Introduction
As one year draws to a close, ten lepers stand at a distance from Jesus and cry out for mercy. He gives them a single instruction: "Go and show yourselves to the priests." As they go, they are healed. But only one turns back, falls at Jesus' feet, and gives him thanks (Luke 17:11-19). And Jesus asks a question that echoes down the centuries: "Where are the other nine?" In this sermon, Anthony AMEMOR invites you to understand what thanksgiving really is, why it is decisive for your life, and how to practice it in a way that pleases God. Wisdom tells you what to do; understanding brings you into the dynamics that produce the result. And here, the result is living out the fullness of what God already has in store for you.
Message Outline
1. What thanksgiving is
- Giving glory to God for all his blessings, personally and as a church (Psalm 103:1-5).
- It is first personal: "Let all that is within me bless his holy name," you don't wait until you're at church to give thanks.
- It is a response to what God has done: in your family, your marriage, your work, all throughout the year.
- It is an attitude that keeps the focus on him alone: "It is he who forgives... it is he who heals... it is he who delivers."
2. Why give thanks to God
- To preserve our blessings: like canning tomatoes so they don't spoil (Malachi 2:1-3; Jeremiah 13:16).
- To perfect what God has begun: God does not give us everything all at once, he watches our response before completing his work (Luke 17:19; James 1:17).
- To multiply our blessings: Jesus gives thanks over five loaves and the crowd is satisfied (John 6:6-11). Thanksgiving is the fertilizer of multiplication (Jeremiah 30:19).
- To open the doors of God's presence: "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise" (Psalm 100:4).
- To turn our spiritual savings into help in the day of trouble (Psalm 50:14-15).
3. How to give thanks to God
- With joy and a willing heart: "God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7; Deuteronomy 28:47-48).
- With understanding, with insight: it is not a formality, it is thoughtful worship (Psalm 47:7).
- Right away, without putting it off: "Take care lest you forget the Lord" once you are satisfied (Deuteronomy 8:10-12).
- Every day, at all times: David says he praises God seven times a day (Psalm 119:164).
- By contrast, grumbling attracts the destroyer while thanksgiving draws God near (1 Corinthians 10:10).
Key Takeaways
- Wisdom tells you what to do; understanding teaches you how to do it in order to receive what God has promised.
- Thanksgiving is not politeness, it is a key that opens the fullness of what God has in store for you.
- God does not always give everything at once: he gives you a little to see your response, then he perfects what he has begun.
- Simply being alive, healthy, with a roof over your head, bread to eat, and a family, is already reason enough to say thank you.
- A heart that grumbles and a heart that gives thanks do not reap the same harvest: one opens the door to God's presence, the other draws the destroyer near.
Personal Application
- What specific blessing have you received from God this year that you have never taken the time to go back and thank him for?
- In what area of your life are you tempted to grumble right now, and how could you turn that grumbling into concrete thanksgiving?
- Are you willing to start a testimony journal where you write down each week what God has done, so nothing gets forgotten?
- Do you give thanks to God with joy, or out of habit and obligation? What do you need to change in your inner attitude?
- How often do you give thanks in a single day? Could you commit to following David's example and praising God at least seven times a day this week?
Scripture References
Frequently Asked Questions
What is thanksgiving according to the Bible?
Thanksgiving means giving glory to God for all his blessings, both individually and as a church. Psalm 103 describes it as personal ("let all that is within me bless his name"), as a response to what God has done, and as an attitude that keeps the focus on him alone.
Why give thanks to God even when the situation is difficult?
Because thanksgiving preserves, perfects, and multiplies the blessings God has already begun. Jesus gave thanks in front of five loaves and two fish (John 6), and in front of Lazarus' tomb. No matter the situation, gratitude opens the door to God's intervention.
How do you give thanks to God in a way that pleases him?
With joy and a willing heart (2 Corinthians 9:7), with understanding (Psalm 47:7), right away so you don't forget (Deuteronomy 8:10-12), and every day: David said he praised God seven times a day (Psalm 119:164).
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