Sunday's Message - Thankful People Are...Open

As we approach Thanksgiving, we’re going to look at some of the characteristics of thankful people. During four of our November worship services, we’ll focus on the following topics:

• Sunday, October 31 – Thankful People Are...Humble
• Sunday, November 6 – Thankful People Are...Open
• Sunday, November 13 – Thankful People Are...Relaxed
• Sunday, November 20 – Thankful People Are...Compassionate

During the second message, we focused on the statement: Thankful people are open.

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If you weren’t here last Sunday, we started a new sermon series entitled, Thankful People Are.... You see, over the four Sundays before Thanksgiving, which is now eighteen days away, we’re going to talk about four qualities that I believe thankful people tend to have. And last week, we started by looking at how thankful people are humble. In other words, as opposed to men and women who are arrogant and who believe that they deserve everything they get and more, those who are humble may have a greater appreciation for what they receive. And with that in mind, we looked at how we might work a little more humility in our character by rejecting the arrogant message that comes from our society and by recognizing both our strengths and our weaknesses and by realizing that we really do need one another. Now that was our focus last week.

And this morning, we’re going to consider the second trait that I believe goes with thankfulness, namely that thankful people are also open. And I’ve got to tell you, I got a lesson in the importance of openness less than two weeks ago. Now, as some of y’all know, I’ve lived in a lot of different places. And in each place, there was something I did that sort of showed me that I belonged. For example, when something surprised me, the first time I said “poo-ra” I knew that I belonged in New Orleans. And the same thing happened in eastern Montana when I said “ofta.” Eating my first tenderloin sandwich at Edward’s Drive-In did it for me in Indianapolis as did accepting that “yuns” was the same as “y’all” around Pittsburgh. And even though actually enjoying a “wedgie”, something I’d never done as a child, man, that was an important step in coming to this area, something happened a week ago Tuesday that showed me that northwestern Pennsylvania was home. You see, I hit my first deer. I was just south of Bradys Bend when all of sudden my deer and I got up-close and personal. Thank the Lord, it could have been worse, and I’m speaking for myself and not the deer. And I’ll tell you, that was a tangible reminder that to drive in this part of the country, I really need to be as open as I can be, especially for deer, something I was aware of before but is now burned into my very soul and the bumper of my Fit. 

And like I said a little while ago, that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning, namely the relationship between giving thanks and being open. And like we did last week, first, we’re going to look at why I believe thankful people are not only humble, but also open. And then, second, we’ll consider three things we might want to do in order to open ourselves up a little bit.

Of course, I think we can get a pretty good idea about why thankful people tend to be open by looking at folks on the other end of the spectrum. I mean, just think about those men and women who sort of close themselves off. You see, by their choice, they’ve decided to have a really, and I mean really narrow perspective. It’s like they live with blinders on, so that they can see only what they want to see and to hear only what they like to hear and to believe only what they already believe. For example, they always go to the same restaurant and always order the same meal. And they get all their news from one source, usually either MSNBC or Fox, so that they never hear anything that makes them uncomfortable. 

And often they’ve decided that years ago, they’d already learned everything they need to know; therefore, any additional information is unnecessary. Man, these folks are closed, not unlike someone we talked about last week, a guy who was not only kind of arrogant but also a closed book. Just listen to what the Evangelist Luke wrote:

So Jesus told them this story:

A rich man’s farm produced a big crop, and he said to himself, “What can I do? I don’t have a place large enough to store everything.”

Later, he said, “Now I know what I’ll do. I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I can store all my grain and other goods. Then I’ll say to myself, ‘You have stored up enough good things to last for years to come. Live it up! Eat, drink, and enjoy yourself.’”

But God said to him, “You fool! Tonight you will die. Then who will get what you have stored up?”

“This is what happens to people who store up everything for themselves, but are poor in the sight of God.” [Luke 12:16-21, CEV]

Now that’s what I’m talking about when I say that a person is closed. And I’ll tell you, since the outlook of guys like this is so limited, I serious doubt that they’re able to see much less appreciate any reason for thanks outside of their narrow perspective. 

But I don’t think that’s the case with folks who are open. I mean, their perspective is really broad; therefore, they’re taking in all kinds of information. And they’re looking at the world from all kinds of angles. And they’re experiencing God in all kinds of ways. Man, they’re adventurous. And they’re curious. And they’re inquisitive. And so, they’re in a perfect position to be thankful for things and in situations that will never enter a closed mind and heart. As a matter of fact, I believe only a person who’s open can say this with the Apostle Paul: 

By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, because of our Lord Jesus Christ, we live at peace with God. Christ has also introduced us to God’s undeserved kindness on which we take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God. But that’s not all! We gladly suffer, because we know that suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love. [Romans 5:1-5, CEV]

Now that’s what he wrote, and I’ll tell you, there’s no way we can be glad much less thankful for problems unless we’ve made the intentional decision to be open. And that’s why I believe thankful people are open. 

And I’ll tell you, if that’s something we’d like to see happen, I believe there are three things we can do, and they all involve what I think you could call a broadening. For example, if we want to be more open, we can intentionally broaden our vision. In other words, we can make the decision that we’ve not going to limit ourselves to what we already like and what we already think and what we already believe. Instead, we’re going make an effort to open our eyes and our ears, our minds and our hearts, and to take in information we might never have entertained in the past. Of course, to do this kind of thing, well, I think it takes faith, and I’m talking about trusting that we’re not alone; God is always with us, guiding and directing us. In fact, I think it may be like what Jesus challenged Peter and the other disciples to do after the resurrection. Just listen to what the Evangelist John wrote:

Jesus later appeared to his disciples along the shore of Lake Tiberias. Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, and the brothers James and John, were there, together with two other disciples. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing!”

The others said, “We will go with you.” They went out in their boat. But they didn’t catch a thing that night.

Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize who he was. Jesus shouted, “Friends, have you caught anything?”

“No!” they answered.

So he told them, “Let your net down on the right side of your boat, and you will catch some fish.”

They did, and the net was so full of fish that they could not drag it up into the boat.

Jesus’ favorite disciple told Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon heard that it was the Lord, he put on the clothes that he had taken off while he was working. Then he jumped into the water. The boat was only about a hundred yards from shore. So the other disciples stayed in the boat and dragged in the net full of fish. [John 21:1-8, CEV]

You see, they would have missed the miracle, if they hadn’t stepped away from their assumptions and done something that, based on their experience, just didn’t make sense. To be more open, we really need to broaden our vision. And that’s the first thing we can do.

And second, we can also intentionally broaden our expectations. And I’ll tell you, I think that just makes sense. Like they say, a pessimist is never disappointed, because what he expects to happen generally does. And so, if we limit our expectations, we also limit the reasons for being thankful. Of course, to broaden our expectations, man, it sure helps if we believe that God is on our side and that, in spite of what may be happening in our world or in our lives, he holds our future in his loving and gracious hands. And I’ll tell you, I think that kind of perspective was what the Lord challenged Jeremiah to have. You see, after sending the prophet to proclaim a message of accountability and judgement to a people who only wanted to hear about rainbows and flowers, the Lord said this:

After Babylonia has been the strongest nation for seventy years, I will be kind and bring you back to Jerusalem, just as I have promised. I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you and accept your worship. Then I will gather you from all the nations where I scattered you, and you will return to Jerusalem. [Jeremiah 29:10-14, CEV]

You see, the Lord wanted Jeremiah to expect something different. Of course, this is the same sort of thing Jesus told his disciples: If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. Take the yoke I give you. Put it on your shoulders and learn from me. I am gentle and humble, and you will find rest. This yoke is easy to bear, and this burden is light. [Matthew 11:28-30, CEV] I’m telling you, to become more open, we really need to broaden our expectations. And that’s the second thing we can do.

And third, we can also intentionally broadening our experiences. In other words, we can open ourselves to all the reasons we have to be thankful, even if that might mean occasionally eating at some other restaurant or getting the news from several different sources or putting ourselves in places where we might learn and grow. Of course, to actually do that, I mean, to put ourselves out there, and I’m talking about outside our comfort zones, man, that’s going to take both courage and faith. It’s like what happened to Joshua when he was about to lead the people of Israel into the promised land. After wandering around in a desert, they were about to enter and take possession of the place that God had given them. And Joshua was going to lead them. And so, right before he was to take them across the Jordan into the land of milk and honey, the Lord said this to Joshua:

Long ago I promised the ancestors of Israel that I would give this land to their descendants. So be strong and brave! Be careful to do everything my servant Moses taught you. Never stop reading The Book of the Law he gave you. Day and night you must think about what it says. If you obey it completely, you and Israel will be able to take this land.

I’ve commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the Lord your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go. [Joshua 1:6-9, CEV]

Now that’s what the Lord told Joshua. And you know, Paul wrote something very similar when he said this to Timothy:

So I ask you to make full use of the gift that God gave you when I placed my hands on you. Use it well. God’s Spirit doesn’t make cowards out of us. The Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control. [2 Timothy 1:6-7, CEV]

You see, when we trust in God, we’re able to step outside our comfort zones and to broaden our experiences. And that’s the third thing we can do, if we’re serious about being more open.

Now four days after I hit my first deer, I drove to Ambridge to do a wedding. And on Sunday evening, Debbie and I went to Pittsburgh. And I’ve go to tell you, on both trips, I’m not sure I could have been more open to marauding bands of kamikaze deer just waiting to jump in front of my car, not unlike these squirrels. 

Let’s just say I’m now open to the possibilities. And you know, it might be a good thing to carry this same mind-set into our preparation for Thanksgiving. I mean, since I believe our ability to see reasons for thanks increases the more open we are, maybe this would be the perfect time to broaden our vision and to broaden our expectations and to broaden our experiences. And why would we want to do this kind of thing in the eighteen days we have left? Well, personally I think that’s pretty clear. It’s because thankful people are open.