A Personal Proclamation of Thanksgiving
Luke 17:11-19
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along
the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had
leprosy[a] met him. They stood at a distance
13 and called out in a
loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us! 14 When
he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the
priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed,
came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked
him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus
asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other
nine? 18 Has
no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”
19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Thanksgiving is a time
of the year for thinking and thanking. A time to remember all that God has done
for us and to Praise His Name. Although many countries observe a Thanksgiving
Celebration with special emphasis on Harvest time, our American Thanksgiving is
a woven story of our countries dramatic early roots. It emphasizes the rich
inheritance we have a free citizens of this great nation…But it also is a time
to get our hearts ready for Christmas…and that is OK. But too many times in all the hustle and bustle of this or any holiday
like looking forward to Christmas, many will confuse, abuse, refuse, or just
lose Thanksgiving…Thanksgiving is essential if one is to be ready for
Christmas. So in order to save Thanksgiving, one needs
to take a good close personal look at themselves. The best place to do that is
through God’s word.
1. Thanksgiving Perceptions
What do you think Thanksgiving is all about? What is your
perception? For that is where Thanksgiving starts. Thanksgiving is more than
just a celebration of food. It is more than just a reverent prayer at a meal.
Thanksgiving is not just another day. Thanksgiving is an attitude of gratitude to
God. If you stop and think about all your many blessings, you will thank God
for them. The lepers showed Reverence and Recognition of Jesus as they stood at
a distance and called him by name, and we do the same as we repeat prayers or
simply say we are thankful, but it must go a little further. Look at these
Lepers. If anyone had a reason to have a bad perception of Thanksgiving it was
these Lepers. They probably felt that they didn’t have anything to be thankful
for. But these Lepers had hope…And this is Thanksgiving…Praising God in hope and
trust that He will meet and continue to meet our needs. The hope of being
thankful for what you are blessed with. Most of us all know that God has blessed us
also.
This is not anything new…And the lepers knew Jesus was
the Lord, and they sought His help…but 90% were self-focused. They did not
understand the full meaning. They just look at the physical. Don’t confuse
thanksgiving with just another day.
Thanksgiving is an attitude of the heart. It is
Spiritual. And when we confuse we often abuse…so make sure your perceptions are
able to help you practice Thanksgiving the right way. Let’s explore this
thought…Our Thanksgiving Practices….
2. Thanksgiving Practices…(v.14)
We, as Christian
Americans ought to know how to give Thanks. We have been super blessed. We should
expect Thanksgiving to be normal, but just like many things, we take giving
Thanks for granted and abuse it. Thanksgiving Practices are documented in our
rich history. (As the Family Research Council notes…)
The date is December 2, 1620. After 66 days of a stormy voyage across the
Atlantic Ocean, the Mayflower reached Plymouth, Massachusetts. Although the
shores were icy and the terrain bleak, the Pilgrims were thankful to have found
a land of freedom where they could openly worship God. They spent their last
day on the Mayflower in Worship and Thanksgiving. After a bitter cold winter,
spring came at last. The Pilgrims continued to thank God , but through many
tears, for half of their community had died from sickness. Those early settlers
were thankful to God always, through good and bad times. And when the fruit of
their labor was harvested, their thankfulness climaxed in a great feast. From
their bounty and supposedly sharing with the local Native American Indians,
they gave thanks to God and initiated our Thanksgiving Day.
Although Thanksgiving celebrations were common throughout New England,
they did not begin to spread southward until the War for Independence, when the
Continental Congress issued eight proclamations for a Day of Thanksgiving and
Prayer. It is also worth mentioning that the same Congress also issued seven
proclamations for a Day of Fasting and Prayer, for a total of 15 official
prayer proclamations during the American Revolution. For example,
President George Washington issued the first federal Thanksgiving
proclamation Whereas it is the duty
of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will,
to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and
favor; …Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the twenty-sixth
day of November next, to be devoted by the People of these United States to the
service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all
the good that was, that is, or that will be;
That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble
thanks, for His kind care and protection of the People of this country, for the
manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His Providence. By 1820,
the various state governments had issued at least 1,400 official prayer
proclamations, almost half for times of thanksgiving and prayer and the other
half for times of fasting and prayer,
As we look back at our text…I’m sure some of the lepers
were of the house of Israel. They were covenant people who should have known
better, but they didn’t stop to go back and Thank God. They abused
Thanksgiving…by not following through…They did not practice Thanksgiving…which
is to THANK ALMIGHTY GOD In our world
today it is easy to confuse and abuse thanksgiving, by focusing more on family
and food than thanking the Lord… Listen…today
we must let the right perception of Thanksgiving become the right practice so
we can again make our own personal Proclamation so that we do not LOSE
Thanksgiving.
3. Proclamation of Thanksgiving
There was one leper in
the group who Thanked God. There was One
who celebrated Thanksgiving, came back and Praise God…He perceived, he
proclaimed, and he presented Thanksgiving to God, and you can too. Thanksgiving
always begins within individuals.
We can change our attitudes of gratitude. You can inspire
others to also…Be an influence on your family and friends. All we have to do is want to…no matter what.
It begins in the hearts of individuals…You and me…
What is the difference in the changes between this one
and the other 9…change of body (disease) for them all, but only a change in
heart of the 1 who came back…
So…..Let Jesus change your heart also as you come back to
Him in Thanksgiving…Learn today how to continue to celebrate Thanksgiving?
Proclaim Thanksgiving so that your life will be prepared for Christmas?
The purpose of Thanksgiving is
to learn to Give Praise to God in all things…and to thank God in everything…in
order to be ready to minister to others during Christmas…Why not do that this
year with your own personal proclamation of Thanksgiving. Let me give you an
example and feel free to use this or make up your own, but remember in all
things to give Thanks to our God. He is worthy of all of our praise.
“Whereas:
it is the humble duty of all men and nations to adore the Providence and
Presence of Almighty God; to acknowledge with gratitude our obligation to Him
for benefits received and to implore such further blessing as we stand in need
of; to obey His Will and Submit to His Authority, to be grateful for His
benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; upon our family and
our friends…We do now unite in declaring our Thanksgiving unto our God. And with all sincerity we profess unto Him
our sincere and humble giving of thanks, for His kind care and protection of
the People of this country for so many years…and we ask for His Grace and
manifold mercies, and the favor of His Providence…We declare these truths from
our heart this day in the name of His Son and our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.
