2025-11-02 Celebration, Thanksgiving, & Joy

Well, we are starting our new series this week, / / Celebration, Thanksgiving & Joy.

Our focus this year has been primarily on what are called the Spiritual Disciplines, or the Spiritual Practices. We’ve talked about prayer, fasting, generosity, and of course we’ve now done our Practicing the Way course two times where we go through 8 different practices that become a way of life as a disciple of Jesus.

Many of you have been through that. Raise your hand if you’ve completed Practicing the Way?

Well, we’re coming up to one of my favorite times of year. I say one of because my favorite time of year is most definitely Christmas. I’ve been in Florida for 10 years now, and I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to Christmas with palm trees instead of snow topped evergreens, BUT, on the upside I’d rather not have to scrape ice and snow off my car every time I want to go somewhere. It’s a small payoff.

But, we’re not at Christmas yet, in a few weeks we get to celebrate Thanksgiving. And I don’t like it just because of the holiday itself, but because of what the Holiday represents. It’s pretty amazing that by proclamation of a President, our government brought the nation together to give thanks to God.

I don’t know if you know the history here, but the Presidential Proclamations that started this “holiday” - some of them are pretty stinkin’ impressive. Two of them are incredibly important. The first, being George Washington, who made the first Presidential proclamation of thanksgiving, and Lincoln, who called it to be a annual celebration.

Listen to what George Washington said on October 3rd, 1789. Our country was only 13, an ornery teenager.

/ / “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be - That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks - for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation - for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war - for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed - for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted - for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have or acquiring and diffusing knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions - to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually - to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed - to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord - To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us - and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best…”

What a foundation!

Seriously.

It’s a call to give thanks and praise.

A call to repentance.

A call to bless.

A call for divine leadership.

For the next nearly 75 years Thanksgiving was kind of a hit or miss. Sometimes the president would mention it, sometimes he wouldn’t. Some states would observe it, some wouldn’t.

Then in 1863, right in the middle of the civil war, Abraham Lincoln addresses the nation. This couldn’t have come at a more tumultuous time for our nation, and yet the way he speaks of this and calls the nation to remember, is inspiring, to say the least.

This is from October 3, 1863:

/ / “The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they came, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and even soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and provoke their aggressions, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict; while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increases of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and propert that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.”

Why read those? Am I suddenly getting political with my preaching?

No, but sometimes even the politicians get it right.

What did they get right?

Listen, the more we study the Spiritual disciplines, the more I see the truth.

And the more we DO the spiritual disciplines, the more we experience the truth.

What truth am I talking about? - / / Intentional engagement with God through the spiritual practices of genuine discipleship, produces the transformation we desperately desire.

Not because of the “works” we do, but because through those works we are engaging with the Holy Spirit, who truly transforms us.

Romans 12:1-2 says, (AMP) / / Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritual] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [ for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

The way of the world doesn’t work, instead follow the way of Jesus.

Remember the words of Jesus from Matthew 7:24, right at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, he’s just outlined what it looks like to live in the Kingdom of God, it’s a certain way of living, and he says, (NIV) / / “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

/ / Intentional engagement with the way of Jesus produces the result of becoming like Jesus because through our actions we are responding to his invitation of transformation.

By responding to his invitation we are submitting to his work.

The opposite is also unfortunately true - not engaging with God, not engaging with that invitation to actively follow him, actively be like him, intentionally working at living the way he describes… it leaves us to our own devices, and let’s be honest, those don’t get us very far, do they?

So, why read Presidential proclamations about Thanksgiving?

Because, whether the encouragement comes from the president of the United States, a pastor, a prophet, or your mother, the encouragement to give thanks to God and celebrate His great name is an invitation to a spiritual discipline.

This is / / the discipline of Celebration, which employs thanksgiving, celebrating, and joy.

I make it a pretty regular habit for at least a couple weeks in November to primarily focus us as a church on giving thanks. Even without identifying it as a “spiritual discipline” or practice, it’s unbelievably apparent through Scripture that giving thanks and celebrating God’s greatness are core fundamental invitations of the Christian life.

So, let’s define this practice a little bit:

So, we call it the Discipline of Celebration, but I’ll give you three different aspects of it. Celebration, Thanksgiving, and Joy.

And we’ll go to the masters for this, Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. If you’re not starting to recognize those names, you should. They’re insight and teaching on these disciplines is foundational to the Christian life.

Willard says this of Celebration, / / “Here is one of the most important disciplines of engagement, yet most overlooked and misunderstood. It is the completion of worship, for it dwells on the greatness of God as shown in his goodness to us.”

So, Willard actually talks about twelve different disciplines and splits them into two different categories. / / Disciplines of Abstinence, where we forsake something to find something. Think of things like solitude and silence, fasting, frugality, or living simply. And the other he considered / / Disciplines of Engagement: things like study, worship, celebration, service, prayer and others. These are outward focused, either personally or corporately.

That’s what he means when he says that celebration is one of the most important disciplines of engagement. And he talks about those two categories like a kind of breathing in and breathing out of our spiritual journey in Christ. It brings balance. We aren’t just inwardly focused, enjoying God for ourselves, but we become outwardly engaging as well.

Celebration, a breathing out, an exhale of the goodness of God through celebration, thanksgiving and joy.

Willard makes the point that Celebration isn’t just celebrating God through worship directed upward, but it’s celebrating God’s goodness IN our lives. Enjoying how God made us and the world around us.

I was just talking to someone about this the other day at School, that God isn’t just looking for what we classically call “worship”, coming together and singing songs and dancing and whatever we do in church, or constantly praying in our sense of upward intentional prayer, he actually receives AS worship the living of our lives unto Him.

Look at the gospels, especially the gospel of Luke. Some commentators say Jesus was either on his way to, at, or just leaving some sort of meal. The whole gospel seems to happen around the dining room table with a meal in hand.

Enjoying the the good things of God is worship.

Listen to Psalm 23:5, David says, / / You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

The anointing of the head with oil is a hospitality reference, to honor a guest in your home.

Same as washing feet. We can sometimes make that a big spiritual thing, and of course Jesus was making reference to more than just the physical act, but also, that physical act was a way of honoring a guest into your home to enjoy your company.

What was the mission given to Adam & Eve? Tend the garden. Look after and enjoy this good creation I have made.

The issue is when we do that unto ourselves. We stripmine the planet for precious metals for battery components leaving the local population with poisoned water and a destroyed landscape…. that’s not celebration, that’s not tending the garden, that’s not enjoying or stewarding God’s good creation.

In the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis, this fascinating book where he writes from the perspective of one demon trying to train another demon to mess with humans. If you’ve never read it, you should. And trust me. it’s as relevant for today as the day it was written in 1941. But at one point this head demon is arguing with the other demon over him allowing his “patient” his human, to enjoy simple things, like a walk in nature.

/ / “The man who truly and disinterestedly enjoys any one thing in the world, for its own sake, and without caring twopence what other people say about it, is by that very fact forearmed against some of our subtlest modes of attack. You should always try to make the patient abandon the people or food or books he really likes in favor of the “best” people, the “right” food, the “important” books. I have known a human defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions.”

Translation for today… / / Enjoying the simple things in life can fend off the devil’s temptation of FOMO…. fear of missing out on something bigger, better, grander, more important.

Richard Foster says, / / “Celebration is at the heart of the way of Christ.”

What about Joy?

Foster says of joy, / / “Celebration brings joy into our life, and joy makes us strong.”

He is referencing Nehemiah 8:10, / / “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

This is the way the angels introduced that Jesus was coming, / / “I bring you good news of great joy!” (Luke 2:10)

And how he ended his ministry on earth, / / “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)

Willard calls this one of the most important disciplines. Foster says it’s central. Because Celebration, Thanksgiving & Joy are necessary for the rest of our life to maintain meaning and perspective.

Foster writes, / / “Celebration is central to all the Spiritual Disciplines. Without a joyful spirit of festivity the Disciplines become dull, death-breathing tools in the hand of the modern Pharisees. Every Discipline should be characterized by carefree gaiety and a sense of thanksgiving.”

This is always one of the first arguments we get when we begin to talk about spiritual practices, or spiritual disciplines, “We don’t want to be legalistic about it.”

And I get that. And I 100% agree, however, we also don’t want our apprehension, or rejection of legalism to become a license for being noncommittal.

“I pray when I feel like it…”

If you haven’t made it a habit in your life, you’ll only pray when you are desperate.

“I only fast when I really feel like the Lord is asking me to…”

Be honest with yourself, that’s probably no happening.

“I only give when I feel the prompting of the Holy Spirit…”

Again, if you’ve made it a practice, then it’s probably happening regularly, but if you haven’t, it’s probably just an excuse to not give very often.

What’s the point there? / / To fend off legalism, keep it relevant.

/ / To keep it relevant, keep it centered on God.

And we do that by continuing to position ourselves with an attitude of celebrating what He has done for us, thanking him for it, and living in the joy that comes through that. This makes him the focus. It makes Him the object of our pursuit, rather than some sort of spiritual goal, or attaining some spiritual thing, or like the Pharisees were concerned with, looking and being seen as good, or perfect, or spiritual.

/ / Properly motivated celebration, a heart of gratitude, and recognizing it is the Lord who gives us true Joy actually keeps us humble.

I’ll finish with this as a definition of joy here in the context of the discipline of celebration. Foster says, / / “Often I am inclined to think that joy is the motor, the thing that keeps everything else going. Without joyous celebration to infuse the other disciplines, we will sooner or later abandon them. Joy produces energy. Joy makes us strong.”

/ / Thanksgiving

This is our focus for today. To give thanks. To live in gratitude. It reminds us of who He is, what He has done, and what He has promised.

/ / When I employ gratitude I force myself to recognize God at work in my life.

And let’s just be honest, we’re not always good at this.

Have you been at a meal where someone has said, “Ok, let’s go around and say what we are thankful for.” I mean, even if it’s actually Thanksgiving day, and we expect that it might be coming, have you noticed that people either don’t have an answer, have a very superficial answer, or start with, “Wow, that’s a hard one…..”

Do we actually prioritize giving thanks to God for who God is and what He’s done?

Do we prioritize giving thanks generally. Not JUST to God, but in life.

Because showing gratitude toward people in your life will enhance your relationships hugely?

In an article from Psychology Today I read, / / “A 2010 systematic review found that ‘an attitude of gratitude’ is linked to reduced incidence of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse; it has also been shown to help people adjust to traumatic life events and their aftermaths. A more recent review found strong evidence that a grateful outlook is tied to emotional and social well-being. On top of the personal benefits, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that expressing is good for your relationships.”

Connecting these three things, Willard says, / / “Holy delight and joy is the great antidote to despair and is a wellspring of genuine gratitude - the kind that starts at our toes and blasts off from our loins and diaphragm through the top of our head, flinging our arms and our eyes and our voice upward toward our good God.”

So this morning I want go through three things that Thanksgiving does to position us both in this season we are in, just a few weeks away from celebrating the holiday of thanksgiving, but also as a reminder to employ gratitude in everyday of our lives.

/ / 1. Thanksgiving is Intentional

because if it’s not, it won’t happen…

We all know this to be true. There are just some things that if we don’t act with intention we probably won’t do it. I said earlier, we’ve probably all been at that dinner table where someone didn’t know what to say when asked, “What are you thankful for?” Maybe that was you.

The reality is, it’s not that we don’t have something to be thankful for, it’s just that we aren’t taking the time to think about it. / / When we don't take the time to think of what we are grateful for, we won't act on it, and when we don't act on it, we can't receive the benefits of it.

So three ways to make your gratitude intentional.

/ / a. Give thanks when things are good

It’s easier to do, but it’s not automatic. We should give thanks when we have visible, obvious, easy to give thanks for things in our lives.

2 Corinthians 9:10-12 says, / / He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God.

vs 15, Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

This is amazing on two levels.

/ / First, he says God will supply YOUR needs by supplying seed and bread, which produces thankfulness.

So, generosity through God’s hands toward us produces thanksgiving toward God.

But,

/ / Second, this also produces thankfulness for the opportunity to be included in the work of God’s hand on the earth through the ability to be generous with what we’ve received.

It’s not just being thankful that I’ve received. But I’m thankful for the opportunity to give, to be a part of God blessing someone else.

Thank you God for allowing me to be a part of this person’s need being met!

/ / Third, he says, Because God blesses you, and you know how to be generous, those who receive from that generosity will also be thankful!

So, generosity through the hands of believers, who bless other believers, produces thanksgiving toward God!

/ / We become a part of someone’s spiritual walk with the Lord through the discipline of Celebration when we give them a reason to celebrate!

Be the reason people worship God!

This is straight scripture, people! Jesus said in Matthew 5:16, / / “…let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

So, if we’re going to be intentional about our giving thanks we must recognize when God is doing something good in our lives and give him thanks for that. It’s the easiest and best way to start. God is good, let’s praise Him and give Him thanks when we experience it.

/ / b. Give thanks based on truth

You might ask, “But what if I don’t have something good to give thanks for?”

Step it up a notch. Begin to / / give yourself reason to give thanks, even when you don’t have a “good” reason.

The truth about God’s character is always true. And that is an incredible place to go when we need a reason to give thanks but don’t feel like we have one.

Psalm 106:1, / / Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Does that scripture say, “For he has shown me his goodness”… No

Does it say, “For he has proved again that he is good by being good to me”… No

He is good…. God is good….

This shows the resolve of the Psalmists. The rest of the chapter goes through all these ups and downs about life, but it starts with the truth, “We give thanks because You are good, because Your love is steadfast and it endures forever.”

So, no matter what. regardless of the ups and downs of life, I know that truth.

So if it’s dark, I can say that, if it’s light, I can say that, if I’m sad, I can remind myself and give thanks to God, if I’m broken, hurting, weak, poor, you name it, God IS good, and his steadfast love endures forever.

It’s so important, Psalm 107:1, starts the exact same way, / / Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

And then he adds in verse 2 -/ / Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

And same thing, he goes into all the ups and downs of life after that.

Psalm 108:3-4, / / I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praise to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

Psalm 106, 107, 108, and a host of others…

These are truths about who God is that we can give thanks to whether we are good or not. It is just simply the truth of God’s character.

And there are so many others all throughout the bible, you just have to prepare yourself with Scripture:

Ephesians 2:8, / / For by grace you have been saved through faith.

Thank God that it ’s not by our works, but that He has saved us by HIS great grace!

Connect with that feeling. Connect with that emotion. I am truly grateful that You have rescued me from the pit!

Deuteronomy 31:8, / / It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Thank you God that you are with me. That you don’t leave me.

Bring that into the New Testament. Thank you that you promised that we have received the Holy Spirit, who is in us. Your very presence.

Ephesians 1:13-14, / / In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

/ / Whether it feels like it or not, you have reason every single day to get up and give thanks!

Paul gives us three powerful truths right there:

We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, marked as God’s, because of the gospel, salvation in Jesus Christ.

And we are not just marked, but gifted. He is with us, he’s the guarantee, or that word basically means the promise, or the down payment, like the earnest money you give when you buy a house that says, “I’m serious. This house is mine.”

And he points forward to the full inheritance in Christ in His glory, our eternal hope!

We have to realize this, because this will fend off the, “I have nothing to be thankful for.”

Yes you do! You don’t need a single thing, good or bad, happening in your life where you can’t take that truth and be overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude toward God for what he has done or is doing or is going to do in your life.

You literally have the Holy Spirit of God present with you, in you, all around you.

And that is unbelievably important… Because that is the training ground that reminds us that it takes intentionality, it takes grit…

/ / c. Give thanks when things are bad

/ / Be intentional about directing yourself upward when things feel like they’re spiraling downward!

Paul says in Philippians 4:6-7, / / Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Notice what he says there, / / Do not be anxious… Give thanks… THEN the peace of God…

He’s talking about times when you have reason to be anxious.

Sure, it’s easy to say, “When things are going your way, thank God.” It’s even reasonable to say, when things are neither good nor bad, give thanks. That’s good practice.

But what about when things aren’t going your way. Do we give thanks? We should!

It’s just a little harder, takes more effort, requires a bit more intentionality.

We read some of the Psalms earlier. Talk about a great place to read if you ever need to see thanksgiving positioned against difficulty, just read the book of Psalms. Over and over again the writers of those incredible scriptures say, “The world is against me, all around me is crumbling, but I will lift my eyes to the heavens, my voice to the hills, my heart to my God, for He is steadfast, HE is faithful, HIS love endures forever. I can trust in HIM, no matter what the circumstances.”

There’s a key here.

/ / Be thankful when things are going your way, and when times are just normal, so that in times where it feels like the whole world is against you, you are well practiced in giving thanks and redirecting your thoughts to God!

/ / 2. Thanksgiving Opens Doors

I want to look at two ways here, there are many more I’m sure, but two ways this morning that giving thanks opens up doors.

/ / a. Doors to His presence

Psalm 100:1-5:

/ / Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!

Serve the Lord with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

/ / “Enter His gates with thanksgiving.”

I think you can read this two ways.

First, when you enter his gates, come with thanksgiving on your lips. It’s the appropriate way to approach the gates of God.

Second, if you want to go through the gates of God to be in His presence, begin by being thankful, it opens the doors.

Just think very practically for a second. We know the truth, God is with us always. But when I’m busy and going about my day, I’m not aware of that closeness or presence UNLESS I am the one who intentionally leans into that truth. Now, I have attuned my life to this, as many of you have, so you might not remember those times where life was just over stimulating and you weren’t paying attention to the presence of God. But here’s the most practical. Giving Thanks redirects our attention to Him, and when we direct our attention to him, we see Him, feel him, experience him. It is when we focus on God that we meet God.

/ / For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)

Jeremiah 29:13, / / You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

/ / Thanksgiving redirects our attention TO his presence, so we can EXPERIENCE his presence.

We could look at this a third way as well, although this I think is part of what I’ve just said, Hebrews 4:16, / / Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

We come with gratitude BECAUSE Jesus has made a way for us to approach the king.

So we come with thanksgiving for God making a way where there was no way before - it is the appropriate way to approach the king’s throne.

If we go back to Philippians 4:6, which we read earlier, Paul says, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

We connect thanksgiving with approach and request.

God invites us through the gates and into his presence, and we come with gratitude.

/ / b. Doors of relationship

Let’s just call it for what it is. Being thankful for people makes people like you more. I read from that Psychology Today article earlier, but the key points of that article were:

/ / Showing gratitude to loved ones improves connection and relationship satisfaction.

/ / Couples who express gratitude spend more time together.

Another article I read pointed to / / gratitude in relationships strengthening emotional bonds, enhancing well-being, encouraged positive behavior, and built trust and respect.

We should note, this is not a trick, it’s an invitation to deeper and more genuine relationship.

Paul utilized this often.

Philippians 1:3-4, / / I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy…

1 Corinthians 1:4, / / I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus…

1 Thessalonians 1:2, / / We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers…

Ephesians 1:16, / / I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…

He follows the same pattern in his letter to the Romans, Philemon, Colossians, almost all of his letters.

Why does Paul do that?

Paul wrote some pretty heavy things to the churches. There was correction, admonishment, sometimes a downright slap on the wrist. And if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of criticism or correction, to hear the person’s intention and heart beforehand is a pretty helpful opener.

There’s a difference between saying, “I have been praying about talking to you” and “I’ve been praying for you and thanking God for you…”

This is Paul saying, “I’m truly and genuinely grateful for you in my life., and in the body of Christ” Look at that last one in Ephesians we read, “I do not stop giving thanks for you!”

Really? Cool…I want to hang out with you!

/ / If you want to instantly boost your relationships, start speaking and showing genuine gratitude.

/ / 3. Thanksgiving aids right perspective

Sometimes the truth comes with a warning label, and it’s no different with giving thanks.

The warning label is actually what happens when we stop giving thanks.

/ / Maintaining a thankful heart toward God keeps us engaged with the truth of God. It keeps us focused on His goodness. It keeps us focused on His plan, his purpose, his word, his perspective.

And Paul gives us the warning of the other side in Romans 1.

If you want to see a perfect example of where our world is at right now, this is it. Romans 1:18-32. I won’t read the whole thing, for sake of time, but some key points:

Paul starts out by expressing that through God’s power at work in the world, even simply through nature, everyone has had opportunity to see that He exists. He goes as far as saying we really have no excuse.

Having that as his understanding, he says this: (21) / / For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools…

From there he describes how without God we are left to our own devices, our own lusts of impurity and sin. He says humankind in that state is filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness and malice, and a whole lot more.

Again, if you want a picture of where our world is at, go read the whole chapter.

My point here this morning is that when we forget to recognize God as God, and when we stop thanking Him for being God in our lives, we slowly move to thinking it’s our own greatness that makes things happen, and that thinking only leads to problems.

Without recognizing God and his truth, we begin to make up our own truth, and we see how that works these days. People coming out with their own truth that is the furthest thing from the truth. And then we are told we can’t tell them what the truth is because, well, that’s just our truth.

It’s not. It’s God’s truth. It is what is true. And I choose to submit myself to His authority, to His truth. Not my own.

But, here’s the problem: when we, as humans, forget that, we give rise to our own way of thinking, to our own truth.

Giving thanks reorients us back to the place of submission to God.

Giving thanks puts us back in proper position, “You are God and I am not.”

Giving thanks humbles us, “You did it, not me.”

Giving thanks destroys pride.

/ / Giving thanks to God for His truth draws us back to seeking His truth.

I can’t give thanks for His truth and then live in my own. It forces me to seek out His truth.

Although they knew him they did not honor him as God or give him thanks…

I don’t want to become one of those, so I WILL honor Him and I WILL give Him thanks…

Washington and Lincoln had it right… Give thanks to the Great God who has blessed us with many blessings. Worship Him, repent for our many individual and corporate sins, our corruption, our misguided ways…

Man, if we could call our nation back to that again!

But where we can’t maybe call an entire nation back to it, we can call ourselves back to it.

I want to take communion together as we close today.

Communion is one of the most sacred things we have in this life. It is a physical and symbolic invitation from Jesus himself to connect with what he did for us, remembering the promise, and receiving the fulfillment of it.

In Luke 22 Jesus is with his disciples on the night of Passover right before he is crucified.

(17-20) / / And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood…”

The body given for us is his life that goes to the cross.

Hebrews 10:5 says, / / When Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have no desired, but a body have you prepared for me; (7) ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.” (10) And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And the cup, the wine, Jesus said is the new covenant which is confirmed by the shedding of his blood. In the ancient world there was no covenant made without blood shed. The covenant God made with Abraham was sealed with a sacrifice. Old Testament law required sacrifice. Hebrews 9:22 says, / / Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

This is an echo of Leviticus 17:11, / / For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.

Jesus says it this way in Matthew 26:28, / / For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

There are three things we have to come to grips with in this life.

/ / There is a God and He is Holy, powerful, almighty, and Creator of the Universe. Of this there is no dening.

/ / We are not God, and we are not perfect, but God, who is perfect, will judge all human lives as worthy of eternity or not, because as the Creator, he created us to live past the grave. We were created to experience eternity.

/ / There is only one way to be counted as worthy of eternity, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ as the sacrifice for our imperfection & sin.

Here’s the beauty of it:

I don’t have to see myself as a terrible person to understand I’m not perfect.

And if the qualification for eternity is perfection, then I’m out. I won’t make it. Neither will you.

So we need another way. All the good we might be able to do in the world won’t ever redeem imperfection.

This is why Hebrews says that Jesus declared, “You gave me a body…”

It was the design of heaven that God would come in the flesh, Jesus Christ, joining his divinity to a created body, so that that body could be put on the altar of sacrifice for the sins of all humanity.

So whether you are in this room and you’ve never heard that before, or you are in this room, or online and have heard that a thousand times before, and have committed to Christ, the invitation is the same, whether for the first time or the 100th time.

And this is the pinnacle, and the starting point of our thanksgiving!

Will you accept that Jesus Christ is real. That he lived 2000 years ago on this earth in a body of flesh, and that he lived a perfect life in that body so that he could give that body as the perfect and final sacrifice so that no other sacrifice would ever be needed again to redeem a human life?

And do you accept and believe that he proved this to be true by not staying dead, but by appearing to his disciples just 3 days later, alive, and then rose into heaven where he is seated today?

For a person understanding this for the first time and making a decision for the first time, this is the invitation to eternal life in Jesus Christ. It’s the very thing you were actually created for. And it’s the best decision you’ll ever make.

For the person who’s heard it and prayed it a hundred times before, it’s a reminder of the power of Christ’s sacrifice because of the love of God for you.

And THIS is why we take communion, and this is why we give thanks.

1 Corinthians 11:26 says, about communion, / / For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim (make known, remind yourself of) the Lord’s death until he comes.

Because, when Jesus rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven, he left with one promise, “I will come back.”

So, I want us to all pray together. If you’ve never prayed and accepted this truth that Jesus is real and died for you, I really want you to think, “Do I want this? Do I recognize my own inability to be perfect, and do I want to receive Jesus’ perfect life?”

It’s more than just a prayer. It’s an invitation to a life of following Him, and I would love nothing more than to walk that road with you.

Let’s pray and then we will come and take this bread and juice that represent that life that Jesus gave, and take communion together.

I invite you to pray this with me. “Jesus, I recognize I am not perfect. And I recognize that you are! I believe you are real. I believe you are God. I believe you came to this earth and sacrificed your life for me. Thank you for your body that was broken for me. Thank you for your blood that pays for my eternity. I receive your sacrifice. I receive your life for my own. Teach me what it means to live in that life!”

Now, if you prayed that for the first time or 100th time, I invite you to come up and take bread and juice, and just hold off for a moment once you get back to your seat, and we’ll take communion together.

……………….

Ok, take the bread, just like Jesus took the bread and broke it and gave it to his disciples.

Jesus, we thank you this morning for your sacrifice. We remember you. We remember what you did. With gratitude and thanksgiving we honor you this morning. We remember your life on the cross.

Take the juice, just like Jesus passed around the cup.

Jesus, we thank you this morning for your willingness to give your life. We remember the blood that you gave. The blood that gives us life. The blood that redeems us. We thank you.

…

Jesus, Your blood is more powerful than death, because you did not stay dead. You rose to life again. And you are forever seated in heaven, on the throne, at the right hand of the Father. And we await your return to usher in your eternal kingdom.

Remind us to live in thanksgiving.

Remind us to live with gratitude, not just IN our hearts, but out of our lips and out of our lives!

In Jesus name, Amen!