IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS

VIDEO LINKS TO THIS SERMON

IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS - PART ONE

IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS- PART TWO

“IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS”

by Pastor Mark Taylor

“IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO YOU LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO YOUR NAME”  PSALM 92:1

While traveling along the border of Samaria, Jesus met a group of people suffering from leprosy and miraculously healed them. One of the ten men, a Samaritan, returned and thanked Jesus for healing him:

For a child of God thankfulness is not confined to a day or a season, it is an attitude that we should have everyday and every hour. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”  (Luke 17:11-19)

Over fifty years ago the Lord Jesus Christ reached out and forgave me of all my sins, and invited me to become a child of God.  I accepted His forgiveness and became a child of God.  I do not wait until a special day like Sunday or “Thanksgiving” to thank Him and remind Him how much I appreciate His love for me.  I cannot help but say “Thank You” to the Lord for loving me and taking care of me.

There is one sin that is prevalent today, it is the sin of ingratitude. God does so much for us. Our indebtedness to him is enormous and yet we rarely or at least infrequently offer thanks for what He has done. In fact, most professing Christians don’t even offer thanks over their meals much less offer thanks over all that God does in their lives.

There are many more blessings He gives to you and me everyday and we need to be more thankful and show the Lord how much we appreciate His goodness to us.   “Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!  Bless the LORD, O my soul.  And forget not all His benefits:  Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all our disease.  Who redeems your life from destruction.  Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.”  (Psalms 103:1-4).  

I want to give thanks unto the Lord today for you, as I do many times during the week.  “After I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all Christians, I cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:15-16).  I cannot help but say “Thank You” to the Lord for you.  I appreciate the love that my friends show me and the prayers they offer up for me.  It is no telling where I would be in my life today if it were not for the precious gift of good friends.  If we are thankful to others, we need to express it in words and deeds.  We need to express it and they need to hear it.  Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot.

I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit for their presence in my life. I want to take this day to “just say thanks” for all They have done for me. 

I want to thank God for the wonderful things He has done for me. “Many O LORD my God are Your wonderful works.  Which You have done.  And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order.  If I would declare and speak of them.  They are more than can be numbered”.  (Psalms 40:5).

Thank You Lord Jesus for leaving Heaven and coming to Earth to die for my sins.  “For Christ also has once suffered for sins, the Just for he unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but brought back to life by the Spirit.” (I Peter 3:18).  Thank You God for your gift of eternal life.  “Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift”.  (2 Corinthians 9:15).  If you have received the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you have received a gift so great and wonderful, you will never understand how valuable it is until you step into Heaven.

Thank You Holy Spirit for teaching me about the Love of God and the Lord Jesus Christ.  “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26).  God lives inside of our lives through the Holy Spirit and we should always be thankful of His presence.  “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price: therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”  (I Corinthians 6:19-20). 

There are many ways to say  “thank You” to the Lord.  We can start with our lips.  “By Him, then let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is with the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13: 15).  There is a tremendous difference between simply feeling gratitude and expressing gratitude.

You may not think you have much today to offer the Lord.  You may be “hanging on by a thread”.  But you still have “one thing” more you can do, one more prayer you can pray, and one more promise from God’s Word you can depend upon.  You can be thankful.   You may not be recognized in this life time by others for any great talent or achievement in your service for the Lord Jesus, but when you are thankful, God takes notice and accepts it as a offering to Him.

Make it a habit to tell people thank you. To express your appreciation, sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return. Truly appreciate those around you, and you’ll soon find many others around you appreciate you. Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.

Here are the words to a song we sing in Church.  “Thank you Lord, for saving my soul. Thank you, Lord, for making me whole. Thank you, Lord, for giving to me, your great salvation so rich and free!”