Give Thanks

Giving Thanks to God! Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567 Thanksgiving is yet upon us and though we desperately want to express an “attitude of gratitude” for all our Lord has done, painfully and filled with great shame we must admit we struggle to present to our Creator words, thoughts, and deeds that “rejoice rightly” for all the blessings we have received! To One who in grace has provided clothing, food, shelter (Matthew 6:25-33), comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-11), atonement (John 3:16), and every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3) how are we the mere “dust of the earth” (Genesis 1:27) to say “thanks” in a manner that pleases Him? Surely God expects those who have been entrusted (Luke 12:48) with the “milk and honey” of this modern age to offer Him in return more than the rags of (Isaiah 64:6) the lust of the eyes, flesh, pride of life (1 John 2:16-17), and mere passing thoughts of indifference or worst yet entitlement? We approach His throne of grace boldly (Hebrews 4:16) but with great humility that we might reflect rightly on the Pearl and Treasure (Matthew 13:44-345) and in doing so ask that the Father might grant us but a mere scrap from His table (Matthew 15:21-28) so that we might be fed and transformed by every word that proceeds from His mouth (Matthew 4:1-4)! The following sermon is a prayer reflecting but a mere ten things from God’s holy word that we as His people want to offer as a “sweet fragrance” unto our Lord, Savior, King! Giving Thanks for Creation. How we rejoice in You Lord that day after day the heavens, skies, mountains, valleys, trees, and all of creation declare the glory of our God (Psalms 19)! Not only can Your eternal power and divine nature be seen (Romans 1:20) in the beauty that surrounds us but above all we rejoice that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:13-14) a little lower than the angels (Hebrews 2:7) and in Your very image (Genesis 1:27)! How it fills our hearts with unspeakable joy (1 Peter 1:7-9) knowing that You did not create us out of loneliness, for the Father, Son and Spirit have always been in commune with each other (Habakkuk 1:2; John 1:1); or out of necessity of service (Acts 17:25), but out of pure love! Giving Thanks for the Basic Necessities of Life. Though we be mere jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7) and destined to return to the dust of the earth in which we were formed (Genesis 3:19), we rejoice that we need not be anxious (Philippians 4:6) or worry about finding enough food to eat, enough water to drink or sufficient shelter from the storms of this fallen world (Matthew 6:25-34) for Thy loving hands provide for our every need! By taking refuge under Your everlasting arms, we are at peace because in seeking first the kingdom of He who is sovereign over all things seen and unseen (Colossians 1:16) we are divinely promised the necessities of life so that we might be freed up to focus on doing the good works which You Lord have in advance have prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:9)! Giving Thanks for the Land of Milk and Honey. Not only do we thank You for providing for our basic needs, but we also give thanks to You God for giving us a country to live in filled with more than we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)! We pray that You will extend Your mercy (Romans 9:14) and forgiveness (1 John 1:9) when we covet what our “richer neighbor” has (Exodus 20:17). May we learn to be content (Philippians 4:11-13) and rejoice with whatever You have entrusted to us (Luke 12:42-43) with the unshakeable belief that You as our portion (Psalms 73:26) are more than we deserve (Ephesians 2:8) and more precious than gold or silver! With thanksgiving in our hearts may we “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which You have called us heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14)! Giving Thanks for God as our Refuge. How we thank You Lord that though we are bombarded by Satan’s fiery darts and constantly wrestle with the flesh that wants what is contrary to the spirit (Galatians 5:16), with the Holy Spirit’s aid we can “take captive every thought to make it obedient to You (2 Corinthians 10:5). We rejoice that when we struggle against the “powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” with the belt of truth buckled around our waists, the breastplate of righteousness on our chests, the gospel of peace for our sandals, the helmet of salvation on our heads, and the sword of the Spirit in one hand and the shield of faith in the other (Ephesians 6), we can not only take refuge in Your loving arms (Psalms 46) but can also stand firm, be victorious (1 John 4:4) and perform miracles in the Your holy name (John 14:12-13)! Giving Thanks for God’s Love Letter. We thank You that we are not called to “live on bread alone but on every word that comes from Your mouth” (Matthew 4:4). Though You are truly beyond our understanding (Job 36:26) we rejoice that Your precious “love letter” to us is Your very breath and as such is of unspeakable value in teaching, rebuking, correcting and training us to be right in Your sight (2 Timothy 3:16). In our “desire to do what is good” (Romans 7:1820) may we not seek the council of the ungodly but delight in, obey, and meditate day and night on Your holy word (Psalms 1:1-3) with the intent of total submission and obedience to You (James 1:22-25; 1 John 5:1-5)! Giving Thanks for the Cross. Above all we thank you Lord that even before the foundation of this world You had the glorious, grace-filled plan (Ephesians 1:3-14) to empty Yourself of Your heavenly glory (Philippians 2:5-11), be born of a virgin (Matthew 1:18-25), and die upon a cursed tree (Galatians 3:13-14) not only to atone for our sins (Romans 3:25) and provide the means of our salvation (John 3:16)! We thank You Lord Jesus that the “sin that so easily entangled” us (Hebrews 12:1) is “no longer our master, because we are not under the law, but under grace” (Romans 6:14)! We rejoice that Your once and for all sacrifice on the cross means that we no longer have to go to an earthly priest to offer sacrifices that “can never take away our sins” (Hebrews 10) but instead need only confess and Your are faithful and just and will not only forgive (1 John 1:9) but “remove our transgressions” as far as the east is from the west (Psalms 103:12)! Giving Thanks for Continual Transformation. We forever thank you Lord that though none of us truly understands or seeks Your face with “fear of You before our eyes” (Romans 3:10-18) You never stop inviting us to approach Your throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16). You promise that You who can do more than we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) will help us “offer our bodies as living sacrifices” by renewing our minds to focus on and live His will in our lives (Romans 12:1-2)! We thank You Lord that we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) that clearly demonstrate that though we are often like king Manasseh who did much evil (2 Chronicles 33), Apostle Paul who spoke against Your own (Acts 9) or Peter who denied knowing You (Luke 22:54-62) our bitter tears of regret and shame can be divinely met in “Damascus moments” of great confession, forgiveness and transformation! Giving Thanks for Planting and Watering Seeds. We thank you Lord Jesus for giving us the privilege and honor to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19)! Though we often fall short of Your glory (Romans 3:23) and must be lifted from the slimy pits of sin (Psalms 40:1-2) O how our souls rejoice that we can live as You did (1 John 2:6), planting and watering seeds of righteousness (1 Corinthians 3)! May we be like Apostle Paul and “fearlessly make known the mysteries of the Gospel” (Ephesians 6:19) and when faced with inevitable persecution from those given over to their reprobate minds (Romans 1:28) may we be like Peter and the other apostles and chose to obey and rejoice that we are counted worthy of suffering disgrace for Your name (Acts 21:29)! Giving Thanks for Receiving and Giving Comfort. We thank You Lord that no matter how bad our trials and tribulations might be or how strong the attacks of our enemies might be, we need not fear the fierce storms of life (Psalms 27:1). You truly are our refuge and strength (Psalms 46:1) whom we can always call upon (Psalms 91:15) to receive not only comfort but the ability to persevere and become “mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4). With the comfort we have received from Your loving hands may we offer it to those we meet (2 Corinthians 1:3-5) with “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). May our cups of cold water offered in Your name (Matthew 10:42) not only point to Your glory (Matthew 5:16) but also “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:25)! Giving Thanks for One Body of Christ. And finally, Lord Jesus thank you for grafting us Gentiles into Your glorious vine (Romans 11:11-24), baptized into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13) “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with You Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). We thank You Lord that those who are fearfully and wonderfully made in Your image, “born of the water and Spirit” (John 3:5) have been equipped to build up the body until all “have reached unity in the faith” so that we might become “mature and attain the full measure of the fullness of You” (Ephesians 4:12). Thank You Jesus for the grace, peace, prosperity, and desire to love You and one another that You have instilled in the hearts of each member of Your church here today! With an attitude of gratitude and with great rejoicing we thank You Lord for every physical and spiritual blessing we as a church have received by Your mighty hand!