BE THANKFUL FOR SPIRITUAL THINGS

TEXT- 2 THESSALONIANS 1:1-4

INTRODUCTION

DURING THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER I HAVE BEEN EMPHASIZING THE NEED FOR US TO BECOME MORE THANKFUL TO GOD.

THIS MORNING I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WITH THAT SAME THEME.

JUST BECAUSE THE DAY THAT OUR NATION HAS SET ASIDE TO GIVE THANKS TO GOD IS OVER DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE ARE TO STOP BEING THANKFUL TO THE LORD.  WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL EVERYDAY OF THE YEAR.

BUT MOST ESPECIALLY, DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR OUR MINDS AND HEARTS OUGHT TO BE TURNED TO GOD IS DEEP GRATITUDE FOR ALL HE HAS DONE FOR US.

IN THE THANKSGIVING DAY ISSUE OF THE NOVEMBER 24, 1988 ISSUE OF THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER THERE WAS AN ARTICLE ENTITLED, "A HOLIDAY WHOSE HISTORY ESCAPES MODERN SOCIETY."

THE ARTICLE GOES ON TO SAY: “THANKSGIVING IS ONE OF THOSE HOLIDAYS WHOSE SIGNIFICANCE HAS MANAGED TO ELUDE CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY.   NOW, WE ALL KNOW WHAT CHRISTMAS AND THE FOURTH OF JULY ARE ABOUT.  BUT THANKSGIVING? PILGRIMS, INDIANS, TURKEYS, RIGHT? THANKSGIVING?  THANKFUL TO WHOM, AND FOR WHAT?  SHHSH!  DON’T TELL THE ACLU, BUT THE TURKEY FEST IS AN ANNUAL REFUTATION OF THE MYTH THAT AMERICA WAS FOUNDED AS A SECULAR SOCIETY.  NO MYLES, THE PILGRIMS WEREN’T HUMANISTS, WHO ARRIVED ON THESE SHORES TO ORDAIN AND ESTABLISH SINGLES BARS, ADULT BOOKSTORES, AND FAMILY-PLANNING CLINICS FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR POSTERITY.  SPEAKING ON THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PILGRIM LANDING AT PLYMOUTH, DANIEL WEBSTER ADMONISHED: ‘FINALLY, LET US NOT FORGET THE RELIGIOUS CHARACTER OF OUR ORIGIN.  OUR FATHERS WERE BROUGHT HITHER BY THEIR HIGH VENERATION OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.’  TRY SAYING THAT TODAY, AND NORMAN LEAR WILL HAVE YOU DECLARED UN-AMERICAN.  THE PILGRIMS, PURITANS, AND OTHER DISSENTERS WHO TAMED THIS WILDERNESS BELIEVED DEVOUTLY IN THE SEPARATION OF THE RELIGIOUS AND CIVIL AUTHORITIES.  THEY SUBSCRIBED TO THE VIEWS OF JOHN MILTON, WHO PROCLAIMED: ‘OUR LIBERTY IS NOT CAESAR’S.  IT IS A BLESSING WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOD HIMSELF.’  YET, COEXISTING WITH THESE CONVICTIONS WAS THE BELIEF THAT A RELIGIOUS SPIRIT SHOULD INFUSE SOCIETY, THAT LAWS SHOULD BE SHAPED BY THE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN ETHIC... THIS RELIGIOUS ETHOS ANIMATED THE FOUNDING FATHERS.  SAID GEORGE WASHINGTON, ‘IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GOVERN RIGHTLY WITHOUT GOD AND THE BIBLE.’  TO WHICH JOHN ADAMS ADDED: ‘OUR CONSTITUTION WAS MADE FOR A MORAL AND A RELIGIOUS PEOPLE.  IT IS WHOLLY INADEQUATE FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF ANY OTHER.’... IT HAS BEEN A PERILOUS DESCENT FROM THE HEIGHTS OF PLYMOUTH ROCK.  ‘NO RELIGIOUS TEST’ FOR PUBLIC OFFICE HAS BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO: FUNDAMENTALISTS NEED NOT APPLY.  THE PROHIBITION ON AN ESTABLISHED CHURCH HAS MUTATED INTO A BAN ON SCHOOL PRAYER; EVEN A MOMENT OF SILENCE IS REJECTED ON THE GROUNDS THAT SOMEONE MIGHT BE ENCOURAGED TO PRAY.  RELIGIOUS DISPLAYS ON PUBLIC PROPERTY AS DISDAINED AS NASCENT THEOCRACY.  ONLY BY MAINTAINING HISTORICAL AMNESIA CAN SECULARISTS SELL THIS NONSENSE TO AN UNIFORMED PUBLIC.  AS HART SO COGENTLY NOTES: ‘THE CLEAR INTENTION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT WAS TO ...PROTECT A RELIGIOUS PEOPLE FROM GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE, NOT TO PROTECT GOVERNMENT FROM A RELIGIOUS PEOPLE.”

THE ONE THING THAT HAS MADE AMERICA SO GREAT SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED HAS BEEN ITS FOCUS UPON SPIRITUAL THINGS, FROM THE COMMON PEOPLE TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR WE ARE OFTEN TIMES SO ENGROSSED IN THE PHYSICAL THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THANKSGIVING; THE FAMILY COMING TO TOWN, THE DINNER, THE FOOTBALL GAME, ETC, THAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM GOD OFTEN TIMES EVEN ELUDES SOME OF GOD'S PEOPLE.  TO THE POINT THAT SOME HAVE EVEN FORGOTTEN THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THANKSGIVING.

THIS MORNING OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN 2 THESSALONIANS 1:1-4 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, "BE THANKFUL FOR SPIRITUAL THINGS."

HERE IN OUR TEXT PAUL EXPRESSES HIS THANKFULNESS FOR THREE SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS THAT WERE FOUND IN THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH IN THESSALONICA.

AS WE LOOK AT THESE VERSES I WOULD LIKE US TO TAKE NOTE OF THREE REASONS WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL TO GOD.