"demonstrating Gratefulness"

Title: Demonstrating Gratefulness Script: Lk. 17:11-21

Where: GNBC 1-29-17 Type: Series – Part II

Intro: A story is told of a man who was lost in the woods. Later, in describing the experience, he told how frightened he was and how he had even finally knelt and prayed. Someone asked, “Did God answer your prayer?” “Oh, no,” the man replied. “Before God had a chance, a guide came along and showed me the way out.”Like that man, many people are blind to the many blessings that God daily showers upon them. They awake to see the sun shining, and do not give thanks to God. They hear the birds chirping and see beautiful flowers and trees, but they don’t give it a moment’s thought that God has given those blessings and given them the senses to enjoy them. They grumble about having to eat the same old cereal, forgetting that many would gladly exchange places with them and eat anything for breakfast. They complain about their jobs, forgetting that many would be grateful just to have a job or even to have the bodily strength to go to work. They complain about their lack of money, forgetting that they spend more on entertainment each month than many around the world earn as their total income.

Whether you are a believer in Jesus Christ or a person who does not even believe in God, the fact is, God has blessed you far more than you realize and far more than you deserve. It is important to understand how to respond properly to God’s abundant blessings.

Prop: Examining Lk 17 will give us opportunity to learn three lessons about Gratefulness.

BG: 1. Gratefulness is being thankful and appreciative of the benefits/blessings received, it means to express gratitude.

2. Nothing turns us into bitter, selfish, dissatisfied people more quickly than an ungrateful heart. And nothing will do more to restore contentment and the joy of our salvation than a true spirit of thankfulness.

3.

Prop: Examine w/me Lk 17 as we learn 3 important lessons on gratefulness.

I. Opportunities to Demonstrate Gratefulness can be found in Unlikely Places and among the most Unlikely Individuals.

A. Jesus came across such a case in an unlikely person in an unlikely place.

1. Both the location and the individuals Jesus interacted with do not normally elicit a response of God-honoring gratefulness.

a. v. 11 Jesus and His disciples are traveling the border that ran between Samaria and Galilee as they were heading south towards Jerusalem. Due to the deep hostility the Jews had towards the Samaritans, most Israelites would never actually walk through Samaria on route from Galilee to Judea, but would rather walk around. The Samaritans were despised because in the Jewish mind they were “half breeds”, Jews, who 100’s yrs earlier were deported by Assyria and forced to mix physically, culturally, and religiously, with pagan nations. Religion was syncretistic and not honoring of God, the Law or the Prophets. Idolatry. (We often use term “God forsaken”. No such place! Not Samaria then. Not anywhere today. God does not forsake men. Men forsake God.)

b. Some of you may wonder what this disease was like. Leprosy is a terrible condition where a person’s skin begins to rot and fall off. Many lepers lose all of their fingers and toes because of the disease. It is very painful and smelly. You could tell if a person had leprosy because their body would be covered with sores. People with these sores are commonly referred to as lepers. Leprosy was a common skin disease a long time ago, and there are still people in some parts of the world today who have leprosy. There are lepers in India, China, and Japan as well as in parts of Africa and the West Indies and in South America. Leprosy is very contagious. It is very easy to “catch” leprosy. Even just touching a person who has leprosy or touching something that they touched could make you get the disease. So whenever a person caught leprosy in Bible times, they had to live outside the community. In fact, one of the laws that God gave the Israelites in the Old Testament says, “As long as he has the infection [of leprosy] he remains unclean. He must live alone. He must live outside the camp.” - Leviticus 13:46. Leprosy seemed to be a curse from God.

2. Consider the stigma this disease carried with it.

a. While the physical disease was horrible, the terrible social consequences in ancient Israel only added to the misery. According to Josephus, lepers were treated “as if they were, in effect, dead men” (cited by Barclay). The Mosaic Law prescribed that the person be cut off from society, including his family. He had to wear torn clothing, have his head uncovered, cover his lips and shout “Unclean! Unclean!” wherever he went to warn others to keep their distance (Lev. 13:45).