Rev. David Holwick ZL
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
November 24, 1996
Luke 17:11-18
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I. Holidays can bring out the worst in people.
A. A time to be stressed out.
Back in 1990, Scott Nelson, age 33, was charged with assaulting
his wife.
Apparently he became enraged that his Thanksgiving turkey was
not defrosted.
So he went out in the parking lot of their apartment complex and
threw the frozen bird and a pie on the pavement.
It gets worse.
When his wife, Jackie, gathered up her child to flee, he hurled
the frozen bird at the car, breaking the windshield.
Scott ended up spending part of Thanksgiving in jail.
#1369
Others will violate the spirit of Thanksgiving in a more
subtle way.
In one episode of the TV cartoon show, "The Simpsons," the
young brat, Bart, is asked to say grace.
He prays,
"Dear God, we paid for all this stuff ourselves, so thanks
for nothing."
#2312
Who says TV doesn't reflect our culture?
B. Ingratitude to God is nothing new.
1) Healing of Ten lepers. Luke 17:11-18
a) Done from a distance.
1> They had enough faith to go.
2> Healing occurred on the way.
b) Only one comes back to say, "Thanks."
1> And he was a foreigner, to boot.
2) Many experience God's blessings, but only a few show
gratitude.
C. We're not like that.
1) I am confident no one here will hurl a frozen turkey.
2) I am certain you won't thank God "for nothing" at the
family grace.
3) Pagans don't acknowledge God or give thanks to him. Rom 1:21
a) But are you really going to be thankful?
b) In a way that honors God?
II. How Jesus showed gratitude. #388
A. For common necessities of life. John 6:11,23
1) Feeding of 5,000. Thanks emphasized, twice.
a) It is easy to take the common things in life for granted.
b) We usually don't appreciate them till they're taken
away from us.
2) Note that Jesus gave his thanks publicly, not in a corner.
a) Thanks should be audible.
b) He was not ashamed to acknowledge the Giver of every
good and perfect gift.
B. For answered prayer. John 11:41
1) At raising of Lazarus.
2) Pray more, and thank God for prayer.
C. For his death. Matt 26:27
1) He thanked God for cup that represented his own blood.
"All the agonies He was to experience in those awful hours,
as He hung a bleeding victim on Calvary, were
represented by the cup He held in his blessed hand,
and He thanked God."
#388
a) He could see beyond the pain to the glory of salvation.
2) Thank God even for hard things.
a) [Church family's] garage and four cars destroyed by fire
(on top of two other cars wrecked this year).
1> Family's perspective - no one was hurt.
2> 1 Thessalonians 5:18-
"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is
God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
b) Be thankful for what hasn't happened.
Evelyn Bence was asked by a friend to come visit
a shelter for homeless women.
While Evelyn did the dishes, she thought what it
would be like to sleep in a shelter with
strangers.
These slept there, but each morning they had to
carry their meager possessions with them.
One of the homeless women has a Ph.D. in art history.
Gradually her mind had slipped out of her grasp.
Esther, who had talked to herself all evening, was
the mother of five children.
Evelyn Bence silently prayed to herself, "Lord,
thank you. Thank you - that I'm not one of them."
Immediately she felt guilty for thinking of it this
way.
It dawned on her that her own comfortable world, her
secure home, was not guaranteed.
Instead of thinking, "Thank you I'm not one of them,"
she now thought up a new prayer -
"Thank you for the grace you have shown to me, and
help me to mirror your grace to others."
#1268
III. The beauty of gratitude.
A. Thanksgiving focuses us beyond our own selfishness.
Mother Theresa told this story in an address to the
National Prayer Breakfast in 1994:
One evening Theresa and several sisters went out, and they
picked up four people from the street.
One of them was in a most terrible condition.
Theresa told the sisters, "You take care of the other three;
I will take care of the one who looks worst."
So she did for the woman everything that her love could do.
She put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on
the woman's face.
She took hold of Theresa's hand as she said two words only:
"Thank you."
Then she died.
Theresa could not help but examine her own conscience.
She asked herself: What would I say if I were in her place?
And her answer was very simple.
She would have tried to draw a little attention to herself.
I would have said, "I am hungry, I am dying, I am in pain."
But the woman gave her much more; she gave Theresa grateful
love.
And she died with a smile on her face.
Even those with nothing can give the gift of thanks.
#3277
B. God expects us to praise him.
1) Last note in Psalms. Ps 150:6
2) It is not only owed to him, but enabled by him.
3) God's grace should flow in a cycle. 2 Cor 4:15
a) God is good to us.
b) We show good to others.
c) They send praise back to God.
IV. Best way to give gratitude.
A. Believe in Jesus as your Savior.
1) Ten men were touched by the healing power of Jesus.
a) Only one realized that what had happened deserved a
personal, heartfelt response to the Savior.
Wilcock
2) Have you ever publicly responded to Jesus?
a) Or are you ashamed to acknowledge him?
b) Perhaps the problem is not with Jesus, but your lack
of genuineness.
B. Live as if Jesus is your Lord.
1) Gratitude is best shown by actions, not words.
a) We almost emphasize faith and grace too much.
b) Genuine faith bears good fruit.
2) Commit every area of your life to him.
a) Christ's victory over sin and death is our greatest
cause for thanks. 1 Cor 15:57
b) Do everything in name of Jesus. Col 3:17
3) Trust in him, even through calamity.
QUESTIONS AT END OF HANDOUT:
What are you most grateful to God for?
What do you find it hardest to be thankful for?
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