Have you opened all of God’s gifts? When we think about blessings, we sometimes focus on material and physical benefits like homes, jobs, family, and health. But there are even greater spiritual provisions that we may not have considered. In this message, Dr. Stanley teaches us how to be ever mindful of the wealth of favor we receive from God, at the moment of salvation and every day thereafter. As we intentionally recognize every good thing we see, hear, and hope for as coming from a generous heavenly Father, our lives will be filled with gratitude and praise.

when is the last time you stopped to

count your blessings now let’s go beyond

the things we normal to think about well

you have a nice automobile to drive and

you live in a nice neighborhood you were

a beautiful clothes you have a good job

and so you can think of a lot of things

like that that you’re grateful for but I

want to go beyond that I want to think

about what the Word of God says as far

as the source of our blessings in other

words you work hard you have a salary so

you saw feel like you deserve that

and a few other things in life but I

want us to think about the blessings

that you have they come from God

purchased by the blood of Jesus at

Calvary blessings that most people never

think about blessings that many people

have never heard about but specific

blessings that you and I can claim as

their own as a result of a relationship

to Jesus Christ and so as we think about

it I want you to start let’s listen look

if you with a beginning in Ephesians

chapter 1 and I want us to read a few

verses in this chapter and I want you to

think clearly about some things you

probably have not thought about in the

very good while Ephesians chapter 1 Paul

an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will

of God to the Saints who are in Ephesus

and who are faithful in Christ Jesus

grace to you and peace from God our

Father and the Lord Jesus Christ now

listen to this blessed be the God and

father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has

blessed us with every spiritual blessing

in the heavenly places in Christ just as

he chose us in him

in Christ before the foundation of the

world that we would be holy and

blameless before him in love he

predestined us to adoption as sons

through Jesus Christ himself according

to the kind intention of his will to the

praise of the glory of His grace which

he freely bestowed on us in the beloved

in him that is in Christ we have

redemption through his blood the

forgiveness of our sins our trespasses

according to the riches of His grace

which he lavished on us in all wisdom

and insight what an awesome awesome

promise of God because some of those

words most people probably haven’t even

thought about now watch this he chose

you in Christ Jesus before the

foundation of the world who did the

choosing God did the choosing he chose

us in Christ Jesus before the foundation

of the world in order that what what’s

his purpose for choosing us have a good

time to be successful to have notoriety

no he chose us that we would be holy and

blameless holy and blameless before him

in love he predestined us to adoption as

sons think about that that’s a whole

bunch of sermons in one verse of

scripture it took us somebody listening

to Almighty God to be able to even think

those thoughts that’s not the thinking

and the reasoning of a man this is the

language of did this is the language of

God this is the knowledge of holy God

predestined chosen in him according to

his predestined will to the praise of

his glory which he freely bestowed us in

the beloved

in him we have redemption that is

salvation through him that forgiveness

of our sins to the riches of His grace

do you know how blessed you are if you

are a child of God look how rich you are

wealthy you are with things that money

can’t buy and something that nobody can

take away from you

watch this predestined us to adoption

chose us in him bit watch this chose us

in him before Genesis 1:1 and when I

think about being thankful I could just

turn to the pigeons as one read the

first seven eight verses or so and be

absolutely thrilled to death if I didn’t

have anything else they takes care of

life before time during time after town

only God Almighty the sovereign God of

the universe can make that kind of

promise and when I think about people

who have no purpose in life have no

sense of real nothing exciting about

life I want to say read the first

chapter and believe what he says about

you every single child of God can claim

those verses he says to the Saints here

at Ephesus

if he were writing today he’d say to the

Saints here in Atlanta the same thing

and sometimes we want to read the Word

of God and we want to put it back yonder

somewhere that Paul must have meant

something to someone no this is for us

this is one of the blessings of Almighty

God that God has made a choice of us

even before we were born he did the

choosing so that’s one thing we could

think about then I think about this 13th

verse in him that is in Christ you also

after listening to the message of truth

the gospel of your salvation having also

believed

you were sealed in Christ with a spirit

of promise look at that what we just

read first of all he says here’s what

you can count on you can count on the

fact that you were sealed as a child of

God that what he promised will come to

pass

nobody can break the seal of holy God

Almighty God sovereign God of the

universe and these are the blessings

oftentimes that we overlook and we think

about blessings being this and that

something about whatever it might be

here blessings that watch here blessings

that have already been purchased art had

been purchased purchased by the blood of

Jesus wrapped in the grace of God given

to every single one of us who is willing

to believe in

that’s how blessed we are then in

Chapter 12 of first Corinthians he talks

about the fact that we have been gifted

that is that we have a variety of gifts

that is this watch this the God who made

this promise has gifted you in order for

you to accomplish whatever he has in

mind to you in life there are seven

major gifts but many other gifts and so

he has equipped us to live out our life

according to that gift brother for

example there’s the gift of service and

the person of the gift of service that’s

that’s what motivates them that they

want to serve now most people don’t want

the gift of service because they think

well I’ve got a service somebody know

you’re serving God all of us whatever

we’re doing we’re serving God

so if I’m serving God it’s important it

may be unimportant to some people but

it’s important to you here’s the thing

you will do best what you’re gifted by

God to do because he had that in mind

for you when somebody says I don’t feel

important you’re important when he says

he chose you before the foundation of

the world it says it very important the

Jesus died on the cross for your sins

that you have very important

you’re into out with the Holy Spirit you

are very important so promise after

promise after promise and then for

example in John 14:21

he says he who loves me will be loved of

my father and I will love him and reveal

myself to him think about it he says he

loves us and I discover a lot of people

who did not feel loved they don’t feel

loved they can tell you wow that they

can tell you why God doesn’t love them

because this has never happened that

that’s never happened they don’t have

this they’ve never been there whatever

it might be God loves every single one

of us and I love that 31st chapter of

Jeremiah look at that for a moment it’s

the Old Testament but I want you to see

this verse thirty first chapter listen

to this I have loved you with an

everlasting love therefore I have drawn

you with loving-kindness who else can

say to you I’ve loved you with an

everlasting love

most people have most people have never

felt real true genuine love by anybody

sons and daughters of their parents

parents whoever it might be I have loved

you with an everlasting love you know

how long everlasting is how long is

everlasting that means it never ceases

it has never ceased we are loved by God

24 hours a day you said what does he

allow these things to happen I can’t

answer that question except that I know

this nothing happens to you if you’re a

child of God without his knowledge of it

and his presence and his power why does

he let certain things happen all of us

have suffered things who didn’t choose

to suffer we didn’t like we like for God

they’ve done it some other way but

that’s what he allowed and he’ll take

every circumstance in life and turn it

for our good if we’re trust him if we’ll

recognize that our God loves us he cares

for us

he’s written our name in the Lamb’s Book

of Life and he says don’t let your heart

be troubled I’ll be afraid moment by

moment

we have the presence of Almighty God

don’t be afraid he says for example in

John 14 he says my peace I leave with

you my peace I give to you

he doesn’t promise peace in this world

we live in a world that’s full of

warfare and yet he says my peace I give

unto you he doesn’t throw it out as a

blanket he gives you peace him peace

herpes and them peace moppy’s he gives

us peace because that’s who he is he

intends for us they’ve had peace the

word peace in the Greek is a little word

our Rene is a pronunciation of it it

means to bond together

God intends for us to be bound together

with him to have his peace his joy his

love his satisfaction even in difficult

times we are blessed in ways that we

never think about and then he says for

example in Philippians 4:19 he says my

God shall supply all your needs

according to his riches in glory in

Christ Jesus here’s what he does not say

he does not say that God will supply

everything you want when you trust Jesus

Christ as your Savior watch this you

come under the awesome umbrella of a

sovereign God who not only will provide

everything you need

he’ll provided in time when he knows you

need it when he knows it’s best to give

it to you he’ll protect you watch over

you and care for you no matter what it

doesn’t mean you won’t suffer doesn’t

mean you won’t have hard times because

what drives us to God is oftentimes pain

and suffering and hurt and we’re driven

to God also by his awesome love for us

when you think of the things you have to

be grateful for

we’re talking about eternal blessings

we’re talking about the blessings that

Almighty God has signed and sealed with

your name in it we’re talking about

blessings that nobody can take away you

trusted Christ as you said you who can

take away your eternal security nobody

what are we thankful for what do we take

for granted

and most of the time I’m afraid we’re

thankful for material things where you

live what you drive what you wear your

job and this that Anila the most

precious valuable commodities of your

life are all spiritual things the

presence of God the power of God and

knowledge you’ve got think about this

think about what you know about the Lord

you blessed you blessed everyday you

blessed with eternal life that never

ceases with the eternal presence of

Almighty God who answers our prayers who

says I’ll never leave you nor forsake

you I’ll supply all your needs the

problem is we don’t know we don’t know

the god we say we serve you can come to

church and sing about the grace of God

and sing about the goodness of God and

watch this you can you can sing it and

it comes in your mind at your lips but

as far as experiencing enjoying they all

some God do you enjoy it talking to God

when I think about prayer and the

wonderful privilege of watch this look

around you who created all this the

sovereign God of the universe created

everything that’s here you and I have

the privilege of talking to him now you

probably have somebody in life that you

just love talking to them or listening

to them what about God what about God

you can talk to God you said I don’t

know him very well the reason you know

him very well is because you don’t read

his book when you read his book you get

excited when you read his book you’re

thrilled about what he can do when you

read his book all of a sudden you get a

whole different opinion of who God is he

is not somebody out in the far future

somewhere in the invisible future but he

is a warm intimate personal God

listening who

his son Jesus in order that you and I

may recognize yes he can feel what I

feel

yes he does understand when I heard yes

he does understand when I don’t

understand that’s the God we serve the

world in which you know they do not they

don’t know that God you and I serve and

then in 1st Corinthians 15:51 listen to

what he says he says behold I tell you a

mystery we will not all sleep but we

will all be changed in a moment in the

twinkling of an eye at the last Trump

the Trump will sound the devil will be

raised in peril and we will be changed

which means what your loved ones my

loved ones whose body we saw last in a

casket placed in a hole covered with

dirt that’s not the end there’s a

resurrection for every single child of

God a new body that exists for ever and

ever with Almighty God thank God there

is no end of your life that’s a promise

of Almighty God that’s why we don’t have

to fear death when is the last time you

thanked him that when he called your

home you’re gonna meet him face to face

when’s the last time you ever said lord

I don’t know when I’m not too happy but

come in too soon but I’m happy about it

when I do come I’m gonna meet you I’m

gonna be happy to meet your Lord when I

think about all you’ve done for me all

this stuff you’ve all the things you’ve

got me through all the mistakes I’ve

made the sins I’ve committed and you’re

still gonna meet me the blood of Jesus

Christ has washed us clean and made us

pure in his sight God is our God not

some fictitious idea that people write

about the sovereign God of the universe

he’s God and I think what he says in

John 14 I’m going to prepare a place for

you and if I go to prepare a place for

you I’ll come again to receive you to

myself that where I am there you may be

also

and so another one of his promises

listener going to prepare a place for

you if somebody says what’s heaven gonna

be like I don’t know

I’ll tell you what I do know it’s gonna

be like the god I serve and you serve

that’s what heaven is gonna be like I do

want to see Jesus and so what nothing

when I think about all that we have to

be grateful for and when he says I’m

going to prepare a place for you and if

I go to prepare a place for you I will

come again one of these days to receive

you to myself that where I am there you

will be also now it’s one other thing

I’m grateful for

minute many people many people in the

world have never seen one many people if

they saw it wouldn’t know what it is of

all the things that exist in the face of

this earth his number one his hat all

started his that always going to be end

and here’s what’s going to happen from

beginning to end the Living Word of God

every parent should teach it to their

children and one of the first gifts you

ought to give you a child

is a copy of the Word of God there are

people who live and die just the other

copy the Word of God the grass withers

and the flowers fade but the word of our

God stands forever Amen let’s pray

father we bless you we praise your holy

name we thank you for giving us the word

and we thank you for inspiring stirring

the hearts of men to pin what you told

them thank you for all the centrists

that have gone by that you have

preserved your precious word your

precious promises thank you that we have

the promise of eternal life

thank you we have the promise of your

presence within us guiding us sealing us

keeping us so we ask you Father to

accept our thanks we humble ourselves

before you acknowledge we owe you

everything everything and we give

ourselves to you this morning afresh and

anew and praise your holy name and we

ask it in Jesus name Amen amen

you

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