The Sermon Celebrate God by David McGee
Feb 07, 2016
Celebrate God (32:12)
Referenced Scriptures: Philippians 4:4-14; Psalm 100; Luke 12:29-32; 1 Thessalonians 5:18
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Philippians 4:4-14
4) Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, Rejoice!
5) Let your mildness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6) In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
7) The peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
8) Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things.
9) The things which you learned, received, heard, and saw in me: do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
10) But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity.
11) Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it.
12) I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things have I learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need.
13) I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
14) However you did well that you had fellowship with my affliction.
Psalm 100
1) Make a joyful noise to Yahweh, all you lands!
2) Serve Yahweh with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.
3) Know that Yahweh, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, Into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name.
5) For Yahweh is good. His lovingkindness endures forever, His faithfulness to all generations. Psalm 101 A Psalm by David.
Luke 12:29-32
29) Don‘t seek what you will eat or what you will drink; neither be anxious.
30) For the nations of the world seek after all of these things, but your Father knows that you need these things.
31) Yet seek God‘s kingdom, and all these things will be added to you.
32) Don‘t be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father‘s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
18) In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you.
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The le of my sermon today is celebrate . Celebrate and. If any of you have had the T.V. on This Week on any sports channel or news it's been the fiftieth year for the Super Bowl. So the celebration of the Super Bowl. Well we've been celebrating for two thousand years now. The not only the birth of Christ but celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus. You know the early church they didn't celebrate Easter. The early church celebrated the crucifixion. And the resurrection. And it was his death upon the crosses in his atonement for sin that put all this together for us and whenever. Jesus in the night with His disciples said. This do in remembrance of me. He was telling them to remember what I have done and never forget it. And I think. Sometimes our celebration of gets a little. I don't know maybe we don't celebrate enough and sometimes we celebrate too much. I don't know which is worse. But the. You know if we are just do nothing or. If we know those who are over and seemingly overboard so we need to celebrate in celebration is to do something special. Something enjoyable. Something from to celebrate something for as an important event. You know. Do you remember. Do you remember the time in which you gave your life to Christ. Do you remember when it was Do you remember where it was. They remember a time in which you know it's like wow. Christ is in my heart. Christ has forgiven me. And sometimes we ociate that with a an event at time. A day a moment. And sometimes we kind of ociate it with a progression with a coming to the realisation of. But. We know that in our relationship with Christ it is one in which we celebrate. How that Christ has come to us. And in our Sunday school lesson this morning we are talking about grace. And how that is in His grace. Come to us and grace of His grace is 's bestowing his favor bestowing his blessing and it's more than just looking beyond our faults and seeing our needs. It is that it is it's a depiction of the character of . It's a depiction of. If you were if Jesus were standing here beside us. And he was your best friend. And he was in hopefully is all these things. Then. And you knew him intimately and friendly. You know. You knew his thoughts he knew your thoughts. What would be one of the characteristics that we would say of him. And we would say that you know. He does kind of loves everybody. He doesn't he doesn't see the fault in anyone. He doesn't see the mistakes the people have made. He only sees possibilities. And whenever we're celebrating . I think of it in the context that. We are celebrating in the fact that he only sees the good. Can we help. Can we have that same characteristic we have the same thought pattern that we see the good see the good in our lives and see the good in others and. I was thinking and in Philippians chapter four beginning in verse four. It's in this is the Message Bible it says. Celebrate Gawd all day and every day. Celebrate . All day and every day. There are some times during the day that you don't celebrate. You know. When things don't go well. When things break. And when things are out of sorts. You see in first US loneliness five eighteen it says In everything give thanks for this is the will of in Christ Jesus concerning you. And everything give thanks that there is a. There is this being so caught up in the celebration of that we celebrate 's presence and gifting. Even in the everyday life things that don't see me only fit. What we would consider a good picture. If every event in our life were piece of a puzzle. I'm sure that there's are pieces that we would hold up and say you know what . This is not a good piece. This is not something that I wanted. In my life but we find that in everything give thanks. And then also the scripture says in all things working together for good. All those pieces of the puzzle fit together into a divine pattern. And so they are fitly. They are fitly conform their conformed. So that they fit together perfectly. You know Rhonda has this app on her phone that TO is a puzzle. And you know at night. She's playing this puzzle. And you hear this couple. You know this clicking sound that. Whenever she puts a piece of the Pozzo over where it goes. It clicks. And so you only get certain pieces of the puzzle I guess the outer ones and you know and so she's putting these puzzle pieces together and they just click in the say Rhonda. I have to go I have to go to work you're retired. I have to get up you know. So there she is clicking this puzzle together you know. Well it would be needed if all the things that were in our life with that same puzzle thing would happen click. Oh that's a good one. It goes there. You know 's putting that piece here. Click. Oh yes. Yes So we find these places where our life in a just like it doesn't click. You know it just doesn't click. But yet it fits. It's happened. It's part of who we are. So this is where we are looking for and giving thanks and celebrating all day and every day. We're celebrating him. Celebrating that we are we taking a great pleasure. We take great pleasure. We take great satisfaction. In knowing that is with us. And that is at work in our life. So we are. We revel in him and it says. I mean revel in him a celebrate all day every day. Revel in him. This intense pleasure. That I really enjoy and 's presence. And that's a bit crazy his in his hip. You walk around you know what I just enjoy 's presence so much. I just really revel in it is just. It's like you look at what an earth who were there what planet are they on. You know what have they been smoking. You know what what medication have they been taking too much of. You know we revel in and the reality of it is a policy telling the Thessalonians or the Philippines. The Philippines. He is telling the Philippi and that it is part of who we are to see the goodness of that wants us to see how good he really is. And so if we start. And initiate and continue to celebrate and continue to look for the hand of in every one of those pieces of the puzzle that go on during the day. You know. We pray for 's will to be accomplished as we do things. You know going about our daily activities. You know. Pray that would help us to make the right decisions and to have the right at ude. So on then it goes on to say make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side. Now if we are reveling in and we are celebrating. . Then our at ude towards others should be that we are four of them. You know. If you ask people about the church and about why they don't come to church why they don't go to church somewhere. They have expand they have a. They have an excuse. Always you know they always having skis people always have an excuse of it in every excuse you would be there. You know. So we have excuses but even though there's excuses we're still on their side. We're still for them because is for them. See is for them he is for us and. So if we have this. Understanding that no matter what's going on what's going wrong. is for you. And guess what I'm I'm for you. I'm not for your failure I'm for your success I'm for you coming through this time. I'm praying for you I'm praying for your success. And in your success I'm celebrating your success. I'm celebrating the gifts that you have and how that has touched your life. So we're celebrating these things so. I'm for you. Working with them and not against them. That's Paul's telling the Philippines here. Making it is clear is you can. To all you me that you're on their side working with them not against them. You know what do you want to be when you grow up. You know what is it that is doing inside of us. What is he bringing to to the surface. And everything that he brings to the surface. He's bringing it there for a purpose and the next verses help them see that the master is about to arrive. Help them see that is going to arrive. Now. Jesus is going to show up. Some day the trump of shall sound the dead in Christ shall rise and we were Charlize remain shall be caught up to meet them in the air. But you know is here. His spirit is here he he is arriving this very moment. Whenever we're talking to people we we if we are reveling celebrating the presence of then we has arrived in their life because we are there. You know your They're your in their life in is in you and is there. And he is. He is there he has arrived. So what is it that wants to reveal to the people that are lost to those who have very little faith. Have not exercised their faith. What is it that wants them to know that I am on their side. That I am for them. That that. And then he goes on verse six Don't fret. Or worry. So here I am in this place of. Being no allowing the presence of to be there with these people with other individuals. And that we are for them. We are for their life. That we are for their success. And their relationship with and then. Paul goes on here to say. Don't fret or worry. You know what fret means. Fret means to gnaw and long should you ever see a beaver Nas a tree. You know. It just kind of keeps chopping away at it and eventually it'll fall. Mice. I know we don't have any. But mice. They love. Electrical wires. You know they will. They will not add these little wires to the point where you know I was one farmer he was couldn't figure out why his combine wasn't working and he got in there and you know was tearing the motor apart and there he was this little place right next to the engine the mice head nod the wire off. You know and so there is the they just are attracted to those things you know well. Don't fret. Or worry don't let things gnawing at you don't let things where or way. Don't fret. Don't cause yourself to suffer. Emotional pain. And another were another one don't fret or worry. Wary. Is to think about the problem. Or fears. To feel or show fear and concern because you think that something bad has happened. Or could happen. How many have a washing machine that has an agitator. They may know what an agitator is in a washing machine. It stirs it up. Do any of you have an agitator in your ally. Do you have the edges thought on to spend cycle it's on the agitation cycle. It just pumps those clothes back and forth and beats them clean right. You know circulates them around and all that thing. Well in our lives and fret and worry is. You know there are two brothers. Fret and worry. And their main program is to agitate. So they're going to agitate. They're going to turn things around and upside down they're going to take your worries and they're going to take your fears and blow them totally out of out of place out of perspective. So any time you're getting agitated. Put the app put the washing machine on pause. OK. You know. When my when I when I was growing up. We had a couple of different washing machines. But there was always one that my mom would keep for my dad's clothes in the mines you know. They'd come home and you know she would put them through the agitating washer and machine and a couple of cycles to get them clean in bring them through the wringer. You know running through the wringer. So imagine that you're going to be agitated and they were run you through the ringer. Who put the squeeze on you. So instead of being agitated and stand up being run through the ringer. We are to celebrate . We are to what us revel in him. So we're not supposed to fret and we're not supposed to worry because of who we are and where we are instead of worrying. Pray. Instead of worrying pray let pe ions and praise. Shape your worries into prayers. Let your pe ions and praise. Shape your worries into prayers. That we are you see. We can worry worry is Worry is like a rocking chair. It's always in motion but it never gets anywhere. You know. And so whenever we worry. We are are where we got the agitator running and. Sooner or later we're going to go through the wringer. OK. But in this case. Paul is saying let your par ions in praise shape your worries. So whenever we are reveling in . Whenever we are. What's the word. Celebrating . Whenever we are in this place of formulating. Our thoughts around. A subject. OK. Worry. Agitates and runs it through the ringer prayer. Celebrates . And how that. You know. Don't tell your problems. Don't tell how big your problems are tell your problems how big is OK. So we just we need to see how that is shaping our life to the point that these things that have confronted us these things that have brought us to this moment in time. We're celebrating because He is greater than our difficulties greater than obstacles. And he says let your pe ions your earnest request that and most of the time a pe ion the something that is written. But let your pe ions. Be given to . With praise. Expressing thanks to your love and respect for . So we are. We are expressing our thing. And our love to as we formulate our pe ions. About which we have. Need. See where he wants us to turn on the agitator and run it through the Ring cycle where he wants it but pray about our prayers being our par ions. Are those needs now become pe ions that we are presenting to and in the present Taishan. We are praising for the answer. We are praising him for the gifting is that. If we are sick when we do call for the elders of the church and the pray for them. If if we are in need. We supply and we pray that you will supply all of our needed. Cording we know that you will supply all of our need according to Christ. The riches that have that are in Christ Jesus. So where is it that is not rich in provision. Is he so we are allowing the provision of the character of to be formulated. We're celebrating those provisions. And then we are wrapping our pe ions. In those celebrations of who is so that whenever we're praying it's not whining. Oh a Gandhian Oh how bad I've got it today. You know. We're not whining our prayers that we're not worrying our prayers you know how bad this could really get. Do you know how bad this is didn't you know. It's like we're worried in the psych we're somehow throwing it as a prayer up to and in it doesn't go very far. doesn't respond to our worries. He responds to our faith. In our faith. Then is in the character of and in the person of Jesus Christ. What is Jesus what does want to do in this situation. What does want me to see in this situation. How does want to use me in this situation. You know. This. Devotional I read it this morning. But in Sunday school but I want to read it again. It's in Luke Chapter twelve it says verse twenty nine what I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax and not to be so preoccupied with getting she can respond to 's giving. Don't be so preoccupied with getting that we that we cannot respond to 's giving see wants to give to us he wants. He see like the grace in the mercy of . They are we can earn it. What I have to do to get to heaven while you need to. You know get down in your hands and knees and crawl around the church ten times. What's that. You see are gray the grace of is that he stole those this upon us as his gift it's his nature. It's just who he is to forgive. It's just it's just who he is to love and and to say. Poor tend to bring gifts into our life. A live in peace and joy and comfort and. You know he brings these into our lives. He presents them into our lives so don't be so preoccupied with getting that we somehow forget that wants to give. What does want to give us. Well. He wants to give us His Spirit. And the gifts of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit. Are for us to have active in our lives. I think on the things that are lovely that are pure and of a good report in fact that's just a little further on here. That in the one scripture Philippians for summing it all up. My friends. Summing it all up friends I had I'll I'd say you do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true. Noble reputable authentic. Compelling. Gracious. Think about the best. And not the worst. Think about the beautiful. And not the ugly. You see. Whenever we are wrapping our selves in this pe ion. And in this praise. We are celebrating . And we need to celebrate from the perspective of who he is now we may not see the good in things that happen. We are not be able to understand the complexities of life and the things happen the way they do and bad things come into our lives. We know we don't understand those things and we don't have answers for those things but we do have. We do have the Spirit of . His Holy Spirit comes to was to teach us to help us have. Insight. Wisdom. Help us have truth and mercy. Help us see the truth that isn't the obvious. Help us to understand what is in front of us in the way that we don't see it. Normally in our lives. You know. Sometimes when people present their difficulties in the it's a hard thing. It's a. Hard thing. When you know you're setting with someone and they're reviewing some of the greatest disasters that you could ever imagine people's lives and they're reviewing them and going over them and. And how that. You know I don't be on me. These things are going to fit. That all of us are going to have difficulties. All of us are going to experience problems all of us are going to have these things. But in the midst of those things will Paul whenever he's in prison. Was you know he celebrates his imprisonment. You know I'm here because wants me here for reason and so until I figure that out I'm going to write you people letters. You know John sent to the Olive path to miss the death Island. While I'm here on this death Island I'm I want to I want to become closer to and he sees the revelation of the Book of Revelation the Revelation of Jesus Christ on a death Island. You know. So here he is sentenced to die on an island. Solitary confinement. But there he receives is the greatest revelation. So we can't p judgment upon things. Until we get beyond them. But while we are going through them. We are reveling in we are celebrating . And then he goes on to say before you know it. A sense of 's wholeness. Everything coming together for good. It's what he says. Paul says. Your pe ions in your praise. Let them all become part of one. And that you were were reveling in and were celebrating . And then he says. Before you know it. There's going to be a sense of 's wholeness. You know what. I don't understand this but this is exactly where I need to be going through exactly what I need to be going through. To accomplish the task that I need to be doing for. Greatest good. Of those around me and 's glory. And he will give to me. What I need to fulfill this mission this task. You see that's the problem of can give that to you. Only can bring that peace to your heart and mind that bestows that because it's his grace that comes to us. I can earn it I can't become good enough to see the wages I can. I can earn the right to go to . But I can I can only receive the gift of eternal life. I can earn the wages the wages of sin is death. I can earn the right to die. Spiritually physically and spend an eternity in . I can earn that right. But I have to receive the gift given for us. This is the blood of Christ this is the Body of Christ given for you. This is the given to you. Given communion. Given Christ gave this his body. For our sins. He shed His blood for our sins. This is the Body of Christ. Given for you. What do we do. We receive it. We take it in. So. So our every day life is this very thing the thing that we are receiving from . You know what if we turn their US I'm going to go up there and I want to get that cup. And I'm going to take that cup and I'm going to drink that cup and I'm going to take that piece of bread. And I'm going to swallow that piece of bread I'm going to get that communion at. The word we're doing our thing with life you know I'm going to go out I want to only make this. This go be a good day I'm I'm making a good day. Yeah. Yes. I want to make it a good day. I'm going to love you even hurts me. I'll make you love me even if it hurts you. You know. Going to make these things that you know. I'm going to get this now. I'm going to receive the gift of life. I'm going to receive the gift of today. I'm going to receive the blessing of into my life. Because wants. Good things to happen. When bad things happen. It's OK. 's going to turn it around. Before you know it a sense of 's wholeness. I mean I'm longing for and looking for 's wholeness. His completeness. To be part of who I am. And that's not something that happens and goes away. It's something that's part of us every day of our lives. 's wholeness everything coming together for good. Everything hasn't happened yet. Everything is coming together though. Just as it should because I'm believing and I'm praying for that. So think on the things in this part in this place of becoming more be said in Philippians take on the things that are true that are le. You can't watch the news. In the garbage of the who's sleeping with who's wife and who's killing who and who did this to whom and what if they're stealing their backbiting and these people are arrested and those people are arrested in these things happen. You have to know when to shut it off because we need we need to know what's going on in the world it's part of the world that it is but feel your minds and meditate when you're going to meditate on something. Don't meditate on how bad people are. And don't meditate on how bad things are. Meditate on the things that are true that are le think on the things that are reputable think on the things that are authentic. Things that are true. Compelling. Gracious. Think about the best. Think about the beautiful. You know. Turn your worries into prayers. Oh I don't know how this is going to work go. I think you that everything works out. You turn your worries into prayer. Luke Chapter twelve years twenty nine says. What I'm writing. What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax. This is the text the word of the money. My phone. What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax. Not to be preoccupied with getting so that. So you can respond to what is giving. So getting you to relax and to see something more than what that is the obvious. That was last week so many people who don't know and the way he works. Fuss over thing. These things. But you know both and how he works. People who don't know. Worry. Fret people who know . Take the promises. you said everything will be OK. I'm not trusting in fate and I'm not trusting in the stars. I'm trusting in because He loves me and he's going to bestow His grace upon me. And I don't have to earn and he's going to give it to me. Because that's who he is steep yourself and reality. initiative. provisions. I mean think about pretty steep yourself I think of a final in which all this stuff is just pouring out the bottom. Steep yourself in Reality initiative 's provision. Where does this say that this is going to stop providing. Where does it. Where does it's tell us that you're on your own in this one. Where does it say that you know your loss then undone. And you're never going to May and mild to anything. No where in the Bible. Nowhere. That's a line from the. The devil himself. About how that we evaluate life. On a perspective of getting. And people are going to get what they deserve. But in giving. We're going to is going to give us what we don't deserve. He's going to give us mercy. He's going to give to us forgiveness. He's going to give to us his promises. He's going to bestow His Holy Spirit upon us that the Spirit of Truth is going to bear witness with our spirit that we are 's children. And as 's children. We are seated together with him in heavenly places. As 's children. We are joint heirs with price as 's children every promise in the book. Belongs to was. And the promises are about provision. About making it about overcoming that is going to turn to is going to drop our giants in our path. You see the greatest thing that took David from being a ody to us some. Honey. Was his great that great giant Goliath. And when he took care of Jim and Goliath. His life was on a whole different plane on a whole different course. So when we face are giants. Don't worry about how big the giant is know that is greater than our Giants. And he will help us overcome them. Amen. Father we thank you thank you for your grace your mercy Thank you Will for your divine provision. Thank you all for bestowing your blessings on us and we turn our worries. Our concerns we turn them into praise. We turn them into prayers. We turn them into you of and ask your divine provision. We ask for your divine health in your healing. We've asked for your. Divine Grace and Mercy. Just to touch our lives again and again. Draws closer to you May we never take for granted. The blessing that is ours. In you. Thank you Jesus for your love to us. we receive these things in Jesus name Amen amen. And in the. The le of my sermon today is celebrate . Celebrate and. If any of you have had the T.V. on This Week on any sports channel or news it's been the fiftieth year for the Super Bowl. So the celebration of the Super Bowl. Well we've been celebrating for two thousand years now. The not only the birth of Christ but celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus. You know the early church they didn't celebrate Easter. The early church celebrated the crucifixion. And the resurrection. And it was his death upon the crosses in his atonement for sin that put all this together for us and whenever. Jesus in the night with His disciples said. This do in remembrance of me. He was telling them to remember what I have done and never forget it. And I think. Sometimes our celebration of gets a little. I don't know maybe we don't celebrate enough and sometimes we celebrate too much. I don't know which is worse. But the. You know if we are just do nothing or. If we know those who are over and seemingly overboard so we need to celebrate in celebration is to do something special. Something enjoyable. Something from to celebrate something for as an important event. You know. Do you remember. Do you remember the time in which you gave your life to Christ. Do you remember when it was Do you remember where it was. They remember a time in which you know it's like wow. Christ is in my heart. Christ has forgiven me. And sometimes we ociate that with a an event at time. A day a moment. And sometimes we kind of ociate it with a progression with a coming to the realisation of. But. We know that in our relationship with Christ it is one in which we celebrate. How that Christ has come to us. And in our Sunday school lesson this morning we are talking about grace. And how that is in His grace. Come to us and grace of His grace is 's bestowing his favor bestowing his blessing and it's more than just looking beyond our faults and seeing our needs. It is that it is it's a depiction of the character of . It's a depiction of. If you were if Jesus were standing here beside us. And he was your best friend. And he was in hopefully is all these things. Then. And you knew him intimately and friendly. You know. You knew his thoughts he knew your thoughts. What would be one of the characteristics that we would say of him. And we would say that you know. He does kind of loves everybody. He doesn't he doesn't see the fault in anyone. He doesn't see the mistakes the people have made. He only sees possibilities. And whenever we're celebrating . I think of it in the context that. We are celebrating in the fact that he only sees the good. Can we help. Can we have that same characteristic we have the same thought pattern that we see the good see the good in our lives and see the good in others and. I was thinking and in Philippians chapter four beginning in verse four. It's in this is the Message Bible it says. Celebrate Gawd all day and every day. Celebrate . All day and every day. There are some times during the day that you don't celebrate. You know. When things don't go well. When things break. And when things are out of sorts. You see in first US loneliness five eighteen it says In everything give thanks for this is the will of in Christ Jesus concerning you. And everything give thanks that there is a. There is this being so caught up in the celebration of that we celebrate 's presence and gifting. Even in the everyday life things that don't see me only fit. What we would consider a good picture. If every event in our life were piece of a puzzle. I'm sure that there's are pieces that we would hold up and say you know what . This is not a good piece. This is not something that I wanted. In my life but we find that in everything give thanks. And then also the scripture says in all things working together for good. All those pieces of the puzzle fit together into a divine pattern. And so they are fitly. They are fitly conform their conformed. So that they fit together perfectly. You know Rhonda has this app on her phone that TO is a puzzle. And you know at night. She's playing this puzzle. And you hear this couple. You know this clicking sound that. Whenever she puts a piece of the Pozzo over where it goes. It clicks. And so you only get certain pieces of the puzzle I guess the outer ones and you know and so she's putting these puzzle pieces together and they just click in the say Rhonda. I have to go I have to go to work you're retired. I have to get up you know. So there she is clicking this puzzle together you know. Well it would be needed if all the things that were in our life with that same puzzle thing would happen click. Oh that's a good one. It goes there. You know 's putting that piece here. Click. Oh yes. Yes So we find these places where our life in a just like it doesn't click. You know it just doesn't click. But yet it fits. It's happened. It's part of who we are. So this is where we are looking for and giving thanks and celebrating all day and every day. We're celebrating him. Celebrating that we are we taking a great pleasure. We take great pleasure. We take great satisfaction. In knowing that is with us. And that is at work in our life. So we are. We revel in him and it says. I mean revel in him a celebrate all day every day. Revel in him. This intense pleasure. That I really enjoy and 's presence. And that's a bit crazy his in his hip. You walk around you know what I just enjoy 's presence so much. I just really revel in it is just. It's like you look at what an earth who were there what planet are they on. You know what have they been smoking. You know what what medication have they been taking too much of. You know we revel in and the reality of it is a policy telling the Thessalonians or the Philippines. The Philippines. He is telling the Philippi and that it is part of who we are to see the goodness of that wants us to see how good he really is. And so if we start. And initiate and continue to celebrate and continue to look for the hand of in every one of those pieces of the puzzle that go on during the day. You know. We pray for 's will to be accomplished as we do things. You know going about our daily activities. You know. Pray that would help us to make the right decisions and to have the right at ude. So on then it goes on to say make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side. Now if we are reveling in and we are celebrating. . Then our at ude towards others should be that we are four of them. You know. If you ask people about the church and about why they don't come to church why they don't go to church somewhere. They have expand they have a. They have an excuse. Always you know they always having skis people always have an excuse of it in every excuse you would be there. You know. So we have excuses but even though there's excuses we're still on their side. We're still for them because is for them. See is for them he is for us and. So if we have this. Understanding that no matter what's going on what's going wrong. is for you. And guess what I'm I'm for you. I'm not for your failure I'm for your success I'm for you coming through this time. I'm praying for you I'm praying for your success. And in your success I'm celebrating your success. I'm celebrating the gifts that you have and how that has touched your life. So we're celebrating these things so. I'm for you. Working with them and not against them. That's Paul's telling the Philippines here. Making it is clear is you can. To all you me that you're on their side working with them not against them. You know what do you want to be when you grow up. You know what is it that is doing inside of us. What is he bringing to to the surface. And everything that he brings to the surface. He's bringing it there for a purpose and the next verses help them see that the master is about to arrive. Help them see that is going to arrive. Now. Jesus is going to show up. Some day the trump of shall sound the dead in Christ shall rise and we were Charlize remain shall be caught up to meet them in the air. But you know is here. His spirit is here he he is arriving this very moment. Whenever we're talking to people we we if we are reveling celebrating the presence of then we has arrived in their life because we are there. You know your They're your in their life in is in you and is there. And he is. He is there he has arrived. So what is it that wants to reveal to the people that are lost to those who have very little faith. Have not exercised their faith. What is it that wants them to know that I am on their side. That I am for them. That that. And then he goes on verse six Don't fret. Or worry. So here I am in this place of. Being no allowing the presence of to be there with these people with other individuals. And that we are for them. We are for their life. That we are for their success. And their relationship with and then. Paul goes on here to say. Don't fret or worry. You know what fret means. Fret means to gnaw and long should you ever see a beaver Nas a tree. You know. It just kind of keeps chopping away at it and eventually it'll fall. Mice. I know we don't have any. But mice. They love. Electrical wires. You know they will. They will not add these little wires to the point where you know I was one farmer he was couldn't figure out why his combine wasn't working and he got in there and you know was tearing the motor apart and there he was this little place right next to the engine the mice head nod the wire off. You know and so there is the they just are attracted to those things you know well. Don't fret. Or worry don't let things gnawing at you don't let things where or way. Don't fret. Don't cause yourself to suffer. Emotional pain. And another were another one don't fret or worry. Wary. Is to think about the problem. Or fears. To feel or show fear and concern because you think that something bad has happened. Or could happen. How many have a washing machine that has an agitator. They may know what an agitator is in a washing machine. It stirs it up. Do any of you have an agitator in your ally. Do you have the edges thought on to spend cycle it's on the agitation cycle. It just pumps those clothes back and forth and beats them clean right. You know circulates them around and all that thing. Well in our lives and fret and worry is. You know there are two brothers. Fret and worry. And their main program is to agitate. So they're going to agitate. They're going to turn things around and upside down they're going to take your worries and they're going to take your fears and blow them totally out of out of place out of perspective. So any time you're getting agitated. Put the app put the washing machine on pause. OK. You know. When my when I when I was growing up. We had a couple of different washing machines. But there was always one that my mom would keep for my dad's clothes in the mines you know. They'd come home and you know she would put them through the agitating washer and machine and a couple of cycles to get them clean in bring them through the wringer. You know running through the wringer. So imagine that you're going to be agitated and they were run you through the ringer. Who put the squeeze on you. So instead of being agitated and stand up being run through the ringer. We are to celebrate . We are to what us revel in him. So we're not supposed to fret and we're not supposed to worry because of who we are and where we are instead of worrying. Pray. Instead of worrying pray let pe ions and praise. Shape your worries into prayers. Let your pe ions and praise. Shape your worries into prayers. That we are you see. We can worry worry is Worry is like a rocking chair. It's always in motion but it never gets anywhere. You know. And so whenever we worry. We are are where we got the agitator running and. Sooner or later we're going to go through the wringer. OK. But in this case. Paul is saying let your par ions in praise shape your worries. So whenever we are reveling in . Whenever we are. What's the word. Celebrating . Whenever we are in this place of formulating. Our thoughts around. A subject. OK. Worry. Agitates and runs it through the ringer prayer. Celebrates . And how that. You know. Don't tell your problems. Don't tell how big your problems are tell your problems how big is OK. So we just we need to see how that is shaping our life to the point that these things that have confronted us these things that have brought us to this moment in time. We're celebrating because He is greater than our difficulties greater than obstacles. And he says let your pe ions your earnest request that and most of the time a pe ion the something that is written. But let your pe ions. Be given to . With praise. Expressing thanks to your love and respect for . So we are. We are expressing our thing. And our love to as we formulate our pe ions. About which we have. Need. See where he wants us to turn on the agitator and run it through the Ring cycle where he wants it but pray about our prayers being our par ions. Are those needs now become pe ions that we are presenting to and in the present Taishan. We are praising for the answer. We are praising him for the gifting is that. If we are sick when we do call for the elders of the church and the pray for them. If if we are in need. We supply and we pray that you will supply all of our needed. Cording we know that you will supply all of our need according to Christ. The riches that have that are in Christ Jesus. So where is it that is not rich in provision. Is he so we are allowing the provision of the character of to be formulated. We're celebrating those provisions. And then we are wrapping our pe ions. In those celebrations of who is so that whenever we're praying it's not whining. Oh a Gandhian Oh how bad I've got it today. You know. We're not whining our prayers that we're not worrying our prayers you know how bad this could really get. Do you know how bad this is didn't you know. It's like we're worried in the psych we're somehow throwing it as a prayer up to and in it doesn't go very far. doesn't respond to our worries. He responds to our faith. In our faith. Then is in the character of and in the person of Jesus Christ. What is Jesus what does want to do in this situation. What does want me to see in this situation. How does want to use me in this situation. You know. This. Devotional I read it this morning. But in Sunday school but I want to read it again. It's in Luke Chapter twelve it says verse twenty nine what I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax and not to be so preoccupied with getting she can respond to 's giving. Don't be so preoccupied with getting that we that we cannot respond to 's giving see wants to give to us he wants. He see like the grace in the mercy of . They are we can earn it. What I have to do to get to heaven while you need to. You know get down in your hands and knees and crawl around the church ten times. What's that. You see are gray the grace of is that he stole those this upon us as his gift it's his nature. It's just who he is to forgive. It's just it's just who he is to love and and to say. Poor tend to bring gifts into our life. A live in peace and joy and comfort and. You know he brings these into our lives. He presents them into our lives so don't be so preoccupied with getting that we somehow forget that wants to give. What does want to give us. Well. He wants to give us His Spirit. And the gifts of the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit. Are for us to have active in our lives. I think on the things that are lovely that are pure and of a good report in fact that's just a little further on here. That in the one scripture Philippians for summing it all up. My friends. Summing it all up friends I had I'll I'd say you do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true. Noble reputable authentic. Compelling. Gracious. Think about the best. And not the worst. Think about the beautiful. And not the ugly. You see. Whenever we are wrapping our selves in this pe ion. And in this praise. We are celebrating . And we need to celebrate from the perspective of who he is now we may not see the good in things that happen. We are not be able to understand the complexities of life and the things happen the way they do and bad things come into our lives. We know we don't understand those things and we don't have answers for those things but we do have. We do have the Spirit of . His Holy Spirit comes to was to teach us to help us have. Insight. Wisdom. Help us have truth and mercy. Help us see the truth that isn't the obvious. Help us to understand what is in front of us in the way that we don't see it. Normally in our lives. You know. Sometimes when people present their difficulties in the it's a hard thing. It's a. Hard thing. When you know you're setting with someone and they're reviewing some of the greatest disasters that you could ever imagine people's lives and they're reviewing them and going over them and. And how that. You know I don't be on me. These things are going to fit. That all of us are going to have difficulties. All of us are going to experience problems all of us are going to have these things. But in the midst of those things will Paul whenever he's in prison. Was you know he celebrates his imprisonment. You know I'm here because wants me here for reason and so until I figure that out I'm going to write you people letters. You know John sent to the Olive path to miss the death Island. While I'm here on this death Island I'm I want to I want to become closer to and he sees the revelation of the Book of Revelation the Revelation of Jesus Christ on a death Island. You know. So here he is sentenced to die on an island. Solitary confinement. But there he receives is the greatest revelation. So we can't p judgment upon things. Until we get beyond them. But while we are going through them. We are reveling in we are celebrating . And then he goes on to say before you know it. A sense of 's wholeness. Everything coming together for good. It's what he says. Paul says. Your pe ions in your praise. Let them all become part of one. And that you were were reveling in and were celebrating . And then he says. Before you know it. There's going to be a sense of 's wholeness. You know what. I don't understand this but this is exactly where I need to be going through exactly what I need to be going through. To accomplish the task that I need to be doing for. Greatest good. Of those around me and 's glory. And he will give to me. What I need to fulfill this mission this task. You see that's the problem of can give that to you. Only can bring that peace to your heart and mind that bestows that because it's his grace that comes to us. I can earn it I can't become good enough to see the wages I can. I can earn the right to go to . But I can I can only receive the gift of eternal life. I can earn the wages the wages of sin is death. I can earn the right to die. Spiritually physically and spend an eternity in . I can earn that right. But I have to receive the gift given for us. This is the blood of Christ this is the Body of Christ given for you. This is the given to you. Given communion. Given Christ gave this his body. For our sins. He shed His blood for our sins. This is the Body of Christ. Given for you. What do we do. We receive it. We take it in. So. So our every day life is this very thing the thing that we are receiving from . You know what if we turn their US I'm going to go up there and I want to get that cup. And I'm going to take that cup and I'm going to drink that cup and I'm going to take that piece of bread. And I'm going to swallow that piece of bread I'm going to get that communion at. The word we're doing our thing with life you know I'm going to go out I want to only make this. This go be a good day I'm I'm making a good day. Yeah. Yes. I want to make it a good day. I'm going to love you even hurts me. I'll make you love me even if it hurts you. You know. Going to make these things that you know. I'm going to get this now. I'm going to receive the gift of life. I'm going to receive the gift of today. I'm going to receive the blessing of into my life. Because wants. Good things to happen. When bad things happen. It's OK. 's going to turn it around. Before you know it a sense of 's wholeness. I mean I'm longing for and looking for 's wholeness. His completeness. To be part of who I am. And that's not something that happens and goes away. It's something that's part of us every day of our lives. 's wholeness everything coming together for good. Everything hasn't happened yet. Everything is coming together though. Just as it should because I'm believing and I'm praying for that. So think on the things in this part in this place of becoming more be said in Philippians take on the things that are true that are le. You can't watch the news. In the garbage of the who's sleeping with who's wife and who's killing who and who did this to whom and what if they're stealing their backbiting and these people are arrested and those people are arrested in these things happen. You have to know when to shut it off because we need we need to know what's going on in the world it's part of the world that it is but feel your minds and meditate when you're going to meditate on something. Don't meditate on how bad people are. And don't meditate on how bad things are. Meditate on the things that are true that are le think on the things that are reputable think on the things that are authentic. Things that are true. Compelling. Gracious. Think about the best. Think about the beautiful. You know. Turn your worries into prayers. Oh I don't know how this is going to work go. I think you that everything works out. You turn your worries into prayer. Luke Chapter twelve years twenty nine says. What I'm writing. What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax. This is the text the word of the money. My phone. What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax. Not to be preoccupied with getting so that. So you can respond to what is giving. So getting you to relax and to see something more than what that is the obvious. That was last week so many people who don't know and the way he works. Fuss over thing. These things. But you know both and how he works. People who don't know. Worry. Fret people who know . Take the promises. you said everything will be OK. I'm not trusting in fate and I'm not trusting in the stars. I'm trusting in because He loves me and he's going to bestow His grace upon me. And I don't have to earn and he's going to give it to me. Because that's who he is steep yourself and reality. initiative. provisions. I mean think about pretty steep yourself I think of a final in which all this stuff is just pouring out the bottom. Steep yourself in Reality initiative 's provision. Where does this say that this is going to stop providing. Where does it. Where does it's tell us that you're on your own in this one. Where does it say that you know your loss then undone. And you're never going to May and mild to anything. No where in the Bible. Nowhere. That's a line from the. The devil himself. About how that we evaluate life. On a perspective of getting. And people are going to get what they deserve. But in giving. We're going to is going to give us what we don't deserve. He's going to give us mercy. He's going to give to us forgiveness. He's going to give to us his promises. He's going to bestow His Holy Spirit upon us that the Spirit of Truth is going to bear witness with our spirit that we are 's children. And as 's children. We are seated together with him in heavenly places. As 's children. We are joint heirs with price as 's children every promise in the book. Belongs to was. And the promises are about provision. About making it about overcoming that is going to turn to is going to drop our giants in our path. You see the greatest thing that took David from being a ody to us some. Honey. Was his great that great giant Goliath. And when he took care of Jim and Goliath. His life was on a whole different plane on a whole different course. So when we face are giants. Don't worry about how big the giant is know that is greater than our Giants. And he will help us overcome them. Amen. Father we thank you thank you for your grace your mercy Thank you Will for your divine provision. Thank you all for bestowing your blessings on us and we turn our worries. Our concerns we turn them into praise. We turn them into prayers. We turn them into you of and ask your divine provision. We ask for your divine health in your healing. We've asked for your. Divine Grace and Mercy. Just to touch our lives again and again. Draws closer to you May we never take for granted. The blessing that is ours. In you. Thank you Jesus for your love to us. we receive these things in Jesus name Amen amen. And in the.