Pre-Disposed To Thanksgiving-2

PRE-DISPOSED to/for THANKSGIVING-II—Psalm 100:1-5

There is a tendency among business retailers to gear up early for Christmas.

This begins shortly after the Halloween push.

The shelves are beginning to get stocked with specifically Christmas items.—Christmas trees of all sizes, colors & materials, Lights, Baking goods, Candies, Ribbons, Brightly colored packages tied with pretty ribbons, Santa abounds, Magazine covers depict Christmas scenes usually founded on cold weather with snow & red outfits of various sorts..

Attractive displays, dedicated to Christmas, are being assembled & filled with ‘Christmas’ items.

They are placed strategically around the stores for maximum selling power.

But something very important is missing. & its been happening for years now.

Where is Thanksgiving? What has happened to Thanksgiving?

Christmas reigns at the expense of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has been overwhelmed by Christmas! Because Christmas has become overwhelmed by business...& business has become overwhelmed by greed.

It appears that the perceived reasons for True Thanksgiving are losing ground in America.

Need:

?Is your Thanksgiving Thankful?

The Psalmist charged God’s people to have an attitude of thankfulness.

God’s people are expected to pre-disposed toward thankfulness.

Why are God’s people pre-disposed toward thankfulness? & to celebrate Thanksgiving?

?Are you pre-disposed to Thanksgiving?

This morning we discovered that People pre-disposed to Thanksgiving Enjoy...

1. PROCLAMATION(:1)

2. SERVICE(:2a)

3. SINGING(:2b)

4. KNOWLEDGE(:3a)

5. FAMILY / Belonging / Place(:3b-c)

6—People pre-disposed to Thanksgiving Enjoy...

God’s PROVISION(:3c)

Explanation/Argumentation:(:3c) Feeding/Grazing

:3c—“Know that the LORD Himself is God; It is He who has made us, & not we ourselves; We are His people & the sheep of His pasture.”

“Sheep of His pasture”—

Protection—Jn. 10:7-15—“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves & robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, & will go in & out & find pasture. “The thief does not come except to steal, & to kill, & to destroy. I have come that they may have life, & that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming & leaves the sheep & flees; & the wolf catches the sheep & scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling & does not care about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd; & I know My sheep, & am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; & I lay down My life for the sheep.”

*Tranquility & Abundance—Ps. 23:1-6—“(A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod & Thy staff, they comfort me. Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness & lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

The Shepherd must provide for the sheep at every turn. Both Guidance(Rod) & Direction(Staff).

Illustration:

My Pachypodium Lamerii(small African tree w/thorned trunk)/4 ft. tall now/Fertilize it occasionally/Inside in winter—outside in summer/Re-pot it when needed/PROVISION

Our dog/Given love, food, water, shelter/PROVISION

Application:

?You Enjoy PROVISION?

?You pre-disposed to Thanksgiving?

7—People pre-disposed to Thanksgiving enjoy...

ENTRY to God’s HOUSE(:4a)

Explanation:(:4a)

:4a—“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, & bless His name.”

Why are we told to express these behaviors? Sadly, because it is possible to “enter” into worship services & God’s very presence with no joy or thankfulness at all. The Holy Spirit must be the inner driver compelling us to experience any emotional attachment to YeHoVeH.

God’s people(who proclaim, serve, sing, know, & submit to YeHoVeH, are thereby compelled to “enter” that which is securely His, i.e., His city(ies) his Temple, His Worship, His Presence, etc. They will gladly do this with an attitude of “thanksgiving.”

A court would be an open area within the King’s enclosures which He has willingly opened to His public respecters. There is more than one court for our God has many....There is room for all to approach Him in praise. And this very fact(room) is itself praiseworthy.

As His people, we will enter His very “courts”(enclosures) with “praise.” We are not prevented from entry for personal & corporate misdeeds, but we approach knowing full well that He is also our greatest Advocate.