Gratitude is not Thanksgiving (3)

Gratitude is not just about the day.

For the past 4 weeks we have been doing a study that we titled Gratitude is not Thanksgiving.

What I meant there was that gratitude should not just be shown on Thanksgiving Day.

We should be grateful no matter our circumstances in the good and bad every day.

We learned that gratitude should not be about our emotions and how we feel.

Why is that ? Because our emotions and feeling change and if our gratitude was based off of feeling and emotions many of us would not be thankful very much.

Gratitude is not about who we like or dislike. Paul made it clear to us in

1 Thessalonians 5:14 KJV 1900

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Then Wednesday night we learned that gratitude should not be about our things. We should be thankful for whatever God has blessed us with.

This evening for just a few minutes I want us to learn a little more about how Gratitude is not just about the 4th Thursday of every month.

I can promise you I love Thanksgiving Day when we can eat all kinds of good food, visit with family, watch football, maybe even some of that Thanksgiving Day parade.

We will be having Thanksgiving festivities all day at my house with Sabrina’s side of the family, my side of the family and hopefully a mixture of both.

But you know as the days after pass and we have eaten all of that food or thrown it away.

Families and friends return home and everything gets back to what we call normal.

But when we think about all that we have been blessed with can we just narrow it down and just be thankful on that specific day.

Is that truly what Thanksgiving is all about.

As we have been studying this for the past few weeks we have learned that it is not just one day a year that we should be giving gratitude to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:15–18 KJV 1900

See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Pay close attn to V-18 but specifically the last part where it says “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you”

Giving thanks to God is not up for debate if you are a child of God.

Paul says this is the will of God his will not only expresses what he desires. It also expresses God’s command.

Giving thanks should govern the heart of every believer.

John Piper said “If you experience gratitude as a burden then you don;t know true gratitude.

True gratitude is us knowing that we are being blessed more than we deserve.

There should be no way we should go through life and not recognize how e are blessed to wake up each morning.

So many of us even believers take so much that God has blessed us with for granted. So we live with a sense of entitlement with the attitude that God owes us something.

Psalm 116:12–14 KJV 1900

What shall I render unto the Lord For all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord Now in the presence of all his people.

Gratitude is not only to recognize that God is the source of our blessings but it demands a response that calls you and I to greater service to others.

Gratitude should cause us to walk closer with God and to serve others more faithfully.

This evening and already today our church has worked hard on getting ready for our services, for our Thanksgiving meal that we are about to have . I want ya’ll to know that I am thankful for you.

So as we close I want to challenge us we some things as we go on after this coming Thursday.

Let’s make expressing gratitude a way of life.

As you think of the reasons why you are grateful I want us to be seeking God to reveal to us ways we can be more committed to him and his service because of the things he has blessed you with.

Worship is a response to what God has done and we are grateful to him by worshipping him.

Let us seek out ways in our church, families, and community to live out V-14

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.