The
Luke 17:11-19
DATE: 11
May, 2008 AM
PLACE:
BBC Ballincollig
I.
Introduction (Psalm
107:8)
A.
Theme this
B.
Learning to enjoy God
C.
True religion radiates with
happiness and joy. The ungodly never look upon Church as a joyful thing;
1.
To them it is service, duty,
or necessity, but never pleasure or delight.
2.
If they are religious at all,
it is either that they may gain from it, or else because they are just afraid of
not doing it.
3.
The thought of delight in
religion is so strange to most people, that no two words stand further apart
than "holiness" and "delight."
4.
But believers who know Christ,
understand that delight and faith are so blessedly united, that
the gates of hell cannot prevail to separate them.
5.
They who love God with all
their hearts, find that His ways are ways of pleasantness, and all His paths are
peace.
D.
Let’s find out why!
II.
Background
A.
As Jesus travelled through the
border area between
B.
On the outskirts of the
village were ten lepers. They “stood afar off” from Him as He approached the
gate of that village (17:12). Lepers were required by Old Testament law to stay
far away from people so that others would not get infected by the disease. “The
leper…shall cry, Unclean, unclean…he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall
his habitation be” (Leviticus 13:45-46).
C.
These men should not have been
there. They would normally have just stayed away from the crowds.
D.
These ten men should have had
no hope – because leprosy was incurable – only a MIRACLE could have changed
their situation – they were “terminally ill” – and miracles didn’t happen every
day!
E.
Yet something was about to
happen this day that will change their lives – they are going to get cured! It
seems when anyone gets close enough to Jesus, their lives are changed! Amen?
1.
But let me say this, out of
those ten men who get HEALED, only one man gets MADE WHOLE!
2.
Oh it is wonderful to be cured
of an illness or disease…
3.
Oh it is wonderful to get a
large amount of money given to you to pay off your debts…
4.
Oh it is wonderful to become
famous and popular…
5.
But none of any of that can
make a person “whole”
F.
We are going to see THE most
neglected place in the world in this Scripture. And it is so amazing how
neglected it is, because when you understand just how much power to save and to
transform is there, you would think millions upon millions would be fighting to
get to this place!
G.
What place is it? Well, let’s
see if you can figure it out as we read…
III.
Message –
The Most Neglected Place
– Luke 17:11-19
A.
Their Condition (Luke 17:11,12)
1.
All these men had “Leprosy”
a.
A vicious bacterial infection
that only gets worse with time!
b.
It begins invisible, under the
skin, and it slowly spreads
c.
When it becomes visible, it is
then that you are terminally ill, and that you have only months or a few years
to live
d.
These ten men were alone,
outcast from the rest of society
e.
They were very contagious
f.
No one could do anything for
them
g.
They were only waiting to die
2.
Leprosy is THE greatest
illustration of sin in the Bible! Understanding leprosy helps us understand what
sin is like, and how it kills!
a.
Sin is usually invisible, and
it works away in our hearts even when we don’t know it is there – like germs and
bacteria
b.
Sin only gets worse with time
– oh we get cuter and are able to disguise our sins, but sin only multiplies in
our lives with time
c.
When sin starts manifesting
itself: we start stealing, lying, lusting, hating… then we are doomed!
d.
Condemned by God’s laws of
being sinners – damned
e.
And NO ONE can do anything for
us –
f.
Nothing can cure the sinful
heart, the sinful eye, the sinful tongue!
g.
No! Without a true blue
miracle, all anyone can do is wait to die, and face God’s wrath!
B.
Their Cry (Luke 17:13)
1.
These ten lepers had somehow
heard that Jesus performed miracles.
a.
They had heard of a demon
infested teenager up in
b.
They had heard of Peter’s sick
mother-in-law getting instantly healed by Jesus
c.
They had heard of a paralyzed
man who had been healed by Jesus when his friends had dropped him through
Peter’s roof in front of Jesus!
d.
They had heard of a
Centurion’s servant being completely healed by Jesus
e.
They had heard of Lazarus
being raised back up from the grave, even after being dead for four days!
f.
They had heard about two blind
men getting their sight back because of Jesus!
g.
But the most important thing
they had heard about, that gave them such hope, was that even a leper had been
healed in Luke 5:12-19!!!
2.
So, from a distance, they
approached Christ Jesus, and cried out with all their might, “Jesus, Master,
have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13).
3.
What a cry!
a.
It was not a hesitant prayer,
or a mumble or even a frustrated grunt
b.
It was a loud and clear YELL
to make sure Jesus heard them!
c.
And you know what? It is just
good to be able to get God’s attention! To be able to be emotional with God, and
yell out “HELP!”
d.
AMEN!
4.
Their cry was for MERCY!
Didn’t specifically ask for healing!
a.
They knew they didn’t deserve
His help
b.
They knew they rightly
deserved trouble in their life
c.
The thief on the cross knew he
was getting what he deserved (Lk 23:40,41)
d.
Oh if only people knew that
God owes us nothing! Whew! This
sinful world’s attitude about God is SO, SO WRONG!
e.
Mercy is a plea-bargain with
God
1)
You accept your condition
2)
You accept God’s judgment
3)
But you ask for mercy – for
Him to be better to you than you deserve!
4)
And do you know what is
amazing, HE WILL NOT REJECT YOUR PLEA (John 6:37)!!!
5)
Did you EVER know Jesus to
reject anyone who came to Him and asked for MERCY?
a)
He had to reject people who
wanted eternal life, because they thought they deserved it
b)
He had to reject people who
wanted Him to put on a circus show of healings, just for entertainment
c)
But He
5.
Hey… Who are we, that we
should draw near to him that is infinitely pure? Yet He has made a way for any
and all sinners to come to Him! If only they ask for the right thing!
C.
Their Cleansing (Luke 17:14)
1.
One moment, they were lepers…
a.
The disease of leprosy had
left them filthy, stinking - their flesh was rotting, they were in danger of
being run off by the crowds
b.
And Jesus offered the only
hope for cleansing – clearing away all infection, and restoring their skin to
perfect health!
2.
And the next moment, they were
cured! They were completely healed! And it happened so fast…
a.
It was not “starting” to heal
b.
It did not show signs of
improvement
c.
AS they went… AS they started
to walk in obedience, they were completely healed! Full Stop!
3.
But how did it happen?
a.
Had Jesus touched them? No.
Jesus had actually reached out and touched a leper before… but He didn’t do that
here!
b.
There was a three-fold process
to their healing
1)
They accepted the reality of
their leprosy – start there! Didn’t try and ignore their condition, and make
like it wasn’t that bad!
2)
They asked Jesus to cleanse
them – to have mercy on them
3)
They turned in obedience to
Christ’s command away from their old way of life, and trusted that they would be
healed
c.
Jesus told them to go and show
themselves
as healed to the priests in the
village! It is called, acting our your faith! Not just what you believe, but
what Jesus actually said for you to do!
4.
Jesus did that for two reasons:
a.
To test their faith
1)
He could have just healed
them, and THEN asked them to obey Him. That would have been easy. Most people
would have agreed to that arrangement…
a)
God… you do this for me first…
b)
And then I will do whatever
you want
2)
But God asks us to BELIEVE
before we can see anything happening - It is called, “Trusting Him!”
3)
He who will not believe till
he gets what he asks for, is probably never going to get anything from God.
4)
The highest, the most
sovereign reason, that can be given for believing, is that God has commanded it.
5)
If I have faith in God, I will
obey what He says to do, whether anything good is happening or not!
6)
Remember Naaman’s leprosy? He
was told to go dip in the
7)
If these ten men really
believed Jesus could heal them, then simply because Jesus commanded it, they
needed to start walking as if healed!!! That’s faith!
b.
To testify to the religious
1)
It was not enough for a leper
to say that they were healed – the priests were supposed to examine and verify
that a person actually was no longer contagious
2)
Plenty of people probably
really believed they were not sick, when they were simply fooling themselves
3)
But here was a rare chance for
a priest to see that there was someone out in the desert named Jesus who could
heal the leper – and not just one of them, but TEN at a time!
4)
Even the devoutly religious
priests need to be told about Jesus!
5.
So, the ten lepers obeyed
Jesus and started walking toward the gate of the village to go find the local
priest. And it was in that decision to obey Jesus, to start to act like they
were going to be healed, that they became healed!
6.
This shows that they had a
certain amount of faith, or they would not have obeyed Him.
7.
Great Truth – People who obey
this Bible are much better off than those who live in disobedience to it. People
who are obedient to Christ are cleansed from many of the plagues that trouble
those who are not obedient.
a.
Did you know that those who
come to church, and at least outwardly conform to the basic rules of
Christianity, discover that their lives become more regulated, their study
habits at school produce better results? Did you know that their emotions become
more controlled? In general, they become more successful and productive in their
lives than those who are “tossed to and fro” by the confusion of modern society
(Ephesians 4:14). Did you know that bible reading men are better men? Did you
know that soul-winning teenagers are more stable teenagers?
b.
People often think coming to
church will hamper them in life, by taking away too much of their time from work
or school or play. But you couldn’t be more wrong! Learning this Bible, and
renewing your mind, and growing in grace makes for a better people all around!
period!
c.
When young people attend the
regular meetings of church, I have found, without exception, that they actually
become far better students! Do you really think the students who drink and stay
up all hours and play around, and toy with drugs, and fry their brains on loud
rock music are the best students? REALLY? You have got to be kidding!
d.
Do you REALLY THINK that men
who stay in bed on a Sunday, and putter around on the golf course, and go
fishing instead of learning to follow Christ are the better men? Wow! I have
found the exact opposite!
8.
Hey! Changed lives, and BETTER
lives begin here! Not because of anything magical in this place, but because of
learning to obey God – learning to fear God and keep His commandments as Solomon
concluded in Ecclesiastes 12! Learning to live like he designed us to live!
9.
BUT, as we shall see, their
faith was not “saving faith.” Oh yes, they obeyed Christ outwardly; “And it came
to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed” (Luke 17:14), and received
outward healing. But there was a healing that they had not experienced yet, and
probably
D.
Their Carelessness (Luke 17:15)
1.
Now I begin to focus in on our
main subject this morning
a.
Question: How many of the
lepers were healed? All ten!
b.
How long did it take for them
all to be healed, and healthy again? Only as long as it took for them to turn
towards the village in obedience to Christ’s command!
c.
And what do you think went
through their mind, when they saw healthy, vibrant, clean skin on their hands
and feet?
1)
Joy! Such Joy!
2)
These men probably started to
run! Why?
a)
Because once they were seen by
the priest, they would be heading HOME!
b)
They would be hugging their
wives and children!
c)
They would be putting on clean
clothes, and eating together as a family once again!
d)
Can you blame them for
breaking out into a sprint towards the village to find the priest?
e)
Can you blame them for
beginning to shout and call for him to meet them and see what Jesus had done for
them?
3)
They were probably ripping off
their putrefied filthy rags of garments just to get a good look at their arms,
and legs, and chests, and stomachs – all completely clean from any sign of
leprous sours and scars!
4)
These men would have been some
sight as they came running into the village that day!
2.
But something was missing – do
you know what it is?
a.
I believe it is the reason why
so many even Christians are miserable today…
b.
Not because they have not
experienced great things from God in their lives… answered prayers, miracles,
gifts of children, and homes, and jobs, and friends, etc
c.
But because they have
forgotten – no, they have neglected the place of praise in their life!
1)
In the place of praise is
busy-ness,
stress,
bills,
pressures,
time-constraints,
family,
travel,
work,
play,
sleep,
eating,
TV,
ipods, friends, worry, smoking,
drinking, drugs…
2)
And we wonder, where has all
the joy gone?
3)
I believe
it wasn’t lost… It was simply neglected!
d.
The western world, Europe,
e.
Something is terribly wrong
when…
1)
Christians are experiencing
divorces at almost the same rate as unbelievers
2)
Christians are fighting
depression and suicide at almost the same rate as unbelievers
f.
And it is NOT because God
died! It is NOT because God stopped answering our prayers. It is NOT because
people are not getting saved anymore.
g.
It is because people who have
been so blessed by God don’t turn back around, and fall at the feet of Jesus and
cry and weep and sing for joy!
h.
The best is saved for last in
this lesson! One man did, and is the example for us all!
E.
One Man’s Conversion (Luke 17:15-19)
1.
This man was healed! As were
all of the men. There was none Jesus couldn’t heal! The leprosy was gone from
all ten of their bodies as they ran into the village!
2.
This man was a Samaritan!
a.
The implication is that the
other 9 were Jews
b.
Funny how Jews and
c.
Funny how it was only the
3.
This man was grateful
a.
But one of the men turned
around when he was cleansed and ran back to where Jesus was. “And with a loud
voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his [Jesus’] feet, giving him
thanks…” (Luke 17:15-16).
4.
Most importantly, that one man
was truly changed – converted!
a.
“And he [Jesus] said unto him, Arise, go
thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole” (Luke 17:19).
b.
Biblical, Spiritual cleansing
MUCH better than physical healing – I know you don’t believe it, but it is true!
(1Cor 6:9-11)
c.
All of God’s healing powers can never change a soul, until
gratefulness pours forth from it like a flood!
d.
God cannot make you grateful… there is no way for Jesus to
make you delight in Him! God continuously blesses us, and helps us and keeps us,
yet we are losing the battles with sin, and with sorrows
e.
Everyone in this room, no… everyone in this world, needs to
know the power, the life-changing power of gratefulness!
5.
What could be better than
getting healed from leprosy? Getting made WHOLE!
a.
These men were respectful,
obedient, and trusting in the words of Jesus. What they weren't, was thankful.
b.
Only one of the men, was
grateful enough to return and publically praise Jesus.
c.
Do you think he was the only
one that was happy? I doubt it.
d.
Do you think it was easy for
him to be the only one to return to Jesus? Probably not. He wanted to be
declared clean by the priests so he could return to his family, his job and his
friends. But he was thankful enough to stop right then and turn around, and go
back to the place of healing, and thank Jesus and praise God for this marvellous
gift.
6.
So, how does a person become
whole – healed inside and out?
IV.
Application – The Most neglected Place in Our Lives is the
Place of Praise
A.
How many millions and millions
attend their churches, and sit on the sidelines,
B.
So, How does a person become
Whole – healed inside and out?
1.
If you are not born again… if
you have never been made fully whole…
a.
Accept the way God sees you –
as a sinner – start there!
b.
Turn from sin in you – reject
your own self-righteous attempts at trying to deceive God, and start putting
down all your sins on the table so to speak – no hiding them, clinging to them,
protecting them
c.
Actually, ask God Almighty to
cleanse you, and forgive you at the expense of Jesus Christ.
2.
Hey Christian!!! You need to
Get to the place of Dependency too! Prayer. People pray to Jesus for everything.
They are desperate, and that’s good!
3.
Believe in God
for Mercy most of all! Just meekly
turn to Him, and begin to earnestly plead, and beg for Him to do what He does
not have to… ask Him to help you, and to heal your heartaches and problems!
4.
Act on Christ’s commands –
live the Bible. Whatever He says to do… not what YOU think you should do!
5.
Stay in the attitude of
Praise! Crucify/ Mortify every other attitude! It will most definitely change
your life – make you whole!
a.
Start thanking Him!
1)
Thanking Him for the priceless
gifts of salvation
2)
Thanking Him for even wanting
sinners like you and me
3)
Thanking Him for coming to OUR
“
b.
Psalm 119:164
c.
Psalm 34:1
d.
Psalm 107:20-22
e.
*** PSALM 22:3
Craig Ledbetter | Pastor |