UNCHANGING REASONS FOR THANKSGIVING

Hebrews 13:5-15

UNCHANGING REASONS FOR THANKSGIVING

Intro: One of the most explicit Bible verses related to the matter of thanksgiving is 1 Thes. 5:18. This verses says, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV 1900

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

This verse commands believers to give thanks to the Lord, not FOR everything, but IN everything! There is a big difference there! Certainly, we ought to be thankful, not just because we are told to be thankful, but because we have much to be thankful for!

However, I have discovered that thankfulness is a very fickle thing. Often, our thankfulness focuses on things that are physical in nature. We are thankful for our health. We are thankful for our families and our homes. We are thankful for our financial stability. We are thankful for the things we have. Yet, all of these things are subject to change. Think about it, health can break, families can split up and bank accounts can run dry. What do we do then? How does that affect our thankfulness?

I would like to suggest that we remain thankful for all the physical blessings we enjoy, and that we learn to look beyond those changing things to some things that never change. I would like to share a few of those unchanging blessings with you this evening.

Notice in these verses some Unchanging Reasons For Thanksgiving.

I. OUR SAVIOUR-VS. 5-8

(Ill. These verses tells us of just a few of the unchanging glories of our Lord! The things revealed here are causes for thankfulness at all times.)

A. V. 5 His Abiding Presence

Covetousness=unwillingness to wait on God

Regardless of where the path of life leads, the saint of God will never walk alone - Matthew 28:20 “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”

B. V. 6 His Assisting Presence

- (Ill. The word "helper" comes from a word which means to "to run". The idea is that when we are in need, the Lord runs to our aid.)

He is our Comforter - John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”

(Ill. Paraklete - One called alongside of another to give aid and comfort!)

C. V. 8 His Anchoring Presence

- One of our greatest sources of thanksgiving is in the truth that Jesus Christ never changes!

What He was then is what He is now!

From before creation on into eternity, Jesus has never, nor will He ever change! He is still "I AM!" He still possesses all power in heaven and earth, Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”

We can always be thankful for our Savior!

II. OUR SALVATION-VS. 9-12

A. V. 9 The Price Of It

- This verse mentions grace! We can thank God that salvation is given without cost,

Isaiah 55:1 “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, And he that hath no money; Come ye, buy, and eat; Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

It is purely the operation of grace! Think of how you came to know Him! Dead in sin and He sought you, He called you, He died for you, He redeemed you and He keeps you. All you did was exercise the faith that He gave you. He did it all! (Ill. Eph. 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 KJV 1900

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

B. V. 12 The Pain Of It

For us the price was low, for God, the price was unimaginable!

Our salvation cost God the life of His Son, John 3:16. His death on the cross is what provided salvation for you and me!

There is no way that we can adequately describe the gory details of the death of the Lord Jesus, But the prophet Isaiah tells us something about what He suffered for us,

Isaiah 53:4–7 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth.”

We can be thankful, everyday, that even though He knew what we were and what we would be like after He saved that He still went to the cross and died for our sins!

C. V. 12 The Purpose Of It

We are told here that He suffered the death He did so that He might "sanctify the people."

The word "sanctify" means "to separate from vain things and set apart for God's use."

This is why Jesus died! He died to take vile sinners out of their sins and set them apart from this world for the glory of God.

He saved us so that we might become different and that God might be able to use us for His glory, 2 Cor. 5:17

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV 1900

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1 Timothy 1:12–15 “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”

We can be thankful that we which were so lost and wicked have now been cleansed and set apart for God's glory through the blood of Jesus!

III. OUR SEPARATION-VS. 13

A. The call of this verse is for us to do on the outside what He has already done on the inside.

God calls on us to live out the faith that has saved and changed us.

That is, He has set us apart inwardly through the redemption of the blood of Jesus. His call to us is that we willingly take our stand with Jesus on the outside of society.

He is calling us to pick up our cross and bear the reproach of Jesus, Matthew 16:24 “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

He is telling us to be different - 2 Corinthians 6:17 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”

B. We ought to thank the Lord that He has made a change in us. The very fact that we don't live like we used to, that we don't find enjoyment in all the things the world is running to, that we are different is a cause for rejoicing everyday of our lives!

C. We ought to stand out and we should be thankful when we do!

IV. OUR STRENGTH-VS. 14-15

View of this fickle world

Vision of the future way

Voices of

A. Again, we are reminded that we are living in a world that is constantly changing. If all of our hopes are placed in this world and in the physical realm, then we are going to be disappointed more than we will be happy.

However, the child of God can rejoice in the fact that this world is not the end all!

Verse 14 tells us that there is something better just down the road!

B. We can thank the Lord this morning that when this journey is over, we have a city awaiting us were we can rest from our labors and where we can enjoy the sweet presence of the Lord.

It is a place of which we know a little, but we do know that none of the problems of life will be allowed there,

Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

We do know that we will be with Jesus,

John 14:1–3 “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

We do know enough that allows us to be thankful for that blessed home that waits for every child of God.

Conclusion:

This morning we need to take a close look at the real blessings of the Lord! Let us be thankful for all the things He gives us. Let us praise Him for our health, our families, our financial blessings and so on. Let us not take them for granted.

Thanksgiving Prayer: God help me be more thankful for those things I can never lose.

Let's learn to be ever thankful for those things that cannot change!

When all the physical blessings have faded and we can find no reason for praise in them, let us thank the Lord that there are some things that will never change!

In these things we have an unchanging reason for eternal thanksgiving!

Why not come before Him right now and just thank Him for Who He is and for what He has given you and me!