Thankfulness
Thanksgiving • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 14 viewsNotes
Transcript
Thanksgiving is Biblical
Thanksgiving is Biblical
Thanksgiving is not only a Biblical principal, it is a God given command
There are many benefits from being thankful
There are also many consequences of being unthankful
Our Heritage is rooted in Thanksgiving
The Pilgrims of the Mayflower
Paul and Silas in Prison
plenty of reason to complain, or be angry
offered thanksgiving and praise instead
Blessing came after the thanksgiving
Abraham Lincoln’s 1st Proclamation
in the midst of the Civil War
listed things that were going well, industry, crops, peace with other nations
acknowledged Almighty God as the source of good
Jesus set an example of Thanksgiving
Jesus set an example of Thanksgiving
6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.
Again, thanksgiving came before the miracle of multiplication
Jesus often gave thanks, at 1st communion, at the tomb of Lazarus...
He instructed us to be thankful
The early disciples set an example of Thanksgiving
The early disciples set an example of Thanksgiving
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
There are often more ungrateful people than thankful people
There are often more ungrateful people than thankful people
We should still remember the thankful ones more.
This leads to our own well being
11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.
17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
All ten of these had the same disease - the same problem
Jesus sent them all to show themselves to the priest -
in other words, He sent them to acknowledge their miracles
many people don’t want to acknowledge their blessings, becasue they don’t want to acknowledge they were in need
many people are ashamed of their need - or too prideful of themselves
As they were on their way, they noticed they were “cleansed”
their symptoms had gone away -
does not mean the disease was gone - but it was certainly a miracle - and much better.
One of them glorified God
with a loud voice
giving thanks
Jesus told him he was “made whole” - Sozo
Being Unthankful brings God’s wrath
Being Unthankful brings God’s wrath
We also have examples of God’s anger at those who are not thankful
the children of Israel in the wilderness
Unthankfullness for the manna lead to poison from the quail -
The things they wanted destroyed them when they were not thankful for what they had
Yet the Lord was delighted to given them plenty - He was leading them to the promised land
21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Many people who are thankful little receive little
thanklessness leads to poverty
So many times I have witnessed people receive great blessing yet refuse to acknowledge it, or be thankful
yet it always comes to nothing
in short order, they are worse off then before, and even more miserable
Unthankful people are selfish people
Unthankful people are selfish people
One of the reasons many people are so unthankful is becasue they are so selfish -
people who think only of themselves rarely think much about gratitude
Often afraid that expressing thanks might give someone an upper hand - or create a debt -
afraid they may be expected to repay a good deed if they acknowledge it
many people will not acknowledge God for the same reason - doing so would admit the need to respond to Him as God
Thankful People are Generous People
Thankful People are Generous People
Many people think that generous people are generous becasue they have so much to give
the truth is that most generous people were generous when they had little to give
often these are people who have lived a life of thankfulness,
this thankfulness compels them to share -
they are usually even thankful for the chance to give
In fact, I have personally witnessed many, many times where the giver of a gift is more thankful at the giving of a gift than the receiver is at the receiving of the gift
So often in these cases, as I have observed over years, these selfish people end up with little while these generous givers end up with oh so much more to give!
Being Thankful overcomes depression and anxiety
Being Thankful overcomes depression and anxiety
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.