Thanksgiving.

November 23, 2008

By Pastor Young Joon Park

Luke 17:11-19

¹¹ Now on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.

¹² As He was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met Him. They stood at a distance

¹³ and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

¹⁴ When He saw them, He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

¹⁵ One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.

¹⁶ He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him—and he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?

¹⁸ Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

¹⁹ Then He said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

I. The Lord wants us to live with thankful heart.

1. Thank offering

Leviticus 7:12

If he offers it as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering he is to offer cakes of bread made without yeast and mixed with oil, wafers made without yeast and spread with oil, and cakes of fine flour well-kneaded and mixed with oil.

God gave the offering instruction to Moses.

This thank offering is a part of the offering.

It is God’s requirement and His plan.

2. The result of the Thanksgiving

Psalm 50:23

He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me;

And to him who orders his way aright

I shall show the salvation of God.”

The thankful life is not just honor the Lord alone, but also he can order his way aright to the Lord as well.

Jeremiah 33:11b

and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of the LORD.

For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says the LORD.

3. The life style of the thanksgiving

I Thessalonians 5:18

give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 5:4

and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

II. To whom we give thanks

1. The Lord

Jeremiah 33:11

the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,

“Give thanks to the LORD of hosts,

For the LORD is good,

For His loving kindness is everlasting”;

and of those who bring a thank offering into the house of the LORD. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says the LORD.

How can we honor the Lord?

Proverbs 3:9-10

⁹ Honor the LORD from your wealth And from the first of all your produce;

¹⁰ So your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.

Let’s thank to the Lord, also everyone participate to the Lord.

Parents, usually many children do not give offering to the Lord, because they do not have money. But we have to teach them about the offering.

Give them offering every week, so they can learn how to prepare and how to do it.

Why?

I Peter 2:9

But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light

2. Our Parents

Matthew 15:4-6

⁴ “For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father and mother is to be put to death.’

⁵ “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,”

⁶ he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

How can we honor our parents?

Many cases almost everyone has the deep wound from the parents including me. Because of this reason we have a major issue to honor our parents.

We have to honor our parents no matter who they are or no matter what they are.

Practical suggestion is to develop the relationship with our parents.

3. Each other

Ephesians 5:4

and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

How can we honor each other?

Philippians 2:3-4

³ Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard    

   one another as more important than yourselves;

⁴ do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests

   of others.

Conclusion

Malachi 3:16

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.

Let’s give our thanksgiving to the Lord together.