Romans 1:21 “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
INTRO.- Many people don’t give thanks to God. They may be thankful, but not to God, which is a big mistake.
ILL.- I used to be a member of the River to River Runners of Southern IL. Every year near Christmas they would have their annual banquet and recognize certain runners: those with high mileage (3000 to 5000 miles per year), those who ran marathons (or fast marathons), etc.
At that banquet, they always had an invocation or opening prayer. One year they asked me to offer the prayer. Before I stepped to the microphone, the President of the club whispered in my ear, “Make it generic and make it short.”
We understand why he would want it short. Most people don’t want to listen to a long prayer but what about this generic business? What he meant was this: (even though he didn’t come out and say it) DON’T PRAY IN JESUS’ NAME. Just pray and say Amen.
And, of course, I remembered the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:32-33. “Whoever confesses me before men, him will I confess before my Father who is in heaven and whoever denies me before men him will I deny.”
So what kind of prayer do you think I offered? It was short but I did ask the Father in Jesus’ name. And several of my Christian friends said out loud, “Amen.”
The next year at that banquet the board had asked a man of Jewish faith to give the opening prayer AND IT WASN’T A PRAYER!
It wasn’t a prayer in the sense of what I would call a prayer. He spoke about several things (that we had good health, good food, etc.) and then said, “let us be thankful....” BUT NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT BEING THANKFUL TO GOD! He never said anything about God (never mentioned His name) and of course, He WOULDN’T say anything about Jesus since most Jews don’t believe in Jesus as the Messiah.
There are many people in our world who see the good stuff in their lives but they don’t give thanks to the ONE person who gave them all that good stuff! They are grateful people but not to God! They recognize that they are blessed but they don’t recognize where those blessings come from!
James 1:16-17 “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
How does that go? IF IT’S GOOD, IT’S FROM GOD! And we all have a lot of good stuff in our lives: mate, family, friends, material provision, the church, God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the many promises in the Word and the ultimate promise of eternal life! I would say that God deserves our thanks and many times over! Many times a day!
PROP.- In this message, I want us to consider specifically the words “Thanks be to God.” Let’s see what Paul said we were to be thankful for.
1- Thanks be to God for victory over sin
2- Thanks be to God for victory over death
3- Thanks be to God for victory over life
I. THANKS BE TO GOD FOR VICTORY OVER SIN
What’s the big deal about sin? What’s so bad about sin?
ILL.- One time a prominent novelist who was a skeptic of Christianity visited a revival meeting out of curiosity. When the invitation time came a member of the revival team approached the novelist and asked, “Are you saved?” He said, “No.” Then he was asked, “Don’t you want God to forgive you of your sins?” He replied, “No, I like my sins.”
Many people don’t come to Christ for salvation because they like what they are doing. They like their sins. How could this be? Well, to some people, certain sins are very likeable or enjoyable.
Hebrews 11:24-25 “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.”
The pleasures of sin. Some sins are more pleasurable than others, of course.
ILL.- Occasionally, I will call on Marian Griffin who is widow of Ben Griffin, the uncle to our Bill Griffin. In the past, Bill and Dorothy Griffin would take Ben and Marian to Newport to a pizza place which they liked very much. While calling on Marian, I would say to her, “Well, have you and Dorothy been to that beer joint in Newport lately?”
You see this is big joke that we have going on. Apparently, they do sell beer at that pizza place but Marian told me she’d never drank a beer in her life or any liquor for that matter.
But do you know that some people find beer quite pleasurable?! In fact, many people find drinking all kinds of alcoholic beverages to be quite pleasurable and consequently, THEY DON’T WANT TO GIVE IT UP IN ORDER TO FOLLOW CHRIST!
And if they think they need to give up drinking alcoholic beverages in order to become a Christian then many will choose their habit over Christ!
The same idea goes for many other sins: sexual sins of all sorts, gluttony, even hatred and anger. Some people find pleasure in hating others. Stealing people’s money, etc. Don’t you know that Bernie Madoff enjoyed making off with people’s money? He certainly enjoyed spending it.
I read that he had a $7 million yacht, $2.6 million in jewelry, $7 million Manhattan apartment, $11 million Palm Beach home and furniture and household goods valued at $9.9 million. DO YOU THINK HE ENJOYED SPENDING OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY?
Even though many people like their sins here is what is so bad about it.
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Sin what separates man from God and sin is what leads to death. And not physical death, but rather spiritual death.
Revelation 21:8 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Sin leads to the second death, which is separation from God and a lake of fire. THIS DOESN’T SOUND GOOD TO ME! People can try to explain it away all they want, but the scripture still speaks and still stands!
I’m not thrilled about this but I don’t make the rules, God does! We’re in sales, not management. If God says there is a second death, a lake of fire then all we can do is take Him at His Word.
And sin is what leads people to that place! BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!
Romans 6:16-18 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
Thanks be to God for setting us free from the slavery of sin. We don’t have to live in sin like the rest of the world.
Romans 7:24-25 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Thanks be to God who sets us free from the power of sin through Christ! This can happen. It does happen. And thanks be to God!
When we believe in Jesus and gives our lives to Him, obey Him, we have victory over sin. We may struggle daily but ultimately, the victory is ours because of what Christ did for us on the cross.
I Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by HIS wounds you have been healed.”
THANKS BE TO GOD! Thank you, Lord!
II. THANKS BE TO GOD FOR VICTORY OVER DEATH
Of course, we won’t see this victory until we leave this world. In death we merely move from one world to the next!
1 Corinthians 15:55-57 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
He gives us victory over death! Do you believe it? There are some preachers who don’t believe it! HUH, WHAT?
ILL.- One night ABC News with Diane Sawyer interviewed some so-called conservative ministers who don’t believe! The article states: Atheist Ministers Struggle With Leading the Faithful. Two Active Ministers Say They No Longer Believe in God but No One Knows.
"I am an atheist," says "Jack," a Southern Baptist with more than 20 years in ministry. "I live out my life as if there is no God," says "Adam," who is part of the pastoral staff of a small evangelical church in the Bible Belt.
The two, who asked that their real identities be protected, are pastors who have lost their faith. And these two men, who have built their careers and lives around faith, say they now feel trapped, living a lie.
"I spent the majority of my life believing and pursuing this religious faith, Christianity," Jack said. "And to get to this point in my life, I just don't feel like I believe anymore."
"The more I read the Bible, the more questions I had," Jack said. "The more things didn't make sense to me -- what it said -- and the more things didn't add up."
Jack said that 10 years ago, he started to feel his faith slipping away. "Reading the Bible is what led me not to believe in God," he said.
Let me say that he was not reading it with an open mind toward God. Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” The Bible produces faith in us. It doesn’t take it away!
The more I read scripture, the more I believe, the more I believe in God and Christ and the hope of eternal life!
He said it was difficult to continue to work in ministry. "I just look at it as a job and do what I'm supposed to do," he said. "I've done it for years." HE WAS LIVING A LIE!
Adam said his initial doubts about God came as he read the work of the so-called New Atheists -- popular authors like the prominent scientist Richard Dawkins. He said the research was intended to help him defend his faith. (Dawkins is an outspoken atheist and a prominent critic of religion. He has been described as a vocal, militant rationalist, and as "the UK's Chief Atheist.”)
That was his problem! He was reading what atheists were saying! He got duped by the devil!
I Timothy 4:1-2 “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”
Whether we want to admit it or not, some people will leave the faith of Christ and follow the lies of Satan and his lies are everywhere in our world today: TV, news, books, newspapers, Internet, and even in some pulpits across our land! Some people will be duped and some people will leave the faith of Christ!
This Baptist Pastor said that he feared for his salvation and soul. "In that point where I realized I was losing my faith yet I still feared for my own salvation, I asked God to take my life before I lost my faith.”
This doesn’t make sense, does it? If he doesn’t believe in God, Christ and eternal life then why would he fear losing his salvation? That’s ridiculous!
Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I believe in God, Christ, the Bible, and the promise of eternal life! I believe that in Christ we have victory over death!
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I believe! We believe! Thanks be to God for His promise of eternal life beyond the grave!
III. THANKS BE TO GOD FOR VICTORY OVER LIFE
Victory over life? Yes, victory over life’s problems, difficulties, etc.
Job 14:1 “Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.”
ILL.- Remember what happened to those people on that Carnival Cruise ship? November 11, 2010 came this news story. For three days, the giant cruise ship Carnival Splendor — with a small city of nearly 4,500 passengers and crew members aboard — was without power 55 miles off the coast of Punta San Jacinto, disabled by an engine fire that has made the ship the focus of worldwide attention.
As tugboats sent to rescue the Long Beach, Calif.-based vessel pulled it closer to shore and within cellphone range Wednesday, some of the 3,299 passengers aboard began calling family, friends and news outlets with firsthand accounts of increasingly miserable — and smelly — days without basic services such as hot food, air conditioning and, for a time, working toilets.
"It's nothing like anyone expected," said passenger David Zambrano, a technical operations employe. "You stand in line for two hours just to get your food because everybody goes to the same place to pick up their food. Then once you get your food, you look for something to do. People are playing cards. People are standing around, just kind of talking. They're getting to socialize."
Instead of dining on lavish seafood buffets, passengers have been fed Spam, canned crabmeat and Pop-Tarts, which were being ferried to them by U.S. Navy Seahawk helicopters from the USS Ronald Reagan. Passengers on lower decks had to climb as many as nine flights of stairs to get to the cafeteria only to meet long lines that stretched on for hours. By the time those at the end got to the food, they were left with tomatoes and lettuce.
"We have not had a hot cup of coffee in four days," said passenger Fahizah Alim, 26, of Sacramento, who ate at night by flashlight. "This was my first cruise and it was no luxury, no fun."
Two Detroit-area women, Angela Evans and Natalie Martinez, said the ship still has no electricity, no air conditioning and no hot water, and their windowless inside cabin is pitch black, according to Greg Alexander, Evans' boyfriend, who finally talked with her on a crackling cellphone connection Wednesday afternoon.
"They're fine but worn out emotionally," he told the Detroit Free Press. "The first couple days were a nightmare."
Brothers and sisters, it’s like many of us have said, “There is always someone worse off than you.” How would you have liked to have been there? NO THANKS! Of course, it could have been worse and there are far worse things in life!
ILL.- Elaine and I have a neighbor lady directly across the street from us who is a retired school teacher, about 78 years of age with three grown sons. NOT ANY MORE. Her oldest son, age 55 years, shot himself on Tuesday, November 11th. THAT’S HOW BAD LIFE CAN GET!
Life is tough and very tough at times, BUT WE HAVE SOMETHING GOING FOR US!
II Corinthians 2:14-15 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.
God leads us in triumph. In this text, Paul is talking about spreading the gospel message. And when we spread the message about Christ, God will always lead us in triumph and people will come to know Christ. I also believe that God will always lead us in triumph procession everywhere and in everything we do when we seek to please and honor Him!
This means in good times and bad times!
Look at what the Lord did for Job of old. He lost everything: His wealth, his health, his respect, and even all 10 of his children.
Job 1:20-22 “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”
It would be hard not to charge God with wrongdoing if we had lost everything like Job, nevertheless, he did not do this. Instead, HE BLESSED GOD, HE PRAISED GOD.
Job 42:10 “After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.” V. 12 The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first.
This sounds very much like God led Job in triumphal procession! And He can do the same for us when we seek Him with our whole being and seek to honor Him in life! THANKS BE TO GOD for giving us victory over life’s problems!
CONCLUSION---------------
2 Corinthians 9:15 “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”
What gift? Probably Jesus. We have so very much for which to give thanks to God. Never, , never, never stop praising Him and giving thanks to Him!
