When our grand-daughter Sarah was two years old, she was extremely active. She was always busy, always moving and always in a hurry… because at two years of age, she had already realized that there are so many exciting things to do and see and experience in this incredible world God has given us.

One day Sarah interrupted her play-time just long enough to run into the kitchen in search of a mid-afternoon snack. Hurriedly, she said to her mother: “Banana, Momma, Banana!”

Jodi, her mother, handed her a banana. Sarah quickly grabbed the banana and turned to rush back out of the kitchen. However, before she took very many steps, her mother said: “Sarah, come back. What are the magic words?” Sarah screeched to a halt, turned back around and said: “Please! Thank You! You’re Welcome! God Bless You! And I Love You, Mommy!”

At this point, Sarah got a second banana!... And a warm hug!

The magic words Sarah’s mother was looking for were “Thank you.” She got more than that… but those were the words she was looking for… because Sarah’s mother knows how important it is… for us to learn how to stop and say thanks.”

Thanks-giving, gratitude, appreciation… whatever you want to call it… is learned. We don’t come into this world as grateful people. We come into the world selfishly screaming out our demands.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I love babies. They are absolutely wonderful… one of God’s greatest miracles… but anybody who has ever been around a new-born baby knows that babies come into this world self-centered and impatient. They come into the world screaming… “Hold me, Feed me, Burp me, Change me, Rock me, Walk me, Sing to me... and do it right now!”

And that’s okay… because they are babies… and that’s the only way they can communicate… indeed, the only way they can survive. But, as time goes by, they grow up… and as they mature (if all goes well) they learn how to be grateful, how to be appreciative, how to say “Thanks.”

The crowning virtue of all life is gratitude. And one of the most dramatic signs of Christian maturity is the easy ability to say thanks. Immature people don’t know how to be grateful because they’ve never grown up… They go through life screaming: “Where’s mine?” “What’s in it for me?”

But, mature Christian people have a special spirit that is so beautiful. It’s called gratitude! This is why one of the first things we do in the Christian home is to teach our children how to say grace at the dinner table. What do you call it at your house?

Saying grace?
Asking the blessing?
Returning thanks?

Which one did you learn first?

“Blessed are Thou, O Lord, who gives bread to the hungry and satisfies our hearts with good things.” That’s a good one. Or, how about this one?

“O Lord, bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies and us to Thy service.”

Is that the one you learned? Or, maybe you learned this Scottish prayer of thanksgiving: “Lord Jesus, as Thou didst bless the loaves and fishes, bless these our humble little dishes.”

Or, maybe you learned this one: “For health and strength and daily food, we give you thanks, O Lord.”

Some years ago, I spent a wonderful morning with our grand-son, Paul. Paul was four years old at the time… and we had a great time that day… just the two of us. We went for a walk, played together at the neighborhood park… and then went to McDonalds and picked up food to take home for lunch.

As we sat down at the table at home for our meal, four-year-old Paul announced boldly that we should return thanks before eating and that he would do it… And then, he said: “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food. Amen.” (And, I said “Amen” also.)

But the Paul looked at me and said: “Gran, we’ve got to do it again.” I said “Why? What’s the matter?” And Paul said: “You didn’t hold your hands right!” “O, I’m sorry,” I said. “Gran, if you don’t hold your hands right it won’t work!!!”

He reached over, took my hands and gently placed them in the prayerful position… and then he prayed again. “And do you know what? It worked! I held my hands right and it worked! Paul was grateful and I was grateful! It worked!”

Isn’t that beautiful? Already, at just 4 years of age, Paul had been taught the importance of “stopping to say thanks”… and it was serious business to him. It was crucial to him that it be done… and that it be done right!

“Stopping to say thanks”… how sacred that is, how appropriate that is! It is one of the key expressions of faith and one of the most dramatic emblems of spiritual maturity.

That’s what this story is Luke 17 is all about,… this poignant incident where Jesus heals the ten lepers. Remember the story with me. Jesus was on the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village, he heard these 10 lepers screaming at him… begging for help.

They had to scream out because by law, lepers were required to stay some 50 yards away from all other human beings. Half a football field away… they scream out, trying to get Jesus’ attention. Jesus gives them His attention and then some. He tells them to go show themselves to the priests… and as they go they suddenly realize that they are cleansed, made whole, healed, delivered from this despicable, debilitating disease… and from that horrible, isolated, outcast existence.

And they were all so thrilled, so excited, so moved, so grateful… that they all immediately turned around and ran back to thank Jesus for what He had done for them? No! Not quite!

Only one of them did that. The Samaritan in the group. The outcast among outcasts. He was the only one who stopped to say thanks. The nine others went on their merry way.

I know what you’re thinking right about now: “Shame on those ungrateful nine! If I’d been there. If I’d been one of those cleansed lepers… I would have turned back and thanked Jesus!”

Sure you would’ve. Why don’t you do it now? Has he cleansed you, saved you, delivered you? Have you really thanked him? You see… we are so often like those nine lepers who forgot to say thanks…
- We are so busy… so spread thin.
- We are so stretched out and so stressed out.
- We are so frazzled with all the things we have to do, need to do, want to do… that we just can’t find the time to stop and say thanks to our Lord for what He has done for us.

Stopping to say thanks is so important, so precious, so beautiful, so right. That’s what this story is about. That’s why we know about and respect this Samaritan… because he took the time to go back and fall down at the feet of Jesus and say thanks.

So, this morning… let me take the time to “stop and say thanks.” I’m grateful for so many things. Let me mention a few. I’m sure you will think of others.

I. FIRST OF ALL, I’M GRATEFUL FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

A few years ago in Oklahoma, a young woman came to a support group in her church. She was having a rough time..
- She had lost her husband and now had the full responsibility for her three children.
- She felt so alone… and so afraid that she wouldn’t be able to give her three children what they most needed as they grew up.

“If it were just me,” she said, I’d be okay… Sure I’m hurting and I’m lonely… and I’d have to do without some things… but I’d handle it just fine. But, it’s my kids that I’m worried about.”

And then she said: “So many of their friends have new clothes to wear to school this year… and not just new clothes, but expensive clothes… designer-clothes.” “There’s no way I’ll ever be able to afford things like that and it just hurts me to see my kids feel like they’re out of place… and then when it comes to college, I don’t know what in the world I’ll do… all that added expense and we’re just barely making it now.”

With that, her voice trailed off and she began to cry. Just then an older woman went over and put her arm around her… and tried to comfort her. She said:

“You know, I can really relate to what you are feeling right now… because twenty years ago, I was in the same predicament. I had lost my husband. I have four young children and I wasn’t even making $500 a month. But, let me tell you something… we made it… the five of us… and I’m so proud of who and where my kids are today. I’d put them up against anybody’s kids.”

And then listen closely to what the older woman said next. She said:

“I have one piece of advice to give you. It’s the best advice I know. You may not be able to give your kids designer clothes or sports cars or trips to Europe… but there is one thing you can give them.. that’s better than all of that anyway… You can give them the church!!

Make sure that you and your kids go to church and Sunday School every week. That might not seem like much to you right now… but I cannot tell you what a difference it will make in the long run. They’ll receive something there that many kids don’t have and money can’t buy… and it’s something upon which they can build their lives for the rest of their days.

Give them the church. It’s the best gift you can give them! It’s the best thing you can do for them!”

She was right wasn’t she? The Church is one of God’s greatest gifts to the world. Let me ask you something: What would our community be like? What would our world be like? What would life be like if we didn’t have the Church? I am so grateful for the Christian Church and for all the good the Church does in our world and I wanted to stop this morning and say thanks for the Christian Church.

II. SECOND… I’M GRATEFUL FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.

There is a story about a Monastery in Portugal. The monastery is perched high on a 300 foot cliff. The only way the monastery can be reach is by a terrifying ride in a swaying basket, pulled by a single rope by several strong monks.

One day an American Tourist was about to ride up in the basket. However, he became very nervous when he noticed that the rope was quite old and quite frayed. Timidly, he asked: “How often do you change the rope?”

One of the monks replied: “Whenever it breaks!!!”

Many people today treat faith like that. They never turn to faith until something breaks. But, thank God, there are others who realize that the Christian faith is a life-style that works in practical daily living. It is not just some last resort. It is the way to live. It is the way to relate to other people. It is the way to serve and honor God.

One of this generations finest novelists was a man named Walker Percy. Walker Percy became a Christian when he was 30. He confessed his faith in Christ and joined the church and was a faithful member until his death.

Many of his fellow-writers and critics were harsh and critical of him. They mocked him and ridiculed him. They said he had “caved in” to religion. One of them said to him: “What do you mean by betraying your intellectual integrity and becoming a Christian? There are so many other options.”

What options, Percy asked. The critic said: “Well, there is eastern philosophy or spiritualism or new age thinking or secular humanism or astrology or materialism… and the list went on and on.

Walker Percy waited until the critic finished and then he said: “That’s what I mean.”

Walker Percy believed with all his heart
- That those aren’t options at all…
- That Jesus is the answer to our deepest yearnings,
- That Jesus is the one who gives our lives meaning,
- That Jesus is the one who brings us fully alive,
- That Jesus is the one who is the hope of the world,
- That Jesus is the one who can cleanse and deliver and save.

I am so grateful for the Christian Church and I am so grateful for the Christian Faith.

III. THIRD AND FINALLY, I’M GRATEFUL FOR THE CHRISTIAN GOSPEL.

Some years ago, a little boy came into a pet shop. He wanted to buy a puppy. The owner whistled… and four cute frisky little puppies came running into the room… tails wagging, yipping happily. But, then another puppy came straggling in… dragging one hind leg.

“What’s the matter with that puppy Mister?” the boy asked. :Well, Son, that puppy is crippled. We took him to the vet and found that he was born with a bum leg. The leg will never be right.”

Quickly, the little boy pulled out his money and said: “I’ll take him! He’s the one I want!” “But, Son, you don’t seem to understand,” said the owner. “That puppy is going to be a cripple all his life. Why in the world would you want him?”

Just then… the little boy reached down and pulled up his pants leg… revealing an iron brace holding his twisted leg… and then he said: “Mister, that puppy is going to need someone to help him. He’s going to need someone who understands... and I am the one who understands.”

Now, let me ask you something: Where did that little boy learn how to love sacrificially like that? You know, don’t you?

He learned it from the Christian Church.
He learned it from the Christian Faith.
He learned it from the Christian Gospel.
He learned it from the One who went to the Cross for you and me,… from the One who was human enough to understand and divine enough to forgive.

I am so grateful for so many things… family, friends, home, health, career… but this year I am also going to stop and say thanks to God for the Christian Church, the Christian Faith and the Christian Gospel.