November 18, 2007

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 Scripture KJV

Reverend David S. Huffer

Westwood Baptist Church - 2124 Davis Road
 Waynesboro, VA

Luke 17
17:11    And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
17:12    And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
17:13    And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
17:14    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.
17:15    And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
17:16    And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17:17    And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
17:18    There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
17:19    And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

 

Are You One?

Luke 17:11-19

 

Thanksgiving … another holiday to preach. I can’t say I like preaching holidays, as one is confined to finding a text to fit the season.

·         In this season of Thanksgiving, we preachers try to find some catchy phrase that spurs all of us to be “Thankful.”

·         Thanks-living

·         Attitude of Gratitude (most of us have an attitude)

·         “You are what you eat!” (Turkey … thankful not to be eaten!)

 

In this holiday we grab a turkey,

·         pluck it,

·         stuff it,

·         bake it with all the side fixings,

·          put it on the table,

·         bless it,

·         and then go watch football -  with the Detroit Lions traditionally losing (but who cares, because we are usually so full that we fall asleep)

·         we nibble here and nibble there

·         And then eat turkey “mana” for the next several days to finally discard the carcass.

QUESTION - Isn’t that the thanksgiving holiday in essence?

·         BUT IS THAT THANKSGIVING?

 

FRIENDS – We have clear instructions in the Scriptures that we should be people that are thankful!

·         Psalm 92:1 – “It is good to give thanks unto the Lord…”

·         Psalm 107 – “Oh that men would gives thanks unto the Lord…”

·         1 Thess. 5:17 – “In everything give thanks…”

It is good that we give thanks in everything!

Warren Wiersbe – “I have felt for a long time that one of the particular temptations of the maturing Christian is the danger of getting accustomed to His blessings. Like the world traveler who has been everywhere and seen everything, the maturing Christian is in danger of taking his blessing for granted and getting so accustomed to them that they fail to excite him as they once did.”

FRIENDS – Have we grown accustomed to a custom?

·         Thankful people we need to be, but what really is “thanksgiving?”

READ LUKE 17:11-19 AGAIN

QUESTION – ARE YOU ONE?

From this unusual interaction between Jesus and these lepers, we learn of the usual meaning of thanksgiving.

·         Leprosy … was a terrible disease that robbed the person of their life – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

·         It was the kiss of death

·         Lepers had no hope

·         They were the “living dead.”

 

These men from a distance cried out to Jesus in a last ditch effort of desperation.

·         Jesus instructed them to go show themselves to the priest – as the law instructed

·         In their turning to do what was asked of them – they were cleansed – healed of this dreadful disease

FRIENDS – Can you imagine what feelings must have come over them as they realized their healing?

·         Shock of unbelief

·         Never thought it would happen

·         Relief of “about time!”

 

WHAT MIGHT YOUR RESPONSE HAVE BEEN?

The presumable missing emotion among the majority was “thanksgiving”

·         9 out of 10 – though obedient to do -  and receiving cleansing – offered no thanks

FRIENDS - Obedience doesn’t always reflect gratitude!

·         It is possible to receive God’s gifts with an ungrateful attitude or spirit

ARE YOU ONE OF THE 9 OR THE ONE?

·         Nine went on with their new found fortune of health

·         Only one turned and returned to give credible acts of gratitude Samaritan – Foreigner – despised by the Jews

·         V. 15 - Glorifying – humbling – and thanking

·         Acts of an ungrateful heart – criticism and cynicism

Gratitude is a feeling that arises uncoerced in the heart

·         It cannot be willed into existence directly if it is not there

But gratitude is more than delighting in a gift

·         It is more than feeling happy that you got something you wanted

So gratitude is more than delighting in a gift

·         It is a feeling of happiness directed toward a person for giving you something good

HEAR ME CHURCH - Thanksgiving is a matter of the heart before it is a matter of the mouth!

·         We can rehearse words of thanksgiving

·         But the unrehearsed realm of the heart felt thankfulness is the action of the one.

The mouth will follow the heart.

·         If the heart is thankful – the mouth will release words of thanks

1 Chronicles 16:34 – “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!    For His mercy endures forever.”

 

This One – came back with an uncoerced and unrehearsed heart of thanksgiving – and by faith received spiritual healing.

·         “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

Bill McGracer writes these words – “The Giver is the gift. We have been given Christ, not just been given “things” by Christ.

·         All the “things” that we receive as gifts – forgiveness of sins, reconciliation, justification, redemption and eternal life

·         All reside IN HIM.”

CLOSE

Jesus asked two introspective questions:

  1. Were there not ten cleansed?
  2. But where are the nine?

FRIENDS – Are you among the one or the nine?

·         Haven’t we been cleansed from sin?

·         Have you received salvation?

HOW THANKFUL ARE YOU?

  1. For God’s providence…
  2. For God’s saving Grace …
  3. For God’s love to receive and act …
  4. For God’s attention given everyday …

ARE YOU ONE?

 

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