Thankless Christians 11-20-2022

Kids Story

The Gift of the Magi

Over 100 years ago.

a man named

O’ Henry wrote the story

“The gift of the Magi”

It’s about a young married couple with very little money at Christmas time.

The family had only two things of value,

Jim’s pocket watch, which had been passed down from his grandfather, to his father and then to him.

My pocket watch here used to by my gram-pa's.

The only other thing of value that they owned was Della’s

long,

beautiful

hair.

Although they were very poor, they loved each other very much and wanted to give each other the best Christmas present they could give.

The only thing that would make Jim’s pocket watch better would be if he had a gold chain to put it on.

The only thing that would make Della’s hair look any better would be some hair pins/ hair combs.

Do you know what Jim did?

He sold his watch to buy Della a pair of beautiful hair combs.

Do you know what Della did?

She sold her hair to a wig maker

to buy Jim

a chain for his pocket watch.

They each gave the best that they could.

That’s like the gifts of the Magi to baby Jesus.

They were really expensive gives of:

Gold,

Frankincense and

Myrrh

One of the best reasons to give the best gift you can is because you are thankful.

I am thankful to Jesus for forgiving my sins.

Today's story for the adults is about 10 men who were healed by Jesus.

9 of them were not thankful enough to come back to him and express their thanks.

I want to pray for you and all of us that we have Thankful hearts.

that we give thanks to God and everyone else that blesses or helps us.

Especially those who help us when we don’t deserve help.

Let’s pray.

17 Thankless people

Edward Spencer was a seminary student in Evanston Illinois near Lake Michigan in 1860.

One miserably, cold, night a ship on Lake Michigan ran aground near Evanston.

Edward rushed to the scene and waded into the frigid waters over and over again that night rescuing 17 or 18 people from certain death.

He was so

over exposed to the cold that night that

his health was never the same!

Years later when he died it was remarked that

Nobody

NOBODY

Zero,

out of all those people saved by Edward

ever expressed to him a word of thanks for

risking his life to save their lives.

How can you do that?

How can men and women live such entitled lives that they

don’t make any attempt to express thanks,

when thanks are due?

Perhaps those men and women felt themselves entitled.

Certainly many people today are thankless people

Appearing to feel entitled to our help and generosity.

Today we will look at a story in the bible where 9 out of 10 men were healed but did not take the time to express any thanks to Jesus.

Luke 17:11–19 NIV

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

For these men to be healed, a number of things had to happen

They had to recognize that they were sick and needed healing.

These ten men were aware of their sickness and need for healing.

Men and Women today are living lives damaged by sin

sometimes devastated by sin but until they get past their pride

get past their denial

get past their wilfulness,

God won’t

God can’t

help them bet better.

What else

They had to ask Jesus for help

When the men first came down with leprosy, they may have asked Dr.s to help them

while they still had resources

But in that day and age, there was no remedy for Leprosy.

It wasn’t until Jesus came near that they had a chance to get well.

They asked for help.

Luke 17:13 NIV

13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

All of us our sinner, under the curse

under the law

until we ask for Jesus forgiveness

for His help to be made right with God.

Have you done that, have you asked for Jesus forgiveness?

His forgiveness doesn’t help you at all,

if you do not ask for it.

At the close of the service their will be a chance to receive His forgiveness,

if you want it.

When asked for help, for mercy Jesus said

Luke 17:14 NIV

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

Jesus didn’t just make them instantly clean, as he had done with others

He gave them a task,

to demonstrate their faith buy turning around and going to the priest to be tested for cleanness.

This command comes from Leviticus 14.

It is shocking to me, that not one of them objected and went their own way.

Today, there are men and women who find God’s plan of salvation,

His free gift, to easy,

and they reject God’s salvation

But All 10 of these men had faith enough to go to the priest and

`on their way,

they were healed.

they were cleansed.

They demonstrated their faith in Jesus by turning around and heading to the priests.

Have you ever gone forward to an alter of prayer

or in any other way

demonstrated your faith

your trust in God?

They were cleansed and chose how to respond.

Luke 17:15–16 NIV

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Wow, 9 of them didn’t come running back to thank Jesus.

Here is a list I found of possible excuses

The following are nine suggested reasons why the nine did not return:

One waited to see if the cure was real.

One waited to see if it would last.

One said he would see Jesus later.

One decided that he had never had leprosy.

One said he would have gotten well anyway.

One gave the glory to the priests.

One said, "O, well, Jesus didn't really do anything."

One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."

One said, "I was already much improved."

Charles L. Brown, Content The Newsletter, June, 1990, p. 3.

I would like to believe,

that I

would be the 1 in ten that would run and thank Jesus but

I am such a

“Do the Right thing” person

I just might have said to myself

first finish what Jesus said to do

then thank Him.

that is

i would likely put Duty over Relationship

Duty

Relationship

And missed a blessing from Jesus.

What about you?

Would you have been the one who gave thanks

or one of the entitled, thankless ones.

Now that you have heard this story,

will you choose to act differently in a similar situation?

Jesus Response

Luke 17:17–19 NIV

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Luke's Gospel shows more than the other Gospels that God’s help, God’s salvation is for all

Not just the Jews.

His Jewish readers would have been shocked that the man with saving faith

the hero of this true story was a hated Samaritan but

Character is not related to your race or ethnicity.

This Samaritan,

was healed

he got to thank Jesus with his head reverently bowed down in

an attitude of worship.

And then Jesus sent him on his way,

with the assurance that his faith in Jesus,

had made him well.

I wonder if this man became a true follower of Christ.

I wonder if more was healed in him, then just his skin disease?

wrapping up

A minister,

H.A. Ironside was getting dinner in a crowded restaurant.

Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him.

Ironside invited his to have a seat.

Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer.

When he opened his eyes, the other man asked,

"Do you have a headache?"

Ironside replied, "No, I don't." The other man asked,

"Well, is there something wrong with your food?"

Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat."

The man said,

"Oh, you're one of those, are you?

Well, I want you to know I never give thanks.

I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and

I don't have to give thanks to anybody when I eat.

I just start right in!"

Ironside said,

"Yes, you're just like my dog. That's what he does too!"

Ray Stedman, Folk Psalms of Faith.

What a stinging rebuke for a thankless, self made man.

Before today, who would you have been in the group of 10 people wanting healing?

How would you like your response to be,

now that we have talked about thankless hearts?

Do you have the courage

Do you have the will

To choose

to have a thankful heart?

Let’s pray and if you need to receive Christ this Morning

you can do that where you stand

but if your brave enough to come and kneel at an alter,

it will be better for you?

Let’s pray.