Thanksgiving Eve, Great Grace On Us All

I don't know that we had an official word of welcome tonight, but should you have wandered in here thinking you were going to Bradley's Wednesday night bar special welcome. This isn't it. But you're going to get fed so you can hang around. We do rejoice that the Lord, you know, this is our I thought about this is our first evening gathering as a community. Isn't that terrific? It took us seven months and a few days to do it, or I guess it's almost eight months now. But praise the Lord, no finer occasion to come forth and share the thanksgivings of our heart to the Lord. And it's just great to see people back that have been away for a while. And it's also just great to see people that you see all the time. But know that we are here together to praise and thank the Lord. I want you to just briefly, as we prepare our hearts for communion, I just have a brief word of instruction tonight, beginning in Acts, chapter four. If you turn there with me in your Bible, So many times when people greet Carol and myself in a store or in the mall or something, or perhaps it's just, just an occasion where we go to someone's home, they say, well, how are you? I hear great things about what God's doing. I mean, I, you know, I hear that all the time. And I've always been a little bit perplexed as to just how to answer that, because it's certainly true. But you want to be sure that, you know how we all are. We want to be sure that our flesh doesn't rise up and snag some of that. Like, yeah, we're. I'm really doing a good job. Thanks a lot. And so the Lord recently, as I was praying about tonight especially the Lord showed me a phrase that I think describes what God's doing here. And just a perfect response to when people ask, well, what's going on? It's seen in Acts, chapter 4. This is an expression of the early church, verse 33. And with great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And here's the and great grace was upon them all. Great grace was upon them all. I love that. What is great grace? One translator, J.B. phillips, says, it's the wonderful spirit of generosity that certainly characterizes this fellowship. You've heard a few bits and pieces of the expressions of that. It's the generosity of one believer to another. It's the generosity of people sharing not only their material goods, but their very hearts together. It's the generosity of things. We've had an outpouring of things. I believe we're just learning. You know, this whole section in here, which I read or didn't read tonight, has to deal with the sharing of possessions and material things. And the Lord is teaching us some of that as we go along. Another person translated great grace as warm fellowship among them all. Feeling pretty warm tonight Sunday morning. How many people look forward to Sunday morning. Amen. How many people didn't used to look forward to Sunday morning except if it was sunny, then you could golf, right? But God's been faithful to us, and warm fellowship has brought us forth. And it's not just warm fellowship among the believers, but it's the warm fellowship that we're sensing with the Holy Spirit. Great grace is among us all. There's two words in the Greek to make that statement, and here they are. Let me get this on. I need a blank sheet, Dallas, something to block this out with. That's fine. The first word is megas. All right? That's the word for great in the Greek. Megas means exceeding, high, mighty, or loud. What word do you see in the English there? What prefix? Mega. Like a megaphone, Right. To multiply. Well, that's the adjective that describes the kind of grace that we have. It's an exceeding amount. By the way, don't ever think that once you have grace, that's all you get. Paul prays frequently for more and more and more of it, and we're going to look at that as we come to communion tonight. The other word is much, much more profound in the Greek, and that's charis, which means to bestow favor. That, comma, shouldn't be in there. And especially with the idea of undeserved favor. Now, this is a word that to the Greeks had a tremendous amount of meaning, and it was spoken of a person who caused delight to come up in you, or pleasure or favor. And a person who was considered to be gracious was a person who caused delight to come up in you. That's a word that was used primarily to speak of God and his favor. However, I thought to be in great grace means to be in God's favor. It's as though we're on. Well, you know, if you weren't a person's good graces. What did that mean? Huh? All right, they liked you. I kind of like to think that we are in good graces here at Bradley's. I just think that they do as much as they can for us, considering all the things that we require of them, even though there are some times that they stumble. We never do, but they do, and we're. And so it's. When you say you're in good graces, it's like being on someone's good side. Now, with God, the only thing about that is that he doesn't have a good side, right? He's altogether good. But to be in good graces with God is that you're in the flow of that life that's coming down. And then in the New Testament, as you go on, they add another dimension to grace, and it's always linked with Jesus, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when Paul talks about that grace, he's talking about the fact that God to undeserved sinners, sent a solution to their sin problem. He sent his Son. And Jesus embodies grace. And he is to us a flow of life, always giving more great grace. Jesus Christ is the embodiment, the life of grace to us. Now, the thing that God did for me, and I could do two or three weeks of teaching on grace, and obviously tonight, I just want you to know you've heard that acrostic grace is God's riches at Christ's expense, right? And we're not talking just about being saved. We're talking about the whole life, redemption, and then the progression in faith and sanctification and all the holiness. That's grace, God's riches. That's to you and to you and to me at Christ's expense. But I was studying for tonight, and I don't know what this will do for you, but it did something for me. And so here it comes. I looked up the primary word in the New Testament for thanksgiving. And do you know what that word is? It's charis. It's the same word for grace. So in Second Corinthians 2:14, when it says that thanks thanksgiving, I'm not quoting it properly, but it says, well, for example, 2 Corinthians 9:15, where it says, thanks be to God for that inexpressible gift. That's the word charis in the Greek, and it appears a number of times. And that's the same word being translated two different ways. And I began to see the profound way in which, in God's mind, grace and thanksgiving are linked together. Well, I turned to one of my Bible dictionaries, and in that dictionary, the author said that thanksgiving is the proof of having received grace. Thanksgiving is the proof of having received grace. Now I started seeing that a thankful people is a people upon whom great grace has come by definition. In other words, if you want to know tonight, if you're moving in the things of the Lord and receiving grace, you're thankful. But if tonight you find yourself bottled up and, you know, just, oh, I would have liked to have seen 60 Minutes or whatever's on tonight, you know, I would have liked to have just stayed home. Or if you find yourself, oh, another holiday and I feel miserable. I used to be in my own mind, I would think, boy, you're an ingrate. You have a lot to be thankful for. Why don't you start counting? Ever tell someone, start counting your blessings? Parents? Ever tell your children, count your blessings? And the Lord whispered into my heart that the reason why people are not thankful is that they haven't received grace. And so it isn't a matter of saying, well, now I'm going to get thankful. You know, you're right. I have a nice car and I have a good job. I guess I'd be thankful. No, that's not it. It's simply a matter of coming back to the beginning where grace is poured out on you. And just the overflow of that grace makes you thankful inside. And so it's not a matter of manufacturing it. It's a matter of just living in it. It's a matter of opening to it. And in conclusion, what does that mean tonight? What does it have to do with Communion? Well, the Lord, he is not an incomplete God. I'll tell you. I was talking to brother today about trying to talk people along into God, you know, and we do fumble around a lot, but it's never God's problem, brothers and sisters, when you're trying to explain him, it's always ours. God has it figured out in a perfect fashion. He's never incomplete. What does grace and thanksgiving have to do with coming to Communion? Well, here we are. What is another word for communion in the Scriptures? All right, Communion or koinonia or fellowship. And the word that some of us from our high church backgrounds have used is the word Eucharist. It doesn't take a whole lot to see what Eucharist is. You see, Eucharist is another fashion of the word grace. And so what God has done, when Jesus in Matthew 26:27 takes the bread and says, and. And gives thanks for it, the scripture says, and then the cup, that's the word Eucharist. That's where the whole thing came out of. What he's saying is thanksgiving in my heart for this provision of grace. The Eucharist is both A thanksgiving for and a celebrating of grace. And you see, it took the wisdom of God, brothers and sisters, to give to us an opportunity which we're going to use in just a moment here to where we can come thankfully and joyfully expressing our Thanksgiving to Him, and at the same time receive more of what brought it about. I tried a long time to figure out how to express that in a way that made sense. But there's a twofold thing happening. When we take communion. We are first of all giving God due thanks according to the way that he wants to be thanked. It's the thank meal. It's the meal of thanksgiving. It's the Eucharist. But along with giving him thanks as he's required of us, we are also receiving more grace. That's why it's called a means of grace. Grace literally comes to you so tonight. So tonight, if you find yourself effusing and bubbling over with thanksgiving, as I'm sure many of you do, then an appropriate expression of that thanks is to partake of this communion supper tonight. But if you find yourself tonight burdened or heavy laden, or if you find yourself tonight unsure, and there's not really thanks in your heart toward God, then right there, beloved, is the means for you to get into that grace. So God, in His wisdom, you see, has supplied both the sacrifice and the blessing in one thing, and hallelujah, we can share together because he's made it possible. He's given us His Eucharist. And what I thought we might do tonight, too, just to properly involve ourselves in the communion time would be that as soon as Betty is going to minister a song here to us, I want you to be thinking as she ministers that song, something that you are thankful for. And in taking that communion, you're going to be saying, thank you, Lord, for this in my life. But. But at the same time, I want you to be thinking about something that perhaps isn't right yet. And by taking that communion, you're saying, lord, pour out your grace in that area in my life. Make me more gentle, make me more loving, make me more pure, more giving, more forgiving. Whatever it is, you'd be thinking, lord, here are the things that I'm thankful for. Here's where I need more of your great grace. Let us break bread together. On our knees. Let us break bread together on our knees. As we fall on our knees. With. Our face to the rising sun, Sun O Lord, have mercy on me. Let us drink the cup together on our knees Let us bring the cup together. On our knees. As we fall on our knees. With. Our face to the rising sun Son O Lord, have mercy on me. Let us praise the Lord together on. Our knees. Let us praise the Lord. Together on our knees. As we fall on our knees. With. Our face to the rising sun. O Lord. Have mercy on me. Let us break bread together Let us drink the cup together Let us praise the Lord and worship him and praise his name and come to him. As one. This is the Lord's table. We stand tonight to offer his invitation to you here in our community. The only criterion for your partaking with us is your own relationship with the Lord Jesus. It has nothing to do with membership here or any such thing. You may say, well, I don't really know where I am with the Lord. I want to urge you to consider that. I want to urge you, as you turn into these prayer circles now and actually share the communion with a small group of people literally living out the truth of that song that we might share as one. As that communion element has passed your way, you can feel free to pass it by. Just let it go on. But I want to urge you, as it comes to you, to consider in your heart, do I need to know this, Jesus? Do I need to have my relationship with him made right? And if you do, then you take that communion, because that's grace, you see, That's. That's what's going to free you. And you share that bread and that cup. To the King of Kings Making melody in my heart Making melody in my. Heart Unto the King of Kings Adore. Him, Worship, adore him Making melody in. My heart Unto the King of Kings Making melody in my heart Making melany in my heart Making melany in my heart Unto the King of Kings Worship, adore him Worship, adore for him Making melody in my heart Unto the King of Kings Making melody in my heart Making melody in my heart Making melody in my heart Unto the King of Kings Worship, adore him Worship, adore him Making melody in my heart Unto the King of kings. And Jesus we just want to thank you we just want to praise you we want to love you, Lord we want to serve you, Lord we want to praise you Jesus Hallelujah we want to thank you Lord. Jesus we just want to thank you. Jesus yes we just want to thank you. Jesus we just want to thank. You. Thank you for being so good. Jesus we just want to praise you Jesus we just want to praise you Jesus we just want to praise you Praise you for being so good. And. Jesus, we trust you, Love you for being so good. Jesus. Jesus. And his name is above all other names the name of Jesus let's sing about that Name of Jesus Jesus Jesus. Jesus Jesus Jesus there's just something about. Jesus like the fragrance after the rain. Jesus. Can we just have the ladies sing Jesus? Just the ladies. Jesus Jesus Jesus. Jesus jesus jesus. Proclaim it now. And holy, holy, holy is the Lord. God Almighty for he is truly the Lord of hosts Holy, holy, holy. Holy holy holy Jesus. Sa. Holy holy holy. Is the Lord of host. Of his glory. Holy. Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. He is worthy he is worthy. He. Is worthy he is worthy. He is. Worthy he is worthy he is worthy he is worthy. Praise you Jesus. Praise. You, Jesus. Praise you, Jesus Praise you, Jesus Praise you, Jesus Praise you, Jesus Praise you, Jesus Praise you, Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallel. Hallelujah. Bless your holy name. It. Sam. Sara. Holy spirit spirit. Glory to your name. Jesus. Amazing grace how sweet the sound let's sing the rest. Like me I once was lost Twine. Was blind but now I see twas God praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God praise God praise God. When. He is risen from the dead and he is Lord Every. Shall bow Every. Dark confess that Jesus Christ. He's my Lord he has risen from the dead and he's my Lord Every knee shall bow every tongue. As we prepare to go home tonight, I want to allow you to have an expression of your own heart tonight. And perhaps you're one among us who, when taking that bread and cup tonight, you realize, perhaps for the very first time, the depths of the love of Jesus for you, the degree that he went to the cross for your salvation. And as we sing that song just one more time, that chorus. He is Lord if you want to make Jesus Lord of your life tonight, as everyone's singing and worshiping the Lord, why don't you slip out of your chair and just come up here in the front? We're not going to brush you off anywhere or put any pressure on you. We just want the opportunity to pray with you about that decision and help you get started on that walk. Many of us here have made that decision, but if you've never really made it, or somehow in your heart tonight there's a doubt about your relationship, take that step of faith over fear and doubt. Just slip out of your chair. No one's looking at you. But everyone's rejoicing as the Holy Spirit ministers to you. Just slip out of your chair and come forward as we sing one more time. He is Lord. He is Lord. He. Is Lord he has risen from the dead and he is Lord. Every knee. Shall bow, every tongue Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Hallelujah. Blessed the Lord. Brothers and sisters, as you go out tonight, and many of you are with families and friends tomorrow, if you find someone who's not thankful, say to them, can I tell you about the grace of God? Let the grace of God be that which evokes thanksgiving from people through you tomorrow. And I want to remind you all, please hear this Saturday morning. There's a little yellow sheet that you have on your chair there. Take with you on Saturday morning the entire community. That's all women, women and all men and young people, and particularly college students. We have a very special time of gathering with brother David Smith from Worldwide Evangelization Crusade and Joe Belonti, who is an inner city street worker with a incredible testimony of mafia connections. How God brought him in to fullness in the Lord. We're having a full breakfast. You're all invited except for the smaller children, for whom I think it'll be just too much. We can't arrange babysitting in such a short notice, but we anticipate probably 100 or more of you coming out to breakfast. So by Saturday morning, you'll have your full measure of rest through Thursday and Friday, and you can come Saturday and be challenged and stimulated and going to have sharing, some sharing together, a very special time. Please don't miss it. If you happen to be one here tonight, you don't have any place to go for Thanksgiving dinner. If you'll come right up here and see Blaine afterwards, he'll take you out. All right? No, he won't cook for you. Now, we do have families who have said they'd be happy to have you. A number of families, please. College students, if you're here and you don't have a home to go to, or if just perhaps you're new in the community, we want to share that joy with you. There's probably five other things I should say, but the best thing we can all say is praise the Lord together. Ready? Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. Amen. Give someone a hug and go home.