Overcoming Ingraditude

Introduction:

Every day should be a day of thanksgiving on the Christian’s calendar.

1. The Bible teaches us by direct command to be grateful

The Bible teaches us by direct command to be grateful.

a. “Giving thanks always for all things to God” ()

“Giving thanks always for all things to God” ().

b. Paul said, “abound with thanksgiving” ()

Paul said, “always abound with thanksgiving” ().

It is God’s will that we be thankful – “in everything give thanks” (1 The. 5:18), and we must do the will of God to go to heaven ().

c. It is God’s will that we be thankful – “in everything give thanks” (1 The. 5:18), and we must do the will of God to go to heaven ().

The Bible teaches us by example to be grateful.

2. The Bible teaches us by example to be grateful

Jesus was thankful (), and He is our perfect example ().

a. Jesus was thankful (), and He is our perfect example ().

David (), Daniel (), Paul (); even the angelic hosts give thanks to God ().

b. David (), Daniel (), Paul (); even the angelic hosts give thanks ()

We ought to be very concerned about overcoming ingratitude.

B. We ought to be very concerned about overcoming ingratitude.

Because ultimately, the ungrateful will miss heaven.

1. The ungrateful will miss heaven

Therefore, how can we develop the attitude of gratitude?

2. Thus, how can we develop the attitude of gratitude?

Discussion:

REMEMBER NEVER TO FORGET

Consider , “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.”

a. Forgetfulness is a foe of gratitude

Brethren, forgetfulness is an enemy of gratitude.

How often do we forget the blessings of God?

How often do we count “all His benefits?”

b. Though Joseph befriended him, the butler forgot him ()

In the Old and New Testament, we read of those who are examples of ingratitude because of their forgetfulness.

Fore example, in the Old, though Joseph befriended him, the butler forgot him ().

c. Only one of the ten lepers that Jesus healed remembered – did not forget to thank Jesus ()

In the New, only ONE of the ten lepers that Jesus healed remembered, and because of that, he did not forget to thank Jesus ().

2. It has once been said, “Blessed are those who give without remembering and those who can receive without forgetting.”

It has once been said, “Blessed are those who give without remembering and those who can receive without forgetting.”

DO NOT MAJOR ON YOUR TROUBLES

We need to count our blessings, not our bruises.

a. How often have you see people date matters from a given tragedy…”that happened in the year of the tornado”

How often have you seen people date matters from a given tragedy… For example, “That happened in the year of the tornado. Or that happened during hurricane Harvey?”

Why not date matters from a given blessing?

b. If we are not careful while we walk the pathway of life we will never pluck a rose, but will pluck many thorns and wear them on our hearts

If we are not careful, while we walk the pathway of life, we will never pluck a rose, but will pluck many thorns and wear them on our hearts.

c. Because she did not major on her troubles, Fanny Crosby, who was blind, could still write, “with numberless blessings each moment He crowns,” in her wonderful hymn, “A Wonderful Savior.”

Because she did not major on her troubles, Fanny Crosby, who was blind, could still write, “with numberless blessings each moment He crowns,” in her wonderful hymn, “A Wonderful Savior.”

2. In fact, we should be grateful even for our troubles and so-called inconveniences.

In fact, we should be grateful even for our troubles and so-called inconveniences.

a. One young boy thanked God for his eye glasses, for they kept the boys from hitting him and the girls from kissing him.

One young boy thanked God for his eye glasses. Why you may ask? Because they kept the boys from hitting him and the girls from kissing him.

b. Matthew Henry, after having his house robbed, wrote in his diary, “Let me be thankful (1) he never robbed me before (2) he did not take my life (3) it was he that robbed and not I.

Matthew Henry, after having his house robbed, wrote in his diary, “Let me be thankful (1) he never robbed me before (2) he did not take my life (3) it was he that robbed and not I.”

3. We must firmly believe

Brethren, if we are going to live up to this challenge, we must firmly believe.

Consider , “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.”

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.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

THINK HOW MUCH BETTER OFF YOU ARE THAN SO MANY

What would happen is we were reduced to the same level of many people in the world?

Knowing is not simply having a knowledge of this fact, but firmly believing it the fullest.

2. In the book entitled, The Great Assent, Robert L. Helibroner describes what would happen if we were reduced to the yearly income of more than billion people in our world

In the book entitled, The Great Assent, Robert L. Helibroner describes what would happen if we were reduced to the yearly income of more than billion people in our world

Not that everything that happens to us is “good,” but firmly believing that “all things” work together “for good.”

3. Here are the results…see Heart Diseases and their Cures p. 22

Here are the results…see Heart Diseases and their Cures p. 22

COUNT THE BLESSINGS YOU DO HAVE, RATHER THAN CONCENTRATING ON WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE

COUNT THE BLESSINGS YOU DO HAVE, RATHER THAN CONCENTRATING ON WHAT YOU DO NOT HAVE

The Bible says....

a.

Consider , “ 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.”

Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

Now notice what the Paul emphasized to be most important, “godliness with contentment.”

8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

So often we focus the material things of the world, and we forget what truly matters. Yet, the Apostle Paul said, “godliness with contentment is great gain.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

In the end, the only thing that we truly need to be content with is “food and clothing.” It does not matter if we have a nice house, car, phone, or anything else the distracts us from godliness.

Even if we have these things, we must make sure that with what we do have to be content.

b.

So often we concentrate what others have and forget to be content with what we have. Consider , “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.””

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Many times in life, it is easy to be “covetousness” because someone will always have what we do not have, but should it not be enough to know that He “will never leaver us nor forsake us?”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

c. Yet, so often we fail to remember the things with which we are so remarkably blessed.

Yet, so often we fail to remember the things with which we are so remarkably blessed.

2. How many times have we sang, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord hath done,” and yet, fail to do what we sing?

How many times have we sang, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done,” and yet, fail to do what we sing?

a. Try to count our spiritual blessings ()

Try to count your spiritual blessings ().

b. We should try and count our physical blessings

Try and count our physical blessings.

c. We will come to see that these blessings are innumerable

And certainly we will come to see that these blessings are innumerable.

E. EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE

EXPRESS YOUR GRATITUDE

We must express our gratitude verbally. ()

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), . We must express our gratitude verbally

a.

Consider the verbal praise of the Psalmist in , “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,

Let me ask us this question: Are we redeemed? Of course we are!

Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

Then as Christians, we should verbally express our thankfulness to the Lord and to everyone we come in contact with, that the “He is good!”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

b. Weary and burdened with the cares of the day, a preacher’s little girl came into his study, climbed up into his lap, and said, “Daddy, I did not come to ask for anything. I just came to tell you I love you.” The statement so warmed the preacher’s heart that he soon forgot his weariness.

Weary and burdened with the cares of the day, a preacher’s little girl came into his study, climbed up into his lap, and said, “Daddy, I did not come to ask for anything. I just came to tell you I love you.” The statement so warmed the preacher’s heart that he soon forgot his weariness.

n like manner, God the Father desires for His children to express their love and gratitude.

Likewise, God the Father desires for His children to express their love and gratitude. So often we express what we need and want and simply forget to express our thankfulness.

2. We must express our gratitude by our lives as well as by our lips.

We must express our gratitude by our lives as well as by our lips.

a. Thanks saying is not necessarily thanks giving, but thanks living is.

Thanks saying is not necessarily thanks giving, but thanks living is.

b.

Consider , “What shall I render to the Lord, For all His benefits toward me?”

What shall I render to the Lord

For all His benefits toward me?

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

c. In gratitude we will give unto God our love, our time, our talents, our money, our live; yea, our all!

In gratitude we will give to God our love, our time, our talents, our money, our live; yes, even our all!

That is truly the spirit of thanksgiving to God.

DO NOT TAKE THE COMMON THINGS OF LIFE FOR GRANTED

Many times we are thankless because we are thoughtless. Think and thank come from the same root word.

2. In our thinking it is easy to let the ordinary blessings of life be forgotten and unappreciated.

In our thinking it is easy to let the ordinary blessings of life be forgotten and unappreciated.

a. For example, if the sun did not rise one morning, we would become hysterically frantic; but, what about the many days – yea, day after day – that the sun does rise?

For example, if the sun did not rise one morning, we would become hysterically frantic; but, what about the many days – year, day after day – that the sun does rise?

b. We tend also to take our everyday material blessings for granted … appliances, televisions, electric lights, washing machines, etc.

We tend also to take our everyday material blessings for granted … appliances, televisions, electric lights, washing machines, etc.

c. Perhaps an old Kentucky “recipe” for washing clothes will help us appreciate our modern conveniences … “build fire in the back yard to heat the rain water … set the tubs so the smoke want blow in your eyes … shave a whole cake of soap in boiling water … sort the clothes in three piles – 1 pile of white – 1 pile of colors and one pile of rags and work britches … rub dirty spots had on a scrub board … spread towels on the grass and hang rags on the fence … pour rinse water in flower bed … scrub porch with the soap water … turn tubs upside down … put on a clean dress … brew some coffee … sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

Perhaps an old Kentucky “recipe” for washing clothes will help us appreciate our modern conveniences … “build fire in the back yard to heat the rain water … set the tubs so the smoke want blow in your eyes … shave a whole cake of soap in boiling water … sort the clothes in three piles – 1 pile of white – 1 pile of colors and one pile of rags and work britches … rub dirty spots had on a scrub board … spread towels on the grass and hang rags on the fence … pour rinse water in flower bed … scrub porch with the soap water … turn tubs upside down … put on a clean dress … brew some coffee … sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.

AVOID OVEREMPHASIZING THE LUXURIES OF LIFE

We must be thankful for the simple necessities. ()

2. We must be thankful for the simple necessities

Consider , “ And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Lk 12:15.

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

3. We need to be thankful for, and put the emphasis on, the spiritual things.

We need to be thankful for, and put the emphasis on, the spiritual things.

DO AWAY WITH MURMURING AND COMPLAINING

DO AWAY WITH MURMURING AND COMPLAINING

Instead of remaining continually grateful for their deliverance from Egypt, Israel soon began to murmur and complain (; ).

a. Complained about what they didn’t have and about what they did have.

Complained about what they didn’t have and about what they did have. Notice , “And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!”

And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!

“If only....If only...” Does that not sound like many people?

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

“If only I had this or that…If only I had the money, I would...”

I’ll tell you what, if only they focused on the spiritual blessings, there would be no reason for murmuring and complaining.

b. We need to avoid duplicating this spirit ()

We need to avoid duplicating this spirit ()

We need to avoid duplicating this spirit ungratefulness. Consider , “Nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

The Old Testament narrative of their complaining is written so that we understand the fate of the complainers.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

As we read, they were destroyed, and if we are a bunch of complainers, we will experience the same eternal punishment.

2. Though Paul was in prison he still penned:

You know what I find interesting? Though Paul was in prison he still penned...

a.

, “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

The New King James Version (Nashvil

b.

Consider also the words of Paul in , “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

Do all things without complaining and disputing,

15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world

The command to “Do all things without complaining and disputing” has a purpose.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

Ultimately, it is so that we are the lights to the world?

Brethren, why would anyone ever want to be a Christian is we are always complaining about what we do not have?

REALIZE THAT WE ARE A RECIPIENT; AND NEVER FORGET THE GIVER OF THE GIFT

All that we have, we have received from God.

a.

Consider , “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

b. Paul was deeply aware of this …

Paul was deeply aware of this …Notice , “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”

For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), .

c. The rich farmer failed to realize this ()

On the other hand, the rich farmer failed to realize this. Consider , “Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully.

17 And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’

18 So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” ’

20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

21 “So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

2. We must never forget the giver in the gift

We must never forget the giver in the gift.

a. Are we more interested in the gift than the giver?

Brethren, are we more interested in the gift than the giver?

b. “Daddy, what did you bring me?” … many adults act this way also

“Daddy, what did you bring me?” … many adults act this way also.

Conclusion:

As we come to an end, brethren, we should be very concerned about overcoming ingratitude, because the ungrateful will not go to heaven.

Remember never to forget.

Do not major on your troubles.

Count the blessings you have, rather than concentrating on what you do not have.

Express your gratitude.

Do not take the common things of life for granted.

Avoid overemphasizing the luxuries of life.

Do away with complaining and murmuring.

And in the end, remember that we are the recipients of the Giver.

If you are here with us and would like to study more about the gospel, we would to study with you.

Or maybe you have heard the word, believe, and would like to obey the gospel, we would love to assist you.

Or maybe you have heard the word, believe, and would like to obey the gospel, we would love to assist you.

Maybe as a Christian, there has been ingratitude in your life, and you would like to be encouraged and strengthened, come forward as we stand and sing together.