Thank You Very Much — Jim Cymbala

Came down here to pray the noontime and as it got close to the end I opened my Bible to maybe a verse I could read and I came across Colossians 3 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your heart since as members of one body you were called to peace and be thankful.

Now with that group I spoke about how God wants us to make peace always with one another. You have a question whatever makes for peace. That's what you do. If it means don't talk then to make for peace don't talk.

If it means say a kind word then say a kind word. But what struck me unbeknownst to the people at 12 noon was and be thankful because I know what the Bible teaches a little bit about Thanksgiving and God convicted me sitting right there.

Because I had just come from a pastor's meeting we talked and talked about different Problems and we laughed together because we love each other. And then as it ended I said I'm gonna pray here before I go down to join the prayer time and I had all these petitions in my mind.

And I prayed them pastors are aware of that and God helped this one to help that one all these things we prayed for and as I was sitting here I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me remind me of that prayer and said You never said one word of Thanksgiving to me.

All you did was ask me for things. And as I recollect my prayer, I never said thank you for anything. But sometimes you get so occupied with your needs you forget to take time to thank God. I'll just run some quick verses by the scriptures have so much to say about this subject.

Thanksgiving as a Sacrifice to God

That we really lose out when we're not thankful forget about it being rude. God Treasures our Thanksgiving. It's called a sacrifice of Thanksgiving. We don't have to bring animals anymore. We live in the New Covenant.

We're not Jewish people living in the land of Canaan. They brought animals as Thanksgiving offering our Thanksgiving offerings. It's suboka suit your mouth your lips your tongue saying. Thank you God.

Thank you God, and you know from Romans chapter 1 verse 21 I think how men began to depart from God according to Paul. How did things get so out of hand and the world turned against God it all began? When they knew he had created everything when they knew he was there.

Otherwise, how could they be there? They refused to glorify him or give thanks and from that moment Everything goes downhill real quick. It seems like one of the departures in our life from walking with God begins.

Usually with a lack of Thanksgiving and we pass it off because many times we're just so conscious of our needs. We don't think of thanking God for what he's already done or thanking him for the everyday things.

We take for granted, but the Bible has this to say. Look at Deuteronomy. This is before they went in the land Moses told them in these two large Sermons that make up the book of Deuteronomy when you have eaten and are satisfied.

Praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you when you've eaten and you're satisfied. You better take time to thank God you better thank him and praise him for all that he's done. This is a command now from God.

God says that When we enjoy his benefits, we ought to thank him for his benefits. We live in a society now, which has the lowest I think element of thanksgiving and appreciation of all time. At least in this country.

I don't know how it is with my friends in South Africa. But forget thanking God people don't even say thank you to one another if you do something nice to them. It's just give me more. Why don't you do more?

Everyone's got a story. No one has a Thanksgiving. Everyone's got a gripe. Am I right? Everybody's mad and I'm in the Internet. This is wrong. That's wrong. This one's wrong. That's wrong. And and you don't know what's happened to me.

Everyone has a story of woe. But hardly ever do you meet a thankful person who is just thanking God. Do they have problems? Of course, they have problems, but they're remembering what the scripture says count your blessings.

Name them one by one. Count your many blessings. See what God has done. Can we say amen to that count your blessings and say thank you. Now when you see a child not thankful to their parents. That's hard to take but imagine how it must be to the angels when we don't give God Thanks like I did today.

Just ask just ask. Couldn't even take one sentence to say and God. Thank you. Maybe the pastors were thanking God in their hearts if they did they were better men than me because I just was so conscious of The request that we had talked about and then to get down here pray God.

Give me a word. And and I'm sitting right there and and In the darkness just pray asking God. God help me and he said he reminded me of that prayer. You couldn't take one sentence and say thanks and yet I told my people whenever I bless you and I meet your needs.

Take time to praise God. Don't just be asking like a leech. You know what a leech says more that's only the word they have is more. I give me more. I need more, but it goes deeper the Bible says also in Psalms 104 enters gates with what and his courts with what give thanks.

That's a command give Thanks to him and praise his name. It means that the best way to approach God in prayer in Singing or in anything the best way to start. I tell the praise and worship leaders this over all the years.

Entering God's Presence with Thanksgiving

The best way to start a meeting unless the Spirit is leading in some unusual way just get the people thanking God. Not praising God that sometimes takes a little while. Not worshiping God unless the Lord is doing something.

And sometimes on a Tuesday night I notice you're ready to worship God from the get-go. But after you're in the subway after you have a job after you have to deal with everything in life. You come in here rattle sometimes don't you?

Come on tell the truth say amen you come in here distracted and rattled and all Discombobulated and what's the first thing we should do enter his gates with? Thanksgiving even if your heart isn't ready to worship him for who he is.

Can't you at least can't I at least thank God that we're alive today. Look look at you look look you got clothes on your back, right? I? Only got a half a sweater, but I should thank God for this sweater right.

And How many ate food today. I Wonder if we really thank God when we ate that food. I wonder when we said grace if we said grace I wonder if we really took time. No we just assume. We just assume it. No.

This is part of my life. I'm owed this every day. But the Bible says no when you enter and you approach God be thanking him, but you don't know what I'm going through. We'll get to that you'll tell him everything, but when you approach him don't be coming just with that.

Be coming with God. I give you praise. Let's just lift our hands and give him some. Thanks come on everyone open your mouth and give him. Thanks for whatever give him. Thanks for your daughter give him.

Thanks for your son give him. Thanks for Health give him. Thanks for money in your pocket. We give you. Thanks Lord. We thank you for Jesus. We thank you for the Holy Spirit. We thank you Lord. You may put your hands down.

So always remember that when you're hard it feels cold, and you don't know how to start to pray. Don't start to pray just start to give. Thanks, which is a form of prayer. Really doesn't it make sense you've heard this before, but I say it again because I need it as you know.

It's kind of hard to be given people more when they haven't even thanked you for what you already did and when we give God Thanks, we not only show a proper attitude. But it builds faith for whatever you're going to ask God for because when you're thanking and remembering what he's done in the past.

Then you can't wait to get to that place where you can say and now here are my new needs today. But I'm remembering all that you've done for me and are doing for me today, but there's yet more look in the book of Psalms.

Psalm 107 and Deliverance from Spiritual Deserts

Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them give thanks let God's people. This is the part of the long psalm 107. Psalm 107 is about people who were stuck in the desert.

They almost died others went out to sea and the waves almost over in them. And it's all these little little pictures. And this is the one that the people were in the desert that they were left bereft.

In a disaster they weren't going to make it, but they cried to God and God delivered them. How many of you ever been in the desert? I'm not talking about the Mojave. I'm talking about in a spiritual human desert right.

How many have ever been messed up? Royally lift your head. I mean messed up and God reached down and delivered us. Did he not. He did and It says what they should do. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Let them sacrifice thank offering and tell of his works with songs of joy. That's part of the reason God has given us music. You see they're playing over there. They're hitting chords their notes. It's different in Asia.

They have a different scale, but whatever you go. There's music and God gave us music so that we could use it to give him. Thanks. That we could give him praise because he's worthy of that. Brothers and sisters I got so convicted today God reminded me that when I go to heaven I'm not going to ask him for a thing but right now people are by the billions billions are around the throne thanking him and praising him and All I can do here on planet Earth is ask him more more more.

Masi mas cada dia Masi mas Lord. Give me more. No, we should join that chorus and give God praise and not for 30 seconds and not for 60 seconds and not. For two minutes. How about a concert of Thanksgiving?

How about taking time and saying God? You know what we've asked you for a lot already tonight, but we just want to give you Thanksgiving now and praise. I've learned that God works many times my problems out when I'm just thanking him for what he's done in the past because he inhabits those praises and he works on behalf of his people even as they praise him and Then finally you say to me.

Giving Thanks Before the Answer Comes

Yeah easy for you pastor Simba God's been good to you. Yes He has and you're sitting there and you got convicted because with the pastors you were remiss. Even though you're the senior pastor shame on you.

You didn't give God any thanks. But you don't know what I'm going through when I get out of this. I'm gonna give him. Thanks. Hey pastor, trust me when he gets me out of this. I'm gonna give him. Thanks.

Well, I have another word for you from the Lord from the New Testament. Look first Thessalonians give thanks in all Circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. You know the old way it that it is found in everything what?

In everything when things are good. Give him. Thanks when it's bad. Give him thanks when you don't know what to do next give him. Thanks when there's not enough money. Give him. Thanks you remember that important verse where The Bible says they gave him five loaves two fishes and there were thousands of people to feed.

And he took it and he gave thanks give. Thanks. Most of us would be saying are you kidding me? Five loaves two fishes to feed all these people. Jesus said whatever I have I'm gonna give thanks. He multiplies what we have when we just give thanks for what we have.

Can we say amen to that? Just thank him for what you have. No, I wish I had more if I only had more. Stop stop. Just give him. Thanks for what you have today. It's five loaves and two fishes. Give him praise.

You can have only two loaves and one fish. So thank God for the what you have and This is serious. I'm telling you the dealings of God with my heart today. Because God notices I have to say this when people don't give thanks Luke 17 I think it's verses 11 12.

The Ten Lepers and the One Who Returned

Jesus is coming from Galilee in the north down to Judea in the south and he's on the borderline between Galilee and Samaria and as he's walking there ten lepers who are hanging together because they couldn't approach Jewish people and They had a yell when they got near anyone because they were contagious for the most part.

They had leprosy that word stands for all kinds of skin diseases, but it's likened most to leprosy. They hung together, you know, you're a leper. Your friends are lepers. That's the way it works. So they started yelling at Jesus.

Oh Jesus son of David have mercy on us. He knew what they needed and he Unusually doesn't say you're healed or anything. He says go report yourself to the priest because whenever you were cleansed of leprosy You had to go to the priest to show That you had been healed so he could proclaim you ceremonially clean.

So as they're going in obedience to Jesus, they're just obeying what he said their leprosy goes and they're all healed. See, you can't put God in a box. He didn't even pray for them didn't touch him. He touched other lepers this one.

He just said go and show yourself to the priest that took faith. They could have said wait a minute. I'm not healed yet. I'll go to the priest when you heal me. No, they said I'm gonna do what he says.

Oh, it's always best Jim. Remember, it's always best to obey what Jesus says just obey him. So Jesus has gone on ministering to people and suddenly a Leper that's been cleansed comes running. It was the Samaritan wasn't even one of the chosen people.

He comes and he yells and he thanks God and he thanks Jesus for what he had done. And then the Bible says exactly this he threw himself at his feet. That's too emotional for some of us. We can't lift our voice.

We would be ashamed to go prostrate. We can't left our hands because we're so uptight and self-conscious. When you were a leper and you've been healed you don't care much about propriety do you. And he said it fell at his feet and he thanked him for what he had done and Then Jesus said wait a minute.

Didn't I heal ten. Where's the other nine to give me things? Why just this one and then mercifully he said go your faith has made you whole. He noticed that nine. Didn't give thanks. Just saying I'm nobody's judge.

I told you about my own shortcomings. I wanted to hear if there's some of you. He's noticing after all I've done for you. Why don't you come back and just give me things? Why aren't you praising me more in everything praise me in everything give me things.

Don't wait for the for the answer to come. Thank me already before the answer comes. It'll speed up the answer and it'll help you to wait. The best way to wait for an answer is to be thanking God not biting your nails.

Give him thanks. That's how I failed God today. But I have good news. He's full of mercy. I Jesus forgive me. I Never gave you. Thanks in that prayer. Remember Philippians 4 6 be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with.

A Congregational Prayer of Praise and Thanksgiving

Don't even bring your problems to God unless you're gonna mingle it with praise. Because he's worthy of it. Is he not worthy of it? So up in the balcony there, maybe God's brought some conviction on some of us.

He convicted me today, but I'm happy he did because I'm a better person when I'm thanking God. I Usually am a thankful person. He's given me that grace to be honest with you. I think I'm thankful. I'm not a complainer.

Thankfully, but today I failed him and he was quick to tell me. Couldn't you have said thanks and maybe that's the word for some of you. Maybe I'm not the only one I know you're overwhelmed by this and that and that that and this this and all that like the choir sings.

But in everything give him thanks enter his gates with Thanksgiving. Just be thanking him. Thank him in the bus. Thank him in the shower. Thank him in the drugstore. Thank him in in in the subway. Thank him when you're walking.

Thank him when you lay down tonight. Just give him Thanks, is it not right to give God? Thanks. I mean every breath we take. We should be thank God. Thank you for one more breath one more breath. We're gonna end praising God and thanking God no more petitions.

I want anybody ask God for anything from now on you go home. You can ask him for what you need, but right now we're gonna focus on one thing. We're gonna give him thanks and we're gonna give him praise and we're not gonna do it for just a minute.

We're gonna do it for a few minutes and take time to praise anybody here. God has been extra good and while I was talking you were reminded. Like you owe him a little back Thanksgiving you own, but you know back rent.

How about back praise back Thanksgiving right you want to do some catching up. Oh How many love to thank God how many want to thank God? So anybody here any men any women get out of your seat and say pastor.

I'm like you today I want to give him. Thanks. Come on. Come out of your seat. Come right out of your seat. Come up here I want to give him thanks in front of everyone. I'm not ashamed. Come right up come from the balcony.

Listen, we're not gonna be here till 10 o 'clock tonight. You come and give God. Thanks right up to the edge my friend right to the edge. That's good. Yeah, come on Pastor he's been so good. I want to give him praise tonight.

Don't ask him for anything. If I see any of you looking up and saying help me help me help me. No, I want to see you saying thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Hallelujah.

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. I praise you. I praise you. I praise you. Okay. Just praise him. See what God will do. Give him praise. Give him Thanksgiving. Open your heart open your mouth. Let's use our voice.

Lift your hands if you'd like we give you praise. Give you Thanksgiving for everything todo senor. Gracias por todo senor. We praise you Lord. We give you. Thanks Lord. Oh Father God We thank you. We praise you.

We thank you for brothers and sisters. Thank you for this church. I thank you for the microphone. I'm wearing I Thank you for the podium. I thank you for background singers. I thank you. For Jamal on the keyboards and the rest of the band Michael on the drums.

We thank you for every good gift that you give us Lord help us not to be ungrateful. Spoil little children always asking for more and never saying. Thank you. Help us not only to give you more. Thanks, but help us to appreciate people and the littlest thing anyone does for us.

Help us to have the right spirit to say. Thank you. I appreciate that. Thank you very much. Make us polite and loving. Because by this shall all men know we're your disciples because we love One another have your way we pray in Jesus name and everyone said Amen, greet one another greet my friends from South Africa.