The Great Thanksgiving
Type: Sunday Morning Service
Sermon: The Great Thanksgiving
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Tom Van Kempen
God invites us to see communion not as a dry ritual or a funeral, but as a joyful feast of thanksgiving where we remember the price Jesus paid and celebrate His resurrection. Like Thanksgiving, this table is filled with food, family, and festive joy—only here the “meal” is forgiveness, freedom from sin, a new identity in God’s family, and a secured future with Him. As we come to the table, we’re called to trade ritual for revelation, move from tears to thanksgiving, and live as new creations in Christ every day.
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Additional Info
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Rediscovering Thanksgiving at the Table
For many people, communion feels like a quiet, somber ritual—almost like a funeral. The focus is often only on the suffering and death of Jesus. While His sacrifice on the cross is central, that’s not the end of the story. Three days later He rose again, and that transforms the table from a scene of mourning into a place of celebration.
When we understand what’s really happening at the Lord’s Table, we discover it has more in common with Thanksgiving dinner than with a funeral service. It’s meant to be a feast of gratitude, joy, and hope.
What “Eucharist” Really Means: Thanksgiving at the Heart
In many church traditions, communion is called the Eucharist. That word comes from the Greek eucharisteo, which simply means “to give thanks.” When Jesus took the bread and the cup at the Last Supper (Luke 22:7–20), Scripture says He “gave thanks”—He eucharisted.
That means thanksgiving is not an add-on to communion; it’s at the very heart of it. At the table we thank God that Jesus’ body was broken and His blood was shed so we could be forgiven, made new, and welcomed into God’s family.
Communion is more than remembering a death. It is thanking God for a victory.
Food: How God Uses a Meal to Tell a Story
From the beginning, God has used meals to tell His story. The Passover meal in the Old Testament was a feast celebrating God’s rescue of Israel from slavery in Egypt (Luke 22:7). Every part of the meal—lamb, bread, bitter herbs—reminded them of God’s saving power.
In the same way, many of us associate Thanksgiving with turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. The food isn’t just food; it carries memories, love, and tradition. When the food is “off,” the celebration feels off too. Food is the universal language of celebration.
Communion is God’s table-language. The bread and cup are simple, but they point to something extravagant. They remind us that our salvation was incredibly costly. As 1 Peter 1:18–19 says, we were not redeemed with “mere gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.”
Your little wafer and tiny cup of juice might look cheap and small, but they represent the most expensive gift ever given: the life of Jesus.
Family: You’re on the Guest List
The first communion didn’t happen in a cathedral; it happened in an upper room of a house (Luke 22:10–14). That matters. God chose a home setting to show that His table is meant to be intimate, relational, and family-centered.
Thanksgiving is rarely a solo meal. Families gather—sometimes loud, sometimes messy, sometimes a bit dysfunctional. The same is true of the family that gathered around Jesus. At His table sat Peter, who would deny Him; Judas, who would betray Him; Thomas, who would doubt Him; and James and John, who once wanted to call down fire on people.
If your family feels dysfunctional, you’re in good company. Yet Jesus still invited them.
Through Jesus, God invites us into a new family. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are adopted as God’s children (Romans 8:15). At communion, we are reminded that we’re not just forgiven individuals; we are part of one body, one loaf, one family (1 Corinthians 10:17).
Freedom and Forgiveness: The True Cost of the Feast
Behind every Thanksgiving feast is a receipt—someone paid for that turkey. Behind communion is a far greater cost.
The Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). We could not save ourselves. But God chose to pardon us, much like a Thanksgiving turkey that’s spared from the butcher’s knife, only in a far deeper and eternal way.
At the cross, Jesus took our sin and gave us His righteousness. His blood paid the ransom for our freedom (1 Peter 1:18–19). When we take the bread and cup, we’re celebrating that:
Our sins are forgiven.
We are free from the penalty of sin.
We can be free from the power of sin.
Addictions, patterns, and chains the world calls permanent can be broken by the power of God. Jesus doesn’t just offer a self-help tweak; He offers new life.
Festivities: From Funeral to Feast
Every gathering has a mood. Some funerals are heavy and heartbreaking, especially when life seems cut short or we’re unsure of someone’s eternal destiny. Others, for believers who walked with Jesus, can feel like a joyful send-off—sad, but full of hope.
The death of Jesus is unlike any other. He completed everything the Father sent Him to do, and then He rose again. For that reason, communion should not feel like a perpetual funeral service. It’s a holy celebration.
Just as Thanksgiving is full of laughter, stories, and games, communion should be filled with joy, gratitude, and worship. It is a holy day, but holy does not mean gloomy. It means set apart, special, and filled with God’s presence.
Many believers have experienced healing—physically, emotionally, spiritually—during communion. At the table, we “taste and see that the Lord is good.” We lay down burdens and receive His grace.
Four Reasons to Give Thanks at the Table
When Jesus gave thanks over the bread and cup, what was He thankful for? Communion reminds us to give thanks for at least four things:
Forgiveness of sins
We can be washed clean from anything and everything we’ve ever done.Freedom
We are free from the penalty of sin and, by God’s power, can be free from its grip in our daily lives.Family
We are adopted into God’s family and made part of one body in Christ.Future
We “do this until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Every time we eat and drink, we look forward to the day Jesus returns and we sit with Him at the ultimate feast.
Living Thanksgiving All Year Long
Thanksgiving comes once a year, but the heart behind it is meant to shape our daily lives. Communion is a regular reminder that gratitude is our new normal.
Every time you come to the table, remember:
You are forgiven.
You are free.
You are family.
You have a future.
That is why communion is not just a ritual to get through. It’s a feast of thanksgiving to enter into with joy, awe, and a grateful heart.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Title: From Funeral to Feast: Seeing Communion as Thanksgiving
Opening (1–2 minutes)
Share a time when a meal (Thanksgiving, birthday, wedding, etc.) felt especially meaningful to you. What made it so special?Scripture Readings
Luke 22:7–20
1 Peter 1:18–19
2 Corinthians 5:17
1 Corinthians 10:17
Discussion Questions
When you think of communion, what emotions usually come to mind—sadness, joy, guilt, gratitude, something else? Why?
The word Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” How does that redefine the way you think about the bread and the cup?
Communion began in an upper room, a house, not a temple. What does that say about the kind of relationship God wants with us?
Read 1 Peter 1:18–19. How does remembering the high cost of our salvation (the blood of Christ) change the way we approach communion?
In what ways have you seen God bring something good out of struggles in your own life? How does that connect to gratitude?
2 Corinthians 5:17 says we are a “new creation” in Christ. What old labels, habits, or identities do you sense God inviting you to leave behind?
1 Corinthians 10:17 talks about “one loaf” and “one body.” What might it look like for our group and church to live out that unity, especially across differences?
Action Step
Before your next communion service, take time this week to:Write down four things to thank God for: forgiveness, freedom, family, and future.
Bring that list with you and silently offer it to God as you receive the bread and cup.
End by praying for one another, asking God to turn communion from ritual into living, joyful thanksgiving in each heart.
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Luke 22:7–20 – The Last Supper and Passover
This passage takes place the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. It’s during the Jewish Feast of Passover, which celebrated God rescuing Israel from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12). At Passover, families ate a lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, remembering how God “passed over” their homes when He judged Egypt. Jesus sends Peter and John to prepare the meal in a furnished upper room in Jerusalem—a private home. During that meal, He takes the traditional bread and cup and gives them new meaning, saying they represent His body and blood and instituting what we now call communion or the Lord’s Supper.1 Peter 1:18–19 – Redeemed by the Blood of Christ
Peter is writing to scattered believers facing pressure and suffering in the Roman Empire. He reminds them that their salvation and new way of life didn’t come cheaply. Instead of being bought with gold or silver, they were redeemed by the “precious blood of Christ,” described as a sinless, spotless Lamb. This connects Jesus’ death to the Old Testament sacrificial system and especially to the Passover lamb—showing that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice that brings true freedom from sin.2 Corinthians 5:17 – New Creation in Christ
Paul is writing to the church at Corinth, a diverse and often divided group of believers in a wealthy, morally confused city. In this section, he is explaining what it means to be reconciled to God through Christ. When he says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,” he is declaring that salvation is not just a minor improvement but a radical transformation. Old identities, sins, and divisions no longer define believers; in God’s eyes, a brand-new reality has begun.Romans 8:15 – Adopted into God’s Family
The book of Romans lays out the message of the gospel step by step. In chapter 8, Paul describes the life of those who are led by the Spirit. Instead of living in fear as slaves, believers receive the “Spirit of adoption,” by whom they cry out, “Abba, Father.” In the first-century Roman world, adoption was a powerful legal act that gave the adopted child full rights as an heir. Paul uses that image to show that in Christ, we are brought fully into God’s family.1 Corinthians 10:17 – One Loaf, One Body
In 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses divisions, pride, and disorder in the church. In chapter 10, he compares the Lord’s Supper to Old Testament sacrifices and pagan feasts, showing that sharing a meal creates spiritual partnership. When he says, “Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,” he’s reminding believers that sharing one bread in communion is a visible sign of their unity in Christ. Despite different backgrounds, they belong to one body.Romans 3:23 and 6:23 – The Problem of Sin
These verses come from Paul’s explanation of why everyone needs the gospel. Romans 3:23 states that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory—no one is exempt. Romans 6:23 explains the consequence: the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. Together they show why Jesus’ death was necessary and why communion is a celebration of undeserved grace.Isaiah 53:5 – “By His Stripes We Are Healed”
Isaiah 53 is a prophetic passage written centuries before Christ, describing a “Suffering Servant” who would bear the sins of many. Verse 5 says He was pierced, crushed, and wounded for our transgressions and iniquities, and that “by His wounds we are healed.” Early Christians understood this as pointing directly to Jesus’ crucifixion. The language of wounds and healing connects His suffering with both spiritual restoration and God’s power to heal.1 Corinthians 11:26 – “Until He Comes”
This verse appears in Paul’s instructions about the Lord’s Supper to the Corinthians. He says that whenever believers eat the bread and drink the cup, they “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” Communion is not only a look back to the cross and a look inward at our hearts; it’s also a look forward to Jesus’ promised return and the great future feast in His kingdom. -
Title: A Thankful Feast With Jesus
Age Range: Elementary (K–5th)
Big Idea: Communion is like a special thanksgiving meal where we remember that Jesus loves us, forgives us, and invites us into God’s family.
1. Introduction (5 minutes)
Ask: “What’s your favorite food at Thanksgiving?” Let a few kids share.
Say: “Imagine if someone made a huge meal just for you because they love you. Did you know Jesus gave us a special ‘meal’ to help us remember how much He loves us?”
Explain that today you’ll talk about how communion is like a thanksgiving feast with Jesus.
2. Scripture (5 minutes)
Read (in kid-friendly wording or from a children’s Bible):Luke 22:14–20
Brief explanation:
Jesus was with His friends the night before He died.
They were eating a special Passover meal.
Jesus took bread and juice (wine) and said, “This is My body… this is My blood… do this to remember Me.”
He wanted His friends to remember His love, His forgiveness, and the new family He was making.
3. Craft: “Thankful Table Placemat” (10 minutes)
Supplies:
Construction paper
Markers/crayons
Stickers (optional)
Glue sticks
Pre-printed words or space to write: “Forgiveness,” “Freedom,” “Family,” “Future”
Instructions:
Give each child a sheet of construction paper (landscape).
At the top, have them write: “Jesus’ Thankful Table.”
Divide the page into four sections and label them:
Forgiveness
Freedom
Family
Future
In each section, kids draw or write something they’re thankful for that fits that word.
Forgiveness: “Jesus forgives me when I sin.”
Freedom: “Jesus helps me say no to wrong things.”
Family: “God gives me a church family and people who love me.”
Future: “One day I will be with Jesus forever.”
Let them decorate with stickers or colors.
Tell them they can use this placemat at home this week (maybe at a meal) to remember to thank Jesus.
4. Game: “Pass the Blessing” (5–7 minutes)
How to Play:
Have kids sit in a circle.
Give one child a soft item (like a small ball or plush).
Play music (or clap a rhythm) while they gently pass the item around the circle.
When the music stops, the child holding the item says one thing they’re thankful to Jesus for.
Continue until several children have shared.
Connect it: “Just like we passed the blessing around, God wants us to share His love and blessings with each other, just like a family at a big meal.”
5. Discussion Questions (5 minutes)
Keep it simple and interactive:Why did Jesus give us bread and juice to remember Him?
How is communion kind of like a thanksgiving meal?
How does it make you feel to know Jesus invites you to His table?
What is one thing you want to thank Jesus for today?
6. Wrap-Up and Prayer (3–5 minutes)
Summarize:Communion is a special time to remember Jesus’ love.
We thank Him for forgiving us, freeing us from sin, making us part of His family, and giving us a future with Him.
We don’t have to be sad only—we can be thankful and joyful too.
Prayer (you can have kids repeat short phrases):
“Dear Jesus, thank You for loving me.
Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.
Thank You for forgiving me and making me part of Your family.
Help me to be thankful every day.
Amen.” -
Are you thankful that God sent us Jesus? Wow, I'm so appreciative. The wise philosopher, Snoopy, is giving dog food for his Thanksgiving Day dinner. And while the rest of the family is enjoying turkey indoors, he meditates and says to himself, how about that? Everyone's eating turkey today except me because I'm a dog. They give me dog food. He trots on over to his house and this is what he says. Of course, it could be worse. I could be the turkey. Perspective changes things, doesn't it? And this whole month, I have been trying to be thankful for the different things that God has done in my life. I'm not saying everything that's happened to me is wonderful or awesome, but there are tons of good things and wonderful things and a lot of struggles that God has used to bring something good and wonderful. Who can say amen? I mean, yesterday I was here and I was quiz master for teenagers. Yes, yes. I was a quiz master for all of these teenagers, dozens of them, who are memorizing Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Isn't that an awesome thing to be grateful for? I mean, when you look at the news, sometimes you think, oh no, the youth of this world. Well, there's a lot of good youth in this world. Amen? And many of them go to our church right here. I'm here to tell you, I'm grateful that last weekend I was able to celebrate 40 years of marriage to the same woman. Now, she's been married to three different guys. But I've been all three of those different guys. The bad version, the okay version, and I think I'm getting to be the mellow version now later on in life. So things are getting a little better. I've got four great kids and nine grandchildren. And my youngest son told me that he and his wife are thinking about getting started. I'm going for a dozen. Who can say amen? I want a dozen of those grandkids. I can't wait. And if you've not met my previous music pastor, let me introduce you to Liberace. If you're not familiar with Liberace, maybe you're more in the Christian circles. Dino. Do you guys remember Dino? Okay, this is Pastor Gilo Morgan. He was with me for a long time in Las Vegas, Nevada, and he's been able to be our guest here today for which I'm very grateful for. My list can go on and on and on. But this is what I'm trying to communicate. This Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, okay? And I want to talk about Thanksgiving, but I want to simultaneously celebrate communion today. And if you're wondering about the connection, let me ask you a simple question. How many of you are familiar with the term Eucharist. Let me see. So if you are from a more traditional branch of Christianity, maybe you grew up Catholic or Lutheran or something like that, they sometimes use the phrase Eucharist to refer to communion. It was called the Eucharist, eating the bread and drinking the cup. Now here's what we need to understand, and here's where the connection comes in. The word Eucharist comes Greek word that means thanksgiving. It's Eucharisto or Eucharistio in different tenses. And it's this beautiful word that reminds us, especially during communion, that we should have a heart of gratitude when it comes to God who can say amen. So today I want to add some thanksgiving to your communion experience. We often view communion more like a funeral service. That's how I grew up anyway. And all the focus was on the death of Jesus Christ. And there's nothing, that's appropriate. We are supposed to remember Jesus' death, Him dying on the cross, His body that was pierced, and His blood that was shed. But sometimes we forget what happened three days later, and that is He was resurrected from the dead. Right? And so this is not a funeral service like a normal funeral service. This is more of a celebration. Remember, Jesus instituted this ordinance during the Jewish holiday of Thanksgiving called Passover. And this is how it started 2,000 years ago. Luke chapter 22 beginning in verse 7. This is what it says. Then came the day of unleavened bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John saying, go and make preparations for us to eat. Say eat. to eat the Passover. The Passover, Thanksgiving, communion, all need food to move forward. Food literally sets the stage for a great Thanksgiving, for a great Passover, for a great communion service. I remember one time as my kids were getting older and started moving out of the house, we as a family, we decided, you know what? We're not going to do the normal Thanksgiving. What we're going to do is we're going to go to a local restaurant and we're going to sit there. We're going to eat and it'll be all tidy and done, nice and fast and everything will be great. So we went to this restaurant and they sat us in like all of these long tables. So there's like 20 some of us around these tables and all you can really talk to is the person in front of you. maybe beside you. You can't talk to the people down there or the people down there. And the food just didn't taste right. It's not that it wasn't any good. It just, it wasn't grandma's pumpkin pie. It wasn't mom's stuffing and dressing. It wasn't the cranberry sauce that we were used to. We didn't have the drinks that we typically had. Something just wasn't right. And that's when I began to understand that food is the universal language of celebration. You can't have a celebration without the right food. For the Jews, the focus was lamb. For the Americans, it's turkey and ham during the Thanksgiving season. For Christians at communion, it's the bread and the wine. And what's interesting in verse 8 here is Jesus tells his disciples, you need to go and prepare for this feast. It wasn't just a cracker and some wine. It was an extravagant, grand banquet, feast, occasion. It was a big deal. And that's why the disciples in verse 9 say, where do you want us to prepare it? Over the next couple of verses, Jesus gives them some instruction. And the reason this is so important is because great preparation went into every Passover. It still does. Great preparation should go into our Thanksgiving celebrations. Neither Passover or Thanksgiving are just snacks. They're literally meals. And the meals are to reveal something. Passover revealed the getting out of bondage, getting out of slavery. Thanksgiving is a time where we can celebrate all the blessings of God. Who can say amen? And so it's really important to go to the right place. Jesus had something very specific in mind. He told his disciples in verses 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14, he said, when you go into the city, you're going to see a man. And I want you to follow this man. And he will take you to his house. Say house. Did you know the very first communion wasn't at church? The very first communion wasn't at a temple. It was in an upper room. It was in somebody's home, which speaks to the intimacy and the family type setting that is supposed to be present in every single communion meal. It was only that they started having this also in church and in temple and different things like that. But once they found the place, then they had to go and buy the food. Passover wasn't a cheap meal. You had to get yourself some lamb. That was expensive, an entire lamb. You had to get yourself some bread. You had to get yourself some bitter herbs. You had to get yourself some dessert. There and salt water and all different kinds of things are a part of this extravagant, beautiful meal. The cost was significant. Compare that to Thanksgiving. The same thing happens for us during Thanksgiving. Now recently, I'm excited to say that the CEO of Walmart actually announced that you can feed a family of 10 for under $50. And I was saying I haven't seen those numbers since about 2016. So that's a good thing. However, not everybody has a family of 10. Some people have just a family of one or a family of two. So I have a couple of recommendations for you. My favorite is Popeye's. If you have not had Popeye's Cajun-styled turkey, it is one of the best I've ever had. Now, it does cost $55, okay? Now, if you combine that with Walmart, you probably can feed a family of 10 for under $100. Walmart is 50. Popeye's and Walmart is under $100. Now, if you go to one of those Havana country clubs in the villages, It's going to be $50 to $100 per person at those restaurants. So listen, listen, listen. Again, it's a lot of money. Communion today involves only a little container like this. The container itself makes communion seem cheap, unimportant. You've got a few drops of grape juice in there. You've got a little corner of a cracker in there. And so if we're not careful, we will fail to realize how expensive communion really is. We've so simplified the celebration that we lose sight of the fact that Jesus gave his life. Who can say amen? Jesus gave his life. 1 Peter 1, verses 18 and 19. For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom He paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. Let's give the Lord a round of applause right now. He's worthy of it. He deserves it. Yes, you could say the meal is free. It doesn't cost you anything. but it costs Jesus' life, and it costs you the rest of your life committed to Him in Jesus' name. Now, you've probably never seen me wear a brown outfit before. This is in honor of all the gravy I'm going to eat this Thursday. Because I love gravy. I'm just telling you, I put gravy on my turkey. I put gravy on my mashed potatoes. I put gravy on my stuffing or dressing, whatever you call it. It splashes over into my vegetables. It gets on my salad. I don't care. I could put gravy on ice cream, just so you know. I really enjoy gravy. Robin was talking to me earlier this week, and she goes, I'm concerned that my stuffing is going to be dry this Thursday. I said, don't worry about it. I'm putting gravy on it. Everything will be okay. But the reality is communion has become dry for many people. It's become nothing more than ritual. And so I recommend today that you pour the gravy of God's grace all over it. That you open up your hearts and your minds to what it is that God actually did for us at Calvary where Jesus took our sin upon Him and He gave you Jesus' righteousness. Who can say amen? Please allow the hardness of a ritual today in this moment to be replaced by the hunger for new revelation. And I guarantee you, God will give it to you in Jesus' name. Point number one is food sets the stage for a great Thanksgiving, but you really can't feast alone. That brings us to the family. Family is the emphasis of a great Thanksgiving. This is one of the reasons why Robin and I are sharing our Thanksgiving with anyone in the church who wants to be a part of it. If you have no place to go right after the service, Robin is going to be standing out there next to that inflatable turkey out there, and she's going to be taking down names of anybody who wants to join us. We already have over 60 people signed up. My goal is 100. And we'd love for you to join us for this Thanksgiving, because Thanksgiving is rarely a solo event. And I need you to understand that you are on the guest list, not just for Robin and I's meal, But for Jesus' Lord's Supper, who can say amen? Now, you know, who comes to the table sometimes can be a messy endeavor. Sometimes families are a little dysfunctional. Sometimes they involve loudness, improper comments. Some of you, I know what you're thinking. I don't even like my family, so I don't want to go to Thanksgiving with anybody. It might be important to understand that Jesus' family, other than his mom, didn't like him either. Did you know that? Jesus' brothers and sisters thought he was crazy. They thought there was something wrong with him, that he was delusional. So if your family is a little dysfunctional today, I need you to know there's hope. A man by the name of Dwayne was talking to his elderly father on the phone when all of a sudden he frantically turned to his wife and he said, honey, dad just said that we can go to his house for Thanksgiving or they can cut us out of the will. It's our choice. Some of you have made that same claim, haven't you? I know some of you have said the same thing. Listen, God is looking to put people into his will, not cut them out of his will. but like Dwayne we still have to choose do we want to be with Jesus the answer should be yes for each and every one of us because because communion as we're about to partake is all about our new identity yes my my physical family might be dysfunctional even my my church family might be a little dysfunctional. Think of Jesus. Jesus had to have that first communion with Peter who would deny him. Judas who would betray him. James and John who wanted to call down thunder on people and kill them. Thomas who doubted him. Even his spiritual family was a little whacked, okay? But I'm here to tell you that 2 Corinthians 5.17 says, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new. Say new. he's a new creation that doesn't mean that's a a new year's resolution that you're going to fail on after a month or two it doesn't mean that you read some self-help book and and now by reading this book i can change the way i am jesus is promising to fundamentally change your dna he's promising that that if you would just align yourself with him if you would jump into his book He will empower you through the same resurrection power that raised him from the dead to change your ways in Jesus' name. Who can say amen? That's the promise of a new creation that Jesus makes to us. Something called salvation happens when we do that. And you might say, well, why do we need to be saved? Because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Why do we need to be saved? because the wages of sin is death. Why do we need to be saved? Because we can't save ourselves. This week, President Trump is going to make a bold announcement. He is going to pardon a turkey. Right? Thanks to Woodrow Wilson over 100 years ago who kind of pardoned the first turkey and you know, they actually get pardoned. They get saved from the butcher's knife. They get to go live on a farm and fattened up for the rest of their life until the day they die. Does the turkey deserve it? The answer is no. Do we deserve salvation? The answer is no. God pardons us in the exact same way for every violation of his commandment we've ever committed, For every sin that has ever come out of our mouth, that has ever centered in our mind, that has ever occurred because of our hands, God pardons us from all of it because of the blood of Jesus Christ. It is a glorious, glorious truth which enables us now to become a part of his brand new family. Adopted by God, Romans 8, verse 15 says. And it is a beautiful family to be a part of, but it's more than just being in. It's more than just eating a piece of cracker and drinking some grape juice. It is about becoming a new relationship with Jesus Christ. An intimate relationship with the creator of the universe. Not some distant, faraway God, but a God who's right there with us. Listen to what Jesus says in Luke 22, 15. Then he said to his disciples, with fervent desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you. I want you just to look at the verbiage here. It's not with desire. It's with fervent desire. It's not with fervent desire. It's with fervent desire I've desired. You've got to understand what's going on here. This is the day before Jesus is going to die. Okay? And the last thing on the planet he wants to do is he wants to spend it with his disciples. He wants to spend it with his spiritual family. He wants to spend it with those that he is closest with. And he wants to share how much he loves each and every one of them. And he wants to institute a new ordinance that the rest of the church can celebrate forever and ever and ever and ever. And it's called communion. in. Jesus loved his disciples. And as much as he is expressing his love right there in that verse, he loves you and I just the same. He loves us just as much. And he wants you to share the love that you are experiencing with other people, with other people in this church, with other people outside of the church. I mean, they'll know. Let me sing it. They'll know we are Christians by our by our love. Yes, they'll know we are by our love. That's how they'll know. It's this love that we share. Now, listen to me. This love I'm talking about is a committed love. It's not fuzzy feelings. It takes a decision. I'm going to love you no matter what. I'm gonna love you when we disagree. I'm gonna love you when I don't like what you do. I'm gonna love you anyway. I'm gonna love you because Jesus died for you. I'm gonna love you because you are made in the image of God. I'm gonna love you because our witness is that important. Who can say amen? Because our witness is that important. And when we love that much, then all of a sudden we begin to cooperate with one another. We come into this beautiful unity that is expressed in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 17, because there's one loaf. We who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. How many loaves are there? One. One loaf. We're telling the entire world that we can set aside personal opinions. We can set aside petty rivalries, political parties, personal preferences, cultural differences, economic inequality, and we can focus solely on the person of Jesus Christ. And we can care and love for each other the same way a married couple is supposed to love each other. The same way we are supposed to appreciate each other. The same way a family passes the gravy and the turkey and the sweet potatoes. We pass the love of Jesus Christ from one person to another person. Point number three, festivities set the mood for a great Thanksgiving. Music is important. What happens is important. The games we play, the stories we tell are all important. Every funeral that I have ever been a part of has had a mood to it. Some are super somber. Some are sad. When life is cut too short, when we're not sure of the other person's eternal destiny, there seems to be a more negative mood to the service. But others are extremely celebratory. With the recent passing of Robin's mother, I was able to be a part of a glorious celebration. Why? Because she lived a full life. Why? Because she accomplished so much in Jesus Christ. Why? Because we all know that she's in heaven today. Who can say amen? Now, think of the death of Jesus Christ. How much more of a celebration should there be? Because Jesus accomplished everything the Father sent him to do. There wasn't one thing left undone. And on top of that, he never stayed in the grave. He rose again three days later. So this isn't a typical funeral service. This is the greatest celebration the world has ever seen every time we come together for communion. Some theologians believe it should replicate the presence of heaven on a regular and consistent basis. I believe that is true because during communions, I've seen more bodies healed than at any other service I've ever been a part of. So what ends up happening is there's no need to mourn for a communion service, but to celebrate because the funeral's been turned into a feast. Communion is much more like Thanksgiving Day than a funeral service. Funeral services are quiet celebrations are loud and boisterous. Thanksgiving is a holiday. Communion is a holy day. But please don't forget that the way we get the word holiday is from the idea of holy day. And this Thanksgiving, there's going to be games and laughter and family stories. And we can literally, this communion, taste and see that the Lord is good. Every communion service is an opportunity to feast on the goodness of God and to feed your soul. Every communion service is an opportunity to lay down your burden and experience the freedom Christ bought on that cross 2,000 years ago. And every communion service should move us from tears to thanksgiving. let me just summarize real quickly what I've been trying to communicate during this entire service and that is this when Jesus said well when he took the bread and when he took the cup and the scripture says he gave thanks the scripture is saying he eucharisted okay so so that's how we get this word eucharista and there's four things that he was giving thanks for let me tell you what they are real quick. Number one, forgiveness of sins. Who can say amen? Forgiveness of sins. You can be washed clean. You can be totally forgiven of anything and everything that you've ever done. Number two, freedom. Freedom from the penalty of sin. We're not separated from God eternally any longer, but also freedom from the power of sin. I'm just letting you know that this is just Pastor Tom, and you can disagree with me, I don't appreciate being told that things like alcoholism, drug addiction, porn addiction are diseases that you will never be cured of. Because my God does a 100% job every time in Jesus' name. Okay? I'm just letting you know that my God can heal you totally and completely. My God can restore you to the family totally and completely. My God can restore relationships. My God can bring financial windfalls that are needed at just the right time, just in the nick of time. He can do miracles today the same way He did back then because we are free from the power of sin in Jesus' name. Number three, we're a part of his family, which I already talked about. But here's number four. We have a future. And our future is assured. The scripture says, do this until he comes. So I want to ask you to stand up with me at this time. And I want you to be careful as you pull back the aluminum on the bottom. because that piece of bread will fall out if you're not careful. So I put my hand under there, pull it, and it falls straight into my hand. Or I can see some of you are helping each other. That also works, probably even better. And then I want to ask you if you just peel back that top just a little bit. And the same way, listen, listen, listen. The same way the disciples prepared for the Passover, The same way Robin and I are preparing for Thanksgiving, we're trying to help you prepare for communion. The message, the music, and now it's your responsibility just to spend a few moments with God and make sure that everything's okay. Would you bow your heads just for a moment and just pray silently to God? Today it will never lose its power The blood that Jesus shed for me Way back on Calvary Oh, the blood That gives me strength From day to day It will never lose It's power Oh, it reaches to the highest mountain. Oh, and it flows to the lowest valley. Oh, the blood that gives me strength From day to day It will never lose its power On the night that Jesus was betrayed, He took bread, He blessed it, He broke it, and He gave it to His disciples. So Father God, in this moment, I pray that you'd begin to touch bodies in our midst. Father, there are some that have been given a grim diagnosis. There are others, Father God, who've walked with pain for years and years in their lives. And yet the scripture says that by the stripes of Jesus Christ, we are healed. So I'm praying, Father God, according to your word, I'm uniting my faith with my brothers and sisters in this room. And I am believing that the power to heal is present today in Jesus' name. So I pray that, Father God, you will heal cancer and diabetes, back pain, Father God, knee pain. I pray that arms would be healed supernaturally in Jesus' name, that brakes would be mended, Father God, that joints would be healed, that pain would dissipate, Father God, and that we would literally be made whole. And Father God, the scripture also goes on to say that the same night he took a cup and he blessed it and he broke it and he gave it to his disciples and he said, this cup represents a new covenant. So Father God, I pray for everybody in this congregation. I pray that everyone will have taken advantage of the grace that you have freely bestowed upon the entire world. You are not willing that any should perish. So Father God, if there is anybody within the sound of my voice that has not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I pray that today will be the day. Because your word clearly articulates that today is the day of salvation. Father God, I pray that we would all repent of our sins. That we would all say we are sorry. That we would all get back, Father God, into that intimate relationship with you where we are walking day by day, hearing your voice, spending time in your word, Father God, and excited about our Christian life. So cause a revival, Father God, to happen in our hearts. Cause a revival to take place in our homes. Cause a revival to take place in our church, Father God, and move us to be the influential church you want us to be so that this city, this state, Father God, can experience the revival that you planned before eternity even began. As we wrap this thing up, let me ask you to do two things. Number one, let's eat the bread together. Number two, let's drink the cup together. And one more request. Prayer partners, if you'd come forward.
