THANKSGIVING CELEBRATION
(Fellowship and Celebration Foto´s are under the sermon )

Sunday the 21st of November 2010
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
"Be joyful always; Pray continually; GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

The Protestant Reformation began in 1517 (the year Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany). The original Protestant Reformation, which actually began in 1517, spread rapidly throughout the known world.

It effected governments and religious organizations everywhere it went. In 1534, the English King Henry the VIII issued the Act of Supremacy, which made the king the head of the national church in England, which in turn greatly weakened the Roman Catholic hold over England. Then in 1558, under Queen Elizabeth I, (Henry the VIIIth's daughter by Anne Boleyn [1507-1536]) the Church of England became independent.

The Church of England is known as the Anglican Church, and includes many different church groups today to include the Church of Wales, the Church of Ireland, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Episcopal Church of Scotland, and the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States.

The Anglican church was moving farther away from the Word of God.....the Bible as the rule of faith and practice...But also in England there was a group of Protestants who believed that the Bible was the final authority in all manners of life, and that the organized church was not the final authority..... These Bible believing Protestants were known as Puritans..... They were called Puritans because they desired to purify the Church of England..... But even before 1600, some of the Puritans decided that they could not reform the Church of England from within...... so they separated from the Church of England and set up congregations of their own...... These people were known as Separatists....... because they separated themselves from the apostasy and false doctrine of the organized church....they held firmly to the Bible as the guide for church and theological matters.....grace alone ....faith alone.....scripture alone..... One group of Separatists, under the leadership of William Brewster, held Bible meetings in the village of Scrooby.......... English officials persecuted them....they were imprisoned for a short time....any time in prison in those days was very hard.......... and in 1608 Brewster and his group fled from England and settled in Leiden, Holland......

The Separatists (Puritans) feared that a war would break out between Holland and Spain.......They longed to return to their English way of life, yet they wanted to keep their own type of worship, which was based upon the Bible......

the new land of America appealed to them, and some English merchants even agreed to finance a trip to America....... In July, 1620, Brewster led a group of Separatists (Puritans) back to England. Then in September, 1620, they set sail for America in the Mayflower..... The Mayflower sailed alone from Plymouth, England, with 102 passengers, including women and children........ It was a very rough journey of 65 days (a little over two months). They had expected to land somewhere within the limits of the original grant of the Virginia Company, but error in navigation led them to the New England region......... Adverse winds and shoals off Cape Cod forced the Mayflower to stay north......... They dropped anchor in what is now Provincetown Harbor, Massachusetts, inside the tip of Cape Cod on November 21, 1620. (November 11, according to the calendar then in use).

The Puritan leaders were uncertain of their legal position because they were in an area without authority....... They also knew they would need discipline among themselves......They were not all christians....the group that gave tthem the money and supplies to go to America wanted them to take skilled adventurers along..... To solve these problems, the 41 men aboard met and signed the Mayflower Compact, the first agreement for self-government in America...... They elected John Carver as their first governor. ......The Mayflower Compact was the birth of popular constitutional liberty...... In the cabin of the Mayflower, humanity pronounced its rights and instituted government on the basis of "just and equal laws for the general good, all for the glory of God and the advancement of the Christian faith."...... The eternal truths they held in their hearts reversed the course of human history and eventually found magnificent expression in the Declaration of Independence.......

William Bradford, in his writings tells how the weary immigrants, making safe harbor on the desolate shore of Cape Cod,..... "Fell upon their knees and blessed ye God of heaven, who had brought them over ye vast and furious ocean."

They believed that God had called them to this great mission.... they thought of themselves as strangers and Pilgrims..... coming to a new land of religious freedom and opportunity....They had survived a very difficult trip across the Atlantic in the late fall.....They knew that the Lord had spared their lives.....He gives us every breath!...


Even though they were tired and weary, they also knew that winter would be setting in ..... .They were forced to take refuge on an island in Plymouth Harbor during a blinding snowstorm......

Then on December 21 1620, they landed at Plymouth....... There they found a stream with clear pure water...... They found some cleared land, and a high hill that could be fortified...... Cleared land.... but no inhabitants.....The Puritans decided this would be their new home.......there wasn´t time to build homes before winter...so they spent the winter on board the Ship....

First winter on board ship
The dying times......

The first year in the new land was extremely difficult for the Puritans...... Poor and inadequate food, strenuous work, and changeable weather made the settlers susceptible to sickness...... ......Bradford called these times the dying times...... only three adult married women survived.....
The cold, snow and sleet was exceptionally heavy, interfering with the workers as they tried to construct their settlement...... March brought warmer weather and the health of the Pilgrims improved but many had died during the long winter........ Of the 110 Pilgrims and crew who left England, less that 50 survived the first winter.

The Pilgrims’ daily existence was a life-or-death battle to overcome constant hunger, sickness, and exposure to the elements..... Crudely assembled houses made of mud daub were their only shelter from the icy New England weather......

Every meal was portioned out meticulously...... The death toll, a constant reminder of their fragility, rose steadily....... At one point only five men were well enough to care for the sick......They were also sick..... each day the one who was the least sick..... took care of the worst... and buried the Dead......

Despite their tribulations,..... the Pilgrims thanked the Lord every day..... petitioning Him for rehabilitation.......
Samoset and Squanto

On an early spring Sunday morning in 1621...... during an ordinary Sunday worship service.........an Indian walked into the little village and introduced himself to the startled people as Samoset......,...... an Algonquin Indian chief......

The Lord had sent tangible evidence that He had heard their prayers....... A Indian who spoke English!!..... Samoset assessed their hopeless situation and returned 2 weeks later with another Indian named Squanto........

The Pilgrims, who had warred with Indians before and lived with a continuous fear of being attacked by them...... were astonished by their new friends’ eagerness to provide much-needed assistance.....God had taught these two Indians to speak English.... and sent them to help the Pilgrims.....

Squanto told the Pilgrims of his voyages across the ocean and his visits to England and Spain. ......It was in England where he had learned English.....

God had prepared Squanto for a very special mission.....Just like Joseph was sent the Egypt to save the Children of Israel....Squanto was taken to Europe twice to prepare him the rescue the Pilgrims.....

Squanto's importance to the Pilgrims was enormous and it can be said that they would not have survived without his help....... It was Squanto who taught the Pilgrims how to tap the maple trees for sap...... He taught them which plants were poisonous and which had medicinal powers...... He taught them how to plant the Indian corn by heaping the earth into low mounds with several seeds and fish in each mound...... The decaying fish fertilized the corn....... He also taught them to plant other crops with the corn. .....


These two Indians introduced the Puritans to Massasoit, the chief of the Wampanoag tribe that controlled all southeastern Massachusetts at that time. .....Governor Carver and the chief exchanged gifts and arranged a treaty of peace..... Shortly afterward, the Mayflower and its crew sailed back to England, leaving the Puritans on their own. Then Governor Carver died, and William Bradford became governor of the colony.


That summer of 1621 was beautiful. Much work went into the building of new dwellings, and ten men were sent north up the coast in the sailing shallop to conduct trade with the Indians. Squanto once again acted as their guide and interpreter. It was a successful trip, and that fall's harvest provided more than enough corn to see them through their second winter.

The pilgrims were brimming over with gratitude, not only to Squanto and the Wampanoags who had been so friendly, but to their God. In Him they had trusted, and He had honored their obedience beyond their dreams. So, Governor Bradford declared a day of public Thanksgiving, to be held in October.

Massasoit was invited, and unexpectedly arrived a day early-with NINETY Indians! Counting their numbers, the Pilgrims had to pray hard to keep from giving in to despair. To feed such a crowd would cut deeply into the food supply that was supposed to get them through the winter.

But they had learned one thing through their travails, it was to trust God implicitly. As it turned out, the Indians were not arriving empty-handed. Massasoit had commanded his braves to hunt for the occasion, and they arrived with no less than five dressed deer, and more than a dozen fat wild turkeys! And they helped with the preparations, teaching the Pilgrim women how to make hoecakes and a tasty pudding out of cornmeal and maple syrup......... Finally, the Indians showed the Pilgrims a special delicacy: how to roast corn kernels in an earthen pot until they popped, fluffy and white - POPCORN!........

The Pilgrims in turn provided many vegetables from their household gardens: carrots, onions, turnips, parsnips, cucumbers, radishes, beets, and cabbages........ Also, using some of their precious flour, they took summer fruits which the Indians had dried and introduced them to the likes of blueberry, apple, and cherry pie.........

It was all washed down with sweet wine made from the wild grapes. A joyous occasion for all! Between meals, the pilgrims and Indians happily competed in shooting contests with gun and bow...... The Indians were especially delighted that John Alden and some of the younger men of the plantation were eager to join them in foot races and wrestling....... There were even military drills staged by Captain Standish. ......Things went so well (and Massasoit showed no inclination to leave), that Thanksgiving Day was extended for three days..........

One month later, in November, a full year after their arrival, the first ship from home dropped anchor in the harbor leaving off a cargo at Plymouth: thirty-five more colonists. In the air of celebration that followed, no one stopped to think that these newcomers had brought not one bit of equipment with them-no food, no clothing, no tools, no bedding........

In the cold light of the following morning, a sobering appraisal by Bradford, Brewster, and Winslow was taken, and a grim decision was reached: they would all have to go on half-rations through the winter, to ensure enough food to see them into the summer season, when fish and game would be plentiful.........

5 grains of corn

That winter they entered into a time of starving.....

With all the extra people to feed and shelter they were ultimately reduced to a daily ration of Five Kernels of corn a piece........

In contrast to what happened at Jamestown,...... where they were driven to despair,...... the people of Plymouth turned to Christ, and not one of them died of starvation.......

When spring finally arrived (1623), They were well aware that they needed at least twice as much corn as their first harvest. The first planting would be for common use while the second planting would be for private use.

After the first planting, a dry spell set in that turned into a 12 week drought. The crops withered - along with the hopes of the pilgrims......

In the words of Edward Winslow:

"These and the like considerations moved not only every good man privately to enter into examination with his own estate between God and his conscience, and so to humiliation before Him, but also to humble ourselves together before the Lord by fasting and prayer......

To that end, a day of prayer and fasting....was appointed by public authority,........

But, O the mercy of our God, who was as ready to hear, as we were to ask!........ For though in the morning, when we assembled together, the heavens were as clear and the drought as like to continue as it ever was....... yet (our exercise continuing some eight or nine hours) before our departure, the weather was overcast, the clouds gathered on all sides........

On the next morning distilled such soft, sweet, and moderate showers of rain, continuing some fourteen days [!] and mixed with such seasonable weather, as it was hard to say whether our withered corn or drooping affections were most quickened or revived, such was the bounty and goodness of our God!" .......

The yield that year was so abundant that the Pilgrims ended up with a surplus of corn....... which they were able to use in trading that winter with northern Indians, who had not had a good growing season......

That fall a second Day of Thanksgiving was planned, ........and Massasoit was again the guest of honor, and this time he brought his principal wife, three other sachems, and 120 braves!..... Fortunately he again brought venison and turkey, as well........

The occasion was described by one of the Adventurers, Emmanuel Altham, in a letter to his brother:

"After our arrival in New England, we found all our plantation in good health, and neither man, woman or child sick... in this plantation is about twenty houses, four or five of which are very pleasant, and the rest (as time will serve) shall be made better... the fishing that is in this country, indeed it is beyond belief ... in one hour we got 100 cod ....And now to say somewhat of the great cheer we had at the Governor's marriage........

We had about twelve tasty venison , besides others, pieces of roasted venison and other such good cheer in such quantities that I wish you some of our share....... For here we have the best grapes that ever you saw, and the biggest, and divers sorts of plums and nuts ... six goats, about fifty hogs and pigs, also divers hens ... A better country was never seen nor heard of, for here are a multitude of God's blessing." ........

What Altham neglected to mention was the first course that was served: on an empty plate in front of each person were five kernels of corn ... lest anyone should forget.......

The Pilgrims’ humble response to their affliction is evidenced by their many writings which expressed deeply thankful hearts...... We can learn countless lessons about sincere thankfulness from their example......

God commands us to live a life of gratitude and thanksgiving......

I Thes. 5:16-18 NLT
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
I Thes. 5:16-18 Neues Leben
16 Seid immer fröhlich.17 Hört nicht auf zu beten.18 Was immer auch geschieht, seid dankbar, denn das ist Gottes Wille für euch, die ihr Christus Jesus gehört.

There are five points that I would like to bring out of this story.....

1) Being thankful motivates us to look for His purpose in our circumstances.

2) A grateful heart reminds us of our constant dependence upon God.....

3) Gratitude increases our trust in God.......

4) A thankful spirit teaches us to rejoice in every situation.......

5) Thankfulness transforms our anxiety into the peace of God........


By teaching our children to have grateful hearts, we can prepare them to respond gracefully to life’s trials.

The impact of thankfulness can extend to every area of life......

1) Being thankful motivates us to look for His purpose in our circumstances.

When we consider the Pilgrims’ story, we can see God’s hand directing their course all the way from England to the New World. We can see how He strengthened them and enabled them to settle a new land. If we’re perceptive and truly thankful we can see His guiding hand shaping our own lives in the same manner.......

2) A grateful heart reminds us of our constant dependence upon God.....

It changes our attitude toward life. When the Pilgrims thanked the Lord regardless of their destitution and entreated Him to supply their needs, they were able to respond positively to daunting situations and overcome great obstacles. When we thank Him for everything, big and small, we begin to realize that there is nothing we possess that we have not been given.

3) Gratitude increases our trust in God.......

When the Pilgrims set sail for America, they couldn’t see the new land. They had to trust The Mayflower’s compass implicitly...... Likewise, when they arrived at Plymouth Rock they had no foreknowledge of what would sustain their lives from then on...... They had to trust God for everything from food and shelter to a secure future for their families..... When we’re thankful for His constant provision, trusting Him with our lives becomes easier......

4) A thankful spirit teaches us to rejoice in every situation.......

The apostle Paul............. wrote,

2 Cor. 4:15-18 NLT

15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.


2 Cor. 4:15-18 Neues Leben

15 Das alles ist zu eurem Besten. Und wenn Gottes Gnade immer mehr Menschen zu Christus führt, wird auch der Chor derer, die ihm danken, immer lauter, und Gott wird immer mehr Ehre erwiesen.
16 Deshalb geben wir nie auf. Unser Körper mag sterben, doch unser Geist wird jeden Tag erneuert.
17 Denn unsere jetzigen Sorgen und Schwierigkeiten sind nur gering und von kurzer Dauer, doch sie bewirken in uns eine unermesslich große Herrlichkeit, die ewig andauern wird!
18 So sind wir nicht auf das Schwere fixiert, das wir jetzt sehen, sondern blicken nach vorn auf das, was wir noch nicht gesehen haben. Denn die Sorgen, die wir jetzt vor uns sehen, werden bald vorüber sein, aber die Freude, die wir noch nicht gesehen haben, wird ewig dauern.

v 15... All of this is for your benefit.....trials?.... yes.....loss?.... yes....

v 16....We Never give up...... Can you say that..... I have times when I am ready to give up.....but time and again.....sometimes at the last minute......God steps in to our circumstances and pours grace out on our lives......He often uses the believers to bless and care for each other.....

v17.....For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.....glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

v18... don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.......


The Pilgrims lived out these verses in a real living trial of death and loss.....God sent a special servant to them Squanto....God showed them His grace and Mercy....He showed them His unfailing love.....
His CHESED( Hebrew).....His unfailing love....time and again.... He does the same for us too.....The question is do we see it.....?

God´s grace continues unending.... America has sent more missionaries and more help to suffering people than any other country on the face of the Earth....

5) Thankfulness transforms our anxiety into the peace of God........

The Pilgrims had many reasons to fear for their lives...... Thanking God in good times and in bad times helped them to celebrate His faithfulness to them He filled their hearts with peace.... the peace that passes understanding.... ....
When we focus our attention on God’s provision for us....His blessing and protection..... we begin to see the world through a Christ-centered lens......It helps us to accept whatever the LORD puts into our lives....


Thanksgiving — the word only has meaning when we can attach it to behavior demonstrated in real life...... The Pilgrims gave us their blessed holiday so we could remember how God answered their prayers with rich abundance. .....But we aren’t constrained to experiencing true thankfulness vicariously...... When we meditate on God’s wondrous provision for us..... He gives us every breath......

By focusing our attention on God and what He is teaching us throughout life, we can, like the Pilgrims, be thankful for even the most simple things......

William Bradford and Edward Winslow and other men of intense spiritual conviction were representative of the considerable number of men and women who were unwilling to compromise their spiritual beliefs ......They stood firmly on the word of God!!!

Their desire was to build a new home where they could serve the God of the Bible....... and raise their children to know and love God .......

All true thanksgiving is based on the knowledge and application of the Word of God.....All true happiness is based on the knowledge and application of the Word of God.....

Therefore, I challenge you.......I challenge myself....... to make a greater effort than we ever have before........ to be consistent in our learning of the Word of God....... in our reading of the Word of God......and in our application of the Word of God to our own lives....... That is our duty, that is to be our life as a believer in Jesus Christ......

And if we desire true happiness and true contentment in this life.....we must learn to be thankful in all things.....trusting God to take care of us..... to help us........ and to bring all things together for our good and His Glory......


Let´s pray.........

Father, this story of the Pilgrim's faith and your love and grace brings us to our knees before you....... Help us to learn to depend on you as they did and to examine our lives confessing and repenting of our sins each day - knowing that you are able to give us the power to live Holy lives....... Father, my sins are not hidden from you, but let me recognize them now in your presence...................... Lord I repent of these sins, please give me strength to turn from them when I am tempted, in the name of your Holy Son Jesus, Amen.