Thanksgiving in an Unthankful World

Thanksgiving in an Unthankful World Bend 11-20-11

Introduction – As we know, Thanksgiving is this coming Thursday. According to 2 Timothy 3:2, one of the characteristics of the end time is that people will be unthankful. NKJ 2 Timothy 3:2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy… 2 Timothy 3:4-5 … lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. NLT 2 Timothy 3:5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.

SPS - The title of the sermon is “Thanksgiving in an unthankful world. Unfortunately, to many, Thanksgiving is merely a day of turkey dinner and football. Many even refer to the day as “Turkey Day.” I’m sure that we know that this holiday was set aside as a day of thanksgiving to God for all of the blessings of the new land experienced by the pilgrims who settled here. The main difference between the original purpose of this day and what it means to many today is whether or not God is recognized as the source of our blessings and the focal point of the day. NKJ Psalm 10:4 The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts. NIV Psalm 10:4 In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God. What has been the result of unthankfulness to God?

NLT Romans 1:18-32 18 ¶ But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.1 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 ¶ So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other's bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 ¶ That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. 28 ¶ Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too. · That’s a pretty good commentary on the world today and how it got to be that way—namely refusing to acknowledge and thank God.

Can you imagine life without God? · Can you imagine going through life day after day with no thought about God? · Many of us used live that way, so it might be good to think back to those days in order to appreciate knowing God as we do today. Let’s consider some of the blessings that we should be thankful for. God and His love, grace and mercy NKJ 1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. NLT 1 John 4:16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. NKJ Psalm 136:1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. · Repeated in all 26 verses of this psalm · Mercy = what God doesn’t do to us that we deserve · Grace = what God does for us that we don’t deserve God’s plan of salvation & God’s calling Titus 3:3-5 3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, NKJ 2 Timothy 1:9 [God] has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began….

NLT 1 Peter 5:10 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. NKJ John 6:65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."

NKJ 1 John 3:1 ¶ Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! NLT

Ephesians 2:4-5 4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's grace that you have been saved!)

NLT Colossians 1:12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. 13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,

NRS 1 Thessalonians 4:13 ¶ But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,1 about those who have died,2 so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. · How important is this during the loss of a loved one!

NLT 2 Peter 1:3-4 ¶ By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.

Jesus Christ NLT Romans 5:8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

NLT Hebrews 4:15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

The Holy Spirit NRS Ephesians 1:13-14 13 In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this 1 is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.

Spiritual knowledge, understanding of God's plan NLT 1 Corinthians 2:6 ¶ Yet when I am among mature believers, I do speak with words of wisdom, but not the kind of wisdom that belongs to this world or to the rulers of this world, who are soon forgotten. 7 No, the wisdom we speak of is the mystery of God 1 -- his plan that was previously hidden, even though he made it for our ultimate glory before the world began. 8 But the rulers of this world have not understood it; if they had, they would not have crucified our glorious Lord. 9 That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 10 But1 it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God's deep secrets. 11 No one can know a person's thoughts except that person's own spirit, and no one can know God's thoughts except God's own Spirit. 12 And we have received God's Spirit (not the world's spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us. 13 When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths.1 14 ¶ But people who aren't spiritual 1 can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. 15 Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. 16 For, "Who can know the LORD's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?" 1 But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. (Matthew 12:16 - "Blessed are your eyes, for they see.")

God's way of life NKJ Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, NLT Romans 12:1 ¶ And so, dear brothers and sisters,1 I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice -- the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.2 2 Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. · "It doesn't get any better than this." God's intervention in our lives, answered prayer --"Some of God's greatest gifts are UNanswered prayers."

NLT 1 John 5:15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. NLT Matthew 7:11 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. The Church NLT Ecclesiastes 4:9 ¶ Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. 10 If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. 11 Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? 12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. NLT 1 Corinthians 12:13 …we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

NKJ 1 Corinthians 12:26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. · What if you were all alone? Family Psalm 127:3-5 3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. 5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate. Survival needs – God promises to provide all our material needs if we put His KG & righteousness first (Matthew 6:33). Comforts of life NLT Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires. Standard of life in the US in the 21st century Your job NLT Ecclesiastes 2:22 So what do people get in this life for all their hard work and anxiety? 23 Their days of labor are filled with pain and grief; even at night their minds cannot rest. It is all meaningless. 24 ¶ So I decided there is nothing better than to enjoy food and drink and to find satisfaction in work. Then I realized that these pleasures are from the hand of God. · Even a bad job is better than NO job.

Conclusion – The common denominator of all of these blessings is that they all come from God. NKJ James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. · Think about these and so many other blessings that God has given you and offer thanks to God for them as you enjoy your turkey dinner (and football game?) this Thursday. NLT 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. · We all have so much to be thankful for, so let’s make Thanksgiving a day to offer thanks to God in an unthankful world.