How do we feel when we have helped people and they don’t bother to show thanks? Have we met people who are thankful under the most difficult circumstances? What’s their secret? Let’s learn the importance of giving thanks in all circumstances. Let’s look at Jeremiah 29:1-7 and Luke 17:11-19.

Jeremiah 29:11 is not a direct promise to us. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” It’s not about changing circumstances, but God’s blessing in bad circumstances.

Jeremiah 29:4-10 “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” … 10 This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.”

Moderns often doubt biblical history, but archaeology repeatedly proves it. Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem is corroborated in the Babylonian Chronicles. Hundreds of Babylonian cuneiform tablets detail trade, taxes, debits and credits for exiled Jews. Tablets even include details about one exiled Jewish family over four generations, with their Hebrew names.

Jeremiah wrote a letter to Jews who had been deported to Babylon, advising them that their time of captivity will be more than a generation. They must cope, make homes, marry, have children and raise them. They would need to multiply greatly or the Jews could possibly cease to exist.

How do lifers in prison survive? How do the terminally ill live? How do people living in constant disaster, war, poverty, or stateless refugees live without losing hope? Hope for these Jews was found in in the lives of their children and grandchildren, in a future they would never see.

Can we be thankful in difficult circumstances. Even though we may not see God’s hand for many years, we are never alone. God has not abandoned us. Even though terrible things may happen, we can find comfort in knowing we are the beloved children of a God who loves us.

Luke 17:11-16 11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy 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.

We were helping survivors of a local natural disaster. One elderly lady sought out the aid-givers to thank every single person. We worked hard, provided accommodation, gave thousands of dollars in financial aid and most turned their backs on us without a word of thanks. One amazing lady stood out.

Luke 17:17-19 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.”

Eternal salvation is pictured in the Bible as eternal healing. In the story of the thankful Samaritan, ten were healed but only one was thankful. Are we completely healed without thankfulness? Is our faith complete without thanksgiving? Could it be that complete wellness includes body, mind and spirit?

Let’s learn to be thankful in all circumstances, in good times and bad. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).

There is a story told of a small town in the USA in which there were no nightclubs. Eventually, however, a nightclub was built on the High Street.

One of the churches, in the area, was so disturbed that they conducted several all-night prayer meetings, and asked the Lord to burn down the nightclub.

One night, lightning struck the nightclub and it was completely destroyed by fire.The owner, knowing how the Christians had prayed, sued the church for the damages. His attorney claimed that their prayers had caused the lightning and fire. The church people, on the other hand, hired a lawyer and contested the charges.

During the trial the judge declared, “It’s the opinion of this court that the owner of the nightclub is the one who really believes in prayer while the church members do not!”I have just come back from the AEA Conference where we were told that if the decline in the Church of England continues at it present rate there will be no church in 2050!!

Danny De Vito in the film “Other people’s Money” said this:

You know you’re in trouble when you have a growing share of a declining market”

Does it worry you that Church attendance seems to be a declining market?The pace of life has changed so dramatically in the last few years that the traditional church is out of touch.

We are living in a post modern society and the Church is still in the age of modernity. Life is changing so quickly that we have lost touch with society out there.

People say to me “We are such an old congregation – I wish we could have more young people to take on the baton of the church from us”What can we do? Jesus in our Gospel reading today challenges us when he said:

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ’Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.The plant which Jesus referred to as the mustard seed was not literally the smallest seed – though it was pretty close to it. It had however become a byword in Jewish thought for small size (17:20; m. Niddah 5:2; Toharot 8:8). The small mustard seed was however amazing because it could yield a large shrub that for example commonly reached the height of eight to ten foot around the Lake of Galilee.

What Jesus is saying is “a little faith can go a long way”.

• Let’s look at the verse in its context. The disciples had asked Jesus to increase their faith and Jesus doesn’t appear to answer the question – or does he?
• I think he does. You see – any faith is good enough to release God’s power.It is not the QUANTITY of your faith that matters just the QUALITY however small.
• You see the small mustard seed has everything in it to enable growth. Do you remember the story in Mark 9 about the man who brought his demon possessed son to Jesus’ disciples but they weren’t able to help.
• He then went to Jesus with his problem. Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him.
• But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” ’If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.

“Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ’Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.The plant which Jesus referred to as the mustard seed was not literally the smallest seed – though it was pretty close to it. It had however become a byword in Jewish thought for small size (17:20; m. Niddah 5:2; Toharot 8:8). The small mustard seed was however amazing because it could yield a large shrub that for example commonly reached the height of eight to ten foot around the Lake of Galilee.

How do we feel when we have helped people and they don’t bother to show thanks? Have we met people who are thankful under the most difficult circumstances? What’s their secret? Let’s learn the importance of giving thanks in all circumstances. Let’s look at Jeremiah 29:1-7 and Luke 17:11-19.

Jeremiah 29:11 is not a direct promise to us. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” It’s not about changing circumstances, but God’s blessing in bad circumstances.

Jeremiah 29:4-10 “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” … 10 This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again.”

Moderns often doubt biblical history, but archaeology repeatedly proves it. Nebuchadnezzar’s siege of Jerusalem is corroborated in the Babylonian Chronicles. Hundreds of Babylonian cuneiform tablets detail trade, taxes, debits and credits for exiled Jews. Tablets even include details about one exiled Jewish family over four generations, with their Hebrew names.

Jeremiah wrote a letter to Jews who had been deported to Babylon, advising them that their time of captivity will be more than a generation. They must cope, make homes, marry, have children and raise them. They would need to multiply greatly or the Jews could possibly cease to exist.

How do lifers in prison survive? How do the terminally ill live? How do people living in constant disaster, war, poverty, or stateless refugees live without losing hope? Hope for these Jews was found in in the lives of their children and grandchildren, in a future they would never see.

Can we be thankful in difficult circumstances. Even though we may not see God’s hand for many years, we are never alone. God has not abandoned us. Even though terrible things may happen, we can find comfort in knowing we are the beloved children of a God who loves us.

Luke 17:11-16 11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy 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.

We were helping survivors of a local natural disaster. One elderly lady sought out the aid-givers to thank every single person. We worked hard, provided accommodation, gave thousands of dollars in financial aid and most turned their backs on us without a word of thanks. One amazing lady stood out.

Luke 17:17-19 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.”

Eternal salvation is pictured in the Bible as eternal healing. In the story of the thankful Samaritan, ten were healed but only one was thankful. Are we completely healed without thankfulness? Is our faith complete without thanksgiving? Could it be that complete wellness includes body, mind and spirit?

Let’s learn to be thankful in all circumstances, in good times and bad. Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57).