1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:04,040 Dear God, we do thank you for Sabbath. 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,040 We thank you for so many things that you have poured out in our life. 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:09,760 Forgive us for the times that we have forgotten. 4 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:10,760 Guide us and bless us. 5 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:12,320 In your name we pray. 6 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:13,320 Amen. 7 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:18,800 So, I'm assuming that many of us, maybe most of us, had some sort of Thanksgiving dinner 8 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,120 this week with family or friends. 9 00:00:22,120 --> 00:00:24,160 How many maybe ate too much? 10 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,560 Did anybody eat too much? 11 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:29,960 Did anybody's dinner go the way that it was supposed to? 12 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,880 Or did anybody have any mishaps? 13 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,720 Something got burned, forgot to put the sugar in the pie, anything like that? 14 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:46,280 I saw one story of a lady who had gone to purchase mashed potatoes. 15 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,320 My wife would never do that, but she went to purchase mashed potatoes and she brought 16 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:55,320 them home and they went to scoop them on Thanksgiving morning and it wasn't mashed potatoes, but 17 00:00:55,320 --> 00:01:00,160 it was shepherd's pie, so it had all kinds of other stuff underneath. 18 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:05,000 So I'm not sure if they were happy about that or a little bit disappointed about that, but 19 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,680 sometimes mistakes happen. 20 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:14,760 There was a story from a few years ago where a grandmother wanted to invite her family 21 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:21,840 or let them know the setting, the timing of Thanksgiving dinner, and so she ended up sending 22 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:27,760 out a text message saying Thanksgiving dinner will be at whatever it was, 3 o'clock. 23 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:33,080 She sent a text message to her grandchildren to let them know, to be nice, to let them 24 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:34,480 know the timing. 25 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:40,040 And a few minutes later she got a text message back from one of her grandsons and it said, 26 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,040 who is this? 27 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:44,480 And she said, well it's your grandmother. 28 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:46,500 And he's like, well send a picture. 29 00:01:46,500 --> 00:01:51,160 So he sent a picture and a few minutes later the text came back and said, you're not my 30 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:52,800 grandmother. 31 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:56,920 And so she had been trying to do something good, she had been trying to do something 32 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:04,160 kind, and in that moment it ended up not quite working out the way that she had hoped that 33 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:05,160 it would. 34 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:11,240 And sometimes, as we're preparing something, sometimes things don't always go as they should, 35 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:12,440 as we hoped that they would. 36 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,240 So I wanted to start off with a little survey here. 37 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:19,640 I'm going to show two items and then I'm going to ask for a show of hands. 38 00:02:19,640 --> 00:02:20,640 Which is your favorite? 39 00:02:20,640 --> 00:02:23,200 These are some traditional Thanksgiving food. 40 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:24,720 Maybe you had some this week. 41 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:29,760 So stuffing or dressing, I'm not sure what you happen to call it in your family, or mashed 42 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:30,840 potatoes. 43 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:32,720 Which of those two is your favorite? 44 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,240 You probably like them both, but which is your favorite? 45 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,000 How many prefer mashed potatoes? 46 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,880 How many prefer stuffing or dressing? 47 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:43,760 That's not quite as popular. 48 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:46,840 Let's go quickly to dessert. 49 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:48,500 Pumpkin pie or apple pie? 50 00:02:48,500 --> 00:02:51,600 How many prefer apple pie? 51 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:56,160 How many prefer pumpkin pie? 52 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:59,880 Is that both hands up or you really prefer pumpkin pie? 53 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:06,080 So now the next one could be controversial because some families debate this, argue this. 54 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:12,040 It's a traditional Thanksgiving food item, but how you eat it is what is controversial. 55 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,500 So cranberry sauce. 56 00:03:15,500 --> 00:03:17,680 Do you like the homemade cranberry sauce? 57 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:22,880 Or do you prefer it where you just open up the can and it's got the ridges from the can? 58 00:03:22,880 --> 00:03:26,160 How many like the homemade cranberry sauce? 59 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:27,680 How many like it from the can? 60 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:29,120 They prefer it that way. 61 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:33,200 How many don't really like cranberry sauce, but you only eat it for several hands back 62 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:34,200 there? 63 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:36,560 So we all have different preferences. 64 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,200 We all like things different ways. 65 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:46,360 And it seems like many of our celebrations that we have often have to do with food in 66 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:47,760 some way. 67 00:03:47,760 --> 00:03:51,040 It has something to do with a feast. 68 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,120 You can think of Thanksgiving. 69 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:54,840 We just experienced that meal. 70 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:56,840 You can think of Christmas. 71 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:00,240 You know, there's often food associated with Christmas. 72 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,080 Or even a birthday. 73 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:07,560 If you go to a birthday party, there's going to be birthday cake. 74 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:12,920 If you go to a wedding, there's going to be wedding cake. 75 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:18,520 Even the Fourth of July, we think fireworks, but Fourth of July often there's hot dogs 76 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,480 or watermelon or something that goes along. 77 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:27,160 And we consider something about food that is associated with many of our celebrations. 78 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:28,920 And I can assure you that I'm all for that. 79 00:04:28,920 --> 00:04:32,720 I like having celebrations with food. 80 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:39,320 And as we've just come off of this Thanksgiving time, we have to realize or we have to remember 81 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:45,760 that this particular Sabbath kind of comes at an odd time in the calendar. 82 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:46,880 Now let's be clear. 83 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:48,240 It's the seventh day of the week. 84 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,320 So that's the perfect day for Sabbath. 85 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,520 But here we are just a few days. 86 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:56,160 We're still talking about Thanksgiving. 87 00:04:56,160 --> 00:05:02,360 And yet we recognize that a lot of attention has already moved forward down the calendar 88 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:07,060 to exactly one month from today to December 25. 89 00:05:07,060 --> 00:05:13,540 And sometimes we forget about giving thanks and we start thinking about getting gifts. 90 00:05:13,540 --> 00:05:15,820 And so this is kind of an odd time of year. 91 00:05:15,820 --> 00:05:22,880 The Advent season has begun, but I want to pause before we rush past Thanksgiving and 92 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:29,300 just think about what God has done for us. 93 00:05:29,300 --> 00:05:38,000 And think about whether or not we are able to celebrate so many things with feasting. 94 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,120 In the Bible it talks a lot about feasts. 95 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:43,880 There's feasts for different days. 96 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:48,300 They had whole weeks where they would gather together for feasts with the sanctuary services 97 00:05:48,300 --> 00:05:53,220 and all these different days that are spelled out through the Old Testament. 98 00:05:53,220 --> 00:05:58,440 And they had lots of time when they would gather together to eat. 99 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:05,640 But in Scripture they also had many times when they would call for fasting, for not 100 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:06,960 eating. 101 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:11,640 And in the Bible there were different reasons for fasting. 102 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:16,380 Sometimes they would fast and it would have to do with some sort of devotional prayer 103 00:06:16,380 --> 00:06:21,900 time, trying to come closer to God so they're fasting to put all of their attention and 104 00:06:21,900 --> 00:06:24,600 put all of their focus on God. 105 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:29,160 Sometimes they're fasting from one particular food item, like Daniel and his friends, for 106 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:35,480 ten days they only ate very specific things in order to show that God's way was the best 107 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:36,480 way. 108 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:43,440 But sometimes in Scripture they also fast and it has to do with the fact that they are 109 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:44,440 in mourning. 110 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:49,260 There's some sort of grief or some sort of loss that is going on. 111 00:06:49,260 --> 00:06:55,220 And so they're fasting because of the sense of loss that they are facing. 112 00:06:55,220 --> 00:07:03,160 And so as we consider these stories in Scripture we have to think, should we be feasting or 113 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:04,720 should we be fasting? 114 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:10,260 I want to turn to the story of Abraham, but before we go to Hebrews 11 I want to go to 115 00:07:10,260 --> 00:07:12,020 Genesis chapter 12. 116 00:07:12,020 --> 00:07:15,940 I don't have that one on the screen so let's go to Genesis chapter 12. 117 00:07:15,940 --> 00:07:21,960 We find a Bible hero, a Bible character, he's called Abram in this chapter. 118 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:27,200 We know him perhaps better as Abraham as his name has changed a little bit later. 119 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:34,360 But in Genesis chapter 12, we're just going to read one verse, Genesis 12 and verse 1. 120 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:40,600 It says, Now the Lord had said to Abram, Get out of your country, from your family and 121 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:45,740 from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. 122 00:07:45,740 --> 00:07:49,680 So God is telling Abraham to go somewhere else. 123 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:54,260 He's not telling him where, he's not giving him a destination, he's not giving him a point 124 00:07:54,260 --> 00:07:59,940 on the map, he's not giving him any GPS coordinates, he just says get up and go. 125 00:07:59,940 --> 00:08:04,440 And I'm going to let you know when to turn left, when to go north, when to go east, I'm 126 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,220 going to let you know where you're going. 127 00:08:07,220 --> 00:08:14,240 And we begin to see a picture of Abraham here echoing the story of the Bible. 128 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:21,280 Because the story of the Bible from beginning to end is the story of people who are in exile, 129 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,560 people who are not where they are supposed to be. 130 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:30,200 You can think to the very beginning, in Genesis, God had created a perfect situation, a perfect 131 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,160 setting in the Garden of Eden. 132 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:38,640 And by the time we get to the third chapter of the book, Adam and Eve had made a decision 133 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:42,600 to go in a different direction and they're cast out of the garden. 134 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:48,800 And in fact, flaming swords are there to prevent them from eating from the tree of life. 135 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,800 And so they are separated from where they're supposed to be. 136 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,000 They are in exile. 137 00:08:55,000 --> 00:09:01,360 And we see this story with Abraham as God calls him to go somewhere and he's not even 138 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,200 sure where he's supposed to go. 139 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:05,600 Let's pick up this story. 140 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:07,600 We're going to go to the New Testament. 141 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,480 We're going to continue the story of Abraham, but in the New Testament. 142 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:14,440 So we're going to go to Hebrews chapter 11. 143 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:19,000 Now who can tell me what Hebrews chapter 11 is kind of known as? 144 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:25,000 The faith chapter, this hall of faith where hero after hero is listed and it always says 145 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,760 by faith. 146 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:30,920 Abel did this, by faith Noah did this, by faith Abraham. 147 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,120 And so we see this story here in verse 8. 148 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:41,720 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out of the place which he would receive, 149 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:47,480 excuse me, go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. 150 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,960 And he went out not knowing where he was going. 151 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:52,760 It goes on in verse 9. 152 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:57,720 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country dwelling in tents with 153 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:01,640 Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. 154 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:09,240 And then it says in verse 10, for he waited for the city which has foundations whose builder 155 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,440 and maker is God. 156 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:17,080 So we find Abraham going from place to place, wandering, taking whatever directions God 157 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:23,240 gave him, uncertain of where he might be the next month or the next year, just trusting 158 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:25,400 that God was going to lead him. 159 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:31,400 And so he was searching, wandering, looking for something that was better, looking for 160 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:38,480 something that was promised, this city whose builder and maker was God. 161 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:44,440 And this is the story of God's people from Genesis, they're cast out, they're wandering. 162 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:46,960 Abraham is called out, he's wandering. 163 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:50,800 The children of Israel, we find them in slavery and bondage in Egypt. 164 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:54,680 They're delivered, but what are they doing for the next 40 years? 165 00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:59,480 They're wandering, they're exiles, they're searching for what is promised, but they hadn't 166 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:00,680 gotten it yet. 167 00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:05,960 And even after they make it to the promised land, the story of scripture goes on and we 168 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:11,800 come to the days of Isaiah and Jeremiah and because of disobedience, because the kings 169 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:16,480 are leading them in different directions, well here come the enemies. 170 00:11:16,480 --> 00:11:22,480 And they conquer Jerusalem and they conquer Palestine, the Holy Land, and we read about 171 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:27,680 characters like Ezekiel and Daniel and they are carried away to another land. 172 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:30,080 They're carried away to where? 173 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:36,060 To Babylon, and they are exiled, they are not in the place that they are meant to be, 174 00:11:36,060 --> 00:11:38,920 they are found somewhere else. 175 00:11:38,920 --> 00:11:45,520 And so for them, when they were living in exile, was it the time to feast or the time 176 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:47,120 to fast? 177 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:51,800 How could they celebrate when they weren't where they were supposed to be? 178 00:11:51,800 --> 00:12:01,320 I want to turn over to Psalms, the 137th Psalm, Psalm 137, that's not a chapter we probably 179 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:11,360 go to very often, but the 137th Psalm kind of tells the story of, it's a prayer, a lament 180 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:14,480 of these people who are living in exile. 181 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:20,280 And so think about people who are far from their home, who are not where they're supposed 182 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,080 to be, and they begin to recognize that. 183 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:32,000 And so Psalm 137, it says, by the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and yea we wept 184 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:33,800 when we remembered Zion. 185 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:38,400 So these are people, they're in exile, they're in another land, and they're thinking of their 186 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,720 homeland, they're thinking where they're supposed to be, and what are they doing? 187 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:47,800 They're weeping, they're crying, and it says, we hung our harps upon the willows in the 188 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:48,800 midst of it. 189 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:53,160 They're musical instruments, they just hung them up, they couldn't even play them. 190 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:58,640 And then it goes on in verse 3, for there those who carried us away captive asked of 191 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:06,240 us a song, and those who plundered us requested mirth, saying sing us one of the songs of 192 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:07,440 Zion. 193 00:13:07,440 --> 00:13:14,040 So these people who had captured them are like, entertain us, play us some music, play 194 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:22,440 us your old folk tunes from home, make us smile, make us laugh, sing us songs of Zion. 195 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:25,120 And notice how they respond, how? 196 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:29,860 How can we sing the Lord's song in a foreign land? 197 00:13:29,860 --> 00:13:35,120 We're not in a place to make you smile, we're not in a place to bring you entertainment. 198 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,880 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill, let me forget how to 199 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:41,640 play this instrument. 200 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:47,200 If I do not remember you, let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not exult 201 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:51,120 Jerusalem above my chief joy. 202 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:56,720 And so they are in a foreign place, and they're like, how can we sing? 203 00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:01,500 How can we be happy when we are in exile? 204 00:14:01,500 --> 00:14:09,120 And so here we sit in the glow of Thanksgiving, with Christmas lights starting to blink on 205 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:16,520 around us, in the midst of this holiday season, and yet living in a world that is not our 206 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:18,020 home. 207 00:14:18,020 --> 00:14:24,720 Living in a world where we are totally in exile, a world full of sorrow and full of 208 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:26,320 grief. 209 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:30,720 Think of some headlines maybe you saw this week, you know, some kind of war happening 210 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:37,240 in the Middle East, and hostages and people killed and different things happening there. 211 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:42,640 Or a potential volcano they were talking about in Iceland not long ago, a whole country about 212 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:46,440 to blow up as a volcano. 213 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,160 Financial uncertainty. 214 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:52,640 What about your grocery bill for Thanksgiving this week? 215 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:53,640 Have mercy. 216 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:57,960 It was probably a little bit more than it has been at some point. 217 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:05,400 And even as we look out around us, because of the dry season that we've had, if you've 218 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:10,280 seen the little weather map, almost every time I see it there's like, you know, a little 219 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:17,400 part of the southern states, and there's a little red section and it says, extreme drought. 220 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:22,300 And it's right here in Chattanooga in north Georgia, extreme drought. 221 00:15:22,300 --> 00:15:28,680 And it was the last time I was here at church three weeks ago, three Sabbaths ago, I was 222 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:33,840 looking out this door in this foyer area, and you can see an amazing view of Lookout 223 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:35,940 Mountain up there. 224 00:15:35,940 --> 00:15:40,840 And as I looked out that window on Sabbath morning, there was smoke billowing off the 225 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:42,720 top of Lookout Mountain. 226 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:48,560 And it was a fire up there a few weeks ago, you probably remember, it damaged the radio 227 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:52,320 towers to J-103, the Christian radio station. 228 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:55,760 And so for a couple days that station didn't play. 229 00:15:55,760 --> 00:15:57,160 And there's other fires around. 230 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:02,400 On the other side of Lookout Mountain, and just all around, there's a haze, there's a 231 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:04,320 smoke in the air. 232 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:10,080 And as you, thankfully we had some rain this week, but as you just see that, we're reminded 233 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:15,080 that things are not as they are supposed to be. 234 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:17,720 And yet here we are. 235 00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:24,400 But if I think about it, that's really the story of what Thanksgiving is all about. 236 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:30,240 You know, if we think about the first Thanksgiving that we traditionally talk about, that's kind 237 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:32,680 of the story of what happened then. 238 00:16:32,680 --> 00:16:37,520 Does anybody remember the year, quick social studies quiz, what was the year of the first 239 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,280 Thanksgiving that we typically talk about? 240 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:43,120 All right, 1621. 241 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:46,960 That's my son, way to go, Brandon. 242 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:49,360 So yeah, 1621. 243 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:56,240 There was a group of people, we refer to them most often as the Pilgrims, also known as 244 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,400 Separatists. 245 00:16:58,400 --> 00:16:59,400 What was going on? 246 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:01,280 They lived in England. 247 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:07,000 They were Separatists because there was some religious persecution that was going on. 248 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:12,600 And so they had separated from that main church, the Church of England there. 249 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:18,080 And a few years before, they had gone to Holland, to the Netherlands, and they had spent some 250 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:19,600 time there. 251 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:24,640 And then they heard about a place that perhaps they could have some religious freedom. 252 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:29,420 And so after some starts and stops, they made their way back to the England. 253 00:17:29,420 --> 00:17:32,400 They got on a ship called the Mayflower. 254 00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:35,500 All right, social studies is coming back. 255 00:17:35,500 --> 00:17:43,060 And they sailed across the North Atlantic, headed for America. 256 00:17:43,060 --> 00:17:45,040 But where were they supposed to go? 257 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:50,440 Yeah, they were going to Virginia, and because of storms or tides or whatever, they ended 258 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,000 up in New England, of all places. 259 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:56,200 In December, not the place to be. 260 00:17:56,200 --> 00:18:01,680 And they show up there, they sign the Mayflower Compact, this promise that they're going to 261 00:18:01,680 --> 00:18:04,920 have some democracy going on and different things. 262 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:11,020 And 100 of them get off of the boat, the Mayflower, 100 people. 263 00:18:11,020 --> 00:18:17,880 And we say 100, and we can just think of a big blob, a big group of people. 264 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:23,420 This graphic kind of breaks it down and shows some family units of that 100 people. 265 00:18:23,420 --> 00:18:29,400 You can see some single men, you can see some mother and father and three children, or you 266 00:18:29,400 --> 00:18:34,920 can see some brothers, or you can see a father with two children whose mother had passed 267 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:35,920 away. 268 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:38,400 Whatever the situation was, it kind of breaks it down. 269 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:43,440 100 people approximately got off the Mayflower in December of 1620. 270 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:50,080 Now, there was no Walmart, there was no place to buy food or sleeping bags, it's frigidly 271 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:51,080 cold. 272 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:58,080 They'd just come several weeks across the cold ocean, and so it wasn't long. 273 00:18:58,080 --> 00:19:07,360 By the time they made it to the next Thanksgiving in September, things had changed, because 274 00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:12,240 approximately 50 of them had died during that first winter. 275 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,360 So almost half of the people. 276 00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:17,240 And you can see the breakdown there. 277 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:23,400 A single male passed away, an entire family passed away, a mother passed away, leaving 278 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:28,360 a father and children, a father passed away, leaving a mother. 279 00:19:28,360 --> 00:19:34,160 And so half of the group that first winter had passed away. 280 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:38,880 And yet when they made it to September, they gathered together for this thing that we call 281 00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:41,640 the first Thanksgiving. 282 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:45,500 Now what could they have to give thanks for? 283 00:19:45,500 --> 00:19:52,660 Half of their friends and family had died in freshly dug graves, and yet they were willing 284 00:19:52,660 --> 00:19:54,940 to give thanks. 285 00:19:54,940 --> 00:20:00,400 Because over that time, they had learned how to fish. 286 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:05,120 They had met a Native American by the name of Squanto, who had taught them how to fish. 287 00:20:05,120 --> 00:20:08,240 Anybody know what kind of fish they caught the most of? 288 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:09,560 Cod. 289 00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:12,240 And there's another one that's a little eel. 290 00:20:12,240 --> 00:20:14,680 There's a lot of eels that they caught. 291 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:15,680 I've caught an eel before. 292 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:20,600 I have not consumed an eel, but I have caught an eel while fishing down in Florida. 293 00:20:20,600 --> 00:20:26,400 But they caught cod and eels, and the Native American helped them to know how to plant 294 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,840 corn and how to grow their different crops. 295 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:36,080 And so by the time the next fall came around, they had warm homes to live in. 296 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:38,760 Well, let's say warmer homes to live in. 297 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:44,040 This was still log cabins with a fireplace, so warmer homes. 298 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:49,360 They had food stored away for the winter, so they knew they weren't going to starve. 299 00:20:49,360 --> 00:20:56,240 They knew how to hunt a deer or whatever was needed to get some other food. 300 00:20:56,240 --> 00:21:03,700 And so even though they were still grieving for the loss of their 50 family and friends, 301 00:21:03,700 --> 00:21:07,800 they knew that they had something that they could be thankful for. 302 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:11,200 They knew that they had a reason to give thanks. 303 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:18,180 And so those 50 people were joined by about 90 Native Americans, and they had what we 304 00:21:18,180 --> 00:21:20,920 know as the first Thanksgiving. 305 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:24,400 So I want to read a paragraph I saw. 306 00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:26,200 Just think about your Thanksgiving dinner. 307 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,560 How many people were at your house? 308 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,960 Maybe some are still having Thanksgiving dinners later today or this weekend. 309 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:38,960 It says, the feast was cooked by four adult Pilgrim women who survived their first winter 310 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:39,960 in the New World. 311 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:44,120 And it gives their names, along with young daughters and some servants. 312 00:21:44,120 --> 00:21:47,280 So four women and some kids. 313 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:50,720 So were they helping or hindering? 314 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:53,440 Maybe it depends. 315 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:54,440 And how many people? 316 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:56,960 There was 50 plus 90. 317 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:01,560 That's 140 people that were gathered together. 318 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,840 And four people did most of that cooking. 319 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:08,080 I don't think your numbers were quite that extreme. 320 00:22:08,080 --> 00:22:09,440 Probably not. 321 00:22:09,440 --> 00:22:10,440 So what did they have? 322 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:15,280 They had corn, squash, eels, cod. 323 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:20,400 The Native Americans brought some deer and also some game birds, turkey or duck. 324 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:26,880 And as they gathered, very close to the graves of 50 of their family and friends, they could 325 00:22:26,880 --> 00:22:28,640 give thanks. 326 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:30,460 They could gather for food. 327 00:22:30,460 --> 00:22:31,880 They could celebrate. 328 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:33,080 They could play games. 329 00:22:33,080 --> 00:22:39,920 Because it wasn't perfect, but they could see something hopeful in the future. 330 00:22:39,920 --> 00:22:44,720 Things were still difficult, but they had something to be hopeful for. 331 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:47,880 Let's turn back to Hebrews chapter 11. 332 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:53,800 Hebrews chapter 11, continuing this story of Abraham by this time. 333 00:22:53,800 --> 00:23:04,240 Hebrews chapter 11, it says in verse 13, Hebrews 11 verse 13, these all died in faith. 334 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:10,560 Talking about Abraham, talking about all these people in Hebrews 11, this faith chapter. 335 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:19,400 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, 336 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:27,120 were assured of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the 337 00:23:27,120 --> 00:23:28,120 earth. 338 00:23:28,120 --> 00:23:33,840 These were God's people living in faith, and yet they didn't receive the fullness of the 339 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:34,840 promise. 340 00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:38,480 And yet they continued to have faith because they could see it coming. 341 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:42,480 They could hear and remember that God had promised it to them. 342 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,480 They knew that they were just strangers and pilgrims. 343 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:47,220 They were in exile. 344 00:23:47,220 --> 00:23:52,560 They weren't where God had promised they would be yet, but that day was coming. 345 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:54,840 I want to go down to verse 16. 346 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:59,400 It says, but now they desire a better. 347 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:02,080 That is a heavenly country. 348 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:09,600 Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for 349 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:10,660 them. 350 00:24:10,660 --> 00:24:12,500 They know the promise is coming. 351 00:24:12,500 --> 00:24:16,280 They haven't received it yet, but they haven't given up hope. 352 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:21,680 They're still trusting that what God had promised is going to come to fulfillment. 353 00:24:21,680 --> 00:24:29,320 God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 354 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:30,320 And guess what? 355 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:35,400 God has prepared a city for us, and we too have that same promise. 356 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:39,640 We too have something that we can be thankful for. 357 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:44,720 We are all like pilgrims, still longing for something that is promised. 358 00:24:44,720 --> 00:24:50,440 And it's true, there are still reasons in this world to grieve. 359 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:53,200 There are things to mourn about. 360 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:55,480 Our church suffered a loss just this week. 361 00:24:55,480 --> 00:25:01,160 A reason to grieve, a reason to mourn, a reason to fast even. 362 00:25:01,160 --> 00:25:07,360 But even living in this world, we can find reasons to be thankful. 363 00:25:07,360 --> 00:25:11,560 We can remember the promises that God has. 364 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:17,000 We can think to our life the last week, the last month, the last year. 365 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:24,440 And if we really sit and ponder, we can remember what God has done, what God is doing, and 366 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:28,700 we can look forward to the promises of what God will do. 367 00:25:28,700 --> 00:25:32,760 We have reasons to be thankful. 368 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:37,600 There was a stack of mail out there for the pastor, and there was something I was thankful 369 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:38,600 for. 370 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:42,520 There was a sweet little card from Elena Evans. 371 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:44,480 So that was a sweet little card. 372 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:51,040 Happy Thanksgiving, turkey pie, maybe some soup, I'm not sure what that one is. 373 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:56,120 So just little things that we can be thankful for. 374 00:25:56,120 --> 00:25:57,120 What about you? 375 00:25:57,120 --> 00:25:59,560 What is something that you are thankful for this week? 376 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:00,560 Just think about that. 377 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:06,080 We took some time in Sabbath school sharing some things that we were thankful for. 378 00:26:06,080 --> 00:26:08,360 Think about what God has done for you. 379 00:26:08,360 --> 00:26:11,520 Think about the blessings that you have received. 380 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:15,120 Write at least one thing down. 381 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:21,480 Text somebody and say, I am thankful for you, or I am thankful for what God has done in 382 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:27,120 my life this year, and here is something that I am thankful for. 383 00:26:27,120 --> 00:26:33,640 Even as we go through challenges of this world, we can be reminded that God has a blessing 384 00:26:33,640 --> 00:26:34,640 for us. 385 00:26:34,640 --> 00:26:36,560 Here's a couple of verses that we can think about. 386 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:37,560 Just a few. 387 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:40,520 Just a few verses that we could read from scripture. 388 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:49,760 But John 16, 33, it says, these things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. 389 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:56,800 In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. 390 00:26:56,800 --> 00:26:58,280 So notice what Jesus says here. 391 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:02,880 In the world you might have troubles. 392 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:05,160 In this world you're going to have some troubles. 393 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:07,080 We live in a sinful world. 394 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:11,240 There's an assurance that we wish it wasn't there, but there's going to be challenges 395 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:12,640 in this world. 396 00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:16,880 And God says, Jesus says, you're going to have problems in this world. 397 00:27:16,880 --> 00:27:23,280 But even in the midst of the challenges, Jesus says, cheer up, be happy, give thanks, because 398 00:27:23,280 --> 00:27:25,760 Jesus has overcome the world. 399 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:31,800 Yes, we face difficult times, but when we trust in Jesus, when we're on His side, Jesus 400 00:27:31,800 --> 00:27:34,720 says I have overcome the world. 401 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:38,800 There's one more to look at, Galatians chapter 6. 402 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:43,480 If you can't think of anything else to be thankful for, here is something. 403 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:51,200 Genesis 6 and verse 14, it says, but God forbid that I should boast, that I should rejoice, 404 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:53,040 that I should give thanks. 405 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:58,320 God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the 406 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:02,760 world has been crucified to me and I to the world. 407 00:28:02,760 --> 00:28:08,880 No matter what else we're facing, we have this promise of grace. 408 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:15,960 We saw in our pre-time before church that we have a Savior who died for us to give us 409 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:20,320 grace, that that's what the story of the Bible is all about. 410 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:22,720 Jesus is on our side. 411 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:28,960 The world may seem to be falling apart, and when we read the paper or look at the news, 412 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:29,960 have mercy. 413 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:36,640 It seems like it's falling apart faster and faster, but Jesus is on our side, and Jesus 414 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:37,960 invites us to be strong. 415 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:42,400 I want to close with two thoughts, two different stories. 416 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:47,440 It rained this week, so there's not quite as much smoke as there was earlier in the week, 417 00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:53,160 but there's still some fires going around, and with the fire on Lookout Mountain on the 418 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:59,760 other side, I saw some pictures of the fire, and we can think, oh no, the forest is on 419 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:06,760 fire, there's smoke, things are burning up, but don't just think about the problem, because 420 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:10,640 recognize that there's people that are taking care of the problem. 421 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:13,880 Someone posted some pictures of the fire. 422 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:20,080 They're on Lookout Mountain, the smoke's billowing off, but then there's also helicopters. 423 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:25,120 The Forest Service or whoever it is, they're flying over, they're scooping up water, and 424 00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:27,400 they're dropping it on the fire. 425 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:32,240 So don't let the smoke just remind you of the problem, let the smoke remind you that 426 00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:36,960 there's somebody that's on your side, that there's somebody that's helping solve the 427 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:40,400 problem, get rid of the problem. 428 00:29:40,400 --> 00:29:46,920 When you see that difficulty, remember that there's hope, because Jesus says, in this 429 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:51,520 world you will have trouble, but I have overcome the world. 430 00:29:51,520 --> 00:30:00,800 Now I started with a story about eight years ago, 2016, where a grandmother, Grandma Wanda, 431 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:07,160 sent a text message to her grandkids to say, come over for Thanksgiving, and there's some 432 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:09,640 screenshots of that conversation. 433 00:30:09,640 --> 00:30:14,440 Thanksgiving dinner is at my house, 3 p.m., let me know if you're coming, and then here's 434 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:17,520 the response, who is this? 435 00:30:17,520 --> 00:30:18,520 Your grandma. 436 00:30:18,520 --> 00:30:20,720 Grandma, can I have a picture? 437 00:30:20,720 --> 00:30:21,720 Of who? 438 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:22,840 Of you? 439 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:25,800 And so she sends a picture of herself at work that day. 440 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:28,800 There she is, yes, here I am at work. 441 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:35,160 And then the person on the other side sends back a picture, and he says, you're not my 442 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:37,200 grandma. 443 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:41,440 This was a young man, Jamal, who happened to be sitting in class, he was a high school 444 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:42,440 student. 445 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:47,000 What Grandma Wanda didn't know is that her grandson had changed his phone number, and 446 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:52,480 so she thought she was texting her grandson, but it turns out young Jamal, 17-year-old 447 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:57,000 high school student sitting in class says, you're not my grandma. 448 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:02,080 But then notice what he says next, can I still get a plate? 449 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:08,000 And she says, of course you can, that's what grandmas do, feed everyone. 450 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:15,520 And so sure enough, on Thanksgiving Day, Jamal came over and got some food from Grandma Wanda. 451 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:21,480 In 2016, eight years ago, and every year since then, they've gotten together at Thanksgiving 452 00:31:21,480 --> 00:31:24,840 time, and they've become friends. 453 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:31,100 Wanda's husband passed away in 2020 due to COVID, Jamal's brought his girlfriend over, 454 00:31:31,100 --> 00:31:35,840 and even this year, the eighth year, sure enough, I saw something this week in the news 455 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:41,760 that they were still getting together, all because a mistake had been made. 456 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:48,320 Jamal sent the message to the wrong person, and yet through that mistake, something good 457 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:49,400 was able to come. 458 00:31:49,400 --> 00:31:53,560 Through that mistake, they were able to bring a blessing from that. 459 00:31:53,560 --> 00:32:00,000 Through the challenges of this world, we can remember that we desire a better country. 460 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:05,800 There's challenges, yes, but something better is coming, and God is not ashamed to be called 461 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:13,200 our God, for He has prepared a city for them, but we can also read it, God has prepared 462 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:21,920 a city for us, and I think Jesus is coming soon to take us to that city forever and ever. 463 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,040 Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 464 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:29,720 Dear God, forgive us for the times when we have forgotten your blessings, when we have 465 00:32:29,720 --> 00:32:36,120 looked at the troubles of this world, when we have thought, oh, all we can do is fast 466 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:39,880 because there's so much challenges of this world. 467 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:45,040 The Lord help us to look at the blessings, help us to remember your love and your grace 468 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:49,560 and your presence in our life and your promise of coming soon. 469 00:32:49,560 --> 00:32:51,440 Be with us in all that we do. 470 00:32:51,440 --> 00:33:07,400 In your name we pray, amen.