“A Recipe for Thanksgiving”

INTRODUCTION.

There is a difference between a pecan pie and a good pecan pie.

You can not just make up your pecan pie without any knowledge of how to mix or bake. I would say you even need to know how certain ingredients go together.

It would not be a good pecan pie if you placed bananas in the mix is place of pecans. It would not even be a pecan pie.

My family and I enjoy watching baking championship shows on TV. Often you see them just mixing things together as if they were just throwing it in there. But later you will hear them talk about the recipe they knew in their head. About how they have done this time and time again.

If you listened closely you would have picked up on the idea of the recipe they used.

To make a great pecan pie you must follow the recipe.

Today I want to give you a recipe for thanksgiving. Do not worry it only has four steps so anyone can do it a even memorize it. This recipe of for giving thanks to the LORD.

Psalm 9:1–2 NASB95

1 I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. 2 I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

MESSAGE.

Have you ever had some great food that your mom made. you asked what it so good and they said a secret ingredient. And they told you it was made with love, it was made from the heart.

Well our thanks to good needs to come from the heart.

The first step in your recipe is to give thanks with ALL of your heart. To make the best recipe —>

I. We need to be totally in.

“I will give thanks”

meaning to give praise, confession, an act of worship.

This is an action that is unfolding it is in progress.

not necessary past, present or future.

it is an action that is habitual - constantly or as a habit.

“to the LORD”

Yahweh the name God gave to the Israelites through Moses for Himself.

Sometimes known as the proper name of God.

“Heart”

this word used 605 times in the Old Testament

581 times referring to the inside of a person.

the locus or the center of a person’s thoughts, emotions, choices, and knowledge.

The second step in the recipe of thanksgiving to God is to tell Him of the mighty things you are thankful and also share them with others.

II. Make a choice to proclaim God’s mighty acts.

“I will tell”

to make known - count - announce.

this places the person into the action.

it is what is known as volitional action. (a choice)

it is a choice made ahead of time.

I am choosing now that I will tell of the wonders and exult in the Lord. Choosing how I will respond in the future. Think of a baby needing milk. The baby cries and makes known his need for milk. The baby does not make a choice, he reacts to a need. As the baby gets older and more mature it learns to chose how to respond.

We MUST choose now and make the choice ahead of time, to be glad even when times are hard. If we choose not to make that choice we can wait and just react to our situations in life. The problem is if we wait and react to a negative situation we will react out of our flesh which will be negative because of our sin nature. We need to choose now to be glad and exult even in the hard times.

this is an intentional action.

also one that is habitual and in progress.

“wonders”

referred to by some as miracles. - must be very careful using the word miracle.

a better way would to express it would be to say a marvelous event.

the wonderful things God has done for you.

first and foremost your SALVATION.

We need to tell of His wonders in the good times and the bad times.

Remember it is a choice our volition.

It is all about how we chose to look at it.

some might complain about the working situation or their boss.

You can choose to see the negative or you can choose to the positive side of it that you have a job.

you can choose to complain about the food or to be thankful that you have food.

You can complain about school or be thankful that you have the right and ability to get an education.

The third step in the recipe for thanksgiving is to live a life of rejoicing and happiness.

III. Make a choice to live thankfully.

“I will be glad”

to rejoice - expression

This again is a volition - choice - a wish or desire.

it also one of habitual action.

“Exult”

this is also a choice

it is also one of habitual action.

to feel joy - to feel extreme happiness.

This is a cause to rejoice.

The fourth step in the recipe for thanksgiving is to praise Him by singing. I know what some of you are thinking. I cannot sing and no one would want to hear me. Let me remind you that your singing and praise God is a joyful noice to Him.

IV. I will sing praises to your Name, O Most High.

“sing praises”

to use ones voice as an instrument.

This again is choice - a repetitive habitual action.

The Psalm from the beginning of the service.

Psalm 100 NASB95

A Psalm for Thanksgiving. 1 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. 3 Know that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; 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 lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

This is all to GOD.

for who He is.

Creator - Designer

for what He has done.

“O Most High”

in reference to the God of Israel understood according to His exaltedness and authority.

something that is Higher.

God is the MOST High.

LET US PUT THIS INTO PRACTICE THIS MORNING.

Song - “I Sing Praises”

Verse 1 I sing praises to Your name O Lord Praises to Your name O Lord For Your name is great And greatly to be praised I sing praises to Your name O Lord Praises to Your name O Lord For Your name is great And greatly to be praised

Verse 2 I give glory to Your name O Lord Glory to Your name O Lord For Your name is great And greatly to be praised I give glory to Your name O Lord Glory to Your name O Lord For Your name is great And greatly to be praised

Hebrews 13:15–16 NASB95

15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

CONCLUSION.

Remember I told you that I would give you a recipe. Often times we cook for others in our family. Sometimes we cook for others. I have seen my mom cook for others at times of special occasions like a wedding or funeral.

I have even seen on TV of people cooking for very important people like a president or celebrity. Even then they where using a recipe to make sure it was just right. They did not want any mistakes.

My recipe today is one that you are making , not for a bride, president, or even a celebrity. It is for someone even more important. It is for a King. It is for the King of kings. It is a recipe for thanksgiving to God Almighty.

We need to memorize it, practice it, use it often, and become proficient at giving thanks to God.