The Worship of Thanksgiving

By Pastor Michael Matejka Thanksgiving is this week. This day is celebrated all around the world and has much of its roots in Christian tradition. While not specific to Christianity it is uniquely celebrated in many countries that have Christian roots. Whether this thanksgiving is to celebrate how far we’ve come or remembering how far we’ve fallen and thanking God for the grace he’s had on us. I believe we have an opportunity as believers to show the world why we celebrate Thanksgiving but as always it must start in the heart. It must start with yourself and God.

Let’s start with the harsh reality. We fail miserably to thank God the way we should. How many times have you seen an accident happen in an instant at an intersection? Yet every time we get out of our car we forget to thank the Lord for His protection. Thanksgiving should always be on the tongue of the image bearer of God, but especially for those who have been redeemed and made new in Jesus Christ. We are always called to be giving thanks to our Lord (Colossians 3:17). Whatever we do for Christ, in word or deed, we do it while giving thanks to Him. This is not simply a nice thing to give back to God, but this is a command and God’s will for our lives (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

One of the chief indictments of mankind is that they do not give thanks to the God that created them. In Romans 1 Paul makes an exhaustive presentation of the Gospel and he starts off by showcasing the state of man. Dead in their sin, & hostile to God. While all mankind is without excuse for their sin and their rebellion against God this is what he says regarding them in Romans 1:21, “For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” They did not honor Him nor give thanks to Him. Read verses 18-22. What can be known about God is plain, it is without a shadow of a doubt to all mankind, but it is man’s sin and rebellion which distort our thinking and it is that which seeks to subvert or suppress the truth about God. Due to that sin, we do not honor God the way we ought to, we do not thank God, we do not give Him the glory that is due to Him.

Now, Paul is talking about the unbelieving world there, but it is an indictment upon all mankind before they are redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ. “And such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:11). We recognize now that although we have been redeemed we are still in the fleshly, earthly body tainted with sin. This body that we are in, which is a remnant of our old nature and tainted by it, it is in opposition to God and His will. So, the indictment Paul speaks of in Romans 1 is what we are waging war against, even in the redeemed state.

            I wish to examine how Thanksgiving is an act of Worship. We often associate giving thanks with just being the polite thing to do. This is what is proper and respectful. Make sure you say your “please & thank you’s…” It’s much more. When it comes to God it is one of the highest forms of praise and worship. One of the chief acts we can do to bestow glory and honor to our God.

Read Revelation 7:9-12

            The Great worship service of the lamb. All peoples or all tribes and nations coming before Him to sing His praises. On their tongues is the praise and acknowledgement of salvation in no one, but Christ the lamb that was slain. One day, if indeed we have been raised with Christ we will join in the worship service of the lamb of God who has delivered us from the domain of darkness. We will cry out, “Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” The expression here is one of perfect and complete worship. One day we will be in glory forever and the only thing we will want to do is worship God. It is a 7-fold praise of the Lord: Blessing (1), Glory (2), Wisdom (3), Thanksgiving (4), Honor (5), Power (6), & Might (7). The truth is, many Christians struggle to worship God and spending eternity doing so does not sound appealing to them. This attitude stems from a place of pride and must be addressed. In the words of R.C. Sproul, “This is what’s wrong with the Christian Church today, we don’t know who God is, and we don’t know who we are.” We are such a low and inept creature steeped in sin and God through pure grace, clothes us, feeds, us, allows us to live, and offers eternal redemption by pouring His wrath on His own son. He erased an eternal debt and we should in response be eternally grateful.

            Back to Revelation 9. Notable among these 7 is of course what this blog is about, thanksgiving. What we see in this passage is that it is not only redeemed humanity praising God, but it is the four living creatures, the angels… These heavenly beings, ones whom are far more holy than us, are constantly giving thanks to our God. Creatures whom are far purer, stronger, and righteous. They give thanks day and night (Revelation 4:8). Do they have more to be thankful for than us? I don’t think so, but what this shows is that the closer you get to God the more you realize your creatureliness. Your ineptitude, your reliance, your indebtedness to the one whom made you. None of these powerful creatures, which would terrify us at just a glance, none of them would be alive without the God of the universe. They recognize who our God is and what He has done for them. The truth is, He has done far more for us…

            Romans 6:26, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What you and I are rightfully owed as commission for our deeds is death. What should be deposited in our bank account weekly is death. Every waking moment that’s what an unredeemed sinner is owed. The Lord does not have to save anyone, but He is rich in love and mercy. He offers His son in our stead to be received upon faith.

            Read Colossians 1:13, 1:21-22; Ephesians 2:1-10. These passages show the sorry, sad, frightful place that we were in. Hostile in mind to the Lord of Hosts, completely dead in our sin. They also show what God has done. This is the chief reason we give thanks to the Lord of glory. We worship Him by giving thanks and gratitude to Him. Lifting high His name, praising Him early in the morning and late at night. When you have the chance this week spend time reading through Ephesians chapter 1, and all the blessings God has given us through Christ, and give thanks to Him.

            My heart is for all of God’s people to be overflowing with thanksgiving and gratitude towards our God. It is here that we can really be effective saints for His Kingdom as we fill the earth with His praises as Psalm 117 says, but that is not the main reason, it is because He deserves it, it brings our God glory. Our lives are not our own, we have been bought with a price. When we repent and place our faith in Christ, we are turning from our sin and committing to a life that is lived for the lord. “Offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving! Fulfill the promises you made to the Most High!” With that said let me offer up one last thing to be thankful for. The Lord has grace that abounds for us even when we forget to give Him thanks. Praise be to God for His loving mercy upon us. ______________________________________________________________________________

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord; I sing for joy at what your hands have done. I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the Lord.I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him Let us proclaim aloud your praise and tell of all your wonderful deeds. We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds. Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for… Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel. The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. Christ, the chief cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”