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 ever 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
a 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 saw 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
their own as a result of a relationship
to Jesus Christ and so as we think about
it I want you to start let’s listen look
if you with a 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 in 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
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
and the reasoning of a man this is the
language of did 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 bit watch this chose us
in him before Genesis 1:1 and when I
think about being thankful I could just
turn to the pigeons as one read the
first seven eight verses or so and be
absolutely thrilled to death if I didn’t
have anything else they takes care of
life before time during time 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 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 here
at 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 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 about 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 the 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 it 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 wow that they
can 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 it’s
the Old Testament but I want you to see
this verse thirty 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
they’ve 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 bond 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 for
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 and
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
his son Jesus in order that you and I
may 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 that God you and I serve and
then in 1st 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 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 what 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 hat all
started his that 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 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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