REASONS TO BE THANKFUL
Ephesians 1:3-14
* Here we are beginning the week which holds that day called “Thanksgiving.” As I said last year, maybe we have it backward. Instead of being thankful one day each year, perhaps we should have one day a year to be a complainer and tag the other 350+ day for thanks.
* There are all kinds of things to be thankful for, because thankfulness is in the eye of the beholder. One evening the members of a eighth grade class was asked to give a one-sentence prayer of thanks for something good that happened in the previous week. Most gave typical responses: "Thanks that we’re here together," "Thanks for the hunting trip," etc. Then one boy said, "Thank you that I was sick Friday so I didn’t have to go to school."
* The first “Thanksgiving Day” was reportedly celebrated by the Pilgrim in the 1600’s, but it wasn’t until Abraham Lincoln that the proclamation which made the 4th Thursday of November an official holiday.
* Yet, my question is this; Are we thankful? If so for what?
* It is my belief that the Apostle Paul has much to teach us about being thankful. It is written on every page of His epistles. Turn with me to Ephesians 1 & let see six reasons to be THANKFUL. I AM THANKFUL FOR;
1) HIS SOVEREIGNTY – Let’s begin by thinking about who the Apostle Paul considered God to be.
* He begins by calling Him “God”, “theos”, the supreme divinity with divine authority. One of the first reasons to be “thankful” is the fact that God is indeed THE God and not just a god. It gets better.
* It is THIS God who created, blessed, chose, adopted, loved, and planned for you. Think about it; the God of the universe knows and loves you.
* Stuart Hamblen wrote these words; “how big is God? How big and wide His vast domain. To try to tell, these lips can only start. He big enough to rule this mighty universe, but small enough to live within my heart.” What a reason to be “thankful.”
* In His sovereignty He knows the beginning from the end because He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega. He is the same yesterday today and forever.
* He is the pillar of fire in Exodus and the fourth person in the fire in Daniel. He is the cloud which leads the Hebrews towards their promised home and He comes in clouds of Glory in Revelation to lead all His to their promised home. He gives the Law in the Old Testament and fulfills the Law in the New Testament. He is both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of Glory. And He knows you by name.
* What a reason to be thankful. He is sovereign God.
2) HIS SON – All that we are or will ever hope to be is centered in Jesus, God’s one and only Son. On a day like this, many expect the preacher to get up and preach a message about “thankfulness” that is highly sentimental. “Be thankful for your mom, dad, sisters, brothers, grandparents, etc” and yes we should be thankful for every one of these, but I submit that our true “thankfulness” should be governed by the spiritual and eternal more than the temporal.
* During Christmas time it is said that Jesus is the reason for the season, in fact, there was a Christmas musical written several years ago which carried this title. Truth is, Jesus is the reason for every season. He is the reason to be thankful, grateful, gracious, and loving. Years ago, Myron Lefever wrote that great song “Without Him” which asks the question, “Without Him, where would I be?”
* The reason Jesus is so important and the reason to be thankful is”
3) HIS SALVATION - For some of us, this is confusing because we think it is OUR Salvation and not His. This is one of the fallacies in our modern day thinking. Salvation is of the Lord, by the Lord, from the Lord, and through the Lord.
* He designed it, He initiates it, He empowers it, and provides it. He offers us a way to be saved from the penalty of sin. That is, His salvation is offer to you and me to escape the place of eternal punishment. It is in HIM, that we find all that is needed in our Life. We can be redeemed & forgiven according to the riches of His grace.
* Talk about a picture; take the “riches of His grace.” Think about this; grace is our receiving what we don’t deserve. When we receive forgiveness of our sins we are redeemed through His blood. So, that punishment we should receive is totally taken away because Jesus has nailed it to a cross and offers us His Salvation. Have you received this gift from Him?
* And it gets even better; verse 4 - 7 points to the necessity of knowing Jesus in becoming a part of God’s family, thus finding forgiveness and eternal life. John tells us that only in Jesus do we find, have, and know life. It is His salvation. Furthermore, whoever doesn’t have the Son doesn’t possess life.
* So how can we ‘thank God our Life” if we don’t have life? We can only be thankful if we have Him.
4) HIS SUPPLY – The text tells us that “He has made known to us the mystery of His will.” Do you ever feel like His will is a mystery?
* Surely, we all feel that way from time to time. Yet, He knows exactly what we need. He doesn’t have to guess, He knows and He supplies every need. Philippians 4:19 tells us that “My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
* The exciting thing about this verse is not that God will supply ALL OUR NEEDS. That’s pretty good in itself. The best part is that standard by which He provides for us, it is “according to HIS RICHES.” And not HIS RICHES here on earth, it is HIS RICHES in GLORY!!
* It is given to us by Christ Jesus. Now can you think of anything you have been given through Christ? How about these; instead of retribution for our sin we are given reconciliation from our sin, instead of punishment we have received a prize, and that prize is instead of death we have been given life through Jesus. He doesn’t just stop at life; He gives us what the KJV calls “abundant life” which means “life that is full and overflowing. What a reason to be thankful!
5) HIS SURPRISE – Now some of us will go, what surprise? We all “think” we’ll receive an inheritance from our Heavenly Father and in part, there is some truth to this. We get eternal life free from sickness, pain, and death. We have the right to be called the “children of God.” Quite likely, we’ll have a mansion on the Hilltop—but His surprise for us is one that we don’t think of;
* We actually become His inheritance. Now think about it. In the beginning God designed us, in the Testament God sought us, in the New Testament Days God-man died for us, today through His Holy Spirit He lives in us to change us into becoming like Him, and one day He’ll return for us. Now do you understand what was just said? He’ll some for us!
* After all this time, actions, works, and the rest, He WANTS US! We are His inheritance.
* May I compare it to Children who, after a lifetime of being in a family and waiting, they receive from their Dad an inheritance? As a general rule, the children are elated about their inheritance. I submit to you that we are no more excited to receive our inheritance than Jesus is to receive us. What a surprise it is for us, at least for me that God is giving us to His one and only Son as an inheritance.
6) HIS SECURITY – Get a handle on this. When we begin a personal relationship with Jesus, God’s Son, some interesting things happen not the least of which is we are “sealed” by the Spirit of God.
* This word “sealed” means “stamped” and “marked,” it is the same word used Matthew 27: 66 where they sealed the tomb of Jesus and in Revelation 20:3 where the beast is sealed in the bottomless pit.
* Let me end today’s message for us with an illustration of His security and demonstrate a great reason to be “THANKFUL.”
* It begins with knowledge that you are a sinner. It’s more than just saying the words; it’s about realizing just how much you have offended God and the results of your actions require punishment. Until you know this, there is no hope of a relationship with Christ. How does this happen? The Holy Spirit begins to stirs your heart and your conscience. It’s that pressure you feel in your chest that you cannot get rid of. Your security in Christ then determined by the decision you make. While God is in charge, He allows us to make choose. A choice whether to receive forgiveness or not. If we choose to accept His forgiveness and life, then we are in Him.
* (Illustrate using coin, hand, and handkerchief).
* What are the reasons to be thankful? Because of Him, His sovereignty, His Son, His Salvation, His Supply, His surprise (of you being His inheritance), and His security (that once you are His, you are secure).
* The seriousness of this message now becomes evident. Do you have any reason to be thankful? If you know Him not, then you are not.
