Thanks-Giving
Selected Scriptures
Introduction- Good morning everyone, glad you joined us.
We have just come out of one of the most popular eating holidays. Thanksgiving! Where we all get around the trough…I mean the table and eat till we cannot eat anymore.
For some of us, we then go to the easy chair and pretend to watch a football game but the TV ends up watching you because you are dead to the world.
For many, we forgot how much prep time it took to get that meal on the table- except those who did the prep. They know how long it took. They also are the ones that most of the time end up with the clean-up.
Like God, those people are not usually thanked for what they have done for us- we have our belly’s full, we are blessed and when we are satisfied, we take a nap.
We forget to say thank you to the ones or ones that have provided the blessing.
So to those who gave us that great meal, to those that made enough we will enjoy it a few more times… thank you!
But also this morning… Let’s all say and mean thank you to the Lord who ought to get some praise for what He can do, has done, will do in our lives.
We want to blame the turkey for our sleepiness…. Why we forget to thank the hands and God for the things He has done.
Really, that is a myth. Turkey does contain Tryptophan, an amino acid that produces Serophan, a neurotransmitter that helps you sleep, but so does a lot of other foods.
Truth is, you over ate, got comfortable, crawled up into your lazyboy and took some Z’s…all by yourself!
I want to look at being grateful. Thanks-giving.
The set aside day of Thanksgiving is mostly a United States holiday. The words evokes images of football, family get-togethers, turkey, stuffing, lots of desserts, sleeping in the chair for some, lots of work for others.
Turkey was not even on the menu at the first Thanksgiving. It was probably deer meat, lobster, wild berries, corn. No pumpkin pie and no potatoes!
The food and the get together are good, but this morning we cannot forget the reason for it.
Pilgrims were giving God thanks for seeing them through tough times, 66 days, 2750 miles heading for what is now New York City, blowing off course and landed in the cape of Massachusetts.
We as Americans ought to give God thanks everyday, at every meal, and for every gift that we have received because we are a blessed nation.
The poorest person in America lives better than most in other countries. It is the reason that they risk their lives floating in makeshift rafts and rubber tires across an ocean to get here to be free.
Lots of debate and for sure America is not free of problems, but I am glad that I live here and not anywhere else in the world today. Amen.
As a kid growing up, my thanksgiving was food and people- little of gratitude. One time I remember taking a moment to give thanks, but that turned into one line jokes that quickly went south. It was suggested that I sit down so we could eat.
Till this day…almost everytime I give the blessing for our thanksgiving meal- someone will in some way remind me to keep it short pastor because they are hungry.
It was said in jest, but really what it is saying about us is that we want the blessings but not want to thank the blesser of the food!
Henry Ward Beecher-
“Pride slays Thanksgiving, but a humble mind is the soil of which thanks naturally grow. A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves. (Think about that a moment)
We see 2 elements to thankful- humbleness and gratefulness.
1 Peter 5:5-
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
God comes against the haughty and give grace to the humble.
I think one of the biggest sins of America is being ungrateful.
So much has been given to us, and a long time ago we decided that we don’t have to say thank you.
To God or each other.
Please and thank you were words as a kid I was use too.
If you needed something it began with “May I please” and when someone gave you something, it ended with “Thank you.”
You looked that person right in the eyes and you meant every word that you said.
If your parents had to remind you to respond correctly you were in trouble.
Culture today struggles with humbleness and gratefulness. These two things will keep you from being thankful. Most are not humble and most are not grateful.
There is a song that goes “Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your many blessings see what God has done”
We need to do that this morning! Everyone of us everyday of our lives!
We have a brainstorm team here at Rosedale. We meet about once a month to look at ways the church can move in God’s direction and His will.
We see middleclass Americans comfortable in their own little world. We also see poverty raise its ugly head. I see two groups, not one, who, if they are not careful will forget to give thanks to God.
Hear me out!
One comfortable, basic needs met and trying to keep up with the Jones.
One group , basic needs not met but focused so much on what they don’t have they miss what God has given them.
Both groups not thankful for what they have and living with ungrateful hearts.
Matthew tells us “Seek the Kingdom of God first”
Doesn’t matter where you are on the economical scale, we are to seek God first.
He also tells us that “Where our treasures are, there our hearts will be also.”
If we are seeking God first, then our treasures will be in the right place also. I assure you they won’t be material things.
Good to have stuff, but stuff cannot have us!
Someone said,
“If you have nothing to be thankful for then make up your mind there is something wrong with you.”
This seems harsh when I think of what some of you are going through. Some may have hit rock bottom.
Listen to these words
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 5:19-20
“ Speaking to one another with Psalms. Hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Praise and thanksgiving go hand in hand.
Having a humble heart and an attitude of gratitude allows us to know God is working in our situation.
Sometimes we have to be determined that we will look at our blessings more than we look to the situation or circumstance before us.
I am not saying that we should deny what is happening and pretend it never exists- seek God first and be thankful for what you have. Ask God to intervene!
Philippians 4:6-
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.”
There is nothing wrong with asking God, just don’t forget to give thanks also.
Illustration
Story about a boy who was invited over to his neighbors for lunch. When all were seated at the table, the food was served, the little boy was puzzled, and with the frankness of a child, “ Don’t you say any prayer before you eat?” highly embarrassed, he said, “ we don’t have time for that” the boy silent for a moment, said, oh, your just like my dog, you start right in.”
We always think prayer of thanksgiving is the prayer before a meal. It is so much more than that. It is being thankful and having an attitude of thankfulness toward God and each other.
Humbled and not forgetting what God has done for you…..being grateful and putting thankfulness into action.
John Wooden
“Be true to yourself, help others, make each day your masterpiece, make friendship a fine art, drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible, build a shelter against a rainy day, give thanks for your blessings and pray for guidance every day.”
I think that is good stuff!
Words from a college coach who loved God and loved others. Willing to Invest in people’s lives.
Another word for thankful is much obliged.
We need to be much obliged to God and to those that made an impact in our lives.
We need to give back!
One of the biggest joys in life you will experience is when you reach out and help someone.
You want to make sure your attitude stays right-
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Jesus said that God expects us to be good stewards with all that he gives us.
That includes friendships and reaching out to others.
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Think about this for a moment!
I am going to ask you to do something different this morning-
I am going to ask you to do an act of kindness this week and if it goes well, you might want to try it again.
Show someone some kindness.
Do something that you have never done or not done for a very long time.
Babysit someone kids so they can get a couple hours to Christmas shop.
Rack some leaves for an elderly neighbor.
Do the dishes for your spouse with no ulterior motive.
Kids, clean up your room without being told.
Meet someone’s need and keep it to yourself.
Call or visit someone who has been on your heart awhile.
Count your blessings name them one by one,- then go and be a blessing to someone else.
No matter where you are at in life- we all can reach out and be a blessing to someone.
It is our way of saying to God Much Obliged!
As a church we are blessed people- across s this globe people are praying that they could freely come and worship and not be ripped from service.
Rosedale has been blessed by God to reach out to this community.
This is our mission field and we are to show this community the love of Christ.
As long as we don’t get the attitude of the Pharisee in the temple when looking around says “Thank God, I am not like those sinners.” God will continue to bless us and allow us to make an impact.
As long as we see our church as a place to serve rather than a place to serve us, we will keep the much obliged attitude, …we will see God do some amazing things!
Thanksgiving was last Thursday, but every day is a day to be thankful. And every day we can by choice choose to bless someone in some way because of what Christ has done for us.
Illustration-
A little boy was looking in the window of a bakery and the smells of donuts and bread had the little boys stomach hurting with pain. He hardly noticed the man that went in through the door. He did notice the man getting donuts, bread, pastries. When the man left the shop, he knelt down by the little boy and said these are all yours! Then the man got up and began walking away. The little boy just stood there for a few minutes looking at the man with gratefulness. Then he started running after him. He caught up to him and grabbed his leg and tugged on it. The man turned around- mister, are you Jesus?
You know you are never more like Jesus than when you give.
We all have much to give and we all have something to be grateful for.
If you are thinking how someone should bless you this morning, you have missed the entire message- how can you be a blessing to someone else? How can you thank the Lord for all He has done for you and your family?
Amen.
