True Gratitude
Basilea Schlink teaches that true gratitude toward God requires heartfelt sacrifice and a willingness to give back in response to His undeserved goodness.
In this devotional sermon, Basilea Schlink explores the profound nature of true gratitude toward God. She emphasizes that genuine thankfulness must be expressed through sacrifice and heartfelt giving, inspired by the example of the healed leper in Luke 17. Schlink encourages believers to respond to God's undeserved goodness by surrendering fully and offering their lives as a living sacrifice. This message invites listeners to deepen their relationship with God through practical acts of gratitude.
Full Transcript
God lives and works today. Have we ever thanked him for this, from the bottom of our hearts? Someone once said, the way to receive is to give thanks, and these words are especially true when it comes to experiencing the reality of God. Today's meditation by Basilea Schlink can help our hearts to become thankful again, and thankful people are happy and rich.
When our hearts are full of gratitude towards a person who has done much good to us, we feel impelled to give him something in return. We want to give him a precious gift, one that will cost us something. A couple of words of thanks are too little.
Our thankful heart longs to be able to do more. We want to show our love by making a sacrifice, and so a sacrifice belongs to true gratitude. If this principle applies to human relationships, how much more should it apply to our relationship with God? For no one has ever done so much good to us as he has, and no one has ever had less reason to be kind to us sinners.
When God nevertheless showers us with undeserved goodness, surely we must respond with an appropriate expression of our gratitude. And this thank you can't be cheap. It has to cost us something.
In Luke 17, we read about how Jesus healed the 10 lepers. Verses 15-16 tell us, 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. When the leopard turned back to thank Jesus, it cost him something.
Surely his natural inclination must have been to hurry off to his family and loved ones. Neither would it have been easy for him to proclaim in front of all the Pharisees that he belonged to Jesus. But he brought this sacrifice out of gratitude to Jesus.
The Lord is also waiting for our sacrifices of thanksgiving. He's waiting for us to take the next step to turn away from sinful paths or to bring him a certain sacrifice of money, gifts, people, or things. Whatever we might want to hold on to, let's bring it to Jesus now as a sign of our true gratitude.
As all I hold dear, my whole life to Jesus belonging, my heart seeks my Lord to reveal. I follow not those in his footsteps that he trod here below. I only desire what he gives me, and only this way I will go.
You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N dot org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet.
If you do not have access to the web, please contact this radio station for our postal address. God bless you.
Sermon Outline
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I
- God is alive and working today
- We often forget to thank Him sincerely
- True gratitude comes from the heart
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II
- Human gratitude involves giving something valuable
- Gratitude to God should be even greater
- Sacrifice is essential to true thankfulness
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III
- The example of the healed leper in Luke 17
- His return to thank Jesus cost him something
- We are called to similar sacrifices in gratitude
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IV
- God desires our sacrifices of thanksgiving
- We must turn from sin and offer what we hold dear
- Following Jesus means surrendering fully
Key Quotes
“Someone once said, the way to receive is to give thanks, and these words are especially true when it comes to experiencing the reality of God.” — Basilea Schlink
“If this principle applies to human relationships, how much more should it apply to our relationship with God?” — Basilea Schlink
“The Lord is also waiting for our sacrifices of thanksgiving.” — Basilea Schlink
Application Points
- Offer tangible sacrifices as a sign of your gratitude to God.
- Reflect on the example of the healed leper and return to Jesus with praise.
- Commit to turning away from sin and fully surrendering your life to Christ.