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Location:
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(Hwy. 129) in Athens,
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Word:
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Gateway
Today
For the Gateway family
Pastor
Jerry's Weekly
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A
GATEWAY SERMON
SUMMARY
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AUDIO
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Thanksgiving
in action
Jerry
Varnado,
pastor
Gateway
Church,
Athens GA
November
23, 2003
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- Main
Scripture text:
Genesis
45:1-8.
- The
Puritans landed in
Massachusetts in November of
1620. Half of them died during
the first harsh winter. The
rest, however, survived and
were befriended by Indians who
showed them how to eek out a
living from the land.
- The
settlers acknowledged God's
grace and provision by
celebrating what we now call
the "First Thanksgiving."
- One
of the Indians who helped
these European settlers was
named Tisquantum, or Squanto,
a Patuxet brave living among
the Wampanoag tribe.
- For
the settlers, Squanto was a
true lifesaver. He even knew
their language and understood
something of their
customs.
- How?
Squanto had been to England in
1605, where he was taught
English by the owner of the
Plymouth Company, so he could
he could become interpreter
and ambassador in dealing with
the Indians.
- Squanto
returned to America in 1614,
helping Captain John Smith map
the Cape Cod region. Then he
was kidnapped and taken to
Spain where he was to be sold
into slavery.
- By
God's grace, Squanto was
rescued by some local Friars
who told him about Christ. He
then lived with the Friars for
several years before returning
to America.
- William
Bradford, governor of the
Plymouth colony, wrote in his
diary: "[Squanto]
became a special instrument
sent of God for [our]
good.... He showed
[us] how to plant
[our] corn, where to
take fish and to procure other
commodities ... and never left
[us] till he
died."
- Some
years later, when Squanto fell
sick with a fever, he
requested the governor "pray
for him that he might go to
the Englishman's God in
Heaven."
- Let
me tie this to our Scripture
text for today: Just as God
sent Joseph to Egypt to be an
instrument for preserving the
nation of Israel during a time
of famine, I believe God
raised up Squanto to help
preserve the Plymouth
colony.
- Indeed,
if were not for this one man,
you and I may not have been
born in the land of the
free.
- America
is clearly the result of God's
providential care. He ordered
the circumstances that made it
possible for this nation to
come into existence.
- God
has a particular destiny for
this nation in the unveiling
of His purposes in the world
-- and the devil knows it.
- The
battles now raging over
approval of homosexual
marriage and the display of
the Ten Commandments aren't
just struggles to maintain
"traditional values." The
devil is striking at the root,
trying to undermine our
strength, trying to subvert
God's destiny for us and for
the world.
- The
title of this sermon is
"Thanksgiving in Action." I
believe our outward
expressions of thanksgiving
are hollow if we do not by our
actions honor the God to whom
we are thankful. That includes
acting to protect the truth
He's given to prosper us.
- You
and I need to keep up with
what's happening in our
nation. We need to vote and
let our elected officials know
what we think about issues
that strike at the core of our
nation's character and
calling.
- Yes.
Let us thank God in prayer,
song, and celebration. Those
are all appropriate things to
do. But let's also thank Him
by doing our part to preserve
what He has done in and
through America, sot that we
might fulfill the destiny God
has planned for
us.
A
mp3 audio file of this sermon is
here.
(Download
to a PC by right clicking on the
link and choosing "Save Target
As." Mac users: click, hold, and
choose "Download Link to Disk."
Depending on your connection
speed, the file may take several
minutes to
download.)
An
audio tape of this sermon is
available
free of charge (U.S. requests
only).
Request
a tape by calling
or writing the Gateway Church
office.
Please specify tape number
031123a: Thanksgiving in
Action.
©
2003 Gerald R.
Varnado
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