Thanksgiving 2015 Series

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Points Covered: Reason for thanklessness, seven things that corrupt our thanksgiving, Biblical examples of thanksgiving, why should we give thanks to God for?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

That means in connection with everything that occurs in life give thanks. No matter what circumstances, no matter what struggle, vicissitude, trial, or testing, be thankful. No matter what the situation we are to find reason to thank God.

The overarching principle that sets thanksgiving in its place is: 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. That’s really the umbrella that covers every issue of life. No matter what happens, it will be by God working together for my good.

I can be thankful for the pain that I go through in a surgery because I know that that there’s healing coming out of it. I can be thankful for the trouble that I might go through because I know in the end I’m going to be happy. When we see the end result of what God is doing, blending everything in our lives for ultimate good and glory, then we can in everything give thanks. But isn’t it interesting how we somehow fail to be thankful.

Thanksgiving is the essence of Christian living and being unthankful is the very essence of the unregenerate heart. The apostle Paul, in Romans identifies the ungodly as non-thankful people. Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. “They knew God,” that is through conscience and creation, God was visibly manifest to them. But even though they knew God through creation and conscience, he says, “They did not glorify Him or give thanks.”

A non-Christian may say parrot phrases like “Thank God for that,” or as some religious prayer of thanks to a God he does not know, but such does not qualify as true thanks. It is only the believers who know God and that he is in control over things can really thank God.

I. Reason for thanklessness.

They contribute their success and life to:

2. Luck.

They are the people who go through life thinking that things happen as a result of luck. For them life is a course of events over which none has control. It just happens to happen that way. They say who is to thank? You can’t thank luck. What little good may come to them they attribute to luck. And if it doesn’t happen the way they want it be, they become bitter, complaining, angry, hostile, and life takes on a sour dour kind of meaning.

2. External force.

Some think there is some force out there that controls things, maybe by the stars or some force. Who’s to thank for whatever good in that case? There’s no one to thank. It’s a nameless force that has no personhood and so there’s no one to thank for anything, good or bad.

3. Ability.

Some believe they can control their life. They’re the positive thinkers. They’re the usually successful people and attribute it to their own skill. Everything good that happens to them because they’ve done it, they’ve arranged it, they’ve orchestrated it, they’ve made it happen, they dreamed it, planned it, pulled it off. And all the credit goes to them, none for God. After all, what did God have to do with anything?

Now, usually you find the above kind of character in the unsaved but it is so sad such thoughts come into believers. When a person becomes a Christian, it becomes a character of a believer to thank God for everything. All of a sudden there is a new heart and a new soul, and built into that newness is a heart of thanksgiving that cries out in gratitude to God. Thanksgiving becomes a part of the fabric of our new life.

But isn’t it interesting how even Christians can become unthankful? For an unregenerate person to be unthankful is normal. For a Christian to be unthankful is abnormal.

So what are the things that corrupt those inner springs of thanksgiving? I’m going to give you a list, seven things that’ll corrupt the spring of your innermost heart and hinder joy, prayer, and thanks.

II. Seven Things that corrupt our thanksgiving.

1. Doubt.

If you doubt God you can never give thanks. If you doubt God’s truthfulness, God’s character, God’s sovereign power, God’s wisdom, God’s timing you’re going to have trouble being thankful.

2. Selfishness.