regards the lowly, but the haughty He knows from afar." Yes, God is high and lifted up.
Speaker 5:
26:20-26:24
Yes, God is gloriously holy and beyond us in every single way.
Speaker 5:
26:25-26:55
this king of the world who is high above all still sees those who recognize their rightful place before him. Humility does not go unnoticed in heaven. Other people may not notice it whenever you humble yourself, but who cares? God Almighty sees you, He knows you, He loves you, and He blesses you. But David gives us this warning in verse 6 as well. "The haughty, the proud, the arrogant, the boastful." God God knows from afar.
Speaker 5:
26:57-26:59
God keeps those who exalt themselves at an arm's length.
Speaker 5:
26:59-27:05
He keeps his distance because they have failed to remember who they actually are and who he truly is.
Speaker 5:
27:07-27:18
And I was racking my brain earlier this week to figure out how to illustrate this and how it works out in real life, and the Lord gifted me with an experience on the way home on Tuesday evening from work.
Speaker 5:
27:19-27:21
It was 5.15, rush hour traffic.
Speaker 5:
27:22-27:23
We're going pretty slow.
Speaker 5:
27:24-27:28
All of a sudden, this souped up scion zooms right past me and cuts me off.
Speaker 5:
27:29-27:32
But Mr. Scion wasn't content just to cut me off.
Speaker 5:
27:32-27:37
He started zooming ahead and cutting other people off with the most obnoxious and lousy noises.
Speaker 5:
27:37-27:38
(imitates scion)
Speaker 5:
27:40-27:41
Over and over again.
Speaker 5:
27:42-27:43
You know what's funny though?
Speaker 5:
27:44-27:51
No matter how fast he went, no matter how many people he cut off, he always somehow ended up right behind my car.
Speaker 5:
27:54-27:54
(laughs)
Speaker 5:
27:54-27:57
the speed limit, I stayed in the same exact lane.
Speaker 5:
27:57-28:01
And at one point I heard him scream, that's how loud he screamed, in the car next to me.
Speaker 5:
28:01-28:12
He screamed and slapped his steering wheel 'cause he was kept far away from where he wanted to be, no matter how hard he tried to go ahead in his own way and his own power.
Speaker 5:
28:14-28:16
Harvest, let's not be like Mr. Scion.
Speaker 5:
28:17-28:21
Let's never think that we got this and we can do it on our own because we cannot.
Speaker 5:
28:23-28:32
Let us follow God's plan at his pace, at his perfect timing, even though his way may seem slow, bumpy, and frustrating at times.
Speaker 5:
28:34-28:36
Because ultimately, this isn't our work.
Speaker 5:
28:37-28:38
It is God's work.
Speaker 5:
28:39-28:44
Let us humble ourselves and thank the Lord that he has invited us into his work.
Speaker 5:
28:45-28:49
Let us expect great things of God and passionately worship him right now.
Speaker 5:
28:50-29:18
Let us eagerly anticipate the future he is going to bring this church and praise him and thank him now because he is worthy. There may not be a building in this field right now but let's thank God that it's going to be someday soon. We're going to continue to thank the Lord through testimony so if Jamie and Dylan Kingham could come forward to share how Harvest Bible Chapel has impacted them. Give them a round of applause.
Speaker 6:
29:25-29:31
Hi, honestly, I'm feeling a little emotional and I didn't think I would be, but I'm Jamie Kingan.
Speaker 6:
29:31-29:32
This is my husband, Dylan.
Speaker 6:
29:32-29:33
That's our son, Bo, back there.
Speaker 6:
29:35-29:40
And we've been coming to Harvest for about a year, but we've known about it for about seven years.
Speaker 6:
29:40-29:42
My mom and dad started coming here.
Speaker 6:
29:42-29:48
And when we got married and we're like looking for a church, we grew up with very different church backgrounds.
Speaker 6:
29:48-29:54
We were like, we want to find somewhere different than my family, than, like, you know, like our own place, like whatever.
Speaker 6:
29:54-30:06
So we were looking and going to different churches, and we were just feeling very discouraged because we hadn't found a place that we felt like really comfortable or like we both were like this is where God wants us to be.
Speaker 6:
30:06-30:10
And we were just like praying that God would guide us and just like give us some wisdom.
Speaker 6:
30:11-30:45
And we came to a service with my mom and dad one week, and Pastor Jeff gave a sermon about how it's really important to be able to trust and respect and like be able to lean on the leadership of your church and we got in the car and left and I was like that is not where we're at like we need to reevaluate and we felt that immediately at harvest that we could really trust and respect what was coming out of the leadership and that it was a place that would help us grow as like a a new family and as new parents.
Speaker 6:
30:47-30:48
And that would walk alongside of us.
Speaker 6:
30:49-30:51
And now we look at, oh, sorry.
Speaker 6:
30:54-31:24
We look at going to church with our family as like such a blessing, 'cause it's like a really beautiful generational, like my grandparents are here, and Beau's grandparents are here, and so my son gets to grow up going to church with his family and his grandparents, his great grandparents and around a body of people who will encourage us and help us bring him up in a place that has a firm foundation in the world.
Speaker 6:
31:24-31:26
So, sorry I got so emotional.
Speaker 7:
31:31-31:32
Hello, I'm Dylan.
Speaker 7:
31:34-31:43
But yeah, kind of going off of what Jamie was saying, it's like Jamie was, I think, seven, eight months pregnant and we were still scrambling to find a church.
Speaker 7:
31:43-31:48
And I'm like, "Oh, this is gonna be tough." So we ended up going to Harvest.
Speaker 7:
31:48-31:54
And then like she said, from day one, it was immediate, the impact that Harvest had on us and our lives.
Speaker 7:
31:56-32:04
And we knew right away that Beau was gonna be raised in this church and he's gonna be a man of God because of, partially because of this church.
Speaker 7:
32:04-32:06
And we dedicated him to the church.
Speaker 7:
32:06-32:19
And now kind of fast forward to today and you can see the future almost out here today and just the church family that we have and that Bo has as well.
Speaker 7:
32:20-32:21
It's just truly amazing.
Speaker 7:
32:21-32:35
And what Jeff said earlier, like the world is hard and it can be a hard, dark place, but this church is different and you can see that today and in the future as well.
Speaker 7:
32:35-32:37
So thank you.
32:37-32:37
Thank you.
32:39-32:39
(applause)
32:40-32:40
Thank
Speaker 5:
32:40-32:41
you both for sharing.
Speaker 5:
32:41-32:43
Now I'm going to invite Becca Kendrew forward to share as well.
Speaker 5:
32:43-32:44
So give her a round of applause.
32:46-32:47
(applause)
32:49-32:52
Becca Kendrew>> I'm
Speaker 8:
32:52-32:53
Becca Kendrew.
Speaker 8:
32:53-32:56
Me and my family, we've been coming here for a little over a year now.
Speaker 8:
32:57-33:03
And something I've said to them since we started coming here is everyone just seems so loving here.
Speaker 8:
33:04-33:25
I just felt so comforted from the moment I walked in the door and I'm very passionate about worshiping and singing and so being able to join the worship team has been a really big blessing for me.
Speaker 8:
33:29-33:33
My family experienced a lot of hurt before coming here.
Speaker 8:
33:36-33:48
And seeing the way you guys treat each other and love one another when someone is going through something, it's like, that is like what I've been missing at past churches we've been to.
Speaker 8:
33:48-33:50
We experience a lot of church hurt.
Speaker 8:
33:52-33:54
I just wanna say thank you for that.
Speaker 8:
33:55-33:55
Ryan.
Speaker 8:
33:58-33:59
Thank you.
Speaker 8:
34:01-34:06
But yeah, I just, I really appreciate the way you guys say, like, how can I be praying for you?
Speaker 8:
34:06-34:07
How can I help you?
Speaker 8:
34:07-34:09
And you really show up and you do that for one another.
Speaker 8:
34:10-34:12
And I think that's something me and my family missed.
Speaker 8:
34:13-34:19
And I just love the way this preaching has come straight from the scripture, from the Bible.
Speaker 8:
34:19-34:24
And I'm just ready each Sunday to write everything down.
Speaker 8:
34:24-34:25
I put it in my Bible.
Speaker 8:
34:25-34:35
I have it all down and I'm ready to just listen and learn from it all and oh I'm losing my spot. I'm so worked up.
Speaker 8:
34:38-34:41
But yeah, just thank you for how much you've loved me and my family.
Speaker 8:
34:42-34:50
It's meant the world to us and a lot of healing has come from this church and I'm very very very grateful. I'm very grateful. Thank you.
34:58-34:58
Let's
Speaker 5:
34:58-35:00
continue to give thanks to God in prayer.
Speaker 5:
35:02-35:07
God, we listen to these testimonies, it's hard to get overwhelmed by all that you're doing.
Speaker 5:
35:07-35:13
Lord, we get so caught up in our schedules and our routines and our issues that we totally miss that you're at work.
Speaker 5:
35:15-35:21
Lord, we so often think to ourselves, I wish God was doing something, but you are doing something, no matter what season that we're in.
Speaker 5:
35:21-35:26
And we thank you that you're at work at Harvest Bible Chapel since 2011 until today and in the future, Lord.
Speaker 5:
35:27-35:32
We anticipate great things because you have done great things for us over the course of this church.
Speaker 5:
35:32-35:35
And we know you'll continue to do so moving forward.
Speaker 5:
35:35-35:39
Lord, may we never try to depend on ourselves or think that we can do it.
Speaker 5:
35:39-35:45
May you always put us in the position where we have to trust you every single step along the way.
Speaker 5:
35:46-35:50
Lord, we thank you for every single person that will be saved through this ministry.
Speaker 5:
35:51-35:55
We thank you for every single family that will be strengthened through this ministry.
Speaker 5:
35:55-35:58
We thank you for every single disciple that will be made.
Speaker 5:
35:59-36:04
And Lord, help us to remember that this is your work, and you have invited us into it with you.
Speaker 5:
36:05-36:07
Lord, we thank you, we praise you.
Speaker 5:
36:09-36:12
In the wonderful name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Speaker 1:
36:19-36:29
There's one more reason we're giving thanks today, not just adoration, we give thanks for what God is doing, anticipation, we give thanks for what God is going to do.
Speaker 1:
36:31-36:33
But number three is assurance.
Speaker 1:
36:34-36:38
We give thanks that God always finishes His work.
Speaker 1:
36:39-36:40
Look at verse seven.
Speaker 1:
36:42-36:49
Verse 7 says, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.
Speaker 1:
36:51-37:09
You stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me." Stop there. David reminds us trouble is going to come. And it almost always comes from people.
Speaker 1:
37:10-37:23
And that might seem like such a strange concept, especially on today, especially as we look at what the Lord has provided this church, especially as we're here celebrating how God is at work and trusting what He's going to do.
Speaker 1:
37:26-37:45
Trouble's going to come. It almost always comes from people. And there will be, Yes, even from within the church, naysayers and complainers and critics.
Speaker 1:
37:47-37:59
Like, well, how do you know that? Because when God is at work, there are always people who are not on board.
Speaker 1:
38:00-38:02
That's what David was talking about here.
Speaker 1:
38:03-38:05
Do you need another reference?
Speaker 1:
38:06-38:06
How about Moses?
Speaker 1:
38:09-38:11
How about the Apostle Paul?
Speaker 1:
38:13-38:13
How about?
Speaker 1:
38:16-38:29
About our Lord, how about Jesus Christ himself, who came to die for our sins, to be raised from the dead, to give us eternal life, The perfect, righteous Son of God.
Speaker 1:
38:30-38:32
God clearly at work.
Speaker 1:
38:35-38:38
And even in the face of God Himself, there were people that were not on board.
Speaker 1:
38:40-38:41
Like, man.
Speaker 1:
38:43-38:44
I guess you're right, Pastor Jeff.
Speaker 1:
38:44-38:46
What do we do about these people that are on board?
Speaker 1:
38:46-38:47
What do we do?
Speaker 1:
38:47-38:48
What do we do about that?
Speaker 1:
38:52-38:52
Nothing.
Speaker 1:
38:54-38:55
Did you see what he just said?
Speaker 1:
38:57-39:14
He says, "You stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies and your right hand delivers me." What David is saying is, "You know what, God, when there's people that aren't on board with what you're doing, I know that you're going to deal with them." And he will.
Speaker 1:
39:15-39:17
So why am I so concerned about them?
Speaker 1:
39:19-39:20
God's going to preserve us.
Speaker 1:
39:20-39:23
His right hand is going to deliver us.
Speaker 1:
39:23-39:26
And today, church, how can we not give thanks for His assurance?
Speaker 1:
39:29-39:32
And if you're like, "Well, how do we know?
Speaker 1:
39:33-39:37
How do we know that God is going to fulfill His purpose?
Speaker 1:
39:37-39:42
How do we know God will fulfill His purpose?" Well, look at verse 8.
Speaker 1:
39:43-40:15
"The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me." steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands." God has some work for us to do, obviously, but the question is, who's going to make sure the work gets done? Everybody point. Who is going to make sure that the work gets done. God will fulfill his purpose.
Speaker 1:
40:20-40:39
Quick poll you people doing projects at home. How many people by show of hands, I'll give you both choices and then you can vote. How many people when you do a project you like to do one project and get it all finished versus the people that start like 15 projects and they're all at various stages of completion.
Speaker 1:
40:39-40:45
All right, so how many people are like one at a time, please how many people like that I feel you?
Speaker 1:
40:47-40:51
Okay, how many people right now at their house have like 15 projects happening?
Speaker 1:
40:53-42:27
or more See I'm a one-at-a-time person Because - and this is why maybe it's just how I'm autistic or something but like When I see a bunch of half or quarter or third finished projects when I see those around the house It's just always a reminder to me Of a lack of commitment on my part like Jeff you started that but you didn't finish that And then I'm like really convicted like I was why was I so interested in doing that then and now I don't have as much interest now Well good news Because this verse tells us that God always finishes what he begins. Do you know God doesn't run out of steam? God doesn't run out of money. God doesn't run out of resources. God doesn't run out of interest. And the fact that we are sitting here today on this property and we're looking out here we can say how do we how do we know how do we know God's gonna put a building there? How do we know? Because God always finishes what And he didn't bring us here today and say, "All right kids, good luck. Let me know how it goes when you get that building up." He says at the end of verse 8, "Do not forsake the work of your hands." Do not forsake the work of your...
Speaker 1:
42:27-42:38
What is the work of God's hands? What is that? What is the work of God's hands? Do you know the Bible tells us, Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God's workmanship.
Speaker 1:
42:40-42:46
And Philippians 1.6 reminds us that when God starts something in you, He's going to finish it.
Speaker 1:
42:50-42:59
So yes, yes, yes, a building is going to be put here where God is going to be at work through you.
Speaker 1:
43:01-43:06
But first, God wants to do something in you.
Speaker 1:
43:08-43:09
The Lord's going to fulfill His purpose.
Speaker 1:
43:11-43:16
So how can we not give thanks for His assurance?
Speaker 1:
43:20-43:22
And straight A's in gratitude looks like this.
Speaker 1:
43:23-43:28
Adoration, thanking God for who He is.
Speaker 1:
43:29-43:37
Anticipation, thanking God for what He's going to do, and assurance, thanking God knowing that He's going to finish what He does.
Speaker 1:
43:41-43:41
And you know what I found?
Speaker 1:
43:42-43:55
The people that get that, the people that truly understand those three things about God are the people who are going to give thanks with their whole heart.
Speaker 1:
43:58-44:10
Thankful people are motivated by their gratitude to God to worship, to give, and to serve.
Small Group Discussion
Read Psalm 138
What was your big take-away from this passage / message?
Psalm 138:3 and Psalm 138:7 tell us that God doesn’t always change our circumstance when we pray, but He strengthens us. Tell of a specific time when you were strengthened by God, even though your circumstances didn’t change.
In Psalm 138:8, we have both a declaration of certainty God will finish His work (v8a) and a plea for God to finish His work (Psalm 138:8c). What does this say about the nature of faith?
Breakout
Pray prayers of specific things you are thankful for.