Thanksgiving: A Vaccine Against Spiritual Infection
John
Thanksgiving • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
As we all know there has a been constant talk about vaccines lately and, rightly so. It is speculated that vaccines have been around since the 10 century which is about 1000 years after Christ’s birth. It is said that China was the first to develop a vaccine for smallpox. However, it was not until Edward Jenner in 1796 that a vaccine was developed that produced immunity to smallpox. Later in 1885, a gentleman by the name of Louis Pasteur developed a rabies vaccine. Over the year, many different vaccines have developed against diphtheria, tetanus, anthrax, cholera, plague, typhoid, tuberculosis, and many other such diseases. By definition, a vaccine is a preparation that is administered (as by injection) to stimulate the body's immune response against a specific infectious agent or disease.
Physical diseases are terrible things. Many diseases cause those suffering to endure great pain and in many cases death if left unchecked. That is why man has worked so hard to develop vaccines to help fight off these infectious agents. However, may I submit to you this morning that there is an infection that is much greater and more disastrous than any physical infection or disease. It is a spiritual infection. Every person born into this world is born already under this one condition. It is SIN!
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Sin is a spiritual infection evidenced by outward actions. Actions that described in detail by God’s Word.
9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
The only cure that can set men and women free from sin’s bondage is the Lord Jesus Christ. His death, burial, and resurrection conquered sin, death, and hell.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
May I say to anyone sitting here this morning who has never accepted Christ as their personal Savior that He is the only One who can heal you of your spiritual infection. I would implore you today to accept Him into your life.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
He is knocking on your heart’s door even now. Hear His voice and open your heart’s door to Him by...
Admitting your sinful condition before Him - You are hopeless and helpless before God.
Repent of your sin and turn to Him.
Believe with all your heart that He died, was buried, and rose again securing your salvation.
Verbally talk to Him accepting all that He has done and inviting Him into your life.
When you do, He will break sin’s bondage upon your life. You will be “quickened.” You will be born spiritually opening the door to whole different life. A life that is filled with hope, peace, and joy that only comes from knowing Christ personally. Christ changes everything.
However, for us who have already experienced spiritual life, we too must still be on the guard against that spiritual infection called sin. Even though Christ has rescued us from a life of sin, sin still lurks around the corner. Thus, we must inject into our spiritual life a very important element from Scripture that helps stimulate our spiritual immune system. That important element is…THANKSGIVING!
Let me illustrate it using Ephesians 5. Look at 18-21 which says...
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Note the following...
“Be not drunk with wine” - Wine or strong drink is sinful for a believer. Why? When we become intoxicated with alcohol, we allow it to control us. Thus, we are under the influence of something other than God’s Spirit.
“But be filled with the Spirit” - Our responsibility is to let God’s Spirit be the controlling influence in our lives and not beer, wine, whiskey, or any other alcoholic beverage.
Now note how we avoid sinful influences and give the Spirit control - We are to...
Speak to ourselves in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs by singing and making melody in our hearts to the lord.
Give THANKS - THANKSGIVING for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Submit one another in the fear of God.
Thanksgiving then is part of God’s vaccination plan against spiritual infection.
So let’s consider what God says about THANKSGIVING!
Look with me this morning at Psalm 118 which is our text for this morning. The title of today’s message is...
THANKSGIVING: A Vaccine Against Spiritual Infection
In this psalm, the psalmist reveals several important things about THANKSGIVING.
He points out the object of giving thanks - Note verse 1 which says, Psalm 118:1 “1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: Because his mercy endureth for ever.” Note that we are give thanks to the “Lord.”
He points out the reason for giving thanks to the Lord - Again, Psalm 118:1 “1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: Because his mercy endureth for ever.” Why give thanks? For “he is good.” God is good all the time and all the time God is good.
He then points out the motivation for giving thanks - Look again at Psalm 118:1 “1 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: Because his mercy endureth for ever.” We should be motivated by God’s mercy which endures forever.
What is THANKSGIVING? It is NOT a turkey dinner with all the wonderful side dishes and the subsequent desserts. It is NOT a day to watch football games or to hang with family. Thanksgiving IS gratitude resulting from God’s grace in our lives. Here are some thoughts I would like to share with you this morning concerning God’s spiritual vaccine against spiritual infection.
Thanksgiving must be Constant
Thanksgiving must be Constant
We find this in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 which says...
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
What does “every thing” mean? It means...
When things are going good, give THANKS!
A great example of this is found in the Old Testament. Over in Deuteronomy 8:10, God instructed Israel with these words.
10 When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.
This coming Thursday, many of you are going push back from the table from eating and you will be full. What then should we do? We should take the time to “bless the Lord (our) God” for His goodness. You would think that would be an easy thing for us. You would think that if all is well, our stomachs are full, and we are warm that we would be thankful. Unfortunately, too many times we take for granted God’s goodness when all is well. Let’s be sure that give God THANKS during the good times.
Even when things are not going good, we are to give THANKS!
Remember 1 Thessalonians 5:18 “18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” It matters not if our circumstances are to our liking or not. We are to GIVE THANKS!
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
Yes, life can be difficult. However, even in the midst of difficult times we can cling to the promises of God’s Word.
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
You see God is faithful. God is always with His people even during the darkest of times.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Wednesday night, Pastor Jerry was teaching from Psalm 2 and 4. However, I couldn’t help myself and quickly read of Psalm 3. Psalm 3 is a psalm written by King David in one of the darkest periods of his life. His own flesh and blood, Absalom, had betrayed him and turned against him. Yet, in the midst of that dark period, David under the direction of the Holy Spirit penned these words.
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1 Lord, How are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.
2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3 But thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; My glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4 I cried unto the Lord with my voice, And he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5 I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, That have set themselves against me round about.
7 Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God: For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: Thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
Perhaps, you are here this morning and you feel David’s hurt. Believer, may I say to you this morning that even now God is there. He is your protector. He is your shield. He is the One who can lift up your head. And with that assurance, you can rest easy at night knowing that God is in control. Thus, give THANKS!
Here is another thing about this great spiritual vaccine against spiritual infection.
Thanksgiving must be Discerning!
Thanksgiving must be Discerning!
Here is what I mean.
Over in Philippians 3:13, the apostle Paul wrote this.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
Paul, by the grace of God, had gained selective memory. There were some things in Paul’s past that he did not want to forget. I imagine his experience on the road to Damascus was definitely worth remembering. In fact, we know that Paul often repeated to others his experience that day. However, there were some things that were worth moving on from. Some things that need to be left in the past. Yet, some of the things of the past are things we must remember to THANK God. For instance, all of us who are saved should take time thank Him for His wonderful gift of eternal life. We should take the time to think back to all that He has done for us. Thus, we must be thankful for His PAST BLESSINGS!
We also need to be thankful for His PRESENT BLESSINGS as well.
The word “present” reminded me of these verse found in Psalm 46.
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Yes, there is lot going on in this present world that is discouraging and often trying. Yet, for us as believers, we need be concerned because our God is our refuge and our strength. He is a very PRESENT help in trouble.
Additionally, we can be thankful for His Past Blessings, His Present Blessings, and for His Future Blessings.
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
I would encourage you as you gather with your family around the Thanksgiving table that you remember His Past Blessings, His Present Blessings, and His Future Blessings. Then, take the time to thank Him. However, don’t let it by just on Thanksgiving day, but lift up your Thanks to Him everyday.
Here is one last observation about Thanksgiving - God’s Vaccine for Spiritual Infection.
Thanksgiving must be Vocal!
Thanksgiving must be Vocal!
1 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: For his mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;
8 Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, Make known his deeds among the people.
It is interesting how many times the phrase “give thanks” is associated with singing.
49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, And sing praises unto thy name.
4 Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, And give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, And to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
I remind you Ephesians 5:18-21 which says.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
13 Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Thanksgiving is God’s spiritual vaccine to ward off spiritual infection. It is something we must do every day and not just one day a year. We must constantly Thank the Lord for all that He has done. We must thank Him for past, present, and future blessings. We must vocally sing songs of thanksgiving unto Him. In doing so, we give Him the glory that only He deserves. Additionally, we fill our hearts with His Word.