The Centerpiece of Thanksgiving

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>The Centerpiece of Thanksgiving</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id137.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Hope Beyond the Heartache"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id138.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How Jesus Faced His Trials"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Mark 14.1-26, “The Centerpiece of Thanksgiving,” Berean Bible Church, Nov 19, 2000am</B></div> <bR> <div>      Thanksgiving reminds us not to take blessings for granted. A holiday like Thanksgiving (as well as Christmas) should be a time of worship, a spiritual exercise. It is not just about family or food or hunting or shopping or time off, it is a time to worship Jesus Christ. For the Christian, Jesus is the centerpiece of giving thanks.</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Worship Jesus for who he is, vss. 1-11.</B></div> <div> A. Mary worshiped Jesus extravagantly simply because of his importance to her.</div> <div> B. Honor him as the important person that he is, the Messiah. Don’t hold out praise until he does something you have been wanting him to do! Habakkuk 3.17-19 says, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights." This challenge is appropriate for when you are going through difficult times, as Jesus' followers were about to experience.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. Worship Jesus for what he does, vss. 12-26.</B></div> <div> This section deals with the Passover meal, which remembers Israel's Exodus experience. That was the experience in which God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, and he made them his own.</div> <div> A. We can be thankful for Jesus' presence (represented by the bread, vs. 22).</div> <div> B. We can be thankful for Jesus' death (represented by the cup, vs. 24).</div> <div> C. We can expect and be thankful for Jesus' return, vs. 25 (his promise to drink the cup with his people in his Kingdom).</div> <bR> <div> <B>III. Make Jesus the center of your holidays.</B></div> <div> Our greatest need, our need of salvation, is met in Christ.</div> <div> If you are facing trials and pressure, focus on Christ during this time of Thanksgiving. He can renew your perspective.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>