(Click HERE to find the FB Live video feed (service begins at the 16 minute mark)
(Click HERE to donate to Lidgerwood Church)
Mark Wheeler
Matthew 25:31-46
“ThanksGiving à ThanksLiving”
11/26/2020
LPC, at home edition
Opening Music: Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (YouTube Thanksgiving Theme – YouTube) (2 mins)
Welcome
First Song of Thanksgiving: Let All Things Now Living (YouTube, The Chapel of the Cross Children’s Virtual Choir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poiXz3rO6HI )
Psalm 69:29-30
“I am in pain and in distress (I hurt and I struggle)
May Your salvation, O God, protect me.
I will praise God’s name in song
And glorify Him with thanksgiving!”
Prayers from the place of pain and distress and struggle
“Have mercy on us, O God.”
Matthew 25:31-46 — Listen for pain and distress and struggle – and for providence and thanksgiving
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
When someone does something nice for us, what do we do?
We say, “Thank you,” don’t we? Sometimes that just doesn’t seem to be enough. Has someone ever done something for you that was so nice that you wanted to do more than just say, “Thank You”? I have.
When that happens, I sometimes send them a “Thank You” card.
Everyone enjoys receiving a “Thank You” card. Think about a time you sent a card or note like that.
Another way we can show our thanks when someone does something really nice for us is by doing something nice for them in return. Like if someone invites us to dinner or to a ball game and we have a really good time, we return their kindness by inviting them to do something with us. It’s always important to show we’re thankful when someone does something for us.
Now, think of your most ultimate doer of good for you. Who did you think of?
God provides food when we’re hungry and water when we’re thirsty. He heals us when we’re sick and He comforts us when we’re sad. The Bible tells us that He is an ever-present helper in times of trouble. Take a moment now to write or draw or just think something you’re thankful to God for.
Who wants to briefly share what you came up with?
Because of all God has done for us, we say, “Thank you.” But He’s done so much! Here’s an idea to do even more to thank God.
Jesus told us how to do it. Jesus said, “Whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you do it for me.” That means when we feed someone who is hungry, it is the same as doing it for Jesus. When we visit someone who is sick, it is the same as doing it for Jesus. When we give clothes to those who are in need, it is the same as doing it for Jesus.
This looks like loving our neighbors as we love ourselves – ALSO is loving our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, all our strength….
There is a very special name for this way of saying, “Thank you.”
Let’s call it “thanks living.” “Thanks living” is when we show our thanks by the way we live. “Thanks living” is when we look at the many ways God has blessed us, and we thank Him by sharing His blessings with others.
Let’s pray and ask God to help us offer our thanksgiving by “thanks living.”
Dear God, we come into Your presence with thanksgiving. Help us turn our thanksgiving into “thanks living.” Help us notice people around us who are in need and ways we can care for them like You care for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayers from the place of giving thanks:
“Lord, we thank You!”
Closing Song: Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart (www.Facebook.com/DonMoenMusic/posts/10158061572494753)
Postlude: Don’t (Just) Say Grace – Worship Design Studio (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR7KShL2atw&feature=youtu.be&inf_contact_key=dbf4cc2d6af91600a20aed9585209dd309c74070ac2bf3cfa7869e3cfd4ff832 )
lidgerwoodpresbychurch 