"Give Thanks to Whom???"
1 Thess. 5.18, Thanksgiving Day Nov. ‘20
1. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The message from God’s Word on this Eve of Thanksgiving is taken from 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.“ It’s entitled, “Give Thanks to Whom???” Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
2. Well, it’s that time of the year to observe Thanksgiving. Years ago, I heard the story of one such family, who, as they gathered around their table heaped with turkey and trimmings, made it a practice to pray. Starting with the oldest, each person expressed appreciation to the Lord for things which were special to him or her. So, the food didn't get cold, most of the family kept their thanks to a minimum - "I'm thankful for health." Another would say, "I'm thankful for family." Everyone understood the rules, except for a six-year-old boy. The boy gave thanks for the turkey, then the boy gave thanks for mother who had cooked the turkey, and father who had brought the bird home from the store. He gave thanks for the checker who had bagged the bird, and the store which had sold the bird, and the company which had processed the bird, and the farmer who had raised the bird. From egg to table, the life of that turkey was covered in the young boy's prayer. Finally, taking a breath, he asked, "Did I forget anyone?" In a second his little brother shot out the obvious: "You forgot God." And the six-year-old gently countered, "I was getting around to Him."
3. Sadly, this Thanksgiving Day there are many people who won't get around to thanking God. "Look at the world," they say. My children are coming home from school with all kinds of habits that are unacceptable; we are living in the midst of a worldwide pandemic; my favorite football team isn't doing as well as it should; I've got a health problem and I'm afraid to talk to the doctor about it; and the national debt is skyrocketing. This Thanksgiving Day many people are discouraged, despondent, and depressed. This year of 2020 is going to keep many people from giving thanks.
4. But there's more. This Thanksgiving Day, the world will also stop multitudes from expressing any kind of appreciation to the Creator of every good and perfect gift. This sinful world, which writes God out of our history and our lives. Consider the 4th grader who stood up to give a report about the origins of the Thanksgiving holiday. Although he worked hard at putting together his report, he was bound by what his teacher would allow in the classroom. The teacher was bound by what the School Board said was allowed. The Board was bound by what the State allowed, and the State was bound by what the Government said was allowed. With all of these censors in place, the boy's report went something like this: "The pilgrims came here seeking freedom of - you know what. When they landed, they gave thanks to - you know who. Because of them, we can worship each Sunday - you know where."
5. I have heard of classrooms where students have been told Thanksgiving was when pilgrims were thankful to the Native Americans for their kindness. No mention was made of God, or the faith of these early settlers. Now, I deeply respect the kindness of the Native Americans who welcomed these settlers. Even so, to put the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe of Massachusetts in the place of the Lord isn’t right. This year many people won’t be thanking God. Years ago, in the Hall of Congress, there hung a picture of the founding fathers gathered in worship. The picture has been removed.
6. I have little doubt our first Congress, which authorized the printing of Bibles, would have problems with today's rewriting history and removing religion from the public sector. Most certainly Governor Bradford of Plymouth Colony would grieve. He and his fellow citizens had left everything to follow Christ. During December of their first winter, 6 people died; in January, 8 more passed away. In February, 17 breathed their last, and in March, 13 were buried. Four entire families were wiped out and only one family made it through that first winter without losing someone. Of the 18 married women, 13 died. In spite of these losses, the pilgrims gave thanks. After that first winter, after the first harvest, Governor Bradford called for a day of thanksgiving which lasted 3 days. They gave thanks to God, not to the Indians; they praised the Savior. The pilgrims understood the words of St. Paul who, centuries earlier shared the Word of God with the Church at Thessalonica, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
7. St. Paul knew a lot about the troubles which can come upon a person. Writing to the church in Corinth, Paul gave a list of the difficulties he had encountered. He says, "Five times I received...39 lashes; three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea..." He said he had been in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from Jews and Gentiles, in danger in the city, in the wilderness, at sea, and from false prophets. He had gone many nights without sleep, lived through hunger, thirst, cold, and exposure (Paraphrase 2 Corinthians 11). In spite of all that, Paul could encourage, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus." Enduring all these things, eventually even suffering martyrdom in Rome, Paul could honestly claim: "I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content" (Philippians 4:11).
8. Obviously, Paul's days of thanksgiving weren’t based on the stuff most of us find desirable. Paul had no smoke detector to tell him when the turkey was done. He had no dishwasher to clean the plates and good silverware. Paul didn't even have a turkey. No, the thanksgiving he encouraged was for the sinless Son of God who had come into this world to seek and save the lost. Paul gave thanks for Jesus who had resisted every temptation, every inclination toward greed, envy, lust, and hatred which entice, corrupt, doom, and damn us. Paul gave thanks as hundreds of millions of Christians give thanks, for a Savior who, by His resurrection from the dead, had guaranteed forgiveness and eternal life to all who are given this most valuable of gifts.
9. All of us have times when it is tough to be thankful. It's tough to be thankful when we're sick. When life has let us down. When we can't have something we really want. It's hard to have a heart of thanks when you are blaming God for all that has gone wrong in your life, for all that you have done wrong in your life. Yes, it's hard to sing, "Now thank we all our God."
10. "Now thank we all our God." That hymn is sung by many churches on Thanksgiving Day. The composer of that hymn was a Pastor by the name of Martin Rinkart. Martin, the son of a coppersmith, managed to work his way to the completion of a good education. In 1617, he became the pastor in his hometown of Eilenburg, Germany. The year after Martin became a pastor, a war known as the Thirty Years War broke out. That war lasted the entire life of Martin's ministry, all except the last year. Even more, Eilenburg's location meant Martin frequently had soldiers in his home, it meant his furniture, his food, almost everything, was carted off by looters.
11. But a Thirty Years War wasn’t the only cross Martin Rinkart had to carry. In 1637, the plague hit his town with terrible consequences. In that first year alone 8,000 people died. Rinkart spent his days at the bedside of the sick and failing. He buried more than 4,000 people - including most of his family. The plague was followed by a famine - a famine so terrible that when a cat or crow died on the streets of Eilenburg, 30 or 40 people would fight over the carcass. Rinkart tried to organize aid. He gave away all he had, except for the most meager of rations for what was left of his family.
12. In spite of all he had suffered, Pastor Rinkart managed to write these words: “Now thank we all our God With heart and hands and voices, Who wondrous things hath done, In whom His world rejoices; Who from our mother's arms Hath blessed us on our way With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today. Oh, may this bounteous God Through all our life be near us, With ever joyful hearts And blessed peace to cheer us; And keep us in His grace And guide us when perplexed And free us from all ills In this world and the next. All praise and thanks to God The Father now be given, The Son, and Him who reigns With them in highest heaven: The one eternal God, Whom earth and heaven adore! For thus it was, is now, And shall be evermore.”
13. Now thank we all our God. Do you understand? Rinkart wasn't thanking God for a Thirty Years War. He was giving thanks for a God who took people through that war, and if they didn't manage to make it through the war because of Spirit-given faith in Jesus, the Lord would take believers home to a place where there was no war. Rinkart wasn't thanking God for a plague which wiped out families. He was giving thanks for a Savior who would take all who believed on Him to a place where every plague has been removed. I'm sure, when Rinkart did funeral 3,999, that worn out old pastor must have wondered if there would ever be an end to the sufferings. Then, he would have remembered, the promise of Revelation where it says Jesus "will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4).
14. Now thank we all our God. Do you understand when Paul urged the Redeemer's followers to give thanks in all circumstances because it was the will of God in Christ Jesus. That apostle wasn't giving thanks for his beatings, his shipwreck, his stoning, or starvation, or cold, or loneliness, or any of the other horrible events which he had endured? No, Paul was giving thanks that he followed a Savior who had been with him. Who had supported him. Who had delivered him. Who would one day take that apostle to heaven where the hatred of others, the horrors of life, would be banished forever.
15. These things are all the result of sin and our disobedience to God. I would be a fool to ask you to give thanks for those things. Not even Jesus gave thanks for the cup of suffering He had to drink to bring about our salvation. No, I'm encouraging, you to give thanks that this world has a loving and gracious God, who, knowing what you would suffer, sent His Son to do everything necessary so you could be delivered from distress and difficulty, from personal plagues and private problems.
16. Stand before the cross of Calvary, run to the empty tomb and know whatever you are enduring will, because of Jesus, have an ending. If you see the Savior who carried your sin and bore your sorrows, this Thanksgiving Day won’t be demoted into a Turkey Day. This Thanksgiving, don’t spend all your holiday sitting in front of a TV set more stuffed than the bird you had for dinner. Let the crucified and risen Christ transform this Thanksgiving Day into a holy day where you give thanks to the Lord for having given His Son so you would, give thanks in all circumstances. This is God's will for you in your life. Jesus is the Savior you need. Amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus until life everlasting. Amen.
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