Thanksgiving Eve 2024 (2)

Today we want to focus in on the goodness of Jesus.

our entire culture is obsessed with goodness and thankfulness this time of year and the people of God have every reason to be thankful all throughout the year.

God - life. breathe. everything. - that covers it!

Look 8 verses from Ps. 34 written at a time when David was still battling fear (context), but He looks back to see how God has delivered him in the past and so he chooses to exalt the Lord and ask others to do so as well in the present and into the future.

in a season of deep darkness and he remembers the time when he called on God to rescue HIm.

Acrostic - each line begins with a new Hebrew letter in the Alphabet (22). So from A to Z.

Exalt the Lord

Psalm 34:1–3 (ESV)

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!

Visiting with Betty Smith. She had lost Bob a few years back.

Visitation - Then it was time to do the really pastoral thing. READ FROM THE BIBLE.

(I showed up and I read this passage too her.)

Tell me something amazing about God. Let’s glorify him.

Received so well. Took her mind off of here circumstance and placed it on God.

Look at this…(AT ALL TIMES)

Praise continually be in my mouth.

Boast in God - Jeremiah 9:24 (ESV) 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me...

now David is going to ask others who are afflicted to “magnify” and “exalt” the Lord with him.

The only way we can see how big God really is is by adjusting our focus on Him. We magnify him. We aren’t making a small God look bigger than He is. We are just setting Him in our focus. We zoom in on Him.

Silent Prayer thanking God for His attributes.

Eternal, Infinite, All the Omni- (present, knowing, power), faithful, good, holy, unchanging, impartial, longsuffering, love, mercy, grace, righteous, sovereign transcendent, truth, wise, wrath (Justice)

So let’s do that now.

Delieverance

Psalm 34:4–7 ESV

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Taste and See

Psalm 34:8 ESV

8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

Introduces a culinary metaphor.

Thanksgiving - abundant goodness is coming our way tomorrow.

Come on just try it, you will like it (with kids…just try it…)

Taste and See

We are going to do self-serve communion.

different stations and we will go there and share about God’s goodness with each other.

This is how I have tasted and scene God’s goodness this year. (Or I want to next year).

All the normal paramiters of the Lord’s Supper still apply (don’t go through the motions of this meal in an unworthy manner.)

You are more a than welcome to abstain (But this is a gathering of the Saints and we are under obligation and it is our joy to do this in remberance of Jesus sacrifice for us.)

So all real briefly share a story with 3-5 in a huddle and then I will direct us.

Let’s do this in remembrance of Him. - eat.

Let’s do this in remembrance of Him - drink.