Giving Thanks - Heaven's Password

 

"You can pass through his open gates with the password of praise.
Come right into his presence with thanksgiving.
Come bring your thank offering to him
and affectionately bless his beautiful name!
For the Lord is always good and ready to receive you.
He’s so loving that it will amaze you— so kind that it will astound you!
And he is famous for his faithfulness toward all.
Everyone knows our God can be trusted,
for he keeps his promises to every generation!"
Psalm 100:4-5 TPT

We will segue from the previous message (passage from Psalm 9) into today's (Thanksgiving Day's) message. Psalms were written to be sang to the Lord. Most modern songs of praise are still taken from the Book of Psalms, if not from other passages of Scriptures.

Smooth Transition

As we segue, the theme is an uninterrupted transition like when we end one praise song and start the next one. And today we will talk about five things.

1. Praise is the password - the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of the Lord) inhabits the praises of God's people. We are God's children, we have access to the Father 24/7. He has an open door (through His Son Jesus). And as we shout His praise, we slip right through His open gates and right into God's presence.

2. Thanksgiving is the price of admission - God is present everywhere and if we are sensitive enough, we will see Him or His hand in all of creation. An attitude of gratitude is our official codeword and it takes us right into a loving and tender embrace of our heavenly Father. And we are not coming to Him empty handed, as we sing with grateful hearts, we offer a thank offering (not of birds or goats or bulls or good works - like in the days of old).

3. Jesus is the Door - as we sing we bless His beautiful Name, the Name He gave us. Jesus is the once and for all sacrifice, nothing more is needed (it is finished). And this is the reason for our gratitude.

4. God is Waiting - Our Father in heaven is patiently waiting for His prodigal sons and daughters (the lost sheep) -- He is good and ready to receive us.

5. Five More Things About Him.
• God's love is amazing
• His kindness is astounding
• God is faithful
• He is trustworthy
• Why? Because He keeps his promises to every generation... He is the same yesterday, today and forever more.

Today is Thanksgiving Day. But ideally we should be making everyday a day of giving thanks and praise. Once we know of God's love, of what Jesus has done and if we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, then every moment we will be.

Giving Thanks Series