O Give Thanks unto the Lord

The Bible has a lot to say about giving thanks and I think you'll see that as we look at some verses this morning. Says in Ephesians five twenty, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Giving thanks is important and not just at Thanksgiving. But every day. We live in a very ungrateful world today.

I'm afraid to say. But it's the truth. What we have is never enough. Part of being grateful is being content and we live in a world of discontentment. There is a void inside of their heart that they're trying to fill with things that only Jesus can fill and those things will never satisfy.

So, they never have enough. They always have to have the newest thing coming out whether we need it or can't afford it, it would seem. We complain about the government being so far in debt. But most of us live our lives similarly in debt because we have to have things that we can't afford. I think this past week, the the new iPhone came out or they're they're taking they're taking preorders on the new iPhone.

So, you may not get it for six months but just so that you will have the newest thing at the time when it cost absolutely the most money, you can preorder the new iPhone. I think it's iPhone X now. Are we up to? IPhone X or iPhone X. And people preordering those things by the thousands and thousands and thousands.

Hey, if it's a tool and you need it, I understand. But I think we have an issue with having enough. We live in a society which is angry about everything. Have you noticed that recently? Always looking to blame someone else or something else for all our problems.

The problem is either racism or it's homophobia or it's the rich or it's the government or is any sort of mistreatment that we come across. We blame as the source of our problems and we use as an excuse to get angry. Now, some of those are real problems and sometimes we do deal with true mistreatment in this world. And it isn't fair. And we allow those things to overshadow all the things that we have to be thankful for and we use it as an excuse to get to get angry The Bible says, be you angry and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

In other words, there are things that anger us at the time but don't let that anger simmer and don't let it grow and don't let it take over because then it becomes a sin and it defiles and hurts you and others around you. Unfortunately, we've been very good lately. It seems in this country at letting anger grow. And we become a very bitter people. We are ready at the drop of a hat to file a lawsuit so everyone has to have liability insurance and we all walk on eggshells around each other.

Sad, isn't it? Afraid we might just say one little wrong thing or do one thing that offends somebody. Sad to say, the one we should be concerned about offending, most of us give no thought to and that's the God who created us. We live in a society that's more and more entitled to everything and responsible for nothing and I think that's a true statement too. Everyone feels like they're entitled to everything but responsible for nothing.

If that continues eventually there will be nothing and we will all be entitled to the nothing that is left. Personal responsibility has gone down. Entitlement has gone way up. We are entitled to very little in this life. We have been blessed with much For which we, sad to say, are not very grateful.

Like a spoiled little child, We are grateful for little. After all, why would be we, why would we be grateful when it is our right to have it? That's how many people look at things today. You know what I deserve? I deserve to spend eternity in a terrible place called the Lake Of Fire.

That's what I am entitled to. But God by his mercy and grace has seemed to fit to make a way through the death and sacrifice of his son. For me, a wretched sinner to know his love, to know his grace, and to experience his salvation and receive his gift of eternal life in heaven. That is the grace of God. That is blessing.

That is not God giving to me what is my right. That is God giving to me what I, by no means, deserve or ever could. We have much to be grateful for. Christian, we must remember that we are not of this world and our father in heaven both deserves and expects better of his children and besides, if you know Jesus, you have so much to be grateful for. Take just a few minutes this morning and and look at a few points on this issue of giving thanks.

Start back in Psalm one thirty six. It says there as I read it earlier, oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. And then to be emphatic, God says again, oh give thanks unto the God of gods for his mercy endureth forever and then to be more emphatic, God continues, oh give thanks to the Lord of hosts, Lord of lords, for his mercy endureth forever and if you look down, if you turn there to Psalm 136, you'll see at the end of every verse, for his mercy endureth forever. Excuse me. And then the last verse, oh give thanks unto the God of heaven for his mercy endureth forever.

This oh give thanks that we find here in Psalm one thirty six is what we call an imperative in grammar. In other words, it is a command. It is not a suggestion. It is not merely even an expectation. It is a command.

God commands us to do what? To give thanks. He commands us to give thanks. Now, should he have to command us? No.

He shouldn't. But there's some things we just don't do sometimes or don't think about if we're not commanded to. And so God reminds us in the form of a command. Oh, give thanks unto the Lord. It is not optional.

It is not our right or prerogative to withhold giving thanks. It is a sin therefore to harbor an ungrateful attitude. Spirit, or mindset. You look up here at the second verse on the screen First Thessalonians five sixteen through 18 says, rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing.

In everything, what? Give Give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. What's God's will for you? That you give thanks, that you pray, and that you rejoice, and God is giving us every reason to do so.

But we get caught up in other things. We get overwhelmed by the difficulties of life and so, God reminds us many places in scripture to remember to give, to give thanks. Thanksgiving to a Christian should be a spirit or attitude that is present every day with us. It shouldn't be something that comes around on Thanksgiving day or or just Sunday. We should have a thankful heart every day.

It should be present every day with us. It should be natural to us. Bible says, if you're saved, you know Christ the savior that the holy spirit lives inside heart. He is there. If you listen, to remind you.

Of all you have in Christ Jesus. So that it should be natural to you. It isn't natural to the world. But it should be natural. To the Christian.

And it should be expressed regularly. In prayer and in other ways, we'll look at that at the end of the message this morning. It should be expressed. You know, if you're married and you have a wife or husband, they do like for you to say thank you every now and then. You know, it needs to be what?

Expressed. If it isn't expressed, sometimes things get a little bit dicey. You know, your your your spouse needs to likes to hear, I love you every now and then too. It needs to be expressed. You know, something do you, do you think that God wants to hear it as well?

Say, but God knows my thoughts even before I say them. Yeah, but God wants to hear it. He says so here in his word. It should be something we express regularly to our God. The word translated Thanksgiving or giving of thanks comes from the root word in the Greek for grace and it is the Christian's prerogative to acknowledge and appreciate the grace that has been shown to him.

What is grace? Well, that's what I talked about a few minutes ago. At least to start with, grace is the way that God has made for us to be saved despite ourselves. God is God's unmerited favor that he has shown to us through his son. For by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast.

If it were not for the grace of God, then I would get what I deserve and that would be punishment and not reward. That would be hell and not heaven because I have sinned and sinned and sinned and sinned and so have you. But God's grace has made a way and the word for Thanksgiving comes from the word grace because the two are connected We have a gracious God. Because we have such a gracious God and we have something to be thankful for in this world. Even if everything around us seems to be going wrong, we still have something to be thankful for.

In this world. So, we see that giving thanks is a command. The second thing I want us to see is the object of that Thanksgiving. Now, should you be thankful to others in your life that have done things for you, been there for you? Mentioned our spouses a moment ago.

Yes, you should. But the first one that you should be thankful that you should be thankful to is God. Ephesians five twenty, giving thanks always for all things what? Unto God and the father in the name of the Lord Jesus. Unto who?

Unto God. Colossians three seventeen and whatsoever you do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Giving thanks to God. And the father by him. We need to remember to give thanks to the one who created us and that's God.

You know, evolution may not seem to like a big deal to some of you and it may not seem like a big deal to most of the secular world in which we live. A matter of fact, to them, it's gospel. But it's not the good news. And it's not the truth. And it is a matter of great importance.

It is a big deal because you see, if I evolve from an ape that evolved from a monkey that evolved from a reptile, that evolved from a fish, that evolved from amoeba, and God had nothing to do with it. Then who am I to be thankful for for this world And for all that I have. And for my own life. Chance? The process of evolution?

But see that's not the truth. The truth is, you and I, we were created by almighty God. Amen. And therefore, we have the obligation to be thankful to him who made us. To give him the glory and praise.

And to acknowledge his authority. His love. And to show him gratitude for Give thanks unto God. Often God is the one left out. It was to give thanks to God that the pilgrims held their first Thanksgiving.

You may not have known that. You may have thought, well, it all had to do with the Indians. Well, it did have to do with the Indians and it did have to do with corn and it did have to do with the harvest but first, it had to do with who? It had to do with God. It was God first to whom they were giving thanks.

And then, to their brethren and to the Indians that had helped them. But first, it was to God. The pilgrims were Christians. The pilgrims were devout Christians who were escaping religious persecution for their beliefs. And so they thanked the Lord.

They extended their thanks to the Indians to whom they invited to whom they took the opportunity to share the gospel because you see the pilgrims weren't just thankful for the food. They wanted to show the Thanksgiving by sharing with them a message that the Indians, the Native Americans, or whatever you want to call them, needed to hear. And that is the the Jesus died for them too. Indians had shared with them was now their opportunity to share With the Indians something they need and they needed Jesus. How many times have we seen our prayers answered?

And forgot to give praise to the one who heard our prayers. We see answers to prayer every day and often times, we give thanks to anyone and everyone but God. No matter how God chooses to heal somebody all of that knowledge and all of that ability comes from him. Praise God for what he's done. I some of you know, you won't soon forget or I won't soon let you forget that I hurt my back back a few months ago and I herniated a disc.

And and I went to the doctor and this past doctor passed me on to that doctor and that doctor passed me on to that doctor and and I I was in terrible pain with my sciatica and I couldn't hardly get out of bed and and I couldn't get pain medication. I couldn't get a shot to help and and two months, I got passed back and forth and back and forth and and it was a bit frustrating and it was a good bit painful but you know something? In the end, the the medication and the shots and the surgery and all that stuff. The Lord was in it. I didn't need it.

All I needed was time and I got better without the shots and I got better without the surgery. Now, that doesn't always happen. Brother Steve can tell you sometimes it takes surgery and a brand new kidney. But you know, the Lord knew what he was doing. We get caught up in the middle of it.

Oh, this is terrible. Oh, I can't take it. It. But you know, the Lord wanted to show his self mighty in my life and I appreciate that. And I give to him the glory and I can stand up here now and I'm not in any pain and it's not because of pain medication and it's not because of a shot.

It's because the Lord answered my prayer in this way and sometimes as we go along, we forget about all those times. This this world in which we live as I said is have an issue with remembering to thank God. Romans 121, it says, because that when they they knew God, they glorified him not as God neither will neither were thankful but became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened. Now, this of course was written two thousand years ago but isn't it isn't it interesting how pertinent it is today as though the writer of Romans was writing this about the day in which we live because how true it is of the day in which we live. We have discounted God.

We have pushed him to the side. And we have ceased to be thankful to him. Other things have taken his place. And where is our society headed? In a good place?

No, it would seem the very opposite. The first step in a downhill slide of society away from God and in the gross sin is not is not being thankful, not recognizing and appreciating the goodness of God and boy how that describes where we are. We need to be careful as parents of of children and in our Christian homes because I've seen this. I've been in ministry for twenty almost twenty five years now and I was a youth pastor for twelve. And this is how it starts.

A generation that goes to church every time the doors are open. That takes time to spend time in God with their families throughout the week and talks about God and prays to God throughout the day. And then the next generation comes along and well, you know, they they show up to church most every week if it's convenient and they pray before they eat their evening meal and maybe they'll pick up their Bible and read it sometime during the week but other things start taking precedence over over church and over relationship with God and then the next generation comes along and what happens then? Well, you know, they're they're Christians they say and and they made a decision when they were, you know, little in church but you know, somehow God just doesn't seem very important and they make it maybe once or twice a month when it's convenient and their kids are involved in all sorts of other extracurricular activity and and they just don't have time to have them in in church and because those things are so important and God, well, he's he's there but then the next generation comes along and church is no longer important at all and and maybe they they don't even know the Lord at all.

And what happened? Well, it starts back with that first generation. We need to be sure to impress upon our children not only by our words but also by our actions and example that God is worthy of my praise. God is worthy of my service. He is worthy of my time.

Because it isn't God who owes me. It's I who owe God. And I at least owe him my faith and I at least owe him my gratitude. And so we find ourselves where we are today in our society and you know who is to blame? For the most part, Christians who didn't teach their kids diligently show that gratitude to God as they should have and here we have slid to where we are.

Let that not be us. Let's let's turn that around and we can for our families. And in our lives In the book of Judges, just after Israel had came in and conquered the land, two generations later or so, in book of Judges, it says, there arose a generation that knew not God. And that's what happens when we lose sight of the one who has given us all things. So, give thanks.

Give thanks unto who? Give thanks unto God. Give thanks to what extent? To what extent should we give thanks? Well, let's look up here.

Ephesians five twenty again. Giving thanks what? Always. Always. Always.

Always. Now, that's a hard, that's a hard word. It maybe a we're easy word to say but it's a hard word to apply to our life. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians five eighteen, in everything, give thanks.

For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Now, I used to think that for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you meant that everything that happens in my life is God's will and therefore, I should give thanks. After studying the passage further, I think what it's saying is it's God's will for me to give what? To give thanks in everything. You know, when I choose to sin and when I choose to do the wrong thing, was that God's will?

No, that was his will. That was my will, okay? That was my will. And when somebody does something wrong to me, that wasn't necessarily God's will either. That was their will.

Those things happen. And they are not always good or pleasant or or at first profitable. We're to give thanks in, during, throughout all these things. It's God's will. How can we do that?

Because God said, I will never what? You nor forsake you. Just because bad things have happened doesn't mean it. God hasn't left you. Why?

Because God says in Romans eight twenty eight that he will work everything together for my good. God works all things together for good to them that love the Lord. Doesn't say that all things are good. It means God will take the good and the bad and if I'm willing to thank him, trust him, and follow him, he will work them together in my life for my benefit. He knows what he's doing and he can do that.

He can do that. If I remember to give thanks, that he's there, To give thanks. That he's sovereign. To give thanks for his love. People say, well, if there's a god in heaven, how did this happen to me and why did that happen to them?

If you remember, Adam and Eve had it perfect in the Garden Of Eden. There was none of these bad things. Who was it that decided to sin and bring about all the bad things? It wasn't God. It was humanity.

It was Adam and Eve. We can thank them and us for all the bad things. Every good and every perfect gift comes from where? From above, from the father of lights. So, you can give thanks.

In everything. It's God's will and you can do it if you know him. Do you know him this morning? Not quite done yet. I'm getting there.

And I'll ask this again at the end of the message. Do you know him? Are you saved? Have you been born again? By grace through faith into his family.

Because that's all important. Because when God says, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. He's talking to his children who have come to salvation through repentance and faith. When he says all things work together for good, he said to them that love the Lord. And that means those that have been born again into his family through faith in his son.

That is all important to what we're talking about today. So, we are to give thanks. It is a command. We are to give thanks to God because all things come from him. We are to give thanks in all things because God is in control and if we'll trust him, he'll lead us.

And then the reasons and I sort of hit upon some of these already. So, I guess we'll call this review quickly. The reasons to be thankful to God in all things because of God's mercy. In Psalm 136, the end of each verse begins says, for his mercy endureth forever. Not just his justice and his holiness and praise God for his justice and his holiness.

For without him being just and holy, we would have nothing to trust in. His justice and holiness means he is trustworthy but thanks God also for his mercy for if it was not for his mercy and grace, we would all die and spend eternity in a place called hell. So, praise God that his mercy endureth forever. Colossians 112 to 14 says, giving thanks unto the father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints and light. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and have translated us in the kingdom of his dear son, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sin.

Boy, we could preach three messages just from this one verse but let me quickly explain it. What Paul is saying saying to the Christians at Colossians is give thanks unto God because you were a lost sinner on your way to an eternity in hell and God reached down. He sent his son. He died on the cross for your sins to buy you back from that terrible place, to pay your sin debt for you and has taken you out of the kingdom of hell and darkness and sin, misery, and placed you into the kingdom of his dear son where there is forgiveness and hope and eternal life in him. Praise God for his unspeakable gift.

Second Corinthians nine fifteen. The gift of his son and of his mercy. Thank God for his goodness. Matthew five forty five, that you may be the children of your father which is in heaven for he maketh the sun to rise on the evil and on the good and send it rain on the just and the unjust. James 117, every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights with whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning.

In other words, he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is totally trustworthy, and dependable, and I can count on him. He is a good God and that's not going to change. He even gives good things to them that hate him. Amongst them being time and opportunity to change their mind.

The Bible says in second Peter, it says, for God is not slack concerning his promises. Some men count slackness. In other words, God keeps his promises but his long suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. God wants you to be saved and he's waiting for you. He's waiting for you.

And he's given you another day and another opportunity. We have a good God. Why? Because our God is good, because our God is merciful, and because our God has a perfect will. Romans twelve two and be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

You know, God does not make mistakes. He really doesn't. He has a perfect will. It's perfect for you. If you listen, if you'll follow, he won't lead you astray.

We can be thankful that we have such a god. Not only has a perfect will but you know, he's shown most of us what it is right here. Most of it's right here. You want to know God's will? Would you please pick up your Bible and read about it?

He tells us right here. Particularly in the epistles of the New Testament, he tells us his will. He's also given up his us a spirit to help guide us into his will. He also answers prayer. Ask and it shall be given to you.

Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be open unto you. God says, you want to know my will? In James one five, he says, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and abrade it not. He doesn't hold back.

He'll shook. We have many reasons to be thankful. Count your many blessings. We could spend the next hour or two or three on that but we'll we'll kind of sum it up in this nutshell with these three things here. But in closing this morning, I want to just mention this, that is the manner of expression of Thanksgiving.

You know, part of giving thanks is expressing it as I mentioned earlier. It doesn't do a whole lot of good to say, I'm thankful but never to actually express that to the one to whom you're thankful. How can we show our gratitude to God? Well, first of all, we can show God our gratitude by our love. First John four nineteen, we love him because he first loved us.

Now, that second part of that verse isn't going to change. The first part of the verse is the first is the part that we have to deal with. We should love him because he first loved us and we can show him our gratitude by our love. You see, God is not a formula. God is not an impersonal force.

He is not just words on a page. He is a person and a person you can love. And you can show him that. You can tell him that and you can show him that. As he showed his love for you by sending his son to die on the cross, you can show him your love by giving your life to him.

By serving him. You can show your love by spending time with him in his word and prayer. You can express your love by praise. Hebrews thirteen fifteen. By him therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.

That is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. You know, you can actually say it. You can sing it. You can say it. You can preach it.

You can proclaim it. You can do it to your children, you can say it to your spouse, you can praise his name before your neighbors, and you can certainly praise his name in church. I hope you don't come and open your hymn book and you go, oh, I gotta sing a hymn. Oh, how you're missing the boat. You have an opportunity to praise the God of heaven.

Put a smile on your face. Sing praises to his name. He deserves it and it is our joy and our privilege to give it. You can praise him. Before I was a pastor, I was a youth pastor and music director and I have had the joy and to me, it's a joy not a chore to to lead the congregational songs in church.

Some of pastor, well, you have to do this and you have to do that and it's it's terrible. You have to direct the singing. No, it's a joy to direct the singing. It's hard for me to give that one up because I love it and there's nothing more frustrating than seeing people standing there, you know, while we're singing. Sing praise to the Lord.

Amen. Remember what he's done. Let him know about it. You can express it in prayer. Philippians four six, be careful for nothing but in everything.

By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God. You know, you can tell him in song. You can also tell him in prayer. You can tell him thank you. You know, prayer is about making request but in your making of request, don't forget to thank him for the request that he is already answered.

Tell him about it. Prayer. You know something? If I try to call the president who doesn't know me, doesn't really care much about me. He doesn't want to hear from me and I probably couldn't get through to him.

But as I stand here right now preaching to you, I can say a short prayer to God. You may not hear the words but he does. He hears me. Praise the Lord. You can talk to him in prayer.

You can let him know of your thankfulness and by your love, your praise, your prayer, and finally this morning by your trust. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. Lean not into thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct thy path. Trust in the Lord.

How can you show God your gratitude? Would you trust him? You show him your gratitude by trusting him today for tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the next day. If you say, Lord, thank you for what you've done but I'm going to do it my way this day. Then you're contradicting yourself.

You're contradicting yourself and God knows it and you know it. How can you show God you're thankful? By trusting him. Let him guide you. Let him lead you.

Listen to what he has to say in his word and by his spirit. Do it his way, not your way. He'll never fail you. He truly never will. The most vile in gratitude of all, is to reject God and Jesus Christ offer of salvation.

To choose not to trust God after what he did. And sending his son for you. You see, God sent his son down to Earth for you when you were a sinner. Christ Jesus came and he suffered and he died on a cross for you so you could be saved and the greatest ingratitude that anybody could show is to tell God no. When he says, I did this for you.

Will you receive my offer of salvation? Do not turn him away. This Thanksgiving Turn to him in faith. Trust him. To be your Lord and savior.

It is the greatest way you can show your gratitude and at the same time, receive heaven's greatest gift. Trust him and be safe. Please do not turn him away and Christian, as you go about your Thanksgiving don't forget to thank your God. Don't forget to express it to him in love and praise and prayer and trust this year. Let's pray.

Dear God, we thank you Lord for your love for us, for your gift. Lord, we are such selfish creatures. We are tend to be so ungrateful for what you've done and so selfish and desiring, demanding that which is not ours to demand. Treating you like a a genie who has to give us our three wishes instead of as a loving father who's already given us everything in Jesus Christ and to whom we owe our lives and everything. Lord, forgive our ingratitude and our selfishness.

Open our eyes, remind us, and help us to be more grateful. And Lord, if there's one here today that's never trusted Christ as savior, Lord, I pray as we give this hymn of invitation. That they would come this morning. I pray that they wouldn't allow pride or other things to stop them. Lord, that they would come and that we could show them from God's word how today how to be saved and know it.

To receive that gift that you died to give them. And to enter into your family and your kingdom today. In Jesus name, amen.