FEAST AND FAMINE: Thanksgiving for the Blessing and the Curse in the Age of COVID-19 - 11-22-20
INTRODUCTION
The blessing and the curse in the age of COVID-19
Blessing and Curse - a dialogue of redemption
Blessings
Big and small - meeting together, learning to ration,
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said that in order to achieve contentment, one should "cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously."
“Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
Psalm 106:1 NIV
“I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness; I will sing the praises of the name of the Lord Most High.”
Psalm 7:17 NIV
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Psalm 100:1-5 NIV
"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul." - Henry Ward Beecher
I. SAY "THANK YOU"
“Thankfulness is a social norm applicable in grateful situation while gratitude is the special manifestation of spirituality, love, and affection.”
A. Are you grateful (feeling)?
B. Tell God thanks (action)
C. Schedule thanksgiving
“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves.”
Psalm 69:30-31 NIV
II. ACT THANKFULLY
A. Pouting person
B. How to act thankfully and show gratitude
7 Habits of grateful people - Lindsay Holmes for Huffington Post
1. Journal
2. Don't avoid the negative - setbacks are part of the journey
3. Spend time with loved ones
4. Mindfully use social media
5. Know the value of the little things
6. Volunteer
7. Get moving
C. Help someone else
III. PROCLAIM THANKS
A. Let others know
B. Be thankful as a community
C. Worship with a spirit of thanksgiving
“Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.”
Psalm 95:1-3 NIV
“Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you. All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.” Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind! He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the waters on foot— come, let us rejoice in him. He rules forever by his power, his eyes watch the nations— let not the rebellious rise up against him. Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard; he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you— vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble. I will sacrifice fat animals to you and an offering of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!”
Psalm 66:1-20 NIV
Rory and Joey Feek (who was diagnosed with terminal cancer in the fall of 2015 saw her dad come to Christ about a month before that. She told a reporter from The Tennessean, "I just cried. Now all of my family believes. And all of my family, when we die, we're going to see other again.” I told dad, “I would go through all of this again, if that meant one person came to Christ because of it. The fact that my daddy did, ‘Dad, I would do it all over. I'm so proud of you. When I die, I'm going to be looking for you. And I want you to know, that after you hug my brother (Justin, who died in a car accident in 1994), I'm going to be next in line.’" Joey passed in March of 2016 and was reunited with her family.
CHALLENGE
Write down 7 things you are thankful for right now even in the midst of COVID-19. Share 3 of those reasons for thanksgiving with someone outside of your immediate family. Share the greatest reason you have for being thankful with a family member or dear friend.
INVITATION
It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word. You may want to follow Jesus. You may want to proclaim your faith. You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things). Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church. If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, I would be honored to speak with you in the upper parking lot following the service about what God is doing in your life.
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