Thanksgiving
Prairie Baptist Church – 11/22/09
A.M. Service
Text: Psalm 100
Key Verse: Psalm 100:4 - Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Premise: God is certainly worthy of praise and thanksgiving and in this Psalm; the writer gives us a wonderful glimpse into the world of a thankful spirit.
The Introduction
Max Lucado tells about living as an American in Brazil. One day, as he was walking along the street on his way to the University to teach a class, he felt a tug on his pants leg. Turning around, he saw a little boy about 5 or 6 years old with dark beady eyes and a dirty little face. The little boy looked up at the big American and said, "Bread, Sir." He was a little beggar boy and Lucado said, "There are always little beggar boys in the streets of Brazil. Usually I turn away from them because there are so many and you can’t feed them all. But there was something so compelling about this little boy that I couldn’t turn away. So, taking his hand, I said, `Come with me’ and I took him into a coffee shop." Max told the owner, "I’ll have a cup of coffee and give the boy a piece of pastry…whatever he wants." Since the coffee counter was at the other end of the store, Max walked on and got a cup of coffee, forgetting about the little boy because beggar boys usually get the bread and then run back out into the street and disappear. But this one didn’t. After he got his pastry, he went over to the big American and just stood there until Lucado felt his staring eyes. Lucado said, "I turned and looked at him. Standing up, his eyes just about hit my belt buckle. Then slowly his eyes came up until they met mine. The little boy, holding his pastry in one hand, looked up and said, ‘Thank you, sir. Thank you very much.’” Lucado said, "I was so touched by the boy’s thanks that I would have bought him the store. I sat there for another 30 minutes, late for my class, just thinking about a little beggar boy who came back and said, `Thank you.’" SOURCE: Max Lucado. Citation: Quoted by Steve Shepherd in "Thanksgiving"
In a few days we will sit around a table full of good food and a time with family. We will stuff ourselves silly and watch a football game or just talk and have a good time.
What motivates us to be thankful?
What makes you a thankful person?
1. The Invitation to Thanksgiving – 4 [God gives us an invitation]
A. We are invited into the presence of God (gates and courts)
i. What is the presence of God?
a. It is inescapable - Psalms 139:7 – Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
b. It is Jesus with us - Matthew 28:20 – I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
c. It is the Holy Spirit indwelling us - John 14:16-17 - 16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
d. It is Holy – 1st Pet 1:15-16 - 15but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”
ii. What do some do with the presence of God?
a. They mock it
b. They laugh at it
c. They disregard it
d. Someday they will be subdued before him – Psalms 72:9 - They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. (Phil. 2:10-11; Romans 14:11-12)
B. What do you do with the presence of God in your life now?
i. Is it a daily experience or every once in a while?
ii. Does He take your breath away or is the effort too much?
iii. Have you drawn closer to Him or do you find yourself fleeing from His presence?
2. The How of Thanksgiving – 1-3 [God also tells us how to be thankful]
A. Joyful – 1 (make a joyful noise)
i. In church one Sunday there was noted a small child who was turning around smiling at everyone. He wasn’t gurgling, spitting, humming, tearing the hymnbooks apart, or rummaging through his mother’s purse. He was just smiling. Suddenly his mother jerked him around, and in a staged whisper that everyone could hear, said, "Stop grinning. You’re in church." With that she gave him a slap on his hindside, and as the tears rolled down his cheeks she added, "That’s better," and returned to her prayers. If you can’t grin in church, where can you be happy?
ii. We are too quiet, to anemic.
iii. Joyful noise is not unnecessary shouting but an excited and happy sound
iv. Are you joyful so that others around you believe it or is it an act?
B. Glad service – 2a (serve the Lord with gladness)
i. Philippians 4:4 - Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
ii. There is joy in serving Jesus. This is how we show thanks in service, with joy.
iii. Too many down in the mouth workers for Jesus
iv. The ones that should be depressed are the ones doing nothing.
v. If your attitude is right about serving God you will have joy in your serving God.
C. Singing – 2b (come before His presence with singing)
i. A young girl became a Christian in an exciting revival at her church and was baptized the closing Sunday morning. That afternoon she ran through the house singing and dancing. Her sour grandfather rebuked her with these words, “You ought to be ashamed of yourself. You just joined the church and you’re singing and dancing on the Lord’s Day!” Crushed by her grandfather’s attitude, the little girl went out to the barn, climbed up on the corral fence, and observed an old mule standing there with a sad, droopy face and bleary eyes. As she reached over and patted the mule sympathetically, she said, “Don’t cry, ole mule. I guess you’ve got the same kind of religion that Grandpa has!”
ii. Everyone should have a song in their heart
iii. You may not be able to carry a tune but you can lift up your voice with some kind of praise.
iv. Does your song amount to a funeral dirge or an anthem of praise?
D. Worshipful – 3a (Know ye that the Lord He is God . . .)
i. To worship is to ascribe worth to another
ii. What is God worth to you?
iii. Psalms 95:6 - O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
E. Humble – 3b (we are His people and the sheep of His pasture)
i. Psalms 95:6 - O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
ii. Humility recognizes the value of others before or as much as self
iii. We are HIS people – chosen, forgiven and justified
iv. We are HIS sheep – less than the shepherd, needing His guidance and feeding in HIS pasture.
3. The Motivation for Thanksgiving – 5 [Here is what should motivate us to be thankful]
A. Recently I read a fable about a dog who loved to chase other animals. He bragged about his great running skill and said he could catch anything. Well, it wasn’t long until his boastful claims were put to the test by a certain rabbit. With ease the little creature outran his barking pursuer. The other animals, watching with glee, began to laugh. The dog excused himself, however, by saying, "You forget, I was only running for fun. He was running for his life!" That does make a difference! Motivation is the most important factor in everything we do.
B. His goodness
i. He is good because that is His nature (kindness, generous, patient, loving)
ii. He is good because He saves
iii. He is good because He keeps
C. His mercy
i. Psalm 36:5 - Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
a. Mercy is God’s withholding from us what we do deserve
b. It says His mercy “is in the heavens.” There are three heavens thought of in Scripture:
• The first heaven – our atmosphere, the clouds.
• The second heaven – the universe, sun, moon and stars
• The third heaven – the abode of God
• It says His mercy is found everywhere
ii. So long as we are receivers of mercy we must be givers of thanks. (Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David)
iii. His mercy extends to humanity
iv. His mercy is evidenced in salvation
v. His mercy is seen in our daily lives
D. His truth
i. Truth is an indispensable attribute of God
ii. His Word is truth (unchanging fact)
iii. His truth never ends and can always be counted on
iv. The greatest truth is found in Jesus Christ – John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Conclusion:
What will you share this Thanksgiving about God and His goodness, mercy and truth?
Will we be a people that expresses thanks to Him always?
