INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Governor Bradford made what many would call the first Thanksgiving proclamation in 1623, 3 years after the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth.
• The life and voyage the Pilgrims experienced was tough.
• They lost over half of the people they started, the winters were brutal, and they would have starved to death but for the Indians who were willing to help them out.
• The Pilgrims had a choice to make. They could give thanks to God for the fact they were alive and functioning.
• They could have cursed God for the fact they lost well over half of the people they left England with. Or they could have cursed God because they did not land in FLORIDA!
• The other choice they had was to just forget about what God did for them and just live out their lives.
• They chose to give thanks. Even though they had a lot they could complain about, they chose to give thanks. They knew who to give the glory to.
• We can go through life complaining or we can spend our lives giving thanks!
• Today we are going to watch the story of the healing of the ten lepers unfold before us.
• As we watch the story unfold, I pray we can gain some valuable insights as to how we can be people of give thanks to God.
• Today we are going to look at the healing of the 10 lepers by Jesus as recorded in Luke 17:11-19. As we look at this story, I hope that we can gain a few insights from it that will help us to be thankful for.
• Let’s begin with verses 11-12
• SLIDE #2
• Luke 17:11–12 (HCSB) 11 While traveling to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, 10 men with serious skin diseases met Him. They stood at a distance
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Understand the depth of your needs. (11-12)
• We all have issues we struggle with. Sometimes we do not see the depth of the issues we struggle with.
• For these ten men, they had a real deep problem that needed to be healed.
• Leprosy was a generic term applied to a variety of skin disorders from psoriasis to true leprosy. Its symptoms ranged from white patches on the skin to running sores to the loss of digits on the fingers and toes.
• The disease seemed to be a skin issue when in reality it started much deeper.
• The disease would manifest itself as a skin condition, but in reality it started down in the joints and bone marrow.
• Many of the things we struggle with are the same way. The problem presents itself, but the problem presented is really a sign of a much deeper need.
• If you had Leprosy, you had much deeper problem that went along with the disease.
• If you had leprosy, the Old Testament Law commanded that you be put out of the city. You could no longer live with friends or family. You had to keep a far distance from the highways.
• Whenever you were approaching a group of people, you were commanded by Law to yell out, “unclean, unclean” so that people could have the chance to get out of the way because if you came in contact with a Leper, you would be considered unclean also.
• Lepers would congregate together outside of the cities to help each other survive. They would beg at the city gates for food.
• If you were fortunate enough to have family around, they would leave food for you on a rock and when they left, you could go get the food.
• The life of the leper could in some way be compared to the way we treated Aids patients when the disease first was recognized. We did not know how it spread so we tried to isolate those with it.
• Being a leper was a terrible way to live your life. As Jesus is getting close to His crucifixion, He is going to come across 10 lepers who after meeting Jesus, their lives would never be the same.
• These ten men knew they had a problem. They knew they needed help, they knew left to their own they had no hope and a bleak future.
• If we are going to be thankful, we need to understand that we have needs than need to be addressed.
• If we are self-sufficient, then we are apt not to be thankful because we feel no need. We can feel entitled which is not a good thing!
• These men had a disease they could see, they had a sickness that affected them in ways they could see.
• The sickness started out in the depths of their bodies and if finally showed itself in their skin.
• All who have ever lived have a disease called sin. It starts deep in our soul then if manifests itself in our lives.
• We all need to understand we need a cure for that disease. This disease separates us from God. We need a cure.
• There is not a single person here today who is without need. A person who is not thankful is a person who feels no need.
• These ten men were keenly aware of their need.
• Once you discover you have a need, what are you to do about it, where are you to go?
• Let’s look at verse 13.
• SLIDE #4
• Luke 17:13 (HCSB) and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
• SLIDE #5
II. Seek help from the right place. (13)
• Here are ten men who afflicted with this terrible disease.
• They were standing at a distance as required by the Law and they were raising their voices to try to get Jesus attention.
• They could not shout because many times leprosy would affect the vocal cords.
• No telling how many different things these men might have tried to get rid of their problem. Now they are going to go to Jesus.
• These men who were at gate to beg for money are not asking Jesus for mercy. They want Jesus to heal them of their disease. They knew He could do it because of Jesus reputation.
• They have a need and they are taking it to Jesus.
• One of the things that will lead us to being thankful is going to the right place for help. When we go to the right place for help, we can get help.
• Many people go to the wrong place for help. When we need help with our sin sickness, we must go to the right place for the cure. Jesus is the place we need to go.
• Well, these men knew where to go for a cure.
• Do you know where you need to go? I have dealt with people who said they came to Jesus for a cure for their life but they did not think Jesus really did anything for them.
• Many times when we do not get the answer we want to way we want it, we feel we did not receive the answer.
• When you come to Jesus, you will not be disappointed! If you develop a relationship with Jesus, you will be overflowing with thanksgiving for what He has done for you.
• He is the real answer!
• SLIDE #6
• Luke 17:14 (HCSB) When He saw them, He told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were healed.
• SLIDE #7
III. Realize obedience is the path to blessing. (14)
• After these ten men call out to Jesus, Jesus responds to them.
• Jesus does not heal them on the spot; instead He tells them to go show themselves to the priest.
• In the Old Testament, when a person thought they were healed of leprosy, they would have to go to the priest who would pronounce them cured and therefore clean again so they could come to worship. Jesus is abiding by the Law.
• The men had enough faith to do what they were told. In verse 14 we find that as they were going to see the priest they were cleansed!
• The trip would have been at least 20 to 30 miles and would take a few days or so to get to the priest so we do not know how far along they were when the healing took place.
• I wonder what was going through the minds of the men if it took a couple of days for the healing to take place.
• What would have happened to the men if they decided not to be obedient to Jesus? THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN HEALED.
• Their healing was based on their faithfulness to Jesus.
• I wonder how many blessings we cheat ourselves out of because we are not obedient to God’s Word.
• Many times we dig our hole, fall into it and wonder why God allowed it to happen.
• These men could have disobeyed Jesus, never received healing and then called Jesus a phony for not healing them.
• How many times in life have we done that very thing or knew someone who had walked that path?
• Healing was happening! Let’s look at our text.
• SLIDE #8
• Luke 17:15–19 (HCSB) 15 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 16 He fell facedown at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus said, “Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well.”
• SLIDE #9
IV. Give glory where glory is due! (15-19)
• As they were being obedient, the Samaritan noticed he was healed!
• One of the ten turned and headed back to praise God for his healing.
• Notice when they were calling out to Jesus, it was with raised voice, now one of the ten is shouting praise to God.
• The one who returned was not even a Jew, he was a Samaritan.
• Maybe the others were not healed enough yet?
• To their credit they did seem to have enough faith to do what they were told.
• Why didn’t they return? Maybe they were afraid if they did before they went to the priest they would not be healed?
• Maybe it was anxiety to get back to their families and lives, to society? Maybe they just followed the crowd; nine of the ten didn’t go.
• The nine did not return, that is all we know.
• The following are nine suggested reasons why the nine did not return. We use these same excuses as to why we may forget to give thanks to the Lord!
• One waited to see if the cure was real.
• One waited to see if it would last.
• One said he would see Jesus later.
• One decided that he had never had leprosy.
• One said he would have gotten well anyway.
• One gave the glory to the priests.
• One said, "O well, Jesus didn't really do anything."
• One said, "Just any rabbi could have done it."
• One said, "I was already much improved."
• The whole Christian life is one big "Thank You," the living expression of our gratitude to God for His goodness.
• If we are not careful we will take Him for granted and what we take for granted we never take seriously.
• Being a disciple of Jesus is in essence an act of a thankful response for His spiritual healing in our lives.
• How many times have we chalked up some great blessing in our lives to good luck?
• It is because they do not appreciate what God has done for them!
• There are times when we get what we want from God and we do not return to give thanks!
• This Samaritan knew who to thank for his healing!
• Do you know who to be thankful to?
• Jesus finishes this discussion with the one who returned by telling him that his faith has made him well.
• What do you think this one who was healed did with his life? I bet he enjoyed the blessing he received and I bet he told other people about his experience.
• In the book of Acts 8-9 when the gospel went to Samaria, it was received with great joy. Who knows, maybe this person was instrumental in that happening?
• A thankful person is a happy person. An ungrateful person is a sour one who wastes their life being mad feeling cheated over everything.
• Jesus blesses us and He wants us to enjoy what He gives us.
CONCLUSION
• Do you have a lot to be thankful for? I believe we do! If you belong to Jesus you should be thanking Him everyday for the opportunity you have to follow Him.
• The Pilgrims had a horrible experience getting to this land, and once they got here, it was rough.
• These folks were busy just simply staying alive, YET they took the time to give thanks to the one who had blessed them!
