Thanksgiving 1996 - In All Things Give Thanks

16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

Intro:

One quick correction: it doesn’t say give thanks for all things. If the book of Job is true then some things that come to us are demonic attacks. If the books of Kings and Chronicles (and the other historical narrative books of the O.T.) are true, then some of the things that come to us come from people with evil intent. If the book of Proverbs is true, then some things that come to us are the result of our own evil intent, our foolishness or our sloth.

   We don’t give thanks to God for the evil circumstances that comes our way. But we do give thanks in all circumstances knowing that God is keeping us safe from spiritual harm in them, and will without question turn even the worst things toward our good.

Give Thanks in Little Things

   The day to day things of life:

       Food, clothing, shelter.

But also good food, nice clothing, more than comfortable shelter.

   25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

    28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matt. 6:25-34 (NIV)

   The day to day things of life:

       Food, clothing, shelter.

But also good food, nice clothing, more than comfortable shelter.

   The beauty all around us.

Did God really have to make mountains so majestic, or flowers so delicate?

       Did music have to have all its different styles?

Did words ever have to do more than communicate information?

The small, even frivolous things in life that give it that extra spark.

The taste of chocolate, the smell of coffee that last good book, ice cream, hobbies, games, jokes, parties.

Give Thanks in Big Things

   Being spared or healed of a major illness

   11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

   14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

   17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”   Luke 17:11-19 (NIV)

   Getting married

   That job

   Our homes, cars and other major investments

   Family friends

Being spared that major car accident that almost happened.

Being spared a near accident on the job/ at home

For the friend or relative who was hurt, but not as badly as he or she easily could have been.

Give Thanks in Eternal Things

50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

55 “Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Cor. 15:50-57 (NIV)

   God’s unconditional love

   God’s grace

   Jesus dying for us on the cross

   Our adoption into God’s family

The comfort we have that our own death is not the end

The comfort that comes from the fact that we will again see our loved ones who die in the Lord

   The assurance of God’s forgiveness for our sin.

The peace we have knowing that God will never leave us and even if we become the lost sheep, the shepherd will come looking for us and not give up until he carries us home on his shoulders.

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