Sermon for Sunday November 23rd, 2008

Thanksgiving by Steve Shepherd

1 Thessalonians 5:18-5:18

INTRO.- ILL.- One man wrote, “The day before Christmas became a thanksgiving day for my family. The station wagon was packed with kids and travel stuff for the 400-mile trip to Grandma’s. As is our custom, before leaving we asked God to protect us on the road. He did, but in an unusual way.

“As we were cruising down I-75 in Ohio, we ran over some debris in the road. It made a lot of noise, but did no damage--or so we thought. With every passing mile we figured that the crisis had passed. When we pulled off the expressway for gas a few miles later, though, we were in for a deflating surprise. I felt a sickening, sloppy feeling in the front of the car. Both front tires had gone flat.

“We weren’t happy with having to replace the tires, but we were thankful for God’s care. Thankful that we didn’t have an accident. Thankful that the tires stayed inflated until we got off the expressway. Thankful for the tow truck sitting at the gas station. Thankful that a repair shop was open. We were thankful for God’s answer to our prayer.”

I Thess. 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Sometimes the circumstances of our lives are not always the best. In fact, they may be downright bad, but still, we are to look for something to be thankful for! And there is ALWAYS something positive for which we can be thankful!

ILL.- One morning after a terrible snowstorm, Susan was outside shoveling her driveway. She stopped to wave hello to her neighbor, and he asked her why her husband wasn’t out there helping her with the chore.

She explained that one of them had to stay inside to take care of the children, so they drew straws to see who would go out and shovel. "Sorry about your bad luck," he said. Susan replied, "Don’t be sorry. I won!"

I Thess. 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Giving thanks is God’s will for our lives. Giving thanks to God and others is what pleases the Lord.

PROP.- I have three simple thoughts about thanksgiving.
1- We have it so good
2- We enjoy it so much
3- We express it so little

I. WE HAVE IT SO GOOD

ILL.- Your mama is so poor, I walked into her house, asked to use the bathroom, and she said "3rd tree to your right."

Where did you come from? How poor were you when you were a child? What do you now have that didn’t you have? Many of you grew up with a whole less than you have now.

I Tim. 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

WE ARE THE RICH OF THIS WORLD and we should not be arrogant about it.

ILL.- Every week I send my sermons to an internet site called, “sermon central.com.” Occasionally, I receive e-mail notes from preachers who read my sermons. Some of the best notes I receive are from people in other parts of the world. For example, Packs Padillia preaches in the Philippines.

Do you know how much the average Filipino lives on yearly? $1040. Can you imagine? We have it so very good here in America!

ILL.- Brother Ruben Casas is a Hispanic preacher in East LA, California. He preaches for the American Baptist Church. We got acquainted some years ago through sermon central as well. Ruben, of course, was born and raised in Mexico. Here is a part of a letter that he wrote me.

“I remember the time in my homeland when I was working for less than one dollar a day. I came to this country looking for a better future and I found it. I went to school for a few years while I was working, sometimes part-time, sometimes full-time. When the Lord called me to ministry, He opened many doors. I was able to go to college than to seminary to get my Masters in Divinity.

“For many years I served the Lord in the barrio, in the heart of Northeast Los Angeles where gang activity, drive-by shootings, drug trafficking and other criminal activities were rampant. We preached on the streets, in the parks, in parking lots and everywhere we could, besides the church. We were trying to make an impact in the community.

“During those years I received a very small salary from the church. I used to get $800 dollars a month. It was not very much, but it was a whole lot better than what I had ever earned back in my country. I went through a lot of financial struggles. I had to drive a 1971 Ford Pinto, but where I grew up, I had to ride on a donkey.

“I also believe God brought me here to bless me so that I can bless other people. God has blessed me so much in so many ways. I just cannot thank Him enough. Every day of my life I gather my family and we thank God for all His blessings. By the way, I still drive an old car, a 1993 Honda Accord.

“God has been very good to me. The church has more than doubled in size. My salary has also grown accordingly. I am not rich according to our standards. I only make about 36K a year. But according to the standards of where I grew up I am certainly very, very rich. I am so grateful to God for all the things He has given me. Sometimes I feel I do not deserve so much. But God is good and He wants me to enjoy his blessings.”

We all have it so good in America!

II. WE ENJOY IT SO MUCH

I Tim. 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment and we often enjoy it too much!

ILL.- In 1968 I bought ordered a new Pontiac Firebird. What a beauty! Of course, all I cared about was speed because I had an older brother who helped to lead me down that path. That Firebird had a 400 CI engine, 330 hp, 4 speed on the floor and I took it to the Mokan Dragway near Joplin, MO, to race it. I was so infatuated with that car, I so enjoyed that car that I washed it every day and waxed it once every week.

Don’t you think that was a bit much? I didn’t then but I do now.

ILL.- I have a preacher friend named Truman Brady from Seneca, MO, who came to visit us this last weekend. I asked Truman if he would give his testimony during our Sunday School hour and what a testimony! I wanted him to tell my people how he went from the pew to the pulpit, from the grocery business to the preaching business, BUT WE HEARD SO VERY MUCH MORE THAN THAT!

Truman said at one time he owned 5 different Corvettes and 14 different boats, but of course, not all at one time. He said he used to live for himself. He would wait for the Christian people at Seneca Christian Church to go to church and then he’d hook up his boat and head to Grand Lake in OK. He didn’t want them to see him going by the church, pulling his boat.

Thank God that’s not the end of Truman’s story. Something got a hold of his heart and he started attending church faithfully. And even offered to fill the pulpit one time for the preacher. Why did he do that? He said he didn’t know. I think it was a God thing. I think God moved his heart. From then on, he offered to fill the pulpit at different churches where he and his family lived.

He worked in the grocery business most of his life, working for Dillions and then he had his own grocery store in the small town of Seneca. After 8 years he sold it.

When he found out that the Fairland Christian Church, Fairland, OK, needed a preacher he offered to fill the pulpit for them. After just one Sunday, I believe it was, they asked, "Would you like to be our full-time preacher?" He accepted.

That church was running less than 70 people and approximately four months later they were running 140. They soon had a Friend Day and 229 people came to church that Sunday. Truman is now 50 years old and started preaching there two years ago. They probably average over 160 or so in a town of 1,100 with four other churches in town. They’ve had nearly 40 baptisms in two years. THAT’S A GOD THING.

Truman stopped living for himself. He is now living for the Lord and he is enjoying life more than ever before! That’s the kind of enjoyment that we all need to experience.

It’s all right to enjoy the blessings of God but not to the point where this is our main focus! WE ARE NOT TO FOCUS ON THE GIFTS BUT RATHER THE GIVER OF THE GIFTS!

If it’s good, it’s from God. BUT LET’S NOT FORGET GOD! It’s okay to enjoy the blessings of God but not to the point where they become the main focus of our lives and God is shoved to the sidelines or worse.

I Tim. 6:17 “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.”

III. WE EXPRESS IT SO LITTLE

ILL.- A little boy of six was invited out to lunch in a neighbor’s home. When all were seated at the table the food was served. The little boy was puzzled and said, “Don’t you say any prayer before you eat?”

The host was highly embarrassed over the boy’s blunt question, and mumbled, “No, we don’t take time for that.”

The boy was silent for a time, then said, “You’re just like my dog. You start right in.”

We express our gratitude so little. How much good food have we consumed without giving thanks? How many things have we enjoyed in life without ever saying, "Thank you, Lord"?

II Tim. 3:1-2 " 1But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy.."

Terrible time. People will be ungrateful and unholy. Could it be that the two go together? Are we ever guilty of ingratitude?

How many blessings have we taken for granted?

ILL.- Preacher, Donald Grey Barnhouse said: I was once invited to a luncheon where thirty or forty Christians—ministers and laymen—were gathered together for discussion of a certain problem of Christian work.

A well-known layman was asked to return thanks before the meal. I have heard the blessing asked hundreds of times, but suddenly my attention was aroused. The man who was praying said, “We thank Thee for all these gifts, for our food, for our water...”

I do not know what else was said in the prayer, but that thought gripped me. Thank God for the water...I have asked the blessing before thousands of meals, but that day for the first time, I thanked the Lord in spirit and in truth for common ordinary water, and for the Living Water. I then began to think of other common things for which we never thank God, and began thanking Him.

There are so many little things in life that add up to a lot and we often take them for granted.

ILL.- One New Year’s Day a millionaire whose selfishness kept him from offering a tip for any service, faced an unforgettable tragedy. His chief accountant committed suicide.

The books were found to be in perfect order, the affairs of the dead man—a modest bachelor—were prosperous and calm. The only letter left by the accountant was a brief note to his millionaire employer. It read: “In 30 years I have never had one word of encouragement. I’m fed up.”

We are the millionaires. We have so very much but often, we express our gratitude so very little.

I Thess. 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

CONCLUSION------------------------

ILL.- “What can I do for you, Madam?” Abraham Lincoln asked an elderly lady who had been ushered into his private office. Placing a covered basket on the table she said, “Mr. President, I have come here today not to ask any favor for myself or for anyone. I heard that you were very fond of cookies, and I came here to bring you this basket of cookies!”

We need to bring our basket of cookies to God! We need to bring Him much praise every day without asking for anything else!

Get it right. We have it so good. We enjoy it so much. But we often express it so little.