THANKSGIVING 2004
PAUSING TO GIVE THANKS
When the New England colonies started, the settlers endured many hardships and difficulties. They were pious and religious people, so they prayed and fasted a lot to get through the difficult times. They thought so much about their problems and difficulties that they often became gloomy and discontent and even sometimes thought of returning to England with the persecutions they once wanted so desperately to flee.
Finally, when it was suggested again, that they have another day of praying and fasting, a plain, common-sense old colonist rose in the meeting and said that he thought they had brooded over their difficulties long enough and it seemed high time that they should consider some of their mercies. He said, the colony was growing, the fields increasing in harvests, the rivers full of fish, the woods full of game, the air sweet; and above all, they had what they came for, civil and religious liberty. He recommended that instead of holding another fast, that they instead hold a day of thanksgiving, a time of feasting.
My friends, we have seen some trying times these past few months. We have endured several hurricanes. Some are still enduring the affects of those storms. Gas prices are hitting us in our back pockets. We have just endured an ugly election. We have friends and family members fighting a war overseas. Some are enduring the pains of a fallen world, with family problems, sickness, and even death touching our homes.
It is so easy sometimes to allow ourselves to become overwhelmed by the struggles and frustrations of life. There are other times when we take our service and ourselves to the Lord so seriously that we lose the joy of our faith. We become grim. It is at those times we need the 100th Psalm as an antidote. It is at those times we need to remember the many blessing we have to be thankful for.
- Read Psalm 100:1-5
My friends, in these 5 short verses, and the 85 words that make up these verses we find 7 reasons you and I, in the midst of the storm, can be thankful.
I. THE LORD IS GOD – v3
I thank the Lord because He is God. There are many people in the world today who do not know the true God, who do not know the true Lord. Think of the many people in the world today who live in fear of demons and evil spirits. How many people today burn sacrifices and wear charms, and do all sorts of things, trying to make sure that good luck will come their way and so the evil spirits will be driven off.
Can you imagine how terrible it would be if the Devil were in charge of the world? Can you imagine how terrible it would be if the True God, the God we serve was like Allah, the god the Muslims claim? Imagine how terrible it would be if we served Allah, a god who cannot be approached, who doesn’t really care about people; imagine a world run by a god who is pleased when his people blow up innocent women and children.
Praise the Lord; we don’t serve such a God. Our loving, approachable, knowable, caring, prayer hearing, Son sending, Jehovah, He is God! The Lord, He is God! We pause and give thanks because the Lord is God.
Second, we pause and give thanks because God made us.
II. GOD MADE US – v3
The 2nd reason we pause to give thanks is because God made us. There are some who believe that we descended from apes. That somewhere, millions and millions of years ago, a few chemicals got together there in a pool, and that was the beginning of life. These same individuals tell us that all of life today has emerged, has evolved from that first pool, and that you and I are here by chance.
My friend, the Bible says you and I are not here by chance. We did not evolve nor arrive by accident. God created us. If you go back and look at the creation account in Genesis, the Bible says God spoke and there was light. God spoke, and the animals came into being. God spoke and the world was covered with plants. But when God made man, He said to Himself, “This is my special creation. I will do something special when I make man, and so He reached down and formed man from the dust of the earth. With His own hands He made man and then breathed into him the breath of life.
And my friend, God made you as well. He didn’t stop when He created Adam and Eve and leave the rest up to genetics. God made you and formed you just the way He wanted you as well. Jeremiah 1:5 says, I chose you before I formed you in the womb. I am thankful that God made me and you should be thankful He made you. He made you just the way He wanted you, and that sure takes the load off when we realize that He made us the way He wanted us. God gave us the figures we have. He gave us the personalities we have. He gave us the hair we do or do not have. I don’t have to worry about my bowed legs, because God gave them to me.
God made us, just the way we are, and He made us in His image. The Bible says, In the image of God created He them. Male and female created He them. God made you just the way He wanted you, and He made you in His image, and God don’t make no junk.
We pause to thank the Lord because He is God. We pause to thank the Lord because He made us. We pause to thank the Lord because He chose us.
III. HE CHOSE US – v3
Verse 3 says that we are God’s. Do you realize that God chose you?
1. Chosen to be adopted – If there was ever a reason to be thankful and rejoice, this is it. To realize that you were chosen by God. My friend, you and I were chosen by God. We are set apart, sanctified, and redeemed. My friend, you and I have been adopted into the family of God.
My friend, you weren’t chosen to play on your friend’s kickball team. You weren’t a first round draft pick. Regis Philmon didn’t ask you to sit next to him. No, what you were chosen for is so much better.
Do you realize that God gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, and He gave Him as a sacrifice for you and me. When you realize that before Christ you were a slave of the world, but now, Praise the Lord, Jesus has paid the price for our sins. He has washed us white as snow.
The Bible says, The soul that sinneth, it shall die. That verses holds no fear for me. Death does not frighten me. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me. I am a child of the King.
Not only did He choose you to be His child, to be adopted into His family, but He also chose you to carry the news.
2. Carry the news – Matthew 28:18-20
I remember, some time back, the morning they announced that Saddam Hussein had been captured. I was so excited, I called Bob Martin and I think I woke him up. I just had to tell someone.
Doesn’t it feel great to carry good news? Oh my friend, God has chosen you to carry the best news in the history of the world, the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ! You and I have been chosen to be ambassadors of God, representatives of the King of the Universe! We get to carry even better news than the angels did when they sang their song and scared some shepherds ½ to death. We get to announce not only that Jesus has come, not only that He has paid for our sins, but you and I get to tell the world that Jesus is coming again.
Oh my friend, the Greatest King of all time, has chosen you to be on His team. He has chosen you to be His representative. We have another reason to be thankful as well, and that is because God is Good.
IV. THE LORD IS GOOD – Psalm 100:5
Verse 5 says the Lord is good. Talk about an understatement. God is good. He’s not just good, He’s Great! He was good enough to bring the Israelites out of captivity. He was good enough to provide for them in the wilderness. He was good enough to walk with Shadrack, Meshack, & Abednigo in the fiery furnace. He was good enough to shut the mouths of the lions for Daniel. He was good enough to send His Son for you and me. He was good enough to send our forefathers to this country and to bless them with religious freedom. He was good enough to allow us to hear the Gospel so we could be saved. He was good enough to give us Christian brothers and sisters to encourage us when we’re down. He is good enough to send us a Comforter to help us through difficult times. He is good enough to watch over and protect us each day. He is good enough to love us, even when we’re at our worse.
My friend, God is good. He is good, all the time. There is another reason we pause to give thanks today, and that’s because not only is God good, but because God is also merciful. Look there again in verse 5.
V. THE LORD IS MERCIFUL – v5
Verse 5 says God’s lovingkindness, His mercy is everlasting. Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t think I’d be as merciful as God is. Imagine, there in the Garden of Eden. God gave Adam and Eve paradise. What did they do? They blew it. I think I would have wiped them out and started over again. But God was merciful. When Lot, in his back-slidden condition failed to walk with God and witness to the people in Soddom & Gamorah, God was merciful to him. When the Israelites repeatedly turned their backs on Him, God was merciful and restored them when they repented.
Remember when Thomas doubted, Peter denied, and Paul persecuted? How did God respond? He was merciful. And His mercy continues today. How many of us have fallen out of fellowship with God? How many of us have turned our backs on God for a season, only to have God, in His mercy, welcome us back again? And you know what? His mercy endures forever.
God doesn’t forgive for a little while, then remember what we’ve done and get mad all over again. NO! The Bible says He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. When we confess our sins, the precious blood of Jesus washes those things away forever. God places them behind His back to never be seen again.
Thank the Lord, for His everlasting mercy. There is a 6th blessing, we pause to be thankful for this morning, found in verse 5.
VI. HIS FAITHFULNESS ENDURES FOREVER – v5
It breaks my heart when I see people caught up with the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons. It breaks my heart when I see people caught I one cult or another, trapped in a situation where they never know what to believe from one day to the next. Every time they turn around, some leader of their’s is getting another revelation, or some new inspiration, and the rules are changed.
But that doesn’t happen to God’s children, for His faithfulness, His truth, endures forever. Jesus said that not the smallest part of God’s Word would ever pass away. We can be thankful because we know the way God told us to be saved yesterday, will still work tomorrow. We can be thankful because we know that from the very beginning man has been saved through faith in Jesus Christ. We do not have to worry about God changing His mind or changing His plans. God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.
There are many reasons for you and I to be thankful, but one last we will look at before we go. It is found in verse 2.
VII. YOU CAN GO INTO HIS PRESENCE – V2
Verse 2 tells us to come before the Lord with joyful singing. In other words, you and I can enter into God’s presence. In OT times, people could only approach God from a distance. Even the high priest could only enter the Holy of Holies once a year.
But Calvary changed all that. In the church, we have access into the very presence of God through Jesus Christ.
The story is told of a little boy who went to London to visit the king. However, he couldn’t get into the palace; the gates were closed and a soldier stood on guard. Several policemen were walking up and down to move people along. “But I came to see the king!” the boy explained. “Can’t help that, sonny!” said a policeman. “You’re not allowed in there.” About that time a well-dressed gentleman came along and overheard the conversation. “What’s the matter, boy?” he asked. “I want to see the king,” the little boy replied. “Well, you just come with me,” said the gentleman. He held out his hand and the boy took it. To his surprise the policeman made no attempt to stop him, not did the guard. Indeed, the guard sprang to attention and presented arms while the policeman unlocked the gate. In they went, along the corridors and right into the presence of the king. The little boy had taken hold of the hand of the price of ales, the king’s own son. That gave him access.
My friend, that is the birthright of every Christian. If you have taken hold of the hand of Jesus, then you too have direct access to God. You don’t have to go through me. You don’t need someone else to pray your way. You have access to God right now through prayer. Listen to the writer of Hebrews. -Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
** You have access not only now, but for eternity. I go to prepare a place for you. …
