Sermon
• Jesus was headed to Jerusalem when ten men with leprosy stopped him
o Jesus told them to go shows themselves to the priest
o In accordance to Lev 13:2-14:32
• The men left
o They could have went home and continue along as normal
o They could have walked away laughing at Jesus
o But they didn’t – instead they started toward the priests just as Jesus said
o As the went they were healed
• We know all of them were healed because one of them returned
o A Samaritan, who took a huge risk going towards the priests
o He thanked Jesus and let him know what had happened
• Jesus replied,
o “Rise and go; your faith has made you well” – Luke 17:19
• Faith
o We use this word a lot but do we really understand what it means?
o Dictionary (Merriam-Webster)
1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty, b (1) : fidelity to one’s promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion, b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs <the Protestant faith>
o Bible
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1, KJV
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1, ESV
• I would defined it like this
o Faith = Risk and Action
o Faith – (Risk and Action) = Unbelief
• Examples
o Sitting on a chair
* You never know if it’s going to break or not
* You take a risk and sit down
o Abraham – Genesis 12
* God told him to leave his family and home
* To go into a strange land
o Naaman – 2 Kings 5
* Elisha told him to wash in the Jordan river
* He didn’t want to as the water was muddy
* His servant told him that if Elisha would have told him to do a great big thing he would have done it
o John G Lake (“God’s Generals: Why They Succeeded And Why Some Fail” by Roberts Liardon)
* Was a millionaire who gave away everything to follow God
* Prayed for money to go to South Africa in 1908
• God told them they would have $2000 in four days
• It showed up
* Left for Africa with his wife, 7 kids and 4 friends
• Had $1.50 in his pocket
* Couldn’t get off the boat unless he paid $125 entry fee
• Got in line anyway
• Someone gave him $200
* Had no place to live
• A lady came up searching for a family of nine
• God told her to go to the docks and bring them home
o Jackie Pullinger (“Chasing the Dragon” by Jackie Pullinger and Andrew Quicke)
* 1966 at 20 years of age
* God told her to go to Hong Kong
• No missionary agenda would take her
• Too young, not enough training
• She bought a one way ticket
* Transformed Hong Kong’s Walled City
o The church building / future of this church
* Calling to reach young families
* Calling to reach young adults
* Folks saying that we can’t do that
* It’s a risk
• Conclusion
o What is it that God is telling you to do?
o Are you taking a risk and acting upon God’s Word?
* He has already told us to preach the gospel, heal the sick, love the unlovable, cloth the naked, feed the hungry…
o Are we obeying Him?
* Or are we sitting still just ‘believing?
* Remember, faith with risk and action is unbelief….
o Let take a risk and follow the example of the Samaritan with leprosy and obey the words given to us by our Lord Jesus
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