An Attitude of Gratitude

Introduction

Praise God for the day He’s made. Amen? We are immeasurably blessed, bountifully looked upon with love and grace by our Heavenly Father, and we have many things to give thanks for. Not the least of which is the fact that we can be here today, and I appreciate everyone who is here this morning wanting to worship God and learn more from his word. If you were able to open your Bibles with me in the Old Testament in 1 Kings chapter 16, to begin. 1 Kings chapter 16. This isn’t actually where we’re going to be most of the morning, but we’re going to be just a few chapters after that. But we’re going to run into a character in 1 Kings chapter 16, a king who was very wicked.

In fact, 1 Kings chapter 16 identifies him as one of the worst kings that Israel had. Of course, as you go through Israel’s history, you have that seminal moment where Rehboam takes the crown.

Ease our burden.

Then he went to his peers and got counsel. And they said, Oh, they think that’s bad. Let’s make it worse. And he did. And what was fulfilled was going back to 1 Kings chapter 11, when God had told Solomon that the kingdom would be ripped from his son. It was. And the kingdom divided into the northern ten tribes, Israel in the north, and Judah in the south. And as you go throughout the history of those nations, yes, Israel fell first, but Judah had a few good kings. But in 1 Kings chapter 16, when it comes to the northern ten tribes, when it comes to the kingdom of Israel, they had not a one good king. Every king in the north was wicked. And it is in that vein that this king of Israel was arguably the worst in the kingdom that had nothing but wicked kings.

In first Kings chapter 16, read with me, beginning in verse 29. First Kings chapter 16, beginning in verse 29. In the 38th year of Asa, king of Judah, Ahab, the son of Amri began to reign over Israel, and Ahab the son of Amri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. And Ahab the son of Amri did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him. And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshipped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria.

And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord the God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. In his days, Hal of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation at the cost of Abraham, his firstborn, and set up its gates at the cost of his youngest son Sagab, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke by Joshua, the son of Nun. I want to highlight two phrases for you there. One of them is in verse 30. Note how wicked he was, and Ahab the son of Amri did evil in the sight of the Lord, yes, but more evil than all who were before him. That’s an impressive list of wickedness before him that he talked.

But not only was that enough, in verse 33, Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. Ahab was a wicked, vile, sinful king of God’s people. But one of the stories that we’re most familiar with regarding Ahab and Jezebel, his equally, if not more, if that’s possible, wicked wife, is a story in 1 Kings chapter 18. And that’s when Elijah is battling with the people who are brought by Jezebel, that is, the prophets of Baal. And they have this big show down at Mark at Mount Carmel, and Elijah, of course, prays to God, and God devours the sacrifice that he had doused, the same sacrifice which Dry, the servants of Baal, could not have their God called down for.

And of course, when you think about that, it makes plenty of sense because there is no God of Baal. He does not exist. There is no God but our God. Elijah proved that defiantly, definitively in 1 Kings chapter 18. But it’s 1 Kings chapter 21 I want to read about this morning. This wicked, vile king Ahab has, unfortunately, a little bit of things in common with us. In 1 Kings chapter 21, as we’ve talked now numerous times this morning about joy, we find a king who had no joy. And make no mistake, this was a king. And as you read through the rest of the book of 1 Kings, you see that Ahab continued to build up the palace he lived in. He was focused on his comfort.

He was focused on serving idle gods. But in 1 Kings chapter 21 comes a story that unfortunately might be all too familiar. In 1 Kings chapter 21, know with me beginning in verse 1. Now Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel beside the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria. And after this, Ahab said to Naboth, give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden. Because it is near my house, and it will give you a better vineyard for it. I will give you a better vineyard for it. Or if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money. But Naboth said to Ahab, the Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers. And Ahab went into his house vexed and sullen, because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him, for he had said, I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.

And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. This morning, perhaps unsurprisingly, I’d like to speak about an attitude of gratitude. It’s not just to catch you saying, as Christians, we must be thankful to God. I don’t want to just examine how to be thankful. I want to see the pitfalls of ingratitude, a lack of thanksgiving, and not just how silly and childlike this looks. But make no mistake, this looks really sad. In first Kings chapter 21, in verse 3 again, when Naboth tells him, No, the Lord forbids this. Ahab did what in verse 4? He was found vexed and sullen, because Naboth would not sell him or give him or trade him his vineyard. And not only was Ahab that petty and sad, but in verse, at the end of verse 4, he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food.

This was not only the case of a man not getting what he wants, so he pouted. This is a case of a man who was king, a key part of the story. This was a king who had plenty of everything. If you could be blessed, the king, and particularly King Ahab, both wanted it and in many cases got it. And because in this case he didn’t, he was found sullen, and he pouted like a child, turning his face away, not eating anything. You know what? Ingratitude looks really bad. It looks really silly when it’s in other people. In 1 Kings chapter 21, I see a man named King Ahab who I look down upon because of not only his incredible amount of wickedness, but because he looks foolish here.

And he’s acting foolishly. But if I’m honest with myself, there are times that I don’t get what I want. And while I don’t necessarily lay on my bed and put my face away, kind of cross my arms and say, Well, I’m just not going to eat then. My attitude belies the same heart problem that Ahab had. That is to say, sometimes I might be tempted and sometimes give in to the temptation to think I deserve better. And the problem is not only is that a lack of thanksgiving, a lack of understanding of where we are and who we answer to, but the problem is where that goes. And this morning I want to make two points out of the lesson this morning. In studying King Ahab and the story of Naboth’s Vineyard, I want to make first of all the point that la a lack of gratitude, a lack of thanksgiving, leads to dangerous and dark places.

1. A Lack of Gratitude Leads to Dark Places

And it’s not just the story that takes us there in our scriptures. We see that in the New Testament as well. But secondly, I want to say, not only how do I avoid being ungracious, unthankful, but how do I take on this grateful attitude that God wants his servants to have? But first of all, let’s continue in the story. We’ve already seen, first of all, that Ahab wants more. I want to emphasize the word more because this is a king who had plenty. If I haven’t made that clear, I haven’t done my job. Ahab had plenty. This was king of Israel. Reigning perhaps around 874 to 853 BC. This was at a decent time in the time of the Israelites. Ahab was of a control of ten tribes of God’s people.

Not only did he serve, not only did he reject God and entice him into more anger than any kings who were before him, Ahab was clearly spurning the things he should be very grateful for. Being thankful for what he had. Rather than just being told no, he was vexed and sold. But what’s interesting to find, I don’t want to skip over in verse 2 is when Ahab says to him, I want your vineyard, I will either trade you a better one or I’ll sell it to you for money. Naboth didn’t just say, No, you can’t have it. There’s a reason he said no. If you look at me in Leviticus chapter 25, you’ll see that reason. In Leviticus chapter 25, beginning in verse 23. Leviticus chapter 25 and verse 23.

When it comes to land, unsurprisingly, God had specified detail for how it should be exchanged or not in the law of Moses that they were all clearly under at this time. In Leviticus chapter 25 and verse 23, the land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine, for you are strangers and sojourners with me. And in all the country you possess, you shall allow a redemption of the land. What is God preoccupied with? What is God focused on? Them not selling their land. In fact, the law specifies not to sell land to another tribe. So you have this focus. So not only was Naboth refusing Ahab, but he had a godly reason for doing so. It should be of no surprise that Ahab doesn’t care about that.

Perhaps either didn’t know or simply didn’t care. But nonetheless, that is an important backing to the story. What we see is in verse 7 and on into the text is that it wasn’t just about being ungrateful. He didn’t just look like a child. We see that he starts to act in reason like not only a child, but a vicious, vile sinner fixed against God. Continue with me in verse 5 of the story in 1 Kings 21. But Jezebel’s wife came to him and said to him, Why is your spirit so vexed that you ate no food? They said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, Give me your vineyard for money, or else if it please you, and I will give you another vineyard for it.

And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard. And Jezebel’s wife said to him, Do you now govern Israel? Arise and eat bread, and let your heart be cheerful. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with the seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city, and she wrote in the letters, Proclaim a fast, set Naboth at the head of the people, set two worthless men opposite him, and let them bring a charge against him, saying, You have cursed God and the king, then take him out and stone him to death. And the men of his city, the elders and the leaders who lived in the city, did as Jezebel had sent word to them, as it was written in the letters that she had sent to them.

They proclaimed a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people, and the two worthless men came in and sat opposite him, and the worthless men brought a charge against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth cursed God and the king. So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth has been stoned, he is dead. As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money, for Naboth is not alive but dead. And as soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab arose to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.

See, the problem with ingratitude is not that anytime we’re unthankful, we’ll go out and create a wicked plot that ends with murder. But this is exactly what Jezebel did, is it not? Her husband, the king, who could demand, who could fix things to where he could get whatever he wants. She says, Don’t worry, I will get it for you. Don’t worry, don’t refuse food. I’ll give you your heart’s content. And as usual, Jezebel did so at the expense of God and of righteousness. And what’s ironic in verse 11 is when she tells the people, excuse me, at the end of verse 10 to bring these false charges against Naboth, saying, You have cursed God and the king. It is Jezebel who brought all the prophets of Baal into Israel at this time.

Jezebel was the hypocrite of the highest order. She knew what she was doing. She knew that she didn’t care about cursing God, but she knew enough of the law to strike at Naboth, to strike injustice. Jezebel, this evil, vile, wicked woman who, just like Ahab constantly enticed Israel into worshiping Baal, glorifying the prophets of Baal. That’s how we even arrived at the showdown that was in 1 Kings chapter 18 at Mount Carnival. She says, We’re going to take two people, and you’re going to tell Naboth that he blasphemed against God and the king. And they did. And they had the feast. Naboth was at the head. The two aptly titled worthless men came forward. And they accused Naboth of that crime. They said he had cursed God and the king.

And in upholding the law, in that sense, they killed him with stones. Such a travesty of injustice. But you think about what does this all come back to? Why did Jezebel have this relatively innocent man stoned to death? How can that be? Why would that be? Well, if we look in our Bibles and we go all the way back up to verse 4, we see it’s for one reason and one reason alone, and it’s because Ahab didn’t get what he wanted. Ahab was willing to pay for it, he was willing to trade better land for it. But Ahab didn’t get what he wanted, and so at the end of verse 4, he lay down his bed, turned his face away, and would eat no food. And in verse 5, Jezebel comes in and says, Why are you so upset?

I will make this right. And in the eyes of Jezebel and the eyes of Ahab she did, because they got what they wanted at the expense of Naboth. Of course the text continues, and God, of course, sees this, and boy, is if Elijah is nothing but a thorn in the flesh of Ahab, I don’t know who would be. In verse 17, then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishvite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab, king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth where he has gone to take possession. And you shall say to him, thus says the Lord, have you killed and also taken possession? And you shall say to him, thus says the Lord, in the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, shall dogs lick your own blood.

Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, O my enemy? He answered, I have found you because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will bring disaster upon you. I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male bond or free in Israel. And I’ll make your house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha, the son of Ahijah, for the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel the Lord also said, The dog shall eat Jezebel within the walls of Jezreel. Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city, the dog shall eat. And anyone of those who dies in the open country, the birds of the heaven shall eat.

Now make no mistake. This is a vicious punishment. But this is not just for this one crime, is it? When you look in the text and you look again at verse 22, what happened? Why was he being punished for? For the anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel sin. God saw. Elijah the man, the prophet of God, not only saw Ahab, but he confronted him with the message from the God, saying from God, saying, You will not escape free. God knows. God sees into the hearts, he knows our actions, and he will judge us accordingly. And this judgment is harsh and sure. Ahab was a wicked king. He was a wicked man, who in this case allowed his greed and his unthankfulness and lack of gratitude for anything that God had allowed him to be steward over, manifested itself in allowing his wife to arrange for a man to be killed.

And God punished him for the blood he shed. Now God promised to have his seed cut off, essentially. His house will be like Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Of course, Jeroboam being the first king of Israel, the first king of Israel who led Israel to sin because he didn’t want his people crossing over into the kingdom of Judah to worship God as the law commanded. And that house was cut off. And of course, the house of Baasha is referenced. And so God has promised he will cut off the cut off Ahab. But what we see is something powerful, and it’s not about Ahab, it’s about God. In verse 25, his repentance was seen. In verse 25, there was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited.

He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel. And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. And the little word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite saying, Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days. But in his son’s days, I will bring the disaster upon his house. Mignon was saying, God is not mocked, God is not fooled, Ahab did not escape free. The punishment was coming. But what God saw was even with this wicked, vile man Ahab, if we will repent, God will hear.

What a great God we serve. We need to be mindful that if Ahab can have his repentance seen by God, in just about every case, we can probably have our repentance heard about God. That is facetious. Of course, God will hear and see our repentance. Anyone can turn to God because our God is loving, our God is not prejudiced or biased. He will take any who follow after him. That’s a great blessing. But what I want to focus on is to see that the denigration, not only of Ahab and his character, which has been not from the beginning of chapter 16 in the Bible story, in the Bible record, but to see how his discontent led to him wanting more and not getting it, and so we pouted.

2. Recognize God as the Source of All Blessings

And so his wife Jezebel came in, and to obtain what should not be his, invoked this wicked plan that took the life of someone innocent, and God saw it. And yet Ahab did humble himself, and God relented of some of the punishment justly due to Ahab. But what I want to focus on is to see that this is not just to Ahab, this is not just an old testament story. What we need to see is we have to recognize God as the source of all blessings, because if we don’t, our path is just like Ahab’s. If you don’t believe me, look at Romans chapter 1. Paul has this warning for us. It seems dark, it seems unfathomable that not being grateful, not being thankful, that wanting more would lead us down such a vile and vicious path, and yet that’s exactly what Paul writes in Romans chapter 1.

Turn there with me. In Romans chapter 1, as we turn there, as we’re thinking about how do we not only realize the pitfall of ingratitude, how do I become a thankful person? How do I become gracious, happy, joyful? I need to be the opposite of Ahab. I need to be like Jesus. In verse 18 of Romans chapter 1, for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For it can be made known about God as plain to them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible power, namely his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world, and the things that have been made so that they are without excuse.

I want you to zero in with me on these three verses and see what comes to pass. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. But they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. We’re about to read a little bit more into Romans chapter 1, but I want you to see as the tipping point what separates those who are pleasing to God from those who are not. They did not honor him in verse 21, or give thanks to him. What would become of these who did not honor God, who did not give thanks to him?

Is it really as dire and dark as the picture of Ahab, as the picture we painted this morning? Well, verse 22 already. We’ve seen by verse 22 their foolish hearts were darkened, and claiming to be wise, they became fools. What would become of these people who would not honor God? Who would not give thanks to him? Verse 24. Therefore, God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen. Verse 26, what would happen to them? For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For the women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature, and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

What would happen, all going back to those who would not honor God and give thanks to God? In verse 28, and since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. Where did it all start? In verse 21, that they did not honor God or give thanks to him. And three times in this text, in verse 24, in verse 26, in verse 28, God gave them up. Who? Those who did not honor God or give thanks to him. How does someone drift from God? If, as verse 18 through 20, are clear that God’s creation should point out his invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, if we should see God, how is it that we reject him?

How is it that we say that he doesn’t exist? But how is it for Christians that we would know God? We know the goodness of his mercy, and yet turn our back on it. We don’t give God his due. It’s not just about knowing somewhere deep down that God created us. There’s more to faith than that. There’s more to God than just creating the heavens of the earth. It’s not just about saying thank you and please, although that’s not just polite, that’s how we ought to be. It’s about trusting in and fully appreciating what God has done. We have to give honor to him, recognize he created everything. He sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins, every blessing we have spiritually, but also physically, go back to God.

That’s the stewardship principle, isn’t it? We need to remember in this life what we have belongs to God. We’re simply stewards over it. If we’re going to change our life and not be like pouty, foolish Ahab, we have to start from the beginning, start at the source, and constantly recognize God as the source of all blessings. And that doesn’t mean just mentally accept that fact. That means remember it every day. This day is God’s. Because that will not only make me say thanks, it will make me be a better, different person. It will make me more apt to be transformed by the renewal of my mind. It’ll be more apt to be the living sacrifice that Jesus requires us be as his followers. If we want to be a joyful person, we need to remember that we have something to be joyous about.

3. We Must Learn to Be Content

And that is clear, that is evident, that is overwhelming. God is good. And he has blessed us immeasurably, spiritually and even physically in this life. We must learn to be content in that way. But another way is in Philippians chapter 4, when it comes to Paul in this chapter, in Philippians chapter 4, we remember that he was thankful for his blessings. He was thanking the Philippians towards the end of chapter 4 for their sharing in the fruit of his gospel, that is helping him with support. But note his understanding of his life. Not only did he know the blessings, he was a special word that starts with C. We’re going to find it. In Philippians chapter 4, beginning in verse 10, I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me.

You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance, and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. This is a great, powerful passage that should encourage us to take risks, to be strong Christians, to know that Jesus is behind us. But what I want to see is something that Paul knew very well. And it’s in verse 11, and it’s that word that starts with C. In all things, he was content. Isn’t thankfulness and content the very opposite of greed?

The very opposite of what led Ahab and Jezebel to take the life of Nabah. It is greed. It is wanting more. It’s not being thankful for what he did have. It is not recognizing the righteousness of God that led Ahab and Jezebel to not only want what wasn’t theirs and did not belong to them, but to take it at the most high cost. The blood of an innocent man. Why would it be any different if I think or I want something else? I am no better than other people. That means I am no better than Ahab. If it can happen to Ahab and Jezebel, and the faith is not once saved, always saved, it can happen to me. We have to learn to be content, not just in verse 12, not just when we’re abounding in verse 12, but even, did you see what Paul said the first part of verse 12?

Even when I’m brought low. Isn’t it when we’re low that we’re most likely to look at others and say, I wish, I want. Or here’s the most dangerous Christian phrase, I deserve. If we’re going to be more grateful, if we’re going to learn to be content, we need to realize what we have been blessed with. And that means counting our blessings. And if we count our blessings, we’re going to see we are never low. We are never without God’s standard of blessing. We are never without Jesus. And it’s of Jesus that said in verse 13, I can do all things through him who strengthens me. But even when this world beats us down, even when we are brought low, the defiant attitude of I deserve strikes at the very opposite of what Jesus expects.

4. Focus on What Does Matter

Jesus says in Luke 9 and verse 23, to deny ourselves daily and take up our cross and follow after him. What does it mean to deny yourself? It means I could have this, but I’m choosing to not have it. I am denying myself why? To follow after Jesus. I deserve death. I deserve eternity away from God. I deserve nothing that I would want. Let’s be careful talking about our rights as citizens of this country and be more preoccupied with focusing on what God’s grace has made available to us and how God’s mercy shines upon us. That’s our focus. That’s a content life. Giving all in the name of God. You see, a third point is we need to focus on what does matter. How are we going to start counting the blessings?

How are we going to recognize how richly we’re blessed if our mind is in the right place? In Colossians chapter 3, note with me the first several verses there. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you will also appear with him in glory. That is a powerful promise made to us in verse 4. Do you see that? When Christ, who is your life, appears, you will also appear with him in glory. How are we to get there?

Well, we know in verse 1 that we have been raised with Christ, and in so doing, by being raised with Christ, where does our mind belong? Set your mind on things that are above. Ahab was focused on the things beneath. He was focused on physical things that he saw, he wanted, and so he took. God says, set your mind on things above. Man says, Grab whatever you can take. You deserve it. You’ve worked hard, you’ve earned it. We need to realize if we’re going to be content, we have to trust in God and recognize Him and His blessings. We need to count them and see all that God has done for us. And also we need to focus on what truly matters. And what truly matters is what verse 4 says.

That when Jesus comes, his followers, those who in verse 1 have been raised with him, will be with him in glory. That’s not only everything, that’s it all, and it’s powerful. That’s got to drive us. If we don’t have that, we’re not going to be thankful. We’re not going to be grateful. We’re going to be unhappy, and we’re going to be robbed of the joy that God expects us to have. How is it that we’re to be peaceful as Christians going back to Philippians chapter 4? How is it that we are supposed to be happy lights in the world? Because we know we have something better. Our minds need to be on that better. Our minds need to be on those things that are above. And one final point this morning.

5. We Need to Be the One

We need to be the one. Look with me at this passage in Luke chapter 17. You’ll see what I mean by be the one when we turn there. In Luke chapter 17. You know, the truth of the matter is, as Rob West said before the Lord’s Supper, not a lot of people have joy. In fact, a lot of people are downers. It’s kind of just the way it is. You know someone who’s a downer, perhaps you’re sitting next to a downer. I won’t ask for a show of hands, although that’d be entertaining. In Luke chapter 17, we see that in this case, 90% of those involved in the story, outside of Jesus the Christ himself, were not thankful. But one was. In Luke chapter 17, beginning in verse 11.

On the way to Jerusalem, he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. When he saw them, he said to them, Go and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, We’re not ten cleansed, or where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? And he said to him, Rise and go your way.

Your faith has made you well. What do we know? Jesus found these ten lepers and he healed every last one of them. Leprosy was about as bad a disease as you could have in this time. You were isolated. You were stuck. There was no cure. And Jesus cured them. And in verse 15, it says, there was one who came back. And think about this list of learning to be content. We started with recognizing God as the source of all blessings. Do you see that in verse 15? When he came back, what did he do at the end of verse 15? Praising God with a loud voice. Why? Verse 16. And he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks for what? He recognized his blessing from Jesus was right before him.

He had been cured of his leprosy. He was thankful. And yet, where did he find himself? At the feet of Jesus, even as what? At the end of verse 16, even as a Samaritan. He recognized that Jesus could heal him. He recognized that Jesus did heal him. And that all glory, praise, thanks, and honor belong to God, belong to the Christ. And it was as it was then, it is today. He was the one who came back. And when Jesus asked, where are the nine? Because he saw that 90% of that group did not come back and say thanks. There’s nothing easy about being content and being thankful, especially in a world where everyone is not thankful. Not content with what we have. The temptation of the devil is to make us want more.

Conclusion

But you want to know one final problem when you go back to 1 Kings chapter 21 with Ahab? Is he had a lot. And him wanting more caused him to not only further turn his back on God, caused Jezebel to further turn her back on God because of Ahab’s pouting over not getting the land. That lack of gratitude, that lack of thanksgiving, that wanting more, can distract us from our service to God. Because we’re going to be focused on getting what we want, getting what we deserve. Rather than praising God, who deserves all glory, all power, and all thanks. If we remove God from the spot of honor and dignity that he not only deserves but demands, we’ve missed it. We need to be content. We need to be thankful.

We need to have an attitude of gratitude. It may be this morning that there are those here who have not been thankful. Maybe we’re more like Ahab. We not only do evil, but we entice others to do evil as well, being bad examples. You can have your sins washed away. It’s a powerful blessing to have a God that we can read about in the Old Testament and see how wicked and vile Ahab was, and yet when he humbled himself before God, what was God’s response? I’ve seen it, I’ve heard it, and he will be spared some. We can be spared an eternity away from our God. We deserve death, but Jesus brings life. Maybe you’ve never been a Christian, you can do so today. Maybe you’ve been a Christian and you’ve had your joy robbed, and it’s caused you to fall away from God.

Your faith has eroded as you’ve looked around and wanted what the world offers. But you can come back to God today. Our loving God is waiting. The prodigal Father is open, his arms are there, he’s looking, waiting for you. We’re happy to help you in any way. If we can do so, come forward now as we stand and sing the invitation song.