Title: Taking God for Granted
Theme: To remind the people the importance of thanking the Lord for all things.
Text: Luke 17:11-19
Luke 17:11. And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up [their] voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw [them], he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on [his] face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where [are] the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
As I was reading the newspaper the other day I came across a letter that had been written to dear Abby. It was from a young man named Paul. It reads like this, "Dear Abby: When I was in law school, I shared an apartment with three other graduate students who like me, held part-time jobs and has little time, money, cooking ability or interest in preparing meals. Each of us got his own breakfast and we took turns preparing dinner-which usually consisted of a canned vegetable, hamburger meat, baked potato or the like-and was barely edible. But no matter how poor the meal was , my roommate "Joe" invariably said, "That was a mighty find dinner!"
One evening, when the meal I had prepared was even worse than usual and Joe had nevertheless complimented me, I asked, "Joe, you know that food was hardly fit for human consumption. Why do you always say it’s good?"
"I come from a family of 11 children," Joe answered. "My mother would spend all afternoon in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. Then one night when she called us to the table, there was only a plate at each place with a pile of hay on it. My father looked at it and asked her, ’Jessie, what is this hay doing on our plates?’ Mother said, ’Oh you noticed! This is the first time any of you have ever given any indication that you know what was on your plate!’
I vowed then and there," Joe added, " that I would always express my appreciation to the person who had prepared my meal."
What a great illustration about thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a day that is given to give thanks for the things that God has done. But we have a tendency to take God for granted. We don’t always thank him for what we have or what he has done. In one sense we have come to expect God to do something for us. When he does we are like the other nine lepers and never give him thanks.
Luke makes a note here. The one that returned to praise Jesus for his healing was not only a leper but he was a Samaritan. As most of you know the Samaritan were not of very good standings with the Jews. In reality they were hated. They even had, as we read when Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman at the well, their own place of worship. What makes this statement so important is that the one who was suppose to be the least religious or holy was the one who had the most gratitude.
This is so true of the Christian church. So many times we take things of God for granted. Things like salvation. God’s convictions. God’s calling. God’s grace and mercy. Even the things that God gives us. We walk outside and see the mark of God all over this earth and we take it for granted that it is ours. Oh that we would just take a few moments to give God the thanks and praise that He deserves.
And you notice it takes a new Christian to remind us of how God truly is and how much more we should praise him.
I want you to notice something else about this passage. Look at verse 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. The nine missed something by not coming back to thank the Lord. See all the lepers experienced the physical blessing of the Lord. They all were cleansed and healed. But not all received the spiritual blessings of the Lord. The nine missed out on salvation. In this world God’s blessing fall on the just and the unjust.
Have you ever noticed that people other than Christians prosper in this world, that is physically and materially. Christians do not have a lock on being materially wealthy. It is a problem that many a man of God has dealt with through the years.
This is what Job was dealing with in Job 12:6-AV The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth [abundantly]." He could not understand why this would happen. But this is all physical. What they miss is the spiritual blessings the blessings of thanksgiving.
When we thank God we open ourselves up to Gods blessing and his salvation. We are no longer prideful. To be unthankful is to be prideful.
Isaac Walton once said, "God has two dwellings: one in heaven, and the other in a meek and thankful heart"
When we are unthankful to God we are telling him that we deserve what he does for us.
Do you realize what I am saying? Sometimes we give God this impression. God you don’t deserve anything from me but I deserve all that you can give me. Some even go as far as to tell God, "You are not worth my time." " I can’t make time for you I am too busy." Oh I know that we don’t say this personally to God but this is what we mean when we don’t do what God has required and asked us to do.
Unthankfullness is such a bad thing that it is listed with the other signs of perilous times.
2Timothy 3:1-AV This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2-AV For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
We even see in Romans 1 that it is a sin to be unthankful
Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not
as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their
imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
A poem has been written about this story, it is titled "But where are the nine?"
I meant to go back but you may guess
I was filled with amazement I cannot express
To think that after those horrible years,
That passion of loathing and passions of fears,
By sores unendurable-eaten, defiled-
My flesh was as smooth as the flesh of a child.
I was drunken with joy; I was crazy with glee,
I scarcely could walk and I scarcely could see,
For the dazzle of sunshine where all had been black; . . .
But I meant to go back, --- oh, I meant to go back!
I had thought to return, when my people came out.
There were tears of rejoicing and laughter and shout;
They embraced me, --- for years I had not known a kiss;
Ah, the pressure of lip is an exquisite bliss!
They crowded around me, they filled the whole place;
They looked at my feet, and my hands, and my face;
My children were there, my glorious wife,
And all the forgotten allurements of life.
My cup was so full I seemed nothing to lack! . . .
But I meant to go back, --- oh, I meant to go back!
-Author Unknown
Let us be thankful unto the Lord. It should have began when we woke up this morning.
Let us be thankful when we go to God’s house
Psalms 100:4-AV Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts
with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name.
When we enter into God’s house we should enter with thanksgiving and praise to him. It does not say to come to God’s house and sit down and try to get you body or you mind revved up to praise the Lord but it says,"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise.
We have so much to be thankful for. Especially if we are a Christian.
Colossians 1:12-AV Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
We should be thankful for our inheritance that he has given us.
Most of all let us be thankful for everything.
1Thessalonians 5:18-AV In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
In closing I want to do something different. I want to give you an opportunity to give God the public thanks that he deserves. Now I mean more than what you usually give him. Thank him more that for what you.
