THANKS GIVING SCRIPTURE: LUKE 17:11-19 CONCEPT: ALWAYS REMEMBER TO THANK GOD FOR ALL THAT HE HAS DONE.
WE ALL CELEBRATED THANKS GIVING ON THURSDAY. ANYBODY HAVE TURKEY. AND GRAVY. STUFFING. RAISE YOUR HAND.
I DON T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT IT S ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOLIDAYS. MY MOTHER IS NO LONGER WITH US, BUT WHEN SHE WAS ALIVE SHE DID SOME SERIOUS COOKING. MY MAMA COULD MAKE SOME ROLLS AND STUFFING. GRAVY AND CANDIED YAMS. SHE WOULD PUT PINEAPPLES AND RAISINS IN THEM AND THEN PUT MARSHMELLOWS ON TOP. MMMM.
I WAS ALWAYS ONE OF THOSE KIDS WHO WOULD TRY TO SNEAK INTO THE KITCHEN AND PINCH OFF OF SOMETHING. I WOULD BE WAITING AND WAITING. MAMA, IS IT ALMOST READY... I WOULD COME INTO THE KITCHEN WHEN I THOUGHT MY MAMA WASN T LOOKING. TIP TOEING. BUT IS WHAT AS IF SHE HAD EYES IN THE
BACK OF HER HEAD. SHE D TAKE THAT DISH TOWEL AND POWWW! BOY DON T YOU WALK IN THAT KITCHEN AND MAKE MY ROLLS FALL.
AFTER A GREAT MEAL, I WOULD ALWAYS TELL HER THANK YOU. WHY. BECAUSE I APPRECIATED ALL OF THE HARD WORK. I WOULD THANK HER FOR A WONDERFUL MEAL. I WOULD TELL HER HOW GOOD IT WAS. WHEN I DID IT, IT ALWAYS BROUGHT A BIG SMILE TO HER FACE AND MADE HER FEEL GOOD ABOUT ALL THE HARD WORK SHE HAD DONE.
DO YOU KNOW GOD IS THE SAME WAY. WHEN WE TELL GOD THANK YOU FOR WAKING US UP IN THE MORNING AND GIVING US ANOTHER DAY. WHEN WE TELL HIM THANK YOU FOR THE SHOES ON OUR FEET AND THE CLOTHES ON OUR BACKS. WHEN WE THANK HIM FOR THE ROOF OVER OUR HEADS AND THE FOOD IN OUR REFRIGERATORS... IT MAKES GOD FEEL GOOD. GOD LOVES TO BE THANKED. IT S CALLED THANKSGIVING. THANKSGIVING IS WHEN YOU TELL GOD THANK YOU. OR SIMPLY THANKS.
SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT THANKFUL. THEY FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY OWES THEM SOMETHING. THEY GET AND THEY GET AND THEY GET AND THEY NEVER SAY THANK YOU. THERE IS A STORY IN THE BIBLE ABOUT TEN LEPERS THAT ARE HEALED BY JESUS. LEPERS WERE THOSE WHO HAD SOMETHING CALL LEPROSY. IT WAS A SKIN DISEASE AND CAUSED THE SKIN TO ROT AND FALL AWAY. IN JESUS DAY, IF YOU HAD LEPROSY, YOU COULDN T GO AROUND OTHER PEOPLE. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU HAD LEPROSY AND SOMEONE CAME NEAR YOU, IT WAS YOUR JOB TO CRY OUT LEPER, LEPER UNCLEAN. YOU DID THAT TO WARN THE PERSON TO STAY AWAY FROM YOU BECAUSE YOU HAD LEPROSY. WHEN YOU GOT LEPROSY, YOU HAD TO LEAVE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND GO LIVE AMONGST FOLK WHO HAD LEPROSY. THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD EVER COME BACK WAS TO SHOW THE PRIEST THAT YOU NO LONGER HAD IT. THEY WOULD EXAMINE YOUR SKIN AND IF THEY DIDN T SEE ANY SIGNS OF IT, THEY WOULD ANNOUNCE THAT YOU WERE CLEAN AND THEN AND ONLY THEN COULD YOU COME BACK AMONGST THE PEOPLE.
ONE DAY JESUS SAW TEN LEPERS, WHO THE BIBLE SAID STOOD A AFAR OFF WHO CRIED OUT WITH LOUD VOICES, JESUS, MASTER HAVE MERCY ON US (NIV - PITY). AND JESUS TOLD THEM TO GO SHOW THEMSELVES TO THE PRIEST. AS THEY RAN TO SHOW THEMSELVES TO THE PRIESTS, EXCITED TO BE HEALED, FEELING REAL GOOD THAT THEY NO LONGER WOULD BE OUTCASTS. THEY RAN AS FAST AS THEY COULD TO THE PRIEST AND AS THEY RAN, THEY REALIZED THAT THEY WERE BEING HEALED.
CAN YOU
IMAGINE IT. YOU VE BEEN REAL SICK. YOUR SKIN HAD BEEN FALLING OFF AND NASTY. STINKING. AND ONE DAY YOU MEET JESUS AND JESUS TELLS YOU TO GO SHOW YOURSELF TO THE PRIEST. AND AS YOU RUN TO THE CHURCH TO SHOW YOURSELF TO THE PASTOR YOU REALIZE ON THE WAY THAT YOUR SKIN IS BEING HEALED.
NOTICE THIS. THE BIBLE SAYS V14, AS THEY WENT THEY WERE CLEANSED. THEY WERE HEALED ON THE WAY THERE. IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN WE SEEK BLESSINGS FROM THE LORD, IT TAKES
FAITH OR TRUST ON OUR PART TO BELIEVE. WITH GOD YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IT BEFORE YOU SEE IT.
FAITH IS BELIEVING GOD FOR SOMETHING BEFORE YOU CAN SEE ANYTHING. IT IS BELIEVING GOD TO HAVE DONE SOMETHING, BEFORE THERE IS ANY SIGN THAT ITS BEEN DONE. THEY BEGAN TO RUN TO THE PRIEST BEFORE THEY WERE HEALED. THEY WERE CLEANSED ON THE WAY. WHEN YOU ASK GOD TO HELP YOU, BELIEVE THAT HE IS HELPING YOU BEFORE YOU SEE THE HELP.
ALL TEN OF THE LEPERS RAN TO THE PRIEST, BUT ONE OF THE LEPERS, WHEN HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS HEALED, TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK TO JESUS TO THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE HAD DONE. AND WHEN JESUS SAW HIM HE SAID, DIDN T I HEAL TEN. WHERE ARE THE OTHER NINE.
IN OTHER WORDS, ONLY ONE OUT OF TEN LEPERS WHO WERE HEALED REMEMBERED TO THANK JESUS FOR WHAT HE HAD DONE.
JESUS ASKED WHERE ARE THE OTHERS THAT I BLESSED. WHERE ARE THE OTHER NINE THAT I HEALED. LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAID IN V.18 (KJV)There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. (NLV)18 Is this stranger from another country the only one who turned back to give thanks to God? THE POINT IS, SOMETIMES THOSE WHO YOU THINK SHOULD SAY THANK YOU WILL NOT SAY THANKS. THERE ARE GOING TO BE TIMES THAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO THINGS FOR OTHER PEOPLE AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE EXCITED ABOUT IT, BUT NOT THANKFUL. MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY, MEMBERS OF YOUR CHURCH. EVEN SOME OF YOUR FRIENDS. THE ONLY ONE WHO CAME BACK TO JESUS WAS A FOREIGNER. IT S LIKE YOU MAKE A BIG DINNER FOR YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR FRIENDS AND A HOMELESS GUY WHO KNOCKS ON YOUR DOOR FOR SOME SCRAPS TO EAT. AND AFTER EVERYBODY GOT THEIR FULL AND WERE SITTING BACK NODDING OFF OR WATCHING THE FOOTBALL GAME. THE ONLY ONE WHO SAID THANK YOU WAS THE PERSON WHO WASN T A MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY OR ONE
OF YOUR FRIENDS. THE HOMELESS GUY. THE BIBLE CALLS HIM A STRANGER. THE ONE WHO DIDN T BELONG. BUT DON T ALLOW THAT TO MAKE YOU STOP DOING WHAT YOU DO. REMEMBER JESUS, WHO COULD HAVE GIVEN UP OR STOP BLESSING OTHERS, BUT INSTEAD AS HE HUNG FROM THAT CROSS, HE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE UNTHANKFUL PEOPLE. THE PEOPLE HE CAME TO SAVE. THE PEOPLE HE HEALED AND DELIVERED. THE PEOPLE HE CAME TO SUFFER, BLEED AND DIE FOR. HE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE UNTHANKFUL PEOPLE AND SAID, FATHER FORGIVE THEM...
ANYBODY SAY THANK YOU FOR THE BIG MEAL YOU RECEIVED. THANKS. DID YOU SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE MANY PERSONS WHO HAVE BLESSED YOU ALONG THE WAY. TO YOUR MAMA AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HELP TO RAISE YOU. TO YOUR TEACHER AND YOUR PREACHER. TO THE BARBER AND HAIRDRESSER. TO THE CASHIER OR THE BUS DRIVER. DON T BE LIKE THE NINE. BE THE ONE WHO REMEMBERED TO SAY THANK YOU. BE THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS THANKFUL.
EVERY MORNING YOU GET UP, BE THE ONE TO TELL THE LORD THANK YOU. SOME PEOPLE GO ALL DAY LONG AND FORGET TO SAY THANK YOU. THEY LL EAT WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN THEM, THEY LL TAKE WHAT THE LORD HAS PROVIDED THEM. THEY LL RECEIVE ALL OF THE BLESSINGS GOD HAS FOR THEM AND NOT SAY THANK YOU. BUT YOU BE THE ONE. I MEAN IF NOBODY ELSE REMEMBERS. IF NOBODY ELSE HAS THE GOOD SENSE TO. YOU BE THE ONE TO SAY THANK YOU.
PSALM 100 TELLS US TO ENTER INTO HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING. IN OTHER WORDS, AS YOU BEGIN YOUR PRAYER, LOOK AT IT AS IF YOU ARE WALKING THROUGH A GATE TO GET TO GOD. AND AS YOU COME THRU THE GATE TELL GOD THANK YOU. JUST BEGIN TO THANK HIM FOR WHAT HE HAS ALREADY DONE. AND INTO HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE. AS YOU GET CLOSER TO GOD, PRAISE HIM. TELL HIM HOW GOOD HE IS. TELL HIM THAT YOU LOVE HIM. TELL HIM HOW YOU COULDN T MAKE IT WITHOUT HIM. BEING THANKFUL UNTO HIM BLESS HIS NAME.