In the world, there are two kinds of people: those who see a glass 50% full as half-filled and those who see that same glass as half-empty. The person who sees the glass half-full is happy that there is still 50% left. The person who sees the glass half-empty is sad that there is 50% gone. What kind of person are you? Half-full or half-empty?
The world that we live in is not a full glass kind of world. Only when we get to heaven will our glasses be filled to the brim. In this life, we live in a 50% full glass world. There are good things in our life and some not so good things. Currently we’re in a message series called “How God Sees You.” When God looks at you, how do you think He sees you? Half-full or half-empty? When you look at yourself, how do you see yourself? Half-full or half-empty?
If you see yourself as half-empty, you may want to complain and be discouraged. If you see yourself as half-full, you will want to praise God for filling you.
Hebrews 13:15 (NIV) Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that confess his name.
God wants our lives to be full of praise to Him. In fact, in this verse, we are commanded to continually offer up praises to God. How are you doing on that? I know that I have a ways to go. Sometimes, especially when I am looking at myself or life as half-empty, I don’t feel like praising God so much. But when I do praise God, it changes my feelings. I begin to be filled with joy, I am encouraged and I sense the presence of the Lord.
So today, God wants to encourage and motivate us to praise Him more. To see His hand in our lives, filling us with His blessings. My message today is called “Greatly Blessed.” I believe that if we can increasingly see ourselves as greatly blessed by God, it will be easier to praise Him. If you’re a believer here this morning, God sees you as greatly blessed. He wants you to see yourself the same way.
Have you ever had someone tell you when you were discouraged to count your blessings? That actually is a biblical principle and that’s what we’re going to do today. We’re going to look at an incredible passage from Ephesians 1:3-14 which will vividly show us how we are greatly blessed in Christ. This passage is a single unbroken sentence in the Greek, 202 Greek words long. It’s as if Paul through the Holy Spirit was so excited about God’s blessings that he couldn’t stop to take a breath or end the sentence.
In this passage, we’re going to find awesome reasons to praise God because of His great blessings for our lives. This message will help you continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise.