TITLE: UNTHANKFULNESS 3/17/02
TEXT: LUKE 17:11 - 19
INTRO:
ONCE A YEAR WE AMERICANS COME TOGETHER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO CELEBRATE WHAT IS KNOWN AS THANKSGIVING DAY. IT IS A TIME OF YEAR THAT MOST PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT IS EVEN ALL ABOUT. MODERN DAY AMERICANS THINK IT IS A TIME TO –
· WATCH THE DALLAS COWBOYS & DETROIT LIONS
· EAT TURKEY, MASHED TATERS, GRAVY AND ALL THE TRIMINGS
· PUMPKIN, APPLE & CHERRY PIE
· AND SIT AROUND AND ENJOY THE FELLOWSHIP
BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THANKSGIVING IS ALL ABOUT. THANKSGIVING IS ABOUT YOU AND I BRINGING INTO REMEMBRANCE AND BEING THANKFUL FOR THOSE CHRISTIANS WHO CAME ACROSS THOSE FRIGID WATERS IN A LITTLE SHIP CALLED THE MAYFLOWER TO ESCAPE THE TYRANNY OF A KING AND TO START A NEW LIFE OF FREEDOM IN THIS NEW WORLD WHAT NOW HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AS THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THANKSGIVING DAY IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE DAYS OF THE YEAR AND THE OLDER I GET – THE MORE THANKFUL I AM FOR THE COUNTRY IN WHICH I LIVE AND THE FREEDOMS THAT I HAVE.
NOW TONIGHT I WANT TO FOCUS ON THANKSGIVING IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. YOU SEE WE OUGHT NOT HAVE A TIME OF THANKSGIVING ONCE A YEAR – THANKSGIVING IS SOMETHING THAT YOU AND I OUGHT TO CELEBRATE EVERY SINGLE DAY OF OUR LIFE.
ONE OF THE GREATEST SINS IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THE SIN OF INGRATITUDE AND UNTHANKFULNESS. MANY TIMES WE ARE UNGRATEFUL FOR –
A. SERVICE & SERMON
DAVID: I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD
LISTEN, I AM GLAD FOR WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT HERE TONIGHT! YOU AND I COME TO THIS CHURCH EVERY SINGLE SERVICE AND THERE IS ONE THING WE ALL KNOW AND THAT IS WE WILL HEAR FROM THE WORD OF GOD!
ILL. I GET TAPES FROM OTHER PREACHERS ALL THE TIME – AND AFTER LISTENING TO THEM – I’M SO GLAD FOR THE PREACHING WE HAVE HERE TONIGHT! BUT ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR THE SERVICE WE ARE HAVING TONIGHT?
B. SALVATION
I HOPE I NEVER COME TO THE POINT THAT I TAKE MY SALVATION FOR GRANTED!
SONG: I WAS SINKING DEEP IN SIN….
PRAYER: DON’T EVER LET ME GET OVER BEING UNDER THE BLOOD!
C. SECURITY
ONE THING THAT I AM THANKFUL FOR TONIGHT – AND THAT IS THE FACT I DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DYING AND GOING TO HELL. WHEN I GOT SAVED MY ETERNITY WAS FIXED FOREVER – AMEN! MANY TIMES WE CHRISTIANS ARE UNTHANKFUL FOR HIS -
D. SUPPLY
ILL. I WAS TALKING TO A FRIEND OF MINE THE OTHER DAY WHO WAS A LITTLE BOTHERED BY THE FACT THAT HE HAD JUST TURNED 40 AND HE DIDN’T HAVE BUT A FEW CENTS TO HIS NAME – I SAID YES, BUT ALL YOUR NEEDS HAVE BEEN MET AND GOD WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPLY YOUR NEEDS.
LISTEN, MOST OF US WILL NEVER HAVE A MILLION DOLLARS – BUT IT REALLY DOESN’T MATTER BECAUSE WE HAVE A GOD WHO HAS THE POWER TO MEET OUR EVERY NEED. SOMETIMES WE ARE UNTHANKFUL FOR -
D. SOULS
MAY WE NEVER COME TO THAT POINT! WE HAVE AN AVERAGE OF 5 – 7 PEOPLE SAVED EACH AND EVERY WEEK! (GLORY TO GOD) I HAVE BEEN IN CHURCHES THAT AINT SEEN THAT MANY SAVED ALL YEAR! SOMETIMES WE ARE UNGRATEFUL FOR THE -
E. SPIRIT
SO MANY SAINTS NEVER GIVE HIM THE TIME OF DAY AND MOST OF US DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO HE IS! LISTEN, WITHOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT THERE WOULD BE NO –
· CONVICTION
· CONVERSION – AND ALL OF US WOULD DIE AND GO TO HELL.
I BELIEVE WE ALL OUGHT TO BE MORE THANKFUL FOR OUR -
F. SAVIOR
HE DID NOT HAVE TO GO HELL ON THE CROSS – BUT HE CHOSE TO SO YOU AND I COULD BE SAVED. AND THEN WE NEED TO BE MORE THANKFUL FOR THE -
G. SAINTS
THANK GOD FOR THE TITHERS, WORKERS & FAITHFUL PEOPLE GOD HAS GIVEN TO THIS CHURCH.
NOW AS WE GET INTO THE MESSAGE I WANT US TO NOTICE THESE 10 LEPERS. FIRST OF ALL NOTICE THEIR –
1. CONDITION
ACCORDING TO V.12 THEY WERE “LEPERS!” MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT LEPROSY WAS A VERY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE, THE LEPERS HAD TO –
· WEAR A CLOTH AROUND THEIR HEAD TO COVER THEIR MOUTH
· THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED IN PUBLIC
· EVERYWHERE THEY WENT THEY HAD TO PROCLAIM “UNCLEAN”
· THEIR CONDITION WAS A CERTAIN CONDITION OF DEATH!
· JUST A MATER OF TIME AND THEY WOULD DIE
SO NOT ONLY THEIR CONDITION, NOTICE THEIR –
2. CRY V.13
And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
THEIR CRY WAS A “LOUD” CRY! IF YOU DON’T LIKE LOUD PREACHING YOU OUGHT TO THROW AWAY YOUR BIBLE AND GO DOWN TO THE METHODIST CHURCH! THEY CRIED OUT WITH A LOUD CRY - Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
ILL. ONE THING WE CHRISTIANS OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF IS THE FACT THAT WE CAN GO TO A BALL GAME AND SCREAM AND SHOUT OVER SOME 450 LB OVER WEIGHT TACKLE WHEN HE SACKS THE QUARTERBACK AND PUTS HIM OUT OF THE GAME – BUT WHEN WE COME TO CHURCH AND SEE SOMEONE GET SAVED NO ONE SAYS A WORD.
NOT ONLY THEIR CONDITION, THEIR CRY, NOTICE ALSO THEIR -
3. CURE V.14 AS THEY WENT THEY WERE CLEANSED!
NOW WHEN THE BIBLE SAYS “AS THEY WENT” – IT DOES NOT MEAN AS THEY WENT THEIR SKIN GRADUALLY BECAME CLEAN. IT SIMPLY MEANS WHEN THEY DECIDED TO BE OBEDIENT (INSTANTLY) THEY WERE CLEANSED! YOU SEE OBEDIENCE ALWAYS BRINGS THE BLESSINGS OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE!
ILL. NAAMAN
WHEN NAAMAN DECIDED TO BE OBEDIENT TO THE WORD OF GOD – INSTANTLY HE WAS CLEANSED OF HIS DISEASE! YOU SEE OBEDIENCE ALWAYS BRINGS THE BLESSINGS OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE!
NOW IN THE STORY BEFORE US TONIGHT, 10 LEPERS WERE CLEANSED OF THIS TERRIBLE DISEASE OF LEPROSY BUT ONLY 1 OF THOSE LEPERS CAME BACK TO GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY – AND I BELIEVE THE SAME REASONS WHY 9 OF THEM NEVER CAME BACK TO THANK THE LORD IS A LOT OF THE SAME REASONS WHY WE FAIL TO BE THANKFUL TONIGHT.
LET ME MAKE MENTION OF SOME 3 THINGS AND THEN WE’LL BE DISMISSED. NOW I BELIEVE THE FIRST REASON WHY MOST OF THEM NEVER CAME BACK WAS BECAUSE OF THEIR -
I. FASCINATION
NOW FOLLOW WITH ME AND I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT I MEAN. THESE MEN ALL HAD A TERRIBLE DISEASE – NO TELLING HOW LONG THEY HAD BEEN THAT WAY, BUT WHEN THEY CAME FACE TO FACE WITH CHRIST AND OBEYED HIS WORD – THEY ALL WERE HEALED FROM THAT MOMENT ON!
ILL. I GUESS THE EASIEST WAY FOR YOU AND I TO IDENTIFY WITH THAT WOULD BE TO PICTURE YOURSELF ON YOUR DEATH BED WITH SOME HORRIBLE, TERRIBLE CRIPPLING DISEASE – THE DOCTORS & PHYSICIANS TOTALLY UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING FOR YOU – BUT THEN ONE DAY THE DOCTOR COMES IN AND GIVES YOU A PILL AND INSTANTLY YOU ARE COMPLETELY HEALED FROM THAT MOMENT ON!
NOW THINK ABOUT HOW FASCINATED AND EXCITED YOU WOULD BE! AND IT WOULD NOT BE LONG UNTIL YOU WERE SO FASCINATED WITH BEING HEALED THAT YOU TOTALLY FORGOT THE ONE WHO HAD DONE THE HEALING.
AND I BELIEVE THESE BOYS WERE SO CAUGHT UP, FASCINATED AND EXCITED THAT THEY SIMPLY FORGOT ABOUT THE LORD.
NOW I CAN’T SAY THAT I BLAME THEM FOR THE EXCITEMENT! I BELIEVE WE NEED MORE OF THAT AROUND HERE. BUT ONE THING THAT YOU AND I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH AND THAT IS WHEN GOD BLESSES US – WE DON’T EVER WANT TO GET SO CAUGHT UP WITH THE BLESSINGS THAT WE FORGET ABOUT THE ONE WHO GAVE US THE BLESSINGS!
SO NOT ONLY FASCINATION, I BELIEVE ANOTHER REASON WAS JUST PLAIN OLD
II. FORGETFULNESS
ONCE AGAIN, THESE MEN HAD JUST BEEN –
* HEALED OF A LIFE THREATENING DISEASE
* THEY WERE SENT TO THE PRIEST
* JERUSALEM WAS ABOUT 30 MILES AWAY
* IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN THEM A COUPLE OF DAYS TO GET THERE
* THEY STOPPED I AM SURE TO TELL OTHERS WHAT HAD HAPPENED
* AND WHEN ALL WAS SAID AND DONE, I BELIEVE ALONG WITH THE FASCINATION AND THE GOOD TIMES THEY WERE NOW HAVING, THEY MAY HAVE JUST SIMPLY FORGOT ALL ABOUT JESUS.
OH, LISTEN TO ME TONIGHT – WHEN THE BLESSINGS COME – LET US NEVER FORGET WHO IT WAS THAT GAVE THEM!
ILL. GOD TOLD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO REMEMBER
· THE DAY WHEN THEY CAME UP OUT OF EGYPT
· WHAT GOD DID TO PHARAOH AT THE RED SEAD
· HOW GOD CARED FOR YOU IN THE WILDERNESS
· DEUTERONOMY 8:11: REMEMBER THE LORD!
WHY DID GOD GO THROUGH THE TROUBLE OF SAYING ALL OF THAT? I BELIEVE IT IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS HOW FORGETFUL YOU AND I REALLY ARE!
AS YOU STUDY THE SCRIPTURES YOU WILL FIND OUT HOW PEOPLE FORGOT JESUS MORE THAN ONCE. SEE JESUS IN –
MATTHEW 2: AS HE HEALED THE SICK OF THE PALSY
MATTHEW 8: AS HE HEALED THE CENTURIONS SERVANT
MATTHEW 12: AS MULTITUDES FOLLOWED HIM AND HE HEALED THEM ALL
MATTHEW 21: AS HE HEALED ALL THOSE WHO CAME INTO THE TEMPLE
MARK 3: AS HE HEALED SO MANY THAT THE CROWDS LITERALLY PRESSED
UPON HIM TO BE HEALED
MARK 5: AS A WOMAN WITH AN ISSUE OF BLOOD TOUCHES (INSTANTLY) HEALED
JOHN 5: AS HE HEALED THE MAN BORN BLIND
JOHN 11: AS HE RAISED LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD
LUKE 22: AS HE REATTACHED MALCHUS’ EAR AFTER PETER CUT IT OFF
LITERALLY THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE DYING AND ON THEIR WAY TO HELL – THEY WERE NOT ONLY HEALED, THEY WERE SAVED AND NOW GOING TO HEAVEN – BUT NOW NOTICE…..
AS JESUS CHRIST IS BEING WHIPPED, MOCKED AND CRUCIFIED AT CALVARY – WHERE ARE THOSE WHO’D BEEN SAVED?
WHERE WAS THE –
· MAN POSSESED WITH THE LEGION OF DEMONS?
MAYBE NOW HE IS A SUCCESFUL BUSINESS MAN WITH NO TIME FOR THE LORD.
· WHERE WAS LAZARUS?
MAYBE HE WAS OUT LOAFING ON VACATION SOMEWHERE INSTEAD OF WORRYING ABOUT SERVING THE LORD.
· WHERE WAS THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD?
MAYBE SHE HAD GOTTEN MARRIED AND WAS BUSY RAISING A FAMILY.
LISTEN, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THOSE THINGS – BUT WHERE ARE OUR PRIORITIES AT? NOT A SINGLE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE STANDING AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS (EXCEPT FOR JOHN, THE MOTHER OF JESUS AND A FEW SELECT OTHERS)!
WHY? I BELIEVE IT IS BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE HAD FORGOT ALL ABOUT JESUS!
NOW WHAT ABOUT YOU – HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT THE LORD? HAS GOD GIVEN YOU SOME BLESSINGS AND NOW YOU ARE OFF DOING YOUR OWN THING – AND YOU’VE FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT JESUS?
MAY WE NEVER BE LIKE THOSE PEOPLE AND FORGET ABOUT THE LORD!
WHY IS IT THAT WE ARE SUCH AN UNTHANKFUL PEOPLE?
FASCINATION, FORGETFULNESS AND THEN LASTLY I BELIEVE WE SIMPLY BECOME TO -
III. FAMILIAR
THINK ABOUT IT IN OUR STORY – 9 OF THESE MEN WERE JEWISH BOYS AND ONLY ONE OF THEM A SAMARITAN. THE SAMARITAN WAS A HALFBREED WHO WAS AN OUTCAST AMONG THE JEWS AND KNEW LITTLE OR NOTHING ABOUT THE JEWS AND THEIR GOD. ON THE OTHER SIDE THESE JEWS WERE FAMILIAR WITH –
· STORY OF NAMAAN
· OLD TESTAMENT LAW
· LEVITICAL PROCESS OF CLEANSING
· POOL OF BETHESDA WHERE THE ANGEL STIRRED THE WATERS
IF THEY HAD WANTED TO THEY HAD SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO BE HEALED. SO WHEN THEIR HEALING CAME – MAYBE TO THEM IT WAS NOT THAT BIG OF A DEAL – WHAT THEY HAD JUST EXPERIENCED WAS PROBLABLY NOT AS GREAT AS
· RED SEA CROSSING OR SOME OF THE
· MARVELOUS MIRACLES PERFOMED BY GOD IN THE WILDERNESS
BUT TO A SAMARITAN WHO DID NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE ISRAELITES AND THEIR GOD – TO HIM IT WAS A WONDERFUL THING!
I BELIEVE THESE JEWISH BOYS HAD BECOME A LITTLE BIT TO FAMILIAR WITH THE THINGS OF GOD.
WHAT ABOUT US? HAVE WE BECOME A LITTLE TO FAMILIAR? GOD HAS RICHLY BLESSED US WITH SOME THINGS –
· 5 – 7 SAVED EVERY WEEK
· 60 – 70 KIDS EACH WEEK ON THE BUSES
· OUR BUILDING – PAYED OFF, BUSES PAID OFF AND THAT IS WITH ABOUT 6 OR 7 FAMILIES PULLING THE FINANCIAL WEIGHT OF THE CHURCH – THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHERS WHO ARE STILL BACKSLIDEN AND HAVEN’T GOT RIGHT WITH GOD YET – BUT GOD IS BLESSING ANYWAY.
GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO US TONIGHT – LET’S REMEMBER (HIM) TONIGHT AND PRAISE HIM FOR WHAT HE’S DONE! ARE YOU THANKFUL LIKE THIS SAMARITAN OR ARE YOU UNTHANKFUL LIKE THE NINE?
