Greg Laurie - Finding True Gratitude This Thanksgiving (02/15/2026)
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In his Thanksgiving sermon "How to Have a Happy Thanksgiving," Pastor Greg Laurie teaches from Psalm 100 and 1 Corinthians 11 that real gratitude centers on God's unchanging goodness and faithfulness, not our circumstances or possessions. He gives five commands: shout praise openly, serve gladly, acknowledge God as Creator and follow Him as sheep, and enter His presence with thanksgiving through active church life and communion remembrance. True happiness comes from knowing and thanking the Lord who never leaves us.
Opening Thoughts on Thanksgiving and Gratitude
We're gonna look at two passages together. I'd like you to turn to Psalm 100. Psalm 100. And if you don't know where that is, it's right after Psalm 99. It's very easy to find. Psalm 100. And also, 1 Corinthians 11. So, Psalm 100, 1 Corinthians 11. And the title of my message is How to Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
You know, it's that time of year, man. It's here in full force. The holidays are here. And we're making up our list. First of all, we have our list of people we're gonna buy something for, for Christmas. And then we have a list of people that we hope will buy us something for Christmas. And we're telling them what we want for Christmas. We might be giving them URLs to click. So they get the exact right thing.
And then after Christmas, we make up that list of resolutions. You know, usually it has something to do with losing weight. But someone made up a list of things they're thankful for. And I really like this. That things they're thankful for. Number one, this person writes, "I'm thankful for the clothes that fit a little snug. That means I've had more than enough to eat." That's a good way of looking at it, isn't it? You're always complaining, "Oh, I'm gaining weight." Or maybe that's just me. But, you know, if your clothes are a little snug, that means you're one well-fed person. Okay? So you can be thankful for that.
Number two, they say, "I'm thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need washing, and gutters that need cleaning. Because that means I have a home to live in." That's a good point. He also writes, "I'm thankful for my huge air conditioning bill, because it means I'm cool in the summer." Or maybe your heating bill, because you're warm in the winter. And finally, "I'm thankful for the piles of laundry I have, because that means there are loved ones nearby."
You know, I think a lot of times we take our blessings for granted. And we don't understand that these things we often complain about are really blessings.
The Unique Meaning of Thanksgiving in America
And tomorrow, as a country, we will celebrate Thanksgiving. And Thanksgiving is a unique American holiday. It doesn't commemorate a battle, or a birthday, or an anniversary. It's a day specifically set aside to give thanks to God Almighty.
In 1789, our first president, George Washington, made this public proclamation. And I quote: "By the President of the United States of America. A proclamation. Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, and to obey His will and be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor. And whereas both houses of Congress... Wow, did you hear that? Both houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public Thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by and acknowledging with grateful hearts the many favors of God Almighty. Therefore, I recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th of November, to be devoted by the people of these states to the service of the great and glorious being, who is the author of all the good that was, all the good that is, and all the good that will ever be."
I love that. From the President of the United States. A number of years later, President Lincoln in 1863 made it an official holiday. And there was never any doubt in Washington's mind, or Lincoln's mind, for that matter, that who that author of all that is good was. They were talking about God. They weren't talking about a mere supreme being, or a force, or whatever you perceive God to be. They were talking about the God of the Bible. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The God that sent Jesus Christ.
And that's because, unique to the United States of America, despite where we're at right now, our spiritual roots run deep. There was the assumption, on the part of our founding fathers, that Americans, by and large, did have a faith, and that faith was predominantly the Christian faith.
Historical and Spiritual Roots of Thanksgiving
And we call George Washington and John Adams and Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin our founding fathers, and they are. But as it's been pointed out to us recently, when we had Eric Metaxas out, the spiritual founding father of America was George Whitefield. In fact, more people knew Whitefield than knew Washington, or Franklin, or any of the others. And that's because Whitefield tirelessly traveled around the colonies. This is right before we became a nation. And he preached the gospel.
And Benjamin Franklin, who was not really a believer that we know of, but had great respect for Whitefield and published his sermons, observed that whenever Whitefield preached, virtue and morality would follow. Franklin could see that virtue and morality were a direct result of conversion. And that is how our country was established, because when we sowed these seeds of Liberty, with our unique standards that we have as a nation, they were put into the soil of faith and virtue and morality that came from faith in God through Jesus Christ.
And it's because we lack this virtue and this faith and this morality today that our country is coming apart. So that's why President Washington, later Lincoln, ratifying it, that established Thanksgiving to remind America of God's faithfulness to us.
But the problem with Thanksgiving, for a lot of people, is they don't even know what to do with it. I mean, you know, they've been able to monetize every holiday. Halloween, did you know that on an average Halloween, Americans spend about $8.4 billion? That's about $89 per person. And then on Christmas, they spend $465 billion. That's $800 per person. But Thanksgiving, you know, it's a different kind of bird. No pun intended. But, well, how do you monetize that? Well, you sell some turkey, you sell some pumpkin pie, and really it's just basically the day we stuff ourselves before we go shopping. Right?
And for years, it was a day when you really didn't see many shops open. The malls were all closed. But that's all changing now. They don't even want to call it Thanksgiving anymore. They want to call it Turkey Day. Though I don't think it's a very good day for turkeys, frankly. But it is for those of us that eat them.
But what is Thanksgiving? It's a day for us to reflect. It's a day for us to rejoice. And it's a day for us to be revived. For many of us. It's a day for us to get together with weird members of our family. And maybe argue about things. Hopefully not. Could be also a day to proclaim the gospel to those members of your extended family that don't know the Lord yet.
But the real reason for Thanksgiving is to reflect on God's faithfulness. And to rejoice in His blessings. And commit to serve Him.
Why Give Thanks Even Without Everything You Want?
Well, you might say, "Well, I don't have everything I want. So I'm not going to give thanks." Well, actually that's not the reason you should give thanks. Because you have everything you want. And the scripture is very clear on why we should give thanks.
And let's read now Psalm 100. Because it's a psalm of Thanksgiving. Verse one: "Shout with joy to the Lord all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before Him singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He has made us and we are His. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with Thanksgiving. Go into His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him and praise His name for the Lord is good. And His unfailing love continues forever. And His faithfulness continues to each generation."
Alright, so Psalm 100 was written to the people of Israel. God was effectively saying, "Listen, when you get into that promised land, that land flowing with milk and honey, and your stomachs are full, and you're well rested, and everything's going well, don't forget me. Don't forget that I was the one who brought you through the wilderness. Don't forget that I was the one who delivered you from Egypt. Don't forget."
And God says the same to us because we often forget to count our blessings. In fact, that's why Jesus instituted communion. What did He say? "This do in remembrance of me." He established something He wants us to observe on a regular basis. When we come back again and we reflect on His shed blood and His broken body as He died on the cross for our sin, He asked us to remember Him. Because we often forget.
I mean, I find that I remember what I ought to forget, and I forget what I ought to remember, right? I meet someone, I want to remember their name, and I forget their name. I'm like Dory the Fish, right? I can't... Why can I not remember this person's name? And then there's someone I met 20 years ago and I remember their name. Or, I remember stupid lyrics to obscure songs that nobody cares about. I never consciously memorize those lyrics, but they're embedded in my brain.
So, the Bible tells us that we should remember certain things. We should bring them to our remembrance again and again.
Five Commands for Thanksgiving from Psalm 100
Like right now, I have a reminder on my finger that I'm a married man. If I wanted to take this ring off, I would need the jaws of life actually. Because I think I've gained so much weight since I got married, and I don't think it could come off. And so, it's a reminder I'm married. There's also a woman named Kathy that lives with me in my house that's been there 42 years. That also is a reminder.
But we set an alarm sometimes, and we want to remember something. Speaking of Kathy, she makes the best omelet on earth. I'm telling you. The best omelet ever. And I've traveled the world. And I've had omelets everywhere imaginable. The great restaurants of the earth. You know, Denny's. All of them. And there's a certain omelet I always order. Wherever I go. I ask for it. This isn't very healthy, I'll admit. But I ask for spinach. That's pretty healthy, right? Cheddar cheese and bacon. With a side of bacon. So, that's my omelet.
But at home, she makes me this omelet with these little sausages. They get in the market. They're called, I think, Little Smokies, you know? And so, she chops them up with some jalapeno pepper and some cheddar cheese, of course, and some onions. It's just amazing. It's an incredible omelet. But sometimes she forgets, you know, to keep her eye on it. She'll put a lid on it. And sometimes she sets the phone to go off and then she'll give me the omelet. Sometimes she forgets and she gives me a burnt offering. You see? So... But even burnt, it's really good, right?
So, we need reminders. Remember when we were doing Harvest America, we asked all of you to set your smartphone to 320. Because Ephesians 3:20 says he's able to do abundantly above and beyond that which we could ask or think. And you all prayed. And we saw great work of God's spirit there. So, we need reminders. Because we take things for granted and we forget things.
We take things for granted in our nation. Of forgetting the great privilege it is to live in the United States of America. We take our... Yeah. That's right. True. We take our church for granted. We just think, well, this is the way it is in every church everywhere. Well, no. Not necessarily. You know, a lot of churches don't even have midweek studies anymore. They go dark during the week. But here we are with the doors open. And the lights on. And the worship cranking. And the message going out. And that's something to be thankful for. Among many other things that God has blessed us with in our church.
And sometimes we take our salvation for granted. We forget the amazing and awesome thing that God has done for us in sending Christ to die for our sins.
Coming back to this psalm. It was written to all the earth for all generations. So though, initially, it's given contextually to the nation Israel. Principally, it's to all the earth and to all generations. So here we are reading this psalm hundreds of years later. And it applies to us.
So here's the emphasis of it. Notice it says nothing about things. The psalmist says nothing about what things he is thankful for. Though you should be thankful for things. But he focuses on the Lord. In verse two, you'll find the word Lord. Same with verse three and verse five. Reminding us that our rejoicing on Thanksgiving in every day is not based on what I have materially. It's based on who I know.
Again, our Thanksgiving to God, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day, is not based on what I have. It's based on who I know. You know why? Possessions? They come and go. Friends? Yeah, they come and go too. Time really comes and goes. It just seems like Christmas was three months ago to me, right? Even health will fail in time. But God does not come and go. Jesus comes and stays. And he has promised in Hebrews 13, "Let the way you live be without coveting. Be content with such things as you have. For he himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you."
That's the great hope. Be content with what God has given you. Don't say, I'll be content if I get this other thing, or if I get that promotion, or if I get this other ministry opportunity, or whatever it is. Just be content with what you have. For he has said, I'll never leave you or forsake you.
Now we have five Thanksgiving commands. Five specific commands about giving thanks. Not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day.
Command 1: Express Praise Openly and Loudly
Command number one. Express your praise to God openly and loudly. If you're taking notes. Express your praise to God openly and loudly. Verse one says, "Shout to the Lord." In fact, that can be translated like a trumpet blast. The Bible tells us in Psalm 47:1, "Shout unto God with a voice of triumph."
It's important to verbalize things. You know, like if you're married, how many of you are married? Raise up your hand. How many of you wish you were married? Raise up your hand. You wish you were married. How many of you who are married wish you were no longer married? No, don't, don't. I know some of you were going to.
It's important to verbalize your love to your mates. You know, when you're first going out with a girl or a guy, you might tell them how wonderful they are, how handsome they are, how beautiful they are, and how much you love them. But then when you get married, you know, maybe you don't say it as often as you should. And you think it. You look at your spouse and say, "I love them so much." Well, say it. They need to hear it.
And the same is true of us as believers. We need to verbalize our praise to God. We need to say, "Lord, thank you," out loud. And that means when we come to worship, we should sing those praises to God. And you say, "Well, Greg, I don't have a very good voice." It doesn't matter. The Bible says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord." Maybe it's just a noise. But if it's joyful, and if it's unto the Lord, it's pleasing to the Lord.
We're told over in Hebrews 13:15, "We offer the sacrifice of praise to God." That is the fruit of our lips. "Giving thanks to His name." You know, sometimes praise and worship are a sacrifice. Prayer is a sacrifice. We don't feel like it. We don't want to do it. Maybe because you're depressed. Or things aren't going all that well. Or a hardship has hit you. Or you're facing a tragedy. And you don't want to thank God.
But the Bible does not say, "Give thanks unto the Lord when you feel good." It says, "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever." You know, it's easy, perhaps, to give thanks for the good things of life, for what we perceive to be the good things. Maybe a raise in pay, meeting new friends, a great meal, having great health.
It's not so easy to give praise to God for the so-called bad things, losing that job, losing your friends, poor health, or a burnt omelet. No, I'm kidding. But really, who am I to say what a good thing is, or what a bad thing is? Because I find as life goes on, I see things differently. And I look back on things that I thought were really bad things, and in retrospect, with 20/20 hindsight, I can see it was a good thing for my spiritual growth. You see?
And I realize that God is causing all things to work together for good to those that love Him. So we have to trust God in those things, and remind ourselves that God is good and loving. You gotta remind yourself of that. Verse five, "The Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever." Remind yourself of that.
We should give thanks when things seem to be good, and we should also give thanks because, mainly, the Lord is good, and He's working all things together for good.
Command 2: Serve the Lord with Gladness
Commandment number two. We are to serve the Lord with gladness. Serve the Lord with gladness. Another way to translate it is worship the Lord with gladness. Verse two, "Every Christian is called into service." Sometimes we think that those who are on staff at church, those are the ones really serving the Lord. The pastors, or the worship leaders, or those working in other positions, and yeah, they're serving the Lord.
But every Christian is called to serve the Lord. Every one of us have been given certain talents by God. We're born with those talents. My granddaughter, Stella, did an amazing painting the other day with watercolors. I mean, it blew my mind. Now, I'm biased; I'll admit, but I'm telling you, it was good. And I posted it on Instagram. If you follow me, you can go check it on. But I showed it to some people. They said, actually, that's really good.
And you know, so she's born with that talent. I think she got it from her dad, Christopher, who was a really talented artist. And then you'll see other people have a talent to sing, and then you have people that think they have a talent to sing, and then you see people that have a talent to build things. I'm horrible at building things. I am the most unmechanical person on the face of the earth, right? But there are people who are very mechanical and others have other skills.
Those are talents that we all have. We should use our talents for God. But then God gives to us spiritual gifts. When we believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit gives to us gifts. Some have more gifts than others, but everyone at least has a gift given to them supernaturally by God.
You say, "Well, how do you know what your spiritual gift is?" Good question. I've often found one of the easiest ways to find out what your gift is, is first find out what it isn't. And how do you discover that? By volunteering for everything. So when an announcement is made at church, we need help in Sunday school, we need help in the parking lot, we need help with ushering, counseling, whatever it is, just volunteer, get in there.
And then one day you realize after the kids have tied you up and set you on fire, then maybe you're not called to children's ministry. Or when you're run over in the parking lot, maybe that's not your calling either. Or when the new convert slaps you across the face. But then you find you're really good in another area. So just volunteer, and then by finding out what you're not good at, soon it will become clear what you are gifted at.
And listen, gifts don't come fully formed. Gifts come in sort of a raw way, and by use, they become stronger. That's why Paul wrote to Timothy and said, stir up the gift that is in you by the laying on of hands. Stir it up, develop it, fan it into full flame.
Hey, this is Pastor Greg sitting in a 100-year-old cabin with some thoughts for you as we approach Thanksgiving. Hey, everyone, I'm hanging out in a very cool old cabin built 100 years ago. And it's here in the mountains of North Carolina. I'm at the Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove. You can see my fire in the background.
I thought I'd talk a little bit about the holidays. You know, Christmas is coming. That's pretty obvious. But one holiday that often gets overlooked is Thanksgiving. What I like about Thanksgiving is it's not about shopping and having to get gifts for people. Thanksgiving is about, well, hopefully, if we get it right, it's about giving thanks.
It's a time when we get together with family and friends and do what Americans really love to do, and that is eat together. You know, the first Thanksgiving was signed in the law by President George Washington in November of 1789. And it was a little different than the Thanksgiving of today. The pilgrims got together with their Indian guests, and it lasted for about three days.
They didn't have the same menu that we have now. Of course, we have all those killer Thanksgiving fixings like the Turkey. And then there's the mashed potatoes. And then there's the sweet potatoes. And in our home, we have sweet potatoes with melted marshmallows on top. That was always my son Christopher's favorite. And then there's gravy on the potatoes and on the Turkey. And of course, don't forget the cornbread stuffing and all the green beans and the rest of it. And then for dessert, I think it should be signed in the law that we eat pumpkin pie, don't you?
Now, when they had that first Thanksgiving, they ate some really strange stuff. Eel, eagles, they ate eagles? Is that even American? But they were celebrating in a different way. But the idea was right. It was a day set apart to give thanks to God. And that's what we need to remember right now. That this is a day coming. And this is a season when we all ought to give thanks to the Lord.
So what is the purpose of Thanksgiving? Well, it's not just to have a great meal with family and friends. The purpose of Thanksgiving is to give thanks. The Bible says give thanks unto the Lord for he is good and his mercy endures forever.
Now, think about that for a second. Give thanks unto the Lord for he is good. It doesn't say give thanks to the Lord when you feel good. You know, sometimes I'll say, well, I have problems right now and challenges in the home or unpaid bills or I'm sick. Okay, you know, I'm sure that's true. And I know we all have our struggles and challenges, but the Bible says give thanks unto the Lord for he is good and his mercy endures forever.
That's a thing to keep in mind when we come to offer praise to God. The Bible also says that we are to offer to God the sacrifice of praise continually. And you know what? Sometimes praise is a sacrifice. Sometimes we're not in the mood, but we should do it anyway. Why? Because God made us to do this. That's the reason we're on this earth. We are put here on this earth to know the God who created us and live in a relationship with him.
So as we approach Thanksgiving and ultimately Christmas, let's not forget what our focus ought to be. Give thanks to the Lord. Something to think about.
I love this passage, Romans 12, on the gifts that God gives from the New Living Translation. It says, in his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you're a teacher, teach well. If your gift is encouraging others, well, be encouraging. If your gift is giving, give generously. If God has given you a leadership ability, take that responsibility seriously. Notice that. Do it gladly. It's a privilege to serve God.
And I'll add also, it should be a joy to serve God. You know, I love to make friends with other leaders that enjoy what they do. So we're serious about our mission. We're serious about what God has called us to do. But we have fun when we can have fun. And I think there's a lot of joy in serving the Lord. A lot of fulfillment. And we need to remember that God wants us to be happy people. We're told in Scripture many times that this is what He desires. That we would experience happiness.
John 15:11, Jesus says, I told you this to make you completely happy as I am. So do it with gladness. Do it with joy. Do it with happiness. Don't complain about how hard it is to serve God. You know, I hear from time to time about fellow ministers who've burned out. I'm not in ministry anymore. I burned out. Really? I've never felt burned out. I felt tired. A nap usually fixes that. But I find myself revived as I see God working. And revived as I study His Word. And revitalized as I give out what God has given to me. I don't understand burning out in ministry. I'd rather flame out, man. I'd just go as long as I can go. And then when God's ready to call me home, then that's it.
Command 3: Acknowledge God and Follow as Sheep
But here's point number three. And we have one after this. Thanksgiving command. You are a sheep. Follow your Shepherd. You are a sheep. Follow your Shepherd. Verse three. Acknowledge that the Lord is God. He has made us and we are His. We are His people. The sheep of His pasture.
It's God who has made us. It is God who sustains us. Everything we have has come to us from God. Every breath we breathe. Every beat of our heart is from God. We are His. But then He says that we are sheep.
Now I know that sounds rather poetic. I'm a sheep. It's really another way where God is just saying, You're an idiot. No, it's true. Sheep are one of the dumbest animals on the face of the earth. If it said, we're the dogs. You know, it's interesting how there's phrases used to describe animals. There's a pack of dogs. There's a gaggle of geese. Right? There's a murder of crows. There's a flock of seagulls. Remember that band? You're old if you understand what I'm talking about. There's a band called Flock of Seagulls years ago. I think they were an 80s band.
And you know, there's a den of snakes. Well, so we think of a flock of sheep. It's so beautiful and poetic. No, they're really stupid creatures. And that's why we're called sheep. Sheep are skittish. They're easily frightened. They're slow to learn. And they're prone to stray. That's why the Bible says all we like sheep have gone astray. And we've turned everyone to his own way.
Listen, sheep can't defend themselves. Sheep can't run fast from predators. They're basically leg of lamb for the taking. They ought to just carry mint jelly around with them. And just, you know, here I am. Ready to be attacked, killed, and eaten. So, this is not a compliment, but it's an accurate observation.
So, a smart sheep, that may be an oxymoron, a smart sheep. But for the sake of a point, a smart sheep will listen to the Shepherd. Because we know we're defenseless. We know we're prone to wander. We know we do a lot of things wrong. So, we also know our Shepherd is looking out for our welfare. So, when he says move, we move. When he says stop, we stop.
I love the way David put it when he said, The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. Sometimes we don't know when to lay down and rest. He makes me lie down in those green pastures. Then he leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. And on David goes, describing this unique relationship.
But I love the statement of Christ in Luke 12:32. He said, fear not little flock. It is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. That's who we are. We're a little flock. But we have a great Shepherd. And it's his delight, it's his joy to bless us and give us the kingdom.
But remind yourself that you are a sheep.
Command 4: Be Active in the Church
And the final Thanksgiving command, number four. Be an active part of the church. Be an active part of the church. Look at verse four. Enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.
Now in the Old Testament, when they talked about entering his gates with Thanksgiving and entering his courts or referencing the temple. The temple, originally built by Solomon, rebuilt by Herod, torn down by General Titus. The temple was a place where man would meet God. It's a place where God's glory would rest. It was preceded by the tabernacle or the tent.
So when the people of God would go into the temple, they would gather with many other believers and they would worship the Lord. Now, we don't have a temple we go to any longer. In fact, the Bible says that we are the temple of God. 1 Corinthians 3:16, don't you know that you together are the temple of God and God's spirit lives in you?
So, it's not so much that we go to a building now, that we're in a building, but we don't think of this as a holy place. Fact is, you're the holy place. God lives in you and God lives in me. The dwelling place of God is with men.
But having said that, it is also true that when we gather together and honor the name of Jesus and praise the name of Jesus and preach the gospel of Jesus, he blesses it and he manifests his presence in a unique way. Jesus said, when two or more are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them.
And this is why nothing will ever take the place of church. Last Sunday, Pastor James McDonnell gave a fantastic message on the church. And I heard about one person who came to second service, they were watching online first service because they were convicted. Right? Now, it's okay to watch online, maybe if you're traveling or if you're sick, but to just skip church, to sort of take it out of your schedule or come when you can come, that is a complete misunderstanding of what this is all about.
Here, the psalmist's reminding us, be an active part of the church. And now, when we come together as a church, we do something very special. We celebrate the Lord's Supper, as it's sometimes called. Or we receive communion.
Communion: Remembering Christ's Sacrifice (1 Corinthians 11)
And that brings us to our second and last passage. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 23. This is Paul speaking now. And he's telling us the story of the Lord in the upper room. For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night in which he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread, and he gave thanks to God, and he broke it in pieces and said, this is my body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me.
And the same way he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant between God and his people, an agreement confirmed with my blood.
Imagine for a moment what it would have been like to be in the upper room with the Lord and his disciples. We call it the Last Supper. They weren't all sitting behind a table like we see in art, like Da Vinci's famous painting of the Last Supper, where they're all like behind the table like they're posing for a photo.
It would have been a low slung table, probably round. They would have been reclining on pillows. It was something they did often together. The disciples loved these meals with Jesus. And they didn't know it was the Last Supper. They didn't know it was the final meal. It was just another night with the Lord.
But he was acting differently. He was obviously contemplating something very difficult. He was being very sober that night. I think on normal circumstances, there would have been laughter and songs. And they would have had fun together and talked about serious things as well. But tonight it was different and they could clearly see that.
And Christ then tells them that they're to break this bread and drink this cup. And remembrance of him. Well, why? You're here with us right now. He was telling them that he was about to leave them. And soon he would reveal who was about to betray him. Judas Iscariot.
But Jesus was contemplating Calvary. Jesus, who was God, knew the future. By the way, I'm glad I don't know the future. I don't think I'd want him to have all that information. And I'm glad I don't know what other people are thinking. Christ knew what everyone was thinking in every given moment. I'd be depressed if I knew what people probably really thought about me half the time. Like some of you are thinking, are you done yet?
But Christ knew all these things and much more. So he's thinking about what's ahead. What is ahead? Well, what is ahead is he's going to be betrayed by Judas. What is ahead is he's going to be denied by Simon Peter. What is ahead is he's going to be tried on false charges and beaten in the face and have his beard ripped from his face. What is ahead is he's going to be beaten with a Roman whip and he's going to be hung on a cross.
But the worst thing of all is he knows he's going to bear all of the sin of the world. That was a heavy weight coming down on him. But listen to this. Yet we read that he gave thanks. The same night, he gathered together with them. We read that he took some bread and gave thanks to God.
What? How could you give thanks to God if you knew you were gonna be betrayed, denied, beaten, and crucified? Here's how, and here's why. Because he knew what would be accomplished. He knew what would be the result. And the result was the salvation of untold millions of people who would believe in him and be forgiven of their sin.
It was the only way to satisfy the righteous demands of his Father. Because his Father had said, "The soul that sins will surely die." So now Christ was gonna become the one who would atone for our sins. He would be the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. He would be our substitution. He would take God's wrath in our place.
So he thought about that and it kept him going. Hebrews 12 says, "For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and now he has sat down at the right hand of God." The joy that was set before him. How could there be any joy in the suffering of Calvary? The joy was in knowing what it would accomplish.
I talked about bad things turning into good things. The worst injustice in all of human history was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It was the worst thing ever. But yet it brought about the greatest good in human history. The salvation of all the people who have believed in our salvation as well.
He did it because he loved us. And let me say something else. When Christ was going to that cross, he was thinking of you. You say, "Well, I don't know if that's really accurate, Greg." Thinking of me. I mean, maybe thinking of the whole world. Because the Bible, Jesus said, God so loved the world. He gave his son, yes. But the apostle Paul said, "He loved me and he gave himself for me."
Listen, it was personal. He was going to die for you. He was going to shed his blood for you. You say, "Well, how can God think of the whole world and think of me?" Well, he's God. He can do all kinds of stuff you can't do. God's really good at multitasking, okay? So don't worry about that. But he was thinking of you and he did it because he loves you.
So you could be forgiven. So you could come to a place like this tonight and receive the elements of communion and give praise to his name.
Invitation to Know Jesus Personally
So before we do that, let me close with this question. Do you know Jesus Christ as your own friend? As your own savior? As your own Lord? It's not enough to know about him. You need to know him. And I ask you, has he come and taken residence in your heart?
You say, "Well, I think so." Now listen, if Christ is living inside of you, you'll know it. And if you don't know it, maybe he really isn't in your life yet. But he can be. He's just a prayer away.
The same Jesus who went to that cross and died for us, Rose again from the dead three days later. And now the Bible says he stands at the door of our life and he knocks. And if we'll hear his voice and open the door, he will come in. That's right. Jesus Christ himself will come and live inside of you.
And if you've not asked him to come into your life, do it now. We're gonna pause in a moment for a word of prayer. And I'm going to extend an invitation for anyone here who wants to have their sin forgiven. An invitation for anyone here or watching who wants to know that they'll go to heaven when they die. An invitation to find peace and find purpose in life. And find God.
So, as we pray, if you need to respond to this, do it now. Let's all bow our heads. Father, thank you for sending Jesus Christ. And Lord Jesus, thank you for coming and dying and rising. And now we know that you stand at the door of hearts and you knock. And you tell us if we'll hear your voice and open the door, you'll come in.
And I pray, Lord, for anyone here, anyone watching who does not yet know you. Help them to come to you. Help them to believe in you. And we ask this in Jesus' name.
And when our heads are bowed and our eyes are closed and we're praying, how many of you would say tonight, Greg, I want Jesus Christ in my life. I want my sin forgiven. I want to know that when I die, I will go to heaven. I want my guilt taken away. I'm ready to say yes to Jesus. Pray for me.
If that's your desire, if you want Christ to come into your life, if you want Him to forgive you of your sin, if you want to go to heaven when you die, would you raise your hand up wherever you are? And I'd like to pray for you. Raise your hand up however I can see it. God bless you. Anybody else? Raise your hand up. Wherever you are. You guys watching the screen in Orange County. Raise your hand up if you want Christ in your life tonight. Just raise your hand up.
All right, now I'm going to ask every one of you who has raised your hand. I want you to stand to your feet, and I'm going to lead you in a prayer right here, right now. Stand up if you raised your hand, even if you did not, but you want Jesus Christ to come into your life. You want him to forgive you of your sin. You want to go to heaven when you die. Stand to your feet. We're going to pray together. Anybody else, stand up.
By the way, others are standing, so you won't be alone. God bless each one of you standing. They're in Orange County. Stand up. We're gonna lead you in a prayer. Stand up right there. We're all gonna pray together. I'll wait another moment. Anybody else, you want Christ to come into your life? Stand up. Let me lead you in this prayer. I'll wait one more moment. Anybody else, stand now.
Alright, God bless all of you standing now, God bless you. As I pray this prayer, pray it out loud after me. Again, as I pray, pray this out loud right where you are after me. Pray this, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner, but I know that you're the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and Rose again from the dead. Jesus, come into my life. Be my Savior, be my Lord, be my God, be my friend. I choose to follow you, Jesus, from this night forward. In your name I pray, amen.