A Heart of Gratitude: Entering God's Presence with Thanksgiving
Notes
Transcript
The Power of a Grateful Heart
Summary: This sermon explores the significance of giving thanks in all circumstances as a vital aspect of the Christian life, reflecting God's goodness and our response to it.
Application: By embracing a lifestyle of gratitude, believers can combat negativity, cultivate joy, and deepen their relationship with God, reminding themselves of His consistent provision and faithfulness, even amidst trials.
Teaching: Gratitude is not merely a reaction to good moments but a disciplined choice that transforms our outlook on life and enhances our spiritual growth.
How this passage could point to Christ: Gratitude is woven throughout Scripture as a response to God's grace, ultimately culminating in the abundant grace shown through Jesus Christ, who models thankfulness even before His greatest sacrifice.
Big Idea: A grateful heart recognizes and responds to God's ongoing blessings, shaping our lives and attitudes to reflect His love and generosity.
Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, consider exploring how gratitude is portrayed in both the Old and New Testaments, including its role in prayer and worship. In Logos, examining key passages such as 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 can provide insights into the relationship between thankfulness and spiritual well-being. Additionally, investigate any historical contexts or cultural practices around giving thanks that may enrich your message.
As we have wrapped up chapter 15 of Luke, I wanted to take the the next few weeks as we approach Thanksgiving to think biblically about giving thanks.
As a church what are we thankful for?
As individuals, as families, what are we thankful for?
We have so much that we can be thankful for each and every day.
The fact that we wake up in the morning and can take a breath is a reason in itself to give thanks to the Lord.
Thankfulness is not always something that comes naturally or easily though.
It is something that we have to practice at times.
And practicing thankfulness actively reshapes our experiences and empowers us to face challenges.
Practicing thankfulness for especially the small things helps us to have an unwavering spirit.
Practicing thankfulness reveals the joy and peace that comes from focusing on God’s goodness rather than our trials.
And we all have trials of some sort or another.
To help us focus in on thankfulness this morning I want to turn to Psalm 100.
A Psalm for giving thanks. 1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; 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 steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 93
Psalm 93. Psalms 29; 93; and 95–99 are hymns of praise for divine kingship, namely, God’s kingly rule over creation
The ESV Study Bible Chapter 93
When the OT speaks of the kingship of God, it can mean his kingship over all creation, or it can mean God’s acknowledged kingship over his people (1 Sam. 8:7; 12:12–15); the NT expression “kingdom of God” focuses on the way God ministers to and governs his people through the heir of David. In each case, it is important to discern which of these is primarily in view. The psalms of divine kingship especially celebrate God’s kingship over his creation.
This Psalm though not explicitly a psalm celebrating God’s kingship, brings the collection of kingship hymns to a close.
It closes with a call to come and worship the Lord.
The purpose of the Psalm is shown in its title.
English Standard Version Psalm 100
A PSALM FOR GIVING THANKS
The Hebrew word used in the title for giving thanks carries the meaning of a thank offering.
Thinking in this way, this Psalm was meant to be a song to make an offering of thanks.
We know the context of an offering, we take an offering each week here at church.
In that context, we make a sacrifice.
We give a portion of the money the Lord has given us to provide for the betterment of the church and building His kingdom here in this place.
We don’t normally think of giving thanks as being a sacrifice through.
It is easy to give thanks when everything is going well, but I believe the sacrifice comes especially when we give thanks even when things are not going well.
As I mentioned earlier, practicing thankfulness actively reshapes our experiences and empowers us to face challenges with an unwavering spirit.
Practicing thankfulness reveals the joy and peace that comes from focusing on God’s goodness rather than our trials.
So how do we give thanks to God?
How to give thanks.
How to give thanks.
How to give thanks.
Make a Joyful Noise
Serve
Come
Know
Psalm 100 does this specifically by using some imperatives.
Imperatives are commands - you do this.
We first find 4 imperatives to worship and the reason for worship.
1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
The Psalm tells us to “make a joyful noise” to literally cry out, to get loud!
The word used to make a joyful noise here is quite interesting.
1. raise a shout.
2. give a blast with clarion or horn
shout a war-cry, or alarm of battle
sound a signal for war or march
shout with religious impulse
Let’s take a moment and do that now - shout out - what are the things you are thankful for?
Make a joyful noise to the Lord!
The other aspect of this making a joyful noise is in singing.
Do you know why God calls us to sing?
God calls us to sing big because singing engages the heart.
We have already sung this morning about entering the Lord’s gates with thanksgiving in our hearts.
Entering His courts with praise.
We have thanked the Lord for what he has done in our lives through song.
We have sang of God’s goodness.
Whether you believe you can sing or not, God wants you to sing!
We are renewed when we sing about our God.
There is something different that takes place inside of us when we actually sing rather than just listen.
Even mouthing the words is a good start.
The truth is,it doesn’t matter if you are off key, what matters that that you do it.
Sing because God tells you to sing!
And when you, I guarantee that God will work in your heart.
Music plays such an integral role in our lives.
What you listen to matters.
That you sing matters.
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faced an overwhelming army.
What did he do?
He appointed singers to praise the Lord.
The singers went before the army singing
Give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Chr 20:21
As they sang, the Lord set ambushes against their enemies, leading to victory.
Through their singing, their hearts were directed to God, rather than relying upon their own strength.
This story shows us that singing about God can bring profound renewal and deliverance.
When we lift our voices in praise, we invite God's presence into our challenges, allowing Him to work wonders in our lives.
It reminds us that worship is a powerful weapon against despair.
Serve
Serve
The next imperative is to serve.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
labour, work, do work
work for another, serve him by labour
serve as subjects
This is not meant to be dreary duty, but delighted devotion to the Lord.
Worshiping Him with our whole body, wholeheartedly.
We thank God by serving inside and outside the church.
Starting inside -
You give thanks when you serve during the worship service, running the computer, taking the offering, singing and playing with the praise team, greeting people as they enter.
You can thank God when we serve in Children’s ministry.
When you sacrifice your own time to serve in Children’s church, Kid’s Club, Youth Group - you are giving thanks to God.
At times we may look at it as a burden, but you are truly giving thanks to God when you serve in that way.
You can give thanks to God when you help maintain the church building.
Mowing lawns, cleaning toilets, changing light bulbs, painting walls or whatever other building needs there are.
We often think of these things as chores, but they are really opportunities to give thanks to God!
I also believe you can give thanks to God when you fervently support the church in prayer.
Praying for the Lord’s work, to see lives changed and relationships with Christ begin and grow.
Outside the church we thank God when we serve those in need.
Remember Jesus mission statement in Luke 4.
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
We give thanks when we feed the hungry.
One opportunity to do this is by helping with the county food pantry.
Each month there are around 40 family units that are served there and that gives thanks go God.
We give thanks when we welcome strangers and people who are alone.
Do you know someone who is alone or lonely?
Include them.
One tradition my family had growing up especially and we still do is inviting others to join us for thanksgiving.
Eventually we ended using the senior center in Whitehall to have enough space.
Psalm 68 5 and 6 tells us that
English Standard Version Psalm 68
Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home
We give thanks when we serve God by including other.
That is something nearly every family can do.
In Psalm 100, it says to serve the Lord with gladness.
This is not merely a suggestion; it reflects the joy that should be present in our service.
When we serve with a smile, it brightens the room and uplifts others, creating an atmosphere of gratitude.
This transformed heart is how we give thanks to God, acknowledging His blessings through our actions.
Imagine two workers in a factory.
One grumbles about the tough conditions, while the other finds joy in every task, thankful for their job.
The latter worker, filled with gladness, begins to inspire others, creating a positive environment.
As we serve the Lord with that same attitude, it not only uplifts our spirits but also encourages gratitude for every blessing, even amidst difficulties.
Our approach can transform the experience for ourselves and those around us.
Come
Come
The next command about how to give thanks in this Psalm is to come.
This is referring to formal worship.
This is an act you are all doing right now.
You are giving thanks to God here and now through your attendance of this Sunday worship service.
Each of these first three words round our external ways of giving thanks to God.
We make a joyful noise and serve, they are our verbal witness to God and our physical witness inside and outside the church.
We come into a formal worship service to give thanks in a devoted way.
Know
Know
The fourth command here is to know.
This is, I would say the key to the other three.
Psalms 73–150, Volume 2 Interpretive Insights
Knowing God is accepting his lordship
Derek Kidner writes in his commentary that
Psalms 73–150: An Introduction and Commentary Psalm 100. Into His Courts
To know is to have firm ground underfoot, the prerequisite of praise
2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
Who are we to know - The LORD.
This is the proper name for God.
Yahweh in Hebrew.
Know Yahweh, He is God!
Know that He is our creator, and he is our redeemer.
English Standard Version Psalm 100
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
God is our loving creator and we are his creatures.
This is the primary reason to worship God.
John Calvin makes the point in the opening chapter of his Institutes of the Christian Religion that
the natural result of knowing God is to know ourselves, and that the only way we really know ourselves is by knowing God.
Knowing God and knowing ourselves always go together.
We are commanded to know Yahweh in who we have a favoured relationship with through His Son Jesus.
Understanding our identity in Christ is crucial for maintaining thankfulness, especially during tough times.
Just as Christ knew His identity and purpose, we too can find peace and gratitude in knowing we are His.
Consider a young woman who grew up in an orphanage.
For years, she struggled with feelings of inadequacy and abandonment.
One day, she learns that she is actually the daughter of a wealthy family who has been searching for her.
Suddenly, her identity transforms; she is no longer just an orphan, but a beloved daughter with a lasting legacy.
In the same way, knowing Jesus reveals to us our true identity as children of God, loved and valued beyond measure, which allows us to navigate life with confidence and purpose.
Psalms, Volume 2: (Psalms 42–106): An Expositional Commentary Why We Must Give God Thanks
If there is no other reason why we must be thankful to God it is because he has both made us and redeemed us. No one should be more thankful to God than the sheep who are cared for by the Good Shepherd.
Each of these imperatives, when we make joyful noise to the Lord, Serve the Lord, Come into His presence, and know that He is good, roots our lives in God’s goodness rather than current troubles.
Psalms, Volume 2: (Psalms 42–106): An Expositional Commentary Why We Must Give God Thanks
Regardless of what may happen to us, we are still his. Troubles inevitably will come. But it is no matter. We are his.
Sickness may come. We are his.
We may lose a job. We are his.
Suppose death should come into our immediately family. We are still his, and we will always be his.
So we give thanks.
The psalm concludes with an invitation to thank God.
We have been shown how to do it, now it is a matter of doing it.
There are three more imperative commands here.
Enter, give thanks, and bless.
The emphasis is to gather as God’s people.
In the psalm it was to gather to the temple to thank God together.
I spoke on this some already with the earlier imperative to come.
These three imperatives are not just saying that it is good to go to church, that is true.
These three help us to see that there is a special aspect of thanksgiving that involves the whole people of God together.
There is a connection between thankfulness and entering God’s presence.
The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence. The instant cure of most of our religious ills would be to enter the Presence in spiritual experience, to become suddenly aware that we are in God and that God is in us. This would lift us out of our pitiful narrowness and cause our hearts to be enlarged.2
A. W. Tozer
The Psalms are rich in expressions of gratitude.
In Psalm 95:2, is another place we are encouraged to come before His presence with thanksgiving.
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
Thankfulness aligns our hearts with God’s, allowing us to step confidently into His loving embrace,
transforming our worship experience into a profound encounter with Him.
The reason that we have this invitation is given in verse 5.
5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
In the book of Psalms, David often expresses deep gratitude for God's mercy and steadfast love.
His heartfelt thankfulness wasn't merely routine but a reflection of his acknowledgment of God's character.
Each psalm is a journey of remembering, confiding, and closing the gap in his fellowship with God.
Through gratitude, David reignited his passion for God, teaching us that when we focus on His goodness, our own hearts become more tender and responsive to His voice.
Perhaps you are feeling stressed or disconnected from God.
Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed with the pressure of work, school work, peer pressure.
You could start each day by texting a friend one thing you appreciate about them, and encourage them to do the same.
Create a ripple effect of thankfulness in your friend group.
Something we have been doing with the boys is sharing each day this month something that we are thankful for.
These types of conversations not only build deeper relationships but also fosters a community centered on positivity and God’s work in your lives, allowing us to support one another during tough times.
Gratitude and thanks truly is a spiritual entry point into God’s presence.
By prioritizing thankfulness in worship, as Jesus did even at the Last Supper, believers can experience profound communion with God.
As an act of thankfulness I want to share in the Lord’s supper together today.
Our passage encourages us to shape our perspective with the assurance of God’s unwavering goodness.
Nowhere is that goodness more fully displayed than through Jesus death, burial, and resurrection.
Where he went to cross to pay the debt that we owe for our sin.
And in our trusting in Him and His work, we get to
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
The Lord's Supper is a sacred meal instituted by Christ to remember His sacrifice, proclaim His death, and anticipate His return.
In our struggles and weaknesses, understanding the significance of the Lord's Supper brings comfort and strength.
It reminds us of God's grace, encourages repentance, and invites us into a deeper communion with Christ and fellow believers.
It is an opportunity for us to give thanks.
I want us to first - Reflect and Remember
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Paul recounts the words of Jesus when He took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and said, 'This is my body.'
Reflect now in your own heart, remember the sacrifice Christ made with His body.
Broken for our sin.
This remembrance strengthens our faith, calls us to repentance, and ensures we do not forget the basis of our unity in the church.
Next let us - Proclaim and Participate
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
The Lord passing cup, which symbolizes the 'new covenant,' is an invitation to 'Proclaim and Participate' in the death of Christ.
Paul emphasizes proclaiming the Lord's death until He comes, reminding us of our role in taking the Gospel to the world.
We now - Unite, give thanks, and Anticipate as we share in this act together.
The Lord's Supper, as Jesus instituted it, truly was, and still is a pivotal moment where we 'Unite, Give Thanks, and Anticipate Christ’s return.
Luke's account underscores the covenantal aspect of this meal, which binds believers together in a mystical union with Christ and each other.
This unity challenges us to live in love and harmony, reflecting the Kingdom of God.
It also invites them to joyfully anticipate the fulfillment of God's promises in Christ's return.
19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Pass
Pray
Eat
20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.
Pass
Pray
Drink