Seasoned with Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is approaching and often when families come together they celebrate together and take the opportunity to give thanks.

In fact we have a Thanksgiving tradition in our family, where everybody shares at least one thing they are thankful for.

Introduction: Thanksgiving is approaching and often when families come together they celebrate together and take the opportunity to give thanks. In fact we also have a tradition in our family where everybody shares at least one thing they are thankful for. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

When the New England colonies were first planted,

the settlers endured many challenges and difficulties.

Again and again they turned to God with prayer and fasting,

Again and again they turned to God with prayer and fasting,

constantly thinking about all the difficulties they were going through made them gloomy

and even considered returning to the old country of persecution.

Again someone proposed that they should appoint another time of fasting and prayer.

But a colonist rose up in the meeting and said,

“We’ve been thinking and praying about our difficulties long ago, it is about time to consider the mercies of God.

The colony was growing strong,

the fields were increasing in harvest,

the rivers were full of fish, the air was sweet,

the families were healthy now, and they have civil and religious freedom.”

Instead of another day of fasting and prayer,

he proposed to have a day of Thanksgiving.

His advice was taken and since then many have taken time to give Thanks to God for all His wonderful blessings.

But going further back in history,

there was another person who in the midst of hardship chose to give thanks instead of thinking about his own difficulties.

And this person has left us some timely and practical advice as we celebrate Thanksgiving.

This person is the apostle Paul, turn with me to . (Read all the verses)

Paul was in prison with almost certain death awaiting him.

His present circumstance was horrible.

His immediate future looked bleak,

and yet he was not only filled with joy, but wrote to the Philippian believers to rejoice,

but notice, two things about this joy.

First, they are to rejoice in the Lord,

and second they are to rejoice always.

You can only rejoice always, if you rejoice in the Lord.

Let me say that again, you can only rejoice always, when you rejoice in the Lord.

If Christ is your Lord, you will rejoice always.

You won’t be able to rejoice always if you don’t have a real, authentic, personal relationship with Jesus.

When Paul writes to “rejoice in the Lord,” he clarifies the type of rejoicing he is talking about.

The type of rejoicing that Paul is talking about is not an outward feeling that you experience when something great happens,

but an abiding joy that comes from trust in and commitment to Jesus Christ.

Christian joy is independent of all things on earth.

Two people that are in love are always happy when they are together, no matter where they are.

And as Christians, if our hearts belong to Jesus and we trust in Him, are committed to Him,

we could never lose our joy, no matter what we may be going through,

because we could never lose Christ. Our joy is in Christ.

Now, this is easier said than done.

Because a professional, Christian football player can easily and joyfully give glory to God for a touchdown,

get in his Ferrari after the game and drive to his 3.5 million dollar home.

But a Christian who is struggling in his daily life to just make it financially.

A Christian who lost a loved one and is painfully grieving will have a hard time with Paul’s counsel to rejoice always.

This week on Wednesday we received some very sad news.

Early in the morning as I was having my devotions,

my husband shared with me to pray for a teacher at SVA who was in the hospital in the ICU.

As I was praying for the Lord to heal her, we received the news that she passed away.

Kimberly Orr, who was a very young teacher, just 31 years old.

Died of complications from the flu.

Her students, third and fourth graders at SVA were hurting terribly when they received the news.

She left behind her husband and two year old daughter, Scarlett.

Paul’s counsel of may seem insensitive at a time of great grief and loss.

But even at this time of great pain, Christian joy shows up in the form of Christian hope.

And the rest of this week, her students had time to share memories and receive hope,

hope that Christ will come and resurrect our loved ones.

We didn’t share with the students to rejoice always, but we shared with them hope in Jesus.

You see, Joy doesn’t always come in laughter and a good feeling,

joy may show up in the form of trust and hope in the midst of great pain and loss.

As I think of my friends and family that are gathering together this Thanksgiving,

I also think of all the hardships and even loss.

Can we still give thanks even in times of hard times?

The pilgrims did, the apostle Paul did...

and the reason they were able to give thanks is because their rejoicing was in the Lord.

But with joy comes gentleness, patience, softness.

Verse 5 – (Read verse 5 again). Some translations translate the Greek word as gentleness, others as patience, others as softness.

When our joy is in the Lord it ought to make us gentle, patient, and soft.

There is no joy in selfishness, there is no joy in wanting to have our own way.

Joy comes in having our eyes on Jesus.

Joy comes in gentleness towards others and softness in our dealing with each other.

Now we come to some practical advice on how to rejoice always in the Lord, look at verses 6, and 7 (read again verses 6 and 7).

Verse 6, 7 – Notice how Paul moves from anxiety to peace.

We are invited to turn our anxieties over to the Lord for His peace,

a peace that will guard our hearts and minds through Jesus Christ.

Now Paul knew that the Philippian life was full of worry and anxiety.

And apparently not much has changed, because our lives are also filled with much anxiety and worry.

I am pretty sure that all of us have experienced anxiety over a matter one time or another.

We have worried about the past and we may worry about the present and even worry about the future.

And the best way to combat worry and an anxious heart is prayer.

And the way we trade in our anxiety for peace is prayer, for peace is the fruit of prayer.

Turn to your neighbor and tell them, “peace is the fruit of prayer.”

Now in just this one verse, verse 6, Paul teaches us how to pray practically.

First, Paul encourages us to bring everything to God in prayer.

Prayer is not to be the last option but the first and best action we turn to.

And we are to pray about everything.

Did you notice Paul uses words that we are counseled never to use when we discuss serious matters with people.

For example when you are in a sharp disagreement, especially with your spouse, you don’t use words like “never, always, everything.”

Like, “you never take out the garbage.”

And you always throw your socks on the floor.

And you never wash the dishes and everything you do is bad.

But when it comes to our relationship with Christ, words such as always and everything are appropriate.

“Rejoice always.” “Do not be anxious about anything,” And “in every situation present your requests to God.”

Paul doesn’t say pray about important things, but all things.

There is nothing too great for God’s power; and nothing too small for his fatherly care.

Just like a child may take anything, great or small, to a parent,

the little cuts and bruises, the little joys and victories, a parent loves to hear it all from their child.

In the same way we may take anything and everything to God in prayer.

I remember how at times we would misplace things like car keys and search and search for it...

and then one of our kids would say let us pray about this.

My adult mind would reason, why pray? God is too busy for misplaced keys.

But of course you don’t say that to your children.

You want to teach them to pray and many times the Lord has taught me through my children to take everything to God in prayer.

Take your past to the Lord in prayer.

We often worry about hurtful words we have said, or things we have done.

Only if we would’ve done things differently.

Or we are anxious over a past experience and have a hard time moving on.

Friends, bring your past to Jesus in prayer, He longs to give you peace, longs for you to experience forgiveness, thanksgiving, and joy.

And let us pray for the things we need in the present.

I am sure that there are things that many of us are going through now that we could bring to him in prayer.

Don’t just pray about your past, pray about your present needs.

Bring it all to Jesus for he listens and hears your prayer.

Pray also about the future, some of us worry about the future.

We do tend to worry about tomorrow, what will happen tomorrow.

Will we have health tomorrow? will we be safe tomorrow?

We may pray for help and guidance for the future.

So we can take our own past, present, and future into the presence of God.

But not only that, we can also pray for others.

Is there someone you anxious for? Worried about?

Are there people in your life that need prayer? Let us pray for one another.

And there is one important ingredient we must add to our prayers.

You know when you cook or bake there are some ingredients that are just essential.

For example salt is an important ingredient in lots of good foods.

When Edward and I were newlyweds we worked as Bible workers for an evangelistic meeting in Michigan.

They had a cook that believed salt was unhealthy and did not use salt in any of his meals.

Every meal was bland and I mean bland. It was horrible and tasteless.

Every one of us had our own salt shaker and we salted every bite.

I think I ate more salt in those few weeks salting every bite then if he would’ve just seasoned the food like any cook would do.

The point is this, there is some ingredients that are essential.

And the same is true with prayer. Thanksgiving is essential.

Paul says to the Philippians, “do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving (did you catch that?)

with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

If prayer is to have its delicious flavor in heaven, it must have the essential ingredient of thanksgiving.

When you bring your prayer requests to God always mingle it with thanksgiving.

In fact for every request have at least two things to are thankful for.

You may be thankful for the opportunity of prayer itself.

You may be thankful that God loves you infinitely more than you could every imagine.

In fact when you present your requests to God with the thanksgiving of God’s love it helps you understand that God truly cares to hear your prayer.

You may also be thankful for God’s wisdom.

Thank God that He will answer your prayer not according to your request but according to His wisdom.

Wouldn’t you rather have God, who is infinite in wisdom answer your prayer according to His will and not your will?

So thank Him for his wisdom.

And also give thanks for God’s power.

God’s power is always greater than your challenge.

When you thank the Lord for His power, you take your eyes off your great need and challenge and fix your eyes on one who has all power.

No wonder prayer like this produces peace.

Because your focus is no longer on the great challenge before you...

but on the great, loving, wise, Almighty God, who can move mountains...,

close the mouths of lions, and answer your prayer according to His will.

So, let us always mingle our prayer requests with thanksgiving.

Focus on Jesus and not your difficulties.

You may have heard Matthew Henry, he was a famous theologian,

and is known for his commentaries on the Bible.

But one time he was attached by thieves and robbed.

That evening he wrote in his journal the following.

“Today I was robbed, but I am thankful for four things:

Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before:

Let me be thankful first, because I was never robbed before:

Second, because although they took my wallet, they did not take my life,

Third, because although they took all my money, it wasn’t much

And fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed.

What a lesson of concentrating on your blessings and not your difficulties.

This week we are celebrating Thanksgiving. Be thankful to God for all his many blessings.

Yes, you may bring your requests to God but season your requests with thanksgiving.

In fact, let us continue being thankful every day for the Lord.

The new year is upon us soon. Choose to be thankful to the Lord every day.

And when you choose a life of walking with Jesus in prayer, praise, thanksgiving, you will find two things that will happen for you.

1. You will trade in your worry for peace.

2. You will rejoice always.

And so my dear friends, “rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Amen

AMEN!