The Gratitude of Thanksgiving!

                                           Thanksgiving Sunday!

Introduction:

     A.   Thanksgiving Day is just about a week and a half away. Next

Sunday is Christ the King Sunday.  Today, I want to reflect

on Thanksgiving Day and what that is about.  It is a day

our country has set aside to stop, count our blessings,

and give thanks.

 

     B.   A little background on the 1st Thanksgiving:

          1.   1620 -    The Pilgrims left England on the                                Mayflower:  102 people.

                        "Speedwell" - a sister ship, after 2

                        tries returned back to England.

          2.   After sailing 3 months (a very hard and dangerous                journey), they landed in New England (Now                       Massachusetts) in Dec. 1620.

          3.   The first winter was a hard one, and many died!

          4.   After the first harvest of the New England                       colonists, in 1621, Governer Bradford made                      provisions for a day of thanksgiving and prayer.

          5.   In 1623, a day of fasting and prayer during a                    drought was turned into Thanksgiving when it began               to rain!

          6.   Since then it has developed into a custom that we                celebrate Thanksgiving annually.

 

     C.   Thanksgiving Day is a good holiday.  We ought to

          observe it and take it seriously!

 

 

     Trans:

          As we approach Thanksgiving and we prepare to express

          the "Gratitude of Thanksgiving," let's look this

          morning at Gratitude and see how it should be something

          that we express all year round!

 

                            Prayer

                         Luke 17:11-19

I.   Gratitude.

     A.   Ten lepers were healed, and only one showed gratitude!

 

     B.   Christ was pleased with the one who showed gratitude.            (vs. 19)

 

     C.   Websters def:

          Gratitude:     a feeling of thankful appreciation for                          favors or benefits received:  warm,                            appreciative response to kindness.

 

          It takes both!  Appreciation and Response.

 

          So there are two ways we can be lacking in expressing

          gratitude.

 

          1.   Some are thankful when they see good reason to be.               They just don't see many good reasons to be.  They               need to open their eyes!  They are failing on the               1st part:  appreciation.

 

 

          2.   Some feel truly thankful; it is just difficult for               them to express it.  These fail on the response!                 They also lack Gratitude!  The other lepers may

              have felt grateful, but they still failed to

              express it.

 

II.  In what areas do we need to show Gratitude?

     A.   We need to thank God for ourselves.

          1.   We are told to "Love others as we love ourselves."               We aren't to think of ourselves more highly than                 others, but we shouldn't belittle ourselves

              either!

          2.   We need to realize our self-worth.  We should be                 able to be thankful for who we are!

          3.   If I can't appreciate me, I'll probably not                      appreciate you either!

 

     B.   We need to be thankful for what we have or where we

          are!

 

          "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God          in Christ Jesus concerning you."  (I Thess. 5:18)

 

          Paul said, "I have learned in whatever state I am,               therewith to be content."  (Phil. 4:11)

 

          1.   We need to be thankful for our country.

          2.   We need to be thankful for what God has given us!                We may not have the best house, but we should be                 thankful for the one we have!  We need to be thankful

for food!  We need to be thankful for gentle rains!

We need to be thankful for our means!  We need to be

thankful for our church and what we can see God doing

among us!  We need to be thankful for all that God

has given us!

 

     C.   We need to be thankful for Special People in our lives!          We need to not only thank God, but we need to express

          it to these people too!

 

          Examples: Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Husband, Wife,

                   teacher, preacher, maybe a young person

                   who has inspired us because of their

                   dedication!

 

     D.   We need to be thankful to God for God's work in our              lives!

          1.   We need to be thankful for Salvation!

          2.   We need to be thankful for God’s Previenient,

Justifying, and Sanctifying Grace that is at work in

our lives!

          3.   We need to be thankful for God's "working all

              things for our good."  God is good all the time!

          4.   Do we tell God thank you and show our thanks by

              our service to God?

 

Conclusion:

     A.   Again, we don't only need to feel thanks, but we need

          to show it.

 

     B.   Ingratitude is very prevalent today.  There's a lot of           grumbling people who feel the world owes them

          something!

 

     C.   But Christians are to be examples of what Christ wants

          us to be not what everyone else is doing!

 

     D.   The leper was an example of someone who showed

          gratitude.  Also, Paul was an example of gratitude; in

          his letters, he always said things like, "I thank

          my God for you."  He told the people;  he             

          didn't just feel gratitude.

 

     E.   What kind of example are we?  As we encounter Christ at

the table this morning, do we need to ask Christ

          to help us to be more grateful this morning?

 

                      Prayer of Confession

Service of Communion