Thanksgiving: Are You Thankful?

Thanksgiving: Are You Thankful?

Luke 17:11-19

Introduction

Today we are celebrating our annual Thanksgiving dinner and church founding anniversary

Just in case you didn’t know, our church was founded in November 1951 and so this is our 56th ministry year at Trinity.

Special to me because it’s how God brought me here (Expound)

I want you to know that I am truly Thankful for the opportunity that you have given me to be the Shepherd of this flock

My message today is entitled “Thanksgiving: Are You Thankful?”

We have so much to be thankful for and yet sometimes, I think we forget all that we need to thank God for

Thanksgiving is mentioned in the bible some 40+ times

Here are some of the key verses that talk about “Thanksgiving”

Psalm 26:7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

Psalm 50:14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High

Psalm 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Psalm 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalm 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

2 Cor 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.

David gave thanks to the Lord in Psalm 103 for all of God’s provision & blessing

Daniel gave thanks to the Lord in Dan 6:10 when he heard the decree that no one is to pray to anyone except King Darius

Paul tells us in 1 Thes 5:18 that we should give thanks IN ALL circumstances

Today I want us to look at a different thanksgiving message as we look at lessons of Thanksgiving from a leper.

Turn to Luke 17:11-19 (pray)

TRANS: First I want us to see is that…

1. The Lepers Call to Jesus (vs 12-13)

Notice that the lepers here stood afar off from Jesus

Why? Lev 13:44-46 Turn there

These men had an incurable disease…the doctors could not cure them…it was a very infectious disease and could easily be spread

There skin literally was rotting on their body…literally fingers would fall off, noses would rot off, eyes would fall out of the socket

It was a nasty incurable disease and no one wanted it

When a person was found to have leprosy, they were considered cursed and the law said they must leave outside the city…alone…or with other lepers

As we see here, there were ten of them traveling together

And in desperation, these lepers CRY OUT TO JESUS “Master, have pity on us”

Our Lord is rich in mercy…Lam 3:22-23 tells us that His mercies are new every morning…don’t have to rely on yesterday…new every morning

We see these lepers cry out to Jesus because of their hopeless state…they have called upon the right Man

These lepers had many things in common with us

They are all afflicted with the same disease

I want to draw a parallel here to say that Leprosy is a picture of the sinful state of us all

We all have the incurable disease of sin in our lives…it is disfiguring, it rots the flesh, and causes us to be like lepers…those who are UNCLEAN (Rom 3:23)

They were all dying men from this disease…you and I were the same way (Rom 6:23)

Without the intervention of Christ on there behalf, they had no hope…we were the same

Look at Eph 2:11-13

I don’t’ know about you but I can identify with these lepers

TRANS: When they cried out unto Jesus, He heard them and…

2. They were Cleansed

Notice in verse 14 “when He saw them”…our Lord looked upon them and had compassion

We know that because it says He responded to their call…He heard their cry

Jer 33:3 says “Call to me and I will answer you…”

Rom 10:13 says “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”

But notice what Jesus told them in vs 14 “Go show yourselves to the priest.”

Why? Because His command demanded that they put their faith in Him

And faith is an action word…they must show by action they believe Him

Notice is says “as they went they were cleansed.” It didn’t happen until they WENT

Their first step of faith brought cleansing

Faith in Christ brings immediate cleansing

And why go to the priests? What hope do you think they had in the priests?

Do you think they might have already cried out to the priests for help?