THANKSGIVING.
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For me there is something about thanksgiving - not about the holiday, not about the turkey, though I am not complaining about the way we celebrate. Once per year, I see all of my favorite foods on the table, and with that sight - I give great thanks, I typically see family gathering and taking, and maybe getting a little loud - and while it may get on my last nerve, I am thankful because perhaps they will not be here for the next celebration.
We are going to drawl out from our texts today our response to God in thanksgiving. Prayerfully, there are all things you have already thought of and are doing - if not - may this serve as a reminder.
A psalm of thanksgiving. 1 Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his— his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.
This is starting out just the way most of our celebrations might start out - LOUD! Look! I’ve said it before and I am saying it again - If loud bothers you, heaven is going to be a struggle. (nah - because you’ll be too busy praising) We see in the Bible over and over again about the loudness of praise and even God
The Sound of Thanksgiving.
The Sound of Thanksgiving.
Psalm 100:1 (CSB)
1 Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the Lord!
It’s going to get loud - There is a time for reverence in quiet but there is also a time to shout (triumphantly)
We shout in “JOYFUL PRAISE” - This is the fashion in which we bring our praise to God and allow others to witness our praise to the God who never fails us.
The Hebrew word is CHARA and it means several things and this particular term is used over 580 times throughout scripture.
It is used in the meanings of:
It is used in the meanings of:
Cry out, cry out with a loud voice, to shout above all,
Is the same as a war cry and an alarm and to rejoice.
Joshua’s blasts of the trumpet around the final march in Jericho would have been a CHARA - are declaration of victory.
When we praise our God - it is to be a DECLARATION OF VICTORY. (even for those not yet seen)
Who is to offer such praise?
Who is to offer such praise?
The Bible clearly indicates that “ALL THE EARTH” or “All ye lands”
We are to be a JOYFUL people - and joy must not be determined nor detoured by our situation nor circumstance.
Our joy must be found in Christ, By Christ, and Through Christ alone.
The old saying goes like this - if you desire true JOY.
JESUS - OTHERS - YOURSELF. JOY
There’s Service and Singing in Thanksgiving
There’s Service and Singing in Thanksgiving
Psalm 100:2 (CSB)
2 Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Notice it does not say - If you feel like serving and it never says - sing only if you think you have a great voice.
The passage says: SERVE & SING. These are the byproducts of a thankful heart before God.
It’s why we say SAVED PEOPLE SERVE PEOPLE.
Serve the Lord with Gladness.
Serve the Lord with Gladness.
For the Joy of Salvation. He brought us out of sin and put a new song in out heart.
Joy of knowing Jesus. Jesus came to take our sin away. Matthew 1:21
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
We serve the Lord with gladness and we don’t care who sees us, hears us, laughs at us, or whispers that we can’t carry a tune in a bucket. We serve Him because He Saved us. and we serve with great gladness.
SINGING.
SINGING.
We used to go to these all night gospel sings that would last until late in the night, they were amazing. But I’ll admit, I would wonder in my youth - how much longer this could possibly go on.
Now I have come to realize that God has placed the song in the heart and we come before Him with SINGING. LOUD SINGING.
If paul and silas could sing in prison and praise God - what is stopping you?
Singing is a great way to praise the Lord.
The Supernatural and Personal
The Supernatural and Personal
3 Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He made us, and we are his— his people, the sheep of his pasture.
This verse start out with a plea - We all must, in our on heart - ACKNOWLEDGE THE LORD - ACCEPT SALVATION. Romans 10:9
Romans 10:9 (CSB)
9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Proverbs tell us “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God.
Many will site the evil going on in the world and say “how can God allow such things to occur” so I just do not believe in God.
This is the MORAL ARGUMENT against the existence of God.
Evil is over-taking the world, so there must not be a God, because how can God love us but allow these things to happen?
The moral argument begins with the fact that all people recognize some moral code (that some things are right, and some things are wrong).
Every time we argue over right and wrong, we appeal to a higher law that we assume everyone is aware of, holds to, and is not free to arbitrarily change. Right and wrong imply a higher standard or law, and law requires a lawgiver.
Because the Moral Law transcends humanity, this universal law requires a universal lawgiver.
In support of the moral argument, we see that even the most remote tribes who have been cut off from the rest of civilization observe a moral code similar to everyone else’s. Although differences certainly exist in civil matters, virtues like bravery and loyalty and vices like greed and cowardice are universal.
If man were responsible for that code, it would differ as much as every other thing that man has invented. Further, it is not simply a record of what mankind does—rarely do people ever live up to their own moral code.
Where, then, do we get these ideas of what should be done? Romans 2:14-15
14 So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them
Romans says that the moral law (or conscience) comes from an ultimate lawgiver above man. If this is true, then we would expect to find exactly what we have observed. This lawgiver is God.
We show Thanksgiving to God by acknowledging HIm. Personally and Publicly.
When we acknowledge God Something Supernatural Happens.
When we acknowledge God Something Supernatural Happens.
We come to understand that God is in control - all things are under His control. 828. Col. 1:16
16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him.
We understand that God not only created all things - but that He created us.
We sinned - We messed up!
But when we come to our point of surrendering our life to Him - He once again goes to creator mode.
God re-creates us at the time of our salvation - from the old to the new. 2 Cor. 5:17
2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!
We come to be THANKFUL THAT GOD IS BOTH IN CONTROL AND IS STILL IN THE CREATION BUSINESS.
IT IS DEEPLY PERSONAL.
IT IS DEEPLY PERSONAL.
We are HIS sheep. (by new birth) John 1:12
John 1:12 (CSB)
12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name,
We can also be THANKFUL today because, even if you have forgotten - allow me to remind you that God is a jealous God.
You care for and protect the ones you love. God Loves Us!
We are HIS PEOPLE and WE BELONG TO HIM as the “SHEEP OF HIS PASTURE”
We have both belonging as God’s Children and protection as the one He watches over.
The Core of Thanksgiving
The Core of Thanksgiving
A MAN needed his pants ironed. His wife, as she ironed the pants for him, burned the pants. These pants were brand-new pants that he was looking forward to wearing. Her husband started to get mad but stopped to think before reacting and said, “Lord, thank You that my leg wasn’t in those pants.” There is always a reason to give thanks.
The core of THANKSGIVING IS THIS: THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.
“Don’t come in my house with them dirty clothes on”
This Psalm actually gives us the key instruction on entering the presence of God.
There are many books written on the topic, and many that might suggest otherwise - But it is BIBLE CLEAR RIGHT HERE.
Come into HIS presence with THANKSGIVING.
There is a Hebrew word being that we are in the OT today - it is SHEMA. It is both the prayer :Shema: but it literally means to “listen, to focus, to draw your attention to - HEAR WHAT I AM SAYING TO YOU
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
Catch this: SHEMA, O Israel - The Lord ouR God; the Lord is One.
IN OTHER WORDS - LISTEN, FOCUS, PAY ATTENTION ISRAEL TO WHAT I AM TELL YOU. THE LORD IS ONE, LOVE HIM WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART, SOUL, STRENGTH, AND KEEP THIS IN YOU HEART.
THIS PASSAGE IN PSALM 100 IS A SHEMA PASSAGE - LISTEN - FOCUS - PAY ATTENTION - HEAR WHAT GOD IS IS SAYING - ENTER MY GATES (PRESENCE) WITH THANKSGIVING, AND ENTER MY COURTS WITH PRAISE.
YOU COME BEFORE GOD WITH WORSHIP AND PRAISE.
THERE ARE 3 THINGS THAT REMAIN THE SAME WITH THE LORD.
THERE ARE 3 THINGS THAT REMAIN THE SAME WITH THE LORD.
5 For the Lord is good, and his faithful love endures forever; his faithfulness, through all generations.
THESE ARE WHAT I AM CALLING THE CORE, OR CENTER OF OUR THANKSGIVING.
THE LORD IS GOOD
HIS MERCY IS EVERLASTING
HIS TRUTH ENDURES TO ALL GENERATIONS.
THE LORD IS SO GOOD TO US. HE WILL NEVER FAIL US.
HIS MERCY IS BEYOND OUR COMPREHENSION.
GOD’S TRUTH (THE BIBLE) WILL ENTURE FOREVER.
I WANT TO ADD JUST ONE MORE APPLICATION TODAY AS WE LOOK AT THANKSGIVING. ONE MORE VERSE. THAT I BELIEVE SHOULD BE TALKED ABOUT AROUND EVERY TABLE THIS COMING THURSDAY, MAYBE EVEN TODAY DURING OUR MEAL TIME TOGETHER.
FOR IN THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE OUR LIFE FINDS MEANING, AND OUR HOPE IS FOUND. IT IS WHERE WE MOVE FROM THE SINKING SANDS OF THIS WORLD AND PLACE OUR FEET FIRMLY ON THE SOLID ROCK THAT IS CHRIST JESUS.
2 Corinthians 9:15 (NKJV)
15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (WHICH IS PRECIOUS BEYOND WORD)
THE GIFT OF JESUS.
HE IS EXTENDING THIS GIFT TO EACH OF US TODAY.
AN OPORTUNITY TO SHOW THANKS AND GRATITUDE FOR HIS BLESSINGS AND PROVISION, AND PROMISE.
AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE HIM AS CREATOR WHEN WE COME TO HIM SURRENDERING OUR OLD LIFE AND ASKING HIM TO CREATE IN US A NEW LIFE THAT IS PLEASING TO HIM THROUGH SALVATION.
THANKS BE TO GOD, FOR HIS INDESCRIBABLE GIFT - JESUS!