Canadian Thanksgiving 2004

There was a young woman who brought her fiancé home to meet her parents for thanksgiving dinner. After dinner, her mother told her father to find out about the young man. The father invited the fiancé to his study for a talk.

"So what are your plans?" the father asked the young man. "I am a biblical scholar," he replied. "A Biblical scholar. Hmmm," the father said. "Admirable, but what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter to live in?" "I will study," the young man replied, "and God will provide for us."

"And how will you buy her a beautiful engagement ring, such as she deserves?" asked the father. "I will concentrate on my studies," the young man replied, "God will provide for us."

"And children?" asked the father. "How will you support children?" "Don’t worry, sir, God will provide," replied the fiancé.

The conversation proceeded like this, and each time the father questioned, the young idealist insisted that God would provide. Later, the mother asked, "How did it go, Honey?" The father answered, "He has no job and no plans, and he thinks I’m God!"

Let me tell you, I am glad I am not God. The job’s taken! Your pastor is not God, he can’t be your Messiah. His job is point to you to the Messiah, he is just the messenger. In fact our job is to point to him. God is the focus of why we are here today. I am grateful that God gets the recognition that He provides. That He is the One who we stop and say “thank you” to for all that He has provided for us. We live in a pretty good country, don’t we? I am grateful that we have a house to live in, funds to live by, food to eat, it is because of God’s abundance and we really need to say Thanks. I know the God’s heart just get a real buzz when we do say thanks. I get a real kick out of my kids saying that, or when they remember to say that. For it speaks to me of a special relationship and bond, it says to me I am connected to my kids, it says to me that they know I love them and would provide for them. I am just glad that we got some people who made sure we did just that by setting aside a special day just to do that. Where would we be if God did not provide? Where would we be if God did not care? Did you know that God’s heart gets broken the moment we stop to give thanks?

Romans 1:18-22 points that out…

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

21For 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. 22Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Rom 1:18-22 (NIV)

21For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him,” did you read that?

The lack of thanksgiving is an obvious signal that we refuse to acknowledge and worship God as God. It shows that our thinking has gone way off base. It shows we are not reflective enough in our lives to stop and say thanks God! Celebration with God was always on the heart with God. Luke 15 tells the stories of lost coin, lost sheep lost son. The common thread here is celebration, God celebrates with people! That - With lost people. We hit a homerun with God, when we celebrate with thanks, see that Gods throw a party to cleebrate lost things being found. So if we are to imitate God, what should we do? Prepare a feast, give from the fullness of Christ in our lives, abandon ourselves to a God who welcomes us recognizing that he just can’t wait for the party to begin with us, celebrating! Luke 15 really begins with Jesus getting frustrated with the know it alls who just don’t get that.

1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."