GIVE THANKS

 

What was the best part of Thanksgiving for you?  Family, food, recreation time, time off from demands of everyday life, time giving thanks to God?  Thanksgiving is about remembering!  And it was so for the Israelites as well.  Psalm 136 

Remembering should cause us to “give thanks” to God.  Forgetting often does not.

Psalms—songs of worship—songs are about remembering—the goodness of God—His worthiness of our praise/worship—His love—His blessings.  Those are good things to remember and they caused the Israelite to praise and thank Him. 

The chorus of our songs is repeated in songs we sing today.  In this Psalm, part of that is “Give thanks to the LORD.”  But the most common thing that is repeated here is a reminder of God’s covenant—His promise with His people—“His love endures forever,” or in the KJV—“His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 

The word for “love” or “lovingkindness” here especially reminds of the covenant God made with His people.  And what you notice as you read or sing this Psalm is that it is a repeating—a reminder—of God’s goodness to them through their history.  Much of this talks of God creating, God choosing the Jews as His people, the giving of the land of Canaan to them, and God’s provision to them.  Remembering all of that—their history with God—His provisions for them—His choosing them to belong to Him—was cause for them to remember that “His love to them was everlasting, eternal, never ending.” 

So after recounting an aspect of God’s provision or God’s covenant with them, they would repeat, “His love endures forever.” 

There are times in any relationship when we need to remember our history with the person.  Husband and wife have words with one another over something that comes up—they get angry—say things they don’t mean.  But each needs to remember their history—what caused them to choose one another in the first place?  Love—they committed themselves to one another—for life—good and bad times.  And remembering that love and commitment—the promises they made to one another—the covenant they made—reminds them to forgive and forget—to remember that there are many more good times in that covenant than bad times.  And then they are willing to work through the problems—the crisis—the words. 

Same in relationship with God—Jews needed to remember His goodness—His promises—His blessings when things got hard.  Same with us today—so we have the Bible to remind us of those good things God did—so that we will renew our covenant—our promises with Him—and give Him thanks and worship. 

I like Psalm 103, which reminded Jews and us today who forgave their (and our) sins, who healed their (and our) diseases, who gave them (and us) love, compassion good things, and keeps walking through life with us. 

When you remember your history with God, you remember how indebted you are to God for things you could not provide for yourself. 

• What diseases have you had that He healed?
• What sins has God forgiven you?
• What has He done for you could not do for yourself?
• When were you down and He lifted your spirits and let you go on when you were ready to give up?
• What has He forgiven you of that you had trouble forgiving yourself for?
• How has He helped you to forgive others or love others who have done things to you that were terrible?

God is compassionate, gracious; slow to anger, abounding in love.  Did you deserve it all?  But He did it anyway. 

Are those things you are thankful for?   

But when we forget, we don’t give Him His rightful place in worship or love or thankfulness. 

Each of us has a story with God—our story connecting with His story.  Do you ever take time to remember—to reflect on that—to think of what you’ve already received from Him? 

If you really do, you will remember that “God is good and His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 

So we have Thanksgiving—not just to remember the pilgrims or the Indians or the first beginnings of our nation.  We have it to remember God’s goodness—God’s provisions—God’s love shown toward us—not just our nation—but to each one of us as well. 

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, and His love endures forever.” 

“Give thanks with a grateful heart, to the Holy One, give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ for us.  And now, let the weak say I am strong, … because of what the LORD has done, give thanks.”

GIVE THANKS IN ALL

Thanksgiving—what are you thankful for?  But we are not just to be thankful FOR—we are also to be thankful IN. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  (NIV) 

Apostle Paul—letter to church in Thessalonica—one of earliest letters. 

Church undergoing opposition for their faith in Jesus.  Wrote to encourage them. 

One thing that Paul teaches is that suffering is inevitable for followers of Jesus.  Hard times are part of God’s plan for His people.  We are to live by faith. 

There are things we can learn from hard times that we cannot or do not learn when things are easy.  Trust in God and faith in Him is learned through times of trial and suffering. 

If faith only works in the good times, that is not faith.  Faith is especially for the hard times. 

·        Rejoice always

o      Joy and happiness are not the same

o      Happiness dependent on circumstances

o      Joy is not

o      Joy comes from faith—things will ultimately turn out because of trust in Jesus

o      Can’t always be happy—but can be joyful because of loving, merciful relationship with Jesus 

·        Pray continually—always

o      Pray at all times

o      Does it mean we should always be praying?  No.

o      But we can always be in an attitude of prayer

o      Prayer is a focus on God

o      Prayer is a trust in God

o      Give all your time to God—be constantly reminded of His presence, love, grace 

·        Give thanks in all circumstances—good and bad

o      Does it say, “Give thanks FOR all circumstances”?  No.

o      Some circumstances are very bad.

o      Remember though, Romans 8:28,  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  (NIV)

o      In all things God is working for our good.

o      Can God bring good out of very bad circumstances?  All-powerful God

o      If this is true, then we can give Him thanks IN all circumstances—in their midst—while they are happening.

o      The focus is on God—not the circumstances—that is faith, trust, hope in Him.

o      The opposite is worry, and that is sin. 

Community Thanksgiving service—Ralph Brandon said, “Thankful people are happy people.” 

o       Thankful people place the focus on God and others.   

o       Thankful people recognize what they have received that they do not deserve—have not earned. 

o       Thankful people can then be happy people—because thankful people are trusting people. 

What are you thankful for? 

What are you thankful IN the midst of? 

Both are important for us at Thanksgiving—and throughout the year as well. 

(Sing)     Give Thanks with a grateful heart

               Give thanks to the Holy One

                Give thanks because He’s given  

               Jesus Christ for us. 

    And now, let the weak say,

    I am strong, let the poor say,

    I am rich, because of what

    The Lord has done for us. 

    Give thanks.

GOOD SOLDIERS

GOOD SOLDIERS

 

Here was my Veteran's Day sermon from last Sunday:

Veteran’s Day—we remember those who served our country in the military so that we might have the freedoms that we have.  Helped not only our nation—but others as well—be freed. 

How many of you are veterans?  Thank you very much. 

2 Timothy 2:1-4  What do good soldiers of Christ do? 

Be strong in the grace of Jesus Christ 

1.     None of us deserved to be saved—all of grace—a gift

2.     A privilege—not to be taken for granted—not to be forgotten 

Battle will continue 

1.     What you heard from others—message of Christ—commitment to Christ—pass it on 

Endure hardship as a good soldier

1.     Soldier life not an easy life—basic training to get into shape for the hardships that follow

2.     Expect the Christian life to be a battle

3.     Expect the Christian life to be at times a matter of suffering

4.     So many Christians want Christian life to be an easy life—we are in war—war with Satan—a very powerful enemy.  Does that sound easy—fighting an enemy who is more powerful than we are.  Remember 1 Jn 4:4  “Greater is He who is in you, than he who is in the world.”

5.     Who is the victor—God not you—at times we suffer 

Keep priorities straight 

1.     In time of war—don’t get involved in civilian affairs

a.       Don’t be sidetracked by things less important than the battle

b.     Don’t be distracted by things less important

c.     Doesn’t that so often happen to Christians? 

2.     In time of war—remember the commander—whose in charge

a.      Soldier of Christ Jesus

b.     Commanding officer

c.     Good soldier wants to please commander—one in charge

                                                  i.      “I don’t like it this way”

                                                ii.      “I don’t think it ought to be done this way”

                                              iii.      “It’s too hard.”

                                             iv.      Who’s in charge? 

3.     How do you please the Commander

a.      Obedience to His teaching

b.     Spend time with the battalion—don’t desert—unity

c.     Keep training—Word, Prayer, Learning

d.     Watch out for things that take your focus off pleasing the Commander 

Are you a good soldier of Jesus Christ? 

In the battle, how do you remember to do these things? 

1.     v. 8  “Remember Jesus Christ”

2.     “Remember others who suffered for their faith”

3.     “Remember you are suffering for others who will follow you”—your family, other soldiers of Jesus—those yet to be soldiers of Jesus