The One that Returned - 2 August 2026

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Announcements: 9 AUG NEW CT BRANCH

Text:

Luke 17:11–19 (NKJV)

11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

SERMON: The One that Returns

CONTEXT:

12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.

Leprosy was the biblical term used for a range of serious skin diseases. In its most severe form, it was a chronic bacterial disease that attacked the skin, nerves, eyes, and lining of the nose. As the disease progressed, it damaged the nerves, causing people to lose the ability to feel pain, heat, or injury. Because they could no longer feel wounds, burns, or cuts, these injuries often became infected and worsened over time. Without treatment, the disease could lead to severe deformity, loss of fingers and toes through repeated injury and infection, blindness, and eventually death from complications such as severe infections or malnutrition.

In biblical times, leprosy was far more than a medical condition. A person diagnosed with leprosy was considered ceremonially unclean and was required to live apart from the community until declared clean. They were separated from their family, excluded from public worship, and often forced to depend on the compassion of others for survival.

So for these 10 men - due to now know cure - this was effectively a slow death sentence with NO hope of ever being able to live a normal life again -

You would never be able to have a normal job - you would be dependent on charity and begging for the rest of your life.

Never be able again to worship in the temple and bring sacrifices.

Never be able again to embrace a loved one.

Under the Mosiac Law Lev 13-14- if you were to be diagnosed by the priest - they would set you out of the camp/town/city for seven day and would then after the 7 days examine you again - if to find that your condition had worsen - Unless by some miracle you were to be cleansed -

You would be forced to live outside the town and not be allowed to come into contact with any other persons except other lepers.

TO RECOGNIZE YOU - Wear torn clothes as a sign of morning and uncleanness.

The hair of your head left unkept.

Cover your mouth with a rag or scarf.

Verbally warn people if they were to come near you - by crying UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN.

In this account they have formed this community of lepers - that would have consisted of Jews and Samaritans - Where under normal circumstances you would not find these groupings together, because Jews and Samaritans would not integrate because of their hostile cultural and religious history…

BROKENNESS does not DISCRIMINATE - When people are going through pain - HURT can HERD people towards one another… CAN BE GOOD, BUT IN MOST CASES ITS BAD.

Kids that come out of or find themselves in broken homes and unstable situations tend to gravitate towards one another. Gangs etc. PUSHED OFF FURTHER

THEY STOOD AFAR OFF - Even today - For many broken individuals - the devil has used religion to make it difficult for those classed as UNCLEAN - to come to Jesus!!!

Religion teaches that you need to FIX yourself before you can come to Jesus - The ESSENSE of the Gospel is that we could not FIX ourselves, that is why Jesus came - To heal the broken hearted!!! - He came to bring us closer!!!

Ephesians 2:13 (NKJV)

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

JESUS SHATTERS THE DIVISION: CLEAN AND UNCLEAN

Luke 5 - Jesus touches the Leper

13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

MASTER - Supreme Authority - Ability to heal.

Thankful for HIS MERCY - God not treating according to what we deserve!!!

Psalm 103:8–12 (NLT)

8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. 10 He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. 11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

ABUNDANT MERCY -

Psalm 86:5 (NKJV)

5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF MERCY -

Lamentations 3:22–23 (NKJV)

22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

JESUS SEES YOU:

14 So when He saw them,

See this picture of these 10 men - dressed in rags - messed up hair - with some with the leprosy already has claimed parts of their body and deformity has set in - desperately crying out - saying to one another we better get our voices heard here - JESUS HAVE MERCY ON US!!!

Jesus SEES them - It is good to know that Jesus has not changed - He still sees us - And He is still able to HEAL, DELIVER and SAVE you - you just keep CRYING OUT FOR HIS MERCY!

MIRACLES NOT ALWAYS INSTANT -

Different from the man in Ch 5 - Where Jesus touches the man and he instantaneously gets healed - He instructs these men to GO and show yourselves to the priests - TELL YOUR NEIGHBOUR - “Sometimes we just need to GO”.

“Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.

As they went - Not every miracle, every breakthrough, every healing is instantaneous - I have experienced MOST of our breakthroughs happen AS WE GO!

As we WALK by FAITH - As we continue to believe God, everyday of your sickness, everyday you believe God for your marriage or your work situation - As we GO things start to change - how long - I can’t promise you tomorrow - but do not STOP GOING.

Do not go SIT - continue to APPLY yourself, continue to PRAY and BELIEVING… He SEES you.

GIVING THANKS -

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." — William Arthur Ward

“Thankfulness is an expression, gratitude is an attitude”

1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 (NKJV)

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV)

20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Psalm 107:1 (NKJV)

1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

When was Last time you - expressed genuine thankfulness towards God.

Like this leper - with a LOUD VOICE -

When we come to Him - not with our SHOPPING LIST of demands - but just to say THANK YOU.

"Gratitude turns what we have into enough." - Unknown.

Lets NOT FORGET to RETURN and GIVE THANKS.

Let us not be like the NINE

WHERE ARE THE NINE? -

17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” - ASK EMPTY CHAIR?

After 13 Years Full time. - STILL GETS TO ME.

How we have PRAYED with people for their BREAKTROUGHS - FOR JOBS, FINANCES, HEALINGS, DEPRESSION, FOR THEIR WEDDINGS.

And when God blesses them - they don’t RETURN.

The JOB we prayed for - the Bakkie we prayed for is the bakkie that is taking you to go Fishing every Sunday - The car that was supposed to be a blessing to go and pick up others to come to the House of God - is the same car that is driving you away from church…

The Blessing IS NOT DESIGNED to take you OUT of the House of God - away from serving others… ABRAHAM - I WILL MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT and YOU WILL BE A BLESSING!!!

MAY NEVER FORGET WHERE WE COME FROM

Thank you for RETURNING every week with your SERVICE - RETURNING every month with your GIVING. - SOME OF YOU!!!

CLOSING:

CLEANSED AND SAVED -

19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

From outside - it looks like all 10 of these men went away with the same BLESSING.

All of them went away cleansed and healed in the physical - but not ALL went away MADE WELL!

WORD STUDY:

In the story of the ten lepers, Luke uses three different Greek words, and each one teaches us something important.

First, it says the ten lepers were "cleansed." The Greek word is katharizo, which means to be made clean. Their leprosy was removed, and they were no longer considered ceremonially unclean. They could now go to the priests, be declared clean, return to their families, and become part of society again. All ten experienced this miracle.

Next, it says that one of the lepers "saw that he was healed." The Greek word is iaomai, which means to be physically healed or restored. His body was no longer sick. The disease was gone, and his health had been restored. Again, all ten experienced this physical healing.

But only one man comes back to Jesus to thank Him. Jesus says to him, "Your faith has made you well." The Greek word here is sozo. This word means much more than physical healing. It means to save, to make whole, and to restore completely. It speaks of spiritual salvation as well as healing.

So all ten men were cleansed. All ten were physically healed. But only one returned in faith and gratitude, and he experienced something even greater. He was not only healed in his body—he was made whole in his heart. He received the complete restoration that comes through faith in Jesus.

The lesson is this: It is possible to receive God's blessings without drawing closer to God. The nine received the gift, but only one returned to the Giver. The miracle healed ten bodies, but gratitude led one man into a deeper relationship with Jesus.

LET US NOT BE LIKE THE NINE

LET US BE THE ONES THAT RETURN

GIVING THANKS - WITH OUR TIME, TALENTS AND TREASURE.

THANKING HIM FOR HIS MERCY!!!!