Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
by Pastor Edwin Lehmann on November 25, 2020
Thanksgiving Day November 26, 2020
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
Order of Worship
The Invocation and Call to Worship
“Shout joyfully to the LORD, you righteous….Thank the LORD….Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully and shout praises. For the word of the LORD is upright; and all His work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the mercy of the LORD fills the earth.” (Psalm 33:1-5).
Opening Devotion – Sing Joyfully to the Lord
The Prayer:
All: Almighty God, heavenly Father, You poured out Your blessings upon me every day this past year. Although in my thoughtlessness I have not deserved Your favor, yet in Your goodness You provided abundantly for all my needs. I ask that You would forgive me for Jesus’ sake and send Your Holy Spirit upon me this hour so that I see and remember all that You do. Then I will sing Your praise. Bless me with a grateful heart; grant me the humble desire to receive Your continuing mercies; and give me the strength to serve You willingly at all times and in every place. When my time of grace on earth is ended, take me to enjoy that blessed reunion with You and all the saints in heaven. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
The Hymn: “Sing to the Lord of Harvest” 614
Praise God Because… He Created All Things
“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made….He made the whole army of stars. He gathers the water of the sea into a heap. He puts the depths into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD…all the inhabitants of the world revere Him. For He said, ‘Let it be,’ and it was…it stood” (Psalm 33:6-9).
Devotion – The Fingerprint of God.
Prayer
All: Lord God, open my eyes to the beauty of Your created world. You made me and all people in a wonderful way. You created all things to nourish my life and fill me with joy. You have given me family and friends to encourage, support, and guide me on my earthly journey. How precious to me are Your gracious thoughts. Open my mouth to praise and thank You for Your good and perfect gifts, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hymn: “This Is My Father’s World” insert
Praise God Because… He Provides For Us
“Indeed, as the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master…so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He shows us His grace” (Psalm 123:2).
Devotion – Why Does A Servant Look to His Master’s Hands?
Prayer:
All: Lord God, Your mercies are new to me every morning. In Your goodness You abundantly provide for all my needs. Keep me from needless worry over the material things of life, for You have promised to provide for my needs more abundantly than You have for the birds of the air and the flowers in the field. Give me a calm and thankful heart, and enable me to serve You with contentment and joy all my days; through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Hymn: “Praise to God, Immortal Praise” 612
Praise God Because… He Protects Us.
“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, because in You my soul has taken refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction has passed by. I call to God Most High, to God, who completes (His purpose) for me. He will send from heaven, and He will save me. He puts to shame the one who pants as he pursues me. God will send His mercy and His faithfulness” (Psalm 57:1-3).
Devotion – Hide Me Beneath Your Wings.
Prayer
All: O Lord. Almighty and everlasting God, You have brought me safely to another day. Defend me with Your almighty power, and grant that I fall into no sin, nor run into any kind of danger. Defend me from every attack of the Evil One, and send Your holy angels to guard and protect me; for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Hymn: “We Praise You, O God, Our Redeemer” 609
Praise God Because… He Saves Us.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God. Renew an unwavering spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence. Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation. Sustain me with a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:10-12).
Devotion – Cast from God’s Presence? No!
Prayer
All: Lord God, in this morning hour I look again toward Your holy temple. Although the engulfing waters of sin and every evil threaten my life, You continue to protect and save me. You bring my life up from the pit. Lord God, in Your love You welcome all who come to You through faith in Christ Jesus, even the outcasts and the despised. In that saving love receive me to Yourself, for the Lamb was slain to save me. Therefore, He is worthy to receive all honor, glory, and praise. With all the saints on earth and in heaven, I thankfully worship You before Your throne this day. Give me a faith that comes to You always, trusting only in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Hymn: “God Loved the World So that He Gave” st.1,5,6 391
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 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. They come 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, at this Thanksgiving time 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
Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow
The Call To Worship
#1 “Shout joyfully in the LORD, you righteous ones…. Thank the LORD…. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully and shout praises. For the word of the LORD is upright; and all His work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the mercy of the LORD fills the earth” (Psalm 33:1-5).
I like to sing. I like to sing hymns. If I am working in the yard, I’m often humming or letting hymns run through my mind.
I also like to play hymns on the piano. I hope that King David, a master musician, can’t hear me. He directs me to play well; I don’t always do that. That’s why I thank the Lord for two skillful organists at our churches who lead our singing in worship so masterfully! But I still like to play and sing at home.
If I’m at church, I often sing loudly – my children thought too loudly. When they were young, they would say, “Dad, quiet down. You’re hurting our ears!” But they never got me to quit singing loudly because my heart is glad for the saving gifts God has given me in Christ Jesus. I have to sing and “make a joyful noise to the Lord” (Ps.100:1)!
Some don’t play an instrument or sing well. But you don’t have to sing with your voice. Every Christian has a heart, and every Christian heart “sings for joy” when it truly understands who the LORD is and what the Savior has done for it. His merciful forgiveness is fresh everyday!
As we celebrate Thanksgiving today, may we all sing joyfully in the LORD for His blessings to us. Oh, it’s true, our country is struggling at this time, and there is so much discontent: with politicians, with law enforcement, with restrictions, with people not being careful enough, etc. The level of discontent is great. But Christians find contentment in the LORD for is ever upright and His work is done in faithfulness. He has promised His mercy and loving kindness to us in His Word, and we know it is true.
So, with a voice of thanksgiving, let us sing joyfully to the Lord today.
Hymn:
Praise God…Because He Created All Things
#2 “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made….He made the whole army of stars. He gathers the water of the sea into a heap. He puts the depths into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD…all the inhabitants of the world revere Him. For He said, ‘Let it be,’ and it was…it stood” (Psalm 33:6-9).
As a spirit, God does not have a body like we do. But did you know that He has a fingerprint? One of my professors called creation: “the fingerprint of God.” As your fingerprint tells something about you, so the marvels of creation tell us about God.
We need that fingerprint because there were no eyewitnesses to creation. No reporters were present and no cameras captured the event. But God was there because He is eternal. If with a word from His lips He called the stormy seas into existence and gave them limits, He is almighty. If He made the whole army of stars and you observe their orderly functioning, you should be struck by His unfathomable wisdom. If you touch the softness of a baby’s cheek or stand in awe at the brilliant colors of a summer sunset, you witness His boundless imagination. And when you focus on our first parents, equipped with many gifts, entrusted with the task of keeping His world for Him, you see how God showed Himself to be a God of love. Long before we ever thought of Him, He was thinking of us and making plans for life in Him.
Everything we are, have, and will someday be comes from Him who made the heavens by the word of His mouth. For He speaks and it is so; He commands and it stands. Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow. Praise Him because He Created Us.
Hymn:
Praise God…Because He Provides for Us
#3 “Indeed, as the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master…so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until He shows us His grace.” (Psalm 123:2).
When I was a young boy, I sat nearest to Dad at the supper table. I’m not sure the reason for that – maybe because I was the youngest, maybe because I was the squirmiest, or maybe, heaven forbid, because I was the greater rascal among the brothers. Whatever the reason, there were times I watched my father’s hand. If I misbehaved in some way, it would rise and grab my ear, which was in easy reach. That caught my attention alright!
Why would a slave watch the hands of his master? Does a servant watch the hands of his master for a similar reason? I suppose he might. But, in this verse, the LORD our God is not disciplining His loved ones. He is showing them His grace and favor.
I also watched my parents’ hands liberally dish out my food for me at the table. I watched my parents’ hands comfort me and relieve my pain when I had fallen and hurt myself. I watched my parents’ hands point the direction in which I needed to go for my welfare. I looked to my parents’ hands for a lot of blessings and guidance given.
As children of the heavenly Father, redeemed in the blood of His most beloved Son, we watch God’s hands for all our needs. As another psalmist said, “The eyes of all look eagerly to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. He opens His hand, and He satisfies the desire of every living thing” (145:15) – even in His children’s most trying times.
Our gracious Lord is in the heavens, yet He is always near us. He will come in His time and in His way to shower His good favor upon His people. He never comes too soon with too much, nor too late with too little. He comes on time, knowing what is best, for He is the Master of timeless grace. Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow. Praise Him because He Provides for Us.
Hymn:
Praise God…Because He Protects Us
#4 “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, because in You my soul has taken refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction has passed by. I call to God Most High, to God, who completes (His purpose) for me. He will send from heaven, and He will save me. He puts to shame the one who pants as he pursues me. God will send His mercy and His faithfulness” (Psalm 57:1-3).
When the hawk circles high overhead and begins its dive upon the unsuspecting chicks in the yard, what will the mother hen do? Will she stand and watch as her chicks are helplessly destroyed? Will she think to herself, “They’re on their own.” Hardly! With a cluck and a cackle and a beating of her wings she runs to them, pecking hard at the throat of whatever tries to bring them harm. She spreads her wings and sweeps her chicks beneath them, clutching them close to protect them. She may even give her own life for theirs. What animal so lovingly and earnestly looks out for her young like the hen?
That is the picture your Lord wants you to have of His love and care for you. It is steadfast, strong, and true, determined to draw you close to Him for protection.
Every day He clucks and calls to you in His Word of grace. He spreads His protecting arms over you from the cross where He died to forgive you. Under those arms you find shelter. Even now they “defend you from all danger, guarding and protecting you from all evil.” Such a comforting assurance of Your Savior’s steadfast love, drawing you to Him!
As it was for David, God has a purpose for you. He will let no one and nothing deter Him from carrying it out in your life. Should someone try, he will shamefully fail. So, call on God in His mercy, find refuge in Him, and He will hide you in the shadow of His wings. Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow. Praise God because He Protects Us.
Hymn:
Praise God…Because He Saves Us
“Create in me a pure heart, O God. Renew an unwavering spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence. Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation. Sustain me with a willing spirit” (Psalm 51:10-12).
He caused the problem, a storm so great that everyone would perish if he were not thrown overboard. So the sailors tossed the prophet Jonah into the sea. Immediately, the raging stopped.
Meanwhile, Jonah sank like a stone. Seaweed grabbed his hair; saltwater rushed into his lungs. Down to the floor of the sea, where the mountains locked him in. Trapped! No matter how hard he thrashed, life was squeezing from him. Jonah cried, “LORD, I have been driven from Your sight” (Jon.2:4).
Drowning is awful enough, but the agony of feeling cast from the Lord’s presence, driven from His sight, is far worse. Imagine coming to church, finding the doors padlocked and wrapped in chains with a note saying: “You cannot enter my presence. Go away for you have sinned against me. I want no part of you! – God.” Cast from God’s presence!
Thank God that’s not the end of the story, for in place of Jonah’s, David’s, and our disobedience, God abandoned His Son on the cross. There Jesus paid the penalty for sin. God abandoned His Son, so that by faith in Him we might not be abandoned in eternity.
Jonah believed and rejoiced: “When my life was ebbing away, my prayer rose to You….Salvation comes from the LORD!” God rescued and brought him safely to land. Then Jonah, with a song of thanksgiving, continued on with a willing spirit to do whatever the Lord asked of him, thrilled that God had not forsaken him.
So may it be for us in faith. In Christ the door is unlocked, we enter God’s presence, and the Lord goes with us to the end of the age. With purified hearts, trusting that the blood of God’s Son cleanses from all sin, the Holy Spirit restores and sends us on our way in salvation’s joy. Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow. Praise God because He Saves Us.
Hymn:
20:2226 Thanksgiving
