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WHAT INGRATITUDE LOOKS LIKE?

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.    This is the week of Thanksgiving.

1.      It is a time when families gather and hopefully express their gratitude for all the bounty that God has bestowed upon them.

2.      Yes, just the mention of the word, “Thanksgiving,” ought to remind us to give thanks for our blessings.

 

B.      We often preach lessons about gratitude just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

 

C.     In this lesson, we want to look at the other side of the coin.  We want to ask this question:  “What Does Ingratitude Look Like?”

 

I.                   DISREGARD

 

A.    A person can disregard his blessings in at least two ways.

1.      Fail to acknowledge the blessings that he has been given.

2.      Feel entitled to what he has received as if he is owed what he is given.

 

B.      Numerous times the children of Israel disregarded the blessings of their loving Father (See Hosea 2:8).

 

For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Baal.

 

1.      Corn, wine, and oil were the foundational products of Israel.

2.      They would use these to increase their silver and gold.

3.      “For she did not know that I gave her…”

a.      This was not just ignorance.

b.      This was willing ignorance (See Deut. 7:13; 11:14-15).

c.       Notice also that they used these things for the worship and service of Baal instead of God who gave them.

 

C.     How many blessings do we easily disregard:  a warm, comfortable bed, a hot shower, the air we breathe, the brilliant blue sky, our good health, the view of the vast ocean, a good meal, etc.

 

II.                DUMBNESS

 

A.    The word “dumb” carries with it two definitions.

1.      Lacking intelligence or good judgment

2.      An inability to speak

3.      NOTE:  We are using the last definition.

 

B.      A grateful person will open his mouth and give thanks (I Chron. 16:8).

 

Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

 

C.     Ingratitude is shown when a person refuses to open his mouth and speak forth words of thanksgiving for blessings that have been given to him (Ex., the nine lepers, Luke 17:17-18).

 

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed?  but where are the nine?  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

 

III.             DEPARTURE

 

A.    The Gentile world disregarded God’s blessings.  Disregard does not involve a voice of thanksgiving.

 

B.      Romans 1:21-23

 

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.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and change the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

 

1.      Paul documents some of the causes of the Gentiles apostasy.

2.      One of them was ingratitude:  “…neither were thankful…”

3.      Their actions led to their departure from God.

 

C.     When we cease giving thanks to God as we should, our eyes begin to exalt other things:  self, money, relationships, careers, government, and even the animal kingdom.

 

IV.             DEGRADATION

 

A.    Closely associated with the departure is another expression of ingratitude, degradation.

 

B.      Degradation involves the state of the spiritual man.  When a person departs from God who is high and lifted up, the only way is down.  And, it is a quick descent.

 

C.     Example:  The Gentiles, Romans 1.

1.      Some descriptive words of their degradation:

a.      Uncleanness (Rom. 1:24)

b.      Idolatry (Rom. 1:25)

c.       Vile affections (Rom. 1:26)

d.      Homosexuality (Rom. 1:26-27)

e.       Working that which is unseemly (Rom. 1:27)

f.        Reprobate mind (Rom. 1:18).

2.      In Romans 1:29-30, Paul lists 24 sins in which the Gentiles were involved.

3.      In verse 31, Paul says “that they which commit such things are worthy of death.”

 

D.    Ingratitude is a sin.  The longer sin is allowed to go in our lives, the farther it will take us down the road of degradation.  Please do not allow ingratitude to set you on a course to apostasy.

 

V.                DECEPTION

 

A.    To be deceived is to be fooled. 

To be deceived is to believe a falsehood.

To be deceived is to give credence to lies.

 

B.      Satan is the father of all lies (John 8:44).

 

...When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:  for he is a liar, and the father of it.

 

C.     Paul was fearful that Satan could beguile the minds of the Corinthians brethren (II Cor. 11:3).

 

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

 

D.    Ingratitude is often founded upon deceptions.  In other words, lies keep us from manifesting appreciation to God for what He has done for us.

1.      I have nothing for which to be thankful.

2.      The Lord chastises me more than He blesses me.

3.      I am the one who has provided the things that I have in my life.

4.      I give thanks for my food and that is enough.

5.      God knows that I am grateful for all he does.  I don’t have to say it, or, live it.

 

VI.             DEFIANCE

 

A.    The most blatant display of ingratitude is found in the defiance of God.  (NOTE:  This is especially true if we have had the privilege of learning and obeying the truth).

 

B.      Example:  A parent labors hard for his child.  He supports him, cares for him, protects him, trains and disciplines him, and gives him opportunities to live a good and profitable life.

1.      At the child’s college graduation dinner, he rises and gives a five-minute speech giving thanks to his parents for all they have done for him.

2.      The child, however, leaves home:

a.      He refuses to get a job in the profession for which he was trained so he bounces from job to job.

b.      He gets married and has a child, but he does not support his family the way he should.

c.       After five years of marriage, he divorces his wife.  He enters into three more marriages after that.

d.      He has a drinking problem.

e.       He has skirmishes with the law from time to time.  He has to spend one year of his life in prison.

3.      QUESTION:  Has this child manifested thankfulness to his parents by the life he is living?  Absolutely not!  His is a life of ingratitude.

 

C.     God has been very good to us.  He has blessed us with spiritual life and a path that will lead us to the gates of heaven if we will travel it.  His goodness cost Him dearly.  It cost Him the life of His precious Son.

1.      In the psalms, there are two phrases that are repeated several times.

a.      O give thanks to the Lord for He is good.

b.      Praise the Lord for He is good.

c.       Psalm 106:1

 

Praise ye the Lord.  O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:  for his mercy endureth for ever.

d.      Ephesians 2:4-6

 

But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly placed in Christ Jesus.

 

2.      How should we express our thanks to God for all that He has done for us?

a.      We often mouth the words that we are thankful.

b.      But, what about our lives? 

1)      If we live in total obedience to Him, we are displaying our gratitude.

2)      But, if we are disobeying Him, then we are manifesting a spirit of ingratitude.  We are telling God that what He has done for us does not make a difference in our lives.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.    Gratitude is a beautiful garment to wear. 

 

B.      Ingratitude, on the other hand, is ugly.

1.      It is disregard for God’s blessings.

2.      It is dumbness, that is, a refusal to acknowledge God’s blessings in your life.

3.      It is departure, in that, those who are not thankful often move farther and farther away from God.

4.      It looks like degradation.  The person who is not thankful and leaves God continues down a path that leads to more and more sin.

5.      It is deception.  A person is fooled by Satan into believing that he is not blessed and does not need to be thankful.

6.      It is defiance.  This involves a life that does not manifest thankfulness to God.  God’s way and God’s commands are disobeyed.  The individual lives his life as he chooses.

 

C.     Two verses:

1.      Psalm 100:4

 

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise:  be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

 

2.      I Thessalonians 5:18

 

In everything give thanks:  for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.