Give Thanks To God For His Goodness

As we approach Thanksgiving, we need to remember that God calls us to give thanks in everything. But there are people who desire to spurn the good things of God, to reject and hate the blessings of God.

1 Timothy 4:1-5

Last Times

We hear this phrase the last times....and what we jump to is the end of the world, the Eschaton…but is that how they would have understood it? Is that what the bible means? How would the people of that day understood what it meant?

v.6

Paul says that if Timothy encourages people in these things, he will be a good servant.

A servant for people who are thousands of years in the future?

Is Timothy still alive and able to minister in these last days?

Paul is saying that Timothy’s congregation will be directly effected by these events. But how is that the case if the last days are in the future.

1 Peter 1:20

1 Peter 1:20 ESV

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you

He being Jesus, He was known before the foundation of the world, but in these last times, in these last days.

In Acts when the apostles are speaking in tongues, Peter quotes Joel saying “in the last days, God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh.”

Peter says that it was being accomplished there.

Peter was saying it was the last days.

The phrase the “later times” doesn’t mean the end of the world, but applied to Timothy’s day. When the term the “last days” is used it most likely refers to one of two things:

Either the days between the cross and the ascension.

Or

The end of the Judaic aeon which took place in A.D. 70. That’s less than 10 years after this letter was written.

I have heard people, and even pastors use this as a proof text that we are in the last days.

They will say “look how people are departing the faith and following false teaching, it’s definitely the last days that Paul writes about” but that is a mishandling of the text.

I would say that this is still applicable for us, becasue we still see these things continuing on, we still need to heed the warning from Paul because these attacks are still taking place.

That is an example how the word of God was very timely for when it was written. But it is timeless with it’s wisdom and applying it’s principles. Becasue:

#1, God never changes.

#2, Nothing in new under the sun.

Doctrines of Demons

Sometimes the deceit of the devil is to temp us, and try to get us to sin.

Eve in the garden, the devil is trying to get her to go against the expressed commands of God.

After Israel entered the holy land. Satan tried to get them to worship false gods and lead them away from the worship of the one true God.

But when they fail to deceive you, and get you to indulge in your passions, then they will go to the other ditch.

They will try to get you to produce a world-denying asceticism.

What is asceticism?

Forbidding

It is a severe discipline, where you voluntarily abstain from bodily or social needs, including food, drink, sex, sleep, clothes, wealth, and social interaction.

Asceticism for short periods can be beneficial.

Fasting for prayer.

Drawing away from social interaction for prayer.

Kent Hughes, “Those who introduce contrived holiness by self denial are acting at the instigation of the devil, God is never properly worshiped by a denial of His gifts.”

God gives us gifts so we can enjoy them!

Denying the gifts of God isn’t proper worship!

How would you like it if you spent months researching and saving money, so you could give your child what they really want for Christmas. Then when you give it to them, they say “I really like this toy, but I think it would be more honoring for me to play with it.” Then they put it in the back of the closet. How would you feel?

God has given us gifts to enjoy Him, in this world that He has created for us.

When we deny the gifts of God, in effect we are saying either “God is not good, and that’s why he has given us this,” or “we know better than God.”

Asceticism lays the ax to the life of the gospel.

For it teaches that salvation, life and happiness are found in our actions…and by rejecting what God has said is “good.”

Asceticism mocks the creator (who made things good) and the work of Jesus, placing the burden of sanctification not on the Holy Spirit, but on us.

Colossians 2:20-23

These things have an appearance of wisdom…but they don’t deal with the heart of the issue.

They don’t deal with sin.

By denying things that the bible doesn’t call us to deny for the sake of appearing holy, is to try hiding your true wickedness by outward observance.

or as Jesus said..

Matthew 23:25 ““Woe to you, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and self-indulgence.”

v.2

Insincerity of Liars

That is to say they are hypocritical.

The false teachers in Jesus day would lay burdens on the people that they themselves wouldn’t strain a finger to lift.

They would make up a law, then condemn themselves greater into blasphemy with the statement, “thus says the Lord.”

Meanwhile they either wouldn’t carry out the command themselves, or they would break a law of God that actually was a law.

Paul is saying to Timothy that false teachers are still doing the same exact thing!

They make up laws, then call you godless when you break their manmade laws!

Paul says that they do this becasue their consciences are seared.

In the medical field, this is called cauterizing.

It’s when you heat up an instrument and melt the flesh together to seal up a wound.

If some people always get nose bleeds, they will get their noses cauterized in order to not get nose bleeds anymore.

Paul is saying, you can’t prick their conscience. They don’t feel the prodding of the Holy Spirit, they have become numb to it.

Now they are people who will do whatever is right in their own eyes. Whatever they have to do to justify the outcome that they desire.

Prudish

v.3

Marriage was a thing that God called good.

Marriage is even a type of the love of God for His church.

But there were gnostics at that time, and it continued into the catholic church that said marriage was bad.

Many of the early church fathers such as Augustin, Ambrose, and Tertullian saw marriage and sex as a necessary evil for the carrying on of human life, but something to be avoided.

The catholic church in fact kept adding days in which marital intimacy was prohibited until nearly half the days in the year were excluded....I don’t care what they say, that was the real reason for the reformation.

We look at the church up until the reformation and say, “well at least we aren’t making that mistake.”

Aren’t we? Have we grown away from this mistake, or are we just falling into another ditch?

Today, though we have an overabundance of outside marital intimacy, there is an incredibly low view of marriage, and that is even within Christianity.

Biblically, marriage is to be cherished, to be highly esteemed.

The enemy knows this, which is why there is so much demonic attack against marriage.

Today when you get married young, people look at you like you are throwing your life away.

Sarah and I were married 2 weeks after she turned 18.

So many people had the reaction like, “you have your whole life ahead of you!”

Why? The mindset is that marriage isn’t very good.

The mindset is marriage is what you do to end your life.

Marriage may not be forbidden…but it is scorned.

Becasue it is scorned, we see a great downfall in society.

The amount of men who are addicted to pornography is astronomical.

Pornography destroys marriages and wrecks lives.

One reason God gave marriage was as a protection against the urges that men use pornography to satisfy.

By the time they get married, they are already addicted. Because of this there is a barrier that stops the husband and wife from truly becoming one flesh.

The lack of marriage leads to the rise of abortions.

Women are in unstable relationships. They don’t know if the baby daddy will stick around to take care of the child.

Being guided by fear they murder their offspring.

The lack of marriage has led to the greatest fatherless generation in history.

Without boys knowing what it means to be men, it has led to the rise of the ghettos, the welfare state, and a perpetual downward spiral.

We as the church are the one’s who can stop this by elevating marriage to the status of “very good” again.

Becasue right now, we may not forbid marriage, but we do have a low view of it.

Culinary Killjoy

The idea that you shouldn’t be eating meats, or certain delicacies.

Understand that this stems from the view that God did not create everything good.

Today within the church, one of the largest examples of this is the teaching of abstaining from alcohol.

We have a view that because it can be misused (and many have), that it is an evil thing to be avoided.

Instead of seeing it in it’s created place, and that we are to use it responsibly as God intended for the the Glory of God.

When we look at scripture God says:

Psalm 104:15

Psalm 104:15 ESV

and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

That God gave wine to gladden the heart of man.

It must be used in moderation, and under self control. If you can’t do that, then don’t have any.

But it isn’t evil.

I’ve notice that people want to get on different dietary hypes.

Vegetables are bad, you need to stay away.

Meat is bad, stay away.

Sugar is bed, stay away.

I will say that as far as food goes, the farther you can get from food that has preservatives and different chemicals, the healthier and the better.

In all things we need to use moderation.

We are about to come to thanksgiving.

If you plan on wearing sweat pants because they stretch with your waist....that’s called gluttony.

It you eat until you can’t move…that’s called gluttony.

Eat with moderation.

This goes for all things.

Sugar is delicious, it is easy to get addicted to it.

That doesn’t mean it’s wrong to have it altogether, but that you need to use wisdom, discretion, and moderation.

Just like alcohol, if you can’t control yourself after having some, it’s best to stay away from it.

The misuse of sugar has led to the destruction of as many if not more families as the misuse of alcohol.

v.4

God’s Creation Is Good

God made things within his creation for us to enjoy.

This means that there is intrinsic goodness in everything that God created.

We must embrace God’s own verdict when He looked at His creation and said, “It is very good!”

Therefore, we hold onto that, thanking God. Praising Him for his goodness and His good gifts!

When we pray for our food, we are setting up the correct perceptive. We are thanking God who in His goodness has blessed us with food that is good.

I Like what G.K. Chesterton says:

You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the play and the opera, And grace before I open a book, And grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing; And grace before I dip the pen in the ink. -G.K. Chesterton

In everything we do, we are to be thankful.

1 Corinthians 10:31

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

In everything, we give glory to God.

Don’t let the devil hijack the gifts of God by getting us to overindulge or by getting us to reject what God has deemed good.

It is through prayer and thanksgiving that our minds are sanctified. Where we can have a glass of wine, engage in marital love making, and the next morning have our coffee and bacon. All to the glory of God as we enjoy the gifts our father gives us.

So this Thanksgiving, remember why you are thankful, and who you are thankful to.

Praise Him for his marvelous gifts which are beyond measure.