Book: Psalm 136

Give Thanks to the Lord for His Mercy

By James Wiese on November 24, 2021

Thanksgiving                                         November 24&25, 2021                                 21:2288
Text: Psalm 136
Theme: Give Thanks to the Lord for His Mercy

The observance of the American Thanksgiving Day dates back to the arrival of the Pilgrim Fathers in the New World. The first of them landed in New England, December 1620. A long, dreary winter followed. Of the 101 original settlers, 45 of them died.
A year passed and the survivors harvested their first crops of barley and peas. The colder autumn weather brought into the harbor an abundance of waterfowl. Deer and wild turkey strutted through the forests in abundance. The governor gave the direction for the observance of the first day of thanksgiving, to be held December 13, 1621. From that time on the observance of a special day of thanksgiving occurred with irregularity in the colonies.
After the Revolutionary War began, the first national recommendation for a Thanksgiving Day observance was given by the Continental Congress for Thursday, December 18, 1777. Congress recommended that “with one heart and voice the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine Benefactor, and that together with their sincere acknowledgements and offerings, they may join the penitent confession of their manifold sins…that it may please God, through the merits of Jesus Christ, mercifully to forgive and blot them out.”
Following the war, President George Washington issued a proclamation recognizing November 26, 1789, as “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer.” The first presidents after him did the same. But, following the 4th president, James Madison, no President issued a proclamation until Abraham Lincoln. In the midst of the Civil War, he made an unofficial, somewhat traditional Thanksgiving celebration a nationwide holiday, setting aside Thursday, November 26, 1863, for the observance. Ever since each succeeding president issues a yearly Thanksgiving proclamation.
In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday to the third Thursday of November to lengthen the Christmas shopping season. After a storm of protest, Congress established the Federal Thanksgiving Day holiday in 1941 “making the fourth Thursday in November a legal holiday.” And so it has been observed since that time in the United States of America.
But no government proclamation can make for truly repentant,
thankful, and joyful hearts. Joy and gladness, thanksgiving and praise, flow naturally only from hearts and lips that know the Lord’s goodness in all things, especially in His mercy that flows to us in the Savior. So let us enter His presence today with praise and joyful song, thanking Him for His mercy that endures forever.

Part 1: Give Thanks to the Lord for He Is Good Ps.136:1-3
His Mercy Endures Forever – Past, Present, & Future
(reading)

“O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; and His mercy endures forever.” How many times do you hear those words spoken as a table prayer? Some people say it at almost every meal. As a result, we might not always be thinking of what we are saying. Yet, Christians are always thankful to God. There are no other gods and no other authorities but Him. They simply don’t exist. He does. And more than just existing, He is good – good to us in every season as He gives of Himself to us. He is our Highest Good, the Source of all goodness in our past, present, and future.
For Jesus’ sake, His goodness grants us pardon for our sins of the past. What is past is not only past, but it is forgiven and forgotten. God laid it all on Jesus, who carried it to the cross and left it there.
He is good to us in the present as He bestows upon us food, clothing, shelter, and all the necessities of everyday life. Day by day He renews us through the new life that Jesus won for us. With His strength, we meet the challenges of each new day, no matter how daunting they may appear. Instead of being like reeds shaken by the wind, He helps us stand like solid stones, built on the sturdy foundation of Christ, the precious Cornerstone of the Church.
Finally, He is our Highest Good because of His promises to us for the future. He will be with us always to the end of the world. Then He will return to take us to the place above which He has prepared for all who love Him. Past, Present, and Future His Mercy Endures Forever. For that we give Him thanks. (Prayer)

Part 2: Give Thanks to the Lord for His Creating Love
From the Beginning God’s Love Has Been at Work v.4-9
(reading)

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gn.1:1). That is the first of the two most profound and breathtaking sentences ever made. The second is, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son….” (Jn.3:16). All of Scriptures pour into these two statements – so simple that we take them for granted, so sublime that we could study each from now until the Lord’s return and we would never be able to plumb the depths of their weighty contents.
Consider creation. It’s “the fingerprint of God.” Just as your fingerprint tells something about you, so the creation record gives us vital information about God. We need that fingerprint because there were no eyewitnesses to creation, no reporters present, no cameras captured the moment. But God was there for He is eternal.
With a word He called the heavens, the earth, and the great lights in the sky into existence. One must be struck not only by His power but also by His great understanding of each entity, which He thoughtfully made to meet our needs. Long before we thought of Him, He was thinking of us and making plans for our lives in Him.
From the very beginning, God’s love has been at work in our behalf. That love was apparent before we rebelled against the divine Creator. But it became even more apparent after we fell into sin. Then, in the time of our greatest need, His mercy led Him to give His own Son to save us so that we might someday live with Him in the new creation that is yet to come, restored to what He intended it to be from the beginning.
Everything we are, have, and will someday be comes from Him. From the Beginning God’s Love Has Been at Work for His Mercy Endures Forever. For that we give Him thanks. (Prayer)

Part 3: Give Thanks to the Lord for His Redeeming Love
His Redeeming Love Delivers Us vv.10-22
(reading)

How do you think of freedom? Are you limited to a one-sided view? Freed FROM something? If a person is delivered, he is not only freed from something; he is freed to something.
If a man is imprisoned behind bars in a tiny cell, he is restricted, held back from the enjoyments of life. But when released, he walks through the gate to a renewed life of opportunities that lies ahead.
The psalmist describes God’s gracious deliverance of Israel from Egypt. After God convinced Pharaoh to let His people go, Pharaoh relented and chased them down at the shores of the Red Sea. But God delivered His people by opening a path through the sea on which they escaped. Safe on the other side, God closed the sea, delivering Israel forever from their taskmasters’ control.
Then He led Israel through the wilderness, defeating the kings that lay in their path and protected His people on the way. He brought them into a new land of opportunity, “a land flowing with milk and honey,” a rich inheritance to enjoy with gratitude to God.
So it is with God’s redeeming love that delivers us in Christ. In Christ we are freed FROM sin, Satan, and death that held us captive. More! Christians are freed TO a new life of glad service to Christ on earth, pressing forward to a perfect life with Him above.
Next time you think of freedom in Christ, think of it in two directions: redeemed from bondage to sin, death, and Satan; redeemed to a life of service and rich inheritance from God. In both cases He guides us on our way. For that we give thanks. (Prayer)

Part 4: Give Thanks to the Lord for His Continuing Love
He Is Our Great Provider vv.23-26
(reading)

It was the largest assembly to witness a miracle of Jesus – 5,000 men, not including women and children who were also there. Jesus multiplied 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish so greatly that when everyone was full, the disciples picked up 12 baskets full of food left over, a basket for each of them who, in their low estate, had no solution to the problem of providing for so many people. But Jesus did. He fed them with a miracle of gigantic proportions.
Consider that God repeats this miracle every day. In a less noticeable and spectacular way “He gives food to all flesh” – the billions of people in our world – the multitude of animals, fish, and birds that cover our planet. “He opens His hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing” (Ps.145:16). The feeding of the 5,000 shows that He can provide in abundance. He is our great Provider.
But what do you really desire from Him? What do you want? He has promised, “I will supply your needs.” Needs and wants are two different things. What good would all the wants supplied in the world do you if first and foremost He did not pay for your sins and crush the head of the Serpent who oppressed you? We desire Him as Savior above all.
He alone is Creator, Provider, and Savior, as this psalm masterfully portrays. It began with the wonders of the universe and ended at the dinner table of all who receive His daily bread. It’s about God’s loving action, transcending everything human, culminating with His rule in heaven, where all the saints will enjoy His steadfast love that will continue forever. For that we give Him thanks. (Prayer)


Thanksgiving Day                                                               November 25, 2021

Give Thanks to the Lord, For His Mercy Endures Forever

Order of Worship

The Introduction:   The History of Thanksgiving Day

The Call to Worship

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

Shout to the LORD with joy. Serve the LORD with gladness.   Come before Him with joyful songs.   Know that the LORD is God. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and bless His name. His mercy endures forever. His faithfulness continues through all generations.                                                 (Psalm 100:1-4)

Hymn: “Oh, Bless the Lord, My Soul”                                                                               238

Give Thanks to the Lord…    For He Is Good.

Pastor:     Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good – to the God of gods, to the Lord of lords.

All:         For His mercy endures forever.                                                     Psalm 136:1-3

Devotion – His Mercy Endures Forever – Past, Present, and Future.

Prayer:   We give thanks to You, O Lord, for You alone do great wonders for us — past, present, and future. You do them all because Your mercy endures forever.

Hymn:     “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”                                                                             441

Give Thanks to the Lord…   For His Creating Love.

Pastor:     Give thanks to the Lord, to Him who alone does great wonders.

All:         For His mercy endures forever.

Pastor:     To Him who by His understanding made the heavens; to Him who spread out the earth on the waters; to Him who made the great lights, the sun to rule by day, the moon and stars to rule by night —

All:         For His mercy endures forever.                                                                           Psalm 136:4-9

Devotion – From the Beginning, God’s Love Has Been at Work.

Prayer:   Lord, we give thanks to You. Everything we are, have, and will someday be comes from Your creative love. You alone do great wonders, for Your mercy endures forever.             

Hymn:     “For the Fruit of His Creation”                                                                               611

Give Thanks to the Lord…   For His Redeeming Love.

Pastor:     Give thanks to the Lord, to Him who struck Egypt by killing their firstborn, and brought Israel out from their midst with a mighty hand and outstretched arm —

All:         For His mercy endures forever.

Pastor:     To Him who cut the Red Sea in two and brought Israel through the middle of it, but brushed off Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea –

All:         For His mercy endures forever.

Pastor:     To Him who made His people travel through the wilderness, who struck down great kings, and killed mighty kings, Sihon king of the Amorites and Og king of Bashan, and gave their land as a possession to His servant Israel –

All:         For His mercy endures forever.                                                         Psalm 136:10-22

Devotion – His Redeeming Love Delivers Us.

Prayer:   Lord, we give thanks to you for Your redeeming love that delivers us.   Help us stand fast in faith in the midst of troubles, keeping our eyes on You whose mercy endures forever

Hymn:     “Sing to the Lord of Harvest”                                                                                 614

Give Thanks to the Lord…   For His Continuing Love.

Pastor:     Give thanks to the Lord, who remembered us in our low estate and tore us out of the hands of our oppressors.

All:         For His mercy endures forever.

Pastor:     He gives food to all living creatures.

All:         For His mercy endures forever.

Pastor:     Give thanks to the God of the heavens.

All:         For His mercy endures forever.                                    Psalm 136:23-26

Devotion – He Is Our Great Provider

Prayer:       Lord, we give thanks to You as You continue to remember us in Your love. Continue to give us whatever our needs might be. We come to You in Jesus’ name for in Him, our Savior, Your mercy will endure forever.

The Hymn: “Praise to God, Immortal Praise”                                                                     612

The Offering

(In gratitude for the help we received at Zion as a fledgling congregation years ago, the offering today will be sent to help a mission opportunity lying before our congregations.)

We Thank Him In Prayer

Pastor:      Heavenly Father, when You open Your hand, You satisfy the desires of every living thing. May Your name be praised and Your grace glorified.

All:       Today we see and remember You as the Giver of all good things. You provide for us.   Again and again You open your hand and pour upon us all that we need for daily living: health, strength, companionship, and all our material blessings.   We especially desire the eternal blessings that You invite us to receive through Your Son, our Savior, and thank You for them.

Pastor:     It is true that every good and perfect gift comes from Your hand. Each gift comes to us from You, the Father of the heavenly lights.

All:       Since everything is good and perfect according to Your will, forgive us for being forgetful and ungrateful. Heal our complaining and worrisome hearts. Prevent us from letting Satan entrap us with doubt or worry. Keep our minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Pastor:     In these difficult days pour out Your Spirit on us.

All:       Bless us with a faith that seeks first Your kingdom and Your righteousness.   Assure us that You will supply all our needs as well. Make us bold to give as generously as You have given to us.

Pastor:     Be with Your people wherever they might be on this holiday. Protect those who are traveling. Provide for those who have been displaced by storms and tragedies. Comfort those who have lost dear ones to the pestilence that plagues us. Give strength to those who are helping to heal, restore, and rebuild. Sustain the soldier, the safety officer, the first responders, and all who give of themselves to serve and protect the welfare of our people. Cheer the hearts of the lonely, comfort the souls of the sorrowing, and look with compassion on the sick, the poor, and the needy. Fill us today and every day with a humble and grateful faith that sincerely says:

All:      Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His mercy endures forever. Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer (hymnal page 20) and The Blessing

The Closing Hymn: “Now Thank We All Our God”                                                        610

Silent Prayer

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him all creatures here below;

Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

 *                   *                   *

Today’s Organist: Jane Rips

Today’s Preacher: Pastor Edwin Lehmann


His Mercy Endures Forever

Introduction

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
    For his mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of Gods.
    For his mercy endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of Lords.
    For his mercy endures forever.

His Creating Love

To him who alone does great wonders—[a]
    For his mercy endures forever.
To him who by his understanding made the heavens—
    For his mercy endures forever.
To him who spread out the earth on the waters—
    For his mercy endures forever.
To him who made the great lights,
    For his mercy endures forever.
the sun to rule by day,
    For his mercy endures forever.
the moon and stars to rule by night—
    For his mercy endures forever.

His Redeeming Love

10 To him who struck Egypt by killing their firstborn,
    For his mercy endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from their midst,
    For his mercy endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm—
    For his mercy endures forever.
13 To him who cut the Red Sea in two,
    For his mercy endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through the middle of it,
    For his mercy endures forever.
15 but brushed off Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea—
    For his mercy endures forever.
16 To him who made his people travel through the wilderness—
    For his mercy endures forever.
17 To him who struck down great kings,
    For his mercy endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings,
    For his mercy endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites,
    For his mercy endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan,
    For his mercy endures forever.
21 and gave their land as a possession,
    For his mercy endures forever.
22 a possession to his servant Israel.
    For his mercy endures forever.

His Continuing Love

23 Who remembered us in our low condition,
    For his mercy endures forever.
24 and tore us out of the hands of our oppressors.
    For his mercy endures forever.
25 He gives food to all living creatures.[b]
    For his mercy endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of the heavens.
    For his mercy endures forever.