Let's pray together this morning. Father, we thank you again for your loving kindness. I pray that our hearts are filled with gratefulness for all that you've done for us, for loving us, how you care for us. And thank you for the salvation that you've provided and the hope of eternal life that we have through Jesus Christ. It's in his name we pray, amen. I can read a Thanksgiving proclamation this morning. Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God. to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humble to implore his protection and favor. And whereas both houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed. by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them the opportunity and opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now, therefore, I recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th of November, next, to be devoted by the people of these United States to service of that great and glorious being who the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. that we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks for this kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation, for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war. for the great decree of tranquility, union and plenty. which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly a nation, one now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge. and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath placed, or has been pleased to confer on us. And also that we may then unite in most humble offering of praise and thanksgiving, supplications to the great Lord, the ruler of nations, and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions. to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people. by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations, especially such as have been shown kindness unto us. and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord, to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of sincere of science, excuse me, of science among them and us, and generally to grant to all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best. And that was George Washington in 1789. Wouldn't it be amazing to have a president that would speak those words, to draw our attention to our God and our Father. giving him thanks for all of his benefits for us. So this morning, obviously, we're turning our hearts and our minds towards Thanksgiving as we are moving into that week. Unless you're in Ohio, which it's Michigan week, actually, but those of you who follow such things would know that. In all of In all but Galatians, Paul starts with a word of thanksgiving in his books, in his letters as he writes them. In the Old Testament, the word thanksgiving is used 40 times, 30 times in the book of Psalms. In the New Testament, it is used 45 times, which refers specifically to the temporal and spiritual blessings that God has afforded us. Louis Sperry Schaefer says this, true thanksgiving is the voluntary expression of heart and gratitude for benefits received. That's in light of our relationship with God. It's a voluntary expression of our heart felt gratitude for the benefit received. And so many times we join something or we're involved in something, I don't walk into Quickstart because I get extra points or five cents off a gallon and say, you know what, I'm grateful and thankful for the benefit that you have given me of giving me five cents off on a gallon of gas. But the reality is is every day we receive the benefits of God in our lives, don't we? We wake up in the morning and God is there. We wake up in the morning and we have breath. We wake up in the morning and God gives us strength to move to our next task or the next thing that he has for us. Are we grateful for the benefits that God has given us? And again, as we move toward this week and as we move through this week, my heart is that we would be grateful for all that God has given us. And what we recognize also is thanksgiving is closely related to worship and praise. So as we go through this week and as we are giving thanks, may we also understand that truth that we are worshiping God, that we are praising God for his great work in our hearts and lives. So this morning, what I'd like us to do is turn to Colossians chapter three. We're gonna be looking at verses 15 through 17, and then chapter four, verse two, okay? I have five S's for this morning, so it should be pretty easy to follow. And each one of those brings us to this idea of thanksgiving. How do we thank God for those benefits that he has given us? How do we thank God, and what should we be thanking God for, as far as the benefits that God has given us? So let me read verses 15, Colossians chapter three, starting with verse 15, down to verse 17, and then chapter four, verse two. Paul writes this, and let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which you were indeed called in one body, and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thanksgiving in your heart to God. And whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. continues steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. I think Paul has a little bit of a theme going here, doesn't he? This idea of thanksgiving, as believers in Jesus Christ, our hearts should be ready to give thanks for all that God has done for us, all that God has blessed us with. And there's two things, and Paul writes this in Ephesians chapter five, verse 20, that we are to give thanks without ceasing, and we are to give thanks for all things. He says in Ephesians chapter five, verse 20. Let me read the verse for us. Ephesians chapter five, verse 20. Giving thanks always, okay? Giving thanks unceasingly and for everything to God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to be giving thanks continually. We are to be giving thanks for all things, no matter what the situation may be, no matter the struggles that we are going through in life, no matter the difficulties that God may bring, all the joys all the blessings, all the richness of our life in Christ, we need to be giving thanks at all times. And so let's walk through this passage this morning and our text this morning and see these four S's. Starting in verse 15, the first S that we have here is thankfulness for our salvation. In verse 15, for our salvation. All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, correct? Yes, thank you, thank you. All of us have sinned. I thought I'm the only one. All of us have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, don't we? The wages of that sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. All of us have sinned. All of us are the same at the foot of the cross. All of us are in need of salvation. All of us are granted that through Jesus Christ as we put our faith and trust in him. If you're around here a week, you'll know that we emphasize it and we see this as our commission to proclaim that salvation is for all men and women. that we are all sinners, that we are all in need of salvation and we want to thank God for that salvation. May we never become used to it. May we never become accustomed to our salvation. May we constantly be reminded that it is only by God's grace and God's mercy that we have the hope of eternal life. Paul states it clearly here, and let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. Where do we get that peace in a world that is going crazy right now? We were talking in ABF this morning, and we were talking about the fact that the anticipation of the coming of Christ for the disciples, Titus in particular, as we were in that passage. They were anticipating the coming of Christ. Jesus said, this generation will not pass. If you see these signs, this generation will not pass. And they were anticipating the coming of Christ, weren't they? This generation is starting to die off. Jesus is gonna come back again. He's gonna take us home to be with him. But the reality is, is here we are 2,000 years later, and we're still anticipating the coming of Christ. and we see the world around us and we hear the things that are going on, and you start to hear about the nuclear buildup and what that would be if somebody chooses to press a button, what happens then? Well, the peace of Christ rules in our heart, doesn't it? Because of the relationship we have with Jesus Christ. Let that peace rule in our hearts. And then Paul goes on to say, And to which, indeed, you were called in one body. Here we are as the body of Christ. The church gathered here at Walnut Ridge Baptist Church on this corner. We're part of that universal church, that one big body of believers. So if we would allow the peace of Christ to umpire in our hearts, that's what rule means. In this body that we have been called together to associate with, may we do that with thanksgiving. Peace in a world that is going crazy only through Christ. It brings that anticipation and the reality of the relationship that we have with Jesus Christ. We're moving toward Advent, and as we look at those four, and we understand the four weeks of Advent, love, joy, peace, hope. There is hope that comes in the person of Jesus Christ, and that hope is in the salvation that He has given us. So let's thank God for our salvation. Be thankful. Be thankful because of our salvation. We need not fear. We have hope. We have peace that comes through our relationship with Jesus Christ. What joy that brings to us and how that offers peace in our lives. The second thing we see is in verse 16. We see it in verse 16, that the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thanksgiving in your heart to God. We're thankful for a song that God gives us. Do you ever catch yourself singing? in the shower, in the car, maybe hopefully in church, we should be thankful for the song that God gives us. There is this song in our heart. Let's turn back to the book of Psalms quickly this morning. Psalm chapter 40, verse three. David, the musician, writes of these songs. I can't imagine as he was tending sheep, as he was going through whatever experience he was going through in his life, but he writes this in Psalm 40, verse 3. And he has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see in fear, but they trust. Their trust is in the Lord. Psalm 149. Again, another one of these psalms that brings our attention to the song of praise and thanksgiving. Psalm 139. And verse 1, "'Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly. Let Israel be glad in his maker. Let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.'" This opportunity to sing praise. In Isaiah chapter 12, verse 2, I'm getting there. There it is. Isaiah Chapter 12, Verse 2. Isaiah writes this. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and I will not be afraid. For the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. Exodus chapter 15, verse 2, Moses writes those same words. We have a new song because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, and that song should be welling up in us. Brandon Lake wrote this song. All my words fall short. I've got nothing new. How can I express all my gratitude? I can sing these songs as I often do, but every song must end, and you never do. So I throw up my hands and I praise you again and again, because all that I have is a hallelujah, and I know it's not much. But I've nothing else fit for a king except for a heart singing hallelujah. I've got one response. I've got just one more. With my arms stretched wide, I will worship you. So again, I throw up my hands and praise you again and again. Because all I have is a hallelujah. Sometimes that's all the word that we need to say. Hallelujah, God, for the new song that you have given me. He goes on to say this, so come on my soul, don't you get shy on me. Lift up your voice, because you've got a lion inside of those lungs. Get up and praise the Lord. May that be our heart as we wake up on a Monday morning. We know the week that we have before us, and we sing with our mind, Hallelujah! Praise God for another day that I get to serve Him. For another day that I have an opportunity to share the message of Jesus Christ. May we give thanks for the new song that Christ has put in our hearts because of our relationship with him. May we never stop singing that song. It's a testimony. If you're like me, I really can't sing. I really can't sing, but I love to sing. And like I said, we sing in the car, we sing in the shower, we sing in other places. And may that fill our hearts and may that fill our lives. I study Saturday nights. I start about 7, about 9.30. I love putting my headphones on and listening to praise music. to get my heart, to get my head right. Those songs fill our hearts. The songs that we sing on Sunday morning aren't just a ritual and tradition. They're there to stir our hearts, to draw us in to the time of worship that we have together. And I pray that you use that throughout the week to be able to draw you into worshiping God and worshiping our Savior. The next S that we have here is found in verse 17. In whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Do we give thanks for our service? Are we thankful for the service that God has given to us? Many people within this body serve a lot. Serve a lot. And I am so thankful for that. And the reality is, is that there is so much that goes on behind the scenes that many of you don't know about. a ride to the hospital, a meal that's brought, a lawn that's mowed, something that needs to be moved, and we could go on and on, that there are these people, we are serving behind the scenes, we are demonstrating our love and our care for one another by the way that we serve, and I pray that we are thankful for what God has given us the ability to do. And we don't do it so that we get thanks. We don't do it so that we get that star. We do it because we love God and we're thankful for the ability that he has given us, and whether that's through finances, whether that's through a meeting of physical need, whether that's just coming alongside someone to help them and to give them a hand, we serve because we are thankful for all his benefits, not to pay him back, but to show our gratitude for what he has done for us. and to demonstrate our love for one another. And it happens. And it happens all the time. Many of you within this body are beneficiaries of that service. So are we thankful for the service that God has given us, the talents and the abilities that God has given us, so that we might be able to serve one another the way he has blessed us, maybe financially, that we could go ahead and help someone You know, slip in a handshake, a little bit of encouragement. May we never forget that we are thankful for the service that God has given us the ability to perform. So we are to be thankful for our salvation. We should be thankful for the song that he has given us in our heart. We should be thankful for the service that we have and the opportunity to perform that service. And the last thing that we have is in chapter four, verse two. Chapter four, verse two. So we continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. The opportunity to be steadfast in hope. Steadfast in hope. What is he saying here? What is Paul saying here? This is his final instructions to the church in Colossians. What are we to be steadfast in? We are to be steadfast in prayer. We are to be steadfast in prayer, being watchful in it. That's hope, isn't it? Why do we pray? That hope is an assurance. That hope isn't, you know, I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. This is assurity. And it's the coming of Christ. It's the understanding that we have this salvation that He was given to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. It's that assurance that we have and the hope that we have. of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to take us home to be with Him. And every day we pray in that hope and we are steadfast in that prayer, understanding that God is steadfast in His love toward us. What does steadfast mean? It means my feet are planted. I'm not moving from this place. Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is an amazing opportunity for us to lift up our voices to God. We anticipate the coming of Christ. We can't wait for him to come. We are being watchful. But even in that watchfulness, we're singing. Even in that watchfulness, we're serving. And I pray that we might not ever take for granted this relationship that we have with Jesus Christ. Luke chapter 17, verses 11 through 19. We remember that story, or maybe you don't, but let me share it with you. There were 10 lepers that came to Christ. And remember, Jesus healed those 10 lepers. And as they walked away, only one returned. and thanked Jesus for the blessing of healing him. You see, all of a sudden, their need was met. All of a sudden, they are walking away. All of a sudden, everything is good. Life is good. But the ingratitude for what Christ had just done for them. I pray that our hearts might not ever get to that point that we don't even think to thank. And we are always thanking God for His rich blessings to us, to those benefits that He bestows on us because of our relationship with Him. Salvation isn't a one-time event. Salvation is something that is permeating our life that we live in every day. Again, the song that we sing, what is that? Maybe it's just the hallelujah. Maybe we can't even think. The Holy Spirit's praise on our behalf. The Holy Spirit, I think, sings on our behalf when we are just so overwhelmed by all that Christ has done for us. But what is that song? What is our service? May we thank God. I thank God every day for the privilege that he has given me to serve here at Walnut Ridge. And that is a great privilege and a great responsibility that I don't take lightly. I pray that I never become, that I never stop thanking the ingratitude. And as we look forward to Christ, as we look forward to Christ's coming, may our hearts be filled and rejoicing. Thanksgiving 2023, what does that look like for you? What does that look like for you when you wake up Thursday morning, turkeys in the oven, mashed potatoes, stuffing, all that that goes along with it? Are we thanking God for his rich benefits toward us? as our Savior and our God. Father, we thank you for this morning. We thank you for your loving kindness to us day after day. We thank you for all that we have in Him. We thank you that you care for us, that you love us, that you meet our needs. Father, thank you for your salvation that you've given us through Christ. Thank you for the new song that you have placed in our heart Thank you for the service that you place before us. And Father, we thank you for the anticipation and hope. I pray that we might stand firm in this world as we allow you to do your work in us. We love you, Father. We thank you so much for all your benefits on our behalf. Through your Son, Jesus Christ, it's in his name we pray. Amen.