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This Thanksgiving the average person will eat 3000 calories before they start into dessert. With a spread table, it makes no sense to remain empty. God has prepared a table and He invites you to become FULL. God intends for us to be THANK FULL. There is miraculous power in your thank you. Your thank you can lead you past the gates and into his presence. Come fill up on Thanksgiving.
Welcome to Redemption Church in Plano TX. My name is Chris Fluitt.
Can you believe it is November? In 2 days our nation will hold an election. Let’s right now hold a word of prayer.
We do not pray that a political party would triumph, but that truth, justice, freedom, and God’s will would triumph. Let us pray.
Full
We are starting a brand new sermon series for the month of November – called FULL.
This year on the 26th of November, many people will gather around a table elaborately furnished with a grand meal. There will be turkey, stuffing & gravy, mash potatoes, sweet potatoes… There will be pumpkin pie, pecan pie… There will be more food than you can actually eat.
The average person will eat over 3000 calories before they get to their dessert. On this day we eat until we are FULL; and, why not?
When you have a full banquet table, it makes no sense to leave empty.
God has prepared a table for us, and he wants us to be FULL of all the good things He has cooked up for us.
Over the next weeks we will talk about being full of mercy, full of grace, full of joy, and full of peace. Today we are going to talk about being THANK FULL.
Thank Full
Thankfulness is an essential Bible teaching. We have not preached enough on the subject of thankfulness. Your Bible says that thankfulness is as important as worship, prayer, obedience, faith… God intends his people to be “THANK FULL.”
Ephesians 5:20 (NIV) always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How often? Always!
Thank who? God the father in the name of Jesus!
For what? Thank God for everything He is doing!
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Prayer & Thankfulness turn anxiousness into peace!
Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV) So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
What are you overflowing with? You know that you are THANK FULL when it begins to overflow!
Colossians 3:15-17 (NIV) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Thanksgiving is NOT a holiday that happens 1 time a year! We are to constantly be thankful.
Be thankful for the message of Jesus Christ!
Sing with grateful hearts!
Do everything in Jesus name, giving thanks to God!
Hebrews 12:28-29 (NIV) Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Hebrews 13:15-16 (NIV) Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
These verses just scratch the surface of scripture’s command for us to be full of thanks.
Our God has prepared a table. It is time for us to FILL UP with thanks.
Do you want to find God’s will?
Have you ever prayed for God’s will? What should I do God?
God’s will sometimes seems like a great mystery?
-Should I take this new job, or stay at my old job?
-Should I take my education in a new direction, or stay in my current field?
-What should I do about the problems in my relationships?
-Does God want me to take this step into ministry?
Scripture solves the mystery of God’s will for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NIV) Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
In every circumstance BE THANKFUL! This is God’s will for you.
-I can’t tell you if God’s will is for you to take the new job, or not… but God’s will is that you are thankful as you are deciding.
While you stand at the crossroads and you are trying to decide your direction, God’s will for you is to be thankful.
-Go ahead and thank God while you are waiting to hear His voice and see His Hand.
-God I do not know where the rest of my journey goes, but I am thankful you have brought me this far. I am thankful that you are with me, and for me!
You can’t be in God’s will if you are unthankful!
If you really want to be in God’s will, you will be thankful.
If God tells you to go left, and you go left, but you do it with an unthankful heart… you are out of God’s will even though you are going left!
You may have walked into church today… you may have turned on this live-stream today, completely unsure of the will of God… but as you began to worship and thank God… you may not have realized it, but your life, heart, mind, strength, and soul started to come into alignment with the sovereign will of God!
Somebody say “Thank You Lord!”
IN every circumstance not FOR every circumstance
Find thankfulness IN the circumstance… Thankfulness does not come FROM the circumstance… for the circumstance… because of the circumstance.
Scripture is not telling you to be thankful FOR, but thankful IN.
We have all had a loved one fight cancer. God does not want you to say “Thank you God that my loved one has cancer.” No! Cancer is the enemy. We are not thankful for cancer.
But while we are not thankful FOR the circumstance, we can be thankful to our Lord and Savior IN the midst of any circumstance.
-God I am thankful for every day I have with my loved one.
-I am thankful for our medical insurance and the people around us who are helping us.
-God I am thankful for the stripes of Jesus that bring healing.
-I am thankful that if even the worst happens, you have already promised us the best – a resurrection with you in heaven.
-God I don’t understand this situation… I don’t understand why… but I trust you God. I am thankful that “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death YOU ARE WITH ME.”
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Election sadness & madness
We are days from the end of a long drawn out election cycle here in the United States. In a matter of days roughly 50% percent of the country will be happy their candidate won, and another 50% upset their candidate lost. And the way we will all respond to each other has the potential to make 100% of our populace sad, or mad.
Christians we cannot fall into the pattern of this world. Our hope is not in an election. No matter the outcome I charge you to be “THANK FULL” that God is still on the throne. Be thank full that we live in the freest country on the planet and you have the freedom to preach & worship Jesus openly.
Be thankful for the unseen
God what am I going to do. I don’t see a way out…
God I am trying to accomplish this thing you gave me to do… but I am not seeing the results…
God you promised, but I don’t see it…
You can thank god for things you don’t even see.
Psalm 100:4 (NIV) Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving… What are God’s gates?
Enter His courts with praise… What are God’s courts?
The gates are the 12 gates to the city of Jerusalem.
The courts are the outer, inner, and innermost courts of the Temple.
When an Israelite wanted to have their sins forgiven, they would need to go to the temple in Jerusalem. Many Israelites did not live in Jerusalem, so they would need to travel to Jerusalem. They called this a pilgrimage.
Israelites from the outskirts of the nation of Israel… Israelites who lived in far-away nations, would travel a great distance to come meet with God, offer their sacrifices, and have the sins of their family atoned once more.
Imagine with me a pilgrim taking the first step of a several hundred mile journey… With that first step they cannot see the gates of Jerusalem, or the courts of the temple. They are walking in the unknown and the unseen.
The psalmist says we enter his gates WITH THANKSGIVING. We can read that as “thankfulness is something we bring with us.” It can also be understood as “thankfulness is something we come by…”
Thankfulness is not something that shows up at the end of the long journey when you finally enter the gates. Thankfulness is meant to be in every step of the journey. Thankfulness is carrying you towards the gates of the city.
That pilgrim takes the first step in the journey… even though they don’t see the journey’s end… they know that there is a God on the other side of this journey… they know that on the other side of this journey their sins will be forgiven. Even without seeing it, THEY ARE THANKFUL. With & by thanksgiving they enter His gates.
You are in a journey right now. You don’t see the end. But you should know there is a God who is faithful and he is on the other side of your journey. There is promise & power on the other side of your journey.
Do not wait ‘til your journey’s end to be thankful. Be thankful now! Let every step of your journey be FULL of thanks. Stop saying, “I’ll be thankful when this is over.” No, be thankful now!
His promises are true.
I can do all things through Christ.
This trouble won’t last always.
God is for me not against me.
Heaven is real and I am going there.
The things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Thank you Jesus for this day… this moment… this promise… this eternity…
You can’t see the gates… but they are reality.
You can’t see the results… but they are reality.
I am thankful that one day, if I don’t grow weary in well doing, I will reap a harvest.
Pilgrim, you have put a lot of steps behind you, but this journey is still worth finishing.
Traveler, you have a lot of steps in front of you, but there are future miracles, testimonies, and victories… do not turn around.
Have you ever met a senior Christian who has lived for God so many years, yet they are still passionate and excited about the Lord?
Do not mistake why they are still happy in Jesus.
It’s NOT because they never faced heartache, trials, been lied on, talked about and mistreated, suffered loss, been disappointed…
The reason why that senior Child of God is still joyful, happy, and on fire is because, THEY ARE THANKFUL.
You could be more like them! Be Thank full.
Psalm 100:4 (NIV) Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
When that weary pilgrim finally reaches the gates of that Holy city… he then goes to the heart of the city to see the temple. Inside the temple, he finds the Presence of the Lord. God was his destination.
You enter his gates with thanksgiving, but you enter his courts with praise.
You journey in thanks, but when you reach your destination, thanks transforms to praise.
We get it all wrong… we drag through our journey, and when we reach the destination, we give a weak “thank God, I made it through that.” You are meant to triumphantly thank God through the journey, and when you reach the destination, praise Him like He is God, and the Only reason you made it through…
Miraculous thanks
Do you understand that your thanks is a miraculous act?
Your thankfulness does more than get you through the journey. Your thankfulness moves the heart of God in Heaven, and He facilitates your journey.
There were thousands of hungry people listening to the Lord Jesus teach.
Matthew 14:15-18 (NIV) As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said.
Thousands of hungry people… 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish…
What a pathetic supply. The meal is hardly even worth recognizing compared to the tremendous need.
But, do you know what Jesus does next?
Matthew 14:19 (NIV) And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.
Jesus gave thanks for what he had. It may not be enough, but give thanks.
Thankful people experience miracles.
Matthew 14:20-21 (NIV) They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Is there a miraculous thanks in this room?
Luke 17:12-14 (NIV) As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
10 lepers receive a miracle. As they went they were cleansed.
Luke 17:15-16 (NIV) One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
One of the lepers, a Samaritan… Samaritans were looked down upon by most Jews. This one unlikely Samaritan noticed he was being healed and he decided to turn around and praise God. He throws himself at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him.
Luke 17:17-18 (NIV) Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”
The other 9 were busy enjoying the miracle of being cleansed… they were too busy enjoying the blessing to actually thank the One who had blessed them. Church, are we like that?
But, the 1 leper who thanked God received something far greater than healing.
Luke 17:19 (NIV) Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
All 10 lepers were healed from leprosy, but the one who returned was made well. Other translations say “your faith has made you whole…” In other words, when that Samaritan leper thanked Jesus, not only was his leprosy gone, but all the effects of the leprosy were gone. He was completely and miraculously restored.
Miraculous thanks
Miracles happen when you thank the Lord. We are about to open this altar. I charge you to come thank the Lord and receive a miracle.
Come, take your next step in thankfulness.
After altar…
Unexpressed gratitude is ingratitude
If you don’t express your gratitude, then you aren’t truly grateful.
You may feel grateful… you may feel thankful… but it is not until you open up your mouth, and open your heart to express your thanks that you are indeed thankful.
Do you say the words “thank you” enough? Is it possible that you feel thankful, but are not truly expressing it.
Express your thankfulness to those around you. Do not leave it felt but unexpressed.
-your family
-your job
-your friends
-your blessings
-your God
-the cross
There is danger in unexpressed gratitude.
Romans 1:21 (NIV) For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.