2006 11 19am Thanksgiving
Calvary Christian Church
A Thanksgiving
Gary Gumm
November 19, 2006
Order of Worship
Children’s Church Dismissal
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Jeremiah 6 : 16-19
Stand at the crossroads and look
Ask for the ancient paths
Ask where the good way is
-- Walk in it and you will find rest for your souls
But you said, 'We will not walk in it
I appointed watchmen over you
You said, 'We will not listen
SO
I am bringing disaster on this people
BECAUSE they have NOT
- LISTENED to my words
- REJECTED my law.
A Thanksgiving
A “TRADITIONAL” GIVING OF THANKS . . .
Jeremiah 6:16-19
INTRODUCTION
Top 10 Things People Think About During a Sermon
10. The pot roast!
9 What does the pastor wear under his robe?
8 Will the person behind me ever sing in key?
7 90 minutes till kickoff !
6 Did I turn off the curling iron?
5 Will the ceiling fan fall and hit my head?
4 How many people have lost more hair than me?
3 How would the hymn sound if “Rascal Flats” sang it
2 Are there any doughnuts left?
1 How much longer?
(Jeremiah 6:16-19) This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.' 17 I appointed watchmen over you and said, 'Listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But you said, 'We will not listen.' 18 Therefore hear, O nations; observe, O witnesses, what will happen to them. 19 Hear, O earth: I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their schemes, BECAUSE they have not listened to my words and have rejected my law.
Last year – Nobel Prize Winner Interview
- What Would You Present Differently
-- Commencement Speech to 1960s College Class vs. Today’s Graduates?
1 Materialism - Specifically the Chase for Money // Corruption
2 Morality
3 Context and History – Relationships / Vocation / Civic/Political
Collective Conscience and Education
Our nation’s founders left numerous records providing clear insight into their personal choices and priorities. The majority declared Christ as Lord of their professional, public, and private lives.
AS DESCRIBED in an Encyclopedia Article, Thanksgiving is a civil holiday observed annually in the United States on the last Thursday in November.
- The custom originated in 1621, when Governor Bradford of the Plymouth colony appointed a day for public praise and prayer after the first harvest, and the practice spread throughout the other New England colonies. Traditionally, the president issues a proclamation, calling on the citizens, all Federal officials, and others subject to Federal authority to observe the day as one of national thanksgiving and prayer. The governors of states concur in the president's proclamation and also recommend the citizens to observe the holiday, and all public business is suspended.
- The first national observance was when President Washington, at the request of Congress, recommended Thursday, 26 November, 1789, to the people of the United States "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favours of Almighty God". This proclamation exhorted the people to "beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best". It was the first observation of the day on the date that present custom holds it. In 1817 Thanksgiving Day was first officially noticed in New York State, and by 1859 its observance had spread to twenty-eight states and two territories. In 1863 President Lincoln made his first proclamation, naming the last Thursday of November as a day of national observance--which President Johnson also selected in 1867 and President Grant in 1870. Since then there has been no change, the last Thursday in November being named in each year's proclamation.
This was 3 part Charge to the American People.
I. Consider the word President Washing used was “Beseech” - Beseech (or today, urgently petition) God Middle English -- request or beg for urgently and anxiously
In November 1789, President Washington proclaimed that Americans should petition God to:
- PARDON our national and personal transgressions.
- PROMOTE the knowledge and practice of genuine religion and virtue.
- GRANT all humankind prosperity in accordance with His will.
II. THE FIRST CHARGE WAS FOR PETITIONING GOD TO PARDON OUR TRANSGRESSIONS with His Grace.
ENGLISH USAGE - TRANSGRESSION - INFRINGE or go beyond the LIMITS
-- a moral principle
-- other established standard of behavior
BIBLICAL USAGE - Image of SIN
-- OVERSTEPPING the limit
-- Breaking of, God's LAW in general
-- the TEN COMMANDMENTS
-- specifics in the TORAH (Case Law)
Consider Jeremiah Chapter 6,
God’s concern is for every aspect of a person’s life
formal worship and moral behavior is NOT enough
God’s people are called to serve Him and Glorify Him with their whole being
(Amos 5:21-24) "I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. 22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. 23 Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!
As used in the bible, Law refers BOTH
- revelation of the will of God in the OT
- "traditions of the elders" in the NT (for example, Mark 7:5)
Discussion of Law is one of the primary concepts in the Bible
- a commandment
- a decree
- a judgment
- a custom
- a prohibition
- The first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) are known as books of the Law because they are based on the commandments which God revealed to Moses.
- The Hebrew term most frequently translated "law" in the Old Testament is torah (> 200 times)
CONCEPT of TORAH: instruction received from a superior authority on how to live - :"the way of life for faithful Israelites:
- closely linked to that of covenant in the OT
- Torah is a gift of God to His people
- Obeying the Torah would result in His blessing (Ex. 19:5,6)
- The Ten Commandments are a summary of the Law (Ex. 20:2-17; Deut. 5:6-21).
- Expanded meaning to torah- NT times torah meant not only written Law But also the ORAL
(Leviticus 26:14-18) "'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, 15 and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. 17 I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you. 18 "'If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over.
In the most basic of forms, Transgression is most simply defined as DISOBEDIENCE.
III. THE SECOND CHARGE WAS FOR AMERICANS TO gain More Christian knowledge and continue developing “genuine” religious practices and Christlike virtues.
While each of these three activities are crucial for growing into an authentic Christian lifestyle, no one or TWO activities are enough. Each provides us with different aspects, insights, and inspirations to glorify God.
a. MENTORING (or teaching) is where we usually begin.
b. THE CHURCH exists for a reason! It has two dynamic functions.
1. PRAISE and WORSHIP .
2. EDIFICATION.
c. THE WORD created life. It remains the most powerful instrument for living life to the fullest!
(Galatians 6:7-10) Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
(James 1:22-25) Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does.
IV. THE THIRD CHARGE WAS PLEADING WITH GOD FOR ALL Humanity’s PROSPERITY. When President Washington proposed petitioning God for PROSPERITY , we must not overlook the key components in his statement—for the good of humanity and in accordance with God’s will for humanity. There is nothing selfish in this petition! (Is this petitioning for materialism?
(Matthew 6:19-34) "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! 24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ? 28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
(Luke 11:1-13) One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." 2 He said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'" 5 Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' 7 "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. 9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
(John 14:14-21) You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. 15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-- 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."
CONCLUSION
The Ship was Sinking Fast. The Captain Yelled Out, “DOES ANYONE HERE KNOW HOW TO PRAY?” Without Hesitation, A Man Stepped Forward and Proclaimed,
“I do. I’m a Man of God.”
Good, Said the Captain. YOU PRAY.
The rest of us will put on LIFE PRESERVERS—We’re 1 SHORT.!
HISTORY - President Washington’s petition
- PARDON our national and personal transgressions.
- PROMOTE the knowledge and practice of genuine religion and virtue.
- GRANT all humankind prosperity in accordance with His will.
End on Prayer
Hymn of Commitment
