Showing our Gratitude

Psalm 103:2 NKJV

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:

Tonight I want to take some time to remind each of us to be grateful of all that God has done for us. Too many times we take for granted all that He does for us, whether healing, provision, strength, blessings… You get where I am going. We often take for granted, like children do, all that God does and has done for us.

The Need of the Ten

Luke 17:11–13 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!”

Let me give you some history before we get into what is happening here. Josephus records how that the Jews would travel all the way around so as to not go between these to areas. Many a Hebrew was killed going in between because the Samaritans hated the Jews and would take every opportunity to kill them. The most direct route to Jerusalem was this route that is talked about right here. It was also the most dangerous. Notice that there were ten men all who were lepers standing a ways away that were asking for mercy, not healing. Each of these men were outcasts, they were unclean, they weren’t allowed to be part of anything. They weren’t allowed to have contact with anyone.

I want to point out something here. These 10 were drawn together by common misery, common pain, common consequences. The old saying “Birds of a Feather”.

These men were asking for Mercy from the Master. They were looking to be healed, cleaned and set free. You see Jesus gave us the answer to these questions...

Matthew 7:7–8 NKJV

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

There are times we have to keep on asking, and asking, and asking… Check this out...

Luke 18:1–8 NKJV

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” 6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Don’t lose heart for what you are praying for. Keep asking. We have a tendency now days to throw our hands up and get upset if things don’t happen right away. I saw and re-posted a video the other day. It was a pastor talking about don’t lose heart, don’t stop asking, don’t stop feeding and watering your miracle. He went on to show how that bamboo has to be fertilized and watered for five years before the shoots of bamboo grow. I believe there are times we may have to weary God to get our miracle.

Now let’s get back to the 10...

Healing for All

Luke 17:14 NKJV

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.

As soon as they left the place where Jesus was, they were healed, but there is more to the story here. Jesus said “Go Show Yourselves to the priests and the ten just went. They didn’t say “Come on Jesus you are joshen me… Don’t play with me Jesus… I know you can do it, just show off a little bit… “ No, they left at that moment in an act of faith and as they went, the were healed. Their obedience here is astounding. They didn’t leave it to chance, they acted on the very words of Christ.

Immediate Praise

Luke 17:15 NKJV

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God,

Here is the one guy, who got so excited about his healing. He wasn’t taking anything for granted, he was overwhelmingly grateful. Notice the continued Thanksgiving...

Luke 17:16 NKJV

16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

Wow! What praise this is. He is on his face thanking Jesus for healing him. One other thing to notice, the man who gave the most thanks was a Samaritan. He was counted among the many that hated the Jews, that killed the Jewish Galatian pilgrims that were heading to Jerusalem. He was the most unlikely to come back and praise and thank Jesus. But, hear me tonight. There are times in our lives where we have been so desperate that we would drop at the Master’s feet to thank Him. There are times in our lives where we would be willing to make a fool out of ourselves to thank God for what He has done. There are times where we would be willing to be undignified like David and dance close to naked before The Lord, just to show our praise and thanksgiving.

Let’s move along here...

Luke 17:17–18 NKJV

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?”

Where are the nine? Only one is willing to show up, where are the nine. Only one was part of the worship service. Only one got their Praise On. One One was willing to go to great lengths to show his gratitude and he was a foreigner? People wonder why I get excited in Praise, it is because of just how much God has done for me. People wonder why I get so emotional during worship. It is because of just how much God has done for me. There are times I feel like running, there are times I feel like shouting, there are times I feel like dancing… Why? Because of how amazingly good God is to me.

A Full Salvation

Luke 17:19 NKJV

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

You see all ten believed in obedience for the external healing, but only one caught that here was salvation through Jesus and he came and worshipped and praised Him. He saw the significance… He saw the need to give glory to God for all that had happened. What about you tonight? What about you?