BE THANKFUL

Christian Standard Bible Psalm 100

Psalm 100

BE THANKFUL

A psalm of thanksgiving.

1 Let the whole earth shout triumphantly to the LORD!

2 Serve the LORD with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

3 Acknowledge that the LORD is God.

He made us, and we are his,—

his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise.

Give thanks to him and bless his name.

5 For the LORD is good, and his faithful love endures forever;

his faithfulness, through all generations.

Psalm 100 KJV 1900

A Psalm of praise. 1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.

BIG IDEA: BEING THANKFUL OUGHT TO BE THE NORM!

WE HAVE LOST OUR WAY!

SOMEWHERE BETWEEN COVID - RACIAL TENSION - & POLITICAL UNREST, WE’VE BECOME MORE CYNICAL THAN GRATEFUL...

WE’VE LOST OUR WAY...

IN FACT, WE’RE RESPONDING AND SOUNDING MORE LIKE THEM (LIKE THOSE WHO HAVE NO HOPE)!

NOTICE, I SAID, “WE,” BECAUSE AT TIMES, I SOUND MORE LIKE THEM THAN HIM!

I’VE ALLOWED MY CIRCUMSTANCES (AT MOMENTS OF WEAKNESS AND DOUBT) TO MAKE ME SOUND UNTHANKFUL...

THAT’S WHY OUR MARKETING MATERIAL IS ENTITLED “UNTHANKFUL,” WITH A LINE DRAWN THROUGH THE “UN.”

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Thankfulness

Thankfulness

An evergreen is always green despite the changes in weather around it. It is green in the heat of summer as well as the cold of winter. So also our lives are to be characterized by an enduring thankfulness that is unaffected by the changes around us. When the heat of a pressured week or the deadly cold of pain strikes us, we should stand “ever green,” always thankful, regardless of that which surrounds us.1383

BELOVED, WE’RE COMING OUT OF THIS SPIRIT OF HEAVINESS, AND RECLAIMING THE SPIRIT OF GRATITUDE THAT IS EXPECTED - INDICATIVE - AND MANDATED FOR THE CHILDREN OF GOD...

PULL ON YOUR NEIGHBOR AND SAY, “I’M COMING OUT!”

TODAY WE EXAMINE “OLD HUNDRETH.”

ONE OF THE MOST PROFOUND PSALMS WITHIN THE CANON OF PSALMS...

THIS PSALM HAS AS ITS INSCRIPTION: “A PSALM OF THANKSGIVING.”

SEE, WHEN WE DO WHAT’S IN THIS PSALM, WE ARE EMBODYING - ENACTING - FULFILLING WHAT A THANKFUL HEART AND MOUTH OUGHT TO LOOK LIKE...

VS. ONE SAYS: LET THE WHOLE EARTH SHOUT TRIUMPHANTLY TO THE LORD.

THERE’S A COMMAND THAT COMMENCES THIS PSALM...

“LET OR MAKE” OFFER NO ROOM FOR OUR FEELINGS...

“LET OR MAKE” OFFER NO ROOM FOR WHAT YOU’VE BEEN GOING THROUGH - STEPHEN BROWN...

“LET OR MAKE” ENCOMPASS A COMMAND (A DEMAND EVEN) THAT THOSE WHO RESIDE UPON THE EARTH ARE EXPECTED TO FULFILL...

BUT NOT ONLY THAT: THE COMMAND IS GIVEN TO A COMMUNITY: THE WHOLE EARTH!

NOW, BELOVED, IF YOU NO LONGER RESIDE HERE, THEN YOU’RE EXEMPT...

BUT IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT IF YOU HEAR ME THIS MORNING, THEN YOU LIKELY STILL RESIDE HERE - ON EARTH...

SO THE COMMAND TO THE COMMUNITY (THE WHOLE EARTH) IS CLEAR...

WAYMIN PB: IF IT’S THE WHOLE EARTH (THAT’S THIS COMMUNITY), THAT WOULD ENCOMPASS BELIEVERS AND UNBELIEVERS...

NOW YOU CATCHING THE FLOW OF THIS PSALM...

THAT’S WHY PAUL DECLARES THAT ONE DAY: EVERY KNEE WILL BOW AND EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS...

EITHER YOU’LL PRAISE HIM WILLINGLY OR UNWILLINGLY…BUT YOU WILL MAKE SOME NOISE...

THE COMMAND TO THE COMMUNITY IS TO COMMUNICATE COLLECTIVELY THAT BECAUSE OF GOD, WE HAVE THE VICTORY!!! (REPEAT)

WE ARE COMMUNICATING COLLECTIVELY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY ABOUT OUR VICTORY THROUGH GOD, AND WE’RE COMMUNICATING COLLECTIVELY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY ABOUT OUR VICTORY TO GOD!!!

MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO THE LORD!

IT’S TO HIM WE SHOUT!

IT’S TO HIM WE PRAISE!

IT’S TO HIM WE THANK!

AND I JUST STOPPED BY HERE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN’T SHOUT SILENTLY...

HOW DARE WE ATTEMPT TO LEGALIZE SHOUTING...

SHOUTING AIN’T TO BE DIGNIFIED OR PROPER...

THAT’S WHY THERE’S AN EXCLAMATION MARK AT THE END OF THE VERSE...

IT’S TO BE EXPRESSIVE & SUBSTANTIVE!

SEE, YOU AIN’T SHOUTING JUST TO BE SHOUTING…EK BAILEY SAID, “ I DON’T CARE HOW HIGH YOU CLIMB UP THE WALL, AS LONG AS WHEN YOU COME DOWN, YOU CAN TELL ME WHAT SENT YOU UP!”

THE SHOUTING OR NOISE WE ARE TO MAKE (WE BEING THIS COMMUNITY OF INDIVIDUALS) IS ABOUT OUR VICTORY AND IT IS TO OUR GOD!

RIGHT THERE IS THE SUBSTANCE OF YOUR EXPRESSION....

SO WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE BODY IS, WE’VE FORGOTTEN THAT WE’VE ALREADY WON!

AWW BELOVED, I DON’T WANT TO READ TOO MUCH INTO THIS TEXT. BUT I NEED EVERY BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER TO KNOW THAT YOU’VE GOT THE VICTORY FROM WHICH TO SHOUT TRIUMPHANTLY!!!

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3348 Cyprian’s Thanksgiving

3348 Cyprian’s Thanksgiving

Having been banished, Cyprian suffered martyrdom in Carthage in 258. When the sentence of death was read to him he said, “I heartily thank Almighty God who is pleased to set me free from the chains of the body.”

CYPRIAN KNEW FROM WHENCE HIS VICTORY WAS GIVEN…HE COULD THANKFULLY FACE EXECUTION, BECAUSE HE KNEW WHERE HE WAS HEADED!

SO, EVERY BELIEVER ON TODAY IS SHOUTING TO GOD ABOUT THE VICTORY HE HAS PROVIDED...

WE’RE SHOUTING SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN BE IMPACTED!

THAT NOISE YOU MAKE AIN’T RESERVED FOR THE SANCTUARY....

WE AIN’T EVEN MADE IT TO CHURCH YET! ACCORDING TO THE TEXT, WE DON’T GET TO CHURCH UNTIL VS. 4

THIS IS WHY “BEING THANKFUL” IS A MANDATE FOR THE BELIEVER: WE MUST LET OUR TRIUMPHANT SHOUT INFORM A DISCOURAGED WORLD!

I JUST TOLD YOU THAT YOU’VE GOT THE VICTORY...

I JUST TOLD YOU THAT YOU’RE COMMANDED TO COLLECTIVELY & ENTHUSIASTICALLY COMMUNICATE SAID VICTORY TO GOD!!!

BUT WATCH THIS: BECAUSE WE ARE TO BE AUDIBLE IN OUR APPRECIATION, THE WORLD CAN’T HELP BUT HEAR!!!

I WISH CHURCH FOLKS WEREN’T SO POLISHED - SOPHISTICATED - AND MODERATELY SADITY...

THEN, WE WOULD CONVERT OUR LIVING ROOMS INTO SANCTUARIES TO PARTICIPATE, AND NOT JUST TO SPECTATE...

WE COULD OPEN OUR FRONT DOORS AND SHOUT TRIUMPHANTLY...

WE COULD FLOOD OUR SOCIAL-MEDIA TIMELINES WITH TRIUMPHANT SHOUTS...

WE COULD FILL OUR HOODS WITH TRIUMPHANT SHOUTS...

WHEN FOLKS SEE THAT WE BELIEVE AND KNOW WE’RE VICTORIOUS, THEN THEY’LL BE MORE INCLINED TO INQUIRE ABOUT WHO GAVE US THE VICTORY...

YES, YOUR THANKFULNESS IS A WITNESS!!!

My Favorite Illustrations You’re Not a Hog, Are You?

You’re Not a Hog, are You?

A farmer visited a large city. In a restaurant before eating, the man bowed his head in a prayer of thanksgiving. Seeing this, a young man sneeringly asked, “Say, old man, back where you come from does everyone pray before he eats?” The farmer quietly replied, “The hogs don’t.”

YES, YOUR THANKFULNESS IS A WITNESS!!!

THE COMMAND TO THE COMMUNITY IS TO COMMUNICATE COLLECTIVELY THAT BECAUSE OF GOD, WE HAVE THE VICTORY!!!

THE PRIVILEGE OF THE COMMUNITY IS TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE COLLECTIVELY THAT BECAUSE OF GOD, WE HAVE THE VICTORY!

YES, IT’S A COMMAND…BUT EVEN GREATER: IT’S A PRIVILEGE!

BELOVED, WE GET TO SHOUT UNTO OUR GOD!

WE GET TO PRESS THROUGH OUR PAIN TO TAP INTO A PRAISE - THAT HE ALONE IS WORTHY OF...

THIS DOESN’T MINIMIZE OUR PAIN - IT PRIORITIZES IT!

WHEN WE HOLD WHATEVER PAIN WE ENDURE ON THIS SIDE - UP AND AGAINST WHAT OUR GOD HAS DONE FOR US, HE’S STILL DUE A TRIUMPHANT SHOUT!

IT’S A PRIVILEGE...

IT’S A COMMAND

IT’S A PRIVILEGE

IT’S NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY

EVERY DAY DURING THIS SEASON, PAUSE AND FIND SOMETHING TO THANK GOD FOR...

WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF FEELING DEFEATED - FIND SOMETHING TO THANK GOD FOR...

WHEN YOU FIND YOURSELF FEELING DOWN - FIND SOMETHING TO THANK GOD FOR..

WHEN YOU FEEL THE ENEMY IS ON YOUR BACK - FIND SOMETHING TO THANK GOD FOR...

1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Praise

Praise is a natural and necessary response to fully enjoy the object that is praised. For example, when watching a football game on television, it is a natural response to praise a tremendous play. To shout WOW! after an acrobatic catch in the end zone is not only natural, but necessary to fully enjoy the spectacular play. If you do not believe that it is necessary, the next time you watch a football game try to not express yourself at all. You will quickly find that you do not enjoy the action nearly as much as you do when you have the freedom to express yourself in praise and excitement.998