The Necessity of Thanksgiving
2 Timothy 3
1. This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come (Perilous: dangerous).
2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce (brutal, bloodthirsty), despisers of those that are good,
4. Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
Pray:
In these verses, the Apostle Paul tells Timothy of a group of people to turn away from. It’s hard for us to imagine God telling us to turn away from someone, but that is just what He said. As we take a closer look at the characteristics of the people we’re to turn away from, it becomes more clear.
It shouldn’t seem unreasonable for us to turn away from the blasphemers, false accusers, trucebreakers, or the unholy.
Yet, in the midst of these deplorable adjectives we find the word unthankful.
I’m afraid the attitude of gratitude has been underrated over the past few generations. No one seems to be appreciative anymore.
Particularly the younger generation has the attitude that the world owes them something. Mom and Dad has given them the world on a silver platter and never demanded any signs of gratitude and they have raised a thankless generation.
We can preach on outward sins of adultery, and drunkenness and murder, and those things should be preached on, but let’s remember that the sin of being unthankful holds much weight in the sight of God.
Luke 6: 35. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Romans 1: 22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
24. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
25. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30. Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31. Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
I intentionally began reading at verse 22, but let’s see what brought about this ungodliness in verse 21 :Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
I. Praise
Psalm 18: 49. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.
Psalm 100: 4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Heb 13:15. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Psalm 30: 4. Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
Psalm 35: 18. I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.
Psalm 69: 30. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
II. Miracles
Matthew 15: 36. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
A. In your Home life … Give Thanks
B. In Your Finances … Give Thanks
C. In Your Church Life … Give Thanks
III. In Persecution
Daniel 6: 10 Knowing that it was against the law, Daniel … kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Amos 4:5 the Prophet Amos gave …a sacrifice of thanksgiving…
Jonah 2: 9. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.
10. And the Lord spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
IV. Prayer
Philippians 4: 6. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
If God only hears the prayers that are mingled with Thanksgiving, I wonder if he’s heard from any of us in a while.
V. Singing
Psalm 92: 1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
2. To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
Psalm 95: 2. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
VI. Witnessing
Psalm 105: 1 O Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
It’s the will of God
I Thes 5: 18. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
