Thanksliving!

Introduction

We all know that this coming week is the week of Thanksgiving. On Thursday, families all across the nation will gather together to eat a bountiful meal. The tradition began with the first Thanksgiving Day on December 13, 1621. During those days, Governor William Bradford was the governor of the Massachusetts Plymouth Colony. He was the first to OFFICIALLY declare a day of Thanksgiving as a day of feasting and prayer. Nationally, however, no other official Thanksgiving Day was observed for many years. It was the work of Mrs. Sarah Hale, who, for thirty-some years, labored to get a national Thanksgiving Day. Finally, on October 3, 1863, her hard work was realized. President Abraham Lincoln issued the first Thanksgiving Day proclamation, setting apart the last Thursday in November. For 75 years, Thanksgiving was celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt changed it to the third Thursday. Then, in 1941, Congress ruled that Thanksgiving Day would be moved back to the fourth Thursday of November. As such, we now have a national holiday of Thanksgiving, which initially began as a day of feasting and prayer. Specifically, it was to be a day of prayer with praise unto God for His bountiful harvest and protection. Unfortunately, in today’s society, Thanksgiving has become a day to spend with family, feasting on turkey and playing games, with minimal thanks to God for His provision and protection.

Today, I want to bring us back to the original intent of Thanksgiving Day by doing a little wordplay, if I may. For believers, Thanksgiving should be more than just a one-day holiday each year on the fourth Thursday of November. It should, in fact, be more of a Thanksliving than a Thanksgiving. I like that word, Thanksliving! We, as believers, have so for which we can be thankful. Thus, we must live each day thankfully for all God has done for us.

Turn in your Bibles to Colossians 2 and I want us to consider two verses that embody this principle of Thanksliving versus Thanksgiving!

Colossians 2:6–7 KJV 1900

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

We must note that these words are part of a letter by the Holy Spirit to the local church in Ephesus. He is writing to believers. These people heard the gospel message and already placed their faith in it. It is why it notes, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord.” It was not a matter of salvation. Instead, it was a matter of daily walking or living.

Now, note something else before diving into the heart of today’s message. Look at verse 7.

Colossians 2:7 KJV 1900

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

The key word in this verse is the word “faith.” This word is a keyword for every person.

What is “faith?”

That is a great question. The actual work “faith” means to trust in Jesus as contained in the content of the Gospel. Over in Ephesians 2, we read the following.

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV 1900

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

In the book of Hebrews, we have a more complete definition of faith.

Hebrews 11:1 KJV 1900

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

If you continue to read in Hebrews 11, you will find this verse.

Hebrews 11:6 KJV 1900

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Faith, then, is belief. As I study the Word of God, I find that there are two aspects of faith for each believer. There is saving faith. This aspect of faith is our belief in the message of the Gospel. It is the aspect that we read about in Ephesians 2 and Hebrews 11. Saving faith drives a person to admit their sin and repent realizing Christ paid the penalty of sin through His death, burial, and resurrection. According to Ephesians 2:8-9, God, through His unmerited favor towards sinful mankind, did everything needed for men to be brought back into fellowship with Him. Our sin, inherited from our father Adam, stood in the way. Sin always breaks fellowship with God. He is holy and righteous, causing Him to be an ardent enemy of sin. God cannot stand sin. Thus, our sin prevents us from our intended purpose of fellowship and service with God. Yet, God remedied that by Himself coming to earth and dying for our sins. He was the sinless Lamb of God Who sacrificed Himself for us. That is the Gospel message. A message that He calls all men to believe or, as we termed today, have faith. Saving faith is the start of living a life of faith. You cannot live a life of faith until you first believe all Christ has done for you. It is impossible to please God unless you first believe He is God and that He has rewarded all those who “diligently seek him,” beginning with their belief that He died for them!

Now, in our text, saving faith leads to a living faith. That is the essence of our text and the message today. Look again at Colossians 2:6

Colossians 2:6 KJV 1900

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

The Holy Spirit says, “You have saving faith; now live out your faith.” We will come back to that thought again in a moment.

Note one other thing, and we will get to the heart of today’s message.

Colossians 2:7 KJV 1900

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

What is the last word of this verse? It is thanksgiving.

Here is the premise of today’s message.

We, as believers, are to live each day by our faith in Christ which results in a life of abundant Thanksgiving. In other words, a believer’s life is to be a life of Thanksliving, which is far different from just observing a day of Thanksgiving.

How, then, do we live a life of Thanksliving?

Let’s build upon that by considering the text and noting this first point.

Faith in God’s Word is the Foundation of Thanksliving!

In our text, the Holy Spirit uses four metaphors concerning FAITH. Each one gives a different aspect of how essential living a life of faith becomes for each believer. I would encourage you to mark each one as I mention them.

Colossians 2:6–7 (KJV 1900)

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

The first metaphor for faith is walking. Let me state the point, and then I will come back to validate it.

Live Daily; Believing God’s Word

Colossians 2:6 (KJV 1900)

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

The word “walk” means to live or behave in a specified manner. Everyday there are people all around us who live by a different standard than true believers. In fact, we, before salvation, lived and behaved in the very same manner that they do. A fact that the Holy Spirit often reminds about in Scripture.

1 Corinthians 6:9–11 KJV 1900

9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

It is easy to point fingers at the world around us. We get so caught sometimes criticizing people for how they act and behave. Yes, people are sinful and act accordingly. A fact that should be driving us to get them Gospel message. Yet, at the same time, we have much for which to be thankful. Our hearts should be filled with gratitude towards God and the fact we are “washed,” “sanctified,” and “justified” in Christ. Yet, here is the question before us this morning. Do we act and behave like people who have faith in God? Or do we act and behave like the world? The fact is we should act and speak much differently. We are followers of Christ having placed our faith in Him. Thus, it is essential that we walk daily in that manner.

Note the next metaphor.

Colossians 2:7 (KJV 1900)

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Live Rooted; Believing God’s Word

The word “rooted” means established. It comes from observing a plant. Plants become fixed or rooted to the ground as they develop roots which grow into the soil providing a stable foundation for them to weather all sorts of hostile environments. A plant or tree with strong roots can stand against strong winds and harsh rains. If the roots are strong, the plant thrives no matter the condition be it sunshine or storms.

Many people do not survive the storms of life. You know why? Their roots are not strong. Too many people have put their faith in the things of this world. They have faith in the government, in money, in religious acts, in family ties, and a plethora different things. Unfortunately, none of those things provide true security. Those who have faith in government are uprooted by political change and upheaval. Faith in money stands strong as long as their money to spend. Their faith is uprooted by unforeseen financial burdens. It is no different with being religious, family oriented, or whatever else a person places faith. All of those things will fail you shaking your faith which results in tremendous emotional and, sometimes, physical fall.

This not true for the believer. When we place our faith in God’s Word, we are placing our faith in a God who is everlasting, omnipotent, and unchanging. He and His Word stands the test of time. Faith in God believes He has the power to overcome any circumstance in life. It is to believe that He always keeps His promises as He loves and care for His own.

1 Kings 8:56 KJV 1900

56 Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

2 Corinthians 1:20 KJV 1900

20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV 1900

1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Peter 1:4 KJV 1900

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Believer, you can and should live a life Thanskliving. How can we do that? Be rooted (established) in the reality that God never fails in His promises to us. Thus, we can cleanse our lives of the world’s filthiness and go on to live as partakers of the divine nature.

Here is the third metaphor in our text.

Live Growing; Believing God’s Word

Colossians 2:7 (KJV 1900)

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

The words “built up” have the simple meaning of growing. In a literal sense, it means to be or become nearer to fulness or completion. Again, the picture is of a plant firmly rooted and receiving the necessary nutrients resulting in healthy growth.

I believe the picture speaks for itself. We must root ourselves in the promises of God’s Word by daily hearing and doing God’s instructions. As we do, we not only are established, we also receive the necessary spiritual ingredients to grow in relationship and service to the Lord. Therefore, it is imperative that we spend time in His Word, believing its promises, and seeking to obey its instructions. Spiritual growth only comes when we do. If we neglect His Word, we will stop believing its promise and, surely, we will stop obeying it instructions. Such neglect leads us to despair, worry, guilt, and an unthankful attitude. However, the flip side of that is when daily walk in faith believing and obeying God, we are confident, without shame, and truly thankful.

Not the world’s attitude as they continually disobey and ignore God.

Romans 1:21 KJV 1900

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

We are to be different because we are of God now. We are no longer as the world. Our attitude is to match the following.

Psalm 92:1–5 KJV 1900

1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, And to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, And thy faithfulness every night, 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; Upon the harp with a solemn sound. 4 For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands. 5 O Lord, how great are thy works! And thy thoughts are very deep.

Here is the last metaphor concerning faith as the foundation for Thanksliving.

Live Secure; Believing God’s Word

Colossians 2:7 (KJV 1900)

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

This last metaphor uses the word “stablished” or as we would say today, “established.” In Greek, it means settled securely and unconditionally. It really is the summation of all that just discovered. A believer who daily walks by faith is one who is firmly rooted and growing according the promises and principles of God’s Word. The crowing achievement is the security that such a life provides.

We live in unsettling days. There is always the fear of something dreadful or catastrophic about to happen at any moment. Our entire economy is hanging on by a string. Health crisis seem to come wave after wave. When you throw in the basic challenges of living each day, nothing seems secure. And, for many without Christ, it is a dreadful way to live. Yet, for us as believers, we are secure in Him. No matter what happens today, tomorrow, or the next day, we have God on our side.

Romans 8:31 KJV 1900

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Psalm 118:6 KJV 1900

6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: What can man do unto me?

As believers, we have great assurance from the Lord that He is able to overcome anything that happens in our lives.

1 John 4:4 KJV 1900

4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Is that not a reason to be thankful this morning?

Now, look again at our text. As we do, remember we are to live a life of Thanksliving based on our faith in His Word. We are live daily rooted, built up, and established believing the promises and principles of God’s Word. His promises and principles do not fail for He cannot fail.

Now, based on that divine premise, note this last thought.

Thanksliving becomes a Function of Faith!

Colossians 2:6–7 KJV 1900

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Here is the main principle to be learned for today as we prepare for Thanksgiving. The believer who bases their entire life on believing God’s Word through study and obedience is the believer who will ABOUND in thanksgiving.

The word “abounding” in our text means abundant or plentiful with large quantities of thanksgiving. Every day with God is day of thanksgiving or thankful living. There is nothing sweeter than living for the Lord. People try to convince themselves all the time that life is better when they are pleasing themselves. It might give you temporary gratification, but it is never better. Sinful and selfish actions always lead to destructive ends. It leads to misery and pain. However, when we, as believers, live God’s way their is peace, contentment, joy, happiness, and thanksgiving. Our attitudes are completely different when we live for the Lord versus living for ourselves. The great tragedy of Thanksgiving is too many Thanksgiving family gatherings turn into domestic disputes. Why is that? Everyone is focused on pleasing themselves. That should not be the case for believers. Everyday should be day of thanksgiving.

Philippians 4:6 KJV 1900

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Colossians 3:17 KJV 1900

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV 1900

18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Timothy 4:4 KJV 1900

4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

Conclusion