November 19th, 2000, Sunday Morning Thanksgiving Week "Giving Thanks unto GOD" The Thanksgiving message OPENING: 1 Thessolonians 5:18, KJV

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• Tomorrow (almost two weeks after Election2000), information will be exposed to the whole world that may make some people (and in particular, Christians) mad.
  
  
  • Rather, Christians should conduct themselves in a manner where they give thanks to GOD no matter the outcome but for the simple fact an outcome occurred.
  
  
• Thanksgiving Day is the day this country has set aside to give thanks for preservation, shelter, freedom from warfare, etc.
  
  
  • We're not limited to giving thanks once a year but rather we should be giving thanks to GOD every day.
    
    
  • More proof the world is shunning GOD: Thanksgiving Day is now called "Turkey Day" (just like Christmas is now "X-mas"--in effect, crossing God out)
  
  
• What does it mean to be thankful? It means not only to acknowledge another's kindness but to be impressed with it.
  
  
  • CHILDREN: When's the last time you were impressed with the fresh, clean-smelling clothes your folks washed for you to the food they prepared for you?
    
    
  • Some people are given gifts they are not impressed with ... like green socks. They may not be stylish or impressive looking. However, if they're heavy wool green socks and you don't have a shelter to keep your feet warm in, then you quickly become grateful for those socks
  
  
• WHAT IT MEANS TO GIVE THANKS
  
  
  • Essential ingredients for worshipping GOD:
    
    
    • Colossians 3:15: This means be impressed with what GOD has given you ... "be ye thankful"
      
      
      • We can easily forget others that don't have a home.
      • Others live, unsheltered, in the elements
      • Others are children who don't have parents
      
      
    • We should be thankful with a sense of gratefulness and be ready to acknowledge that kindness (i.e., through prayer)
  
  
• WHY give thanks?
  
  
  • 1 Thessolonians 5:18: It is GOD's will for you.
    
    
  • Psalm 100: We are commanded to come before His presence with singing and thanksgiving.
    
    
    • Once you are truly thankful, you will give thanks.
      
      
    • If GOD answers any of your prayers this week, you're a candidate to be thankful.
    
    
  • If you're so used to GOD answering your prayers, you'll no longer be thankful ... you won't be impressed with GOD.
    SOLUTION: Do without.
    
    
    • If you can't stand the food your mom makes at the dinner table, go without and learn how quickly you become grateful for food on the table.
      
      
    • Romans 1:21: Today, the world (in the context of how the world began) wants to talk about gas and not GOD.
      
      
    • 2 Timothy 3:1-2: We already see all of this today in not only the world but the churches: "unthankful".
      
      
    • Aren't you glad GOD doesn't charge for use of the sun, oxygen, or water? We interact with so much of it on a daily basis, we've become unthankful for the very basic of elements.
    
    
  • Be thankful unto GOD--not the churches or the pastors. Giving thanks is our way of showing our gratitude.
  
  
• WHO gives thanks?
  
  
  • 1 Thessolonians 5:18: All those "in Christ" (saved). This is not for all the world (unsaved) since the world rejected Christ as Savior when it crucified Him.
    
    
    • 1 Timothy 4:3: This isn't like Star Trek where food is replicated. Someone in this world had to rear, raise, feed, smell, slaughter, harvest, bleed, boil or pre-cook, wrap, freeze, and truck your meat to you. Your food didn't come out of nowhere. It took many people many hours to bring to you what you consume in minutes and never think of twice.
      
      
    • You should look back at your entire year's experiences and appreciate them in thanks to GOD. But you say, "Pastor! You don't understand how rough a year I've had!" But you made it through up to this point, however.
      
      
    • Our circumstances dictate we should give thanks for everything--regardless.
      
      
    • Maybe tomorrow, GOD will teach us (this country) a lesson by giving us the president whom we believe not to be the right one ... just as Israel was sold into slavery by so many nations so many times for its continual disobedience to GOD.
      
      For whatever evils this great country seweth, we will eventually reap the whirlwind of it.
  
  
• WHAT to be thankful/impressed for:
  
  
  • #1: GOD's mercy
    
    
    • GOD has a benevolent, tender heart to be constantly forgiving us of our trespasses and injuries to Him we've inflicted.
      
      
    • We go unthankful of the grace and mercy of GOD and then when we get hit with trouble, we say, "Why me? I don't deserve this!" In actually, all of us on earth deserve to go to hell right now for payment of our sins and trespasses against GOD.
      
      
      • And Christians are some of the most arrogant people--flipping their nose up at GOD, walking around like they're better than others and don't deserve as bad as others.
      
      
    • Ephesians 2:1: GOD's greatest gift to us was to save us from going to hell. In this passage of scripture, "quickened" means to being alive (to be re-born, or born again--spiritually speaking).
    
    
  • #2: GOD's grace
    
    
    • We're talking about GOD's free gift of eternal salvation, good will and kindness. FREE because, contrary to popular belief, doing good things for others to the best of your ability will not grant you salvation (Isaiah 64:6)! We are ugly before the perfect and righteous GOD.
      
      
    • If you're not impressed with salvation anymore, then you've been saved for too long.
    
    
  • Romans 8:28: We should be thankful for both the good and the evil done upon us.
    
    
    • Some people question why we should be thankful for evils upon us ... consider this parable from Pastor Byrd:
      
      More people desire cinnamon apple pie than regular apple pie. If both pies were left out, the cinnamon apple pie would be gone first because it tastes better than regular apple pie. So what makes the cinnamon apple pie so much more desirable? The cinnamon--the best part of it. HOWEVER--do you see people walk around eating pure cinnamon sticks? No--why? Because it doesn't taste good by itself. THEREFORE, in order for an overall good to come together in the end, the cinnamon (desired part) and ordinary apple pie (not as much desired) must be put together!
      
      There is no comparison between our little suffering forgone in our temporal life and the glory of the eternity forthcoming.
      
      
    • A liar is someone who believes all his days have been showered with evil.
    
    
  • We should be thankful for everything--especially answered prayers
    
    
  • We should give thanks for His goodness
    
    
    • Psalm 105:1: Make your testimony (the good GOD has done for you) public information among the people--tell everyone you know, especially the church. If you are not ashamed of your Savior before the people then Jesus will not be ashamed of you before the Father.
      
      
    • Psalm 107:1,8,15,21,31: This verse is so important, it's the exact wording in all these passages. GOD is good yet we act like He's been short-changing us.
    
    
  • 2 Corinthians 9:15: ABOVE ALL, BE THANKFUL FOR His "unspeakable gift" which is the gift of eternal salvation (being saved). Think about the multitudes going to hell without hope ... and perhaps how close you got to hell (in the event of a near death or near-fatal accident).
    
    
    • Think of how lucky you are to have been born in the United States which once built its foundation upon the solid rock of GOD. We could've been born in a different country that have no hope!
  
  
  CLOSER

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• TRUE STORY: A Turkish citizen (female) married a service member while overseas. Upon entering the U.S., they lived in California and then Alamogordo--here. They are one of the first three families to found this church--Berean Independent Baptist. This family definitely represents thankful soulwinners.
  
  
• Don't be saved too long that you're not impressed anymore. Every good gift is from GOD.