Psalm 100 - TRULY THANKFUL

PSALM 100

TRULY THANKFUL

Warren Wiersbe – “I have felt for a long time that one of the particular temptations of the maturing Christian is the danger of getting accustomed to his blessings. Like the world traveler who has been everywhere and seen everything, the maturing Christian is in danger of taking his blessings for granted and getting so accustomed to them that they fail to excite him as they once did.

Emerson said that if the stars came out only once a year, everybody would stay up all night to behold them. We have seen the stars so often that we don’t bother to look at them anymore. We have grown accustomed to our blessings.

The Israelites in the wilderness got accustomed to their blessings, and God had to chasten the people (see Num. 11). God had fed the nation with heavenly manna each morning, and yet the people were getting tired of it. “But now our whole being is dried up,” they said, “there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” (v. 6).

Nothing but manna! They were experiencing a miracle of God’s provision every morning; yet they were no longer excited about it. Nothing but manna!

One of the evidences that we have grown accustomed to our blessings is this spirit of criticism and complaining. Instead of thanking God for what we have, we complain about it and tell him we wish we had something else. You can be sure that if God did give us what we asked for, we would eventually complain about that. The person who has gotten accustomed to his blessing can never be satisfied.

Another evidence of this malady is the idea that others have a better situation than we do. The Israelites remembered their diet in Egypt and longed to return to the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. They were saying, “The people in Egypt are so much better off than we are!” Obviously, they had forgotten the slavery they had endured in Egypt and the terrible bondage from which God had delivered them. Slavery is a high price to pay for a change in diet. Warren Wiersbe, God Isn’t In a Hurry, (Baker Books; Grand Rapids, MI, 1994), pp. 77-78 http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1552

Perhaps you have become too accustomed to your blessings.

Perhaps you need to be reminded as we approach Thanksgiving Day that there are some things for which you need to be truly thankful.

Psalm 100 is a Psalm of praise and Thanksgiving. Although I read the Psalm at the beginning of our Worship Service, let’s read it again together.

(READ PSALM 100 IN UNISON)

I find seven things in verses three and five for which we as Christians should truly be thankful.

THE LORD IS GOD – Vs. 3

In other lands and even here in the United States, people worship other Gods. They do not worship the true and living God.

Psalm 115:4-8 - Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. [5] They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: [6] They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: [7] They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. [8] They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

Idols are dead. Those that worship them are spiritually dead!

However, our God, the true and living God is very much alive!

Psalm 115:3 - But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.

Isaiah 42:8 - I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Isaiah 6:1-4 - In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. [2] Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. [3] And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. [4] And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Revelation 1:8 - I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Why should we be thankful that the Lord is God?

It is He that answers prayer.

It is He that protects.

It is He that forgives and gives eternal life through His Son.

It is He that says “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”

No matter what goes wrong in your life today, the Lord is God!

No matter who is in the White House, the Kremlin, or Buckingham Palace, the Lord is God!

No matter how you feel the Lord is God!

He is always in control.

He is sovereign.

Nothing gets by Him.

Nothing takes Him by surprise!

THE LORD IS GOD – Vs. 3

THE LORD IS CREATOR – Vs. 3

it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;

My life is full of obligations.

I am obligated to the Church council to report my pastoral activities to them and to run certain things by them.

I am obligated to you as congregation to meet your Spiritual needs.

I am obligated to wife to take care of her.

I am obligated to my children and grandchildren to be a godly father and grandfather.

And there are other obligations, but you get the point.

But my biggest obligation is to God. One of the reasons that I am obligated to give thanks to God is because He is the one who has given me life. He is my creator.

I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for my wonderful God who created me.

And the human body is a marvelous creation.

Psalm 139:14 - I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

So much that effects are lives today is controlled by computers. But the greatest computer of all was not made by I.B.M., but by God Himself. The greatest computer of all is your brain.

· It is your brain that keeps you breathing when you aren’t thinking about it.

· It is your brain that stores facts and recalls them.

· It is your brain that tells you when you have pain.

· It is your brain that tells your fingers and legs what to do.

· It is your brain that makes your mouth talk.

· It is your brain that allows you to reason, and to read.

And that’s just one example of how you are fearfully and wonderfully made!

Make sure that you are truly thankful!

THE LORD IS CREATOR – Vs. 3

GOD IS OUR FATHER – Vs. 3

We are his people…

When this Psalm was written it was the children of Israel who could say We are his people…

Today God’s people are those who are His children.

Because of sin mankind is alienated from God.

Isaiah 64:6 - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Romans 3:10 - As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

But God in His love sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to pay for our sins.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Jesus had told a man named Nicodemus in John 3:3, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

You were born the first time into an earthly family.

You need to born again a second time into the Heavenly family.

You are born into the family of God when you place your full faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

John 1:12-13 - But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: [13] Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Romans 8:15-16 - For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. [16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Christian, your Heavenly Father loves you.

Christian, your Heavenly Father hears your prayers.

Christian, your Heavenly Father corrects you.

Christian, your Heavenly Father protects you.

Christian, your Heavenly Father is looking out for you.

Of course, this is another reason to be truly thankful!

GOD IS OUR FATHER – Vs. 3

JESUS IS OUR SHEPHERD – Vs. 3

We are his people and the sheep of His pasture.

Remember, our God is a triune God, the Trinity.

God is our Father. God the Son, is our Savior. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, He also becomes our shepherd.

John 10:11 - I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

What is the job of a shepherd? The job of the shepherd is to take care of the sheep. That is exactly what Jesus, the Good Shepherd does.

John 10:27-28 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: [28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

I feel that the best description of Jesus’ activity as the Good

Shepherd is found in the 23^rd Psalm.

Someone has said: The 23rd Psalm has been a source of comfort to myriads of people in life and in death. Consider the following outline, and allow the Psalm to become a source of life and comfort to you, regardless of your circumstances and surroundings.

The Lord is my Shepherd	Perfect Salvation.
I shall not want	Perfect Satisfaction.
He maketh me to lie in green pastures	Perfect Rest.
He leadeth me beside the still waters	Perfect Refreshment.
He restoreth my soul	Perfect Restoration.
He leadeth me in paths of righteousness	Perfect Guidance.
I will fear no evil	Perfect Protection.
Thou art with me	Perfect Company.
The rod and Thy staff	Perfect Comfort.
Thou preparest a table	Perfect Provision.
Thou anointest my head	Perfect Consecration.
My cup runneth over	Perfect Joy.
Goodness and mercy shall follow me	Perfect Care.
I will dwell … for ever	Perfect Destiny.

Source unknown http://www.bible.org/illus.asp?topic_id=1041

Jesus takes such good care of us, we should be truly thankful.

JESUS IS OUR SHEPHERD – Vs. 3

THE LORD IS GOOD – Vs. 5

· You have a home in Heaven. The Lord is good.

· You receive an answer to prayer. The Lord is good.

· You get a raise in pay. The Lord is good.

· A friend finds Christ as Savior. The Lord is good.

· You have a faithful and loving husband or wife. The Lord is good.

· You have great parents and/or kids and grandkids. The Lord is good.

· You lose your job. The Lord is good.

· You are sick. The Lord is good.

· You lose a loved one. The Lord is good.

· Your spouse divorces you, your parents and children despise you. The Lord is good.

The Lord is good no matter what happens to you.

He does not stop being good.

And He does not stop working all things together for good in our lives, even the bad things!

Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

So, no matter what goes wrong we can be truly thankful.

THE LORD IS GOOD – Vs. 5

THE LORD’S MERCY IS EVERLASTING – Vs. 5

A couple of weeks ago I bought a can of instant cappuccino.

According to the can there are 23 servings in it. When a can or a box tells me how many servings, I may get one or two more servings than they say. However, I’m not going to get that many more, and I could get less.

When it comes to God’s mercy, His loving kindness, there is no limit. It is not 23 servings of God’s mercy and I’m cut off. Nor is it 230 servings and I’m cut off, or 2,300 servings and I’m cut off.

God’s mercy or loving-kindness is at work in my life. I have seen it a lot lately in my own life.

· When potential problems are solved God shows his loving-kindness.

· When He provides guidance God shows his loving-kindness.

· When He provides His peace God shows his loving-kindness.

· When He gives us insights into problems or into His word God shows us his loving-kindness.

And it excites me to think that this loving-kindness to me is everlasting. Many of us have lost Christian loved ones this year. God is still showing them loving-kindness in Heaven.

2 Corinthians 5:8 - We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

We too, who know the Lord will experience is mercy throughout all eternity.

Revelation 21:3-4 - And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. [4] And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Yet another reason to be truly thankful!

THE LORD’S MERCY IS EVERLASTING – Vs. 5

THE LORD’S TRUTH (FAITHFULNESS) ENDURES TO EVERY GENERATION

The word translated “truth” here has also been translated as faithfulness. The word carries the idea of steadiness of firmness.

God is faithful to every generation of those who trust Him.

Exodus 34:6-7 - And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, [7] Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…

Lamentations 3:22-23 - It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. [23] They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Sometimes we get concerned for our children and our grandchildren because of the increase in wickedness and danger in our society. But God has given us His promise that He will be faithful to the next generation of believers as he has been to this generation and all generations in the past.

THE LORD’S TRUTH (FAITHFULNESS) ENDURES TO EVERY GENERATION

As we approach Thanksgiving Day we have every reason to be truly thankful to God. Psalm 100 has given us 7 reasons to be truly thankful:

THE LORD IS GOD – Vs. 3

THE LORD IS CREATOR – Vs. 3

GOD IS OUR FATHER – Vs. 3

JESUS IS OUR SHEPHERD – Vs. 3

THE LORD IS GOOD – Vs. 5

THE LORD’S MERCY IS EVERLASTING – Vs. 5

THE LORD’S TRUTH (FAITHFULNESS) ENDURES TO EVERY GENERATION