We turn back to Ephesians chapter
5. While I was preparing this message, I
was enjoying preparing this message very much. I thought the Lord's
given me something to say. And while I was looking over
my notes this evening for bringing this message, reading this passage of scripture,
how I ought to be, you ought to be, and how little my thankfulness
comes out. And I pray that the Lord will
use this message to make me and to make you truly thankful people. I'm not talking about people
who endure trouble and trial because they had no choice. and
just resign to it with people who are truly thankful. I want to be one of those people,
don't you? Truly thankful. Now look once again at verse
20 of Ephesians chapter 5. When should I give thanks? Giving thanks always. Always. For what should I give thanks? For all things. To whom should I give thanks? To God and the Father. In the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Turn to 1 Thessalonians 5, a
few pages over. Verse 18. in everything, give thanks for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Now, yes,
that means it's God's will for you to give thanks, but whatever
it is you're going through, doesn't matter what it is. Doesn't matter
what it is. This is the will of God in Christ
Jesus. what you need. It's God's purpose
for you. It's God who is too wise to err
and too kind to be cruel, working this together for you, for His
glory and your eternal good. In everything, give thanks. Now, I don't know that there's
anything more It's a child of hatred for God.
Turn with me to Romans 1. Verse 20. For the invisible things
of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen. being
understood by the things that are made, talking about the creation,
even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because of that, when they knew
God, they glorified Him not as God, and look at this next phrase, but became vain in their imaginations,
and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools." Now, creation speaks. You know what it says? God is. Somebody made this creation. There's nothing more unreasonable
and irrational and illogical than being a nation. It doesn't
even make sense. Something's got a cause. Everything's
got a cause. Things don't just come into being.
This universe didn't just come into being. God created the heavens
and the earth. Everybody can see this. Everybody
can see His power from this, and everybody can see that nobody
made Him. His eternal power is not Him. Somebody made this, and nobody
made Him. That's a conclusion that everybody
is bound to make. And I've said this before. There
are committed atheists. There's no doubt about that.
But they didn't begin that way. Nobody begins an atheist. You have to take a leap into
the dark to take that direction. But what happens when people
do not respond to the invisible things of man from the creation
of the world that are clearly seen? Here's what happens with
men, because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God.
They didn't like what they saw. They didn't like what they heard.
They didn't like the implications of God being God, and God being
all powerful, and God being eternal, never having a beginning. You
see, there's all kinds of implications to that. And men don't like those
implications. They glorified him not as God,
neither were they Now, unthankfulness means you
don't like the way God is, you don't love Him, you have a sense
of entitlement, thinking there are certain things that are owed
to you, and that you deserve better than what you did. Such
thinking is evil. Amen? Such thinking is evil. And somebody may ask the question,
can a believer be unthankful? Well, I'll answer that question
by asking this question. Does a believer still have a
sinful nature? A fallen nature? Yes, he does. But that doesn't
make it excusable. Does a believer, someone that
God has saved, someone that God has revealed himself to, somebody
that God gave his son to die for, somebody that God gave a
new nature to, It seems too monstrous to even
consider, but yet it's true of every one of us. None of us are as thankful as
we should be. Now, what brings this on, this
spirit of unthankfulness even in a believer? Well, doubt with
regard to God's character, questioning His goodness, questioning His
wisdom and knowing what He's doing. questioning his sovereignty. Selfishness and self-will is
not according to what I want. I bring on an unthankful spirit. Worldliness, too much of a desire
for the pleasures, the popularity, and the power of this world.
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life. When my thoughts and heart are taken up with him, I'm going
to be unthankful. I don't have enough of what I want. A critical
spirit arises from ungratefulness. Impatience, the desire for instant
gratification, creates unthankfulness. Coldness, a little warmness,
creates unthankfulness. Out and out rebellion, being
angry with God, being mad that the Lord let this take place,
that creates ungratefulness. unthankfulness. Would you turn
with me for a moment to Luke chapter 17. Luke 17. Verse 11, And it came
to pass, as he went up to Jerusalem, that he passed in the midst of
Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain
village, there met him ten men. who stood afar off, and they
lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on
us. And when he saw them, he said
to them, go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass that as they
went, they were cleansed. miracle appeared. They were cleansed. Verse 15, and one of them, and
you'd think ten, but no, one of them. When he saw that he
was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God and
fell down on his face and his feet, giving him what? Thanks. Thanks. And he was a Samaritan. He wasn't a Jew. And Jesus answering
said, were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? They
are not found. They return to give glory to God, save this
stranger. Nine out of these ten gave no
glory to God. They gave no thanks. Now, that's bad. That's real
bad. One did. I want to be that one,
don't you? I want to be that one that returns
to give thanks and to glorify To fail to give thanks is to
fail to give Him the glory. To fail to give Him the glory
is to give it to yourselves. To give it to yourselves is the
fruit of self-righteousness and self-entitlement. One return. Now, I think it's interesting
that one of the words that grace is translated into is the word
thanks. Thanks. That's how connected
The doctrine of grace and the doctrine of thanks is, if you
and I ever understand anything about the grace of God, we will
give thanks. The words are used interchangeably. Now, somebody thinking, how can
I be thankful? The question is, how can you
not be thankful? How can you not be thankful? Listen to this scripture, Romans
chapter 8, verse 28, most of you are familiar with it, perhaps
most of you can even quote it. But here it is, and we know.
I love the way he says, he doesn't say we're making a speculation,
we think things might be this way. He says we know that all
things work together for good. to live and to love God, to be
true to God according to His purpose. Now everything that
God has sent your way, everything, some of you have had some trouble
and some trials and some things that are very, very difficult. But it is part of the all things
that God has sent your way. Working it together, for your
good and His glory. Therefore, we can give thanks. This is the will of God in Christ
Jesus concerning me and concerning you. Whatever's happened, whatever
has happened, it's all included in this, in all things give thanks. For this is God's will in Christ
Jesus concerning Now, God has already given you His greatest
gift. He that spared not His own Son. But He delivered Him up for us
all. Talking about all of God's elect. All of those for whom
Christ died. He delivered Him up for us all.
How shall He not? What could possibly prevent Him
from freely giving us all things. Now, God's power is such that
His will always comes to pass. And whatever takes place with
me or with you is His will. There's nothing to be unthankful
for. Now that does not mean that we
will not experience grief. That does not mean we will not
experience disappointment. That does not mean we will not
experience pain. That does not mean we will experience
loss as far as the way we feel. We will. But where would we be
without the promise Romans 8.28 and we know that all of us work
together for good to bend above God to do what we're called according
to his purpose. Now, sometimes somebody will
be going through something and you might remind them of that
and they'll probably get irritated. I've been irritated before when
I was That's what you need to hear
all the time, but sometimes you have ears to hear it. Sometimes you
don't. All I want to have to hear is
to hear this. This is not a stiff upper
lip, take it. This is not a stoic, faithless
mentality, but thankfulness, joy. being thankful always for all
things, giving thanks to the Father in the name of the Son. Turn with me to Philippians chapter
4. What a blessing it is that we're
given this commandment to be careful for nothing, the anxious
concerning nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving. If thanksgiving is not there,
the prayer and supplication is not there. You're thanking the
Lord that He hears. Somebody says, what about unanswered
prayer? There's no such thing as unanswered prayer. He might
say, no. And if He says, no, it's for your good, there's no
such thing as unanswered prayer. Answer him, do not say no, that
we can be thankful for this. Whatever he does is best right
for his glory and for our good. And look what he says next, verse
seven. And the peace of God, which passeth
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus. The peace of God. I don't understand
what God is doing in my life. I don't understand what God is
doing in your life. But you ought to have peace, because He does.
And He's in absolute control. And doesn't that make you peaceful? That God is the first cause behind
everything, everything that takes place? Now, this thing of believing
God is sovereign, you believe He's sovereign in everything. There's no in-between. He's either
God, the first cause of everything, or who knows what's going on. I don't even know what the alternative
to that is, because I'm good, I know that. God is in absolute
control, and with everything that happens, it's God doing
it. Are you misrepresented? Are you
slandered? Are you slighted? Are you sick? Are you having a difficult time?
It's gone. It's gone. I love, I'm so thankful
the Lord put this in about David. David has been good to Saul. He believed Saul to be the Lord's
anointed. He had opportunities to put him
to death, and Saul was trying to kill him and that wouldn't
do it. He said, I don't think that's the Lord's anointed. And so when
he's fleeing, absolute disaster. His own flesh
and blood, his own sons turned against him. He's going to kill
him. And then Shemai starts on him. You're a bloody man. God's turning his back on you
for the evil you've done to the house of Saul. One was over. He was being misrepresented.
He was being slandered. He was being lied on. That's why his faithful servant
said, let me go take his head off. David said, no. The Lord
said, curse. Anything that happens to me or
you, the Lord said for it to happen. What a blessing it is
to remember the Lord said this. Now the Lord Jesus Christ is
so beautiful in so many different ways. We could spend so much
time thinking of His beauty, the beauty of His character.
And that's what I so look forward to dying and being done with
being me and being perfectly connected to His image in my
experience. I love what David said, as for me, I'll go home
by faith to the righteous. I'll be satisfied, and I'll wait
with thy bibles. Now every believer has this character
because they've been born of God. But the flesh makes it to
where you can't see it. And believe it's there, but the
flesh makes it to where you can't see it. That's how horrible this
flesh, this old sinful nature is. But to think of the character
of the Lord Jesus Christ, there's so many things we could say,
but think about his thankfulness. I love it when he, when he has
a meal, he gives thanks. And his giving of thanks is so
much like our giving of thanks. Oh, how thankful he was for that
which his father provided. He said, on one occasion, I thank
thee, oh Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you and revealed them unto babes,
even so proper, for so it seemed good in thy sight." Now if it
seems good in his sight, then what? It's good. It's good. It's
always good. Whatever he does is good. Paul said to the church of Corinth,
we thank God for the grace that's given you. Something that simple. We thank God for the grace that's
given you. Listen, in this scripture, we're
bound to thank God. This is 2 Thessalonians 2.13.
We're bound, we're obligated to thank God always for you,
brethren, beloved of the Lord. And to thank God always for you,
brethren, the lovers of the Lord, because God had from the beginning
chosen you as salvation through the sanctification of the spirit
and belief of the truth. I hope you never look at election
as just doctrine. Always the doctrine due to a
divine praise. Think about this. He made himself
known to you. He chose you. He saved you. He gave His Son for you. How
ugly is any type of unthankfulness? Turn with me to 2 Corinthians
2. Verse 14. Now thanks be unto God, Have you heard of people living
what they call defeated Christian lives? Ain't no such thing. You can't get that from the scripture.
Thanks be unto God, which how? Always. Causes us to triumph
in Christ. At all times, under all circumstances,
victory. Somebody says, what about when
you see it? Should you thank God when you see it? I can hear
somebody thinking that. Should you thank God when you
sin? Lord, I thank you. I commit this sin. No. What has offensive to even think
about? You know better than that. Your sin is your fault. But I think what? You can thank
the God who brings good out of evil. And even in your sin, he
brings good out of evil. You can thank him for that, can't
you? What about when Joseph said to his brother, who sold him
into slavery into Egypt with malicious malintent. He said,
you meant it for evil. Boy, they did. They talked about
the 12 patriarchs. That was a wicked bunch of people.
I mean, even when Jacob describes them, that's the way he describes
them, the instruments of cruelty, my soul coming out of you, just
the way he talked about boys. He didn't make them in your own
way. He didn't talk about your children. He didn't talk about
his like that, except for Judah. Jews of our little line as well.
The line of tribe of Jews, because Christ would come out of Jews.
But at any rate, Joseph said to his brother, his brethren,
you meant it for evil. You had no good intentions, but
God meant it for good. And even your evil will be used
by him who brings good out of evil. And I think of that scripture,
the elder shall serve the younger, the old ager, the sinful ager. You know what it does? It serves
the younger, the new ager. And it causes you, even your
sin, causes you to understand that the only righteousness you
have is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Rejoice, and it
doesn't mean you thank the Lord. If you say, Lord, I thank y'all
sin, no, I'm not gonna do that. Sin is never okay. But I'm thankful
for him who is in control, sovereign control of all things. Turn to Romans chapter 7. I'm so thankful for this passage,
preacher. Verse 14, for we know. You know, I love the way Paul says
this. I don't have to argue with a believer about it. Somebody
said, well, Paul was speaking as an unbeliever when he said
this. No way. When he's an unbeliever, he's
not touching the righteousness, which is an all-out blameless.
That's how he felt about himself. He was a God Savior. This is
after God's Savior. This is his language. For we
know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, soul. Well, Paul can't you just not
sin? No. Sold under sin. Sold as a slave, locked up in
a cage, in a jail that I can't get out of. And that's exactly
what he means. If somebody wants to challenge
that, I feel sorry for you. I feel sorry for you. You're
just dishonest. You've got what I remember in
Christ's name, you don't remember who you are. I don't know what
he goes on to say before. That which I do, I allow not. For what I would, now I would
never sin again. I would. What I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would
not, I consent to the law that is good. Now, there is no more
I than good, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me
that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. Do you know that about yourself?
Has the Lord taught you that? For to will is present with me.
I would. Be without sin. That's preserved
right now. But how to perform that which
is good, I find not. He doesn't say sometimes I fail. He says I find not. For the good that I would, I do not. but the evil which
I would not, that I do. Now if I do that, I would not,
it's no more. I either do it, but the sin that
dwelleth in me, the evil nature that I still possess, I find
in the law, that when I would do good, evil is present with
me, for I delight in the law of God after being with me. I
love God's law. I love the Ten Commandments.
I love every commandment of God. I delight in the law of God after
the inward man, but I see another law of my members. Warring against
the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law
of sin which is in my members. Oh, wretched man that I am. Not who I used to be, that I
am. Who shall deliver me from the
body of this man? And I love verse 25. I thank God. Through Jesus Christ
our Lord. And who delivers me from the
body of this man? I thank God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. So again, with my mind, I myself serve the law of God,
but with the flesh, what it says. I know people can
turn that around and try to say, well, are you saying this? Are
you saying that? All of a sudden, God said this was my mind. I must
have served the law of God, the flesh, the law of sin, but I
love this. I thank God through Jesus Christ. Turn to Colossians chapter one
for a moment. Verse 12. Again, in verse 11, strengthened
with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all
patience, and longsuffering, and joyfulness, giving thanks
unto the Father, which will make us meet to be partakers of the
inheritance of the saints in life. Did I read that right?
No, I didn't read that right, did I? Giving thanks unto the
Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers. of the inheritance
of the saints and light. Now, right now, as we're in this
existence, there's an infinitely large number of people in heaven
called the saints and the light. They're praising the Lamb. They
have no sin. They have no sorrow. They're
perfectly conformed to the image of Christ. the saints in light. Right now, every believer has
all that. We are fit right now to be partaker
of the inheritance of the saints in light, right now. I and every other believer here on Earth,
right now is fit for that group. Look further down in this chapter,
verse 20. And having made peace with the
blood of his cross by him to reconcile all things unto himself,
by him I say, whether they be things in earth or things in
heaven, and you that were sometimes alienated, and enemies in your
mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body
of his flesh through death. When he died, you know, it took
place, this glorious presentation to present you holy and unblemishable
and unreprovable in his sight. That's something to give thanks
for that I have right now, fitness for the inheritance of the saints
in life. First Corinthians 15, let me give you a few more. Now this I say brethren, the flesh
and blood of God inherit the kingdom of God. Neither doth
corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump of the trumpet shall sound, and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For
this corruptible must put on incorruption. This mortal must
put on immortality. It's a necessity that it is,
because Christ died for me. So when this corruptible shall
put on incorruption, this mortal shall put on immortality, then
shall be brought to pass the saying that's written, death
is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin, and that sin has been put away. The
strength of sin is the law, and that law has been honored. But
thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. First Thessalonians 2. Verse 13, Paul says, for this
cause also thank we God without ceasing. Because when you receive
the word of God, which you heard of us, you receive it. Not as
the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which
effectually work also in you that believe. Now, he's thanking
God for the reception of the word. The very fact that you
received the word, we're thanking God for it. Now, I think it's
interesting. Interesting is often my word,
foolish would be that word for most people. God loves everybody, Christ died
for everybody, God wants to save everybody, but it's up to you
as to whether or not you receive it. If you receive it, you'll
be saved. If you fail to receive it, you
will not be saved. Thus, the reception of grace
is the deciding factor in salvation. You know what that is? That's
an unwillingness to thank God. That's all it is. It's an unwillingness
to give God the praise and God the glory. If you received, why'd
you receive? The grace of God caused you to
receive. You can't give yourself the credit. My reception, I got
a letter from somebody a couple weeks ago, and he said, you need
to be put out of business. He was just so upset with the
preaching he was hearing. He said, God sets the table for
everybody. making man's reception a decided
factor. No, no, no. We thank God even
for your reception. Always giving thanks for all
things, trials, sickness, disgrace, whatever it is, giving thanks
always for all things. And one last scripture, And whatsoever you do in word
or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus. You know, there's a constant
understanding that the only way I can come into God's presence
is in the name of Christ. No other way. No other way. Whatever I'm feeling, whether
I'm feeling sinful, whether I'm feeling blessed, whether I'm
feeling thankful, whether I'm seeing my own wicked ungratefulness,
whatever the case, I know this at all times, the only way I
can come into the presence of God is through the name of the
Lord Jesus Christ. You know, even by giving thanks,
I give thanks in His name. My thankfulness is not good enough,
yours isn't either. We give thanks in His name. Whatsoever ye do, in word or
deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to
God and the Father. And I love the way it's said
by him. You know, we would have put the period after giving thanks
to God and the Father. That's not the way the scripture
speaks. Giving thanks to God and the Father. My own unthankfulness is sinful. It's sinful. And I know that as long as I've
got an old nature, I'm going to battle with my old nature. But I sure am thankful. that
everything God requires of me, I already have in Christ Jesus,
and it's what He has provided. I'm so thankful that He really
is sovereign, and that He controls everything, everybody, and everything. May the Lord enable me and you
to give thanks always, for always. Lord, by your grace, in the name
of thy Son, we give thanks, always, for all things, to you,
in the name of thy blessed Son. We are so thankful that you are
God. And Lord, we rest in whatever
you bring our way, knowing it's from you. And Lord, with regard to everything
that comes our way, may we hear you say to our souls, be in good
cheer.