God owes us nothing, but gives us everything! Luke 17:7-19.

many years ago when I could still be

counted as a youth um I was part of a

youth group and our youth group used to

go out and occasionally do evangelism in

the local Town Center we had what was

known as um the good news bus back in

those days and we used to take it out

park it in the middle of a shopping

center and uh we would then go out as

young people and try and tell people

about Jesus it was a bit scary but

that's what we used to do on one

occasion I came across

an angry young

woman uh she had she was she had had a

really bad sad experience in her life

and she blamed God for that I don't

think I handled the conversation very

well I was very

immature don't know really how well I

would handle it now but she felt very

strongly that

God in whom she didn't believe

who she had never acknowledged who she

had rejected she felt that this God owed

her

something she felt God owed her a good

life that things should go her way that

that was her right that things should

just go my way and when it didn't go her

way she felt

cheated angry at this God that she

didn't really believe

in but it's not just unbelievers who

feel that God owes them something

because Believers perhaps in naturual

fact especially Believers can feel as

though God owes us

something it's easy to lose sight of the

fact that everything that we have is

from God the fact that we're alive the

fact we've got a brain the fact that we

have a body and that we can enjoy

anything that is an act of Grace God has

given us everything that we have so in

actual fact God doesn't owe us anything

he's already given us everything that we

have so why do I say that perhaps

especially Believers can fall into the

misapprehension that God owes

me perhaps because like the Jews back

then Believers will often be involved in

some way in serving

God as we should do and although our

theology tells us otherwise somehow we

can start to think that all that I do

for

God that should count for something

shouldn't it you know he owes me in some

way I've been going to church for all

these years surely God owes me something

for

that after all I've done for God how

could he let

this happen to

me don't we find ourselves feeling like

that

sometimes but but an entitled

attitude is a gratitude

killer it's a discontentment grower it

will act as a bung in our hearts

stopping the free flowing grateful

praise that should be due to God so we

only have two points this morning let's

look at how Jesus instructs the

disciples in these things and we'll look

at that in our first point unworthy

servants so Jesus Takes an example from

everyday life uh well it was everyday

life back then it's not for us and but

but back then everyone would understand

the situation so in verses 7 to1 Jesus

speaks about the expectations between a

master and a servant so after a day's

work would the servant expect the master

to feed him and and let him sit down put

his feet up and eat before the master

well culturally the answer was no way it

was obvious no that wouldn't be the

thing the servant wouldn't be able to

have a a time to relax he would then be

about to prepare for his master's food

to to us that seems pretty tough but

that's just the way things are and

that's the picture Jesus is picking up

on so Jesus ask asks the rhetorical

question will the master thank the

servant just because he's done his duty

his job and again for all those

listening the the answer would have been

obvious no he's just done his job and

then Jesus applies that to the disciples

and therefore to us too verse 10 so you

also when you have done all that you

were commanded say we are unworthy

servants we have only done what was our

duty so why is Jesus saying

this well perhaps the context will help

a little bit remember last week we uh

looked at verses 1-6 and we learned that

we should be careful not to cause others

to sin we should rebuke our brothers and

sisters if they do sin and thirdly uh we

can we should be forgiving them

repeatedly if they repent and ask for

our

forgiveness and as we were thinking

about that in the home groups as well we

realized hey this is pretty tough to do

that to forgive someone and to forgive

someone that is really tough stuff and

yet we realize with God's help all

things are

possible so we might think well if we do

those things does that sort of earn us

some sort of favor

you know you want to know how many times

I've forgiven that

person or you know you should have seen

me last week I I rebuked that brother I

who I showed him you know and we might

think well that that should ear me some

sort of favor with God like I'm mean

God's good books because I've just done

what I was meant

to but Jesus is telling us no it might

be hard but you're just doing your duty

you're just doing what you're meant to

do this is what disciples are meant to

do when we obey Jesus we should you

shouldn't be waiting for a little

Heavenly clap to come our way like oh

well

done as if Matt's avoided sinning for a

whole two minutes but that's another

browny point to my

account or maybe you've been serving the

lord for many

years and before you know it we we start

to think well that's got have got me

into God's good books isn't it you know

he owes me he owes me something for for

all the things that I've been doing you

know we are tempted to think think like

this we might think well no I know

that's wrong but yet subconsciously we

can start to think like this can't we

after all I've done for God it's like

the U parable of the the lost son the

older son after all these years I've

been slaving for you father you owe

me we start to think well God should

just give me that parking space you

should uh protect me from from illness

and excuse me from the common woes of

man because we've done all this stuff

we've tried to do our best and so he

kind of owes me some special

treatment thinking like that it's a bit

like if you manage to go a whole week

without breaking the law in some way I I

hope we do go weeks and months and years

without breaking the law I'm hoping no

one's stolen anything or anything but

but maybe you go a whole week without

speeding no illegal parking on the

yellow lines no road rage would you

seriously expect to have the police come

around to your house knocking in your

door and saying well we just noticed

you've been very good this week you

haven't broken any laws so we want to

give you this medal of well done for not

breaking the law yeah no of course not

cuz you're just meant to keep the law

anyway aren't

you but we can kind of had this attitude

towards God but I've been a good boy

it's like almost like I I'll scratch

your back God you scratch

mine and the trouble with that is when

God doesn't repay Us in the way we think

we're entitled to be repaid instead of

instead we Face difficulties and trials

in a hard life that leads to

disappointment to confusion to doubt to

bitterness against God why hasn't he

given me this special treatment that I

thought I

deserved it's not

fair but Jesus is pointing out the hard

truth when we obey God we're only doing

what we're meant to be doing this is

just the right attitude towards God

we're doing our duty he doesn't actually

owe us

anything after all we belong to him we

live in his planet in his Universe

enjoying his

creation what makes us think that God

owes us

anything Jesus tells us what our

attitude should be humbly accepting that

God is

God that is our duty to listen to him to

obey him to serve him this isn't

exceptional behavior when we are obeying

God this is the behavior that is right

for servants before their

master so Jesus reminds us God owes us

nothing

except that's not quite right is it

actually he does owe us something

really it's not a reward for doing what

we're meant to be

doing what God owes us is punishment for

the 100 one times we haven't done what

we

should for the many times we have sinned

for the times we deliberately ignore him

for the times we don't love him and put

him first for the times we deliberately

turn our back on what he says and go in

the opposite direction what we

deserve is

hell not heaven

and yet God in his Mercy doesn't give us

what we deserve he lavishes his grace

upon

us we may not deserve anything good from

him but he does give us what we don't

deserve he gives us every good thing

that we have anyway but he gives us even

more than that some of you you probably

won't because it was ages ago since we

look at it but back in chapter 12 in

vers 35 and the following verses there

again we we see a tale between a

servants and a

master and Jesus pictures what he will

do for his servants who've been faithful

who waiting for his return those who

have been Faithfully waiting and the

roles are completely and unexpectedly

changed in in that that Parable Jesus

said the

master will serve his servants the

servants will be the one that are ones

that are put at the table reclining at

the table and the master will get ready

to serve them

this is awesome this is the lavish grace

of God which shines all the brighter

when we realize contrast it to this

Parable that shows us you're not worthy

you don't expect to be served you are

the servants and God is God and then

previously in chapter 12 uh Jesus is

saying but wait a minute because you

don't deserve it but this is what I'm

going to do for you I'm going to sit you

down at the table I'm going to get ready

and I'm going to serve you that should

make us go wow

wow if Jesus hadn't said it none of us

would dare to

say God would be serving

us it's

shocking to sum up this point God owes

us

nothing except for punishment for our

unfaithfulness but for those who are

trusting in Jesus he gives us what we

don't deserve he gives us his warm

welcome a place at the king's table

table and when you take your seat I'm

sure we will be uttering these words but

I'm not worthy I'm not I'm not worthy to

be here I'm just I'm I'm a saved sinner

I should be let me serve you Lord and

say sit down I'm going to serve

you we'll be amazed at his grace and

kindness he gives us everything that we

have he gives us his son and he still

plans to give us yet

more now when we realize

that I don't deserve all

this when we grasp how amazing his grace

in his love

is there should be a

response this is what Luke goes on to

show us next God owes us nothing but he

given us

everything so what should our response

be well we'll look at that in our final

Point unworthy uh

lepers so Jesus is on his way to

Jerusalem and he's going between or

along the border between Samaria and

Galilee so what's the significance of

that well that was no man's land that's

where the outcasts would go the Sinners

would go it's where you go when you want

to lay low it's where the lepers would

live sure enough as Jesus is heading

into the village 10 men who have leprosy

they meet him and these 10 lepers as

they call out in a loud voice verse 13

Jesus Master have mercy on

us so they know of him they know of his

reputation they realize here is a man

who can help

us why is there predicament so grave

well back then

leprosy the term covers a lot of skin

conditions uh in the old test in the in

the Bible but leprosy uh meant that you

could no longer live in the community

Community you had to leave and it makes

sense otherwise you would infect the

whole Community it's like we did with Co

you had to isolate because you don't

want to pass it on so we've been doing

this for years and years and years just

makes sense you don't want to spread it

to other people so they have would have

to leave that meant you had to leave and

you couldn't go back you couldn't see

your family you could see them from afar

but you couldn't see your friends you

couldn't see your children you could

never give them a hug you couldn't work

you couldn't go to the wor uh the temple

to worship either you were cut off from

everything because as well as being

physically contagious according to

Leviticus 13 you were un ceremonially

unclean you're ceremonially unclean so

you had to live away from others away

from everyone else except for those who

were also

outcasts and when someone came near you

you had to warn them unclean unclean

stay

away so this disease it brought life

to an end as you knew it that was it

once you had that that was it for

you and this seems

symbolic of our

sin there many similar things to it so

as leprosy

damages us so sin damages us sin has the

potential to spread and affect others as

leprosy does sin Cuts us off from other

people it because it ruins our

relationships it ruins us it ruins our

relationship with God it cuts us off

from God because we are unclean we're

not

holy leprosy affects the person's whole

life likewise sin affects a person's

whole

life do you know you even as a sinner we

can do some good things but everything

we do is still tainted by

sin even our best moments are

contaminated by sin sin were unclean the

lepers they couldn't cleanse themselves

Sinners we can't cleanse

ourselves so what do we Sinners need

alongside as those with Leprosy we

need

Mercy don't we we need

Mercy talking of Mercy it's interesting

to note these lepers they don't shout

out the normal unclean warning to Jesus

rather they cry for mercy or

pity now Jesus didn't owe them anything

he could have looked the other way and

just carried on he had no obligation to

help

them he could have just ignored them and

thought I'm I'm too busy I'm too tired

but he doesn't he hears they cries and

he helps you that's what God does to

Sinners who cry out for

Mercy he hears our cries and he helps

he tells them what to do in verse 14 Go

and show yourselves to the priests you

see it was the priest's job to declare

if someone was clean or unclean it's a

bit like if you and me were ill uh we

would go to the doctors and say well am

I better or you taking covid test or

whatever it is and say like that there

we go I'm now clean I'm clear I can go

back into the

community so Jesus says go to the

priests you know show yourselves to them

interestingly Jesus doesn't heal them

right on the

spot it's interesting isn't it it's only

as they go as they obey they go in faith

and they obey him that they are healed

and so it's there's some way off by the

time that they look down and notice wait

a minute I'm I'm clean the leprosy is

gone I'm clean I'm better can you

imagine that I suppose they could hardly

wait to get to the priests and be

reunited with their families to hug

their children children again this was a

big deal wasn't it this was

massive Jesus had given them back their

life leprosy cut them off from

everything it led to disfigurement

ultimately it led to death Jesus has

given them back their lives this is a

fresh style they are cleansed they are

free to live I don't think we can really

comprehend the enormity of

this it is perhaps like if if if you

knew you were dying of

cancer and then something happens and

they say you've got the all clear you

are completely free it' be like that's

amazing their miserable death sentence

has been lifted can you imagine how they

felt as they heard the priest say you

are clean you can go home now how

amazing would that be the joy the

Delight the happiness that they would

have

felt and this is what Jesus has done for

all of us who have been infected with

sin whove been cut off from God for

those who call upon his name asking for

Mercy he saves us from where we are

heading this eternal death he cleanses

us he gives us new life a life that

knows peace with God a life that is

reconciled with with our heavenly father

and we're now on our journey uh to our

Heavenly home to to a wonderful welcome

a place of Joy a place of Life a place

of Peace of fulfillment of

contentment if we really grasped what

Jesus has done for

us that we now have this glorious future

to live for that should fill us with joy

it it should fill us with great joy

gratitude and thanks shouldn't it it

certainly did with a leper who returned

to Jesus look at verse

15 he gets his priorities right I'm sure

he wanted to go and see the priest but

there's somewhere else he needs to see

first that the priest can wait the

family can wait right now he has to go

back to Jesus and his heart is

bursting did did you see what he says

praising God under under his breath did

you see that did you read that praising

God under his I didn't read that either

that that that's not what happens in

verse 15 praising God in a loud voice

a loud voice do you

see did you know the Bible is full of

loud

worship it's not for the sake of being

loud it's just because such

Mercy such

Grace it calls for an

exclamation with a lot of exclamation

marks after it so Psalm 81

verse1 sing for joy to God our strength

shout aloud to the god of

Jacob wonder if you've ever done that

it's funny things is we don't really do

it in this culture do it but shout

aloud Psalm uh 95 vers 1 and two come

let us sing for Joy to the Lord let us

shout aloud to the rock of our Salvation

let us come before him with Thanksgiving

and extol him with music and

song Psalm

Psalms 98:4

98:4 here read is again Shout for Joy To

The Lord all the Earth burst into

jubilant song and

music there's nothing half-hearted about

that kind of Praise Is there sort of

looking down into your

boots Psalm 66 shout for joy to God all

the Earth sing the glory of his name

make his praise glorious make his praise

glorious that's how we should be coming

together I want to make his praise

glorious Lord work in me so I can sing

and Shout with real

Joy isn't that the fitting response to

who God is isn't that the fitting

response to what God has done for us

make his praise glorious his praise is

glorious in heaven Revelation 19 verse1

after this I heard what sounded like the

Roar of a great multitude in heaven

shouting Hallelujah Salvation and Glory

and power belong to

God the P Bible is full of exuberant and

Loud praise there's also time for quiet

Stillness that's that's proper and right

but there is a time to shout and to sing

with great joy too that's what this man

does he Praises God in a mega voice

that's what the Greek says phonos

megalos that's Mega megaphone big voice

big loud voice it's saying

that's that's natural when we're

Overjoyed we get excited don't we I

remember U when I was taking my Bible

degree many years ago I wasn't sure

whether ID passed I've been studying for

three years my church had been paying

for me to study I thought the weight of

this if I don't pass it's going to be

really embarrassing and awkward and

everything else so when I got my U

degree results through the post with

slightly trembly s of hands I sort of

opened them pulled out the certificate

and looked and I had passed I'd done

quite well I was so excited I literally

went yes and I threw my hands in the air

and my wedding ring flew off my finger I

I it did wasn't so heavy back then and

it just flew off my finger and I had to

go and find it I was so excited it was

just this natural like oh spontaneous

joy and how much more joyful should we

be and we realize what Jesus has done

for us one of the songs we're going to

sing in a bit it picks up on this it

goes this is the art of Celebration so

this is how you celebrate people and

then it explains how you do it it says

knowing we're free from

condemnation so you can celebrate when

you know I'm free from condemnation I am

forgiven and then it goes on and says oh

praise the one praise the one who made

an end of all my sin that is how you

celebrate that is what should bring joy

into your heart because I know he saved

me that's the right response to what God

has done for us

maybe you don't feel like that right

now maybe you did once maybe you don't

feel like that

anymore it's doubtful that that man

spent the rest of his days Days praising

God in a loud voice

24/7 and that happens doesn't it we we

kind of get used to Grace we get used to

to love and and everything the gospel it

just gets a bit sey and it doesn't

thrill Us in the in the same

way we get used that we lose the shock

of Grace we forget that we are those

unworthy servants and so our praise can

die down to a mere flicker or formality

and Jesus knows that that's why he's

given us the Lord's supper we're not

celebrating it today it would have been

a good one but but it gives us the

Lord's supper and we come and we think

about the Lord and we say this is this

is what he's done for us this is what it

means and that should stimulate praise

in us this is also why we come together

as a church because we need each other

to encourage one another um this is what

we're meant to do we are me me to

provoke one another to worship to praise

those verses we started our um service

with Colossians chapter three I'll read

them again for us Let the Peace of

Christ rule in your hearts since as

members of one body you were called to

peace and be thankful he says do you see

that be thankful let the message of

Christ dwell among you richly as you

teach and admonish one another with all

wisdom through psalms and hymns and

songs from the spirit singing to God

with what in your heart gratitude in

your heart and whatever you do whether

in word or deed do it all in the name

name of the Lord Jesus Christ giving

thanks to God the Father through him do

you see how he's just giving thanks

gratitude giving thanks all the way

through that passage this is the right

response to what God has done for us in

Jesus to be thankful to respond in in

song and worship and and and with with

gratitude this is what we're to do to

each other say brother sister let me

encourage you let's let's think about

how how can we provoke each other stir

each other up to praise the

Lord so that we are the sort of people

who are in the right place to throw

ourselves down at the feet of Jesus and

worship back to Luke because there is a

surprise here a shocking surprise in

their excitement the nine out of

10 nine out of 10 don't return to Jesus

to give thanks they've got what they

wanted whatever ever it was they they've

got it and now Jesus has forgotten about

I wonder if that's a bit like us

sometimes we're quick to ask Lord bless

me help me save me help me in this

situation we can be so quick to forget

to come back to the Lord can't we so

what happened to the nine where they

were healed physically but they just

returned to their normal life again and

that's it and I'm sure many years later

they just look back on this with well

that was nice of that chat Jesus yeah

thankful but they didn't go back to him

this Samaritan however will never be the

same again you see his heart was melted

by

Grace he was the despised Outsider The

Foreigner the Samaritan he knew that out

of all of them he didn't

deserve this healing he knew he couldn't

help himself and so he knows what he

must do he knows what he wants to do

it's not just I'm going to try and Obey

Jesus and be a good know man I mean

that's our duty anyway it's not even I'm

just going to be thankful to God from

afar and just sort of actually he he

wants to go and be right there with

Jesus to acknowledge Jesus to bow in

worship personally before Jesus and

that's what he does and so Jesus says in

verse 19 rise and go your way your faith

has made you well and we might think why

does Jesus say your faith has made you

well well he's already well so what is

this what is this Wellness that Jesus is

is talking about well the word for for

well can also be translated as saved

your faith has saved

you his faith in Jesus has saved him

he's not only

healed physically he is healed

spiritually and now he's in a right

relationship with the Lord Jesus a

relationship where he's bowing before

the Lord in adoration and

worship I wonder if you've ever thrown

yourself at the feet of Jesus like this

man do you see his face is on the floor

is before Jesus I wonder if you've ever

done

that maybe just in your heart maybe

physically but I wonder if you've ever

come to that point where you've bowed

before the

Lord we started by reminding ourselves

that God owes us

nothing we don't deserve his Mercy we

don't deserve this great blessing the

Samaritan knew that he was was an

outsider he understood he didn't deserve

Jesus's mercy and so when he receives it

he's overcome with thankfulness and

gratitude so as we draw to a close let's

let's just look back review where we've

come from Luke reminds us where Jesus is

is is heading

um he's heading to

Jerusalem that's where Jesus has been

heading ever since Luke chapter 9 Jesus

Luke 9 · chapter mention

has been heading resolutely to to

Jerusalem where he would die and where

he would die in our place so that all

who come to Jesus all who throw

themselves down in faith before Jesus

can have our sin our leprosy of the Soul

our uncleanliness taken

away Jesus is going to the Cross to

bring us back from being outcasts to

give us this new start this peace with

God this this

cleansing he's not doing this because he

he owed us anything because he had too

he's doing this because of

Mercy he looks at us and has Mercy on us

so let me ask you again I wonder if

you've ever found yourself at the foot

of Jesus At The

Cross That's Where Mercy is that's where

life

begins if you've lost your gratitude and

your praise then perhaps you need to

come back to the foot of the cross

behold your savior and remember His

Mercy to you