GIVING THANKS (Psalms 107:1-2a NIV) Give Thanks as Our Testimony - November 9, 2025
INTRODUCTION
Giving thanks
“Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet. Believe in man. Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place. There is not, and there never has been a better time, or a better place to live in.”
Phillips Brooks, 19th-century American preacher and author
Give thanks in all circumstances, enter worship with thanksgiving and continue with praise,
Mark Axelrod shared this story in a sermon.
“I have an email that was sent to me a while back. It says that "If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the six million who won’t make it through the week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church service without fear of persecution, arrest, torture or death, you are more blessed than 3 billion people in the world.
If you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.
If you have money in the bank, money in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy."
Marc Axelrod, “What to Do When You Don’t Feel Like Praising God”, 11/15/2009.
Psalm 107:1-2a NIV
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—”
Psalm 107:1-2a NIV
I. GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD
Psalm 7:17 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
A. A command
B. Gratitude
C. The object of our thanksgiving
Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room’s only window.
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service and where they had been on vacation.
Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods when his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.
The man by the window described the park and the lovely lake outside. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm among the flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.
One afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn’t hear the band – he could see it. The gentleman by the window used very descriptive words to paint a picture for the other man.
After the man by the window died, the other man asked if they would move his bed next to the window. The request was granted and the man’s bed was moved next to the window. The man painfully propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world. He discovered that the window faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse how his former roommate could describe such wonderful sites.
The nurse said the other man was totally blind and could not even see the wall. She went on to say that the blind man had thanked God for replacing his sight with the keen sense of imagination and descriptive words so that he could enlighten the life of people around him. The nurse said the blind man told her God had blessed him with things money could not buy and he gave all the glory and praise to Him.
Bill Butsko, “Give Thanks”, 11/19/2009.
II. GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR HE IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER
Psalm 136:1-26 NIV
“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of Lords: His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
who made the great lights— His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever.
to him who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings— His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan— His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel. His love endures forever.
He remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies. His love endures forever.
He gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136:1-26 NIV
On the 3rd day of October, 1789, President George.Washington, at the request of Congress made the following declaration, proclaiming a A National Thanksgiving:
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favor, able interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for upon us. all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.
--Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3rd day of October, A.D. 1789, G.Washington
A. Thanks for God’s goodness
B. Thanks for God’s enduring love
"We Plow The Fields," by Matthias Claudius
We plow the fields, and scatter
The good seed on the land,
But it is fed and watered
By God’s Almighty hand;
He sends the snow in winter,
The warmth to swell the grain,
The breezes and the sunshine,
And soft, refreshing rain.
He only is the Maker
Of all things near and far;
He paints the wayside flower,
He lights the evening star;
The winds and waves obey Him,
By Him the birds are fed;
Much more to us, His children,
He gives our daily bread.
We thank Thee, then, O Father,
For all things bright and good,
The seed-time and the harvest,
Of life, our health, our food.
Accept the gifts we offer
For all Thy Love imparts,
And what Thou most desirest,
Our humble, thankful hearts.
III. LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD TELL THEIR STORY
A medical missionary in India had found a way to heal people who were going blind. He said that once he’d done this operation on the local people they never said, "Thank you," because that phrase was not in their dialect. Instead, they spoke a word that meant, "I will tell your name."
Wherever they went, they would tell the name of the missionary who had cured their blindness. They had received something so wonderful that they eagerly proclaimed it.
When you and I give thanks we are “telling God’s Name”.
We are declaring that we believe in a God who actively works in our lives.
Jeff Strite, “B Thankful”, 11/22/2009.
Isaiah 12:4-6 NIV
“In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.””
Isaiah 12:4-6 NIV
A. Our opportunity
B. Our descriptor - “the redeemed”
C. Our story
In his magnificent little book, "A Faith to Proclaim," James S. Stewart made reference to Paul’s declaration to the Galatians (2:20), "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me..." And Stewart said, "To be thus taken command of, so that our testimony, when we go out to speak of Christ, is not ours at all, but Christ’s self-testimony – this is our vocation and the hope of our ministry."
Psalm 9:1 NIV
“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.”
Psalm 9:1 NIV
CONCLUSION
Give thanks to the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment