Thanksgiving 2023

Philippians 4:10–20 (NIV84): 10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. 14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account. 18 I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Holy Bible: New International Version (Php 4:10–20). (1984). Zondervan.

Telic Note

We certainly give thanks to God for what he has given to us. We do this in our prayers, in our worship, and how we live our lives. As part of giving thanks, we would be remiss if we did not also use the opportunities we have to thank the people that God has used in our lives to bless us.

Were you ever had an assignment that you did not complete? Maybe it was a daily assignment in school, or a household task you had promised to do. Perhaps you promised to do a project at church and never got around to it. Or you were assigned a task at work and you just never completed it? It has been said that “We all die with food on our plate.” which means that there are those things that we never got around to doing when we had the time.

I know I have quite a few unfinished projects that I may or may not ever get around to completing. I also recall (and I mentioned this not too long ago in a sermon) that I was given an assignment by my mother after I was confirmed way back in 1973. As part of the confirmation celebration, family members and my pastor gave me meaningful gifts connected with this important step in my faith life. I turned to look at one hanging on the wall of my craft room upstairs as I wrote this sermon. It is a brass cross from the local branch of AAL. Maybe you also received crosses, a bible, a hymnal, inspirational plaques and cards and some money. Well, my assignment was to write thank you notes to the givers of those gifts. Although I was grateful for which I received and still cherish them, I must admit that I wasn’t a very good thank you card writing and I still haven’t done it. I am more like the nine lepers who hurried off to make sure they were healed and cleared to reenter society than the one who turned back praising God and thanking Jesus.

Perhaps you can relate to such an ommission of showing thankfulness.

In our text, we have a postivie example of how to respond when we received gifts. This comes from St. Paul.

(Verse by verse commentary and application).

Philippians 4:10–13 (NIV84): 10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

The Holy Bible: New International Version (Php 4:10–13). (1984). Zondervan.

Paul refers to a time when he was in need. His ministry provided little or no financial stability or guarantee of even a place to live and he depended on the help he received from those he preached to. At times he would emphasize that although he deserved to be paid for his services, he did not demand that right and would even take on regular employment so as not to be a financial burden on his congregations. Sometimes he did well and other times he was in want. Regardless, he was content and trusted in the Lord to see him through. The Philippians had been among the few who did provide for him with material resources.

Philippians 4:14–17 (NIV84): 14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need. 17 Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.

The Holy Bible: New International Version (Php 4:14–17). (1984). Zondervan.

Our modern day support of pastors and missionaries is not exactly like the support St. Paul depended on during his ministry. In our system a pastor is supported by the local congregation when possible or by a mission board when the local congregation is unable to do so. Those in home missions depend on support from our Home missions and those in world missions do so even more. At times fellow Christians will even go above the agreed upon benefits and gift the pastor or missionary.

In this case, St. Paul acknowledges the help he had received from the congregation in Philippi and thanked them for it.

Giving thanks to his fellow Christians was a common theme in Paul’s letters and ministry.

Philippians 1:3–6 (NIV84): 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The Holy Bible: New International Version (Php 1:3–6). (1984). Zondervan.

Romans 1:8–10 (NIV): 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.

The New International Version (Ro 1:8–10). (2011). Zondervan.

1 Corinthians 1:4–5 (NIV): 4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—

The New International Version (1 Co 1:4–5). (2011). Zondervan.

1 Thessalonians 1:2–3 (NIV): 2 We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. 3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

The New International Version (1 Th 1:2–3). (2011). Zondervan.

You see what is happening here. God’s people did something for a fellow Christian and that recipient thanked God and those people for what they had done. So often at Thanksgiving we focus on giving thanks to God for what he has done for us and rightly so, the subtle shift tonight is thanking God by thanking the people through whom God has blessed us.

Pause and think a moment or two about the people God uses in your life to bless you.

Parents and other family members.

Neighbors.

Coworkers or fellow students.

Members of the congregation.

Random strangers.

People in the government.

Our lives are not just a ledger of give and take based on work and earning things. Often we will be enriched purely out of the generosity of others. How can we not but thank them and God for their acts of kindness

Isn’t that what happened in our Gospel lesson? Those ten lepers didn’t deserved to be cleansed, they weren’t helped becasuse they had health insurance, we have no indication that they paid Jesus for being their Great Physician. Out of his love and grace for seemingly random strangers, he helped them even though he must have known how they would respond. His searching question of “Where are the other nine?” reminds us of what God expects of us when we are helped. We are to give thanks to those whom God used to help us.

Main point. Give thanks to God but also give thanks to the people God uses to bless us.