A Thanksgiving sacrifice
Key Passage: Hebrews 13:9-11
Date: June 7, 2024
Would you turn in your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 13? Hebrews is kind of towards the back part of your Bible, Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13 of God’s Word. I can’t help but think across America, the churches and the preachers that are open to the Bible. What an important time for a nation Sunday morning is. And that’s what America needs a whole lot of. I’m glad you’re in God’s house this morning.
The subject for the Internet would be a Thanksgiving Day sacrifice, a Thanksgiving Day sacrifice. We’re not talking about the burnt sacrifice when you burn the turkey, all right? Hopefully we’re not talking about that, you know.
Hebrews chapter 13 of God’s Word. We’re going to read a little bit, maybe more than typical on Sunday morning. We’ll talk through some of these verses, so don’t lose me in that. Try and just get us a little bit of the context of what’s going on, and then we’ll get down to one verse. It will be our text verse. We’ll spend the rest of the time on this morning.
Look, you’re stuck here for the next, oh, 45 minutes. Might as well get something while you hear. Amen. So just whisper a prayer: “Lord, speak to my heart. I want to hear not just from the preacher—preachers are preachers, good and bad, all the rest of that—but from the Lord.” You want to hear from the Lord. And the Bible says, if we’re hungry, He’ll fill us. So let Him know, “Lord, I’m hungry. I need something from You today.” And that’s just key. Hebrews 13.
We’re going to start in verse number nine. If you’re there, would you say amen? Good deal. Now, we’re lopsided this morning. You notice that? Can we have a couple of these people who’ll order this side to even it out a little bit here? I’m teasing, but we are. I feel like we’re on an airplane going like this, especially the first couple rows there. Brother Bradley and Brother Tim brushed their teeth. I mean, y’all got up there, I tell you for sure now.
Amen. Hebrews 13, we’re going to start in verse number nine. Would you please stand if you’re able to just to show the Word of God respect? We do that just to show respect, as the Bible is worthy of it. Verse number nine, right there, verse number nine, Hebrews 13:9. The Bible there says, “Be not carried about with divers or different kind, divers and strange doctrines.”
For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace. Grace there—someone said this—“God’s riches at Christ’s expense.” It’s a great definition of grace. All the riches that you get, specifically heaven, it is at Christ’s expense. Not just heaven, but every good thing I have in my life was at Christ’s expense. That’s grace. I don’t merit it; unmerited favor. He gives it to me because of what Jesus is, not because of what I am.
So He says, it’s a good thing that our heart be established with grace, not with meats. What’s He talking about there? He was talking about it in the Old Testament. By the way, this book of Hebrews is to the Jewish people in particular. In the Old Testament, they would offer up those sacrifices: those lambs or turtle doves and so on and so on, rams—those meats. It’s a good thing if your heart’s established with grace, not with meats, keeping the Old Testament law.
Which have not profited them that had been occupied therein. You see, it was never those animals that would wash away sin. Those animals just picture Jesus, the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. They just picture it. So if they got stuck thinking that these meats or these animals would take away their sins, it didn’t profit them anything.
Some say baptism saves. No, baptism is just a picture of Jesus, our Savior. It pictures His death, burial, resurrection. That’s all. That water can’t wash away your sin. The blood of Jesus Christ washes away sin. And the same thing: if they got stuck on these sacrifices, thinking that’s what would take away their sin—no, no. Jesus sacrificed on the cross; that’s what takes away sins. But those meats, those sacrifices, picture the coming Jesus, all right? That’s what it’s talking about. And these Hebrew people just say, “No, no, there’s something better. Jesus is better.” It’s the old theme of the book, and it’s kind of referring to these things here.
Now look at verse number 10: “We have an altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.”
And He said, look, if they’re stuck on the tabernacle and all that washed away their sins, all that they do in there, they say, “No, they don’t have a right because we have an altar where Jesus laid down His life.” And they don’t have the right to enter into that altar because they’re trusting in this man thing down here, not in God—the Man God, Jesus Christ. It was talking about the cross as well.
Verse number 11: “For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.” What are you talking about there? He’s talking about the high priest every year on Yom Kippur. He would take the blood of that animal and go in there on the mercy seat and sprinkle it on the mercy seat seven times. But the body of that animal, they would take it out and burn without the camp.
Jesus went outside the walls of Jerusalem, outside the camp, and He went upon Golgotha, the place of the skull, the cross, and He shed His blood outside the walls. By the way, there’s a little bit of a tone here; it’s in other places in the Bible: If I fit in too much within the camp, within the world, something’s not right. Someone said it this way: “If I fit in too much down here, I might not fit in real good up there.”
What’s the old song? “This world is not my home; I’m just a passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” Jesus went outside the camp and was crucified. If I’m just super popular with the world, something’s probably not right, friend. Let’s keep going here. I’m not supposed to be preaching until we pray. Man, what’s wrong here? Let’s keep going where we’re at. We’re in verse number 12 here.
“Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” Told him out without the gate of Jerusalem there. “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp bearing his reproach.” You know the Bible says, “Yea, and all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” If I’m living godly, there’s going to be some people who don’t like it. Not that we’re obnoxious and mean and rude and preaching to everybody, but they’re just going to dislike it because you don’t drink and cuss and all the rest with them. See? And by the way, the Bible’s not for this undercover Christian. No, no, no, no. I’m an ambassador for Christ, amen. And that’s what it should be. Let’s keep going here. We’re getting where we want to be at.
Verse number 14: “For here we have no continuing city.” My house, my car, and all the rest of that—that’s not going to be a continuing thing. This thing is going to be burned up one day. But we seek one to come. That’s the big thing.
Now here’s our text verse, verse number 15: “By him,” that’s Jesus. “By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice…” Well, there is a sacrifice the Lord wants. What is it? By Him, therefore, by Jesus—He is the ultimate sacrifice—but by Jesus, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
We’re going to focus on that one verse right there, verse number 15. Would you read it out loud with me, please? Verse number 15, would you read it with me, please? Here we go: “By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
From this verse, we know what kind of sacrifice the Lord wants. He doesn’t want this meat thing; Jesus was the sacrifice for that. But He does say, “Let us offer the sacrifice of praise,” all right? That’s the kind of sacrifice He wants from you and from me: the sacrifice of praise.
Now that leads me in my mind. I want to know what God means—not necessarily what everybody else thinks, but what does God mean when He says this word “praise”? What does that mean? Does that mean a certain feeling I get? I like it when I get good feelings, but feelings come and go. They’re fickle and they’re up and down. I just believe He is commanding us to give praise. Then there’s a choice. Feelings—sometimes I don’t have control over feelings. I must control them when they come, but feelings just come. Someone was talking about dealing with an insurance situation, and they were getting mad over it. Sometimes just feelings come over problems like that. You have to control them. So it’s more than just a feeling because God is commanding us, and He is warning us, to offer this sacrifice of praise. So it’s not necessarily just a feeling because they come and go often without control.
Is it a feeling when I sing a certain song? Well, maybe. But I could sing a certain song, get a certain feeling, and complain the rest of the day. I don’t think He’s talking about that, per se. What does praise mean? By the way, there’s man’s definition, then there’s God’s definition. I like God’s definition. God has a definition built into this verse for what He means when He says sacrifice of praise.
Would you look back at the verse, verse number 15? Y’all still with me? I’ve been trying to go so fast. I feel like I’ve been flying by everything, and then just slow down. I apologize. I want to try to slow down and get to where God wants us to be at. That’s what I’m trying to do. Let’s get this definition of praise here. Let’s go back to that verse, verse number 15. He says, “By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is, the fruit of our lips…” What are the next two words? Giving thanks.
So, according to this verse here, according to God’s Word, what is God’s definition of praise? I’m looking for it: it’s giving thanks. The sacrifice God wants is giving thanks. Can I make a note here? It doesn’t even say “being thankful,” though that’s a good thing. But it doesn’t even say that. It says the sacrifice of praise; it goes on: “giving thanks.” Let me put it this way: It means when things are going good, I give thanks. When things are going bad, I give thanks. It means when there’s money left over at the end of the pay week or pay month, I give thanks. And when there’s more bills than there is money, I give thanks. It means when my health is doing good and I feel good, I give thanks. It means when my health is not doing good, I give thanks. I mean, the definition God gives here about praise—I’m not against raising your hand; that’s a biblical thing. I mean, I try to do a lot when I’m alone with the Lord or wherever you want to do. It’s fine, but not necessarily that. It’s not the definition. Biblically, the definition is giving thanks. Y’all with me this morning?
And God here is saying that’s the sacrifice that He wants: the giving of thanks. That means when everybody loves you, give thanks. When everybody’s talking about you, give thanks. When your marriage is wonderful and things are sweet in your home, give thanks. Amen right there. Come on now. And when things aren’t so good at home, give thanks. When the kids are being wonderful and they’re obedient—that one percent of the time? No. Give thanks. When the kids are not where you want them to be and they’re breaking your heart, give thanks. The sacrifice of praise that He’s speaking of here is giving thanks.
Can I just say something here? I think in some ways it’s high time for God’s people to stop complaining about everybody and everything and just give thanks. Can I say something? In the Bible time, that was a wicked government during that time. Nero was killing Christians, but he didn’t say, “Complain about the government.” He said, “Give thanks.” I’m not happy with everything in D.C. either, but I don’t want that to determine if I give thanks or not. I want to give thanks because the Bible said give thanks. By the way, we are ambassadors for Christ. I wonder: Am I making my co-workers want to get saved and want to have Jesus, or am I making them want to say, “Well, I don’t want anything to do with them because all they do is complain”? It’s high time. We’re not victims of everything. Hey, praise God. We’re giving thanks to the Lord for His goodness. The songbook—amen, two different things there, you know.
In your songbook, there’s a good song; it starts off like this: “When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.” Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God hath done. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.
Friend, it’s high time we get back to just start counting our blessings. Have you passed by here recently? Maybe on 24, some of the young people. Maybe you pass by and you see a homeless person underneath the bridge. Have you seen that before? That could be me, friend. That could be you. You say, “I don’t have much to give thanks for.” Do you have a bed to put your head on and a pillow to put your head on at nighttime? You have four walls. You can sit in and have heat in the winter and air conditioning in summertime. Hey, give thanks, friend. You woke up this morning. Some people didn’t even wake up this morning. They went to sleep last night and stepped out into eternity. I’m saying give thanks. What a good thing when God’s people offer up the sacrifice of praise. What’s that? Giving thanks. Giving thanks. By the way, be careful. We get that attitude: “Well, I’ve been a Christian too long. Everything’s going to be all right. I’ll never end up like that.” Be careful. A whole lot of people that had that attitude ended up there.
Wherefore, think that you stand; take heed. I think about this: A man came in years ago. He sat back in the back. Mr. Desiree, right along right where you are, right there. Big fella. He is comparable to Brother Donnie. Brother Donnie’s not here today. I was going to have him stand up, but he’s not here. But if he had stood up, you know, I’m standing there, I’m going to be like, “Whoa.” When he first started coming to church, boy, it was just intimidating. Brother Donnie, you know, and praise the Lord, you get to know him. He’s a lovable man. He was awesome, man. But a big old fellow like that, and healthy. I mean, he just wasn’t, you know, round as a shape. You say, “I’m getting in shape.” Yeah, round is what shape I’m getting into. And he wasn’t just that shape of round; he was in shape. And a big old fella.
You know that man, he came one time, sat back there, and a little while after that, he stepped out one day on his porch, his steps there, whatnot, and it was cold and a little icy, and he slipped and fell, hit the back of his head. He thought, “Well, I’m all right,” you know, a tough guy, and he could handle it. I think he played football, all these things. So, “I need to get something from the store.” He went to the store, came back, and said, “I’m just not feeling good.” And just a little while later, he ended up in the hospital. I visited; his son called and said, “Would you go see Dad?” We went to the hospital. He had a lot of bleeding on the brain at that point. And he never got out of the hospital. He stepped up into eternity. Big, healthy fellow.
Now, friend, I’m saying, as long as you’re walking and talking and breathing, there ought to be something you say, “You know, I just want to give thanks to God.” Be careful to say, “Well, everything I’ve earned, everything I’ve got, I’ve earned it with these two hands.” Well, I want to ask you, friend, who gave me those two hands? Giving thanks to the Lord—that’s what He’s saying. That’s the praise that the Bible is talking about: giving thanks.
You could have been in Israel when they started shooting all those rockets off, those hand gliders coming in there and men with guns just shooting. You could have been a part of that. You didn’t do anything to deserve to be born in America. It’s God’s goodness to you. By the way, don’t fall for this satanic thing against Israel. It’s amazing how many people are against Israel. By the way, praise the Lord for the hundreds of thousands that have protested for Israel in D.C. The Bible says Israel is the apple of God’s eye. Satan’s always been after what God loves. That’s what’s going on in time. Be careful of all that.
You know, we’re a generation that has more than anybody has ever had. I used to think, man, we are so lazy. We can’t even open and close our minivan doors; we push a button, or on the SUVs, you just push a button and it opens up. And I said, man, we’re so lazy. And now we have one of those push buttons that hatches, you know. Shame on us. It’s just amazing. We have so much in our day and time. And if we’re not careful, we’ll get used to having so much and never give thanks and be complaining and miserable people. Come on now.
The sacrifice of praise—what’s that? Giving thanks. Giving thanks. I heard, I think it was just yesterday, a man said it was in Russia years ago, and he was meeting with some Christians. They were standing on a Sunday morning—a cold, icy Sunday morning in Russia—where their old church building used to stand, and the government had burned it down. Instead, they started singing a hymn. Of course, he said it was in Russian, so I couldn’t understand the words, but he said, “I could make out the tune. I knew it.” They were singing. And he said, “I was so convicted.” We were standing there on a cold, icy morning in the open air because the government had burnt down their building. And they were singing: “When upon life’s billows your tempest is tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.”
That’s the sacrifice He’s talking about. Yes, Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice. We don’t have to offer up animals anymore. He took care of the sacrifice. But He says, because of Him, let us therefore offer up the sacrifice of praise, giving thanks. By the way, it will help you at home a whole lot. Help your marriage. Might make your kids say, “I want to be a Christian too.”
Giving thanks, giving thanks. Now, let’s just look at a couple other things about this verse. Y’all still with me this morning? Look at this. I want you to notice something else. We’re just going to be in this verse from here on pretty much. Hebrews 13:15: “By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks…” What are the next three words? To His name.
I just said we’re going to be here, and we are, but we’re going to go a couple other places. Maybe put a finger there. Don’t cut it off and leave it there like your pastor. But put a marker there, if you would. And look over in James chapter one real quickly. I want you to see “giving thanks to His name.” Notice that. Now look over in James 1. It’s the next book of the Bible: Hebrews, James. James chapter number one. And look in verse number 17. This is amazing truth what God says. James 1:17 in God’s Word there. James 1:17, you’re there, amen? Good deal. Look at verse number 17. He says, “Every good gift…” He doesn’t say most of them. He says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” He might be the middleman, but no, it’s from above. It’s amazing, every one of them. I’m thankful if you have a good spouse and good children and good relatives and all that. It’s wonderful. They’re the middleman, but it comes from above—every good gift, every one of them. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
You see what He’s saying? He’s merciful; His mercy endures forever. Every time you mess up, He ought to just kind of smack me over the head, but He doesn’t change—no shadow of turning in Him. Everything, every good thing you have, you owe to one word: Jesus. It’s all grace. You see, if God—sometimes people say, “Well, God, I want Your justice.” Do you really want His justice? Because if you got justice, we’re all sinners. And the wages of sin is death, and that’s speaking of the second death, like a fire. If we got what we deserve, we’d be in hell, weeping and gnashing of teeth and burning forever. That’s what we deserve because we’re sinners. So, all these good and perfect gifts are all from God, and it’s all through Jesus Christ. That’s why He says we ought to offer up to Him. Therefore, “By Him, let us offer up the sacrifice of praise.” That’s why He says, “giving thanks to His name,” because everything we have ultimately starts from Him. Giving thanks to Him.
You know, last night while you were sleeping, God made your lungs inhale and exhale. You were asleep, dreaming about that good juicy steak you’re going to have one day. Or maybe that person chasing—I don’t know what you dreamed about. But you didn’t know. God built into your nervous system for your body to breathe. The Bible says He never slumbers, never sleeps. All night long, God was watching over you. Friend, I’m saying there are a lot of people who can’t even talk; they can’t be in church. I’m saying you have so much to be thankful to Him for.
I never forget visiting Vanderbilt Hospital years ago. We had a young man who got burned, and we went to visit him. Looking across the hallway, I saw people burned all over their bodies. You could be there. Go to Vanderbilt sometime and see those children who are born, and their mother was on some hard drugs, and they’re going through withdrawals. See that little baby just screaming and breathing in pain and moving all over. You didn’t do anything to deserve to be born by your mom. Friend, you look around. “I’ve got it so bad.” There’s always somebody who has it worse than you do. And the Bible says you are giving thanks to His name. “Lord, You’ve been so good to me.” I might not feel it like I want to feel it, but I want to give thanks right here while I’m at. By the way, giving thanks is a decision. So, I don’t feel like it? Well, get over that and just do it anyway. It’s a decision. The Bible says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” It is worthy of you to give thanks in everything. That’s what it says: First Thessalonians 5. Decision: I’m going to give thanks. By the way, it’s amazing once I start giving thanks how my heart and my feelings come alongside. Before long, I’m not in the doldrums anymore; I’m thankful. Giving thanks to His name. Maybe you need to get along with the Lord this Thanksgiving season. Just say, “Lord, I just want to thank You for everything.” If we’re not careful, we’ll see every bad thing. Everybody’s got bad things in their life. Everybody does. “Well, you don’t know what I’m going through.” The Bible says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man.” That’s what God said about it. I’m not trying to belittle your pain, but somebody’s got to say, “I’m going to be a better Christian than that. He’s giving me so much; I want to offer Him the sacrifice of praise.” That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what the Bible is talking about here. John Rice used to say, “A smiling Christian is the best billboard God has.”
Let’s get going. It’s amazing how descriptive He gets in this verse. Look back there, if you would, to Hebrews 13:15. He says, “By him, therefore, let us offer…” Hebrews 13:15: “…let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually. That is the fruit of our…” What’s the next word? Lips: “…giving thanks to His name.” Well, Pastor, I’m very thankful in my heart. I just don’t talk about it. I’m not verbalizing it. Well, that’s not what God’s talking about here then. It doesn’t measure up to God’s Word. Don’t be like the guy who said, “Well, I told you 30 years ago when we got married that I loved you, and if anything changes, I’ll let you know.” Don’t do that.
With my lips, giving thanks, verbalizing it. It’s a good thing for a family around the Thanksgiving table or after. Just go through: “Hey, everybody’s going to give thanks. We’re going to go around this circle about 20 times or whatever it is. Give Him what you have.” All right, what are you thankful for? It never fails—I’m about to say I’m thankful for this, and the person before me stole it. What about that? It always happens. If you’re not on top of it, it might be hard at the beginning. At the end of the day, you’ll say, “You know what? That’s one of the best things we’ve ever done as a family.” But it’s with your lips. “Well, I feel it, I’m just not expressive.” Will you get right with God and start expressing it? Amen. That’s what the Bible says: with our lips, giving thanks and talking about it. It’s amazing how we talk about every bad thing in the world. Somebody said, “We write the bad things in stone, the good things in sand.” Giving thanks with our lips, just praising Him. Giving thanks. Complaining doesn’t change one thing in the world. If it would, D.C. would be the best place in all the world, and for sure not. Complaining doesn’t change a thing. Well, let me say something: It may change a thing or two. It brings down not only you, but it brings down your family and those around you. No. “The fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name” changes things.
Sometimes I play pickleball. You say, “What in the world is that?” That’s where everybody sits around eating pickles. But it’s this crazy cross between racquetball, tennis court, ping pong—I don’t know—but pickleball. We were out playing Tuesday night in Smyrna here. A fellow over here started using the Lord’s name in vain. That’s the one thing I’ll say something about. He was over there on that other court, and you don’t want to run across the court. I don’t want to do that. I want to try to be meek, but I don’t like it. So, you know what it did? I just said, “I finally got a good shot! That’s a miracle right there!” Amen. So I said, “Praise the Lord!” And it’s amazing, just with your lips, praising the Lord. I don’t think I heard him cuss anymore the whole night. Now, I was playing with Sarah—that’s my daughter; she must be over in primary church today—and I heard her a time or two. Yesterday, I played just a little bit with Sarah. Sarah said something about my back. Somebody asked, “What happened to your back?” I told them a little about it, and they said, “Man, how are you doing as good as you are now?” And I was so thankful that a couple people standing around said, “Well, a lot of people were praying for me.” Sometimes you’re not supposed to bring up the Lord, but I was glad I could bring up the Lord. Man, God hears prayers.
And just giving thanks to His name with your lips—I mean, you’re talking about it. The book of James says your tongue or your lips is like a rudder on a big, huge ship. These ships are massive. How many have you ever seen an aircraft carrier in person? Things are massive, like a city on water, these huge ships. And yet the rudders, in comparison, are just very small. They have two of them typically on the larger ones. And this rudder in the back will turn that huge, massive city on water, thousands and thousands of tons. The Bible says that’s the way your tongue is. When I don’t feel real thankful, I just don’t feel like giving thanks. Okay, we’ll start giving thanks with your tongue on purpose. And before long, you’ll start getting a thankful move with your lips. Go to the next step and say it with your lips. And God says that’s a sacrifice of praise to Me: giving thanks to His name.
I’ve told this story. I wasn’t planning on telling it, but last night, maybe this morning I’m just going to tell it. It’s such a good, true story. It’s just the way it is. A missionary was so discouraged where he was at. He wasn’t having any fruit. Nobody was getting saved. No lives were changing. He was just defeated. He tried everything to be more fruitful, tried different ways to reach the people there and all that. Nothing was working. He talked to some other missionaries and had fellowship and tried to get advice and all this stuff—good things—but nothing. He was just defeated, discouraged. He tried to pray about it. If I remember, he even fasted somewhat over this thing. Finally, he was just so discouraged. He says, “I’m going to go home. I’m defeated. I’m discouraged. I’m just going home.” And he said, “I’m going to do one more thing before I do. I’m going to go over here to another missionary station. I’m going to stay in a little room they have, and I’m just going to pray a little bit. And if God doesn’t do something, change me, I’m just going to go home.” He went and stayed in this little room for just a day or two before he left the mission field. There was a little plaque in that room, and it just had two words on it: “Try Praising.” He thought, “Well, I haven’t done that yet.” So, honestly, instead of spending the whole time just begging God to do something, he just stopped and started praising. He spent the afternoon and the night just praising the Lord about anything and everything. He was just giving thanks to His name with his lips. They say the next day he came out of the room and said, “I’m not going home. I’m going to stay on the mission field and trust God to do something.” Why? Giving thanks, praising the Lord.
Friend, maybe in your marriage you want to just stop and give thanks. Maybe in your home, maybe I’m just battling bitterness. Maybe we want to stop everything and just give thanks. He said the sacrifice of praise.
Give Him thanks to His name with your lips. Now I want you to know there’s one more word. One more word. Go back to that verse here. I want to focus on one more word. You’re back over there, if you would, to Hebrews 13. Look at verse number 15 right there. Hebrews 13:15. I want you to know it’s just one word here. Look at it. He says, “By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God.” What’s the next word? Continually.
I’ve had the privilege—I’m not there for sure—but I’ve had the privilege of being around some wonderful Christians where they’re going through tough times, and I’ve been amazed to watch them continually give thanks to His name. I remember one day years and years ago—I think it was just my wife and I, wouldn’t tell if it was anyone else—but two people were in the hospital dealing with problems. One was just minor, and I went and visited and talked to him, and he was just complaining. The other was life-threatening. I went and visited them, and they were just giving thanks to His name. It’s not a matter of your circumstances. Someone said it’s not a matter of what’s in your pocket that makes you grateful; it’s a matter of what’s in your heart that makes you grateful. He’s not talking about your circumstance, unless you offer up the sacrifice of praise. Because that would be up and down. He says “continually” here, so He says you give thanks to His name when things are wonderful and when things are not wonderful. You give thanks to His name with your lips when you’re feeling great and when you’re hurt, whether it be physically or emotionally. You just give thanks continually. Sometimes I get in the mood of giving Him thanks, and sometimes I’m not, but it doesn’t matter what mood I’m in. I’m supposed to give thanks continually.
His dad was an alcoholic; he left home back around the Depression era. In fact, it was the Depression era. I remember him telling this story: Dad had left. He was an alcoholic. Mom was trying to raise him and his sister by herself. She worked at the public school lunchroom. You know, back in the day, they didn’t make much, and they were just trying to get by. They went to sit down to a meal one time, but there wasn’t any food. Mom had set at the table. They sat down to the meal, and Mom said, “Hey, we’re going to bow our heads and thank the Lord for the food.” He said, “I was just a boy. Mom, there ain’t no food.” And Mom said, “We’re going to give thanks.” And they bowed their head to give thanks, and lo and behold, God Almighty smelled that sacrifice of praise: “Give Him thanks to His name.” Someone knocked on the door and said, “Hey, we got some food for y’all. We thought y’all were going through a rough time.” Hey, whatever happened to Christianity that said, “You know what? We’re just going to give thanks to Him continually”?
If we’re not careful—and I think Christians ought to be the light and salt in the political arena, and we’re involved in that—we’re planning the calendar next year. Last night, about 10 o’clock, I told my wife, as we were about to go to sleep, “Hey, we forgot to put candidates’ night on the calendar next year.” We’re going to put it on there. I’m for that. But if we’re not careful, we’ll view the world politically instead of spiritually. And, friends, spiritual is eternal, and this down here is temporal. We’re getting it flipped if we’re not careful. Somebody’s got to be an old-school Christian and say, “Hey, you know what? I’m going to give thanks when things are wonderful and when things are bad.” I’m just going to give thanks to His name. I’m just going to talk about it continually. Continually.
I thought about Brother Duane. He was our youth director here years ago. Some of you are shaking your heads—yeah, you remember him—just a great man. God had changed his life, and he was a great soul winner, him and his wife. He got very aggressive cancer at 40 years old. And we were like, “Wow, just such a good man.” I remember visiting him at Centenio up there, Sarah and Cannon Cancer Center, fighting for his life. I went up there trying to encourage him, but I was kind of like, “Man, this is beyond me.” I’ll never forget: Brother Duane said his favorite verse is Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” I was up there trying to console him a little bit, and Brother Duane, I’ll never forget, he said, “Hey, Pastor Paul, Brother Paul, Romans 8:28 is still in the book.” And honestly, of course, he died from it, but he was giving thanks. Friend, you call that old-school Christianity? You call that Bible Christianity? If we’re not careful, we’ll just be such victims about how bad I have it and how bad the world is. But the Bible says, “No, I’m to offer up the sacrifice of praise.” That is the fruit of our lips: “Give Him thanks to His name continually.”
Matthew Henry wrote a commentary on the Bible, maybe the most used over the years. Brother Frank will bring a Bible verse to men’s prayer meeting, and he always has a Bible verse, and he says, “Well, this one, I had to look up what Matthew Henry said about it.” God used Matthew Henry greatly. Matthew Henry got mugged one day. Someone stole everything he had on him, got robbed, if you will. After that incident, Matthew Henry—let’s see what kind of attitude he had about it. Matthew Henry said, “Well, I was mugged, but let me be thankful.” Pretty amazing. If I got mugged, I’d be complaining for the next three years. He said, number one, “Because I was never robbed before.” He said, number two, “Because although they took my wallet, they didn’t take my life.” He said, number three, “Because although they took my all, it wasn’t much.” And he said, number four, “Because it was I who was robbed and not who was robbing.” He said, “I will give thanks continually.”
So, preacher, how in the world can I offer up thanks to His name continually? The Bible says if I’m going to heaven, if I’m a born-again Christian, my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Remember He told the apostles that were coming back, and they had cast out demons—they had power from God? He said, “Be careful there. Be careful.” He said, “Don’t rejoice because the demons are subject to you.” He said, “Rejoice because your name is written down in heaven.” Amen. Friend, if you’re a born-again Christian, you’re going to heaven. You’ve got enough to thank God for for all eternity. I’ll never burn in hell for one second. I’ll never have to scream and cry and writhe in pain. I don’t have to go through all that. I’ll be in heaven forever and ever, never, because of Jesus. The devil can’t change that. I’m in the hands of Jesus. God the Father has His hands around Jesus. Friend, I’m going to heaven. I will never perish, and I have enough right there to thank Him continually for His goodness. So He said, “I want you to offer it up continually.” Continually.
When everything’s wonderful—oh yeah. When everything’s bad, when you don’t feel like it, you give thanks to His name. God says that’s the sacrifice I want. You don’t have to offer up all these meat sacrifices anymore. Jesus took care of the sacrifice. But He said, “Now, go ahead and offer up the sacrifice of praise.” What does that mean, praise? Giving thanks to His name.
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - A Thanksgiving sacrifice - - Sunday AM 11192023