Thankfulness, Always

Psalm 95:1-2 (?)

What Drives Thankfulness?

After someone does something for you. Helps you.

When you remember what was done for you.

What about entering God’s presence?

What about God’s presence entering you?

Thanks - Defined

Gratitude - natural expression of thanks in response to blessings, protection, love

Not a tool to manipulate God’s will, not an “if…then”

Not coerced, forced, but a joyful commitment of yourself and your personality to God.

Not made up or fabricated - a genuine expression and response

OT - life was enjoyed in gratitude to God

NT - our object of thanksgiving is God’s love expressed in Jesus Christ

SUMMARY: Response of faith is very closely tied to gratitude

We are to give thanks, just as the Lord did - 1 Cor 11:24

Thanks Through Difficult Times

David - psalms, he thanks God before, during, and after trials

Psalm 6, asks for help and desires to give thanks back to Him

Focuses on who God is, what He has done, and what He is capable of doing (POINT for later)

Psalm 69, asks for help, and prepares to give thanks, no matter what, help or not

Basically - thanks for good, even when it’s not feeling like that

relies on his relationship with God to drive thankfulness

Hezekiah - turned people back to God, he praised and gave thanks, and encouraged others to do so (POINT for later)

Jonah - in belly of fish, prays, wants to live longer, in order to praise and give thanks.

Daniel - in the middle of exile, as a teen, and grows and grows, he thanks God, and relies on his relationship with God to drive that thankfulness

(NONE of this is “well, others have it worse than me, so I may as well not complain”)

Ezra - seeing the old temple ruins - people weep. Yet, they decided to see God, and not their circumstances, and rejoice, praise, rely on Him, and get busy

Anna - sees the redeemer, Jesus, and gives thanks. She was a widow, would have been easy to be bitter after her husband died, but she relied on her relationship with God to drive her thankfulness.

Lepers, sick, poor in spirit, so many gave thanks to Jesus, because of who He is, what he did for them, and what He said was really important - following Him, so that they could rely on their relationship with Him to drive their thankfulness

Paul - seen in NT, and where we’ve ben in Philippians, sees the importance of being thankful, he thanks God for his remembrance of the Philippian believers.

REM 4:4-7 Rejoice, Gentle, Pray, Thanks - THANKS!

Psalm 100

Psalm 100:4–5 NASB95

Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.

Focus on these verses - Some key words, good to take a closer look at:

Enter, Gates, Thanksgiving, Praise, Name, Sheep

To “enter gates” - picture of entering the temple, the place of worship, the place where God was.

We tend to think of this like walking through the doors of the church on Sunday

Important to enter properly, true, but is this church the place where God is?

Followers were told to enter with thanksgiving (see intro for description, definitions)

-natural expression of thanks in response to blessings, protection, love

Followers were told to enter with praise

The glory belongs to the Lord, our voices, our actions, our attitudes, all point to HIM

Give thanks, bless His name - to vocally, out loud, let people know how great God is

WHY?

Because He is good.

His mercy/lovingkindness - it lasts forever

His faithfulness - for anyone, all generations

Because He has kept His promises - all of them

Because He loved us enough to send Jesus

Because he is faithful, and will return soon

Because He has overcome this world

John 16:33 NASB95

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

How do WE “enter gates?”

For the believer - your body is the temple now, the place where God lives and dwells

OT - entered temple

NT - God enters temple when you trust Christ, asking for forgiveness

We live, daily, in the presence of God - He indwells the believer

OT - to enter the temple, where God was, was to be exposed to His holiness, and humbly accept your position as a sinner, needing forgiveness

NT - to yield to the Spirit, exposed to His holiness, humbly accept your need for forgiveness, your need for His strength.

We are, therefore, always “entering His gates” - each day we wake up here, we are to be thankful, blessing His name. 1 Thess 5:18 - giving thanks always.

CHALLENGE

How is your relationship with God?

Goal - let your relationship with Him drive your thankfulness!

It will - regardless. One way or another.

If that relationship is strained, you might not be very thankful

If that relationship is strong, it will show, in your thankfulness

It’s a mindset - starting with your inner trust of Christ.

Thankful, even when you don’t “feel” like it?

Thankful, always - gratitude for what God has done, is doing, and will do

What has he done for you?

What is He doing for you?

What will He do for you?

Not sure? Talk to Him. Settle it.

Let the Holy Spirit drive that thankfulness

READ TO CLOSE

Ephesians 5:19–20 NASB95

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;