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Thanksgiving
And Thankfulness
I have given this sermon quite
a few times at this time of year. I enjoy giving it because it emphasizes
an important duty all people have; the duty of giving thanks. I hope all
of you enjoy this sermon as much as I enjoy giving it. When God thinks
something's important He repeats it. I am going to claim the same
license.
In a few days the United States
will observe Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day in the United States is
intended to be an annual day of thanks for the blessings of the past year,
observed on the fourth Thursday in November in each of the states, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. It is a historical, national, and
religious holiday that began with the Pilgrims.
Governor Bradford of
Massachusetts made this first Thanksgiving Proclamation three years after
the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth in 1620. His proclamation read:
"Inasmuch as the great Father
has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas,
beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound
with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has
protected us from the ravages of the savages [notice he didn't call them
`Native Americans'; political correctness didn't exist then], has spared
us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God
according to the dictates of our own conscience.
Now I, your magistrate, do
proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do
gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in
the day time, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one
thousand six hundred and twenty three and the third year since ye Pilgrims
landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render
thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings."
(signed) William
Bradford
This first Thanksgiving lasted
three days, during which the Pilgrims feasted on wild turkey and venison
with their Indian guests.
Days of thanksgiving were
celebrated sporadically until, on Nov. 26, 1789, President Washington
issued a proclamation of a nation-wide day of thanksgiving. He made it
clear that the day should be one of prayer and giving thanks to God.
It was to be celebrated by all religious denominations, a circumstance
that helped to promote a spirit of common heritage. His proclamation
stated:
[New York, 3 October
1789]
By the President of the United
States of America. a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all
Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will,
to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and
favor--and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee
requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of
public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with
grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by
affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government
for their safety and happiness."
Now therefore I do recommend
and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the
People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being,
who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that
will be--That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and
humble thanks--for his kind care and protection of the People of this
Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold
mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we
experienced in the tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since
enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been
enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and
happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for
the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means
we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for
all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon
us.
And also that we may then unite
in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord
and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other
transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations,
to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to
render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly
being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and
faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and
Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them
with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and
practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among
them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of
temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City
of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
Go: Washington
Credit for establishing this
day as a national holiday is usually given to Sarah J. Hale, editor
and founder of the Ladies' Magazine (from 1828) in Boston.
When it was first inaugurated
by President Washington, only a few eastern states participated. However,
through the effort of Sarah Hale a change was effected. She was fired
with the determination of having the whole nation join together in setting
apart a national day for giving thanks "unto Him from whom all blessings
flow." To this end, she resolutely engaged the press with an endless flow
of letters and articles to the various newspapers and journals of her
time. In addition, she pleaded long and earnestly with three Presidents:
Fillmore, Pierce and Buchanan during the period of 1852, when her campaign
succeeded in uniting 29 states in marking the last Thursday of November as
"Thanksgiving Day."
Then came the dark days of the
Civil War. Who would listen to a lone woman with her persistent plea for
"just one day of peace amidst the blood and the strife"? One man did; her
entreaty won the ear of a great American, and in 1863 President Abraham
Lincoln officially proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a day set
apart for the national giving of thanks unto Almighty God. Lincoln lived
to see only two such occasions, but Sarah Hale lived well on into her late
90's, content that her long-cherished hope had at last become a reality.
She would probably turn over in her grave if she knew that this national
day of thanksgiving to God was to be referred to in our day as "turkey
day."
Let me read to you President
Lincoln's Proclamation for a National Day of Fasting, Humiliation and
Prayer which he announced April 30, 1863.
"We have been the recipients of
the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved, the many years,
in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as
no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have
forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and
enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the
deceitfulness of our hearts that all these blessings were produced by some
superior wisdom and virtue of our own. [How many times have we heard
that, brethren?]
Intoxicated with unbroken
success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of
redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to God that made us! It
behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to
confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness."
Succeeding presidents annually
followed Lincoln's example, except for President Franklin D. Roosevelt,
who in 1939 proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a week earlier -- on the fourth
but not the last Thursday -- to encourage holiday shopping. In 1941,
Congress adopted a joint resolution setting the date on the fourth
Thursday.
Notice that this day proclaimed
by Presidents Washington and Lincoln was to be a day of fasting,
humiliation, and prayer. In true human tradition, that has been turned
upside down and it is now a day of feasting, not fasting. I guess
fasting, humiliation, and prayer are too difficult for people who hate to
accept and demonstrate their dependence upon God. Not that feasting is
wrong, but perhaps we should have fasting, humiliation, and prayer one
day, followed by a feast the next. - Sort of in line with the three day
feast of the Pilgrims. The secularization of Thanksgiving steadily grows
year by year.
A traditional Thanksgiving
dinner takes place yearly at the White House and in almost every American
home. Roast turkey and pumpkin pie are among the symbols of this
festival. An ancient harvest symbol, the cornucopia, or "horn of plenty,"
has also been attached to Thanksgiving. Schools and businesses close for
this day of family reunion and national, rather than individual, giving of
thanks.
Canada has observed a legal
Thanksgiving Day since 1879, usually on the second Monday in October.
In this Thanksgiving season,
many of us want to give to God a really effective and all-encompassing
prayer of thanksgiving. Perhaps you are the one who will ask the prayer
at your Thanksgiving dinner. Perhaps, in your daily prayers, at this
season, you have wanted to send prayers to God covering every conceivable
thing you are thankful for. Of course, you will mention the meal,
people's health, people in need, your prosperity, your country. But what
else?
Today I want to give to you a
list of things we as Christians should be thankful for and, additionally,
give you an outline of situations in which we should offer God prayers of
thanksgiving, not just at Thanksgiving, but always.
Let's look at some examples and
mechanics of giving thanks:
Question 1. Why do we thank
God?
A. The first reason is
because Jesus set us the example of thanking our Father.
Mat 11:25 At that time Jesus
said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have
hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little
children.
We should be thankful that God
reveals His Truth to us.
Mat 15:36 Then he took the
seven loaves and the fish, and when He had given thanks, he broke
them and gave them to the disciples and the disciples gave to the
multitude.
Here, Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew)
gives us the example of giving thanks for our food.
John 11:41 So they took away
the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you
that you have heard me.
Jesus is showing us an example
of giving thanks for answered prayer.
B. The second reason we thank
God is because giving thanks is commanded.
Psa 50:14 (NKJV) Offer to God
thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the MostHigh.
Col 3:17 (NKJV) 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.
1 Tim 2:1-2 (NKJV) Therefore
I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, <and>
giving of thanks be made for all men, {2} for kings and all who are in
authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness
and reverence.
Heb 13:15 (NKJV) Therefore by
Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the
fruit of <our> lips, giving thanks to His name.
C. The third reason that we
thank God is because we feel an obligation through the motivation of the
Holy Spirit to thank God for what he does for us.
Question 2. To whom should our
prayers of thanksgiving be offered?
A. God the Father is the
recipient but we should publicly give Jesus Christ credit for all He has
done for us.
We just read several scriptures
which specify God the Father as the recipient of our prayers but Paul
gives Jesus Christ credit in:
1 Tim 1:12 I thank Christ
Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me
faithful, appointing me to his service. [Christ is the head of the
Church, i.e. the assembly of Saints.]
B. But all our prayers
should be sent through Christ. Let’s look again at Col 3:17.
Col 3:17 And whatever you
do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Eph 5:20 always giving
thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
So basically we pray to God our
Father through Christ, that is, in the name of Yeshua.
Question 3. When should we
give thanks to God?
A. First, we should thank God
not only in both private prayer and public worship, but in all
situations. Let's look at a few examples:
Dan 6:10 Now when Daniel
learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs
room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day
he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just
as he had done before.
And from David we see that we
should not hesitate to lead a group in prayer:
Psa 35:18 I will give you
thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.
We do this in services as we
open and close services, as well as when we ask God to intervene in
specific circumstances.
1 Th 5:16-17 (NKJV) Rejoice
always, {17} pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances
B. Second, we should publicly
thank God upon the completion of great undertakings, such as the
completion of some major project, such as a public building, or a major
project around the home or at work. This used to be commonly done but
nowadays you seldom see it. I guess it's not in fashion anymore. Perhaps
it's just too embarrassing to admit that God exists and intervenes in
human lives as people strive to construct some edifice or project.
Neh 12:31 (upon the
dedication of the wall) I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the
wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks.....
verse 40 The two choirs that
gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together
with half the officials,
C. Third, we should give
thanks before taking food.
John 6:11 Jesus then took
the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated
as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.
Acts 27:35 After he said
this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them
all. Then he broke it and began to eat.
Notice in these two examples
that we should give thanks for the food, not bless it. Food is a
blessing from God. How can we bless a blessing? There are scriptures
which state that we bless God, but here the word "bless" means "adore or
honor."
D. In actuality, we should
always be thanking God.
Eph 1:16 I have not stopped
giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Eph 5:20 always
giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Let’s read 1 Thes 5:16-18
again.
1 Th 5:16-18 Be joyful always;
{17} pray continually; {18} give thanks in all circumstances, for
this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
E. Thanksgiving should always
accompany prayer and praise.
Phil 4:6 Do not be anxious
about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Col 4:2 Devote yourselves to
prayer, being watchful and thankful. (We should be watchful of what is
going on in this world and thankful that God has separated us from the
ways of this world).
Question 4. OK, we have
described when we should offer thanks to God, but what should we give
thanks for? Let me give you about eighteen examples for a start.
A. First, for the goodness and
mercy of God
Psa 106:1 Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psa 107:1 Give thanks to the
LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Psa 136:1-3 Give thanks to
the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever. {2} Give thanks to the
God of gods. His love endures forever. {3} Give thanks to the Lord of
lords: His love endures forever.
Giving thanks for the Lord's
goodness and love must be an important principle. It's commanded two
times in Psa 106 and 107 and three times more in Psa 136.
B. Second, thank God for the
gift of Christ
2 Cor 9:15 Thanks be to God
for his indescribable gift! [God gave his only begotten son for our
sakes. We must thank God for the gift of Christ.]
C. Give thanks for Christ's
power and coming reign
Rev 11:17 saying: "We give
thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you
have taken your great power and have begun to reign. [We look forward to
and appreciate Christ's great power in His coming reign.]
D. Thank God for the reception
and effectual working of the word of God in others
1 Th 2:13 And we also thank
God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you
heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually
is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. [We must thank
God that people are hearing and putting into practice the God-inspired
principles that are being given to them by God's teachers.]
E. Thank God for deliverance
from indwelling sin.
Rom 7:23-25 but I see
another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law
of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my
members. {24} What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body
of death? {25} Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I
myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a
slave to the law of sin. [We must thank God for deliverance from sins
which we all have.]
F. Thank God for wisdom and
might.
Dan 2:23 I thank and praise
you, O God of my fathers: You have given me wisdom and power, you have
made known to me what we asked of you, you have made known to us the dream
of the king."
G. Thank God for our own and
others’ conversion.
Rom 6:17 But thanks be to
God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed
the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.
H. Give thanks for faith and
love.
2 Th 1:3 We ought always to
thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing
more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is
increasing. [We must thank God for the increase in faith and love of
others.]
I. Thank God for His grace
(unmerited pardon) bestowed on others and ourselves.
1 Cor 1:4 I always thank God
for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.
Phil 1:3-5 I thank my God
every time I remember you. {4} In all my prayers for all of you, I always
pray with joy {5} because of your partnership in the gospel from the first
day until now,
Col 1:3-6 We always thank
God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, {4}
because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you
have for all the saints-- {5} the faith and love that spring from the hope
that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about
in the word of truth, the gospel {6} that has come to you. All over the
world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing
among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its
truth. [We must thank God for faith in Christ and His love for His
saints.]
J. Thank God for zeal.
2 Cor 8:16 I thank God, who
put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. [We must
thank God for the zeal he gives to His people.]
K. Give thanks for the
nearness of God's presence. This is so important in our daily
lives.
Psa 75:1 We give thanks to
you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your
wonderful deeds.
L. Thank God for the
willingness of others in giving offerings for God's service.
1 Chr 29:6-14 Then the
leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders
of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of
the king's work gave willingly. {7) They gave toward the work on the
temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten
thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a
hundred thousand talents of iron. {8} Any who had precious stones gave
them to the treasury of the temple of the LORD in the custody of Jehiel
the Gershonite. {9} The people rejoiced at the willing response of their
leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the LORD. David
the king also rejoiced greatly. {10} David praised the LORD in the
presence of the whole assembly, saying, "Praise be to you, O LORD, God of
our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. {11} Yours, O LORD, is
the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the
splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is
the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. {12} Wealth and honor come
from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and
power to exalt and give strength to all. {13} Now, our God, we give you
thanks, and praise your glorious name. {14} "But who am I, and who are my
people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?
Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from
your hand. [God's people must remember that everything comes from God and
that He expects only a little in return.]
M. Give thanks for supplying
our bodily wants and needs.
Rom 14:6-7 He who regards
one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the
Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord
and gives thanks to God. {7} For none of us lives to himself alone and
none of us dies to himself alone.
1 Tim 4:3-4 They forbid
people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God
created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who
know the truth. {4} For everything God created is good, and nothing is to
be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, (obviously this
does not include poisonous berries or poisonous leaves or anything God
commands us not to eat).
Always thank God for supplying
our needs and wants.
N. Thank God for all His
saints.
1 Tim 2:1 I urge, then,
first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be
made for everyone--
O. Give thanks for all the
things He gives us, both physical and spiritual.
2 Cor 9:11 You will be made
rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and
through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
P. Our thanksgiving should be
accompanied by intercession for others.
2 Tim 1:3 I thank God, whom
I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day
I constantly remember you in my prayers.
Phile 1:4 I always thank my
God as I remember you in my prayers,
Q. We should thank God for our
Country. And what would this include?
(1) Our freedom - the Bill of
Rights - Our Constitution.
The Constitution and its Bill
of Rights were ingeniously conceived. It is because of our founding
father's love and respect of God that God inspired them to design this
great document. John Adams said, "Democracy can only work in a Christian
nation" but democratic non-Christian nations such as Japan probably prove
these principles can work anywhere. While recent laws and court decisions
have been successful in whittling down the provisions of the Constitution
and its Bill of Rights, we must remain thankful that God inspired it and
that so much remains intact for us today, even if it is disappearing
fast. We are living in the end times and must expect good to disappear.
(2) We should be thankful for
the blessings our nation has received.
We have been blessed with the
most bountiful land on earth: A temperate climate, rich soil, abundant
minerals and natural resources, and a Christian people who once tried to
obey the principles of Christianity. Many still do today. The
distinction between the life-styles of the religious and non-religious is
becoming more stark every day. Our recent elections indicate that as well.
(3) We should thank God for
the religious foundation of America - the Pilgrims.
We must always remember the
sacrifices of these people who came to America for religious freedom and
were willing to endure hardships, and even sacrifice personal property and
their lives for religious freedom. We today do not even understand the
feelings, attitudes, and zeal of the Pilgrims as they sought this freedom.
(4) We must thank God for our
military victories and the sacrifices of those who have given their lives
and limbs for us.
Except for Vietnam, the United
States has never been defeated and we would not have been defeated in Viet
Nam except for the "hate America" riots by thousands of spoiled young
people and the very leftist news media of the 1960s and 70s.
(1 Sam 15:23 NASB) "For
rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity
and idolatry....."
These same people are now in
extremely influential positions in our governments and universities. The
liberal policy of placing political party goals ahead of national benefits
and security indicates these almost treasonous attitudes are still alive
today as the US fights Islamic terrorism.
Except for Korea, the United
States has never fought to a stalemate. We would not have fought the
Korean war to a stalemate if our military leaders had been permitted to
fight that war without the intervention of a fearful administration. We
now have North Korea exporting missiles to the Middle East and potentially
a nuclear threat to Japan, Guam and others in the western Pacific. This as
we also fight a seemingly endless world-wide war against Islamic
terrorism, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan only the first battle of this
war.
During the several major wars
the fighting men of this country have always had an attitude of pride for
what they were doing for their country. Death and disability for their
country was accepted as their donation for the peace and freedom of the
United States. God directs the outcomes of war just like all other major
events. God determines the victor. We must never neglect to thank God
for our military victories and for those who paid and are paying the
sacrifices of life and limb for them.
(5) We should thank God for
our leaders, especially the great ones of old, but also the stable ones of
today.
We have talked about the
Pilgrims, but what about the signers of our Constitution and the great
Presidents, Justices and lawmakers since and before the Constitution was
signed? Whether we talk about Lincoln and his leadership during the Civil
War or Washington or Jefferson or Madison or whomever, we must recognize
that we were endowed with extremely capable leaders. And you know what?
They were all strong Christians, giving credit for our blessings to the
Creator. Even today, considering the degeneration of the public's
Christian ethics, we still seem to have a few stable leaders. We must
remember to thank God for our leaders and to pray that He will provide us
with good leaders now and in the future and inspire them with wisdom and
justice.
(6) We should thank God for
our ancestors and their spiritual values.
I have talked
about this subject already but let me add one more thing. Our nation's
founders were willing to risk everything for this country. It is not just
a catchy expression when we read that they dedicated "their lives, their
fortunes (i.e. their property) and their sacred honor." Honor is scoffed
at today, property is routinely taken by the government, and the
preservation of life is paramount unless it is someone else's, in which
case it sometimes seems to be useless. What a change.
(7) Our love of country.
We must thank God for giving
this country the blessings we enjoy. Although we do not like the
direction some people are moving or the violence or disrespect of others
we see today, we could be much worse off if it weren't for the principles
on which this country was founded. We should all thank God that we are
allowed to live in a country which advocates human rights and other
freedoms, though without the knowledge of and respect for God's Word, some
of our leaders no longer seem to know how to apply them.
But love of country also
demands that we resist the negative pulls that can destroy our country.
What can we learn from the demise of previous great civilizations? There
were five basic causes for the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Let
me list them for your consideration:
1. The undermining of the
dignity and sanctity of the home, which is the basis for human society.
2. Higher and higher taxes; the
spending of public money for free bread and circuses for the populace.
Today we might call them social programs, social programs which appear to
help the public but which really are intended to assure the re-election of
the sponsor.
3. The mad craze for pleasure;
sports becoming every year more exciting, more brutal, more immoral;
public morality becoming a cesspool.
4. The building of great
armaments when the real enemy was within – the decay of individual
responsibility.
5. The decay of religion;
faith fading into mere form, losing touch with life, losing power to guide
the people. The ignorance of the Judeo-Christian Bible by the average
American is the prime reason for the spiraling growth of Islam in this
country.
(2 Tim 3:1-5 NKJV) But know
this, that in the last days perilous times will come: {2} For men will be
lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, {3} unloving, unforgiving,
slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, {4} traitors,
headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, {5}
having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people
turn away!
The oft-heard warning that
“history repeats itself” has an ominous meaning in the light of these
causes of national demise. As we thank God for the national blessings we
enjoy, we must also ask God to give us the wisdom and backbone to resist
those negative pressures which can not only remove these national
blessings but which also can destroy the very country to which those
blessings are given.
R. But most importantly, we
should thank God for qualifying us to share in the inheritance of the
saints in the Kingdom of God.
Col 1:10-12
And we pray this in order that
you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way:
bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, {11}
being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that
you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully {12} giving thanks
to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the
saints in the kingdom of light.
In conclusion:
William Law, in his
Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, describes the Greatest Saint
as follows:
"Would you know who is the
greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it
is not he who gives most alms, or is most eminent for temperance,
chastity, or justice, but it is he who is always thankful to God, who
wills everything that God willeth, who received everything as an instance
of God's goodness, and has a heart always ready to praise God for it."
We live in a wicked world,
brethren. It is essential that we learn and practice the art of
thanksgiving.
Rom 1:21 For although they
knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him,
but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
The wicked are adverse to
thankfulness. Brethren, don't lose the habit of continual thanksgiving.
Have a thankful Thanksgiving.
Sermon given
by Wayne Bedwell
November 17,
2007
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