This week's lesson was going to be step on toes. That's next week. I'm looking too far ahead. That's next week. This one is. Yeah, yeah. So I'm going to warn you all. I told her not to bring any tomatoes. And I realized it wasn't tomato season. She said rotten eggs. Yeah, OK. So don't bring those either. But now you're warned that you've got some time to make excuses not to come, whatever.

But this one is, we ought to be doing this anyway, but this is, again, lesson number six on the mind of Christ, thankfulness, thankfulness. Turn with me, if you would, to Matthew 11. Matthew chapter 11. And let's look at verse 19. He says in verse 19, the son of man, he's speaking to the Pharisees.

He's going back and forth. They're trying to argue with them in different things like this. And the son of man came eating and drinking. And they say, the religious people say, behold, a man gluttonous, a wine bibber, the friend of publicans and sinners. They didn't realize what they were saying, but there's a gospel right there. Christ was the friend of publicans and sinners. And that's what we want. but they didn't understand what they were saying. But Christ says, but wisdom is justified of her children. Then began he, Christ, to upbraid the cities where most of his mighty works were done because they repented not.

Now drop down, he says, woe to Chorazin, woes to Bethsaida. And he says in verse 22, I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you, and he's woe unto you Capernaum, et cetera, et cetera. Look at what he says there in verse 25, which will be our verse, but we'll be going looking at different verses. Verse 25, at that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank the old father, I thank the old father.

I thought it was interesting at that time, what time, this is the time he's speaking of, the current, the present, what just happened. Well, at that time, the time of brazen unrepentance because of the hardness of the hearts of all those people around him.

Then began he to upgrade the cities where most of his mighty works were done. because they repented not. He had done mighty works. He preached the gospel. It didn't affect them. They were religious. Matter of fact, they were probably the most religious people in the world.

At that time, what time? That time of personal sorrow at what Christ had seen. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft I would have gathered thee as a hen gathers the chicks. But you would not. At the time, what time is that? A time of gloom. At the low ebb of religion, his truth understood. They didn't understand it. This is the time at that time. His truth was not understood, yet in all this, all in all, he gives thanks.

He gives things just so opposite of our nature, so opposite of our bent. We want to right the wrongs. We want to get vengeance. If somebody does us wrong, cuts us off, you know, we're, we're going to follow them, whatever, you know, we're, we're going to get even.

Christ told them it'd be more tolerable to Sodom in the day of judgment than for you at that time. He answered and said, I thank thee. I thank thee, O Father. Well, let's look at Christ. Let's look at Christ and his example that we are to have the mind of. Let this mind be also in us.

A thankful spirit saturated our Lord's entire life, yet he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. We never find him laughing, that I know of in the scripture. We find him weeping. But in the midst of all this, in moments as his, we least expect to find this attribute shining forth.

He gave thanks. We are told to rejoice always. Again, I say rejoice. And yet, then Peter says later, you know, this trial doesn't seem to be, it's not pleasant at the moment. It's difficult. And we're human and we struggle. But under it all, that we need to try, desire to have, ask the Holy Spirit to enable us If any man lack wisdom, says James, let him ask of God. Lord, I don't know how to have the wisdom to be thankful in this situation. I just want to get even. I want to do this. I want to do that. I want my way. And at that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father. That's just amazing.

Turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 11. which you may know as the passage where the Lord's Supper is being talked about, instituted for the New Testament Church. Behold, in the instituting of the memorial of Christ's death. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and start in verse 23.

Paul's repeating what I have received. He's repeating the words of Christ, of the Lord. that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had what? He'd given thanks. He had given thanks in the very teeth of his humiliation, of his mock trial. Even further after this, as he was pressing and crossing the Brook Kidron, which is very significant, into Gethsemane, turn to Matthew 26. What did we find him doing? Matthew chapter 26. Christ said in verse 29 of Matthew 26, but I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.

And when they had sung a hymn, when they had sung a hymn, I'm sure a hymn of thanks. Father, you give all these things into my hand and yet I have a baptism wherewith I need to be baptized with, and I must needs do it. But yet, who sings a hymn right before they're getting ready to get betrayed?

I give this to this person, that's the man we're after. So he's styled in the scriptures as a man of sorrows, yet in the throes of woe, he lifts up his eyes to heaven and give thanks. Let this mind be in us, which was also in Christ Jesus. Oh, blessed gratitude, gracious and tender are his appreciations of his father, of his people. Indeed, day in and day out, he walks through the Valley of Baca, which is the Valley of Tears. Yet through them all, we notice undertones of thankfulness and joy.

Remember, he said that the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross despite the joy. I don't understand, I don't understand that, but yet that's what he said. He was speaking, what was he speaking about? The joy set before him, he was speaking about the cross of Calvary.

The joy. Father, if it be your will, let this cup pass. Not my will, but your will be done. We've already talked about doing the Father's will. And one of them is being thankful. We have so much to be thankful for. And yet we often gripe and mope about the littlest things. I've got a good lesson on that myself this week. On Calvary is where he was giving thanks, the joy set before him, where God's justice and his full atoning death will reign. He knew what was coming. He was born for this time. He knew what he was gonna do. Okay, that's our Lord Jesus Christ, as we ought to imitate.

What about Paul? Turn to Philippians chapter four. What about Paul the apostle? Okay, first of all, where's Paul writing? Let's eliminate note of that. After verse 23, it usually tells a little bit about the chapter. In this case, this was written to the Philippians from Rome by Epaphroditus. He was taking notation. Paul was in jail. Okay, Paul was in prison writing this epistle to the Philippians.

But what does he say in verse 18 of chapter four? But I have all and abound. I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God. I have all. That's a thankful heart right there. That's a thankful spirit. He was in his dungeon in Rome, bound He was heard to say he had awe.

What about Silas? What about his brother? Acts chapter 16. Acts chapter 16, actually Paul and Silas, but Acts chapter 16, we'll start in verse 20. and brought them to the magistrates, saying, these men, all Silas Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrate ran off their clothes and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feats fast in the stocks. And look at verse 25. And at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God.

Oh my, these are men and women who understand the grace of God, who understand that in and of ourselves, we deserve damnation. We don't deserve the light of day. We don't deserve freedom. We don't deserve many things that we take for granted. Let us be of the same mind of Christ, looking up to heaven and saying, Father, I thank you.

Father, I thank you for this sickness. Father, I thank you for bringing my children through these trials, bringing me through these trials. Financial, physical, mental, spiritual, doesn't make any difference. Let us lift our eyes to heaven and give thanks. Give thanks. Again, Silas and Paula in prison, beat, held fast in the stocks. Yet they say, praise God. What about the apostles? Acts chapter five, turn back a few chapters. Acts chapter five, starting in verse 38. All these apostles, they're getting, people are getting aggravated because they're preaching the truth.

And now I say unto you, refrain from these men, and let them alone. For if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught. But if it be of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest happily you be found even to fight against God. And to him, they agreed, the counsel that was trying the apostles, they agreed. And when they had called the apostles and beaten them, I like, I don't like it, but it's so interesting. That's a typical man. You can't just holler at them, you got to do something. You got to lay hands on them. And that's what they did. They commanded, they had called the apostles and beaten them. This is what they did.

They commanded the council that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and they let them go. And the apostles departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple and in every place, they ceased not to teach and preach Christ.

They gave thanks, and as they said, Father, we're in your hands. And if our life is to be crucified, or like Peter hung upside down, or be cast out of the isle of Patmos, where John was, all of them were murdered. If that's our lot, Father, I thank Thee. Your will be done. But they didn't stop preaching, they just kept on. They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ.

What about John Bunyan? You know, I love that book, Pilgrim's Progress. Where did he write that? He wrote that in prison. And it isn't in the prisons like we have now. They're not clubs, they're dungeons. He penned the Pilgrim's Progress in prison for preaching the truth as it is in Christ Jesus.

Now, lastly, what of us here today? Because this is who's here. We should also have the same mind as our Lord. Let us not be always moping and of a bitter spirit, but be as our grateful and thankful Lord. Father, I thank Thee. There's nothing too small. We have a tendency to categorize stuff. This is major, and I came through it. I'm going to thank the Lord. What about if you wake up in the morning and you can't tie your shoe? And then you can, and you're thankful for that. There's nothing. I was looking at it. I don't know if I'll preach it. Probably not.

It's just for me. Some of these, a lot of these things, just me to learn. But when he talks about in Hebrews 4, I think it's 16, to go boldly to the throne of grace and help in time of need. In time of need. I thought, well, when is that? It's every time, every day, every time. See, our problem is we categorize them. Big trouble, little trouble. I can handle this. In time of need, really, because he says, without me, you can do nothing. And I think in Hosea in the Old Testament, from me is your fruit found. That means we need them all the time, not just occasionally, all the time.

So with an eye to heaven's gates, A place as heaven has prepared rooms for us weak folk. Let us be ever rejoicing and ever grateful we are being dealt with mercy upon mercy and not what we are due, which would be judgment. Let us be thankful. Every moment, every moment when we can wake up and we have our faculties or when we wake up and we don't know where we are.

We're still being kept. by the power of God through Christ. Be thankful for his gospel. Let us be thankful for his grace. Let us be thankful for his forgiveness. Let us be thankful for his good providence over us. Let us be thankful for this place right here, that we have a place to worship. Because there was a lot of years we didn't. Met in homes, met in rental places, Let us be thankful. But most of all, turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 9. Let us be thankful for Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians chapter 9 and verse 15.

Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. Now that could be His benefits, that could be a lot of things, but we'll look at it as His unspeakable gift. That's the Lord Jesus Christ who died in our room, in our place, in our stead, so we could go free. Just like captives, just so we could go free, and live for him and be thankful, thankful, where God has been eternally satisfied on the Calvary and will never punish his people for their sins, which he, God the Father, placed on his dear son.

So I just make this last comment. Brethren, think on these things. You know, in Philippians, think on those things which are true and lovely and it's all Christ. Let us be thankful and let's have the mind of Christ. And be thankful for one another for this place for grace, mercy. Could go on and in heaven we will. There'll be endless praise and adoration for our King and Savior. Bruce, would you close this please?