WELCOME
Good morning First Baptist. We welcome you to worship this morning. Be sure to remember your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the week as you pray for them, and as the Holy Spirit brings their faces to your mind. Be sure to also connect with them in the ways that are possible. And if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact the church through the church telephone and leave a message. (519-733-4144)
Songs
Call to Worship
Thanksgiving is more than a season to count our blessings. It’s a time to take a personal inventory on those things that are of this world and those that are eternal, a time to balance our perspective between our sometimes misplaced sense of entitlement and His amazing grace.
Thanksgiving is not for us to be measured by the abundance of our harvest, by the possessions we accumulate, or the recognition we receive, God isn’t required to meet a quota to deserve our adulation.
No on this day, we do not celebrate accumulation, no, we acknowledge and give thanks for Emmanuel, God with us, God in us.
GOOD MORNING FBK & WELCOME TO WORSHIP!
Songs
Prayer
Prayer of Confession & Assurance
You are the God of
Abundance, Provision, and Plenty
Yet
So many do not have enough
So many are burdened by far too much
So many squander what they have
So many do evil to get moreThe “many” include me Lord, have mercy in this season of thanksgiving, remind us of the truth that every good and perfect gift comes from You. God, we admit that even in our moment of gratitude, we fall short. We feel thankful for the gifts without acknowledging the Giver. We praise the beautiful creation around us without drawing close to the Creator. We sing about our salvation without glorifying You – our Savior. Forgive us. Remind us, oh God, that any good we experience is only a glimpse of Your character. That any blessing is only a foretaste of what You have in store for those who put their hope in You. And that even our lives– the very breath in our lungs– is only there because of Your deep love for us. God, reveal Yourself to us in every good gift, and give us eyes to see You in them. In Jesus’ holy Name we pray. Amen
Thanksgiving
God, My Shepherd!
Today's Message: Pastor Marlee Page
We don’t know his given name. He may have used the name legion a long time. That is the way This morning I would invite you to turn with me to Psalm 23. As we contemplate what it means to be thankful, I thought it might be helpful to look at one of the most familiar psalms in the Bible, and one we most often hear at funerals – Psalm 23. So you might be asking – Why look at it at Thanksgiving? Well, because at it’s core, a genuine heart of thankfulness is really what this psalm is all about! The actual word “thanks” may not be used, but make no mistake, that is the basis of this psalm throughout.
Before I read through this Psalm with you, I want to make a couple of points that might help you understand, why I think this is a wonderful piece of scripture for us to view on Thanksgiving Sunday.
Psalm 23 follows Psalm 22, which we would recognize as a passionate and heartfelt lament, one connected with the passion of Jesus in the New Testament. The opening words of Psalm 22 are the words spoken by Jesus on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Generally, laments in the book of Psalms are comprised of five elements:
- Invocation: The psalmist calls on God to listen.
- Lament: Next the psalmist tells God the reason for crying out God.
- Petition: Then the psalmist tells God what he/she wants God to do. Now pay attention here….
- Words of Trust: The psalmist then often recounts why God should be trusted at all by remembering God’s faithfulness in the past.
- Words of Praise: The psalmist offers words of praise to the Lord.
The structure of Psalm 22, a lament psalm is different thought…it’s laid out as an escalation, a piling up, of elements of the lament. We’re not going to review that Psalm this morning but let me point out that as in many Psalms of Lament, there are no words of trust coming into play with Psalm 22 – so what’s with that??
Psalm 23, that’s what…And so might it be that we are intended to read Psalm 23, an individual hymn of thanksgiving, as the words of trust that are missing from the last parts of Psalm 22?
You see, the two psalms share vocabulary and concepts – they seem connected…. but what we find in Psalm 23 exclaims confidence in God as shepherd to the psalmist. In Psalm 22, however, the psalmist accuses God of being far away and not answering the psalmist’s cry for help; of being silent when those around mock and shake their heads and of ignoring the fact that the psalmist’s body is shriveled and emaciated – he’s suffering….
I chose to spend a moment on this to draw us to an understanding of Psalm 23 as a word of trust in answer to the heartfelt lament of Psalm 22…In doing so, I think this not only helps us to understand both psalms, it also creates a powerful statement of trust in the Lord that is certainly something we all need to be thankful for.
Let me say one more thing about this Psalm before we read it. This is a Psalm of David. It’s the superscription, but most often it can be considered part of the text. That this is of David is significant – after all, he was originally a shepherd himself. If anyone knows what the care of a shepherd is like, it was the shepherd boy taken from the flocks to eventually lead the nation of Israel. This is his song to the Lord, as he proclaims the goodness of the One he considered his shepherd.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
This statement right here is the working theory for David’s praise – everything to come in the following verses, support this statement David is making. This is who God is! This is what He does. Because God is David’s shepherd, David knows that he will not lack for any good thing. God is the Good Shepherd. As Jesus says, He is the one who lays His life down for the sheep (Jn 10:15). He is the one who cares for us, seeks us out, and leads us in the way we ought to go. Domesticated sheep without a shepherd invariably get into trouble, as do we without our Lord Jesus. Yet when we are in the care of of the good Shepherd Jesus, we are cared for deeply! And it is having Jesus as our Shepherd that we can (and should!) give thanks to God.
God’s provision (2-4)
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
David notes some very practical and even physical reasons to be thankful.
The “green pastures” & “still waters” speak of the physical provision a shepherd might give his sheep. Literally, we might translate this “grassy pastures” and of God leading David for the specific purpose of watering his sheep beside the “waters of rest.” If there is any place that a sheep would like to eat & drink, it would be that! To “lie down” in these meadows is to be (for a sheep) literally surrounded by food, and the waters at rest are the most peaceful watering holes that could be found. This is true abundance.
Although we may not be rich, we know that God is our physical provider. How many ways has God provided for you this year? Have you slept soundly? Eaten meals? Had health enough to make it through the day? If we were to receive nothing else, we could attest that with these things that God provides for our physical needs. Some of these things God gives to both the believer & unbeliever, as God makes His rain fall on the just & unjust (Mt 5:45). Even so, it is still reason to give God thanks.
James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
God certainly provides spiritually. He provides for us the things we spiritually lack – specifically, righteousness. Without Jesus, we don’t truly have a righteous bone in our bodies. On our own, our righteousness is nothing but a cycle of ‘let me try again’. But Jesus gives us His righteousness. He leads us in the “paths of righteousness.” With that phrase, think “well established paths of righteousness,” as when a tire track has worn a path into the ground. Jesus leads us straight to the place we need to be, if we follow Him. We continually walk in righteousness, because that is the way Jesus leads us and we need to Give thanks to God for leading us in righteousness! We also need to give thanks to Him for teaching us & instructing us. The Lord did not leave you alone once you put your faith in Him for forgiveness. He didn’t hang you out to dry. He gave you His word, and His Spirit.
God provides emotionally too. The phrase often quoted “the valley of the shadow of death” could literally be translated “valley of deep shadow / gloom.” Death is certainly in on the page here, but the overarching idea is one of depression. David was well-acquainted with gloom and depression, he had many enemies throughout his life. Yet in the midst of this, David does not fear. Why not? Because God Himself is with Him. That is an emphasis in the Hebrew – David was assured the company of God. Again, a more specific translation here could be: “for You Yourself are with me.” With God with him, what possible reason would David ever have to fear? What could the world throw at him that God could not overcome?
Church, we have this same protection in Jesus! Hear me now – you have this same protection in Him!! He promised to be with us, even to the end of the age. By sending Jesus to earth, God shows His intent to never leaves us nor forsakes us. We even have the ongoing indwelling presence of God the Holy Spirit within us and so there is nothing we should fear! Now, as you know, we are not promised that we won’t undergo trial & suffering, but there is no reason we need to be emotionally scarred in the midst of it.
Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”
Do we have reason to thank God? You bet! Our God provides! As Abraham knew God to be Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord who provides, so do we. We can thank Him for His provision, and we can thank Him for His blessing. Vs. 5…
God’s blessing (5-6)
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
The whole idea here is one of victory. In a way, this is still God’s provision for David – only, God is not shown here as a Shepherd, but as the One who gives favor. Like a king might honor one captain above all others, so does God honor David above his enemies.
People might want to take David down, but God lifts him up. God has a place prepared for him, and visibly demonstrates His choice of David by liberally anointing him with oil. David understands this blessing, and is overwhelmed by it all.
But here’s how that applies to you – That is the same blessing we have received in Jesus Christ! Like David, we have also had a table prepared for us in the presence of our enemies. How so? We have fellowship with the Lord Jesus, even over the claims of death and Satan. Because of Jesus, for us death has lost its sting. That enemy has been destroyed…and as for the adversary, Satan, he has no claim on us, because Jesus has claimed us for His own. We have been anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit, forever sealed and set apart unto Jesus… remember we talked about the seal of the Holy Spirit last year. Don’t miss how this is all the work of God. God was the one to prepare the table – God was the one to anoint. David did not do this for himself; God did it on his behalf. So it is the same with us. We don’t save ourselves, we don’t pull off our own victories over death & Satan; Jesus does this for us. Jesus chose us – Jesus saves us – Jesus calls us as His own. He did the work, so we thank Him for the work!
And look, the blessings don’t stop there. Vs. 6…
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.
The blessings of God continue forever! As long as David exists, he will experience the good things / benefits of the Lord (ט֤וֹב ), as well as His everlasting loyal-love / mercies / lovingkindness (חֶ֣סֶד ). They will never end. David will always live in the presence of the Lord, wherever God is, that is where David will be… Wherever David is, that is where God will be.
Does that promise sound familiar to you? It should:
John 14:1–3,
1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
What is our promise? To be with Jesus, in His dwelling place. For how long? Forever! Does that sound like a good thing to you? Like an expression of His loyal-love? That is “goodness and mercy”!
As we conclude, I want to read to you the paraphrase of Eugene Peterson, he interprets Psalm 23 in the following way – close your eyes, let these words wash over you….
God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows;
you find me quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word, you let me catch my breath
and send me in the right direction.
Even when the way goes through Death Valley,
I’m not afraid when you walk by my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure.
You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies.
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims with blessing.
Your beauty and love chase after me e
very day of my life. I
’m back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life.
Church, we have many reasons to give thanks! Our God has chosen to be our God – He has called us to be His sheep as He is our Shepherd. He provides for us, in every way imaginable: physically, spiritually, emotionally. He showers His blessings upon us, through the abundance of His mercy & grace both in our lives today and in the eternal future.
So, thank Him – praise Him – exalt Him – give Him the glory He is due. There’s no more appropriate time to do that, than Thanksgiving. For those of us that call Jesus Lord, that’s not just something to do on a national holiday; it’s a way of life!
Prayer
Dear Father in Heaven.
Thank You for the promise that in You I shall not want. When I am overwhelmed, You calm my restless heart.
In trials that overpower me as mighty torrents in a raging river, You call me to rest beside still waters.
In a world that only knows what it means to take,
You bring the peace that restores to me even those things I did not know I had lost.
So many voices call to me, beckoning me to walk another road, But You – You invite me to walk in paths of Your righteousness in the name of Your Son.
In the inevitability of the shadow of death, I thank you Father that I need not fear the unknown. I need only look to You for comfort and protection.
Even in the midst of those things that bring fear – that make me feel alone, You prepare a banquet and Your sure love overwhelms my enemies. The things that burden me are washed away in Your presence and
I am overcome with Your grace.
Abba, I could never ask for that which You offer to me as gift. My heart overflows.
But we do ask of you this morning gracious father;
For peace in a world of war;
For healing mercies to those who are ill;
For provision – particularly for those that have no home or no job;
Father may your Children be drawn close to you.
Thank you that your goodness and mercy are always with us and
We rejoice in the invitation to dwell in Your house forever.
Praise You Loving Father. Praise You Son of God. Praise You Holy Spirit.
May our life together be a never ending psalm of Thanksgiving. Amen
Song
Benediction
May the Lord bless you and keep you, May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you…and May the eyes of your heart be open to all the blessings which surround you; may this awareness produce a harvest of generosity in your spirit.
May thankfulness rise up within you, not just during this short season, but day after day,
May your prayers reflect gratitude,
May thoughts of Jesus fill your mind, and thanksgiving be your response.
Blessings & have a great week!