Barriers to Thanksgiving - Bob Smith 11-7-10

Lizzy, as you know, parent helps me with the newsletter.

She proofs it and I appreciate that very much.

She does some sheep also puts the puzzle in there and so I

appreciate her help very much. And Bob Iger Gene also helped me

before that. So I appreciate these sisters

helping out with the newsletter. She sent the newsletter back to

me and and said there's a little more space.

Maybe we could put something in there about Thanksgiving and I

thought that was a good idea. And so I started looking for

quotes, you know, I just Add a little space filler and about

look for quotes on the news on the internet about Thanksgiving

and I read quite a few and, you know, some were funny and some

were, you know, very thoughtful but I got to thinking, you know,

the Christian needs to be thankful everyday.

Not just on the holiday and we have a lot to be thankful for,

you know. And so I thought a lesson about

being thankful would be fitting and I found this outline on the

on the internet and I think it's really could really be helpful

to us because we do have a lot to be thankful for.

And and we are more thankful to God.

Of course, then than people who do not have faith, But sometimes

we just forget to express our thankfulness.

And so we want to talk about this morning barriers to

thankful to Thanksgiving. The scriptures of course, tell

us to be thankful. First Thessalonians 5 and 18

says in everything, give, thanks for.

This is, the will of God in Christ Jesus, for you, Ephesians

5 and 20 says, giving thanks always for all things to God.

The father, in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, Hebrews, 13

and 15. Therefore by him, let us

continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God.

That is the fruit of our lips giving.

Thanks. X2 his name.

There was a there was for young college, boys, sharing

apartment, and of course, they shared the expenses and they

were working part-time. So they needed they needed to

share that that expense. And of course they shared their

meals. And they took turns fixing the

dinner meal. And as usual, you know, with

young men, the meals were very plain and and but Joe would

always say no matter what. That was.

A mighty fine dinner. No matter who fixed it.

And one day it was particularly bad and he still said that was a

mighty fine dinner. And someone asking, why do you

always say that this food is probably hardly fit for

consumption? And he said that when he was

young, his mother always fixed the dinner, and she was spend

all afternoon fixing it because there was 11 kids and he said,

one day, they came to the dinner after she called them and there

was just straw on all of the plates.

And his father says, what is this straw doing on my plate?

And she said that's the first time you've ever said anything

about my dinner. So, you know, this was in Dear

Abby, by the way. Sometimes we just forget to say

thanks and take things for granted.

You know, this is one of the this is one of the barriers to

thanks to Thanksgiving and that's thoughtfulness.

It's interesting that the word think and thank are from the

same root English word. We're often.

We often fail to be grateful and express our thanks.

Because we just don't think about it.

We need to think about what God has done for us.

We need to think about his love and and the great sacrifice that

he's made for us. The Psalms Express a lot of

Thanksgiving to God. Psalms 30 David writes there

about at the time of his of the the the at the time, the of the

dedication of his of his house. I'd like to read all of the

30th. Psalm I will extol You O Lord

for you have lifted me up and have not let my foes Rejoice

Over Me O. Lord my God I cried out to you

and you healed Me O Lord, you brought my soul up from the

grave. You have kept me alive.

That I should not go down to the pit.

Sing praise to the Lord, you Saints of his and give, thanks

at the remembrance of His holy name for his anger is.

But for a moment, his favor is for Life weeping.

May endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.

Now, in my Prosperity, I said I shall never be moved.

Lord by your favor. You have My Mountain stand

strong, you hid your, you hid your face and I was troubled.

I cried out To You O, Lord, and to the Lord, I made

supplication. What profit is there in my

blood? When I go down to the pit Will

the dust praise you. Will it declare?

Your name here? O Lord and have mercy on me.

Lord, be my helper. You have turned from for me my

mourning into dancing. You have put off my sack cloth

and clothed me with gladness. To the end that my glory may be.

May sing, praise, to you and not be silent.

Oh Lord, my God I will give thanks to you forever.

In Psalms 103 and the first five verses there.

Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me.

Bless His holy name, bless the Lord, O my soul and forget, not

all of his benefits, who forgives all your iniquities,

who heals all your diseases? Who redeems your life from

destruction? Who crowns you with

loving-kindness and tender Mercy who satisfies your mouth with

good things. So that your youth is renewed,

like the eagles. In 105 and 1 through 30, give

thanks to the Lord call upon his name.

Make known his deeds. Among the peoples sing to him,

sing praise to him. Talk of all, his wondrous Works

glory in His holy name. Let the hearts of those who

Rejoice who seek the Lord. In 106, praise the Lord.

Oh give thanks to the Lord for he is good for his Mercy endures

forever. Who can utter the mighty acts of

the Lord, who can declare all his praise blessed are those who

keep Justice? And he who does righteousness in

at all times? David here.

Writes about his about praise to God, when he was at the height

of his of his Rule, and he was very well blessed then, but

David had hard times too and David blessed the Lord even

during his hard times, I like the account of Jonah who in the

belly of the whale gives praise. And thanks to God.

Jonah two, and seven says, when my soul fainted within me, I

remembered the Lord and Prayer went up to you into your Holy

Temple, those who regard worthless Idols forsake their

own Mercy, but I will sacrifice to you with the voice of

Thanksgiving. I will pay.

What I have vowed salvation is of the Lord.

In it's something when we can remember to praise God, when we

are troubled, you know, we often pray our most Earnest prayers

when we have the most trouble. And, but oftentimes, it's for

help because we're needing help, but, we need to remember,

Remember to thank God at those times to sometimes when we're

doing well it's easy to forget and just take our blessings for

granted. But we need to thank God always

at when in the good times and the bad.

What are we blessed with, you know, wherever we're blessed by

God, by the day, we blessed because we have another day to

live, we know that God, created the heavens and the earth and

the and Peter says that same word keeps it in store today.

So it is because God willed it, that we have another day and

that we have this hour and moment.

So we can thank God for that. Just having another day of life

and and we You think about those who do not believe and they

don't give God. Thanks, they believe the World

created itself or that was just created by an accident.

But we need to thank God because we recognize him as the Creator

and the sustainer of Life. As We Know It.

We have our Bibles, we have our song books, we have this

building, we have song leaders and teachers and we have fellow

church members. We have a, we have peace and

strength in this congregation and all of these things.

I'm also thankful that the the prayer leaders are often are

very diligent and faithful to mention these things.

When they pray and they do very well here about that.

And again, we need to think about God's forgiveness and his

Redemption, his mercy and his grace, and how great that is,

and what a great price, he was willing to pay for us.

Dr. Paul Reese tells a true story about a man whose job.

It was to transport. A mental patients, who had been

committed to a mental hospital and he was delivering one day, a

patient and dropped him off. And as he was walking back to

his car, he heard somebody yell to him.

Hey fella and he turned around and from one of the upper four

floors, he says are you talking to me?

And he says, yeah you He says, have you ever thought to thank

God that you have a healthy mind?

And all his 15 years of delivering unstable people, and

mentally ill people to this hospital.

He never thought to thank God that he had a healthy mind.

So we just need to be thoughtful and think about the things we

have to be thankful for. Faithless nastas is a barrier to

thankfulness. Of course, our strong faith

prompts us to be thankful and to give God thanks.

People who refuse to believe can never really be thankful in

Romans the first chapter, 22 and 21.

It says for since the creation of the world his invisible

attributes are clearly seen being understood by the things

that are made even his eternal power and godhead so that they

are without excuse because although they knew God They did

not glorify him as God nor we're thankful, but became futile in

their thoughts and their foolish Hearts were darkened.

This is pretty interesting. If you think about it, they knew

God, it talks about the heavens, of course, declaring the glory

of God. And and and and we can know God

just through the creation but they knew God, but they refused

to to glorify. Him or give him.

Thanks Kaufman quotes, RC bell and says an expressive change of

voice is noted in the last Clause where the active voice

records. The negative, the negative

action of the Gentiles in refusing to glorify God or give,

thanks, but the passive voice was used in.

Describing what happened afterwards?

Their senseless Hearts were darkened.

They made the Just choice. Not to believe, God.

They knew God it says it's not that they were they lack the

information because they knew God but they chose not to give

him. Thanks or not to glorify him.

The Hebrews are a good example of this.

Very same thing. To in Hebrews, the fourth

chapter talks about God's delivering of the children of

Israel to the promised land. And that they threw a lack of

faith, would not go in and God promised they would not go in.

And so he drove them and, you know, for the, the Wilderness

years until all of that generation passed away, Except

for Joshua and Caleb. They were the only two of the 12

Spies that, that were confident and had faith.

That they could go in and possess the land, but the ten

spies convinced the rest of the Israelites that they couldn't

make it. They couldn't do it.

And so, God says, in Hebrews, the fourth chapter verse 11, let

us therefore be diligent to enter the rest lest one fall

according to the same example of Disobedience that can't the new

King James says, or unbelief, the King James says listen to

the definition of this word Disobedience, it means

disobedient Disobedience unwillingness to be persuaded,

willful unbelief, obstinance they would not believe Joshua

and Caleb believed, but the rest of them would not believe, you

know, how could they not believe?

They had just been delivered from Egypt, and saw the mighty

works of God. Saw God part the sea and they

walked across on on dry ground. How could they not believe they

willfully refuse to believe? They chose to not believe and

that's the way people will do and people that That won't

believe cannot be thankful Joshua believed, and he led the

people into Israel and the Hebrews 11 and 30 says by faith,

the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for

seven days, Joshua believed and he led the People by that faith.

We know that all gifts come from God, James 1 and 17, every good

gift. And every perfect gift is from

above, and comes down from the Father of Lights with whom there

is no variableness or shadow of turning.

We recognize that everything comes from God and we give God,

praise, and thanks because of that faith in him.

Discontentment is another barrier to being thankful.

Philippians, 4 and 11, not that I speak in regard to need for.

I have learned in whatever state.

I am to be content. I know how to be abased, and I

know how to abound everywhere in.

And in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry

both to abound and to suffer need Paul is a, it's remarkable

that Paul would say that that he could say that, you know, no

reading about his travels and about all of all that he endured

and and suffered through, it's amazing that he could be content

no matter what came his way. But we need to learn to be

content that way to First, Timothy 6 and 6 now godliness

with contentment is Great game for we brought nothing into this

world and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

I'd like to read a little quote from Barnes on this verse

Philippians 4:11 a contented. Mine is an invaluable blessing

Philippians 4:11

and is one of the fruits of religion in the soul.

It arises from the belief that God is right in all his ways.

Why should we be impatient Restless discontented?

What evil will it Remedy by it? What want supplied, what

calamity removed so you No, our trust in God, our faith in God.

Really can make us content because we know that we can do

all things, as Paul said through Christ.

Who strengthens us. Proverbs 15 and 15.

He that is of a merry heart hath, a continual feast.

Consider of this. This is an interesting fact

about the pilgrims. And they were, they were

grateful of the 102 that were on the Mayflower.

Only 46. That is 46 died the first year.

Only three couples of all of those escape, the death of one

of their partners. They had only a few personal

possessions and lived in crude log huts.

After those first few hard years, they had a custom that at

their Thanksgiving dinner. There would be five kernels of

corn on each plate and they would have to think of five

things to be thankful for and That Grew From the allotment or

the well, their allotments. Each day of of corn was five

kernels through the first year. And so that reminded them of the

hardship, but it also prompted them to be thankful for what

they have now. Selfishness.

Those who are selfish. Cannot be have a hard time

giving. Thanks, Matthew, 18 and 23.

23 through 25 35. Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven

is like a certain King who wanted to settle accounts with

his servants and when he had begun to settle accounts one was

brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.

But as he was not able to pay his master commanded that he be

sold and his wife and children and all that they had and that

payment be made the servant therefore fell down before him

saying Master have patience with me and I will pay you all.

Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion.

Released him and forgave him the debt, but that servant went out

and found. One of his fellow servants, who

owed him, a hundred denarii, and he laid hands on him and took

him by the throat saying, pay me what you owe?

So, his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him

saying have patience with me and I will pay you all And he would

not but when and threw him into prison till he should pay the

debt. So when his fellow servants saw

what he had done, they were very grieved and came and told his

master, their master, all that had been done, then his master

and he after he had called him said to him.

You Wicked. Servant.

I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.

Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow

servant just as I had pity on you and asthma.

Master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he

should pay all that was due him. So my heavenly father also will

do to you. If each of you from his heart,

does not forgive his brother, his trespasses.

You know this this servant owed owed his master, a huge sum,

it's a totals about 16 million dollars and in that day it would

take him two hundred fifty thousand years at their wages to

pay that back. So it was a huge debt that his

master forgave him yet, he wouldn't forgive his fellow

servant that tiny debt. That was owed him.

That debt. He would have Denari was a day's

wages so it would it take him 100 days to work that debt off.

So, you know, and he says, just so it is so your heavenly father

also will do to you. If each of you from his heart,

does not forgive his brother, his trespasses, you know, if we

could, if we could compare the debt that God forgives us

through Christ with what someone might transgress against us.

It would be a tiny thing. so we need to be forgiving and willing

to forgive, Those who trespass against us just as God for

Christ's sake, forgives us. Paul says that great

Thanksgiving is given to God through our generosity.

You know, he talked to the Corinthians and how that the in

second Corinthians the Night chapter, he tells them how they

should give and to give generously because God will

bless them so that they can give them more and then he says, In

verse 10 now, may he who supplies seed to the sower and

bread for food supply and multiplied, the seed you have

sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness while you are

enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes

Thanksgiving through us to God for the administration of this

service. Not only supplies the needs of

the Saints but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to

God. He's saying that the that

Thanksgiving to God is compounded by their generosity

and their giving because it not only is is a sign of their

Thanksgiving and their trust in God by giving so generously.

But their gift also causes many to give Thanksgiving to God.

Selfishness looks to self and says I and myself you know, why

should I be thankful I earned it or I deserve what I've received

or why help others. They haven't helped me.

We need to not be selfish. Love is not selfish.

Love thinks of others and we need to think of others and not

of ourselves. Those people who receive letters

for the to Santa Claus say that they receive thousands and

thousands of letters, requesting a specific gifts saying what

they want to receive for Christmas.

But as far as they know they say they only receive one letter of

thanks to Santa. And I just mention that to say

that to say this that we're we seem to be.

It seems to be in our nature from a very young age to be

selfish. And we need to not do that.

We need to to fight that barrier to thankfulness.

Failure to be thankful. Comes from neglect. in Luke 17

11 through 19 talks about Jesus healing 10 lepers,

Verses 11 through 19. Now, it happened, as he went to

Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and

Galilee, then as he entered a certain Village there.

Met him ten men who were lepers who stood far off and they

lifted up their voices and said, Jesus Master have mercy on us so

when he saw them he said to them go show yourselves to the

priests. And so it was that as they went,

they were cleansed. And one of them when he saw that

he was healed returned. And with a loud voice glorified

God, And fell down on his face and At His Feet giving him

thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

So, Jesus answered and said, where are the, were there, not

ten cleansed but where are the nine where they're not?

Any found who returned to give glory to God, except this

Foreigner? And he said to him rise.

Go, your way your faith has made you.

Well, You know surely these men were thankful leprosy is a

terrible disease and there was no cure in that day and here

they were cleansed of their leprosy but they neglected to

give. Thanks a surely, they were

thankful but they neglected to give.

Thanks only this Samaritan, went back and gave Jesus.

Thanks for helium. I guess that's a an example of a

real neglect. Just just letting it pass when

we should give thanks. We need to resolve to be

thankful people and I think we are, I think we are and and it

tells in our in our public prayers and it's telling in our

faith, all of these things can be a barrier to our being

thankful. We need to fight these barriers

and and take them down and be thankful people.

Sorrowing Hearts, sweeten, your grief with gratitude burden,

Soul lighten, your burden by singing?

God, praise disappointed one. Dispel your Heartache by making

others. Grateful sick.

One grow strong in your soul thanking.

God that you are healthy and strong spiritually.

We have a lot to be thankful for.

We need to. We need to express that thinks

and be diligent about it because God is certainly worthy of our

thanks and praise for all he does.

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