Speaker: Bishop David. O. Oyedepo
Text: Luke 17:17
(Matthew 16:28, Psalms 71:7, Proverbs 18:14, Luke 10:21,
Luke 17:19).
We owe God thanks!
Things do not stop happening in the midst of thanksgiving, therefore make thanksgiving a lifestyle; Isaiah 51:11-13.
11. Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.
12. I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;
13. And forgettest the LORD thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?
We are favoured by God as our predestination, it is all an act of grace, therefore always give God thanks; Ephesians 2:5 – 8.
5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6. And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7. That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.
To be thankful is to be tank full, when you’re thankful you provoke next level promotion; Malachi 2:2-3.
2. If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.
3. Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.
Life is not a right, It is a gift!
Psalms 3:5 “I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.”
(Jeremiah 1:5, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8, 1 Corinthians 15:10, John 15:5).
When you thank God for his finger, He shows you His arm. When you thank him for his arm, He shows you His out stretch arm.
We owe God thanks! Everyone owes God intense thanks!
Behind everything working without games is God. You can’t be grateful and not be joyful. If you have lost anything, God is the reason you have not lost everything. Thank God for where you are and He will take you to the next place.
Why Thanksgiving?
– Thanksgiving strengthens the saints for exploits.
– Thanksgiving provides access to fresh oil.
Psalms 92:11:Mine eyes also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.
– Thanksgiving provides access to the anointing that destroys all yoke of the enemies.
– With thanksgiving we keep scaling new heights; Psalms 92:12.
The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
– Thanksgiving keeps us flourishing when everything dries up; Psalms 92:15.
– Thanksgiving secures access to God’s presence, where he shows us how and where to go in life; Psalms 16:11.
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
– To be thankful keeps issues of life under your feet.
– Terminates our dry season;. Isaiah 51:11.
– Thanksgiving preserves, multiplies and perfects God’s blessings on our lives; John 6:11.
– Thanking God for his word turns things around in our lives; Habakkuk 3:19, Psalms 56:10, Jeremiah10:36.
Why do I owe God thanks?
There are many things working than the things not working. Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what God has done.
If you get a first class in school, do you cry?
No!
You are a first class citizen of the earth because you have all your vital organs intact and working well. Only those who can think well can thank well, everything about us is by grace, including salvation which is a gift.
Only God gives breath, only God sustains breath. If you think something is missing? It’s because you are alive that’s how you know something is missing.
We owe God thanks, He demands our thanks. Forget not all His benefits, you are always complaining about what you’ve not got. Start counting what you have got.
Lack and want begins with lack of access to the word; Amos 8:12-14.
Outside the word of God, you start fainting!
Light can never lose value in darkness!
We have never suffered from a lack of the word here. This church is flourishing because God sends the word, you can’t study your way to divine secrets, all secret things belong to Him, only what He reveals is ours.
He has not stopped signs and wonders since 1981.
You can only preach the word, God confirms it, and the glory goes to Him. Behind everything working here is God, behind everything not looking rich is me. God is at the center of the happenings in this church, we give God all the glory.
Thanking God for his word provokes his integrity to turn things around; Habakkuk 3:17-19.
17. Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18. Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
The Anointing
The anointing is referred to as an oil of gladness and garment of praise that destroys stagnation.
Joy is an offspring of gratitude; Proverb 18:14.
The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?
