I am the 1

Luke 17: 11-16 “As He went on His way to Jerusalem, it occurred that [Jesus] was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee.

And as He was going into one village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance. And they raised up their voices and called, Jesus, Master, take pity and have mercy on us!

And when He saw them, He said to them, Go [at once] and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cured and made clean.

Then one of them, upon seeing that he was cured, turned back, recognizing and thanking and praising God with a loud voice;

And he fell prostrate at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him [over and over]. And he was a Samaritan.”

I am the One

Introduction - calm voice

We all understand

There are some people who have,

and there are other who do not have.

Beneficial Relationship

from a financial prospective - A little money

even down to a person’s self esteem

and the challenge is beloved is

figuring out

why some have and other do not

because there are alot of different factors that

play into why a person does not have- what they want to have.

and yes --there are people

who had opportunities afforded to them

that they dropped the ball on.

but then you have others that never got an opportunity at all.

so you can not put everybody in this same box

because there are alot of people who can say

if I had half as many opportunities as others,

God knows i would be much further along by now

If I had a good support system around me

if I had people that loved me for real

IF I had the love affection and attention that others had while growing up

I would be in much different position right now

I believe Langston Hugh said “life for me aint been no crystal stare”

but I had to deal with some mis steps

I had to deal with some things that messed up momentum.

and the true of the matter is,

If i had it my way---

I would be doing better by now.

so you gotta be careful about the people you judge and look down on

because everybody didn't have to same up bring as you.

Every body did not have the same finances

and the same support that you had.

[SLOW DOWN]

the reality is there are some people

that as soon as they were born

they were put in a jacked up situation.

A mother that didn't love them

no father in their life

there are some people that can testify

and say that the reason why I praise God the way that I do

is because in spite of how I came up

I still got my right mind.

I still got a good heart.

because there are some people

who went through what you went through

and didn't come out on the other side.

But here you are tonight

I didn't say you were perfect

but here you are today

saying God everything aint been perfect

but I still believe that all things are working together

somebody say all things

all things are working

together for my good

and so...

There are some that have

and there are others that don't

There are some people who should be praising God for the rest of this year

Because the pandemic and the last few years was a blessing for you

you got more money now than you ever had

-THe PPP Loan - for your business

-Got the Child Tax Credit For your Kids

-You got the Fuel Tax Credit for Business

you got more opportunities now than you ever had

(slow down)

But the reality is...

there are others that are not in better situation

there are other who can say

I appreciate everybody had a step up through the pandemic

I appreciate everybody who last couple of years have been a come up for you.

but

“I still got something, that I need god to do”

If you wanna know why I stay on the alter the way that I do

It’s because “I still got something, that I need god to do”

I'm not at the altar because I want to be

I’m in church every Sunday morning because i need god.

I don't care how much money I get in my bank account

I need God

I don't care how many good relationships come into my life

I need God .

Just look down your row and say I need God

Let me go to my text

We find Jesus on his way to Jerusalem

the text says while on his way to Jerusalem

he travels along the border between Samaria and Galilee.

Amplified Bible Chapter 17

11 As He went on His way to Jerusalem, it occurred that [Jesus] was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee.

He doesn't go to far into Samaria neither does he go to far into Galilee but he travels along the border.

When we look at the name

Jerusalem means

City of Peace

it means Completion

it means wholeness,

Samaria means

guarding place

or

watch tower

Galilee means

to roll away

he travels along the border.

because the truth of the matter is

For some of us on you way to wholeness

and on your way to peace

you get too deep into samaria at times

and other times you get too deep in Galilee.

What are you saying Gary

Im saying

Samaria is the place :

where you hold on to everything

you guard ever thing

your the people who don't know how to let stuff go

Your the people who like holding grudges

and like to hold on the conflict from your past

-and god can not do anything with anybody who refuses to let go of their past

i know you didn't deserve what happened to you,

and I know it was confusion how it happened to you.

but if God is going to do anything that you've prayer

you have to learn how to let some stuff go.

-and beloved that may require

that you accepting an apology you never recieved.

-it may require

that you offer forgiveness to people who aint even sorry.

But the past is the past

and I need my future too much to let my past hold me back

and I gotta go FORWARD.

Well elder Gary I don't have a problem with letting things go.

maybe you got too deep in Galilee

Where you let everything Go

where you don't know how to hold on to anything

Your the kind of people that as soon as you fail 1 time you say “forget about it I don't wanna do it anymore”

your the kind of people beloved

that as soon as life knocks you off your feet, you give up an walk away.

but true maturity teaches you

is that I cant get too deep in Samaria neither can get too deep in Galilee.

but I have to learn how to walk to boarder.

and the reason why you should be praising God at home

because if this year has taught you anything.

it taught me how to walk to border.

-I know what to let go of

and I know what to secure in me.

-I learned how to walk to get to peace.

I'm moving bishop -

**The NEED

Amplified Bible (Chapter 17)

12 And as He was going into one village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance.

13 And they raised up their voices and called, Jesus, Master, take pity and have mercy on us!

He gets to this village and these group of men begin to call out for Jesus to have mercy on them.

1. The first things we see in our text is their Determination to get his attention

Background on the Lepers (If you were a leper)

There were certain restrictions you had to abide by

Isolate themselves from other -

You were not allow to be around anyone-

they would isolate these men in a village that was separate from the rest of the people.

Demonstrate their impurity

They were required // to show others what made them unclean,

- they had to reveal to people who were not able to see (physically) that they were uncleam

warn people of their illness

-they had inform strangers, of what they were suffering with.

and so as long as i have this disease, i have to stay with the lepers who are separate from everybody else

and until you know what it feels like to be cast out or excluded from the rest .

you will never appreciate this text is trying to say

because it was the determination of these

men that got Jesus attention.

it was them stepping outside of the customs and practice the that society had put on them

and many of us are stuck right now

because you’ve lost your determination

You wanna be healed but your not determined enough

you want a better life, but your not determined enough

and until you make up in your mind

that im not going to allow anyone or anything to stop me from getting what I need .

your going stay in the condition that your in.

and so not only do we see their determination

2. The 2nd thing we see in our text is their Obedience

(I’m almost finish)

“Go, and show your self to the priest”

Amplified Bible (Chapter 17)

14 And when He saw them, He said to them, Go [at once] and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cured and made clean

The first thing that jump out to me

His response to their Cry

Notice, Jesus does not say “Your faith has made you whole”

He doesn't reach down pick up dirt to spit on

But he does something interesting here

He gives them Instructions

HE instructs them to do something

and so the take away from that is

The time frame of your break through will be depended upon how quick you follow instructions.

and I know that's not really popular to say.

because all we care about is a miracle

all we care about is a sign and a wonder

But your suppose to ask God for all of that , after youve done your part.

and I wonder how many people are watching on Facebook live,

who are still asking God for stuff but haven't done their part.

(TRANSITION)

HE tells them to go see the priest,

BECAUSE ACCORDING TO book of leviticus it was only the priest

that could deem them cured and Clean.

it was only the priest who could allow them to return to the general population .

but the problem with this part of the text is ,

when Jesus says go see the priest, the leprosy is still there.

so why would these men even starting walking to priest ,

when they could see their condition had not change

and so the question that you have to ask.

it what made them start walking?

and I don't believe it was their determination that made them start walking.

I don't believe it was merely their obedience that made them start walking

but it had to be their Faith

because the Bible lets us know

that faith is substance of things hoped for,

and the evidence of things not seen.

so though my condition has not changed

and all though I may not be healed right now

I got the faith to start walking

I'm may not have the money that I need, But I got the faith to start walking to it

I may not have the life that ive dreamed

but I got the faith faith to start walking to it

and the reason some of us

cant stop giving god glory

is because as soon as we started moving

he started moving too.

as soon as we started walking, he started walking to.

and he walks with me,

and he talks with me

and he tells me

that I am his own

faith to start walking

(start closing)

The bible says

that as the men begin to walk to the priest

the text says that one of the men

observed that he was cured of his disease

and the bible says that he thought it was necessary,

to stop walking with the 9

and go back to where jesus was.

because the truth of the matter is

there are people that are watching me right now

that as soon as you get what you need from God

You are no where to be found

as soon as god bless you with the bank account that you want.

You stop paying tites to God

when he blesses you with the new house

you stop coming to In-Person Worship

you start calling your self an online member

and you forget about all of the days

-When you didn't have what you need

-When you had to watch other have what you needed.

but is there anybody in here

that can open their mouth and say

I am the one

and the bible lets us know

that when he got to where jesus was

he did stand at a distance this time.

-but the text says

that he fell at the feet of jesus, and and gave him thanks and gave him praise.

and im gone right here

but verse 16 lets us know

that the man was a Samaritan

-

now i told you at the beginning of my message

that there were those who have

and there was some who did not

and when you study background of this man

you ll understand

- He was not like everybody else

-the rest of them 9 was Jewish folks

They came from a life with a silver spoon in their mouth

they had the proper support

they had proper assistance

they had people that loved them

they had people that supported them

but Samaritan were looked down on by the Jews

they called them Dogs

they called them half breeds

because the Jewish folk was mad

because way back in the old testament

the Israelite Assyrians started sleeping with one another.

and they started producing Samaritans

so they were never recognized as real Jews

they were treated different from the rest

and so when you look at this man

what hes really trying to say

i don't deserve to be healed

I don't deserve to be delivered

who am i preaching to

that can say

I didnt have what they have

I didnt get what they got

so when I get

what God has for me.

I will turn back

and I will say thank you

I don't know where the other nine went

But I am the one ,

that came back to say thank you

because i know what it feels like to

to have not have what I need

But lift you voice

and say I am the one

Bishop this reminds me

we use to sing a song

LORD I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU

lord I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU

I WANNA THANK YOU

FOR BEING SO GOOD TO ME