Come, Thou Fount
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Intro:
[IMAGE] Robert Robinson. Pastor and hymn-writer.
Young when sent to London to learn the barbering trade.
Ran around with bad friends.
Somehow started to find his way to God.
Went to hear the great British revivalist, George Whitfield.
Began to turn his life around, went to seminary, became a Methodist pastor. Known as a theologian and hymn writer.
Wrote his greatest hymn, Come, Thou Fount, at only 22 years old.
While he pastored churches in England his entire adult life, he suffered doubts and problems with his faith.
It is said that late in his life, he rode in a public stagecoach with a woman who was reading from a hymnbook and began to hum his greatest hymn: Come, Thou Fount.
She noticed his reaction and asked his opinion. He is reported to have said:
Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then.
Read the words to the song.
Robert Robinson’s story serves as illumination when we lose track of God and His blessings in our lives.
As we prepare for this week’s celebration of Thanksgiving, let’s take some time to think together about Who we are thanking and why. (Who gets the praise?)
As well, what it looks like to be thankful.
And, finally, what it means to stay close to the One who blesses us.
Who Gets the Praise?
Who Gets the Praise?
Come, Thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.
7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. 8 You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights. 9 For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.
15 The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.
16 From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.
When we ask for God’s blessing, we’re not asking for more of what we could get ourselves. We’re crying out for the wonderful, unlimited goodness that only God has the power to about or to give us.
-Bruce Wilkinson, The Prayer of Jabez
When we recognize everything that God has provided for us, especially beyond “the basics,” we are motivated to praise Him.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
Gratitude goes far beyond being thankful for turkey, dressing, gravy, etc.
It’s remembering just how generous God has been to us in Jesus Christ.
How We Remember to Be Thankful
How We Remember to Be Thankful
Here Thy praises I'll begin;
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
12 Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”
The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz.
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The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it.
gen.
4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had chosen—one from each of the tribes of Israel. 5 He told them, “Go into the middle of the Jordan, in front of the Ark of the Lord your God. Each of you must pick up one stone and carry it out on your shoulder—twelve stones in all, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 6 We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 7 Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”
Why do we need reminders? We visual, tactile creatures.
When life isn’t so wonderful, we can look back and remember how good God is.
Our faith is confirmed and strengthened.
We’re reminded that God has come through for us in the past and He is a;ways faithful to us.
What memorials do we have to help us to remember God’s love and mercy?
Staying Close
Staying Close
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
One of the reasons for a season (holiday) of Thanksgiving is to have an “anchor point.”
And the Israelites served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and the leaders who outlived him—those who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel.
After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.
Judges 2:
6 “So obey the commands of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and fearing him. 7 For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land of flowing streams and pools of water, with fountains and springs that gush out in the valleys and hills. 8 It is a land of wheat and barley; of grapevines, fig trees, and pomegranates; of olive oil and honey. 9 It is a land where food is plentiful and nothing is lacking. It is a land where iron is as common as stone, and copper is abundant in the hills. 10 When you have eaten your fill, be sure to praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey his commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that he led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ 18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the one who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant he confirmed to your ancestors with an oath. 19 “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. 20 Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God.
deut 8:
Conclusion:
Last week we talked about changing that perpetual “channel” that runs in our minds, prompting our discontent and stealing our joy and satisfaction.
This week, we’re asking God in word and song, to tune our hearts to sing His grace.
We must remember to sing a harmonious song of gratitude to God instead of apathy, discontent.
Let’s have a memorial (like the stones the Israelites set up) to remember when God has been there for us.
Use these memorial times to teach our families & one another.
let’s sing!