The President had his hands full. The nation was engaged in a war that was increasingly disliked by the nation. Some in the congress thought the loss of civil liberties had gone too far. Doris Kearns Goodwin would write, ‘Amid the clamorous opposition in Congress, the continued threats of intervention from abroad, and the stalemate in the war, Lincoln remained remarkably calm, good-natured, and self-controlled.’ (Slide 1)
It was 1863 and a very historic year for our nation and Abraham Lincoln. Now it in its second year, the tide of the Civil War would turn in favor of the North with key military victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg. Lincoln would sign the Emancipation Proclamation at the beginning of the year that would change the status of the slaves and begin the long journey toward achieving the full legal status of African-Americans.
Toward the end of that year, in fact, 143 years ago on this very date, November 19, 1863, Lincoln gave a legendary speech that began, ‘Four score and seven years ago,’ at Gettysburg. However, a month earlier, he issued another Presidential proclamation, his Thanksgiving proclamation that would set aside the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving Day. This one began, (Slide 2) “The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.
He goes on to elaborate on these blessings and calls them (slide 3) ‘the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.’
And he concludes his proclamation with both an invitation to celebrate… (Slide 4), ‘I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.’
… but to also repent (Slide 5), ‘with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience… fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.’
I don’t know about you, but if I would have been Abe Lincoln, I might have had a bit more difficulty finding things to be thankful for in the midst of a civil war, political unrest, and the challenges of everyday life in the White House. But, he did see much to be thankful to the Lord for and I think that contributed to his ability to govern our nation during that difficult and challenging time in our history. Moreover, his call to thanksgiving, praise, and repentance is very, very suitable for us today.
What does ‘thanksgiving’ mean to you? (Slide 6) Is it about family gatherings? Is it about a day off from work? Is it about working in a warm kitchen with the various smells causing your stomach to rumble? Is it about the beginning of the end of your fall diet?
(Slide 7) The Bible contains many references to thanksgiving. For example, we read in Colossians 2:7, ‘Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.’
(Slide 8) In our main text, Psalm 100, we read in verse four, ‘Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name.’
It is interesting to note that Lincoln called the nation to make the last Thursday in November ‘a day of Thanksgiving and Praise.’ We have shortened it to ‘Thanksgiving Day.’ Little is said about praise or repentance and yet that is what one of our greatest leaders encouraged us to do.
(Slide 9) Why is it important to give thanks? What are you thankful for this thanksgiving season?
(Slide 10) I would remind us that ‘giving thanks’ is a Biblical command. We read it places like Colossians 3:17 that says, ‘And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.’
(Slide 11) We also read it in I Thessalonians 5:18, ‘No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.’ Why is this important? It is because of who God is and His rightful place in our lives that we have reason to give thanks! Amen? Amen!
Thanksgiving is important and necessary because what the Lord has done for us, to us, in us, and around us. Because of God’s salvation, because of God’s deliverance, because of God’s mercy, as Lincoln so eloquently put it, we have received God’s ‘gracious gifts’ of faith, hope, and love.
Thanksgiving is also important because as philosopher of another generation said, ‘A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.’
Look at this list… it is a familiar one… (Slide 12) ‘But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.’ I would suggest that while these characteristics are truly the ‘fruits of the Holy Spirit,’ they no doubt grow in heart in which gratitude is present.
(Slide 13) Are you thankful for this morning? Are you thankful for your family?
Are you thankful for your work? Are you thankful for your church? Are you thankful for your children? Are you thankful for your freedom? Are you thankful for your salvation?
No matter how imperfect your family or children are, are you thankful for them? No matter how difficult your work is right now (or, even uncertain) are you thankful for it?
Though governmental and political decisions may not go the way you want them to go, are you not thankful for the freedoms we enjoy?
Imperfect and frustrating as your church (and pastor) is are you not thankful for this place and these people that have sustained you and your faith in ways that you haven’t even thought of yet?
Then there is praise. There is no doubt in my mind, and I think some of his biographers have written about it, that Abraham Lincoln had moments that would probably have broken you and me. The death of a son, replacing one military commander after another, defeating one in the 1864 Presidential campaign, a divided nation, bickering and slander… you name it, Lincoln dealt with it.
However, he tells the nation to take time to praise God, not him, for the blessings that God has given to them. (Not to many of them were happy with Abe anyway.)
(Slide 14) What does it mean to praise God? What do you praise God for this Thanksgiving season?
To praise God is to give thanks to God for being the God that He is. A holy and righteous yet merciful and loving God.
The last verse, verse five, of Psalm 100 says this (Slide 15), ‘For the Lord is good.
His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.’
Here are a couple of things to praise God for! His unfailing love that still reaches out to you and me even when we don’t get it perfect!
Then there is His goodness. One of my favorite quotes from I believe Philip Yancey is ‘Life is not fair. But God is.’
God’s goodness influences His love and compassion for us. He mourns when someone like Mark Edwards, full of life and love to his family and many, many others, dies much too early in life.
God is also grieved over our sinfulness. He is angry about it. But, it is not the harsh unrestrained anger of someone who believes they have been wronged. It is more the ache that a parent feels when a child makes a decision that alienates them and makes them vulnerable to evil ready to pounce.
Another thing that we can praise God for is His faithfulness. One of my favorite writers over the years has been Ben Patterson. Several years ago, he wrote about his experience as a college chaplain and wondered why he was a chaplain at a Christian university in his 50’s when he thought it was a job for someone in his or her 20’s.
But it eventually dawned on him that while he had the energy and the drive and passion for college ministry in his 20’s, it was the wisdom and faithfulness of his 50’s that they were looking to because of the brokenness they had experienced in their lives. He conclude they need to know people his age (and their parents’ age) who were faithful and reliable.
(Slide 16) We read in Psalm 34, ‘The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.’
(Slide 17) Over in Psalm 46 we read, ‘God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.’
We clearly see his faithfulness throughout scripture and I would remind us that God waits right here, in our presence this morning, ready and willing to help us and sustain us. I think that this is something to praise God for, don’t you?
Finally, Lincoln called upon the nation to repent of ‘our national perverseness and disobedience.’ When was the last time a politician told us to repent as well as pray?
Why are we here this morning? Is it because of duty? Why do we have communion? Is it only to fill up time one Sunday a month?
No. It is because we gather once a week to thank God, praise God, and repent to God. Abraham Lincoln presided over a divided nation; a nation in which its residents were killing one another for a wide variety of reasons.
Furthermore, both sides thought that God was on their side. (Sound familiar?) I cannot remember who said, maybe it was Lincoln, but a well-known leader made the remark that he hoped not that God was on our side but that we were on God’s side.
We need to repent. We need to repent as individuals. Christ died for the human race and it is up to each individual member of said race to decide, once the gospel is preached, whether or not to turn from (to repent of ) their sins and shortcomings or not. Communion reminds us of that need every time we take it because Jesus said to remember His death and resurrection on our behalf for our sins.
We need to repent as a church and as The Church. We are imperfect. We need to confess that we have, from time to time, done and said things that are Biblically wrong and sinful. We need to ask God to forgive us of many, many things. Maybe our recent elections are a blessing in disguise because The Church seems to have focused on politics and power than what is necessary.
We need to repent as a nation. Please hear me carefully, Christianity was influential in the birth of our nation, of that there is no doubt. But we have walked far away from the Biblical teachings of righteousness, justice, and character which cuts across political lines that God expects His people to live out.
I am grateful for God’s blessings this morning. For my family, my health, and you I am very grateful. For this nation, I am grateful. For my work and my friends, I am grateful.
I praise God this morning for his mercy to me. I praise Him for my salvation. I praise Him for His faithfulness to me when I have been unfaithful to Him.
I am also repentant this morning. I do battle with impatience, impulsiveness, self-pity, resentments, and jealousy to name a few. I am flawed. I am imperfect. I need the forgiveness of God.
So I am grateful that our 16th President called us to give thanks and praise to God as well as repentance. The times required it. The human condition demands it. We need it…
Let’s go the Lord in prayer as we prepare for communion. Amen.
As I begin, we are going to preface communion with a time of prayer. During our prayer we will thank the Lord for our blessings, praise the Lord for who He is and what He did for us on the cross, and confess to the Lord our sins that He so graciously desires to forgive.
Goodwin quote is from A Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin. Page 506
Virtue quote is from Cicero and was taken from Quiet Moments with God for Mothers. Page 119
Power Points for this sermon are available by e-mailing me at pastorjim46755@yahoo.com and asking for ‘111906slides’ Please note that all slides for a particular presentation may not be available.
