Gratitude is not a luxury. It is a necessity. Paul said, in 1st Thessalonians 5:18, "In every thing give thanks." In joy or sorrow, laughter or tears, morning or midnight -- give thanks. If we have success, prosperity and victory or if we have defeat and humiliation -- rejoice in the Lord at all times and let His praise be continually on our lips.

We are not grateful to God or to each other. Children forget that their parents brought them into the world. They say, "I didn’t ask to be born." But you are not in a hurry to get out of their house either. Shakespeare said, "How sharper than a serpent’s tooth it is to have a thankless child."

We need to let people hear how we feel.

Most important is our ingratitude to God. We get up and thank God is if life is a dime a dozen. We eat without realizing that God gave it. We need to thank God. He woke us up, saved our souls, has done great things in our lives.

Jesus reached the end of His earthly ministry.

Luke 17:11

En route to Jerusalem, Jesus saw ten men who were all lepers. This disease starts as a sore, then as a rash, then destroys the entire body. These lepers were outcasts who were awaiting death. If you are a leper, you can’t come within 100 yards of other people. However, these lepers believed in God and they heard that Jesus was coming through town. Jesus would touch a leper... and He could heal them.

Luke 17:13

They cried out to Jesus for mercy. When Jesus saw their faith, He had compassion and healed them. He said to go and show yourself to the priest. The priest certified that they were in fact healed. They were cleansed. Jesus healed all ten of them.

All ten were healed, but only one went to Jesus and said, "Thank you." Ten sought healing, but only one recognized the healer. Ten sought healing, but only one broke the silence of gratitude. Ten sought healing, but only one had faith to be healed body and soul.

The 10th man turned and shouted. He didn’t care who saw him or heard him. He didn’t care what people said. He shouted all the way to Jesus and glorified God.

If you’ve been blessed, it’s shouting time. If the Lord saved, changed, healed and provided for you, it’s time to give God the praise and the glory. You ought to praise Him because:

• He’s good
• He’s kind
• He’s wonderful
• He’s worthy
• He’s God all by Himself

We ought to be free to praise God from Whom all blessings flow.

Luke 17:16

The tenth man fell down on his face at the feet of Jesus and gave thanks. Not only should we glorify God by praising Him -- we should alwo give Him thanks.

The Lord gives us a job to go to, if we don’t thank God, that is a sin.

You can kiss your spouse and brush your children’s hair, yet you can’t give God thanks? That is sin! In everything, give thanks.

It is God’s grace, mercy, power, healing, salvation, spirit, presence in your life. We are here because God made a difference in our lives. We wouldn’t be here today if God had not made a way for us. God kept us through dangers seen and unseen.

The 10th man was a foriegner, a Samaritan.

• Samaritans didn’t look right
• Samaritans didn’t smell right
• Samaritans didn’t worship right

They were strangers, aliens and sinners. But it was a Samaritan that worshipped God. The "holy folks" wanted church to end at 12:30 and wanted to go home. But the stranger wanted to stop, go back, and praise the One Who saved his life.

Are you one of the nine, or are you like the 10th man who praised the Lord?

Do you give thanks or do you go about your own business?

I want to be like the one who turned around.

I want to be like the one who didn’t mind giving praise to God.

I want to be like the one who put praising Jesus above his family.