Date: November 18, 2018 ()

Bible Text: Luke 17 |

Series:

Be looking at two passages this morning Luke chapter 11. I'm sorry Luke chapter 17. Luke chapter 17 in the New Testament. If you're not near a Bible, I would ask you to try to get near somebody that has a Bible so that you can share with them, but that will be Luke chapter 17. So that'll be our New Testament passage and the Old Testament were going to be looking at numbers 11, and we're going to be. Looking at a number of passages in numbers. So if you're not familiar with that either where the fourth book ends to the Genesis Exodus Leviticus and then numbers so Numbers Chapter 11 starting out and then Luke chapter 17. There's a story of a little boy who wanted, he came to this conclusion, so he wanted his mother to pay him for all the services rendered, at the home and so he composed a little note I think before he went to school and he left this note for his mom. And this is what the note said for washing the dishes you owe me a dollar for cleaning my room you owe me a dollar for hanging up my clothes you owe me a dollar for mowing the Lawns you owe me $2. And then it says mama you owe me pay up and he left it kind of an invoice there with all the things listed out, and he printed a bill for her totaling about five or six bucks and the mother came home and put six dollars on the table, and then she put a note of her own.  She said, for carrying you nine months and being sick as a dog, no charge. For staying all up all night with you night after night when you were sick, no charge. For working overtime so that I could get you those special tennis shoes, no charge. For entertaining your friends when you wanted to bring them over without notice, no charge. Signed your mother and then she put it in in voice and it totaled and at the bottom it said “zero". After reading the note, the young man realized he was a jerk and he had lost sight of the goodness of his mother. He had turned a love relationship into a business and he had said to his mother what a lot of us as God's children say "Pay up".  Pay up this is what I did for you. We're going to be looking at the idea of a grateful heart, but we're going to look at kind of the opposite side. This morning, I want to consider five enemies of a grateful heart. Five enemies of a grateful heart.  The first text that we're going to be looking at is Luke Chapter. I mean, sorry, I keep on saying Luke. Numbers Chapter 11, and here's the children of Israel, I think a well-known passage for those that have studied the Bible a little bit, well-known understanding what the children of Israel and you look at them and say how in the world can you do this? So let's look at Numbers Chapter 11 starting in verse 1 and it says the word right away, and when the people let's say it together what? Complained. When the people what? Complained. It displeased the Lord, and guess what the Lord did? He heard it. His anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burn among them and consume them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. The people cried unto Moses, and when Moses prayed in the Lord, fire was quenched. Somebody was able to get ahold of God and change his mind and he called the name of the placed Abra because the fire of the Lord burnt among them. Look at verse 4 in the mixed multitude. That was among them fella lusting and the children of Israel also wept again and said "Who shall give us flesh to eat?". We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our soul is dried away, there is nothing at all. Besides this mana that was in the Hebrew. Before our eyes, and our mana who was this as coriander seed in the color of is the color of bdellium. And so here we see a passage and numbers and we're going to be looking at a few different passages before of the enemies of a grateful heart are found in the book of Numbers, I believe.  And we see here are the children of Israel. I think most of us know a little bit about it, but let's review and think about it. So, you see the children of Israel who were in bondage in Egypt for 400 plus years, and not only was it just a little bit of bondage, it was a harsh, harsh bondage. Eventually, even the Pharaohs were taking their men children and tossing them into the river, that's what most believe, tossing them into the Nile River. The Pharaoh had nothing good to offer the children of Israel, and God miraculous miraculously comes and delivers them.  He leads them out, guides them through the, and now he's giving them food and water and shelter from the heat. None of their clothing is wearing out. None of their shoes wear out, none of them. At least it seems like unless they're complaining very little of them are get sick or injured and yet what do they do every step of the way? Complain and complain. Every step of the way it says here right in our verse and chapter 11 and verse 1, the people complain and the people say we don't have anything. It sound like our households?  It does. Oh look at, look what they have. Look what God has given you.  They come continually provoke God and Moses to the point where only the intercession of Moses kept them from being slaughtered by God in the wilderness. God stayed His hand upon the children of Israel over and over because of Moses calling out to God and saying "Please hold it back, hold it back".  It's an amazing story. The children of Israel really did not forget how to cry out to God, they just cried out complaining all the time. They forgot I think, the mothers forgot how the little boys were thrown into the river.  The men forgot how they were worked to death, basically. And I think they forgot the plagues that came in that God sent to deliver the children of Israel. Then let's go to Luke chapter 17. So that's an Old Testament story. So in the New Testament, is there a story also? Yes, there is, and Luke chapter 17 we read of Christ, and I believe verse 11 and it came to pass at Luke chapter 17 and verse 11 and it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem. Who's the he? Anybody know? Jesus? So as Jesus went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee and as he entered into a certain village, who's the he again? That's Jesus, there met him ten men that were lepers. Which stood afar off, they lifted up their voices and said "Jesus", "Master" have mercy on us, and guess what Jesus does, he hears and he has mercy. Verse 14 and when he saw them he said unto them go show yourselves to the priests came to passes that as they went, they were cleansed as they went.  Verse 15 and how many? One of them when he saw that he was healed turned back and with a loud voice glorified God. He fell down on his face at his feet giving him thanks, and he was a Samaritan and Jesus answering said were there not ten cleansed, but where are the nine? They are not they're not found that returned to give glory to God save this stranger. And He said unto him: Arise go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole more than likely you're talking probably close to 2,000 years later.  Alright, so here are the children of Israel and guess what they had a problem? They had a problem with remembering God's mercy and what he had done. A couple thousand years later, you see some guys that were lepers. Lepers had a bad plight on them a bad plight of life, and yet Christ has mercy upon them, and only one is thankful.  And I think we could come 2000 years to today, and I think that it's still the same about percentage, and it's sorry, because God has had mercy on us.  He has saved us, and yet so many of us were like, well, what else, what else did God do? I mean, I mean, I just got saved really? That should be, that should be enough to make us thankful really for eternity. Because for eternity I do not have to spend eternity in damnation and in hell.  It doesn't matter if I get anything else just salvation should be enough to bring us to our knees and glorify God and say "Man. I am thankful for what God has done". This morning I want to consider five enemies of the Grateful heart. Heavenly father, I pray that you would help us we look and consider Lord this idea of a grateful heart and the enemies that come in and I believe that the devil sow seeds into our hearts, and these seeds can spring up, and can ruin the attitude of gratitude and Lord, I pray that you would help us. Lord I pray that you would bind Satan, his demons, and keep them away from our service, your presence would be here. Lord as always do that, which I cannot do and that is speak to heart. Asking claim your power in Jesus name. Amen.  So we're in Numbers, back now in Numbers chapter 11 Numbers chapter 11. So in Numbers Chapter 11 and verse 4 it says in the mixed multitude that was among them fellow lusting the children of Israel also wept again and what are they doing? Who shall give us flesh to eat? Verse 5, we remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumber's the melons the leeks the onions the garlic, but now are sold is dried away. There is nothing it was at all besides this manner before our eyes. Enemy #1. Enemy #1:  selfishness. What is everything about here in Numbers Chapter 11? Them. It's all about them. Like you know, what you have been given us nothing. Well, wait a minute. What's the mana sitting there? What are they we didn't get nothing, but the mana. You're discounting even what God has given you, and a selfish spirit is an enemy of a grateful heart. All of us should go back to kindergabage as I call it remember in kindergarbage, if you're not sure what that is, it’s kindergarten. All right remember in kindergarten? In kindergarten, what did you learn right away? At least I hope so maybe some of you never learned this lesson, but I remember and you know it maybe it's when you're 2 years old, 3 years old, 4 years old, 5 years old, but in kindergarten something happens the lesson that comes pretty strong is that you are no longer the center of the universe. Because at two years old, basically your wants, your desires. Basically in your home, what you say and what you scream for that's kind of what you get, and that can happen, I know, and we try not to do that in our homes and as 2 year olds and 3 year olds and 4 year olds, but I'm glad that there is kindergarbage. Alright because you can send your kids off to kindergarten and guess what? A teacher can right away teach that little brat, and I know that you weren't the same as me. But as a little brat you commenting like "mine!”  No shut up and sit down, you learn that you were not the center of the universe. Sooner or later you realize that walls don't move out of the way, floor, the floor doesn't become soft as you fall. Alright you realize that everyone is not supposed to give their toys to you if you want them. The rules of the game all changed because you have to win everything, now some of you are saying wait, that's my husband. Okay? I'm just all right, but you need to deal with that in your home. Okay? But guess what happens was with life, it should be at an early stage of life. We realize that yeah that wall. It ain't moving.  All right, the floor is hard when I plop down like ouch. Yeah that hurt when you smack your head against it because you're being an idiot, because at an early age, we need to start learning this that the world doesn't revolve around us. But at some point in our life we gain that attitude back.  And an enemy of a grateful heart is a self-centered person, that it's all about you, it is not about God it is not about His glory is not about praising Him, it's all about you.  People don't recognize me. Well, the last I checked I don't have to necessarily I know we should thank the Lord for each other, but I'm thanking the Lord for him most of all.  And I'm not doing service to the Lord so that I can be recognized, we're doing service to the Lord because we love Him. Self-centeredness. The Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 15 by Him, therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God. Continually. That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. Selfishness is the enemy of a grateful heart and why is that? Because the Bible says it is a sacrifice of praise. It is something that is offered to Him, sacrifice means that cost something.  And this is the plight of America today and this is applied even if some of us sitting here. The reason that we come to this church is 'cuz it's convenient. It's the most convenient place to drive to, and if that's true, I'm sorry that's sad because just because a church is conveniently placed, that should be the choice that I'm driving there. It's just it's gonna cost me the least amount of gas money. So that's why I'm going there.  We in America today want convenience and we want ease, where God says the enemy of gratitude is self-centeredness. And if all that I'm doing is coming to a church or serving God, and finding the least amount of service I can do so that my conscience is sued a little bit, what about sacrificing a little bit? What about putting yourself out a little bit? What if Christ had your attitude? He departed never gone to the cross.  I praise the Lord that I had a savior that said you know what this is going to cost me everything. I am all in on this. And he wasn't self-centered, even on the cross He wasn't self-centered on the cross, He could have called ten thousand angels, but He died alone.  Why? Because he cared for us. The attitude of thanksgiving comes when we are not self-centered. And each one, I'll kind of give you a failure with these, but the enemy of a grateful spirit is self-centeredness. And according to Romans chapter 12 and verse 1, it says I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your body a living sacrifice. The way to overcome self-centeredness is to crucify the old man, and allow the new man to have his rightful place.  It's a living sacrifice. Secondly let's going we're in numbers, where there in numbers 11. So we go few pages down the road. So we're in Numbers Chapter 14. So in Numbers Chapter 14, and you may not think of this as an enemy, but I do. Okay all the congregation. Look at verse 2 lifted up their voice and here they are they're crying again. They're praying to the Lord, that this is a bad prayer and the people wept that night and the children of Israel, this is there crying. What's the word? Murmured, against Moses and against Aaron and the whole congregation and said unto them would God that we had died in the land of where? Egypt. What is Egypt the sign of? The world nor did an enemy of gratitude. Number one is self-centeredness number to worldliness. It's living in the world and wanting Egypt, and some of us that's what we want more than anything. You can't be grateful for your church. You can't be grateful for your parents. You can't be grateful for any authority because all you're doing is saying "Oh, it's so hard here. I wish I could be back in Egypt" and change in bondage having your children slaughtered. That's what is Egypt plan represents, and yet some of us because of an ungrateful spirit. You crab against your parents and that's young people, but as adults we crab because maybe the pastor of the church asked a little bit of us. We ask for giving we asked for maybe a little bit extra giving but I ask you, does Egypt require tithe? You know, it does. Egypt many times requires your life and requires all, because I visit some of them.  We have visited some of them and some of you as we go out, we visit some of them that have dwelt in Egypt land.  Egypt is not cheap.  It cost a pretty penny, and one of the enemies of a grateful heart is self-centeredness, but then also worldliness. Notice what they say and verse 2 all that we would be back in the land of Egypt, that we had died in the land of Egypt, would God we had died in this wilderness wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land of fall by The Sword and that our wives and our children should be a prey. We're not better for us to return into Egypt. That's the world, and I asked you are you to that place?  Then now when we have an invitation, use the invitation and beg God and say "God, drive Egypt away from me, drive it out of my heart again, make me thankful for what You've done. I'd rather be in a wilderness than being bondage in Egypt. I'd rather wander in the wilderness and have manners my only food, and to being a slavery and bondage to the devil and his angels and yet some of us, your spirit is ungrateful. Why are you ungrateful?  Because you're selfish, you have a failure to crucify the old man and allow the new man to have his rightful place. You’re worldly, you have a failure to recognize God's perspective. What's God's perspective?  God's perspective is eternal, is more important than the temple.  What are these guys forgetting?  Egypt represents the world and maybe there's some pleasure in Egypt remember, and Hebrews there was pleasure for what? A season. Remember Moses gave that up, he gave up that pleasure. He gave up that riches for season, but you think you ever read an Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Do you ever read that Moses was like, ah wish I was back in Egypt, I could have been pharaoh.  You never hear that.  You hear of the people doing that, and actually Moses gave up more than they did.  He gave up a lot more. He actually could have been Pharaoh, but he gave it up.  Considering what?  Considering the riches of God, which is what? The eternal. Sometimes, the reason that gratitude isn't there is because your eyes are right here, and we have to ask God and beg Him say God get my eyes off the temporal and make him more eternally fixed as far as my vision.  So we said there's two so far selfishness worldliness. Look at numbers 16. We're going down through the book of Numbers. Numbers chapter 16. This is the story of Cora and Cora rose up against the authority, but then you go down to verse 39 in that same chapter. Actually verse 36, It says in the Lord spake unto Moses saying speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest that he take up the sensors out of the burning and scatter though the fire yonder for their hallowed, the sensors of these sinners against their own souls. Let them make their broad plates for a covering for the altar, then in verse 39 and Eleazar the priest took the brazen sensors where they were with they that were burnt had offered and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, which is not of the seed of Aaron come near to offer incense before the Lord that He be not as Korah, and as his company as the Lord said to Him by the hand of Moses.  Now this may seem a little bit different okay, but in this passage in Numbers chapter 16, what happened was Korah was mad at Moses. He was mad at the authority. He got mad at the decisions that Korah was making, I mean that Moses was making, he was mad about all the thing in the authority and you taking too much upon you, and this is what happens Korah became I believe bitter.  He became bitter against Moses, against God, and that I didn't get this authority and here is Moses and he gets to do this and how come he gets to offer incense, and I don't get to do that, and you can almost hear the whiny voice as you read the passage by the time you get to the end. It's such a high point of wooziness. That he's like it just gets higher and higher. Here is Korah whining like a little baby because "I'm not getting recognized and I don't get to do this and it’s Moses, Moses, Moses, Moses".  And somebody should have just taken a big old stick, maybe Aaron's rod or Moses and just said bend over. But you know what God said? No, I'll take care of it, and this is what an enemy of gratitude: selfishness, worldliness, bitterness. Bitterness.  You know some of you, you have a failure to recognize the hand of God in your life.  Who put Moses in charge?  God did. Who made up the law and the rules with the sensors and as far as who was allowed to do the offerings? God did it.  God did all this because in God's providence, in God's working, He provides for His people, and one of the things that we do when we start looking out and saying "Wait a minute, what about that? And how come God brought this in? How come I'm not getting recognized? How come this...” What you're saying is God isn't good, and if you are not careful, you will become bitter. You'll become bitter. Circumstances come into our lives, and if we're not careful.  We'll say "Ah, how come God's done it! Because He cares for you.  How come, wait a minute? What are you saying? Are you saying that God isn't good?  You're saying that God isn’t smart enough to help you with your life? If you're not careful, you're going to become bitter, and even bad things that come into our life, God allows. And if you don't get the right perspective, even bad things, guess what we need to get on our knees and say "God, thank You.  I appreciate that. You're testing me. God, I don't understand it all and it's a little hard", but this is what I would just beg of you. As Christians don't ever stop trusting the Lord. I understand in this life there are things that come in and we may not understand but if you get to the point that bitterness grabs a hold and it takes see a seed in your heart and it takes roots, you will be ungrateful, and some of you sitting here you despise God and you say "No I don't". Yes you do, you despise God because you say God didn't treat me right, you say no I'm saying this person. I understand that, but God allowed it, and if God allowed it, then He means it for your good.  And let God do his good work in your life. What are we seeing? We're seeing that selfishness, worldliness, bitterness and then here's another one, and our passage, right? So were there in numbers you have to skip a little bit as you go to Samuel.  Okay, so you were there in numbers? It's Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, and then you have Samuel. This is actually not that far down the road in the history of Israel. But in 1 Samuel chapter 8, 1 Samuel chapter 8.  So we're talking about the children of Israel and we have selfishness, we have worldliness, we have bitterness that comes in and they're enemies of a grateful heart, but notice in 1 Samuel chapter 8, that it came to pass when Samuel was old and made his son judges. It didn't work. Well with them and verse 3, so verse 4 comes then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together came to Samuel onto Raymond said behold Thou art old and Thy Sons walk not in Thy ways. Now, notice the phrase, now make us a king to judge us, notice, like all the nations.  What's another enemy of gratitude?  An enemy of a grateful heart: selfishness, worldliness, bitterness, covetousness. I want what they have, that's what it says. I want a king like they got, all right, get your five-year-old voice on when you say it. All right, because you guys are walking up like we want to be like them.  No, covetousness, you know I can read in the papers and fact, I pulled up a couple of things. And most of you would know of this guy. He used to be a governor in California, and so I looked it up and they say in this was a couple years ago. A couple years ago, they say that this Governor is worth over 800 million dollars. He cares about me as a poor person. I know that's probably why that he can make all kinds of ridiculous statements about how to spend my money, and this is what I found out, for a while, you know, and he can afford and it's worth 800 million. He likes cigars. So one cigar, not a box, one. It was bet not uncommon for him to smoke a $4,000 cigar. It was not uncommon for you to go in his closet and pull out a pair of shoes and they were worth $5,000.  He also liked Italian suits. So it's not uncommon for him to have three to five thousand dollar suits. He likes yachts. So he has a 4.5 million dollar yacht, a 12.5 million dollar gulfstream, and he has a fondness for hummers. So he has 12 of them. And you'd say, “Who cares?" You know what all of it, he can really, he really could, he can be buried in his golf spring, but it's going to rust with his body.  And he can try to take away with them, but it ain't, but God gives us what we need.  He gives us what we need, my God shall supply all your need. He didn't say he'll supply all your wants, he said Your needs, and having food and raiment, there with be content. It is not about this life and yet we act like it as Christians and we think about it, and we want more, we want more and as soon as we get a house, how can I improve in and how can I build it bigger and then as soon as I get a car it's not worth it, and it's not satisfying so I got to get another one. Because that is an enemy of a grateful heart. It is covetousness, and that evil covetousness will come in and it will never satisfy you.  It'll never make you happy, but this is what I can tell you living for the eternal. No. No, that'll make you happy.  It's a failure to be content with what God has for you in your life. God has all that I need in my life right now, all of it. So be thankful unto Him.  We said there's five there's selfishness, there's worldliness, there's bitterness, there's covetousness, and for the last one we turn to the New Testament and there's a couple of passages. The first is found in Ephesians chapter 1.  Ephesians chapter 1, I want to read a few verses to help us out. Ephesians chapter 1 starting in verse 13 in whom ye also trusted, after that. Ye heard the word of truth. The gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of His glory wherefore I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and love unto all the saints. What did I do? I cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you. In my prayers that's Ephesians, turn a couple books over to Colossians.  Colossians chapter 3, it tells us in verse 16 that the word of Christ needs to dwell in us richly and we're speaking our teaching and admonishing them, and Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with Grace in our hearts to the Lord. Look at verse 17 and whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. Look at 2 Thessalonians, we're in Colossians, those 1 Thessalonians is right about a page over. Look at verse 1 Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus unto the Church of the Thessalonians. Look at verse 2, we give thanks to God always for you all, notice what he's doing, making mention of you in what our prayers and also says it were in 1Thessalonians. It says that in Timothy 1st Timothy Chapter 2. Notice what is in the list and 2 Timothy Chapter 2 and verse 1 I exhort that means he's pushing us. He's challenging us, that what? That first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men. You know, what all of those verses and this is the Apostle Paul. He's including thanks and thanksgiving with prayer. You know, what an enemy of a grateful heart? Yeah, it's selfishness, worldliness, bitterness, covetousness, but prayerlessness.  You know why some of you aren't thankful, because even this morning you weren't on your knees thanking God. It'll change you every day, pray, that’s your one a day. Yeah, you'll be consistent with your vitamins, and you'll be consistent with all kinds of other things, but I ask you this past week, this past week, did you seven days this week get on your knees and thank God for what he's done for you?  Paul says I'm always mentioning You and giving thanks. It's part of his prayer life, and if part of your prayer life isn't giving thanks to God, that's why you're not thankful. A prayerless people are a thankless people, and that's what we have to understand. Part of my prayer and part of my praying is giving thanks to God. You see it with the Apostle Paul, I didn't make these verses of. He included prayer and thankfulness together in the same versus, you know why? Because if you're praying properly you're going to have a time in your prayer of Thanksgiving, you're going to just pause like man and God.  Well, well look what you've done, and I, yeah, maybe it's maybe it's been a hard week, but God you brought that into my life you brought these things into my life and I can be thankful because I know this from scripture, that God you're bringing this end to my life so that I can be better, I can be stronger as a Christian, and Lord, I Thank You that You care enough for me, that even when I'm wrong because as I'm praying maybe God is saying Hey, you said this, or you did this, or you thought this, and you need to get it right. Even God while I'm praying? I thank you that you care enough to point out my wrongs, because He cares for me.  Thanksgiving will be part of our prayer life. It's a failure to include a proper attitude of worship in our prayer life.  How much do you just pause and stop and worship the Lord and your prayer time?  Do you know He is good, He's righteous, He is holy, He is just, and you can go down the line and you could go through the list of what He is. He's my guide. He's my helper. He's my comfort. He's my strength. He's my shield. He's my buckler. He's all of these things, He's all of this to be, because that's our God and if you can't once in a while stop in your prayer and just lift up your voice and thank God for God, I don't know why you saw fit to send Jesus Christ to save my soul, but thank you God for that,  and over and over there's things that He does in our life, and we just say yeah pay up God, It's about time as I served you, I can never repay  what Christ has given me, and none of us can. Charles Dickens, and I've used this before, the writer and author said this, he said that Americans and remember Charles Dickens was an English writer and he was looking across the sea at America, and he said "Americans are somewhat mixed up". He told an audience one time. He said they have thanksgiving one day a year. When really we should have 364 days of thanksgiving and one day of complaining and gripe, but that's the way some of us like coming up to thanksgiving, got to be thankful for that one day. Only crab and gripe and complain even this week. Crabbing and complaining and griping.  Instead of being thankful. Write a story of a man that he liked watching birds. So right outside of his window, he bought a contraption, you've probably seen it, that would he could hang outside his window, and humming birds would come to it, you know, it had four different entries. You've probably seen them and they have little holes and you mix up some different things so that the water is kind of sweet and attracts those hummingbirds. So we put one of those right outside so he could watch humming birds, calm and buzz around his windows, and he knew that it had four different spots. So it could be a number of different birds throughout the day, but he was amazed. 'cuz big bad hummingbird came over and there was four spots but big bad hummingbird was like, and so here are four other spots and he would be sitting there, he'd get into one and another hummingbird to come up he back out go over and like boom, you know, you know, he poked them. All right on whatever sort them. All right with his beak and he buzzed around he come back over and get into another one and all of a sudden another hunting with bird would come over and man. He'd pop out and claw, it’s like what in the world, you know? There's four slots.  What do you chase them? Now I'm stopped chasing these guys, and really, not really getting a lot of food because he's chasing him so much. And he said it just as a family, they started watching it over the course of weeks.  And then they started talking amongst themselves and he said it became a lesson for all of them, and their spiritual lives. He said became a parable, he said it became an example for the family. He said I bought the feeder. I supplied the sugar water the birds didn't earn any of it and yet day after day. They fought over who could enjoy it, and he said how like the people of God. Because all we have and all that is worthwhile in our life is nothing but the grace of God, it is not of any good of our own because there is nothing good even my righteousnesses are as filthy rags before God. He is Holy in his righteous, and man, he gives me everything and he gives me his bounty in His blessings.  And guess what? We're so proud and self-centered and envious and quarrelsome, often we fight over God's good gifts rather than expressing our gratitude, and just like we see them silly little hummingbirds buzzing around and you say how I'm grateful. You don't deserve all of it. You don't deserve any of it. It's not even yours to give away. And yet we do the same thing.  And then our hearts we look down upon somebody else or we look at what somebody else is giving and guess what God has the right to give anybody anything. So when I look over there and say "Wow, you know what God? You're good, everywhere I turn, You're good God". And let’s fight off these enemies of selfishness, and worldliness, and bitterness, and covetousness and prayerlessness and let's be a thankful people.  Heads bowed eyes closed this morning.

Topics: ,