Grace for the Race

The “What” of Advent

I would like to shift our focus for the next four messages leading up to Christmas Day and begin an Advent devotional series, in hopes that we might experience afresh the passion and power of waiting on God during these last few days leading up to Christmas Day. In this first message, we will look at what Advent is in the life of the Christian.

The word advent simply means the coming or the arrival of something anticipated and important, such as the advent of the electric light bulb . . . the advent of the automobile . . . the advent of the computer . . . the advent of the cell phone. The word Advent, as it relates to the Christian calendar, comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or “visit.” It generally covers the four Sundays leading up to Christmas day. It is the time when Christians prepare to observe the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ through prayer, fasting, and repentance. We remember the hope of the Jewish nation and their longing for the coming of the Messiah.

During the Advent season we celebrate two profound events in the life of one promised Person; that Person, of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ. The two things we celebrate are His first Advent—the birth of the Christ child in Bethlehem—and His promised second Advent, when He will return to consummate His kingdom.

This is our fourth season celebrating Advent as a church family at Cross Community Church. The comments from the congregation each year have truly blessed my soul! All the members of our congregation, as well as our many visitors, are incredibly excited to participate in celebrating the Advent season. Some have told me that it brings back warm childhood memories of Advent calendars, Advent wreaths, and Advent candles. Others have said Advent is something they knew little or nothing about, and they find it both fascinating and faith-building. All of them affirm that our observation of Advent is quite helpful in shifting their focus away from the crass, worldly commercialism of Christmas and onto the cherished Christ of Christmas.

I can also tell you that the Advent sermons enrich the worship in our church.  However, in our increasingly secular society, the Christmas season—with all the “parties we’re hosting and marshmallows for toasting”—has a tendency to “X” Christ out of our hearts and minds if we aren’t careful.

Advent should remind us, not only of the coming of our Savior, but of our continual need of Him day by day. D. James Kennedy used to say, “God saved you then. Is He saving you now?” God not only saves us from the penalty of our sin; He saves us from the power of sin. God is saving us daily from our old way of living and empowering us to live a new way—with a new heart, new goals, new desires, and a new direction in life. The season of Advent helps us to keep these Gospel truths in clear focus.

It is my prayer that this Advent Devotional Series will help us all to be ready, willing, and able to celebrate—not so much the presents under the tree, but the great Gift of God, who was nailed to the tree in our place, taking on Himself all our sin and giving us His righteousness, that we might have eternal life.

I hope you find the next three messages to be a source of encouragement that will strengthen your hope and sharpen your focus on the Lord Jesus Christ, who has come and is coming again, just as the Scriptures promise:

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

(Revelation 22:20)

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Think about the phrase, “I’m counting on you!” Whenever that phrase is uttered, it is always spoken to someone you know. The parent says this to the child; the coach says this to the player; the teacher says this to the student. The question I have for you today is: Can you say this about Jesus Christ?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

(Proverbs 3:5-6)

Counting on someone really comes down to knowing that someone. So . . . how well do you know Jesus? I’m not talking about the worldly vision of Jesus, which imagines either some celestial Santa Clause—making His list and checking it twice to determine who’s been naughty or nice—or the angry Cosmic Cop, who is just waiting for you to break the law so He can take His pound of flesh from you. I’m talking about the real Jesus—the One who left His throne and took on human flesh, entered into this world, lived a sinless life, died a sacrificial death, and rose supernaturally from the grave. How well do you know this Jesus? The better you know Him, the more you will count on Him!

God has given us a number of resources that help us know the Christ, and I have often discussed them in this blog: from the Bible to corporate worship, from prayer to Christian friends. But I want to suggest another resource that we often forget about: past experience.

Can you think about a time in your past when God came through for you? Of course you can . . . probably several times! God has continually come through for you in the past, time and time again. But we have a tendency to forget that, just as the Israelites did when God used Moses to lead them out of their captivity in Egypt. They had witnessed the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea, they had eaten manna from heaven and seen God bring water from a rock, but it wasn’t long before they stopped counting on God and began counting on themselves, which culminated in the awful incident of the golden calf.

But this is not for you! The same God who has come through for you so many times in the past will continue to do so in the future.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

(Hebrews 13:8)

You can count on the One who has led you out of captivity and set you free to be all He is calling you to be. Granted, you can’t—and shouldn’t—count on God to always give you all the “stuff” you want in this life. He doesn’t work that way! But you can count on Him to give you everything you need to do all He is calling you to do. Jesus Christ was worthy of your trust in your past; He is worthy of your trust today; and He is most definitely worthy of your trust as you move into the future . . . even during those inevitable times when you are challenged to trust Christ even though you feel that you cannot trace Him.

So . . . where in your life are you counting on Christ right now? Where do you want Him to show up “big time” to meet you in your place of deepest need? Fear not, for the power of the One you are counting on is greater than any power you will ever come up against!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

How well do you share? You may be thinking, “Well, that depends on what it is you want me to share!” When it comes to a meal with my beloved Kim, I must remember that last bite on the plate often seems to be the one she has been working her way toward throughout the entire meal. In other words, hands off! And when it comes to the last bowl of ice cream in the freezer . . . well, everyone in my family has the good sense to know that Dad has absolutely no intention of sharing that treat with anyone!

The Bible tells us we are to be the saints of God who share our time, talent, and treasure with others for the glory of God. Most saints know this truth and do their best to do just that. But there is something else we have been called by God to share, and I am convinced that many of us are not as good at sharing in this area:

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

(Galatians 6:2)

When was the last time you shared a burden of yours with someone else? When was the last time you shared someone else’s burden with them? For many, the second is much easier to do than the first. Yet we are called by God to share our burdens; by doing this, we obey the law of Christ.

You see, we have been made for community. When God saved us, He drew us out of our intentional isolation and placed us in the body of Christ. As part of one body with many members, we are to shoulder the burdens of others . . . and at the same time, share our burdens with others.

Our perfect model of sharing burdens is the Lord Jesus Christ. He came into this world to bear the greatest burden the world has ever known: the cosmic burden of sin and death. The prophet Isaiah said, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” Isaiah 53:4). And as He moved along the way toward the cross, Jesus also demonstrated how to bear daily burdens. Jesus not only met our deep spiritual needs; He met our physical needs as well. Jesus modeled burden-bearing perfectly!

When we share the struggles of others, we point them to Jesus Christ, who can and will meet the deepest needs of all those who will turn to Him in faith. One of the best ways to put the Gospel on display is to bear one another’s burdens. Burdens that we bear alone can bury us; but when someone comes along to shoulder the burden with us, the load is lighter and the burden becomes bearable.

Do you remember God’s statement in Genesis—“It is not good for man to be alone”? To be sure, Adam was not alone; he had the Triune God to be with. And yet God ordained another person, Eve, to be Adam’s helpmate. God has designed life to be lived in community, where we look to the needs of others and find ways to meet people there.

So . . . are you carrying a burden today that would be lightened by sharing it with someone else? Know this: when you keep your burdens to yourself, you deny a blessing to the other person who wants to share it with you. We each need each other, and when we share our burdens we are building each other up to press on toward the finish line.

Many Christians do not spend much time in the book of Ecclesiastes, and that’s a shame, because they are missing great chunks of gold, like this one:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep arm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

Share your time, your talent, and your treasure. But don’t forget to share your struggles too!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN! 

I have served as a coach and trainer of athletes throughout much of my life, so I am well acquainted with the performance treadmill. In many ways, the treadmill is important and valuable. Athletes are measured by their performance; their performance keeps them in the game, and peak performance often leads to victory. The performance treadmill also comes into play in the business world. Run hard—perform well—and you climb the ladder of success; perform poorly and you can find yourself looking for another job.

However, when it comes to our walk with the Lord, we must not confuse “do” with “who.”

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his wonderful light.

(1 Peter 2:9)

Jesus came to take us off of the performance treadmill . . . seeking to find our acceptance and approval from God by what we do. We are already accepted in the beloved. We are already approved of by God. And all of this is because of Jesus’ performance, not ours. God required a perfect, unblemished Lamb to be sacrificed, One who would take away the sins of the world. So Jesus came into this world and lived perfectly and sinlessly; He fulfilled the Law of God completely. As He said, He did not come to abolish the Law, but rather to fulfill it.

His final perfect performance was His death on the cross. And God was so pleased with everything Jesus accomplished in His perfect life and sacrificial death, that God put His stamp of approval over the life and performance of His precious Son by resurrecting Him from the grave.

Think about it for a moment: do you really believe that there is anything our pitiful, sin-filled performance can add to what Jesus has already done on our behalf? Anything at all? When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant what He said! It is all finished; He lived the life we can never live and then went to the cross and paid the debt of sin we could never pay . . . and He paid that debt in full. There is nothing we can add to perfection, so we mustn’t try!

So does that mean we just sit at home on the couch? Heaven forbid it! What our performance does do is witness to the truth that we belong to the group Peter talked about in his inspired epistle—we are part of “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” Our performance flows out of our position in Christ. When we keep that truth in view, we will not confuse “do” with “who” we are in Christ. Whether we perform well or poorly, our standing before God does not change. This truth is what frees us from running on a performance treadmill that seeks to gain acceptance and approval from God. We are free to perform as a result of our salvation, not as way to try to earn it.

Make no mistake, we live in a world where our performance will constantly be measured. And that is a good thing! Hard work is a good thing. Giving maximum effort is a good thing. Getting up early and staying up late to do the job well is a good thing. It brings glory to God and good to others. But when it comes to our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, we must get off the performance treadmill, knowing that whether we are having a good day or a bad day, our relationship with our Redeemer never changes.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN! 

Imagine a large, gray wolf prowling restlessly, searching for a meal throughout the day with no success. At dusk, what do you think happens to that wolf? He becomes even fiercer in his quest for food at dusk than he was throughout the daylight hours. Habakkuk the prophet took note of this truth when he warned Israel that the invading Babylonians would be…

Fiercer than wolves at dusk.

(Habakkuk 1:8)

The great Bible commentator Matthew Henry explained: “Wolves are observed to be the most ravenous towards the evening, after they have been kept hungry all day, waiting for that darkness under the protection of which all the beasts of the forest creep forth.”

It’s likely that Henry was consciously echoing the psalmist, who wrote:

You bring darkness, it becomes night, and all the beasts of the forest prowl.

(Psalm 104:20)

Metaphorically speaking, these wolves and beasts of the forest are the enemies of the cross: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Throughout the daylight hours we are busily engaged in the work of our Lord. But under the cover of darkness, the enemy slips in and sows the tares of doubt and fear among the wheat of our witness. The cares of this world, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life all seek to destroy our witness. To be sure, we are not immune from attack during the day, but the fiercest attacks seem to hit us when the sun has set.

We must be on our guard, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But we must especially keep watch at the end of the day when we are tired, and our doubts and fears distract us and turn our focus away from Jesus. We doubt the goodness of our God when things did not go according to our plan during the day—the job we don’t get, the deal we don’t land, the test we don’t pass. The enemy taunts us, “Where was your God?”

Then, when we find ourselves at the end of one of those “bad” days, when sin is no longer crouching at our door but has actually entered in, we fear our God and His heavy hand of judgment. We may forget the testimony of Scripture and see our God as an angry, vengeful ogre in the sky, ready to descend and exact His pound of flesh from us.

And this is why we must continually keep the cross in view!

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

(John 10:11)

God the Father did exact His pound of flesh . . . it was exacted from God the Son as He hung on the cross. Jesus paid for our sins . . . all our sins—past, present, and future. Our good Shepherd died so that we might live. And thanks to His sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection, there is now no condemnation for all those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). It is the cross that keeps us from doubting the steadfast love and goodness of our God and encourages us not to fear His hand of judgment, regardless of the circumstances. Whether it is bright, sunny morning or dark, moonless midnight, living in the shadow of the cross protects us from the voracious attacks of the enemy.

To be sure, the enemy still assaults us from all sides . . . the wolves still come, seeking to steal our joy, to kill our confidence, and to destroy our witness. But the cross of Jesus Christ convinces us that the power in us is so much greater than every power that comes up against us. The cross strengthens our faithfulness; when we fail, we are assured it has secured our forgiveness. Recall Paul’s word of encouragement to young Timothy:

If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

(2 Timothy 2:13)

Now that is a faithfulness witness that will overcome every fierce wolf!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!    

The Old Testament sacrificial system—the unending sacrifice of animals to atone for the sins of the people of God—always and in every way pointed to the unblemished Lamb of God, who would come into the world to offer Himself as a once-for-all sacrifice for sin.

John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

(John 1:29)

John the Baptist was the one God called a “voice crying in the wilderness,” who would announce the coming of this unblemished Lamb of God. John went on to say . . .

I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”

(John 1:32-34)

Jesus was the promised, perfect Lamb of God who would be sacrificed on our behalf to take away all our sins forever. He who knew no sin became sin for us. He was perfect in every way, fulfilling every aspect of the Law of God. “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets,” Jesus said; “I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17). Only a perfect Lamb would be eternally acceptable to the Almighty . . . and Jesus was that Lamb.

The religious leaders of that day tried to convict Jesus of sin, but they could not do it. When they said Jesus was a Sabbath breaker and a blasphemer, He challenged them to prove it.

Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?

(John 8:46)

Make no mistake, if any of them could have proved Jesus guilty of sin, they would have done it. But they could not. So they conspired to get rid of Him anyway. Even Pontius Pilate could not find Jesus guilty of anything. He admitted, “I find no basis for a charge against him” (John 19:4). Why? Because Jesus never committed any crime or sin! He was the perfect, unblemished Lamb.

Here is one more testimony to the sinless nature of Jesus. Perhaps you have heard the phrase, “The last words of a dying man.” In some courts of law, these words will be admitted as evidence. One thing is for certain, they are taken seriously by those who hear them! You will remember that Jesus was crucified between two criminals. One hurled insults at Jesus. The other said something remarkable:

We are punished justly, getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.

(Luke 23:40-41)

The religious leaders could not prove Jesus guilty of any sin; Pilate could not find any guilt in Jesus; and the last words of a dying man testify to the truth that we find throughout all of sacred Scripture: Jesus is the unblemished Lamb of God who came to be sacrificed for the sins of all who will ever believe in Him.

Is it true for you? Has Jesus Christ taken away your sins? It is true for you if you will but look to Him in faith, trusting that the unblemished Lamb of God loves you and gave Himself for you so that you would be with Him for all eternity.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!    

In August of 1992, Hurricane Andrew slammed into South Florida with deadly Category 5 force, passing directly through the town of Homestead, a suburb of Miami. Andrew’s 180 mile-per-hour winds generated a 14-foot storm surge; 65 people lost their lives; over 125,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Some blocks were totally obliterated, leaving behind only the foundations of the homes that had once been there, and 180,000 people were suddenly homeless. The damage totaled $30 billion.

One area in particular looked like a war zone—an entire neighborhood had been virtually flattened—yet standing in the middle of all the devastation was a single home. A local news reporter interviewed the homeowner, asking if he had any explanation why his home was spared. The man responded, “I built this house myself, and I built it according to the Florida State Building Code. When the code called for 2’ x 6’ roof trusses, I used 2’ x 6’ roof trusses. I was told that a house built according to code could withstand a hurricane, and mine did!”

Jesus provided us with the best possible building code during His Sermon on the Mount:

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my father who is in heaven… Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who build his hours on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.  

(Matthew 7:21, 24-27)

So . . . what kind of builder are you? Are you building your life on sand . . . or on rock? Is the foundation of your life resting on the Rock of Ages . . . or the shifting sand of our secular society? Let’s take a look at some similarities and one striking difference between the two builders our Lord described.

The Similarities

Both heard the same teaching and instruction and both were building homes. Both apparently had the same ability to build, and both were confronted by the same kind of storm.

The Differences

The difference is HUGE. One heard the Word of God and applied it. This man was wise. The other man heard the Word of God and did not put it into practice. He was foolish.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

(2 Corinthians 13:5)

On the surface, both men looked to be the same. Everything seemed to be going well for them both . . . until the storms of life hit. Then the difference was like the difference between those homes in Homestead that were crushed by Hurricane Andrew and the one house that remained standing. There is only one secure foundation upon which to build our lives, and His name is Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ parable is calling our attention to the attitudes and behaviors of the two builders. Both men were in the Word of God . . . but only one had the Word in him. Which one are you?

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

(James 1:22)

Remember, as Jesus told the story, He never used the word “IF” to describe the rain that came, the streams that rose, and the winds that blew and beat against that house. Storms are certain to come; only a life built upon Christ is certain to stand!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN! 

In Saginaw Bay, Michigan, in the stormy waters of Lake Huron, there is a place called Charity Island. The lighthouse on this island was used by sailors as a navigational aid to safely sail through these waters for more than 70 years. Those sailors strongly believed that the island was placed there because of the “charity of Almighty God.” I wonder if they realized just how right they were in thinking this thought!

Every good gift is given through the charity—that is, the benevolent love and good will—of God.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

(James 1:17)

Our God has given us a variety of good gifts to help us navigate the turbulent waters of life; without them, we would almost surely founder. Let’s take a brief look at two of these gifts: the Playbook and the People of God.

–  The Playbook –

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

(Psalm 119:105)

Like the lighthouse on Charity Island, the Word of God is a “lighthouse” that guides us through difficult and troubling circumstances, warning us of the rocky shoals that will shipwreck our lives. God has ordained the Bible to renew our minds, reorient our hearts, and realign our wills.

–  The People of God –

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

(Hebrews 10:25)

The Bible knows nothing of the solitary saint; we were made for community. When Jesus saved us, He placed us in the body of Christ for relationship. And it is through those relationships that we are encouraged and strengthened to face the storm winds that blow our way.

We find our own “Charity Island” in both the Playbook and the People of God. Both are given by God to assist us in our walk with Christ. Jesus promised us that in this world we would face trouble and trials of many kinds, but He did not leave us to face any of them alone!

And in addition to the Playbook and the People of God, we have the Prince of Peace, who is our true Charity Island.

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

Ultimately, it is Jesus who stills the storms and calms the seas in our lives. The psalmist assured us of this truth: “He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven” (Psalm 107:29-30).

Remember, God not only guides us to the safe haven, He is our safe haven . . . Jesus is our Cosmic Charity Island!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!    

That is a familiar sound in our sanctuary every Saturday night and Sunday morning before our corporate worship services. It is, of course, the sound of the microphone sound check that occurs prior to the praise team beginning to sing. Hearing these words got me thinking about today’s message, and I pray it will be a great source of hope and encouragement for you.

I have written on many occasions that life is both a test and a trust. Today I want to sharpen our focus on the “test” part. This word, taken from both the Old and New Testaments, actually means to prove by trial.

You may remember when Abraham was tested by God. When Abraham was asked to sacrifice his only son Isaac, he immediately prepared to do exactly that. And then God said these words:

Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.

(Genesis 22:12)

Let me ask you this question: Had God just at that moment realized that Abram would faithfully and fearfully follow Him? Of course not! God had ordained it from before the foundation of the world. It was God who had granted Abraham that great faith! But Abraham did not know what he would do until he was confronted with this almost unimaginable test of faith.

This is similar to the scene in the Garden of Eden after the fall of man. Adam was hiding in the Garden and God called out, “Adam where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). Had God “lost” Adam and did not know where he was? Of course not! It was Adam who did not know where Adam was. After Adam rebelled against God, he was lost. Instead of walking in the cool of the day with his God, he was on the run away from Him, hiding in the bushes.

I can’t imagine anything that paints a starker picture than this: Adam failed his test; Abraham passed his.

So we see that God will test His children. He will allow the devil test us as well, just as Jesus Himself was tested in the desert by Satan, but you and I must remember that test will only go to the extent that God allows for His glory and our good.

Job lived out this truth. Satan told God the only reason that Job loved and obeyed Him was because of all the good gifts God had given to him, and that if he, Satan, could test Job he would prove it. Well, under the sovereign watch and care of God, Satan tested Job, taking away his health, his wealth, and his children. Yet, throught all of it, Job remained faithful to God, saying, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25). Job passed his test.

We should not fear the tests we are put through, the test God has promised us (Philippians 1:29). The psalmist tells us that our testing refines us like silver (Psalm 66:10). James tells us to “Consider it pure joy” when we face these trials, because our testing “develops perseverance” which will grow us up into Christ (James 1:3). Peter explains that we will experience trials “so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).

King David actually sought the testing of God.

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

(Psalm 139:23-24)

David actually wanted God’s refining fire to clean away the spiritual dross in his life and leave only a golden faith in God behind. We can run, as Jonah did, but we simply cannot hide from God. Growing up into Christ requires that we leave our “comfort zones” and move into areas that are very uncomfortable. This is where God tests us and proves to us, so that we know we are truly His. And remember this: God will not allow us to be tested beyond what we can bear, because the power of Christ is at work within us to strengthen us and encourage us.

Testing One-Two . . . Testing One-Two . . . What say you?

By the way, I’m sure you’re aware that today is “Black Friday.” Perhaps that is a test for all of us—as we are running around town looking for the best deals—to keep the main thing the main thing . . . and His name is Jesus Christ!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN! 

So . . . did you take the time to prayerfully consider the many blessings God has given you this year? Did you take the additional step of writing them down? Without a written record of what God is doing in your life, you will quickly forget so much of it, because we all have a tendency to remember only the difficulties and challenges in life.

On this Thanksgiving Day, I want to encourage you with one of the greatest stories of gratitude in the Bible. Let’s take a look.

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

(Luke 17:11-19)

There is so much to glean in this passage that will strengthen our hearts of thanksgiving to the Lord! The leprosy that afflicted these ten men was a horrible disease that made them outcasts from all of society. They all longed for the comfort of family, the company of friends, and the consolation of their faith, lived out in community with other believers. But this had all been taken away from them because of their malady. In those days, leprosy was a virtual death sentence for those who had it, as the disease slowly ate away at their bodies.

Here is the overarching theme from this passage: From hopeless to hope. And how do we know the ten lepers had hope? We see it clearly in their action toward Jesus. They called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

Scripture does not state that they were expecting to be healed of their disease, but at the very least, they were hoping for some kindness from Jesus. Whatever they were hoping for, they knew enough about Jesus and His ministry that they were sure He was a merciful Master. In spite of their hopeless condition, they still had hope.

Can the same be said about you and me today as the waves of challenge wash over us in life?

Next we see that Jesus told all the lepers to go and show themselves to the priests, an action which was required for them to be restored to society . . . if they were actually healed. It was a test of faith, and all ten lepers went in obedience to the command of Christ and they all received their healing. But only one of them returned to give praise to God. And that one was considered an outsider—a foreigner, a non-Jew. Worse still, he was a Samaritan, and Samaritans were despised by the Jews of that day.

Notice that this leper’s praise for God was uttered in the same “loud voice” as his cry for mercy. Wouldn’t that be well said of all of us . . . that our cries of praise and thanksgiving to God after we received the blessing would be as loud as our cries for mercy and grace before the blessing!

Finally, notice the position this cleansed leper assumes in offering his praise and thanksgiving to Jesus:

AT HIS FEET!

Today is Thanksgiving. And with so much to be thankful for, perhaps a little time at the feet of Jesus would be time well spent. The proper place for “thanks-living” is always at the feet of Jesus. This healed leper knew it. Mary—who sat at the feet of Jesus while sister Martha bustled and fussed in the kitchen—knew it. May we know this truth too, and may we live it out with a heart of thanksgiving as we sit at the feet of Jesus.

One final point to consider this thanksgiving season: This cleansed leper was more thankful for his Healer than for his healing. His heart beat more for the Giver of this great gift than the gift itself. Are you like that? Am I?

May you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving . . . and may it be spent rejoicing at the feet of Jesus!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!