BETHEL MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 22NOV09

Three-Part Sunday

SURVEY

"GIVING THANKS"

"WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE"

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SURVEY
(Just prior to the Collection.)

This is for Pastor David so that he may better advise the leadership. 

Since he is new he says he cannot guess who wrote what - so it is essentially anonymous! (But if you like please feel free to write your name and phone or E-mail if you want him to contact you to chat further about something.) 

When you are done please fold in half then place it in the collection plate on the way by. This will really be very valuable as we make plans for 2010 and beyond. 

Play some soft recorded music until people are done - it is 
otherwise awkward for there to be silence. 

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"GIVING THANKS"

Titus 3:3-7

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"For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another. 3:4 But “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 3:5 he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 3:6 whom he poured out on us in full measure through Jesus Christ our Savior. 3:7 And so, since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.”

We have what may become known as the First Annual Community Thanksgiving Service planned for this Tuesday evening and those who can attend from this morning may hear one or more things twice from me on the topic of Thanks-giving.

Before I go to a brief commentary or review of our text from Titus, I'd like to share a Presidential Proclamation for Thanksgiving 1981.

.......... READ ...........

Back to Titus ...

Cptr 3 Verse 3 Paul reviews our sin-enslaved condition.
	Verse 4 he celebrates God's salvation through Christ
	Verse 5 he notes that God's gift is entirely mercy and zero works
			he emphasizes our new birth and renewal
	Verse 6 thanks to Christ we have received the Holy Spirit
	Verse 7 thanks to grace we may be confident of eternal life

Give Thanks
 
      G             Bm7
Give thanks with a grateful heart
     Em7             Bm
Give thanks unto the Holy One
      C                  G/B          F	         Dsus D
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son    (repeat)

    Bm          Em7              Am
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
         D7             Gmaj7  
Let the poor say, "I am rich
           Em                 F        D7
Because of what the Lord has done for us"  (repeat)

       G
Give thanks

©1978 Integrity's Hosanna! Music
Words and Music by Henry Smith

Consider these brief passages from the book of Psalms:

... READ ...

Then in the New Testament:

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 4:7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

This Thanksgiving God gives a the recipe for peace:

"Do not be anxious about anything ..."

"... in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God."

Then the banquet that results is:

"... the peace of God that surpasses all understanding"

"... will guard your hearts ... in Christ Jesus."

And "... will guard your minds in Christ Jesus."

SO then, One of the ways we give thanks is through right-living ...

"WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE"

Part One

The Awesome Power Of Words  (James 3:1-6)
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The Power of the Tongue

"3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, because you know that we will be judged more strictly. 3:2 For we all stumble in many ways. If someone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual, able to control the entire body as well. 3:3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. 3:4 Look at ships too: Though they are so large and driven by harsh winds, they are steered by a tiny rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination directs. 3:5 So too the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it has great pretensions. Think how small a flame sets a huge forest ablaze."

COMMENTARY

Let's look a little more closely at this text ...

Verse 1 is a warning that God holds anyone in leadership to a significantly higher standard as we have agreed to allow others to trust us with His Word.

Verse 2 is an acknowledgment that none but Jesus are perfect.

Verses 3-5 challenge us to get a grip on our mouths!

..... READ .....  "Don't Get Scrooged" Pages 158-160

Part Two

The Dual Nature of Words  (James 3:7-12)

"3:6 And the tongue is a fire! The tongue represents the world of wrongdoing among the parts of our bodies. It pollutes the entire body and sets fire to the course of human existence – and is set on fire by hell.
3:7 For every kind of animal, bird, reptile, and sea creature is subdued and has been subdued by humankind. 3:8 But no human being can subdue the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 3:9 With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse people made in God’s image. 3:10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. These things should not be so, my brothers and sisters. 3:11 A spring does not pour out fresh water and bitter water from the same opening, does it? 3:12 Can a fig tree produce olives, my brothers and sisters, or a vine produce figs? Neither can a salt water spring produce fresh water."

COMMENTARY

We praise God and curse Him with the same mouth.

We praise others and curse them also with the same mouth.

We encourage and discourage, coach and condemn, confess and confuse, 
all with the same mouth.

Are we intentional about the use of our words, or are they like unguided missiles, powered by anxiety and guided by momentary reactions to our circumstances?

Do our word-missiles seek & destroy, or find and bless?

Sometimes circumstances test our patience, we get to make some choices as to how we respond, and often that controls what we do with our mouths ...

..... READ ..... "Take Back The Wheel"  Pages 26-28

Part Three

The Wise Use Of Words  (James 3:13-18)

True Wisdom

"3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. 3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 3:15 Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic. 3:16 For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and not hypocritical. 3:18 And the fruit that consists of righteousness is planted in peace among those who make peace."

COMMENTARY

	Wisdom brings gentleness - so the opposite must mean that the 
	absence of gentleness is evidence of the absence of wisdom?

	Bitter jealousy and selfishness drives attacks against truth, disorder, 
	and every evil practice.

	Wisdom from God is pure and it's fruit is:

	peaceable
	gentle
	accommodating
	full of mercy
	good fruit
	impartiality
	and no hypocrisy.

	When we are people of peace (meaning that whenever possible we 
	are conciliatory rather than combative - not door-mats but not 
	relational-terrorists either) - we are planters of peace which builds 
	righteousness.

SO, IN CONCLUSION:

1.  Thank you for your words of wisdom, shared in the surveys you 
	completed.  I will learn from them and serve you better as a result.

2.  I thank God for His mercy and grace, I thank God for all of you, and I pray that we will all choose to be more thankful for His many gifts as they are incredibly abundant.

3.  Please remember that we all teach though our words;
	we teach people about our values
	we teach people what we think of others
	we teach people about our relationship with God.

	What will you teach people with your words this week?

Invitation

If you do not yet know the Lord, if you are not certain that you have surrendered to the only ONE Who can bring you eternal joy, then it is time for you to talk to us!

If due to a crisis of some sort you are in need of shared encouragement and prayer right now then please allow us to pray in agreement with you right now.

If you have been praying about joining our fellowship, either by transfer, or as a new believer in need of a new home - please let us know so that we may welcome you to the family!  (Come on up or catch one of us afterwards.)

As we sing our closing song please come forward - and pay no attention to anyone or any thing but the Holy Spirit Who is encouraging you right now to come.  If you are shy - please catch one of us afterwards - we will stay as long as necessary to serve you.

Dismissal