The Penn's Grove record., 1923-02-02
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY q
THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE
LESSON TEXT-Luke 17:11-1a.

LESSON TEXT-Luke H:11-19.
GOLDEN TEXT-Enter into His gates
with thanksgiving. and into His courts
with praise; be thankful unto him, and
bless His name.-Psalm 1904.
REFERENCE WATERFALL Chron
2s;lo-6; Psalm l~I6:l-l4; Matt. 1S:2l-.a
Phil. 4:6-7.
PRIMARY TOPIC-A Man Who Wa
Thankful.
JUNIOR TOPIC Remembering to
THANK God.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOPIC
lie Grace of Gratitude.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
-Cultivating the Habit of Gratitude.
Jesus is now on His way to .JeruSa-
lem where He will be offered up for
the sins of the people. 1t was fitting
that lie should PASS through the cOun-
try of the Samaritans. for lie was the
savior of all men. On this occasion
lie came in touch with a colony of
ten leperS, and His healing of them ex-
hlbits the condition of human nature
and the workings of His divine grace.
!. Their Awful Affliction ". 12).
They were lepers. Leprosy is a cor.
Tae1ous disease which rots off the
members of the body and eventuateS
in death. 1t may be unn0ticPd in the
blood of the person for years. It is
of such a foul nature that the one
thus afflicted is cast out from society.
This segregation was in accordance
with the Mosaic law Oev. 10 :46). 1t
was a kind of Naaman quarantine
measure. Leprosy has always been
regarded as a type of sin, even at
times visited upon people for some
sin. Examples, the leprOsy of Gehazi
Gil Kings - Miriam (Num. 12) w
ziah Oh Kings 15:5). Sin has come into
the world and flows from generation
to generation through the racial
stream, so that all are sinners (Rom.
5:12). Though sin may be hidden. it
eventually breaks cut and destroys tie
body. Evidences of this are seen on
every hand. There is no need of Bible
proof of its reality.
II. Their Cry for Mercy ". 49,.
They were IN great need. No hui
man help was available. They had
somehow heard how Jesus had healed
some lepers. Where there is real heal
Ing ii is bound to be nOised about. This
aroused faith in them. Faith cometh
by hearing, and hearing by the Word
of God" (Rom. 10:1O. As He came
their way they called for mercy. 1t is
tIA ,piyilooro nf oil einnnn- 20 coll
upon Jesus Christ for mercy. Saliva
ton from the most awful sins will
surely come to all who cry unto Him
in sincerity.
III. Bidder to Go to the Priests
". 14).
Before the lepers were healed they
were to show themselves to the
priests, according to the Mosaic law
Lev. IA :1-32). AS they went in faith
they were healed. While God goes be-
fore in the work of salvation, yet He
demands of the sinner faith. Faith is
the cause of His action. Activity on
the sinners part is necessary so that
Gods grace "a flow into him. Faith
expresses itself in action. By this
means the divine power and human
need are united. The only faith need
ed is for the sinner to realize the heal
ing power of Christ, and as this is
acted upon there is the consequent in
crease which results in complete sal
walton. Cleansing is realized through
obedience.
~. The Gratitude of the One wv.
-, 16).
Perceiving that he was healed of his
leprosy, the Samaritan turned back
and with a loud voice glorified God.
He even fell down on his face and
gave thanks. The one least expected
to snow gratitude for this great mercy
was the one who sincerely expressed
it.
v. The Gratitude of the Nine wv.
1910.
Presumably they were Jews. The
very oneS who should have been most
grateful did no show any aprrecia-
tion. They were content to get much
from Christ without giving Him any
thing. He expects those who expert
His salvation to give Him their
love and gratitude. The Lord is hurt
wien saved sinners 90 off with the
blessing Of salvation as though they
Had stolen it. Many take all they al
GET from Christ and give nothing in re-
turn. All the blessings of civilization
are ours through Christ, yet how few
thank Him for them. The proportion
of those who are ungratelul for the
blessings which Christ brought is per-
haps nine to one. The fact that graft
tude was expressed by a Samaritan
shows how often we are shamed by
tie devotion of those less favored
tl.au ourselves.
Finding GOO.