When Thank You is Not Enough

Alright, then let's go straight to the sermon, which is titled, When Thank You Is Not Enough. As you know, this is that time of the year when we all should be very thankful for many, many things that we have in this life, and hopefully we will continue to have. There was a woman named Corey Timboom. Don't know if you ever read her book or heard the stories or even movies written about her. She was a Dutch woman who helped to save as many Jews as her and her family could by hiding them in the back of their jewelry store in the Netherlands. And she was taken to prison, jail at that time, and her sister and herself. Her father died within 10 days of being arrested. And Corey Timboom and her sister ended up in Ravensbruck, a concentration camp in Germany where it was mostly women in the camp, and there were very few Jews in the camp. But there was, as the Germans viewed them, the deplorables, the women that they did not care whether they lived or died, but also wanted them to work. So it was basically a work camp until you died or got sick or something. Corey Timboom. It's interesting because Corey brought out later she couldn't understand how her sister, who was able to smuggle a Bible in that they didn't take. And so the women would be able to read these scriptures all during this time they were in this horrible place. And her sister always stressed to her and the other women that the Bible says, give thanks for everything, as you have read. The Thessalonians, also Philippians that we just heard from, were to give thanks. And she asked her sister at the time, how can we possibly give thanks for this, for the conditions here that we're living under? And she said her sister brought a revelation to her that forever changed her mind. Because she said, look at this place. They've jammed all these women in one place to live and to sleep and to work. And the little cots were little or nothing to sleep on. But the worst thing that they had to deal with was the constant biting and irritation of fleas. Fleas were so bad in their bunk, their place of living, worse than any of the others, that even the guards would not come in, lest they had to. And many times they just kept the women in there. Said the fleas were just constant day and night. And they felt like dogs. A dog will just scratch. And this was constantly done, 24-7. And she asked her sister, or that was said that she asked her sister, how should we be thankful? And she goes, those fleas are God's way of keeping the guards from abusing us. And she said, after hearing the other stories, we were so blessed to be in that bunkhouse with all the fleas. So how do you say thank you? And sometimes have you ever been to a place or had something done to you that thank you was not enough? The words couldn't quite cover everything. How about thankfulness? Have you used it? The thankfulness we must have in our life. I think, hopefully, I hope that we do not have to go and have a Cory Kinboom experience.

To know what thankfulness is. And hopefully, being it's this time of the year and this time during the next week where we will be able to celebrate Thanksgiving. And we will be able to say, this is a wonderful Thanksgiving.

My question to you today is, and it's a probing one, I know. I have had to ask God this question this past week. Is God thankful for you? Is God really thankful for you? So many people on this planet. Is he thankful? Is he thankful? I hope so. I think many of us hope so. Hope we can say that. How do you show thankfulness? How do you handle a situation when thank you is not enough? How would you say it to Jesus Christ if he were here before you? When you watch the movie about the Passion of the Christ, still breaks me up because you see and the movie didn't half cover the brutality that was involved. Still so brutal to watch. How would I thank him for that? How would I thank him for taking my place when I'm the one that deserves to be beaten and hung on a piece of wood, not him?

So how do you show thankfulness? How do you show gratitude? How do you show love to someone? What do you say when thank you just won't do? It's inadequate. It's not good enough. I want to look today because this is not a depressing sermon. It may have started that way. It may have started today. Because it's not a depressing time of the year.

It's a thankful time of the year. Will most of us return back from the Feast of Tabernacles? Thankful. I got to attend. Thankful. I got to spend time with even some of you. I don't know how thankful you are that I was hanging around. I usually don't hang around. So you for the Feast unless you go to the Caribbean. But I would like to talk about a word today. A word that is to me very, very important.

A word I hope that we can begin to not only lock it in our minds, but it becomes part of our vocabulary. And that we have an understanding of it that frankly, most people do not. And I can honestly say for probably 40 years of my life, I didn't either. And it's just in the last seven to 10 years that I've I began to appreciate this. The word. The word in Hebrew is hesed. Spelled two different ways because they want you to understand the way the it's pronounced in Hebrew language is hesed.

Hesed. It's hesed. That's why that C H is there. And it's also a little dot in the Hebrew. But the word is hesed. It's a guttural sound as some Hebrew words have. Hesed. It's a powerful, powerful word. And the strange part is that if you look the word up, you can Google it and you'll find page upon page upon page. It's a very complicated word.

To translate into the English language. It's a very unique Hebrew word. And so whether you're a linguist or whether you're just a writer. There is no English word. One word that can be translated. So we would understand the meaning of hesed. It's just not there. It is such a big, powerful word. To define it, they say is virtually impossible with a word or two. How many of you have ever heard of hesed? Very few. Okay. There's a few. I have my own word to define it.

I'm going to ask David to display that long word right now. Mercy, loving, kindness, gratitude, goodness, failing, loyalty, failing, love, devotion, everlasting, love, compassion. Those are the meaning of this one word. Now the issue is with hesed, if you leave any one of these out, you take away the power of that word. Linguists say it is a noun. But everything about it spells action, like a verb. You're the wordsmith here. You may come up with a better one and you can let me know. It's always good to have a special gifted person who can look at that.

Because I spent time trying to figure it out because it's used so many times in the Old Testament and it's used in so many different places in so many different ways because it is so very, very powerful. Why do I say this word is so important? This hesed? Because we have been called to do one thing and one thing very important in this life.

It defines us as Christians. It's what? To be like God. We're to be like God. John quoted one of my favorites, Philippians 2, is let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. We have to have the mind. But our whole calling is based upon being like God in these ungodlike bodies. In case you didn't know it, if you're young, like the two browns here, or young people sitting there, your body doesn't stay well all the time.

So it's our job during that, our lifetime, to become like God. Like God. And so it's so very important, this word, because it defines God. It defines his character and it must define us. Hesed is a word we should be knowing and using. And it is the word that was used in a unique time and a unique place by God as he talked to Moses. And it's that one word that he actually tries to explain to Moses about himself, which I find very, very interesting.

Hesed is used some 250 times in scripture, 250 times. Some say 251, some say 254. It's around, it's approximately 250 times. The word is translated many times in our English language, depends on which translation you use. Many of them translated as mercy, kindness, faithfulness, loving kindness. Now why do I say we need to have this word as a part of our language? We're not Jewish, at least I don't know that you are.

Okay. Why is it so important? Because there are many English words we use every day. That came from, that's part of our vocabulary, that came from the Hebrew Bible. Amen. The word didn't exist outside of the Bible. You use amen quite often. You'll hear it today, you've already heard it, you'll hear it again. You may have heard it again. Some people want to say, you know, they hear some great amen.

Have you ever used the word ruthless? Where did it come from? The book of Ruth. The word came from the Hebrew word because everybody saw the quality that was in Ruth. The quality, the goodness, the love, everything about her. So everybody wanted a woman like Ruth unless you were ruthless. That's how it took on the word. We don't think anything about using that word, would we? Hmm. Hasid. Is it too Jewish for us? Too Hebrew? Or somebody might go, what did you say? Hasid. You don't have to think you're about to spit on them. Hasid. It's a beautiful, beautiful, godly word. That's my purpose for you today. So that we can understand. You got a little cool this morning. I guess cooler up here than it did where I was. Anybody wear a jacket? Yes, wear a jacket. Do you call it a jacket? Do you call it a jacket? Yes. Even up in New England, you call it a jacket. Why?

You know, it's a Hebrew word taken from a Hebrew word. The transliteration of the word, Jacob's coat, became jacket, a jacket. The very coat, the very jacket he gave his son, Joseph. I could give you hundreds of these. They're taken from the bottom. And isn't it a shame that we don't all know? Hasid. Hasid. So I hope today to make that point, hope today to reach out so that you can understand that. But 26 times in Psalm 136, the word has been translated. You know it? His mercy never fails. Haven't you sang that before? His mercy never. Yes. His, that's what it is. His hesit endures forever. Isn't that a good song? Good song. I hope the next time we sing it that you think about this. Because it's so beautiful that it had to be put 26 times in every verse. It's that powerful that it is understood. So let's go, if you will, with me in the time we have. Let's go back to this time when God needed to show his servant as he had to show me, as hopefully I can show you now. Go with me to Exodus 34. Exodus 34. I'm going to go through this rather quickly if you have questions because many of you might and say I know you're taking advantage of these scriptures. Previous sermons have this to back it up. But let's go. Let's go to Exodus 34 and verse 1. And the Lord said to Moses, cut two tablets of stone like the first one. You remember he got upset with the first ones and he had a hissy fit and couldn't control his temper. And broke those stone tablets. Never says rock tablets does it? And you know why. So he said cut two tablets of stone like the first ones and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which I love how he puts it, you broke. So be ready in the morning and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai and present yourself to me there on the top of the mountain. No man shall come up with you nor let no man be seen throughout all the mountain. Let neither flocks nor herds feed before that mountain. So he cut two tablets of stone like the first ones. Then Moses rose early in the morning and went up to Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him. And he took in his hands the two tablets of sapphire stone.

Diane just said could be. I say it was and if you don't believe me prove me wrong next time I'm here. Find out what color were those. What kind of stone was that. Because I've done my research. Wouldn't that be an impressive set of stones. Anybody have a sapphire ring. Can you imagine a stone. Hate to because during our time of marriage I forget one anniversary I bought Mary sapphire ring and I think earrings wasn't earrings. She can't remember. I was just around I couldn't afford the earrings. So I know how much that costs. So can you imagine two stones with the Ten Commandments. Something for you to check me out on. Okay that's not the point of the story. But you remember what happened in in chapter 33. The few verses before. When Moses said I want to see your glory. And God told him no you don't. I want to see it. And he let him but he put him behind a stone right. So he only could see as it says. What in verse 23 then I will take away my hand and you shall see my back. But my face shall not be seen. So here he is. Verse five now the Lord descended in a cloud and stood with him there. Wasn't wouldn't that be a sight. And proclaim the name of the Lord. He let him know who he was. Like he would guess something else. And the Lord passed before him and proclaim the Lord. The Lord God merciful. Gracious. Long suffering. And abounding in goodness and truth. Keeping mercy for thousands. Forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. And by no means clearing the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children of the third and fourth generation. Look at the very words God uses to describe himself. His character. His very character. What he is. What he is like. What motivates him. He says in Genesis 17 the first few verses where he comes to Abraham and he presents himself and he says I am El Shaddai God Almighty. A title for him. This word. Hestit. Is here. God is trying to describe to Moses what he is like. Moses thought he knew. He didn't know. He didn't know. Moses was just still trying to see what he looked like. And it wasn't in a burning bush. The Lord got merciful gracious long. Remember the word. That long word that I put. See only thing because how can you describe something so great. Just like. How do you say thank you when it's not enough. I prefer to use the word to God inspired 250 times. Hestit. That is what he is. That is what he does. It's all encompassing. This incredible word that we sometimes just miss. You know about 50 percent of the time or around 120 125 times that the word Hestit is used it's used in the Psalms. David is eaten up with it. David says it in the Psalms time and time again. Why. Remember he was a man after. God's own heart. He saw that he knew it even in. His time. Of trouble. The needs. And you can see that. The first very first occurrence of the word Hestit. Which the law of first mention. Theological term says it sets the tone for all the other times that it's used just theological term. But it's actually not used until Genesis 19 verse 19 by locked. I'm not turning there. You can just go and look at it sometime and see wow the first time it's used. First time God inspired the word Hestit to be used. And the last time Zacharias 7 and verse 9. And that that verse speaks directly to us. About show mercy.

Hestit. Describes the enduring active love between God and his people.

Is that one sided. That's my purpose here today. My purpose today is to change myself to where. It's between God's people and other people. And I can be thankful to God that he gave. This understanding to us through his word.

Imagine a God so loving so caring.

That he'll do anything for his people. And now he wants his people to become like him so that they'll do anything for him. Others. Towards him. Because we're going to have a hard time. We'll never match him. We'll never going to match the hessity. But can we have some of that hessity that he shows us so that we can show to other people. It's exactly why we're here. It isn't for us to walk around going. All right. I'm going to be in the kingdom.

No. Why did Christ came. To serve others. To help others. That's our job. And you know a lot of people get great satisfaction out of helping others. That's what he wants us to do. To help others.

Hessen. It's such a big word. It's just. How. How. How are we going to live this word. How are we going to live like God. It's such a big meaning. So should we even try. What did he give it. You know. You can accomplish something for yourself. Maybe it's. Around your house. Maybe it's planting plants and. And working all day in the garden or in the in the ground and your ear. Your fingernails are just staying in it's. But you stand back after you're done and you look at it and it's just like oh yeah. Boy that looks good. Oh I'm so glad I did that. But how much better is it when we're able to do that for someone else. And not for money. Just to help. To help. Just to give to them. There's something that happens in our very souls. And I'm not the only one that says this but it does it feels just different. It feels. Like a part of you is whole. This is what God knows. This is how I understand when Jesus Christ reached down. Touched. That poor pitiful man. With leprosy. And the man got up. And shaking because he'd been healed. Healed of a disease it was impossible. It was impossible.

This is how Christ that one power came out from me because a woman grabbed the hem of his garment. The tassel. And she was healed.

One set of scriptures that Matthew says. One time he waited until after sunset to heal because there's so many people. And it was a first of his ministry didn't want to draw that much attention but he waited. And then how long did that go on. Other commentary says hundreds and thousands were healed. At any one time. And even though he said I was drained of power. Can you imagine the human part of God. He was fully God fully human. Never happened before never will. Can you imagine that fully human feeling. I just changed that person's life forever. I just changed the entire family. His generations to the second third generation. This is what has it is about. It gives us a chance to be closer to Christ. When he walked on this earth. Gives us a chance to feel. What it feels like. To do that. And why do I think this is important. Because. I've seen it in scripture first John three two I don't have it up there you don't need it. You need it in your memory. Okay first John three to say it. First John three to first John three to first John three to. You know what it says. It says when he comes we will be like him. We will be like him. It's has said it's his big word. We're going to have and feel. But right now he wants us to have a touch of that. He wants us to have a little bit of that feeling that he had. There's going to be a lot of people healed. In the millennium. It's going to be a lot of people healed after the great tribulation.

I'm looking at people are going to do that. They're going to have to have mercy upon the radiation stricken people. By the thousands. The war torn minds. To make the concentration camps of World War Two look like a playground. They're going to need some healing. It's going to have to be people who are willing to do that. To help them heal. Do we show his it now. Is it a part of our character. Yet. Say well I just found out about the word today. No. But there's this part of us. That have always known. We just scratched the surface.

It's amazing. I think I told this story down in Fort Lauderdale. It's back in Tennessee. And this. I was driving to work one morning. My truck. And this car was in van was in front of me in this back country road. There wasn't anybody on the road at six o'clock in the morning. Just daylight. And all of a sudden I'm driving in this. Van kind of jerks a little bit. And I look. And this person in this van had thrown out a kitten. In the road. And I just dodged it. A little bitty kitten not that big. And then. I back off and then there's another one. And another one thrown on this road. Just thrown at 40 50 miles an hour.

I couldn't miss one. I hit it killed it. And I saw those kittens five or six from. And. And the first thing went to my mind I like God.

And I remember writing the people's license plate. I'm sure nothing became of it. Bigger crimes to solve. But it made me realize because that that stayed with me the entire day. For just cats. How much damage. Did God see yesterday in this planet. How many deaths. How many useless. Terrible things happen. And he is full of this. And he could say well I don't want to become too soft hearted really. Because he wants you to be. I want you to be like him. And we will be like him. First John 3 verse 2. I get as I wrap this up today look at my time. There's this scripture we all know. Some memory scripture for many of us. But it is. It uses and brings out to us. The word has it as maybe. We've not thought about it before. Of how big I think now you understand just what the word has it how big it is how large it is how it's out of this world. It is a fee. It is a way of life. It is a character put inside of us. Go with me to my six and verse eight. The famous scripture. Because he says what does the Lord require. To do justly. To love what. Haha. Has it. That is the word translated. From has it. Love mercy God who what is he requiring to do justly to love has it. We must love love everything about that word. We must have that loving kindness. And you know he puts in there next what. Walk humbly. Right Christian walk humbly. That's what he requires me Chris. But. I missed it I missed it all the years because I didn't understand that the word mercy was. And then once I understood it changed my understanding. Of that whole. Word. And how it makes a difference. In the story of Ruth. Mentioned Ruth earlier the story of Ruth. The word has it is used at least three times. Ruth used it. Naomi used it. And who else used it. Boaz. Absolutely. Three of them. That's such an inspiring book inspiring story. Go back and find. The has it in the story it makes it so much more. That got inspired. And you see that incredible story. And then go back to the book of Jonah. See if you can find anywhere has it is used for by Jonah.

You think so. Did he have that. No. That's why God's still working with him from the first of the book to the end of the book. He didn't have. Has it. He had no mercy. He had no compassion he had no loving kindness he had thankfulness it wasn't there. Don't be a Jonah. Be a Ruth. Don't be a Jonah. Be a Ruth. Be a Ruth.

And never be ruthless. That big of a story.

Go with me to. Our last verse. Hosea. Hosea. Oh that incredible story. And Hosea that poor man. When you read that. Hosea six verse six. Hosea first and verse six. He is saying here for I desire what. Has said. Has said. I desire. Has said all those that incredible work those incredible. Everything involved in this. This is what he said for I desire has said and not sacrifice. I'm not looking for rituals I want heart not rituals. You can sacrifice go with all right paid my dues. Oh yeah I treated somebody right. I actually stole this and. Yeah I lied about it and I did all this. Okay let me go sacrifice it then. That's not what he want but that's what he's beginning to be turned into. That's why he's Hosea is having to go through this this life he's having to go through to say. No. I desire has said. Not sacrifice not rituals not like oh yeah well yeah. My bad. No. Was really feeling compassion.

And it's interesting because. My friend is watching today from. From. Greece. If it's too late for him yet. But he's working with me. Our lone member you might have met him. Stephen Brattain. Don't know if anybody here you met him. Okay. Yes. And so he's working with me on my Greek. Because he speaks fluent Greek and he's also working with me on the Septuagint. Because. I brought him and hopefully he's beginning to help me but. Because the Septuagint is the Greek speaking. Translated Old Testament. Okay. It was the Old Testament brought together and I can you can look that up and see how the Septuagint was put together and it will help you understand that it was the Hebrew translated into the Greek. Because the Greeks were going to take it all over the world. And they thought everybody would learn Greek. They'd conquer the world that was their plan. But here the Septuagint is the translation. I want you to get this. It is the translation I'll do by whatever his name is. Stay with me here. It is the translation that Jesus Christ used the most. He spoke Aramaic but when he read from the scripture he read from the Septuagint. Except when he stood up and read about from Isaiah that was in Hebrew. But you'll find that 90 percent of everything he said was quoting the Septuagint. Why is that important. It is to me because I want to get it right. The Greek word in the Septuagint for. Hissed. Is Ilios. Ilios. And it means the same thing but it's it's not just one word. Mercy compassion pity. It's it's big. It's it's just as big. Why do I bring that out. Because Christ quoted. Twice. In Matthew nine and verse 13 and Matthew 12 and verse 17. What did he quote. I desire. Hiss it. And not sacrifice. For Christ to say it twice Matthew to write it down twice. It was important. This was so important because they didn't get it. He wants us to have Hissed. That's what he desires. Will we do it. Will we do it.

This year. At Thanksgiving. Wherever you're at. Maybe at home. Maybe a family. You will be. Or maybe you're at a gathering like I will be in Alabama. All her family comes in. She's not in here right now.

Crimson Tide cried. There's crazy about their Crimson Tide football team. And this is the first year. First year I tell you. I will be there. That Tennessee gave them a whipping. So I can actually. Say something about it this year. But we have the opportunity to represent God. To show Hiss it. To live Hiss it. Not only for Thanksgiving. Which God wants us to. We represent him. Can we above all people on earth show people. What Thanksgiving should be about. What God's done for us. Well I don't want to be too religious. You think Christ was afraid of being too religious. But. Brother we have a great opportunity. Let us. Let the word Hiss it. Let us live Hiss it. Let us become part of our character. Part of our language. Part of our vocabulary. Part of our understanding. And like. Let's put it on just like we put on a jacket. Jacob's coat. Needs to be a part of us. Let it define us. As the children of God. Because that. Is who we are.