1 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:06,600 Good morning church family. Let me welcome you to Grace and 2 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:10,760 Truth Baptist Church once again, if you'll please find a seat. 3 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:23,200 If you are new here, my name is Frank and I'm one of the elders 4 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:28,280 here at Grace and Truth Baptist and I am glad and zealous this 5 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:30,040 morning to be giving you a message. 6 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:34,800 Pastor Matt and his family are not here this morning and so we 7 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,200 will not be in the book of Genesis as we have been these 8 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:42,120 past few weeks. This morning we will be in the 9 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:48,400 book of Luke chapter 17, verses 11 to 19, and it is the passage 10 00:00:48,480 --> 00:00:53,400 about the 10 lepers. As usual, we'll begin with a 11 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,040 reading of the text and I'll go through the exposition and then 12 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,320 application. So if you will now follow along 13 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:06,440 in God's Word as I read from Luke chapter 1711 to 19, on the 14 00:01:06,440 --> 00:01:11,640 way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and 15 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:17,400 Galilee and as he entered the village he was met by 10 lepers 16 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:22,920 who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices saying 17 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:30,400 Jesus Master, have mercy on us. When he saw them he said to 18 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:36,800 them, go and show yourselves to the priests and as they went 19 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:42,120 they were cleansed. Then one of them when he saw 20 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:48,560 that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice, 21 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:54,400 and he fell on his face at Jesus's feet, giving him thanks. 22 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:59,320 Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, we're not 23 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:05,360 ten cleansed, where are the 9? Was no one found to return and 24 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,080 give praise to God except this foreigner? 25 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:13,000 And he said to him, rise and go your way. 26 00:02:13,920 --> 00:02:18,160 Your faith has made you well. Please pray with me. 27 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,360 Father, we praise you this morning because we have been 28 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:34,040 recipients of your mercy in Christ Jesus God, I pray that we 29 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:41,640 would be filled with a sense of joy knowing that your mercy 30 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:44,880 welcomes sinners and welcomes us in this morning. 31 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,680 I pray now for your help, God, that I would speak with 32 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:53,480 tenderness and truthfulness that is from you. 33 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:59,000 Please help me now and help us to hear from you this morning. 34 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:05,000 Please speak, O God, in the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen. 35 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,160 We have a lot to get through this morning, so we will begin 36 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:10,960 with an exposition of the passage. 37 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,000 I'm going through section by section to understand it, and we 38 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:20,480 will start with verse 11 to 12A. On the way to Jerusalem. 39 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,160 He was passing along between Samaria and Galilee, and as he 40 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:26,920 entered the village, he was met by 10 lepers. 41 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:32,840 And so the setting is here and he is referring to Jesus, and 42 00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:36,520 Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem. 43 00:03:37,840 --> 00:03:42,480 Luke takes time here, as is a theme in his gospel account, to 44 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:49,080 point out where Jesus is going, where his ministry reaches its 45 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:53,680 climax. Jesus always knew where he would 46 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,920 be going and what would happen in Jerusalem. 47 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:03,640 It would be there where our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will die 48 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,040 and sacrifice himself on the cross for sinners. 49 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:12,800 Luke writes that he is passing along on the way to Jerusalem. 50 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:17,560 Somewhere between Samaritan territory and Galilee is 51 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:21,279 northern Israel, and this is important because this is the 52 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,120 setting for where the rest of the account unfolds. 53 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:29,240 And we do not know exactly where geographically this village is 54 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:33,320 and where Jesus is, but the fact that he is between two 55 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:39,080 territories implies that this village is made-up of Jews and 56 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:42,560 Samaritans. Certainly the group of lepers is 57 00:04:42,560 --> 00:04:45,920 a mixed group. It implies that this village 58 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:51,360 maybe as well. Relations between Samaritan and 59 00:04:51,360 --> 00:04:56,000 Jew were complicated to say the least, and and not in a positive 60 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:57,240 manner. It was. 61 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,960 It was a very tense relationship. 62 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:04,240 Samaria in Samaritan history reaches us far back as the Old 63 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,840 Testament, when Israel was split between the northern and 64 00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:15,120 southern Kingdom and God uses Assyria as his tool of judgment 65 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:20,000 for his people's idolatry and the the 10 tribes of the 66 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,760 northern Kingdom of Israel are conquered by Assyria and 67 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:31,040 assimilated. And so even to this day, from 68 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:34,480 the Old Testament to now, Samaritans and Jews, they had 69 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:38,640 two central places of worship, which is a point of contention 70 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,720 already. For Jews it was Mount Zion, 71 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:47,600 Jerusalem, and for Samaritans it was Mount Gerizim and Shechem. 72 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:53,400 Samaritans considered themselves to be true Israelites. 73 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:59,640 Jews did not, and considered Samaritans to be essentially 74 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:03,760 Gentiles. So there's real animosity 75 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:11,280 between Samaritan and Jew. But here, Jesus passing along 76 00:06:11,280 --> 00:06:18,320 the territory of both, we see a picture of our Savior bridging 77 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:22,560 this divide. At least I see that it is here. 78 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:27,280 On the outskirts between Samaria and Galilee there is a village, 79 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:32,960 and Luke says that as he entered, likely near the 80 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:38,600 entrance or on the edge of the village, Jesus has met 10 81 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:44,920 lepers. Misery and suffering has brought 82 00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:49,280 these lepers together and we should see this. 83 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:54,560 It's just a sign of how serious leprosy was in those days, Maybe 84 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:59,760 hard for us to imagine today, but in those days leprosy was 85 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:03,840 very severe. Leon Morris writes this. 86 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,600 Normally Jews and Samaritans have little to do with one 87 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:11,120 another, and it is a mark of the horror of leprosy that those 88 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:15,000 suffering from this disease had lived together, ignoring 89 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,120 distinction they would otherwise have seen as compelling. 90 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:24,000 So a leper in those days is someone who had some sort of 91 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,080 skin condition that was likely chronic. 92 00:07:28,080 --> 00:07:31,520 It's a wide term. It's not just the the narrow 93 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,760 like modern day leprosy is known as Hansen's disease. 94 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:40,000 Leprosy in the Bible covers a wide range of skin conditions. 95 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,800 Leviticus 13 describes all of this in its gory detail. 96 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:49,960 And in summary, it affects your life physically and 97 00:07:49,960 --> 00:07:55,400 relationally. Being a leper meant that you are 98 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:02,040 considered unclean and you must be ostracized from the rest of 99 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:06,200 society, from those who are clean until you are declared 100 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:11,520 clean by a priest. So these 10 leopards are here 101 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:16,200 likely because they had a chronic disease that categorized 102 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:19,280 them as unclean. And so they are separate. 103 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:23,560 Not only are they separate on the outskirts of like, you know, 104 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,120 in the village, but they're separate even in the village. 105 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:29,640 Likely, you know, apart in the near the entrance or kind of on 106 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:34,200 the edge. It's thinking about this week. 107 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:36,520 It was hard for me. I really wanted to and just kind 108 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:39,000 of like preparing for the sermon, trying to just 109 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,679 understand and empathize with the suffering of someone with 110 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:47,720 leprosy of these 10 lepers. And it's hard because modern 111 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:53,640 medicine has, by the grace of God, come a long way, and so a 112 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:58,680 lot of skin conditions are are not as severe today as it was in 113 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:02,120 those days. The closest thing I could think 114 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:07,040 of, it's not comparable by any means, was a time when I 115 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:10,400 discovered I was allergic to Vick's vapor rub. 116 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:15,320 And I, I had, I had congestion and like the natural thought was 117 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,160 like you, you like have Vicks and it like helps clear 118 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,080 congestion. And so I had Vicks vapor rub 119 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:24,960 like all my chest, my neck, you know, and, and I slept with 120 00:09:24,960 --> 00:09:31,840 Vicks vapor rub and in the morning it was all red and I was 121 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:35,960 like, I had hives that on like my neck on like my chest. 122 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,320 And it was, it was irritating because every time I would wear 123 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:40,040 a shirt, it would, it would irritate. 124 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,560 And so I'm like, well, I can't not wear a shirt throughout my 125 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:46,200 so like I'm like wearing a shirt and like, and then it would get 126 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,760 worse and then some liquid would start coming out and, and then 127 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,920 like I couldn't sleep because it was like I could just feel it. 128 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:56,920 It was just irritating. And I was so itchy. 129 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,840 It was, it was stinging. And so then my sleep was 130 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:03,760 affected and then I just felt unwell. 131 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:10,160 It took about two weeks for all of that to go away and I thought 132 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,400 about that. I thought about how there's 133 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:18,120 something to physical ailing of your body that hits you 134 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,360 differently. I think about Job. 135 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:27,280 The last thing that Satan strikes Job with says that Satan 136 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:32,400 strikes him with loathsome sores from the sole of his of his foot 137 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:37,040 to the crown of his head and and Job taking a piece of broken 138 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:42,000 pottery, scraping himself as he sat in the ashes. 139 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:52,680 So I imagine that not for weeks, but for years possibly, and at 140 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:59,320 the same time, being apart from my family, being apart from the 141 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:05,560 church, being a separated from society because I am unclean. 142 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:11,440 That is my life. And often if you were a if you 143 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,960 had chronic leprosy, it's hard to not feel like that's just 144 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,480 what defines me. It's in those days like that's 145 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:21,240 your identity. You are a leper. 146 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:27,560 And this is the suffering that these 10 lepers bring to Jesus. 147 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:33,120 Look at verse 12, B to 13, who stood at a distance and lifted 148 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:37,480 up their voices saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 149 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:40,800 There are three observations that I have. 150 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:47,520 So notice the disposition and position of these lepers. 2 who 151 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:53,160 the lepers believe Jesus to be, and three, notice what the 152 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:56,640 lepers ask for. We'll take them one at a time. 153 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,880 Notice their disposition and position. 154 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:05,280 These lepers, they stood at a distance and they lifted up 155 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:10,040 their voices. By law, those who are unclean 156 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:13,320 need to be apart from those who are clean, and so forth. 157 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:15,680 Physical and spiritual cleanliness. 158 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:19,280 It meant that these lepers cannot just go up to someone 159 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:22,080 who's clean, so they keep a distance. 160 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:28,560 They do not dare to get close to someone who is clean. 161 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:31,520 And So what do you do when you're at a distance? 162 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,800 You cry out and that's what they do. 163 00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:38,680 They raise up a voice and they call to Jesus. 164 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:45,440 Luke 531 says those who are well have no need of a physician but 165 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:52,720 those who are sick, and they knew that they were sick, so 166 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,600 they cried to Jesus. And that's their disposition and 167 00:12:56,600 --> 00:13:02,640 their position to notice who they believe Jesus to be. 168 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:08,560 They apparently know of Jesus. They have heard of Jesus. 169 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:16,160 They call Jesus master. This word master literally 170 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:20,520 translates to master or Lord 6 times in the New Testament. 171 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,560 This word exact word is used of Jesus. 172 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,520 Peter called Jesus master on the mount of Transfiguration and he 173 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,880 says Jesus master. It is good that we are here. 174 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:35,760 John the beloved disciple call Jesus this word master. 175 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:40,680 And the disciples in the boat during a storm while Jesus is 176 00:13:40,680 --> 00:13:44,600 asleep, they cried to Jesus saying Master, Master, we are 177 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:49,200 perishing. This is not the only word for 178 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:54,400 Lord in the New Testament. But what I do want us to see is 179 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:58,000 that the six times in the New Testament we see this exact word 180 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:03,840 used, five of them are from Jesus's disciples like Peter and 181 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:08,360 John. The one time, the lone time this 182 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:13,360 word is used from someone not of that group is here by these 10 183 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:19,040 lepers. They refer to Jesus as master. 184 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:27,960 And these 10 lepers are right. They did not see Jesus like some 185 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:33,760 of the crowds would see Jesus as as a as a rabbi, as a as a 186 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:38,240 teacher or as a as a miracle worker or a meal ticket or or 187 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:43,400 even a prophet. They saw Jesus as master. 188 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:51,120 They refer to him in a way that we only see Jesus as disciples 189 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,360 refer to him. Three. 190 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:56,640 Notice what they asked Jesus for. 191 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,520 They lift their voice and they cry for mercy. 192 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:06,360 I find it interesting they don't ask for healing. 193 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,360 I don't want to press this too much because there are a lot of 194 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,600 situations we see in the New Testament where people come to 195 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:15,320 Jesus and ask for mercy. And it's it's implied they have 196 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:19,600 a condition they desire healing. But what I will say is this, 197 00:15:20,200 --> 00:15:24,560 what you ask for from someone does stem from who you believe 198 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:29,000 the person to be. I have not gone to my doctor 199 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:31,000 when I'm sick and asked for mercy. 200 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:35,720 I asked for a prescription. I'd have not gone to a teacher, 201 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,200 someone I saw as a teacher or a professor and asked for mercy. 202 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,280 I've asked them for knowledge, ask them for understanding. 203 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:46,880 These 10 lepers, they ask for mercy. 204 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:49,680 And I like what Daryl Bock writes about this. 205 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:56,080 The call for mercy is a request to someone of superior position 206 00:15:56,760 --> 00:16:02,520 to show compassion. Let's continue to verse 14. 207 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:08,600 When he saw them, he said to them, go and show yourselves to 208 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,680 the priests. And as they went, they were 209 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:16,720 cleansed. Jesus responds to their cry for 210 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:23,520 help, and his response is gloriously surprising. 211 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:29,360 He says go and show yourselves to the priest, All of them. 212 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:35,960 And when were they healed? As they went? 213 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:43,200 Not before. Showing yourself to the priest 214 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,160 is not the first step, it's kind of the last step. 215 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,920 Like when you are healed of leprosy you show yourself to the 216 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:54,480 priest to be confirmed by the priest as you are clean and you 217 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:58,640 are able to re enter society. Jesus tells them to go and show 218 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:02,440 yourselves to the priest. And as they went, they were 219 00:17:02,440 --> 00:17:06,920 cleansed, meaning that they were still leprous when they heard 220 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:13,319 the words from Jesus to go. Jesus tells them, and it's not 221 00:17:13,319 --> 00:17:15,920 like, oh, I'm healed, I should, yeah, I'm going to go show 222 00:17:15,920 --> 00:17:19,119 myself to the priest. They look down and they still 223 00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:21,640 see it. And we get no indication that 224 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,520 they go to Jesus and they're like, wait, what? 225 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:30,000 Heal us first. Make no mistake about it. 226 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:35,480 Jesus can heal them on the spot by His word. 227 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:42,160 Chronic diseases conditions are healed at the word of Jesus. 228 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:46,320 Should Jesus choose that. The centurion 6th servant 229 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:51,640 rightly says to Jesus, just say the word and let my servant be 230 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,320 healed. Jesus did not need to go to the 231 00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:58,560 centurion's house to perform the miracle. 232 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:02,000 And at a distance, at his word, the servant is healed. 233 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:10,480 So I want us to see that these 10 lepers go, and to go takes a 234 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:18,120 measure of faith, to believe Jesus at his word, to go and 235 00:18:18,120 --> 00:18:25,080 show themselves to the priest. We will talk about the faith of 236 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:29,920 one specific leper shortly. But I do want us to see that all 237 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:38,000 10 did believe Jesus, and all 10 went and all ten were healed. 238 00:18:40,120 --> 00:18:44,240 Take a look at verse 15 to 16. Then one of them, when he saw 239 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:50,520 that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice, 240 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:55,960 and he fell on his face at Jesus's feet, giving him thanks. 241 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:02,840 Now he was a Samaritan. One of the 10, upon seeing that 242 00:19:02,840 --> 00:19:08,000 he was healed, had a different thought and followed a different 243 00:19:08,040 --> 00:19:13,400 route than the rest of the 9. Let's look at the actions of 244 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:18,200 this one. When he was healed, he turned 245 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,960 back. Don't miss that. 246 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:27,400 I sometimes give the other nine a lot of grief because I'm like, 247 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:30,320 why didn't the other nine turn back? 248 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:32,960 Like why? Why was why is it just one? 249 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,000 But Jesus did give them instruction. 250 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:39,920 They say go and show yourself to the priest. 251 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:43,760 So were the other nine just simply obeying Jesus? 252 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:46,520 They're like Jesus told us to go, go and show ourselves to the 253 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:49,400 priest. Maybe they had intention to go 254 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,280 back to Jesus after showing themselves to the priest. 255 00:19:53,160 --> 00:20:01,280 Or were the other nine simply eager to move on, eager to 256 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:05,920 rejoin society? Glad that they were healed. 257 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:11,640 Their life has changed and they wanted, they want to move. 258 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:14,280 They want to go make up for lost time. 259 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:20,760 We don't necessarily know. We don't know the actions of 260 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:22,960 from the other nine besides this story. 261 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:30,440 What we do know is that one man, when he saw that he was healed, 262 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:36,840 he turned back. Luke loves using this word, 263 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:40,560 returning back. He turned back 32 times. 264 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:43,600 Luke uses this word in his writings and Luke in Acts. 265 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,240 It literally means to turn back or to return. 266 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:54,280 And notice that this one leper does not turn back, does not 267 00:20:54,280 --> 00:21:00,600 return begrudgingly with like it was his duty or just an 268 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,000 obligation. Like, yeah, you know, it'd be 269 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:04,920 good manners to go back to this person. 270 00:21:05,880 --> 00:21:08,400 Thank you for healing me of, of my chronic disease. 271 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:15,360 Thank you for giving me my life. This man was praising God with a 272 00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:21,800 loud voice, a loud, great, mighty voice for a great and 273 00:21:21,800 --> 00:21:27,320 mighty God who has healed him. This man recognizes it is God 274 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:31,640 who has done this. God is the one who has worked 275 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:37,920 this in his life. So to God he praises and he 276 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:43,360 comes and he falls on his face at Jesus feet and gives him 277 00:21:43,360 --> 00:21:47,400 thanks. I love this. 278 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:55,480 I I would like for us to see the beauty of this this morning, 279 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:02,920 that this man recognizes that he has been healed. 280 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:11,720 And previously this man, like all lepers unclean, could only 281 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:16,000 be at a distance crying out to Jesus. 282 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:24,520 And now he is healed and no distance is needed. 283 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:31,080 He goes right up to Jesus. I can't even imagine what that's 284 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:34,560 like. He goes right up to Jesus and he 285 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:42,360 falls on his face in worship. He who was, who could only be 286 00:22:42,360 --> 00:22:50,400 far off at a distance, now boldly, humbly approaches Jesus 287 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:52,920 and falls at his feet in worship. 288 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:59,800 Luke confirms that this man is a Samaritan. 289 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:06,520 And so this note tells us that at least one that was a 290 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:08,600 Samaritan. We don't know if this group had 291 00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:10,840 more, but at least one was a Samaritan. 292 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:16,360 And I think Luke includes this because similar to the centurion 293 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:22,640 and the Canaanite women create examples of commendable faith in 294 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:26,640 the New Testament didn't always come from places that we would 295 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:31,080 expect. Certainly in those days Jews 296 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:35,480 would expect Jews would be the ones demonstrating commendable 297 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:39,280 faith. But here it's a Samaritan. 298 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:45,880 Let's look at verse 17 and 19. Then Jesus answered, we're not 299 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:51,200 ten cleansed. Where are the 9 Was no one found 300 00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:55,480 to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? 301 00:23:56,320 --> 00:24:02,160 And he said to him, rise and go your way, your faith has made 302 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:05,520 you well. Jesus asks 3 rhetorical 303 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:07,520 questions. We're not ten cleansed. 304 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,080 We're the other 9 Was no one found to return and give praise 305 00:24:11,080 --> 00:24:12,800 to God except this one foreigner? 306 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:17,240 And when he asked was no one found to return? 307 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:20,640 That's the same word of the Samaritan for turning back. 308 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:26,440 Was was no one found to return, to turn back and give praise to 309 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:33,560 God except this one? And it's hard to read this any 310 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:40,120 other way except disapproval of the actions of the nine and 311 00:24:40,120 --> 00:24:42,560 approval of the actions of the One. 312 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:50,600 The one who was at his feet Jesus speaks to directly and he 313 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:56,920 he assures him of his faith. But Jesus's questions and 314 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,800 statements raise some important questions for us. 315 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:04,800 At least to me it did. Why did Jesus heal all 10 316 00:25:05,560 --> 00:25:07,120 knowing that only one would return? 317 00:25:07,120 --> 00:25:11,200 Because because Jesus, he knew that only one would return. 318 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:15,120 Why did Jesus heal them as they went? 319 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:20,960 Was it to see who would return? We also don't know how far along 320 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:23,840 the way, like, you know, they went until they was healed. 321 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:25,840 They were healed. Could have been, you know, right 322 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:27,360 after. It could have been, you know, 323 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:32,520 mid journey. But maybe most importantly, what 324 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:37,240 does this mean about the faith of the rest of the 9 lepers? 325 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:41,880 How was the faith of the one different from the 9? 326 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:49,560 Did all 10 have saving faith? We'll touch on these in our 327 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:52,440 application. I have several points of 328 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:53,920 application for you this morning. 329 00:25:54,360 --> 00:25:58,960 I hope that you have many more in your own meditating over this 330 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:01,440 text. But these are some application 331 00:26:01,440 --> 00:26:07,920 that the Lord gave to me. Application #1 Because of our 332 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:15,800 sin there was a real distance between God and man, but in 333 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:23,680 Jesus Christ let there be no distance between you and God. 334 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:28,680 I want to start with this application point this morning 335 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:35,120 because I don't presume to know where you are all at with the 336 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:40,640 Lord this morning. And perhaps there are some of 337 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:45,200 you who feel a distance between you and God. 338 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:54,440 And so I want to start here. And if Jesus is not your Lord 339 00:26:55,200 --> 00:27:02,280 Master, is not your trust for the forgiveness of your sins and 340 00:27:02,280 --> 00:27:08,880 the wholehearted acceptance from God, that distance is real. 341 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:15,680 It is only in Jesus that distance can be closed. 342 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:21,040 Does that mean that God cannot see you or hear you? 343 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:26,880 No, he can. But there is a real distance 344 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:35,920 between Holy God, just God and Sinner that can only be closed 345 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:43,960 by the finished work of Jesus Christ in Christ through Christ. 346 00:27:45,120 --> 00:27:50,000 Those of you this morning who trust in Jesus in this manner, 347 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:56,720 brother, sister, let there be no distance between you and God. 348 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:07,960 May you run right up to Jesus's feet and fall on your face 349 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:15,000 before Him in worship. Hebrews 415 to 16. 350 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:18,080 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with 351 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:21,840 our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted 352 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:26,320 as we are, yet without sin. Let us then, with confidence 353 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:31,200 draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy 354 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:34,000 and find grace to help in a time of need. 355 00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:40,840 Like an unclean leper, we were all kept at a distance from God 356 00:28:41,240 --> 00:28:46,440 until we were healed. And like the father in the 357 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:50,640 parable of the prodigal son, when the younger son turns from 358 00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:56,480 his sin and turns back to his father, he expects distance 359 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:01,080 between him and his father, that his father would no longer call 360 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:04,680 him a son, that at best he would be a servant. 361 00:29:06,680 --> 00:29:13,040 And it says while he was still a long way off, his father saw him 362 00:29:13,240 --> 00:29:19,160 and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 363 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:30,360 Church family, in as much as it depends on you, let there be no 364 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:39,320 distance between you and God. Don't wander into the far 365 00:29:39,320 --> 00:29:42,800 country, don't stay in the far country in the wilderness, 366 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:49,960 thinking that God wants you to be at a distance, thinking that 367 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:53,400 He would not have you if you turn back to Him. 368 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:02,880 If you feel like there is distance between you and God, 369 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:10,720 especially because you feel your sin and you do feel like I have 370 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:15,680 wandered into the wilderness and I don't, I don't feel close to 371 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:26,800 God, now is the time for you to return, to turn back to, to go 372 00:30:26,800 --> 00:30:32,720 back to God. It's a church family. 373 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,280 This is the first exhortation from me this morning. 374 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,560 Don't be content to be distant with God, to have distance 375 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:44,720 between you and God. Boldly and humbly approach him. 376 00:30:45,840 --> 00:30:51,080 Return to Him. There is more mercy to be found 377 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:54,080 at His feet than when we can imagine. 378 00:30:57,240 --> 00:31:01,560 Application .2. God's sovereignly purposes 379 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:06,160 suffering, especially lengthy suffering, that you would feel a 380 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:11,000 need for relief and a deeper need for God. 381 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:15,760 Let me say that again. God's sovereignly purposes 382 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:21,560 suffering, especially lengthy suffering that you would feel a 383 00:31:21,560 --> 00:31:26,560 need for relief and a deeper need for God. 384 00:31:28,160 --> 00:31:30,600 None of us here are lepers as far as I'm aware. 385 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:38,080 But even in this gathering, I know that some of us are sick. 386 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:43,400 Some of you are physically acutely sick. 387 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:47,080 Some of you are chronically sick. 388 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:53,680 Some of you are suffering and have been suffering in trial 389 00:31:55,320 --> 00:32:00,480 relationally or emotionally, and you hide it very well or think 390 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:05,200 you do. I know that there are those of 391 00:32:05,200 --> 00:32:07,200 us here that are like that this morning. 392 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:12,720 And I find it to be true of my own life that like, I know I 393 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:16,560 have a lot of needs, but it's knowing I have needs is 394 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:23,320 different than feeling my need. I know I need more wisdom, but I 395 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:27,960 feel my need for wisdom when there's a, a messy relational 396 00:32:27,960 --> 00:32:32,240 situation and I I what's left, right up and down, you know, 397 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:37,040 this is a Gray area. I know I need to be more humble. 398 00:32:38,640 --> 00:32:41,960 That's different than feeling my need to be humble. 399 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:50,400 I know that I need God always. It's different when I'm in the 400 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:54,080 hospital and I feel my need for God. 401 00:32:56,840 --> 00:33:02,360 So suffering makes me feel the needs that I know I have. 402 00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:08,800 And when suffering comes, we feel our need for relief, don't 403 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,080 we? Deliverance from the suffering. 404 00:33:11,360 --> 00:33:13,840 Can't. Lord, please heal me of my 405 00:33:13,840 --> 00:33:17,800 hives, of my condition? I need sleep. 406 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:25,760 Lord, please give me relief. This passage tells us that while 407 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:31,560 we may feel our need for relief pretty naturally when we suffer, 408 00:33:32,840 --> 00:33:36,760 not all feel their need for something deeper. 409 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:44,280 And praise God if you feel your need for something far deeper. 410 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:53,600 Jesus graciously answers all 10 lepers plea for mercy and gives 411 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:57,560 them healing. They are delivered from their 412 00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:01,400 physical need. They have their physical needs 413 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:05,720 met. And one after the pain of the 414 00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:13,800 physical need is gone, felt a different need, a need not just 415 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:18,560 for healing of their skin, but a need for Jesus. 416 00:34:20,199 --> 00:34:24,320 So he goes back to the one who has saved him. 417 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:30,679 I know many of us are also in a season of waiting in our in our 418 00:34:30,679 --> 00:34:40,840 church, waiting for a job, a spouse, waiting for God to put 419 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:44,920 my life together and and to organize my life. 420 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:52,120 And suffering often comes and is found in this waiting. 421 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:59,080 What is God's purpose for your suffering? 422 00:35:03,880 --> 00:35:07,960 Have you perhaps, have you considered that perhaps God, in 423 00:35:07,960 --> 00:35:15,440 his infinite wisdom, graciously withholds that which you are 424 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:23,360 seeking, because He knows sovereignly that if I give you 425 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:29,080 this, you will receive it and you will be on your way? 426 00:35:34,120 --> 00:35:40,320 That if I give you exactly what you want, you will receive it 427 00:35:40,320 --> 00:35:48,160 with joy and you will move on. There's a song I love. 428 00:35:49,240 --> 00:35:54,440 It's the world behind me the the cross before me. 429 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:02,640 It is possible for some of us to treat Jesus in such a way where 430 00:36:02,640 --> 00:36:06,400 it's the cross behind me and the world before me. 431 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:21,000 It is possible that God wants you to wait and that in your 432 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:25,120 suffering that you would feel a deeper need for God. 433 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:29,640 Application .3. It is possible to have a kind of 434 00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:34,120 faith that calls Jesus. Lord believes He is able to heal 435 00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:38,520 you and change your life and not be saving faith. 436 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:42,840 There is some debate as to whether the nine are truly 437 00:36:42,840 --> 00:36:47,400 saved, like salvifically, not just physically, but you know, 438 00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:50,720 spiritually. We know that took faith from all 439 00:36:50,720 --> 00:36:53,520 10 to go to the priest and to believe Jesus. 440 00:36:55,640 --> 00:36:57,920 I don't know. I hope that all ten are in 441 00:36:57,920 --> 00:37:00,360 heaven. I, I, I would rejoice. 442 00:37:02,280 --> 00:37:06,280 I can see arguments for the one being saved and arguments for 443 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:10,520 all 10 being saved. But I will say this, we know 444 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:14,520 from scripture that it is possible to deeply feel the 445 00:37:14,520 --> 00:37:19,960 pains of your condition to go to Jesus believing he is Lord and 446 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:25,360 Master and able to save you, and for you to not have saving 447 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:29,240 faith. And that's if you treat God as a 448 00:37:29,240 --> 00:37:34,320 means to an end. Jesus is who he says he is. 449 00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:40,840 I, I have these needs, Jesus will give me what I'm ultimately 450 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:45,800 looking for, will give me a life that I can enjoy, that, that I 451 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,440 can just be on my way. I can rejoin society. 452 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:53,560 Jesus can give me a white picket fence and family and and and 453 00:37:53,560 --> 00:37:58,800 security if you treat the Lord as a means to an end. 454 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:06,760 Matthew writes in Matthew 721. Not everyone who says to me Lord 455 00:38:06,760 --> 00:38:09,560 Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven on that day. 456 00:38:09,560 --> 00:38:13,040 Many will say to me, Lord Lord, did we not prophecy on your name 457 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:16,280 and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your 458 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:23,440 name and then I will declare to them, I never knew you depart 459 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:25,640 from me, you workers of lawlessness. 460 00:38:28,040 --> 00:38:31,680 So if you take this passage this morning at face value, not 461 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:35,160 having any other details of the other nine and what happens in 462 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:40,720 their life, I see this as a reminder that while it took 463 00:38:41,120 --> 00:38:49,080 while it took faith for all 10 to be healed, 1 seeks a 464 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:58,040 relationship with Jesus. One wanted to get to know Jesus, 465 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:07,520 and so he turns back upon being healed. 466 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:14,480 He did not look down, marvel, and go on his way. 467 00:39:16,120 --> 00:39:20,880 When he saw that he was healed, he wanted to go back to the one 468 00:39:20,880 --> 00:39:25,960 who saved him. True faith finds delight in the 469 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:28,240 God who gives mercy, not merely the mercy. 470 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:37,360 When I give Sam flowers, I hope that her primary delight is not 471 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:42,080 in the flowers. Oh yeah, like these are great. 472 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:44,200 I now have flowers in my possession. 473 00:39:44,480 --> 00:39:49,120 I have been made much of because he, Frank, gave me flowers. 474 00:39:50,640 --> 00:39:52,600 I hope her delight is in her husband. 475 00:39:53,720 --> 00:39:57,360 And when Rena is seeking forgiveness and I give and I 476 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:00,640 forgive her, I hope that her delight is not great. 477 00:40:00,960 --> 00:40:03,840 I can now go back to play time or meal time. 478 00:40:03,840 --> 00:40:08,360 I can now eat again. I hope that her delight is in a 479 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:11,600 reconciled relationship with her Father. 480 00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:18,240 So when you feel your sin and you go to God for mercy for you 481 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:25,040 to be forgiven, don't just delight that there's mercy for 482 00:40:25,040 --> 00:40:29,480 you. Delight in the one who extends 483 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:33,520 mercy. It is a relationship. 484 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:40,200 Church family, let us take heed of this Samaritan man who showed 485 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:46,200 a kind of faith that goes back and seeks Jesus. 486 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:51,600 The last point of application this morning. 487 00:40:52,400 --> 00:41:00,400 When God works, glorify Him with intentional plan, disrupting 488 00:41:00,720 --> 00:41:07,280 heartfelt gratitude. When God works, glorify Him with 489 00:41:07,280 --> 00:41:12,480 intentional plan, disrupting heartfelt gratitude. 490 00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:17,600 JC Rowell writes The best of us are far too like the 9 lepers. 491 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:21,240 We are more ready to pray than to praise and more disposed to 492 00:41:21,240 --> 00:41:24,480 ask for what we have not, but to thank Him for what we have. 493 00:41:25,640 --> 00:41:27,880 That's that is so true. I'll take it even further. 494 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:31,680 Like not only am I disposed to ask more for what I don't have, 495 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:35,480 I'm disposed to ask God for what I don't have. 496 00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:41,880 God will graciously give an answer and I'll just move on to 497 00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:47,280 the next thing I don't have. Church family. 498 00:41:47,280 --> 00:41:52,040 When God works in your life, do you turn back to Him? 499 00:41:53,360 --> 00:41:56,400 Do you go back or do you just move on? 500 00:41:56,960 --> 00:41:59,800 You just go on to the next need. What else is the missing of my 501 00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:06,920 life? Do you return to God with thanks 502 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:12,920 and Thanksgiving? I confess I, I, I'm guilty of 503 00:42:12,920 --> 00:42:15,240 this. We are a new church as of 504 00:42:15,240 --> 00:42:18,160 January. We are Grace and Truth Baptist 505 00:42:18,160 --> 00:42:23,080 Church, and as a new church, there are many, many needs. 506 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:28,000 If you see a Deacon or an elder, you know, just just know there's 507 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:30,200 a lot going on. And even if you're not Deacon or 508 00:42:30,200 --> 00:42:33,680 elder, I know that honestly, we're doing a lot. 509 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:42,040 And it's easy for me to just go on to the next need and pray for 510 00:42:42,040 --> 00:42:48,080 God's help for the next thing and totally forget that we are a 511 00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:53,640 new church and that the past few months and years God has worked, 512 00:42:53,640 --> 00:42:57,000 hasn't he? God answered our prayers. 513 00:42:57,360 --> 00:43:04,320 God is worthy of Thanksgiving and mighty praise and not just, 514 00:43:05,200 --> 00:43:06,480 well, God. Here's the next thing. 515 00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:13,080 Gratitude to God is not a small thing. 516 00:43:13,240 --> 00:43:20,000 Church Family Psalm 5023 The one who offers Thanksgiving as a 517 00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:26,160 sacrifice glorifies me. Psalm 116 I will offer to you 518 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:34,080 the sacrifice of Thanksgiving. Psalm One O 7 Let them offer 519 00:43:34,080 --> 00:43:41,640 sacrifices of Thanksgiving. Giving thanks to God is not a 520 00:43:41,640 --> 00:43:46,840 matter of courtesy or good manners, gratitude and 521 00:43:46,840 --> 00:43:50,800 Thanksgiving to God. It's a matter of worship. 522 00:43:52,240 --> 00:44:00,280 If our aim is to glorify God, and it is, we glorify God in 523 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:10,200 Thanksgiving, what does it say about my faith when God works? 524 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:19,040 Answers and gratitude is missing or light. 525 00:44:20,280 --> 00:44:26,840 What does that say church family consider the the kind of 526 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:31,120 gratitude the Samaritan shows it was intentional. 527 00:44:32,160 --> 00:44:36,040 He set aside time effort, commitment to to go and give 528 00:44:36,040 --> 00:44:38,960 thanks to Jesus. It was not convenient. 529 00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:44,840 It was planned disrupting he he was instructed to go to the 530 00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:49,000 priest once being declared clean, his whole life is in 531 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:54,800 front of him. He went back, he turned back. 532 00:44:57,320 --> 00:44:59,960 I assume that he went to the priest after at at some point, 533 00:45:00,040 --> 00:45:03,440 but but his priority was to go back. 534 00:45:04,160 --> 00:45:06,720 His priority was not to go to the priest. 535 00:45:06,720 --> 00:45:11,640 His priority was to show gratitude to Jesus and it 536 00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:17,480 interrupted His plan. Many of us here are are plan 537 00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:21,280 driven, organized, scheduled, efficient people. 538 00:45:21,880 --> 00:45:24,640 I thank God for you, I really do. 539 00:45:25,240 --> 00:45:30,400 One of the dangers of being such a such a person is that 540 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:35,360 gratitude may end up dying by the wayside in favor of keeping 541 00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:38,400 the schedule or moving on to the next thing or just being 542 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:43,280 efficient because it's like, well, time's a ticket. 543 00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:46,200 You know what, I got a lot, a lot more things to do. 544 00:45:48,640 --> 00:45:54,240 The the Samaritan's man, Samaritan man's gratitude was 545 00:45:54,240 --> 00:45:59,560 not just intentional and plan disrupting, but it was also 546 00:45:59,720 --> 00:46:03,400 heartfelt. So it wasn't just like, hey, 547 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:09,160 thanks, much appreciated. You know, how much how much 548 00:46:09,160 --> 00:46:15,560 longer do I have to stay? This man closes the distance, 549 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:25,040 falls on his face in worship. This is beautiful, humble 550 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:29,920 gratitude. This is a sacrifice of 551 00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:32,720 Thanksgiving. What could he offer? 552 00:46:33,480 --> 00:46:38,640 But I have my whole He doesn't go to Jesus with anything except 553 00:46:38,640 --> 00:46:45,520 the sacrifice of Thanksgiving, and this glorifies Jesus. 554 00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:52,440 So when the Lord answers your prayer for healing and relief in 555 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:55,960 one area of your life, thank Him. 556 00:46:57,720 --> 00:47:00,960 Even though there are many other areas that are still painful, 557 00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:07,800 When the Lord answers prayers and gives you a child, give 558 00:47:07,800 --> 00:47:12,080 thanks to him before you start planning for the next year, five 559 00:47:12,080 --> 00:47:14,880 years, 18 years, next appointment. 560 00:47:16,520 --> 00:47:22,200 When the Lord gives you sleep through the night, praise Him in 561 00:47:22,200 --> 00:47:26,400 the morning before knowing how the rest of the day unfolds. 562 00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:34,080 When the Lord works and answers prayers and gives a new church 563 00:47:34,600 --> 00:47:41,680 called Grace and Truth Baptist, praise him and thank Him before 564 00:47:41,680 --> 00:47:44,640 we continue on our way to the many things that need to be 565 00:47:44,640 --> 00:47:49,960 done. Church family, let's glorify God 566 00:47:49,960 --> 00:47:52,960 with Thanksgiving. That is intentional, plan 567 00:47:52,960 --> 00:47:57,800 disrupting and heartfelt. I'll close with this Psalm 5014. 568 00:47:58,600 --> 00:48:03,720 Offer to God a a sacrifice of Thanksgiving and perform your 569 00:48:03,720 --> 00:48:08,680 vows to the Most High and call upon me in the day of trouble. 570 00:48:09,320 --> 00:48:13,600 I will deliver you and you shall glorify me. 571 00:48:15,360 --> 00:48:16,000 Please pray with me.