Two Ways for a Believer Luke 17: 13-19

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One way:

v.13, 1. Many benefit from the goodness of a loving Lord.

   14 ( …and it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.)

They were cleansed of leprosy; this does not mean they were converted

to salvation.

v.14 2. God does not necessarily remove His goodness because of man’s omission.

( they were cleansed.)

v.17 3. Not all who seek after Christ  follow after Christ.

(And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are 

the nine?)

v.17 4. Men can gain from Christ temporally without gaining Christ eternally.

(And Jesus answering said, …)

The right way:

v.16 5. A believer who takes up Christ’s way bows his heart in honor and

submission to the holiness of Christ.

(And fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks: and he was a 

Samaritan.)

v.18 6. The way of true surrender is the way that honors and glorifies Christ.

(There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.)

A Samaritan- only the household of faith gives God glory.

The Hebrew lepers did not return to honor Christ. v.14 identifies the

Hebrews by the command to go show yourselves unto the priests.)

v.19 7. Wholeness accompanies faith that totally recognizes and accepts Jesus as

the Son of God.

(thy faith hath made thee whole.)

What Touches God's Heart Nehemiah 1: 3-11, 2: 20

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v.3 1. Compassion for God’s people.

(The remnant who are left of the captivity there in the province are in great 

affliction and reproach;)

v.3 2. A genuine heart for God’s work.

(…the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, …)

v.4 3. Willingness to bear a burden for Godliness to be gained.

(...when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, ....and mourned certain

days, and fasted, and prayed.)

v.5 4. Genuine faith.

(I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, …)

v.6 5. Genuine repentance of sin and turning from it.

(...and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against

thee:...)

v.8, 6. Steadfast assurance in God’s faithfulness.

  10 (Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandest thy servant, Moses, 

…)

(Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou has redeemed…)

1:11 7. A desire for God’s name to be exalted, His work accomplished, His people

2: 20 obedient, His presence acknowledged, His testimony presented, His glory given.

(delight to fear thy name)

(…The God of heaven will prosper us.)

Failing to See God's Goodness Numbers 13: 28

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(Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are 

walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.)

1. God’s people do see, they just see the wrong things.

2. God’s people have too long recorded what they think are the failings of

God.

3. God’s people too long have suffered at the hands of their own choices, but

falsely conclude God is at fault.

4. God’s people look for contentment with ease and absence of trial, thus, 

it is difficult for them to see the blessings of God which accompany faith.

5. God’s people do not evaluate God’s goodness on the basis of redemption 

and grace.

The people of God believe they have some worth that should be 

recognized and rewarded.

The righteousness of man is not righteous.    Is. 64: 6

6. The view of man is always most troubling; the view of God is always most

freeing.

Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.

7. The goodness of God is a spiritual fact; God’s people allow spiritual

blindness to blind their eyes.

Giving Thanks John 6: 11-15

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As illustrated by Jesus:

v.11 1. Thanks for what He has.

(And Jesus took the loaves, …)

v.11 2. Thanks for His Father’s hearing of the matter.

(And when He had given thanks)

v.11 3. Thanks for being able to honor His Father and reveal the greatness of His  

Father.

(He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down?

                and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.)

v.11 4. Thanks for what is yet to take place.

Precedence of need; preceding supply.

Jesus knows the end at  the beginning.

Thanks based upon heaven’s measure, not earth’s measure.

v.14 5. Thanks because of the relationship that exists from being God’s Son.

Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is 

                of a truth the prophet that should come into the world.)

We are God’s child; sons of God are we.

v.12, 6. Thanks commensurate with the fullness of heaven.

  13 (Therefore they gathered together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments 

                of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had

                eaten.)

v.15 7. Thanks for the rule of the Father over life. 

When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force,

                to make Him a king, He departed again into a mountain Himself alone.)

The Father knew the time of Jesus and protected His ministry.

What We Owe to Our God Psalms 66: 8-20

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v.8 1. Our genuine blessing and thanksgiving.

(O bless our God, ye people, and make )

v.8 2. Our testimony of His divine goodness.

(and make the voice of His praise to be heard:)

v.9 3. Our absolute security in Him.

(Which holdeth our soul in life, and)

v.9 4. Our rock like stability in Him.

(and suffereth not our feet to be moved.)

v.10- 5. Our refined message through His faithful witness in trial.

  12 (For thou, O God, hast tested us, …)

v.13- 6. Our personal experience of His faithfulness.

  15 (I will go into thy house with burnt offerings; … and my mouth hath spoken, 

when I was in trouble.)

v.16 7. Our witness of encouragement to other believers.

(Come and hear, all ye that fear God, …)

v.17 8. Our exceedingly grateful witness to God.

(I cried unto Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue.)

v.18 9. A pure heart.

(If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:)

v.19, 10. A grateful blessing for God’s faithfulness.

  20 (Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy

from me.)

When you Have Found Jesus John 1: 41

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(We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.)

1. The search is ended.

2. The promises are manifest.

3. The joy is unequaled.

4. The hope is secured.

5. The truth is resident.

6. The purpose in life is established.

7. The walk is fruitful.

A Grateful Partaking Hebrews 13: 20, 21

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v.20 1.Seeing peace that comes only from above.

(Now the God of peace)

v.20 2.Seeing the message and author of life itself.

(that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus)

v.20 3.Acknowledging your need for a shepherd.

(that great shepherd of the sheep)

v.20 4.Counting the blood of Jesus of essential purity.

(through the blood of the everlasting covenant)

v.21 5.Realizing the importance of Godly assignments and the need for His perfection

(make you perfect in every good work to do His will,)

v.21 6.Agreeing with God's choices and initiations for my life.

(working in you...)

v.21 7.Seeing life as purposeless, powerless and empty without Jesus.

(through Jesus Christ,..)

The Value of a Pure Heart Daniel 1: 8-21

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v.8 1. It holds a genuine desire and commitment to please God.

(But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the

                portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he

                requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.)

v.10 2. It protects the heart from hearing the wrong voice.

(And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who

                hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces 

                worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me

                endanger my head to the king.)

v.12 3. It requires a willing separation from the world, diligently followed.

(Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to

eat, and water to drink.)

We are deceived today.

We think the way to gain is to follow the ways of the world, rather than the ways

of God.

We may not even realize it.

We cannot think like the world, cannot follow after the world, cannot go where

                the world goes, cannot make decisions like the world does.

v.17 4. It adorns the heart with God’s gift of true wisdom.

(As for these four children God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and

wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.)

v.20 5. It brings spiritual insight to bear on problems.

(And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them,

he found them ten times better than tall the magicians and astrologers that were

in all his realm.)

If man’s ideas are followed, it will interfere with the work of God’s choice.

God’s solution is the need.

If we propose anything else, we interfere with what God is doing and cause the

hurts of others

v.21 6. It anchors the future work of God in your life.

(And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.)

Without God’s anchor, a person grows farther away from God rather than closer 

to.

7. It is never a disappointment.

6: 22

                What did Daniel have when the king asked for an interpretation? a pure heart

When he was falsely accused?  a pure heart

When You Have Been With Jesus Luke 9: 17

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(And they did eat, and were all filled and there was taken up of fragments

that remained to them twelve baskets.)

1. There is great provision from heaven.

2. There is opportunity for man to be fed spiritually.

3. Any man can be filled with truth.

4. There is a receiving required by men of what God offers.

5. The testimony of a man’s partaking is his fullness of Jesus.

6. There will always be more of Jesus than man can partake of.

7. The encouragement to the heart of the partaker is to return to Jesus

for more, even to life abundant and that life forever more.