January 16, 2005

“Kingdom of God: The Grace of Gratitude and Praise”  

We stand in the triumph of the grace of God when we receive the ministry of ‘Life’ into our hearts.

And we stand in the triumph of the grace of God when we heed the ministry of ‘Life’ as He gives it to us.

So, then, grace has its effect of receiving and heeding the ministry of ‘Life’ each time as we stand in the triumph of it.

This fact we looked at last week.

Tonight, let us go on to the outgrowth of the ministry of ‘Life’ as it concerns the grace of gratitude and praise. 

And, first, let us go over to Jesus’ remark of the carnal  lack of gratitude as He portrayed it in Lu 17.

There, when Jesus had come to a certain village, ten men who were lepers met Him.

They asked Him to take pity on them and heal them.

Jesus sent them to a priest to be examined.

On their way to the priest, they were miraculously cured.   

And, one of them, who was a Samaritan, when he saw he had been healed, turned around and went back to Jesus.

What a boundless joy that must have burst him wide open!

The record says of it as being: ‘...at the top of his voice’ or ‘with a great cry of praise to God’.

It was an inward enlivening breaking out from his being.

He saw his cleared skin and, with a loud voice, gave praise to God as he was returning.

When he got to Jesus, he fell prostrate at Jesus’ feet with his face to the ground, giving Him thanks, too.

You see - he could not help but express what was coming from within him.

He was clean!

His hands showed no sign of disease any longer.

His miserable life of shouting ‘Unclean, Unclean’ - whenever anyone approached him - was over!

He was made whole!

He was made alive!

He was made new!

So - he bowed before Jesus, giving Him thanks!

I ask you: would you not think that all ten of them would have come back to say ‘thank-you, Jesus’?

Every one of their physical lives had been dramatically changed!

So - could it be true that only this one - one out of ten - gave praise to God for such a significant healing!   

Did this one man go off, as the other nine, and arrogantly fail to express his thankfulness to the giver of his new life?

Oh - no! He was so astonished and so grateful, he had to give glory to Whom glory was due!

It was gratitude from the heart!

Sometimes, it can be a song, sometimes it comes by grateful words, sometimes it can even be a thankful look. 

In this man’s case, he turned around - with the definite purpose of thanking Jesus and praising God as he returned.

Why?

It was because he saw something bigger than himself: he saw divine power operating!

And he bowed to that when he recognized it to be in Jesus!

The common thing for most is to take the gift without thanking the giver!

So this one single expression of thanks, from a Samaritan,  was no common grace of gratitude!

This is when Jesus asked the question: ‘Were not ten made clean? But the nine - where are they?’
 
But - what about the other nine?

Were they haughtily wearing ‘necklaces of prideful ingratitude’?

Is there no appreciation in their hearts to express it freely to God?

Are they so taken up with themselves that they feel no indebtedness for the change they so much longed for?

Is there no regard to, at least, acknowledge it?

Is this what living consists of: just taking, taking, taking - without stretching the hands outward in return?

There are times when I wonder whether some, or perhaps, most, may be among the ‘other nine’.

I wonder how many have ever really gotten beyond the ‘grasping self’ yet!

It was obvious that they did not understand what they really had been given.

It was obvious that these nine did not see Who it was Who gave it to them.

If they had, they would have ‘repented in sackcloth and ashes’ for such a great answer to their longing.

And they would have given God the glory with every breath they had taken forever after!

But this one man was different!

In this respect, I liken him to Job.

Job is a prime example in Scripture of demonstrating the grace of gratitude to the Almighty.

In chapter 17, he appealed to God in his misery.

Job had done nothing visibly wrong to deserve what he had received from the hand of God.

But - it was while he was so misjudged and scorned by his friends that Job still acknowledged God.

He praised Him for His wondrous works!

And, as he did, he grew stronger in his faith.

And he found that ‘Righteous men grow more settled in their ways; those whose hands are clean, add strength to strength.’ (Job 17:9)

Another translation reads: the ‘righteous man maintains his course: he does not falter.

In fact, his soul grows even stronger. 

And he whose hands are clean grows strong again.’ 

So Job learned that the aspect of things is transient - it is always changing.

That change has its effect on a man.

Never twice does he see or estimate a subject at the same value whenever it is met again.

Some estimate it each time in a self-centered, egotistical way and join the ‘other nine’ in their journey through life.

Others accept it in a softening, self-sacrificing way.

And, thus, they become aligned unto the grace of ‘uncommon’ gratitude and praise to God.

They perceive things according to their true and actual value.

And that is what makes them grow into the more settled way, the less vacillating way.

And they grow stronger and stronger.

Job saw the other side, too, and said: ‘For what shall be the hope of the impious.

He may grasp with greed but when God draws forth his soul from him, he finds his hands unclean.’ 

In his prayers, Job found himself saying to God: ‘I know Thou canst do all things...no purpose of Thine...restrained.’

And he was unafraid to admit and say: ‘I am the man who obscured Your designs with my empty-headed words.

I have been holding forth on matters that I cannot understand, of marvels beyond me and my knowledge.’
 
And over and over again, Job lifted up powerful outbursts of praise and adoration from the depths of his grateful heart!

In this, he walks ‘hand in hand’ with the one leper who lifted his soul in praise and thanks to the divine Person!

He was so astonished and so grateful for ‘clean hands’ and a ‘washed vision’ that he had to give God glory, too!

What ‘uncommon’ grace!

It was not grace that could be granted to the carnal, common mind.

It went far beyond and required the highest response from within!

Always - always - always - it goes beyond the common! 

It reaches high, very, very high!

It does not waste breath on empty words!

It does not say useless things!

I ask you seriously now: could it not be time to examine and consider the dead end of the ways many are yet treading before the Lord?

Yes - there are those who sit, year after year, Sunday after Sunday, in the Christian fellowship of believers.

And - still, they dare to lift up ‘unclean hands’ - hands that are not etched with the grace of gratitude toward the living God.

And - to pick up on the message a fortnight ago - may I dare say it - perhaps, the ‘first love’ has lost its proper place!

Could this be the reason for the ‘joyless spirit’ in some?

Perhaps, it is time to reposition attitudes before God and learn to develop the grace of gratitude in all things.

‘Wisdom and understanding bring honor when it is embraced and it is an ornament of grace to the head:

It delivers a crown of glory.’

Besides which: ‘The Lord loves the pure of heart; and he who is gracious in speech, the king is his friend.’ (Prov 22:11)

Such a man has grace in his lips - they are full of grace!

And, therefore, the Lord blesses him forever!

Note what happened to the Samaritan who applied the grace of gratitude.

Jesus’ last words to him were: ‘Thy faith hath made thee whole.’

He was blessed forever! His whole life changed!

He could walk about with the crown of grace upon his head.

‘Sound wisdom and discretion was to be life to his inner soul.

It filled him with a living energy he had not had before!

It was a reinvigoration out from his bondage, an enlightening to the eyes.

And grace was his adornment around his neck.’ (Ezra 9:8)

Tell me! Do we truly see this at work in our spiritual beings?

There are innumerable opportunities each one has each and every day to express thanks.

All of us here share in the corporate one given us on the Lord’s day each week.

We can be grateful that He has arranged the opportunity to express our praise as ‘one in Him’ each Sunday morning.

We have this providential moment to come ‘with singing unto Zion’.

We have the opportunity to thank Him with a loud voice of praise!

And, in this given span of time, there are no interruptions!

There are no intervals of outside stimulation feebly trying to motivate us to praise Him!

But we are given the opportunity by the inward prompting to let praise arise from the melody of the heart!

In all things, we have been given free range to give way to the spontaneous grace of gratitude!      

So - ‘rejoice ever more!’

‘In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.’

Let me ask you: Should we not gladly and quickly throw away all hindrances to receive such grace?

Why not join the ‘one’ rather than stay with the ‘other nine’ to receive the fullness of God’s grace of gratitude?

Why would we insist on refusing His grace when it holds the pledge of ‘joy with clean hands’?   

It also bears the promise of a ‘washed, clearer vision’ to our spiritual eyes!

Remember this: a divine inward enlivening is no small thing! 

It is the operation of the power of Christ.

And it is the work of the Holy Spirit Who is not to be quenched with the arrogance of ingratitude! 

I will close here for tonight and leave these thoughts with you to ponder.

I urge each of us to spend some serious, honest time with the Lord about this matter.

Consider it thoughtfully before Him in the privacy of your own heart as you look to Him.

And ask yourself: ‘Am I the single one, like the Samaritan,  who applies the grace of thanks and praise from a grateful heart?’

‘Or am I part of the ‘other nine’, still not yet advanced beyond myself?’

May the Lord bless us as we consider these things.

May He grant each of us the grace to face this point of issue as we go through this week.

Song: Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
      Praise Him all creatures here below.
      Praise Him above ye heavenly hosts,
      Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Amen.’			 
Now - go forth with the blessing of His peace and the song of joyful praise from your hearts.

Let it arise often as you go through your days!

Amen - so be it!