A Thanksgiving Classic

They complain about serving.

They want to be "free".

But the truth is that our service for the Lord is the highest form of praise.

Dr. Beeby said, “No work is well done that is not done joyfully”.

I’m sure you have gone to a restaurant and received good service.

Of course, it is important that the food be served timely and prepared as ordered.

But service goes way beyond this.

You can eat in the fanciest restaurant,

the food can be prepared perfectly

and served in record time;

but if the waitress grumbles about her work,

if she tosses your food at you,

if she frowns instead of smile,

if she grumbles when you want more to drink;

The attitude of the waitress can ruin your meal—

even when there was nothing wrong with the food.

I wonder if God feels the same way when we grumble about serving Him?

"Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before His

Presence with singing”

3. Verse three says, “Know ye that the LORD He is God: it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” In this verse, there are three reasons that we should praise the Lord.

We are to praise God because, simply put, “He is God”.

Genesis 1 says, “In the beginning, God”.

Hebrews says, “He is God, He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him”.

We are to praise the Lord. We are to give thanks to the Lord. We are to serve the Lord;

not only because He is God,

but also because He has made us.

Isn’t it inspiring to know that God made us?

Some people adore themselves.

You’ve heard the saying that “he’s a self made man”.

Many people really believe that and worship themselves,

instead of the God who made us.

I remember when I was a teenager

and there was a time when I had low self esteem.

I would think I was ugly.

But my Mom would always say, “Larry, God made you, and God don’t make no junk”.

God has made me the way I am.

Let us praise and serve Him because He made us.

Not only do we praise the Lord because He Is God and because He made us;

but also because He is our Shepherd and we are His people.

God has not left us alone to go our own way.

He has not left us to chance.

He is watching over us.

He is guarding us

and providing for us as a shepherd does for a flock of sheep.

We need to remember that God is the Good Shepherd; and be thankful.

4. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.”

His gates and His courts refer to the temple.

Of course, we can worship anyplace.

But wherever we are, there must be praise;

there must be worship;

there must be an expression of our feelings to God.

Now, don’t get me wrong,

I’m not saying that we can worship at home instead of in the church.

I’m saying we can worship anywhere, in addition to the church.

In Hebrews, it says, “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together”.

We are to come into the Church with praise and thanksgiving upon our lips.

A week ago Sunday, we talked about in Old Testament times people used to bring animal sacrifices.

Animal sacrifices have ended.