Give Thanks

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

(Psa 100) A Psalm of praise. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. -2. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. -3. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. -4. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. -5. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

You are blessed today with the privilege of hearing the Gospel and have much to be thankful for. In this season of thanksgiving, I want to encourage you to give thanks. You that are Christians today have much to be thankful for. I believe that as Christians we ought to be the most thankful people on the face of the earth. Think a minute. You have been blessed beyond measure. You are saved from the torments of hell. You are delivered from the punishment of sin. What more has God done for you? What thanks are you giving to Him?

In our text Jesus healed ten lepers and only one came back to thank Him. Surely this was a disappointment to our Lord as He asked, where are the nine? It seems like such a simple thing to do. Just to go and give thanks. Yet, are we much different in our time? Time and time again you are blessed with the goodness of God and are you taking the time to show Him your appreciation? Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving.

As a nation, the United States, has been blessed beyond measure. And as we observe our people day in day out, week after week, year after year, we see a vast number too busy with the cares of life to take time out to enter into the Lord's gates. Each Sunday many of our church buildings are nearly empty and our sports stadiums are packed. Do you think that our Lord is disappointed? Where are the nine? Enter into his gates with thanksgiving.

I. What God Has Done:

What has God done for you? If you are a Christian today then you can rejoice with the Psalmist in (Psa 40:1-3) To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. -2. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. -3. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. When we looked to God with repentance, He heard us. He lent us His ear. He saved us. He lifted us up out of the horrible pit of sin. He set our feet on solid ground. He established our goings. He put a new song in our mouths. Praise God!

If you are not a Christian this morning you can be. If you will turn to the Lord, Jesus Christ, and seek Him with all your heart, He will hear your cry. He will bring you up out of the miry pit of sin. He will make a new creature out of you. He will set you on the rock. He will establish your goings. He will put a new song in your heart. He will save you from the torments of hell. You can thank God today that you have this opportunity. Not only do you have this opportunity, but all of your family, friends, and countrymen also have the same opportunity. That is the greatest blessing that any people can ever have. That is the opportunity to be lifted out of the pit of sin and established in the Kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Not only does He lift us up out of the pit of sin, He also loads us every day with His benefits. (Psa 68:19) Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

He loads us with righteousness. He puts His power in us which enables us to live right. We are able to do the right thing. We are able to live holy, upright lives through the power of His Holy Spirit. This is not a once in a while thing, but daily we are loaded with this great benefit. His power is over us as His children and He is present with us to establish our goings in every thing that we do. He daily loads us with peace. Peace of mind, peace of heart, peace with God, peace with our fellow man. Peace like a river. Peace that passeth all understanding. Peace that no one else can give. Peace that only comes from living with God in control. Daily He loads us with joy; the joy of living, the joy of giving, the joy of praise, the joy of salvation - there is no end to the joy He loads us with.

Our Lord is Good. We have much to be thankful for. (Psa 107) O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. -2. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; -3. And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. -4. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. -5. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. -6. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses. -7. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. -8. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! - Yes, Oh that men would praise the Lord. We have so much to be thankful for and His mercy and goodness reaches out to every one today. He stands ready to deliver you that are bound by sin today, just as he delivered the children of Israel in time past. He delivered them out of all their distresses and He will deliver you out of all your distresses if you will repent of your sin and turn your heart to Him. Do you long to live right? Do you hunger to live the right way that God would have you to live? Listen to what the Psalmist is saying to you -9. For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. -10. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; -11. Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: -12. Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. -13. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. -14. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. - Yes He has done it for thousands of others and He will do it for you, if you will only come to Him. With God all things are possible. His arm is not shortened that He cannot save, nor is His ear heavy that it cannot hear. Yes, our Lord is still lifting sinners out of the horrible pit and delivering them out of all their distresses. He invites you to come to Him today and let Him lift you too out of the horrible pit. -15. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! -16. For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder. -17. Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. -18. Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death. -19. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses. -20. He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. -21. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! -22. And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing. -23. They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; -24. These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep. -25. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. -26. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. -27. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. -28. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. -29. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. -30. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. -31. Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! -32. Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. -33. He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; -34. A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein. -35. He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. -36. And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation; -37. And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase. -38. He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease. -39. Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow. -40. He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. -41. Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock. -42. The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth. -43. Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD. Yes, He gathered, He sent His word, He led, He delivered, He satisfieth, He saved, He broke out bands, He healed, He blessed us with the Gospel, He gave His son a sacrifice for our sins, He daily loadeth us with His benefits. Oh that every one would praise the Lord for His goodness and mercy. Oh that all would take the time to be thankful, to give thanks, to show Him their appreciation.

Consider the Pilgrims from which this thanksgiving season sprang - There were thrity-five of them. They wished only to worship God in Sprit and in Truth. The year had been very difficult. The Pilgrims has crossed an Ocean, suffered hunger, disease, pain and half of them had died. In the spring, they planted a crop, the summer passed and with the fall came a harvest and hope for survival for the few that remained. They set aside a day and gave thanks. Perhaps you are having or have had a tough year and the future looks dark. Do not despair, lift up your eyes to God. He loves you and waits to be gracious to you. As the Pilgrims did three hundred and seventy-five years ago, let us too take a day and give thanks unto God for we are alive. We have survived and have great hope for the future of our people.

(Deu 8:10-14) When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which he hath given thee. -11. Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: -12. Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; -13. And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; -14. Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Yes, when life is full with many things to do and many places to go, it is easy to forget God. Let us take heed to the warning given by the Bible and be sure to time this season, this week and every day to give thanks and to be thankful. Indeed most of us in our nation have plenty to eat. We have good homes to live in. Our wealth is multiplied. We are full and have so much to be thankful for. No people that ever has lived or that lives today has as much to be thankful for as the people of our nation. Beware, lest thou forget God!

II. Give Thanks:

The Bible instructs us how to live and how to be thankful - (Col 3:1-17) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. -2. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. -3. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. -4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. -5. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: -6. For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: -7. In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. -8. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. -9. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; -10. And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: -11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. -12. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; -13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. -14. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. -15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. -16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. -17. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

(Col 1:9-14) For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; -10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; -11. Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; -12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: -13. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: -14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

(1 Th 5:18) In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

You are blessed today with the privilege of hearing the Gospel and have much to be thankful for. In this season of thanksgiving, I to encourage you to give thanks. You that are Christians today have much to be thankful for. I believe that as Christians we ought to be the most thankful people on the face of the earth. Think a minute. You have been blessed beyond measure. You are saved from the torments of hell. You are delivered from the punishment of sin. You are alive. You live in a nation that has received more of the goodness and mercy of God than any nation ever before or since. What more has God done for you? What thanks are you giving to Him?

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Give Thanks