The Sanctifying Effects of Thanksgiving | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

I encourage you to hold on to your Bibles throughout this

service because we have many scriptures to explore and to

begin, let's read one verse from the book of second Timothy in

chapter 3, 2nd, Timothy 3.

I would actually like, for us to pray.

One more time, is that okay? Can we just ask God to help us

again? God, we are weak Lord.

We are really weak. I am weak.

But Lord, we thank you that. You promise that in our

weakness, your strength is made perfect.

And we ask that Lord, we would know your strengths as we

Endeavor to understand your word.

And that Lord the ministry of the word would not just be

delivered, in human words, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We need the Holy Spirit. You told us that he would teach

us and he would remind us of all things though.

We pray that these things would not just be heard that they

would also be retained and not just retained, but obeyed.

And so Lord, in this moment, less this meeting be in vain, be

ever-present. As you open the minds of the

disciples to understand the scriptures.

Would you do that? And all of our minds as you

allow your word to burn in the hearts of those two on the road

to Emmaus, would we experience that same burning passion and

our own hearts? Lord protect this message from

confusion, from stammering, from anything that would distract

from the delivery of your will of your mind.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Second Timothy, 3 to 4 people will be lovers of self lovers of

money proud. Arrogant, abusive disobedient to

their parents ungrateful. Unholy.

Today we continue and pause highlight reel of the shameful

acts that will characterize Mankind in the last days.

And Paul by the spirit mentioned something.

After our last subject that may not be as gripping.

As other things on this list might be, at least on the

surface level, because after he speaks about being disobedient

to parents, he highlights a peculiarity.

That is so important. So crucial.

So profound that to not spend a whole day to discover it and to

understand it would be a great crime.

He tells us after that children will be more rebellious, more

resistant to Authority in the last days that there are also be

people who will be ungrateful. That in the days, leading to the

return of Christ. More and more people will be

ungrateful. And this is speaking much more

than about a lack of appreciation that one man might

show to his fellow man. Though it may include that the

concern here, the seriousness is severity of what Paul is saying

is that there will be an absence of heartfelt gratitude toward

God himself. When the Bible mentions

Thanksgiving, its primary application is how we should

relate to God. Because the Bible tells us that

God is the source of every good, not some, not the spiritual

stuff, but every good and perfect gift.

He is the fountain from which all things flow.

And so, when he speaks about this sin, He's telling us.

That this is enough for a person to be judged.

And the reason why I bring this up is maybe in your list of

indicators of a decaying Society.

A lack of Thanksgiving may not be on the top of it, or on it at

all. But what you?

And I will discover by the word of God today, is that, this lack

of, thanks, this ingratitude is actually one of the causes for

the great, moral chaos that you would see even on a nationwide

level. It is one of the great dangers

that people are experiencing and their own spiritual condition.

And I want you to see and believe that through God's word

today that something as simple. As giving, thanks.

Can protect the soul from much. Something as simple as giving.

Thanks is actually much more profound in the sight of God

than you and I might imagine. And I want to say this, that

this lack of gratitude that will be more common.

More shared amongst people in these last days, is not just

something that will be found among those who are far from

Christ. I want to tell you today, that

it is something that can even be identified in the heart of a

believer. And I want you to leave here,

being convinced that out of all the spiritual disciplines that,

you know, of we cannot forget the discipline of giving thanks

because it will provide a Grace to your soul that you cannot

imagine. Perhaps you're not convinced and

I can imagine why. But I want you to see what God

thinks about ingratitude in gratitude.

Here's a place to consider you have your Bibles, right?

And Luke chapter 6 verse 35 hear the words of Jesus When he

Luke 6:35

instructs his people about how to relate to their enemies.

Luke 635, but love your enemies, love them.

Love your enemies, and do good and lend expecting.

Nothing in return and your reward will be great and you

will be the sons of the most high for.

He is kind to The Ungrateful and the evil.

Frias kind even to the ungrateful and evil.

Here's the thing that I want you to realize Jesus places in

gratitude, right beside the category of evil.

If I were to ask you, what would, what would be a neighbor

to evil? What would be something that you

would say in the same sentence as being evil would would being

unfaithful be there? With lacking.

Thanks be there. In Christ mind it is not

difficult for him. For his God and he is Holy, it's

not difficult for him to say, in the same sentence that God is

kind to the unthankful and the evil.

Paul does something similar in our main text, after he mentions

that people will be ungrateful right after that.

He says, they will also be Unholy unthankful and in the

next breath Unholy. Put the words of Jesus and Paul

together. And what you have is a

revelation of Revelation along the lines of in the mind of

Christ, Our King, our Lord, Our God, and in the mind of the

greatest Apostle who ever lived, Being unfaithful is very close

to being evil. And Unholy.

Maybe you're not convinced of this assessment, maybe you're

thinking, but I thought you said earlier that you wanted to build

this up that I'm not really being built up right now.

Don't leave yet turn with me to Jude.

That book right before the Book of Revelation.

In Jude, verse 14, no chapters, one chapter, so Jude 14, I want

you to see something else just in case, you may not be

convinced of this conclusion that I present to you this

afternoon. in Jude 14, we read It was also about these that

Enoch. This seventh from Adam

prophesied saying behold the Lord comes with ten thousands of

his holy ones to execute judgment on all and to convict

all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they

have committed and such an ungodly way.

And of all the harsh things that ungodly, Sinners have spoken

against them. What do you think he wants to

talk about? Ungodliness.

Is that an amazing to think that as early as Genesis would just a

few who are roaming the Earth, God was already revealing to

some of his servant about his second coming.

There are mind about his first Enoch, seventh from Adam

receives a revelation, a vision of the return of Jesus Christ

with his holy ones, and what does he see?

He sees a sweeping Majestic judgment upon the Earth and what

what is happening here? Well, God is going to Deal with

ungodliness, she repeats it in so many ways.

Ungodly ungodly. Sinners.

Ungodly Deeds ungodly ways. And I want to ask you today.

What comes to mind when you think of ungodliness the

ungodliness that Jesus himself will judge in the final hour,

what crashes into your thinking, is it is it the sex trafficker?

Is it the merciless murderers who roam the streets at night,

even a known City? Is it the drug dealers who

provide deadly substances for the sake of gain?

Are they the rapist? The terrorists, the Isis

figures. I'm sure they are all included.

But Jude by the Holy Spirit, has in mind, after he says, ungodly

ungodly ungodly. They were received Justice and

judgement for receiving. Rejecting, rather the Gospel of

Jesus Christ. The only thing that can save

your soul from this, judgment is what he says in verse 16.

These are grumblers. These are grumblers.

Malcontents following their own sinful desires.

They are loud mouth. Posters showing favoritism to

gain advantage. After saying ungodly will be

judged the ungodly will be judged for their deeds.

Dirt their ways you think well, who are you talking about?

Who are these ungodly people? What will they be doing to

receive God's judgment and the first thing on the list

according to Jude The grumblers. The ones who murmur about their

lot in life. The ones who find fault with

God's providential leading. The ones who compare.

And complain, because they believe that they are more

deserving of certain things. If not all things.

Those who find fault, those who accuse those, who Express their

displeasure in life. These are the ones that Jude has

in mind who receive God's judgment.

And this grumbling is illustrated by those who

traveled through the Wilderness Journey after they were

delivered from Egypt, right? Oh, they complained about God's

leading they murmured about his timing.

They criticized the leadership that God had established and

Moses and Aaron, they huffed and puffed about the food that they

received miraculously because it didn't taste like the leeks and

the onions and the watermelon back in Egypt.

And over and over again. You see this murmuring bunch and

you also recognize God's kindled, anger.

And I want to tell you today, that as murmuring, complaining

ungratefulness will, multiply God's Wrath, will will manifest

against such attitudes. It was not just in the Old

Testament. If you think that we serve a

different God from the Old Testament, know, he feels the

same way as he did about those Israelites who stuck their nose

at God. And expressed how they thought

he was unfair, that they deserve more, I could imagine how this

might offend some of you. I can imagine how this might

disturb you. Is Judgment necessary.

Is Judgment. So severe required for something

as common as expressing annoyance and frustration with

life. It is if you understand how holy

God is, that's the problem. That's the problem with modern

Christianity. We don't understand just how

holy God is. I heard a preacher say something

that so ministered to my heart, these are not my words but

they've been ringing in my heart for a few days.

He said, Earth's perplexity Earth's complaints is why God

would judge. How can God judge man show

severely? And yet it is Heavens

perplexity. Why God would even save to begin

with? Well, Earth here is trying to

figure out in philosophy. Why God can judge these mere

creatures? Made out of dust who are

borrowing his are Heaven is wondering why God would even

extend salvation. Why is ingratitude so evil?

Why is it so heinous? Why is it so ugly?

Why is it so worthy of judgment? I'll tell you why.

It offends people for me to say such things it's because they

think that the Universe revolves around them and they have been

hearing teaching that tells them that God is God, because God

wants to help, you know what you want and what you desire.

And that is bread, much confusion and much unholiness,

but I wanted to take you to a miraculous story.

That is simple and understanding.

But also, when you meditate on, it is profound when it deals

with reflecting human nature. So turn with me to the Gospel of

Luke again, and 17:11, I want you to see something And we're

going to read quite a few verses here, but I want you to, I want

you to Envision what I'm saying from the word of God.

In Luke 17 11 a very well-known passage when dealing with

ingratitude. We read here in verse 11 of

chapter 17, on the way to Jerusalem, he was passing along

between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he

was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance and lifted up

their voices saying. Jesus Master have mercy on us.

When he saw them, he said to them go and show yourselves to

the priests and as they went, they were cleansed.

Then one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back.

Praising God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at Jesus

feet giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.

Then Jesus answered, we're not ten cleansed.

Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and

give praise to God except this Foreigner and he said to him

rise and go your way your faith has made you.

Well, A wonderful story, very simple application.

But again, when you chew the cud, when you chew on this word,

you'll realize that there's so much more to be said regarding

who we are and light of this. It is not uncommon to find men

crying out to God. When they find themselves in

great need or in growing void, it is not a foreign site to look

to our fellow man and see that there is a familiar reflex to

seek God and to request from God.

Nor is it a strange sound in our own Hearts?

We see that here. Do we not ten out of the ten

lepers? Collectively in concert, ask

Jesus for something that they do not have.

We need you to restore our flesh.

We need you to heal us, we need you to restore us and so, it is

that when it comes to crying out to God, especially when there is

desperate circumstances, you don't have to look too far.

But as we continue with the story, we realize that there is

something else we are. We're taught about the

fallenness of us. And that, is this, that while

there is 10/10 Who Cried Out, who had a need who prayed Only

one. Praised.

Only one gave. Thanks. the same eagerness, we

might have in asking God, often, outweighs the energy, Of our

praise and response to his provision.

This miraculous moment teaches us something.

And it is this, that if we honestly compared are

petitioning with are praising, we will find very quickly that

the former is much more alive than the latter.

What am I trying to say? Let me let me speak.

Plain English. We are much better at praying,

then we are appraising. We are much more disciplined to

cry out for a need to be met and to cry out with simple

adoration. I was reminded by reading this

story, that this thanking God thing.

It has to be intentional. It's not something that comes

natural to us. Just like praying.

Praying is not natural to us, praying is something that we

have to engage our will to perform, and oftentimes, we have

to fight our flesh to even do properly.

It is no different with praising.

The issue is we feel logically believe in Thanksgiving?

We listen to verses about it. It's a call to worship.

We understand it in the Bible. We understand it's there but

practically, I believe that many Christians do not understand

that. It's, it's supposed to be a

training. It's supposed to be a

discipline. That's actually activated all my

life. I can tell you, I've heard many

sermons on prayer. many many books read on the importance of

praying and rightfully so I believe that's a great neglect

as well, but I cannot really pinpoint to a moment where where

I heard something That taught me the necessity to not pray only,

but to praise to, praise God to, thank God.

And here's one of the results of this lack is that we have bred

Christians who have limited their communication to God,

simply and asking him for Stuff. And not just communing with them

and loving him and exalting him for what you already have.

That's not a small thing that's not just like a suggestion,

that's not just something that we should wear as Christians

because that's our duty know there's much at stake here.

There's much at stake here. Makes you wonder huh.

Why didn't the other nine come back?

Why didn't they follow suit? Why were they not caught up in,

Rogers? Praise and explosive

Thanksgiving? Why was that lacking?

Why was 90%? Not there.

Let's not be quick to condemn them, shall we?

Because how many times have we been so lost in our blessings

that we forgot site of the blesser?

How many times have we got so distracted?

While swimming in Provisions, that we forgot that he is the

Fountain by, which all these things that we are relishing in

come from. It's interesting to note the

thought process of this man and verse 15 of our text, how he

came to this realization. Look at it again, in verse 15,

then one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back.

Praising God with a loud voice, or I can imagine that this

miracle is so special because it demanded their faith.

He didn't say, you want healing, here's your healing.

And they saw the spots and the rotten flesh disappear.

He said Go and show yourself, which was according Law.

And as you're walking, you're going to be healed.

They took his word, they walked. And as they're walking, I could

imagine the sight of this set of lepers that there's spots.

Maybe one by one were disappearing.

Maybe even some parts of their body being restored.

I don't know. But we are told about one of

them. What we are told about, one of

them is that when he saw that, he was healed.

When he came into contact with the reality that the miraculous

had touched him. His mind raced back to Christ.

but the initial thought that came to him in, that moment was

God made this possible, And that is the essence of Thanksgiving.

The essence of Thanksgiving is that it crowns God.

As The Sovereign source of every good and perfect thing.

I'm telling you everything, as common as the hot meal that you

enjoy in your warm home to the miraculous Provisions, from

heaven for the most unlikely cases, Thanksgiving crowns him.

It exalts him, it identifies him.

I could imagine what was flooding the minds of these

other lepers. You got to remember what it was

like to be a leper. You were an outcast, you were

kicked out. You watch the normal World from

a distance while you just stood there and rot it to death.

And so, I can just I can sympathize with them that, as

they're receiving this healing, all we can be normal citizens of

society. Again, we can go to the market.

We can, we can go to to the lovely parks that I once knew.

I wonder if some of them thought I can finally embrace my wife.

Again, I haven't held her in so many years.

So many months, so many weeks. Oh, I can't wait to embrace my

spouse, perhaps the others, who thought we can resume.

Ding memories with our children for all this time.

All we can do is wave at them from a distance as they travel

to school with their with their mother.

I don't blame them for being so excited, but this man, this one

man. the moment he realized that there was a provision, the

moment that this new opportunity at life presented itself because

of the mercy of God, his heart flooded with the revelation of

the goodness of God, God. Because of this, he comes back.

It takes effort to thank God. He turns back meaning that he

put a delay on going to the temple on, being declared clean

from running to his home with a surprise from going back to his

workplace from seeing his friends at the local coffee

shop. He put all of that on pause.

Because he needed to praise God. Because he did not want to

delay. Somebody made this observation

if we are so so, so so so antsy for God, to answer our prayer so

quickly than we have no right to delay with our praise when he

does act on our behalf. And the great crime of this

defensive being ungrateful is found in the words of Jesus in

verse 18. Was no one found to return and

give praise to God, except for this Foreigner of the

transitions would say was there. No one who can returned to give

glory to God? You see the connection between?

Thanks. Praise And Glory.

Jesus Christ is teaching us here, that Thanksgiving as a way

of identifying his goodness and his godness, if you will that

this learning to be thankful. Listen, it's not about good

manners. Okay, your mom and dad might

have taught you that We might have been raised by parents who

say learn to say thank you because they want to mold our

social skills but Thanksgiving in this case Thanksgiving toward

God has much more severe implications.

When we train in this, when we train and Thanksgiving, it is a

matter of giving God his do its worship, its worship, its

adoration its rightful recognition, it's exaltation,

it's putting the spotlight on the one who deserves the

spotlight. It's the sound.

Thanksgiving, is the sound that awakens the eyes of the heart to

see God behind every gift? It's the stirring the spiritual

tool that stirs our affections in a way in which we love him

over, whatever he gives us to enjoy.

It's the Declaration of the sovereignty of God and the

reminder that we are undeserving creatures.

Who only should expect judgment, but receive so much more so much

more. The crime of ingratitude is that

it robs God of Glory. It robs God of his glory.

It keeps him in the dark. While we might credit ourselves

or others. no matter what skill or investment you made into

anything realize that you cannot even get out of your bed unless

God gives you the power to do so You can't even scratch your nose

today. Unless Heaven authorizes it.

Therefore to reserve Thanksgiving us to Rob God of

glory and that's no small thing. And such such a reservation.

Such thievery is to be expected amongst The Godly ungodly.

Why? Because they don't even

acknowledge God to begin with, there's no acknowledgment of who

he is, even to begin with. And so, how can they thanked

him? How can they thanked him?

But the thing that is concerning to us is that we are a different

breed of people. We are a different breed of

people. The very basis of our faith is

from the place of receiving, something that we did not

deserve. I want you to think about that,

that if Jesus Christ never does one more thing in your life.

If he never answers one more prayer, if you never provides

one more meal, if you never does one more thing to make your

life, that much more enjoyable or comfortable, he's still

worthy of things. Because the gift and in Jesus,

the gift that was extended to you.

And I is eternal and because it is eternal, it demands Eternal,

thanks it demands Eternal, praise the demands, Eternal

appreciation, beginning now, beginning now, And that is why

even though you might be enduring a job like situation,

where everything is stripped from you, even your own health.

He's still worthy to be worshiped.

This is what God deserves. This is what he deserves.

And I can end it here, I can end it here to say he deserves it.

And that's that's enough because that's the primary function of

it. That's the primary goal but I

don't want to end there because there's something else that

happens in this story. At the end of it.

After this man comes to give, thanks to God.

Jesus concludes with a wonderful, wonderful assurance

and verse 19. He tells them rise and go your

way your faith has made you. Well, your faith has made you,

well, Many believe that what Jesus is doing here is not

restating that his faith led to his healing physically.

And the reason why people don't believe that is because the

phrase there, your faith has made you.

Well in the Greek, it's different than the word

cleansing and healing in the earlier verses.

In fact, the phrase used their made you.

Well, is often the phrase used when it talks about salvation

when it talks about sins being forgiven.

And so what you have here if this is true is not just Jesus

reassuring him that the faith, he expressed earlier has led to

his healing, but that he receives Another Blessing.

That is a Samaritan who is worshiping God and

acknowledging. Who Jesus is in his nature.

Jesus says, you got healing, but I want to let you know that your

faith also. Now, got you salvation, Your

body is healed, but I want to tell you now rise, your heart is

restored. Your heart is revive.

Your heart is now cleansed. She's talking about salvation.

And I think that this teaches us something more than just about

faith. I think here that if you look at

it through the lens of Thanksgiving that we see another

principle that's true about Thanksgiving, from cover, to

cover in our Bibles. And this is it think about it.

This man with the 10 with the nine, rather, when they cried

out to God for healing, they all got it.

But when this one man came back with the motivation to give,

thanks, he got more. He got more, he received more.

What am I trying to say? This is what I'm trying to say.

Yes, the primary function of the primary purpose of Thanksgiving

is that God would receive Glory. But just like many of the

commands of God that are God focused in their goal.

As we give, thanks something happens to us as well.

As we give, thanks, there are benefits that shower on us as a

result of showering, Praise on him.

And so if you leave here today thinking, that Thanksgiving is

merely my duty. Yes, you're right.

And that should be motivation enough, but our God is so good.

that when he prescribes such commands, He is not in need.

He is not nervous, he's not insecure and Heaven, he's not

complaining to the angels that my creation does not give thanks

to me. He is sufficient within himself.

But when he prescribed such things, he knows you need this.

You need this? And I want to show you at least

three things I want to show you at least three sanctifying

effects of Thanksgiving that will change your life.

If you believe it, you've heard I'm sure most of your Christian

Life. Pray because prayer does this

and it does that and it will change your life.

It will anchor you will protect you and that is right but I want

to now bring to your attention that if you implement the

discipline of Thanksgiving it's not natural to you my brother

it's not natural to you my sister it is not natural to me.

It's not And if we're just going to wait for waves of emotion, to

cause us to be thankful, we are as doomed as if we were waiting

for some motivation to pray every single day.

It has to be by faith. It has to be something you

actually actually do intentionally with with

mindfulness where you pause and you give.

Thanks it sounds childlike. And then say childish, sounds

childlike, doesn't it? That's how often God works when

it comes to his commands. It demands childlike faith and

you grew up with parents. I'm sure that told you went to

say thanks. Never forget to say.

Thanks and your heavenly father today wants to teach you how to

give thanks. I want to show you sanctifying

effect. Number one, when a Believer

implements Thanksgiving in his life, Number one, Thanksgiving

is a remedy that rescues us. From anxiety.

Thanksgiving is a remedy that rescues us from anxiety.

I'm sure if I asked you. If you're an anxious person or

you experience anxious, thoughts, 98% of you with your

hand, but I want to show you the Cure, the prescription is found

in Philippians chapter 4. Verse 6 and 7.

Philippians 4 · chapter mention

Philippians 4:6 reads, do not be anxious about anything.

Philippians 4:6

Do you think he meant anything? Or do you think the Greek means

something else? I think he meant anything single

people don't be anxious by the fact that you're single.

Right? Pandemic pressured people here.

Don't don't be anxious about the future of your job.

Don't be anxious. Don't be anxious about anything.

There is nothing in this life, no matter how severe or

dangerous or threatening and maybe that deserves your

anxiety. Do not be anxious about

anything, well why? But so here's the instruction in

everything. Do you think it means different

in the Greek or do you think everything means everything?

I think it means everything. But in everything by prayer and

supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known

to God. And here's the result, and the

peace of God, which surpasses all understanding many people

have difficulty understanding the Trinity, does it my mind

can't understand how it works. One being three persons, one in

essence, Before you get to the Trinity, realize that there's a

peace that God can offer you? That doesn't make sense?

That surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your

minds in Christ Jesus. Now this verse is known.

You've heard it you've preached it you probably counseled your

own soul with it. You probably offered it to

somebody else and it's so known that we look at and we kind of

just by I know this or I don't give it to me.

May, I suggest to you today, that many people who have

attempted to apply these instructions have not seen their

desired results because they don't, they don't obey the full

instruction. Because these verses are used to

often say if you're anxious, pray brother, pray and I say,

Amen. Because it says it anxieties may

visit your heart, but they may not always be left on his feet.

Pour your heart out to him. Tell them your needs be detailed

grown if you need to do it. But is that all it says no and

this is where many people fail. They come to God in their

anxiety, and their fear, and their concern and their, uh,

knees and they pray, they present their needs.

They tell God what he needs to do about these needs.

And they fail that in the midst of that.

To be thankful. With thanks giving.

So you punched in one set of numbers, but you forgot the

other set and you're wondering why as you press enter, there's

error and your soul. You see what God is trying to

say, is, don't just come to me and express your needs.

Come to me, yes. But turn your attention away

from what you don't have, or what you would like for me to do

to what I have already done. Turn your attention to that.

And let me be extremely practical here.

Don't be General. And your thing I'm thankful for

you. Okay?

Wonderful, be detailed. Be detailed because that is the

instruction. When you couple the relief that

comes from unburden, your soul and prayer as well as the

mindfulness of his faithfulness as you declare with those same

week lips, the goodness of God. You will extinguish everything

that is uneasy in your soul and not only.

Will it be extinguished, it will be replaced with a supernatural.

Peace. Remember somebody telling me

that about their day, it wasn't anything spectacular but it

blessed my heart that after a long day where they have to go

to some event, they were so they just it was just a Dark Night of

the Soul. There was clouds covering the

Rays of warmth with the knowledge of God and they

couldn't seem to shake out of it. and as they were getting

ready in the bathroom, doing their hair, fixing their beard,

They couldn't shake this off. But couldn't, it was just heavy,

and it was just, it was destroying, even the hopeful

plans for that same night. And this verse came to mind.

And so as he had a razor in his hand and he looked at himself in

the mirror, he said I'm going to do this, I'm just going to give

thanks to God for whatever I can think of right now.

So what does he do? God, I thank you that I can see

with my eyes. God.

I thank you that as I'm standing in my bathroom.

There's no pain. I'm not bound to some bed.

God, I thank you that that I have a church family.

That loves me, that loves God, Lord.

I Thank you that that I can be comfortable in this house and

everything is functioning just fine.

And as she began to list these things, the Rays of God's life

penetrated through the cloud that covered his soul.

And he found himself being able to worship without gifted

musicians. Without the right worship track

playing in the background without anything.

Other than the Simplicity of the sacrifice of, praise listing,

the different blessings that he could identify and it rescued

him. It rescued him and it put a

Fresh Step into him. It's the remedy.

I've heard of a Preacher because of the circumstances of his own

body. He had a, he had a strange voice

that made preaching very difficult because people would

laugh at him with his voice. And he learned this principle of

sacrifice of praise. And so he made it his duty that

every single morning before he would step foot on the ground,

on the floor, he would spend 10 minutes, just thanking God.

Thanking God for different things.

He would not begin his day, otherwise I'm not saying you

need to do 10 minutes. All I'm saying is if you thank

God enough intentionally with mindfulness I thank you God God

I think no no you calculate your thoughts?

You will know a Deliverance. From Dark Nights of the Soul.

Number two. Not only is Thanksgiving the

remedy that rescues us from anxiety among other things, but

Thanksgiving is a practice that protects us from sin.

Being thankful, let me, let me emphasize, this is not just your

duty being thankful. Thankfulness gratitude, carries

a force that keeps in at Bay. There are such power behind

this, that it can actually protect your heart from the

passions of the flesh that war against your soul.

I want to prove that to you in the Book of Romans and verse 29

of chapter 1. In Romans 129 we read about what

society looks like. You've heard this passage before

in the past few weeks, what society looks like?

What their hearts are filled with by banding God.

And here's what people are filled with, notice filled not

visited by filled with, they are filled with all manner of

unrighteousness, Evil covetousness.

Malice. They are full of Envy murder

Strife, deceit, maliciousness, they are filled.

They are living in a continual state of these horrible things.

Now notice two of them, you ready covetousness Envy.

Meaning what living in a Perpetual state of comparison?

Sensing this dissatisfaction as you continually, look at what

you don't have, what other people's have, what you think

belongs to you, and that can be anything from a car to a

husband. I can be anything from a

Ministry position. To a promotion.

This craving this ugly craving because of their abandoned of

God, the people will be filled with this filled with it.

And this is not just a danger for unbelievers.

Listen, James says, why are you guys fighting?

He's speaking to the churches in chapter 4.

Why are you guys fighting? Why is there a quarreling?

Why is their Strife? Let me answer it for you because

you have desires. And they are not met. you covet

and you don't have, listen, if we get a room filled with people

in this place, That are covetousness or are filled with

jealousy or Envy guaranteed War. Guaranteed War.

There is chaos in any setting, when a heart is not satisfied in

God alone. When a man or woman does not

draw from God as their source of fulfillment.

There is left this kind of filling because something has to

go in there. There's no neutrality, there's

no emptiness, something will fill this heart and neither it

will be God himself or things such as these.

But wait, hold on. How?

How are people filled with this? This is, this is not just the

fruit. This is the symptom.

This is a symptom to a deeper issue and Paul brings that up

earlier in the same chapter in verse 21. for, although they

knew God, They did not honor him as God or give thanks to him.

They didn't give thanks to him. They did not discipline

themselves to say God. You are the Reason God apart

from you. This would not be God apart from

you. I would not be.

They did not thank him. Therefore they were filled with

covetousness. And envy.

You see giving thanks Shields us from being filled with all

manner of unrighteousness. It keeps us humble It keeps us

joyful. It keeps us full.

It keeps us prioritizing what needs to be prioritized.

And it keeps God where he belongs in our hearts.

You can know this for certain that people who Walk In the

Flesh even within the community of Faith people that strive

against one. Another people that bigger

against one other people that complain all the time, just like

the Israelites complained about Moses and about Aaron about

this, and people that do that, I can tell you one thing, they

don't give, thanks to God. Or they might pair it some words

off a screen but there is no personal praise in their lives.

Do they pray? They asked God for a lot of

things but they do not stop to say God before I ask for another

thing. I thank you.

For what you've given me already.

They don't do that because that's what my Bible teaches.

Thanksgiving Shields your heart. It's The Floodgate from all this

filth coming in because mankind refused to give, thanks to him.

They inherited all these things that are described how there's

so many things about Thanksgiving.

But let me give you a final one Thanksgiving.

Not only is a remedy that rescues us from anxiety.

Thanksgiving is not only the protection From so much sin.

Thanksgiving is a light that brightens our Witness. our final

text is back in Philippians 2:14 Philippians 2:14 you and I heard

Philippians 2:14 Philippians 2:14

in the beginning that in the last days, there will be those

who will grow in their ingratitude more and more people

will be ungrateful. So what do we do about it?

What's our duty as Believers? Well here it is.

Philippians 2:14 do all things without grumbling or disputing.

Philippians 2:14

Do you think the Greek means all things or do you think it means

some things? All things.

This is probably one of the most challenging things, most

challenging, Christian disciplines, all things without

grumbling or disputing. God, why can't you leave room

for some things all things? Because there's something at

stake, that's why. That you may be blameless and

innocent children of God without blemish, in the midst of a

crooked and twisted generation among whom you shine as lights

in the world. See what he's saying here.

This is for the sake of the Gospel. because if we're not

careful, we can muddy the gospel with our grumbles and groans.

The motivation is be careful how you express your frustration.

Be careful how you voice your annoyance.

Be careful how you manage your attitude as you perform all

duties. All kinds of duties.

Because there's a watching world.

There's a listening world. By performing all things with

the genuine Spirit of gratitude. We stand out.

We stand out. Let me give you a very simple

observation that you probably made.

Isn't it wonderful to be around people who don't complain.

Like I feel lighter. Not only that I'm blessed

because when you know what that person is going through and

they're not being superficial, they're not being like plasticy,

they're being real. When they can they can look at

the positivity. They can look at the sanctifying

element of whatever they're experiencing.

It's like your magnetized towards such people.

And sometimes it even can Vic's you and sometimes you even like,

yeah, but it really bothered. You didn't handle.

I cannot praise. God.

God is in control. You like you sure like, I didn't

do anything to you and you're like because there's something

Supernatural about it. And the opposite is true, it's

amazing. How contagious negativity is,

it's amazing that you can sit with people even a group of

friends, and all of a sudden, somebody starts complaining

about the church about how they don't do this and what starts

happening. Oh yeah, you know, it alls.

I also don't like that. And then you were intending to

come to be built up. As we should would, leave it in

your. Leave me there more frustrated

than anything I know this is really practical but it will

save your soul if you're serious about being a witness for Christ

and you're going to be serious about Thanksgiving.

You're going to be serious about it.

And I want to tell you today that a watching world needs a

thankful Church. Come on, man.

Are you serious? I'm serious.

I didn't write this. God did.

And the more twisted and crooked a generation becomes, the more

we must be disciplined to make sure that we don't complain like

they do how fitting for a covid age.

How fitting for a day in which we see things that are causing

people to act in a certain manner.

I'm not saying that I agree with it and I'm not saying I'm not

mad about it. I am frustrated about it.

Had a chance to go to the gym with after these crazy things,

these mandates. And I went to the employee and I

just I just looked at him because I had to go through a

process to make sure that I can go in.

And as I looked at him, I just said, sure, people are giving

you a lot of headache, right? And he just, he didn't even say

anything. He just stopped and he looked at

me, he goes and he went back. And I thought to myself, check

this out. This actually ran through my

mind because I was giving him my religious exemption.

I better not blow this. Because the world, the world,

they're good at their good at expressing themselves with no

restraint. But this guy knows that I'm

coming in here and there's my faith is involved to why I don't

do this. And I don't do that.

He knows now. He knows who I am.

Every time I come in and I give my barcode, he sees religious

exemption. There's a watching world.

And Thanksgiving. It's not just for you and me,

it's for people to be convinced that the gospel is enough.

Thanksgiving is for people who have no one to thank.

To see that we actually believe in a God who is good and who is

perfect, and who supplies all our needs?

And who is our salvation, And if you think I'm pointing the

finger you today, you've heard it, right?

The three right back at me. I thank God for the Holy Spirit

or else we're doomed. We're doomed, even in

Thanksgiving. But I can tell you this, he is

our helper. And if you by faith just as

though, I preached on praying on different occasion, If You by

faith will say, I'm going to apply this to my life.

I have no doubt in my mind that you will be a different person.

I have no my I have no doubt in my mind that you will be saved

from much unnecessary harm. Let's give, thanks.

Lord, we thank you for the sharp blade of your word.

We thank your God. That your prescription is for

our good. Heavenly Father.

Let the world be ungrateful. But may not be found in US.

Teach us to praise. Not just the prey but teach us

to praise teach us to specifically sanctify.

Certain. Moments of our day.

To give you praise. And as we do that, Lord protect

us from legalistic attitudes, protect us from from not knowing

the joy of this process. Lord, we are grateful to you.

Apart from you. We are nothing and we have

nothing but we thank you. We, thank you that you are for

us and not against us and we thank you, o God, that you have

primarily saved our soul from hell, you've saved our soul from

your wrath that we have eternal life with you forever.

We thank you. We, thank you that we have more

than enough resources beyond for the need of survival.

We are now swimming in enjoyment and in comfort, and in

Opportunities, and in toys, We are thankful.

We're thankful that we have friendships in this place.

We're thankful that we can worship you without any threats

for our lives. We thank you that will get into

cars in the next couple of hours and drive and we don't have to

walk three hours to get home. We thank you, we thank you that

we will have food to eat right after this.

We thank you. Help us.

Oh God, to always find your goodness.

And not find fault. Help us.

Oh God! We've realized the seriousness

of our murmurings. So protect us from such things.

And Lord, we may fail at this. So continue to teach us and

guide us moving forward. And Lord as people come to this

church, may they find a grateful people filled with contentment

filled with joy satisfied in God and God Alone, we want to

worship you. And thanks for your goodness in

Jesus name we pray. Amen.

And Lord as people come to this church, may they find a grateful

people filled with contentment filled with joy satisfied in God

and God Alone, we want to worship you.

And thanks for your goodness in Jesus name we pray.

Amen.