My father’s children there is not doubt in my mind, that the reason I am able to stand here before is because God has blessed me with two wonderful parents. There is some thing about my parents that I need to let you know, my parents believe in the scripture, “If you spare the rod, you’ll spoil the child.” (Proverbs 13:24)My parents didn’t not mind, every now and again, when I was out of line, reaching out and touching me, in order to let me know that I needed to get myself in order. I had parents who to taught me at a young age, “manners.” This may be a new term to this present generation, I was taught things like:
1. If you want something from someone, you don’t say, “Give me!” You say, “My I have please.”
2. If someone is talking you just don’t but in the conversation, but you say, “excuse me?”
3. If you step on someone’s foot, you just don’t keep on walking, but you say, “Excuse me, please!”
4. If somebody gives you something, you just don’t receive it, walk away, and act like they owe you something. The proper response you are supposed to say is, “Thank you!”
I am glad that I have parents that understand if you train up a child in the manner in which they should go, when they are old they shall not depart from that way. It is because of the training I had as a child, that I expect other people to have that same kind of respect. I need you to know that it ticks me off when I go to an establishment, I walk up and down the aisle, find something that suits me, and take it to the counter, give them my hard earn money and the worker doesn’t say a mumbling word. I don’t know about you, but that makes me upset, I already don’t like shopping then to be mistreated. It also ticks me off when I am driving into a store or gas station, and I see someone trying to get in the driveway or parking lot before me, instead of acting like I don’t see them, I stop to let them go ahead of me. Then they don’t do anything, they don’t wink, wave, or nod their head, they just go ahead and don’t say thank you that makes me upset. I thought about that thing, and I said, “if I am disturb when people don’t say thank to me, if I am bothered when people are rude towards me, if it ticks me off when people don’t say thank you, how do you think God feels? 1. We have folks that wake up every morning, and don’t say a mumbling word.
2. God puts clothes on your back, and we don’t say a mumbling word.
3. God puts food on your table, and we don’t say a mumbling word.
4. God puts a roof over our head, and we don’t say a mumbling word.
5. God puts gas in your car, and we don’t say a mumbling word.
But I made up in mind every time I get a chance, every time I get an opportunity, to say thank you unto God, I am going to open up my mouth, I am going to raise my hands, and I am going to tell God, “thank you!” Is there anybody here that just wants to tell God, Thank you?
1. Has God been good anybody?
2. Has he made a way for anybody?
3. Has he healed anybody?
4. Has he lifted anybody?
Well you ought to say, “THANK YOU!” I KNOW IT’S LATE BUT SOMEONE OUGHT TO SAY, “THANK YOU!”
What I like about this scripture, it is the quintessential example of someone that was thankful. You understand the story, the Bible say Jesus was somewhere between Samaria and Galilee. And the Bible says, as he was entering in a certain village he their met ten lepers. The Bible does not say where he met them, it does not give us the precise location, it just says, he found ten lepers.
1. He found them somewhere on the edges of specified space.
2. He found them somewhere on the fridges of precise definition.
3. There he found these ten lepers.
Let me pause parenthetically for a moment to ask you this question, “Aren’t glad that Jesus found you?” I know you don’t want to admit you had to be found, I know you want to sit up in here and perpetrate the fall as if you have always been saved and always known the Lord. I know you want us to believe that when you were born you had a Bible in one hand and a cross in the other, but the fact of the matter is we all had to be found. Jesus found you somewhere:
1. Some of you he found on skid row
2. Some of you he found in a dark alley
3. Some of you he found underneath a curb.
4. Some of you he found in a bar.
5. Some of you he found in a casino.
6. Some of you he found in a crack house.
7. Some of you he found in some else’s bed.
8. But we all know he found you somewhere!
It says that Jesus found these ten lepers. And the Bible says, “And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” That may not mean anything to you, but you have to understand that these were ten lepers. Nine of them were Jews and one of them was a Samaritan. That may not mean anything to you, but you must understand that ordinarily Jews and Samaritans had no dealings with one another. Jews don’t like the Samaritans and Samaritans don’t care for the Jews, but you have to understand that when you are in a fox hole, a fox hole has a way of doing away with artificial barriers and superficial distinctions. You have to understand when you are down and out, it really doesn’t matter where you come from, but we are all in need of the same thing. I really don’t understand why it is people of God can’t come together and understand that we are all in this thing together. We always want to highlight those things we have different we the fact of the matter is we have more in common than we have different (someone knows what I am talking about). I just believe if we really wanted Glory to fall in the house of worship we have to get to the place where we stop putting up barriers and recognize we our all in this thing together. I don’t know why it is people want to always raise up distinctions.
1. You have the Alpha’s against the Omega’s.
2. You have the Kappa’s against the Sigma’s.
3. You have the AKA’s against the Delta’s.
4. You have the Beta’s against S.G. Rio’s.
5. You have the Demarcates against the Republicans.
6. You have the Pistons against the Lakers.
7. You have the Lions against Bears
8. You have the Wolverines against Buckeyes.
I can even come up in the house of the Lord.
1. You have the sopranos against the altos.
2. You have tenors against Bass.
3. You have the trustee’s against the Stewards.
4. You have the People against the Pastor.
That fact of the matter is we all have a common problem, we all stand in the need of prayer, we all need the Lord to bless us and bless us right now. It really doesn’t not matter where you went to school, it really does not matter how much money you have in the bank, and we have a common problem that is we all need the Lord. Am I in the right house? Is there anybody here besides me that needs the Lord? Is there anybody in the house that needs the Lord in a real way? I don’t know about you, but I need the Lord to bless, I need the Lord to heal me, I need the Lord to life me. As a matter of fact, I can sing with the hymn writer, “I need Thee, O I need Thee, Every hour I need Thee; O bless me now, my Saviour, I come to Thee!”
It says here that they had a common problem, but check this out. It says here, “And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” See you also have to understand that leprosy was an awful and indigent disease, which causes scaly patches too appear all over the body. As a matter of fact, the law said if you have leprosy you have to stand at least fifty feet away from the nearest person that didn’t have the disease. So when they lifted up their voice, they were yelling, “Jesus, Master have mercy on us.” You must understand that the when Jesus heard them he stopped, turned around and saw them. I don’t know about you, but I am glad that no matter where I am and no matter what I experience Jesus can see me.
1. He sees you in your mess.
2. He sees your tears.
3. He sees your broken heart.
4. He sees your hurts.
5. He sees your pain.
The Bible says he saw them, and when he saw them he said, “Go shew yourselves unto the priests.” That may not mean anything to you, but you have to understand that it was Jewish custom that before you can go out and mingle in normative society, before you can go to the mall, before you can go to the store you had to first show yourself to the priests. After being looked over by the priest, he would then give you a clean bill of healing. After receiving this clean bill of healing, you can then go out and interact in normative society. So when Jesus said, “Go shew yourselves to the priests” look at what did, they didn’t offer any argument and they didn’t say Jesus don’t you see how sick we are? Don’t you see how messed up we are? Don’t see how hurt we are, what do you mean go show yourselves to the priests? They didn’t offer any argument they just started heading in the direction of the temple. I have discovered my Fathers children that we have a whole lot of people that want God to bless them, but they don’t want to do what they have to do in order to receive the blessing. You want God to take you to another level in ministry, you want God to heal your body, you want God to give you a promotion, but when God tells you to do something you have issues with God tells you to do. “I don’t understand what he is talking about; I don’t understand what he means?” I am glad you asked for an explanation, please allow me to explain. You have to understand that very rarely does divine solution make any human sense. See, Jesus gave them a confusing prescription. Every on and again you have to be obedient to what God is telling you to do. You may not understand it, you may not agree with it, you may have problems with it, but you have to go on any how recognizing that God is going to see you through. You don’t understand me do you?
1. Come here Mose, I know Pharaoh is behind you, I know the Red Sea is in front of you, I know you have mountains on the side of you, but if you raise that rod, it would give you a smooth Interstate 94 through the Red Sea.
2. Come here Joshua, I know the walls of Jericho are high and thick, but if you march around the walls for six days, then on the seventh day march and give me some praise, those walls will come tumbling down.
3. Come here Naaman, I know you skin is messed up, I know the rivers in Damascus are greater than the rivers in Israel, but if you go and dip yourself in the Jordan River seven times you will be healed.
4. Come here disciples I know there are five thousand men, plus the women and children, but if you give me your fish and two loaves of bread, I will give you enough food to feed the five thousand and have enough left over for everyone to take home a doggie bag.
Church I have made up in my mind, it really doesn’t matter, if God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.
1. I know your credit is jacked up, but is God says go and fill out a mortgage application then you make your way too the bank.
2. I know you don’t have any money, but if God tells you he is going to give you a car, you pick a broom and start sweeping your drive way.
3. I know you don’t look too good, but if God said a man is going to find you and ask you to marry him, you go down to the store and pick out a wedding dress.
If God said it, surely it will come to pass. Is there anybody in here, that knows every now and then, you have to go where you don’t understand why you have to go; you have sing when you don’t feel like singing. For I recognize that they that “wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” I don’t understand, but I am going anyhow. I don’t feel like, but I am pressing anyhow. Is there anybody in this house that is going to press their way any how, say YEAH!
It was a confusing prescription. The Bible says they went anyhow, but this is the good part. The Bible says, “And one of them (Samaritan), when he saw that he was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God.” That tells me something; all ten of them were able to see they were healed. As they looked at their hands and their hands looked band new, they looked at their feet and their feet looked new too. They saw they were healed, but only one of them made up their mind to turn around and go back to give God glory. I know this is not anyone in this Church, but I know some folk that will see the Lord moving in their lives, and instead of making their way to the alter to give God some praise they decide it is a good time to wash their car. They see God handling their children, but instead of giving God the glory, they go to the casino. They see God moving in their lives and instead of going to the temple to lift up holy hands, they decide to go shopping. See I have made up in my mind, when God has blessed me, when God has made a way for me, I got to turn around, I have to go back and give god some praise. Jesus said, “Man I see you but where the other nine?” The man said I don’t know.
1. Somebody said they were going down to Shenika’s house.
2. I heard somebody else say they went to Marshal Fields.
3. I heard somebody else say they were going down to Mercedes Dealership.
4. I head somebody else say they were going down to Pokies crib.
5. I head somebody else say they were going to try on their new fur coat.
The Samaritan said I really don’t know where they went, but here I am. I don’t know what their problem is, but hear I am. I don’t know why they went where ever they are, but here I am. And I have made up in my mind, I can’t worry about everyone else, all I know is God has been good to….God has blessed….God has lifted….God has healed…. And if it takes me, I am going to praise him the best way I can. I am going to praise him as long as I can. I don’t understand folk that will come up in Gods house, when God has been good to you, and they sit there dry as a Dorito, they sit there cold as an icicle, don’t want to say nothing, won’t say amen, to holy to holler, to cute to cry, to sophisticated to shout. But I have made up in my mind that if I get into the house of the Lord, I am going to lift up my voice and say, Lord I praise you, Lord I thank you. Is there anybody in here besides me that just wants to thank him? Thank you for blessing me, thank you for healing me, thank you for making a way (somebody say “YES!”), you can look me cross eyed if you want too, I don’t care if you roll your eyes, I don’t care if you suck your tongue, I don’t care if my praise makes you uncomfortable, I am not talking to you, I am not praising you, but I am thanking my God
1. If I was Chinese I would say O-dea.
2. If I was Japanese I would say do-mo-or-re-got-toe.
3. If I was Italian I would say grazie.
4. If I was Spanish I would say mucho gracias.
5. If I was French I would say merci beaucoup
6. If I was Liberian I would say ea-sha-pun-po.
7. If I was Algerian I would say mo-two-pay.
8. If I was Egyptian I would say hum-de-le-lay.
9. And if I was deaf I would say….
But since I am who I am, since I know what I know, and since I feel what I feel, I say thank you!
