20/05/2024
TOPIC: THE DANGER OF INGRATITUDE.
TEXT: Luke 17:12-19
[12]And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
[13]And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
[14]And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
[15]And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
[16]And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
[17]And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
[18]There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
[19]And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
*“Ingratitude” is the Forgetfulness of the kindness received, or the poor return for the kindness received.
*Ingratitude is not appreciating or valuing what you have, or what you have been given.
*Ingratitude is also an Unexpressed gratitude.
*Have you ever given someone a gift and not received thanks for it?
Have you ever felt unappreciated by your family or friends?
If so, how did you feel?
*Ingratitude can be painful, so let’s be Grateful.
*Ingratitude or being unthankful is a sin and it displeases the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as it displeases you when people don't appreciate the good things you do for them.
It is one of the rampant sins of this end time.
Romans 1:21 says;
Because, when they knew God, they did not glorify him as God, and were not thankful, but became futile in their reasonings, and their foolish heart was darkened.
*The thankful Samaritan got a permanent blessing. *Ingratitude can deprive you of other blessings.
*Those who show appreciation do not suffer from depreciation.
*Many are not as grateful as they should be. Some of us are so busy enjoying the good things of life like food, family, and fellowship we forget to thank God for these blessings.
The ingratitude of the nine lepers calls for concern hence Jesus said where they not 10 lepers cleansed, where are the remaining 9?
Note that Nine of the ten lepers were ingrates.
Only one was grateful.
*This shows that many people are always ungrateful. Only few shows appreciation to God, and even to man.
Are you among the ingrates?
*Do you show appreciation for little things, and for big ones too?
*Also, A lesson for us as Givers is that we should not depend on a lot of gratitude for the good we do. Even though we need it.
*We should not be deterred from doing good because of ingrates.
*Note that Jesus did not take back the healings from the ingrates.
Nor did He allow the incident to sour His attitude toward helping others.
*We must continue to help and be a blessing to others no matter what.
*Ingratitude takes various forms:
1. Some receive God’s blessings yet never worship Him.
2. Some even give credit to some cult or “self-help” practice, or to man.
3. Some takes God’s blessings for granted as if God owes them.
* It’s sad when we receive the gift and forget the Giver.
* We must remember to give thanks in all circumstances especially to God, and then to the person God used.
*It hurts when the one you have tried to help shows no gratitude.
*Jesus Christ expects us to always show gratitude because It feels good to be thanked. And It encourages you to do more.
*Let us always give thanks:
1. For the free air we breathe.
2. For our families
3. For the Freedom to work and enjoy the fruit of our labour.
4. For the calamities we escape daily.
5. For our Church home.
6. For our Health, friends, material and spiritual provisions, etc.
7. For the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that brought us eternal life.
8. For the freedom we enjoy to worship God without fear.
9. For answers to our prayers,
For the Presence of God’s Spirit,
For all the wonderful things God has promised us.
*Child of God, Once you appreciate, you do not depreciate.
*When you always thank God, then your tank will always be full.
*When you are grateful for anything God gives you, you always overcome.
Revelation 11:12 says “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony”.
*2 Timothy 3:1-5 says;
[1]This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
[2]For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
[3]Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
[4]Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
[5]Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
*There are many things we should be grateful for,
Spiritual things and Physical things.
*Many children are complete ingrate to their parents.
The Bible says ‘honour your father and your mother, that your days may be long’.
The reverse is also true: ‘dishonour your father and mother so that your days may be short’.
*Parents should also show gratitude to their children and for the great things they accomplish.
We are in a strange world of ingrates.
This generation is full of ingratitude.
Many couples do not appreciate each other. The husband does not know the value of the wife, the wife does not know the value of the husband.
*Employers and employees do not appreciate each other.
*Christians are not left out.
*Christians and humans in general do not appreciate God’s provision of grace and goodness for their lives.
* The Psalmist says “bless the Lord o my soul and forget not all His benefits.”
The spirit of ingratitude is a spirit that is not moved by kindness, unwilling to be kind in return. *Somebody has been kind or good to you but you repaid with unkindness or with lack of appreciation.
*Ingratitude is bad. And it is a greater sin than revenge.
*Revenge is payment of evil with evil. But ingratitude is repayment of good with evil. It is a greater sin.
That is, you are not showing appreciation for the favour shown to you.
There is divine anger and curses attached to ingratitude.
Proverbs 17:13 says;
Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.
*Ingratitude might be the reason you are passing through some difficult times now.
* Some people prays and beg God for something with a vow. And after God did it, they refuse to pay the vow.
What a wickedness.
*You must never forget gratitude and you must never be disloyal to those who helped you.
*Wherever you are today, someone helped you.
*Many people are so ungrateful to God.
The Bible says “if it was not God that had been with us, what would our Israel now say?”
*You were probably born without any medical assistance in a polluted environment, yet you survived.
Those days, If you did not eat the way you should eat, they would block your nose and put the food by force into your mouth. They would compel you to eat by force, yet you did not choke to death.
You are alive, you survived.
*Those days when people had fever, when they were supposed to take away clothes from their body, they would wrap them with more clothes, then convulsion would start.
Then they would quickly push a spoon or finger between the teeth, yet you survived.
*Many of us grew up with witches and wizards inside terrible polygamous homes and they all saw your star, yet you survived.
*How many of you know that if it is not for the mercies of God, you will not be here now?
If you know, shout a loud Hallelujah!
*Sometimes, we complain unnecessarily.
You must repent of it.
The songwriter says “when upon life’s billows you are tempted tossed, ...
*We must always thank God for the calamities we escape daily.
Don't be ungrateful any more.
God is not happy with ingrates.
*Some people are Parasites: they are always takers.
They never say a word of thank you.
They never appreciate.
And they are never satisfied.
*There are Dangers of being an ingrate.
If you are an ingrate,
*You shut off your own destiny helpers.
*You shut the door to more blessings.
*You discourage your helpers from doing more.
*You don't get the last and most important blessing.
*You short circuit your own progress.
*You invite divine and human curses.
*You magnetise evil to yourself.
*You mobilise evil angels against your life.
*You shut down the door of mercy against yourself.
*Your children suffer from lack of helpers.
*You will be paid back in your own coin.
Some Ways to Overcome Ingratitude;
1. Always remember what God has done for you. And always give Him thanks.
* Psalm 103:2
We need to remember all those benefits we have from God.
* You cannot receive anything except it is giving to you by God.
*Even the power to make wealth is from God.
*If God does not permit it, even your helpers will not help you. You remember the chairs butler and Joseph?
*Someone said:
Blessed are those who give without remembering, and those who receive without forgetting."
2. Do Not Major on Your Troubles.
*It is always easy to talk about what's wrong, and What you have not gotten.
Romans 8:28 says;
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
*Stop talking negatively.
Always count your blessings both the ones money can buy, and the ones money cannot buy.
*We can be thankful for a lot of things, it depends on how we look at things.
Somebody was rubbed. He said, I thank God that I was not the one robbing someone else.
3. Always Think of How Much Better You Are.
It can always be better, but it can also be a lot worse.
According to Hebrews 13:5; Jesus said He will never leave us, nor forsake us.
Always count your blessings, and stop concentrating on what you don't have?
4. Always Express Our Gratitude.
*How often do you truly express your gratitude?
If someone does something kind to you, do you express gratitude?
*In your prayers, do you thank God for everything?
5. Do Not Take Common Things for Granted
How often, do you take things for granted.
Sometimes, we don't think.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 says
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
6. Do Away With Complaining.
It's easy to complain. We need to do away with complaining.
According to Numbers 14, the Israelites died in the wilderness because they murmured and complained.
We need to give thanks in all things.
Philippians 2:14 says;
Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
As I conclude this message, we must learn to do away with ingratitude, and always show gratitude both to God, and to man that God uses to help us.
*Let us always and truly live a life of gratitude.
*Let us truly live a life of thankfulness for what we have, and who we are.
*Bow your head and give God thanks. Be grateful.
