Please take your copy of God's Word and turn with me to Romans 1, the text just read in your hearing. We're interrupting our series in the book of Exodus for the month of December. And tonight, the end of November, December, we're going to be focusing on a text for Thanksgiving, really focusing on the consequences of ingratitude. I hope that you have been, at least for the last three or four days, steadily involved in a time of serious thanksgiving. But I want to look at the other side of the coin tonight by way of pastoral warning and analysis. Ingratitude is deeply rooted in our nature, heart, and being. Ingratitude is the way that we come out of the womb. Ingratitude is a way of saying that God owes us whatever He gives and we owe Him nothing in return. This, of course, is a complete reversal of our true position before a sovereign and holy God. Ingratitude is a direct assault on God's glory. When we don't profusely thank God for His blessings, we're robbing Him of the praise He deserves and the glory He should have. Ingratitude is an amazing thing when you begin to analyze it. How can men receive such awesome blessings, blessings that we'll enumerate tonight, and then not express a heart of thanks? I think there are several ways that they can do this, several ways they can be ungrateful. They can do it by underestimating their blessings. or they can be ungrateful by thinking acknowledgement is unnecessary. After we looked at the parable of the 10 healed lepers or the story of the 10 healed lepers in Luke 17, that ought to forever clear that up because Jesus made it clear that gratitude for divine blessings is expected. It is a gospel duty. But men can also be ungrateful by thinking only of the blessings and not seeing the giver of the blessings. Or men can simply take blessings for granted. They can say things to themselves like this, well, all sick people get well. As I already said, gratitude does not come naturally. Parents, I hope you recognize this, that you have to teach your children gratitude. For we come out of the womb ungrateful. Paul is going to point that out in our text tonight in Romans 1. He says it in 2 Timothy 3 as well. And one of the clearest evidences, in fact, perhaps the clearest evidence of a lost state is simply this, ingratitude. What I want you to do with me tonight in this text is I want you to see with me the profound wickedness of ingratitude. I show you this text tonight to seek to inoculate you against ingratitude as you see the consequences of it. And what we're going to look at tonight in Romans 1 is a chain of events. It's a sequence, a flowchart, if you will. And what Paul is going to show us, he's going to show where ingratitude fits into this downward spiral. Let's pray together and seek the help of the Holy Spirit. Father, we ask especially now for the teaching, convicting, convincing, reminding work of Your Spirit, that He would guide us into truth as You have promised us, that He would show us the wickedness of ingratitude and the necessity of a thankful heart for all who name the name of Jesus. So we ask now that you would take away our distractions, fix our gaze on the text, and instruct us by your word. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. As I said, Romans 1 is one of those powerful foundational texts, along with texts like Romans 9-11, or Psalm 2, which explains the nature of existence. And you will say things, you perhaps have said this, or if you've not, you've heard people say, well, how can somebody look at a sunset and not see that there's a God? Or when you stood on top of Paris Mountain or some beautiful sight of Niagara Falls or at the beach and you said, how can somebody see this and not acknowledge that God is the creator and in control? Well, Romans 1 explains that. Romans 1 is a powerful explanatory text that explains why and how men can see what they see and not acknowledge the existence of God or thank Him. I want you first of all to notice the sequence, the progression of the text in Romans 1. And I want you to see the placement in here of gratitude, really rather of ingratitude. First of all, I want you to notice the assertion of the text that God's truth is revealed to all men. That's really the assertion in verses 19 through 20. And walk through those two verses with me very systematically. First of all, notice the location of this revelation. The first premise is that God has revealed His truth to all men. the location of that revelation. Some theologians call it general revelation, meaning showing that it's given to all men everywhere generally. Others call it natural revelation because this revelation is given in nature. And this is what Paul is talking about in Psalm 19 when he says, the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utter speech, night unto night reveals knowledge. And what Paul is asserting in verse 19 and 20 is that in nature, generally, God has revealed Himself. This revelation, according to Paul in verse 20, predates Scripture. Did you hear that? This general revelation predates scripture. We're told in verse 20, since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen. So when we say, at what point did God embed general revelation with the knowledge of himself, we have a time statement in Romans 1.20, since the creation of the world. From that moment forward, God has been showing all of this content that we're going to analyze. in creation. Now, as I said, this revelation predates scripture. It's been there from day one. It doesn't spell out the doctrine of the Trinity or the work of Christ, but it certainly communicates something that we'll see in a moment. General revelation is to be distinguished from special revelation. Special revelation is found only in the Bible, and then only some people have the scriptures. But the burden of Romans 1, 19 and 20 is that everyone who's ever drawn a breath has this general revelation. Look at the content of it in verses 19 and 20. Now, I want to keep saying this. This is the content that every man knows. The headhunter who's on the backside of Papua New Guinea, who has yet to be discovered by the folks from National Geographic magazine, knows this. And so does the downtown dweller in New York City. And so does the people who live in the slums in Recife, Brazil. Every person who's ever lived knows this content. Look clearly at verse 19 and 20. It's not just that all men have the opportunity to know God. They all do know certain content about Him. That's the assertion of 19 and 20. This revelation is not exhaustive. It doesn't tell men everything about God. But notice we're told in verse 19, men are told what may be known of God. They are given certain content. Now look at what that content is according to verse 20. God's invisible attributes. This means His justice, His attribute of preservation, of majesty, of infinity, of wisdom. Men see this. When they see the arrangement in perfect order of creation, they see God's wisdom. We're told as well in verse 20, that they see God's eternal power. This is specific, and it means that every man knows the attribute of power. All they have to do, as I said, is stand next to the ocean side, or Niagara Falls, or by Mount Everest, and they see it. They also know His eternality. Men know that a God exists, according to verse 20. We're told they clearly see His eternal power. And so everyone who's ever drawn a breath knows that the God who exists has no beginning or end of life or end of days. He doesn't age or decay. He's not old or young. He simply is. He's outside of time. He's eternal. And then, according to verse 20, we are told that everyone who's ever drawn a breath grasps God's Godhead, meaning the heavens and earth prove and witness to the deity of God, that there is a God. Now notice, let me say it again, the content of the gospel, the saving work of Christ, is not communicated by general revelation. So general revelation is enough to condemn, but it's not enough to save. For that, the preaching of the gospel is needed. Now, we know something. Look carefully at verse 19 and 20. Don't run away from this. We know every man has received this revelation because we're told a few things. We're told in verse 19, God has shown it to them. The triune God who is a master communicator has effectively communicated this content. You know, ladies, if your husband is anything like I am, he's probably a poor communicator to his wife and his children. And so sometimes, you know, he'll say things like, well, I thought I told you that. I thought you understood. And you're thinking, no, you didn't. And that happens at my house often. I recognize I'm, at best, on my best days, I'm a weak communicator. and just ask my family and they'll amen that very loudly. Well, perhaps your husband is like that. But don't project your weakness as a communicator on to God. Because look at verse 19. We are told there, what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. And God is the perfect, the master communicator. He's not fallen. He has no weakness. He has effectively transmitted this content that's spelled out in verse 19 and 20. And so we can say a couple of things. It's been, according to verse 20, clearly seen. In other words, general revelation has perspicuity. It's not obscure or ambiguous. It's been clearly seen. And in fact, in verse 20, God says something amazing. He says that everyone who's ever drawn a breath not only has clearly seen this communication, they've understood it. That's what we're told in verse 20. There has been, in other words, an intelligent conception of general revelation. The visible creation makes manifest the invisible attributes of God. God's left the fingerprints of His glory all over every molecule, every atom of creation. But this revelatory knowledge, as if this were not enough that it all be external, The writer in Romans presses on. Look closer at verse 19 and 20. We're told, then, this revelatory knowledge of God, of Himself, is given internally. In verse 19 we read these words, because what may be known of God is manifest in them. Every man knows, without taking a theology class, the existence and some attributes of God. Doesn't God say here that God has made it manifest in them? John Calvin writes these words in his Institutes. that there exists in the human mind a sense of deity, we hold to be beyond all dispute, since God Himself, to prevent any man from pretending ignorance, has endued all men, all women, all children with an idea and concept of His Godhead, the memory of which He constantly renews and enlarges, that all, being aware that there is a God and that He is their Maker, may be condemned by their own conscience, when they neither worship Him or consecrate their lives to his service. Calvin goes on and says it again. A powerful sense of deity is indelibly engraved on every human heart. That's what's being taught in verse 19 and 20. Now notice, how long has this revelation been going on? It's been going on since the creation of the world, we're told in verse 19 and 20. And what is the result? Here is the result according to verse 20, because we have to start here. We have to start with the basic premise that God's truth is revealed to all men. What is the result? According to verse 20, all men are rendered inexcusable. No one, not one, no one, not you, not I, not anybody will be able on the last day to plead ignorance. So men who say they are atheists or agnostics are simply being disingenuous. When they say, I can't believe in God, there is insufficient knowledge. This man is being untrue and is blaming God for not producing enough evidence. When someone says to you, God hasn't, well, I just don't see the evidence. Look at what verse 19 and 20 say to that man. They say, you've seen all kinds of evidence. You're without excuse. Our creed, the Westminster Confession, our public theology says this in the first chapter of our confession. It says, the light of nature and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom and power of God as to leave all men inexcusable. Now let me be super clear here. The man who says, I don't believe in God, is saying that with a straight face, even after daily, God has poured forth compelling evidence in nature. This is not skepticism or seeking, this is lying. This is denying the most obvious truth in all of creation. When someone says, oh, I just don't know enough evidence, that's simply the height of untruth. because God has made it clear to them and in them. Well, notice what men do with this clear general revelation. Our second premise is wicked men suppress the truth. Now, this is a powerful psychological thing. What do men do with all of this truth that we're told about in verse 19 and 20? We are told in verse 18, they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Now that word suppress is the Greek word katakain, and it means to press down with force against something that is exercising a counter force. The image that comes to mind is a giant steel spring, which would take the full weight of a human to press down. And because of the tension, if the person were to let go for a second, the spring would shoot right up. They're suppressing, they're pushing down something that's hard to hold down. And Paul is saying in verse 18, when he says men suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Paul is saying that the truth of God's existence and sovereign rule is repressed, ignored, stifled. This sounds like a textbook in psychology, doesn't it? Because contemporary psychologists note that this is what we do with our memories of painful and traumatic experiences. We push them out of our conscious minds and push them into the deepest recesses and chambers of our minds. We don't want to think about them. What does truth suppression look like? Well, that's what is the lost man's full-time vocation. He has to do it all day Every day. Everywhere He goes. Because everywhere He goes, He's meeting up with general revelation in nature. Everywhere He goes. Every day. Seven days a week. Twenty-four hours a day. And so all day, He's on the clock. All day, He's pushing it down. All day, He's suppressing. He has to push it down and push it down harder, God's revelation of Himself. How fallen, how inherently fallen are men as creatures. that we can not only ignore but actively deny the central fact of our existence 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for a lifetime. That's why Paul can say this about truth suppression. Look what he says in verse 18. Men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. This is the height of unrighteousness to suppress what a glorious, benevolent, gracious, loving God has revealed. And what Paul is saying is, everyone in the flesh intentionally draws the wrong conclusion from the evidence. Over and over and over again, they do it thousands of times a day. They take in all of God's natural and general revelation, and they purposefully draw the wrong conclusion and say, that doesn't lead me to believe there's a God who's good and powerful and wise, and neither does that, or that, or that. All day long they do this. In fact, notice what the two evidences are that wicked men suppress the truth. Look at them there in the text. In verse 21, we're told, first of all, they don't glorify God. In other words, they don't ascribe to God the honor He deserves. This means when they see and know, and they do it, they have been shown, God has made it clear to them, when they see and know and internally take in the knowledge of the existence and attributes of God, they refuse to talk about it, they refuse to praise Him, they refuse to celebrate Him, they refuse to adore Him or worship Him. And instead of honoring God as Creator, men will go to elaborate lengths to create elaborate theories like evolution, to exclude God and dishonor Him, they will create mountains and mountains of theories to do anything to keep from glorifying God. That's how perverse the fallen heart is. But look at the second thing that wicked men do. Not only do they not glorify God, and here, here, here is where we speak to our purposes tonight. They do not give thanks, nor were they thankful. See, this is what happens when a man suppresses truth. These are the two activities he engages in all day long. Think about it. Listen to the text in verse 21. All day long, the lost man goes about suppressing truth and here's how it shows up. He refuses to glorify God and he refuses to give thanks. You see, the lost man hates thanksgiving. He hates it according to verse 21. He absolutely despises it because all day long he's trying to suppress this truth that there is a God of benevolence whom he owes gratitude to. And he says, oh no, now the culture is conspiring against me. They're all standing around giving thanks. I hate this holiday. Thanks for what? Look at verse 21. Thanks for revealing himself. Thanks for all the gifts of his provision. And that's the central focus of our exposition tonight, to see how perverse and deep-rooted our tendency is towards ingratitude. In our Old Testament text tonight, in Psalm 106, we saw four times that Israel forgot the most evident truths in their history. We're good at forgetting so that we don't have to give thanks. Paul says this just very bluntly about men in our day. He says, in the last days men will be lovers of themselves and unthankful. We are professional unthankfulers. That's how we come out of the womb. It's passages like this that Martin Luther led him to assert in his commentary on Romans 1 that ingratitude, even more than pride, Luther asserted, that ingratitude is the fundamental core sin. Luther said, Gratitude, however, keeps the love for God and holds the heart directed towards Him. Now notice, stare at the text. Not giving thanks is an integral part of truth suppression. The two elements of truth suppression are not glorifying God and not giving thanks. Those are the elements. Let's go on with the logic of the text, because as I said, this is a downward spiral. God has revealed Himself to all men. What do men do with that knowledge? They suppress it. All day long, every day, they suppress it. So the next logical step is, the wrath of God is revealed against such men. Look at what Paul says in Romans 118a, "...for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." He picks up the reasoning in verse 21, "...because although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible men, and birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things." What a sad commentary on man. Ignorance is not the sin. That's not the sin, but a recalcitrant refusal to give God the honor and glory that's fitting the Creator. Because of this true suppression and ingratitude, God begins to, in His wrath, progressively give men over. He begins to abandon them judicially. We see that word in verse 24, verse 26, and 28 in chapter 1. That's what it means when God says He gives them over. That's when He judicially abandons them to a downward spiral of sin. His wrath is His punitive justice, His determination to punish sin. He exercises His wrath, we're told, against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. Now, if you're wondering what the difference is, Ungodliness are basically sins of the first table, sins against God, vertical sins. And unrighteousness are sins of the second table, horizontal sins, the breaking of the fifth through the tenth commandment, disobedience to authorities, murder, adultery, stealing, lying, and covetousness. Now notice what God does. Look very carefully at the four elements of how God reveals His wrath, how He gives men over in verses 21 through 23. First of all, God gives men over to futile thoughts. Now, remember, this is a downward spiral. It starts out up here. God reveals Himself to men. What do they do? They suppress the truth in unrighteousness. So God begins to give them over. When men suppress the truth in unrighteousness and don't thank Him, He begins to judicially abandon them. And here they come. Here are the four steps. He gives men over to futile thoughts. This means that they grow less and less discerning, more and more speculative. It's like they're in a permanent hallucination, a collective delirium. There's a term for this, it's called obscurantism. An obscurantist is a person who refuses to deal with knowledge that's available to them. One who will not examine data that might run contrary to his own conclusions. And as men refuse truth and are ungrateful, they sink into futile thoughts. But God keeps on hardening. Look what else happens. He gives them over to darkened hearts. This is where all manner of wickedness and perversion comes from. It grows out of the soil of truth suppression and ingratitude. Now, remember, this is a chain. It's a flow chart. It's a sequence. When men suppress the truth and are ungrateful, God gives them over to futile thoughts. He gives them over to darkened hearts. So if you're wondering, where do these things come from? Why is this man so perverted? It began with his refusal to glorify God and to be thankful. But God doesn't stop there. Thirdly, he gives men over to self-deception. We see this in verse 22. And that self-deception that God gives men over to is that men think they are wise, but they're actually fools. Men have set up and designed PhD programs in our land at the most prestigious universities that engage in such self-deception. And what's even more amazing is other men will come and pay them massive sums to have advanced degrees in foolishness and self-deception. And as men descend deeper and deeper into folly and deception, he views himself as wiser and wiser. What Scripture means in Romans 1, the judgment of fool. has nothing to do with IQ and intelligence, but is a moral and spiritual judgment about the state of his soul. For the fool in Scripture, according to Psalm 14, is the one who will assert there is no God. Denying the one fact which God has made known to everyone who's ever lived. We can fairly call that man a fool when God, day into day, night into night, pours forth 24 hours a day, seven days a week, knowledge about His self, His attributes, His eternal power, and when somebody says, I don't believe in the existence of God. That's why scripture says this is a fool. The fool has said in his heart, I don't see all of natural revelation. So God gives man over to self-deception. And instead of being ashamed for their truth suppression, we are told in verse 22, they actually take pride in their actions. The fourth downward step and final for our purposes is God gives men, according to verse 23, over to idolatry. The men are so reprobated, so hardened, they will ignore what they know through general revelation and they will worship creatures. such as birds and lions and snakes. These objects of their worship have no purity or love or mercy or holiness. They will exchange the worship of the true God who has infinity and eternity and glory for false gods that are cruel and petty." Now listen to me. Once men commit the sin of ingratitude, there is no stopping point. They continue to spiral down. They go to futile thoughts, darkened hearts, self-deception, idolatry, and then the rest of Romans 1, they keep free-falling further. How do we apply this text? I want to make a lengthy application. I hope you'll be patient with me. Several applications. First of all, God has gone to great lengths to keep Himself before the minds of all men. God has gone to great lengths to keep Himself before the minds of all men so as to make forgetfulness of His existence and presence the greatest of all impossibilities. Everything that God sets before us says, remember me and be thankful. Every star, every stream, every cloud is a witness to the being and existence of the Sovereign Lord. Our God wishes to be remembered, worshipped, and thanked. And so to forget, to suppress, and most wickedly to refuse to thank is the height of insubordination and rebellion. Another application. Beware of first steps in sin. Beware of first steps in sin, of rejecting small truths. Think of that truth right now that you're saying. That's an inconvenient truth. Maybe it's about gender. Maybe it's about your pet sin. Maybe it's about God's sovereignty. And you're saying, I don't want to know. It's a small truth, especially about sin. Seemingly little sins have a downward pull. God gives more light to those who cultivate the habit of obeying the truth and He progressively hardens those who ungratefully disobey. Beware of first steps in sin. and of suppressing truth. Another application. This is one of those greater, from the lesser to the greater applications that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up as I think about it. If men who only have general revelation, natural revelation, are inexcusable, and our text says so, how much more inexcusable are men who have general and special revelation? men who hold the word of God in their hand. How much more inexcusable are you and I since we have the scriptures in addition to over and above general revelation. Knowing the perils of ingratitude, let me set forth some theses on gratitude. Perhaps you're tired of gratitude by now, because as I said, you've been at it for three or four days now. Let me stir your heart to more gratitude. Gratitude to Christ is always God's will for you. Always. It is the duty of universal thankfulness. In fact, it may be along with the command to praise God in song and with singing, it may be the most commanded truth in all of Scripture. We're told, for example, in 1 Thessalonians 5.18, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. Or we're told in the Old Testament in Psalm 100, enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise. We're told in Ephesians 5.20, give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul sums it up in Colossians 3 when he says, whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks. Is it really possible to give thanks in all times, for all things, in all places? Let me take you on a brief tour and remind you, because my point tonight, my stated desire tonight is to pull you away from your natural and my natural default setting, which is ingratitude. is to pull you away and woo you to be thankful in all settings. Let me show you that you can indeed be grateful in all things, as opposed to being grateful in no things. Put your finger in your Bible with me and go on a real brief tour. I want to show you just a few of the things, a few of the times when you can be thankful. For example, look at Jonah chapter two. Jonah chapter two. Jonah thanks God, in Jonah 2, when he is in grave danger and trial. In Jonah 2, this is a prayer made from the belly of a great fish. In Jonah 2, verse 9, Jonah is thanking God. Some of you tonight are thinking, well, Carl, I could thank God if I had good health. living in a nice home, and my children were all walking with Christ, and my job paid about, oh, triple what it does now, then I could be thankful. No? Well, Scripture holds out for us. is the possibility, the ability to be thankful in all things, in all places, in all situations, in all times. Look at what Jonah prays in Jonah 2 verse 9. Jonah comes to his senses and he realizes how ungrateful he's been even in that dark, smelly place. And in Jonah 2 verse 9, he gives thanks. Jonah says in Jonah 2 verse 8, those who regard worthless idols forsake their own mercy, but I will sacrifice to you with the voice of thanksgiving. In the midst of contracting gills with seaweed wrapped around his head, Jonah is giving thanks. God gives you this example so that even when you're in grave danger and trial and even awful discomfort, you can and must give thanks. When was the last time you were in a dangerous trial and you thanked God? It's not the only place. Christ, the Lord Jesus, even thanks God. He exercises thanksgiving when men are being reprobated. Look at Matthew 11. And my point, obviously, it's easy, and I say that somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it's easy to give God thanks in the good times, the happy times, the full times. But what I wanna point you to is thanksgiving even in the difficult times. Matthew 11. Verse 20, familiar text from this pulpit where the Lord Jesus has been doing mighty ministry in the region of Chorazin and Bethsaida and men have not been repenting or coming to faith. Jesus says in Matthew 11, 21, Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which are done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, you'll be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." At that time, Jesus answered and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you've hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes." Does the Lord Jesus in His flesh complain that God the Father isn't saving men and opening their eyes? No. He gives thanks for hiding truth from some men. We are to give thanks for softening and thanks for hardening. Universal thankfulness, remember? When was the last time you were evangelizing someone and they rejected Christ and you thanked God for His sovereignty? that He softens one and hardens another. Another occasion for thanksgiving. Because what I want to do is not just say, you should give God thanks. I want to give you concrete examples of difficult situations in which you can and should give thanks. You can give thanks at the graveside. Look at John 11. The Lord Jesus, standing at the graveside of Lazarus, preparing to raise him up And Jesus models the necessity of thankfulness in all things. And amazingly enough, what does the Lord Jesus thank the Father for? In John 11, 41, Jesus says this, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. You and I take it for granted that we are heard by the sovereign king of the universe. We forget to be thankful for this privilege. When was the last time you began your prayer by thanking the Father for simply hearing you? Let me press you even further. We live in a land that is rapidly declining as to public morality, to law and justice. What do you do when wicked men make wicked laws? Can you thank God then? Look at Daniel chapter 6. Again, universal thanksgiving in all times and all places. Daniel chapter 6. You know what happens when an unbelieving magistrate makes a wicked law. We do everything except give thanks. What does the godly man do when this happens? The godly man knows that God is on his throne. Look at Daniel 6, verse 10. And a far more wicked law, by the way, has just been passed here in Daniel's day than any law you or I have ever seen or probably will ever see. A law outlawing prayer, making it legally punishable to pray to the living God. And so notice what Daniel does in Daniel 6 verse 10. Now, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his home and in his upper room with his windows open towards Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since his early days. Notice what Daniel doesn't do. He doesn't strategize. He doesn't picket. He doesn't protest. He doesn't throw a fit. He thanks God. that God is on the throne and He's raising up one nation and putting another down. He thanks God for His sovereign rule. Another time we should be thankful. Remember Universal Thanksgiving, that's the mandate by the New Testament. We should certainly thank God every time we gather for public worship. There should be, no there must be every time we gather as a body to worship a deep sense of gratitude and thankfulness that we've been marked out as the people of God. How often do you say we have to go to church instead of saying the Lord is lavishly benevolent, He's a loving king. Let's go to his house to express our thankfulness. The Psalms are filled with examples of God's people thanking him. We can even stand at that graveside we've referred to a moment ago and look forward to our victory over death. Listen to what Paul says as he sums up the argument in 1 Corinthians 15. At the close of that great resurrection chapter, Paul says, after he's dealt with all of the truths about death and resurrection, Paul says, thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. In this great resurrection chapter in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul lays out a series of arguments for the resurrection of our bodies and our future glorification. And when he stares into the grave and sees dead lifeless bodies, he doesn't despair as though the grave is the last word. No. He says triumphantly, now We have a reason to thank God since He has conquered death and the grave through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And so we can be thankful. David in 1 Chronicles 29 is thankful, another occasion when he's able to give. David gives for the construction of the temple, a temple that he'll never see in his lifetime, an astounding gift for the service and worship of God. And what do we usually do when we give? We either say, ouch, that hurt, or did y'all see that? Pretty good, huh? See the size of that check? But when was the last time you thanked God for the opportunity to glorify Him through giving? David in 1 Chronicles 29, verse 13 and 14 says, God, I thank you that you've given me such a generous and willing heart. Universal thanksgiving in all times and all places is what to put on. What we are to mortify is that ingratitude which is native to us, which is the mark of the lost man. What we are to put on is thankfulness in all times and all places. Can you really thank God in every situation? In 1620, 103 people, we call them the pilgrims, crowded into a 90-foot boat as a boat that could fit into the sanctuary very easily, is barely seaworthy, and it spent 67 days bobbing like a cork across the Atlantic Ocean. And on November 21st, 1620, William Bradford wrote this entry in his journal. Today we arrived in a good harbor and were brought safely to land. We disembarked and we all got on our knees and thanked the God of heaven who had delivered us from all perils, and mercies. What Bradford doesn't say in this entry in his journal was that his wife Dorothy had fallen overboard the day before and drowned in the side of land. He writes out this truth, we thanked God. 11 months later, this little company had lost 44 of the 103 of them, 44 of their company to scurvy, starvation, or what Bradford wrote in his journal as general debility. With another harsh New England winter approaching, could the 59 surviving members now be thankful? No family had been spared. Over 40% of their number lay in the tiny graveyard they'd erected. But these people were Calvinists. They believed that God is sovereign over all. And so they joined with a hundred Wampanoag Indians who later confessed that they asked each other afterwards, who's this God the white men worship with thanksgiving and joyful songs? And again, they gathered and set aside a day to thank God for his kindness to them. They lost 44 of their 103 and they gathered on that day to thank God for his kindness. May God enable and empower us to mortify the ingratitude that is so natural to us and give thanks in all things. Let's pray. Our Father, we confess that the flesh on a daily basis rears its head in our hearts and we're ungrateful. The sin that came so natural to us shows up. And just like that sin, which will condemn the lost man on the last day, It shows up in our tongue, in our speech, in our complaining, in our not glorifying you or giving you thanks. But, oh Lord, by this word, convict us, instruct us, enable us today and tomorrow and the day after to mortify in gratitude, to see it for what it is, the height of wickedness and rebellion against you, and to put on a sweet, practice of gratitude, of giving you thanks in all things, in all times, in the difficult times, in the easy times. Lord, make us a grateful people that shows up in our tongue, our worship, and our lives. We pray this in Jesus' name, amen.