This is the Truth Network. My friend, would you like to know how to deeply please the heart of God and to prompt His hand to send deliverance and help to you and those for whom you pray?
Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to Until He Comes, a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant, author of The Second Coming of Christ, His Appearing, His Return, Our Preparation. And now, author and teacher Greg Hinnant. Welcome to the broadcast, my friend.
Today, we are continuing with our study of the importance of giving thanks to God. And I can say. with confidence that this may be the most important Subject in the field of practical theology that we could talk about. Yeah. In a previous lesson, We establish the fact that Thanksgiving prevents complaining, which God hates.
And we gave the example of the Israelites in the wilderness. and how murmuring destroyed them. We made the Analogy. To the fact that complaining destroys the spiritual capacity of the Christian. to know God, and to bear fruit.
It doesn't negate our salvation. Many Christians who continue to complain will, by the grace of God, be in heaven. But my goodness, their whole life will have been wasted, eaten up. Eatin' a wise. Bye.
The worms. of complaining. When by forming the habit of thanksgiving. They could have grown the sweet fruit of the Spirit. In their life, and come to a deep and intimate knowledge of God.
So today we want to continue our study. And we want to establish the fact that Thanksgiving pleases and gratifies God's heart. Our text here is Psalm 69 verses 30 through 32. I will praise the name of God with a song. and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
This also shall please of the Lord.
Now note that. This shall please the Lord. Specifically, praising his name with a song. Magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better.
than an ox or bullock. that hath horns and hers.
So here the psalmist is saying that Thanksgiving to God. Is more pleasing to God. And the Old Testament. sacrifices that were offered constantly in the Jewish temple. He goes on to say, The humble shall see this.
And be glad. That is, the humble will realize this fact and be glad that they have learned. How to please God. And your heart shall live that seek God. If you seek God in this way, of giving him Praise in the song.
And magnification through thanksgiving. Then your heart will live. This will bring life to you, spiritual life from God. Down When we consider gratifying God's heart, we need to understand that not everyone who's saved. is pleasing to God.
Of course, he's pleased that we believed on Jesus. Of course, he's. Pleased that we repented of our sin originally and called on the Lord to save our soul. But he cannot be pleased with our manner of life With our attitude. With our disposition.
If we continue to complain as a Christian.
So it's terrible.
Now, on the other hand, this text is very clearly telling us that. Not only does thanksgiving please and gratify the Lord's heart, but it does so far more. Far more than the Old Testament system. Yeah. Blood sacrifice.
You know like God, like people. And we can turn that around like people like God. That is, being creatures made in the image of God, we share. certain characteristics That God also shares.
Now, in this. Uh context. We can look at ourselves. and learn something about God. You know, if you do a job very well, And your boss, or someone else too.
is observing your work, comes in every once in a while and say, hey, you're doing a great job. Thank you so much. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this work. I've been noticing it. I'm very thankful.
for what you're doing.
Well, when you hear that man, your heart just soars. Not with pride. but with satisfaction that what you're doing as unto the Lord Is even being noticed by others around you. You don't do it. for their notice.
But sometimes the Lord will have them say that to you to let you know that He. It's noticing. The way you're doing what you're doing. He sees that you're pouring yourself into that work. As unto the Lord, you're doing your work, whether it's your vocation or your profession, your ministry.
or even the what we call the menial tasks about the house, about our about our um other situations. We're doing it unto him. We're doing it to please him.
So every once in a while, he'll send you a little token that he notices, he sees. you're pleasing him.
Well, my friend. Thanksgiving. gratifies his heart. What a wonderful Fact it is to note. that we can actually please the heart.
Of our Creator God, who is now. Through redemption, our personal. Bother. Our spiritual father. Friend, listen to me.
You can bring Pleasure to God today. You say, wait a minute, Dr. Hitter, I'm not a theologian. I'm not a preacher. I'm not an evangelist.
I'm not some. Big shot in the church.
Well, okay, all right, all right, neither am I. We're all on the same plane in Christ. We're all on the same level. But sometimes As Christians, we think we can't. Really pleased God because we're not well known.
We're not Being seen and observed by other people in our service or in our ministry.
Well, let me tell you something. God says you. And if you are offering him thanks. in the secret place. if you're offering him thanks through the day.
If you're offering him thanks. In prosperity, when you're thriving, and if you're offering thanks to Him. When you're in adversity, And if you're offering thanks to him when you come into great adversity. Let me n let me let me assure you. He sees you.
He hears you. And he is deeply pleased. And every once in a while, he'll send you a token. of his pleasure.
So that you will know that you know. that as you live a life of thanksgiving to God, He is Thankful. He is pleased. He is so blessed. Isn't it amazing?
That we who are made of clay and born of woman. And reach up. And bless the heart. of Almighty God. I just never ceased to wonder at this.
You know, the psalmist in Psalm 8 says, You know, when I consider the heavens, The magnitude of your mighty works. It is amazing to me, of course, I'm paraphrasing. That you would notice me. That you would pay an attention to me, an individual. In this world now inhabited by eight point two billion people.
Well, friend, God does notice. He is watching.
So, when you begin to form the habit of thanksgiving, and we discussed that in a previous episode, that you will not fall into becoming a thankful Christian. You will have to determine. To form this habit, but when you do, it will be the single most life-transforming. experience and habit. that you ever form.
So, when you form that habit of Thanksgiving by many starts and many restarts, And you're living a life of thanksgiving. Every day, when your feet hit the floor in the morning and you say, Thank you, Lord, for my salvation. Thank you, Lord, that I can live this day unto you. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And you go through that day with thanksgiving on your lips.
And praise in your lips. And in your heart. God is smiling on you. He is smiling on you. The shalom of God, the peace of completeness with God.
It's just baptizing you as you walk through the day. And I'll tell you, other people will notice it, and they will come to the light that you walk in. They will ask you, how are you able to be thankful in these circumstances? Others are complaining. And other Christians are offended with God and they quit walking with him.
As in John 6. The Bible tells us that from that time, Many of Jesus' disciples. turn back and walk no more with him. And they say, but you're going on to walk with God. You're just impervious.
Nothing seems to penetrate your. Life armor. And you can tell them, my friend, what I'm telling you today.
Well, the great Apostle Paul taught us in the Bible: in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. concerning Now that of course is the Text to our entire series. You can tell them that. and your words will have authority. Because you're living.
what you're telling them. You are not only a voice for God. But an example. For God. And when they understand that thanksgiving to God is your modus operandi.
It's the way you operate. In every setting of life, in every circumstance. It'll make a deep impression.
So, Thanksgiving gratifies God. We enjoy. Having others say thank you. And in the same way, Our God, our Heavenly Father. whose characteristics we share because we are made in his image.
He too. is greatly gratified and blessed. His heart is warm. When you and I, yes, you. I'm talking to you today.
Right where you are in the kitchen, in the automobile, in the middle of a terrible test. Out in the yard. resting on vacation. or taking a break from a hard day of work. When you give God thanks in the midst of your situation, yes, God's heart.
is deeply pleased. And you have gratified it. Yeah. My goodness. What a blessing.
What a joy. To know that you've given God joy, your Savior joy. You see, we can't pay the Lord back for our salvation. No, not at all. It is an unpayable.
Debt. But my friend Here is something we can do. Oh, bake him. You can obey him. You can obey his command to give thanks in every circumstance.
You say, No, I can't. I'll say to you again, my friend. At risk of being contentious? Yes, you can. Because the Word of God says, I can.
Do all things through Christ who strengthens me. You see, He gives you an inner strength. That enables you to do the impossible, to rise above the worst. Storm. Send me.
Stretch out the wings of your spiritual life and soar. Like the eagle riding on the Spiritual thermals. The warmth. It comes from God's heart. We thank you.
This month, for a gift of any amount, receive Dr. Hinnant's book, Gold Tried in the Fire. It is filled with spiritually rich biblical teachings, tested truths for trying times that will help you buy the gold tried in the fire Jesus challenged us to obtain in Revelation 3:18. This book. Will change your life.
For a gift of $60 or more, we'll send you the complete four-volume Hinnant End Times Prophecy Collection, the Second Coming of Christ, the Tribulation Story, Revelation Notes, a verse-by-verse commentary on Revelation, and the Day of the Lord commentary, which interprets all Old Testament prophecies and foreshadowings of the end times. And if you are a Logos Bible software user, you may purchase all four of these books from the Logos Online Bookstore. You may give your gift today by visiting the donation page at greghinnantministries.org or sending your checks to Greg Hinnant Ministries, P.O. Box 788 High Point, North Carolina, 27260, or by calling 336-882-1600. 645.
Now again, Dr. Hinnant. Yes, what am I saying? You give God thanks and you gratify his heart. I tell you, he will immediately give to you Your heart.
Strength. New strength. Vitality. Joy, gladness. and you will soar over your circumstances or through them if you choose to look at it.
That way.
Now, the next point we want to learn here is that thanksgiving enables God to deliver us. It enables him to release his mighty hand. to release you. From whatever difficulty, trial, or captivity. or affliction.
has gripped you. And hindered you. and threaten to destroy you. Yes, Thanksgiving. releases his hand.
To release you.
Now, our text here is Psalm 50. Verses fourteen and fifteen. Oh, what an important text this is. We have some explicit instructions for the way. To be delivered.
and to bring glory to God. Question 14. Offer unto God thanksgiving.
Now, this is in the imperative mood. The subject is you. And we could read this: you offer unto God what? Thanksgiving. and pay your vows Unto the Most High.
Now we have two clear commands. offer a thanksgiving to God. and pay the vows which you have made. Verse 15 adds, And call upon me in the day of trouble.
So here the Lord is saying, look. Let me know you need help. I'm ready to help. If you ask me. You know, we're told in the Bible, in James, that You have not.
Because you asked us some Christians or mum. Silent. And say nothing to the Lord when they're engulfed in all kinds of difficulties. My friend, when you come into trouble, the first thing you should do. Is give thanks to God in the next.
As you ask. for his help. And don't ramble around and act like you don't know what you're asking for. Come to the point. You know, when the two blind men were asked by Jesus, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?
They didn't say, Well, you know, we don't know, Lord, it's a nice day. Maybe you should change the weather, or you know, we could use some new clothes or something. No. They said. He'll arrive.
So, in the same way, when you get into trouble, don't beat around the bush when you come into the Throne of heaven. Come to the Father in the name of the Son who sits at his right hand. The great high priest of our profession, And ask him For exactly what you need, call upon me in the day of trouble.
Next, he says, I will deliver thee. And thou shalt glorify Me. Here are two explicit promises from God, from the Most High. as he's referred to in this text. I will deliver you.
I'm going to release you from that trouble. You see, if you'll give thanks to God. In every situation, which means in troubles of every kind as well. And not wait till it's over. If you'll give him thanks in that situation, he says.
You've honored me by doing this, by obeying me. You've pleased me. I'm going to relate you. I'm going to set you for it. And in every trial we have No matter how long, my friend, don't you ever.
Forget. 1 Corinthians 10.13. God is faithful. who will not permit you to be tempted above. that you are able, but who will with the temptation Make the way, I will say also, make the way of escape.
that you may be able to bear it. Oh, and a wonderful truth. You know There's two deliverances in view in that text. Um First, when you believe that God is faithful, you're immediately delivered from fear. And when you, as we are teaching in this series, give Him thanks.
in the midst of that trouble. Oh, there's immediately a tremendous release inside your soul. You're released from the grip of anxiety. You're released from frustration. You're released from anger.
You're released from. Bitterness and unforgiveness toward people who are wronging you. Because you see God in this situation, and you trust that He will turn it. for your good and cause it to work together with other things for good.
So You are released from that inner turmoil before. You see the way of escape men come out of this situation. Think about that, my friend. Two deliverances, an inward deliverance. From all the frustration that comes from resisting our circumstances.
And remember, when you resist your circumstances, you're resisting your circumstancer. That is the one who makes your circumstances, and that is the Holy Spirit. Don't do that. And the second deliverance is when he lets you out. He opens the door and says, okay, come on out into.
Relief and a new day. And usually he will say to you, friend. Come up higher. I promise you, my friend, yes, the Lord is talking to you as I speak to you if you will honor Him by giving Him thanks in your circumstances. He is going to honor you.
And he will lift you up. To a higher place, a higher spiritual. Yeah. And also. he will often lift you to a higher place of service.
And you will be so blessed because you'll see through the whole process. God put you in the test. You are hard-pressed. You follow the instructions of not only 1 Thessalonians 5:18, but Psalm 50. Verse fourteen.
And fifthly. You took God in his word. He said, I'll deliver you. And you glorify me if If you do these things, offer thanks, pay your vows. and colin.
And because you did, he's brought you out. Oh, that's wonderful to have inward victory and ultimate. Victory.
So thanksgiving is the way to that ultimate Victory.
Now Let's talk about this text we just examined. Offer unto God thanksgiving.
Look at that word, offer. The word offer speaks of a sacrifice. You know, in Hebrews 13, verse 15, the Bible says, Let us therefore offer unto him the sacrifice of praise. That is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. The fruit of our lips.
giving thanks. to his name.
So That text in Hebrews, and of course the book of Hebrews, compares all things Hebrew with all things Christian. pointing out the higher, the better way. of Christianity? And in this text it says, our Sacrifice of praise, our burnt offering, if you will, and the burnt offering is described in Exodus 29, and we'll go into more depth in that in the subsequent episode of this series. That is now expressed in our Christian walk through Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is our sacrifice of praise.
So, He says, offer to me thanksgiving.
So that's Again, in the imperative mood, you must do it. And then he says, pay your vows. Unto the most high. Remember here, he's not saying make new vows. Make more vows?
No, he's saying pay the vows. That you made. Remember, my friend, the solemn pledges and promises you made to the Lord in your quiet time or when you were in trouble. What have you promised God? Are you paying Him that today?
Be sure you are. If you're not You owe a debt. Need to pay. what you vowed. And then the third thing, as I mentioned earlier, is to call upon God in the day of trouble.
Now, you know, this word, call upon God, to me, it implies. Urgency. Emotion. Strength of desire. It doesn't say make a petition or file your petition or go online and file your petition.
That's sort of a mundane thing. No, this says call.
So there's a sense of urgency. Oh, God, help me. Oh, Lord, help me. And so he says, call on me in that Day of trouble. And then his two promises are very clear: he's going to release you from it.
And as I just said, there's an internal lease. An internal release that comes immediately when you begin giving thanks. And that is followed. by the opening up of deep way of escape spoken of by first In 1 Corinthians 10, verse 13. And what's the result of this?
What's the end of this? Why all this giving of thanks? Why all this paying of bows? Why should I render the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of my lips, giving thanks to his name? Why should I do this?
Why should I call upon God in the day of my trouble? What's the end and purpose of it all? Listen to these words, my friend. Thou shalt glorify me. Oh my goodness.
That's the end. That's the purpose. You have the capacity. Yes, right where you are in the kitchen, raising those children. Driving that truck while you're listening to me.
In the classroom, trying to teach a bunch of children who don't want to be taught. Raising a family, working hard at your profession, or your occupation, or your manual labor. You have the opportunity to glorify God right where you are. If you're called into the ministry, of course, go to Bible school, be trained, etc. But every Christian can glorify God by giving him thanks and offering the sacrifice of praise continually, right where.
We R. Please do so. You know, we have a wonderful example in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat, who was one of the righteous kings of Judah, was surrounded.
By three. Nations, armies. In great despair, and so he called upon the Lord, and the Lord answered to a prophet and told him what to do. To go out into the valley of Tikoa.
Now, When he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers, Unto the Lord that they should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever. Listen to this, my friend. And when they began to sing the praise, Not after they had sung for two or three days, when they began to sing in the praise, the LORD set an ambush against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah, and they were smitten. He goes on to say they essentially destroyed themselves. God turned their enemies in on themselves.
And Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah didn't even have to fight this battle, as the Lord had said. This is not your battle. The battle. Is the Lord. Friend, let me end this podcast by telling you: listen, in your test, in your file, hear me right now.
The battle is not yours. Let God fight your battle. Quit striving. Quit arguing. Start praising God right where you are, and I promise you.
You will see him. Deliver you, and in the meantime, you will glorify Him. We are so glad that you joined us today for the broadcast. In our next episode, we will discover that Thanksgiving is, well, easy and it enables us to draw near God. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donation to Greg Hennett Ministries.
Also, remember, you may download the Until He Comes podcast from your preferred podcast app. May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey Him in your daily tests of faith and patience until He Comes. This is the Truth Network. Mm-hmm.
