Introduction:
A. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day filled with family, food, and fun! We did!
1. How many of you ladies or gentleman cooked the turkey for last Thursday?
2. Was it anyone’s first attempt at cooking a turkey?
3. I hope your experience wasn’t like Helen Hayes’ first experience.
4. Helen Hayes was an American Actress whose career spanned 80 years, she died in 1993.
a. When Helen was just about to serve the first turkey she ever cooked, she announced this to her husband and their son: “Now I know this is the first turkey I’ve ever cooked. If it isn’t right, I don’t want anybody to say a word. We’ll just get up from the table, without comment, and go down to the hotel for dinner.”
b. After making that announcement, she went into the kitchen to get the turkey, when she returned to the dining room with turkey in hand, she found her husband and son seated at the table wearing their hats and coats!
c. I guess they had had some previous experience with Helen’s cooking.
B. Here are a few short funnies for Thanksgiving:
1. Why did the turkey cross the road? It was the chicken’s day off.
2. What sound does a space turkey make? Hubble, Hubble, Hubble.
3. When asked to write a composition entitled: “What I’m thankful for on Thanksgiving,” a young boy wrote: “On Thanksgiving Day, I’m thankful I am not a turkey!”
a. I’m thankful I am not a turkey on any day, how about you?
C. Thanksgiving Day is an important holiday for our country because of the attitude it represents.
1. Thanksgiving Day has morphed into a day of food and football, but it was instituted to be a day to recognize our blessings and to be thankful to the One from whom those blessings come.
2. For the Christian, an attitude of thanksgiving is an attribute that should characterize the Christian every day, not just on Thanksgiving Day.
D. Before we look at what the Bible says about the importance of a thankful attitude, let me share a brief history of Thanksgiving Day, because it is helpful for us to know the history of important things.
1. The year was 1623 (that’s 395 years ago), and William Bradford, the Governor of Plymouth Colony called its citizens together for a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God.
On that occasion, Bradford said these words: “Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us…, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.
Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the daytime, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”
2. In 1789, 166 years later, President George Washington issued a Thanksgiving Day Proclamation to commemorate the first Pilgrim celebration.
Here is a portion of what Washington wrote: “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country…”
3. Six years later, in 1795, George Washington proclaimed a second day of Thanksgiving, following the defeat of the Whiskey Rebellion.
4. After Washington left office, John Adams, James Madison, and others periodically declared days of Thanksgiving.
5. Several presidents opposed days of national thanksgiving, with Thomas Jefferson openly denouncing such a proclamation, calling it “a kingly practice.
6. After this, Thanksgiving was observed by some individual states, and they did so on whichever date suited their fancy.
7. Thanksgiving Day might not be celebrated today in the United States were it not for a patient and persistent woman named Sarah Hale.
8. Then in 1828, Mrs. Sarah Hale, the editor of the magazine Godey’s Lady’s Book and the author of the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” began campaigning for the restoration of Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
a. She wrote letters and sough appointments with national leaders from the President down.
b. Time after time, she was politely rebuffed, sometimes being told it was “impossible” and “impractical,” and sometimes being dismissed with a “this-is-none-of-your-business” scolding.
9. Finally, almost 40 years later, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln listened seriously to her plea that North and South “lay aside enmities and strife on Thanksgiving Day.”
a. Lincoln went ahead and proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November to be the official “National Thanksgiving Day.”
10. This day was finally ratified by the U.S. Congress in 1941.
11. Aren’t you thankful Sarah Hale didn’t give up on Thanksgiving Day?
E. Thanksgiving Day is a symbol of an attitude or spirit that should characterize our lives every day.
1. In today’s sermon, I want to inspire us to become a more thankful people, and I want to suggest how we can do just that.
2. So, our simple outline today will be – Thankfulness: What, Why, When and How.
I. Question #1: What is Thankfulness?
A. Here are some dictionary definitions of thankfulness.
1. The Cambridge online dictionary says: “Thankfulness is the feeling of being happy or grateful because of something.”
2. Dictionary.com says: “Thankfulness is feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative.”
3. Merriam-Webster online says: “Thankful: conscious of benefit received; expressive of thanks; well pleased: Glad.”
4. I like what one person said about thankfulness, they said: “Thankfulness is the soil in which joy thrives.”
B. I think most of us have a pretty good idea of what it means to be thankful or grateful, but we might struggle more with the why, when and how of thankfulness.
II. Question #2: Why Should We Be Thankful?
A. There are several very good reasons to be thankful, allow me to suggest three.
B. First, we should be thankful because God commands us to be thankful.
1. Here’s a sampling of Scripture that encourages us to be thankful.
2. Colossians 2:6-7: Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
3. Colossians 3:15: And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
4. Colossians 4:2: Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
5. As we know, God’s commands are always for our good, so when we obey God by being thankful it is good for us and for others.
6. Someone said that a thankful heart doubles our blessings, causing us to enjoy them twice; first, when we receive them and second, when we remember them.
C. Second, we should be thankful because thanklessness characterizes the unspiritual.
1. When the apostle Paul was describing the terrible state of sinful mankind in the last days, he wrote: But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy… (2 Tim. 3:1-2)
2. Ungratefulness is truly an ugly thing!
a. Have you ever known someone, either an adult or a child, who was never appreciative, content or satisfied?
b. If you know someone like that then you know how ugly that kind of attitude is.
3. Christians, however, should never be characterized by ungratefulness, because of the spiritual orientation of our lives.
D. Third, we should be thankful because it moves us towards God.
1. Someone has said that God has two dwelling places, one in heaven and the other in a thankful heart. (I really like that thought.)
2. And since God is the giver of every good gift, gratitude for God’s blessings inevitably moves us in God’s direction.
3. Thankfulness shifts the focus of our attention from self to God.
4. Thankfulness will lead us to God and will keep us near Him and He near us.
E. Now that we know what thankfulness is and why we should be thankful let’s investigate the next question…
III. Question #3: When Should We Be Thankful?
A. Maybe a better question is when shouldn’t we be thankful?
1. Truth is that God wants us to be thankful all the time.
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
a. Did you notice the words: “this is the will of God for you?”
b. God’s will is clear in this matter!
3. So is there ever a time for ingratitude? Is there ever a time when we should not express thanks?
4. Regardless of our circumstances, thankfulness and gratitude are always appropriate.
B. You might be wondering: “How can a person be thankful in all circumstances?
1. That’s the question we want to address in our last section of this sermon.
IV. Question #4: How Can We Become Thankful People?
A. If you don’t remember anything else I say today, I want to encourage you to listen closely and remember this: Thankfulness arises in a heart that has been touched with the reality of God’s generosity and grace.
1. There are two points that I want to make about the reality of God’s generosity and grace.
B. First, Thinking Precedes Thanking.
1. Thanksgiving is the product of careful reflection on who God is and what God has done.
2. If we will think long and hard enough about God, there will always be something to be thankful for.
a. If you or I can’t think of something to be thankful for, then we have not thought long and hard enough.
3. Someone once said, “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.”
a. There are so many good things in my life for which I am thankful. How about you?
b. If we are not careful, it is easy to take these blessings for granted.
c. If there has been a time when we didn’t have any of these blessings, then it might be easier to remember them and be thankful for them.
4. But even in the midst of our most difficult circumstances, if we will think long and hard enough, we will be able to find something for which to be thankful.
a. There’s an old story of a preacher who made a plea to the congregation for additional funds for the church and he passed his hat around the congregation.
1. He told the church he would be thankful for whatever he received.
2. After his hat circulated around the auditorium, it came back to him empty no one had given anything.
3. But the preacher had promised to be thankful, no matter what, so preacher bowed his head and led the congregation in prayer: “Lord, I thank you that at least I got my hat back.”
b. Matthew Henry, the famous Bible scholar, had his wallet stolen by robbers one day.
1. If you have ever been robbed you know how scary and unsettling that can be.
2. Nevertheless, listen to what Matthew Henry wrote in his journal: “Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.”
c. Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf, spoke glowingly of thanksgiving, she said: “For three things I thank God every day of my life: thanks that He has vouchsafed me knowledge of His works; deep thanks that He has set in my darkness the lamp of faith; deep, deepest thanks that I have another life to look forward – a life joyous with light and flowers and heavenly song.”
d. Those are some powerful examples of giving thanks in all circumstances!
5. The Scriptures are clear about the potential positive effects of our trials.
a. Like James 1:2-4: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
b. Trials don’t automatically produce good outcomes, they have to be faced with the right attitude and with God’s strength for them to make us better and more complete.
c. When we face our trails with faith, and look for God’s blessings in the midst of it, then we can be thankful in all circumstances.
6. So, first we must realize that thinking precedes thanking.
C. Second, Pride Prevents Thankfulness.
1. Henry Ward Beecher wrote: “A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.”
2. A humble person recognizes two things the proud person cannot accept.
a. First, the humble person understands that who they are and what they have has come from God as a gift and a blessing.
b. Second, the humble person realizes they have received far more than they deserve which helps with contentment.
3. So how do we become more thankful people?
a. First, we do so by learning to count our blessings, even the ones that come during our trials.
b. Second, we do so by working on being humble by recognizing that everything comes from God which can help us to be more content with what God has given.
Conclusion:
A. Our God is a wonderful, gracious God who has richly blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
1. God’s commands for us include being thankful always, because He knows how damaging ungratefulness can be.
2. We can become a thankful people by focusing on the reality of God’s generosity in both our times of ease and in our times of trial.
B. I hope that all of us will develop hearts that are full of thanksgiving toward God.
1. I hope that all of us know the peace of knowing and trusting God.
2. I hope that our humble hearts before God will lead us toward thanksgiving and contentment.
3. And in the end, I hope we will all live lives characterized by gratitude.
C. Allow me to end with a Peanuts cartoon.
1. One day Lucy was down in the dumps and Linus asked her: “What’s the matter?”
2. Lucy replied: “My life is a drag…I’m completely fed up…I’ve never been so low in all my life...”
3. Linus tried to cheer Lucy up by saying, “When you’re in a mood like this you should think of the things you have to be thankful for…in other words, count your blessings.”
4. Lucy replied, “HA! That’s a good one! I could count my blessings on one finger! I’ve never had anything, and I never will have anything!”
5. Lucy continued: “I don’t get half the breaks that other people do…Nothing ever goes right for me!”
6. And Lucy went on with her rant: “And you talk about counting my blessings! You talk about being thankful! What do I have to be thankful for?”
7. Linus replied, “Well, for one thing, you have a little brother who loves you!”
8. Lucy then began to cry, “WAAH!” and embraced Linus, who thought to himself: “Every now and then I say the right thing.”
D. If we want to be a more thankful people, we need to realize these two important truths we have discussed:
1. Thinking really does precede thanking – We need to count our blessings!
2. Pride really does prevent thankfulness – The more humble we are the more grateful we will be.
E. Thankgiving is a great day, but thanksliving is a great way!
