Pentecostal Tabernacle » Thanksgiving Means Giving Thanks

Listen to the sermon: Thanksgiving Means Giving Thanks

by Elder Roy Ray

Today is Thanksgiving Day. Hopefully it is more than a long weekend of culinary indulgence and the commencement of our Christmas shopping. As children we all learned the story of the Pilgrims and how they celebrated the first Thanksgiving with the Native Americans after surviving a harsh winter. Although this was probably not distinctly established as a holiday Holy Day). It is clear that this was a celebration of God’s goodness. This was acknowledged by many Presidents, until finally established on the last Thursday in November by Theodore Roosevelt.

Since we were old enough to talk we were taught to say thank you. Did you ever ask yourself why? As a child we were recipients of all manner of things from our parents. Why should we have to say thank you? After all they brought us into this world. Isn’t it their duty to care for us?

Yes, they did and yes it is their responsibility. BUT…

Giving thanks is the proper response after receiving from another.

It acknowledges our gratitude, thankfulness = well pleased; expression of pleasure

It is a natural response to display our pleasure by giving thanks - by praising

When we go to a restaurant we express our gratitude by…

Tipping, compliments, and the greatest way: by telling others that they may experience the same. In church we call it testifying

Praise means to give or assign value

Example:

Before we purchase a house or an automobile we determine how much it is worth.

APPRAISE = to set a value; estimate the worth of

We expect our homes to appreciate over time.

APPRECIATE = to raise the value of

If this is true of the things we possess; shouldn’t we expect the same of our relationships? How much more our relationship with God?

God has taught man from the beginning to express our thanks. We can see this all through scripture.

There is a cycle of Blessings and Thanks

• God blesses
• We give thanks
• Gods appreciates (increases in value)
• God loads us up with more blessings
• We bless others with the over abundance of blessings
• The cycle replicates because those that we bless begin to thank God

God’s Door Bell - we must announce our presence when coming to His house

Psalm 100:4

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Midnight Praise Party - sometimes God wants some late night entertainment

Psalm 119:62

At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

In the middle of the night I will get up to give you praise, because of all your right decisions. (The Bible in Basic English)

God’s Front-End Loader - for when God wants to dump tons of blessings on us

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

Anyone watch Oprah? Many people talk about one particular show: Oprah’s Favorite things

When God Shows Up - When He comes to town; He deserves to be greeted

1 Chronicles 16:1-8

1 Chron 16:1-3 - David greeted God with blessings and everyone got blessed

So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.

And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.

1 Chronicles 16:4,7 - David goes the extra mile for the guest; then serenades Him.

1 Chron 16:4 And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to record, and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the LORD into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.

David testifies

1 Chron 16:8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

Psalm 9:11 Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

For-Get-Me-Nots - God sends us reminders to always give Him thanks

Deuteronomy 8:10-11

When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.

Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:

Giving Thanks and Praise must be a lifestyle

Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.