Give Thanks to the Lord
Notes
Transcript
Find the “BIG IDEA” >> a. What is the author talking about? b. What is he saying about what he is talking about?
a.
b.
Find the FCF >>
1. What does the text say?
2. What spiritual concern(s) did the text address (in its context)?
3. What spiritual concerns do listeners share in common with those to (or about) whom the text was written?
[Kids Time!]
Main Point: Gratitude is a Biblical expectation for the redeemed
[Introduction]
The context we find ourselves is: Thanksgiving
>> Even though everyone’s thinking about Christmas… 😜
In my house, we always go around the dinner table answering this question:
>> “What are you thankful for?”
Common answers:
>> I don’t know
>> “My stuff… my job… my people/relationships”
How about this question?...
>> “WHY are you thankful?… WHY aren’t you thankful?...”
the one who has:
Pride >> I give thanks to myself
Entitlement >> I’m not thankful… I’m expectant
Idolatry >> I give thanks to the created things… I CAN’T give thanks, look at my circumstance! (There isn’t anything in life to be thankful for!)
Wisdom >> I give thanks to the Lord, for His steadfast love
As I was preparing for this sermon, I came across this book on Thankfulness, which opened with these two sentences:
“Thankfulness is neither trivial nor inconsequential. On this one quality pivots the difference between maturity and immaturity.”
Practicing Thankfulness: Cultivating a Grateful Heart in All Circumstances by Sam Crabtree
>> “neither trivial nor inconsequential”… That mean’s Thankfulness or Gratitude is serious and important for one’s maturity
How is that?… We’re going to open God’s word for our answer today,
[Introduce Text]
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
3 and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
5 hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9 For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, with none to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.
15 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
16 For he shatters the doors of bronze
and cuts in two the bars of iron.
17 Some were fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
18 they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.
21 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
22 And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
23 Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
24 they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
29 He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
33 He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the evil of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry dwell,
and they establish a city to live in;
37 they sow fields and plant vineyards
and get a fruitful yield.
38 By his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their livestock diminish.
39 When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
40 he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41 but he raises up the needy out of affliction
and makes their families like flocks.
42 The upright see it and are glad,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
[Prayer]
Introduction: Give Thanks to the Lord
Part I: The Wanderers
Part II: The Prisoners
Part III: The Fools
Part IV: The Prideful
Part V: The LORD, Giver and Taker of All
Part VI: The Upright, Thankful and Wise
[Explanation]
Introduction: Give Thanks to the Lord
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,
whom he has redeemed from trouble
3 and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
hesed = steadfast love, loyal love, faithful kindness
>> Hosea 6:6 “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
One of the greatest points you can take from this time together is that
Gratitude is a Biblical expectation for the redeemed
We’ll see this same command repeated, to four different circumstances
>> Important point: These circumstances are NOT one offs… YOU’VE probably been here many times throughout your life… BUT...
>> The remedy is the same
—————————————————————————————————————
Part I: The Wanderers
4 Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
5 hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9 For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
>> Note: The Wanderer and the Prisoner are given these “For he (GOD)” statements… the Fool and the Prideful are given exhortations, “Let them” statements… pay attention to that.
>> Now, the Wanderer…
These are the hungry, the lost, those whose souls feel tired and faint… (Read verse 9).
If you’re me… you’ve been there. I think, too, of the Israelites as they “wandered the desert wastes”… and what they did is what I do when I feel tired and lost…
Gratitude vs. Grumbling
>> Hard to be one when you do the other…
>> Mature vs Immature
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Gratitude is a Biblical expectation for the redeemed
—————————————————————————————————————
Part II: The Prisoners
10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death,
prisoners in affliction and in irons,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God,
and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
they fell down, with none to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death,
and burst their bonds apart.
15 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
16 For he shatters the doors of bronze
and cuts in two the bars of iron.
Sin and Rebellion >> Affliction and Chains
>> There is “outer darkness” and chains for the rebels against the King…
>> Consequences bring us low…
>> Deliverance and freedom come from the redeemer
Hear Jesus’ words, his first “sermon” after his temptation by the devil in the desert, to “rebel against the words of God”…
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
>> We give thanks, for our Lord resists the temptations to rebel, yet took on our chains before being crucified and killed like a sinner, when He knew no sin or rebellion…
>> We give thanks, for our Lord is ready and able to “shatter the doors of bronze and cut in two the bars of iron”, to free us from our bondage to sin and death and bring life and light to even us…
How can we not?…
Gratitude is a Biblical expectation for the redeemed
—————————————————————————————————————
Part III: The Fools
17 Some were fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
18 they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.
21 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
22 And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
>> The exhortation to the Fool is to abandon idolatry and turn to the Lord in devotion and worship:
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. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Idolatry >> “I give thanks to the created things… I CAN’T give thanks, look at my circumstances! (There isn’t anything in life to be thankful for!)...” Putting hope in things other than God…
>> Hear Paul’s words to the church in Ephesus concerning their repentance:
17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Gratitude is a Biblical expectation for the redeemed
—————————————————————————————————————
Part IV: The Prideful
23 Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the great waters;
24 they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their evil plight;
27 they reeled and staggered like drunken men
and were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
29 He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,
and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
A common Greek word for the verb, “to give thanks” is the word eucharisteō… Among the gospel accounts, it is used only twice by two guys who were not Jesus…
9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
Gratitude is a Biblical expectation for the redeemed
—————————————————————————————————————
Part V: The LORD, Giver and Taker of All
33 He turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste,
because of the evil of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry dwell,
and they establish a city to live in;
37 they sow fields and plant vineyards
and get a fruitful yield.
38 By his blessing they multiply greatly,
and he does not let their livestock diminish.
39 When they are diminished and brought low
through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
40 he pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41 but he raises up the needy out of affliction
and makes their families like flocks.
And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Corrie Ten Boom’s “Thank God for the Fleas” Moment
Corrie Ten Boom’s “Thank God for the Fleas” Moment
Context:
Corrie and her sister Betsie Ten Boom were imprisoned at Ravensbrück concentration camp. They were placed in Barracks 28, which was filthy, overcrowded… and infested with fleas.
What happened:
Betsie insisted they obey 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
She began listing things to thank God for, and she thanked God for the fleas.
Corrie refused — it seemed absurd, cruel, and pointless.
Later, they discovered that the guards never entered Barracks 28 because of the fleas.
This meant they could hold Bible studies, pray, worship, and minister to the other prisoners freely.
Corrie wrote that she finally realized the fleas were a gift, protecting them and enabling ministry.
Gratitude is a Biblical expectation for the redeemed
—————————————————————————————————————
Part VI: The Upright, Thankful and Wise
42 The upright see it and are glad,
and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
I’ve practiced what I’m preaching…
>> Got up early, Jett’s up early, he’s grumpy and clingy, I’m grumpy and ironically trying to read my Bible…
>> Stethoscope comes out… Hear Jett breath, every breath is a gift
>> Emily later tells me this statistic… Before the Industrial Revolution, around 40% of children died before the age of five…
>>
[Invite the Worship Team Up]
Most people ask, “What are you thankful for?”
Look out for this! It wont matter what’s going on or what season of life… they will give thanks to the Lord… for they consider the steadfast love of the LORD in ALL circumstances
>> Does your gratitude depend on circumstance?
>> What is robbing you of your gratitude to God? Idolatry? Pride?
Gratitude is a Biblical expectation for the redeemed
—————————————————————————————————————
23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
