MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(REVISED: 2015)
(PowerPoints used with this message are available for free. Just email me at mnewland@sstelco.com and request #283.)
TEXT: Psalm 100
A. One of the most beautiful Psalms of thanksgiving is the 100th Psalm. Please follow along as I read: "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God.
"It is He who made us, & we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving & His courts with praise; give thanks to Him & praise His name.
"For the Lord is good & His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."
I believe we are a people & a nation that has truly been blessed by God.
B. It is not uncommon to compile wish lists at Christmas, & draw up a list of resolutions for New Years. But there is another list often overlooked - a Thanksgiving list of all for which we are thankful.
(I used the following illustration in my original version of this sermon:
ILL. Let me read a part of the list that several housewives compiled. They wrote that they were especially thankful:
"For automatic dishwashers because they make it possible for us to get out of the kitchen before the family comes back in for their after dinner snacks.
"For husbands who attack small repair jobs around the house because they usually make them big enough to call in the professionals.
"For children who put away their things & clean up after themselves. They’re such a joy you hate to see them go home to their own parents
"For teenagers because they give parents an opportunity to learn a second language.
"For Smoke alarms because they let you know when the turkey’s done. )
(I replaced that illustration with the following in my 2015 revision:
ILL. Someone wrote this list of things for which he was Thankful.
"I am thankful for: The taxes I pay - because it means I’m employed;
The clothes that fit a little too snug - because it means I have enough to eat;
A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need washing, & gutters that need cleaning - because it means I have a home;
My huge heating bill - because it means I am warm;
The piles of laundry - because it means I have loved ones nearby.
APPL. Now our lists might not all be the same, but I'm convinced that if we began to make a list, we would find that we have much more for which to be thankful than just our material possessions.
Like you, I'm sure, my list would include the major things life, health, family, friends, & the nation we live in, despite all its flaws.
But most of all, I'm thankful for my salvation & the mercy that God showers upon us. Because of Jesus we have so much for which to celebrate on Thanksgiving!
C. But have you ever considered that no Americans were more underprivileged than that small handful from the Mayflower who started the custom of setting aside a day of Thanksgiving to Almighty God?
They had no permanent homes & no government agency to help them build their homes. They had no means of transportation but their legs. Their only food came from the sea & the forest, & they had to get it for themselves.
They had no money & no place to spend it if they'd had any. They had no amusements except what they made for themselves, no means of communication with their relatives in England, no social security or medicare.
But anyone who dared to call them underprivileged would probably have ended up in the stocks, for they did have 4 of the greatest human assets: initiative, courage, a willingness to work, & a boundless faith in God.
Our forefathers had "a boundless faith in God." That almost sounds strange today when powerful forces are at work in our nation to strip us of every reminder that the foundation of our nation is the conviction that we are "one nation, under God."
ILL. Our "Declaration of Independence" proclaims, "We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights . . ."
And it ends with these words, ". . .with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes & our sacred Honor."
D. Thanksgiving Day is a distinctive holiday. It doesn't commemorate a battle or anyone's birthday or anniversary. It is simply a day set aside to express our nation's thanks to our nation's God.
ILL. In 1789, Pres. George Washington made this public proclamation. (Now I'll read only a little part of it, but I want you to see the strong & absolute acknowledgment of the fact of God, & of our nation's dependence upon Him.)
"By the President of the United States of America. A proclamation: 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, & humbly to implore His protection & favor, and
"Whereas, Both Houses of Congress" (Did you hear that? - "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 & Prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God. . .'
"Now, Therefore I do recommend & assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great & glorious Being who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. . ."
So read the very first Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation. (Underlining mine - MN)
SUM. This week our nation will pause once again to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. And one would assume that because of the example of our forefathers, & because today we have so much, that we would be an extremely thankful people.
But it is often just the opposite. The more we get, the less thankful we become, the less mindful of God we are, & the more we want.
ILL. In a certain area of Mexico hot springs & cold springs are found side by side. And because of the convenience of this natural phenomenon the women there often bring their laundry, boil their clothes in the hot springs, & rinse them in the cold springs.
A tourist watching this procedure commented to his Mexican guide: "They must think God is generous to supply such ample & clean hot & cold water."
The guide replied, "No senor, there is much grumbling because He supplies no soap." (Adapted from Sermon Central.com)
PROP. I think that the 100th Psalm was written to deal with that attitude, to remind us of our need to be thankful, & to maintain an attitude of gratitude.
I. THE MESSAGE OF THANKSGIVING
A. The 100th Psalm was written for the people of Israel. God said to them, "When you come into the promised land, & settle down in your homes, & you have plenty to eat, don't forget Me. I led you out of the wilderness & brought you into a land flowing with milk & honey."
But it doesn't take very long to realize that the people of Israel needed a reminder, & it is obvious that we need it, too.
Maybe God had us in mind, also, when this Psalm was written. Did you notice to whom it is addressed? The first verse says that it is addressed to "all the earth," & the last verse says that it includes "all generations."
This message of thanksgiving is so deep & wide that it applies to every person in every era in every stage of life.
It's sad, isn't it, that we are the only country in the world, except for Canada & the Philippines, that has a Thanksgiving Day? I wonder how our world would be changed if suddenly all nations would begin to observe Thanksgiving?
I think there is something about giving thanks together to God that breaks down barriers between people, much like that which occurred as the Berlin wall began to crumble at the end of the Cold War.
B. I think also that there is a real danger of determining our thanksgiving on the basis of how much we have.
"Do I have enough turkey to gorge myself sufficiently? Is my money in the bank secure? Am I healthy?" And we let these things determine whether we are or aren't thankful.
The Psalmist says that all of these things may change at any time. They may drift away, or burn up, or someone may steal them. The only thing we have for sure is our relationship with the Lord.
That is what the 100th Psalm emphasizes. Just scan the Psalm. In vs. 1 you'll find the word "Lord." In vs. 2 you'll find the word "Lord." In vs. 3 you'll find the word "Lord." In vs. 4 it says, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving." And in vs. 5 you'll find the word "Lord." The basis of our thanksgiving is the Lord.
ILL. Alex Haley, author of "Roots," had an unusual picture hanging on his office wall. It was a picture of a turtle on top of a fence post.
When asked, "Why is that there?" He answered, "Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words & think that they are wonderful, & begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post & remember that he didn't get there on his own. He had help."
SUM. That is the message of thankfulness to remember that we got here with the help of God, & that He is the provider of every blessing we have.
II. FIVE THANKSGIVING COMMANDS
Now, as we look more carefully at this Psalm, we find there are 5 commands.
A. The first command is in vs. 1, "Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth."
That word "shout" means to "Proclaim with the force of a trumpet blast," a shout of joy to the Lord that comes from the very depths of your being.
Maybe He solved your problem. Maybe He has given you the direction to go. Maybe He has provided a blessing, & you realize that it has come from God. So from the depths of your being you proclaim your praise.
ILL. I've told this story before, but I think it bears repeating. Roland Allen wrote about a veteran missionary who came up to him one day after he had delivered his sermon.
The missionary introduced himself & said, "I was a medical missionary for many years in India. And I served in a region where there was progressive blind-ness. People were born with healthy vision, but there was something in that area that caused people to lose their sight as they grew older."
But this missionary had developed a treatment which would stop progressive blindness. So people came to him & he performed his treatment, & they would leave realizing that they would have become completely blind, but because of him their sight had been saved.
He said that they never said, "Thank you," because that phrase was not in their dialect. Instead, they spoke a word that meant, "I will tell your name." Wherever they went, they would tell the name of the missionary who had cured their blind-ness. They had received something so wonderful that they eagerly proclaimed it.
And that is what the Psalmist is saying. "Suddenly you realize that God has been so good to you that you can't keep it inside any more. From the depths of your being you express your joy unto the Lord."
B. The second command is, "Serve the Lord with gladness." It doesn't say "serve the church." It doesn't say "serve the preacher, or serve the organization." It says, "serve the Lord."
The Bible teaches that if we feed the hungry, if we clothe the naked, if we do the work of the Lord, whatever it might be, we are serving the Lord.
In Matthew 25:40 Jesus said, "Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me." Isn't that what Psalm 100 is saying? "In whatever you do, serve the Lord with gladness."
C. The third command is, "Come before Him with joyful songs." Psalm 98:4 says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord." And that I can do.
SUM. Have you noticed? In these first 3 commands, God has said, "I want you to be happy. Shout with joy, serve with gladness, & come with joyful songs."
The Psalmist is saying, "Come before Him & serve Him & sing His praise with joy in your heart."
D. Command #4 is, "Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, & we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture."
1. God took every bone, every joint, & He welded them together with sinews & muscles & covered them with skin & gave us eyes that see, brains that think, & fingers that can pick things up. God made us, inside & out. He made you the way He wanted you to be. And He made me the way He wanted me to be.
I don't understand why, but somehow God decided that He wanted a medium sized man, not too good looking, not outstanding in anything, but just a faithful father & husband who would keep plodding along. So He made me. Someplace along the way He had you in mind, & He made you.
And He is still making us. That is important to realize, too. He's not satisfied with the unfinished product. He's not satisfied with your temper. He's not satisfied with the weak areas of your life where you are giving in to temptation. So He's still making us. He's still working on our lives.
The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:3 & 6, "I thank my God every time I remember you. . . .being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
God is your maker, & you are created in His image. Therefore give Him thanks for who you are.
2. Then He says, "We are His people, the sheep of His pasture." Well, frankly, most of us want to be shepherds, not sheep. "It's not any fun being sheep," we say.
But the problem is, we don't know where the still waters & green pastures are. And every time we go out searching for them, we invariably end up in the far country.
He is saying, "You be the sheep. Let me be the shepherd, & I will lead you beside the still waters & the green pastures. Just let me lead."
E. Command #5 is this, "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, & His courts with praise; give thanks to Him & praise His name. For the Lord is good & His love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations."
In the O.T., the temple symbolized the presence of God. So whenever the people came to the temple & entered the courtyards they knew that they had come into the presence of God.
Now that temple no longer exists. But oftentimes the place where we meet to worship God is called a "sanctuary," indicating that God is there. But God is everywhere. You know that.
He is with you as you drive on the highway. He is with you when you work. He is with you as you care for your children. He is with you every moment of your life.
That is the source of our thanksgiving. But I'm worried. What if God began to treat us like we so often treat Him? What if God met our needs to the same extent that we give Him our lives?
What if we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when God sent the rain? What if God stopped loving & caring for us because we failed to love & care for others? What if God took away His message because we wouldn't listen to His messenger?
What if He wouldn't bless us today because we didn't thank Him yesterday? What if God answered our prayers the way we answer His call for service? What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we did not follow Him today?
O Lord, help us to be thankful that you do "not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities." (Psalm 103:10)
CONCL. I pray that this will be a meaningful Thanksgiving season for you & all your family. Take time to read the 100th Psalm again. And if you'll heed those commands, your heart will overflow with thanksgiving to the Lord.
This morning we offer His invitation. If you have a decision on your heart, we pray that you will make it, that you'll come, confessing your faith or transferring your fellowship, being faithful to the Lord in Christian baptism, whatever your need might be. We extend His invitation as we stand & sing.
INVITATION
