Message

"THANKSGIVING" (1 THESS 5:18)

Nov 24^th, 2002

Int. Today, we have much for which to be thankful. Among those things, is the fact that we can send Tim Willis to Mexico to do the block work on a building for Brother Hammett.

1. The word "thanksgiving" is found 28 times in Scripture.

Thanksgiving is not limited

To just one day a year,

For we should offer daily thanks

For all that we hold dear.

2. A preacher included in his annual report during one of our wars the item "Nine persons lost at sea." When the congregation expressed shock and amazement, he said, "Well, eleven persons requested prayer for those going to sea, and only two asked me to give thanks for a safe return, so I assume that the other nine were lost at sea."

3. On an autumn night in 1860, a steamboat broke up and sank in Lake Michigan,
one mile from the village of Winnetka, Illinois.

There were 393 passengers aboard the Lady Elgin.
279 of those passengers drowned.

Of the 114 survivors, 17 were saved by Edward Spencer, a student of Northwestern University.

Edward Spencer was a strong swimmer, but after he had made 17 round trips
pulling people out of the water to safety, he became delirious from the strain and fatigue.

It was reported that he asked again and again, "Did I do my best?"

As a result of that night, Edward Spencer became sick,
and was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Some years later, on Spencer's birthday,
a reporter asked him his most vivid memory of that heroic date in his life.

His answer: "I remember that not one of the 17 returned to thank me."

4. In (Luke 17:11-19), Jesus healed ten people of leprosy. Out of the ten people who were healed only one person returned to thank Jesus.

5. The day before Thanksgiving an elderly man in Phoenix called his son in New York and said to him, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; 45 years of misery is enough. We're sick of each other, and so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."

Frantic, the son called his sister, who exploded on the phone. "Oh, no they're not getting divorced," she shouted, "I'll take care of this." She called Phoenix immediately, and said to her father. "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?"

The man hung up his phone and turned to his wife. "Okay, honey. The kids are coming for Thanksgiving and paying for their flights."

I. THANKSGIVING DEFINED.

A. THANKSGIVING IS JUST THAT — A TIME OF GIVING.

1. (Lev 6:11-15) "And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place. {12} And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. {13} The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out. {14} And this is the law of the meat offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar. {15} And he shall take of it his handful, of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour, even the memorial of it, unto the LORD."

B. JESUS PROVED THIS BY GIVING TO THE HUNGRY

1. (Mat 14:19) "And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude."

2. (Titus 2:14) ""Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

C. THE EARLY CHRISTIANS GAVE THEMSELVES

1. (2 Cor 8:5) "And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God."

a. "Though Paul was grateful for the way the Macedonians gave out of their deep poverty, he was much more grateful that they gave themselves first."

D. GIVING OF THANKS IS NOT RESERVED FOR JUST THE RICH.

1. (Lev 5:11) "But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering."

E. GIVING OF THANKS WAS ORIGINALLY TO GOD HIMSELF.

1. "In an attempt to put God out of our society and out of our thinking, educators, the news and entertainment media, and vote-seeking politicians tell us that the first Thanksgiving Day was a day, not of thanksgiving to God but of mere celebration. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was, indeed, a day of great celebration precisely because it was a day of thanksgiving to God." –Ronald Rumburg

D. CONSIDER SEVERAL KINDS OF THANKSGIVING.

1. There should be private thanksgiving

a. (Dan 2:23) "I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter."

b. (Dan 6:10) "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."

2. There should be public thanksgiving -- (Psalm 11:1; 22:22,25; 35:18)

a. (Psa 22:22) "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee."

b. (Ps 35:18) "I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people."

b. (1 Chr 29:10) "Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever."

E. THERE SHOULD BE THANKFUL EVEN IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY

1. "In 1862, during the midst of the Civil War, Stonewall Jackson wrote to his wife, who was ill: ‘I trust you and all I have in the hands of an ever kind Providence, knowing that all things work together for the good of His people. So live that your sufferings may be sanctified to you; remember that our light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’.

2. "On May 2, 1863, the seemingly invincible Confederate Army won a tremendous victory at Chancellorville. This victory was offset by the setback of General Stonewall losing his left arm. The next day, when visited by Chaplain Lacy, Jackson remarked: You see me severely wounded but not depressed....I am sure that my Heavenly Father designs this affliction for my good. I am perfectly satisfied, that either in this life, or in that which is to come, I shall discover that what is now regarded as a calamity, is a blessing.... If it were in my power to replace my arm, I would not dare to do it, unless I could know it was the will of my Heavenly Father." [From ‘American Quotations’, collected by William J Federer’]

F. THANKSGIVING IS A TIME TO EXPRESS OUR THANKS FOR HIS MANY MERCIES

1. (Thomas Reade, 'Christian Meditations') said: " It is profitable to consider what I deserve, and what I enjoy, to awaken self abasement, and gratitude."

2. (Psa 103:11) "For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him."

3. The phrase, "His mercy endureth for ever" occurs 41 times in Scripture.

4. (Lam 3:22) "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not."

CONCLUSION: "Grace is bestowing upon us that which we do not deserve; mercy is withholding from us that which we do deserve."

1. C. H. S. said: "Mercy is as old as eternity, and is ever God’s darling attribute. "What a mercy to awake in the morning and find breakfast prepared to eat."

"Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,

The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue;

Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last

Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast."

"Great Father of mercies! thy goodness I own,

And the covenant love of thy crucified Son;

All praise to the Spirit, whose whisper divine

Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine!"

(Thomas Reade, 'Christian Meditations') in his chapter on: "It is all mercy! "said:

1. Am I undergoing a sanctified affliction? It is all mercy!

2. Do I partake of the bounties of Providence? It is all mercy!

3. Do I possess dear, affectionate friends? It is all mercy!

4. Do I experience the love of God in Christ, pardoning my sins, and purifying my heart? It is all mercy!

5. (2 COR 9:15) "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."