Theme: Thanksgiving/Victory (Dec.

25, 2016)

Devotion: Psalm 118:28-29 Psa. 100:4-5

Text: Luke 13:6-9

Title: Give thanks to the Lord

Introduction:
Good morning to every one of you, before we begin, let us first have a word of prayer…
As we draw nearer to the end of the year, many of us cannot help but look back and
remember all the things that have happened in our lives. In theory, this should be good, as this
gives us a moment to review and recollect about major events that have happened. But as with
many people, more often we remember the bad and overlook what is good. We think about
our mistakes, missed opportunities, and failures. While it is proper to acknowledge all of our
shortcomings in a right manner, most of the time we end up focusing on all of the negative
things. I will say that this is wrong, more so in the life of the Christian, especially since this way
of thinking does not give God the glory in our lives. For every negative thing we can remember,
I know that there is a multitude of good things God has done in your life. And overlooking them
is a great disservice to the Lord. However things have taken a turn in this past year, it is in the
attitude of the Christian to be thankful always. The remaining 8 days we have left should be
filled not with sadness and regret, but with joy and thanksgiving. Give thanks to God no matter
what! That is why our message today is Give thanks to the Lord.

Exegetical Idea: God has been so good to us, not just for the whole year, but for the whole of
our lives. As we are poised to leave the past year behind us, let us not forget all the things God
had given us, both physically and spiritually. More than that, let us be reminded of our own
relationship and responsibility with God: So as to better prepare us for the coming New Year.

Proposition: Brothers and sisters in the Lord, let me propose to you, that before the year ends,
let us realize how God has been so good to us, and that we have been given so much by the
Lord. Let us end this year with thanksgiving, and let us all be reminded of our responsibility as
we continue to serve Jesus Christ.

I. Remember what God has done

It is always helpful for us to look back at the things that have happened in our lives. We
can see how God moved in our families, in our church, and in our community. We have one
whole year to look back to, so many things have happened. Do not let these things just pass
and be forgotten, instead use these things to remind yourself of the good things God had done,
and the things in which you have been lacking, with which God has filled up.

A. Let us examine ourselves – 1Cor.11:27-28; 2Cor.13:5

Self-examination is important in our lives. We stop for a moment and think
about who we are and what we are doing. It gives us a time to think clearly and to
choose wisely. Self-examination is not a new thing, and actually, it is something that is
clearly commanded by the word of God. In speaking to the Church in Corinth, Apostle
Paul mentions “examining” and “testing” ourselves. In 1Cor.11:27-28 Paul reminds the
believers about the importance and seriousness of the Lord’s Supper. In his 2 nd letter to
the same church, Paul commands them to examine themselves, this time concerning
about their faith in God. 2Cor.13:5. In our never stop, never rest, never sleep kind of
world, this practice has almost been lost, but we need to do this in our lives, especially
now that we are children of God. Let us evaluate ourselves not on the merits and praises
of the world, but with the knowledge and wisdom of God. At the end of the day (or I
should say of the year), the judgment that matters the most is from God. Have you done
well in the eyes of God? One year has come and gone, and again, many things have
happened. How is your condition spiritually? Have you done what is pleasing to the
Lord? Are there areas you have neglected? Have you been wise in decision making?
Have you been fully faithful to the Lord and His ministry?

B. Let us learn from our mistakes – Prov.11:2

Let it then be said that none of us are perfect, and we all make mistakes. If all of
us would just do an honest self-evaluation, most of us would have some few items to list
down under successes, but many of us, I believe, will have many more under the list of
failures and shortcomings. We all have our own shares of failures in the past year, but
none are more shameful than our failures in our spiritual life. We might have failed at
school, at work, at home, in the office, in the family, in our relationships, in our
decisions, but those things are just fleeting and temporary. The big items on our list
come from our relationship with the Lord. How many times did you prioritize something
of lesser value instead of prioritizing God? How many times has your flesh won against
the spirit of God that is in you? (Hindi ka na nakakapag morning devotion. Hindi ka na
umaattend ng Gawain? Nakakaattend nga pero lagi naman late? Kinakaligtaan mag
pray, hindi na nagbabasa ng biblia, hindi nakakapakinig ng aral?) How many times have
you grieved the Holy Spirit because you did not surrender yourself to the will of God? I
cannot answer these questions for you, because I have my own list to consider. The fact
still remains, we made all these mistakes, and we can learn from them, to discipline
ourselves, to evade the temptation of sin the next time around, and to do what is right
and pleasing to the Lord, because if we do not learn from our mistakes, we are just
bound to repeat them all over again the next year. I pray that this does not happen to
any of us. Prov.11:2 if you made mistakes against your fellow man, admit them, and ask
forgiveness. If you made mistakes against God, admit them, and ask for forgiveness as
well. Being human is by no means for us to give way to continually sin and displease
God. We are human, yes, but we have also been transformed by God spiritually.
Rev.2:5a

C. Let us give thanks to God for our victories – Deut.8:17-18

By this point in time, I believe I don’t have to elaborate anymore. Although we
have our shares of failures, there are still many blessings God had given us in this past
year alone. Deut.8:17-18a Remember to count not just the physical, material blessings,
 but to prioritize the spiritual blessings that money can never match. Blessings in the
family, in the church, and in your ministry. His blessing of protection, His blessing of
peace. When we evaluate what has happened in the past year and think about our
successes, not one of us can boast about ourselves or our ability, we can only boast
about our great and mighty God, who deserves all our praises and thanksgiving.
2Cor.10:17 For those of you who still haven’t thanked God, or maybe there are some of
you who have not stood up and given thanks to God in the whole year, you still have
one last Friday to proclaim praises and thanksgiving to God. Don’t let this last chance
slip on by, and don’t enter the New Year with any regrets. Jer.9:23-24

Application:
As we take a look back at the past year, let us remember how God moved in our lives
both in big ways and small ways. How God has helped you through the tough times but also
allowed you various joys and graces. Remember that God guided you and kept you from evil
and harm, and how He also never left you. Even though we sometimes fall short of His
standards, and how we also failed at various times, and yet God was with us, and God is with
us. More than the mistakes, more than our failures, our shortcomings, remember what God has
done, and I believe in my heart that if you do, you will be able to give Him thanks.

II. Look forward to what God will do

As we continue, do we look forward to the next year with eagerness or anxiety? The
word of God reminds us that…

A. The future is uncertain – Prov.27:1

Somewhat ironic, but as Christians, the only certain thing we are sure of about
the future is that the future is uncertain. Prov.27:1 Probably more energy is wasted
worrying about the future than anything else in our lives. We worry about our health,
our careers and our finances; we worry about time, opportunities and decisions; we
worry about whether people will like and accept us or not, whether we can perform
adequately in various circumstances, and of course whether we’ll fail overall or be
successful – however we think about that. We worry about ourselves, we worry about
others, we worry about organizations (like the nation or the church), and we worry
about the ecological stability of the whole planet. We do not know what 2017 holds for
us. Good or bad, we do not know. We do not know if we will reach the end of 2018, we
do not know if something terrible will happen next year. We do not know what will
happen to our church. We have plans, yes, and we have preparations as well. But in the
end, it is not for you or for me to know what the future holds, but I am comforted by the
fact that I know He who holds the future, and that is none other than God.

B. God will be with us – Heb.13:8; Prov.16:1/9; Isa.26:3

And that is the point here. The point is, why should we wear down ourselves
with worry? Even if you and I do not know what the future holds, we can look forward
to it because God will be there with us. Prov.16:9TAB God is unchanging, God is forever,
and God is eternal. The same God who delivered the Israelites out of Egypt is the same
 God who will deliver us from the many troubles that is to come. The same God who
fulfilled His promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, is the same God who
gives us all of His promises. We may have plans, good plans even, for the church, for the
ministry, for the family, but always remember: God’s plans are bigger and greater than
ours. In a world that is constantly changing, in a world full of untrustworthy people,
there is someone who we can all still trust. Heb.13:8 He is the same forever: He who
said I will never leave you nor forsake you is trustworthy. He who said my grace is
sufficient for you is trustworthy. He who said that today, you will be with me in paradise
is trustworthy. So, if Jesus says do not worry, should we trust Him? We can see the issue
of our trust is has nothing to do with the one who promised, but lies in us. If we have
faith, then we believe, and if we believe in Him, then we can rest easy in our trust in
Him. You can always, ALWAYS, depend on Jesus Christ. Isa.26:3TAB

Application: Psalm100:1-5
Our future may be uncertain, but whatever the coming days may bring, we can
overcome because of Him that is in us. That is why when we reflect on Psalm 100, it gives us a
renewed strength and hope in facing the uncertain. Psalm 100

III. Let us continue with faith

No matter the things in the past, and no matter how limited our field of view is of the
future, there is one thing we must be certain of: that we must press on, move forward, and
never stop in the life of faith that God has placed us in. Let us continue on this journey with
gladness in our hearts no matter what the circumstances are, for God’s word is true, and His
promises are certain.

A. The grace of God enables us - Col.2:6-7; 1Tim.1:12; 1Cor.15:10

There are many times when fear and anxiety want to get the better of us. As we
have said and heard several times, no one is immune from these things, and we will be
lying to ourselves if we do not accept that there are many things in this life that affect us
every day. One thing I have learned however, is that the paralyzing feeling of fear and
anxiety comes from the idea of being incompetent and insufficient. (hindi ko alam
gagawin, wala akong kakayanan) This is what the world has taught us, you can be proud
of your achievements, but fall short and you will be put to shame. The bible however
teaches us differently to not have to rely on ourselves but on God. Once we truly learn
and apply this we are set free from the burden of fear and worry, because it is by the
grace of God we are enabled to do and work in all things. I don’t depend on myself
because I don’t have to! I only need to trust in God and obey what He tells me to do,
and I know for certain that I will succeed. If God is in control, will He succeed? The
apostle Paul, long his credentials may be, never relied on them. His life and His ministry
He attributed to God. 1Cor.15:10 When the moment comes that we are face with a
huge opposition, remember God and His grace, who will enable you to overcome.

B. The faithfulness of God encourages us - 2thess. 3:3; Heb.10:23

 The faithfulness of God is a reminder of the truth that God is forever constant in
our lives. As time and seasons change, God remains the same God for all eternity.
Remembering that God is true and faithful in all things gives us the much needed
encouragement many of us are searching for, especially in times of great distress.
Trusting in God is never tiresome because God will always, always come through on His
promises and His words. He never forgets, but He always forgives. He is the reason we
know for certain that we will be delivered safely to the end of our Christian journey.
Phil.1:6 There never is a problem of God being true to His word, it is always a problem
of us not wanting to trust in Him. The only acceptable answer to the faithfulness of God
in our lives is to put our whole trust in Him in all things. Not just the big things, but more
so in all the little things in our lives. Heb.10:23 Those who trust in God will be
generously rewarded. When we think how God has been and will continually be faithful,
we are encouraged to continue forward.

C. The love of God guards us - Rom.8:31-39

If that were not enough still, the love of God that can never be matched by
anything else in the world will guard us till the promise of heaven is fulfilled. The love of
God which started it all will continue to give us strength, and hope, and joy till eternity
comes. It is His love that saved us, it is His love that sustains us, and it is only His love
that secures us. How can I worry? How can I be fearful, when I have a great and mighty
God who loves me unconditionally? A person who truly understands this great love
would never turn away from it. His praises will be loud and His rejoicing without equal.
It is love that says that God has the very best in mind for you. He won’t lead you astray,
He won’t bring you into permanent harm. Though the life of the Christian may be
difficult and often times perilous, God’s love declares you are safe in His hands. What
are the things that seek to bring you to destruction? Declare with a loud voice “God
loves me!” Whenever we feel like giving up, remember how much God loves you.
Rom.8:31-39

Conclusion:
For my conclusion brothers and sisters in the Lord, we just have a little over a week
before the end of this year. Let us not let these days go to waste. Do not let ungratefulness
linger in your hearts. If we exhibit ingratitude we are made numb to all the good things that
God is continually doing in our lives. An ungrateful person has nothing to be thankful for. But a
heart set on God and His works will be sensitive to notice all of the great things God has done.
Have you given thanks to God? Reflect and look at all that has happened in the past year. Admit
your failures and shortcomings, ask for forgiveness if necessary. Look inwards as we stand
poised to enter the new year, God is giving you a chance to reinvigorate your relationship with
Him, and do not allow anyone, including Satan to hinder your relationship with God in the
coming year. And even though we face an uncertain future, know that God is with us, and His
promises have stood the test of time. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As we close,
let us mark this last Sunday of the year with gratefulness and thanksgiving in our hearts. Praise
the name of the Lord. (let us all stand up and offer a song of thanksgiving to our great God.)
C. The goodness of God strengthens us - 1Tim.4:4; James 1:17