TEN LESSONS FROM A LEPER LUKE 17:11-19 by Mark Hardgrove > INTRODUCTION > When I was a child I thought this text was talking about ten "leopards" until a country preacher explained to me that these were ten "leapers." I supposed that after they were healed these lepers became leapers. > After more recent study I have found in this text ten lessons to be learned from a leper. Now the other nine participate in some of these lessons, but one man, a Samaritan, stands out and provides a full text to study when we really desire to be whole. > I. LEARN WHO TO LOOK TO IN TIMES OF TROUBLE (12, 13) > A. Life had brought these ten men to a place in their lives where no one else could help them -- no doctors, family, priests, etc. Sometimes we come to these places in our own life, where there is no one on earth to look to and we can do nothing but look to Jesus. B. As they called out to Jesus they could not appeal to good works, to personal fame or fortune . . . all they could do was appeal to the mercy of Jesus. His mercy never fails. > II. LEARN TO LISTEN TO THE LORD WHEN HE SPEAKS (14a) A. First, Jesus saw, though they were afar off, Jesus saw. We may think we've gone too far, but like the father of the Prodigal son, we may go so far that we feel we can no longer see Him, but we never go so far that He cannot see us (Ps.139). B. Second, Jesus said, He spoke the Word. He didn't touch these men, He didn't slay them in the Spirit, He simply spoke (see Matt. 8:8- Centurian's example). It's not enough to have ears and sit in the pew, we have to hear, we have to listen. > III. LEARN TO MOVE BY FAITH (14b) AS they went they were cleansed. Don't wait for the miracle before you move. Count it done. Move in faith and watch God work! > IV. LEARN TO TURN TO JESUS (15a) This one man wasn't content to simply go to church. He didn't just want to be seen by a priest, he had to turn back and give glory to the one who had healed him. Being a Samaritan there is some question whether this man even had access to a Jewish priest, but he had access to Jesus. We may not be able to get Benny Hinn to lay hands on us, but Jesus is always as close as the whisper of His name. Turn to Jesus. Don't be content with a religious service, don't leave until you know you have been with Jesus. V. LEARN TO GIVE GOD THE GLORY (15b) He saw God in Christ. Like the Samaritan woman at the well, this Samaritan man saw what so many Jews had not seen, "could this be the Messiah?" And as he gave God the glory, he did so with a loud voice. ..unashamed, unrestrained, unconcerned about public opinion. > VI. LEARN TO FIND THE FEET OF JESUS (16a) A. Examples: > 1.Martha and Mary (Matt.10:38-42) "Mary hath chosen that good part." 2. Prostitute at Simon's house (Lk. 7:44) She washed Jesus feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Paul said a woman's hair is her "glory" (1 Cor. 11:15). She was willing to place her highest at His lowest. That's worship. 3. The twenty-four elders in Revelation cast their crowns at His before the throne (which is where the feet are) (Rev. 4:10) > B. Likewise we need to learn to find Jesus feet, to give the highest that we can offer and place it at His feet. To strip ourselves of pride, and like this leper, fall with our face at the feet of Jesus. > VII. LEARN TO GIVE THANKS (16b) The text implies that this one man among the ten was not a Jew, yet it was he alone who returned to worship and give thanks to the healer. During the Thanksgiving season God doesn't want a turkey on His table (He's got enough of them in the church; but He does want fruit. He wants the fruit of our labors, the fruit of our good works, the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of righteousness, and He wants the "fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name" (Heb. 13:15) > VIII. LEARN NOT TO BE LEAD BY THE CROWD (17) > When Jesus saw the one man return, He asked, "Where are the nine?" There was a man with the last name of Paretti, who did several studies and he observed that in any organization there is an 80/20 rule, it is known as Paretti's Principle, which says that 20 percent of the people account for eighty percent of a company's productivity. He contends that this principle holds true for every organization, including churches. Basically, he observed that 80 percent don do much, 80 percent don't give much, and 80 percent don't get much. Jesus is asking the church today, "Where are the eight? On Sunday nights, where are the eight? During prayer services, where are the eight? On Wednesday nights, where are the eight? On Evangelism outreach days, where are the eight? On church workdays, where are the eight?" Didn't he minister to everyone who came to church on Sunday morning? Didn't He touch and speak to everyone here on Sunday morning? So where are the eight? > IX. LEARN TO LIVE AS AN ALIEN (18) The word translated "stranger" in the KJV is from a Greek word which means, "someone from another country, a foreigner, an alien." Peter calls Christian's "strangers and pilgrims" (1 Pet. 2:11). It matters little where our country of origin is, we need to know what our destination is. Paul said our "citizenship is in heaven" (Phil. 3:20, NKJV). We are in the world but we are not of the world. We are a peculiar people, our morals are foreign to the world, we don't fit in, we are round pegs in a square holes. We are looking for a city, which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God. > X. LEARN TO LET JESUS DO THE WHOLE JOB (19) Your bad finances, or a troubled marriage, or a sick body, or any number of crises may have brought to Jesus, but don't leave with a partial job. Don't be content with a jump and a shout, hold to Him by faith until the job is done. I like the word the KJV uses in this verse, "thy faith hath made thee WHOLE." Jesus is concerned about all of you. The Greek word is "so-zoe" and is the word for "save," and the root word for "salvation." Jesus wants to do the whole job, before you can serve the Lord with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength, you have to let Jesus save/heal your heart, soul, mind and strength. > CONCLUSION: Ten men were healed, one man was made whole. I don't know why you came to church today, but I know why Jesus came. He came to make you whole. Hear Him calling you today as He asks you, "Wilt thou be made whole?" (Jn. 5:6). You've been in that case a long time, you've been to the altar a dozen times, you've cried trough countless nights, you've called upon countless preachers, you've seen other's made whole, now what about you? "Wilt thou be made whole?" Don't leave here today content to go through the motions, turn back to Jesus and let Him make you whole. > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark Hardgrove is Pastor of the Suwanee Church of God. The Suwanee Home Page is located at www.churchnetwork.com/suwaneecog You can e-mail Pastor Hardgrove for a list of sermon outlines available upon request. Pastor Hardgrove also has tapes available for Pastor's who might like to consider scheduling him for revival.