The Attitude of Being Thankful

I have a different reading Bible today. I don't know how you do, but I have a Bible I bring to church, and I use it just to read out of. I've got other study Bibles at home. For some reason, I found that the print in that Bible was getting small. I found one that had a little bigger print in it.

We'll see how this one does today. There are four outstanding examples in the Scripture of men who wrote or spoke on the subject of being grateful and thankful. I really appreciated what Jacob covered today on this particular topic. As we know, we're approaching the time of thanksgiving. What I want to do is focus on the attitude and approach that these four individuals demonstrated toward God and all of the blessings that God gave to them. If you and I will look at their examples of how they lived their lives, what they said, and then we will truly be a people who are thankful.

Let's go back to 2 Timothy. I read this last week, 2 Timothy 3, beginning in verse 1. We find the Bible describes the end time that we live in. It says, but know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. Perilous, meaning stressful times. We certainly are living in that age today. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents. And then we read, unthankful, unholy. One of the major characteristics of our age today, and I covered a lot of these other points with you last week, is the fact that people would be unthankful.

Why are people unthankful? Why are we unthankful? Are we constantly thanking God for the blessings He gives us? Well, I think the root cause of being unthankful is contained in these first five verses here. When a person loves himself, is proud, is unloving, unforgiving, not willing to reconcile with other people, slanderers, headstrong, who are they going to thank? Because they've set themselves up as a God.

They've set their own opinions up as having authority. So it's hard to be thankful when the mind is focused entirely on the self or when we're trying to impress others. And that's what you find described here. Now we know that Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday.

It is a day to thank God for all the blessings He gives us. However, I think most people will not spend a whole lot of time doing that. Hopefully all of us will take a little time to thank God for the blessings that He gives to us. As Jacob mentioned, most people are going to be consumed with football. There are at least two football games on that day. And most people will be focusing on that as well as how much they can eat. And you don't just sit down on Thanksgiving and eat once. You eat, you rest, you eat again. Now, that's the way it used to be.

Now Norm and I just partially eat because it catches up with you after a while. The attitude of being thankful is an attitude that God expects us to have, not just on a day. Too often people look forward to Thanksgiving. It's one day. Maybe they'll have a prayer. They'll talk about some of the blessings they have. And then the rest of the time, 364 days a year, they don't think about being that thankful.

It's an attitude that God wants us to have. It should be not only just an attitude, but it is a way of life with us. It is a perpetual attitude with us. So let's look at the four examples that I mentioned. And they are Jesus Christ, David, Moses, and the Apostle Paul. I think each one of these you will find is an outstanding example of being thankful. Ingratitude is a problem that we all have to fight. Sometimes we look around and we see this very vividly displayed in our society today. Look at all the people the last two months sitting in on Wall Street or sitting in in Denver or sitting in in San Francisco.

We've got them in Chattanooga, Portland, you know, around the country, and basically claiming that they want more and they're looking for more. And it's a sort of a class warfare, the rich have it, we want it, and you should share it with us. And so you find that people are not grateful.

The worst off person in this country is much better off than the average citizen in places like Africa, much of Latin America and some of these other countries. And yet it's a matter of comparison. Let's go over to Luke 17 and let's notice, first of all, the example of Jesus Christ. Christ was a perfect example. Luke chapter 17 will begin in verse 11 to show you the attitude that sometimes we can fall into.

In verse 11 it says, Now it happened as he went to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And then he entered into a certain village, and there met him ten men who were leopards and stood afar 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 yourself to the priest. And so it was as they went, they were cleansed or they were healed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned and with a loud voice glorified God.

Fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks, and he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, were there not ten cleansed, but where are the nine? The other nine went off, they saw the priest so that they could integrate back into the community again. But they didn't come back to thank Christ. He says, were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner? And he said to him, arise and go your way. Your faith has made you well. So here's a classic example of ingratitude, not expressing thanksgiving, not being grateful to God for the blessing that God provided for them. I think it's especially important for us to never forget that when we pray and we ask God for something, we get the answer one way or the other.

It may not always be the way we want it, but we have the answer from God that we always thank God for that. Sometimes when we pray, we ask God for something. He says, no, or maybe, or it's delayed. We have our answer, and yet we can get all that been out of shape because we think, well, God didn't answer my prayer. Well, God is very much aware of each one of us, and he knows exactly what's happening in our lives. And so, we need to always thank God. Now, in Mark chapter 8, we have another example here of Jesus Christ.

In Mark the eighth chapter, and this is something that I think most of us do, Mark chapter 8, beginning in verse 1, says, In those days the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said to them, I have compassion on the multitude because they have now continued with me three days, and they have nothing to eat, and I send them away hungry to their own houses.

They will faint on the way, for some of them have come from afar. Then his disciples answered him, How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness? See, there wasn't a 7-Eleven on the corner or a Walmart that they could run to.

He answered and said, How many loaves do you have? And they said, 7. So he commanded the multitude to sit down on the earth, and he took the 7 loaves and gave thanks. So he gave thanks over it. He broke them. He gave them to his disciples to set before them, and they set them before the multitude. So 7 loaves now fed a few thousand people. And also a few small fish, and having blessed them, he set them also before them. So the 8 were filled, and they took up 7 large baskets of leftover fragments. Now, you and I, brethren, following the example of Christ here, should always pray over the food. Now, I've heard people pray that God would change the molecular structure of food that they're eating, do all kinds of things to it. But I think what Christ said here is, number one, he thanked God. He knew that God was going to perform a miracle.

So when we get our food, we should first of all acknowledge where it came from.

We live in a country that has been blessed because of Abraham, and we're the recipients of the blessings of Abraham. And so we thank God for that. We thank God for his faithfulness, for fulfilling his promise that he promised to Abraham.

We should never take food, clothing, and shelter for granted.

You go to bed every night, and you have a place to lay your head and go to sleep.

Thank God for it. Thank God for the gifts he gives us. We ask God to bless the food, but we're asking God for a blessing for health and for nourishment from that food that God would give us strength and energy and nourishment.

Now let's go over to Luke 6, verse 27.

In any one of these examples, we could spend the whole sermon talking about one person, but let's notice here in Luke 6 and verse 27. I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.

Now I want you to notice what Christ is saying here.

Are there people who hate us or curse us or despitefully use us? Well, occasionally there are, and He's trying to show us what our attitude should be toward them. It doesn't matter how they treat us. We should always love them, do good to them, bless them.

That's the approach that we're to use.

Somebody curses us, we pray for them. We ask God to bless them. If you're having trouble with your boss at work, He's causing you all kinds of difficulty. Pray for Him. Pray that he'll have a transfer. He'll go somewhere else. He'll have a better job or whatever, but you pray for Him.

Now notice in verse 31, And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise. Because you want to be treated, so you treat others.

Verse 33, If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?

For even sinners do the same.

And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?

For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.

But love your enemies. Do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return.

And your reward will be great, and you will be the sun, or the sun's of the Most High.

Notice, for He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

Sometimes we think, well, so-and-so isn't very grateful. They're not very thankful. I'm not going to do anything else to help them.

Well, as it shows here, God is kind to the unthankful. God causes the sun to shine, the rain to come, the crops to grow, for the unthankful.

God has somebody who is unthankful, totally cut off their income, destroyed their families, or anything of that nature. You know, people continue to prosper in this country. So, neither should we treat people in the wrong way.

It says in verse 36, Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

One of the things I would suggest you do, and a very interesting Bible study, go through and look at all of the prayers of Jesus Christ.

Just take the prayers that Christ gave.

And look at how He approached the Father, the attitude that He had towards the Father. He was constantly thanking God for what He did for Him.

Matthew 11, verse 25, is an example.

Matthew 11, verse 25, It says, At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent, and have revealed them to babes, even so, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight.

So He thanked God.

Too often we want God to do things in a certain way, the way we think they should be done.

And when they're not done in that way, we become ungrateful.

But we have to realize God doesn't always do things in the way that we think.

In John 11, another scripture, John 11.39.

Let's turn to John 11, verse 39.

Jesus said, Take away the stone. You might remember here the example of Lazarus. And Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he's been dead four days. And Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you believe you would see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was laying. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, I thank you that you have heard me.

So Jesus Christ, thank God in advance for hearing his prayer. You know, brethren, if we go to God sincerely, admitting our sins, our faults, our weaknesses, and you were striving to obey God, even as Christ did hear, he thanked God because he knew that God would hear him.

If we don't believe God hears us when we pray, why are we praying?

You know, God will hear us if we come before him with the right attitude and repentance, spirit, and humility. And he says, I know that you always hear me, but because of the people who are standing by, I said this, that they may believe that you sent me. So Christ said this publicly so that they would believe. So we have the example of Christ. When you read his prayers, you study his example, he was constantly adoring, blessing, thanking God.

Now, David was a man, the Bible says, who was a man after God's own heart. That means he had a heart, a mind, and attitude like God. He loved God. He was always grateful to God. If there's anybody in the Bible that you find is a wonderful example of thanking God, it's David. Many of the Psalms are psalms of praise. There are songs, there are prayers, but there are psalms of praise and thanksgiving to God. We could actually give several sermons. We can just read the whole book of Psalms because in here are many psalms of praise to God. Let's notice Psalm 105, verse 1 to begin with. Psalm 105. Notice what the Psalmist says here. Oh, give thanks to the Lord. Call upon his name.

Make known his deeds among the people. So I want you to notice he says, give thanks to God. And then we are to make known God's deeds among the people. Sing to him, sing psalms to him.

Talk of all of his wondrous works. Glory in his holy name. Let the hearts of those rejoiced who seek the Lord. Seek the Lord in his strength. Seek his face evermore. Remember his marvelous words which he has done. His wonders and the judgments of his mouth. You go back and you analyze these five verses here and you'll find that there are a number of action words here to give thanks, to make known, to sing, to talk, to glory, to rejoice. And all of these flow out of the fact of knowing God, knowing his ways. If we know God, the true God, the real God, the living God, then we should be anxious to share with others who that God is, what he's like. To sing praises to him. You ever go around throughout the day and occasionally just sort of break out into singing?

To be thankful and joyful? You see, you don't have to worry about anybody hearing you when you're by yourself. You can sing, you can be a Mario Alonza or Julie Garland, whoever you want to be at that point. God hears and God will be thankful for your praise. Notice chapter 106 of the book of Psalm, verse 1.

Praise the Lord, he said, O 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? Bless are those who keep justice and he who does righteousness at all times.

And you can go on. You see, here's a Psalm of praise to God.

Brethren, many times when we pray to God, our psalm or our prayer should be like these psalms.

The majority of it is simply praising, adoring God, acknowledging God, thanking God for what he's done. When you and I stop, and we thank God, and we pray to God, we acknowledge him, we tell him how much we appreciate what he's done for us. You begin to get your mind off yourself, and you begin to think of your blessings instead of what you don't have. In chapter 107, we come again to verse 1 here. We find that in prayer we offer thanks to God especially for the gifts that he gives us. And verse 1 here says, Oh, give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. So one of the things we thank God for is his mercy. His mercy, his grace. If it wasn't for God's mercy and grace, we wouldn't be here. Let the redeemer the Lord say so, whom he is redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered out of the lands from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. In verse 8, Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for his goodness, for his wonderful works to the children of men, for he satisfies the longing soul, and he fills the hungry soul with goodness.

Our thanking God are expressions that show our total dependency upon God and our gratitude toward him. You see, this is part of the problem in the world today. One of the reasons why people who have a lot of money, you know, they're a flaunt or they have all their needs, they don't thank God.

This is one reason why many of the rich are not called today because they don't see any need for God. But you and I, whether we're rich or not, I don't know any of us here who are, but there are none of us here who are dirt poor either. We've been blessed by God.

And so God has blessed us. We need to realize how totally dependent we are upon God.

Psalm 69. Psalm chapter 69. And again, I'm only hitting a few of the highlights here of David, his life. But Psalm 69, beginning here in verse 30.

Psalm 69. And also, this also shall please the Lord better than an ox or a bull, which has horns and hooks. Okay, he's talking here about sacrifices. God would rather hear us sing praises to him than go out here and cut the throat of a bull and burn it on the altar. And that's what he's talking about here.

Brother, this is, in one sense, referring to what we do every Sabbath.

You know, when the song leader gets up here and he says, let's turn to page 54, 85, 62, whatever it might be, and we turn over and we sing a song. We collectively, as the body of Christ, are singing praises to God. We're worshiping God at that point. And that's what he's talking about here. We praise God's name. We acknowledge God. We magnify him. We thank him through our song service.

Our song service is worshiping God. It's part of the worship service.

Let's notice back here in Revelation 4, this isn't David, but I want you to notice in Revelation 4, verse 8, a scene in heaven. God expects all of us to have a grateful attitude, to be thankful for what he does for us, but I want you to notice the very throne room of God in heaven.

That there are millions of angels around. There are the four living creatures. There are the 24 elders. Beginning in verse 8, it says, the four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within, and they do not rest day or night, saying these are seraphim that are before God's throne. Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.

And so you'll find that these seraphim are constantly acknowledging God's greatness and praising him. Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, remind you what Jacob was covering. We give glory to God.

We give honor to God. We thank God. The 24 elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever and casts their crowns before the throne, saying, you are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they exist and were created.

Brother, this shows you what is going on in God's very throne, that these angelic hosts are praising God constantly. Chapter 11 of the book of Revelation in verse 16.

Chapter 11 in verse 16, it says, the 24 elders who sat before God on their throne fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, we give you thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the one who is, who was, and who is to come, because you have taken your great power and you have reigned, and the nations were angry, and your wrath has come, time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that you should reward your servants. And so you'll find that they worship God, they thank God, they praise God. So the angels who remained loyal to God constantly acknowledge, praise God, and thank Him. Guess what happens to those who rebelled against God? I'll guarantee you, they're not praising God, they're not singing His praises. They're cursing God instead of praising Him. Let's go back to Psalm again, chapter 95, the book of Psalm, chapter 95, and we'll begin to read here in verse 1. Psalm 95, verse 1.

It says, O come and let us sing to the Lord, let us shout joyful, or joyfully, to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving. Brethren, we are in God's presence right now. God is here with us. He is the host of the Sabbath and the holy days. So when we come into God's presence, we should be thankful. Thankful for the opportunity to meet together. Thankful for the opportunity to see God's people, fellowship with God's people, to worship Him. Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms, for the Lord is the great God and the great King above all gods.

Verse 6, O come, let us worship and bow down and kneel before the Lord our Maker, for He is our God. We are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.

If you don't know how to praise God, to thank God, I would suggest just take the book of Psalm.

And when you get down and pray, you open up a psalm, like Psalm 95 here, and start praying and say, Father, let this psalm be my prayer. And you use it to help you to praise God.

And you can go through this, and you can, you know, I've done this on many a vacation. Go through a psalm, and when it's said, you know, David says, Well, God, you intervened on my behalf.

I stop right there, and I say, Father, thank you for intervening on my behalf. And then you enumerate how God has helped you and the blessings that God gives to you. Let's notice back here in 1st Chronicles 16 and verse 7. 1st Chronicles 16 verse 7. David's song of thanksgiving.

We've already touched on this. In verse 7, it says, On that day David first delivered the psalm into the hand of Asaph and his brethren to thank the Lord. So here's the psalm specifically designed to thank God.

O, give thanks to the Lord. Call upon his name. Make known his deeds among the people.

Sing to him. Sing praises or psalms to him. Talk of his wondrous works, glory in his holy name. Let the heart of those rejoiced who seek the Lord. Seek the Lord in his strength. Seek his face evermore. Remember his marvelous works, which he has done, his wonders, the judgments of his mouth. I think we have a psalm that goes like that. So, you know, these are examples we have of David, a man after God's own heart. And what did God, or one of the things I might say that God looked for in David was that he was a man who was close to God, acknowledged God, realized how much he had to depend upon God. So, both Christ and David are wonderful examples that we can study to show us how to be thankful, how to praise God. Now, let's go over to the example of Moses. In Leviticus chapter 7, Leviticus 7 and verse 11, Leviticus 7 and 11, we find one of the sacrifices of God described here. This is the peace offering.

And verse 11 says, this is the law, the sacrifice of the peace offering, which he shall offer to the Lord.

And it says, if he offers it for a Thanksgiving. So, not every one of the peace offerings was offered up as a Thanksgiving, but the peace offering was an offering that could be offered up on many occasions. It was shared by the people who gave it. Part of it was sacrifice. Part of it was given to the priest, and the family who brought it would eat it. This is the type of offering they would offer up many times on the holy days, and then they would have it to eat.

If he offers it up for a Thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of Thanksgiving on eleven cakes. And then, verse 13, besides the cakes as his offering, he shall offer on eleven bread with the sacrifice of Thanksgiving.

In verse 15, the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offering for Thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered. And so, it was a sacrifice of Thanksgiving.

Now, we will come to this a little later, but in the New Testament, the Bible talks about offering up sacrifices of Thanksgiving to God. And here in the Old Testament, that's based upon what we read here in the Old Testament. They would literally, physically, take an animal, offer it up, and then they would share it as a meal. It was to be offered to God as an offering to thank him.

Brethren, do we ever, when God has blessed us abundantly, get down and thank God, but then maybe send in a special offering to God, to the church, to show our appreciation for what God has done for us? There are many different ways. To take a bullock, take a heifer, take some type of an animal out of your flock, offer it up to God. That's quite a bit of money. When you stop and think about it, take a sheep or whatever it might be and offer it. Well, you and I, sometimes, when God has blessed us, we need to demonstrate to God how much we appreciate what he has done for us.

So, these were instructions that God had given to Moses that he passed on to the Levites, then to the people on how to show thanks to God. In Exodus chapter 15, we have a song recorded here for us. This is called The Song of Moses.

And it is a song that Moses sang. It's a song of praise for God for delivering them from the Egyptians after they had come through the Red Sea and God had delivered them. They came through on this side, went out on that side. God destroyed the Egyptian army. And so, here was a song of praise. They couldn't contain themselves to thank God for this deliverance. In verse 1, then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord and spoke, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song he has become my salvation. He is my God.

I will praise him. We can go through this whole chapter here, but let's notice, beginning picking it up in verse 11, who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious and holiness, fearful in praise, doing wonders? You stretch out your right hand and the earth swallowed them.

You and your mercy have led forth your people whom you have redeemed.

Verse 14, the people will hear and be afraid. In other words, all of the nations, the Gentiles, would hear what God had done to Egypt. And as the Israelites would come to their country, they would be afraid because they knew that God would do the same thing to them.

We need to pray to God. We need to sing to God. Thanksgivings. Prayer embraces praising God for who he is, thanking him for what he has already done, and looking forward with joy to the future, to the promises that God has given to us. One thing we need to thank God for, you know, daily we need to thank God for calling us into his church, for being with us, and for the hope that he gives to us. Stop and think of the average person in the U.S. or the world today. Do they really understand? Do they have any hope for the future? Yet you and I have the hope of the world tomorrow, the kingdom of God, God's plan. And so we should be constantly praising God for that, just as David did here. And then you'll find in verse 20, Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women, went out after her with timbrels and with dances, and Miriam answered them, Sing to the Lord, for he is triumphed gloriously, the horse and its rider he is thrown into the sea.

So here you find they all got involved in praising God and thanking God.

Now there's one thing that Moses constantly did, and it's something that we need to be aware of.

There are found in the writings here, the first five books of the Bible, many warnings given to Israel, not to forget their God.

Let's go back to Deuteronomy chapter 4. Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 9.

Deuteronomy the fourth chapter here, It says, Only take heed to yourselves, and diligently keep yourselves, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life, and teach them to your children and to your grandchildren.

Rather, he's explaining that it's very easy for human beings to forget what God has done for us.

How often do we remind ourselves of God's calling?

Do we think back and talk about when we first came into the church?

How God has worked with us, where God has brought us the blessings that God gives to us?

And that where we're always giving God the glory, the praise, not something that we have done.

Chapter 9 of the book of Deuteronomy.

Chapter 9 here, beginning in verse 7.

Remember, do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness.

From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt, until you came into this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord.

And so he talks about that they don't want to forget how they, you know, they have always obeyed God.

In chapter 4, verse 23, he warns them not to forget the covenant that God made with them.

And they did forget. They went after other gods.

You and I can forget.

You know, that's one thing that having an attitude of being grateful, of thanksgiving, helps us to never forget God, God's blessings, and what God has promised to do for us.

Okay, with all of that in mind, let's go over and take a look at the Apostle Paul.

The Apostle Paul's example. Remember, I said that there were four outstanding examples.

And Paul's the last one we'll come to.

But over here in Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 19, Ephesians 5 verse 19, says, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.

So he's showing that when we've been blessed, that we should sing. We should be joyful.

Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. So you and I are to give thanks always to God, not just periodically, but at all times. In 1 Timothy chapter 2, the Apostle Paul especially writes a lot about thanksgiving.

1 Timothy chapter 2 beginning in verse 1, Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks be made for all men. So do we thank God for the president?

2 Timothy chapter 2 beginning in verse 1, We thank God for our leaders. And as it says here, for kings, remember they had the Caesars at that time who were not always the best rulers.

For all who are in authority, why? That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.

So you and I need to be giving thanks for all men.

Now that's not always easy to do, and I think we all realize that. But the Apostle Paul apparently did, and he set an example for us.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 15, 1 Thessalonians the fifth chapter, we'll begin to read here in verse 15, See that no one render evil for evil to any one, but always pursue what is good both for yourself and for all. 2 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and everything give thanks.

For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit, and do not despise prophecy. He's got a whole list of things here, but right in the middle of it is in everything give thanks.

I hope it's sinking in that we need to thank God for what He does for us, and the blessings He extends to us. Philippians chapter 4 adds a wrinkle, though. Let's notice Philippians 4 and verse 6 here. Philippians chapter 4 and verse 6. We are told, Be anxious for nothing. In other words, don't be constantly worrying, overly anxious, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Do you think God is going to hear a person who never thanks Him for anything as opposed to a person who constantly is thanking God, not just going through a ritual, but really feels that way and acknowledges His need for God?

Then it says, In the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts, your minds, through Christ Jesus. So, if we pray with thanksgiving, make our requests known, then we can have peace of mind. We don't have to worry. We don't have to be overly anxious. We know there is a God and that God hears us. 2 Corinthians chapter 2 is an interesting scripture beginning in verse 12. 2 Corinthians 2 verse 12. Paul says, Furthermore, when I came to Troas, to preach Christ's gospel, a door was opened to me by the Lord.

Brethren, I have exhorted all of us to pray that God would open doors before His Church.

That's what he's talking about. And I had no rest of my spirit because I did not find Titus my brother. But taking my leave of them, I departed for Macedonia. Now, thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us defuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. Now, he's talking here in a metaphor, but if you ever walked into a house where someone maybe has a perfume candle, or they sprayed incense, or burning incense, and you walk in, you would hit you. Well, that's what he's talking about here.

That you and I are the fragrance of God, and through us defuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. In a sense, comparing the knowledge of God to a fragrance, it goes with us by how we live, by our example, what we say and what we do. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved. So when we associate with one another, we bring that good fragrance. In other words, we know the truth, we know God's Word, we live it, and we are able to share it with one another, and among those who are perishing. To the one, we are the aroma of death to those who are perishing, leading to death, and to the other, the aroma of life, leading to life, and who is sufficient for these things. For we are not, as so many peddlers, or peddling the Word of God, but as of sincerity, but as for God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. Let me read this in a little more modern translation, the New English translation of the Bible, the net. Verse 14 says, Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ. Our leader, Jesus Christ, will never let us down. He said He will never leave us or forsake us, so He's out there leading, who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of Him in every place. So how is the world going to hear the knowledge of God? How are they going to hear the truth? Who's going to expound and preach that truth to the world? Well, it's the body. It's us. It's the Church of God. So you and I have the responsibility by our example, by our tithes, offerings, by our prayers of dispersing that knowledge everywhere.

So when we get down and pray for the work of God, we're asking God to send that sweet-smelling message, that aroma, everywhere. For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved. So you and I are an example among those who are perishing to the latter, noter from death to death. Or as they hear what we say, what we preach, they don't acknowledge it or believe it. And if they don't, their sins remain. They die. But to the former, a fragrance from life to life. Who is adequate for these things? Well, on our own we're not. None of us are. For we are not like so many others, hucksters who peddle the word of God for profit, but we are speaking in Christ before God as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God. So you and I are sent from God.

So, brethren, we don't peddle the truth of God. We're not out. The work of God is not out for the money. We're out to preach the truth to this world.

Thanksgiving is a heartfelt gratitude toward God that you and I are to have. Let's notice in Hebrews 13, I referred to this earlier. Hebrews 13 in verse 15.

It says, Therefore by him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.

So the sacrifice of praise is something that we are to offer to God constantly. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices, God is well pleased.

So God is looking for more than one day a year to give praise and honor and glory to him.

God is looking for a people who this is a way of life with them. It's an attitude with them that they don't just give lip service, but whenever we pray to God, our attitude reflects it that we are thankful. This must be the way we are and the way we come across to others.

In 2 Corinthians chapter 11, I just want to draw your attention here to something. In 2 Corinthians 11, beginning in verse 18, the apostle Paul talks about all of the suffering that he went through. And he talks about those who were boasting. And he said, if they have something to boast about, I have more. Verse 22 of the Hebrews, so am I, or the Israelites, so am I. Verse 23 talks about how he labored more abundantly than everybody in stripes above measure. He was in jail often, death often. Five times he received 39 stripes of the Jews. Three times he was beaten with rods. He was stoned. Three times he was shipwrecked. The night and the day was in the deep. He was in danger. That's what perils are here. Dangers of waters, robbers, his own countrymen, Gentiles in the cities, in the country. There were times that he was hungry and thirsty. He was fasting often. There were times that he was naked. And verse 28, besides the other things which come upon me daily, my deep concern for the churches. So when you look to somebody who should have, or I won't say should, who could have been in an attitude of, well, you signed on to be a Christian. Look at all that's happened to me. Look at all the problems I have.

You remember when God called him? God said, I'm going to send you before kings.

You'll go before the Jews and the Gentiles. What else did he say?

I will show him how much he will have to suffer for my name's sake. Paul knew ahead of time that his life was not going to be an easy one, that he was going to have to suffer a lot.

That did not curb Paul's attitude. He had an attitude of thanksgiving, of praising God.

He didn't become a bitter old man, a hateful old man, the one who was turned off. Notice Philippians 4, verse 11. He summarizes here his approach. He says in Philippians 4, verse 11, not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned. Here's a lesson he said, I've learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be a based, no words to go without, and how to abound. Everywhere and all things I've learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Then he goes on to say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. So the Apostle Paul had learned that when times were tough, he knew how to be a based, and he accepted that. But when he was blessed, and he had many blessings, he abounded, he accepted that too. I'm sure he enjoyed that probably more than the other.

But Paul said too that whenever he went through a trial in the test, he learned how to rely upon God.

So, brethren, we have the example of these four individuals of Jesus Christ, of David, of Moses, of Paul. We could go on and talk about many others, but I think these are four outstanding examples that show by their own personal examples how they lived, what they went through, what they taught, and what they truly did have an attitude of being grateful and thankful.

One of the things that you will find that this type of an attitude helps with, it helps to endure to the end. It helps a person to remain faithful, because you don't become so self-absorbed, so looking on yourself. I wish I had whatever. But you come to realize and thank God for every good gift He gives you. So, brethren, as we come to Thanksgiving on Thursday, we should truly be very thankful and have a special prayer for the things that God has given to us. But it should be a way of life with us. It should be something that we do daily, that God knows that truly we are a people who are thankful and grateful for every good gift He gives us.