Giving thanks to God every day motivates us to look for God’s purpose in everything. In this sermon, Dr. Stanley reflects on the apostle Paul’s instructions to give thanks in every circumstance, without exception (1 Thess. 5:12-18).
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how often in a given day that you say
thank you lord
thank you thank you thank you I’ll tell
you one time you do when somebody almost
hits you and your car you say oh thank
you God
well what about when you wake up in the
morning when you don’t have any
motivation except that God is your God
Jesus is the lord of your life and he’s
gonna walk with you all day long
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four decades ago we started in touch
ministries to lead people worldwide into
a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout the years we’ve seen God’s
greatness his love and his blessings in
such awesome ways that we just want
everyone to know him so let’s open God’s
Word and seek Him together today on
InTouch Thanksgiving every day
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well Thursday morning people all over
the country gonna be sitting down this
big table when you think of Thanksgiving
if you’re just really honest now what’s
the first word comes to your mind now
another reason you’re laughing because
you don’t want to answer the question
how many of you just to be honest you
think of Thanksgiving and think of
Turkey now okay I’m gonna ask it again
what do you think of personal I just if
in day then give turkey eating having a
big time and you sit down to a wonderful
table that somebody’s prepared and you
have all these meats and Turkey and all
the vegetables and all the pies and
cakes and all that and you just sit and
have a fantastic time I wonder how many
people really ask you sincere blessing
lord thank you in jesus name it’s
wonderful table amen
or do you really into the thank God for
it
and sometimes I think we’re not nearly
as grateful as we ought to be and we
don’t express it as often as we ought
express it and expressing gratitude
toward him is very important to him and
I’m going to show you that in a moment
very important to him yet on
Thanksgiving Day people they’ll have the
meal and either there’s a football game
or whatever it’s only gonna cut the TV
on and as soon as had had dessert
Thanksgivings over and so they’re into
something else every single day when you
now wake up we can still see we can
still hear we can still walk we can
still eat in other words all the
function
we enjoy every day of their every day so
why not wake up every morning saying
thank you Jesus and during the day thank
you and people say well is that what you
do I thank him all the time there was
something good comes my way I just say
thank you Jesus thank you thank you
thank you oh if I’m hurting somewhere in
my life I would say thank you Jesus I
know that you have a reason to this and
I’m gonna trust you to hear me thank you
Lord and it’s a rebuke the devil
thank you Jesus you’re the one who’s in
charge we should live lives of
Thanksgiving all the time
so I want us to start this message for a
few moments and go back to the Old
Testament and look at that sacrificial
system in the Old Testament so
Thanksgiving was a vital part of the
sacrificial system and so I want us to
turn to Psalm 92 for a moment and read a
few verses here he’ll turn there for a
moment and notice that very first verse
how it begins some money to it is good
to give thanks to the Lord and to sing
praises to your name almost high and
that’s what we’ve done this morning to
declare your loving-kindness in the
morning and your faithfulness by night
morning and night giving thanks with
tents train dilute and with the heart
with the resounding music that means
loud and sounding music upon their life
for you O Lord have made me glad by what
you have done I will sing for joy at the
work of your hands how great are your
works O Lord your thoughts of their deep
well why would first of all what’s that
a lot sacrifice business about so I want
listen carefully remember now that
Israel it was just Hebrews at that time
God had taken them out of Egypt down the
Sun they got them to receive the law
into the wilderness and then made a big
mistake and they spent 40 years in the
wilderness but but down the Sun yeah and
you think well why did God give all that
stuff for example in the Book of
Leviticus and I will agree with you that
if you don’t understand
what’s going on and they look sort of
boring you don’t do this through that
and such specific detailed detailed
descriptions and warnings if they
violated them so God used sacrifices and
the laws he gave in order to teach them
and so one of the things he wanted to
teach them was Thanksgiving so what did
they do they offered a Thanksgiving
sacrifice every morning and every
evening what was he doing he wanted them
to be reminded first of all that he was
God and that they were to honor him as
God that they were to depend upon him
because he was the source of everything
that they had and of course they
discovered that pretty quickly and so
God had a very specific reason for that
Thanksgiving sacrifice so when I look at
the Old Testament and see and for
example in the 50th Psalm he says in the
23rd verse he who offers a sacrifice of
Thanksgiving honors me think about that
you may all return to that and underline
it Psalm 50 verse 23 he who offers a
sacrifice of Thanksgiving honors me a
thankful heart still honors God when you
say thank you Jesus thank you thank you
thank you Lord thank you dear God I
praise you and thank you what you’re
doing is you’re honoring him as your
Lord you’re honoring him is the source
of that blessing whatever it might be
thank you thank you thank you dear God
and so you might just mark that verse
down and I would simply ask you this how
often in a given day that you say thank
you lord thank you thank you thank you
I’ll tell you one time you do when
somebody almost hits you and your
courage say oh thank you God well what
about when you wake up in the morning
when you don’t have any motivation
except that God is your God Jesus is the
Lord of your life and he’s gonna walk
with you all day long
gratitude Thanksgiving we should teach
our children that we should teach them
very early in life
that the Lord in other words if a
person’s
grateful you know what they’re saying I
don’t recognize him as a source of my
blessings I don’t recognize him as a
source of anything I can make it myself
and God can take a person down so
instantly gratitude Thanksgiving it
should be a part of that thinking a part
of our life a part of how we operate so
when I look at dick to see for example
how they express their Thanksgiving in
those days think about it for just a
moment they we say they offered
sacrifices which and this was an ongoing
thing you think’ll look at all the
animals have what a waste it wasn’t
waste the eyes of God because they were
honoring him so they offered sacrifices
the Bible says they sang songs they sang
hymns they use instruments for example
to express their Thanksgiving they gave
to God they prayed in other words
Thanksgiving was a major issue with God
and a major issue with the people of God
in those days some would ask you this
I’d ask you this as humble as I know how
but I want God to convict you if you
have not been thanking God I pray the
Lord God in love or convicted of the sin
of ingratitude because that’s a sin any
of us can stop immediately right now
change it you can be grateful and so
they expressed it in all kind of
different ways and they had great big
meetings like singing and Thanksgiving
and praising God so how do we express
Thanksgiving to God today how would you
say we sing right we sing hymns we get
together we eat we fellowship and once
we come to worship service but the truth
is that every day at your house every
day at your house you should be
worshipping God in whatever way you and
the Lord see fit to do it now when I
think about the many privileges that we
enjoy they should evoke continuous
Thanksgiving to God every day some
putting beans up here so you can write
them down then I want us to think about
what they are thinking about this and
all of these
scripture land I don’t have time to go
through them all but I’ll just sort of
list them and they’ll put them up on a
screen I just want you to think about it
for a moment of all the expressions of
God’s grace and mercy number one he
chose us in Christ before the foundation
of the world we are in dwelt by the Holy
Spirit we were sealed by the Spirit of
God and we are eternally secure he says
he sealed us unto the day of redemption
we have the gifts of the Spirit whether
it’s service or giving or administration
oh mercy teaching whatever it might be
we have an intimate relationship with
him that’s why you and I can talk to him
personally and know that he’s listening
and that he’ll respond to us we have
peace we have the peace of God peace
with God as we get saved the peace of
God is what he allows in our heart day
after day after day we have the
unconditional love of God you write
these down so I’ll slow down a little
bit okay we have that we have the
unconditional love of God for example at
no point does God ever say I will love
you
if now he may bless me if he may work
something in my life or heal me if but
love me no ifs unconditional think about
that this is the sovereign God of the
universe saying I love you no matter
what even if I’m disobedient his love is
there his chastising hand is an
expression of his love to me back in
line then of course moment by moment you
and I live in his presence that’s why he
sealed us with the Holy Spirit we have
the Holy Spirit living within us so you
and I are never distant from God you may
feel this then you may act this them but
at no point are you distant from awesome
God that we have then he says my God
with all of your needs according this
riches
you’re in Christ Jesus that is he’s he’s
the provider of our needs his divine
protection he watches over us and cares
for us day after day moment by moment
and think about this we have the promise
of a bodily resurrection you don’t like
what you have now it’s going to change
one of these days a bodily resurrection
we have the awesome blessing of God’s
atonement in the person of Jesus Christ
total forgiveness of our sins remember
when he forgave you he forgave you past
present future if he didn’t forgive you
that way then your forgiveness is only
limited when he went to the cross he
paid our sin debt in full forever so
that every person who accepts him as
Savior all their sins past present
future atoned for otherwise watch this
otherwise he’d have to be dying all the
time though one death of Almighty God
and the person of Jesus Christ took care
of our forgiveness for ever and ever and
ever and then of course we have an
eternal home in heaven we have the
promise of the Resurrection absent from
the body present with the Lord
then the last thing I would mention is
this we all have one of these let’s hold
them up this hold of them thank God
thank you Jesus amen let’s tell him
thank you Jesus thank you Jesus for the
word of God because therein lies all of
the source of all of our knowledge and
understanding now a true heartfelt daily
Thanksgiving has a powerful impact on
our life in other words if we’re
thanking him daily it’s going to impact
our life and that is being aware that
you are living in the presence of a holy
almighty omnipotent omniscient
omnipresent God who loves you
unconditionally and all he’s asking is
recognition gratitude and obedience
could you give me one reason for being
disobedient to God no what are you
asking to do something that would not be
for your best interest no and obedience
listen obedience is not to keep us from
having fun that’s the way some people
but obedience means that I can have fun
with a clear conscience and joy in my
heart no matter what’s going on so let’s
think about the impact that Thanksgiving
has on our life and the first one is
this and these are all gonna be here and
I’ll give you time to write them down
because I want you to think about it
number one it keeps us continually aware
that we are walking in his presence
which contributes to living a godly life
Thanksgiving keeps us continually aware
that we are walking in his presence
which contributes to living a godly life
which is his will for every single one
of us secondly it motivates us to look
for His purposes in everything that he
allows in our life he’s some things we
don’t understand what he does or why he
does it but here’s what I’ve discovered
if I thank him for it even though I
don’t understand why he’s allowing it if
I thank him for it eventually you know
what happens he lifts the veil and we
begin to see well okay now I do you say
well you mean you can thank God before
you listen if I believe he’s sovereign
those all thing and loves me
unconditionally I can thank him for
anything I’ve had to thank him for some
pretty tough things in my life just like
you have
but it’s the Thanksgiving that that’s
what just brings God into the situation
in such a fashion and it’s like it just
lifts the load a third one is this it
helps us bring our will in the
submission to his will when we are
suffering pain a loss thanking him in
the midst of pain thanking him in the
midst of loss does what
it brings us into a point of submission
Lord I don’t understand it but I’m gonna
thank you for it anyway and saying so
Lord I this is not my choice I would I
wouldn’t have it this way but because
you’re sovereign and you love me
unconditionally you know what you’re
doing I want to thank you lord thank you
thank you thank you Jesus nobody wants
to nobody wants to be sick nobody wants
to have any kind of terrible disease
nobody no nobody wants a car wreck
nobody wants the family to be sick
nobody wants loss of anything we thank
him no matter what’s going on we thank
him and there’s something about
expressing Thanksgiving I’ll say it
again lifts the load in other words what
we’re saying is God you’re smarter than
I am I know you know what’s the best it
was to be my choice but I want to thank
you for it anyway the fourth thing is
this continually thanking him keeps me
continually reminded of who he is and
his put in his position as God in my
life
thanking him keeps me consciously aware
that God is in my life and if you will
talk to people for example who are not
saved who are not Christians and you
talk to them about most anything then I
gonna bring up God unless they think you
gonna bring it up and they said you look
don’t give me that God stuff well the
truth is God could strike them dead in a
split second how foolish to talk about
God like that and then his mercy lets
him live reminds us of our continuing
dependence on him what is it in your
life you don’t depend upon God for
absolutely dependent upon him for every
single solitary thing he helps us trust
him thanking him helps me trust him when
I don’t understand why it helps me to
trust him when I don’t understand why
something’s going on God I don’t
understand this I’m thanking you for it
because you know better than I do and
somebody says well that sounds
unreasonable unreasonable to you but not
to God because he honors that listen I
think God honors thing
giving most when I may feel like I have
beliefs to be grateful for
but I’m thanking him anyway and what
does he do he responds to that
I think Thanksgiving is essential to my
rejoicing in the midst of suffering in
other words rejoicing that is I want to
thank you Father I mean maybe I’m able
to sing even though I don’t feel like it
I don’t I don’t see the future is
brightest but I’m gonna sing when you
come to church on Sunday morning and you
may feel like the bottoms dropped out of
your life and you’re walking backwards
and nothing’s right and they can’t be
right and we start singing what happens
you have to admit that that heaviness
it’s like a lifting bog because you’re
singing and what are you doing when
you’re singing you’re confessing
something I give thanks to you O Lord I
praise your Holy Name I bless you
you may not feel that you keep singing
and you’re gonna feel it why the spirit
of gods begins to witness in your heart
that something good is going on and that
God is still in charge and everybody’s
probably been I will go through some
point in their life you say well it
looks so dark God listen watch this
carefully when you walking in and the
dark place I remember that the light of
the world is in you and step by step
he’s gonna open the door he’s gonna show
you the way he’s gonna guide you he’s
gonna lift you no matter what’s going on
so I’m to thinking and thanking him has
a powerful impact upon our life and I
wonder when’s the last time you could
say I really rejoiced about that I just
want to say hallelujah Jesus praise God
when’s the last time you ever felt that
away I can tell some of you haven’t felt
that way in a long time I mean that
you’re so happy about what God’s doing
in your life that you’ve got just got to
tell him you can walk through your house
and just praise God in every room we
should thank God and praise him for what
he’s doing in their life and then of
course one other thing it does giving
thanks to God removes the
anxiety you can be anxious and worried
about anything you start thanking him
praise him focusing on him and that is
amazing at the anxiety that disappears
next thing you know you think what am I
worried about
I’ve got holy almighty sovereign God on
my side taking care of me why am i down
in the dumps
listen living in the dumps it in God’s
plan and he can get you out real fast
you start thanking him and praising him
the devil runs and God gets you out
you’re exhausting and praising the Lord
before you know it because anxiety and
fretting over things is not the will of
God then I’ll get cause it keeps my
focus on him other than my circumstances
if I’m going through situations you say
yeah well you don’t know what I’ve been
through it may be you don’t know what
I’ve been through I can tell you this
I’ve been through enough deeply enough
painful enough that I know that when you
think you can’t handle any more you
start thanking God and praising him God
I want to thank you thank you thank you
I don’t like it I don’t want it this
wouldn’t be my plan but I want to thank
you said thank you I’m thanking you
thank you thank you thank you Jesus
thank you Jesus thank you Jesus
you say well you mean to tell me that’ll
change your circumstance no it’ll change
your attitude about your circumstance
and your attitude toward God and that
makes all the difference in the world
then one thing I would say this said
last thing and that is you get up
tomorrow morning you think oh it’s cold
to send the other I’m gonna tell you how
to get over that right now you want to
though say Amen when you’re lying there
moaning and groaning about your job and
the weather and the traffic you just
start saying thank you Jesus thank you
thank you thank you Jesus thank you
Jesus I guarantee you you’ll have energy
to hop out of the bed and do what you
need to do what because praise and
thanksgiving but it’s very nature
energizes us now what you’ve done you’ve
got your mind off the traffic and that’s
on God and it’s under the blessing that
he has for you during the day it
energizes us
today mentally emotionally spiritually
in every single way so when I think
about Thanksgiving I don’t think about
turkey I think about Almighty God and
think about all the things that you and
I have to be grateful for in our life so
I want to say this to you whoever you
are and wherever you are for you to
reject Jesus Christ the Son of God sent
into this world virgin born for the
primary purpose of revealing God to us
and going to the cross and our behalf in
the shedding of his blood he paid our
sin debt in full he was the fulfillment
of all those sacrifices back yonder so
God governed time and eternity and
events they get Jesus to the cross a
Roman cross to die in our place so that
we wouldn’t have to die in our sins and
be lost forever for you to reject Jesus
the Son of God who came into this world
in order to deliver you from sin deliver
you from its power filled you with His
Holy Spirit serve through you and bring
you to heaven for you to reject him is
the greatest expression of ingratitude
of anything you could ever do therefore
I want to encourage you to acknowledge
that God I’ve been ungrateful for my a
lot of loving years of my life I’m
asking you to forgive me of my sin I’m
really ashamed God that I’ve lived this
long without trusting as my Savior
but today I’m trusting you as my savior
and thanking you for your forgiveness
and from this moment on the Lord I’m
yours and I want to live for you if you
will pray that simple prayer asking him
to forgive you of your sins remember me
you don’t have to beg him he’s been
waiting to save you waiting the Savior
there’s a song we sing the Savior is way
waiting for you to come to your senses
open your eyes hear the truth
believe the truth and let God change
your life here and for all eternity
and he’ll do it if you let him father
how grateful we are
oh how grateful we are that you’re
patient whether you put up with us you
forgive us again and again and again and
again and when we just humble ourselves
before your date afraid that every
person who hears this message will not
only hear it but heed the admonitions
the trust she was saving Lord master of
their life I pray for every Christian
who hears it today Lord there would be
some big time confession of ingratitude
disobedience lawlessness in their life
asking for forgiveness and make a fresh
new recommitment of their life to you as
their Savior we love you dear Lord and
praise you for the wonderful privilege
of knowing you sharing you there walking
in obedience to you every day father I
prayed the very best of your blessings
but rest upon all those who listened and
those who watch who know years they’re
safe in Lourdes and those who listen or
watch and do not know you’re saving
Lourdes that today right now wherever
they may be whatever time they’d stop
and make this decision
which we know will change their eternal
destiny in Jesus name Amen if you’ve
been blessed by today’s program please
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