The Continual Practice of Thanksgiving in All Circumstances

In this sermon, Reagan invites us to turn to Philippians 4 and reflects on the concept of gratitude in various circumstances. Reagan discusses how thanksgiving should be an integral part of a Christian's life. He argues that whether facing good or bad situations, gratitude helps maintain a godly perspective. He urges listeners to cultivate a habit of giving thanks, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day, and provides practical tips on how to incorporate gratitude into daily prayers and actions.

00:00 Introduction and Opening Prayer
00:18 A Unique Perspective on Thanksgiving
01:33 A Child's View on Thanksgiving
02:14 Recalibrating Our Perspective on Thanksgiving
03:15 Biblical Teachings on Thanksgiving
04:07 Examples of Thanksgiving in the Bible
06:54 Giving Thanks in Bad Circumstances
07:09 Daniel's Example of Thanksgiving
09:36 Polycarp's Martyrdom and Thanksgiving
11:15 David's Example of Thanksgiving
13:55 Jesus' Example of Thanksgiving
18:23 Giving Thanks in Good Circumstances
18:35 Daniel's Thanksgiving for Good Circumstances
21:30 David's Thanksgiving for Good Circumstances
23:05 David's Gratitude and Reflection
24:00 Personal Anecdotes of Thankfulness
25:03 The Importance of Giving Thanks
26:41 Jesus and Preemptive Thanks
31:04 Paul's Example of Gratitude
34:19 Final Observations and Applications

Transcript

Will you take out your Bible please and turn to Philippians chapter four. Philippians chapter four. We'll begin reading in verse four here in just a moment. Philippians chapter four, beginning in verse four. What is your favorite holiday and why? I was listening to a podcast not too long ago. It was a sports podcast with one of my favorite commentators, and he was talking about the holiday season coming up, you know, happy, hello than Smiths or whatever it is. And, and he is like, my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving, but not for any reason that I'd ever heard before.

He said he has trouble with holidays because a lot of times when it comes to the holiday, there's all the anticipation and buildup and he feels so good about it, but then when the actual holiday gets there, it kinda ruins it for him because he's already thinking about it. It's gonna be over. Anybody else ever feel like that, you know, when the actual holiday gets there?

I've never felt that before in my life, but, but it made a little bit of sense because then he said, Thanksgiving is different. Because at Thanksgiving, you know you're there and you've got the Turkey and all those sorts of things, but you're not sad about it almost being over because Thanksgiving just kind of keeps going, right?

And then you've got leftovers, and then Friday you've got more leftovers and you've got shopping and more football. And Saturday you've got more leftovers and shopping and football and so on and so forth. And he is like, it just keeps going. And so I don't have those same feelings of, well, you know, it's almost over.

Well, it's almost over. I we went to lunch over at Texas Roadhouse and I was standing around before it came time to eat. And this, this kid, maybe he was five to seven years old, comes up next to me and he strikes up a conversation with me. It's, it's it's not weird when the kid speaks to you first, right?

And so, he said, hi, and I said, hi. And he said, how you doing? I said I'm doing pretty well. How are you? He said, I'm doing great. I'm like, okay, good. And I said, well, did you have a good Thanksgiving? He said, I had a good Thanksgiving. And then his face fell and he said, I have to go back to school tomorrow.

And it was like he was going back to work in the mines or something. Right. Well, it is almost over, but I, I wanna use this as kind of like a, a last chance to think about Thanksgiving. Something good has happened. Something good is happening and something good is going to happen too when we think about Thanksgiving.

Right? Well, I want us to think about those kind of three things as well tonight. What has happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen. But I want to think about it this way. Maybe here on the Sunday night after Thanksgiving, we can seek a true recalibration of our perspective. Where it isn't just a day called Thanksgiving that we observe, but an attitude of Thanksgiving and the action of giving thanks that we observe through the rest of this year and into the next, because Thanksgiving should be a constant part of the life of every Christian, not something that's here, and then it's over, but something that continues perpetually as we go through our lives.

If you're there in Philippians chapter four, beginning in verse four, let's. Let's consider how the Apostle Paul puts it. Philippians chapter four and verse four. He says, rejoice in the Lord. Always. Again, I will say rejoice. Let your gentleness, your reasonableness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. We'll guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. There's a lot of superlatives in that, isn't there? Rejoice in the Lord.

Always be anxious for nothing in everything, all understanding. He, he's talking in broad strokes about big things. That should always be the case. And if we focus in there on verse six, he says, be anxious for nothing but in everything with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. Let your requests be made known to God.

Now that passage is probably familiar to most of us here this evening with Thanksgiving. He says he makes the point to remind us that Thanksgiving should always be included in in every prayer that we offer. And I would take it so far that Thanksgiving should be included in everything that we do. Half dozen other New Testament passage passages remind us that Thanksgiving is attached to everything else that we do as Christians.

Let me give you just a sampling of this idea. Ephesians chapter five and verse 20, giving thanks always and for everything doesn't leave much out, does it to God the Father and the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Colossians, chapter three and verse 17. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

But it doesn't stop there giving thanks to God the Father through him. We might put the idea for our purposes this evening with giving thanks. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all giving thanks to God the Father through him. How about one Thessalonians five, 16 through 18? Rejoice, always pray without ceasing.

Give thanks in all circumstances. The ESV says, for this is the will of God and Christ Jesus for you. So let's consider that for a few moments this evening, this idea of with Thanksgiving giving thanks in all circumstances. If you're visiting with us this evening, we're grateful for your presence, but we're grateful for the presence of all, both here in person and, and online.

And I'm really, really hopeful that these thoughts and ideas that I've been meditating on for the last couple of weeks will be helpful to you. As they have been and hopefully will continue to be helpful to me as well, giving thanks In all circumstances, what does that look like practically? What are all circumstances, at least in broad terms?

Again, let's think about it in terms of time. What has happened, what is happening, and what is going to happen, and then we can break those up into two separate circumstances, right? Good things and bad things, good circumstances and bad circumstances. So I think we have examples where we should, in every circumstance, thank God for what he has done for us.

I'm gonna point out those circumstances and try and give you some characters to kind of tie your mind to, to give you examples for each of those. So let's think about the bad circumstances first. We need to give thanks when something bad has happened. When we're in that circumstance, something bad has happened in the past to us.

Maybe we're past it, maybe we're beyond it, but something bad has happened. We still need to give thanks to God. And I think Daniel is a great example of this. If you turn to Daniel chapter six, Daniel Chapter six, in your Old Testament Daniel is a great example of lots of things, certainly when it comes to prayer.

But we remember there's this plot against Daniel, and so they want the king to issue this decree that people can only pray to him for certain amounts of time. And if somebody prays to any other man or God during that time, they're gonna be thrown into the lions. Then King Aria signs the written decree, it goes into law.

So verse 10 of Daniel chapter six. Now, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, something bad has happened. It can't be undone. According to the law of the Meads and Persians, he went home and in his upper room with his windows open toward Jerusalem, no hiding it. He knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed.

What kind of prayer was he praying and gave thanks before his God as was his custom since early days. Not only was something bad had happened, it was something that could have had direct consequences on his prayer. But he was undeterred and we aren't told what Daniel gave thanks for on this occasion, just that he did.

If anyone maybe in the entire Bible had a difficult and blessed life all in one, it was Daniel, someone who experienced. Extremely great circumstances and extremely terrible circumstances in his life, but apparently giving thanks before God was his custom. Since early days, whatever the circumstances were, Daniel was going to give thanks.

He had seen kings and kingdoms come and go. He had been brought, brought low, and he had been high. Lee lifted up. He had experienced more in his lifetime, both good and bad than all, but a few who have ever lived. What was constant, constant in the life of Daniel was his reliance on and thanksgiving to God.

I think maybe we also see a little bit of a stubborn old man here in a good way, right? He was gonna, as the old saying, goes, he was gonna dance with what brung him. With who brung him, right? And prayer, constant prayer and thanksgiving to God that had been his life. Relying on God is what he had always done, and he wasn't gonna change that.

Now even though something bad had happened I'm reminded of the oral tradition surrounding the martyrdom of Polycarp. Polycarp was supposedly a, a pupil of John the Apostle. He was killed in the mid second century ad and we don't know exactly what happened with certainty, but tradition tells us.

The Polycarp had been on the run from the authorities. He was willing to die for his faith but he didn't believe that he just had to turn himself in and give himself up. So he'd been on the run from authorities and when the soldiers caught him, they asked he asked them if they had eaten anything, and he served these soldiers who finally caught up with him.

He served them a meal. He requested an hour to pray, and then he was brought before the governor. When given the opportunity to deny Christ and live it is said that his response was 86 years I served him and he has never done me injury. How then can I blaspheme my king and savior? We don't need a laundry list of all the bad things that can happen in life.

All of us have had something bad happen to us. If we live long enough, bad things, both big and small will continue to happen. But what is our attitude and what is our prayer life like? When it does, can we give thanks in the aftermath of the storm? And can we give thanks even in the midst of the storm? We need to give thanks when something bad is happening.

Right now is ongoing is con continuing to happen. We're in the midst of something bad, and I think David gives us a good example of that. If you turn to the book of Psalms to the third Psalm, Psalm three you wanna talk about bad circumstances and bad circumstances currently happening. Maybe this is one of the best examples in the Bible.

This Psalm was written. You see the psalm heading a Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, his son. So in the midst of fleeing from Absalom, I can almost imagine David on that first night away from Jerusalem as Absalom. His son has marched in and taken the city and done all of the terrible things he did with David's concubines in the sight of all people.

In the midst of all of that, David pins this psalm. And it's interesting what we see there in verses three through six of Psalm three. We sing a song along these lines, but you, a Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice and he heard me from his holy hill.

Sah. I lay down and slept. I awoke for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of 10 thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.

Now we see that David praised this expression of Thanksgiving to God and its book ended with acknowledging God's power in verses one and two. And then pleading for God's Deliverance at the end of the Psalm verses seven and eight. And maybe that's a good blueprint for us to follow. God, you have all power.

Thank you for all you've done. Lord, I really need you right now. That's a pretty good blueprint for a prayer, but I find it amazing in the midst of everything else that was happening, as these things are ongoing, as David is literally on the run, he takes the time to pray a prayer of Thanksgiving, and if you're going through a difficult time right now.

Maybe at work or maybe without work, maybe a difficult time with your spouse or your kids or other family. Maybe it's difficulty with your health or with the consequences of sin or the consequences of sin and the life of somebody else that you love. In the midst of all of that. Thanksgiving might be hard to see, but now is the time to give thanks even when something bad is happening.

We have much for which to give thanks to God. And then when we think about the bad circumstances, give thanks when something bad is going to happen. And Jesus is the ultimate example of this for us. There's a powerful passage in Mark chapter 14. If you turn there with me, mark chapter 14.

You talk about the genesis of a lesson and how a lesson comes about of this passage was something that really stuck in my mind in thinking about this idea of, of things happening and things going to happen, and giving thanks in the midst of that, and in March, chapter 14. Starting there in verse 22. This is Jesus instituting the Lord's supper on the night in which he is betrayed.

And it just struck me in a different way than perhaps it has before. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to them and said, take, eat. This is my body. Then he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and they all drank from it. He said to them, this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

Assuredly I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it, and knew in the kingdom of God when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives where he would be betrayed, arrested, and ultimately crucified. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I always think about he blessed and broke it.

Mark is specific there with the cup, the fruit of the line, the vine that he gave thanks when he gave it to them and they all drank of it. Do you ever think about Jesus' giving of thanks here? He was instituting the memorial meal for his death before he died and yet he still gave thanks for the food. The giving of thanks just for the food isn't what strikes me.

It is what that food represents. He is giving thanks for his body and his blood giving thanks for what's about to happen, what that represents in his death upon the cross, his pending suffering, torture and death, and yet he still gave thanks to God for it. In fact the Greek word translated he gave given thanks, gave thanks.

Yuca Christ in the verb form or Thanksgiving in the noun form. Yuca Christia is where we get the term, the Eucharist. So gave thanks Thanksgiving giving. Thanks. Well, that's another term for the Lord's Supper because Jesus gave thanks for it. He knew all of the bad things that were going to happen, and yet in the midst of that, he was still giving thanks.

Sometimes we know something bad is going to happen, like Christ, the impending death of a loved one or a funeral that's coming up, an upcoming treatment of illness may be like cancer, where we know that there may be great pain involved. A difficult conversation with someone where feelings might be hurt and relationships lost, an impending change in job, or a move through no fault of our own, or perhaps the financial family emotional difficulty that might come with any of these bad things that might happen or are going to happen in the future.

Often, it's not the certainty of what might happen or what is going to happen, but what might happen in the future. We don't know what's going to happen good or bad, even though maybe we think we do or we expect certain bad things to happen. Maybe we think it's something bad when it doesn't turn out that way, but oftentimes it is difficult to give thanks when we are anticipating something bad that is going to happen in the pain that comes along with it.

Yet, Jesus gives us the example, even with the bad things that were going to happen to him. He gave thanks because there was much to give thanks for even in his death and the pain that went that would go through it. And so like Jesus, we need to refocus and, and focus on the giving of thanks in all of these bad circumstances.

But those aren't the only circumstances of life. We need to give thanks when good things happen as well. We need to give thanks when something good has happened. And what we're gonna do is we're gonna see is these same three characters gave thanks in these circumstances of life as well. So go back to the book of Daniel this time to Daniel chapter two.

Now, something bad has happened. Nebuchadnezzar's had a dream. Nobody can interpret. So he says, kill all those guys. They're no good to me. They can't, they can't tell me what the dream was and interpret it. I don't need any of them. And so Daniel goes and he asks the king for time. He says, give me time to, to to do the, to know these things.

And so he asked the God of heaven concerning those things. And if you look there in Daniel chapter two, starting in verse 19, then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said. Blessed be the name of God forever and ever for wisdom and might are his.

He changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and raises up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things. He knows what is in the darkness and light dwells with him. Verse 23, I thank you and praise you, oh God of my fathers.

You have given me wisdom and might and have now made known to me. What we asked of you from you have made known to us the king's demand. Isn't it interesting that Daniel prays fervently for something and God gives him that thing that he asked for, and instead of going immediately to Nebuchadnezzar in order to fulfill what it was he asked for time for, I mean, it's urgent.

He stops and he prays a prayer of Thanksgiving and prays to the God of heaven. Something good has happened and instead of just running over that to get to what needs to be done, he stops and give thanks and, and maybe this should be the most common of our giving of thanks. When we ask God for something and we know of course that.

God's working is a mystery to us in so many ways. We don't know what God has specifically done unless it's revealed to us, but if we ask God for something and we pray fervently for it, and we receive the thing that we prayed for, what should be our first and immediate response? Maybe I should ask, should it not be Thanksgiving to pray a prayer of thanks for what God has done.

Don't forget to give thanks and maybe remember the 10 lepers that Jesus healed may be we be like the one who comes back in gratitude and giving of thanks for what God has done. Give thanks number two or number five, however you want to count when something good is happening. And I think David gives us another good example of this.

Go back to First Chronicles, first Chronicles 16. I had a moment of panic that I put Corinthians on the PowerPoint, but I didn't First Chronicles 16. It's interesting. There's lots of good going on with David right here. His, his kingship has been established in Jerusalem. The Philistines have been defeated.

The arc of the covenant is being brought back from where it has been for, for many, many years. And now this arc is gonna be placed in the tabernacle. And what's interesting to me is what David does with all of these good things that are happening at this point in his kingship notice in verse one of, of chapter 16.

So they brought the arc of God and set it in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. And they offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before God. Four. And he, David appointed some of the Levites to minister to serve before the ark of the Lord, to commemorate, to thank and to praise the Lord God of Israel, and gives the names of those people.

But notice verse seven, on that day, David first delivered this psalm into the hand of Asis. And his brethren, those are the people, he said, praise God and thank God before the ark to thank the Lord. Verse eight. The whole Psalm runs down through verse 36. We won't read all of that, but get a sampling of what he says here.

Verse eight. Oh, give thanks to the Lord. Call upon his name. Make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him. Sing Psalms to him. Talk of all his wondrous works. Glory to his holy name, but the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord. Things were going very well for David in many ways. It's interesting.

With everything going well, he wants to perpetuate a continual giving of praise and thanksgiving to God for what he has done. In fact, he puts people in charge of giving thanks on a consistent basis. Do we stop in the moment when good things are happening to us and all around us? Do we stop in that moment to thank God for what he has done?

Or are we just so caught up in the euphoria of it all? Hey, everything's going my way. That we forget that God is the one who, like David has put us into that position to begin with. I remember it's begun become kind of a joke with a few friends of mine. I was out playing golf a a number of years ago with some, with some good friends, a couple of good friends of mine, and, and we were, we were out there and, and looking around at how beautiful everything was.

I, I happened to be winning at the time. Maybe that was part of the reason why I felt this way, but I, I looked around and, and things were good with Steph and I, things were good with the girls. Not that they aren't still, they're still good now, but I just looked at those guys and I said, who's got it better than us?

I mean, look at where we are. Look at what's going on in our lives, who's got it better than us? And so now on the, on the group chat, it's always like, now I know my life isn't as good as Reagan's, but it's pretty good. You know, but I feel that way a lot. I look at the way God has blessed me, and while they're, you know, maybe we'd say, well, actually there are millions of people who have it better than you.

Reagan, maybe So. Boy, I'm blessed by God. Do I stop in those moments to thank God, to give thanks for the good things that are happening in my life right now? And sometimes that's something big like a graduation or a new call, new house, and we say, oh, this is wonderful. Thank God for what he's given, but can we also give thanks when something good is happening?

That's just a small thing like. Being in the kids with the car, in the car with the kids. I did that for 43 hours this past week. Not all of it was good, but it was good for us all to be together, and I tried to thank God for that. Maybe for you, you're out in the deer stand and you say, who's got it better than me?

Maybe it's doing a job that makes a difference. Maybe it's having coffee with a friend. Maybe it's finishing a good book or a good workout. Can you give thanks? Something good is happening. My dad is really good at this. You know, he doesn't care. He doesn't care what anybody else thinks. And so something good is going on.

And I will hear him, you know, he is in the car. He said, thank you Lord. And we're like, what? What are you talking about? And say, he's just something that's come to mind. And so he says, audibly, thank you Lord. And that's his prayer. That's the entirety of the prayer. And he knows what's in his mind. He knows what's in his heart, and he just expresses it.

Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Maybe that's not so bad of a habit. Maybe you don't have to say it out loud. Maybe it's okay if you do, but can we give thanks when something good is happening? Not in a flippant way, but in a simple acknowledgement of something good given by God and then like Jesus.

Number three, number six, give thanks when something good is going to happen. Turn to John chapter 11 if you would.

John chapter 11.

This is when Lazarus has died in the shortest verse in the Bible. That's so powerful. Verse 35, Jesus wept. Something bad has happened, no doubt. But something good is gonna happen and Jesus knows this. And so notice what he says there in verse 41. And they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, father, I thank you that you have heard me.

He's talking about future events as if they're in the past. He's so certain of these things. I thank you that you have heard me and I know that you always hear me. Because of the people who are standing by, I said this, that they may believe that you sent me. And when he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

And he who had died, came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was wrapped with a cloth. And Jesus said to them, loose him and let him go. Jesus wept with those who wept. But he knows that he's about to rejoice with them very soon. And he gives thanks to God for hearing his prayer that God is about to answer and, and we should too.

Maybe we should call it preemptive. Thanks. Right? I'm thanking God not, not after the fact. I'm thanking God ahead of time. And this isn't counting your chickens before they've hatched, but appreciating and anticipating what could and likely will happen for good. Maybe it's something like the likelihood of, like, I, I was talking with somebody this morning.

You know, the, the likelihood of somebody moving here to be with us, that I'm excited about the possibility of them coming. And so this afternoon I thank God, thank you, Lord, that this could happen. That this perhaps is going to happen. Maybe it's, you have those moments as a parent where you get a glimpse of who your child could become.

Right? Thank you, Lord, that they're on this path. And we know that those things are, are uncertain. Maybe it's a, a promotion at work that you've been promised but you haven't received yet. Can you thank God for it, even knowing that it's not an absolute certainty that you might receive it? I, I think it's appropriate for us to thank God and give thanks for those things that are going to happen, but we also have things in our lives as Christians that are certainties that are going to happen.

The promises of God. If I pray to God. And I asked for him to fulfill his promises. He will do that. Maybe it's a home with God in heaven. Not that I couldn't lose that, but I'm not gonna lose it. And I thank God that he has provided a place for me, that Jesus has gone ahead to prepare a place for me. And so I need to give thanks.

When something good is going to happen, okay, something has happened, something is happening, something is going to happen, both good and bad. Can you look at this list of these six things? Where are you right now in this list? That's not really a fair question, is it? Even with the examples that I've given you can't really put those in a nice, neat little box with those things, right?

And you think about with Daniel and something bad has happened. Well, something bad has happened, something bad was going to happen as well, and getting thrown into the lion's den, right? We think about. With David, something good is happening, but a lot of those things had already happened and there are a few more good things that were gonna happen.

But there were also some bad things that were taking place at this same time with what we just read there with Jesus. Lazarus had to die first for him to be raised from the dead. And so the reality is for all of us, that probably all six things, all six things in these. I think they're called these six different sections where we might say, okay, here's what could be going on in our life.

All six of those things are happening all the time, and maybe in all likelihood, there is one of the six that is emphasized in your life right now, that there's something big happening in that particular area, that particular circumstance. But we are all going through all of these all the time, experiencing all six.

And what's interesting is, let me give you one more character, one more example, and that is the Apostle Paul, because Paul fits all six of these circumstances just in what was happening in the book of Philippians. There in Philippians four that we read at the very intro to our lesson, the initial verses that we read, he talks about this idea of with Thanksgiving with his prayers, be anxious for nothing and the peace of God and all those sorts of things.

Well think about the bad things that were happening with Paul. Something bad had happened. He had been arrested, he had been thrown into prison. He had come to Rome and now he was under house arrest. Something bad was happening. They were slandering his name. They were, they were preaching Christ for this attitude of trying to to bring sorrow to his chains that was currently going on.

Something bad was going to happen. He was facing trial and the uncertainty of what that was gonna look like as he stood before Caesar, and he reminds us to remember to give thanks always in all of those bad circumstances. But if you look there in Philippians chapter one, you see that the three good circumstances are taking place with him as well.

And he uses this word, this word for sans our Eucharist word. He uses it in chapter four. The only other time in Philippians he uses that precise word is in chapter one. Notice with me beginning in verse three of chapter one. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, eu, Philippians, always in every prayer of mine.

There are those superlatives again, all the time. Making requests for you all with joy for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. You see our three timeframes in these verses.

Every remembrance of you and your fellowship in the gospel from the first day, that is what had happened. The good relationship he had with the Philippians. The fellowship that they had from the first day until now. The gift that he was currently receiving from them to, to meet the needs that he had, the good that he was receiving from them.

And then in verse six, their good work will be completed until the day of Jesus Christ what was going to happen. And he anticipated happening as God would give them these good things in completing their work. I, I hope that this is helpful to us. And maybe you remember Daniel and David and Jesus. Maybe you remember Paul in the book of Philippians.

Maybe you remember what has happened, what is happening, what is going to happen, whatever it is you tie it to. Remember these times and the examples of these people in these times, as you go through these same circumstances yourself and give thanks in every circumstance, a simple. Recalibration of how we look at life in our circumstances.

So as we bring our lesson to a close, let me just make two observations, two applications for you to take with you as you think about your life, your current circumstances, and how you should be giving thanks in all of those. Number one, in all circumstances, there is always a reason to give thanks. Now don't misunderstand me if something bad is happening to us.

I don't necessarily thank God for the bad thing that is happening or has happened or is going to happen. But there are other things that God has provided for even in the midst of those bad things for which I should give thanks. And this is important. It's important for us as Christians. I want you to look at this maybe from kind of a negative standpoint in second Timothy chapter three.

Turn to second Timothy chapter three. Paul's kind of famous for his list. He's got lots of good lists, and one of the kinds of lists that he makes is he lists a bunch of sins together. And it's always interesting to me the things that he includes in those lists. And I'm always going through 'em and saying, yeah, oh, that's bad.

That's bad, that's bad. That's what this is. On the same list with all these other things. Notice what he includes in this list, starting in verse one, but know this two Timothy three in verse one. Know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money.

Bos proud blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful. Unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers without self-control. Brutal despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness, but denying its power. And from such, people turn away. We look at that list and we say, yeah, traitors.

I need to turn away from those people. I can't be like them. Those who love money and boast in their arrogance. I can't be like those people. I need to turn away from 'em. But the unthankful being included in that same list. And maybe the way to think about it is this, am I living my life in such a way that other people should turn away from me because I'm not showing the gratitude and giving of thanks that I ought to in my life, in the midst of every circumstance?

Or instead, should people turn to me as an example? Of the hope that is in us and the Thanksgiving that I give in the midst of every circumstance to say, if they can give thanks in the midst of what's going on in their life, what excuse do I have not to give? Thanks as well. Find something for which to be thankful and give thanks to God for it.

You've heard of the old example. I don't know who I stole this from. Maybe Harold, I don't know, but the little boy who was grateful he wore glasses. I steal that from you, Harold? Mm-hmm. From who? Keith. Oh, it's from Keith. Oh, from Keith, huh?

That was pretty quick. The kid who was gratefully wore glasses. I can see this kid in Texas Roadhouse saying that, you know, he didn't wear glasses, but I can imagine him wearing glasses even though the other kids made fun of him for wearing glasses. He was grateful for two reasons the boys wouldn't fight him.

The girls wouldn't kiss him because he wore glasses. Maybe a more real life example. Matthew Henry the commentator, biblical scholar, is quoted as saying after he was robbed he was robbed at gunpoint. That he was thankful for two things after the robbery. Number one, that they didn't take his life.

Number two, that they were robbing him rather than him robbing them. There's always something to be thankful for. Can we look at it that way? I encourage you in every prayer you offer to the father to give thanks to him, and here's something to try. Give thanks for something else. Every time you offer a prayer.

Those are the things that we pray for and should give thanks for all the time. But can you add something else that you haven't given thanks for ever or in a long time? And thank you God for this that you have done for me. And different circumstances can draw out new things for which we are thankful, can't they?

Glasses robbed or any circumstance, good or bad, can give us a new reason, a new perspective. By which we give thanks for the things that God has given us. And then the final thing that I'll share with you the final observation or application, I want you to turn back to where we started. That's Philippians chapter four, verses four through seven.

And here's the application I'd like to make, like joy, peace, and contentment. Thanksgiving should always be present in the life of the Christian. No matter the circumstances. So that's the end where we began. Philippians chapter four and verse four, rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice.

That's joy. Let your reasonableness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, lets request be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. Guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Drop down to verse 11. Not that I speak in regard to need for, I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be a base and I know how to abound everywhere and in all things we might say. All circumstances I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me very clearly. If, if you've read through the book of Philippians. Apostle Paul makes it clear that joy, peace, and contentment should be present no matter the circumstances. Might we add Thanksgiving to that list and maybe there is a connection there.

Maybe one of the big reasons why we can and should have joy, peace, and contentment, no matter our circumstances, is because we give thanks in all of those circumstances. So what are you thankful for? Can you find it? I hope you can. Pray a prayer of Thanksgiving for it, and don't wait till January to become a more thankful person.

Start today. Start tonight to give thanks as God has called you to. And of course, thinking about circumstances. If this physical life is all that we have and the circumstances that happen to us, it is hard to give thanks in bad times or good because there's nothing beyond our circumstances to give us that perspective and hope.

But for Christians, we do have perspective and hope. That allows us to give thanks even in the darkest hours and to remember to thank God even when we're on top of the world. And so if you're not yet a Christian this evening, there is nothing that we would love more than to give thanks to God for you tonight.

And your commitment to serve God as he has called you to, if you will come in humble submission to put Christ on in baptism. If you're already a Christian and you realize you've not had the gratitude you should in your life, or if you need support and help in going through the circumstances of your life, we're here to help you.

If you come now together, we stand and while we sing.