Thanksgiving

A Sermon For You

A Ministry of Huckaby’s Evangelism

Today’s Sermon Title

Thanksgiving

By-Evangelist Gary Huckaby D.D. L.L.D

Four days away is the day that has been set aside in the USA which we celebrate our national thanksgiving day. This day was observed many years before this years thanksgiving day. The Pilgrims observed this day over 200 years ago and as far as we know it has yearly been observed since that first thanksgiving day. Thanksgiving day was set aside as a day when the God of heaven was praised, and given thanks for His mercies, His grace, His protection for His dear children. It was also a day when the early settlers thanked their neighbors for their help throughout the past year. A day of sweet fellowship together in celebration of the good that had come their way. But Thanksgiving has and is changing each year. It is not the same today as it was even when I was a child. I have seen many events that have turned us from the original meaning of Thanksgiving, and yet we still have so much in which to be thankful for today.

My memories of past thanksgivings are good memories. I do not remember a year that I have not been with my family on Thanksgiving day, I have always tried to make sure that I was at home during certain days of the year, and Thanksgiving is one of those days. Our families and loved ones are very important in our lives, as well as are our neighbors. We should be Thankful for them. On Thanksgiving day our family gets together for dinner, and some catch up conversation among family members. Since all four of us boys have grown up we seldom get together as we did when we were young. So there is much talking that we do on Thanksgiving day at my Mom’s home.

This Thanksgiving day should be an important day for everyone in this great country, for we all; even the worst off of us, have much to be thankful for. The Bible make it clear that God has and will bless us if we remember to return thanks to Him, and to give Him our all. Remember the very first of the ten commandments is, Exodus 20:2-6; "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments."

Now let us look at some of the mercies of God that we often forget to thank God for on this coming thanksgiving day 2003.

The Mercies of God

"I beseech thee, therefore, brethren by the mercies of God; that ye present your bodies, a living sacrifice; wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Romans 12:1

We have before us today a call for volunteers, this is not an order for a draft. God’s army is not made up of drafted men and women that are ordered into service whether willing or not. This is not a call to hard duty, but it is an invitation to the enjoyment of a privilege.

An Offering of Gratitude

The motive of our text verse is of gratitude, not fear. The invitation looks to Calvary not at Sinai, at grace not law. Here we are entreated not threatened. Here the opportunity for us to show our love for Him by reason of choice. If you are not ready to offer it in gratitude, God doesn’t want your service.

Thank God For Your Reason

Once there was a man walking by an asylum for the insane. From one of the windows and through the bars a stranger called out to the passer by,- "Did you thank God for your reason?" What a blessing is the family, the children, wife, Mom, Dad, brothers and sisters. There is a reason you are here today. Have you thanked God for your reason? Do you know the reason you were created?

Once a little girl and her father were looking at the stars in the night sky. The little girl begins to count. One, two, three up until she reaches 126, and then she became tired of counting. Astronomers have counted well over 500,000,000. They have a reason for existing, just as you and I have a reason for living. When was the last time you thanked God for reason?