Sermon Tone Analysis

11-30-97 \\ \\ DID YOU MISS THANKSGIVING?

\\ LUKE 17:11-19 \\ \\                        \\ INTRODUCTION: \\ It has been said that the world can be divided in to two groups: those who say thank you and those who don’t.

\\ Evidently the group that does not say thank you is much larger than the group that does.

At least this was true \\ in the ministry of Jesus.

As He was moving toward Jerusalem for His sacrificing of Himself on the cross, He \\ healed ten pitiful lepers.

Of the ten that received the merciful gift of healing, only one returned to express \\ gratitude.

It would seem that that might be pretty close to the average in every generation – one out of ten will \\ have a grateful heart.

\\ \\ One elderly New England minister touched upon the various degrees of gratitude in his prayer:  “Oh, Lord, as \\ you know very well, here we are again.

We are here to do one of the hardest things any mortal can do – to give \\ thanks and really mean it.”

If we will take a careful look at this incident that happened in the ministry of Jesus, it \\ will surely encourage us to be more expressive of the gratitude that we have in our hearts.

\\ \\ We can learn from this terrible experience at least six important lessons.

They should be particularly helpful for \\ those of us who might have missed thanksgiving.

\\ \\ I.  PRAYER IS MORE NATURAL THAN PRAISE.

\\ Prayer is as natural as breathing when you find yourself in the midst of a difficulty.

These ten lepers did not \\ need a special seminar on prayer when they knew that Jesus was coming by.

Rather it was natural for them to \\ cry out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

It expressed the genuine desire of their hearts.

It should be \\ understood as an earnest appeal on their part for healing and deliverance from the leprosy.

\\ \\ As He usually did, Jesus responded to their prayer.

Without saying anything about their leprosy, he simply said \\ to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”

As they went on their way to see the priests, they suddenly \\ realized that they were healed.

That terrible plague of leprosy had been taken away.

In that moment of \\ discovery, only one of the ten felt compelled to go back and to offer gratitude.

\\ \\ So many of us make our appeals to God with great earnestness, but then we miss thanksgiving.

We receive the \\ blessing, but we omit the praise and gratitude.

Some of us are like that man who found himself in a frightening \\ situation on a plane.

It appeared that the plane was going to crash.

The man had considerable wealth and \\ when he considered the possibilities of going down, the pastor sitting behind him heard the man pray very \\ earnestly, “Lord, if you will just get us to the ground safely, I will give half of everything I own to the church.”

\\ When the plane finally landed safely, the pastor couldn’t resist.

He said to the businessman, “I couldn’t help but \\ overhear the prayer that you offered to the Lord up there in the air.

I sure hope you don’t forget the promise \\ you made to God.” \\ \\ The man was quick to reply, “Oh, I just made Him a better deal.

I just told the Lord if I ever get on another plane, \\ I will give Him all of it.”

\\ \\ We tend to have such a short memory.

We miss thanksgiving because gratitude requires more of us than does \\ prayer.

\\ \\ II.

THE GIFT CAN OVERSHADOW THE GIVER.

\\ I am confident that all ten of the men were excited about the gift.

They had received no small gift!

Leprosy was a \\ terrible condition.

It had social consequences because a leper had to be isolated from his family and friends.

It \\ had spiritual implications because a leper could not enter in to a place of divine worship.

It had physical \\ implications because leprosy was a slow form of death.

Limbs of the body would fall off one by one as they were \\ affected by this dreaded disease.

These ten men made a pitiful sight as they stood at a distance and called out \\ to Jesus, “Master, have mercy on us!”   \\ \\ As they traveled the road that led into Jerusalem and to the temple, and they realized that the leprosy was gone, \\ it must have been an exciting moment.

Doubtlessly they paused to celebrate with each other this wonderful gift \\ they had received.

But it could be that they became so preoccupied with the gift that they forgot the Giver?

\\ They began to make their plans for the future, but forgot about the one who had made it possible.

\\ \\ It was only the Samaritan leper who remembered the Giver.

As he looked at his cleansed body, it drew his mind \\ and heart toward the Giver.

He returned with haste until he found Jesus and bowed before Him in an expression \\ of gratitude.

\\ \\ Could there be some of us who have allowed the gift to overshadow the Giver?

Sure you are enjoying God’s \\ great salvation, but who gave you that salvation?

Sure you are enjoying financial and material plenty, but who \\ gave you that plenty that you enjoy?

Sure you are gifted with the precious gift of health, but who gave you that \\ health?

Sure you enjoy a wonderful family, but who gave you that family?

If you spend all of your time focusing \\ upon the gift, you miss thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is the experience of those who intentionally focus upon the \\ Giver.

\\ \\ Someone has put into poetic form some unforgettable words about the nine.

It simply asked, “But where are the \\ nine?” \\ I meant to go back, but you may guess \\ I was filled with amazement I cannot express \\ To think that after those terrible years, \\ That passion of loathing and passion of fears, \\ My sores unendurable – beaten, defiled – \\ My flesh was as smooth as the flesh of a child.

\\ I was drunken with joy; I was crazy with glee; \\ I scarcely would walk and I scarcely could see, \\ For the dazzle where all had been black; . . .

\\ But I meant to go back, - oh, I meant to go back!

\\ I had thought to return when my people came out.

\\ There were tears of rejoicing and laughter and shout; \\ They embraced me, - for years I had not known a kiss; \\ Ah, the pressure of lip is an exquisite bliss; \\ They crowded around me, they filled the whole place; \\ They looked at my feet and my hands and my face; \\ My children were there, my glorious wife, \\ And all the forgotten allurements of life.

\\ My cup was so full I needed something to lack!   .  .

\\ But I meant to go back, - oh, I meant to go back!

\\ \\ III.

THE FORMALITIES OF THE FAITH MUST NOT REPLACE OUR PRAISE.

\\ The word of Jesus to these ten lepers instructed them to show themselves to the priest.

This was prescribed \\ under the Old Testament law.

The priest was appointed under the law as the judge.

He would be responsible \\ for a careful inspection of the leper to make sure that the leprosy was gone.

So the nine cleansed lepers went \\ to take care of this important formality of the faith.

Evidently they felt the formality was more important that \\ returning to Jesus who had been the channel through whom God had brought this cleansing into their lives.

\\ They give priority to the formality over the offering of glory to God and praise to the Lord Jesus.

It would not be \\ such a serious matter if these were the only men who had every missed thanksgiving.

Every generation seems \\ to produce another group that give themselves to the formality of the faith to the neglect of thankfulness and \\ praise.

They can be seen every Sunday morning assembling with other Christians in the house of God for \\ worship.

They will often have a Bible in their hands and they may even present gifts upon the altar.

They will \\ often be found teaching a Sunday School class or working as an usher.

They might even be found singing in \\ the choir.

But what they are doing is going through the formalities of the faith.

They are keeping up the form but \\ they completely miss thanksgiving.

They never get around to bowing in the presence of the sovereign Lord who \\ gave them the gift of eternal life and offering unto Him the praise and the glory of their lives.

We must be careful \\ that we not miss thanksgiving because we are so caught up in the formalities of the faith.

\\ \\ IV.

HUMILITY PRECEEDES A GRATEFUL HEART.

\\ The fact that this one grateful leper was a Samaritan should not be overlooked.

In his account of the life of our \\ Lord, Luke was constantly putting in little incidents like this.

He is the one that preserved the record of the \\ parable of the Good Samaritan.

We are aware that there was considerable hostility between the Jews and the \\ Samaritans.

This Samaritan would have been the most unlikely one to return to a Jewish prophet and teacher in \\ order to express thanks.

But evidently he recognized that he had been the recipient of special consideration \\ and grace.

With a deep sense of humility and unworthiness he found his way back to the Teacher to say thanks.

\\ \\ The account records for us that when he returned he came to Jesus and expressed this humility – “he threw \\ himself at Jesus feet and thanked Him – and he was a Samaritan.”

The word translated “threw himself at Jesus \\ feet” could be translated worshipped or prostrated himself.

He took the position of humility and submission \\ before the Lord.

\\ \\ One of the great hindrances to a grateful spirit is pride.

Could it be that the nine missed thanksgiving because \\ of racial and religious pride?

Could they have seen this deliverance from leprosy as something that was their \\ right as sons of Abraham?

Could it have been pride that kept them from returning and prostrating themselves \\ before the Lord like this Samaritan?