Chuck Foreman – Teaching / Missions Pastor

Desperate… Have you ever been so desperate that you cried out unashamedly for help? You didn’t care how awkward it was or who you might inconvenience!

Our story today is about 10 guys who were much more desperate than I have ever been—and believe me, I’ve had some desperate situations!  They knew Jesus was their only hope. And they cried out to him for help in a way we all need to think about. It went like this…

Read: GOD’s Story— 10 Lepers Encounter Jesus, Luke 17:11-19  

Aware of their hopeless condition, they cried out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

Just like these 10 lepers, there are things in our lives that we cannot save ourselves from. We need to recognize, like they did, that Jesus is our only hope. We need to quit telling God, “I got this.” And when, in desperation, we finally do cry out to God for help, we need to start

Living like we have been healed and delivered! Jesus told them to behave as if they’d already been healed. “Go show yourself to the priest.” Do the thing that people do when they are cleansed! (Lev. 13-14)  “And as they went, they were cleansed.”  They acted in faith and were healed!

That’s what God wants us to do so he can do for us what he did for them! And when he does,

Praise & thank him for all he has done for you!   Does anyone know you’re thankful? Can anyone tell? Does your praise reflect God’s incredible work in your life? Are you ashamed to praise God with a loud voice and throw yourself at his feet? Or have you forgotten all he’s done for you?

Remember, we all share a common disease.  These 10 men shared a disease which brought them together in a way that their racial/social division would never have permitted. Jewish men and Gentile men, but all with leprosy.

None of us are any better than anyone else. We all share a common disease—SIN. And we all need to recognize, like these lepers, that Jesus is our only hope! Luke points out that the thankful one was a Samaritan. Jesus is surprised that none of the Jewish lepers returned to thank him. Only the foreigner!

Often those we think are farther from God than we are, respond to him before we do. Not recognizing we share the same spiritual disease with those we tend to judge, will cause us to be ungrateful and perhaps even miss out on the healing mercy God wants to give us.

Jesus wants to heal us all of our common disease! He’s giving you another chance today. Are you desperate enough to cry out to him, “Master, have pity on me!” Are you willing to start living a delivered life? Will you remember all he’s done for you & praise him like you mean it?!

 

BIG Prayer:

Jesus, Master, have pity on me and heal me! I will live differently now,

for you have delivered me! And I will praise you unashamedly for all you’ve done!

And hear Jesus say, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well!”

 

Right On!                         O.T. Reading Psalm 103:1-5