Building Godly Character: Gratitude

Being grateful is a building block of Godly character.

1 Timothy 6:6–8 Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

Text this morning is Luke 17. Give Thanks with a Grateful heart is a wonderful song. Gratitude is important. But how often are we ungrateful. Ingratitude is an ugly thing. I heard someone say we are so ungrateful. If the water breaks in our house. We complain because the water isn’t working. I get it, then we have to call a plumber he comes he fixes the water and we complain how much it costs. We have lost our attitude of gratitude

Life has big problems.

Luke 17:11–12 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.

I am not going to pretend this Thanksgiving that life is worderful, but most of us probably had it better than these ten guys. They had leperousy a disease that ate your flesh and made you an outcast to society. And we here we are four years later complaining about the COVID days. No really life is going to have a lot of big problems. Cancer, bills, house falling apart. I heard a judge say that real problems in life are problems that money can’t fix. Like a wayward child, a broken marriage, a terminal disease. I get the sentiment but I don’t agree. When your roof is leaking that’s a problem. Sure money could fix it but it’s real. There are so many problems in this life and to start this sermon I do not want to trivialize your problems I want myself and you to put them into prospective. Recently my dryer vent became unattached and I have fought with this dryer vent since I moved into the house. I know what I would like the dryer vent to do but I just fail at it. I grumbled and complained. I was ornary. I should have had an attitude of grattitude. GOD I have a dryer and it works!

Help us!

Luke 17:13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

There is nothing wrong for these men crying out to Jesus for mercy as a matter of fact Jesus wants us to do that He commands us to do that we don’t do it enough. When life gives you problems turn to the LORD in prayer. I will let you down, I feel like I let someone down every week. I don’t want to but I feel like I do. Your friends your family will let you down the government will let you down but God will never fail you.

God’s ways are not our ways.

Luke 17:14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

This may seem strange for Jesus to say, but it was completely in line with what we read about in the law of Moses and his it’s standards of cleanliness and how to deal with leporousy. Still do you notice when these men were healed, it was when they were going. They had to act in faith. Something I commend them for. When you go to God for help the way He provides it may be unorthodox or even strange to you, but God can help you in the hardest of times.

One Samaritan returned thankful.

Luke 17:15–16 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

10 men healed one was grateful. I wonder do we have a 10% grateful attitude. My wife works at me. I am not good at small talk. If you want to sit around and talk about Jesus I will do it for a long time. But I am working on my small talk, so be patient with me. When I am leaving a drive through window the lady will say, “Have a nice day,” I respond “YEP!” and drive away. Maybe I don’t say that ask Michelle what I say. Anyway she is working on me. She wants me to say even more than “you too.” She wants me to say Thank you very much you have a wonderful day yourself.” It takes effort to retrain my brain. It’s a good thing my wife is working on me. I am glad God put wives into husbands lives could you imagine the savages we would be without them.

Gratitude should be for everyone.

Luke 17:17–18 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

The Bible is very clean to let us know that this is a Samaritan who returns thankful. They aren’t supposed to be thankful. This is anti racial profiling which the Bible often does. Jews thought that as God’s people they were the pinnacle of good living. The Bible often lets us know that it was other people groups who did what was right. Remember that.

Gratitude is an essential building block of Godly Character.

Luke 17:19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

We have talked about Jesus Christ the cornerstone faith the foundation and here we see that Gratitude is an important building block

God commands: Give Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

If you have nothing else to thank God for, thank God for Jesus.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

If you are grumbling you are grumbling to God. He wants us to have an attitude of gratitude. You know what we as Christians should do with our ungratefulness. Take it crumple it up and through it in the trash. I find that the people who serve the most complain the least.

Ingratitude is an ugly sin.

Romans 1:20–21 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Romans one is very important Theologically. It teaches us a lot about the general revelation of God. That we can clearly see His goodness and holiness in creation and are without excuse before Him and the vile wickedness of man. Do you see the transition between those two topics. Mankind hasn’t acknowledged God and they aren’t thankful. WOW the world isn’t thankful to God. I always say we see God’s grace every morning the sun comes up. Praise God for we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

If you are living ungrateful, you may not be saved.

2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

I am not saying that if you didn’t thank God for your bagel this morning your not a Christian. But I am saying that if you are miserable all the time complaining about everything and everyone you may not have God in your heart. I can’t tell you that it is between God and yourself. If you are feeling convicted. You better do business with God today.

The wicked last days are characterized by ungratefulness.

2 Timothy 3:1–2 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

If you are unthankful, you know a grinch. BOO HOO this stupid thanksgiving than you are not living Godly character. You are living like the wicked in the days of the Revelation. I would hate to live in those days.

Ungrateful Christians are lukewarm people.

Revelation 3:15–16 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

If you struggle with ungratefulness, I want to prescribe you thankfulness which is therapeutic to the soul of the Christian.

A grateful heart is good medicine for the mind.

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

God wants a church full of contagiously grateful people.

2 Corinthians 4:15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

When you come to church do you have an attitude of grattitude. If you do it will be contagious. When you come to church. I have heard people complain from the time they get in the door till the time they leave. You live because of Christ He is working in your life BE THANKFUL! You know what type of Church I want this church to be one that says Praise to the LORD the Almighty the king of creation!

That’s what God wants. I know some people who have come to this church and walked right out. They have said to me Pastor Scott we like your preaching we like your singing, but… then they talk about things that break my heart. This person was so negative. I miss Art Eshleman he was an ambassador for an attitude of gratitude

You can’t overdose on Gratitude.

Colossians 2:6–7 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

You want to be a good patient for the LORD, you must have an attitude of grattitude, the LORD knows that you need it, you can’t get to much of it.

4 P Prescription for an Attitude of Gratitude.

1 Grateful people trust God’s Plan.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

God is in control he is going to take care of you if you don’t have an attitude of Gratitude it may be that you don’t trust God to take care of you. That ruins your peace. Learn the song Trust and obey and be thankful.

Be grateful, God is in control.

1 Chronicles 29:10–14 Therefore David blessed the Lord before all the assembly; and David said: “Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. “Now therefore, our God, We thank You And praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You.

I want to be clear, you can have rough patches in life and still be grateful. You can face anxiety depression and times of turmoil and still be grateful. I believe that gratefullness is a good perscription to help you through those tough times. When I think about difficult seasons of depression I think of David and Elijah also men who fought those things with attitudes of grattitude.

2 Be grateful because God has provided

Philippians 4:11–12 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.

3 Grateful people are patient.

Psalm 37:7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

4 Gratitude will help you find the peace of God.

Colossians 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.

We are talking about being a stable Christian with Godly Character. God wants you to have his peace in your hearts. You are going to find that when you have his peace in your life.

A healthy heart is a grateful heart.

Ephesians 5:19–20 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Want a cure for being ungrateful. Sing about it. Make singing to the LORD and for the LORD a priority in your life. God wants you to have an attitude of gratitude even when things are not going your way praise the LORD. Looking at all this has been so good for me I need to have an attitude of grattitude.

Benediction

Philippians 4:19–20 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.