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The Twenty Seventh Sunday After Trinity
November 23, 2008
A Scriptural Look at Thanksgiving
Every year we Americans have a tradition of gathering together as family and
celebrating a holiday we call Thanksgiving. It is a time to reflect on the
early inhabitants of our nation—the pilgrims and the native Americans. It
is good to think about that first Thanksgiving—a small group of Europeans who
came to America to have the freedom to worship their God their way! Many
died on the journey—many died in the early months of colonization—and we owe a
great debt to those brave souls who felt so strongly about worshipping God.
How many of us would quit our jobs—sell all that we have—and spend every last
dollar on a ticket to a place without houses or jobs or things to buy—knowing
that many of the passengers on the trip would not survive? How many of us
have the courage to make that kind of sacrifice for the love of God? We’re
here today because we love God—now let us be thankful that there are those
before us that loved God so much that they were willing to die rather than lose
the freedom to worship Him. We owe much to these pilgrims—and seldom do we
consider what they gave us—freedom to worship God as our God—and freedom to pray
and give thanks to God whenever and wherever we want.
Scripture instructs us to love God with all our hearts. We see it in the
Old Testament—and we find it in the precious teachings of Jesus.
NKJ Deuteronomy 6:5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with
all your soul, and with all your strength.
NKJ Matthew 22:36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?" 37 Jesus
said to him, " 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 "This is the first and great commandment.
39 "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40
"On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
And now we go to Scripture to consider what God teaches us about giving thanks.
First we go to the Psalms and find that God instructs us to give thanks and
trust in Him. This brings glory to God through our love for Him.
NKJ Psalm 50:14 Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify
Me."
There is giving of thanks in heaven.
NKJ Revelation 4:9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks
to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four
elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives
forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 "You are
worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all
things, And by Your will they exist and were created."
Jesus gave us several examples to follow concerning thanksgiving. God
answers prayer—and we thank Him for that. Jesus also thanked God for
answering prayer—and we must learn from His example.
Jesus thanked God the Father for hearing His prayer—Jesus was praying for the
raising of Mary and Martha’s brother—Lazarus—from the dead.
NKJ John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man
was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You
have heard Me.
Next we will examine Jesus’ thanks that God kept the message of salvation hidden
from those that consider themselves wise on this earth—yet that same God gives
that message clearly to His children. Listen to these words of our
Savior—and give thanks that you are His.
NKJ Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and
prudent and have revealed them to babes.
This is a good time to remember that it is a gift of God to believe—God gave us
the Holy Spirit to give us understanding that Jesus is our Savior. Our
understanding is a gift of the Holy Spirit—and we should thank God every day for
that knowledge.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want
you to be ignorant: 2 You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these
dumb idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one
speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that
Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are diversities of gifts, but
the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And
there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in
all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit
of all:
Paul gave thanks to Jesus for making him a believer.
NKJ 1 Timothy 1:12 And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because
He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly
a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I
did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Paul was one of the most educated Biblical scholars of his day—and yet it was
not until Jesus sent the gift of true understanding of salvation that Paul truly
served God—and Paul was thankful.
Paul also prayed for all believers—this was an indication that he loved his
brothers and sisters in Christ—and was really thankful that they believed.
NKJ Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your
faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
And then the writing of Paul that brings us to understanding why we’re here—we
celebrate the peace of God that is ours because we know Jesus as our Savior—and
because we belong to the one body that is Christ—we are members of the one
Church on earth—hear Paul as he is thankful
NKJ Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on
tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one
another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another;
even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things
put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule
in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 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. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all
in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
We are once again reminded that we are a family of Christians—we have each other
and we love one another—and that love is really the presence of God—because God
is love
NKJ 1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not
know God, for God is love.
In Paul’s opening and closing of his first letter to the Thessalonians—we again
find love, prayer, and thankfulness
NKJ 1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention
of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor
of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God
and Father, 4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.
NKJ 1 Thessalonians 5:16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in
everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
As Christians we know we are citizens of heaven—we have read these words in
Paul’s letter to the Philippians many times
NKJ Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also
eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
But in the next chapter Paul adds these comforting words instructing us to be
thankful that we have the peace that God promised since the beginning of time
NKJ Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let
your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6 Be anxious for
nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
What peace indeed—there is no true peace on earth except in the hearts of
believers—and for that we are thankful! I am thankful for my family—I am
thankful for my ministry which gives me the privilege of preaching God’s Word—I
am thankful for my congregation—I am thankful that God brought us to serve
you—but most of all I am thankful that God loves us—and that God fills our
hearts with Himself—love—so that He is glorified through our lives which we live
for Him
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!