Barriers to Thanksgiving

1. Barriers to Thanksgiving Hebrews 13:15“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name..”

2. “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings” “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.” “Revenge is profitable, gratitude is expensive.”

3. Eph. 5:20“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;” 1 Thess. 5:18“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Hebrews 13:15“By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name..”

4. Commanded to give thanks! • God has done, continues to do and will do so much for man. • But man often fails to thank his God. • Let’s take a look at some…

5. Barriers to Thanksgiving

6. #1 Thoughtlessness Dr. Paul Rees tells the true story of a man whose job was to transport people who had been committed to a mental hospital. After delivering a patient one day, he was walking back to his car when he heard a voice call out, "Hey you!" It came from one of the upper floors. Looking up, the man called back, "Are you speaking to me?" "Yes, I am," came the reply, "I want to ask you a question. Have you ever thanked God that you have a healthy mind?" To say the least, the driver was stunned. He said, "I suddenly realized that I had been bringing people to this facility for some fifteen years; yet, I had never once thanked God for a good mind!"

7. Psalms of Thanksgiving • Psalm 30 • Psalm 103:1-5 • Psalm 105:1-3 • Psalm 106:1-2

8. In what ways are we blessed? • Food • Clothing • Cars • Jobs • Life • Salvation • Everything! • Bibles • Song Books • Pews • Building • Each Other • Family • Friends God has given us so much!

9. Keep God in your thoughts. • Ephesians 6:18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” Let us learn to be truly thankful for the things we take for granted.

10. #2 Faithlessness • Spontaneous thanksgiving is a result of those who have genuine faith in GOD. • We must have faith, We must believe that it is God who provides (Hebrews 11:6)

11. Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

12. Those who don’t believe can never be thankful (Rom. 1:20-21) “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

13. Poor Faith = Poor Response • All good things come from God James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” • If all good things come from God and we are not thankful, do we really believe? James 2:18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

14. Let us not become out of tune with God because of our lack of faith. Ted Malone, whose radio show came on early in the morning, told of the Idaho shepherd who wrote: "Will you, on your broadcast, strike the note 'A'? I'm a sheepherder way out here on a ranch, far away from a piano. The only comfort I have is my old violin. It's all out of tune. Would you strike 'A' so that I might get in tune?" Malone honored the request. Later he received a "thank you" note from the distant shepherd saying, "Now I'm in tune."

15. #3 Discontentment • Too many suffer from the “thanks, but…” Syndrome. • “Thanks, but why didn’t you do this?” • “Thanks, but why didn’t I get this?” • “Thanks. Now, what else ya got?”

16. Before we can genuinely be thankful, we must develop contentment. • Phi. 4:11-12 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.12. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

17. 1 Tim. 6:6-8 “But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

18. Excerpt from“WordPoints”: Bro. Gary Henry March 30,2007 “Rejecting what we've come to know of God's will is so foolish, none of us would ever do it if we weren't deceived. But therein lies the power of sin. The devil is shrewd enough to make slavery seem, for the moment, like it's better than what we have. It would help us if we paid more attention to the grace God has shown us. We need to be more consciously grateful to Him, meditating on the deep, genuine peace that can be found only within the boundaries of the gospel. Do these boundaries limit us? Yes, they do, but let's not lose touch with reality: what God is "holding back" from us is death! If we forget that fact, we're apt to find ourselves dissatisfied with what He has graciously provided.”

19. Let us therefore be truly content and at peace through the gift of God. His son Jesus.

20. #4 Selfishness • Selfishness says: • "Why should I be thankful? I earned it myself.“ • "I deserved more than I received.“ • "Why help others, they haven't helped me."

21. Matt. 18:23-35 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. …

22. Matt. 18:23-35 cont. 29. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34. And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

23. A little perspective… The servant owed his master an enormous sum. Each talent equaled 91 pounds. There are 16 oz. in a pound. He owed 10,000 talents, and when multiplied, equaled about 16 million dollars. It took about 15 years of labor to earn one talent; thus, it would take 150,000 years of labor to pay his debt.

24. A little perspective… His fellow servant owed him 100 denari, which was the common day's wages; thus, it would take about 100 days of labor to pay his debt.

25. Not showing mercy to others indicates that we are not thankful for the mercy God has shown to us.

26. #5 Neglect • Failure to give thanks because of neglect is a sign of a lack of faith. • It’s also a sign of laziness. • Consider the ten Lepers.

27. Luke 17:11-19 • And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:13. And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.14. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.15. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16. And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.17. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?18. There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.19. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

28. 9 Lazy Lepers! • They were most likely very thankful of the healing. • They neglected to go to Christ and properly thank him. • How often do Christians neglect to thank Jesus for their healing? • Some say Jesus knows I love him. He knows I’m thankful. • How long would happiness last if you never told your spouse you love her/him? What if you never said thank you?

29. The Ultimate Thank You • Obedience to God because of the sacrifice. 1 Peter 1:18-23

30. 1 Peter 1:18-23 “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

31. The Ultimate Thank You • Obedience to God because of the sacrifice. 1 Peter 1:18-23 • Glorify Him because of His greatness Psalms 8

32. Psalms 8 “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens. 2. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. 3. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; …

33. Psalms 8 cont. …4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5. For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8. The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9. O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”

34. The Ultimate Thank You • Obedience to God because of the sacrifice. 1 Peter 1:18-23 • Glorify Him because of His greatness Psalms 8 • Live faithful so you will see him in the hereafter Rev. 2:10-11

35. Rev 2:10-11 “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”

36. In Africa there is a fruit called the "taste berry." It is so called because it changes a person's taste so that everything eaten tastes sweet and pleasant. Sour fruit, even if eaten several hours after the taste berry, becomes sweet and delicious. • Thanksgiving is the "taste berry" of Christianity. When our hearts are filled with gratitude, nothing seems unpleasant or overbearing to us.

37. OBEY THE GOSPEL! • Hear & Believe –Rom 10:17 • Repent –Acts 2:38 • Confess –Acts 8:37 • Baptized –Acts 22:16 • Live Faithful –Rev 2:10 DO NOT DELAY!!!