Let’s be the 10%
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Always being thankful of God’s incredible blessings, big and small, isn’t always our first response when God does something amazing. Even when Jesus does something amazing how quick are we going to give God thanks?
Often times we just move on with our life and forget about the goodness of God?
In Luke 17 we see that Jesus was amazed at how quickly 9 needy people forgot about the goodness of God after they received their miracle.
How quickly we forget that…
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
When it comes to sports, one out of ten is not very good. In baseball… as a quarterback or a receiver, a kicker… 10% is down right awful.
Jesus was disappointed at the 90% but honored the 10% for his faith.
11 As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. 12 As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
PRAY
Jesus encounters ten lepers who cried out for mercy because they wanted to be clean. Jesus instructs them to show themselves to the priests, and as they go, they are miraculously healed. Jesus healed all 10 but only one of them returns to give thanks.
Jesus was amazed that 9 out of 10 were indifferent about the miraculous, life changing healing that they received from Jesus.
Our gratitude and faith are more important to Jesus then our healing.
Even in the midst of life’s challenges don’t stop coming to Jesus… even if our plan doesn’t align with God’s plan… even after the miracle happens, keep on seeking Jesus throughout the struggle.
When we become more aware of God’s blessings we begin to cultivate a life of thankfulness and worship.
Our gratitude not only reflects our faith in Jesus but also transforms our relationship with Him and those around us.
The things that amazed Jesus we sometimes overlook and a heart of gratitude is always important to Jesus. Don’t ever downsize an attitude of thankfulness, worship and praise.
1. The TEN were Pleading with Purpose
1. The TEN were Pleading with Purpose
When we are desperate for something and if we have access to the person who has the power and ability to help, we will not hesitate to plead, beg, to do whatever is necessary to get relief from our present pain.
When a baby needs something they cry because they are to little to help themselves and they are in a position of desperation.
These 10 lepers were desperate for Jesus to heal them.
12 As [Jesus] entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
These 10 lepers were social outcasts because of there disease. They did not have the ability to be function as normal members of society.
They could not hang out with there friends… hug there kids, embrace there spouses, they had to live there lives at a distance.
When Jesus came, they recognized HIM. They knew that Jesus had the ability to transform there life completely so when Jesus showed up they didn’t care how ridiculous they looked like.
These 10 men were desperate for help and they knew Jesus was their ticket to freedom.
They called out to Jesus, giving HIM the title, Master. They cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
So Jesus heard them and responded…
14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
Jesus didn’t physically touch these men or even speak words of healing as HE normally did for most of his healings.
Jesus just gave them instructions to go show yourselves to the priests with no promise of healing.
They had to do something in faith to receive there healing. They had to go and show themselves to the priest.
If a leper thought his leprosy had gone away, the leper was supposed to present himself to a priest and the priest would examine him and then declare him clean or unclean (Leviticus 14).
Jesus sent the ten lepers to the priest.
They had to step out in faith in order for them to be healed.
Jesus healed them on the way. It says “as they went to the priest, they were cleansed of their leprosy.”
When it comes to the miraculous, Jesus always requires us to step out in faith even when the results aren't visible.
Is your faith so strong that you act on what Jesus says even before you see evidence that it will work?
Do we believe that Jesus is compassionate and loving?
If so, when HE gives a command, trust and obey HIM even when the outcome is uncertain.
10 got healed but only one came back to Jesus.
2. The ONE had Praise with Passion
2. The ONE had Praise with Passion
15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
All 10 were healed but only one came back to Jesus to give the praise that HE most certainly deserved.
This man was overwhelmed with gratitude for the wonderful blessing that he received.
It is possible to receive God’s great gifts with an ungrateful spirit.
Only one of them learned that his faith had played a role in his healing.
If we want to grow in our understanding God’s grace then constantly live out being thankful out of a heart of gratitude.
God does not demand that his people thank him, but he is pleased when they do. And HE uses their responsiveness to teach them more about himself.
Not only that, but the man who came back to Jesus with a heart full of thanksgiving and gratitude was a Samaritan.
Luke added, almost as a parenthesis, that, by the way, this man was a Samaritan.
The Samaritans were a race despised by the Jewish people.
The surprise of this story is that this Samaritan who was used to being despised by Jews, would dare to go to this Jewish healer and bow down before HIM.
It was this man’s faith that went deep enough that he saw God’s hand in the healing.
God’s grace is for everybody even the most unlikely of all candidates.
This Samaritan was an outcast who came back to express gratitude to Jesus.
Gratitude as a transformative response to God’s grace and realigns our focus toward Jesus.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
As we praise God with passion, we develop a deeper intimacy with Christ, and we will invite other believers to cultivate a heart of worship and thanksgiving for both big and small blessings in life.
This Samaritan was in the overwhelming minority.
Thankfulness will never be trendy or popular but it’s what got Jesus’ attention and blessing.
Jesus, in HIS amazement boldly expressed HIS perception.
3. Jesus gave Perception with Perspective
3. Jesus gave Perception with Perspective
Jesus came from the perspective that when God does something miraculous you don’t go on as if it was no big deal.
Our response to Jesus must be a heart filled with thanks and praise. Not that HE needed to hear it…
Jesus simply knows the benefit of a heart overflowing with praise and thanksgiving.
17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
Whenever we stop giving glory to God we stop living by faith and we start taking God’s goodness for granted.
That’s why so many times Jesus expressed frustration with his own people for their lack of acceptance and faith. This time it was no different as ten men received a healing, but only one, the foreigner, came back to give glory to God.
Jesus was not so much concerned about being thanked as he was about the their understanding of what had happened.
The other nine went off, free from leprosy but not necessarily free from sin. Jesus came to offer so much more then just a physical healing but salvation and freedom. Jesus sent this one man on his way with the knowledge that it was his faith had made him well.
Most of the time our miracle doesn’t happen immediately; it takes time.
TAKE AWAY:
WE must recognize Jesus’ authority.
Jesus emphasized the necessity of faith.
Jesus stressed giving a public testimony.
Jesus highlighted the need for gratitude and praise to God
Will your attitude be grateful to God despite the outcome of your prayer?
Can you trust fully in God’s care each day, living or dying?
Jesus’ question is for us… Has no one returned to give glory to God?
These lepers recognized Jesus’ authority. They did not demand that he heal them. They called out for Jesus to have mercy on them (17:13).
Jesus emphasized the necessity of faith (Luke 17:19 “19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”)
It is not the size of faith but the presence of genuine faith that is important.
Jesus stressed public testimony.
He directed the lepers to go to the priests (17:14) to demonstrate what God had done.
Believers also must be prepared to give God the credit when they are healed.
Jesus highlighted the need for gratitude and praise to God (Luke 17:18 “18 Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”.)
Will your attitude be grateful to God despite the outcome of your prayer?
Can you trust fully in God’s care each day, living or dying?
Even though all 10 were healed, only one out of ten came back to give glory to God. Gratitude and thankfulness are not as common in the world back then which hasn’t changed much from our world today.
Jesus’ perception underscores how our spiritual depth is associated with recognition and appreciation of Jesus’ work in our lives.
Jesus’ question is for us… Has no one returned to give glory to God?
We have an opportunity to be vigilant in our expressions of faith as we regularly affirm Jesus’ continual work. It begins from a heart of gratitude which is the foundational element as we follow Jesus on this wonderful faith journey.
