Sermon for Trinity 14. The Scripture readings are Proverbs 4:10-23; Galatians 5:16-24; and Luke 17:11-19.

The account of the ten lepers is about thankfulness, but more broadly, this text is about worship. Worship is always about turning back. Psalm 51:17 says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” So, one act of worship is repentance which is nothing more than turning back, turning back from a life filled with sin and the consequences of sin and turning toward God. Another act of worship is thankfulness. Thankfulness is receiving God’s gifts and not just going on to the next thing but turning back to give thanks to the God who gave the gift.

To be thankful, this healed Samaritan leper has to literally turn back to Jesus. And it is the same for us. To offer God worship is to first receive God’s gifts and turn back in thanks.

You can’t thank God for things in the future because God hasn’t given them yet. Yes, we can look to the future with hope, but that hope only comes by looking back to the promises God has given us. Worry and anxiety come by looking at the unknown, bad things in the future. The worship of thankfulness turns back to the good, giving God who has been faithful to us and given us good things.

Dear saints, you have a giving God. God’s love language is gift-giving. So, the best way to worship a giving God is to receive more of His gifts.