O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good His mercy endures forever! How many times have you uttered those words? If you’re like me you find yourself speaking those phrases right around mealtime. Unfortunately there are times that I’ve caught myself ripping through those words, not thinking about what I’m saying – but thinking about what I’ll soon be eating. I’m embarrassed to say that those words have at times become somewhat routine. It’s almost like I treat them as some sort of ritual incantation that I must recite before I eat. I suppose there have even been times that I’ve treated those words like they are my verbal sacrifice offered to God just to keep him happy so that he won’t cut me off from his supply line.
If those words should ever cease to become an expression of my heart and only a mechanical moving of my lips I would be better off not to have said them at all. Should I ever think that God can be manipulated by saying just the right words or that he is like a puppy dog who is satisfied with a few words of attention and appreciation from time to time – if that would ever be the case then it would be apparent that I really don’t know the true God at all and my spiritual-self confidence would actually be securing my eternal demise.
That would be unfortunate. Why? Because such outward actions reflect the inner attitude of a heart that isn’t truly thankful at all. Listen to the Lord’s own evaluation of such a situation as he speaks through the prophet Isaiah: “The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men’” (Isaiah 29:13).
Now listen again to the words of the Apostle Paul in the text for this morning: “ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7). Can you sense the difference? Did you feel the intensity of what Paul says in the way he says it? Paul’s thankfulness does not consist in words that he regurgitates on command! These are words that come gushing up from his heart and overflowing off of his lips. With these words Paul expresses true thanksgiving!
So that our worship and thankfulness at this time of national thanksgiving will truly honor and glorify our God we pause this morning to meditate upon the words of God expressed by the Apostle Paul first to the people of Christ’s Church at Philippi and now today to the people of Christ’s Church in Irmo. With a joy-filled heart the Apostle urges all Christians: Give Thanks to the Lord Always! Give him thanks always 1) because he gives us every reason to thank him. Give him thanks always 2) because he gives us endless opportunities to thank him.
I was watching the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special on Friday evening. As Thanksgiving approached Charlie Brown’s sister, Sally, lamented how little she had to be thankful for this year because as a student all that the Thanksgiving holiday meant for her was extra homework. I’m guessing that Sally isn’t alone. After all this holiday may mean more work to prepare a special meal, or additional travel to a tense family gathering that may end up in an argument, or accidentally gaining a few extra pounds that will have to be worked off after the holiday is over. Or maybe this holiday is one that brings sadness because we’re not able to be together with our family, or we feel like we don’t have all that much for which to be thankful this year. As a result when all is said and done maybe Thanksgiving is a holiday that we would rather forget.
What a contrast the Apostle Paul presents to us! As he enumerates the reasons we have to give thanks not once does he talk about a special meal, or a family gathering, or a bank account balance. Paul exhorts us to give thanks to the Lord always because he is near. Though nearly 2000 years have passed since Paul first penned these words we, like the Philippian Christians, we watch with eagerness, anticipating that our Lord could return visibly to take us to be with himself any day now. For as the psalmist writes, “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4). Even if our Lord should allow this world to continue we are thankful to know that any one of us may meet him face to face at any moment should he call us through death from this world of tears to live in his glorious presence. Even if our Lord should prolong our days upon this earth we give thanks because even though we may not be able to see him with our eyes we know that he is near us throughout our lives just as he promised his disciples before he ascended into heaven, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20b).
As Jesus walks with us he gives us his peace. The Apostle Paul talks about that peace, he says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). With those words Paul reminds us that the peace that God has produced for us – won by his Son, Christ Jesus on the battlefield of the cross against Satan, against this sinful world, and even against our own sinful flesh – is ours through faith. This peace is more powerful, more stable, and more lasting than any peace that the human mind could concoct. The human race has created many different props to give us a sense of peace – things like missile defense shields, military and police forces, medical advances, cures for diseases, and insurance policies. Certainly all of these things can be blessings for our lives – but without our Savior God in our lives – not even a combination of all of these things can give us the real, eternal, secure peace that is ours through the cross of Christ. The comfort of being at peace with God Almighty, the Creator of the Universe that comes to us through his Gospel in Word and Sacrament is what stands guard over our hearts and minds keeping our whole being safe in Jesus’ care.
Because we know that Jesus is always with us and that his peace is guarding us we can be certain that nothing can tear us away from our Savior’s side. There are the reasons to give thanks – at Thanksgiving – and every day. Paul reminds us that our Savior gives us endless opportunities to do just that!
It starts with the inner attitude of our hearts. That’s what Paul is addressing when he says, “Rejoice.” He’s so insistent that true thankfulness flows from the heart that he says it twice! Why does Paul stress this attitude so strongly? Think about it. When it comes to life on this planet is it easier to rejoice or complain? When it comes to assessing our blessings is it easier to list what we’ve been given or the things that we don’t have? When we’re offered the opportunity to share of the blessings God has given us – our money, our talents and skills, and our time – what comes more naturally: to give joyfully and generously, or sparingly and begrudgingly?
Yes we need encouragement to rejoice time and time again so that our new attitude – the attitude of thankfulness – the attitude of Christian faith – will shine forth in our behavior. As Paul talks about behavior he points out one characteristic that is an expression of thankfulness in our Christian lives. That characteristic is gentleness. What Paul is saying here is that Christians ought to be people who would much rather suffer wrong than inflict it. Christian gentleness expresses itself with a self-sacrificing attitude that imitates the humility of Christ. Where others loudly demand their rights, believers will gladly yield theirs. They will make the interests of the weak and helpless their concern and patiently yield to others, wherever such yielding does not violate their Christian principles. When we live humble, gentle lives we are actually expressing thankfulness to our Lord.
One very special opportunity that our Lord gives us as Christians to express our thankfulness to him is through prayer. Life in a sinful world brings many heartaches, anxious moments, and tough decisions. Even in the middle of such trying circumstances Paul urges us to bring our troubles, our worries, our concerns, and our struggles to our Lord in prayer with thankful hearts. Above all else we give thanks that when we bring our requests and petitions to Jesus we are bringing them to the one about whom Paul writes to the Ephesians, “God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way” (Ephesians 1:22,23).
We daily have much for which to be thankful as a congregation. Each and every week he blesses us with multiple opportunities grow in faith through his Word and Sacraments. Through his powerful Gospel he continues to draw more and more people closer to himself through worship, Sunday School, and Bible classes. He graciously continues to call more people into his kingdom and into this fold. He’s blessed our new women’s group with a successful start. A blessed harmony exists among us as his people. On top of all those spiritual blessings he’s also given us the unique opportunity to break ground for a new facility two weeks from today. It would appear that by this time next year we should be worshiping in a brand new sanctuary. Make no mistake – our Lord has given us every reason to give him thanks as a congregation.
Yet I am concerned about the future of this congregation. I’m thankful that we all have been eager to receive blessings from the Lord. But I’m not as certain that we all have been as eager in giving him thanks with our blessings. I know we’re all eager for our new building, but it doesn’t seem that we have been as eager in thankfully and generously giving of the material blessings that God has given us to meet our down payment obligations. I sense that we’re all thankful that we won’t have to worry about setting up and tearing down the worship area much longer, but I’m not sure if that’s because we’re eager to get involved in the other areas of service in this congregation or because it means that we won’t be bothered by having to spend as much of our time serving our God in this congregation. As we look ahead I know we’re excited to see all of the blessings that God may give us when we occupy our new building – but are we as excited to come and discuss the budget that it will take to keep our new building up and running and support the work of the gospel in the year 2002 at the congregational meeting that will be held after worship today? We’re overjoyed by the way God has blessed us by continuing to enlarge this flock of believers, but have we been as joyful in encouraging the spiritually mature men of this congregation to step forward and share in the responsibility of shepherding this flock? Are we all ready and willing to support them in their work with our time, our abilities, and our gifts? As things currently stand we’ve put the majority the responsibility of caring for the business and the spiritual needs of this congregation of well over 100 souls on the backs of just 5 laymen. If nothing changes before January 1st that number will dwindle to 3.
So where does that bring us? All of this brings us to the foot of Calvary’s cross. It is here that our Savior willingly took upon himself our thankless guilt. Here we heard and saw how he suffered the pangs of hell that we deserved. It is here that we heard those three simply profound words; “It is finished,” that lead us to the empty tomb where we find their fulfillment and meaning. He is not here – he has risen just as he said! It is here that we know we shall not die but we live with him who lives again. Yes, he is still strengthening us with his presence, and yes, he is still comforting us with his peace! There is no doubt that he pours out on us blessing after blessing after blessing. Renewed by his sacrifice, he gives us every reason to give him thanks – and now he also gives us some special opportunities to do so. In blessing us he also challenges us to test the sincerity of our faith. He challenges us to draw us closer to himself and to one another. He challenges us to give him thanks always. If you haven’t already, now is the time to bring your prayers, your petitions, and your requests before him with thanksgiving in your hearts on behalf of this congregation. Now is the time to respond to his blessings with praise in our hearts, joy on our lips, and thankfulness in our actions. Now is the time to give him thanks for his goodness – because his mercy does endure forever! Amen.
