Paul s main subject here is PRAISE, THANKSGIVING. Notice the other important words in these passages; ALWAYS, WITHOUT CEASING, and IN EVERYTHING

Transcription

1 GIVING OF THANKS AND SHOWING GRATITUDE TO GOD 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 It was on Thanksgiving many years ago that actress Helen Hayes cooked her first turkey. Before serving it she announced to her husband, Charles MacArthur, and their son James: Now I know this is the first turkey I ve ever cooked. If it isn t right, I don t want anybody to say a word. We ll just get up from the table without comment, and go down to a restaurant for dinner. Then she retired to the kitchen. When she entered the dining room, bearing the turkey, she found her husband and son seated at the table wearing their hats and coats. Ephesians 5: speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, NKJV 1 Thessalonians 5: Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. NKJV Paul s main subject here is PRAISE, THANKSGIVING. Notice the other important words in these passages; ALWAYS, WITHOUT CEASING, and IN EVERYTHING

2 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 2 of 15. CHURCH? In Ephesians "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart..." But he Continual attitude for Christians - an attitude of the heart. HOW? HOW can we have this attitude ALWAYS, especially "IN EVERYTHING?" IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCE I believe the answer lies in our perspective of GOD and thanksgiving. We need the proper perspective. One young lady wrote home from college, "Dear Mom: Sorry I haven t written sooner. My arm really has been broken. I broke it, and my left leg, when I jumped from the second floor of my dormitory...when we had the fire. We were lucky. A young service station attendant saw the blaze and called the Fire Department. They were there in minutes. I was in the hospital for a few days. Paul, the service station attendant, came to see me every day. And because it was taking so long to get our dormitory live able again, I moved in with him. He has been so nice. I must admit that I am pregnant. Paul and I plan to get married just as soon as he can get a divorce. I hope things are fine at home. I m doing fine, and will write more when I get the chance. Love, Your daughter, Susie P.S. None of the above is true. But I did get a "C" in Sociology and flunked Chemistry. I just wanted you to receive this news in its "Proper Perspective!" To be thankful in EVERYTHING, we need a proper perspective of our circumstances and of our God. Only

3 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 3 of 15 then we will be able to give thanks to the Lord always. Now, I believe there are at least three attitudes that steal away our gratitude. Three things that keep us from being thankful. 1. PRIDE. This is the attitude that says, "Nobody ever gave me anything, I worked hard for everything I have." For years you studied hard and now it is finally paying off. With this kind of attitude, we feel that we have no one to thank but ourselves. 2. A CRITICAL SPRIT/ CONSTANT COMPLAINING Instead of being grateful, this person will always find something to complain about. "A lady known as an incurable grumbler constantly complained about everything. At last her preacher thought he had found something about which she would be happy, for her farm crop was the finest for miles around. When he met her, he said with a beaming smile, `You must be very happy Mary. Everyone is saying how healthy your potatoes look this year. `True they re pretty good, but what am I going to do when I need bad ones to feed the pigs. " 3. UNGRATEFULNESS The Israelites grumbled because they had no food so God miraculously sent manna. Then they started to grumble because it was the same thing every day.

4 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 4 of 15 Rudyard Kipling was a great writer and poet whose writings we have all enjoyed. Unlike many old writers, Kipling was one of the few who had opportunity to enjoy his success while he lived. He also made a great deal of money at his trade. One time a newspaper reporter came up to him and said, "Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over a hundred dollars a word; Mr. Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, "Really, I certainly wasn t aware of that." The reporter cynically reached down into his pocket and pulled out a $100 bill and gave it to Kipling and said, "Here s a $100 bill, Mr. Kipling. Now, you give me one of your $100 words." Mr. Kipling looked at the $100 bill for a moment, took it and folded it up and put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks." This morning I would like to share with you three things we learn about thanksgiving from the Bible. I. Thanksgiving Should Be Expressed EXAMPLE: The 10 leprous men healed by Jesus. "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." Have you ever wondered why Jesus said that? I mean like the others; the man was already healed of his leprosy from the time they went to show themselves to the priest.

5 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 5 of 15 But when Jesus says to this one man, "Your faith has made you well," He wasn t just talking about a physical healing, He was talking about a spiritual one, a mental one. He was made whole. THANKSGIVING/ GRATITUDE CAN BE HEALING TO US We too are made whole by our thanksgiving. Psychologists today tell us that sincere gratitude, thanksgiving, is the healthiest of all human emotions. ILLUSTRATION: Dr. Hans Selye, who is considered the father of stress studies, has said that gratitude produces more positive emotional energy than any other attitude in life. Also, thanksgiving is not only good for the giver but also good for the receiver. God appreciates our thanksgiving. It lifts Him up and it glorifies Him. And thanksgiving endears him to us. It draws us closer. A LACK OF THANKSGIVING OR GRATITUDE CAN BE DETRIMENTAL TO US. Romans 1:21 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.

6 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 6 of 15 This passage seems to imply that people who are ungrateful to God will soon fall away - their hearts will become hardened. Here, we see pride keeping people from worshipping God and being thankful. What are some ways we can express our thankfulness and gratitude to God? You say thank you to God when you; 1) Spend time with Him and not just on Sundays. 2) When you forgive others 3) When you serve in His church 4) When you share His Plan of salvation 5) When you reach out to hurting people 6) When you give God the best of your time, talents, tithes, and offerings. 7) When you praise Him enthusiastically from the heart I. Thanksgiving And Gratitude Should Be Expressed II. Our Thanksgiving And Gratitude Should Be Expansive As our thanksgiving expands, it should include 3 things; 1. The Blessings of Life. You know, I really love my wife. She is a very special

7 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 7 of 15 lady. She s truly a blessing to my life. One thing that is really special is that each evening she stands in our kitchen and thanks God for our sink full of dirty dishes. No, she doesn t do that! I DO. Do you realize that two thirds of the world goes to bed hungry every night? We are too general in showing gratitude to God for our blessings. EXAMPLE: Children Starting to date Debra and praying for the food and Dad said, He who prays long in private, need not pray long in public. Count your blessings...name them one by one...count your many blessings see what God has done. Our Thanksgiving and gratitude should not only be for 1. The Blessings of Life, but also includes 2. The Burdens of Life. This is a tough one. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. NKJV 1 Thessalonians 5: Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing,

8 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 8 of 15 You may think, surely Paul made a mistake or even that this was easy for him to say. But it wasn t. Paul suffered from some very difficult problem that he called a thorn in the flesh. He also had been run out of town, beaten, whipped, imprisoned, betrayed by friends, naked, cold, hungry, shipwrecked, and stoned because of his faith. Yet, Paul never stopped giving thanks. Paul said several things that really show he had the proper perspective of the burdens of life... Romans 8:18 18 The sufferings we have now are nothing compared to the great glory that will be shown to us. NCV 2 Corinthians 12:10 10 For this reason I am happy when I have weaknesses, insults, hard times, sufferings, and all kinds of troubles for Christ. Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong. NCV Philippians 1:12 And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. NLT ILLUS: Visiting church members in the hospital and being introduced to them. When we like Paul have the proper perspective we to can give thanks in all circumstances...

9 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 9 of 15 In our weakness God can make us strong. When we are struggling God is able to work in our lives. He helps us through times You see, I don t believe Paul is saying that we have to be thankful for our problems but rather - IN THEM." And being thankful in them allows God to use them for His greater good. Acts 16: Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. NKJV Acts 16:33-34 Paul and Silas 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household. NKJV

10 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 10 of 15 As our thanksgiving expands, it should include not only 1. The Blessings of Life 2. The Burdens of Life but also 3. The Benefits Of Life When the Israelites focused on what they didn t have, they failed to see ALL that they DID have. We are constantly adding to our prayer list but more than anything we should be adding to our praise list. Geoff Moore, of the GEOFF MOORE AND THE DISTANCE, sings a song in which, at the beginning of a new day, he says in his song, WELL, IT S GOOD TO BE ALIVE "Well, I wonder what today will see. Will I find my dreams OR stare in the face of tragedy? Whatever may come, whatever may be, of this I am SURE of, I m forgiven and free and I will live like I believe - It s good to be alive... It s good to be alive, to feel the wind in my face, see the blue in the sky. It s days like this, I realize what a gift it is What a gift it is... It s good to be alive. Oh, we have all had some difficult times. Maybe even times that we have despaired even of life itself.

11 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 11 of 15 But, if we really look at all the benefits of life, I think we will find that it s good to be alive. ILLUS: An experiment was done in New York s Central Park where an advertising firm dressed a man up as a blind man and gave him a cup to collect money. One day they put a sign around his neck that read, "I m Blind." On that day he collected about $4.00. The next day they dressed him the same way, placed him in the same place but changed the sign to read, "It s Spring and I m Blind." That day he collected nearly $ That day, those people realized how blessed they were by the beautiful flowers, birds, the sunrise and sunset. And as Christians there are other benefits of life. We can be sure that we are forgiven and free. Oh, It s good to be alive! Not only should our THANKSGIVING be EXPRESSED AND EXPANDED but also we learn that, III. Our Thanksgiving And Gratitude Are Expected Paul says we are to "give thanks in all things, BECAUSE THIS IS GOD S WILL FOR YOU IN CHRIST JESUS."

12 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 12 of 15 This is God s will for us. And he knows, if we will do it, that our lives will be changed. I want to express 3 thoughts about THANKSGIVING AND GRATITUDE BEING EXPECTED. 1. THANKSGIVING and GRATITUDE are the marks of a GROWING CHRISTIAN. For example, a baby is ungrateful. THANKSGIVING and GRATITUDE doesn t come naturally. Sometimes you have to almost force them to say thank you. EXAMPLE: Child at the home school, CLASSICAL CONVERSATIONS, that meets here on Monday, was given a piece of candy from someone. The parents said, What do you say? 2X s! The child said, Thank you. I was about to thank and congratulate the parents for teaching the child, when someone else did. When we realize how blessed we are by others and by God and express that - we are growing. 2. THANKSGIVING and GRATITUDE are the marks of a GIVING CHRISTIAN. When we realize how much God has done for us and how much He continues to do, we should be more than happy to give back to him. TITHING: Time, talents, money. For a real Thanksgiving, there must be "Thanks" and there must be "Giving."

13 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 13 of 15 James 1:17 17 Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows. NCV 15% - 20% to a good waiter/waitress, but to God, 10% is a TOO MUCH. Remember God loves a cheerful giver... Thanksgiving is a mark of a GROWING CHRISTIAN, a GIVING CHRISTIAN and 3. THANKSGIVING AND GRATITUDE are mark of A GLOWING CHRISTIAN. If you are thankful to God, then you will be glowing. You will not be constantly critical and pessimistic but have a heart and attitude of THANKFULNESS and GRATITUDE. Though the difficult times are just that - they will not break you. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. NLT Psalms 147:1

14 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 14 of 15 For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful. NKJV Psalms 50:14 14 Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. NKJV Psalms 69: I will praise the name of God with a song, and I will magnify Him with thanksgiving. 31 This also shall please the Lord better than [sacrificing] an ox or bull, NKJV This is a time that, we as a nation, take to give thanks. Maybe you do not feel like giving thanks. Loss of income Loss of a loved one Luke 6:38 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." NLT ILLUS: Henry Frost served for many years as a missionary to China. In his journal he wrote of a very difficult time in his life. He wrote, "I had received sad news from home, and deep shadows had covered my soul. I prayed BUT the darkness did not vanish. I summoned myself to endure, BUT the darkness only deepened. Then I went to an inland station and saw on

15 GIVING OF THANKS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD Page 15 of 15 the wall of the mission home these words: TRY THANKSGIVING. I did, and in a moment every shadow was gone, not to return.