October 7, 2007
Dakota Community Church
In Everything - Thanksgiving
Welcome everyone to this thanksgiving Sunday morning service!
How do feel about this holiday? Is it one that seems to flow naturally for you, or do you really have to work to enjoy it? Are you thankful to God for the life you have or are you disappointed in how things have gone for you?
If you fall into that latter category, let me begin by briefly adding to your suffering, hopefully before helping to ease the pain. Let’s read:
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:5-7
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Paul didn’t just preach it, he lived what he taught:
Philippians 4:11-13
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
There’s a passage you don’t often hear quoted in context!
Abase: to reduce or lower, as in rank, office, reputation, or estimation; humble; degrade.
I can go through the humbling hard times in life, the times of lack, the times of frustration, the despairing times when dreams fail to materialize, the long waiting periods between promise and manifestation, the battling times, the resisting temptation times, and I can do it with a heart of thanksgiving – not in my own strength – but: through Christ who strengthens me!
We don’t naturally give thanks because a part of the fallen nature is selfishness. We notice what we don’t have and the natural response is to complain about it.
It is a special grace from God that opens our hearts and eyes to contentment in Christ.
Often that grace comes through having endured seasons of lack.
The young man was feeling very proud of himself. As a brand-new college graduate he had taken the C.P.A. Exams & passed with flying colors. Now he was a full-fledged Certified Public Accountant.
His father had been an immigrant to the U.S., & now owned his own little business. Filled with self-importance, the young man began to criticize his father’s way of keeping books. He said, “Dad, you don’t even know how much profit you’ve made. Over here in this drawer is your accounts receivable. Over there are your receipts & you keep all your money in the cash register. You don’t have any idea how much you’ve made.”
The father answered, “Son, when I came to this country the only thing I owned was a pair of pants. Now, your brother is a doctor, your sister is an art teacher, & you are a C.P.A. Your mother & I own our home. We have a car, & we own this little business. Now add that up, subtract the pants, & all the rest is profit.”
Most of us have a great deal to be thankful for, things we take for granted when we get self centered.
How do we get to the place where we are thankful in the hard places? Not for them – in them.
It is a matter of focus.
It is a matter of attitude.
Luke 12:22-24
Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap; they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!
Matthew 6:31-33
So do not worry, saying, ’What shall we eat?’ or ’What shall we drink?’ or ’What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
When you hear those verses what response is evoked in you?
Do you feel guilty? Do you feel unworthy as a person because of your selfishness? Do you feel alienated from God because clearly he does not relate to your pain?
I want you to know that God does relate, He does care, and he has been where you are and beyond.
Mark 15:33-34
Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Jesus can relate to whatever pain you suffer, not only that but He knows how to strengthen you to get through it, and a part of that strengthening comes in rejoicing and giving thanks!
Here is the reality:
1. God knows we need bread to live.
Matthew 6:10-2
Your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6: 7-8
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Missionary Hudson Taylor had complete trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote: Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning... He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all.
He knows you need it before you ask; He wants you to come to Him for it.
Psalm 37:23-25
If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
2. God provides the bread we need to live.
Everywhere Jesus went he met the natural needs as well as the spiritual needs.
He was showing us the Father. He was demonstrating the Kingdom.
Whatever need people had – Jesus met the need. He did not turn any away!
To the hungry he gave food, to the outcasts he gave acceptance, to the sinful he gave forgiveness and mercy, to the sick he gave healing.
Mark 10: 50-52
Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." "Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Matthew 12: 13-14
Then he said to the man "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.
Matthew 15: 34-38
"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked.
"Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children.
Well if that is true why do so many have complaints about God not meeting needs?
Why are some hungry? Why are some not healed? Why do some remain rejected and outcast?
I do not have the answers to all of those questions, what I do know is that Jesus did these things and told us that if we have seen him, we have seen the Father!
Since we are certain of what our Father is like we know that the answer to these questions lies somewhere on the human end. That is not to lay blame; I do not want or need to defend God any longer, nor am I satisfied with the pat answers. “It must be because you lack faith.” That isn’t good enough, I’ve seen too much.
So I don’t have an answer, I can’t explain everything. This I know – If I have seen Jesus (And I have.) I have seen the Father; so the Father is the lover, the giver, the healer, the accepter, the merciful provider of daily bread! My complaints are unjustified. My crying about lack is unjustified, I have never known real lack, He is faithful, He is true to His Word, my heart bows in humble and repentant thanks.
3. God knows we do not live by bread alone.
The question here is do we know it?
When we get into one of those thankless times, when we are feeling empty or forgotten or forsaken, when we are knee deep in a pity party; how often is it because our whole focus is on the daily bread and we have neglected the Bread of life?
John 6: 35
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 6:49-51
Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
How have you been doing at seeking the bread of life?
Thank God He was willing to give Himself to meet our greatest need!
Conclusion:
Any one more than forty-five years old can probably remember where they were when they first heard of President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.
British novelist David Lodge, in the introduction to one of his books, tells where he was--in a theater watching the performance of a satirical revue he had helped write. In one sketch, a character demonstrated his nonchalance in an interview by holding a transistor radio to his ear. The actor playing the part always tuned in to a real broadcast. Suddenly came the announcement that President Kennedy had been shot. The actor quickly switched it off, but it was too late. Reality had interrupted stage comedy. For many believers, worship, prayer, and Scripture are a nonchalant charade. They don’t expect anything significant to happen, but suddenly God’s reality breaks through, and they’re shocked.
Remember the dream I had about letting God do His thing after the message is delivered?
Two things:
- I need to do it.
- You need to respond to it.
Do you have a need for daily bread this thanksgiving Sunday?
Do you need provision?
Do you need healing?
Do you need acceptance?
Do you need mercy?
Do you need forgiveness?
I want us to sing a song of thanks and those in need of daily bread can come forward for prayer.
Do you need a fresh encounter with the bread of life today?
Have you been starving for the eternal satisfier while enjoying the natural bread?
Are you recognizing a need for a spiritual feast?
I invite you to come forward for prayer.
Hear it Preached: www.dakotacommunitychurch.ca and click "Listen".
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
