October 13, 2002am     Give thanks!    I Chronicles 16

By Ronald E. George Jr. at the Fayetteville Baptist Church

A prominent Bishop tells of the Sunday morning when he was approached after the service by an old lady, who said in a tone of appreciation, "Bishop, you'll never know what your service meant to me. It was like water to a drowning man!"

 William Law, in his Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life writes, "Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms, or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice, but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God willeth, who received everything as an instance of God's goodness, and has a heart always ready to praise God for it."

    Ernest Stafford, a godly layman, told me this story about his former pastor, O.P. Ethridge:  One day O.P. slammed the car door on his thumb and almost mashed it off.   When he got the mashed thumb out of the door, he said, "Praise the Lord!"  Ernest said, "Are you crazy?  You almost mashed your thumb off, and you are praising the Lord?"  O.P. said, "I'm not praising the Lord because I mashed my thumb, but because I didn't mash it off." --- Jerry Songer, "`Tis the Season to Be Thankful," Proclaim, (Nashville: Sunday School Board, Oct-Dec, 1996) 35

 Why should we give thanks to God and to one another?  Remember who He is and what He is doing.

1Chr 16:8 (NIV) Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. 9 Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. 10 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. 11 Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. 12 Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, 13 O descendants of Israel his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. 14 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth. 15 He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,

I.                    Make known what He has done.

II.                  Tell of all His wonderful acts

III.                Let the hearts of those who seek Him rejoice.

IV.               Remember the wonders he has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced.

V.                 Give thanks because He remembers his covenant forever. 

1The 5:18 (KJS) In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.