Entering the promised land, this message teaches, takes more than leaving Egypt. Israel was set free but kept wandering for forty years because nothing inside them changed, and they complained, argued and murmured the whole way. In this closing message of the series, the speaker shows that the way out of that wilderness mindset is to live as a new creation in Christ and to replace complaining with giving thanks.
He builds his teaching on giving thanks from 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 16:33, Psalm 103 and the feeding of the five thousand. Below you will find the video, a summary, the key Scriptures (NKJV on Bible Gateway), a timestamped outline and practical steps for this week.
Sermon at a Glance
This message was preached at NTC Ministries and posted on August 15, 2022. It runs about 58 minutes and closes with communion and prayer. The speaker says he is wrapping up a four-part series on entering your promised land, and he opens with a short review: the Israelites left Egypt, but for forty years they bickered and murmured, and nothing was ever good enough.
His central claim is that the same thing can happen to Christians. If we keep doing the same things after salvation, we should not expect change. Entering the promised land, he teaches, means living as a new creation and making giving thanks a daily habit.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Speaker | A guest speaker at NTC Ministries (not named in the recording) |
| Series | Entering Your Promised Land, closing message |
| Main text | 2 Corinthians 5:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 |
| Key theme | Giving thanks instead of complaining as the way out of the wilderness |
| Length | About 58 minutes, ending in communion |
Free but Not Free: Why Israel Wandered
The speaker describes Israel’s exodus as a type and shadow of salvation. Jesus came to free us from death, hell and the grave, and the Bible says that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our heart, we will be saved (Romans 10:9–10). That moment is like Israel walking out of Egypt. It is real freedom, but it is only the beginning of the journey.
Israel was set free, he says, but were they really free? Not at all. They carried Egypt with them in their complaining, and that kept them out of the promised land. He quotes Dr. Hohman’s saying that change isn’t change unless there’s change: a believer who keeps the same habits after salvation cannot expect a different life.
He points to the promise that if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed (John 8:36). We can claim and proclaim that freedom. But Scripture also calls us to come out from the world and be separate, living as new creations while we are still in this world.
That is why the opposite of murmuring matters so much. Negativity, he says, hinders the flow of the Holy Spirit and the power of God in your life. Someone may say you don’t know what I’m going through, and he answers that God does, and God can make a way where there is no way. Giving thanks is the opposite of murmuring, and it is the title of his message.
New Creations in Christ: Taste and See
The main text is 2 Corinthians 5:17, which he reads from the Amplified Bible: if anyone is in Christ, grafted in and joined to Him by faith, he is a new creature, reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit. The old things, the previous moral and spiritual condition, have passed away, and new things have come.
People should be able to tell we are in Christ by our actions and by the words that come out of our mouths. Becoming a new creation is not a matter of praying a prayer and suddenly being different. God is not a genie in a bottle.
God has given us His Word and told us to be doers of it, not hearers only (James 1:22). Coming to church only out of religious duty, he says, makes the Word of God of no effect (Mark 7:13).
From Psalm 34:8–16 he draws King David’s invitation: “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good.” Some people never try a new food. David is saying step out of your comfort zone, because that step activates faith. Those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
The same psalm says to keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. A new creation declares the Word, and that means reading it, memorizing it and applying it. Whatever comes into your life is what will flow out of it.
He gives two examples. When something goes wrong with your health, what comes to mind first? He wants to remember that by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). When lack creeps in, instead of scrambling in our own strength, he turns to Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides. He goes to God first, as Dr. Hohman taught in the principle of first, and lets God lead him to the right help.
Courage to Fight From Victory
Next he reads John 16:33 in the Amplified Bible. Jesus told us these things so that in Him we may have perfect peace. In the world we will have tribulation, distress and suffering, but we are to be courageous, confident, undaunted and filled with joy, because He has overcome the world. His conquest is accomplished and His victory is abiding.
He warns against jumping on every thought and feeling, because the just shall live by faith, not feelings (Romans 1:17). None of us would be where we are today if we lived by our feelings. Faith got you here, and God is not done with you yet.
Because the victory is abiding, he says, we do not have to fight for the victory. We get to fight from the victory, because Christ is in us, the hope of glory. He links this to Joshua, whom God told three times to be strong and courageous as he prepared to lead Israel into the promised land (Joshua 1:6–9). Entering the promised land took courage then, and it takes courage now.
Waiting for God to show us something is not the same as faith. He has already done His part, and it is up to us to take the steps. Why start a food pantry, medical clinics, Bible colleges or new churches? Because each one is a step of faith that grows our trust in Him more than in the ways of the world.
He contrasts this with Christians who only want to make it to heaven. A son or daughter does not question whether their father will feed them or take care of them. Why would we question our heavenly Father? Any thought contrary to the Word of God, he says, is a perversion of the Word. Do not let even a little sin slide.
He reminds the church that Jesus would rather we be hot or cold than lukewarm (Revelation 3:15–16). Social media is not your devotions. Commit to prayer and the Word, and God gives the strength to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:31).
The Power of Your Words
Israel stayed in bondage by complaining, arguing and bickering. So the speaker turns to the power of words. In Psalm 141:3 the psalmist cries out, “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” He knows no man can tame the tongue, so he asks God for help. Death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21), so we must speak life.
Psalm 19:14 joins our words to our meditation: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight.” What we take in eventually comes out. He loves being around uplifting people, because they have learned the power of their words.
He would rather look at God than at everything wrong in the world. Whatever things are true, noble, pure, lovely and of good report are what we are to meditate on (Philippians 4:8). We will hear the bad news, but we do not have to stew on it. When it comes to mind, he answers it by giving thanks that his name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
He reads the Word out loud in his morning devotions, and he points the church to printed Scripture confessions in the entryway: who I am in Christ, a sound mind, prosperity and health. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7), and He wants us to prosper and be in health as our soul prospers (3 John 2).
He memorizes Scripture so he can declare it over his life when he needs it. Declare the Word over your household, your work and even your enemies, he says, and watch your days be transformed.
Giving Thanks Opens the Gates
The opposite of grumbling is giving thanks. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 says to rejoice always, pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Some Christians pray “God, if it’s Your will,” but the speaker says he knows God’s will: it is for good and not for evil.
His key line is that thankfulness makes us more aware of God’s ability than our own inabilities. He admits he makes mistakes, but he does not thank God for his weakness or his sickness. He thanks God for His strength despite his weakness, and that He is his healer despite how he feels.
The table below follows the contrast he draws between what we are tempted to focus on and what giving thanks turns our attention to.
| Instead of focusing on | He thanks God that | Name or verse he uses |
|---|---|---|
| My lack | God provides all my need | Jehovah Jireh |
| How I feel in my body | He is the God who heals | Jehovah Rapha |
| Not knowing what to do | He is my source of wisdom and leads me in battle | Jesus as the general who leads him |
| What I cannot do | With God all things are possible | Matthew 19:26 |
| My old spiritual condition | Old things have passed away | 2 Corinthians 5:17 |
| Feeling far from God | He never leaves or forsakes us | Psalm 100:4 |
With God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26), and we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). God is not a fast-food window. Through faith and patience we inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12). Like a toddler learning to walk, we fall and grow, and we cannot live on our pastor’s or our parents’ faith.
He loves Psalm 103:1–5: bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. He forgives all your iniquities, heals all your diseases, redeems your life from destruction, crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, and renews your youth like the eagle’s. Giving thanks for these benefits, he says, is never finished.
Colossians 2:6–7 tells us to walk in Christ, rooted and built up in Him, abounding in it with thanksgiving. When God feels a million miles away, he says, that is our feelings speaking. Peter walked on the water toward Jesus, began to sink when he looked at the wind, and Jesus immediately reached out His hand (Matthew 14:28–31).
Psalm 100 tells us to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. That is the key, he says. When you begin to thank Him, it is as if the gates open and you walk right into His presence. He also passes on something he heard a minister say: let your prayer life be two percent petition and ninety-eight percent thanksgiving.
Entering the Promised Land the Way Jesus Gave Thanks
The speaker then gives a warning from Romans 1:21–24, which he says jumped off the page for him. Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. They knew God, yet kept living as if they did not. Without giving thanks, he warns, believers drift back into the wilderness.
How can God give people up? God does not change, he says, but He has given us free will. When we keep choosing wrong, His hand of blessing is lifted, and we become futile in our thoughts and wonder why God feels so far away. The way back is to ask His forgiveness and live a life filled with thanksgiving.
Psalm 50:23, read from the Easy-to-Read Version, carries the same promise: whoever offers thanks honors God, and whoever lives right will see His power to save. Giving thanks, he says, builds strong spiritual habits for entering the promised land, at every meal, when we wake up and when we go to bed.
His last story is the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14:13–21. When the disciples wanted to send the crowd away to buy food, Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” They had only five loaves and two fish. But if our facts are contrary to the Word of God, he says, remember that with God all things are possible.
Jesus had the people sit down, took the five loaves and two fish, looked up to heaven and gave thanks. Then He broke the bread, and they all ate and were filled, with twelve baskets left over. If Jesus gave thanks, the speaker asks, shouldn’t we? Entering the promised land, he concludes, starts with simply giving thanks.
He moves into communion with 1 Corinthians 11:23–26, noting that even there, Jesus gave thanks before He broke the bread. We have a covenant with the living God, he says, so we never have to fear or question our inabilities. In his closing prayer he thanks God that the righteous are bold as lions (Proverbs 28:1), and he reminds anyone who feels God is far away that Jesus is reaching out His hand right now.
Living It Out: Entering the Promised Land This Week
The speaker’s goal is change that people can see. Here are the practical steps he draws from this message:
- Change what you do, not just what you say. A new creation leaves old places, habits and words behind; change isn’t change unless there’s change.
- Go to God first. When health, money or relationships are under pressure, turn to His Word and His names before you scramble in your own strength.
- Guard your mouth. Pray Psalm 141:3 and choose to speak life, not complaint, over your home and your work.
- Declare Scripture out loud. Read and memorize the Word in your morning devotions so you can speak it when you need it.
- Make thanks your main prayer. Try his ninety-eight percent thanksgiving, two percent petition pattern for a week.
- Take a step of faith. Serve as God’s hands and feet, whether through a food pantry, a church or simply helping someone in need.
Timestamped Outline
- 0:00 Closing the series: Israel freed but not free
- 0:57 Change isn’t change unless there’s change
- 1:58 The title: entering your promised land, giving thanks
- 3:52 New creations in Christ: 2 Corinthians 5:17
- 4:53 God is not a genie; be doers of the Word
- 5:53 Taste and see that the Lord is good: Psalm 34
- 7:43 What comes to mind first when trouble comes
- 9:42 Perfect peace in Christ: John 16:33
- 11:44 Be strong and courageous: Joshua 1
- 13:59 Sons and daughters do not question their Father
- 15:01 No compromise and no lukewarm faith
- 18:08 Set a guard over my mouth: Psalm 141:3
- 21:10 Declaring Scripture out loud
- 23:50 In everything give thanks: 1 Thessalonians 5
- 27:17 Thanking God for His strength, not our weakness
- 29:23 I can do all things; building strong habits
- 32:36 Forget not all His benefits: Psalm 103
- 34:58 Rooted and built up with thanksgiving: Colossians 2
- 36:14 Peter walks on the water
- 37:11 Enter His gates with thanksgiving: Psalm 100
- 41:09 Although they knew God: Romans 1:21–24
- 44:47 Whoever gives thanks honors God: Psalm 50:23
- 46:09 Jesus gives thanks and feeds five thousand
- 51:18 Communion: 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this message say Christians should not see a doctor?
No. The speaker says plainly that God has given us doctors and other help, and that those things are good. His point is about order: he goes to God first, declares what the Word says and asks God to lead him. He believes God will then guide his steps and bring the right people across his path to help with the situation.
What if I have already thanked God many times?
The speaker’s answer is to keep going. If you have thanked Him a million times, make it two million. He describes giving thanks as a habit to build several times a day, and he says it keeps your mind on God’s goodness instead of drifting back toward complaining.
Why does the message end with communion?
The speaker points out that on the night He was betrayed, Jesus took bread and gave thanks before He broke it. Communion, he says, is a reminder of who our source is in the middle of trouble and of the covenant we have with the living God. Because of that covenant, believers never have to fear or question their own inabilities.
Scripture References
All passages open in the New King James Version on Bible Gateway:
- 2 Corinthians 5:17 — if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation
- Psalm 34:8–16 — taste and see that the Lord is good
- John 16:33 — be of good cheer, I have overcome the world
- Joshua 1:6–9 — be strong and of good courage
- Psalm 141:3 — set a guard over my mouth
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 — in everything give thanks
- Psalm 103:1–5 — forget not all His benefits
- Psalm 100 — enter His gates with thanksgiving
- Romans 1:21–24 — nor were they thankful
- Matthew 14:13–21 — Jesus gives thanks and feeds the five thousand
How this summary was made: written with AI assistance from the sermon’s own transcript and checked against the Scriptures listed above.
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