GIVING THANKS (1 Chronicles 16:34-36 NIV) Give Thanks as our Anthem - November 23, 2025
INTRODUCTION
Giving thanks
Giving thanks in all circumstances
Giving thanks as you enter worship and continue in praise
Giving thanks in all you do and say
Giving thanks as your testimony
Giving thanks as you pray
This Thursday most of us will be able to thank God for a wonderful meal, but sometimes we find ourselves in a tough position.
I read the true story of GIs stationed on Leyte in the Philippines during WW II. Although the region was secure, sometimes the enemy tried to infiltrate their food storage area. One such adversary, dressed in GI clothing, had worked himself into the noontime chow line. But the camp cook spotted him, pulled a pistol from under the serving table and yelled for the MPs to come and arrest the man.
After it was all over, the soldiers asked the cook how he knew the man wasn’t one of them.
"I figured it wasn’t one of you guys, ’cause he was coming back for seconds."
Reader’s Digest 5/93, p.46.
1 Chronicles 16:7-36 NIV
“That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the Lord in this manner:
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, you his servants, the descendants of Israel, his chosen ones, the children of Jacob. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.”
When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it, they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another. He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings: “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”
Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his dwelling place.
Ascribe to the Lord, all you families of nations, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Tremble before him, all the earth! The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them! Let the trees of the forest sing, let them sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.” Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.””
1 Chronicles 16:7-36 NIV
Lou Whitmire, a reporter in Mansfield, Ohio, asked the all important question "Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?" to students at Sherman Elementary school. Here are a few of the answers he got:
Jamie Copley, 7, said people celebrate Thanksgiving because it’s the season where everyone joins together.
Christina McGuire, 7, said, "It’s a good month."
Kamozye Bowles, 6, said people celebrate Thanksgiving because "it’s a happy day."
"My granny cooks and it’s good," she said.
Bradley Ernsberger, 6, said he celebrates Thanksgiving because he is thankful for a lot of things. "I’m thankful for my friends, my limo ride for selling the most candy, my Superman costume I got to wear at Halloween and my little pumpkin I got," he said.
Selina McGregor, 6, said she knows why people all get together to celebrate on Thanksgiving Day.
"It’s a wonderful year and a good time to share all that food," she said.
"I love pumpkin pie," she added.
Lou Whitmire, "Students have many takes on Turkey Day," News Journal. Citation: http://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/news/stories/20031116/localnews/653881.html.
1 Chronicles 16:34-36 NIV
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.” Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.””
1 Chronicles 16:34-36 NIV
I. GIVE THANKS!
William Reid recognized how far our thankfulness falls short. He wrote, "Forgive us, Lord, for shallow thankfulness, For dull content with warmth and sheltered care, For songs of praise for worldly wealthiness, While of your richer gifts we’re unaware"
Christians Worship, 482:1, "Forgive Us, Lord," ©1965. Renewal 1993 by the Hymn Society, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth TX 76129.
1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV
A. Give thanks to the Lord.
B. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good.
C. Give thanks to the Lord for his love endures forever.
II. CRY OUT!
You Know You Overdid Thanksgiving When . . .
Doctor tells you your weight would be perfect for a man 12 feet tall.
You are responsible for a slight but measurable shift in the earth’s axis
Paramedics bring in the Jaws of Life to pry you out of the EZ-Boy.
The "Gravy Boat" your wife set out was a real 12’ boat!
You receive a Sumo Wrestler application in your e-mail.
Friday you set off 3 earthquake seismographs on your morning jog.
Pricking your finger for cholesterol screening only yielded gravy.
A guest quotes a Biblical passage from "The Feeding of the 5000."
That rash on your stomach turns out to be steering wheel burn.
Representatives from the Butterball Hall of Fame called twice.
You consider gluttony your patriotic duty.
Your arms are too short to reach the keyboard & delete this.
Indiafunfactory.com
1 Chronicles 16:35 NIV
“Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, and glory in your praise.””
1 Chronicles 16:35 NIV
A. Cry out to God.
B. “Save us God our Savior.”
C. “Gather us.”
D. “Deliver us from the nations.”
E. “Save us, gather us and deliver us . . . that we may give thanks to your holy name.”
F. “Save us, gather us and deliver us . . . that we may glory in your praise.”
III. GIVE PRAISE!
In Budapest, a man goes to the rabbi and complains, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one small apartment. What can I do?"
The rabbi answers, "Take your goat into the apartment with you." The man is totally upset when he hears this, but the rabbi insists. "Do as I say and come back in a week and thank me."
A week later the man comes back looking more distraught than before. "We cannot stand it," he tells the rabbi. "The goat is filthy. It is so nasty and smelly in our little apartment. We are all miserable!
The rabbi then tells him, "Now, go home and let the goat out. And come back in a week."
So, the man returns to the rabbi a week later, smiling and happy, saying, "Life is beautiful again. We enjoy every minute of life together now that there's no goat -- and only nine people in one apartment!"
George Mikes
1 Chronicles 16:36 NIV
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.””
1 Chronicles 16:36 NIV
A. Eternal praise
B. “Amen”
C. “Praise the Lord”
CONCLUSION
We have so many reasons to be thankful. It should not end with our Thanksgiving meal.
‘Twas the night of Thanksgiving, I just couldn’t sleep . . .
I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned - the dark meat and white
But I fought the temptation with all of my might
Tossing and turning with anticipation
The thought of a snack became infatuation.
So, I raced to the kitchen, flung open the door
And gazed at the fridge, full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling so plump and so round,
’Til all of a sudden, I rose off the ground.
I crashed through the ceiling, floating into the sky
With a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie.
But, I managed to yell as I soared past the trees....
“Happy eating to all! Pass the cranberries, please!”
Bobby Scobey, Sermon Central, Oct 27, 2009.
Give thanks to the Lord! Cry out to God! Praise the Lord!
1 Chronicles 16:36b NIV
“Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.””
1 Chronicles 16:36b NIV
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, you can come forward now. If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.
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