Introduction

Dear beloved,

Today, we gather here, drawn by the love of Christ and the unifying power of His word. We are a tapestry of believers, each thread woven together by the Master Weaver Himself, each of us a testament to His grace and mercy. We are here to draw from the wellspring of His truth, to be nourished by His Word, and to let it shine as a beacon in our lives.

Our Scripture today is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 17, verse 14. It reads:

When he saw them, he said, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were cleansed.

This Scripture, my dear friends, is a powerful testament to the healing power of faith and obedience. It is a reminder that our faith in God, and our obedience to His commands, can bring about miraculous transformations in our lives.

In the words of the great Christian author, John Stott, 'Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God.' This Scripture, and our sermon today, echo this profound truth.

Our first main point is 'Healing in the Journey.' This reminds us that often, healing and transformation do not happen instantly, but over time, as we walk in faith and obedience to God's commands.

Our second main point is 'Hope in Obedience.' This underscores the importance of obedience in our walk with God. Obedience is not a burden, but a pathway to hope and healing.

Our third and final main point is 'Harvest of Faith.' This reminds us that our faith, cultivated and nurtured, will yield a rich harvest in our lives.

As we embark on this exploration of God's Word, let us bow our heads in prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you today, humbled and grateful for your love and mercy. We ask that you open our hearts and minds to Your Word, that we may glean the wisdom and truth it holds. We ask for Your guidance as we navigate the complexities of life, and for Your strength to remain steadfast in our faith and obedience. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

So, let us together, in the spirit of love and unity, reflect on these truths today.

Healing in the Journey

In the Gospel of Luke, we find a profound truth that resonates with us even today. When Jesus saw the ten lepers, He didn't immediately cleanse them. Instead, He gave them a command: 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' It was in their obedience, in their act of going, that they were healed. This is a powerful reminder for us that healing often comes not in an instant, but in the process, in the act of moving forward in faith and obedience.

This is a truth that we can see reflected in our own lives: How often have we prayed for a miracle, for an immediate resolution to our problems, only to find that the answer to our prayers comes not in an instant, but over time? It's in the act of living out our faith, day by day, step by step, that we find healing and transformation.

Instant miracles: This is not to say that God cannot or does not perform instant miracles. He is, after all, the God of the impossible. But more often than not, our healing comes in the journey, in the process of walking out our faith. It's in the daily act of choosing to trust God, of choosing to obey His commands, that we find our lives transformed.

The story of the ten lepers: They were not healed the moment they saw Jesus, or the moment they asked for His mercy. They were healed as they went, as they obeyed Jesus' command to show themselves to the priests. Their healing was a process, a journey. The same is true for us. Our healing, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, often comes in the journey. It's in the daily act of choosing to trust God, of choosing to obey His commands, even when we don't understand, that we find our lives transformed.

The nature of the command that Jesus gave to the lepers: He told them to show themselves to the priests, a command that would have required faith and courage. According to the Law of Moses, lepers were considered unclean and were not allowed to enter the temple. To show themselves to the priests, they would have had to believe that they were already healed, even before they saw any evidence of it. Faith often requires us to take the first step, even before we see any evidence of the answer to our prayers. It's in the act of stepping out in faith, of choosing to believe God's promises even before we see them fulfilled, that we find healing and transformation.

This is not always easy: There are times when we may feel like the lepers, standing at a distance, crying out for mercy, yet seeing no immediate evidence of our healing. But it's in these moments that we are called to step out in faith, to obey God's commands even when we don't understand, to trust in His promises even when we can't see them fulfilled. And it's in this act of faith, in this journey of obedience, that we find our healing. Just as the lepers were cleansed as they went, so too are we transformed as we walk out our faith. It's in the journey, in the process, in the act of moving forward in faith and obedience, that we find our lives transformed.

This is a truth that we can hold onto: It’s a truth that can give us hope and courage in the midst of our struggles. No matter what we are facing, we can trust that our healing, our transformation, is in the journey. It's in the daily act of choosing to trust God, of choosing to obey His commands, that we find our lives transformed.

Hope in Obedience

As we continue to reflect on the words of Luke 17:14, we find ourselves drawn to the command given by Jesus: 'Go, show yourselves to the priests ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO