|
|
||
|
|
||
|
You’d go places with your Mom, usually some kind of store. You’d patiently wait there while she picked out whatever it was she was after. You were totally disinterested, but you had to be there. You had no choice. Then that magical moment happened. Not often (at least not often enough), but the guy behind the counter would offer you a piece of candy or fruit. It was free, no strings attached. Just a nice little gift to say, “Yeah, kid, I understand what you are going through, maybe sucking on this candy will help get your mind off your agony.” You’d look up to your Mom for the go ahead…she would nod slightly and you’d quickly take the candy, unwrap it and begin the process of forgetting the reality you were in at the moment. That’s when it would happen. Mom would quickly jerk you back into reality… “Aren’t you forgetting something? What do you say?...” You’d think for what seemed like an eternity then it would hit you… “Oh yeah, THANK YOU!” Why is it at times we have to be reminded to simply say “thank you”, say it and really mean it? I’m assuming that was the problem with nine of those ten lepers that Melinda told us about a few minutes ago. No one was there to remind them to be thankful. Maybe it was something more. Pastor Robert Massey (1) tells the story of Rudyard Kipling the author of such works as “The Jungle Book”. His writings made him a very wealthy man, so much so that many actually said that he made as much as $100 a word for his writings. One day a cynical reporter was interviewing Kipling when he pulled out a fresh $100 bill. “Mr. Kipling, if it’s true you make $100 a word, what word will you give me for this $100?” Kipling thought about it for a moment, took the bill from the reporter, folded it, placed it in his pocket and said, “THANKS!” Such a simple word and so valuable. Melinda told you the story; let’s take a moment to read it together. It’s very short.
Luke 17:11-19 So where did the nine go? Obviously, they went to do what Jesus had told them to do. But one came back first. Why didn’t the other nine come back? I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess I would say there were nine of them each with a “pretty good” excuse for not saying “thank you”. #1 might have waited to see if cure was “real” #2 might have waited to see if the cure actually “stuck” #3 might have decided that he really didn’t have leprosy after all #4 probably assumed it was just a coincidence that he got well with everyone else #5 just didn’t know what to think #6 might have thought he’d catch up with Jesus later #7 was just too excited thinking about what he would do now that he was healed, he simply forgot. #8 didn’t notice anyone else saying thank you so why should he #9 thought a thank you wasn’t necessary, after all, wasn’t healing people Jesus’ job? Only #10 came back. First praising, then thanking. It's not the normal Thanksgiving Sunday message, but I want us to focus on the positive part of this story, not the ungratefulness of some. What I’d really like to do this morning is share with you what they had to be thankful for! And it was a lot more than just the fact that their leprosy was gone. Some very good reasons to be thankful – then and now. This story gives us at least five reasons to be thankful this morning: I. We can be thankful that Jesus hears us when we cry for mercy. Did you notice what these ten men cried? They didn’t say “Jesus, heal us!” They said “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” They realized they needed God’s mercy. They fully understood their condition; it was hopeless. They were lepers. They were outcasts. Lepers were considered unclean, unfit for worship in the Temple, unable to live with their families, they had to tear their clothes, cover their faces and stand at least 200 feet from anyone who was not a leper like themselves. They knew they needed God’s mercy. Do you know what mercy is? It’s different from grace. Grace is getting what we don’t deserve, but mercy is not getting what we do deserve! These ten men were not shouting out to Jesus, “Hey, heal us, we don’t deserve to live like this!” They fully understood that they needed mercy and Jesus was the One to give it. They were asking for mercy – they were hoping Jesus would listen. And He did! Jesus heard their cries for mercy. Verse fourteen begins, “He looked at them…” Jesus hears us when we cry out to Him in need! We can be thankful that Jesus hears when we cry out to Him for mercy! II. We can be thankful that Jesus never goes contrary to His Word. It’s interesting what Jesus said to them. Five simple words, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” Why not, “OK, guys, you’re healed”? Jesus could have healed them instantly, instead He told them to go to the priests. And there is a huge reason why. Jesus never goes contrary to His Word. You see there was a set pattern for what was to happen if a leper was healed. If you go back into the Old Testament (Numbers chapter five) you will see that God told the Israelites very specifically how to handle a leper…they were to be put out of the camp. End of story. However, if by some chance the person was healed there was also a long list of things that person had to do to prove that they were healed, followed by a bunch of sacrifices to thank God for their healing. Of course there was one problem, leprosy was incurable. It didn’t just happen. It took a miracle of God. I bet this was one of those times the priests had to go look it up in the book. They weren't called upon too many times to vouch for the miracle of a cleansed leper. But God’s Law laid out specifically what had to happen if a leper was cured, the first of which was to go to the priest to validate the cure. (See Leviticus 14:1-8) Jesus was true to His Word. He told them to go to the priest. They understood Him. They knew why. If they were going to the priests it must mean they were about to be cured. You and I can be thankful that Jesus never changes His Word. It’s always there. We can go to it. We can live by it. We don’t have to doubt. We don’t have to sway. We can live by it as our foundation for life. Jesus hears us when we cry out to Him. He never goes contrary to His Word. III. Third, this story illustrates that Jesus always responds to our faith. Jesus simply told them to “Go”. And when they went it was then that they were healed. It wasn’t when they cried out. It wasn’t even when He spoke. It was when they acted on what Jesus said that they were healed. “And as they went, their leprosy disappeared.” You know, far too many times we are waiting for Jesus to act before we act. He’s already given us plenty of instructions to follow. We must simply obey. We have to get going. It may very well be that your own healing is out there waiting on you to get going. God wants to do a work in your life, but you won’t move! Jesus always responds when we act in genuine, obedient faith. As I read this story I notice something else worth thanking Him for… IV. Jesus doesn’t care where we came from! Again, it’s interesting that the only one of the ten to return was a “stranger” a “foreigner” I don’t know how this guy ended up with nine Jewish guys from Isreal. He wasn’t one of them. He was from somewhere else. It might have been (it probably was!) that if they all hadn’t been in the same condition they would have had nothing to do with this “Gentile”. I guess misery loves company. But Jesus didn’t care. He made no distinction between the lepers that were Jewish and this fellow who was a foreigner. You see, Jesus doesn’t care. You’re background isn’t nearly as important to Him as your eternity! I’m thankful that Jesus forgave my past and has given me His future. You don’t have to worry where you’ve been. It doesn’t matter to Jesus. All that matters is that He loves you, wants to heal you of your sins and give you His eternal life. Which leads us to the final point of this passage… V. We can be thankful that Jesus is concerned about more than our physical well-being. Jesus healed all ten of these men of their leprosy, but this fellow got something far more important. Look at verse nineteen again, “And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has made you well.” This man was already healed of leprosy. That happened back in verse fourteen. What Jesus is talking about here is much more important. This man’s faith had made him well, spiritually well. Physical healing had brought this man to the realization that Jesus was more than just a powerful Rabbi or prophet – only God had the power to heal leprosy. He fell before Jesus, thanking Him and worshipping Him. There’s another story told earlier in Jesus’ ministry very similar to this one. It’s found in three of the first books of the New Testament (The Gospels). It’s the story of the four men who helped get their paralyzed friend to Jesus through the roof. (Remember the story?) It says in Mark 2:5, “Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” Jesus healed the man physically, but he also healed the man spiritually. We can be thankful that Jesus is concerned with more than just our physical well being. That may be why some of the things are happening in your life right now. You know, some of the rough things. It’s because Jesus is working on your inside, your heart, your spirit – not just your outside physical needs. When He gets the inside the way He wants it the outside pretty much takes care of itself. We have a lot to be thankful for. this morning…
That
Jesus hears us when we cry out to Him. We have a lot to be thankful for. But the question is still the same this morning, “Where are the nine?” Back to the first story I told this morning…”What do you say?...” When was the last time you really told God “thank you”.
Thank you for hearing. Thank you! Inside your Discovery Pack this morning are two simple cards. Both say, “Thank You”. They both have a very specific purpose today. It may seem awkward, but I want us to close the service this morning by simply saying, “Thank You.” First, to God. Have you ever written God a thank you note? Today is a good time. Take a moment to write down a few thoughts. What do you really need to thank Him for today? Maybe it’s something you’ve actually been fighting with Him about. Whatever it is, just tell Him thanks. That second note is for someone else. I don’t have a clue who will come to your mind before we end this morning, but I think someone will. Someone you haven’t told thank you in a long time. God’s not the only one who needs to hear our thanks. As we develop a spirit of thankfulness toward God it should effect how we view and thank others as well. Forget the excuses…just say thanks. I don’t know where the other nine former lepers ended their lives, but I know of at least one who ended his in heaven. Thanksgiving is the only reasonable response to mercy and grace. So… “What do you say?...”
(1) Robert Massey, “Where are the nine?” SermonCentral.Com |
||
| For information on graphics and PowerPoint for this or any other message on our site, contact Paul Newell at paul@familyfellowshipchurch.com. | ||
|
(c) Paul Newell 2003 FamilyFellowship Church P.O. Box 465, Beaumont, CA 92223 |
||
