Grateful Heart

Introduction

Good morning. We made it. It’s 11 a.m. on a day that we moved our clocks forward. Imagine that. If you’re looking with me in your old testaments to 1 Kings chapter 21, 1 Kings chapter 21, if there’s something that I, and oftentimes, as Ken alluded to this morning, as preachers, we often talk to ourselves. If there’s something that I do a lot that we all might struggle with, you might share in this struggle. It’s a desire and a need to point out something that maybe isn’t as positive as we otherwise might be. As Christians, we should be thankful, we should be grateful because we have a great God. Amen. And yet sometimes we don’t see that. If there is a subject that you might catch my attention on in that regard, it would be losing sleep.

I don’t like that. I like my sleep. I like, especially in the fall, so if Florida is going to change the rules, I just wait, ask that we wait until we spring we fall backward, I guess, is the expression. I always mix that up. Let’s take the extra sleep, and then we can kind of stick it the way it is there. No more losing sleep. First Kings 21, we see one of the worst examples in all the Bible. He is not a positive example. He’s an example of how to be against God in basically every conceivable way, including who he married. In 1 Kings 21, we read the story about Ahab, king of Israel. Read with me the first few verses, and unfortunately, I think we’ll see some comparisons to ourselves today.

In First Kings chapter 21, beginning in verse 1. Now Nabat, 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 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 Nabah 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 father. Now note this part of the last part of verse 4.

And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. How bad was it? Here’s his loving partner, Jezebel, verse 5. Jezebel’s wife came to him and said to him, Why is your spirit so vexed that you eat no food? And he 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 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. This morning we’re going to talk about not about complaining or anything of that sort, but rather the need, the necessity, the expectation that Christians, children of God have a grateful heart.

1. Ahab’s Ungrateful Heart

Of course, that is not the image you see of Ahab. Now note, we know the story of Naboth and his vineyard. We’re familiar with the idea that Ahab is going to end up taking this vineyard. But note Ahab’s reaction when he doesn’t get his way. You see in verse 3, Naboth tells him, No, the Lord forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers. And if you look at the book of Leviticus, you’ll see there are reasons that even go to the law of God as to why Naboth did not sell his vineyard. But in verse 4, note Ahab, the king of Israel’s response. He doesn’t just get upset. Verse 4 says, He was vexed and sullen. What does the last part of verse 4 say?

How bad was it? He laid down on his bed and turned away his face and would eat no food. What wonderful representation the people of Israel had. Listen, it’s got to be pretty bad if you’re going to turn down food. You think about Ahab, though, this obviously shows an ungrateful heart. But think about what King Ahab had. If you don’t, verse 1 and 2, where is Naboth’s vineyard? Look again in verse 1. Where is it? Right near where? The palace of the king of Samaria. Not surprisingly, King Ahab lived pretty well as king of Israel or Samaria. And yet it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t thankful for what he had. It wasn’t enough to just say, well, okay, he turned me down. I tried. I want this vineyard and I want it now.

Of course, this is an ugly picture, and for me to then transition and say, aren’t we just like Ahab? They may not fit pretty well or make us feel good about ourselves. But the truth is, if we consider our lives as Americans, and more importantly, our lives as kingdoms of the citizens and citizens of heaven. If we consider ourselves kingdom and priests, if we consider ourselves redeemed by the blood of Christ, how thankful and how grateful should we be? And if that is so obvious and clear, then when we find ourselves vexed and sullen because we don’t get what we want, because we don’t get what we think we deserve. How ungrateful are we? And most importantly, how does this look to God? We see the story of Ahab has not aged well.

When we consider his terrible example, we see that he wants something, and he doesn’t get it, and he throws a fit over it. He’s not just vexed and sullen, he’s so distraught that in verse 5, no, what is his wife notice? Something is wrong with Ahab. He’s laying on his bed and he won’t eat. This is a king who’s so distraught, so ungrateful, and not getting what he wants. He’s throwing this type of fit. His wife says, I’m going to fix it. And you see this plan beginning in verse 8. She wrote letters in Ahab’s name and sealed them with his 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, and set Naboth at the head of the people, and 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 the 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. And of course, in verses 15 and 16, Ahab goes, Jezebel fulfills her promise to Ahab and claims Naboth’s vineyard.

See, this all goes back to Ahab having an ungrateful heart. I know you see murder in the story, you see lying, you see false witnesses, you see a conspiracy. But what does it all go back to? This entire train was set in motion, not because Jezebel exists, not because of the kings of the city went along with this plan, but because Ahab didn’t get what he wanted. And because he was so vexed in soul, and his wife said, I’m going to fix this. I’m going to give you what you want. I’m going to give you what we deserve. After all, you, we reign over Israel, so I’m going to make it happen for you. And the truth is, when we act wickedly, when we act in sinful ways against or hostile to our God, we do so on the same basis.

Because we’re obviously not thankful for what God has done for us. If you are thankful for the blood of Christ, we just remembered the Lord’s sacrifice for his body hung on the cross in our place, for his blood that was shed for the forgiveness of our sins, as the blood of the new covenant. Then how would we live? Subservient, submissive, and thankful to our God, to Jesus the Christ who died in my place. But the truth is we sin when we want something that we otherwise won’t get or think we won’t get with God in doing it his way. Of course, God sees this, and you see in verse 17, they didn’t get away with it. In verse 17, then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, 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. God pronounces judgment on those who acted wickedly. God sees the selfishness. He sees the ungrateful heart. He sees how his people reject what they have been blessed with. Imagine God looking at Ahab, king over his people, Israel, even in the divided kingdom. To see the palace that Ahab had, the lifestyle that Ahab enjoyed. And to see Ahab not only be vexed and sold over not getting what he wants, allowing for his wife to go out and to have Naboth stoned for it.

Judgment is pronounced. But something else is great about God. And another reason to be thankful and grateful, note with me in verse 25 on down. 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. When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Chishvite, 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 sons’ days I will bring this disaster upon his house.

That disaster is written about in verse 21 that he would do the following.

I will utterly burn you up, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free in Israel. Ahab, as the text describes in verse 25 and 26, was absolutely one of the worst people, not just kings of Israel, one of the worst people, as you see in verse 26. He acted very abominably, as the Amorites had done. And if you go back into your Old Testament history, what did God command the Israelites do to the Amorites? Wipe them out. Why? Because of their great wickedness and sin and rejection of God as being over them. You see, Ahab, you see a man who was riddled with all sorts of problems. He was into idolatry. He was okay with murder. He was into all sorts of greed and problems.

But if you note this story in 1 Kings 21 that sealed his faith, even though God heard his humility, even though God heard his repentance. You go back in the story and you say, this all goes back to what? Ahab said, I want that, and he couldn’t get it. As unfortunate as it is, the truth is we too can be like that. How many times have we expected that our life would be differently than it is, and we blame someone or something for it not being like that? How many times have we not gotten the opportunity that we expected? The money that we desire or think we need, the health that we see others enjoying. And we think either I did something wrong or somebody else did something wrong, or maybe even, where is God when I need him?

2. Always Give Glory to God

Why is God not blessing me? The first response to Ahab, besides grow up in 1 Kings 21, would be to what? Look at what you do have. Be thankful to the God who gave you kingship over Israel. And we see in Romans chapter 1, this is the same problem that we find ourselves with in the New Testament times. In Romans chapter 1, as you’ll turn there with me. In Romans chapter 1, as Paul is going to build towards the idea that all have sinned and falls short of the glory of God in chapter 3. You see, in chapter 1, he addresses the Gentiles. And they had many problems, starting with in verse 20. They rejected God. And in verse 20, we realize that they had no excuse for that.

His invisible attributes, namely God’s eternal power and divine nature, have been see it clearly perceived. Ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made, what’s the last part of verse 20? So that they are without excuse. And then we see this great long falling away from God in verse 24. God gave them up. Verse 26, God gave them over. Verse 28, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, he gave them over to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. Where does this all start, though? The rejection of God and back in verse 21. What does it say? Although they knew God. They did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. That feels pretty serious, doesn’t it?

The verse 24, verse 26, verse 28, the idea that God would continually give over a people. Even these people who in verse 21 starts out by saying they knew God. It goes back to what? 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. We must always give glory to God. That sounds like a basic, easy-to-preach Sunday morning line. But if we do this, this is life-changing and life-altering. If we remember what God has done for us and recognize that He is in control, that He is in charge, we can cast our worries, our doubts, our concerns on Him. And that leaves us to be thankful for the God who is there.

Thankful to the God who most importantly did what? Sent His Son to die on the cross for our sins, that I could be redeemed. We should be thankful every day, even if nothing else goes our way. Ahab had a wonderful position. Of course, Ahab rejected God at many a turn. And he was into idolatry, but we as Christians should know better. We know God. We know what God has done, or we should. We certainly could. We have to begin every day, even in prayer. End every day, even in prayer. Even throughout the day, in prayer and in our life style. Give glory to God. And it’s not about saying magic words at the beginning or end. It’s about living out what it means to say, My God is in control and I trust him with my life.

Can I give you a biblical example of where this comes into play? Think about the story of Joseph. You think about the story of Joseph going all the way back into the Old Testament in the book of Genesis. You have a guy who has really bad sibling problems. He goes and he tells his siblings and his dad, you are all going to bow down before me. If anyone has siblings, you know that’s not going to end well. That’s really funny. Come on. And of course, it didn’t. What happened? Well, his brothers turned on him, in part because of the favoritism from Dad, who also didn’t like that dream interpretation. Joseph was thrown into a pit. And you gotta be thinking, if you’re Joseph in the pit and God’s in control, what is going on?

I had this dream, I interpreted it, I think correctly. Why do I deserve to be in a pit? Of course, we know Joseph’s gonna end up where? Second in command in the land of Egypt. In control of God’s people being taken care of from a food perspective when there’s a famine. We know that. But imagine Joseph along the way. Of course, when he’s sold into slavery, he finds himself in a good position. And then, of course, what happens in Genesis chapter 39? That good position is ruined because of what? Not altogether different from Ahab having Naboth killed. There was the false claims by Potiphar’s wife. And because of those false claims, Joseph finds himself where? For years in prison. And again, the question would be if God is in control, if you’re Joseph and in prison, you’d look up and say, why is this happening?

3. In Whatever Situation, to Be Content

But if we truly believe and know God’s in control, what can we do each step of the way? Perhaps just like Joseph did. We can trust in God and recognize that his plan exceeds my momentary struggles. If God deserves all glory and I’m giving him glory, my life will change because I won’t be worried and caught up with the things I don’t have. I’ll be thankful to God for all the things that I do. And that plays into Philippians chapter 4. If you’ll turn there with me. Philippians 4, verse 13 is perhaps one of the most used and you could argue abused passages in the New Testament. There’s a million of those, but this is up there on that list. Philippians chapter 4, verse 13, you may be familiar.

It says, I can do all things through him who strengthens me, through Christ who strengthens me. But consider the context of what Paul is actually building towards and saying. In Philippians chapter 4 and 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 in 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 Christ who strengthens me. That doesn’t mean Paul’s saying, Hey, you know what?

I really wanted this job. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I’m going to fly over the I-4 traffic. I’m not going to have to sit in it. I’m going to get the job, and when I use my Jedi mind trick on the employer, I’m going to get paid whatever I want. That’s not what that means. Do you see that word in verse 11, the very last word? Not that I’m speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am in to be content. How was it that Paul was content? What was his secret? In part, the next verse tells us part of that secret was wisdom. He had experience. He had experience living in times of plenty and in times of hunger.

He had been through it. But what was his secret? What got Paul through? Verse 13. He recognized he can do all things through Christ who strengthens him. Paul understood what it meant to be content because he wasn’t living for this life. It didn’t matter if he was wealthy, it didn’t matter if he was poor. He was living for God. And in so doing, when he looked at his situation, undoubtedly, Paul, better than almost any of us, could look at a situation, including being in prison, and see this as an opportunity. Can you imagine being those guards that were having to watch Paul every day? Do you know how many times they must have heard the story of Jesus? How many people came to visit him and they have to be wondering how does this person in prison get so many visitors?

Or in some cases, this person who doesn’t get any visitors, how is he still so cheerful? We need to be willing to count our blessings and recognize, as Paul did in verse 11, whatever situation I am in, to be content. How? Why? Because I can be a child of God. It doesn’t matter if the job doesn’t come through or if my health is failing. Those are challenging times. And we need to rely on God to get us through them. We won’t make it through on our own. And when life is difficult and life is hard, we have to turn to God. And that might mean turning to God and trusting this plan that as fellow Christians, as Josh challenged us this past week in our gospel meeting, we have to reach out and encourage one another.

4. Let’s Not Get Distracted

And that’s a blessing we should be able to count. That God’s plan includes people who will do as Paul says in Romans 12, rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Certainly there are challenging times. And the lesson this morning is for those of us who are primarily in the category of the normal American. Who, by and large, has it better than anyone else in the world, perhaps in world history. The one who, like Ahab, lives like a king. And yet is distracted and ungrateful because we don’t get that one other thing that we want. Rather than trusting that God has, will, and will always provide for our needs. Consider two final points this morning. Let’s not get distracted. Wasn’t that Ahab’s problem in 1 Kings 21?

He looked and he said, I want that vineyard. And that became his entire purpose of living. If you look at Matthew chapter 16, distraction is always the enemy of the child of God, and it is the enemy of being thankful and having a grateful heart. And Matthew chapter 16, strong language from Jesus. In verse 21, from that time, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed. And yes, on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, Far be it from you, Lord, this shall never happen to you. He turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan. You are a hindrance to me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.

This passage, more than any other, sets up the heart of what truly lies at being grateful. And it’s that the sacrifice of Jesus had to happen according to God’s great will. And because it did, we should not worry about anything else. Peter didn’t understand, even though it was just earlier in this chapter, that his great confession in verse 16, it was where he answered Jesus, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, just these few verses later, Peter was distracted, and when he tells Jesus, You won’t be crucified, may you never be put to death. Jesus has to rebuke him. Because he’s standing in the way of God’s plan. What is God’s plan for us? If we’re going to be thankful and grateful, we have to understand what are we looking for?

What does truly matter? And what truly matters is that Jesus did die on the cross. And that he was raised on the third day. Because he lives, we can face tomorrow, we often sing. Because Jesus lives, we have forgiveness. But when we get caught up in this world and things we don’t get that we want, or things we want that were taken away from us, we are distracted from what matters. What matters is loving God and loving fellow man as Jesus modeled for us. When we think about what it means to be grateful, we have to look to God. We have to set our mind on things above Colossians chapter 3 and set our hearts to love others with that new great commandment that Jesus gave to us in John 13 that we love others as Christ first loved us.

5. Be the One Who Is Thankful

That’s a powerful challenge and a goal that we will not hit if we’re distracted. One final point. If you take no other point from this lesson on how to have a grateful heart, remember this part. Be the one. Be the one who is thankful. In Luke 17, we see what a difference this makes. In Luke chapter 17, our final point, and we’ll close with some application. In Luke 17 and 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. 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.

It doesn’t matter whether you agree or disagree with whatever politician or whatever leading activist or whatever group. You say one wrong thing nowadays, and what happens? The internet wolves are out to get you. People have to resign, they have to quit their jobs. Many times that may or may not be a good thing. We live in a society that wants to tear down rather than build up. But the only people who will build others up are the people who first have a grateful heart. You want to be a positive person? I need to learn how to compliment others. I have to be thankful to my God for what he’s done for me first. I have to give out of the abundance that Christ has given me.

I have to be the one who will go back and give thanks.

In verse 15, it says, one of them.

When he saw that he was healed. He turned back, praised God, and gave thanks. The secret to a grateful heart is right there. To look to God. Count your blessings. See what God has done. Of course, the story is very obvious. When we think about leprosy, it’s about the worst condition that you might be able to have in Bible times. Of course, they would have to be separated otherwise. And Jesus cleansed this leper. This was life-changing. And you say, well, of course he’d give thanks. And you look and you see, it’s not that obvious because nine didn’t. It’s easy to be like Ahab and to complain and whine. It’s easy to be like these nine lepers and just kind of go on our way and in our mind be like, wow, that’s wonderful.

Look at what I can do now. It’s difficult, sometimes solitary, and very challenging to be of the mindset that says, I have been healed by God. Praise him who redeemed me. Thank you, God, for doing everything for me. A grateful heart recognizes who God is, what he has done. And so when we are challenged, when our cup seems empty, when we don’t get what we want, when we’re like Ahab and we see a vineyard that we can’t get or is just out of our grasp, and yet it taunts at us. We have to adjust priorities, but most importantly, filter everything through the lens of God has given us victory. We have to believe that. It can’t be a bumper sticker, it can’t be a slogan. We have to know what it means to, like Paul, say, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Conclusion

Meaning that in whatever condition I am in, we as Christians can be content. Do you struggle with a grateful heart this morning? I do, a lot of us do. If you consider what it means to be thankful to God, it means recognizing that Jesus did live. He did die on the cross so that we might live eternally with our God in heaven. That means that you can do something about it today. Trust in God. Be thankful for your forgiveness, not just the offer. Take advantage of what God has done. Recognize if you believe in the Christ, you repent of your wrongdoing, you like the leper and confessing Jesus is Christ and being baptized can have the stain removed from your life. What a powerful promise that is.

Maybe you’re a Christian here this morning and you recognize there is a stain on your life. You’ve been forgiven, but you haven’t been thankful. You haven’t molded your life in a way that gives glory to God. Recognize that you too can be forgiven. Come forward. Trust in God’s plan. Trust in God’s people. Count your blessings today. Let’s live with a grateful heart. If we can help you in any way, come forward as we stand and sing the invitation song.