What Have You Done For Me Lately?

b. Our need

There was a time when we came to that point in life where we were confronted with Jesus, the Master… and knew that He had it in His heart to give mercy to those who called on Him.

There are many people who are willing to say,

· Jesus, Master, show me a miracle!

· Jesus, Master, show me a sign!

· Jesus, Master, display your power!

· Jesus, Master, crush my enemies!

· Jesus, Master, get me out of this tight spot!

But when we lay our heads on our pillow at night – thanks be to God for His immeasurable mercy!

That is what we really needed… We could never be who we are, or where we are at in life today, if it weren’t for His mercy.

· A common definition of mercy is: “NOT getting what we DO DESERVE”

The Bible says that “The wages of sin is death…” That is what we deserve!

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ… (Eph 2:4-5)

3. We have a common Faith (v. 14)

a. The lepers’ faith - “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”

The OT Law prescribed that a person who was healed of leprosy was to go to the priest for official inspection and acclamation that the person was healed.

By obediently going on their way to the priest, the lepers were demonstrating that they had faith in the words of Jesus Christ.

Jesus didn’t reach out and touch them. He doesn’t say, “Be healed.” He tells them to show themselves to the priest. He was telling them to act as if they were healed, and they were healed.

Think about it – if they didn’t have faith in what Jesus had said, they would have probably run up near to Him and bowed and begged for a miracle. But they didn’t…

They didn’t ask for a miracle – they asked for mercy.

They didn’t question Jesus’ command, they believed it.

b. Our faith

It is one thing to cry out for mercy, but true faith is about believing the promises of God with assurance that what He has said will be done.

· For salvation:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (John 5:24)

· For finding peace:

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27)

· For ongoing forgiveness:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

· For fighting temptation:

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Cor 10:13)

· For prayer: [etc, etc, etc.]

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.(Mat 7:7)

The 10 lepers showed that they had faith because they started off toward the priest, as though they were already healed.