Horse's Mouth

Why is giving thanks to God important?

I. God Commands It

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II. Thankfulness acknowledges God’s Sovereignty

A. “The single, greatest act of worship you can render to God is to thank Him. It’s the epitome of worship because through gratitude, we affirm God as the ultimate source of both trial and blessing—and acknowledge our humble acceptance of both.” John MacArthur

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B. Read

How do we look beyond the circumstances to the plan of God? How do we look beyond the pain to the sovereignty of God?

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C. Read . Those who are thankful see the providential hand of God everywhere and say, “God I thank You for the peaceful times as well as the hard times—a difficult marriage, a challenging job, a severe illness—because I know You will use those things for my good and Your glory.”

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Do thanksgiving and praise always go together?

III. A Thankful heart reflects godly humility

III. A Thankful heart reflects godly humility

III. A Thankful heart reflects godly humility

B. We tend to focus on what we don’t have

C. But giving thanks helps us be reminded of how blessed we really are

A. The Bible tells us to be thankful for all people and all things. Read ; .

Do you think when we focus on blessings rather than wants, we are happier?

When we start thanking God for the things we usually take for granted, how does our perspective change, or does it?

Have you ever thought what a list of all things/everything includes?

It should help us realize that we could not even exist with the merciful grace and blessings of God!

B. According to John Mac only one person is able to express gratitude for those things—a humble Christian. Believers know they don’t deserve anything from God but judgment, so like the early church, they can sing hymns while they suffer in prison(), or rejoice when they’re persecuted for the name of Christ().

IV. How Can We Give Thanks In All Circumstances/for all Things?

A. Read

B. We are to be thankful for not only the good things, but for the circumstances we don’t like.

When we purpose to thank God for everything that He allows to come into our lives, can that keep bitterness at bay? How?

Can we be both bitter and thankful at the same time?

We are not thanking God for evil are we?

C. No, but we are thanking Him that He is sustaining us through it.

D. We can have thankful hearts toward God even when we do not feel thankful for the circumstances. We can grieve and still be thankful. We can hurt and still be thankful. We can be angry at sin and still be thankful toward God.

Is that what calls a “sacrifice of praise”? Many would say a resounding yes!!!

E. Giving thanks to God keeps our hearts in right relationship with Him and saves us from a host of harmful emotions and attitudes that will rob us of the peace God wants us to experience.

F. Read

IV. An Unthankful Heart Characterizes Fallen Humanity

A. Read . Paul says that in the last days difficult times will come. Not only will the last days find narcissistic, greedy, conceited, proud, slanderous, rebellious people, but also ungrateful people.

B. Read . Paul is telling us that evil men will grow worse and worse. The closer we get to Jesus coming back, the more wicked people become; the more wicked they become, the more thankless they are.

V. What future joy and future grace do we have to look forward to?

C. It shouldn’t surprise us to see unsaved people going through life complaining, bitter, angry, thankless, without any gratitude, expecting to receive everything good that comes their way and exploding when they don’t, but they have no place in the lives of God’s people.

V. What future joy and future grace do we have to look forward to that should motivate us to be thankful/grateful?

A. -You have the free gift of complete forgiveness for all your sins extending into forever.

B. -You will never have to merit your justification by keeping the law.

C. -You will receive all the grace you need at all times so that you will abound in every good work God has for you.

D. -God will complete the good work He began in you.

E. -You will be raised from the dead and given a new glorified body and never, ever die again.

F. & - You will see Jesus, be with Him and be like Him.

G. -In that day you will know for the first time full, unpolluted joy.

H. -You will be completely free from all corruption.

I. & -You will have God forever as your exceeding joy.

And that’s just a small sampling! The joy set before you is the same joy Jesus had set before Him, because you are an heir of the kingdom with Him. Romans 8:17