“The Bible tells an important story for today. ‘Ten lepers approached Jesus pleading for His mercy and healing touch. Jesus responded to their cry and healed all of them. Yet, Only one leper returned to Jesus to thank Him. Is this surprising?”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment as we’ve entered this Thanksgiving Season, we’ll talk about God’s call to thankfulness…

…Yes friends, it's that time of the year again where Christians all across these United States give thanks to God for His manifold blessings and grace. Yes, this coming Thursday a most wonderful moment of the year arrives where many take the time to travel home to see Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, and their families for a day of festivities and good old fashion home cooking.

However increasingly this national celebration called Thanksgiving Day, has fallen away as a time to remember God. This is natural of course, since our nation has chosen to reject its heritage of societal belief in the God of Christianity. Yet today I want to ask you – “what does Thanksgiving Day mean to you friend?” Is it just a long weekend, filled with a fantastic meal with family and friends? Or perhaps it's just the kick-off day of the highly commercialized Christmas season ahead? Well, the real Thanksgiving Day has always been much more than that. Of course, our American tradition dates back to the very first Thanksgiving, celebrated by the Pilgrims in the year 1623, when the people of Plymouth Colony set a table filled with food after their first harvest. There they gave thanks to God for all they had and received. History records as the years went by this special time of the year became a special holiday that was officially recognized by our founding fathers.  More than 150 years later on Nov. 1, 1777 , by order of Congress, the first National Thanksgiving Day was set up as a national holiday to be observed by people in every state of the union. Since then we have been celebrating it annually. However in 1941 congress set aside the fourth Thursday of November to express our gratitude to God for His continued blessings bestowed upon us as a people and a nation. After our second pause for musical refreshment, I’ll return with my message today entitled: A CALL TO THANKFULNESS…

…Say friend, "Are you thankful?" One of my favorite old time Bible commentators is Matthew Henry. A story is told about him that I think sets the tone for my talk. One day Matthew Henry the famous Bible scholar was accosted by thieves and robbed of his wallet. He wrote the following in his diary:

"Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, although they took my wallet, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed."

What a wonderful perspective of thanksgiving in such a negative moment of life, for there is no room in a grateful heart for any bitterness, malice or hate. This of course is a perfect picture of our founding fathers, the Pilgrims. Although they suffered terribly the first winter in their new land with many of their loved ones dying of sickness and exposure, they nonetheless rejoiced and gave thanks to God for all the blessing they still had received. I tell you this kind of “spirit” is almost lost today, even in the church of Jesus Christ .

Not long ago when my wife and I chose to visit our oldest son in New Hampshire, we decided to also tour the Plymouth Plantation located in Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts. It was a wonderful experience, but most of all it brought me to realize how much these Pilgrims suffered and how little they really had when they came here. Yet they always were thankful. What was the secret of their thankfulness? I think the Psalmist of old captured it for us when he wrote:

Psa 100:4 (NIV) "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."

Psa 136:1 (NIV) "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever."

This was indeed, the secret of the Pilgrim’s thankfulness, as they kept that first Thanksgiving Day in Plymouth Colony. Yes, they believed that there was a God who was watching over them, that this same God loved them and cared for them, while not interfering with their individual rights to personal responsibility. And, they knew in their hearts, God loved them and that His mercies were everlasting to them and to their children for generations to come. As such, they lived their lives trusting in the sovereignty of God and His infinite care that taught them, nothing could or would happen to them, except it was permitted by the all watchful care of the hand of God.

This I believe is the source, the “mother load,” of anyone being able to be thankful even in dire circumstances. Alas, as one looks around our nation today we see a generation of people who are no longer thankful. How do I know that? Very simply, the bible tells us what happens to people who become thankless. We read Paul's words to the Church at Rome ,

Rom 1:21-32 (NLT) "Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t… even give him thanks… The result was that their minds became dark and confused… As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever. Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved. 28 When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. 32 They are fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too."

There you have it! God gives us a laundry list of the consequences of all humanity when it becomes “thankless.” The Bible says, vanity, darkness of heart, foolishness, vile corruption, and violence will mark any society that has turned its back on God, and refuses to acknowledge Him with grateful hearts for all He has done for them. Remember too friends, this is not my list or thoughts, it’s the Holy Spirit of God Himself, describing the life and character of the thankless. Sadly, we all must confess this is a picture of many people in modern America , who find this coming holiday, this Thursday, very inconvenient and troubling. This is why our learned halls of education and our communities have tried to "hide away, "this day of thanksgiving. Why, to whom can any godless person be thankful? I recently read of the popular cartoon character, Bart Simpson, who was asked to say grace over the meal. He prayed, "Dear God, we paid for all this stuff ourselves, so thanks for nothing!" Does that shock you? It shouldn't. That’s the modern American spirit of thanksgiving you see today. Sad, the world doesn't have a clue to the essence of Thanksgiving. But the truth is, when one no longer believes in God, there is nothing outside of self to consider. For what should anyone be thankful for when all you have you think is a result of your own abilities and graces? How much better to be thankful to God in all things! Why many great Bible figures that God blessed were always thankful. We discover what King David of old wrote,

2 Sam 22:50 (NIV) "Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name."

Daniel the mighty prophet in ancient Babylon wrote,

Dan 6:10 (NIV) "Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem . Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before."

Paul the wonderful New Testament apostle of Christ declared,

1 Th 5:16-18 (NIV) "Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."

And, of course our greatest example, our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Himself who said,

Mat 26:27 (NIV) "Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you."

Mark 8:6 (NIV) "He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so."

The Bible tells us there is no limit to how thankful His creatures should be. Of course, this troubles some who ask: "How can we be thankful in everything? What about times of tragedy, great sickness, suffering, natural disasters, and even moral evil's outbursts in our humanity? Can we really be thankful?" The answer is yes, because we realize that God is still in control of every situation. Scripture tells us He has promised that nothing happens in the life of a believer that first doesn't flow through the channel of His love, care and plans for our good. Indeed, even moral evil, natural disasters, suffering, tragedies and death. God permits these things to occur by the hand of sinful man and our sin cursed nature, but He does not command or orchestrate it. Because God is sovereign in all things, He has promised that He will turn even the bad into good, that everything will in the end be used to bring glory to Himself, and to you and me, some form of genuine blessing.

Now, as hard as that may seem to accept, faith in that gives great strength to endure much and still be thankful. Again, this was the faith and hope of the Pilgrims that first thanksgiving day in 1627. Although they suffered much and their hearts were heavy for their losses, some how God was going to use this suffering time to bring great blessing, and they by faith believed it!

And, has this not been so? Look at our great nation that came forth from their willingness to begin in a new land, founded upon the great principles of the Christian faith. Indeed, God blessed them and their children and their children's children and given us this great heritage called America ! Had they not endured those hardships, it would not have come. The truth is, some left Europe seeking gold and settled in South America , as such they were not blessed. The Pilgrims left Europe seeking God, and their settlement was blessed beyond measure.

Now thinking on this grand truth, how thankful should we be in our 21^st century? Well first of all, the greatest thing we can give thanks for this holiday week is not our own personal wealth, nor our health, nor our luxury homes and healthy loved ones. Our greatest thankfulness can only be that God has counted the human race worthy of being the recipients of His greatest gift, “Eternal life.” Yes, Jesus dramatically declared,

John 10:10 (NIV) "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

John 6:47 (NIV) "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."

At this Thanksgiving season, the Bible’s call to thankfulness again goes out. Will you be thankful for God’s greatest gift and blessing of life eternal, He offers us? Will you be thankful that God has offered to put away all your sins and He has promised to remember them no more? Believe this for God Himself has said,

Heb 10:16-18 (NIV) ""This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." 17 Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." 18 And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin."

Praise God, He has fully declared our sins are remembered no more! That is the greatest thing anyone can be thankful for. Are you friend? You are only if you’ve received Christ as your Lord and Savior. Have you realized the Lord Jesus alone is the only one who has broken the power of sin for all who come to Him, for He alone has paid our penalty on the cross? The Pilgrims knew this and were abundantly grateful. Likewise, we who claim to know Christ today, we too must be genuinely grateful; regardless of what blessings we may be missing. Yes, for God's people, thanksgiving ought to be one of the most delightful occasions of the year. May we excel at giving thanks to God this week, for all his goodness and grace.

Now today as we look around our nation, we find that many in our land lack a clear sense of purpose for this coming celebration. Why is that? Well maybe it's because we who are Christians in recent years and this past century, have been poor role models! In that case, may the words of the Psalmist remind us of our duty and delight,

Psa 100 (NIV) "... Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his ; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

Unfortunately, as we are all born with the old nature of self-centeredness, we are not naturally thankful. This is why of the ten lepers the Lord Jesus healed, only one returned to thank Him. Well now you have the same chance! This coming Thursday, millions of American's will wake up on Thanksgiving Day, and God will be looking to see how many will really come to Him and return thanks. Paul encouraged the early church at Colossi to do just that when he wrote,

Col 3:17 (NIV) "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Now at this junction it is important to note -  our gratitude must not be directed to our own personal success or fortune, but to the One who makes all things possible, the Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, our entire Christian life is to be one big "thank-you" to God, for this is the length, breath and depth of true thankfulness, which God will look for in you and me. So remember my friend, when Thanksgiving Day rolls around, let it be more than a special feasting day and a family reunion. Let it be an oblation of love, a sacrifice of praise to Him who as the referred King James Bible says, "crownest the year with thy goodness." ( Psa. 65:11). Additionally, may God find this wonderful spirit of the early Pilgrims and America's past, also continue to be found in all of us, not only this coming week but every day till Jesus comes again.

Friend, the Bible declares,

"Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people."

Indeed, we should this coming Thanksgiving Day, seek afresh God's love and His gift of life through salvation, His strength for service, and His face for fellowship. Surely, we should praise Him for His power; praise Him for His Person; and praise Him for His absolute purity and holiness. Yes, herein the call to thankfulness will then be complete. May the Lord find these thoughts working in us all, for Jesus sake. Amen…

…Bart Simpson the grotesque but popular television cartoon character unfortunately has expressed the new American’s heart when he said: "Dear God, we paid for all this stuff ourselves, so thanks for nothing!" I’m afraid our national spirit of “unthankfulness,” or “thanklessness” will one day bring to a close the abundant blessing and goodness of God that still flows in this land. When and if that day should come in our lifetimes, we as a nation will be guilty of its sentence. However, each year at Thanksgiving we can change that. You can do this by turning to Jesus Christ, acknowledging Him as your Lord and Savior and declaring “ to God be the glory great things He has done!”