Thank Him on Your Way

Thank Him on Your Way

Luke 17:11-19

Intro: Caught up in the moment.

So often we are caught up in the things we think are most important. Our to do lists, goals, hopes, desires and dreams can easily cause us to lose sight
of thanking the One who has given it all. Thanksgiving is a holiday that we celebrate once yearly, however throughout scripture, we see and understand
the importance of living a life of thanksgiving.

In Luke 17, Jesus heals 10 lepers, sending them to a priest to be declared free from the disease they have been afflicted with. As they journey to go show
themselves to the priests, their leprosy is healed; yet of the 10, only one turned around to make thanking Jesus a necessary part of his journey.

Read: Luke 17:11-19

In Matthew chapter 8, we saw Jesus heal a man of leprosy. The news about Jesus healing the man with leprosy no doubt spread throughout the region and into
the leper colonies. While it was an incredible display of Jesus’ power, it would also open the door for those who were afflicted with leprosy to make
their way toward Jesus.

Psalm 105:1, Oh give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.

When you give thanks to Jesus in your life, make known His deeds among the people in this world, it opens up the door for many to make their way toward
Jesus.

I. Draw Near

Luke 17:11-13, While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

• As Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, he enters into a village where 10 lepers are gathered together standing at a distance.

• No doubt they had heard about Jesus’ ability to heal their condition; yet still, they remain at a distance because of what their condition means.

• When it was determined that a person had leprosy, that person would be declared unclean and would be immediately banished from their family, home,
  and city.

• The leper would then leave immediately and go live in a community with other lepers.

• If a leper entered into a city, they were to yell “Unclean,” those in the city were to keep a distance of 150 feet on a windy day, and no closer than
  6 feet on a clear day.

• In scripture, leprosy is a picture sin (Is, 1:5-6).

Illus. In Leviticus chapter 13 we understand that leprosy is a picture of sin in many ways: It begins beneath the surface, it spreads throughout the body, a person could and would attempt to cover it up for a season; but ultimately, it defiles and separates from others and the leper ended up living outside the camp.

• Jesus had previously shown His willingness to touch and heal a leper, yet, as the lepers see Jesus, they remain at a distance.

• And many, because of sin that separates (Rom. 3:23, Is. 59:2), stand at a distance when approaching Jesus, not reading the second half of Romans 3:23,
  that ALL have fallen short of the glory of God.

• An incredible gift has been given to us, one that we can continually thank Him for is the ability to draw near to the Lord and receive mercy!

Hebrews 4:16, Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

• It is not about our resume, but His.

• Mercy is the removal of punishment for what is deserved. Grace, is favor that we don’t deserve.

• My resume says I deserve to be stuck in my affliction, Jesus’ resume allows me to walk free.

• The Greek word translated for “may” in Hebrews 4:16, does not mean “might,” it means “will.”

• You WILL receive mercy and grace…when? Whenever you have need!

Illus. More than a sample size.

• With Jesus, there is no need to stand at a distance, but we have every reason to draw near…He has made a way! He is the One you can draw near
  to, knowing that He will not turn you away.

Micah 7:18, He delights in showing mercy. (NKJV)

• These 10 lepers surely hadn’t seen mercy from people. But Jesus directs them to the path of restoration.

• When you draw near to Him, despite your burden, He will begin the process of restoration in your life as well.

     A.   Trust Him to do what only He can do

Luke 17:14, When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed.

• Jesus responded to the lepers by sending them on their way to the priests before they had been healed of Leprosy. His way of healing these lepers was
  completely different than the way He had done it before.

• In Matthew 8, Jesus touched a leper who was healed right then and there. Here He sends them on a journey.

• The lepers followed Jesus’ instruction and headed toward the priests. As they left the place Jesus was and began their journey to the priests, they
  were healed.

• We don’t know at which point the lepers were cleansed, but we do know that it wasn’t until they began their long journey to Jerusalem.

• Most often, we would say, “Lord, bring about the healing and restoration and then I will start walking. He however, wants us to start walking, trusting,
  by faith and not by sight. On that faith walk, you will see that He is working.

Illus. Are you sure about this?

Illus. Ready or not, here I come!

• The truth that God’s ways are not our ways is so important for us to grasp, because when things don’t go the way we want them to. Or they aren’t
  happening as expediently, or in the way they have or others. Discontentment and deception can begin to creep into our lives.

Illus. These walls look bigger by the day.

• The way and timing of Jesus’ restoration and healing remain a mystery. But what we can be sure of is that it is by His stripes we have been healed
  (Is. 53:5).

• Whether today, tomorrow, or in eternity, we know that His restoration is coming. This is true in our lives only by Him doing what only He can do.

Isaiah 43:19, Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.

• “I’m stuck in the desert, the dry land,” you might say; I believe the Lord would respond, “I can do something about that.”

• We aren’t always promised to be removed from the wilderness, or the dry land. We do know however, that even if we remain, the Lord can bring roadways
  and rivers!

Habakkuk 3:17-18, Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

• Right from the beginning in Genesis 3, the fall is ultimately found within the deception that what God had given, wasn’t enough. That He needed
  to give more, “I know you have given all of these good things, but I want that tree as well!”

• Just like he said to Eve, the enemy says to you and I, “God is withholding this from you because He is trying to hold you back…Go ahead
  and eat it, surely you won’t die, actually, it’s probably the break through you have been needing…He is holding you back…Make
  it happen in your own strength.”
  

Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight.

• As the men went on their way, still covered in leprosy, it would be up to the Lord as to the timing of their healing.

• There feet were met with faith as they began to move to the place Jesus told them to go.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

• In your life, there are times when Jesus calls you to begin moving in a direction and you aren’t quite sure what the outcome will be or when the breakthrough
  will happen.

Know that He is working in a way only He can….

      B.  Choose to give thanks in everything

• The lepers went on their way and as they were going, they were healed and cleansed. The disease that had afflicted and separated all ten of them, was
  now gone.

• Only one however, turned back to say thanks.

Luke 17:15-16, Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.

• Of the 10 lepers, only one decided to turn around, to glorify, bow down, and thank Jesus.

• The other 9 journeyed on, they would stand before the priest sooner than the one who turned around. There was a process whereby a leper, who was once
  declared “unclean” could be declared “clean” by a priest. It was filled with sacrifices and many steps. The process would take over a week. There
  were more “formalities” that they had to go through.

• Perhaps for the 9, there was implied thanks… “The priest will see that we have been cleansed… Jesus did His part, now we need to do ours…
  Why stop or slow down, we are well on our way! Perhaps they justified not turning back, because He knows all things… Surely He knows that
  we are thankful!”

• While they would get their bill of health confirmed by a priest, the one who turned around would be affirmed by Jesus.

• The Samaritan, returned to acknowledge the giver, not just the gift. In order to acknowledge the giver, the man would have to put his agenda and life
  on pause in order to come before Jesus and thank Him.

• He chose to give thanks, making Jesus an essential part of His journey, going to Him first to say thanks.

• Not only said thanks, the scripture says he gave thanks with a loud voice, for all to hear.

Illus. The way sound works.

James 1:17, Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

Illus. Thank You.

Luke 17:11-19

While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at
a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves
to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God
with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there
not ten cleansed? But the nine-where are they?Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”And He said to him, “Stand
up and go; your faith has made you well.”