Have you opened all of God’s gifts? When we think about blessings, we sometimes focus on material and physical benefits like homes, jobs, family, and health. But there are even greater spiritual provisions that we may not have considered. In this message, Dr. Stanley teaches us how to be mindful of the wealth of favor we receive from God, at the moment of salvation and every day thereafter. As we intentionally recognize every good thing we see, hear, and hope for as coming from a generous heavenly Father, our lives will be filled with gratitude and praise.
when is the last time you stopped to
count your blessings now let’s go beyond
the things we normal to think about well
you have a nice automobile to drive and
you live in a nice neighborhood you were
beautiful clothes you have a good job
and so you can think of a lot of things
like that that you’re grateful for but I
want to go beyond that I want to think
about what the Word of God says as far
as the source of our blessings in other
words you work hard you have a salary so
you song feel like you deserve that and
a few other things in life but I want us
to think about the blessings that you
have they come from God purchased by the
blood of Jesus at Calvary blessings that
most people never think about blessings
that many people have never heard about
but specific blessings that you and I
can claim as our own as a result of a
relationship to Jesus Christ and so as
we think about it I want you to start
and let’s say let’s look if you will the
beginning in Ephesians chapter 1 and I
want us to read a few verses in this
chapter and I want you to think clearly
about some things you probably have not
thought about in the very good while
Ephesians chapter 1 Paul an apostle of
Jesus Christ by the will of God to the
Saints who are at Ephesus and who are
faithful in Christ Jesus grace to you
and peace from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ now listen to this
blessed be the God and father of our
Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us
with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ just as he
chose us in him the
in Christ before the foundation of the
world that we would be holy and
blameless before him in love he
predestined us to adoption as sons
through Jesus Christ himself according
to the kind intention of his will to the
praise of the glory of His grace which
he freely bestowed on us in the beloved
in him that is in Christ we have
redemption through his blood the
forgiveness of our sins our trespasses
according to the riches of His grace
which he lavished on us in all wisdom
and insight what an awesome awesome
promise of God because some of those
words most people probably haven’t even
thought about now watch this he chose
you in Christ Jesus before the
foundation of the world who did the
choosing God did the choosing he chose
us in Christ Jesus before the foundation
of the world in order that what what’s
his purpose for choosing us have a good
time to be successful to have notoriety
no he chose us that we would be holy and
blameless holy and blameless before him
in love he predestined us to adoption as
sons think about that that’s a whole
bunch of sermons in one verse of
scripture it took us somebody listening
to Almighty God to be able to even think
those thoughts that’s not the thinking
of the reasoning of a man this is the
language of deity this is the language
of God this is the knowledge of holy God
predestined chosen in him according to
his predestined will to the praise of
his glory which he freely bestowed us in
the beloved
in him we have redemption that is
salvation through him that forgiveness
of our sins to the riches of His grace
do you know how blessed you are if you
are a child of God look how rich you are
wealthy you are with things that money
can’t buy and something that nobody can
take away from you watch this
predestined us to adoption chose us in
him
what’s this chose us in him before
Genesis 1:1 and when I think about being
thankful I could just turn to the pigeon
there’s one read the first seven eight
verses or so and be absolutely thrilled
to death I didn’t have anything else
they takes care of life before time
during time and after town only God
Almighty the sovereign God of the
universe can make that kind of promise
and when I think about people who have
no purpose in life have no sense of real
that nothing exciting about life I want
to say read the first chapter and
believe what he says about you every
single child of God can claim those
verses he says to the Saints in Ephesus
if he were writing today he’d say to the
Saints here in Atlanta the same thing
and sometimes we want to read the Word
of God and we want to put it back yonder
somewhere that Paul must have meant
something to someone no no this is for
us
this is one of the blessings of Almighty
God that God has made a choice of us
even before we were born he did the
choosing so that’s one thing we could
think about then I think about this 13th
verse in him that is in Christ you also
after listening to the message of truth
the gospel of your salvation having also
believed
you were sealed in Christ with a spirit
of promise look at that what we just
read first of all he says here’s what
you can count on you can count on the
fact that you were sealed as a child of
God that what he promised will come to
pass nobody can break the seal of holy
God Almighty God sovereign God of the
universe and these are the blessings
oftentimes that we overlook and we think
about blessings being this and that
something you buy whatever it might be
here blessings that watch here blessings
that have already been purchased art had
been purchased purchased by the blood of
Jesus wrapped in the grace of God given
to every single one of us who is willing
to believe in that’s how blessed we are
then in Chapter 12 of first Corinthians
he talks about the fact that we have
been gifted that is that we have a
variety of gifts that is this watch this
the God who made this promise has gifted
you in order for you to accomplish
whatever he has in mind to you in life
there are seven major gifts but many
other gifts and so he has equipped us to
live out our life according to that gift
brother for example there’s a gift of
service and the person of the gift of
service that’s that’s what motivates
them that they want to serve now most
people don’t want the gift of service
because they think well I’ve got a
service somebody know you’re serving God
all of us whatever we’re doing we’re
serving God so if I’m serving God it’s
important it may be unimportant to some
people but it’s important to you here’s
the thing you will do best what you’re
gifted by God to do because he had that
in mind for you when somebody says I
don’t feel important you’re important
when he says he chose you before the
foundation of the world it says that
very important
the Jesus died on the cross for your
sins that you have very important
you’re into out with the Holy Spirit you
are very important so promise after
promise after promise and then for
example in John 14:21
he says he who loves me will be loved of
my father and I will love him and reveal
myself to him think about it he says he
loves us and I discover a lot of people
who did not feel loved they don’t feel
loved they can tell you why that they
tell you why God doesn’t love them
because this has never happened that
that’s never happened they don’t have
this they’ve never been there whatever
it might be God loves every single one
of us and I love that 31st chapter of
Jeremiah look at that for a moment this
is the Old Testament but I want you to
see this verse 30 first chapter listen
to this I have loved you with an
everlasting love therefore I have drawn
you with loving-kindness who else can
say to you I’ve loved you with an
everlasting love most people have most
people have never felt real true genuine
love by anybody
sons and daughters of their parents
parents whoever it might be I have loved
you with an everlasting love you know
how long everlasting is how long is
everlasting that means it never ceases
it has never ceased we are loved by God
24 hours a day you said what does he
allow these things to happen I can’t
answer that question except that I know
this nothing happens to you if you’re a
child of God without his knowledge of it
and his presence and his power why does
he let certain things happen all of us
have suffered things who didn’t choose
to suffer we didn’t like we like for God
to have done it some other way but
that’s what he allowed and he’ll take
every circumstance in life and turn it
for our good if we’re trust him if we’ll
recognize that our God loves us he cares
for us he’s written our name in the
Lamb’s Book of Life
and he says don’t let your heart be
troubled I’ll be afraid moment by moment
we have the presence of Almighty God
don’t be afraid he says for example in
John 14 he says my peace I leave with
you my peace I give to you
he doesn’t promise peace in this world
we live in a world that’s full of
warfare and yet he says my peace I give
unto you he doesn’t throw it out as a
blanket he gives you peace him peace
herpes and them peace moppy’s he gives
us peace because that’s who he is he
intends for us they’ve had peace the
word peace in the Greek is a little word
our Rene is a pronunciation of it it
means to bind together
God intends for us to be bound together
with him to have his peace his joy his
love his satisfaction even in difficult
times we are blessed in ways that we
never think about and then he says for
example in Philippians 4:19 he says my
God shall supply all your needs
according to his riches in glory in
Christ Jesus here’s what he does not say
he does not say that God will supply
everything you want when you trust Jesus
Christ as your Savior watch this you
come under the awesome umbrella of a
sovereign God who not only will provide
everything you need he’ll provided in
time when he knows you need it when he
knows it’s best to give it to you he’ll
protect you watch over you and care for
you no matter what it doesn’t mean you
won’t suffer doesn’t mean you won’t have
hard times because what drives us to God
is oftentimes pain and suffering and
hurt and we’re driven to God also by his
awesome love for us when you think of
the things you have to be grateful ho
we’re talking about eternal blessings
we’re talking about the blessings that
Almighty God has signed and sealed with
your name in it we’re talking about
blessings that nobody can take away you
trusted Christ as you said you who can
take away your eternal security nobody
what are we thankful for what do we take
for granted
and most of the time I’m afraid we’re
thankful for material things where you
live what you drive what you wear your
job and this that Anila the most
precious valuable commodities of your
life are all spiritual things the
presence of God the power of God a
knowledge you’ve got think about this
think about what you know about the Lord
you blessed you blessed everyday you
blessed with eternal life that never
ceases with the eternal presence of
Almighty God who answers our prayers who
says I’ll never leave you nor forsake
you I’ll supply all your needs the
problem is we don’t know we don’t know
the God we say we serve you can come to
church and sing about the grace of God
and sing about the goodness of God and
watch this you can you can sing it and
it comes in your mind at your lips but
as far as experiencing enjoying they all
some God do you enjoy it talking to God
when I think about prayer and the
wonderful privilege of watch this look
around you who created all this the
sovereign God of the universe created
everything that’s here you and I have
the privilege of talking to him now you
probably have somebody in life that you
just love talking to them or listening
to them what about God what about God
you can talk to God you said I don’t
know him very well the reason you know
him very well is because you don’t read
his book when you read his book you get
excited when you read his book you’re
thrilled about what he can do when you
read his book all of a sudden you get a
whole different opinion of who God is he
is not somebody out in the far future
somewhere in the invisible future but he
is a warm intimate personal God
listening who sent his son Jesus in
order that you and I
they recognize yes he can feel what I
feel
yes he does understand when I heard yes
he does understand when I don’t
understand that’s the God we serve the
world in which you know they do not they
don’t know the God you and I serve and
then in first corinthians 15:51 listen
to what he says he says behold I tell
you a mystery we will not all sleep but
we will all be changed in a moment in
the twinkling of an eye at the last
Trump the Trump will sound the devil
will be raised in peril and we will be
changed which means what your loved ones
my loved ones whose body we saw last in
a casket placed in a hole covered with
dirt that’s not the end there’s a
resurrection for every single child of
God a new body that exists for ever and
ever with Almighty God thank God
there is no end of your life that’s a
promise of Almighty God that’s why we
don’t have to fear death when is the
last time you thanked him that when he
called your home you’re gonna meet him
face to face when’s the last time you
ever said lord I don’t know when I’m not
too happy but come in too soon but I’m
happy about it when I do come on I’m
gonna meet you I’m gonna be happy to
meet your Lord when I think about all
you’ve done for me all this stuff you’ve
all the things you’ve got me through all
the mistakes I’ve made the sins I’ve
committed and you’re still gonna meet me
the blood of Jesus Christ has washed us
clean and made us pure in his sight God
is our God
not some fictitious idea that people
write about the sovereign God of the
universe he’s God and I think what he
says in John 14 I’m going to prepare a
place for you and if I go to prepare a
place for you I’ll come again to receive
you to myself that where I am there you
may be also
and so another one of his promises
listener going to prepare a place for
you if somebody says what’s heaven gonna
be like I don’t know I’ll tell you what
I do know it’s gonna be like the god I
serve and you serve that’s what heaven
is gonna be like I do want to see Jesus
and so nothing when I think about all
that we have to be grateful for and when
he says I’m going to prepare a place for
you and if I go to prepare a place for
you I will come again one of these days
to receive you to myself that where I am
there you will be also now it’s one
other thing I’m grateful for
minute many people many people in the
world have never seen one many people if
they saw it wouldn’t know what it is of
all the things that exist in the face of
this earth his number one his had all
started his had always going to be end
and here’s what’s going to happen from
beginning to end the Living Word of God
every parent should teach it to their
children and one of the first gifts you
ought to give you a child is a copy of
the Word of God there are people who
live and die just the other copy the
Word of God the grass withers and the
flowers fade but the word of our God
stands forever Amen let’s pray father we
bless you we praise your holy name we
thank you for giving us the word and we
thank you for inspiring stirring the
hearts of men to pin what you told them
thank you for all the centrists that
have gone by that you have preserved
your precious word your precious
promises thank you that we have the
promise of eternal life thank you we
have the promise of your presence within
us guiding us sealing us keeping us so
we ask you Father to accept our thanks
we humble ourselves before you
acknowledge we owe you everything
everything God and we give ourselves to
you this morning afresh and anew and
praise your holy name and we ask it in
Jesus name Amen
amen
you
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