OUTLINE
1. We have so much to be thankful for. We live in freedom, in relative richness. We are not in a time of war. We have work, good health, family. We have been chosen by God to be His people. We have His word that lets us know Him. We know that He is watching over us. We know He is faithful and just.
2. But all these gifts, are great as they are, pale in comparison to one particular gift - a gift that exceeds them all. Paul call this an undescribable or unspeakable gift and yet it is a gift we must seek to describe, we must speak of.
3. It is a gift that goes beyond our understanding. The hymn writer says "How shall my voice describe it? Where shall my praise begin?". Although He cannot describe it, He shows, by comparison how great it is: "Deep than the mighty rolling sea, Higher than the mountain, Broader than the scope of my transgressions, greater far than all my sin and shame" (Wonderful Grace of Jesus).
4. Friends, on this thanksgiving day there is nothing that we should be more thankful for than this indescribable gift. Perhaps we give up talking about that which we do not understand or that which we cannot describe or perhaps we have taken this gift for granted, but we need to fill ourselves with thanksgiving in order to keep our faith and our witness as vital realities each day and in order to praise God.
5. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.
6. We must talk of it, we must meditate on this gift.
7. We can describe but we can never fully describe for the gift is inexhaustible. And so I will struggle and fall far short in trying to describe this gift today.
8. What is important is not our words, but that our hearts might experience and be moved by this gift.
9. The gift we are talking about is God’s gift of Himself in Jesus Christ - that Christ would take upon Himself my sin and die for me.
10. Why is this gift so great, so far above our understanding?
11. Answer first found in God Himself. ( Pss 86:8-10) He is perfect in power, love and purity. God is so good, and we can only in part describe His goodness. He is so holy that none can stand before Him and live.
12. And then, He condescended to this earth and became a man. He who is holy dwelt among the pain and hurt and sin of this world. He gave up His rights as God. The infinite became an infant. He humbled himself. We, who are human and imperfect know how difficult it is to humble ourselves. How could God ever stoop down to our level?
13. And then, how could he let Himself be treated as He was. To be reviled by man, to be mocked, to be handled like a common criminal, to be falsely accused by those He can to give His life for, and to be publically humiliated by being displayed and killed on a cross. Don’t ever take what God did for granted.
14. Meditate on it and simply say "Thank you God".
15. And the reason for all this is beyond description. Amazing love, how can it be, that thou, O God, woulds’t die for me. He did not have to die for me. He owed me nothing. I should have been on the cross. (Rom 5:8) He took upon Himself our sin and our punishment.
16. We struggle with love. We can love those who love us but do we love those who do not, who are our "enemies".
17. We cannot describe His love but we can experience it. If I ask you to describe your love for the one you love the most - cannot do it. It is so much harder to describe God’s love.
18. And we cannot fully appreciate the results of this gift - the depth of torment of hell that we avoid, the eternal anguish and pain. Nor can we know how wonderful heaven will be. (Rom 8:18). The unspeakable joy that awaits us. The standing before the presence of God. To be holy and without sin.
19. All of this is so great. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.
20. Can you say this, do you feel this in your heart? If we would but have thankful hearts.
21. Then 2 things will happen.
22. Our giving - of self, of money, of time is not don’t because the budget is short, because we have but because we cannot help but say thanks to God.
23. And (1John 4:9-11) we will love one another.
24. Do we give freely, do we love one another? If not, only one way to be able to do so. To have thankful hearts that are overwhelmed by Gods’ indescribable gift
