NORTH YORK CHURCH OF CHRIST

Pastor Roger Marcos
October 7, 2018

Thanksgiving Day in Canada has been a holiday on the second Monday of October since 1957. It is a chance for people to give thanks to the Lord, for a good harvest and other fortunes that the people enjoyed.

Is Thanksgiving Day a Public Holiday?

Thanksgiving Day is a public holiday. It is a day off for the general population, and schools and most businesses are closed.

Many people have a day off work on the second Monday of October. They often use the three-day Thanksgiving weekend to visit family or friends who live far away, or to receive them in their own homes. Many people also prepare a special meal to eat at some point during the long weekend. Traditionally, this included roast turkey and seasonal produce, such as pumpkin, corn ears and pecan nuts. Now, the meal may consist of other foods, particularly if the family is of non-European descent

According to the Scripture Acts 17: 28 FOR IN HIM, WE LIVE AND MOVE, AND HAVE OUR BEING.

Thanksgiving Is Not Just a Day, It is a Way of Life. It should be a life style.

LLUS: H.A. Ironside is said to have this experience in a crowded restaurant. There were few tables open and just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited his to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, "Do you have a headache?" Ironside replied, "No, I don't." The other man asked, "Well, is there something wrong with your food?" Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat."

The man said, "Oh, you're one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don't have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!" Ironside said, "Yes, you're just like my dog. That's what he does too!"

The man who Dr. Ironside met in the restaurant was a fool. He made himself a fool by not recognizing how dependent we are on God and each other

We are being thankful to God, the life He gave and most is the eternal life He promised. Yes, when we think about THANKSGIVING, thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude for ALL the blessings we received from above.

The apostle Paul give a mandate, order to the Ephesians believers.

Eph. 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

ALWAYS - at all times; on all occasions,--- every time, each time, at all times, all the time, without fail, consistently, regularly, habitually, unfailing. Forever.

God doesn't want us to just feel gratitude, but for us to show it by giving thanks to God with..our lives- RC. Sproul

³⁴ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. 1 Chron. 16:34

I. TRANSFER OWNERSHIP BACK TO GOD. 2 Cor. 5:221

2 Cor. 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

God made Jesus to be sin. We have the opportunity to become God’s righteousness only because God made Jesus sin. What ever does that mean? Our sins were placed on Jesus’ body? God made Jesus to be sin? What does that mean?

For example, because God made Jesus to be sin, God can sanctify you and me.

The word sanctify means “to make holy.” In making us holy, God sets us apart from that which is ungodly and evil. In making us holy, God also consecrates us to Himself; He claims us as His own.

In a very real way, being sanctified means a change of ownership. We belonged to Satan. But God took us from Satan and set us apart for Himself. The concept of sanctification was so clearly understood in the first century that the common name for people who belonged to Christ was saints

Everyone who is called by My name, Whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him.” Isa. 43:7

> Col. 1: 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

> 1 Chron. 29: 11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
¹² Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

II. HUMBLY ADJUST YOUR LIFE STYLE TO LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS. Ready to change

There's an old joke where a man says, "I really want to go to medical school, but it takes at least seven years--and I'll be 50 in seven years!" A wise friend replies, "And how old will you be in seven years if you don't go?"

If you're not where you want to be in your career--or, for that matter, in your life--never let yourself believe change is impossible. Don't allow your future to be limited by your age or your situation; stop being afraid of what might go wrong and start getting excited about what could go right.

Live in the present moment. The best way you feel happier about your life is to stop dwelling on the past and stop worrying about the future. If you find yourself constantly dwelling on negative memories,

> Pro. 21: 20 Wise people live in wealth and luxury, but stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it. GNT

> James 4:4 You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that love for this evil world is hatred toward God? Whoever wants to be a friend of this world is an enemy of God. ⁵ Do you think this passage means nothing? It says, “The Spirit that lives in us wants us to be his own.”
⁶ But God shows us even more kindness. Scripture says,
“God opposes arrogant people, but he is kind to humble people.”
⁷ So place yourselves under God’s authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. ⁸ Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners, and clear your minds, you doubters. ⁹ Be miserable, mourn, and cry. Turn your laughter into mourning and your joy into gloom.

III. AVOID BEING INDEBTEDNESS IN YOUR LIFE JOURNEY.

> Pro. 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. NIV

> Det. 28:15 “But if you disobey the Lord your God and do not faithfully keep all his commands and laws that I am giving you today, all these evil things will happen to you:

⁴³ “Foreigners who live in your land will gain more and more power, while you gradually lose yours. ⁴⁴ They will have money to lend you, but you will have none to lend them. In the end they will be your rulers.

> Pro. 22:26 Don't promise to be responsible for someone else's debts. 27 If you should be unable to pay, they will take away even your bed.

These verses in Proverbs give us advice in the area of pledging security (surety) for another's debts. Since Proverbs is known as the book of wisdom for practical living, we find some advice in these verses in the area of finances. We are advised here not to become security for another. In our culture today, this would be advice not to co-sign a bank loan for another person. It would also mean not to guarantee someone else's loan. Many friendships have been destroyed because this advice was not taken. Although the borrower may have the best of intentions, sometimes they are unable to pay their note off, and then the lender must take care of it and this could ultimately put him in a position of jeopardizing his own financial position.

Verse 26 speaks of making a pledge and striking hands. Today we shake hands on an agreement and sign papers that pledge we will carry out the words on the contracts that we have signed. They become legal documents. Many people never even signed contracts, they just shook hands on an agreement and because both men were honest and honorable, they carried out that agreement. If they gave their word, they kept it. We should always take every agreement that we sign very seriously. We are giving our word to do something and this is a serous thing before God and men. So if we are surety for someone, we must keep our promise because we have given our word. If we are men and women of our word, then we are bound to keep our word, even when it hurts. All of us have, at times, "sworn to our own hurt." We may wish that we had not done so, as then we had to keep our word even when it was difficult to do so. God expects us, as His children, to keep our word, just as He keeps His Word.

Conclusion”

Points:

1. Transfer Ownership Back to God.
2. Humbly Adjust Your Life Style To Live Below Your Means.
3. Avoid Being Indebtedness In Your Life Journey.

Eph. 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving to All

GOD BLESS!