David [00:00:01]:
Good morning, church. It’s good to be back with you again today. And we, we’ve been talking about over the last couple weeks being grateful and what it means to be grateful. And today we’re looking at gratefulness for God’s faithfulness and promises. And we’re going to go to this verse right here. Romans 15, 12, 13. And again, Isaiah says, there shall be a root of Jesse, and he who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him, the Gentiles shall hope.
David [00:00:56]:
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Wow. That’s such a powerful thing. And so we, like I said, we’ve been looking at things we can be grateful for as we enter this season of giving right here. And hope right here in this verse, defined in the Greek as expectation. Three ways we define it. Number one is active expectation. It means I get up every day actively looking for and expecting something.
David [00:01:37]:
I’m just not sitting. Expectations, just not sitting around on the couch waiting for something to happen. No, that’s wishing and waiting. Expectation gets up and says, I know it’s coming. There’s something going on and I’m looking for it. The second way we define that is confident expectation. And so it means confidently expecting daily. And confidence there in the Latin means with faith for today.
David [00:02:08]:
With faith for today. And so we come expecting with faith for today, looking for that thing what we know God has promised us. And our hope is in that. The third way is unshakable expectation. That’s the third way we expect. No matter what is happening or how things look, we know that. We know that. We know His Word is true.
David [00:02:42]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
David [00:02:46]:
And so the God of expectation or the God of hope will come and fill us with all joy and believing.
David [00:02:55]:
Hallelujah.
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Think about that. God wants to come and fill you with all joy and peace in believing. And believing there means to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something. It’s saving faith.
David [00:03:20]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:03:21]:
God is able to bring this to pass, to make it happen. I know he can help me get to where I need to be. He can help me possess and acquire what I need. So we can go on. It goes on to say this. He’s going to fill you with all joy and peace and believing, so you can abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. And so that word abound there means to furnish one richly so that he has abundance, to be abundantly furnished with, or to have an abundance to abound in a thing. It means to be an affluent, a thing which comes in abundance or overflows unto one.
David [00:04:12]:
Listen to that. Listen. I’m going to read that again. We’re going to abound in hope.
David [00:04:18]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:04:19]:
We’re going to be furnished richly in hope. We’re going to have hope in abundance, abundantly furnished with hope.
David [00:04:28]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:04:29]:
We’re going to abound in hope to be an affluence in hope. Hope is going to overflow unto us by the power of the Holy Spirit. Praise God. Look at what God’s saying there. He wants to fill you with all joy and peace of believing so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. So we are abounding in hope. Amen. We have the opportunity, the capacity to abound in hope every day, actively, confidently and unshakably, expecting God’s goodness every day.
David [00:05:10]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:05:11]:
Praise God. And the writer of Hebrews goes on to say this. Hebrews 10:23. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. For he who promised is faithful.
David [00:05:31]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:05:32]:
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. That active expectation, that confident expectation, that unshakable expectation. Hold fast to it. For he who promised is faithful.
David [00:05:51]:
All right.
David [00:05:53]:
Faithful means one who can be relied on, one who shows himself trustworthy. He is trustworthy in the execution of his promises, commands, or the discharge of his official duties. Praise God. Praise God. Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. He’s the God of hope.
David [00:06:23]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:06:24]:
And he is faithful. And so we can be grateful for his faithfulness. Because why he can be relied on? He shows himself trustworthy in the execution of his promises, his commands and the discharge of his official duties. He is always there for us. Praise God. So, as one person puts it, as one writer in Scripture puts it, he is the anchor of our hope. He is the anchor of our hope. Our hope is not based on circumstances, but on the character of God.
David [00:07:11]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
David [00:07:14]:
He is unchanging his faithfulness. Now, the Lord is this. We studied this several months ago when we were looking at Psalm 23 and we talked about character of God. And so here’s some characteristics of God. He’s a self existent, eternal one. He’s the God of all favor, the One bringing into being, the life giver, the giver of existence to everything and everyone, the Creator of all, he who brings to pass the performer of his promises, the one ever coming into manifestation as the God of of redemption. And he is redeeming all of us, if we will let him, if we will honor him, if we will come to him and believe in Him. So our hope is not based on circumstances, but on these characteristics of our God.
David [00:08:28]:
And I could list many more, but those five right there are key foundational characteristics of God that we can stand on. We can hope in Faithfulness is trustworthy sure, true One who can be relied on Paul emphasizes God’s faithfulness several times in Scripture. And let’s look at this. First Corinthians 1:9 the Lord said, God is faithful. And so I’m going to stop right there. What he’s saying is this. God is trustworthy. God is sure, God is true.
David [00:09:09]:
God is one who can be relied on. God is faithful by whom you were called unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, our faithful. God said, come and be in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Be one with him. Be a part of the family. Come, hang out with us. First Thessalonians 5:24 Paul said this faithful is he that called you, who also will do it. Not only is he faithful and he gives us great promises.
David [00:09:50]:
He does it. He follows through. You can count on him. So during this season of giving thanks, we can be grateful for God’s faithfulness and his promises. 2nd Thessalonians 3:3 says this, but the Lord is faithful who shall stablish you or establish you is another way to say that and keep you from evil. So the Lord is faithful who is going to establish you and keep you from evil. Wow. That word establish there means to put you on a firm foundation.
David [00:10:31]:
In these three verses we see his heart for us. By his faithfulness he promises 1. We are in fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. 2. He has called us to a purpose and a plan, and he will do it. 3. He shall establish you. He will make you stable.
David [00:10:59]:
He will place you firmly set, fast and fixed, and he shall keep you from evil. Four things in those three verses that we see wow. Wow. God is inviting you and saying, come, be in fellowship with Jesus and with me, the Holy Spirit. I have a purpose and a plan for you, and we’re going to see it through. We’re going to make it happen. I’m going to establish you. I’m going to make you stable firmly fixed and placed and set fast, and I’m going to keep you from evil.
David [00:11:38]:
Praise God. God’s faithfulness is part of who he is, and he cannot lie or fail. So we can have faith in him and believe in him and hope in him. Numbers 23:19 and this is in the new living translation says this God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? No. He’s always been there. If he says it, he will do it.
David [00:12:30]:
He brings it to pass. Lamentations 322 and 23. The NLT says this, the faithful love of God never ends. His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness. His mercies begin afresh each morning. Another translation says, they’re new every morning. They’re new every day.
David [00:12:57]:
His mercy is new every day toward us. When life feels uncertain and we’re not sure what’s going on, or we don’t know what to do, here’s the truth. We can stand firm because God’s nature does not change. He’s unchanging. He is always the same every day, always steadfast, always there for you. Isaiah 26:3 4 and this is from the Amplified Classic. You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace, whose mind, both its inclination and its character, is stayed on you because he commits himself to you. He leans on you and hopes confidently in you.
David [00:13:54]:
So trust in the Lord, commit yourself to him, lean on him, hope confidently in him. Forever. Forever. For the Lord God is an everlasting rock, the Rock of Ages. Hallelujah.
David [00:14:13]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:14:14]:
He’s our anchor of hope. Just like an anchor holds a ship steady in the storm. God’s faithfulness keeps us secure. It keeps us steady through every day, every situation along the way. First Corinthians 1:8,9. This is from the Amplified Classic. And he will establish you to the end, keep you steadfast, give you strength, and guarantee your vindication. He will be your warrant against all accusation or indictment, so that you will be guiltless and irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
David [00:15:01]:
God is faithful, reliable, trustworthy, and therefore ever true to his promise. And he can be depended on by Him. You are called into companionship and participation with His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
David [00:15:18]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:15:20]:
That pretty much says it, doesn’t it? He is our anchor. He holds us steadfast. He is our God of hope. And we can hope in Him. The second thing we can be grateful for during this season is grateful for the assurance of his promises. We’re grateful for the assurance of his faithfulness. But we can also be grateful for the assurance of his promises. What he says he will do.
David [00:16:00]:
God’s promises are not empty words. They are guaranteed by his faithfulness. His words are filled with purpose and power. His words will bring about a plan. Isaiah 55:11 in the Amplified Classic says this. So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth. It shall not return to me void without producing any effect. Useless, but it shall accomplish that which I please in purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
David [00:16:42]:
I’m going to read that again. I want you to hear that. So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth. It shall not return to me void without producing any effect. Useless, but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. You can trust in God’s word. Philippians 1:6, amplified classic and I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ, right up to the time of his return, developing that good work and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
David [00:17:28]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:17:29]:
There’s a promise. He’s going to work in you right up to the day when he returns, perfecting you, bringing you to maturity.
David [00:17:40]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:17:41]:
Doing that good work in you, developing it, bringing it to full completion. What a promise. God doesn’t want you to miss out on anything. He wants you to be all he created you to be.
David [00:17:56]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:17:57]:
Thank you, Jesus. Every promise God has made will come to pass in his perfect time. Don’t ever give up. Don’t let the enemy distract you. Don’t buy into well, it’s been good. I should be happy for where I am and this all there is and that I’m good. No, God has more for you. He’s always got more for you.
David [00:18:27]:
Throughout eternity he will have more for you.
David [00:18:31]:
Hallelujah.
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Praise God.
David [00:18:33]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:18:34]:
There’s more to come. Joshua 21:45 the amplified classic says, there failed no part of any good thing which the Lord had promised to the house of Israel, all came to pass. And so what Joshua is saying here throughout all of this, all we’ve been through, all the whining, all the complaining, all the struggles, all the wars, all the resistance, everything God promised us has come to pass. God’s never failed us. So second Corinthians 1:20 in the New King James Version says, for all the promises of God, God are yes, and in him, Amen. Yes, and Amen means so be it. So all the promises of God in him are yes, and so be it, to the glory of God through us. Because when those promises come to us, they become a testimony that we can share with others and glorify God and inspire them to believe.
David [00:19:43]:
For more. We can face today and tomorrow with confidence because his promises are sure. So be grateful even for the things you think, oh, that’s just a little thing. So be grateful for it.
David [00:20:01]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:20:02]:
There’s so many little things that God brings into our life every day, and we either are distracted by other things and don’t see them, or we go, oh, that was nice. Just a little thing. No. Glorify God for those. Be grateful for all of those. God is working just as a faithful friend keeps their word, how much more does our God, our faithful God keep His word? There’s never a question.
David [00:20:36]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:20:37]:
There’s never a question about it. God is always more and he’s always doing more. We can be grateful for his faithfulness in word and deed. What he says he will do, he will do. Now the third thing we can be grateful for is having an attitude of gratefulness. The attitude of our hearts should be an attitude of gratefulness, because here’s what we know to be true. Gratitude builds trust. When we express and display gratitude, it builds trust.
David [00:21:24]:
Remembering what God has done strengthens our faith for what he will do. You get up and go, oh, well, there’s a challenge. Wasn’t expecting that today. But here’s what I know. God was faithful yesterday or this last week, and he’ll do the same thing today. There is a way through this. There is an answer. And I can depend on Him.
David [00:21:49]:
I don’t have to figure this out all by myself. Psalm 77, 11:12 in the new King King James Version says this. I will remember the works of the Lord. Surely I will remember your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all your work and talk of your deeds. Let’s talk about what God has done. Let’s share it with others. Glory to God.
David [00:22:20]:
Praise God. Let everybody know what God is doing and how he’s moved and worked in your life. Romans 12:2 in the Amplified we all know this verse. Well, I talk about it a lot. But do not be conformed to this world, this age fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs. But Be transformed, changed by the entire renewal of your mind, by its new ideals and its new attitude, so that you may prove for yourself what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect in his sight for you. Praise God.
David [00:23:03]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:23:05]:
Glory. Glory. Glory to God. Gratitude is the bridge between past faithfulness and future hope. Gratitude is the bridge between past faithfulness and future hope. Psalm 103:2 says, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Glory to God. Glory to God.
David [00:23:36]:
Lord, I remember all your benefits, everything you’ve done, everything you’ve blessed me with. And I know you’re here to encourage me and tell me, yeah, and there’s more coming. I’m always here for you. So here’s what we should be doing. We should be making Thanksgiving a daily habit. Recount his blessings, rehearse his promises, and thereby renew your trust. I encourage you this week as you come together with family or friends for Thanksgiving. Spend some time around that table at Thanksgiving recounting the blessings of the Lord just over the past few months, over this year, Rehearse what he has promised and you’ve seen come to pass.
David [00:24:31]:
Because in doing that, we will build up one another. We will renew our trust in the Lord. Be grateful for all of his blessing that has come to you this year. Psalm 118:24. This is one of my favorite verses. I get up every day declaring this. This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
David [00:24:59]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:25:00]:
And I taught on this verse here a couple months ago. And if you remember, rejoicing is an outward expression of it. Yay. You know, Kanye says, I need to learn how dance so I can rejoice better. But anyway, praise God. We get up rejoicing and being glad in it. Gladness is that attitude of heart that says, lord, I love you. Thank you.
David [00:25:25]:
I’m grateful for all that you’ve done and all that you’re doing and how you’re blessing us. Thank you, Lord. When we look back on God’s track record, our faith grows stronger for the road ahead. God wants you growing in faith day to day.
David [00:25:47]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
David [00:25:49]:
He wants to take you from faith to faith. And one of the ways he takes us from faith to faith is when we look back on his blessings and how he’s moved and worked in our life, it causes our faith to grow stronger. So every day, every day, rejoice and be glad in Him. And going back to our verse there, we read in the beginning, one of the phrases there says, hold on without wavering. Hold on without wavering. Keep your hope alive by remembering his faithfulness every day in some way. Keep your hope alive by remembering his faithfulness. Stand firm in his promises even when you can’t see the outcome yet still stand firm.
David [00:26:49]:
There’s some things I’m believing for, some things I see in God’s word, his promises. I declare them over our life every day, and I thank God for them. Let gratitude be the language of your heart. Be a person of gratitude, as our friend Jackie Liston likes to say. I’m grateful. How about you? When people ask him, how you doing today? He goes, I’m grateful. How about you? And so be grateful. Have a gratitude, a heart of gratefulness.
David [00:27:26]:
The language that says, thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord in all things. Let’s think about this as we prepare to close today. First, Thessalonians 5:24, the one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. God has never failed you yet, and he never will. So as Hebrews 10:23 says, let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. That was from the new King James Version.
David [00:28:06]:
Let me read it to you from a couple of others. Hebrews 10:23 in the NLT says it this way. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. And then Hebrews 10:23, again in the Passion translation translates it this way. So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises. His past faithfulness guarantees his future reliability.
David [00:28:50]:
Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
David [00:28:53]:
Mr. Zig Ziglar said this. Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life changing. Your gratitude attitude determines your life altitude. Mr. Zigler said that also your gratitude attitude determines your life altitude. Let’s have a grateful attitude for God’s faithfulness and promises as we enter into Thanksgiving Week, thanking Him for all that he’s blessed us with. Praise God.
David [00:29:35]:
Let’s bow our head. Father, we thank you for this time of thanksgiving, this time of gratefulness we’re entering into. And we ask Father that as we come together with family and with friends, Father, neighbors, that we come together and fellowship around your blessing, around your faithfulness, around your goodness, your promises, if you brought to pass in our life, and thank you for that. And God, may we even thank you for what’s coming. For what’s coming. What we’re expecting and looking for. Because we hope in you, Lord. You are the God of hope, and we hope in you.
David [00:30:16]:
And Father, I thank you for that. Thank you for this season. Thank you for your provision. Thank you for blessing us beyond measure, Lord, and making a way for us in every situation. We are grateful for you, Lord. Thank you. In Jesus name, amen.
David [00:30:36]:
Hallelujah.
David [00:30:37]:
Pastor Kanye is coming now with some closing words and a prayer. God bless you. Have a great weekend.
