“Thanks-Living”
Living in a Spirit of Thankfulness.
TEXT: Psalm 100
Psalm 95:2, “Let us come before His presence with THANKSGIVING -Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.”
Thanksgiving should be a spirit, but we have made it a SPURT.
Instead of giving God the Praise, we often give all the complaints, objections, & grievances.
*Are you thankful? Do you complain? Do you like to moan, fuss, or whine about how hard life is? What don’t you like?
GRATITUDE DETERMINES YOUR ATTITUDE.
No one likes to live among complainers.
Col. 3:17, “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.”
MY GOD IS A HAPPY GOD. We must be intentional about living with THANKSLIVING. WE MUST REJOICE BY CHOICE.
We can only reflect on God what we see of God.
The real test of a thankful heart is how it responds to a context of crisis.
ILLUS.: In 1789, George Washington made this 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 “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 THANKSGIVING…To be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God. .”
1. I AM REMINDED OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS.
I think there is a real danger in this season of determining our Thanksgiving based on what we have.
ILLUS.: We are one of 1 of 10 countries that celebrate THANKSGIVING. USA, Canada, Liberia, Grenada, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom & Brazil. I wonder how our world would change if all nations suddenly began to observe Thanksgiving.
Remember God’s goodness.
Vs. 1 -You’ll find the name of the Lord.
Vs. 2 -You’ll find the name of the Lord.
Vs. 3 -You’ll find the name of the Lord.
Vs. 4 -“Enter His gates with thanksgiving.”
Vs. 5 -You’ll find the name of the Lord.
But if you want to know what kind of world God likes, check out Heaven. He said it’s a place where there’s no more sorrow, tears, sickness, death, or dying. He said, “I’ll wipe all tears from your eyes because I’m a happy God.” He said, “When you get up here, you’ll have everything you need to be happy.”
-Until then, you can have happiness in your soul even though you live in a world plagued with problems.
ILLUS.: A man walked into a restaurant and asked if they served crabs. The waitress said: We sure do. We serve anybody-sit down.
2. I AM REMINDED TO PRACTICE THE SCRIPTURE.
Command #1 – Vs. 1, “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.”
It means to “shout with the force of a trumpet blast,” a shout of joy to the Lord that comes from the very depths of your being.
Command # 2- Vs.2 “Serve the Lord with gladness.”
Command # 3- Vs. 2- “Come before His presence with singing.”
Command #4 – Vs.3 “Know that the Lord, He is God.”
GOD HAS MADE US PERFECT. God is our maker, and we are created in His image. Therefore, give Him thanks for who you are. You are a live recording, an original—not a copy!
Command #5: Vs.4 – “Enter His gates with thanksgiving, & His courts with praise; give thanks to Him & praise His name. For the Lord is good & His love endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations.”
WHY? v. 5 – “For the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.”
CONCLUSION
The Practice of Thanks-Living is gratitude in action. It is thanking God for the gift of life by living it triumphantly in Christ Jesus our Lord.