Untitled Sermon

I came across this little story in a book and I would like to share it with you today.

One afternoon a shopper at the local mall felt the need for a coffee break. She bought herself a little bag of cookies and put them in her shopping bag. She then got in line for coffee, found a place to sit at one of the crowded tables, and then taking the lid off her coffee and taking out a magazine she began to sip her coffee and read. Across the table from her, a man sat reading a newspaper.

After a minute or two she reached out and took a cookie. As she did, the man seated across the table reached out and took one too. This put her off, but she did not say anything.

A few moments later she took another cookie. Once again, the man did so too. Now she was getting a bit upset, but still, she did not say anything.

After having a couple of sips of coffee she once again took another cookie. So did the man. This upset her, especially since now only one cookie was left. Apparently, the man also realized that only one cookie was left. Before she could say anything, he took it, broke it in half, offered half to her, and proceeded to eat the other half himself. Then he smiled at her and putting the paper under his arm, rose and walked off.

Was she steamed. Her coffee break ruined, already thinking ahead of how she would tell this offense to her family, she folded her magazine, opened her shopping bag, and there discovered her own unopened bag of cookies.

I like that story - it makes me think about how well God treats me even when I am not treating him well or thinking all that kindly about him.

It also makes me think about how, sometimes, I don’t really appreciate what I have or act like I know where it has come from. It serves as a kind of reminder to me - like Moses.

There is Moses, after telling the people of Israel how they will prosper in the promised land that they are about to enter, how, after so many years of slavery and then of wandering in the wilderness, they will eat their fill, and have fine houses and large herds, and that their silver and gold will multiply, he says:

Do not say to yourself, "My power and the might of my own hand have gotten me this wealth." But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, so that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your ancestors, and as he swears to you today."

Chapter eight of Deuteronomy is really one of my favorite chapters of the Old Testament. It speaks so well of what we all know, but often seem to forget in our actions and our attitudes.

It speaks of how everything we have is a gift from God, a gift worked on by our hands, most certainly; a gift perhaps even enhanced by our own strength, but a gift none-the-less, for God gives us the hands we need, and God gives us the strength we have.

If I could only always remember this - it would make my life so much easier, and it would bless everyone around me, and it would bless God…

Not so long ago famous people all over the world were polled by a magazine that asked them the question - "If you could be granted one wish that will come true right now - what would that be?"

There were some very interesting responses - but one response impressed the magazine's editors so much that they commented on it.

That response was this -

I wish that I could be given an even greater ability to appreciate all that I already have." It is an interesting answer and an interesting thing to wish for.

What do you think would happen if each one of us suddenly became a more thankful person, if all of us suddenly became a more appreciative people?

No one likes to be taken for granted - or to see someone that they love taking things for granted. All of us like to be appreciated, all of us like to be thanked, and all of us, I believe, like to see those we love live thankful lives, appreciative lives, so much so that we teach our children this virtue.

We teach them this:

- at our supper tables,

- during birthday parties,

- in the middle of visits from their grandparents,

- and just about any time that they receive something from someone or ask someone for something.

It is a great thing to teach our kids to say please and thank you, it helps them out in this world, and it is a great thing to be appreciated, to be thanked; but as we think with holy and prayerful minds today -

as we thank God in our worship service for the harvest, we are all enjoying His blessings.

I ask you - as I ask myself - where is your sense of thankfulness? How complete is it? How deep does it run in your life?

I Thessalonians 5: 18 says.

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." in Ephesians, chapter five, where Paul is telling new Christians how they should live, it says:

"Give thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The norm and the standard of the early church of the disciples and the apostles were really incredible and it had incredible results in the lives of those disciples and apostles, and in the lives of all those around them.

Give thanks in all circumstances. Give thanks for everything. Give thanks at all times. This is a step beyond remembering God and thanking God for all that we enjoy in this our promised land. This is a step beyond remembering God and obeying his commands because he has given us fine houses and filled our bellies with pizza or BBQ. This is even a step beyond thanking God, as the leper thanked God, for healing him through Jesus of his disease.

This is what we call "thanks - living" - and it is demanding - and it is rewarding.

I say it is demanding - because quite frankly when I am feeling pressed to the wall, I find it difficult to fulfill the word that says:

"Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God."

Instead of wanting to praise God - or to pray to him about the situation with thanksgiving,

- I want to feel sorry for myself and the trouble that I’m in

- I want to rip up all my bills and just say forget it!

How about you? Do you have a faith that is thankful in everything?

It's something to think about, especially when you consider the power of thanksgiving and of how not only are we blessed or rewarded for it, but so are God and all those around us.

Giving thanks blesses the person who is thanked, and it transforms the person who gives thanks.

It works the same way everywhere, with everyone, even with God --

when we remember... When we forget - hard things get harder.

God wants us to celebrate his love. God wants us to give thanks for everything. God doesn't want this because he is greedy for praise, the Lord doesn't want it so that he will feel better about himself, he wants it because it will bless us and because it will bless the world he has made.

He wants us to remember what He has done so that we will not be afraid when we need help, and so that we will not grow arrogant or rude when we are prospering. He wants us to remember and give thanks to Him, and to those around us so that our lives will be full of light and hope and so our actions are full of tenderness and love.

As the psalmist declares - "It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to his name” Praise be unto God and thanksgiving for his many blessings… Let’s Pray…