Thankful in the good times
Notes
Transcript
11-13-2022
Thanksgiving
Gratitude when its easy
As I began this sermon I don’t believe I have ever done a thanksgiving sermon
In doing some research and looking at the verse that deal with gratitude
I came across how you and I are to be
We know that as Christians we are to be thankful and have gratitude
And as we come into this time of thanksgiving I think it is an important reminder that you and I are to be thankful
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 4th Thursday in November
It is celebrated to give thanks for the harvest
It started on Dec 4th 1619 as some of the first settlers came to Virginia
The Thanksgiving Celebration as we know about the pilgrims and puritans started in 1621 and 1623
We could probably debate about the first thanksgiving but we know that
In the US it became a holiday Nov 26th 1789 by then president George Washington
"as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God"
This is how Thanksgiving was intended to be but as things have changed it has changed to almost just a day off from school and an opportunity to eat a bunch of food and watch football right
So it would make sense to that we look at what the Word of God has to say on the subject of thanksgiving and of gratitude
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
We have read this verse before right
We know that are to be thankful
It is just what we have been taught
As we read this verse we see that you and I are to be thankful or give thanks in everything
So for this week we will look at giving thanks when things are easy
For most of us we have experienced good things in our life and we have also experience some bad things in our life
But for this morning let us focus on giving thanks to God during those good times
Because as we see in the scripture we are to give thanks in everything
So church in the good times we are to give thanks to the God of the universe
I mean when you begin to put it like that we are sort of humbled and go yea of course we are to give thanks
To have an attitude of gratitude when things are going good may require you to be a bit more humbling right
When things are good we often like to think we had something to do with that
Look what I did
Look what I accomplished
Look at me
Then of course we are the good Christian and end with but thank you Jesus
To give thanks is to give gratitude or give appreciation
So then it becomes a matter of the heart and mind working together to give thanks during those good times
As I looked at difference scripture that delt with being thankful or having gratitude I was a bit surprised
There is a lot of scripture that has to do with thanksgiving or gratitude but we I bet skip over it
It something I find in a lot of Pauls writings
If it were not important then why would Paul or why would The Bible us it so much
So church it must be important
TO be thankful church even in the good times
28 Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe;
The writer of Hebrews is saying that you and I should be thankful
We are to be thankful because of God
Because we have received His Kingdom
It’s not a simple hey Jesus yea thanks for that
It’s like if someone showed up and said I am going to pay all your physical debt and I am going to give you life
WE would be wanting to thank that person forever
knowing that because of that person our lives are forever changed right
It would be more than just giving thanks every once in a while
It should drive us to give thanks like scripture said in everything in the good times
It is to change our hearts
Because our lives are for every changed
1 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. 3 Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.
Thanksgiving is a vital part of our worship service
Because church it is an attitude we should have more than just on Sundays
But as scripture says ever time
We are to serve God with thanksgiving
No matter what you are doing do it with a glad heart
We are to know God with thanksgiving
We are to spend time with Jesus and to do it with a humble and thanksgiving heart
We are to come into Gods presence with thanksgiving
To worship God with a humble heart and an attitude with gratitude
Do you see how that is at every time we are to have an attitude with gratitude
Church we are to be thankful in the good times
You may ask why
5 For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.
This wraps us to us why we are to be thankful
Why we are to have an attitude of gratitude
To be appreciative because church
God is good
That is a truth like 2 plus 2 is 4
God is good
And church scripture says that His loving kindness endures forever and that He is faithful
In a world that doesn’t know what truth is
Truth is God is good
Truth is God is faithful
We can be thankful and should be thankful when things are good in our life
So as we come into this season of thanksgiving
I want to encourage and call you to be thankful during the good times
To meditate on your life and begin to thank God for those good times
But church understand it is not just a one time thing
Allow yourself to be humble so that you can begin to have an attitude of gratitude as you go about your day
This is not just a moment to reflect and be thankful but this is a heart change to have a thankful heart and this morning it is a call to have a heart change to be thankful in the good times
So this morning as we come into our time of invitation
I would invite you this morning to respond to God’s calling you this morning
Maybe you are here and do not know Jesus personally
I would invite you to speak with someone who can show you through scripture how you can have a personal relationship with Jesus
Or maybe you are here this morning and lets be honest do not have a thankful attitude, and always seem to be complaining or grumpy
I would call you to repent
Which is to flee from it, stop doing it
This morning
Humble yourself and run back to Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit change your heart to have a thankful heart in all situations
The altar is open