Welcome to Real Life Online and thank
you for joining us today. Real Life is a church for real people just like you and
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Please take a moment right now and click on the share button and share this
experience with your friends and family. This week Pastor J concludes our Miracles
series where we examine miracles throughout the Bible. When we connect our
lives to God and his endless power nothing is impossible. Thank you for
joining us today let's get ready for Real Life Online. Obedience opens the door to the
impossible. I'm willing to enter into your equation and change it. Whining
doesn't change anyone's situation but worship does. When Jesus is involved
setbacks are the backdrop to come backs. When we trust God with what's in our hands
and we place our faith over our fear that's when miracles happen. We have to move in both power and in purpose. Just because
God doesn't cater to you doesn't mean he doesn't care about you. Nothing is
impossible for the Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. The creator and sustainer of all things. The Lord of all. The
name above every name. Good morning! Good to see
everybody. I'm so glad you're here. We want to welcome all our locations and
this is it. This is the last message of our Miracles series. I'm sad to see it go.
I got good news though you can still get a miracle after the series is over
alright. You don't just get them while we're preaching about it. Heavens
open 24/7. God says give him a call so today we're in Luke chapter 17 and we're
looking at the story of the ten lepers. The miracle of the ten lepers and it's
interesting timing because I actually this week just sat down with a
missionary family from southern India and I got some exposure. David and
Philomena they were in the office and just telling me some amazing stories.
Actually Philomena worked with Mother Teresa for 14 years in Calcutta. How cool
is that like to talk to somebody who was with Mother Teresa for that long and one
of the big things that they deal with and have dealt with in southern India
at their mission is leprosy. They said it was a very big problem especially
when they started the ministry in 1950 and people would come at night because
leprosy is a horrible disease. It's not just a skin disease. They were
educating me on some things but it actually affects the nerves and it kills
the nerves and so you can't feel. You get infections. You get cuts. You can't feel
so you can't function well and so when you get these infections you start
losing parts. Your skin starts falling off. It's not just the sight, it's the
smell and so what happens is lepers are also they're very contagious. Nobody
wants to be around them and so they said that at their ministry that people from
all classes of society would sneak away at night to come to them and, and to try
to find treatment because of course they were ashamed that they were lepers. Now
imagine okay, in Jesus day. There is no cure for leprosy. Leprosy is a death
sentence I mean if you have it you're out and you're just waiting to die and
you're suffering until then. That's the backdrop for this miracle. You're like
that's a little rough well at least you don't have leprosy so you're you're a
little happier now aren't you okay. Luke chapter 17 verse 11. "Now on his way to
Jerusalem Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he
was going into a village ten men who had leprosy met him."
Imagine their condition. "They stood at a distance and called out." They had to
stand at a distance. They weren't allowed to approach or engage with other people.
"They called out in a loud voice 'Jesus, Master have pity on us.' When he saw them
he said 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.'" That was how you were pronounced
clean and welcomed back into society. "And as they went they were cleansed. One of
them when he saw he was healed came back praising God in a loud voice. He threw
himself at Jesus's feet and thanked him- and and he was a Samaritan." Interestingly
not one of God's chosen people, one of the outsiders at that time. "Jesus asked
'Hey we're not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give
praise to God except this foreigner?' then he said to him, 'Rise and go. Your faith
has made you well.'" Alright, let's review right.
Math in the morning - difficult but we're gonna do this together.
How many lepers had the faith to receive a miracle from God? I heard a couple
different answers. It's a trick question. It's a little tricky okay. How many - we're
gonna do it again. It's the higher number okay. (Laughter) Without going over you win. Price is
right. Here we go. How many lepers had the faith to receive a miracle from Jesus?
(Ten) Ten. Right. Ten lepers here. Jesus told them to go and show themselves. All ten
of them heard from him. They obeyed him and it says as they went they were
healed. That's incredible. Ten lepers received a
miracle from God but it's interesting because that should be the end of the
story really. That's an incredible miracle.
Jesus healed ten people. Luke doesn't want us to focus on that right. You can
tell because the story doesn't stop there. He keeps going. He says hold on.
That's not the interesting part of the miracle. The interesting part of the
miracle is while ten were healed, ten received only one returned and Luke's
like we got to talk about this guy. Now I want to talk to you a little bit about
this one guy because while 10 had the faith to be healed only
one - what does Jesus praise him for by the way, the one guy that comes back
? He
praises him, he says rise and go your what has made you well? Your faith. Now
that's interesting to me because all 10 had faith. Jesus said go and they went
and understand it wouldn't have been easy for them to go. They're lepers.
They're in a horrible situation and many of them would have been missing parts
and pieces. Some of them would have been hobbling. Some of them would have been
crawling. They would have been using crutches. For them to make the journey
from where they were, begging and trying to get help, to the priest that was a
mission. That was a journey and so it took faith for them to go. 10 of them had
faith and were healed but this one guy Jesus says your faith, your faith is
different. He makes a distinct, a distinguishment here and the word faith
that Jesus uses, the greek word is actually pistis -- pronounced like it
sound or spelled like it sounds pistis. It means like belief. It's a
deep-seated belief that causes you to act in accordance to that belief.
Interesting thing about pistis though is that sometimes in the New Testament
we'll read it as faith but then other times it's faithful. Filled with faith
or faithfulness. Actually in Galatians chapter 5 you know the fruit of the
Spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience... you know those? Faithfulness one of the
fruits of the spirit, part of the fruit of the Spirit in our life
faithfulness is the word pistis. It's faith but it's also faithfulness. Same
word and so here's what I want us to see. All ten had faith. Ten lepers took Jesus
at his word. They were healed. They were changed. They were cleansed. God gets the
glory but while ten had faith only one had the
faithfulness to come back right. Only one was called out by Jesus because he came
back and actually Jesus distinguishes them in verse 17. What he says to him is
"Were not all ten cleansed?" Rhetorical question. He knows that they were. The
word cleanse there is the Greek word catherizo. It's where we get our
word catheter from right. To clean out. I won't show a picture. You know. (Laughter)
Catheter - to clean out so he says we're not all cleaned out. We're not all
cleansed, healed. It's a rhetorical question. He knows that the answer is yes
but then in verse 19 he says "Rise and go. Your faith, you're pistis, your faith
or faithfulness has made you, not catherizo, but sozo. He uses the
greek word for salvation. He says your faith has, you're, you're set apart and while
they had the faith to be healed it's your faithfulness all right has set
you apart and set you free at a different level. They they got a blessing
but you get the bigger blessing. There's a level here and that's what I want us
to understand about faith. There's a faith that believes but then there's a
faith that abides. There's different levels right. There's a faith that
believes but then there's a faith that sticks around, that's not going anywhere.
There's a faith that that receives but then there's a faith that returns and
comes back and says hold on, I got something here. I'm coming back to this
place again. I'm coming back to this person again. There's faith okay but then
there's faithful. It's different. Faith is beautiful and faith will get you
going but faithful will keep you going right. Faith will get you started but
faithful will allow God to finish the work that he began in you. Faith, faithful
and so what God wants to do is he wants to turn our faith into faithful. He
wants us not to just accept the miracle but to abide in the miraculous presence
of Jesus. Faith...I'll say it this way, faith isn't finished until it's faithful.
He's still working. There's still room for improvement. Faith isn't finished until
it's faithful. I got a, I've told you before about my little dog Max and I'll
just hold it out there. Y'all punch my man card real quick because I have the
girliest dog. It's not my dog, it's my daughter's dog so it's like love me love
my dog kind of thing but I got a I mean Max and I...I'm not I'm not gonna deny him.
He's cute and I, I really like him and at first I didn't just the first three
years (Laughter) but now I'm starting to warm up to him and Max and I like we're besties. I mean I'm just gonna be honest with you max wakes me up in the morning
you know and we we hang out. I'm the first one up and so he's the second one
up so we always hang together and when I see him I don't know why but I get
excited. Anybody have a little dog you know and and I see him coming. He's kind
of sleepy and it's so cute. I'm like hey buddy. Do you have a little dog? Do you
talk to your dog in this voice? I hope I'm not alone. Hey buddy! How you doing? Who's my little man? Who's my little man? And that little nub starts, starts to go back and forth (Laughter) and I know
man it's good morning and it's on and you know what he does? He kind of turns over
and he shows me, he shows me that belly because he wants me to rub it and when I
do that leg starts shaking. He's like love you dad. I love you so
much. Mornings are my favorite. It's just me and him and Max and I...told you to
punch my man card. I'm just saying so III hand-feed max eggs from my own breakfast
like that's how tight we are and for the first year don't don't you feed him at
the table. I don't want that. Now it's a come here buddy.
You wanna be in Daddy's pocket while he preaches? We're buddies. When I leave, by
the time I leave in the morning Max and I are best friends and it's so beautiful.
Now here's what's crazy and it makes me so frustrated because I leave and we're
besties, I come back and it's like Groundhog Day. It's like we never met and
he barks at me. He growls at me. He's even bitten me. I'm like what is happening
right? Like I'm there to rob my own house. It's 50 first dates with my dog okay. (Laughter)
I just...it could be five minutes later I come back through the door. (Growls) I'm
like dude and then I have to have to do the whole process over. Reintroduce
myself. "Buddy...it's me. It's daddy." Give him another treat. Kind of calmed. Okay. Okay.
Okay. I remember you from breakfast right? Guy with the eggs. (Laughter) Okay. Okay. Okay. I'm
like okay how do you not recognize your master right? Is like what are they what
are the responsibilities for a dog? They're pretty low like don't pee on my
stuff and remember who I am. (Laughter) Yeah max. He doesn't get me. I wonder for,
for some of us if that's not maybe how God feels sometimes. You know in our
relationship it's kind of like what's it gonna take
for you to recognize who I am? How much am I gonna have to do before you
remember and you realize oh I'm the master. I'm the one who's done that
before. You're the one that feeds me. You're the one that takes care. You're the
one that's blessed me. Everything I have comes from you. What's it gonna take for
you to not just receive and run but for you to return and abide? Do you not
recognize your master? Like what, how... Jesus says, he says we have a thing man.
My sheep and I. In John chapter 10. "My sheep, they he says they listen to my
voice." They can hear it. They can recognize it. They distinguish it. "I know them and they
follow me." It's like me and my sheep have relationship. It's not just about faith,
it's about faithful. It's not just acknowledging Jesus but it's learning to
abide in Jesus. Faith isn't finished until it's faithful. faith isn't
finished until it's faithful. He who began a good work in you, he's gonna
carry it through to completion because you're not there yet
right. He's got to continue the work. He wants to turn our faith into faithful. He
wants to take us deeper. He wants to give us roots and okay look I got to be the
old guy for a minute is that cool? You guys will let me some of you like you
are the old guy. Girls, I'm the old guy. I get it but some of you now you still
think I'm the young preacher. Right? Anybody? Like anybody here like we got a
young preacher okay. It's fine. It just means you're old and God bless you. (Laughter)
We honor in the Bible, we honor the aged so yeah but I'm at least middle age. I'm
trying to do the math and that's with me living a little longer than most y'all
so anyway (Laughter) but I can be the old guy sometimes because I've been around a
while and so back in my day okay by the way that's how you know you're old. When
your stories start with back in my day. Back in my day church was life. Does
anybody remember? There was no such thing as an uncommitted Christian. If you gave
your life to Jesus you were all in. Church was life. Now ball is life.
Netflix's life. Fortnight is life. In my day church was life. You came to Jesus
and guess what you were all in. You didn't just show up at church. Some
of y'all it was like a big deal like oh I made it.
Made it to what? One service? We used to have to go to church before church. We
called it Sunday school. Pre church. Before you even walk into that building you
better know your Bible. Sword drill. You got to know what you're turning to. You
got to be ready to walk into that church and then if the church had a second
service you were serving in that one and then you stayed for potluck and if you
even made it home in the afternoon you come back for Sunday night church. Who's
with me? Do you remember? (Applause) Come on and then it wasn't just Sunday morning
Sunday school, Sunday night. Wednesday night church. You were right back there
again because they ain't no way you're making it from Sunday to Sunday without
some Jesus. (Laughter) You know what we did on Monday night? We went calling and everybody
signed up for at least five ministries or else here's what would happen. If you
missed one of those things you know what they do? They put you on the prayer list
because they assumed you were dying. (Laughter) Why else wouldn't they show up? Oh brother
so-and-so put him on the list. Must have cancer like back in the day church was
life (Laughter) and so I kind of fast forward because I've been around a while and I'm
like what happened? I was just reading something. This is why it's on my mind is
the average committed Christian, this is somebody who says they are an active
member of a church. That's the box you would check, attends church 1.4 times a
month. That means you go once and leave early another time. Like I'm thinking
what what happened? We used to go like five because don't don't forget
there was revival weeks too about four times a year and you went every night
and now we can't. We were going, we were going one point four times a day and we
can't go one point four times a month and then you start looking at service
and it drops way off about thirty percent and you start looking at groups
and it's like forty percent and you look I don't even want to talk about giving
numbers but here's one thing I've noticed okay prayer list...longer than
it's ever been. People asking God to do something for them. Prayer team smaller
than it's ever been. Think about that. Prayer list longer than it's ever been.
Prayer team smaller than it's ever been. Why? Because we have the faith to receive
from God but we don't have the faithful to return to God. To give back. To come
back and to be the one. There's a difference today and we got to think
about what's going on. Here's what I see in a lot of people is we want the fruit
without the root right. We don't want to send down the roots. We don't want to be
faithful but, but fruit comes from faithfulness. You don't get fruit without
root. It doesn't work and roots, listen roots come from returning over
and over and over. This one leper came back. He was faithful. Jesus praises him
for it but verse 15 he asked the question. He says "Hey, one of them, when he
saw he was healed he came back. He's praising God in a loud voice. He threw
himself at Jesus's feet and he thanked him and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked
'We're not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?'" Ninety percent didn't come
back. There's a stat. What happened to them? Why didn't they come back? We don't
know. Luke doesn't tell us that. Where... they, they got busy I bet. I mean you get
healed and your problems aren't over. Your problems have just begun. Now you
got to figure out how to get a job cuz you were begging cuz you had leprosy. You
don't now. You've still got to get adapted back into society. You got to
figure out if she stayed single and she's waiting for you or if she married
somebody else. Like you got a lot of problems. (Laughter) Maybe they got busy.
Maybe they got I don't know they were afraid of commitment. You know oh I know
this Jesus guy. If I go back and I say thanks he's gonna say you get to be one
of my disciples. I'm gonna have to go preach. I don't like to preach. I'm just
gonna take my blessing and run. We don't know why they didn't come back
we just know one dude did. One dude did come back and he and what Jesus says is
that's what I'm talking about. That's the faith that God is looking for. That's not
just faith, that's faithfulness. Listen all the guy did was come back. It's not a
lot right. All he did was return but Jesus says that's faithfulness. All right
let me just for a second I want to ask does anyone have a hundred dollars that
they would give me? A hundred dollar bill actually crisp and fresh would be
beautiful for...not a lot of hands going up. Okay, yeah if you don't mind.
Thanks let's give it up for this dude. (Applause) There's more than one there but I'll
just take this one. Note to self shoot higher next time. Hey
thanks a lot man. Seriously and by the way I feel like you're getting a deal. (Laughter)
Seriously this is at least a $500 message. (Laughter) 100 bucks...
that's a bargain so thanks dude. Let's hear it for him one more time dude. (Applause)
That's, that's bold. All right seriously appreciate it. (Laughter) So Luke 17 the guy is
clearly different right...(Laughter) yo...can I can I have you back for a second? Oh you want
to know? Oh, oh I see. You're like hold on, hold on Pastor J. Please don't tell me you
just took that man's money? I'm a pastor in its church. Isn't that what y'all say? (Laughter) "All
they wants your money." Well I just got a hundred so. (Laughter) That's bad. Perpetuating the stereotype. (Applause)
No you, some of you are seriously concerned. I see it on your face. We
cannot move forward until we deal with this. No! This is, you can't just take a
man's money and not give it back right? That's savage. I can't believe, he's doing it
all three services. (Laughter) Pastors making bank. Check this out okay like here's
what you don't know that you need to know is before church okay what you
didn't see is that he did not give me $100 he was actually given $100 with the
condition that when I asked for it you you give it back. He accepted the terms.
It was easy so so I once you understand though this brother that he's a good man
but he did not give me $100. He gave me back a hundred dollars. Are you with me
cuz it's a little different isn't it? If I'm just taking people's money right
you're like uh-uh. No. That's not okay but if I'm just
getting mine back now that's different right. Isn't it a whole lot easier to
give something back that was never yours to begin with.
Isn't it a whole lot easier to return something when you know whose it is
and where it came from and what I want you to see is the leper listen
it's easy for him to come back and worship Jesus because he knows where he
was before Jesus. He it's easy for him to offer himself to the Lord because he was
nothing before the Lord and so listen it's the same with us. All God is asking
for from every one of us is simply a return on what he's given us. All he's
asking for is for us to come back to return what he's...think about, I'm talking
about everything God's ever commanded of you. What's the greatest commandment? Love
God right. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and straight so
so we love God. That's the greatest command but check this out why do we
love God? We love him because why? He first loved us. What is it? It's a return.
All God is saying is all I'm asking for I loved you first, just love me back.
Just return. Just come back. Be the leper. Be the one. He says I want you to offer
your body as a living sacrifice. That's a bold call Lord. You're saying
that you don't just want my praise, you want my my whole self. He's like yeah but
but check this out, it's not, it's not that much to ask when you gave me
yourself on the cross. So you gave your life for me. All you're asking is me to
return my life to you. He says I want you to praise me. I want you to worship me.
What is worship? It's simply returning some of the breath
that God put in my lungs in the first place. Just giving a little bit back to
say thank you. He says I want you to serve me. And we
think oh man that's hard and I don't have time and and he stoops down and he
washes the disciples feet and then he throws them the towel and he says I
just did this. You do it. I served first now you go it's your turn.
Take a little bit of the time, take just some of the talents give them back.
Use them for me. Let's think about giving for a minute all right. Money and we
think oh that the Lord just wants something from me. No he's giving
everything for you. He's giving you everything. He so loves you what did he
do? He gave his one and only Son. He's the giver of all good things. Every
good and perfect gift comes from him and so we don't give to God, we return to God.
Those of you who tithe, I practice tithing and we tithe, we more
than tithe but we don't give the tithe. We just return the tithe because we know
that everything we have comes from him and so he says just give me the first
10% back. You just manage the ninety, give me ten back and just as you come
back just remember it's a return on what I've given you but it's all his. The
earth is the Lord's and everything in it. Faithfulness, it's about returning. It's
just about bringing God back what's rightfully his. That's what the leper
does. That's what Jesus praises him for and
that's what God is calling us to do. To be the one. To be the leper. To be the one
who comes back and gives God glory. To be the one that returns, not just
receives from God but returns to God. To be the one that doesn't just have faith
but is faithful. You know some of you I know you hold back from God because
here's what we do sometimes. We associate God with the church and we have these
ideas that the church, they right. There's they. There's the secret group of people,
this conspiracy group behind a curtain somewhere and they just want your money
and they just they're always asking for my time and they and so guess what,
nobody's getting my nobody's getting my time and and so God no. We tell God no
because we're afraid that other people have but I want you to understand
something about God. God will never take something from you that wasn't his to
begin with. He just won't do it. It's called stealing. God doesn't do that. God
will never take something from you that wasn't already his. He's not asking for
something from you, he's given all things for you.
What he's asking for is a return on his investment. Just bring a little bit back
but what he says is hey I've given you all things for your enjoyment. I love
this verse by the way. I used to not understand God like this. I thought he
was more like in control and demanding and I realized no he's given me
everything and he says for my enjoyment. Here's my planet. J, go out there and surf
in my ocean. I love to watch you surf. I worship when I surf. I'm like God I love
you BAM! Ah Jesus! Buckets. Love to surf. He's
surfing my ocean. Climb my mountains. Anybody love to climb mountains? Dude any
time I see a mountain I just want to be on top of it. Can't wait to get it. He's like
climb my mountain. Breathe my air. Enjoy my planet. It's all mine but it's all for
you. I've given it to you and by the way I'm not just giving you life but I'm
giving you blessing and then here's a family that you never saw coming. Here's
a spouse. Here's a friend. Here's a church. Here's forgiveness. Here's some healing.
I'm just gonna throw it in because I love you and God just keeps giving and
giving and what he says is then when I give you just return. When I give you
just give a little bit back and what he wants it's this endless dance of grace
okay. He says just me and you. Let's, I want a relationship. Eye to eye. Just put your
hand right here. That's right Justin. Just take my hand there and what happens is
God gives. I return. You see this dance? It's white I know (Laughter) but, but he initiates, I
respond. He leads, I follow and all the sudden we get a groove going like oh no
Jesus you're giving and I'm returning. Oh and you're leading and I'll follow. Oh
look at us Jesus. Oh and then but I stopped returning and what happens? The
music stops and listen God does not want this party to end. He does not want the
music to stop but when I stopped returning it shuts the music off. What
happened because I'm given and you're not returning and the dance is over
but it's on us. And listen I want to be honest with you about this message
okay. If it's speaking to you praise the Lord but it's really for me. What I'm
sharing with you today is my prayer journal basically from the Lord. I've
been typing notes of things he's been telling me and this one's for me. I'm
kind of ashamed to admit it because I'm your pastor and I'm supposed to be
better than you. Isn't that kind of the rules right? (Laughter) You go to church - okay but you've
been coming more than a week. You know that's not true but I was praying all
right. I say I was praying but really I was "comprayning." (Laughter) You know about "comprayning?" Sometimes
it's like I just want to gripe and so I gripe to God and so I "comprayn" and I,
it's like praying "Dear Lord...blah blah blah blah blah" and I just started dumping on
God. I was "comprayning" and and I I'm gonna be super honest I was in a tough
season. Like these challenges that I have, okay my biggest challenge is trying to
make a big Church feel like a small church. That's my heart and so trying to
make Real Life feel like a family for everybody.
That'll keep you busy and that'll keep you up at night and like Lord why, I
don't want it to feel big. I want it to feel intimate. In our locations a lot of
them do but sometimes at the bigger locations it's tough and so Lord and I
want to help people. You put me here to help people but I can only help so many
and my phones blowing up so much. Sometimes I'm just like I want to throw
it in the lake. I'm over. I can't, can't be there for everybody so guess what? Now I
feel guilty and now I feel unworthy and now I'm really sorry for everybody that
wants my time and I just don't have enough to go around and most of them are
related to me so I'm like alright I'm just exhausted and and I'm overwhelming
I'm "comprayning." I'm just dumping on the Lord and and in the Lord listened for a
little while and and then I felt like he just said that's enough. I'm not even
kidding. Like the Holy Spirit was like okay buddy. Let's knock that off. I'm just like
excuse me? It's like yeah yeah. Cut it. Shut it down. It's just all grumbling. No
gratitude. Not into it. I'm like first of all your God. You have to listen right. (Laughter)
Isn't that kind of the deal? I feel like you're like my counselor and you just
have to sit there for an hour if I'm paying you and he's like you're not
paying me okay. So like but you can't just say knock it off and the Lord just
told me until you're ready to show some gratitude I'm not listening anymore
and I mean you talk about convicted and I thought well as a parent I've done
that before. Alright guys knock it off. If I hear
another word I'm gonna turn that - you know. And the Lord that was what I heard from
the Lord and I I knew it convicted me so much I told Robin. I said baby you're not
gonna believe this but God just told me to shut my yapper until I can start
showing some gratitude. (Laughter) She's like oh I believe it. (Laughter)
She says in fact I'm the one that asked him to tell you. (Laughter) Okay. I want you to know
from that prayer time forward I mean everything has shifted in me. I have
turned my prayer time into praise time and I've been worshipping God. I've been
singing to God. I've been thanking God and showing gratitude. I want to tell you
it's amazing how much I have to be thankful for.
It's a, I could say thank you all day and never get to the please part of my
prayer because God has done so much and here's what's really wild as nothing
really changed around me. The mountain that he moved was inside me. He changed
my heart and showed me, opened my eyes to what he's already done and now here's
what's really crazy...now I'm watching him do those other miracles and answer those
other prayers. That those mountains that weren't moving before, guess what they're
moving now and said because the big one I had to move was in here. Now I can
start to work on the stuff out here. That's the real miracle and guys that's
the leper okay. We're all like the leper. God has done something for all of us. God
has done so much for every one of us but are we coming back? Are we returning? It's
the faith, not just the faith, but the faithfulness to return and give God
glory for what he's already done. Listen, everybody wants to receive from
God but not everybody is returning to God. That's the faith. The truth is this
is true for me, I bet it's true for you, if the Lord never did another thing for
me I'd still own the rest of my life. If he just stopped right now (Applause) some of you're
with me. Like if he just shut down heaven and said you're done dude. You got your
quota.The bank is closed. You will not make any more withdrawals. You can only
make deposits I'd say you know what good for you Lord. Even if you never answered
another prayer I'd still owe you all my praise. If you never gave me another
blessing I would live to give back for what you've already done in Jesus. You
already forgave all my sin. You healed my heart. You brought me into a relationship
with you. You've given me the hope of heaven. You've restored me to a spiritual
family that I love. Lord if you never did another thing for me I'd owe you
everything for what you've given me in Jesus. He's enough. Instead of complaining
I'm coming back and I'm gonna give you some praise. Instead of always requesting
more I'm gonna return back to you and give you glory for what you've done.
God wants to turn our faith into faithfulness. He wants us deeply rooted
and firmly planted in him and so what he's saying to us today is hey just be
the one. Be that dude. Be the one. Nine of them left. Ten of them were healed. One of
them came back. Be the one that comes back. Listen, be the one that keeps coming
back. No matter what happens, well they hurt my feelings and I'm just
not sure I fit there. Keep coming back. That's when you need it the most. Don't,
you don't leave the church okay. You keep coming back to Jesus. Meet him here. Meet
him here. You know what I keep failing and so why
even try because if you confess your sins I'm faithful and just and I'll
forgive your sins and so you fall, you get up. You fall you get up. You keep
coming back. You keep returning because there's more for you. Be the one that
comes back to serve. Lord you healed me here I am. You changed my life so that I
could change lives. I'm here. Use me. Send me. Be the one that doesn't want to
just take the blessing but comes back to be a blessing for the Lord. Be the one
that comes back to say thank you, to worship, to let God know I love you
Lord. If you never did another thing for me I'd still owe you the rest of my life
for Jesus because Lord you came and you you took on flesh, you became one of us
and you went to the cross for me. Those were my nails Jesus.
I owe you everything. That was my debt Jesus. That was my sin that you paid for.
That should have been my blood that was spilled but it was yours.
You know Romans 12:1 it says "Therefore I urge you brothers and sisters in view of
God's mercy"... he's been talking about the cross, "to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices holy and acceptable to God. He says "This is your true and proper
worship." What I want to do now is just give us an opportunity
to be the one. To respond. To return. To come back to Jesus and just say thank
you. I'm one of the ones who have received something from you but I'm
coming back to say thanks. I'm one of the ones that's been changed I'm coming back
to recommit my life. Some of you it's time to just offer your body to the Lord.
To come back and just say I want to be a living sacrifice. I want to be used by
you. You know the leper came back and it says he was shouting praise in a loud
voice. He received something from the Lord and it changed his life. Maybe
somebody here knows what I'm talking about. Maybe somebody here understands
why the leper would fall at Jesus's feet and worship and praise him in a loud
voice. I'm going to ask you to stand with me and you know this is a posture that I
take with the Lord sometimes it's simply when I'm praying is I just hold my hands
out. Just hold them out there as if to say Lord I don't have a lot to give you
but what I have I offer it. I may not be much but I offer my body as a living
sacrifice to you. I'm just holding myself out here for you and if somehow you can
take what I am, who I am and use it for your glory I'm just returning. I'm just
coming back. I'm just saying thanks. I'm just recommitting my life. You healed
me, here I am. I'm right back here again Lord just coming back to this place.
Jesus thank you for what you've done for us. I think we're all in agreement today
that if you never did another thing for us we'd owe you the rest of our lives
for what you've already given us and so we're just holding out our hands in
praise and in thanks. We're returning to you. We're coming back to you. We're
recommitting to you. We want to be the one.
I pray that for each one of us Lord and thank you for being in this room right
now so that we can in a loud voice shout our praise to you Lord for what you've
done. Like the leper so that we can fall at
your feet and worship you for who you are and for what you've done Lord. We
give you all the praise in Jesus name. Thank you for joining us today for Real
Life Online. If you have any questions or are in need of prayer we would love to
connect with you. You can email us at Real.Life/connect and someone will
reach out to you soon. We hope that you have enjoyed our Miracles series and our
prayer is that you will know that with God all things are possible. If you
missed out on a week or would like to re-watch any of our previous messages
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is crazy about you!
