I. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, Who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with
every spiritual blessing in Christ. Eph. 1:3
"For the Christian, gratitude should be a life attitude."
Johnson Oatman, Jr., (1856-1922, Lyricist) "Count Your Blessings"
was written by one of the prolific gospel song writers of the
past century. In addition to writing more than 5,000 hymn texts,
he was also a successful business man, engaged in a shipping business
and in his later years as an administrator for a large insurance
company.
In the first two verses he develops the thought that counting
our blessings serves as an antidote for life's discouragements
and in turn makes for victorious Christian living. The third stanza
of this hymn teaches us that counting our blessings can be a means
of placing material possessions in proper perspective when compared
to the eternal inheritance awaiting believers. Then as we review
our individual blessings, we certainly would have to agree with
Mr. Oatman's fourth verse: The provision of God's help and comfort
to the end of our earthly pilgrimage is one of our choicest blessings.
II. Verse 1-READ
A. When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed.
1. This is very similar to the phrase in last weeks lesson-Sea
billows roll.
2. Mk 4:37-41-The apostles were concerned to the point of asking
Christ whether he cared that they were perishing. Christs' response
was two fold. First, he stopped the storm, and then he asked them,
"How is it that you have no Faith?" The blessing here
for the apostles is that Christ saved them from the sea, but more
importantly, he conveyed to them the blessing of understanding
that faith dispels fear!
3. Job 42-Job was blessed in the fact that he had faith in the
Lord. Even through all the trials that he endured, he understood
the blessing of following the Lord. His statement of faith in
verses 2-6, results in the blessings by God in the remainder of
the chapter. Our lesson is that when we understand what God has
for us, we will be blessed.
4. Daniel 3:16-26-Another example of how understanding the blessing
of being acceptable to the Lord can result in even greater blessings.
B. Name them one by one - Ps. 146-147 How many things has the
Lord has blessed us with that are not named here in some form?
III. Verse 2-Read
A. Mt. 13:22-The cares of this world can help to choke the word
and cause us to be unfruitful. We need to do as the next verse
says and hear and understand the word and use it to dispel the
ill effects of the cares of the world.
B. Mt. 16:24-We each must follow Christ and in so doing, endure
the problems and trials inherent in taking up the cross. This
burden may at times seem light and at other times seem heavy,
but we are obligated because of the cross that he bore, to endure
and overcome. If we will but remember the blessings that accrue
to us because of his suffering and enumerate these, we will overcome.
C. Eph. 5:18-20-Giving thanks and singing go hand in hand here
with being filled with the Spirit and with being pleasing to God.
IV. Verse 3-Read
A. Eph. 1:18, 3:8, Col. 2:2-3-True riches are found in Christ, riches that will not be corrupted. Mt. 6:19-20
B. Heb. 11:26, Col. 1:27, Heb. 9:15, Rom. 6:23-Treasures found in Christ cause all earthly riches to pale in comparison.
C. Acts 3:6-Money was not the gift that Peter gave to this man, it is the power of Jesus Christ from the Father that is greater.
V. Verse 4-Read
A. Eph. 1:21, 3:7, Rom. 13:1-God is Omnipotent; he has power over everything, even death (I Cor. 15:53-55)
B. Acts 16:25-34-God demonstrated his power over nature and, through the conversion of the jailer, his power over Satan
C. Angels will attend
1. Daniel 6:22-Note that he was found innocent before God.
2. Daniel 3:28-Notice "who trusted him."
3. I Kings 19:1-10,18-Elijah thought he was alone, he was discouraged,
he was hungry, he was persecuted, he was hunted, but because of
his faith in God, he was comforted, uplifted and BLESSED. It is
a great blessing to know that God is with us!!!
4. Acts 12:7-11
When we understand that all we have in this world and in the world
to come is from God and is a blessing from him, will we not appreciate
and cherish these more?