As we've already mentioned in
the reading, the message will be taken from Psalm 100, this
psalm of praise. That's always timely. We never
need to be in doubt about if it's a good time to be thankful
and praise the Lord. No question about that. Be thankful
unto Him, David says in verse 4. This Thursday is Thanksgiving
Day, and I did a little brief refresher course on that for
myself and remember or rather was reminded of this. In 1621,
the Plymouth colonists along with Indians, an Indian tribe,
shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as
the first Thanksgiving celebration in the colonies, in the new world
as it was called. For more than two centuries,
Days of thanksgivings were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn't until 1863, during
the Civil War, right in the midst of the Civil War, that Abraham
Lincoln, the president at the time, proclaimed the National
Thanksgiving Day to be held each November. But brothers and sisters
in Christ, you need not hear it from me that it's not possible
to give God the thanks he deserves in one day. in one day, especially
for a child of God. It's a 24-7 duty, isn't it? A sweet duty. We gather here
and give God thanks that he allows us to do so. I was glad, the
psalmist said, when they told me, let's go into the house of
the Lord. We gather here and give thanks
to God. And in heaven itself, in heaven
itself, now we gather here, this little flock gathers here, as
is done in many places. And we give God thanks that gives
us the privileged opportunity. But in heaven itself, when all
the redeemed are gathered together, oh my soul, what a gathering.
There won't be a little flock. No, that'll be a multitude that
no man can number. But when all the redeemed are
gathered together at the last, they will offer their eternal
thanks to him who sits upon the throne. John was caught up to
heaven, Revelation 4, and he saw a throne set in heaven, and
one sat upon the throne. And that multitude in that gathering
before the throne of God say, Amen, blessing and glory and
wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be unto our
God forever and ever. Amen. If there is one characteristic
One thing that God's people have in common, no matter when they
made their journey through this world, whether it's today or
500 years ago or 1,500 years ago, no matter when it takes
place, they have this in common. God's people are a thankful people. And they'll be the first to tell
you, I'm not as thankful as I ought to be, as often as I ought to
be. But nonetheless, we're a thankful
people because every one of them have been taught of God. that
it is only, that they're only sinners saved by grace. They
know, they know, being taught of God, they know if asked the
question, who's made you to differ from another? Billy Cobb, who
made the difference in you and your neighbor that believes not?
That perhaps is still steeped in false religion. Who made you
to differ? And we know the answer, it's
the grace of God. It's only by the grace of God
that we are what we are. Whether in the Old Testament
or the New Testament, it's the blessed desire of every child
of God to do this. Again, here in Psalm 100, enter
into his gates, verse 4, with thanksgiving, and into his courts
with praise. Be thankful unto him and bless
his name. For the Lord is good. He's always
good. Always good. His mercy is everlasting. Aren't you glad that's so?" Billy
said this morning when I met him at the door speaking about
God's great grace and salvation, he said, Oh Larry, I'm so thankful
that it's not because of merit. There was no merit in me and
I said, Billy, aren't you glad that's so? Aren't you glad that
the foundation of your acceptance before God Almighty is not determined
by what you deserve? It's determined by what Jesus
Christ deserves. Oh, that gives it a whole different
outlook, does it not? Verse 5 of Psalm 100, For the
Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth to generations. I think we can apply Psalm 100
to each of these events that we mentioned just a moment ago.
the meeting of the church below and the church above. Look at
it again, the first phrase of verse four. Enter into his gates
with thanksgiving. Our thanksgiving is like the
incense of the temple, which filled the whole house with smoke.
Animal sacrifices have ended. Oh, but gratitude to our God
is never out of date. It's always in season. So long
as we're receivers of mercy, So long as we're receivers of
God's mercy, we must be givers of thanks for that mercy. God
permits us to enter into his house. Let us give thanks to
the God of that house. We go up to the house of the
Lord. Let us thank the Lord of the house. Let us be careful.
Someone put it this way. Let's be careful not to pay rent
to the wrong landlord. This is what that means. Not
unto us, O Lord, not unto us. No, no, no. Not unto us, but
unto thy name give glory. You deserve it. You deserve it.
We don't. Unto thy name give glory for
thy mercy and for thy truth's sake. The second praise, and
into his courts with praise. Thanks be to God. The innermost
court, not the holy place, most holy place, place in the temple
behind the veil, oh no. But we have now opened to us
by the blood of Jesus a way into the very holiest of all, into
the very presence of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ himself is the forerunner,
who right now, well I like that, Jesus Christ, the forerunner
of his people, the representative of his people, right now has
entered into the very presence of God for us. He represents
us. He's there representing us. Oh,
how about that? How about that? There is an obligation,
therefore, on us that we acknowledge the high privilege with our praises. That's why in the next clause
of the text, David says, be thankful unto him. Be thankful unto him. Let the praise be in your heart
as well as on your tongue, and let it all be to Him from whom
we'll receive all blessings, all mercy, and all grace. And
bless His name. Bless His name. He blessed you,
now bless Him in return. Bless His name, that is His character. Oh, they sang at the Red Sea
after crossing over, Moses said, this deserves a song. This deserves
a song. I'm going to lead you in a song
of praise to our God. And included in that song, they
cried out, oh, who is a God like unto our God? Wondrous in mercy. Glorious in holiness. There is
not a God like unto our God. Bless his name. That is his character,
his person. His glorious attributes, His
wisdom, His power, His majesty, His sovereignty. Oh, in whatever
view you consider Him, there is not a God like unto our God. Whatever He does, be sure you
bless Him for it. All for grace, because grace
alone can enable us to do this. Thank God and bless His name
just as much when He takes away as when He gives. Bless him as
long as we live under all circumstances. Bless him and all his attributes
from whatever point of view you consider him. I love what Brother
Rex Bartlett usually says when I'm there to preach. When it
comes time for the message, he says, Larry, come and brag on
Jesus. Come and brag on Jesus. Bless
his name. Paul said in 1 Thessalonians
5, 18, in everything Give thanks, for this is the
will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Old Mr. Spurgeon, he put
it this way. There ought not to be brought
into the house a loaf of bread without thanksgiving, nor should
we cast a coal upon the fire without gratitude. Is that not
so? Is that not so? And it's a testimony,
I think. I'm sure it is. It's a testimony
to the sufficiency of the grace of God that so often the poorest
of his people are the most thankful. Or those dear souls that are
always sick and never have a waking moment free of pain are often
the happiest and most grateful. Have you not found that such?
Do not such people, such believers come to your mind right now?
I've visited some with the idea and the prayer that God would
make me a means of blessing and encouragement to them, and it's
always been reversed. I'm the one that's blessed. I'm
the one that leaves encouraged because they seem the happiest
of God's people. How is that so? Why is that so? Because God giveth and he giveth
and he giveth more grace. That's the reason there can be
none other. In another psalm, the sweet singer
in Israel says this of his God. Psalm 139. Why don't you read
it with me? Psalm 139, verse 13. Another of David's sweet songs.
He says, For thou hast possessed my reins. Thou hast covered me
in my mother's womb. I will praise thee. For I am
fearfully and wonderfully made, marvelous are thy works, and
that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from
thee when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the
lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance,
yet being imperfect. And in thy book, in thy book,
all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned,
when as yet there was none of them. And then David says, oh,
how precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God. How great is
the sum of them. If I should count them, it would
be an impossible task. If I should count them, they
are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with
thee. That's how the hymn writer put
it, didn't he? Concerning God's blessing, concerning
his thoughts, O my soul, God thinks of me. The omniscient God thinks of
me. He considers me. Let's take it
a little further. There's never been a time that
he hasn't. There's never been a time that
God Almighty didn't love his people. I've loved you with an
everlasting love. Therefore, therefore, with bands
of love have I drawn All that the Father giveth me, Christ
said, shall be drawn to me. Everyone that's learned of the
Father shall come unto me. Thank God for that. He thinks
of me. He thinks of all of his people.
Someone said that God loves each of his people as if they were
the only ones he did love. Did not Christ, our high priest,
our representative, now in glory, now in heaven, appearing before
God for us, did not he pray in John 17, Father, you've loved
them as you've loved me? Wow! Now park it there for a
while. Think about that. Father, you've
loved me as you've loved them. The hymn writer put it this way,
when you look at others with their lands in gold, Think that
Christ has promised you his wealth untold. Count your many blessings. Money cannot buy your reward
in heaven nor your home on high. Count your blessings. Name them
one by one. David said that's what he tried
to do. Count your many blessings. See what God hath done. Count
your blessings. Name them one by one. Count your
many blessings. See what God hath done. And this question, This question
is not a surprising one in the light of the everlasting mercies
of God and the grace that is greater than all my sin." Oh,
what a hope that His grace reigns. Sin reigns. I've heard people who profess to know God speak
like this as they look down their self-righteous nose at someone
else. Like Mr. Farris say, oh yes,
I did that when I was a sinner. But I don't do that anymore.
I only did that when I was a sinner. There are still sinners. They
may not know it, but they're still sinners. We're still sinners. The old man in us is not one
whit better than he was since the day God saved us. The old
nature has not been touched. It's just as evil, it gets worse
if anything. Oh, in the light of that, is
it not a delight? a joy, a comfort to know that
where sin abounds, there's no denying that, oh, but there's
no denying this, that God's grace doth much more abound. Where sin reigns, Christ, like
a mighty ocean, covering the mountains of my sins, God's grace
doth much more reign through our Lord Jesus Christ. In another
Psalm 116, considering again God's mercy, God's many benefits,
David asked himself this question. Someone said the best talks a
man has sometimes is with himself. Psalm 116 verse 12, David asked
this, what shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits
toward me? What shall I render? And included
in David's answer is this, in verse 17, I will offer to thee
the sacrifice of thanksgiving. I'll be thankful, thankful to
God and will call upon the name of the Lord. I'll worship Him. I'll worship Him and count it
an honor to do so. Look downward and give thanks.
Look down into that bottomless pit and give thanks. Look on
your right hand and give thanks for you're enriched with the
richness of God's grace. Look on the left hand and give
thanks for you're kept by the power of God unto salvation. and look above and give thanks
because heaven is awaiting our arrival. Be ye thankful. Every believer can say, the Lord
is my shepherd. The Lord's my shepherd. We read
that in the psalm. We're the sheep of his pasture.
We belong to him. I'm his. He bought me. He's paid for me. and he is mine,
the Lord is my shepherd, and that being the case, that being
so, it's no surprise that this follows. I shall not want, I
shall not like, not with such a shepherd as he is, I shall
not like forgiveness. In whom we have redemption through
his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches
of his grace. I shall never lack his mercy."
We read it here. His mercy endureth forever. Surely,
David said in his most famous psalm, goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life. Surely, David said. Surely. There's no question about
it. There's no doubt about it. Oh,
how we dishonor our God when we think otherwise. Oh, am I
going to make it? Ooh, what's gonna become of me?
Oh, what about my sins? What about my unfaithfulness?
What about his mercy? What about his grace? What about
his sacrifice? What about his blessed, rich
atonement? What about his mercy that endures
forever? What about his grace that he
gives and gives and gives and never takes away? Surely, David
said, goodness and mercy shall follow thee. He doesn't sound
doubtful, does he? As sure as God is faithful, His
mercy and goodness shall follow me. As sure as Christ is true,
His mercy and goodness shall follow me. As sure as the promise
can be counted on. And that's a pretty good foundation
to rest on, ain't it? I'll lay me down in another psalm,
David said, I will lay me down and sleep in peace because God
keepeth He that keepeth Israel shall
neither slumber nor sleep. Why should I pace the fork? Why
should I worry? My great shepherd's watching
over me. He's in control of everything. I shall not lack his mercy or
grace. I shall never lack the constant
care of my shepherd. I'm always in his hand, Billy.
I'm always in his hand. I'm never out of his hand, out
of his sight, out of his love, out of his care. in his hand
as well as in his heart. Listen to the voice of your great
shepherd. Listen to this blessed promise. My sheep hear my voice
and I know them and they follow me and I give them. They can't
earn it. They can't earn it. I give them
eternal life and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand. If one child of God If one believer
from that multitude that God entrusted into the hands of our
great shepherd should perish, if just one should be snatched
out by the devil, it would dishonor the Lord Jesus Christ forever. It would dishonor him and his
father and the triune God. That can never be. His sheep
shall never perish because he'll see to it that they won't. It's
a truth This is the truth also of every child of God. Again,
the sweet psalmist sang this, said this rather, although my
house be not so with God, can we not all say the same? Yes, Bobby, you shook your head
yes, so do I. Although my house be not so with
God, yet, yet, yet, mm, thank God, yet, He had made with me
an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure. This
is all my salvation and all my desire, although He make it not
to grow. The covenant in Jesus' blood
and righteousness is an everlasting covenant. It reaches throughout
eternity. It's ordered in all things. It
brings all blessings with it, and it's sure. Nothing can break
it. Nothing can alter it. Nothing
can change it. No wonder it's called the sure
mercies of David. So that we're assured that now
the God of peace, again referring to that covenant, the same covenant
that David looked to. Now the God of peace that brought
again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great shepherd
of the sheep, through the blood or according to the blood of
the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work
to do his will. Working in you, it is God that
worketh in you both the will and the do of his good pleasure.
Working in you, that which is well, pleasing in his sight through
Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Consider our obligation to be
thankful. Consider it, so to speak, in
a negative way. Think about where we would be
without God's unspeakable gift, the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm sure
I've shared this with you before, but it'll serve to introduce
this thought. There was a lady teaching a Bible
class of children, five and six-year-old, and the lesson was from 1 Peter
2. Wherefore, also it is contained in the scripture, behold, I lay
in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect precious, and he that believeth
on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe
he is precious. And she asked, what does that
mean? What does that word mean? Can anybody tell me what the
word precious means? Finally, a little girl raised
her hand and she said, this morning, At breakfast, before we came
here, Father told us that Mother was precious because where would
we be without her? Child of God, Jesus Christ is
precious. Where would we be without Him?
What hope would we have without the Lord Jesus Christ? Wherefore
remember, Paul wrote, remember, my soul, I don't do this near
enough. I remember things I should forget,
and let things slip that I should remember. Remember that ye, being
in times past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called uncircumcision
by that which is called the circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that
at that time ye were without Christ." Without Christ. Terrible, terrible words, without
Christ. Being aliens from the commonwealth
of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise. having
no hope and without God in the world. To be without Christ is
to be without God. It is to be without a way to
God, it is to be without God as our Heavenly Father. To be
without Christ is to be without hope, as Paul wrote. It is to
have nothing to look forward to but this, to hear God say.
This is the only way it could be. The only way that it could
end without Christ. The only thing we would have
to look forward to when this brief time on earth is over is
to stand before God and to hear that just and holy God say, Depart
from me, I don't know you. Cast them into the lake of fire. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. and whosoever was not found ripped
and in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. That would
be our lot. That would be our portion without
Christ. Because to be without Jesus Christ
is to be without the only mediator between God and man. Listen to
this. Is this not a solemn thought?
To be without Christ is to stand before the thrice holy God all
by myself. Oh, my soul, is to stand before
God Almighty, that righteous, perfect, holy God, all by myself. Without that one mediator between
God and man, Job in his sufferings asked this, For God is not a
man as I am, that I should answer him, and what should come together
in judgment, Neither, Job said, is there any daisman, where is
my daisman? Neither is there any daisman
betwixt us, that is himself and God, that might lay his hand
upon both of us, both of us. The word daisman means mediator. There might be one, Job said,
oh, that there might be one on the level with Job, that he could
understand. But who can be on the level with
Almighty God? Yes, any man my equal, because
only grace makes us a differ. Yes, he can take my hand, but
who's going to take God's hand? Who can take God's hand and bring
God and the sinner together? Who can do that other than the
Lord Jesus Christ? Or without Him, we would have
no mediator. We would stand before God with
the very best that we had to offer, the very best, the very
best. And you know what God would say? It's filthy rags. It's a
deep heart out of my soul. Your best is filthy rags. Your
best is never good enough. Your best is like Adam's fig
leaf. It was the work of His own hands.
He made it. He produced it. He covered Himself.
And God said it won't do. God didn't accept it, will He?
Oh, people think today because they have a warped idea of who
God is that he'll accept just anything and anybody. Just before
I came out this morning, I was listening to David Edmondson
preaching in Danville. And he was talking about conducting
several funerals and attending funerals that he didn't conduct.
But one day he said he asked the funeral director there in
Madisonville, in all the years, that you run this place, all
the funerals that you've seen, has there ever been one that
didn't go to heaven? The director said, no, no. They
all go to heaven. They all go to heaven. Oh, not
so. Many shall stand before me in
that day and say, Lord, did we not thus, thus, and thus? Fig
leaves, all fig leaves depart from me to stand before God all
by myself. Without Christ, there's no righteousness
to be clothed in, is there? Where would we be without it?
As it is written, there's none righteous, no, not one. And without
a perfect righteousness, God won't accept it. It must be perfect to be accepted. Without the righteousness of
Christ, the prodigal would find no robe to replace his filthy
garments. The father would never say, bring
forth the best robe. It would never be uttered. Without
Christ, God would never have elected a people to salvation
without Christ. That's exactly right. The Word
of God never tells us we were chosen in ourselves based on
anything God saw in ourselves, like foreseen faith, utter nonsense,
or anything else. For whom He did foreknow, for
love is the Word. He also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Blessed, blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual
blessings. Where are they? How are they
ours? They're in Christ. They're in
Christ, the Good Shepherd. According as he has chosen us
in him, in him, before the foundation of the world, Without the Son,
there would be no many brethren. Without the head, there would
be no church, which is His body. Without the bridegroom, there
could never be a bride. Thou art my first elect, God
said, speaking to His Son, and then chose us in Christ our head. Without Christ, there is no redemption. If He doesn't redeem us, we'll
never be redeemed. God will never utter these glorious
words Deliver him from going down to the pit, I have found
a ransom." Deliver, literally the word is redeem. Redeem. Redeem his life from death, hell,
judgment on the grounds of a ransom that satisfies the justice of
God. If Jesus Christ doesn't give
his life a ransom for many, then God will never on justified grounds
justify a sin. The grace of God and the gift
of grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, Paul wrote in Romans
4. And without Christ the fountain, there's no grace flowing to helpless
sinners. And without grace, there is no
salvation. Can't be. Yes, indeed, where
would we be without him? With Jesus Christ, our Savior,
that's the second question. What do we like? What do we like? Paul went on to write, but now. Oh, I like those words. But now
in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh. You've been brought near, near
by the blood of Jesus Christ. But now. I have a mediator to
plead my cause right now. the man Christ Jesus, that perfect
man who perfectly obeyed God in his life and offered himself
as a perfect sacrifice on our behalf. And because he did, because
he did, a child of God stands before God in a perfect righteousness. The best robe, the best robe. He had made him, God had made
Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in him. As our sins were made over to
Him, so His righteousness is made over to us. Such are we
in the sight of God the Father as His Son is in the sight of
God Himself. How about that? With His holy
garments on, as holy as God's own Son. Oh, I love the old hymn,
the solid rock. Oh, when He shall come with trumpet
sound. Oh, may I then in Him be found.
dressed in his righteousness alone, faultless, faultless to
stand before the throne. Did the hymn writer overdo it?
Did he go too far? Oh no. Revelation 14, they are
without fault before the throne of God. And God's people are
an elect people right now. What a sweet scripture this is,
especially in light of what Paul wrote before, the previous verses
spoke about the darkness and the heresy and deception of the
whole religious world, but he didn't stop there, did he? But,
but, there's another one of those glorious buts, but we are bound
to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of
the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you, chosen you to salvation through
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth, or until
he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, we have redemption through
Jesus Christ right now. But Christ being come and high
priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect
tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building,
neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood,
He entered in, once into the holy place, while having obtained
eternal redemption for us. And now God, because of that,
in absolute strict justice, can forgive a sinner. Justice is
satisfied. Oh, and justice Called for payment,
it was more than I could give. Oh, but mercy, mercy, God's mercy
smiled upon me, saying, I forgive because Jesus Christ paid the
debt that I owe. Let us offer our thanksgiving
to our great God. My shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ,
will take care of every need of his sheep in time and in eternity. But of him are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God has made us wisdom? and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption. According as it is written, he
that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. We were a sheep
going astray, Peter wrote, but are now returned unto the shepherd
and the bishop of our souls. Let us with thankful hearts acknowledge
that we are what we are purely by the grace of God. If I'm saved,
he's saved. If I'm declared righteous, he
made me righteous. If I persevere in faith, it's
because he will not let me go. If he would, I'd be gone. No,
we persevere because we're kept by the power of God. So let me
just wrap this up by saying, when you gather with your families
on Thanksgiving Day, and I hope you have a delightful time. It's
an enjoyable time. Oh, but remember to give thanks
to God for the unspeakable gift of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God chose us in Christ. Christ
loved us and gave Himself for us. And God called us by His
grace, and He revealed His Son to us. Where would we be without
Him? How much we have to be thankful
for. Thank God for His grace, for His great salvation, for
His Son, our glorious Redeemer. When all the redeemed are gathered
to be with Christ in glory, and see him as he is, we shall thank
him as we should. Then, Lord, shall I fully know,
but not till then, how much I owe. God bless you. Happy Thanksgiving. Amen.