Summary: What a powerful church; what was their secret? They had learned to make focusing on God in praise and thanksgiving a life habit -- they got the "gratitude attitude." *HANDOUT INCLUDED*

FOCUSING ON GOD (3rd in a Purpose Driven Series - "The Way the Church Ought to Be"

NOTE: I am indebted to some sermoncentral.com users for some of the illustrations in this sermon.

Ac 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

42 ¶ And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,

45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

(NKJV)

WOW. . .what a group of people!

What made this church so powerful? Let’s look a little closer:

This church was powerful because they had discovered the secret to being a church that functions the way God intended. I want to share that secret with you. This church discovered that it could help it’s members do 5 things:

1. Fortify their faith. (Discipleship)

"They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine..."

2. Find their talents. (Ministry)

"[They] sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."

3. Focus on God. (Worship)

"Continuing daily with one accord in the temple. . . praising God. . ."

4. Face life’s problems. (Fellowship)

"And they continued steadfastly in fellowship. . . Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common. . . and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart."

5. Fulfill their mission. (Evangelism)

"...having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

FOCUS ON GOD

"Continuing daily with one accord in the temple. . . praising God. . ."

Isn’t this what Thanksgiving is really all about? Spending time focusing on God as the source of all the blessings and good things in our lives?

The problem is, that not very many people live with that kind of focus!

Just having many blessings doesn’t mean that you’re automatically thankful. In fact, sometimes it seems like it’s the opposite.

A king was said to have suffered a terribly painful sickness. His advisor told him that his only cure was to located a TRULY THANKFUL man, asking for his shirt to wear it night and day. Immediately messengers were sent through the kingdom to look for such a man and bring back his shirt. Months passed when finally all messengers returned empty-handed. The king was exasperated, “Do you mean to tell me there was not even a single man in all my realm who is THANKFUL?” A messenger replied, “we found only one such man in all thy realm.” Then why did you not bring his shirt for me? “Master, the man had no shirt.”

James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father..."

this is a perspective that is hard to keep. . . God is the source of EVERYTHING good in my life? But when we keep that focus, it changes our lives!

"No, God sent the bread, he just let the Devil deliver it!"

Really, we should do more than Thanksgiving – we should get on to Thanks-living - not just a day of Gratitude - but a GRATITUDE ATTITUDE!!!

Thanksgiving is saying "thanks, God" on Turkey Day.

Thanks-LIVING is the gratitude attitude all year round.

Thanksgiving is giving a few words to God once a year.

ThanksLIVING is giving yourself to God daily because of His blessings!

This church was powerful, because they had gotten past just an occasional time of looking up toward heaven and saying “Thanks”. . . it had gotten right down into the fabric of their lives!

Have you seen those football players in the end zone tap their heart and look up toward the sky, as if to say, “Thanks, God.” But the question is not, do they thank God for an occasional touchdown. . . the question is, are they making thanks a real habit? Are they not just talking thankful, but living thankful?

When we make giving thanks a year-round habit:

1. It saves us from bitterness.

The first danger is that we’ll focus on the bad.

Thanksgiving as a habit (Thanks-living) saves us from that by reminding us that even in the bad times, we’ve got lots to be thankful for.

. Let me read a part of the list that several housewives compiled. They wrote that they were especially thankful:

"For automatic dishwashers because they make it possible for us to get out of the kitchen before the family comes back in for their after-dinner snacks.

"For husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house because they usually make them big enough to call in the professionals.

"For children who put away their things & clean up after themselves. They’re such a joy you hate to see them go home to their own parents

"For teenagers because they give parents an opportunity to learn a second language.

"For Smoke alarms because they let you know when the turkey’s done.

2. It saves us from pride.

The second danger is that we’ll focus on the good, but think we did it ourselves.

Thanks-living saves us from that, by reminding us that

Alex Haley, the author of "Roots," had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall. It was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post. When asked, "Why is that there?" Alex Haley answered, "Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words & think that they are wonderful, & begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post & remember that he didn’t get there on his own. He had help."

3. It saves us from ingratitude.

The third danger is that we’ll realize the good, but never give thanks for it.

Nobody likes someone who takes everything for granted.

ILLUS> A woman was visiting some people who lived on a farm, and she noticed a pig limping in the backyard with a wooden leg. She asked the farmer, "What happened to the pig?" The farmer said, "Oh, Betsy is a wonderful pig. One night the house caught fire and she oinked so loud she woke us and we got the fire truck in time to save the house." The woman said, "That’s really something!" The farmer continued, "That’s not all, one day my youngest fell in the pond and Betsy oinked so loud that she got our attention and we were able to pull my daughter out of the pond in time." The woman said, "That’s really amazing! But I still don’t understand why the pig has a wooden leg. The farmer said, "Well, when you have a pig that special, you don’t want to eat him all at once!"

What are some practical ways I can develop a Thanksgiving Lifestyle?

1. Give thanks with other Christians.

That’s one of the reasons we gather together each Sunday morning. We have to give thanks to God for who He is!

2. Give thanks during daily quiet times with God.

3. Give thanks with your family.

4. Memorize a "Thanksgiving Scripture" and make it your motto.

Here are three good ones:

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34:1)

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." (Psalm 106:1)

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

5. Tell someone else how much God’s done for you.

A preacher named Roland Allen tells about a veteran missionary who came up to him one day after he had delivered his sermon. The missionary introduced himself & said, "I was a medical missionary for many years in India. And I served in a region where there was progressive blindness. People were born with healthy vision, but there was something in that area that caused people to lose their sight as they matured."

But this missionary had developed a process which would arrest progressive blindness. So people came to him & he performed his operation, & they would leave realizing that they would have become blind, but now they were going to be able to see for the rest of their lives.

He said that they never said, "Thank you," because that phrase was not in their dialect. Instead, they spoke a word that meant, "I will tell your name." Wherever they went, they would tell the name of the missionary who had cured their blindness. They had received something so wonderful that they eagerly proclaimed it.

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The Way the Church Ought to Be

Developing the “Gratitude Attitude”...

Acts 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,

45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

This church was powerful because they had they could help their members do 5 things:

1. Fortify their __________. (Discipleship) "They continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine..."

2. Find their ________. (Ministry) "[They] sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need."

3. Focus on ________. (Worship) "Continuing daily with one accord in the temple. . . praising God. . ."

4. Face life’s ___________. (Fellowship) "And they continued steadfastly in fellowship. . . Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common. . . and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart."

5. Fulfill their _________. (Evangelism) "...having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."

FOCUS ON GOD

"Continuing daily with one accord in the temple. . . praising God. . ."

James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father..."

When we make giving thanks a year-round habit:

1. It saves us from _______________.

The first danger is that we’ll focus on the bad in our lives.

2. It saves us from __________.

The second danger is that we’ll focus on the good, but think we did it ourselves.

3. It saves us from _________________.

The third danger is that we’ll recognize the good, but forget to say “Thanks.”

What are some practical ways I can develop a Thanksgiving Lifestyle?

1. Give thanks ________ other Christians.

That’s one of the reasons we gather together each Sunday morning. We have to give thanks to God for who He is!

2. Give thanks during daily _________ ________with God.

3. Give thanks with your ____________.

4. _______________ a "Thanksgiving Scripture" and make it your motto.

Here are three good ones:

"I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34:1)

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." (Psalm 106:1)

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

5. _________ someone else how much God’s done for you.