Always Thankful For All Things
11/23/08 PM
Text: Ephesians 5:20
Introduction
This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. One day in which we set aside our busy schedules to be thankful. Now, there is nothing wrong with that but the word of God tells us that thankfulness should be our attitude all the time, in all things.
Ephesians 5:20 (NASB) always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
For many Americans, myself included, we don’t appreciate how good we have it or maybe we just don’t realize. A recent television show about a distant country got me to thinking. When I’m hungry, I don’t have to kill my food or harvest anything (unless I want to for sport or hobby.) I go to the store or a restaurant and get something to eat. Or I just open up my refrigerator and pull out some food and pop it in the microwave. When it’s dark, I turn on the lights. When I’m thirsty I can get clean water out of the tap and add ice if the water isn’t cold enough. When I’m tired, I lay down on my clean, soft bed and go to sleep. If I’m cold, I turn on the furnace. If I’m hot, I seek air conditioning. If I have to go to the bathroom, I go into a room dedicated to that purpose. I bathe daily using clean, hot water. If I’m sick I go to the doctor. If I need to travel I drive my car or my wife’s car. If I need to travel far I can choose from buses, trains, and airplanes. I don’t clean my clothes down at the river; I wash them in my washing machine and dry them in my dryer. If I want music, I turn on my radio, my CD player, or my iPod. If I need information I can get a daily newspaper, hourly news report, or check the Internet.
In many places on Earth, these things aren’t the birthright of every person, they are unimaginable luxuries. So, the next time you start complaining because your TV isn’t big enough or you have to do laundry or you need to make supper or you are stuck in traffic, just think about how blessed we are to have all of those things to complain about. And be thankful.
I.Attitude Examined
A.This is about having a proper attitude.
1.Take a moment to consider the words “always” and “all things.”
a.Paul is talking about a continual attitude for Christians; an attitude of the heart expressed in our lives.
b.But how, we ask ourselves, can we have this attitude “always”, especially "for all things?"
c.I believe the answer lies in the attitudes we have which hinder the attitude God wants us to have. We need an attitude check and perhaps an attitude adjustment.
2.I have observed several mindsets, or attitudes, (or call them character flaws) which impede our developing thankfulness in all things, always.
3.A big one is pride. This is the attitude that glorifies me: "Nobody ever gave me anything, I worked hard for everything I have; I earned it all."
a.With this kind of attitude, we feel that we have no one to thank but ourselves we think we did it all ourselves.
1)Pride is what cost Moses the promised land
Read Numbers 20:8-12
2)Pride was the very thing of which Moses warned the Israelites: Read Deuteronomy 8:11-18
3)Paul addressed prideful teachers at Corinth who were full of themselves, boastful of their gifts and knowledge.
1 Corinthians 4:7 (NASB) 7For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?
b.Knowledge, skills, abilities; air, water, food; everything we are and everything we have we received in some fashion, and ultimately everything traces back to God.
1)God is the foundation of all things; no man possesses anything but what he has derived from God.
2)Taking pride in our accomplishments only becomes a problem when we forget from whom all blessings flow.
4.Another attitude that keeps us from being thankful is a critical spirit or constant complaining. Instead of being grateful, this person will always find something to complain about: (Illustration)
“A lady known as an incurable grumbler constantly complained about everything. At last her neighbor thought he had found something about which she would be happy, for her corn crop was the finest for miles around. When he met her, he said with a beaming smile, `You must be very happy Mary. Everyone is saying how healthy your corn looks this year.’ `True, it is pretty good, but what am I going to do when I need to feed the pigs?’"
a.The Israelites grumbled because they had no food so God miraculously sent manna (crust-like bread) to cover the ground each day except the Sabbath day. Then they started to grumble because it was the same thing every day. (Numbers 11:4-6)
1)This attitude is often the product of focus; we focus on what we do not have instead of what we do have.
5.A third attitude that keeps us from being thankful is carelessness or complacency.
a.Someone once said that if the stars only came out once a year, we would stay out all night to watch them. But they are there every night and we take them for granted.
b.We are sometimes too much like the Israelites. They had a miracle - straight from God every day but were not satisfied. We have blessings from God every day but fail to be thankful daily.
6.We need to strive to prevent pride, criticism, and complacency from keeping us from being truly thankful for all that God has given us.
II. Attitude Expressed
A.1 Thessalonians 5:18a (NASB) 18in everything give thanks;…
1.Psychologists today tell us that sincere gratitude, thanksgiving, is the healthiest of all human emotions.
a.Stress studies show that gratitude produces more positive emotional energy than any other mental attitude.
b.And a thankful heart will endear others to us and us to others.
c.For you see thanksgiving is not only good for the giver but also good for the receiver.
2.God appreciates our thanksgiving. It pleases Him and it glorifies Him. And thanksgiving draws us closer to Him.
3.If we are not grateful, if we do not express our thanksgiving, then it can have the opposite affect.
Read Romans 1:18-22
a.This passage shows that people who are ungrateful to God risk falling away; their hearts hardened. Here, we see pride keeping people from worshipping God and being thankful.
B.We need to bring thanksgiving to all things, always.
1.See all the blessings of life.
a.I’ve been married 25 years and my wife is rather remarkable (if only for having put up with me for 25 years!) But I’ve never known her to stand in our kitchen and give thanks to God for our sink full of dirty dishes. Who does?
1)But we should. A sink full of dirty dishes usually means that we have been blessed by God with daily food and water.
2)Do you realize that two thirds of the world goes to bed hungry every night?
b.Our prayers are often very general. We say, "Thank you God for all your blessings" but what blessings are we really thankful for? Count your blessings...name them one by one...count your blessings see what God has done.
Our Thanksgiving should also include
2.All the burdens of life.
a.This is a tough one. 1 Thessalonians 5:18a (NASB) in everything give thanks;…
1)Ephesians 5:20 says, "always giving thanks." You may think, surely Paul made a mistake or easier said then done.
2)But it wasn’t. Paul suffered from some very difficult problem that he called a thorn in the flesh. He also had been run out of town, beaten, whipped, imprisoned, harassed, gone hungry, been shipwrecked, been stoned and left for dead, yet Paul never stopped giving thanks.
b.Paul said several things that really show he had the proper perspective of the burdens of life:
1)Romans 8:18 (NASB) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
2)2 Corinthians 12:10 (NASB) Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
3)Written while imprisoned:
Philippians 1:12 (NASB) Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,
c.When we like Paul have the proper attitude we to can give thanks always for everything...
C.The key to Paul’s attitude
1.Philippians 4:13 (NASB) I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
a.In our weakness God can make us strong. When we are struggling God is able to work in our lives. He helps us through times that we cannot face on our own.
2.You see, Paul never said to be thankful for our problems but rather - IN THEM." And being thankful; in them allows God to use them for His greater good.
a.Paul and Silas were imprisoned in Philippi but the Philippian Jailer and all his household were brought to Christ by their attitude. (Acts 16:23-34)
b.Mary and Martha grieved when their brother Lazarus died as Jesus did not arrive in time to heal him but it was for the greater glory that it happened.
John 11:4 (NASB) 4But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”
c.A man was born and lived blind so that he could be a vessel for the purpose of God.
John 9:2 - 3 (NASB) And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
III. Attitude Expected
A.1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NASB) in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1.This is God’s will for us. This is the attitude He expects from us.
a.Our prayers are offered as incense to the Lord (Revelation 5:8.) By thanksgiving and praise we make them a pleasing aroma.
2.Paul learned contentment (Philippians 4:11) in all circumstances, Unbelievers will ask about it; believers must be ready to tell them.
a.1 Peter 3:15ff (NASB) …always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you…
b.Unbelievers can see that Christians have something different; “hope” gives us foundation to be thankful.
3.We have such a firm foundation for being thankful in all things, always:
a.We are the children of God 1 John 3:1
b.We have all spiritual blessings. Ephesians 1:3
c.We will receive the crown of life 2 Timothy 4:8
Conclusion
We see from Scripture that an attitude of thanksgiving is expected of God’s children and we can have this attitude by keeping our pride, complacency, and critical attitudes in check and our focus on all blessings we have from God.
Invitation
