Return and Give Praise to God

Luke 17:11-19 
          Jesus met 10 men who had leprosy. Leprosy was a terrible disease that afflicted their skin. Their skin would have sores and eventually fall off. They had no cure for it. People with leprosy had to live separate from society. These ten lepers had heard about Jesus. They asked for mercy and help. {14} When Jesus saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. So, they could go home and resume a normal life.

            We might expect that they would first return to Jesus and thank him. Only one of the men came back and praised God, and he was a Samaritan. Then, Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"

            Jesus asked, "Were not ten cleansed?" Yes, all ten were cleansed. Then Jesus asked, "Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Jesus expected all of them to "return and give praise to God." That is why we are here tonight. We are here to:  Return and Give Praise to God. 1. Believers thank God.

            It's simply a fact: Believers thank God. Believers will thank God. Faith leads us to thank and praise God for all that he has given to us. Faith is what led the Samaritan to return and give praise to God. Jesus told him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

            What if Jesus said, "Were not all the church members cleansed of sin?" Yes, the blood of Jesus, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. Jesus lived a perfect life for us. Jesus died on the cross to pay for all of our sins. Jesus rose from death, and we are forgiven through Christ! Believe in him, and you will live in heaven forever. All of our members should know this. This morning, Jesus could say, "Where are the others?"

            Jesus could say, "Didn't I give all of these people life and blessings?" And again, the answer would be, "Yes, Lord. You have blessed us all." Then, our Lord could say, "Where are the rest?" Are these the only people who returned to give praise to God for all of these blessings?       The statistic was shocking. Nine out of ten cured lepers skipped that Thanksgiving service. 100% were cured of leprosy, but only 10% returned to give praise and thanks to God. 90% were absent. Wow!

            When the nine fail to return and give praise to God, Jesus doesn't just take it in stride. He not pleased. He doesn't excuse them saying, "Well, they're enjoying their freedom." He doesn't say, "Being with family is more important." He doesn't say, "It would have been a long walk back here." He doesn't say, "Oh, well, they have other things to do." No! He asked, "Where are the other nine?"

            Okay, where are they? Try to answer that! Go ahead and try! "Uh, Lord, they're busy." "Uh, Lord, they forgot." "Lord, the conditions weren't just right." "Lord, they forgot." None of these excuses work. "Where are the other nine?" Obviously not where they belonged! Jesus was not pleased with them, not at all.

            Now, before we turn into Pharisees and congratulate ourselves for showing up this morning, how grateful have you been for all the blessings the Lord has showered upon you? Have you always returned to give thanks? Let us repent of ingratitude tonight. Then,...2. Believers, Thank God!

            The same Jesus who cleansed the 10 men of leprosy, has cleansed us of sin. When we confess our sins, we are basically saying, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" And he has had pity on us. He lived under the Law and died on the cross to purchase forgiveness for us and for all. His rising from death made it public. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us of all our sins. Believe in Jesus as your Savior from sin and you will go to heaven, where we will thank and praise him forever. Believe in Jesus as your Savior from sin and you enjoy a relationship of love with God here on earth.

            We read that the Samaritan "came back praising God in a loud voice." He didn't praise God with a little bitty voice. It was a loud voice! May we praise God with a loud voice, and sing hymns so that our voices can be heard.

            Next, it says that he "threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him." He didn't return with his nose in the air. He returned with humility. He was nose down on the ground at Jesus' feet. May we maintain that attitude before our Lord in worship. Scripture says that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. If you worship with the thought firmly etched in your mind, "I'm bowing down before my Lord to thank him," you will have the right attitude, an attitude of gratitude.  If you come to church with a threat in your heart—Lord, I’m here, now answer my prayer this way. Or “I don’t like the music or the hymns or the pastor’s style” so I’m boycotting,” you’re worshiping the wrong god. Demanding that God do anything, he hates. Telling the church what it needs to do to make you happy is a funny, sinful way to thank God for his blessings. God hates it This humble Samaritan had it right. We are all beggars before Jesus. With him, we have everything. Without him, we'd have nothing.

            Then, Jesus said, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." What revealed this man's faith? It was this: he returned to thank Jesus. He returned to give glory to God. He worshiped God. Thanking God is a fruit of faith. The stronger our faith is, the more thankful we will be, and the more we will want to worship God. Jesus lived and died to take away sin, so you’ll never have to stand before God and answer, “Where are the other nine?” because he redeemed all ten. No, how privileged we are to hear the words, “Rise and go, your faith has saved you.”

            We have much to be thankful for! Where would you start if you tried to make a list? I hope you’d start with forgiveness of sins through Jesus, eternal life in heaven waiting for us. I hope you would add health, daily bread, family, children, and so on. Don't let Thanksgiving Day become just a day of feasting and family for you, or worse, Turkey Day. May it always be a Day of Thanksgiving to God, a God-pleasing Thanksgiving Day. Believers, thank God. Amen.