"Thanks"

Preached by Rev. Ed Brouwer at The Gathering Place, Osoyoos
Pulpit Series Volume 19 Issue 30 October 4, 2009

Ps.116:12 What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

Consider how blessed we are…..

· 3 billion people, almost 50% of the world's population, live on less than $2 a day ($730.00 a year)

· 1.2 billion people live in extreme poverty, less than $1 a day

· 800 million go to bed hungry every day.

· 30,000 children under 5 years of age die every day from preventable and treatable poverty-related illnesses

· nearly 1 in 6 Canadian children live below the poverty level

Most people spend Thanksgiving Day being thankful and spend the rest of the year grumbling and complaining.

Perhaps we’d be healthier if we changed Thanksgiving Day into a day of grumbling and complaining so we can spend the other 364 days of the year in Thanks Living.

The psalmist, feeling that mere words were not enough, asked, What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

It is only right and proper that when someone goes to great pains to do a tremendous favor in your behalf that you thank them for it. I call that having an “Attitude of Gratitude”.

The greatest gift of God to humanity is the gift of his Son.

Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Can we simply say, thanks for sending your Son to die for our sins? Should we not give Him something of value in appreciation.

True Gratitude demands more than mere verbiage, verbal acknowledgement.

Perhaps it isn’t so much in GIVING thanks, BUT rather in LIVING thanks which shows our true gratitude to God.

I WILL PAY MY VOWS (v.14) We begin our Christian walk with a public profession of faith. We declare our allegiance to Christ and His church through water baptism. Like the public vows of marriage, the public vows of the Christian put us on record and under obligation to be faithful to Jesus.

Think back to the vows you made to Christ. Think of that revival service or that camp meeting when you came to your senses and made a vow to God.

Renew your vow to God.

Don't just GIVE thanks, LIVE thanks.

I WILL BE A SERVANT (v.16) When one says, "I am your servant" he is saying, "Your wish is my command."

The psalmist saw this as an answer to his question, "What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits toward me?"

In other words: What does God deserve in light of all His benefits to me?

First off, He deserves my obedience to Him as a servant.

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
The words that stand out for me are the last three; “your reasonable service”.

The word reasonable depicts; acceptable, fair, fitting, just.

Secondly, we should honor God in our behavior.

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beg you to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called,


Vocation: a divine call to God's service or to the Christian life.

Go with me to the Book of John.

In Chapter 21 we find several verses that confirm what I am saying; John 21:14-17 This is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples, after he had risen from the dead. So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. Jesus replied, Feed my lambs. He asked him again Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me? Peter replied, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. Jesus said, Feed my sheep.

A third time Jesus asked, Simon, son of Jonas, do you love me? Peter was upset because Jesus had asked him three times, do you love me? Peter says to Jesus, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus looked at him and says, feed my sheep.

Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?" Then he implied, "If you do, then you will feed my sheep."

I John 3:18 tells not to merely love with words, but to love with actions and in truth.

How does God know we love him?

By our doing something about it.

DID YOU KNOW?

THE ORIGINAL PURPOSE FOR THANKSGIVING DAY.

It was set aside as a day of prayer and praise, in 1863 by President Lincoln. "A day of Thanksgiving and praise for our beneficent Father who dwells in the heavens."

Break up into groups:

Ps.116:12 What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

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