Where Are You Among The Ten?

WHERE ARE YOU AMONG THE TEN?

SCRIPTURE: Luke 17:11-19

INTRODUCTION:

If there is one sin that is most prevalent today, it is the sin of ingratitude. God does so much for us. Our indebtedness to him is enormous and yet we rarely or at least infrequently offer thanks for what he has done. In fact, most professing Christians don’t even offer thanks over their meals much less offer thanks over all that God does in their lives. We are much like the little boy who was given an orange by a man. The boy’s mother asked, “What do you say to the nice man?” The little boy thought and handed the orange back and said, “Peel it.” Michael Belcher sermoncentral

Jesus is on His journey goes through Samaria. Keep in mind what it meant to be a Samaritan. Jesus does not favor the Jew over the Samaritan, the Jew over the Gentile, the Black over the White, rich over the poor, the beautiful over the not-so-beautiful, etc. If you do, you are not seeing them the way that God intends you to see them.

As we look at these men, we will find that they are bound together by having many things in common.

I. A Common Affliction

A. A Pitiful Sight Physically:

1. Leprosy was the most feared illness in that time. The term “leprosy,” as used in the Bible, referred to a wide variety of infectious skin rashes, scales, sores, or eruptions, not just clinical leprosy as we know it today.

Leprosy was incurable, leprosy was disgusting, leprosy was revolting. Leprosy was considered proof that you were the vilest kind of sinner. God was really punishing you for something really bad. If you had leprosy, you actually watched your body rot away. Your fingers, your ears, your nose dropped off. You died a slow and painful death, cut off from society, cut off from family and the only friendships you had were others like you. Tim Zingale @sermoncentral

2. Stood afar off At a distance, as they were required by law. They were unclean, and it was not lawful for them to come near to those who were in health. As Jesus was traveling, they were also walking in the contrary way, and seeing him, and knowing that they were unclean, they stopped or turned aside, so that they might not expose others to the contagion. Albert Barnes

3. Ten men bound together by a common misery, and utterly unable to save themselves.

B. A Pitiful Sight Spiritually --> In Scripture, leprosy is the outstanding type of sin.

1. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

2. Like leprosy, sin separates.

3. Afar Off Ephesians 2:16 “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body

by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.”

4. Although we may have many companions in sin, that does not in any way detract from the guilt of each. HOP

II. A Common Need

A. Physical Healing

They saw and they sensed their need. You don’t pray and call out for help unless you feel your need. The reason sinners don’t come to Christ for salvation is that they don’t sense their need. Michael Belcher sermoncentral

B. Spiritual Healing

Again, Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

We all have had this in common. At some point in our lives, sin reigned in our mortal bodies. We were slaves to sin.

III. A Common Cry

A. The Cry of A Leper

Luke 17:13 “And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

B. The Cry of A Sinner

Luke 18:13 “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”

Psalms 38:18 “For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.”

IV. A Common Faith

A. Faith in the Word of Christ.

It may also be observed that this required no small measure of “faith” on their part, for he did not “first” heal them, and then tell them to go; he told them to go without “expressly” assuring them that they would be healed, and without, “as yet,” any evidence to show to the priest. So sinners defiled with the leprosy of sin, should put faith in the Lord Jesus and obey his commands, with the fullest confidence that he is able to heal them, and that he “will” do it if they follow his directions; and that in due time they shall have the fullest evidence that their peace is made with God, and that their souls shall by him be declared free from the defilement of sin. Albert Barnes