THE PLACE OF THANKSGIVING

1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

INTRODUCTION:

 

      A.  Thanksgiving Day is a distinctive holiday. It doesn’t commemorate a battle or anyone’s birthday or anniversary. It is simply a day set aside to express our nation’s thanks to our nation’s God.
            1.  In 1789, George Washington made the first public Thanksgiving proclimation. It said in part:
            2.  "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, & humbly to implore His protection & favor, - and
            3.  "Whereas, Both Houses of Congress" (Did you hear that, "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 & Prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God...’
            4.  "Now, Therefore I do recommend & assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great & glorious Being who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. . ."


      B.  Following this bold tradition President Bush made the following proclamation concerning thanksgiving on November 21, 2008:

      Thanksgiving is a time for families and friends to gather together and express gratitude for all that we have been given, the freedoms we enjoy, and the loved ones who enrich our lives. We recognize that all of these blessings, and life itself, come not from the hand of man but from Almighty God.

      Every Thanksgiving, we remember the story of the Pilgrims who came to America in search of religious freedom and a better life. Having arrived in the New World, these early settlers gave thanks to the Author of Life for granting them safe passage to this abundant land and protecting them through a bitter winter. Our Nation's first President, George Washington, stated in the first Thanksgiving proclamation that "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." While in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln revived the tradition of proclaiming a day of thanksgiving, asking God to heal our wounds and restore our country.

      Today, as we look back on the beginnings of our democracy, Americans recall that we live in a land of many blessings where every person has the right to live, work, and worship in freedom. Our Nation is especially thankful for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who protect these rights while setting aside their own comfort and safety. Their courage keeps us free, their sacrifice makes us grateful, and their character makes us proud. Especially during the holidays, our whole country keeps them and their families in our thoughts and prayers.

      Americans are also mindful of the need to share our gifts with others, and our Nation is moved to compassionate action. We pay tribute to all caring citizens who reach out a helping hand and serve a cause larger than themselves.

      On this day, let us all give thanks to God who blessed our Nation's first days and who blesses us today. May He continue to guide and watch over our families and our country always.

      NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 27, 2008, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship with family, friends, and loved ones to strengthen the ties that bind us and give thanks for the freedoms and many blessings we enjoy.

 

      C.  And so it is this week on the 27th of November our nation will pause once again to give thanks. And one would think with the example of our forefathers, & because we have so much, that we would be an thankful people.
            1.  But it is often just the opposite, isn’t it? The more we get, the less thankful we become, the less mindful of God we become, & the more we want.
            2.  And so I set before us a short passage from Scripture to help us focus on thanksgiving.  It is found in the book of 1 Thessalonians

            3.  1 Thes. 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

            4.  In everything would lead us to believe that we are to give thanks in every place and this is what we see in the psalms.  We are to

                  a.  Give Thanks Among Families

                  b.  Give Thanks Among God’s Family

                  c.  Give Thanks Among Humanity.

            5.  Wherever, whenever, the psalmist says, It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: Psa 92:1

 

LET US PRAY

 

As the people of God we are to give thanks to God in everything, that would naturally lead us to believe that we can and should thank God in many different settings. So lets’ begin at home and see that we are to

 

I.   GIVE THANKS AMONG FAMILIES, Psalm 79:13 So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

 

      A.  As I began to look at the topic of “thanksgiving” I noticed something of relevance.

            1.  Do you see anything connected to “thanksgiving” in this passage?

            2.  Praise!

            3.  They are connected in our next two points as well.

            4.  In fact, in an overwhelming majority of passages dealing with thanksgiving in the psalms the connection is made in one way or another

                  a.  The word praise might not be mentioned

                  b.  But words like:

                        1)  “tell of thy wondrous works”

                        2)  “remembrance of thy holiness”

                        3)  Are used!

            5.  Evidentially, the two go hand in hand!

            6.  The more we learn to praise God the more thankful we will be and vise versa!

            7.  And there is no more important place to learn this lesson than in the family

 

      B.  Our scripture passage stated, So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

            1.  The psalm is a pathetic one through the first 12 verses

            2.  Written by Asaph, probably in response to the Babylonians destroying Jerusalem, the account of which is given in 2 Kings 25.

            3.  His beloved city gone, he raised his voice to the Lord and cried out.

                  a.  How long will you be angry?

                  b.  Remember not our iniquities

                  c.  Help us, O God of our salvation.

            4.  Yet through it all He stated, So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

 

      C.  The nation of Israel was a patriarchal society.

            1.  They place heavy importance on their ancestry and future generations that would come in the family line.

            2.  It was important that the individual families pass along the things of God and remember the works of God

                  -  That was one reason for the Passover, listen to these words found in  Exodus 12:26-27, And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? [27] That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

            3.  So as Asaph poured out his heart to God, even in the worst of times, he want to praise God in his family and give thanksgiving to God, that it might continue in the years and generations to come!

 

      D.  And so it must be with us

            1.  We must teach our children to be thankful

                  a.  Thankful for salvation, thankful for the indwelling Holy Spirit, thankful for His never ending mercy and grace and much more.

                  b.  In so doing we will also teach them to praise our God!

            2.  Thanksgiving and praise must start in the home or future generations will never hear and come to Our God.

            3.  Today, when you get home, sit down with the family and make a list of things you can be thankful about – and take time to express that thankfulness in prayer to God.

            4.  Then give God praise for who He is – lift up your praise in word or song.

            5.  It must start in the home.

 

From there it will be a natural move to

 

II.  GIVE THANKS AMONG GOD’S FAMILY, Psalm 35:18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

 

      A.  The setting for this psalm is probably David running for His life from Saul.

            1.  David had been nothing but faithful to the king, but Saul’s jealousy ran rampant.

            2.  But Saul was not his only problem, David had enemies in court, as well, those he had probably counted as friends

            3.  Amidst this tale of jealousy, treachery, and conspiracy David comes to proclaim: I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

            4.  Whether prophetic or not, David said he would give Him thanks in the great congregation and praise Him among much people.

 

      B.  The great congregation to which David refers could be speaking of two entities

            1.  He could be making reference to the nation of Israel – the throne being his again

            2.  We also know David had a passion for the assembly of God’s people, so  much so that he wanted to build a temple where God and man could meet.

            3.  Either way he would be back in the midst of God’s people!

            4.  And there he would give thanks!

 

      C.  Folks, it is good for God’s people to give thanks to Him among the congregation!

            1.  First, and foremost, it is pleasing to God!

            2.  Secondly, it is an encouragement to God’s people to know God is working in their midst

            3.  Third, it is a testimony to the lost who might be present  - a testimony that our God is real and we have a relationship with Him!

            4.  Listen to these words of the psalmist recorded in Psalm 107:1-3 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; [3] And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

 

      D.  And so it is a good thing for us to proclaim our thanksgiving in the midst of the congregation!

 

With thanksgiving being proclaimed in the home and in the congregation we are now ready to

 

III.      GIVE THANKSGIVING AMONG HUMANITY, Psalm 18:49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

 

      A.  This psalm was written on the occasion of David’s total victory over all his enemies, including king Saul

            1.  Listen to the opening lines of the psalm - Psalm 18:1-3

            2. First there is the introduction: To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul:

            2.  And then praise:  I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. [2] The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. [3] I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

            3.  Praises – they are always linked to thanksgiving - Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

            4.  Take special note of the word “heathen” – the word was most commonly used of non-Hebrews, those who were not God’s people!

 

      B.  It becomes easier and more natural to give thanks to God in the midst of non-believers when we are first giving Him thanks in the family and in the congregation.

            1.  When we display a thankful and praising attitude towards God in our life situations, then people (those who do not know God) will become seekers of our joy, our hope.

            2.  And when that happens, God has given us a word that is fitting:  …be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 1 Peter 3:15

 

      C.  Oh, how the world needs to see our thankfulness expressed towards our God.

            1.  When you eat out, say a prayer of thanksgiving for your food, the waitress, and business you eat at.

            2.  Express thankfulness towards those who serve you in the stores this Thanksgiving and Christmas season

            3.  Look for ways to express your thanksgiving and praise towards God in the midst of a nation that has all but forgot God.

            4.  God will be pleased.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION:

 

      A.  Fathers and head of households, lets take the time to be thankful and lead our families to be thankful towards God.

 

      B.  Church, lets take the opportunities we have to express of thankfulness towards God together

 

      C.  And lets be a people who will be expressive of our thankfulness towards God in the midst of those who do not even know Him!

 

LET US GIVE THANKS!