Giving Thanks

word in the book of psalms and psalm 100

psalm 100 we're going to look at this psalm together the whole psalm it is a psalm of

thanksgiving as a heading in some of the bibles well how we are to give thanks to god for all

his blessings to us we ask ourselves the question though how often do we give thanks to god

now are we as thankful as we we should be now these questions still surge at hearts as god's

questions often do are we as thankful as we should be and how often do we thank god i'm sure

for all of us here there's not a day goes past that we're not thankful to god for so many things

but today i want us to think of it as a day of thanksgiving not especially a pointed day

but a day as with every day that we can see the many reasons we do have to give thanks

and especially tonight looking back over the past weekend and giving thanks for god's goodness to us

in so many ways it was a blessed time together and still feeling that even today and hopefully

we'll keep feeling that in the days ahead that we were blessed by god he was with us through

the preaching of the word he was with us as we sat at the lord's table he was with us in our fellowship

with one another he was with us in so many ways and truly we have so many reasons to give thanks

an encouraging time and a time we pray that will spur us on and keep us going from strength to strength

because we have been through as we heard in the prayers a difficult period of not being able to gather

in such a way we pray that bit by bit god god is building up his people again giving us the confidence

to go forward in his strength and by filling our hearts with thankfulness that gives us a strength

to keep looking to him as we go forward we read in paul's letter to the colossians there in chapter 2

these words although i am absent in body as a verse 5 yet i am with you in spirit rejoicing to see your

good order and the firmness of your faith in christ therefore as you received christ jesus the lord

so walk in him rooted and built up in him and established in the faith just as you were taught

and he concludes that little section abounding in thanksgiving abounding in thanksgiving so you see

all the things that are mentioned there the rejoicing in the order and firmness of your faith the things

we want to see in all god's people how you received christ how you are to walk in him rooted built up

established in faith all of these things that we long to see in each of us as god's children

abounding in thanksgiving thanksgiving completes our praise to god there paul is encouraging his people

in the midst of great challenges not to lose heart but to press on to press on in this way

and to do so abounding in thanksgiving the more we see of what christ has done and the faith that we

have received from him to be able to love him as we do because he first loved us let us truly be

thankful for all that he has done and with these words in mind i want us to look at at psalm 100

together this evening a psalm of thanksgiving i want to see what it has to say to us it is as we've said a psalm

a song of thanksgiving as a thanksgiving psalm both in terms of who god is and what he has done

and indeed what he is continuing to do for his people it's a psalm that gives us commands and

instructions to be a people who come to him in worship it's calling us to come before him to come

into his presence to serve the lord with gladness to come into his presence with singing to go on

in worship and thanksgiving to him it's a psalm you could say has has great breadth it's a psalm that's

a call to all mankind to come and give thanks to god that is our prayer but it's also a psalm

of great depth the depths that there is in the truths of who god is and the depths that there is

and how god has been calling his people through generation after generation we can look at it every

generation past present and future who are called to come and worship god and our savior the lord

jesus christ even though it was a psalm that has its setting in the temple courts of the old

testament as the people gathered there to worship god it doesn't stay in the old testament it's very

much a psalm that follows into the new testament that we are to be a people who are to come in this way

to gather before god in his presence and to do so through christ who has opened the way fully for us

to come and to come as we say with thanksgiving and three things i want us to see here in this psalm

about the way this psalm instructs us in our thanksgiving the first thing is the way of

thanksgiving and the second thing is the reason of thanksgiving and then thirdly we see the endurance

of thanksgiving so the first thing is the way of thanksgiving who or what do we give thanks to

it's a question we're all able to answer tonight i hope in the same way we give our thanks to god

but as we we think of that question in a wider sense in a wider society who or what do people

give thanks to we have been experiencing and still experiencing challenging days that make us think of

many of life's issues people are looking for purpose in life what is it what is it to have

purpose in life people are thinking about the future what will it be like there's so many changes we're

seeing in our world what is lying ahead of us we see a day of many troubles and we're reminded of the reality

of them we think of people as we should all be looking for hope but what is it in

as god's children we know the answer to these questions we know our purpose we are made to worship god

the future we know all the promises that are yeah and amen in christ that he has a plan and a purpose

that he is preparing a city for his people he plans our ways he plans our steps he guides our paths

we look to him for all things in the future in the midst of troubles we know too that jesus has promised

we will have troubles but to be of good courage to be of good heart because he has overcome

the world and our hope our hope is in christ we have that much to be thankful for that as god's people

we come to a living god giving thanks to him and our prayer is that as a church we will be built up

to show forth that thanksgiving to others that as the psalm i think psalm 69 the first psalm we sang spoke of

that we would be a witness to others that they would see our thanksgiving and wonder of it

a couple of years back when covid initially started there was a fascinating article in the scotsman

newspaper in these early days people were really challenged and shaken by what was happening and an

article was written and the title of it was secular gods are failing so many in the time of

covid the article opens with this line it says there are no true atheists in reality everybody

worships something this was not a christian writing this article but it was written in a sense where

we were being made to think well what are we worshiping everyone was being asked the question

what are you worshiping we're not atheists we there's no such thing we all worship something

so who do we worship it spoke of how many people were inquiring about the christian faith

they were seeing their secular gods failing them failing to satisfy their lives and beginning to question

what is it who are we worshiping what is the purpose in life but are these questions still through today

so quickly people started just to go back to the old ways to forget about god and any thought of

inquiring after him instead of giving thanks to god for coming through when was that day appointed as a

national day of prayer by our nation for giving thanks for all that we came through in covid

well we're still waiting for a day to be appointed will it happen well we doubt it because of where our nation

is at but who are we worshiping tonight who do we give thanks to tonight not just for bringing us through

for restoring us for being with us but we pray to build us up to make us stronger to go forward in his strength

we worship god not just in the good times but at all times we worship him now seeking better times now

but also that assurance of eternity the writer c.s lewis once said god whispers to us in our pleasures

he speaks in our consciences but shouts in our pains it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world

and hasn't god shouted into our pains

he has been shaking us he is still shaking us but are we listening that is what psalm 100 reminds us of

that we are able to come and worship him and give thanks to him to make a joyful noise to the lord

all the earth serve the lord with gladness come into his presence with singing

whatever our circumstances we have much to give thanks for

and we have been encouraged in these days and let us stay encouraged let us stay with our hope fixed

in our lord jesus christ in his word to have confidence in it in his spirit who is working

dwight l moody it was a great servant for god and when they began to build what would later become

moody bible institute when they were laying the foundation for it they set a cornerstone

and dwight l moody was there at that time and it said that as the stone was laid he offered up a prayer

and he gave the cornerstone a whack with a trowel and then he prayed and said thus

lord you know what this old world needs more than anything else is thy word we pray that the day will

never come when anything contrary to the bible is taught here

and that is true for everywhere where god's word is taught and proclaimed this world this old world

still needs god's word more than anything else these days remind us of scriptures that speak of god

seeing a people corrupt corrupt in sin and the judgment that he brought upon them where you go back to the

days of noah or the days of the exodus so you just work your way through scriptures and you see time and time

again how god sees a people worshiping false gods turning away from the living god and what does he use to bring them back to their senses

he brings judgment

and today we see god's judgment on us again and again

and may it be that as a people we give thanks that god has not turned away but that he is speaking

and may we pray that we will hear as his church and pray to god to pour out his spirit upon us as a people

to revive us to quicken us that we would see as the psalm says all the earth

all the earth to make a joyful noise to the lord what does he see in our hearts today then

is it that shout of joy thankfulness we make sure that we keep our eyes on the lord looking to him

our call to worship and thanksgiving in this psalm is a call to remember god and all his gracious benefits

all that he has done we can look back just a few days

but we can look back further as we heard in prayer to

generations we give thanks for god's word down through generations to us

and we pray that a generation yet unborn

would hear the word of god and rejoice

in him

the second thing we see here is the reason for thanksgiving

we have a call to worship with thanks found in verse 1 and 2

then in verse 3 we're given this this wonderful reason

for giving thanks to god

know that the lord is the lord he is god

it is he who made us and we are his we are his people and the sheep of his pasture

first of all we see that again there is this imperative there

know know that the lord he is god

know with confidence who you have worshipped and are worshipping

know with confidence who we are giving thanks to

it is god who we met with in word and sacrament

it is god who we meet with day by day

in thanksgiving and prayer and through his word to us

we meet with a living god

and that we are thankful for

but what does it mean

to know god

what does it mean

for us to know god

well one of the things that we

see in the scriptures is

the gift of god knowing him that we find in psalm 40

Psalms 40:1

verse 1 to verse 3

that psalm says and we could repeat it i waited

patiently for the lord he heard my cry

he took me from the pit

out of the clay and set my feet

upon a rock making my steps secure

it is the lord who is the god of our salvation

it is him who has brought us up

it is him who we are thankful for the reason we are thankful is

we could not save ourselves

but god by his grace lifted us up

and as he lift us up he says he puts a new song

in my mouth a song

to praise our god

he gives us

a new song

a song of praise

a song of thanksgiving

he reminds us of all the reasons we have to give thanks to god

the psalmist then says that

we are

his people

the sheep of his

pasture

we are his

personal

possession

that's what the psalmist is saying there

and why is that

well it's the foundation of our reasons for thanksgiving

as we have remembered over these past days

our reason for thanksgiving is that he gave himself for us

titus 2 verse 14 says

Titus 2:14

who gave himself for us to redeem us

from all lawlessness

is that such an encouraging verse

thinking back

but also looking forward

who gave himself for us

to redeem us

to purify for himself a people for his own possession

we are his

who are sellers for good works

who are sellers going forward

in serving the lord

we are his by the reason of the fact that

he paid the price

to redeem us

when we were sold

under sin

we can praise his name

that he paid the price

he died for us

to set us free

we are to be thankful

that we are his

redeemed

what does that mean

to be redeemed

by god

there are

three different words

used in translation of redeemed

in the new testament

but every one of them

the foundation is being bought

with a price

galatians 4

Galatians 4:5

verse 5

but when the fullness of time had come

god sent forth

his son

he goes on

to redeem those

who are under the law

so we might receive adoption

as sons

the word there means

to take off the market

in other words

jesus

paid the price

for us

we're no longer for sales

for sale

we are no longer slaves

to sin

in that way

that we have been redeemed

and bought and purchased

with a price

not just bought for a time

but bought for eternity

because he intends to keep us

and he will

keep us

preacher robert murray mcshane

who was in

dundee

who died

very young himself

he said

he said if christ

had not chosen me

i would never have chosen him

if christ had not shed his blood for me

i would never have shed a tear for him

if christ had not sought after me

i would never have sought after him

if christ had not loved me

i would never have loved him

the transforming power of grace

robert murray mcshane knew it

and if we know it

as i hope we all do

then it makes us thankful

to god for all

that he has done

that he has redeemed us

that he has paid

the price

for us

that we might praise

his name

and as we see in this verse too

we are his people of his pasture

he gives us that assurance

here in this psalmist

we see so often

through the scriptures

that we are

his sheep

that he will look after

jesus says

i lay down my life

for my sheep

and we are a reminder

of that constantly

of the

the way that he will supply

our every need

and it's summed up really

in psalm

23

for us

the lord is my shepherd

i shall not want

i shall not lack

it covers

it all

the list is endless

of the reasons

that we have to give thanks

because the lord is my shepherd

i shall not lack

may we go on

giving thanks to god

with that reason of thanksgiving

that we have

in christ jesus

the third and final thing

we see in this psalm

then is the endurance

of thanksgiving

and we see that in the

in the closing verses

verse four and five

enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise

give thanks to him

bless his name

for the lord

is good

his steadfast love

endures forever

ever

and his faithfulness

to all

generations

when we have this

thankful knowledge

of god

he opens

the gates

for us

the experience

of the psalmist

was to enter

into praise

and worship

of god

was to go through

the gates

into the presence

of god

and we have that

access

through christ

we come

through him

who is the door

we come

through him

who is the way

we enter boldly

into the presence

of god

through his name

we have access

in this way

no longer

do we come

with sacrifices

no longer

do we come

with bull

and oxen

and all the rest

because the price

has been paid

the sacrifice

has been given

given

we come

in the name

of the lord

jesus christ

we come

to remember

his precious name

and to give

thanks to him

and to go on

giving thanks

to him

this is ongoing

praise

god's love

is steadfast

and endures

to all generations

and that is a reason

god is faithful

and worthy

of all our praise

and thanksgiving

and that's what

he's calling us

to today as well

to come

and worship him

to come and give

thanks to him

because all

other secular

gods

are worthless

they are idols

dumb

as the scriptures

describe them

but we read here

for the lord

is good

and that is

what we have

known

that is what

we know

and that's

what we pray

we will go on

knowing that

he is good

and are we able

to say that

today

because if we know

him

you surely

can

can we not

come

and say

the lord

has been good

to us

so may we go

forward

remembering that

we are his

that we are

his people

that his love

endures forever

and his faithfulness

to all

generations

the lord

is saying

to us

you are mine

and i will

keep you

just like it

says in malachi

in the old

testament

there in

chapter 3

verse 16

it says

then those

who feared

the lord

spoke with

one another

it speaks

there

of fellowship

of reminding

and encouraging

one another

and then it

says the lord

paid attention

and heard

them

and a book

of remembrance

was written

before him

of those

who feared

the lord

and esteemed

his name

and he said

they shall be

mine

says the lord

of hosts

in the day

when i make

up my

treasured

possession

and i will

spare them

as a man

spares his

son

who serves

him

he will

make up

his treasures

and you

as his

people

as his

children

will be

part of

that

treasured

possession

we have

that

assurance

the endurance

of praises

that we

will ever

praise

the lord

the parents

of a young

man who

was killed

in the

second world

war

they were

at a memorial

service

in the church

after the war

and they

made a payment

to the church

of 200

pounds

as a memorial

to the son

that they'd

lost

and that

was a

great sum

of money

at that

time

but in the

service

that day

was another

mother of

a son who

had been

to war

but that

son had

come home

but she

whispered to

her husband

who was

sitting beside

her and

said let

us give

the same

for our

boy

the husband

turned and

said well

why what

are you

talking about

our boy

didn't

lose his

life

and the

mother said

that's just

the point

the ones

who had

lost a

son

were thankful

the ones

who still

had their

son

were encouraged

in that

moment

to give

thanks for

what they

had

and so

often in

our life

as we

live

we forget

the price

that has

been paid

the one

who gave

his life

we live

because he

died

and as we

think of

that

the endurance

of our

thanksgiving

should go

on

we have

life

through him

by faith

and for that

we give

thanks

God alone

is worthy

of all

our praise

may he

fill our

hearts

with

thankfulness

there was

a minister

in

Edinburgh

many years

back

he was

known

he was

called

Alexander

White

he was

quite a

famous

minister

in his

day

but he

was

always

knowing

for

uplifting

prayers

in the

pulpit

he always

had

a reason

to give

thanks

well there

was this

Sunday

morning

one Sunday

morning

as they

gathered

for worship

and the

weather

outside

was horrendous

rain and

wind

gales

blowing

and there

was someone

sitting in

the church

whispered to

the person

beside them

well surely

the preacher

he won't

have anything

to give

thanks for

today

not on

such a

wretched

day as

this

as he

began to

pray

his words

were

we thank

thee oh

God

it's not

always like

this

and as we

look back

over these

last number

of years

are we

given

thanks to

God

in the

midst of

all the

challenges

it's not

always like

this

and as we

go forward

may we see

his son

rising

on our

church

and on

our people

to make

us thankful

and bless

us

and give

our thankfulness

even more

going forward

praising his

name

for all

that he

has done

may we

be thankful

evermore

for all

his goodness

to us

let us

pray

our father

in heaven

you bless

us so

much

and we

thank you

that even

in the

darkest

of days

we can

say

thank you

lord

it's not

always like

this

and we

pray lord

that you

will make

your face

to shine

upon us

anew

that you

will fill

our hearts

with a

true sense

of thankfulness

to be able

to praise

your name

and to go

on oh lord

in your

strength

saying

the lord

is good

we are

blessed

as so

much

and we

are humbled

by you

and so we

pray lord

keep us

in your

presence

and in

your strength

as we

ask it

in jesus

name

amen

thank you