Amen so first Chronicles chapter 29 of course this is David here offering for
the temple his Thanksgiving his prayer this is the basically the end of David's
life he's handing over the the Kings the keys of the kingdom so to speak over to
his son Solomon and he makes his prayer here and there's some great truths in it
and really what I want to focus in on is there in verse 13 where it says now
therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name and what I want
to talk to you about tonight is the source and result of thankfulness through
the source what is the source of thankfulness and not only that but what
are the results of thankfulness where the results of thankfulness in your life
now keep something in first Chronicles chapter 29 if you would but let's turn
over to James chapter 1 James chapter 1 tonight keep something there in first
Chronicles chapter 29 but he says there now therefore our God we thank thee so
there's a therefore there there's a reason why David here is thanking God
and it's found there in those preceding verses of course and really what we see
in those verses if we were paying attention while the scripture was being
read is that David had an understanding of the source of thankfulness and that
was found in the fact that understand he understood that all things come from God
every everything that David had in his life he understood that it came from the
Lord and that's something that we need to realize as well every thing that we
have in our life that is good and right and just and holy that comes from God
and that's reiterated here in James chapter 1 if you look at verse 17 where
it says every good gift in every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from
the father of lights with whom is no variableness nor neither shadow of
turning so the Bible says that every good gift every perfect gift that we
have comes down from God that God is what is the one who gives us all of the
things in life that are good or all the things that are perfect or whole and
complete in our lives that all comes from God and that's something that
people really need to understand in their life whether they realize that or
not you know and job said that you know that that the even the the breath of all
mankind is in God's hand that even the person who would take that same breath
that God's gives and curse the Lord or blaspheme the Lord or magnify himself or
puff himself up even that person is given that very breath by which he does
that is given to him by God so every good thing that we have in this life
comes down from the father and that's something that David understood very
well if you would turn back there to 1st Chronicles 29 the Bible says and
Deuteronomy 8 if you recall just a few weeks ago it says but thou shalt
remember the Lord thy God this was the commandments that Moses was giving to
the children of Israel he said you're going to remember God don't forget God
for it is he that giveth the power to get wealth see God they Moses didn't
want the people to go over into Israel and forget about God when they started
to accumulate all this wealth and things when all the good things started to come
into their life and all the blessings of God started to come in their life they
didn't want Moses didn't want the children will begin to think that that
by their own hand they had gotten this wealth but they wanted to understand to
remember and to be reminded and that's the purpose of the sermon and that's
really the purpose of this holiday is to be to remember that it is the Lord God
that gives us all good things in this life and we should never forget the
goodness of God you know we set aside this one day and how quickly we forget
the goodness of God it's so it just goes so quickly and I should have had you
stay in the New Testament but let's turn over to 1st Corinthians chapter 4
and if we could just at least set a time aside at least once in the year to
really drive this home and understand maybe it'll carry us you know throughout
the other times of the year to be reminded that every good thing that we
have in this life comes from God if you're there in 1st Corinthians 4 you're
turning there I'm going to remind you what it says in Psalm 24 it says the
earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof the world and they that dwell
therein the Bible says that the earth is the Lord's meaning everything there is
you know everything that's on the earth and in the earth and under the earth and
above the earth is God's it's his to give to whomsoever well he says the
world and they that dwell therein even we ourselves belong to God you know we
we are created in his image everything that we have in this life comes down
from the Father if you're there in 1st Corinthians chapter 4 look at verse 6 it
says and these things brethren I have in a figure transferred of myself and to
Apollos for your sakes they may learn you may learn in us not to think above
men that which is written that no one of you be puffed up for one against the
other for who may get thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou
didst not receive now of course in the context here you know Paul's trying to
remind these people not to be puffed up for one person above another not to play
play favorites or pick sides but really what I want to focus in there is verse
7 where it says you know what hast thou that thou didst not receive you know and
this is the time of year we should really stop and think about that we
should think about all the good things that we have and and think well where do
we receive this how do we come across this and how do we get this in our life
you know if there's some blessing or some good thing in our life how is it
that you came to have that what how did you come to receive that in your life
you get you got that through God whether you're willing to acknowledge that or
not every good thing that came into your life God allowed it to happen so what we
see is that and and if you would keep something in actually turn over to 2nd
Timothy where you're there and this seems rather obvious you know this seems
like a pretty obvious you know statement to make that every good thing in your
life comes from God and that everything that we have is given to us of God and
then we should be mindful of that it's a it's very obvious isn't it but it's also
very ignored it's something that people take for granted all the time and the
perfect example is that is tomorrow's big you know holiday quote-unquote we're
gonna go right in from from a day of celebrating thankfulness into a day of
you know trying to get the best deal and all the things that on a bunch of junk
that we don't need you know Black Friday where you know we're going right from a
season of thankfulness right into a season where nothing but covetousness
is being promoted and I know I preached about this on Sunday as well and I won't
go off on that but the point being is that you know to sit up get up here and
say hey you should be thankful to God for every good thing in your life that
seems rather obvious and it is but it's also extremely ignored in our society
and you know we should watch our own hearts and make sure you know that not
just one day or year are we thankful for the things that God has given us but
every single day we get up we could thank God for so many of the blessings
that he gives us I mean just our health alone just be able to walk you to wake
up and open your eyes the morning and put your you know put two feet on the
floor and stand upright and be able to go out and do any kind of labor or any
kind of work you should thank God for that because you don't know when you
know a date you know thou knowest not what a day shall bring forth you know
that could end like that you can wake up the next day with some ailment and and
so we should always be thankful every day and again it's obvious but it's
extremely ignored and what we see today is a spirit of unthankfulness in this
country and in this world even and really what that is you know when
somebody has an unthankful spirit what that is indicative of is is of
unholiness you know it's it's a lack of acknowledging God when people become
unthankful you know it's because they're not acknowledging God they're not
recognizing that every good and every perfect gift comes down from the Father
of lights they choose to ignore that and when we stop being thankful and
grateful to God for the things that he has given us that's when we become
unholy as individuals and unholies as a society and if you would I'll remind
you're going to 2nd Timothy chapter 3 but I'll remind you what it says in
Romans 1 you know if you've been a faithful word very long you know what
Romans 1 is all about it's about how people become a reprobate rejected of
God and it says in Romans chapter 1 verse 21 when they knew God they knew
God they glorified him not as God they understood that you know hell yeah
there's a God you know he's there you know he gives us good things but we're
not gonna glorify him as God we're not gonna give thanks to God they glorified
him not as God neither were they thankful that was one of their you know
you know major character flaws that's what led them down that road to becoming
a you know rejected of the Lord to become a reprobate as the Bible calls it
when they knew who God was and they said yeah I understand God gives me good
things but I'm not going to glorify him as God they have an unthankful spirit
and an unthankful spirit you know is what leads to them becoming vain in
their imaginations and it leads what individuals to becoming unholy
unthankful ungrateful and as individuals and as societies if you're there in 2nd
Timothy chapter 3 look at verse 1 this know also then the last days perilous
times shall come for men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous
proud boasters proud blasphemer blasphemers disobedient to parents
unthankful that's one of these end times attitudes that we see we see when we
look around today and we could easily identify the individuals that are
covetous that are just chasing after things that they don't need that they
don't deserve that they can't afford and everyone's just coveting everything
that's out there and they just want more and more and more they're lovers of
their own selves people are just concerned about themselves and nobody
else what's in it for them what can they get out of it they are boasters proud I
mean this is everywhere blasphemers this is everywhere they're disobedient to
parents the Bible says and what else are they they're unthankful so don't think
that being an unthankful person is a light thing that you know well why do we
have to have the obligatory Thanksgiving Day sermon why do we have to even
have this day called Thanksgiving why do we have to be reminded to be thankful to
God because not being thankful is an unholy thing and it's something that you
know it will lead people down a dark path if they're not careful now if you
would let's go back to First Chronicles chapter 29 so unthankfulness it's not
just a form of selfishness you know unthankfulness is more than that it's
not just a poor attitude it's even it is that but it's also more than that what
unthankfulness is in some instances is it's an outward manifestation of an
inward disregard of God's goodness that's what unthankfulness is when
you're unthankful it's you showing God and anybody else is paying attention
that you have an inward disregard for God's goodness you're inwardly you're
saying you know what I know God but I'm not going to glorify him as God I'm not
going to be thankful to him that's what's within and it manifests itself by
you becoming an unthankful person you know and it's a it's part of our sinful
condition when we think about with our own children you know we have to teach
our kids to say thank you knowing you know and then oftentimes they won't
usually it's because they're shy if it's some stranger something they get a
compliment out there my my kids get compliments from time to time I'm not
saying all the time every now and then they get a compliment you know they'll
say oh your daughter this or your daughter that and I'll look at her and
she'll be all you know and I say say thank you thank you you know we have to
teach thankfulness we have to teach kids to acknowledge compliments or
acknowledge when people do nice things for them and to be grateful and to be
humble in that way because our natural inclination is to not be thankful and
what happens is is we develop that poor attitude if we develop that selfishness
is that that inward disregard for God begins to show and it shows through on
ingratitude so you're there in first Chronicles chapter 29 we see first of
all really what I wanted to point I'm not going to go along tonight but the
main you know that the first part of the sermon is the source of thankfulness
what is the source of thankfulness what's gonna make us a thankful people
it's acknowledging God it's just stopping it's as simple as that what's
gonna make us thankful is to stop and realize that we don't deserve all the
good things that are in our life you know you don't deserve any of it you
know God is God is merciful and long-suffering I mean if we all got what
we deserved you know the Bible says there is none good there's none
righteous no not one there's not a just man upon the earth and sin if not that
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is
death you know every single person in this room and every single person on
this earth deserves only one thing and that's that's righteous judgment by a
righteous and holy God and God is merciful and long-suffering towards us
and is very great gracious towards us and that's why we should understand that
that you know when we understand that that is the source of us becoming a
thankful people of realizing that he has not rep you know repaid us according to
our iniquities and that he has been very merciful to us so that's the source of
it where the title of sermon is the source of thankfulness and the results
of thankfulness so what when we acknowledge the the source of
thankfulness and and we acknowledge that in our hearts what does that result in
what does that lead to how can we look at our own lives and and see whether or
not we're really thankful as individuals and really thankfulness one of the
things that results in is humility I mean when we start to understand that
you know that how gracious God has been to us and that and not requiring us of
our sins not repaying us our sins and giving us what we deserve you know that
should bring about a spirit of humility an individual and that's what results
that's what the results of thankfulness are in a person's life is a spirit of
humility if you're there in First Chronicles 29 you'll see that in David's
prayer here he says there again picking it up in verse 13 where he says now
therefore our God we thank thee and praise thy glorious name what does he
say in verse 14 but who am I and what is my people that we should be able to
offer so willingly after this sort for all things for all things come of thee
and even of thine own hand have we given thee so he says look we praise God we're
thankful to God and then he goes on and he says this but who am I and what is my
people that's a spirit of humility that's somebody saying you know I you
know you could see it right there in this passage he's praising God he's
giving gratefulness he's grateful to God he's thanking God and what's what's
the result a very humble spirit acknowledging the fact that you know
we're really nobody I'm really no one it's not of my own it's not of our own
goodness it's none of that it's all of God he says in verse 15 for we are
strangers before thee and sojourners as we're all our fathers our days on the
earth are and our days on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding so
we see that thankfulness its source is found when we begin to acknowledge God
that's what that is the source of thankfulness understanding that all good
things come from him that results in humility a low view of oneself I'm not
saying you have to walk around sackcloth and ashes on your head and whip yourself
but you know there ought to be a spirit of humility in our life that we display
towards other other people and and that you know that is a result of being a
thankful person and one of the things you say well how do I become a more
humble person I want to be I you know I want I want to be a thankful person you
know I want to be more humble I want that in my life one of the things you
need to do I think for something you know many of us is we need to reflect on
the past and I think that's what David kind of does here in verse 15 he says
for we are strangers before thee and sojourners as we're all our fathers
what's he doing he's looking back on the past and he's saying look we're just
strangers our fathers were just soldiers we're nobody's and really that's what we
need to do in our own lives as we're all our fathers we know we need to consider
our past and that's us that's a spirit of humility somebody can look back and
look at where they came from and said oh yeah I remember when I came from nothing
you know I was you know what God found me like I've said often from this pulpit
when you got saved God didn't get a bargain you know God didn't get this
great deal when he got you okay or me or any of us what he got was a sinner with
with with problems and you know the older we were when we got saved probably
the more problems we had lesson being kids get saved now and start living for
God early so you don't have to go through all that take it from people
that have already done it but he's saying look you know consider the
pastor consider the goodness of God thus far in your life consider how good
God has been to you up until this point in your life look back you know you if
you're sitting here kind of beating yourself up feeling like you're not
going anywhere in life maybe you should look back and see how far God has taken
you already look at all the great things God has already done for you be a
thankful person and that would result in some excuse me in some humility do it in
your life you could even look back into the lives of previous generations you
know maybe you're a young person who's growing up in a Christian home maybe
you're a second third generation Christian you know you could look back
into the into the previous lives of your you know your parents and your
grandparents and hopefully even beyond that and be thankful just like David you
know he said hey as were all our fathers and you can begin to consider how how
gracious God has been through these generations to you to have given you
godly role models and godly parents in your life to guide you in the right way
so thankfulness results in humility and if we would humble ourselves you know we
would begin to reflect on the past not only that if we would be a humble people
we would begin to consider the future he says there in verse 15 he says for we
are strangers before the insurgent or a soldier nurse as were all our fathers
our days on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding I mean he's
talking what he's saying is here is that hey you know life is fleeting life
goes by like that life goes by quick and I know the younger we are the less
we acknowledge that or let we'll hear people say that you know that are older
and when they go that's not true and to be perfectly honest I've only realized
how true that is you know in these last few years and these last you know less
you know five or ten years about you say all life you know I hear life goes by
fast but the longer you live the quicker it seems to go I'm finding out you know
you'll be a more thankful person when you start to realize how fleeting life
is how quickly life goes by how quickly these things pass away you know and one
thing that's really taught me this is having children I think this is why this
is really dawned on me more more you know recently is the fact that I have
children you know that we've got we're on our fourth kid you know and I'm
starting to realize all the things I've kind of missed out on on the first three
I wasn't you know it wasn't like a bad fathering thing but you got to take it
for granted a little bit you can say oh they're cute they're learning to walk
and they're they're saying things and then you have an eight-year-old all of
a sudden and they're still cute in their eight-year-old way right but you realize
you know how fleeting that was and they were just this little tiny person you
know now you've got now I've got my youngest one I'm trying to spend more
time you know just enjoying this part of life where she's just this little tiny
baby and and uh and it's really soaking that in so that's one thing that's kind
of taught me that is that you know life is fleeting it goes by fast you know
kids having children has taught me that you know you see him grow up quick and
if we would realize that if we would consider the future if we would stop and
just think about how quickly life goes by we would probably be more thankful
for the things that we have the good things that God has given us and would
probably cause us to be a more humble people now I don't want to try and get
too hokey or wax too eloquent up here but I like quotes I like to go and
sometimes I'll go read a lot of different quotes from different people
on different subjects and one quote I read when I was writing a sermon I
really I wanted to read this man said we can only be said to be alive in those
moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures we can only be said to be
alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious conscious of our treasures
and that's you know that's when you really feel alive is when you're really
stopping and really reflecting on the good things that God is giving you all
the treasures that you have in this life and if you just spend your life coveting
and wanting the next greatest thing and always not being grateful or being
thankful life's gonna pass you by and what really matters in life it you're
not even going to experience it you're those those moments are gonna are gonna
be gone it's fleeting you know a life of ingratitude isn't worth living in my
opinion it's not you can you even really call it a life where it's just life it's
just all about me what I want what I'm gonna get my selfishness my
ungratefulness that's not that's not any kind of a life to live and it results in
a very proud and arrogant attitude so you know we need to understand that the
source of all good things comes from God and when we do that we can start to see
the results of it in our life and one of the things that's going to result in
is a spirit of humility that causes us to reflect on where we've come from and
can cause us to reflect on how quickly this life is going to be by go by and to
stop and cherish the things that really matter in this life friends family
church serving God it's not about things you know people get so caught up in
stuff and things and things go and things rot and decay and and the things
that we think we are gonna make life full they turn out to be just as vain
as anything else and it's the people it's the relationships that we have in
this life that matter so we see first of all and I'll start to wrap this up but
thankfulness results in humility and not only that but thankfulness if we have
it in our life is going to result in praise in the praise of God and you find
that in verse 16 you realize when you understand understand that all good
things come from God all things come from God it says in verse verse 16 all
this store he said in verse 16 Oh Lord our God all this store that we have
prepared to build thee in house for thine holy name cometh of thine own hand
on all this thine own David's acknowledging every even the things
that he wants to do for God are the things that are given to him of God he's
saying we're gonna build this great house for God this temple for God and
the irony is is God's the one that gave us all the ability to do it anyway then
that and you have to realize that all things come from God and that's gonna
result in praise you know when you start to even the praise that God gives you
the praise that God gives you on your lips God gives you that he gives you the
ability to do that and really praise is one of the few things that you can give
God that really you know he gives you the ability but you could choose whether
or not you want to praise God you could choose whether or not you want to
glorify God in your life that's up to you and really that's one of the few
things in life that God you know you could really say comes from you I mean
we understand the ability to praise God is given to us of God but not everybody
does that not everybody chooses to praise God and everybody chooses to
acknowledge God and glorify God but if we do that we have to under you know
that's one of the few things your praise to God is one of the few things in life
that you could say you genuinely gave to God of your own does that make sense
that you can give God something that is truly from your own heart and that's
thanking him praising him and it's best given in the form of praise and that's
something that David understood if you look here in verse 20 and David said to
all the congregation now bless the Lord your God and all the congregation bless
the Lord God of their fathers and bowed down their heads and worshiped the Lord
and the king and they sacrificed sacrifices unto the Lord and offered
burnt offerings unto the Lord on the morrow after that day even a thousand
bullocks a thousand rams a thousand lambs and their drink offerings and
sacrifices and abundance for all Israel
so David and you know he was one that understood that you know thankfulness is
something that results in praise and he worships God here and the last point I
want to make tonight is the fact that thankfulness you know what else it you
know it's going to result in humility it's going to result in you giving God
the glory it's going to result in giving you God praise but it's also going to
result in you enjoying God's blessings and I think sometimes God withholds
blessings for us because we're not going to be grateful for it and when he sees a
person that he knows is thankful and knows a person that's going to be
grateful for the good things that God that he's going to give them he decides
to give them more you see thankfulness results in enjoying God's blessings look
there in verse 22 verse 22 and did eat and drink before the Lord on that day
with great gladness that's that reminds me of some of a particular day kind of
reminds me of today a little bit doesn't it when we did eat and drink before the
Lord with great gladness the Bible says a little that a righteous man hath is
better than the riches of many of them of the of many wicked you know sometimes
God doesn't give the feast God doesn't give the blessing God doesn't give all
that because people are unthankful and unthankful people they'll never truly
enjoy or be satisfied with anything God gives them so God just so well what's
the point you're not going to be satisfied with it anyway and really I
just want to close with this thought that if you want God's blessing in your
life that if you want God to give you more of his goodness you know you got to
be thankful for the stuff that he already does give you be thankful for
the goodness that he has already shown in your life and then he'll give you
more you know God has given us our portion to enjoy in this life as what it
says in Ecclesiastes and I won't I won't turn there for the sake of time but you
know God has given us a portion to enjoy this life you know the Bible says you
know we'll just turn there it's one more passage I don't think I don't think
I'm losing everybody we'll hang on here Ecclesiastes chapter where are we going
Ecclesiastes chapter 2 let's just read this together Ecclesiastes chapter 22
verse 24 the Bible says in Ecclesiastes chapter 2 verse 24 there is nothing
better for a man than that he should eat and drink and that he should make
his soul enjoy good in his labor this I saw that it was also from the hand of
God for who can eat who else can hasten here unto more than I that's not a
challenge okay don't take him up on that this isn't an eating challenge he's
saying look if anyone was able to do it was King Solomon who wrote this book and
he had the ability to just try everything there was to be tried and
have all these things in abundance and he says in verse 26 for God giveth to a
man that is good in his sight wisdom and knowledge and joy but to the sinner he
giveth travail to gather and to keep up that he may give him that is good before
God you know God gives more to those that are good God gives more to those
that are grateful and thankful for what they have and really all God expects in
return is for you to be thankful and I think God God would love to give us more
and God would love to bless us more and I'm not saying physical things I'm
saying a spirit of joy and peace and contentment you know you know
relationships significant meaningful relationships in our lives with our
families and our friends and our church you know fellow church members you know
it's service for God God wants to bless us with these things these spiritual
blessings but all and he wants to eat but he you know he wants us to be
thankful for that he wants to hear it thanks you know no one wants to do
something nice for their for their child or somebody and they just happen to be
like you know give them an attitude I mean are you gonna you want to do
something nice for something like oh thanks you I might you really think
you're ever doing nice for that person again I mean you might just because you
have the character but it doesn't you're not gonna feel motivated to do it you
know sometimes you think why you know you just think of somebody you get him a
gift give it to him and you know I've never had it happen everyone's anytime
I've ever done that they've been like oh thanks wow they're surprised I've had
people do that to me so wow I didn't see that coming thank you and it was
genuine since it's here but what if I just been like I didn't want this hey
did you did you keep the receipt you know this kind of an attitude right
that's the last gift you're ever gonna get from me if that's your attitude and
it's the same way with God and when God wants to bless us with all these great
things and he just sees us down here like not even thankful for what he has
done for us not even thankful for what we already do have why is he gonna give
us more just so we can be more a more ungrateful person I don't think so so we
have to understand some that the source of all thankfulness what it where does
it come from it comes from understanding that all good things from come from God
when we understand that then we become a thankful people and that manifests in us
becoming a more humble people it become a results in us becoming a people that
give praise and glory to God and it results in us getting to enjoy God's
blessings as well and that's a sincere spirit of thanks you know that that
stems from understanding that this is that source of all good things is from
the Lord you want to be a sincere person who genuinely thanks God and is you have
to understand something all good things come from God let's go and pray