A talk presented during the 2017
National Fellowship week of The Anglican
Youth Fellowship, AYF, Nig from Monday 1st May to Sunday 7th May, 2017
KEY Text: 1st Thes. 5:16-21
INTRODUCTION:
What
Is Thanksgiving?
Ø A
celebration of the acts of God in our midst (Psalm 102:1-5; Psalm 118:23)
Ø It is
a seal for answered prayers (Philippians 4:6-7).
Ø Thanksgiving is an expression of
gratitude.
Without thanksgiving, no one can receive any blessing of heaven.
“Thanksgiving moves God to perform His miracles in the lives of those that give
thanks,”. Lets add that “Any ungrateful person never succeeds in life. When we
give God thanks for what He has done, we remind Him of what remains.
Nothing moves God like thanksgiving. Only the truly thankful can
be truly joyful. Joy is an essential requirement for praise that works. That’s
why we need to guide against the spirit of murmuring (1Corinthians 10: 10,
Numbers 11: 1-3). Thanksgiving should be our lifestyle if we must see the
promise of God come to pass in our lives.
Thanksgiving
among other things we do is a platform for fulfillment of prophecy, (Hebrews
10: 36). The subject of thanksgiving has always been limited to thanking God
for His
past acts but it is much more than that. It is also for thanking God
for what He will do (John 6: 11).
When we give
God thanks for what He has done, we remind Him of what is left (Luke 17: 12-19).
From observation and scriptural insight, nothing moves God like thanksgiving.
We must ensure that we genuinely return with thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving
should be our life style, if we must see prophecy fulfilled. Most prophecies
are yet to be fulfilled because of lack
of a thankful heart.
WHY "GIVE
THANKS":
1. Because of His PRESENCE
We must give
thanks for God’s presence in our lives. The Lord has never left us or forsook
us. People may have deserted us when we needed them. But the Lord has been with
us at all times and in all situations. His presence has given us peace and
rest. Christ lives in us and He is the hope of glory . Without the presence of
God our lives would be meaningless and miserable. We must always be grateful
for the presence of God in our lives. His presence with us makes all the
difference in every situation that we face.
Hebrews 13:5-6 "Keep your lives free
from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
So we say
with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do
to me?"
John 16:32 "But a time is coming,
and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave
me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
Isaiah 43:2 "When you pass through
the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will
not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the
flames will not set you ablaze."
2. Because of His divine PROTECTION
We must give
thanks for God’s protection in our lives. We are not destroyed because of His
mercies. There are so many dangers and hidden snares in this world and yet God
has protected us so far. We must realize that it is God’s protection that has
kept us alive so far. We must remember the dangerous situations that we have
faced in the past and how God protected us and be grateful to Him. The Lord has
watched over us constantly and protected us.
Lamentations 3 : 22-23 "Because
of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They
are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Psalms 5:12 "For surely, O LORD,
you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield."
Proverbs 3:26 "For the LORD will be
your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared"
Psalm
91:3
"Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly
pestilence."
3.
Because of His DIVINE PROVISION
We must
give thanks for God’s provision in our lives. The Lord has been faithful to
meet our needs. He has provided food , clothes and shelter to us which are
considered the basic needs of mankind. In addition to these He has provided us
so many blessings such as education and material comforts for which we must be
thankful. We must learn to trust in the Lord for the supply of all our needs.
Then we need not fear the future as the Lord is able to meet our needs even in
difficult times.
Philippians
4:19 "And my God will meet all your needs
according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."
Psalm
34:8-10
"Taste and see that the LORD is
good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his
saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and
hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing."
Psalm
37:18-19 "The days of the blameless are known to the
LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever. In times of disaster they will
not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty."
4.
Because of the PEOPLE AROUND US
We must
give thanks for the people whom God has given in our lives such as parents ,
relatives , friends , colleagues , neighbours etc. We have received so much joy
and favour through the people whom God has brought in our lives. We should not
fret over the evil we have experienced through some bad people. Rather we
should be thankful for all the wonderful people who have been a great blessing
to us.
Isaiah
43:4 "Since you are precious and honored in
my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and
people in exchange for your life."
Daniel
1:9 "Now God had caused the official to
show favor and sympathy to Daniel
5.
BECAUSE OF OUR PROFESSION
We
must give thanks for the profession that God has given to us. We must be
grateful for the work that we do which gives us a purpose in life and meets our
needs. We should not be grumbling about our job and be complaining about the
difficulties that we face in our workplace. Instead we should thank God for the
job that He has given to us and strive to fulfill our responsibilities
faithfully. We must do our work sincerely as unto the Lord and not as unto men.
Then the Lord will bless us and promote us to greater heights just as He did
for Joseph in the Old Testament.
Psalm
90: 17 "May the favor of the
Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes,
establish the work of our hands."
Colossians
3:22-24 "Slaves, obey your earthly
masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win
their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever
you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since
you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is
the Lord Christ you are serving."
What
Are We Thanking God For? (Abridged Cont'd.)
·
We thank Him for his faithfulness (Psalm 92:2-3; Psalm 145).
·
For anticipated victories over our enemies (2Chron.20:20,21)
·
For fresh anointing (Psalm 92:10-1; Isaiah 10:27).
·
So we keep scaling higher heights (Habakkuk 3:13).
·
To keep the spring of joy welling up from our soul (Ecclesiastes 2:10; 1
Kings 5:32; Isaiah 12:3; Acts 16:25). Thanksgiving provokes joy which destroys
every affliction in your body (Proverbs 17:22). Those who are addicted to
celebration never become victims of frustration.
·
For perfection (Lk. 17:15-19)
·
Thanksgiving
brings wholeness.
·
Thanksgiving
is the most fertile ground for the eruption of miracles, John 11:40. The
challenge we have is that we doubt the Word of God.
·
Nothing
grows in your hands without thanksgiving, Psalm 67:5-7.
·
God will
always reach out to the grateful and only the joyful can be really praise full.
Note: When you murmur and
complain you release the powers of the enemy on yourself. Murmuring is a proof
of ingratitude, 1 Corinthians 10:10; Psalm 78:49
HOW TO RETAIN YOUR JOY
§
Stop brooding over your negative past, Isaiah 43:19, “I
will do a new thing.”
§
Believe you are what God says you are.
§
Believe that your future is better than your past (Proverbs 24:18).
§
Always fill your spirit man with the Word of God.
THE LIFE OF A
MAN WITH A THANKFUL HEART
·
He relies on God for Victory (1Sam. 17:45-46)
·
He is not boastful (He sees himself as nothing before God) (2Sam. 7:18)
·
He attributes his victory to God, even when mocked.
CASE STUDY:
The Life of David
The Life of Sampson
HINDRANCES TO THANKSGIVING:
·
Pride, Psalm 131: 1,
·
Spirit of heaviness,
·
Challenges of life, Psalm 42: 11.
·
Comparing oneself with others, 2Corinthians 10: 12 and
·
Helplessness, Job 14: 7, Ecclesiastes 9: 4
EXTRA: BENEFITS OF THANKSGIVING
·
It paves the
way for fresh impact, Psalm 92:1-10
·
It is a key
to supernatural victory, 2 Chronicles 20:22-24.
·
Multiplication
of grace as the order of the day, Jeremiah 30:19
·
It
establishes every ‘thanks-giver’ in the house of God.
·
You will
enjoy sustainable fruitfulness.