Texts: Psalm 107:22; Heb. 13:15-16
INTRODUCTION
·
I realize that
it’s traditional to preach on thanksgiving at this time of year, and likely
you’ve heard at least one message on it recently, here or elsewhere.
·
In this message,
however, I’d like to approach thanksgiving from a different angle and emphasize
two things for your edification:
o
thanksgiving is a
grace which we’re called to as
saints; and
o
thanksgiving in
this age, as modeled by Paul, gives priority to spiritual things for a practical
reason
·
We’ll cover
thanksgiving as a grace this morning and the benefit of thanksgiving this
afternoon. I hope that this message will impress on you afresh how important
gratitude is both to God and to you.
THANKSGIVING
AS A GRACE
·
The compound word
“thanksgiving” is used in scripture 28 times, 19 in the old testament (Lev.-Jonah),
eight times in Paul’s epistles, and once in Revelation. So it runs through the
law, the prophets, the psalms (Luke 24:44), the Pauline epistles, and
Revelation--essentially the entire Bible, which is no surprise, as we’ll see.
·
I chose the text
verses purposefully, since they emphasize that thanksgiving is a sacrifice.
It’s not something that comes natural to us, hence it’s a grace bestowed by God.
You’re actually mortifying your old nature when you give thanks, hence it’s
called a sacrifice. Of the 27 references to thanksgiving, seven of those are in
the phrase “sacrifice of thanksgiving,”
driving the point home even further.
·
Our natural,
sinful state is one of ingratitude.
o
When Adam and his
wife fell, there’s not a word of thanks from their lips in the conversation
with God that follows; on the contrary, they both blame God for their sin (Adam
more directly).
o
Even when God
covers their sin, no thanksgiving is recorded, and I doubt that it happened.
The hall of faith in Heb. 11 begins with grateful Abel, not Adam, and the scope
of the prophets that the Lord mentions in Mt. 23:35 stretches from Abel, not
Adam, to Zacharias.
o
God’s assessment
of men in general is “unthankful” all
through time
§ Job 22:15-18—describes men’s attitude toward God
before the flood: their ingratitude for his goodness is “wicked”
§ Rom. 1:21—likely after the flood, since the scope is
Jews and Gentiles (2:9-10, 14, 17, 24-29) [NTS: sons of God may have been
worshipped in days of Noe, like antichrist will be in days of the Son of man]
§ 2 Tim. 3:1-2—last days of the mystery age, since the
body of Christ won’t be here to see the last days of Israel; even before the great
tribulation, ingratitude will be pervasive, not just in the world, but even in
the church (4:3-4; not grateful for sound doctrine, but lustful)
·
Thanksgiving is a
grace that originated with God himself.
o
Notice how God
the Son thanks the Father.
§ Mt. 11:25; hiding the truth from the wise and
revealing it unto babes
§ Luke 10:21; same, but in context of seventy
evangelists [separate occasion?]
§ John 11:41; connected with prayer
o
Notice also that
the Spirit leads men to thank the Father through the Son
§ Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:16-17
·
Despite the fall,
men can be thankful in any dispensation, because of God’s grace.
o
Conscience, a “common”
grace shared by all men, tells a man that he should be unthankful. Else how
could God condemn men for their ingratitude before the flood and Gentiles
without a written law? Answer: it’s written on their hearts (2:14-15).
o
The law,
prophets, and psalms tell men to be grateful. Specific instructions in these
writings about thanksgiving as a part of tabernacle worship (Lev. 7:12-13, 15)
and temple worship (Neh. 11:17, 12:8, 46).
o
The Spirit in the
body of Christ leads its members to abound in thanksgiving, since he permanently indwells them; Spirit could
indwell OT saint (Joseph—Gen. 41, Moses—Is. 63; David—Ps. 51; Daniel—Dan. 4; prophets—1
Pt. 1), but not as intimately as in us, since we’re joined to the Godhead—they
weren’t. The Godhead helped them; in this age, he becomes our very life…big
difference.
o
Thanksgiving is
the order of business in eternity, because they’re won’t be a curse to hinder
it any more. Praise the Lord!
·
In conclusion,
thanksgiving is a precious, divine grace that God himself practices and expects
of his creatures, no matter what age they live in. Thanksgiving is inwrought,
in as sense, through conscience and even more powerfully by the indwelling
Spirit, under the law but especially under grace. Look at yourself as the
gatekeeper of this power, and Iet it out continually (Heb. 13:15).
THE
SCOPE AND BENEFITS OF THANKSGIVING
For this portion of the message, I’d
like us to consider Paul’s references to thanksgiving to support the second
main point I made earlier: in this age, priority is given to thanksgiving for spiritual
blessings, rather than physical ones, for a practical reason.
·
Paul normally
begins each epistle with thanksgiving, and it’s typically for something
spiritual. I think that’s intentional.
o
All but two of
Paul’s thirteen epistles begin with thanksgiving or mention it in the first
chapter (Rom. 1:8, 1 Cor. 1:4, 2 Cor. 1:3, Eph. 1:16, Phil. 1:3, Col. 1:3, 1
Thes. 1:2, 2 Thes. 1:3, 1 Tim. 1:12, 2 Tim. 1:3, Phile. 4). Gal. and Titus are
exceptions, and I think it emphasizes their corrective
tone (might include 1 Tim., since the thanksgiving comes later, due to Ephesian
situation).
o
Our primary
blessings are spiritual (Eph. 1:3), since we are a heavenly people called to a
spiritual inheritance in heavenly places (Eph. 2:6). Thanksgiving for temporal
blessings has its place in our lives, but not before spiritual blessings, which
are eternal.
·
Thanksgiving for
temporal things is not as frequent in Paul’s letters as for spiritual things,
but it has its place.
o
Emphasizes the
two lives of the believer. Believers live in heavenly places (Phil. 3:20)
eternally and on earth temporarily, so we ought to thank God for blessings up
there and down here.
o
Christ thanked
God for temporal things, like bread and wine (Mt. 15:36; 26:26-27); he was
divine and human
o
1 Tim. 4:3-4; for
most basic and essential physical blessing (food); also should thank God for
life, breath, and all things temporal (Acts 14:17).
·
Paul exhorts
believers to a live of general and abundant thanksgiving, which would include spiritual
and temporal blessings
o
(1 Cor. 14:16)
o
Eph. 5:4
o
Phil. 4:6
o
Col. 2:7 (and
4:2)
·
Priority in
thanksgiving, however, given to spiritual blessings
o
If you look at
all the “Chapter 1” references, they are all spiritual
o
Other examples
(considering Paul’s other references to specific thanks)
§ Rom. 7:25—triumph in Christ legally
§ (1 Cor. 1:14—ministerial providence)
§ (1 Cor. 14:18—spiritual gifts)
§ 1 Cor. 15:57—triumph in Christ physically
§ 2 Cor. 2:14—triumph in Christ practically
§ (2 Cor. 4:15—thanking God for benefactors’ spiritual
grace)
§ 2 Cor. 8:16—care of worker for saints
§ 2 Cor. 9:11-12—beneficiaries thanking God for the
grace he gave their benefactors
Ø Reciprocate them spiritually, since they couldn’t
physically
§ 2 Cor. 9:15—for gift of Christ (salvation)
§ Col. 1:12—fitness to receive spiritual inheritance
§ 1 Thes. 2:13—believers receiving the word of God and
its effectual working in them
·
Giving priority
to thanksgiving for spiritual blessings has a practical benefit.
o
Reminds us of
what God has given us (Eph. 1:3); making us love and adore him more perfectly
o
Encourages us to appropriate what we’ve been given, or
work out our salvation, bringing…
§ More glory to him—the more we grow, the more glory God
receives, since he’s living through us more and more, and his life and his
alone brings him glory (not Adam’s)
§ More benefits to others, now and hereafter—Christ said
in John 6:63 that “It is the spirit that
quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing…” so our lasting benefit to others
is determined by how much of Christ’s life we’re manifesting and ministering to
others
§ More rewards for ourselves, now and hereafter
Ø 1 Tim. 4:6-8—nourishment and spiritual exercise
(growth) lead to godliness and rewards in this life and the next
Ø 2 Tim. 3:14-4:8—continuing in the word fosters growth
(3:15, 17), preparing us for judgment (4:1), death (4:6), spiritual warfare
(4:7), and eternal rewards (4:8)
o
What incentives
to continue in the word! It, and it alone, prepares us for all of these things,
and thoroughly (3:17); hallelujah!
CONCLUSION
To tie all of this together,
thanksgiving is a BIG deal in the kingdom of God, of which every child of God
is a part (Col. 1:13).
·
Thanksgiving is a
grace which we’re called to as saints
(Col. 3:15)
·
Thanksgiving in
this age, as modeled by Paul, gives priority to spiritual things for a practical
reason: it reminds us of what we already possess in Christ and urges us to
appropriate it our lives
·
If we’re not intentional about thanksgiving, it won’t
get done and we’ll be cheating God, others, and ourselves of the benefits (more
glory to him, benefits to them, and rewards for us)
·
Probably the best
book I’ve ever read on thanksgiving, which I’d encourage anyone to read, is Ann
Voskamp’s One Thousand Gifts. This
book was a surprise hit and brought the unassuming wife of a pig farmer in
Ontario to the church’s attention. Through study, intimacy with the Lord, and
the trials of life, including the tragic death of her infant sister, she came
to understand the transforming power of thanksgiving.
·
The core of this
book is how Sis. Voskamp recorded things she was thankful for, and as her journal
unfolded, so did her growth in Christ, to everyone’s blessing. And people
noticed the change, from her family outward. She wasn’t as stressful as she
once had been, she was more content and cheerful.
·
It’s a remarkable
chronicle of one sister’s maturity, with thanksgiving at the center. This goes
right along with Paul’s description of the Spirit’s filling in Eph. 5:18-21. As
we fill ourselves with the word of God and become Spirit-filled, an
unmistakable fruit of that maturity is thanksgiving. Follow this dear saint’s
example, Paul’s, and most of all the Lord’s, and see for yourself how the grace
of thanksgiving can glorify God, benefit others, and add to your own bliss
forever!
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