Thankful Evangelism

Last week we talked about a culture of discipleship and we focused mainly on the discipleship that takes place within the local body as we minister to one another, using the gifts that the Lord has given to us for the building up of the body of Christ.

Today I wanted to talk about a culture of evangelism and that is something that we will get to but we are going to come at it from a different angle than i normally would.

With today being the Sunday before thanksgiving I want us to think about thankfulness to the Lord and what we will see in the passage before us this morning is that thankfulness should lead to evangelism.

Three things that I see in v. 1 of

I. We are to praise God for His former mercies.

Notice the first part of v.1

Oh give thanks to the Lord

From the context it is clear that we are to give thanks to the Lord for His deeds, His wondrous works according to v.2

So this morning I want us to consider together the deeds of the Lord, the wondrous works of the Lord that we are to be thankful for.

As the Psalmist calls us to

Psalm 66:5 ESV

Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.

Psalm

Psalm 77:12 ESV

I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.

Consider the work of creation, the glory of God revealed in Creation

Consider the promise that God made to Abraham, a clear expression of the Covenant of Grace, and God’s fulfillment of the these promises in the person and work of Jesus Christ

Genesis 12:1–3 ESV

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Consider the work of God in the OT, in the Sinai covenant with the people of Israel

God made promises to His peoplel

God delivered His people from Israel, remember how the story went and God was faithful

God made promises to His people

God led his people into the promised land

God was faithful to His people

Even after exile God brought His people back into the promised land again

The fulfillment of all God was doing in and through Israel comes to a head with the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ

In Christ we have the revelation of God to us

John 1:14–17 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 1:18 ESV

No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

John 1.

But He not only makes God known to us but brothers and sisters He comes that we might have peace with God

Ephesians 2:11–22 ESV

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Ephesians 2.11-22

Consider the gospel hope that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord

If you are a believer consider the Lord’s grace to you in Christ Jesus our Lord

Consider the work of the Holy Spirit to convict you of sin

John 16:8–11 ESV

And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

john 16.

Consider the work of the Holy Spirit to draw you to Christ

John 6:44–46 ESV

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father.

john 6.44-

Consider the love Christ showed you when you came to Him, He did not refuse you but He welcomed you with open arms

John 6:37 ESV

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

Consider the power of the Holy Spirit in sealing you and keeping you in Christ

John 1:13–14 ESV

who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Ephesians 1:13–14 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

john1.

Consider the power of God that has kept you though you would have fallen away and given up 1000 times by now but God’s grace would not let you go

1 Peter 1:3–5 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Consider the fact that God is graciously forming you into the image of Christ, that He is making you holy

Colossians 3:9–10 ESV

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Consider the fact that God will continue to keep you and that He will lead you safely home to be with Him

Philippians 1:6 ESV

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Consider the fact that God is working all things together for your eternal good.

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Consider the fact that by God’s grace and for His glory you will spend an eternity enjoying the glory of God

Unbeliever, church member that has been playing church games

Consider God’s patience toward you in Christ Jesus our Lord

Consider that God has brought you here today and is giving you another opportunity to repent and believe in Christ

Consider that Jesus will welcome you if you will come to Him

Consider the grace of God in that the day of salvation is still open to you

As we consider these things we should be a thankful people

Psalm 9:1 ESV

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 107:1 ESV

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

II. We are to pray for further mercies.

Believer, know that if God has given you mercy in Christ Jesus our Lord that He will continue to give you mercy.

He has not brought you this far to abandon you now.

Let’s us look to the Lord for persevering mercy

For mercy to continue to grow in Christ likeness

For living mercy

For dying mercy

He who began a good work within us is faithful and He will complete the work that He began in us.

III. We are to publish His famous mercies.

Oh believer you know the mercy of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Psalm 89:1 ESV

I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.