My name is Pastor Thompson. I'm from Sure Foundation Baptist Church. This is our church family that's come here with me tonight.
And I do have just a short message from the Bible that I wanted to share with you, maybe 10 minutes long or something along those lines.
But anyway, it's been since 2019, I do see at least one familiar face in here.
But I just wanted to thank you all for coming and we'll try to make this a more, that we can come more often.
We used to come in here, was it every week? It was once a week.
So we would like to come back to our once a week slot of time as long as we don't get in trouble with everybody here.
I guess 6.30 is probably the better time for everybody is what I was told.
So we'll see if we can make that happen and then make sure to bring some snacks with us.
So anyway, we brought some pie. Just wanted to say that I'm very thankful to be back here and very excited.
We're very excited. The fact that we get to come back. It's been too long.
So we've missed you guys and we've missed coming here and we just want to enjoy a little bit of fellowship with you afterwards.
So whatever kind of pie you want, it looks like there's plenty. So you might even be able to get to have two pieces.
So as long as Brandon doesn't eat all the pie, we're going to be OK.
So anyway, I'm kidding. If you brought your Bible, that's great. If you didn't bring your Bible, that's OK.
You can just listen. So the title of my message tonight is Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving.
Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving. I want to have a little quick word of prayer before I begin.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord, so much for the fact that we could come back to prestige to preach to the people here and, Lord, to enjoy fellowship and just love on the people here.
And I pray that you would just help me to preach this sermon. I pray you fill me with your spirit.
Lord, I pray if there's someone here that doesn't know you as their savior, maybe they're just not 100 percent sure.
If they died today, they'd go to heaven. Lord, I pray that you just help them to make that known before we leave.
Lord, there's many people here that they could talk to if someone doesn't know for sure.
And, Lord, I just pray that you'd help us to minister. And I pray that you would fill me with your spirit for this sermon. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
So you don't have to, if you do have your Bible, you don't have to turn to a lot of different places, but the text I'm going to be in is Psalm chapter 100.
Psalm chapter 100, that's in the middle of the Bible. Psalm 100, Psalm 100.
So in the middle of the Bible there, somewhere, there's 150 Psalms, that's Psalm 100.
So I have four very brief points. I know when I say I have four points, my congregation starts getting all scared because I preach for long periods of time,
and I didn't kind of tell them that I wasn't going to preach for a long time. So I'm looking at my time right now. It starts right now.
So Psalm 100, verse number 1, the Bible says,
A Psalm of praise, make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all you lands. Serve the Lord with gladness, come before His presence with singing.
The first point in this sermon is voice your thankfulness.
Voice your thankfulness. Isn't that what it's saying? It's saying to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
And notice it says noise. It doesn't say you have to sing eloquently or have this great voice to sing.
God just wants to hear from you.
So the reason why we start those church services off with songs is because the Bible says make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
So the first point is voice your thankfulness. So we ought to sing to the Lord. Why? Because He's God. Because He's worthy of praise.
And we sing those Christmas songs, and those Christmas songs are great Christmas songs, and they're telling about how Jesus was born,
and He came here to die for us. He came here to minister, but He came here to die ultimately for our sins.
He shed His precious blood for us on the cross of Calvary.
And the Bible teaches that He was buried in a borrowed tomb and that He rose from the dead three days later.
And so the Bible is talking about here to make a joyful noise unto the Lord.
So I'm glad that I don't have to do any solos that we sing congregationally, and I thought it sounded pretty good.
You all did a really good job singing, so I liked hearing that.
But we ought to voice the fact that we're thankful. So the title of the sermon is Enter His Gates with Thanksgiving.
What are you thankful for today? Are you thankful for the fact that you have some of your health?
Because you might not have all your health. You might have some health issues, and maybe that's why you're here.
But everybody, as we get older, we start to develop health problems and health issues.
And when you're 20 years old, you probably didn't have to take a lot of pills.
Now you probably have to take a lot of pills. You've got to count which ones.
And I forgot to take these ones, that type of stuff. And I'm getting there too.
I'm feeling aches and pains in my body and things like that.
But we always still have, and I preached about this last night at our church, we always should look at the silver lining in our lives.
What do we have that we can be thankful for? Yeah, we do. We have life.
And you know, I was saying this last night, I said to some of our church members that are a little bit older,
I said, well, you know, one thing you have, you know, a silver line is that you get to see Jesus before the people that are younger.
So, and I know that I'm just being funny by saying that, but it is true though.
It's true. Because, you know, Paul, the apostle Paul said it's far better to be with Christ than it is to be in this life.
Now obviously, God has given us work to do here in this life, otherwise He would just save us and beam us up.
But He has work for us to do. So, and here's the thing, be thankful that you could still serve God.
Be thankful that you still have your voice to sing to God.
Be thankful for the fact that you can actually be in here and that you're cognitive and you can understand what's going on.
You know, a lot of people don't have those abilities.
So, you know, as long as you're able to make a noise, a joyful noise unto the Lord, you should try to do that.
And it says, serve the Lord with gladness. And it says, come before His presence with singing.
So, that's why every church service you've probably ever been to, it starts off with a couple songs.
Because we're supposed to come together as God's people and worship Him and obviously hear the preaching
and all the other things that go along with that and all the blessings that come with being a Christian.
But He wants us to voice our thankfulness to Him. And how do we show that we're thankful?
Well, we show that by singing to Him and worshiping Him. And it says to serve the Lord with gladness.
So, you should be glad that you still have the opportunity to serve Him. And maybe your only way of serving Him is by prayer.
You can pray for other people. You can still serve the Lord as long as you are able to do that.
Point number two is be thankful if you are one of His people. Be thankful if you're one of His people.
And in verse number three it says, know ye that the Lord He is God. It is He that hath made us and not we ourselves.
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Now, if you are saved today and if you know for sure that you're going to heaven, you have no doubts in your mind about that,
then that is something to be thankful for. Because the Bible says that once we put our faith and belief in Jesus Christ,
that we have everlasting life. See, a lot of people think that they have to work to get to heaven.
And a lot of churches teach that. But let me just tell you something right now.
The Bible says it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.
Our good works will never get us into heaven. People can say, well, I'm a good person, that's why I'm going.
But Jesus was a good person, so you could go. That's why He came. Isn't that why He came, to die for our sins?
So if we're sinful, then that means we need someone to cover those sins.
And when Jesus shed His blood for us, He covered our sins. But we do have to do something to be saved.
And that is not a bunch of work. That is just having faith in Him.
The Bible says in John 3 16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.
Isn't that Him giving His only begotten Son? That's a gift, isn't it?
That whosoever, whosoever means anyone, that whosoever believeth in Him.
It doesn't say whosoever does good works or goes to church or gets baptized.
It says whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
So if you believe in Him, you won't perish. You won't have to go to hell.
And yes, hell is a real place. It's a place we should avoid. A place we should shun.
And the way to do that is to put our faith in Jesus Christ.
And that's all you have to do to be saved. That's real simple, isn't it? That's real easy.
You're like, well, you're making it too easy, Pastor. Is it really that easy?
Well, I just quoted you John 3 16. That's the most famous verse in the whole Bible.
And what does it say? Whosoever believeth should not perish but have everlasting life.
How long does everlasting life last for? It lasts forever, doesn't it?
How long does eternal life last for? It lasts forever, doesn't it?
So once you believe in Jesus, He gives you the gift. What's the gift? Everlasting life.
And so the last time I checked, you know, if someone gives you a gift, a gift means that it was free.
Now, it's free to us, but it wasn't free to purchase our salvation.
What did I say that we had to have to purchase our salvation? Jesus had to die for us.
Jesus is God manifest in the flesh. Jesus came to this world. He was born of the Virgin Mary.
Who's heard that before? Born of the Virgin Mary. And He had a father. Who was His father?
His father was God. So that means Jesus was man and God at the same time.
He's the God-man, Christ Jesus, the Lord. And so He lived the perfect life.
How was He able to do that? Well, He was able to do that because He was born with no sin.
See, because we're sinful. We can't even get through a day without doing something sinful.
But aren't we born without sin?
Well, we're born innocent, but we still have that sin that dwells in us. That's passed from father to child.
And so when it's passed from father to child, that means everybody is born with that sin.
Now, I want to make this clear. A baby that's never done anything is still going to go to heaven,
regardless of whether they're baptized or not. Because they are still innocent.
But once a person starts to realize that they're sinful, and the age of accountability is different in every person,
but once you start to understand that you're sinful, once you start to commit sinful acts,
that's when you're responsible for the choices you make in life.
And the choice is either life or death, heaven or hell. And that's not a popular thing to teach anymore.
But, you know, I'm a Baptist preacher, and I'm going to have to say what the Bible says, and that's what it says, right?
So I'm not going to shy away from the things that the Bible says, even if it hurts people's feelings.
Because, look, I don't want to hurt people's feelings. I want to help people.
I want to help people understand that there's a heaven to gain and a hell to shun.
And so if you're one of God's people, if you're saved, we should be thankful for that.
Because He made us, and not we ourselves, it says, we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
And you know what? God takes care of His sheep. He is the Great Shepherd.
He is the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd of the sheep.
And you know what? When you're one of God's children, He's going to watch out for you.
He's going to take care of you. He's going to be there to comfort you when you're sick.
He's going to be there to comfort you when you're going through a hard time.
And you're like, well, I can't see Him. But that doesn't matter.
Jesus promised, He said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.
So when all men forsake you, when nobody is there for you, there is one person that will always be there for you.
And Jesus promised that He would do that. That He would never leave us or forsake us.
Number three tonight, be thankful to be in His presence.
You know, when Jesus died, the Bible says that He died for the church.
And a lot of people think church is this place with four walls and a steeple and stained glass windows or something.
But in reality, the church is when other people, saved people gather together in one accord in the name of Jesus Christ.
And they are gathered together in His name to sing and to worship Him and to read the Bible and to pray and to hear the preaching of God's word and to fellowship and to go sowing and bring forth the Great Commission so that all people can be saved.
So we should be thankful about the times when we can come into His presence.
It says in verse four, it says, enter into His gates with thanksgiving.
So every time we're able to gather together with other believers in church or in a church service, we should do that with thanksgiving.
Being thankful for the things that God has allowed us to have, being thankful for the fact that we can serve and worship God one more time on this earth.
And it says, and into His courts with praise, we should be praising God.
And how do we do that? We bless His name, we pray to Him and we sing psalms and songs and spiritual songs to Him.
Number four tonight, be thankful to God for everything. Be thankful to God for everything.
And in the second part of Psalm 104, it says, be thankful unto Him.
Who's the Him? God, right? And bless His name.
So a lot of times we want God to bless us. Jacob, when he was wrestling with the angel, he said, I'm not going to let you go unless you bless me.
Right? Everybody wants to have the blessings of God. Or if you don't want to have the blessings of God, you should want to have the blessings of God.
Because that is a good thing to be blessed. We could be blessed with husbands or wives. We could be blessed with children or grandchildren.
We could be blessed with our health. We could be blessed with our needs being met.
Food and clothing and a roof over our head. There's a lot of things that we could be blessed with.
And once we're blessed with those things, no matter what station we have in life, we should be thankful for those things.
Because there's a lot of people in a lot of other countries that would love to have the things that we have in this country.
And I've been to foreign countries before where children are literally coming up and begging you, crying and begging you for money.
Their bellies are all swollen. They're hungry. I've seen families dig into a bag of rice and eat the rice with their hands.
All the children. I mean, it's really sad. And I'm not trying to give anybody a guilt trip. I'm just saying we have a lot here.
And we have a lot to be thankful for. And sometimes we like to have our own little pity parties. You know what a pity party is?
That's when we start to feel sorry for ourselves. Well, nobody likes me. Nobody come to see me. You know what?
If Jesus likes you, that's good enough, isn't it? And the Bible says that he loved the whole world.
So you're like, well, I'm not very lovable. But Jesus loves you. So as long as Jesus loves you, who cares who else loves you?