Always Thanksgiving
Living Thanksgiving • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Thanksgiving is now behind us… the turkey, stuffing, gravy mashed potatoes with extra gravy, cranberry sauce is still weighing heavy on us. The pumpkin pie with extra whip cream is still calling your name.
Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Christmas holiday season and it’s nice to be able to hang out with friends and family.
As we transition into the rush of the Christmas season, I want to encourage you to stay in the moment, slow down and reflect on the blessings that God has given you today.
“Reflect on your present blessings, on which every man has many, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” -Charles Dickens
Giving thanks is mentioned over 100 times throughout scripture that means thanksgiving must be very important to God.
Living Thanksgiving, if it’s a priority to God, we must make it a priority to be living thanksgiving every day. It’s a choice but it’s hard to break old habits but it is possible through the power Jesus Christ.
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
PRAY
It’s easy to allow our circumstances and emotions to rob us of our joy. God is the source of our peace and joy and HE is able and HE is always present in every challenge that we face. We can live thankful because God always has a greater purpose despite what our circumstances tell us.
Living Thanksgiving is not always easy but God’s Word is full of encouragement. It would be wisdom if we fill our minds with HIS Word and determine in our hearts that we will apply God’s truth in faith.
Learn to be content in all things
Learn to be content in all things
It’s natural for us to be anxious and to allow our thoughts to run wild. Those are the thoughts that make us ungrateful and deceive us in thinking that we are entitled to something better then our current situation because we somehow deserve something better.
Paul wrote to church in Philippi from a prison cell in Rome. This letter is one of the most encouraging and inspiring letters that he wrote.
Paul Talking about rejoicing in the Lord and giving thanks…
10 I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. 11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Paul mentioned that contentment is something that he had to learn. Contentment will not always come naturally to us.
Always being content requires us to change our mindset and perspective. Believing that everything that we have ultimately is God’s, that means that we own nothing.
Job says…
21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
God can give it and God can take it away. We work with what we have and whenever we are lacking in our present circumstance we learn to be content with what we have.
The pressure to survive brings out our creativity... it reminds us that we not alone. Our things may not be the best… our relationships aren’t perfect… our circumstances aren’t rosy… but trust in the Lord that HE knows whats best because HE is all knowing.
When we play the victim we get sympathy but when we are in Christ, we are not victims of our circumstances we are victors through Christ Jesus our Lord. That’s why in every circumstance we must learn to be content.
Paul says
16 Rejoice always,
Not through our own strength but through Christ. I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength.
In “all things” Paul is not talking about winning a football game, accomplishing your dreams, being famous. Paul’s saying that through Christ I can be content in all things in life through any difficult situation. Glorify God, rejoice in the Lord, remain thankful learn to be content through Christ who is always faithful to give you HIS strength. Learn to be content in all things
Remain faithful in serving the Lord
Remain faithful in serving the Lord
God promises too bless our faith if we don’t give up.
When we start looking for blessings outside of God’s plan our life will be empty and fruitless. When we seek the blessings that God gives to those who faithfully serve HIM, we will produce fruit that is eternal and fulfilling.
9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Do not give up… now is not the time to be lazy in our relationship with God. Remain faithful… don’t get lazy about your faith… don’t be lax about your relationship with God. Be faithful, be consistent, and be thankful.
Be like Joshua, when he gave the people of Israel that final challenge before he died.
14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
People are going to make their own decisions, we cannot control what others decide to do and how others choose to live. Each of us will have to give an account for the decisions that we make.
BUT as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.
When you choose, everyday, to be faithful to the Lord, that choice will be a blessing that is passed down from generation to generation.
No matter how many things you need to take off your calendar, no matter how many friends you need to cut ties with, no matter how many services you need to cancel… no matter how difficult the sacrifice is in the moment might seem… It is always worth it when we have that singular focus that says as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Serving the Lord is not a small priority, it’s everything, it’s worth it, so be faithful!
In God’s economy, success is measured by our faithfulness.
21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’
Be faithful in the little things… give to God our time, our money, our family, our heart, our voice, our life, our service, our love. Don’t be lazy in your relationship with God… be faithful to God… Keep doing good, keep being in church and take your family, keep fighting that spirit of complacency, be faithful because I guarantee that it’s worth it!
Wait patiently on the Lord
Wait patiently on the Lord
Tune out the negative voices… choose to live thankful and to listen to thankful voices.
We are surrounded by noise… News… Social Media… sports… notifications on our phones screaming for our attention.
When we tune out the noise its almost awkward. We get uncomfortable sitting quietly for 5 minutes because the noise is such a part of our life.
Waiting patiently for the Lord means that we have to tune out the noise, and be still so we can listen to Jesus.
God is always speaking but the noise in our world distracts us from hearing God speak.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
14 Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.
Nobody likes to wait. We aren’t accomplishing anything when we wait but when we wait on the Lord we accomplish so much more then we can ever imagine.
Waiting patiently for the Lord, being still before the Lord, as we are going throughout the day… praying continually, having a deep and real awareness of God’s presence.
Jesus had that awareness as HE was able to fall asleep on a boat in the middle of a raging storm…
Paul and Silas had that awareness when they were singing praises to God after being beaten and then chained up in a dark damp and dreary jail sell.
The 3 Hebrew children had a real awareness when they were thrown into the fiery furnace.
No matter our circumstance… always patiently wait on the Lord.
When we have that greater awareness of God’s presence always with us… living thanksgiving becomes natural.
Psalm 107:1–2 (ESV)
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble
God is good, that HE is faithful, HE has redeemed you from your enemies… so speak it out… tell your story. Voice your thanks... thanksgiving is contagious… thanksgiving can change the atmosphere. When you are in trouble… lonely… hurting… cry out to the Lord. God promises to hear you and intervene.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Don’t let fear and worry isolate you from God... God is still present in our present. Be still and patiently wait on the Lord. Don’t be anxious, just cry out to the Lord and he will save you from your troubles.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
We fight that battle in our mind constantly.
Your circumstance may not be the way you envisioned it… happily ever after may not be in your cards…
God is able to finish the work, God always knows what’s best for you, God is always in control and HE is worthy of our trust, so we can always live thanksgiving everyday, no matter what.
Take Away:
Learn to be content in ALL things.
Remain faithful in serving the Lord.
Wait patiently on the Lord.