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Be The One (Who Gives Thanks) Series

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Dec 2, 2019 (message contributor)

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Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

Summary: Be the One (Who Gives Thanks) Series: Encountering Jesus (through the Gospel of Luke) Brad Bailey – December 1, 2019

Be the One (Who Gives Thanks)

Series: Encountering Jesus (through the Gospel of Luke)

Brad Bailey – December 1, 2019

[This message fell on the Sunday following Thanksgiving and led to a time of open giving of thanks from those in attendance.]

Today… we are going to have an opportunity to share what we want to give thanks to God for.

Most of us know that gratitude doesn’t always flow like we know it should.

Personal: A few years back… walked over to see how some neighbors were doing… he extended something to me… 2 tickets to the Lakers game. My wife and I were blessed by them…and had a great time at the game. Afterwards, I had good intentions to write a note to thank them…but didn’t follow through day after day… and I began to hope not to run into them. What was something that extended a relational bond… became a relational barrier. …because I had not returned to the source. Finally, I wrote a card and gave it to them on Thanksgiving Day…and the relational connection was restored. That is what many of us face in our relationship with God.

Gratitude is not simply something owed…but defines the very nature of our relationship.

Today…before we open up an opportunity to give thanks… we will pick up with our Encounter of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 17:11-19 (MSG) ?11 It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance 13 but raised their voices, calling out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 Taking a good look at them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." They went, and while still on their way, became clean. 15 One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. 16 He kneeled at Jesus' feet, so grateful. He couldn't thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus said, "Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? 18 Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?" 19 Then he said to him, "Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you."

Imagine that day.

Jesus is traveling with his disciples towards Jerusalem…and as he neared a village…a group of lives were waiting … a group that were dying of leprosy. [1]

Leprosy was the most dreaded disease of that time. (Many ask if it still exists…and it certainly does…but it is a disease which has been found to require many years of contact to be contagious and that it is curable. But that is relatively recent.) It was the most dreaded disease imaginable.

It would deaden the nerves…and begin by eating away a person's toes, fingertips, or scalp, but it would continue in a destructive path until it attacked the vital organs.

Over time it’s contagious nature could wipe out the whole village. So if a priest saw someone suddenly wearing gloves all the time, he would insist on examining the person. And if he found leprosy, the priest would expel the leper from their village in the harshest way imaginable. (If any signs appeared or fears arose… the priests would be pawing through people's scalps, fingers, and toes. [2]

The emotional pain was even worse than the physical pain.

You would be removed from your family…cast outside the community. There could be no contact, whatsoever, with one’s children or grandchildren. None. Immediately removed. One’s spouse would not be allowed to kiss them goodbye.

Those now marked and dying of this disease tended to roam together, looking for food, begging for assistance… from a great distance, learning to yell in loud voices, both from the need to warn others, and to beg for help from across the way.

Imagine what would it have been like to have been removed from family and friends or a lifetime, and to have been forced to announce that removal on a daily basis?

We don't know their names, genders, social status, their backgrounds, or families. All the distinctive things about them have been eaten away by the leprosy.

We do know that at least one of them was a Samaritan. Normally, Samaritans and Jews have nothing to do with each other--unless they all have leprosy. Then nobody cares much about religion or nationality.

Now they are all just outsiders, who live by the gates of the village. ?

When the lepers saw Jesus, they called out to him saying,

"Jesus, Master, have mercy on us."

It is striking that they don't ask for alms…or even ask for healing. Just mercy.

Mercy is what you ask for when you face the limits of changing your life.

(These have always been the words and posture that makes someone a insider with Jesus. It’s what calls all of us here. Until we confess a need for mercy, we'll never understand what Jesus and his church is really about.)

?Ten lives hung on the words or actions of the Man of Galilee.?

Luke makes a point of telling us that Jesus saw the lepers as they cried out to him. What he saw was the tragic demise of creation… of bodies… of relationships…of love. Jesus also knew that the only way they could return to their homes and families, according to the Law, was to be declared clean by the priests.

"Go, show yourselves to the priests."

In other words, Jesus was saying, go to the priests for certificates of cleansing. They weren’t free to ever come near anyone… including their families…unless the priests examined them and issued them a health certificate to proclaim they were healed. Jesus said, "Go get a physical examination."?

Verse 14 - “They went, and while still on their way, became clean.”

They had to step out in faith…to begin before they were healed.

At some point, those ten outcast lepers were changed. Diseased cells in their bodies were changed. The must have stood in utter amazement… looked at their hands, their feet, at each other’s ears, they were whole, they had been changed, Jesus’ reputation was true. Ten suffering human beings had been touched by the Son of God. Ten suffering men had been touched by the creating hand of God that was still very much at work in his world.??Can you picture them bounding down the road to the priest, now running, now leaping, now dancing, wondering how the priest would react... anticipating the excitement of their families as they would return home--healthy, alive, with a health certificate proclaiming to all what had happened.

All ten men caught up in the joy, the excitement of the moment.?

But only one returns

Verses 15-16…

15 One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. 16 He kneeled at Jesus' feet, so grateful. He couldn't thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.

Then notice Jesus response. "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?"

Where are the nine?

It’s certainly striking… 10 healed from a life devouring disease…and only one returns…nine don’t even come back to honor the source of such blessing. I wonder if the ratio has really changed much.

How easy it is to not give glory to God.

We don’t know what kept the other none from returning to Jesus.

Perhaps they were just busy. Maybe they were grateful, but they had been away from their families for so long… and just got drawn back into all the activities they wanted to enjoy. No doubt many of us have had good intentions …but we get busy… just didn’t get around to returning to God with thanks.

But of course … busyness is really a matter of priority. It just seemed optional. After all …one did come back…and we have no reason to think he had any less people to be with as Jesus sends him back to them.

Maybe they began to take it for granted… even as something that they deserved. We have developed such an inflated sense of our rights… that we think of life as owing us. We know that they cried out for mercy… but sometimes once we get what we so desperately need… we begin to take it for granted. Perhaps they thought, A lot of people have leprosy, and it takes their lives. But we had the power to overcome it.

While I appreciate what is implied when someone is described as a “self-made man”…. I also realize that no one is self-made. (I wonder how the Lord looks upon my life… the blessings of life I have been given…and whether they are returned to the Source?)

We like to feel special more than thankful. To have gone back and given thanks…shift the attention.

What we see is that something is missing in this moment…and I want to suggest that it isn’t just manners.

What they encountered was a relationship with underserved eternal world had just been opened up.

When Jesus asks about the others… we can sense a divine sadness that is significant. This isn’t a matter of his being unappreciated in his human nature…but of these lives still being lost spiritually.

We can tend to think of ungratefulness as simply a bad trait…sort of the acceptable sin of ingratitude.

But the Scriptures point to this as the most fatal part of our nature. [3]

Romans 1:21 (NIV) ?“…although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” ?

World becomes darkened. An ungrateful heart is a darkened heart.

It is cut off from the light and love that has been our source.

It might seem bold to feel that we don’t owe anyone anything….but the truth is that it is a tragic closing of the door from the very world we were meant to live in relationship to.

The hope lies in seeing that one of these lives did return. We can each return to give thanks.

Being here today is a significant step. It can represent a choice to come offer God our worship. You could have done something else this morning, but you know that there is a source to return to with thanks…and to give glory to.

The others lost sight of the source… but this man retuned and there is the eyes of Jesus …he received not just the act of mercy….but the relationship of mercy. One saw Jesus for who he was. He saw one who cared, one who loved, one who wanted a relationship with everyone on the face of the earth. He saw the Son of God as a man of love, a builder of relationships, he saw the miracle as Jesus’ way of building a bridge between the fallen creation, the brokenness of disease and the loving hand of God who wants to reach into that brokenness with his creating and redeeming power, He saw Jesus.

The one who returns…comes back to give thanks… and there is blessed by Jesus. Only he received the spiritual blessing in relationship to God.

All received a physical blessing… from a distance… and a dramatic and profound one…but only one ended up close to God. Physical restoration is amazing…but the spiritual restoration of being restored to life with God…is incomparable.

Ten found healing. One found love.

The difference…was gratitude.

Author, theologian, talk show host Dennis Prager, in his book Happiness is a serious problem writes:

“Yes, there is a “secret to happiness” – and it is gratitude. All happy people are grateful, and ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that it is being unhappy that leads people to complain, but it is truer to say that it is complaining that leads to people becoming unhappy. Become grateful and you will become a much happier person.” Dennis Prager, Happiness is a Serious Problem

Jesus’ question can speak to all of us today.

Luke 17:18 - “Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?"

Today…we have the opportunity to be the one who returns.

We are going to have an opportunity to give glory to God.

We are going to have a time of open sharing of thanks. As we do…I want to note a few helpful things.

• Start with finding gratitude in your heart. That is more important than whether we have the opportunity to share it with others.

• Don’t feel you have to have something dramatic… breathing is dramatic.

• Please be thoughtful of others by summarizing longer stories to a half minute or so.

• Let’s focus on honor to God.

It is good to thank others… but to only thank fellow human lives...will never connect us to the ultimate source of blessing.

TIME OF GIVING THANKS:

Possibly develop into a closing added thought reflecting Gospel:

Leprosy is not unlike a condition that is afflicting us, though ours is much graver. While the lepers were separated from Temple worship and the presence of God by their fleshly disease, we are eternally separated from God by our sinfulness. The commonality does not stop there. For both the lepers and us, our separateness finds healing exclusively through the power of Jesus.

What kept them at a distance? The Law. The law shut them out. The law set forth the conduct of lepers. The law said when you pass one, pass on the other side and cry out Unclean! Unclean! Sin puts us in an awful position. And they were all in this awful position.?· Where the law says man cannot go, Jesus goes. What the law declares off limits, Jesus barges in. When the law passes on the other side, Jesus makes it a point to make contact. When they could not reach God, he came to them. ??Possible closing / sending word

ILL. Roland Allen tells about a veteran missionary. The missionary one day explained, "I was a medical missionary for many years in India. And I served in a region where there was progressive blindness. People were born with healthy vision, but there was something in that area that caused people to lose their sight as they grew older."??But this missionary had developed a treatment which would stop progressive blindness. So people came to him & he performed his treatment, & they would leave realizing that they would have become completely blind, but because of him their sight had been saved. ??He said that they never said, "Thank you," because that phrase was not in their dialect. Instead, they spoke a word that meant, "I will tell your name." Wherever they went, they would tell the name of the missionary who had cured their blindness.

Resources: This message was just slightly adapted from one which I gave years earlier: “Has No One Returned to Give Thanks?” (November 30th, 2014) At that time it connected to a series on “What God Wants to Know” based on the questions God asks through the Scriptures. This message fell on Thanksgiving as part of going through the Gospel of Luke itself. Some of the original resources I found helpful:

Charles Allen, M. Craig Barnes, Michael Belcher (Re Law keeps us separated but Jesus reaches us); Tim Zingale (Re description of Jesus not immediately healing them), Tony Bazen (re how ungratefulness is the respectable sin that is at the root of spiritual fatality.)

Notes:

1. It has been noted that the labeling a person a “leper” reflects the nature of identifying one with their disease. (It would be akin to saying someone is a “cancer” rather than that they “have cancer.”) Today it is more appropriate to speak of one as having the disease of leprosy rather than as being a leper.

2. While in this event, Jesus chose to allow the natural distance between them, we know that Jesus elsewhere reached out and touched those with leprosy. Read Matt. 8:1-4

3. The loss of gratitude is the first steps of man’s downward slide away from God

When an individual...church... or a nation becomes unthankful, they have signed their spiritual death warrant. 2 Timothy 3:1-2 (NIV) - “Mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,

Other ideas and illustrations:

God is the center… and all glory belongs to Him.

Gratitude is the gravity that holds us in the orbit of God’s glory.

It’s often said that Thanksgiving a time for “counting our blessings?” How true that is. How vital to our souls it is to count our blessings.

"I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." ~ G.K. Chesterton

Author, theologian, talk show host Dennis Prager, in his book Happiness is a serious problem writes:

Chuck Swindoll. I’ve read this before but I think it’s something that bears repeating.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do.

It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past ... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitude." - Chuck Swindoll

The focus of thanksgiving is not on what...but on who…the ultimate source.

That is what makes it a true holiday…which means…holy day.

Thanksgiving is not simply about what we are thankful for….because thanksgiving is about recognizing the source.

THE REAL SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD

A teacher asked her students to list what they thought were the present Seven Wonders of the World. The students cast the most votes for:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids 2. Taj Mahal 3. Grand Canyon 4. Panama Canal 5. Empire State Building 6. St. Peter's Basilica 7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not turned in her paper yet. She asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list.

The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many."

The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. to see 2. to hear 3. to touch 4. to taste 5. to feel 6. to laugh 7. to love

- Citation: getSynergized Newsletter 7-27-03+

There was a father and mother of a young man killed in the military in a little church. One day they came to the pastor and told him the wanted to give a monetary gift as a memory to our son who died in battle. The pastor said, "That’s a wonderful gesture on your part. He asked if it was ok to tell the congregation and they said that it was. So the next Sunday he told the congregation of the gift given in memory of the dead son.?On the way home from church, another couple were driving down the highway when the father said to his wife, "Why don’t we give a gift because of our son?" And his wife said, "But our son didn’t die in any conflict! Our son is still alive!" Her husband replied, "That’s exactly my point! That’s all the more reason we ought to give in thanks to God."

A few key things to grasp…and guide us…in gratitude…

1. Gratitude recognizes that we are not owed anything. We are all at a distance…unclean…and in need of mercy.

2. Gratitude recognizes that the greatest blessing is God’s desire for relationship with us.

3. Gratitude recognizes that it is ultimately about returning to God as the source of goodness and glory.

While on a short-term missions trip in 1996, Pastor Jack Hinton from New Bern, North Carolina, was leading worship at a leper colony on the island if Tabango. There was time fore one more song, so he asked if anyone had a request. A woman who had been facing away from the pulpit turned around.

"It was the most hideous face I had ever seen," Hinton said. "The woman's nose and ears were entirely gone. The disease had destroyed her lips as well. She lifted a fingerless hand in the air and asked, 'Can we sing Count Your Many Blessings?'"

Overcome with emotion, Hinton left the service. He was followed by a team member who said, "Jack, I guess you'll never be able to sing that song again."

"Yes I will," Jack replied, "but I'll never sing it the same way.

Most professing Christians don’t even offer thanks over their meals much less offer thanks over all that God does in their lives. We are much like the little boy who was given an orange by a man. The boy’s mother asked, “What do you say to the nice man?” The little boy thought and handed the orange back and said, “Peel it.”

BEAR GETS RELIGION

In the middle of a forest, there was a hunter who was suddenly

confronted by a huge, mean bear. In his fear, all attempts to shoot

the bear were unsuccessful. Finally he turned and ran as fast as he

could.

The hunter ran and ran....and ran, until he ended up at the edge of a

very steep cliff. His hopes were dim.

Seeing no way out of his predicament, and with the bear closing in

rather quickly, the hunter got down on his knees, opened his arms and

exclaimed loudly: " Dear God, please give this bear some religion!".

The sky darkened and there was lightning in the air. Just a few feet

short of the hunter, the bear came to an abrupt stop, and glanced

around somewhat confused by the hunter's reaction.

Suddenly, the bear looked up into the sky and said:

"Thank you God for the food I am about to receive.....".

SON SLOW TO RECOGNIZE THE REAL GIFT-GIVER

To illustrate how we often fail to give God the thanks he deserves, Chuck Swindoll told the following story of a man he visited in a dismal veterans hospital:

The day I arrived to visit, I saw a touching scene. This man had a young son, and during his confinement in the hospital, he had made a little wooden truck for his boy. Since the boy was not allowed to go into the ward and visit his father, an orderly had brought the gift down to the child, who was waiting in front of the hospital with his mother. The father was looking out of a fifth-floor window, watching his son unwrap the gift.

The little boy opened the package, and his eyes got wide when he saw that wonderful little truck. He hugged it to his chest.

Meanwhile, the father was walking back and forth waving his arms behind the windowpane, trying to get his son's attention.

The little boy put the truck down and reached up and hugged the orderly and thanked him for the truck. And all the while the frustrated father was going through these dramatic gestures, trying to say, "It's me, son. I made the truck for you. I gave that to you. Look up here!" I could almost read his lips.

Finally the mother and the orderly turned the boy's attention up to that fifth-floor window. It was then the boy cried, "Daddy! Oh, thank you! I miss you, Daddy! Come home, Daddy. Thank you for my truck."

And the father stood in the window with tears pouring down his cheeks.

How much like that child we are.

- Citation: Chuck Swindoll, Elijah: A Man of Heroism and Humility Word, 2000+

ILL. In 1789, George Washington made this public proclamation. (Now I will read only a little part of it, but I want you to see the strong & absolute acknowledgment of the fact of God, & of our nation’s dependence upon Him.)??"By the President of the United States of America. A 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, & humbly to implore His protection & favor, and??"Whereas, Both Houses of Congress" (Did you hear that, "Both Houses of Congress?") "have by their joint committee requested me `to recommend to the people of the United States a day of Public Thanksgiving & Prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God. . .’ ??So read the very first Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation.??And one would assume that because of the example of our forefathers, & because today we have so much more than those founding lives, that we would be an extremely thankful people. ??But it is often just the opposite, isn’t it? The more we get, the less thankful we become, the less mindful of God we are, & the more we want.??PROP. This has always been true. Our souls lose orbit…. And become consumed by what we don’t have…. The Scriptures call us back…and especially the Psalmist….speak to our souls. …to maintain an attitude of gratitude. ?

"Gratitude as a discipline involves a conscious choice. I can choose to be grateful even when my emotions and feelings are still steeped in hurt and resentment. It is amazing how many occasions present themselves in which I can choose gratitude instead of a complaint. I can choose to be grateful when I am criticized, even when my heart still responds in bitterness. I can choose to speak about goodness and beauty, even when my inner eye still looks for someone to accuse or something to call ugly." ~ Henri Nouwen

"If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled." ~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Alternative titles and translations considered:

Can None Come Back And Give Glory To God?

Has No One Returned to Give Thanks?

Has No One Returned to Give Glory to God?

Where Are the Other Nine?

Luke 17:11-19 (NLT) ?11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

Material from others

Where Are the Nine?

Luke 17:11-19

Listen to this sermon

It is a tribute to modern medicine that most of us know very little about the disease called leprosy. Most of us have never seen a leper. We know only what we read in the Bible.

If we had lived in those days, we would have known a great deal more. In Bible times it was the most feared disease in the world. It was deadly, incurable and hopeless. So much did the ancients fear it that anyone suspected of having the disease was banished from society. In the rabbinic writings we find remedies for various diseases. But nothing is listed for leprosy. The rabbis said that curing leprosy was like raising the dead.

I. A Hideous Disease

Today leprosy is called Hansen’s Disease, after the Norwegian doctor who in 1873 discovered the bacterium that causes the disease. There are actually several kinds of leprosy, and we know today that the Bible words translated “leprosy” actually cover a broad range of skin diseases, which is why some modern translations use a phrase such as “eruptive skin disease.”

The worst kind of leprosy follows this general pattern:

—First, a patch of skin is discolored. It might occur on the brow, nose, ear, cheek or chin.??—Second, the patch turns white or pink and begins to spread rapidly in all directions.??—Third, the disease spreads to various internal organs. The eyebrows may disappear and spongy tumors appear on the body.??—Fourth, tissue begins to disintegrate causing the hands and feet to become deformed.??—Fifth, the nerve endings of the body of the are destroyed. This is the most critical and dangerous stage of leprosy because it means that the afflicted person loses the ability to feel pain. Thus a rat might chew off a finger at night and the person would never feel it. Or they might touch a flame and feel no pain.

It was feared by the ancients because it produced such terrible results, because it was contagious, and because it could not be cured by man.

Beware the White Hair

For all those reasons, Leviticus 13-14 gives special instructions concerning the diagnosis and treatment of leprosy. It essentially says that any swelling or rash or skin infection must be immediately presented to the priest for his inspection. He is to examine the sore, the skin surrounding and the color of the hair within the infected area. White hair was considered to be a danger sign. The person thus inspected would be quarantined for seven days. At the end of seven days, if the infection had disappeared, the person could be readmitted to society. If not, then the person diagnosed as having leprosy was banished from society during the time of his infection. This is how Leviticus 13:45-46 puts the matter:

The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ’Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.

Alfred Edersheim explains what this banishment meant to the leper:

As the leper passed by, his clothes rent, his hair disheveled and the lower part of his face and his upper lip covered, it was as one going to death who read his own burial service. The mournful words “Unclean, Unclean” which he uttered, proclaimed that his was both living and moral death. (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah)

With all that as background, we come to the statement in Luke 17:11-12 that as Jesus was traveling near the border of Samaria and Galilee he met a group of lepers. The Bible says that he was one his way to Jerusalem for the last time. Death is on his mind. We do not know precisely where this encounter took place. You could not find this small town on a map. It was somewhere south of Nazareth and Nain and Mount Tabor and somewhere north of Sychar. Jesus and his disciples are walking east toward the Jordan and the region of Perea. If you have visited the Holy Land, you know that even today that region is without large cities and towns. It is a remote area, precisely where you would expect to find a leper colony.

It is no surprise that Jesus encounters these unfortunate men between Galilee and Samaria. Galilee was Jesus’ home base. He was raised there. He had family and boyhood friends there. He made his headquarters at Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Most of his miracles and much of his teaching was done in Galilee. It was the land of his greatest popularity.

But Samaria was another matter. Good Jews avoided Samaria if they could. The story goes back hundreds of year to the Assyrian Captivity which began in 722 B.C. Some of the Jews had intermarried with the Assyrians and had become–in the eyes of their countrymen–half-breeds and traitors. Over the centuries the Samaritans had become a mixed race with a mixed religion.

The Jews hated the Samaritans, and the Samaritans responded in kind.

II. A Profound Miracle

And it is here, on the frontier between Galilee and Samaria, in the DMZ between the Jews and the Samaritans, that Jesus meets ten lepers. Where else could they go? The Jews didn’t want them; neither did the Samaritans.????Verses 12-13 gives us what sounds like an eyewitness account:

As he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

Here is a colony of lepers joined by their common misfortune and misery. Their only uniting characteristic is the foul disease that had cast them out of society. Every detail is true. As Jesus enters the village, these man stand afar off crying out to him for mercy. How did they know who he was? No doubt they had heard the rumors floating across the barren countryside—"This man can heal lepers.” No doubt they discussed it and then discounted it. Even if he could do such a thing, what were the chances that he would ever come to their village?

But now the word spreads—"He’s here.” “Who’s here?” “Jesus of Nazareth.” “I don’t believe it.” “It’s true. He’s here.” “Do you think he could heal us?” “I don’t know. Let’s find out.”

There they stand, the most ragged choir in Israel, ten lepers crying out to Jesus for mercy. No more pitiful sound ever came to our Lord’s ears. “Have mercy. Have Mercy” came the cry from lips that had seen too little mercy and too much condemnation.

As They Went, They Were Healed

What will Jesus do? Will he heal them right then and there? That was certainly within his power and no doubt that was what the lepers hoped for. Instead, Jesus said something that sounds surprising to us.

When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests” (14). At first glance, you might think that Jesus is simply putting them off. You might even conclude that he didn’t intend to heal them at all. And if you came to that conclusion, you might infer that Jesus meant to impress upon them the hopelessness of their condition. But all those inferences are incorrect. As a matter of fact, Jesus fully intended to heal them and (this is critical) he intended to do it in keeping with the demands of the Law of Moses. Leviticus 14 clearly states that the priest must authenticate any “cure” from leprosy. ("Cure” is in quotes because in reality no one was ever “cured” of leprosy. After many years (15-20 in most cases) the infection was gone and the person—bearing the ravaging marks of the disease—might re-enter society.) If Jesus hadn’t sent the lepers to the priest, no one would have believed the miracle had really taken place.

But that’s not the whole story. The last part of verse 14 says that “as they went they were cleansed.” They were healed as they went. Not before. Not after. That means that when they left to go to the priest, they still had leprosy.

How do you suppose they felt when Jesus said, “Go show yourselves to the priest?” Go show what to the priest? They were still lepers. They didn’t have anything to show that the priest would want to see. In fact, the last thing the priest wanted to see was ten smelly, disheveled, deformed, wretched lepers. I wonder if someone said, “Why bother?” After all, “Once a leper, always a leper.” There were sores everywhere, deformed arms and fingers bitten off by rodents. You could smell the disease a quarter-mile away.

Off they go, doubting all the way, this shuffling band of sufferers marching off to see the priest.

They take one step … and they are still lepers.??They take two steps … and nothing happens.??They take a third step … and the leprosy clings to their limbs.

But on that fourth step … something wonderful, something unbelievable, something they never dreamed possible, happened. With that fourth step, they were healed.

Instantly. Miraculously. All ten at once.

The Curse of Passive Religion

They were healed as they went. Not before. Not after. But in the act of going they were healed. Why? Because it was the act of going that was the act of faith. It didn’t matter how they felt about it. God honored their going in spite of their doubts.

That brings us to a tremendous insight. Our faith moves mountains when our faith moves us. When Jesus said, “Go show the priest” he was really saying, “Act as if you are already healed.” What a great piece of advice that is. So many times we pray and pray and nothing seems to happen. But when our faith–shaky though it may be–finally moves us to action, God honors it and the answer begins to come. Why? Because faith is belief plus unbelief and acting on the belief part.

??So many of us are trapped by the curse of passive religion. You know what that is, don’t you? It’s the view that says trusting God means letting him do it all. So we pray, “Lord, I need money,” but we refuse to go out and look for a job. We pray, “Lord, help me lose weight,” but we refuse to start exercising. Passive religion uses God as an excuse to do nothing.

Listen, if your name is Noah and God told you it’s going to rain, it’s all right to pray for an ark but while you’re praying, go out and cut down some gopher wood.

If your name is David and you find yourself in a valley facing Goliath, it’s all right to pray for victory, but while you’re praying, pick up some stones, put them in your sling and take dead aim at Goliath’s forehead.

Trusting God does not equal doing nothing. Remember, the ten lepers were healed as they went. Our faith moves mountains when our faith moves us.

III. A Shocking Revelation

So the ten lepers were healed. It is a marvelous miracle, but it is not the end of the story. In fact, that’s not even the heart of the story. Another miracle is about to happen.

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan (15-16).

You know the story. Ten were healed and only one came back to give thanks. Luke says he fell on his face before the Lord. He had what our Pentecostal brothers would call a “Shouting Session.” And why not? He’s been healed of leprosy. For twenty years he was a leper living in this remote corner, separated from his family, forgotten by his friends, cut off from his own people. Suddenly the disease vanishes and with it the twisted limp, the crooked fingers, the atrophied muscles. In less time than it takes to tell the story the disease and all its ugly tentacles are pulled from his body, leaving not a trace behind them. He stretches his arms high above his head and then picks up a stone to see how far he can throw it. He begins to walk and then runs and finally leaps into the air.

He is whole again. Healthy again. Clean again. No longer an outcast.

No wonder he shouted. I would too.

When Luke adds, “He was a Samaritan,” the shock is such that we ought to read it this way: “Think of it. A Samaritan.”

Remember, Jesus was a Jew and the Jews thought Samaritans were half-breed traitors. To make matters worse, he is a Samaritan leper. To a Jew, a more repulsive combination could not be found. He was from the wrong race, he had the wrong religion, and he had the worst-possible disease. In religious matters, this Samaritan knew almost nothing and what he knew was mostly wrong! But he knew Jesus had healed him and he knew enough to be grateful to God. That statement is why this story is in the Bible.

Let me go one step further. Luke doesn’t say so directly, but I think he implies that the other nine were Jews. If that’s so, then what this story really means is that those who should have been most grateful weren’t. And the one man who shouldn’t have come back did.

This whole story pictures life as it really is. First, it is a picture of the abundant grace of God. This is a cure by wholesale–a whole hospital healed with only a word. Ten at a time. It is a vast miracle. Second, it is a picture of prevalent ingratitude. Nine out ten people will probably forget every blessing they ever receive. Third, it is a picture of unexpected grace. Grateful hearts often pop up where you least expect them.

IV. A Penetrating Question

Now we discover what Jesus has to say about all of this:

Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well” (17-19).

Jesus asks three questions.

1. Were there not ten healed? Yes.??2. Where are the other nine? Gone.??3. Is there no one here but this foreigner? No one.

If you listen carefully, you can hear surprise, shock and most of all sadness. Jesus wanted to know about the others. Where are they? Weren’t they healed? Why didn’t they come back and say “Thank You"?

It’s a good question. Why didn’t they come back?

—Perhaps they were in a hurry to see the priest.??—Perhaps they thought Jesus was gone.??—Perhaps they assumed Jesus knew how grateful they were.??—Perhaps they were too busy.

So where are they now?

Gone off with their blessings.??Gone to see the priest.??Gone to see their families.??Gone with no word of thanks to Jesus.

Here is an amazing fact. You look at these ten lepers and they appear to be alike.

—All had leprosy.??—All were outcasts from society.??—All were determined to do something about it.??—All had heard about Jesus and believed he could help them.??—All appealed to him.??—All obeyed his word.??—All were healed.

On the outside they appear identical. Yet what a difference.????One returned. Nine went on.??One was grateful. Nine were not.??One man found forgiveness. Nine did not.??One man got two miracles. Nine got one.

All ten were healed. That’s one miracle. But the Samaritan was healed and forgiven. That’s two miracles. And that’s what Jesus means when he says, “Your faith has made you well.”

Like Children at the Dinner Table

The question remains: Where are the nine? The answer is, they got what they wanted and left. Jesus performed a mighty miracle for them and they said, “Thanks, Lord, I can take it from here.” They’re like children who eat their fill and then run away from dinner table without a word of thanks. “We’re full now. Let’s go out and play.” I think this is the particular sin of those raised in the church. We have so little sense of what God has done for us. Often we don’t love the Lord very much or feel grateful for his blessings.??We might say it in two different ways:

??1. Gratitude is the highest duty of the believer and the supreme virtue, the fountain from which all other blessings flow.??2. Ingratitude is the leprosy of the soul. It eats away on the inside, destroys our happiness, cripples our joy, withers our compassion, paralyzes our praise and renders us numb to all the blessings of God.

Tony Snow

Many of us have been touched by the news that Tony Snow’s colon cancer has returned. Writing about it recently, Cal Thomas began his column (The Tony Snow I Know) this way:

Nobody dislikes Tony Snow. By acclamation, people who know him say the White House press secretary is the most decent, kind and encouraging human being they have ever met.

Speaking to a group of journalists in January, Snow told them, “In many ways, having cancer was the very best thing that ever happened to me, other than marrying my wife.” You wonder what would make a man talk that way about a disease that could take his life. Colon cancer kills thousands of people every year. How could it be any sort of blessing? The answer goes like this. Cancer itself is no blessing, but God often uses it as a vehicle to teach us things we never knew and to deepen our faith. The disease itself is part of the price we pay for living in a fallen world, but through the cancer we may discover what matters most in life. Tony Snow found that his prayers began to change. He began to learn to surrender his life to God:

It’s not just saying ’God, it’s in your hands,’ but understanding whatever may come afterwards is a matter of not trying to get God to do stuff for you, except maybe to mow down some of the barriers that separate you from God, because for all of us, our vanities get in the way.”

As so many others have discovered, his cancer became the pathway of a new-found faith and ultimately of something he didn’t expect–joy.

After his first cancer surgery, Snow said he had to stay in bed and he began reading the Bible more, “learning to pray” and to ask God to “draw me closer, please, (which) develops a hunger that is also a form of joy.”

From cancer to prayer to the Bible to hunger to joy. It is not a path that Tony Snow would have chosen, but he would also say that what he has discovered has made the journey worthwhile.

We go through life saying, “What have you done for me lately, Lord?” And the Lord replies, “If only you knew.” So much of life is about figuring out you’re not in charge and figuring out who is.

Cancer did that for Tony Snow.??Leprosy did that the Samaritan.

One man was healed–and gave glory to God.??One man still battles his disease–and gives glory to God.

Every good thing in the Christian life flows from this mighty fountain. When I realize the goodness of God—not in the abstract or in the theoretical—but personally, particularly to me… Not in general, but what God has done for me!!!

Then (and only then) am I free to go, to pray, to tell.

—I do not need to be coerced.??—I do not need to be pressured.

—When finally we look and see what God has done …??—When finally we count our many blessings and name them one by one …??—When finally we understand that every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights above …??—When finally we see that life itself comes gift-wrapped from on high …??—When we know–really know–that all of life is a grace …

Then do we begin to praise,??Then do we begin to give,??Then do we begin to sing,??Then do we begin to tell,??Then do we begin to serve,??Then do we begin to enter into the “Abundant Life.”

—When finally we learn that we were born lepers …??—When finally we see what Jesus has done for us …??—When it finally breaks through that only by the grace of God do we have anything valuable …

Only then does life really begin to change!!!

At that point, wonderful things begin to happen to us:

What was Duty is now Privilege.??What was Law is now Grace.??What was Demanded is now Volunteered.??What was Forced is now Free.??What was Drudgery is now Joy.??What was Taken for Granted is now Offered Up in Praise to God.

When it finally breaks through to us, then we come running gladly!!!

Ten men were healed that day, but only one came back to give thanks. Are you living with the nine or with the one? Far too many of us take our blessings for granted and groan about duties. Does that sound like you? It doesn’t have to be that way.

Praise is a choice. A thankful heart is a choice you make. No one is forced into bitterness. You choose the way you live. The one who returned to give thanks chose not to forget what Jesus had done for him. The secret of a thankful heart is a conscious choice not to forget what God has done for you.

A SIN TODAY THAT WE MIGHT CALL A RESPECTABLE SIN: THE SIN OF INGRATITUDE OR THE SIN OF BEING UNTHANKFUL.??1. A FAMILIAR SIN –MAJORITY ARE GUILTY?a. FOUND THROUGHOUT BIBLE (CHILDREN OF ISRAEL)?b. BORN WITH THIS SIN PROBLEM...HAVE TO BE TAUGHT TO SAY “THANK YOU”... AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE MUST BE CULTIVATED.?c. II TIMOTHY 3

?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,??2. A FORGETFUL SIN?PSALM 103:2

2 Praise the Lord, my soul,?and forget not all his benefits— read more »

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:?a. SAVES?b. SATISFIES?c. SUPPLIES?d. ...BUT WE ARE GUILTY OF A “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY” ATTITUDE??3. A FATAL SIN?ROMANS 1:21

21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. read more »

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.?a. 1 OF FIRST STEPS OF MAN’S DOWNWARD SLIDE AWAY FROM GOD?b. WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL...CHURCH... OR A NATION BECOMES UNTHANKFUL, THEY HAVE SIGNED THEIR SPIRITUAL DEATH WARRANT.

"Where Are the Other Nine?"

Sermon shared by Brian La Croix

Where Are the Other Nine?

?Luke 17:11-19

?November 23, 2003

??Introduction

??I really struggled with this message. My plan was to start our look at the Gospel of Matthew, and not do much with Thanksgiving, but I got to re-thinking that, and so we will begin Matthew next week, and it will be a great lead-up to Christmas as we anticipate celebrating the birth of our Savior.??When trying to decide which passage to look at, I first thought about Psalm 100, where we get our song, “I Will Enter His Gates With Thanksgiving in My Heart.”??Or Ephesians 5:20, which tells to always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.??But then I came across this passage from Luke. It’s not your typical thanksgiving passage, but it’s extremely important.??In this episode of Jesus’ life we learn something not only about the love and compassion that Jesus showed for the downtrodden and outcast, but we can learn something about one of the other characters involved as well.??Please turn with me to Luke 17:11-19. If you’re using the Bibles under the seats, this is found on page 741. Please follow along as I read.??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 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 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."??We’ve all heard of the Good Samaritan. Here we have the Thankful Samaritan. And this morning I want to use the example of the thankful Samaritan to help us in our observance of Thanksgiving, and my hope is that you will leave here determined to be thankful every day, not just this time of year.??So let me offer you three lessons about the man who returned to give thanks. And may they cling to our hearts as this man clung to Jesus.??The first lesson of the Thankful Samaritan is that…??1. He took notice of his blessing.??15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.??Now leprosy was a little bit more than a zit on your nose, know what I mean???It’s an infectious nerve and skin disease that still exists today, though it can be cured in many cases, if caught and treated early enough.??But in Bible times, leprosy was a death sentence. Not only was it fatal, it took forever for it to finally kill you.??And in the meantime, you were banished from society, forced to keep covered, and yell out, “Unclean! Unclean!” when out in public.??People with leprosy were feared and pitied, but never accepted.??Except by Jesus.??More than once He cleansed lepers, and in at least one instance, He actually touched one as He healed him.??Touching a leper was asking for the disease. If you and I were to touch a leper, we’d stand a good chance of contracting leprosy.??That didn’t stop Jesus. Instead of rejecting lepers, He healed them.??And this old boy, when he saw what had happened, didn’t just say, “Hey, that’s pretty cool. Guess I’ll go the temple and then go home.”??He saw and he understood the magnitude of what had taken place. He was made whole by the hand of God.??And that leads us to the second lesson we can learn from this Thankful Samaritan, and that is that…??2. He proclaimed His praise to God publicly.??16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan.??Verse 15 says he praised God in a loud voice. He was shouting it!??“Wooooohooooo! Look what Jesus did for me! I’m clean! I can go back to my family! I can ride the camel taxi to work. I can actually go back to work! I can use a public bathroom again!??Look! I’m no longer one of the dregs of society. I can go home and embrace my family for the first time since this curse came on me!”??I can almost imagine Jesus talking to the disciples, and this guy’s hanging on His leg like a little child who doesn’t want his dad to leave for work.??“Weren’t there 10 guys? Wh--- Wh--- uh, excuse me, fella. But weren’t there 10? Where are the other nine?”??Are you afraid to publicly acknowledge your debt to God? Jesus said that if we acknowledge Him before men, He will acknowledge us before the Father.??I’m not saying we need to get all jump-up-and-downy or anything, but we need to get in the habit of publicly thanking God for His blessings.??You know what I have found to be true in my own life? That when I deliberately thank God publicly, my love for Him grows deeper, and my appreciation for Him expands.??To quote a famous commercial from way back, “Try it, you’ll like it.”??The third lesson we learn from the Thankful Samaritan is that…??3. He threw aside the barriers to his thanksgiving.??17 Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"??Remember, Samaritans were despised by the Jews, and Jesus had the audacity to heal him! Gasp!??But this guy wasn’t worried about whether it was politically correct to thank God publicly. He didn’t worry about what others would think. He didn’t worry about his buddies leaving him behind.??What are some of the barriers we face when it comes to giving thanks???• Fear of embarrassing ourselves in front of others.??You’re afraid that others will look down on you if you acknowledge what God has done for you.??I’ve already touched on that a bit, but this is simply not a valid excuse. We can’t let what others might think get in the way.??Jesus said that seeking the praise of men hinders us from obtaining praise from God.??Don’t let that be you.??Decide now that you won’t let others’ opinions stand in the way of thanking God.??• Ignorance of God’s blessings.??I am not saying stupidity. Ignorance simply means that you don’t know about something.??In this case, you are unaware of any blessings in your life.??Well, let me help you out a bit. You’re breathing, right? There ya go. That’s one. The very fact that God has given you another day to function is a gift and blessing from God.??That tells me that God’s not done working in you, and that just maybe He still has something for you to do for Him.??How about the fact that we are gathered here today to worship in a free country, free from the restrictions of other countries???You better be thankful, because you never know how long it’ll last.??How many of you are going to have lunch after this service? I hope you’re grateful for it.??How many of you can think of family and friends who love you, in spite of yourself???I can think of six right now (my wife and five children)!??Folks, my point here is that you can think of things to thank God for.??Lately I find myself reminded again that I live in a warm house, and that tonight I will sleep in a comfortable bed under warm blankets.??There are some in our area tonight who may not get that opportunity.??One of the best ways to get past this barrier is to start thanking God for the little things, and then you’ll appreciate the bigger things all the more.??• Never had the opportunity to thank God publicly.??Well, guess what? You’re gonna get your chance right now!??I want to give you the opportunity to stand up where you are and thank God for something this morning.??Young, old, or whatever, now’s your chance. All I ask is that you give me a moment so I can come to you with the microphone, so we can make sure everyone hears it okay???And we’ll take as long as it takes for everyone who wants to, to thank God.??Who’ll be the first one to publicly thank God for something today???(After testimonies)??Conclusion??Let me leave you with just one parting thought:??Be the "one." Don’t be one of the other nine. Be the one who comes to Jesus, thanking Him for everything.??Make it a habit. Start the day thanking God for another day to live for Him.??Thank Him for another day as a forgiven, spirit-filled child of God who can make an impact on those around you.??Thank Him that you have a home in heaven and the hope of God on earth.??Thank Him the snow. Thank Him for the cold. Thank Him air. Thank Him for the trees. Thank Him for everything.??Don’t let Jesus ask of you, “Where are the other nine?”??And watch God continue to shower you with blessings as you acknowledge God.

University of California professor Sonja Lyubomirsky details the things research shows the happiest people have in common.

1. They devote a great amount of time to their family and friends, nurturing and enjoying those relationships.

2. They are comfortable expressing gratitude for all they have.

3. They are often the first to offer helping hands to coworkers and passersby.

4. They practice optimism when imagining their futures.

5. They savor life's pleasures and try to live in the present moment.

6. They make physical exercise a weekly and even daily habit.

7. They are deeply committed to lifelong goals and ambitions (e.g., fighting fraud, building cabinets, or teaching their children their deeply held values).

8. Last but not least, the happiest people do have their share of stresses, crises, and even tragedies. They may become just as distressed and emotional in such circumstances as you or I, but their secret weapon is the poise and strength they show in coping in the face of challenge. [The How of Happiness]

I guess the blog post could end here. You've got your answer. But did you just want trivia? Or do you actually want to get happier?

The internet has become a firehose of ideas we never implement, tricks we forget to use.

Reading a list of things is easy. Implementing them in your life can be hard. But it doesn't have to be. Let's get down to business.

"Happiness Subscriptions"

Here's an interesting fact about happiness: frequency beats intensity. What's that mean?

Lots of little good things make you happier than a handful of big things.

Research shows that going to church and exercising both bring people a disproportionate amount of happiness. Why?

They give us frequent, regular boosts.

Stanford professor Jennifer Aaker says it's really that simple: the things that make you happy, do them more often.

We have designated work hours. We schedule doctor appointments. Heck, we even schedule hair appointments. We say happiness is the most important thing but fail to consistently include it in our calendars.

Research shows 40 percent of happiness is due to intentional activity. You can change your happiness by up to 40 percent by what you choose to do every day.

And much of what you do, you do on autopilot. Forty percent of what you do every day isn't the result of decisions, it's due to habits.

One paper published by a Duke University researcher in 2006 found that more than 40 percent of the actions people performed each day weren't actual decisions, but habits. [The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business]

See where I'm going with this?

Happy things need to be a habit. Part of your routine. Part of your schedule. Stop waiting for random happy events: you need a "happiness subscription."

So how do we take that list and make them things we actually do every day instead of more forgotten trivia? Let's get started.

1) Wake up and say ARG!

Even scientific happiness advice is often corny. I'll say that now so we can get it off the table…. But it works.

And this is why you might want to say ARG when you wake up. It's an acronym that stands for:

1. Anticipation?2. Recollection?3. Gratitude

I've written about the importance of a morning ritual and how research shows your mood in the morning affects your entire day. So start right.

Anticipation is a powerful happiness booster. It's two for the price of one: You get the good thing and you get happy in anticipation of the good thing.

So think about what you're looking forward to. Got nothing you're looking forward to? Schedule something.

Recollecting great moments has a related effect. Memories allow us to relive the good times and kill stress.

People prone to joyful anticipation, skilled at obtaining pleasure from looking forward and imagining future happy events, are especially likely to be optimistic and to experience intense emotions. In contrast, those proficient at reminiscing about the past — looking back on happy times, rekindling joy from happy memories — are best able to buffer stress. [The How of Happiness]

And gratitude is arguably the king of happiness. What's the research say? Can't be more clear than this:

…the more a person is inclined to gratitude, the less likely he or she is to be depressed, anxious, lonely, envious, or neurotic. [The How of Happiness]

And the combo often leads to optimism. Another powerful predictor of happiness.

So, corny as it may be, wake up and say ARG! And then do a quick bit of anticipation, recollection, and gratitude.

(For more on optimism click here.)

All that's fine and dandy. But what do you do once you're out of bed?

2) Savor your morning coffee

?(iStock)

Take a moment and really enjoy it. Smell it. Taste it. Appreciate it. Corny? Maybe.

But other research shows savoring — appreciating the good moments – is what separates the happiest people from the average Joe.

I imagine some of you are saying, "Well, I don't drink coffee." And please imagine me saying, "That's not the point."

It can be anything you do every morning.

And embedding savoring in our little daily rituals is powerful because studies show rituals matter.

Here's Harvard professor Francesca Gino:

You can think about rituals that you yourself might engage in prior to consumption experiences. What they do, they make us a little bit more mindful about the consumption experience that we are about to have. Because of that, we end up savoring the food or whatever we are drinking more, we enjoy the experience more, and in fact, we're also more willing to pay higher prices for whatever it is that we just consumed. Once again, rituals are beneficial in the sense that they create higher levels of enjoyment in the experience that we just had.

(For more on how savoring can make you happier click here.)

So what other habit can we build into our schedule that boosts joy? How about one that can make you as happy as sex does?

3) Sweat your way to joy

When you study people to see what makes them happiest you get three answers: sex, socializing, and exercise.

Their findings confirm what had been found previously: happiness is high during sex, exercise, or socializing, or while the mind is focused on the here and now, and low during commuting or while the mind is wandering. [Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life]

People who exercise are, across the board, mentally healthier: less depression, anger, stress, and distrust.

A massive Dutch study of 19,288 twins and their families published in 2006 showed that exercisers are less anxious, less depressed, less neurotic, and also more socially outgoing. A Finnish study of 3,403 people in 1999 showed that those who exercise at least two to three times a week experience significantly less depression, anger, stress, and "cynical distrust" than those who exercise less or not at all. [Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain]

Don't like exercise? Then you're doing the wrong kind.

Running, lifting weights, playing any sport… Find something you enjoy that gets you moving.

(For more on how sweating can increase smiling — and make you smarter too — click here.)

Okay, time to head to work. What's the best thing to do when you start the day? It's not about you — but it will make you happier.

4) The five minute favor

Who lives to a ripe old age? Not those who get the most help, ironically it's those who give the most help.

We figured that if a Terman participant sincerely felt that he or she had friends and relatives to count on when having a hard time then that person would be healthier. Those who felt very loved and cared for, we predicted, would live the longest. Surprise: our prediction was wrong… Beyond social network size, the clearest benefit of social relationships came from helping others. Those who helped their friends and neighbors, advising and caring for others, tended to live to old age. [The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study]

And a great way to do that without taking up too much time is Adam Rifkin's "5 Minute Favor":

Every day, do something selfless for someone else that takes under five minutes. The essence of this thing you do should be that it makes a big difference to the person receiving the gift. Usually these favors take the form of an introduction, reference, feedback, or broadcast on social media.

So take five minutes to do something that is minor for you but would provide a big benefit to someone else. It's good karma — and science shows that, in some ways, karma is quite real.

Yes, some who do a lot for others get taken advantage of. But as Adam Grant of Wharton has shown, givers also succeed more:

Then I looked at the other end of the spectrum and said if Givers are at the bottom, who's at the top? Actually, I was really surprised to discover, it's the Givers again. The people who consistently are looking for ways to help others are over-represented not only at the bottom, but also at the top of most success metrics.

(For more on the best way to get happier by being a giver, click here.)

Alright, you have to start work for the day. Ugh. But there are ways that work can make you happier too.

5) Life is a game, and so is work

Like the research shows, the happiest people have goals.

In his studies, the psychologist Jonathan Freedman claimed that people with the ability to set objectives for themselves — both short-term and long-term — are happier. The University of Wisconsin neuroscientist Richard Davidson has found that working hard toward a goal and making progress to the point of expecting a goal to be realized don't just activate positive feelings — they also suppress negative emotions such as fear and depression. [Engineering Happiness: A New Approach for Building a Joyful Life]

Many of us feel like work can be boring or annoying but the research shows many of us are actually happier at work than at home. Why?

Challenges. And we reach that state of "flow" only when a challenge presents itself. So how can work make us happier?

Three research-backed things to try:

1. To the degree you can, do things you're good at. We're happier when we exercise our strengths.?2. Make note of your progress. Nothing is more motivating than progress.?3. Make sure to see the results of your work. This gives meaning to most any activity.

(For more on getting happier by setting goals click here.)

Enough work. You've got some free time. But what's the happiest way to use your free time?

6) Friends get appointments too

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You have mandatory meetings in your schedule but not mandatory time with friends? Absurd.

One study says that as much as 70 percent of happiness comes from your relationships with other people.

Contrary to the belief that happiness is hard to explain, or that it depends on having great wealth, researchers have identified the core factors in a happy life. The primary components are number of friends, closeness of friends, closeness of family, and relationships with co-workers and neighbors. Together these features explain about 70 percent of personal happiness. – Murray and Peacock 1996 [The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People]

Why does church make people so happy? Studies show it has nothing to do with religion — it's about the socializing. It's scheduled friend time.

After examining studies of more than three thousand adults, Chaeyoon Lin and Robert Putnam found that what religion you practice or however close you feel to God makes no difference in your overall life satisfaction. What matters is the number of friends you have in your religious community. Ten is the magic number; if you have that many, you'll be happier. Religious people, in other words, are happier because they feel connected to a community of like-minded people. [The Secrets of Happy Families: Improve Your Mornings, Rethink Family Dinner, Fight Smarter, Go Out and Play, and Much More]

And if you have the cash, pay for dinner with a friend. Money definitely can make you happier — when you spend it on other people.

By the end of the day, individuals who spent money on others were measurably happier than those who spent money on themselves — even though there were no differences between the groups at the beginning of the day. And it turns out that the amount of money people found in their envelopes — $5 or $20 — had no effect on their happiness at the end of the day. How people spent the money mattered much more than how much of it they got. [Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending]

Harvard professor and author of Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending, Michael Norton explains in his TED talk:

Don't have the cash for that? No problem. Take turns paying. Duke professor Dan Ariely says this brings more happiness than always paying half.

(For more on how to have happy friendships click here.)

What's the final thing happy people have in common? They cope with adversity. So what should we do when life gets tough?

7) Find meaning in hard times

Research shows that a happy life and a meaningful life are not necessarily the same thing.

It's hard to be happy when tragedy strikes. But who lives longer and fares better after problems? Those who find benefit in their struggles.

For example, in one study researchers interviewed men who had had heart attacks between the ages of 30 and 60. Those who perceived benefits in the event seven weeks after it happened — for example, believing that they had grown and matured as a result, or revalued home life, or resolved to create less hectic schedules for themselves — were less likely to have recurrences and more likely to be healthy eight years later. In contrast, those who blamed their heart attacks on other people or on their own emotions (e.g., having been too stressed) were now in poorer health. [The How of Happiness]

In many cases, Nietzsche was right: what does not kill us can make us stronger.

A substantial number of people also show intense depression and anxiety after extreme adversity, often to the level of PTSD, but then they grow. In the long run, they arrive at a higher level of psychological functioning than before… In a month, 1,700 people reported at least one of these awful events, and they took our well-being tests as well. To our surprise, individuals who'd experienced one awful event had more intense strengths (and therefore higher well-being) than individuals who had none. Individuals who'd been through two awful events were stronger than individuals who had one, and individuals who had three— raped, tortured, and held captive for example — were stronger than those who had two. [Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being]

So when you face adversity, always ask what you can learn from it.

(For more on how to make your life more meaningful — without terrible tragedy — click here.)

See that? I took the eight things happy people do and squeezed them into just seven habits. You can thank me later.

Now how do we tie all of these happiness boosters together?

SUM UP

If you want every day to be happier try including these seven things in your schedule:

1. Wake up and say ARG!?2. Savor your morning coffee?3. Sweat your way to joy?4. Do a five minute favor?5. Make work a game?6. Friends get appointments too?7. Find meaning in hard times

We're all quick to say happiness is the most important thing… and then we schedule everything but the things that make us happiest. Huh?

So what's going to make you happy today? Have you thought about it? Is it on your calendar?

Reading happiness information is useless trivia unless you use it and you won't use it unless it's part of your routine.

If happiness is the most important thing then make it the most important thing.

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Be The One (Who Gives Thanks) Series

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Dec 2, 2019 (message contributor)

Summary: Be the One (Who Gives Thanks) Series: Encountering Jesus (through the Gospel of Luke) Brad Bailey – December 1, 2019