“God calls you to be thankful, He deserves your thanks, and through being thankful he can help transform your life. He can help you to grow.” This Sermon “Better Than Gold” was preached by Ps Jon Brand on Sunday 21st January 2024.
Sermon Transcript
Good morning everyone. How are we going!
This morning my Sermon is titled “Better than Gold.”
But before I start, let’s pray:
Opening Prayer
Heavenly Father – you are good and Holy, and we give you all the praise and the glory. Thank you for creating us, healing us and redeeming us. We give you all the glory.
Lord we thank you for your precious Word, which guides us and leads us.
I pray that we get to learn more about your Word this morning.
Heavenly Father, I pray that you speak through me this morning to deliver your message.
In Jesus mighty name I pray, Amen.
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In the morning, before I go to work, I often read or listen to Our Daily Bread devotionals. Does anyone else read the Daily bread?
I think they’re a really good way to start the day. They’re very encouraging and they provide nice little insights into Christian living. They can also help to unpack or explain verses in the Bible.
Last year, I was reading a Daily Bread story about an Olympic Hurdler, named Hansle Parchment, from Jamacia. On the day of his semi-final race at the Tokyo Olympics in August 2021, Hansle caught the wrong bus and ended up at the aquatic center instead of the track and field stadium.
He said that when he got on the bus, he put some earphones in to listen to some music so he could relax, and he didn’t pay any attention to where he was going, until it was too late.
Before a big race like that, going to the wrong venue would probably be one of your worst nightmares. I reckon your other nightmare would be sleeping in and missing the race.
Anyway, when Hansle finally realized that he was at the wrong venue he said that he decided not to panic. He thought that if he panicked it would ruin his ability to run fast. Panicking wasn’t going to help. So he just stayed calm. Hansle’s a pretty cool customer! Not sure if I would have been quite as calm in that situation.
So faced with the problem of being at the wrong venue, Hansle initially thought that he could catch a bus back to where he was staying and then catch another bus to the track and field stadium. But there just wasn’t going to be enough time to do that, especially since a hurdler needs to do a fair bit of warming up before a race. There was really only enough time left for him to go straight to the venue from where he was.
So he asked a few people, but they couldn’t speak English that well, and then he spoke to a young lady named Trijana Stojkovic, who was a volunteer helping out at the games. Trijana quickly organized a taxi and she also paid the taxi driver to take Hansle to the athletics stadium. Hansle didn’t have any money on him, so Trijana generously paid for the trip.
Hansle got there in time to do some warm-ups and then he came second in the semi-final for the 110 m hurdles. That second place in the semi-final was enough to qualify him for the final.
The next day was the final, and in a major upset, Hansel beat the world champion, Grant Holloway by just 0.05 of a second to win the Olympic gold medal.
Can we please see the photo of Hansle holding up the Olympic Gold medal in Tokyo.
Photo 1 – Hansle Parchment
He looks pretty happy. As I said, Grant Holloway (the American champion and the favourite) won the silver. And another Jamaican runner (Ronald Levy) also won the bronze.
A day after winning the Gold medal, Hansle got on a bus again (that same wrong bus), but this time to go and look for Trijana. And he found Trijana working at the same place.
He went up to Trijana, and said, “do you remember helping me get to the athletics stadium the other day.” And she said “yes.”
And then Hansle, said “I won, I won the Gold medal” and he showed her the gold medal.
And she was genuinely shocked, and she said “really, really, you got this”!
And we should have another photo of Hansel and Trijana, when he went back and found her.
Photo 2 – Hansle & Trijana
Hansle thanked Trijana and told her that she was instrumental in him getting to the final. He also paid her the money back for the taxi ride and gave her a Jamaican Olympic polo shirt.
But wait there’s more! Later on, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism also sent Trijana an official invitation to visit the island. To thank Trijana, they provided her with an all-expenses paid trip to Jamaica.
It’s a great story. It’s a story about a man who almost missed the biggest race of his life due to some bad luck. But through the help of a stranger, he got there just in time and then miraculously went on to win the Gold medal.
But I reckon the best part of the story was that he went back searching for Trijana to thank her for helping him! I think the way he went back to thank Trijana was more important than actually winning the Gold medal. I reckon that was “Better than Gold!”
As Hansel said she was “instrumental in him getting to the final”.
Being grateful and giving thanks is a very important part of life, especially when it comes to thanking God for what he has done for us.
In the Book of Luke, Chapter 17, Luke talks about a Samaritan leper who came back to thank Jesus after healing him.
In the book of Luke, chapter 17, verse 11-13, the word says:
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.
12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[b] met him.
They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
Leprosy is a type of bacterial infection, which is characterized by sores, scabs and white shing spots beneath the skin. It can result in a loss of sensation and deformity. In Biblical times, leprosy was considered an incurable skin disease.
Fortunately, these days it can be treated and is curable. But in Biblical times, anyone thought to have leprosy was required to stay away from everyone else, and they also had to warn people of their presence by yelling out “Unclean, Unclean”.
With regards to the 10 lepers, because of their condition, they didn’t come near Jesus but instead yelled out from a distance asking to be healed.
In Luke Chapter 17 verse 14, the Word says that
14 When Jesus saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?
18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”
19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
All ten men were physically healed, but only one turned back to thank God.
Interestingly, the man who turned back was a Samaritan (from Samaria), which was near Israel. At the time, the Jews, generally despised the Samaritan’s, they didn’t like them.
But this Samaritan guy threw himself down on the ground at Jesus’s feet.
That’s a good place to be in true worship of God. Jesus asked what happened to the other nine? Why didn’t they come back to praise God? Then Jesus said to the Samaritan, “Arise and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
Because of his faith in God, Jesus not only healed this man of leprosy but also saved him from sin. We don’t know what happened to other nine men, but we do know what happened to the Samaritan leper.
After getting healed of leprosy, he came back and thanked God, he submitted to God, he believed in God, and because of his faith he was healed of sin.
At the time a Samaritan, a non-Jew, getting saved seemed pretty radical.
But through Jesus Christ salvation is available to all people – to everyone.
It’s God’s desire that all people get saved.
We are not saved by how good we, or where we are from, or what we’ve have done. We are only saved by God’s amazing grace and mercy.
To be saved you need to repent of your sins, acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and Saviour, welcome him into your life and make him Lord and saviour over your life.
Amen
Salvation is an amazing gift from God!
Understanding what God has done for each and everyone of us, should stir up a sense of gratefulness and overwhelming desire to praise Him and thank Him.
We have a lot of reasons to be thankful, but this morning I am just going to talk about three reasons why we should be thankful.
(1) The first reason is because God calls us to be thankful
In the book of 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 16, the Apostle Paul said
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Even during the worst circumstances, we can still have joy when we focus on God’s goodness and love. I don’t think bad circumstances bring joy, but as Christians, knowing that our God is good and loving, can put joy into our heart, even during the worst of times. It’s God’s will that we pray continually and stay in fellowship with Him.
It’s also God’s will that we give thanks in all circumstances.
Thank Him for his goodness and greatness.
Thank Him for His grace and mercy.
Thank him for what He did for you on the cross.
Thank Him for saving you.
Also remember to thank Him for all the blessings you receive in life in a wide variety of ways.
The blessings can be quite dramatic like an answered prayer to a health issue or a breakthrough in your life. The blessings can also be quite simple like getting some good weather to do some work, or getting a park-spot at the shopping center.
Just like the Samaritan leper, let’s remember to thank God for his blessings, let’s remember to thank God for his kindness towards us.
Our God is also a God of relationship. Our God is not a distance and cold God, but instead He is a near and Loving God. Give thanks to God and share your experiences, your triumphs and successes with Him.
Just like when Hansel the Olympic Hurdler went back to thank Trijana for helping him get to the final. He went back to thank her and also shared the victory with her. Life is better when we acknowledge people for helping us and also share our victories.
It’s the same with God, thank him, share your successes with Him and grow your relationship with Him. Let’s remember to thank God every day for who is and what He has done for us.
Amen
So my first reason to thank God was because he Calls us to do it.
(2) My second reason to thank God is because Everything we have is from God.
Our God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything that’s in them. God holds the rights to all of it. That also includes us – our bodies, our minds, and our lives, they all came from God.
In Psalm 24:1-2, King David said:
1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
2 for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.
He created the waters, the rivers, and made the dry land appear. He created the world and everything in it, even you and me, completely! There is nothing that we own that did not come from God. Any wealth, power or strength that you have originated from God.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18 says:
17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”
18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.
C.S. Lewis, who was a Christian and a famous author of many books, including the chronicles of Narnia, once wrote:
Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given you by God.
If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to his service, you could not give him anything that was not his own already.
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Any gifts or talents you have came from God, including Spiritual gifts.
Some of these Spiritual gifts include a message of wisdom, a message of knowledge, faith, serving, giving, healing, leading, showing mercy, encouraging working of miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, interpretation of tongues, and there are many more. God has also gifted people with specific ministry gifts.
In Ephesians 4:11, the Word says:
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. We are to use our gifts and abilities to help people, help grow the Kingdom of God and bring glory to God. We are also warned not to get puffed up and proud about the abilities and talents God has given us.
In 1 Corinthians 4:7, the word says:
7 For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?
Our talents and gifts are not the result of our own cleverness, but instead they are from God. He deserves the thanks and the glory.
With regards to Hansle Parment, he is a great runner, a great hurdler but the only reason he is a great athlete is because God has given him the ability to run fast! Sure, Hansle still has to use those skills, exercise those skills, but he only has them because God has given them to him! God created him and God deserves all the praise and the honour!
So my second reason to thank God was because Everything we have is from God.
Amen
(3) My third and final reason to thank God is because it helps us to grow.
In Philippians chapter 4:6-7, the Apostle Paul said:
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7
7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Worry and anxiety are very common these days, and they can be crippling, they can take away your joy and prevent you from living the life you want to live.
But through praying to Jesus, through seeking Jesus, and through giving thanks to Jesus, He can take the burdens of anxiety and worry off your shoulders and give you peace. The peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Seeking God and having a thankful heart can transform your life. God appreciates thankfulness and he blesses you for it.
In the New Testament, Jesus showed how to give thanks to the Father, including before feeding the five thousand, before raising Lazarus from the dead and also before breaking and sharing wine at the last supper. Each time Jesus gave thanks.
The Apostle Paul, who wrote about half of the New Testament, frequently gave thanks to the Father and to people.
One example is in 1 Corinthians 1:4 in which Paul said
4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
The Apostle Paul was thankful. It’s important to be thankful.
In life you can easily focus on the negatives and everything that’s going wrong with your life. It can make you feel hard done by and discontent.
But through thanking God and people around you it can change your perception on life.
A few years ago, my workplace moved from the suburbs to the city. And to get to the City I decided to catch a Transperth bus. It was just going to be easier and cheaper than driving in.
After a couple of weeks of catching the bus, I noticed that a lot of people called out thanks to the driver as they get off the bus. (Thanks mate, cheers mate). So, I started to do it too and it felt good! The thing is the bus driver picks me up near home, takes me all the way to work, through all the traffic. I can just sit back and relax, can read my phone or a book, and doesn’t cost much money. The bus driver does all the work. Getting a bus trip to work is a blessing.
In life we can easily take those types of things for granted and stop seeing them for what they are, they are blessings.
How many blessings happen to you each day?
When you start seeing those blessings and thanking God and people, it changes your perception on life. You can suddenly start thinking my life’s not that bad after all – in fact it’s actually pretty good!
Being grateful to God helps take your focus away from yourself and instead towards God. When you just focus on yourself, you can think about everything that’s gone wrong, the mistakes you’ve made, the bad luck you’ve had etc., which can bring you down! But when you focus on the goodness of God and thank Him for everything He has done for you, He lifts you up, he transforms your heart.
He takes away your worry and anxiety, he helps you to be more content. He fills your heart with joy until it over-flows and you become a blessing to God and to other people. Through thanking God, He helps you to grow spiritually.
Conclusion
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I encourage everyone here to be thankful to God today and every day. We have so many reasons to be thankful!
Thank Him for his goodness and greatness.
Thank Him for His grace and mercy.
Thank him for what He did for you on the cross.
Thank Him for saving you.
Thank him for his beautiful creation.
Thank Him for the magnificent trees and plants and flowers.
Thank him for the great variety of animals and insects.
The amazing ecosystems, with plants and animals perfectly balanced and connected with one another.
Only God could create such beautiful and interconnected environments.
Thank Him for His creation.
Thank him for giving you life.
Thank him giving for giving you hope and purpose.
Thank him for all the gifts and abilities has given you.
And use your gifts to help people, help grow the Kingdom of God and bring glory to God.
Everything you have is from God – give Him the thanks.
Through seeking God, praying to God and giving thanks to God He will also take away your anxieties and worries away.
Through seeking God, He will give you the peace of God which transcends all understanding.
Thank Him for that amazing peace of God which is only possibly through Jesus Christ. God calls you to be thankful, He deserves your thanks, and through being thankful he can help transform your life. He can help you to grow.
Choose to thank God today and every day!
Amen