Brother Gary Sunday Morning 7/28/13

Brother Gary Sunday Morning 7/28/13

Luk 17:11  And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

Luk 17:12  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

Luk 17:13  And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

Luk 17:14  And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

Luk 17:15  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

Luk 17:16  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

Luk 17:17  And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

Luk 17:18  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

Luk 17:19  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

This message is on the thought of returning.  These lepers had received so much from what no other source could give them and one of them returned. 

In the days of Malachi, 460 years before Christ, there were those that didn’t know how to get back to God.  Today there are individuals that don’t know how to get back to God.  That is so sad. 

There are those that have received a lot from God and for whatever reason they don’t return. 

Verse 11:  Samaria is one of those places that the Jews were taken from when they were carried away into captivity.  The king then chose to send colonies of people from other places to inhabit the land.  After they got there they went about life as usual.  Living as they had lived and doing what they had already done. 

God sent lions among them and many of them were destroyed.  They thought, “This is a dangerous place, we must get a message back to the king and tell him that we are being destroyed.”  The king sent a priest back to teach them how to live in the land so that they wouldn’t be destroyed by the lions. 

He began teaching them the ways of God.  A few listened and followed his teaching.  Most of them went right on in the worship of multi and manmade gods.  They went right on worshipping in their own heathenistic ways. 

The situation was so bad in the way they worshipped that some offered their children in fire to their strange gods.

This message doesn’t come from where I was or where you were last week.  It is not a prophecy of where you will be.  Yet it is fitting.  We journey in life and there is not one in this audience that doesn’t go somewhere, maybe even this week, where we are among people that have strange gods. 

Every one of us finds ourselves very often in our journey among individuals that have strange gods.  Sometimes I really draw back from going into places where there are strange spirits and strange gods.  I’m not afraid, but it is taxing and uncomfortable.  It often leaves you with bewilderment of an individual that speaks to you and has such pronounced needs.

These men were lepers.  We journey among people that have a disease that is like leprosy.  Sin is like leprosy; it warps men and women’s lives.  It not only warps them but brings them into a position of being alienated from God. 

As we were at the cemetery Thursday, there was a brother to the deceased there that was 88 years old.  His wife was in her seventies and said, “I can’t take any more of this.  I’m getting out.”  I asked if I could help her and she accepted my help.  I offered her my arm and she told me:  “within a week that Wes died, my nephew died and then another family member and now I hear that one of my uncles is dying of cancer.” 

I told her that she was invited to cast all her burdens on the Lord.  She said, “I don’t want to.  He is too busy and there are too many other needs in the world and I don’t want to cast my burdens on the Lord.”  I told her that He is not too busy.  “He is concerned about you and He wants to help you with your need.”

She reminds me of the lepers. 

When Jesus passes by, He passes by sinners.  He passed by this lady whose name was Fran.  He passes by over and over again. 

I couldn’t find out if these lepers were from a colony.  It seems that because of their condition they banded together.  They heard about Jesus.  Jesus was passing through Samaria.  Jesus passes by places that you and I are going to go.

They lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”  One of the keys, in returning to Jesus, is knowing how to get a heart cry out to Him. 

These lepers so desired to get to Jesus.  They were possibly family men.  They were individuals that still had a reason to want to live.  There was something in that compass that they had been born with that was pointing to God and toward doing what was right.  Their compass was pointing to fulfill what God would have them to do in the time world and in eternity.  They cried out for mercy.

They lifted up their voice.  One of the reasons that people cannot return to God is that they don’t humble themselves.  It is so hard to say, “I have been wrong.” 

We live in a world where there are a percentage of people that are playing the blame game.  “It is someone else’s fault that I’m where I am.”  People are where they are because they have made choices that placed them there and they refuse to go to God for help.

A lot of people want to get help somewhere other than Jesus.  They don’t want to have him as their master and their lord.

There is not any soul that God is dealing with that His word isn’t there to instruct them. 

That is one of my thoughts in giving out a bible.  We want to place in their hand not only a bible but the challenge to find out what God is saying to them.  God has a word for individuals that are in sin.  He has a word for individuals in Babylon, and for those that are confused. 

There are many people that are in dire straits in this world and the Word of God has an answer for them

As they went they were cleansed:  there is an immediate transaction that takes place when God speaks to us and we say, “I will obey.”  There is a miracle that takes place when we obey God.

One turned back:  one noticed his healing.  For all of us that are saved this morning in this audience may God help us to recognize from what we have been healed.  That is why we love the songs, “I’ll never go back” and “Shall I go back into the world?  No, no, not I, not I.”

After God has done so much, can we do any less than first return and thank Him?  This man returned and gave praises to God. 

Verse 16:  in my mind’s eye I can almost see this leper running back, the thrill, “I’m healed.  The thanksgiving, “I’m not the same.”  The hope, “I have life and I have a new life.”

It didn’t stop there, he fell down at Jesus’ feet and gave thanks.  He gave back.  He was among them that lived in Samaria, a Samaritan, a saved Samaritan. 

Were there not 10 cleansed?:  they all received the healing.  Where are the nine? 

Arise:  it is awesome how God deals with us.  God had done so much for this leper that he wasn’t in a hurry to get up.  He wanted to just bow there and thank him.  Every once in a while we need to practice this. 

We live in a frame that if we are not careful our lives will be filled with needs and we are as a machine ushering requests to God.  Remember the leper.  He went back and began to thank God.

We have so much to thank God for.  I’m very thankful that the church is half full.  Every individual in this audience is very special to God.  I’m dealing with faith this morning.  David Livingstone, the missionary to Africa, was the single convert of a congregation.  The pastor received a unanimous vote that it was time for him to move on. 

There was just a boy in that congregation by the name of David Livingstone.  This morning every soul is of vital importance to God.  Everyone that is saved has the possibility of being a power house in prayer.  You can be a power house in prayer without being gifted with words or with memory. 

Know how to fall at the feet of Jesus and thank Him that your garments are white and that a change has taken place.  Jesus said, “Arise.”

David had experienced a miracle from God and began to cry out to God, “Oh God, who is worthy to be praised.”

Even if I die before I finish preaching this morning, I believe that there are miracles on the horizon.  You say, “I don’t see a lot of people rushing in.”  Stop there.  There are a lot of miracles on the horizon because of Jesus passing by.  Let it not be said that nothing was done here because of unbelief.

There is something about God that he gives everyone a compass before they are born that always points toward Him.  I believe that.  Jesus was there when God created the earth.  He was there when God created that compass.  He was there when God created man and there is a greater compass in the soul of man than even the natural compass that always points north.

Few of us carpool here.  Even my wife and I often are going different directions.  As our compass points toward God our eyes are looking and our ears are listening, “Will I find someone that I can point the way to?”

We will come across people that will ask.  What makes an individual happy in an unhappy life?  They look at individuals dressed in beautiful spiritual garments and see the smile on the face and they will think that you had a perfect life.  They don’t know that before you met Jesus your life was like theirs.  Since you met Him, there has been a change.

There is a strong link in every life.  Jesus asked them, “Wilt thou be made whole?”  Sometimes we look for just a little help and we limit God.  The lepers didn’t say, “Would you just heal this hand or put this toe on the right foot, or heal this ear?”  No, they cried out, “Have mercy on us.”

Jesus didn’t even touch them, he spoke a word.  This man came back a new man.  Before he got to Jesus he cried out and when he got there he fell down on his knees and began to praise God.  Jesus said, “Arise.” 

If you want to backslide, then sit down and do nothing.  What got Eli in trouble was he sat around when he should have been seeking God and taking care of things. 

Jesus said arise, thy faith has made you whole.

Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

May God help you and me to understand that though we live in a very changing world that is always looking for progress, God changes not.  My message is not against the electric lights, the telephone or the pressure cooker.  My message is this:  we have a God that changes not.

Before we were ever in the picture, God had a desire for mankind that we would serve him.  That everyone would have a new heart and a new spirit.  Adam sinned but that didn’t change God.  He had a plan that we could serve Him. 

It is sad that Adam made a wrong choice.  That same God sent Jesus and gave us a choice.  He is a God that changes not. 

This leper that was healed may have even been involved with the worst of the sects of the religions of the Samaritans.  There is one of the Samaritans that got a heart cry out, got his needs supplied, and then came back to God.

Jesus is the same:  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.

That thing that you cannot handle:  man cannot handle sin, it handles them.  They cannot handle carnality, that thing that draws them back to sin, causes them to want to protect themselves, and causes them to avoid a heartache or mistreatment.  Jesus handles it for us.

Psa 18:1  To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

Psa 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Psa 18:3  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

Praising God often delivers us from our enemy.  Have you ever felt yourselves spiraling down and you thought, “I will spiral up by praising God.”  Have you felt the winds of discouragement blowing your way and you felt it settling in.  You thought, “With the wind of the Spirit of God I’m going to move this the other direction and I’m going to praise God for saving me from my enemies.”

It is ok if you have felt strengthless.  If you feel strengthless then begin praising God.  The Lord is my rock, rock to stand on and to give us shade when we need rest.  He is our fortress.  He is our sun.  He showers us with blessings.  He is our shield.  He protects us.  He is my deliverer.

I am expecting a whole lot of good things.  Right amidst all the blessings the enemy will show his head.  Among the happy times there may be a sour note somewhere.  This could be the day that someone that the enemy filled up takes out their guns and fill you full of holes.  There is a deliverer.  I’m not going to let this move me; I’m looking to the strong hand of God to deliver.

My God:  I’m glad that I don’t go into any place to worship where there is a heathen God.  I’m glad that I don’t have a God made by me but the God of creation. 

My strength:  Strength to bear the burden, strength to believe for a miracle, strength to carry the burden for that one that is in sin, strength to turn the battle to the gate. 

As long as we live the enemy will be there to bring the thought, “If you’d go the way of the world it will be easy.”  It is not easy out there.  “If you go…” no it doesn’t matter what he says.

If you go the way of strength then you will be blessed. 

My buckler, my hightower:  Are you in a position to praise God?  Do you bow before him and say, “Dear God this is not the hour for requests; you have done so much.” 

He has done so much: the fact that we have hope, the fact that we have agreement of prayer, the fact that He passes by, the fact that when I cried out in my sin He had mercy, the fact that you have something sure to leave to all of your family: This I know, my redeemer liveth.

A lot of people find fault with me, with you, and with the church of God, but one thing that they cannot take away is “I know what God has done for me.”

You might be here this morning and ask the question:  is there any danger in not praising God?

Among the saddest books and scriptures in the Bible is Romans chapter one.  They knew God and refused to give Him the glory.  Age has done a lot of things for me and if I could live my life over I would do some things different.  But one thing I would not change is getting saved.  I would get saved younger and serve Him all the days of my life. 

When an individual begins to serve God there is a compass that comes back and says, “I need to praise God.”  Praise has done a lot for me.  One thing it has done is brought contentment.  I have too much.  If we are not careful then we will want more.  Praising God brings such a contentment to us. 

They became vain in their imaginations.  Their mind went to things that led them away from God.  There is a real warning in the scripture.  Their foolish heart became darkened.  Let us know God and be known of God.  Let us praise Him with our whole heart.