This is the Truth Network. My friend, what is it that is an act of obedience to God's Word? It puts us in the will of God and humbles us. It's one of King David's ways. It ensures answers to prayer and it sets us apart from unthankful Christians.
Well, stay with us, listen, and learn. You're listening to Until He Comes, a blend of prophetic and practical biblical studies with Dr. Greg Hinnant, author of The Second Coming of Christ, His Appearing, His Return, Our Preparation. And now, author and teacher, Greg Hennick. Welcome to the broadcast, my friend.
Today we're going to continue discussing in some depth. This most important topic of Thanksgiving to God.
Now, our text for these studies, this series, is 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which says, In everything that is in every situation, in every circumstance, good, bad, and in between. Give thanks. that is, give thanks to God. in that situation, no matter what it is. for or because This is the will of God.
in Christ Jesus Concerning you. That is, this situation is his will. And you may be thinking, oh, come on now, Dr. Hennett, this situation I'm in today? Yeah, my friend, that situation.
is his will. He's going to turn it and work it. for your good and his glory, So long as you do two things, trust and obey. and give thanks.
So this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. the situation that you're in, and also Thanksgiving is God's will. The thankful Christian is the will of God incarnate. And Christ is looking down upon this earth today, as the Old Testament says, the eyes of the Lord are running to and fro throughout the earth to find. Men and women, who are offering God thanks.
In every situation, every day.
Now, in our previous studies, we established that Thanksgiving is one of King David's ways. We use Jehoshaphat as an example there. We discovered that Thanksgiving strengthens our confidence in God, our God confidence, which is the essence of faith. Our faith is not in our faith. our faith, is in His faithfulness.
We learned that Thanksgiving ensures answers to prayer. We use Philippians 4 verses 6 and 7 as our text. And we also learn that without faith, it is impossible to please him.
So, today we're going to pick up with the next part of this study. Thanksgiving. sets us apart. From unthankful Christians. You could say it makes us holy Christians.
The essence of the word holy is to set apart for God and His use exclusively.
So if you Make yourself a thankful Christian, and I'll tell you, it's not going to happen unless you determine to make it happen. You're not going to fall into a thankful Lifestyle. You're going to have to say, hey, this is the will of God. I see it. I'm going to start giving thanks every day, every hour.
Every sudden change, I'm going to start thanking God. When you do that, it's going to set you apart. You're going to become a holy one, one whom God can say, that's my man, that's my woman, I can count on him, I can count on her, at any time to do any task Because they're always going to be Thank for.
Now, our text for this point is Luke 17, 11 through 18. Let's read the text.
Okay. Verse 11 begins, and it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem. that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, They met him. ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off.
And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, He said it to them. go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass That as they went. They were cleansed.
So we see here a couple of things, first of all, that they were lepers, they were separated from Jewish society and worship.
So they did not approach the master, but they stood afar and cried for mercy to Jesus. He immediately responded by telling them, and this is most strange to us: go show yourself to the priest. What did he mean?
Well, according to Levitical instructions. When a leper was healed, He was to go to the priest and show him The cleansed part of his body. This enabled the priest then to sanctify him and readmit him to corporate worship, which was the Tabernacle worship, the temple worship rather in this era, and synagogue worship.
So this was an important point.
So now he could rejoin Jewish society and worship.
So Jesus was saying to these lepers, I've already healed you, go show the priest that you're healed. And the text says, as they went They were cleansed.
So by going to the priest, as they put their foot, their feet to that path, They were demonstrating faith in Jesus and in His Word. They didn't know how. But they knew and sensed. that this Nazarene carpenter dash miracle worker dash prophet whom they believe to be the prophet that Moses is spoken of in Deuteronomy. Had told them to go.
So they humbly, with childlike faith, went. And as they went, they were cleansed. A terrific miracle. Occurred. Leprosy was the most dreaded disease of Jesus' day.
It would be equivalent to AIDS today. And so This was an awesome miracle.
Now let's continue reading. And one of them, note that my friend, one. Only one. When he saw that he was healed, When he saw the evidence, He turned back and with a loud voice he glorified God. Praise be to Yahweh He said, Allah Praise to Yah, the power.
Praise to Yahweh. And he was loud, and he was a Samaritan.
Now, notice this, we're going to read in just a moment. And he fell down on his face at his feet. total abject submission. utter abandonment to Jesus. Giving him thanks, And I would I think I can interject into the text without doing any damage to it again and again and again.
I don't think he said thank you one time. Thank you, sir. I appreciate that. No, I think he was pouring out profuse thanksgiving to Jesus. And the text says, And he was a Samaritan.
Hmm. Why would he say this? Let me tell you why. because in the preceding years the Samaritans, who were called pejoratively Half breach. They were those of the northern kingdom originally who had been dispersed When the Assyrians conquered the the Northern Kingdom in seven twenty two BC.
And uh some had returned. and intermarried with the Gentile peoples that the Samaritans populated the land with.
So they were a mixed race. They were not pure Jews. They also had their own theology. They also had their own worship center in Mount Gerizim. And they were emphatic that that Not Jerusalem.
was the place where men should worship.
So there was a theological clash and contradiction between the Jews and the Samaritans. And there were other cultural differences, but what I want to tell you today, which you may not know, there was violence between the two. Each had attacked and tried to Um Sully. The temple, the worship area of the other. Group So When Jesus said that this man was a Samaritan.
Well, the text tells us this, rather. This is telling us that he was an enemy of the Jews, so they considered them. In another text, when the disciples were when Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. and he passed by a Samaritan village, It was in this same period. The Samaritans did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem So their religious prejudice would not allow them to honor any one who went to Jerusalem to worship.
And so This was a strong conflict. It would be difficult to really express today how bitter the feud was at this time. theologically, religiously, socially. It had become violent.
So the text tells us that the one who thanked our Lord profusely was. a Samaritan. This is the same. Lesson, or the same type of lesson Jesus was teaching when he told the lesson about the Good Samaritan. In this situation, The Jewish priest saw him and passed by.
the Jewish Levites saw the wounded man and passed by. But the Samaritan saw him and came to him, Yeah, compassion.
So when Jesus said that we should do as this Good Samaritan, it was a slap in the face to Jewish pride. Huh. And that was a an accident. The sin God hates most. is religious pride.
be it of some other religion, or be it of the Jewish religion in Jesus' day, or Christian religion in our day. Let us be thankful for our Lord, but never let us look down on those of other faiths because we believe ours is correct or, dare I say, superior.
So anyway, this was a This was the time of powerful conflict between these two peoples, and the text says, The one. give thanks. was a Samaritan. Verse 17. And Jesus answered and said Were there not ten cleansed?
But where Oh, I see here the longing heart of God. It reminds me, I see I hear echoes. From the garden. Where art thou, Adam? Where are you, Adam?
God is calling for his worshipers. He's calling for his thankful ones. Where are you? He's saying over us today in 2025: where are the thankful Christians? Where are they?
Are they in North Carolina? Are they in Utah? Are they in Virginia? Are they in Europe? Are they in India?
Are they in South America, Central America, Asia, Australia? Where are those? who were jealous only learning to give me thanks in all things. And in this context, for special blessings, my friend. There was an occasion in the Old Testament When Hezekiah did not give thanks, according To the benefit rendered.
That is, God had healed him of a deadly disease and extended his life. According to his own prayer. And he gave thanks. But not according to the benefit. Listen, when you are blessed every time, always give Him thanks.
But when Jesus Christ gives you the desires of your heart, when He turns your captivity, be it psychological, emotional, spiritual, or physical, And it's an awesome thing. Be sure. You take time. to give special thanks to the Lord. This month, for a gift of any amount, receive Dr.
Hinnant's book, Gold Tried in the Fire. It is filled with spiritually rich biblical teachings, tested truths for trying times that will help you buy the gold tried in the fire Jesus challenged us to obtain in Revelation 3:18. This book. Will change your life. For a gift of $60 or more, we'll send you the complete four-volume Hinnant End Times Prophecy Collection: The Second Coming of Christ, The Tribulation Story, Revelation Notes, a verse-by-verse commentary on Revelation, and The Day of the Lord Commentary, which interprets all Old Testament prophecies and foreshadowings of the end times.
You may give your gift today by visiting the donation page at greghinnantministries.org or sending your checks to Greg Hinnant Ministries, P.O. Box 788 High Point, North Carolina, 27260, or by calling 336-882-1645. And if you are a Logos Bible software user, you may purchase The Second Coming of Christ, The Day of the Lord Commentary, and Revelation Notes. From the Logos Online Bookstore.
Now again, Dr. Hinnant. Never let his blessings become routine. Never take them for granted.
So here I hear in Jesus' words, where are the nine I hear a distant echo of God calling out in the garden. He had had sweet fellowship. with Adam. And now it was broken. God's heart was broken.
And he cried out, Where are you, Adam? I tell you, my friend, Jesus is calling out over this Laodicean generation of Christians. And he's saying, Where are my worshippers? Where are my thankful ones? Where are they?
So many Christians are going after their material delights.
So many Christians are caught up with politics.
So many are ensnared with the strife of social issues. and totally distracted from Walking closely with God and doing whatever He's given them to do in this time. And worshiping him. and he's saying, Where are my worshippers? were of those who in everything give thanks.
Not just when they feel like it. But all the ten. Where are they? And then he went on to say in verse 18, there are not found. That returned.
to give glory to God. Save this. Stranger So here's the the kicker. Here's the mule kick in the words of the master. Only this man who doesn't have covenant relationship with me, only this man who's not washed in the blood of the Lamb, because we know the Old Testament sacrificial system all pointed to the blood of Jesus.
This man who worships and another worship center who does not come to Jerusalem the place God ordained for worship to be. This man who has lived among the enemies, the active, violent enemies, of my people. He's the only one. That I say, where are my people?
So the mule kick was. None. of God's people. or showing the thanks. that they should have.
Now I want to apply this text to us today. It would be Brazen and reckless for me to say that there are no Christians who are thankful. I know that's not true. But I think it would be biblically accurate for me to say, far too many of God's people. are not thankful enough.
Oh, we give him thanks at Thanksgiving. We've just passed the Thanksgiving holiday. Oh, we give him thanks.
Well, we get a blessing. We say, Thank you, Lord. But do we continue to thank him? As I said, I believe this man did when he fell prostrate at the Master's feet, profusely thanking him. Let me just interject this now before I go any further in this podcast.
Thanksgiving has changed my life. My mother God bless her. Was a woman of simple faith, childlike faith. She was not a theologian, she didn't have a doctorate. But she walked closely with Jesus and learned.
from other teachers to give thanks in all things. This vital text of 1 Thessalonians 5.18, and we will also add to it Ephesians 5.20, which says, giving thanks for all things. Because we know, as Romans 8:28 says, that God causes all things to work together for good to those that love Him. And are called according to his purpose. But she began to form this lesson, and it transformed her life.
And she became what I would call a strong overcomer. Strong overcomer. Nothing threw her. Nothing frightened her. Because as I've told you in an earlier uh part of this series, Thanksgiving brings God into every circumstance.
He's already there. He's omnipresent. He knows what's going on he's omniscient. But Thanksgiving, when you say thank you, Jesus. You become aware that Jesus is right there in that situation, just like he was with these ten.
lepers. He was there physically. He's in your life as you hear me speak right now. by his Spirit. By his Spirit.
He is where you are. Your life may have been turned upside down yesterday or last week. Divorce BEREAVEMENT Sudden accident. News you've got cancer. I've got a good friend of mine.
Chris Smith just went through a year. of chemo, radiation. Surgery. And he's recovered now. If God's going to make you strong, He's going to put you through adversity.
Nowhere in the Bible do the servants of God become strong in character. apart from adversity.
So it is most important that we form this habit. Because God is going to put us through adversity, as we used to say when I was a kid and we were playing games. Ready or not, here I come.
Well, ready or not, adversity is coming, and my friend God wants you to be ready. And this that I'm talking to you about today, I promise you. I don't know it just because I'm a Bible scholar. And the Bible says it. I know it because.
I've experienced it again and again and again. And this verse, when I've given thanks in terrible, terrible adversities, has lifted my spirit and kept me from going down and not coming back up. And in times of great success Prosperity, thriving, In the will of God? It has brought me back down to an even keel. And I've maintained my spiritual mind and focus.
It'll do that for you, I promise you. I promise you, if you will form this habit of giving thanks. it will radically alter your life. You will never be the same. Then you will in turn teach others and change their lives.
Friends, Jesus is coming soon. This is essentially the theme of this podcast. And we have to get ready. There are some who believe, and I love them, there are some of my scholar friends, I love them, that just being saved is enough. I do not believe that.
I believe the evidence of the New Testament is overwhelming. Christ's readiness warning, Peter's readiness warnings. Paul's readiness warnings, even John's readiness warnings in the Revelation. Makes it clear. If we want to have Rapture Assurance.
We need to walk closely with God and through and go through our testing experiences now before. The time of Jacob's trouble comes. That's seven years. is designed at seven years of the tribulation period, It's designed for Israel. and the nations as a final opportunity to receive our Lord and go through testing.
It's not intended for the Christian. Not at all. Paul is clear in 1 Thessalonians 5, 9-11. God is not ordained. Us To wrath.
But it is equally clear. That If we don't build a relationship with God now, If we rebel and kick and fuss and rebel and And I test nail. We're not going to be ready.
So here We've seen in this Sample text. Yeah. Of the tan, Only one. Return to give thanks profusely to the Lord for this tremendous life-altering blessing. This man had been a A castaway of Jewish society.
I mean these uh these uh uh n ten, these nine Jews. And now They were readmitted. to the social and religious life of the nation. And all of the Jews. forgot the Lord who healed them.
Only the outsider remembered.
Now, I think we can apply this lesson also to Israel during the wilderness wandering period. If you will recall, When the Jews came out of Egypt, they came to a place called Kedesh, Barnier. And it was there. That at God's direction, Moses sent. 12 spies into the promised land.
To be firsthand witnesses of what that land was like. How good it was to come and tell the people. But as you know, Ten of them took quite the negative attitude. Mm.
Well They came back and they said It is a wonderful land. The fruit is rich, and they brought samples of the fruit. but they're men there. Giants.
Sons of Anak, they were too strong for us. They're warlike peoples and we're not So We can't take that land that God said he had given us.
So this was. terrible unbelief. And two of them came back. And they said, wait a minute. Let us go up at once.
and take the land. We are well able to take it. You see the ten but their trust in what they saw. And in the natural ability of the Jewish people. The two.
Joshua and Caleb, Put their trust in the Lord.
Now in that period God said of them that they had another spirit. that is, they had another attitude. I'm going to venture to say that in addition to being men of courage and faith, they were thankful men. they were thankful to God, as we see this Samaritan. in this situation.
Okay. And so They were set apart. They were holy among their brethren They were ready for God's exclusive use at any moment, and, I will add, for sweet fellowship with Him. My friend, that's so important. He wants to have fellowship with you more.
that he wants to use you. God has hosts of angels, tens of thousands of angels, hundreds of thousands of angels to hearken unto his command and do his will, but he wants you first to be A friend? a disciple, a deeply committed student and follower. and a worshipper. And thanksgiving is essential.
if you're going to be a worshipper. of God.
Now in Second Timothy 3 Paul is speaking here of the list of sins that will be prevalent. in the falling away in the last days. And among the sins he notes is unthankfulness. He says here, This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. Is there any question that we're here now?
In this thermonuclear age, this this age of multiple types of weapons of mass destruction that can wipe us off the face of the earth, barring the hand of God to prevent it, We're living in those perilous times. for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, Unthankful and unholy. Look at those last two words. Notice that they're linked. Unthankful.
Unholy.
So we live in a complaining generation. And if you and I Well, to please the Lord. By becoming thankful. One thing's for sure, we're going to stand out. You're going to stand out.
not only among unbelievers, but you're going to stand out in your church. The people can say something's different about that man, something different about that brother. They're just they're joyful all the time. Why?
Well, this is one of the secrets I can tell you. if they're joyful all the time. They're giving thanks to God all the time in every circumstance. and when they're specially blessed, as in our text that we've just studied in Luke eleven. They're going to fall down before the Lord.
and give thanksgiving profusely. and this will be infectious. and others will learn from their example and from their Spoken War. to do the same. And as we do these things, We're going to be preparing ourselves and others for the coming of our Lord.
You're going to be found faithful. We're going to be found. Upright, we're gonna be found. doing our task and using our gifts joyfully. Until He cuts.
Thank you so much for visiting with us today. In our next episode, we will continue discussing the importance of giving thanks to God, and that is important.
So, bring a friend to listen with you. If this message has blessed you, tell your friends and please consider helping us stay on the air by sending your tax-deductible donation to Greg Hennett Ministries. Also, remember, you may download the Until He Comes podcast from your preferred podcast app. May you walk closely with Christ and trust and obey Him in your daily tests of faith and patience Until He Comes. This is the Truth Network.
Mm-hmm.
