It All Belongs to Him

INTRODUCTION

A story is told of a man who kept a gratitude journal

Every night he would list three new things for which he was thankful

After a few weeks, he realized something profound — his list was filled with things, not Persons

His heart had subtly shifted to the blessings rather than the Blesser

When we set our hearts more on the gifts than on the Giver, our worship becomes shallow, and our gratitude becomes hollow—unknown

And that, beloved, is a subtle yet deadly exchange in the Christian life: to thank God for what He gives, without ever thanking Him for who He is

Today, we begin a new series for the month of November on Living a Life of Thanksgiving

This is not about cultivating a seasonal attitude that fades after the holidays

It’s about developing a spiritual discipline that transforms our lives

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” — Cicero

This first message addresses the foundational question: “Who are we to thank?”

According to Scripture, the object of our thanksgiving is not luck, not people primarily, and not even life’s circumstances

The ultimate object of our thanksgiving is God Himself: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

We are called to live a life of thanksgiving to the triune God

Let’s begin with the first Person…

Thanks to the Father

We Are to Always Give Thanks to the Lord

Scripture repeatedly commands us to give thanks to God the Father

Charles Spurgeon said, "A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, it is the pathway to true joy and peace in the Lord."

1 Chronicles 16:34, “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

Psalm 100:4, “…Give thanks to Him, bless His name.”

Colossians 1:3, “We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Colossians 1:12, “giving thanks to the Father…”

Psalm 92:1, “It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High”

The Father is the Source of Every Good Gift

Scripture makes it clear that every good thing in our lives comes from the Father

A.W. Tozer said, "God never gives us less than his best. Every gift from him is stamped with his goodness and love."

James 1:17–18 “17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. 18 In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”

John MacArthur: "True gratitude recognizes that God is the giver of every gift, and ingratitude is a form of rebellion against His sovereignty" (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: James).

Matthew Henry said, "Ingratitude is the first step toward idolatry because it turns our focus from God to ourselves or to others."

Matthew 7:11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

Illustration: Think of a farmer who plants seeds and watches them grow. He doesn't thank the soil or the rain alone—he thanks the Creator who designed the cycle of life. Similarly, every breath, every provision, traces back to the Father.

Thanksgiving Honors the Father

When we give thanks, we glorify the Father

That’s our chief end

The Westminster Shorter Catechism says, “What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

Psalm 50:23, “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God.”

"Thanksgiving is the purest form of worship because it exalts the Giver above the gift." — Nancy Leigh DeMoss

The Father Deserves Our Gratitude Above All

Romans 11:36, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

Thanks Through the Son

We Give Thanks To God Through the Son

Colossians 3:17 says, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Romans 7:25 declares, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord…”

And Hebrews 13:15 encourages us, “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.”

Jesus is the Mediator—the Bridge Between Us and the Father

Our access to God, our salvation, our every spiritual blessing comes through Him

A.W. Tozer said, "Jesus is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is He the best of several ways; He is the only way."

We don't approach the throne of grace on our own merits; we come through the name of Jesus

So, in our daily lives, whether we're praying over a meal or praising Him in song, let's remember to thank God through the Son who made it all possible

John Piper said, "Christ is the fountain of all our blessings. Without Him, we have no reason to give thanks."

He's the reason we can even say "thank you" to the Father with confidence

Thanks to the Father, thanks through the Son and third…

Thanks Empowered By the Spirit

The Key to Thanksgiving is Being Filled with the Spirit

R.C. Sproul said, “The Spirit of God is the one who opens our eyes to see God’s blessings and softens our hearts to respond with gratitude."

Ephesians 5:18–20, “18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father”

Psalm 9:1, “I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders.”

Psalm 86:12, “I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever.”

Thanksgiving is an attitude of the heart that permeates worship and daily life

Paul repeats this in Colossians 3:16–17 when he urges the believers at Colossae to, “16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

Thanksgiving is a continual act of the heart!

For it to be genuine, it has to come from the heart first!

The Holy Spirit Produces Fruit that Reflects Thanksgiving

When the Holy Spirit fills our hearts, He produces attitudes that overflow with thanksgiving

Galatians 5:22–23, “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

These are the attitudes that make thanksgiving not just a duty, but a joy

When the Spirit fills us, thanksgiving flows naturally, even in tough times; It’s not forced; it’s empowered by God Himself

Elisabeth Elliot said, "Gratitude during trials is evidence of the Spirit’s work within us, for only by His power can we give thanks in all circumstances."

CONCLUSION

Beloved, as we close, let's return to the story of the gratitude journal

That man realized his list was full of blessings, but not the Blesser

"Gratitude turns what we have into enough, but only when it is directed toward God, the One who is always enough." — Ann Voskamp

Don't let that be you!

Let's commit to living a life of thanksgiving to the triune God:

Thanks to the Father, the source of all good things

Thanks through the Son, our mediator who made it all possible

Thanks empowered by the Spirit, who fills our hearts with joy and gratitude

Who are we to thank? Not luck, not circumstances, but God Himself: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

As we head into this week, I challenge you: Start your own gratitude practice, but make it centered on Him

"When you choose gratitude, you choose the joy of the Lord, no matter your circumstances." — Kay Arthur

Thank the Father for His goodness

Thank the Son for His sacrifice

Thank the Spirit for His presence in your life

And if you’ve never thanked God for the greatest gift of all—His Son, who sacrificed His life for you—today is the day

Receive the gift of salvation by believing in Jesus, repenting of your sin, and following Him

Let's make thanksgiving not just a November thing, but a lifelong discipline that brings glory to our great God

Let’s pray