Thanks wheat harvest day’s rule

Thanks wheat harvest day’s rule

 (Deuteronomy 16:9-12)

 

⁹ Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.

¹⁰ And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the Lord thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the Lord thy God, according as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee:

¹¹ And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to place his name there.

¹² And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.

 

Intro)

1. Walter Green who is the author of“This is the moment”said.

 

‘One thing we might regret at the end of our life is missed chances of thanking, So we should thank when we have chance.” Also ‘Say thanks to the people who were help you to be who you are today, you will gain insights. This is the moment.’

Walter thanks to his wife, parents and children all the time.

Walter even visited 44 mentors of him during a year to say thank you.

Walter is thankful to ordinary things, for example for his life, his father passed away at the age of 53, Walter’s age is passed 53 he was thankful for that. His conclusion was thankful heart can change mind, people and world.

2. There are three holidays in Israel. one of them is related to harvest wheat they call it Seven weeks. So, most church also remembers this particular holiday.

 

Especially Seven weeks is on first Sunday of July, which is half of a year. People look back half of the year and thanks to God.

Today’s text says ‘which thou shalt give unto the Lord thy God, according as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee” So how do we thank?

 

 

A) Volunteer

 

1. Verse 10 says. “And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the Lord thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the Lord thy God, according as the Lord thy God hath blessed thee.”

 

 Here‘freewill offering’means you do not need to if you do not want, you have to offer something voluntarily. God does not care how much do you put in the envelope, He sees person who offers’ mind. So, by the freewill offering, express your thanks to God.

 

2. John Wanamaker was born in poor family however he became king of department store and later he became a secretary of Treasury and founder of YMCA.

Later he built a church too, at the opening ceremony he said with tears “When I went to the Sunday school, I was really embarrassed because I never had money to offer, So I went to my father’s factory which produce bricks and ask my father to give me some bricks I gave those bricks to the Church and pastor pray for me.” He said “30 years later, with blessing of God I was able to build a church by my own money.” God blessed him because of his thankful heart.
 B) Thank with joy.

 

1. There is movie called ‘Iron back Mr. Woo Soo’ the hero of the movie Woo Soo was ditched by his parents when he was seven. When he was young he did many bad things, he even went to the jail. However his life changed after he met Jesus, he started sponsor 5 different children. He quit drinking and smoking to support those children more. Even thou himself was poor, he continue to help other people who are in worse environment than him. He said “It is poor excuse to say I cannot help others because I do not have any.” When he died by motorcycle accident he only left picture of 5 children he sponsored and bible verse ‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.’

 

2. Verse 11 says. “ And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to place his name there.”

God wants us to live happy life, He doesn’t care what he give to him he cares how our mind is when we are offering.

 

C) Remember your past

 

1. Verse 12 says “And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt: and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.”

 

2. Izumura Kazuo(井村一夫) was a Christian who worked as a doctor in Osaka Hospital. He died because of cancer when he was at the age of 34. The notes he worte about his death got published after he died, the name of the book is “Folded paper crane.”

There is a part of book with subtitle ‘precious things are invisible.’

The part basically saying how people miss every thankful thing which are ordinary but also most precious.

 3. When we look back, there are many things that we should thanks to God for what He did. Are we not living without thanking but think God’s bless for us as something natural? When I was in middle school I had to ate Su je bi(flour soup) all the time, I never had chance to pack fried egg in my launch bag. Nowadays I can eat whatever I want.
4. Before Exodus, people of Israel was meant to die as slaves, however God saved them from that faith. They were thankful for their free (Seven weeks was originated from this)

 

3. one day a rose asked God ‘why did you give me these thorns?’ then God replied, ‘I never gave you thorns, I gave flower to the thorn tree.’

In the same circumstances, some people complain about thorns, and some people thankful for the flower, what is your flower? Think and find what you should be thankful.

Con)

1. Everybody has something to thank, however we usually complain more.

Something to thank will plied up who thanks all the time, Complain would plied up for those who complains. only person who thanks can glorify God and as much as you thank god will bless you with joy, peace and power.

2. Rev. Charles Spurgeon said“When you thank, your unhappiness will gone and everything will go well.” I hope we all be volunteer, joy, and remember things to thank!

 

번역-안성우