Rev. David Holwick ZL Thanksgiving Sunday
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
November 22, 2015
Deuteronomy 16:9-15
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I. A Triehy Thanksgiving.
A. Celeste's parents are elderly so we are making this one special.
1) We are flying all our kids there. Total will be 33.
2) "Who is going where?" is a common theme of the holiday.
a) Especially among young people, relationships is the
biggest draw of this holiday.
b) It is almost as if they value family over God.
1> Perhaps they are starved for normal relationships.
#64983
B. Thanksgiving is an interesting holiday.
1) It is not nearly as commercialized as Christmas or
Halloween.
2) The food will be generous, as usual - especially the pies.
a) I am only required to make cranberry/apple relish.
3) The food tends to follow the traditional menu, even for
new Americans.
a) We will buy 48 million turkeys.
b) The white meat will be twice as popular as the dark.
c) Growers realize this, so that over a 35 year period,
they got turkeys to double in size; their breasts
have so much meat they are unable to fly.
#18646
C. Will Thanksgiving be more than "Turkey Day" for you?
1) Only small percentages of Americans put the emphasis on
football or bargain sales.
2) More than half say the real focus should be on giving thanks
to our generous God.
3) We say that - but will we really do it?
II. Holidays can have their dangers.
A. Frazzled nerves from the commute.
1) Celeste has decided it would be neat to have our trailer
up in Massachusetts for some extra beds.
2) Perhaps I should have her drive it...
3) It can be exasperating to handle all the airport trips, too.
B. More basic conflict can occur.
1) A number of holiday movies have focused on family
dysfunction.
2) The latest, probably not a classic, is "Love the Coopers."
The website Rotten Tomatoes gives this summary:
"A uniquely bittersweet blend of holiday cheer in its
better moments, but they're all let down by a script
content to settle for cloying smarm."
One critic called it "Holiday entertainment that feels more
like a horror movie." [1]
3) Have any of your holidays been like this?
III. Holidays are meant to be Holy Days.
A. This was the original meaning of the word.
1) Church services were the center of the celebration.
2) God was the focus.
a) Today, even Christians shift the focus to Starbucks.
1> Have they taken Christ out of Christmas by having
plain red cups?
2> They never had Christ IN Christmas - at best they
had snowflakes and triangular trees.
3> Starbucks can do what it wants, and so can you.
b) We should focus on the positive, not the negative.
1> We can't force people to take a Christian
perspective.
2> Instead, we should show the value it has for us.
B. The Bible has a strong tradition of setting some days apart.
1) Deuteronomy 16 describes annual harvest festivals.
a) The Feast of Weeks was the spring harvest. 16:9-12
1> Christians still honor it, as the day of Pentecost.
b) The Feast of Tabernacles was the autumn harvest. 13-15
2) Both festivals were marked by joy at God's blessings.
a) Verse 11 shows how everyone - even outsiders - were
included.
1> If you have been invited to someone else's house
for Thanksgiving, that is the verse for you.
2> So it is not wrong to appreciate the human
fellowship you experience on this day.
b) Offerings were presented at "the place he will choose."
1> This meant the tabernacle or, later, the temple
in Jerusalem.
2> For Christians, it would mean going to church.
3> Their festivals were joyous celebrations for
all that God had given them.
3) Another highlight should be noted - our dependence on God.
a) Many secular Americans think of themselves as
self-sufficient, self-directed, and self-reliant.
1> They don't have an impulse to give thanks, and
probably wouldn't know who to give thanks to.
b) Christians understand that this holiday means we
cannot take care of ourselves.
1> We need God's help.
2> And we acknowledge him as he gives it.
3> Dr. Albert Mohler puts it this way:
"We acknowledge our unconditional dependence upon Him
for every second of our lives, every morsel we eat,
and every joy we will ever experience."
#24912
IV. How will you make your holidays holy?
A. For Thanksgiving, a prayer for the meal is traditional.
1) If the family is not very religious, it can also be
awkward.
a) Maybe it gets passed around the table like a hot
sweet potato.
2) And for those who are religious, the prayer can seem
neverending.
3) But pray anyway!
B. Do some sharing.
1) You don't have to do this just before the meal - if 33
Triehys each shared, we would never have time to eat.
a) But it is very appropriate for the leader of the clan
to say a few words.
b) Even better, set aside some time away from the meal
where you share with each other what you are
thankful for.
c) Celeste has gone beyond this - she put up a white board
where we list day by day things we are thankful for.
Charles Dickens said that we are somewhat mixed up here in
America.
He told an audience that instead of having one Thanksgiving
Day each year we should have 364.
"Use that one day just for complaining and griping," he said.
"Use the other 364 days to thank God each day for the many
blessings He has showered upon you."
As Dickens suggested, we don't have to wait for a special
holiday to express our gratitude to God.
Instead, thanksgiving should be a part of our daily lives.
Our personal appreciation for God's blessings -- and not the
calendar -- should drive our thanksgiving.
#30228
2) Read a short Bible passage.
a) One of my favorites is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:
"Be joyful always; pray continually; GIVE THANKS in all
circumstances, for this is God's will for you in
Christ Jesus."
b) Another is Philippians 4:6-8:
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING,
present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is admirable --
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy --
think about such things."
V. Thanksgiving looks ahead.
A. We focus on the past blessings, but it points us to the future.
1) What kind of life do you want to have?
2) What are you striving for that is worthwhile, that will last?
B. The most important things in life are simple.
1) The most important things in life bring life, not exhaustion.
2) The most important things in life give peace, not turmoil.
3) The most important things in life promote love, not hate.
#26090
4) The most important things in life point us to God.
C. Are you thankful for salvation?
1) It is not something to take lightly.
2) A Christian is someone who knows who we are giving thanks
to - the Almighty God who created all that is.
a) He is not a distant God, but a personal one.
1> Like a father, he wants to give you good things.
2> Like a savior, he wants to fix what is wrong.
b) We have to acknowledge our need for him, and depend
on him for everything.
3) Jesus is the best gift our heavenly Father offers.
a) Have you accepted him?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
[1] <http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/love_the_coopers/>. The critic is
Scott Tobias of NPR.
#18646 “Turkey Facts For Thanksgiving,” www.sermons.org, derived from the
article “Scientists get it off their chests,” The Arizona
Republic, November 19, 1995, A31. Some figures were updated by
me.
#24912 “Why Thanksgiving Matters,” Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr., President of
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, November 23, 2005;
<http://www.albertmohler.com>.
#26090 “What's Important At Thanksgiving,” Rev. Claude Thomas, Baptist
Press, November 10, 2003, <http://www.baptistpress.org>.
#30228 “Thanksgiving – A Lifestyle, Not A Holiday,” Rev. Trey Graham,
Baptist Press, November 23, 2005; <http://www.baptistpress.org>.
#64983 “Thankfulness Is Still Priority At Thanksgiving,” Aaron Earls,
Baptist Press, November 12, 2015;
<http://www.bpnews.net/45825/study-thankfulness-still-priority-at-thanksgiving>.
These and 35,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
downloaded, absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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