1CHRON. 16:1-43; 1 THESS. 5:18
SUBJECT: THANKFUL
THEME: We need to maintain thankful attitudes.
INTRODUCTION: First
Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in
Christ Jesus concerning you.”
Sometimes we say, “If
only I had a better job,” or “I really
envisioned life differently,” or “I wish
I didn’t have so many problems.” We seem to be good at noticing the wrongs,
poor developments, and failures. In contrast, God prescribes cultivating a
thankful heart. In a day when being rude, immature, taking too much for
granted, and mean spirited are acceptable in our society we need a fresh dose
of thankfulness….
Giving thanks can be a powerful change spiritually,
emotionally, physically, and mentally. If we can cultivate a thankful heart, we
will solve or eliminate many of our problems. Offering thanks and praises to
God helps us to stop focusing merely on our difficulties and ourselves. This
was certainly true for the psalm writers. Whenever a problem developed, they
would cry out to the Lord in despair. One said, “LORD,
how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?” King David had this attitude when he fled from his son
Absalom, who wanted to take over his throne. But eventually he started thinking
about all the good things God had done for him. Clearly, it is when he
cultivated an attitude of thankfulness—even while fleeing from Absalom—that he clean-escaped
the clutches of despair. So, what can we apply?
MESSAGE:
I.
Celebrate The Presence of The Lord With Thanksgiving. 1Chron. 16:1-43 This is a record of the Ark’s return to the
center of the nation’s Worship which symbolized the presence of the Lord among His
people Israel.
A. THE OCCASION FOR THE CELEBRATION VS. 1-3
Having brought the ark into the tent … pitched for it and
having completed the sacrifices of burnt offerings and fellowship offerings,
David blessed the people of Israel and distributed bread and cakes of dates and
raisins to each one (vv. 1–3).[1]
1. The Presence
of the Ark of The Covenant Comes to Jerusalem.
Vs. 1
2. The Presence
of the Lord in the Tabernacle of His People.
Vs. 1
3. The Presence
of the Gifts the Lord Has Given Us.
A. The Gift of Jesus Christ and His Cross–
Sacrifice. Vs. 1- 2 “burnt sacrifices” “peace offerings”
B. The Gift of the Word of God. Vs. 2 “bread”
“flesh”
C. The Gift of the Joy in the Lord Vs. 3 “flagons of wine”
As soon as the ark was placed in the tent, sacrifices were offered.
The burnt offerings were the highest expression of worship ceremonially
possible (cf. Lev. 1). It was wholly consumed by the flames and it ascended in
smoke to be enjoyed by God alone.[2]
The peace offering pictured
communion with the Lord and a sharing of the good things which came from the
Lord. Both peace and burnt offerings were prominent in the observance of
festivals and solemn occasions, and certainly this was a festive day for all
Israel. Everyone received a helping of meat before he left for home (v. 3).[3]
B. THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE CELEBRATION VS. 3-7
David next acted to insure that thanksgiving and rejoicing
before the Lord would be carried on daily and not be reserved for special
occasions (cf. vv. 37–42). Levites were appointed to commemorate, to thank, and
to praise the Lord … with … instruments and voices.[4]
1. Everyone Was
Generally Involved. Vs. 3 “every one”
2. The Levites
Were Specifically Involved. Vs. 4, “he appointed
certain of the Levites”
A. They Were to Minister Vs. 4
B. They Were to Record Vs. 4
C. They Were to Thank Vs. 4
D. They Were to Praise vs. 4
F. They Were to Play Music Vs. 5-6
G. They Were to Sing Psalms vs. 7
APPLICATION: We should always be expressing thankfulness (1
Chron 16:4). Certain Levites were appointed to give continual praise and thanks
to God. Praise and thanksgiving should be a regular part of our routine, not
reserved only for celebrations. Praise God continually, and you will find that
you won't take his blessings for granted. It is correct for our praise celebrations
be done with great enthusiasm– celebration, music, sacrifices, praise, singing,
and thanksgiving to the Lord.
C. THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE CELEBRATION VS. 7-36
This hymn of thanksgiving is actually a compilation of
passages from other psalms, a fact which suggests the priority of those psalms.
David then must have excerpted parts from his earlier poetry and woven them
together into this beautiful piece.[5]
There are four significant aspects or elements of
thankfulness found in this song (psalm):
1. Telling
Others About It. Vs. 8-11
2. Remembering What God Has Done. Vs. 12-22
3. Showing God's Glory to Others. Vs. 10, 23-36
4. Offering
Gifts of Self, Time, and Resources. Vs. 2-3, 29, 40-42
APPLICATION: If we are truly thankful, our lives will show
it. Thankfulness can take on a variety of effective expressions. We become
Christians through God's unmerited grace, not as the result of any effort,
ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part. However, out of
gratitude for this incredible gift, we will seek to help and serve others with
kindness, love, and gentleness. God’s grace in our lives becomes the foundation
of our operations with others. While no action or work we do can help us obtain
salvation, God's intention is that our salvation will result in acts of
service. We are not saved merely for our own benefit, but to serve Christ and
build up his churches (Eph 4:12). One
way we can do this is by expressing our thanksgiving with others. By doing so we encourage them to reflect on
the goodness, grace, mercy, and awesomeness of God.
D. THE CONTINUATION OF THE CELEBRATION VS. 37-43
David was careful to appoint Levites to carry on the
worship of Jehovah before the ark in Jerusalem, and also at Gibeon where the
tabernacle and the altar of burnt offering were still located. At Jerusalem he designated
singers, door-keepers, and trumpeters, all under Abiathar. The priesthood of Zadok
officiated in Gibeon. The chief emphasis in this passage is on the musicians. [6]
1. Thanksgiving
was Meant to Be Special. Vs. 1
2. Thanksgiving
was Meant to be Continual. Vs. 37
3. Thanksgiving
was Meant to be Personal. Vs. 43
APPLICATION: Complaining and discouragement partly stems
from an unhealthy belief that we spiritually deserve better conditions and a
better situation from God. Sometimes we act as though God is responsible for
cheating us or that our faithfulness in some area deserves better outcomes….
When I forget this reality…too often I do forget–I resort to complaining and
griping. The complaining can be canceled when Thanksgiving becomes a personal habit
every day. Let’s make it a matter of continual celebration today. (1Thess. 5:18; Phil. 2:13-15; Job1:21; Ps. 34:1; Eph. 5:20;
Phil. 4:6; Col.3:17; Heb.13:15). Complaining (Ex.
16:7-8; Num. 14:27; Ps. 106:25; 1Cor. 10:10; Ju. 16).
II. Cultivate an Attitude of On-Going
Thanksgiving.
There Are Many Good Reasons for Being Thankful Continually.
We have many things to be thankful for:
Psalm 30:4—Give thanks at the remembrance of God’s holiness.
Psalm 30:4, Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give
thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Psalm 106:1—Give thanks to the Lord, because He is good, and His mercy
endures forever.
Psalm 106:1, Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord;
for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Daniel 2:23—Daniel expressed thankfulness to God for the wisdom and
strength given him.
Daniel 2:23, I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my
fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now
what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's
matter.
Romans 1:8—Give thanks to God for Christians who exhibit their faith.
Romans 1:8, First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for
you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
Romans 6:17—Be thankful for the conversion of repentant sinners.
Romans 6:17, But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of
sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was
delivered you.
Romans 7:23–25—Be thankful that Christ has delivered you from the power
of indwelling sin.
Romans 7:23-25, But I see another law in my members, warring
against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin
which is in my members. [24] O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me
from the body of this death? [25] I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So
then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of
sin.
1 Corinthians 1:4—Thank God for the grace He bestows on believers.
1 Cor. 1:4, I thank my God always on your behalf, for the
grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
1 Corinthians 15:57—Give thanks to God that He has given us victory over
death.
1 Cor. 15:57, But thanks be to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:14—We should be thankful for the triumph of the gospel.
2 Cor. 2:14, Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us
to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in
every place.
2 Corinthians 8:16—Be thankful for those who have a zeal for Christ.
2 Cor. 8:16, But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest
care into the heart of Titus for you.
2 Corinthians 9:15—We are to be thankful for the gift of Christ.
2 Cor. 9:15, Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
1 Thessalonians
2:13—Be thankful for those who receive and
apply the Word of God.
1 Thes. 2:13, For this cause also thank we God without
ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye
received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God,
which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
2 Thessalonians 1:3—We should be thankful when we see believers working hard
for the sake of the kingdom and showing love to one another.
2 Thes. 1:3, We are bound to thank God always for you,
brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the
charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;
Revelation 11:17—We should be thankful for Christ’s power and His coming
kingdom.
Rev. 11:17, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great
power, and hast reigned.
CONCLUSION: Beloved, don’t complain, poor mouth, grumble, express
annoyance, whine, moan, or protest when you’re in less than desirable
circumstances or experiencing a lack of sufficiency. Cultivate a heart of
thankfulness instead! If you’re not a thankful person, it may be because you feel
you deserve better circumstances than those you currently have. Remember if we
got what we deserved, we’d be in hell already. That goes for all of us. So be
thankful for the many gifts God gives you…there are many things we are overlooking,
taking for granted, just expecting, assuming as reasonable, or not fully
appreciating. True thankfulness will take all the sourness out of our lives.
Ephes. 2:8-9, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man
should boast.
Thankfulness ought to be a primary characteristic in a Christian's life.
When someone gives you a gift, do you say, "That's very nice -- now how
much do I owe you?" No, the appropriate response to a gift is "Thank
you." Yet how often Christians, even after they have been given the gift
of salvation, feel obligated to try to work their way to God. Because our
salvation and even our faith are gifts, we should respond with gratitude,
praise, and joy.
ILLUSTRATION: Praying
For the Water
I was once invited
to a luncheon where thirty or forty Christians—ministers and laymen—were
gathered together for discussion of a certain problem of Christian work.
A well-known layman
was asked to return thanks before the meal. I have heard the blessing asked
hundreds of times, but suddenly my attention was aroused. The man who was
praying said, “We thank Thee for all these gifts, for our food, for our water …”
I do not know what
else was said in the prayer, but that thought gripped me. Thank God for the
water … I have asked the blessing before thousands of meals, but that day for
the first time, I thanked the Lord in spirit and in truth for common ordinary
water, and for the Living Water. I then began to think of other common things
for which we never thank God, and began thanking Him. —Donald Grey Barnhouse
Expressing
Gratitude in Africa
In another African
dialect, the Karre, the expression for thankfulness is “to sit down on the
ground before” another. A thankful Karre will go to the home of his benefactor
and sit on the ground before his hut. No word need be spoken; his silent vigil
signifies his gratitude. The man who is thankful to God, therefore, sits before
God to enjoy his presence. He is never satisfied merely to tip his hat to God
as he passes; gratitude demands that he seek God’s presence and fellowship. —Roger William Thomas
Lesson From A Beggar
There was once a
good king in Spain called Alfonso XII. Now it came to the ears of this king
that the pages at his court forgot to ask God’s blessing on their daily meals,
and he determined to rebuke them. He invited them to a banquet which they all
attended. The table was spread with every kind of good thing, and the boys ate
with evident relish; but none of them remembered to ask God’s blessing on the
food.
During the feast a
beggar entered, dirty and ill-clad. He seated himself at the royal table and
ate and drank to his heart’s content. At first the pages were amazed, and they
expected that the king would order him away. But Alfonso said never a word.
When the beggar had finished he rose and left without a word of thanks. Then
the boys could keep silence no longer. “What a despicably mean fellow!” they
cried.
But the king
silenced them, and in clear, calm tones he said, “Boys, bolder and more
audacious than this beggar have you all been. Every day you sit down to a table
supplied by the bounty of your Heavenly Father, yet you ask not His blessing
nor express to Him your gratitude.”—James
Hastings
Thankful For
Unusualness
Dr. Alexander Whyte
of Edinburgh was famous for his pulpit prayers. He always found something to
thank God for, even in bad times. One stormy morning a member of his
congregation thought to himself, “The preacher will have nothing to thank God
on a wretched morning like this.” But Whyte began his prayer, “We thank Thee, O
God, that it is not always like this.”
Thankful After
Robbery
Matthew Henry, the
famous scholar, was once accosted by thieves and robbed of his purse. He wrote
these words in his diary:
“Let me be thankful
first, because I was never robbed before; second, because, although they took
my purse, they did not take my life; third, because, although they took my all,
it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who
robbed.”—Church of Ireland
Thankfulness For Thorn
George Matheson, the
well-known blind preacher of Scotland, now with the Lord, says: “My God, I have
never thanked Thee for my “thorn!” I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my
roses, but never once for my “thorn;” I have been looking forward to a world
where I shall get compensation for my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me
the glory of my cross; teach me the value of my “thorn.” Show me that I have
climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my
rainbow.”—Moody Monthly
Remember At Least
Some
When Mr. Moody was
once reading the One Hundred and Third Psalm, and came to the verse, “Bless the
Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,” he stopped short in his
inimitable way, “You can’t remember ’em all, of course, but don’t forget ’em
all. Remember some of ’em.”
[1]
Eugene H. Merrill, “1 Chronicles,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures,
ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985),
606–607.
[5]
Eugene H. Merrill, “1 Chronicles,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures,
ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985),
607.
