Introduction: Pastor Allen tells about a veteran missionary who came up to him one day after he had delivered his sermon. The missionary introduced himself and said, "I was a medical missionary for many years in India. And I served in a region where there was progressive blindness. People were born with healthy vision, but there was something in that area that caused people to lose their sight as they matured." But this missionary had developed a process, which would arrest progressive blindness. So people came to him and he performed his operation, and they would leave realizing that they would have become blind, but now they were going to be able to see for the rest of their lives. 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 blindness. 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 shout your joy unto the Lord."
Psalm 100 is one of the most beautiful Pslams of ’Thanksgiving’. Please turn your Bibles to it and follow along as I read: [Psalm 100: 1 – 5]
* The Greeks testify that Psalm 100 was written possibly by King David for the people of Israel. God said to them, "When you come into the Promised Land, and settle down in your warm homes, and you have plenty to eat, don’t forget Me. I led you out of the wilderness and I brought you into a land flowing with milk and honey." But it doesn’t take very long to realize that the people of Israel needed a reminder, and I am afraid that we need it, too. Maybe God had us in mind, too, 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," and the last verse says that it is includes "all generations." This message of thanksgiving is so deep and wide that it applies to every person in every era in every stage of life.
Illustration: As far as I know besides Canada and the Philippines, America celebrates ‘Thanksgiving.’ I wonder how our world would be changed if suddenly all nations would begin to observe and celebrate ‘Thanksgiving’ unto the Lord?
Psalm 100: 1 – 3 Introduction / Preface to Thanksgiving (How to give thanks to God?)
Psalm 100: 4 Enter into ……… gates with Thanksgiving and into His courts with praise!
Gates - were a city’s glory and was the right for every citizen to enter.
- entrance to the sanctuary (closed on the Sabbath).
- In the NT Jesus says he is the door to eternity.
Courts - A place in front of a house, enclosed by a wall or fence; in popular language, a court-yard.
- A space enclosed by houses, broader than a street; or a space forming a kind of recess from a public street.
- The enclosure of the tabernacle, of the temple, of a prison, of a private house, and of a king’s palace.
[The Psalmist exhorted the people to praise God outside the sanctuary even before they thanked Him when they entered the place of worship.]
But the question is why should we give thanks to God?
Psalm 100: 5 has all the answers.
(a) For The Lord is GOOD.
(i) For David God had been good, made from shepherd to king. God’s anointed one.
(ii) For the Pilgrims uprooted them from their countries & brought them to America to lead a new life having freedom in Christ.
(iii) For us God uprooted us twice, once from India to witness in the Middle-East. Then uprooted us from the ME to come to serve Him here.
Yes! God is good, All the time.
Illustration: In certain regions of Mexico, hot and cold springs are found side by side. Because of the convenience of this natural phenomenon, the women often bring their laundry, boil their clothes in the hot springs, and then rinse them in the cold springs. A tourist watching this procedure turned to his Mexican guide and commented, “They must think that God is generous to freely supply such ample, clean hot and cold water.” The guide replied, “No senor, there is much grumbling because He supplied no soap.” I hope we are not like them!
(b) His MERCIES / LOVE endures forever.
(i) For David even after his grievous sin with Bathsheba, God forgave him because He is a merciful God.
(ii) For the Pilgrims it was God’s mercy that helped them to survive in the adverse conditions of this land.
(iii) For us a number of times we could have been sent to prison, deported or even killed for doing the work of the Lord in a closed Islamic country – but it was His mercies which helped us to come out unscathed from there after ministering for 14 years.
Surely! His mercies are NEW every morning.
© His FAITHFULNESS continues through all generations.
(i) For David, God promised him that the ‘Savior’ (Jesus) would come through his lineage and the throne of Israel would be supported with his descendants.
(ii) For the Pilgrims, they established this country in the name of Christ our Lord and on Biblical foundations. Thus till today we see the blessings of the Lord right here in the Land of the Living.
(iii) For us being third generation Christians, God always had someone to serve Him from each generation. We have always sensed God’s protection and hand upon our lives wherever we have gone. He has always remained faithful in raising people from within the family to serve him.
Certainly! His faithfulness continues forever and ever. Amen!
Conclusion: The author of "Roots," Alex Haley 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?" Alex Haley answered, "Every time I write something significant, every time I read my words and think that they are wonderful, and begin to feel proud of myself, I look at the turtle on top of the fence post and remember that he didn’t get there on his own. He had help." That is the basis of thankfulness - to remember that we got here with the help of God, and that He is the provider of every blessing we have. Thus wherever we are today is not because we have done something great or wonderful to achieve it. It is all the Lord’s doing.
Today can we than God for (a) He is good to us; (b) His mercies / love endures forever in our lives; (c) His faithfulness continues through all our generations ……………
If the phrase ‘Thank You’ is not in our dialect, can we ‘Tell His name to others?’ for what He has done ……….. The best thing that God has done for us, which no one has ever done or will ever do is found in John 3: 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who ever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
Will we tell His Name to others for what He has done for you – that is what THANKSGIVING is all about. When we thank Him for little, we will always thank Him for much. Will we shout for joy …… (Shall we read Psalm 100 together so that we are able to see it resonate in our own lives and not forget what God has done in our lives).
