Thanksgiving Eve Service (2)

Psalm 118:1–4 ESV

1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the Lord say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”

Let Harvestime-South say, “His steadfast love endures forever.

Let Friendship Church say, “His steadfast love endures forever.

Let the Church of God all say it together… “His steadfast love endures forever.

So tomorrow is the American holiday “Thanksgiving” where we typically get together with family and friends and share a meal in memory of the first thanksgiving where our ancestors stopped to give thanks after a very hard year where they saw many of their people die from disease, cold and starvation. These Pilgrims as we call them were looking for a better life, where they could be free to practice their faith without the abuse of power that they had previously experienced. Particularly, they were held two things in common.

They believed in the inerrancy of God’s Word

They believed in congregational autonomy, where the local Church could govern themselves with the Word of God, instead of a hierarchy of collective power.

In short, they set out in their old ragedy old ships to seek freedom of religion. Something that is a very real threat in our country right now. They fought with some native tribes and were able to make peace with others. But after their first harvest they set all other concerns asside in order to Thank God first of all for their survival and secondly for their hope that they would be able to establish a better life for the children, where they could freely worship God without the fear of being arrested and imprisoned as they were back in England.

It could be that this year is one of the best years for us to connect with the sense of the first thanksgiving. We have a lot of concerns and uncertainties that are pressing in our world and lives right now, with government corruption being uncovered and a pandemic throwing us all into fear and confusion, we are not entering into this holiday with the typical calm of years past…but that may place us much closer to the reality of first Thanksgiving. It was not a celebration over their survival, but something that rose over and above their difficult circumstances. how everything was just going perfectly, because it wasn’t. It was a celebration that said no matter what our circumstances in life, there is always room to be thankful to our Lord.

As Paul ends his first letter to the Thessalonians he gives this instruction:

1 Thessalonians 5:14–18 ESV

14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Give Thanks..in all circumstances? That is something that is easier said than done isn’t it. Because if we are honest, some circumstances lend themselves very well to an attitude of gratitude, but others…not so much. So tonight I just want us to look at two different circumstances and assess how we can be more effective in our giving Thanks.

Giving Thanks when something goes right

Luke 17:11–19 ESV

11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

This spontaneous thankfulness is overwhelming and complete, however at times our thankfulness become ritualistic and second rate.

Giving Thanks when many things are going wrong

Right? How are we able to do this? What brings us to the point of being able to be thankful in all circumstances like this?

Thinking of the first Thanksgiving, those people began with 120 people and by the time that sat down for this Thanksgiving meal they had watched all but 42 of them die. If you are doing the math, that is not great odds and yet here we are adding our Thankfulness to theirs. We are able to do this because we are looking further out beyond our immediate circumstances to something much greater.

Our plans for our lives almost always include a lot more comfort and a lot less struggle, and that is natural to the human condition but our condition as believers in Jesus can flow against this.

Colossians 2:6–7 ESV

6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

This is worth being thankful for, but sometimes

Philippians 4:6 ESV

6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Colossians 3:16–17 ESV

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Songs by Jolynn...