Cleansed but Not Made Whole

Many, and in fact probably most of you, were with us yesterday at Emanuel Faith Church for Joyce's memorial service. Although it was a sorrowful time, it was a blessing to hear from Pastor Pat and many of the family and friends sharing about Joyce's life. Pastor Jeff Jackson brought great insight from the Psalms about the passage that says it is a glorious thing and precious to the Lord; it is the death of His saints. Upon first reading, one might wonder what that is all about, but there was great clarity from the Scriptures. It was a truly blessed time to remember Joyce's life.

Would you join with me now in prayer for Pat and his family, that they may be continually sustained by the Spirit? Let us lift them up to the Lord. We want to thank You for the time we had yesterday. It was great to see so many people gathered together. This truly speaks to the lasting fruit of Joyce's life. We lift our pastor into Your hands and pray that You would continue to uphold him by Your Spirit, Lord, and by Your Word. Strengthen him daily, Lord, even though he will undoubtedly sorrow and continue to miss Joyce's presence throughout the rest of his life.

We do have the knowledge, understanding, and hope that we will see Joyce once again. We will see many of our friends who have gone on before us into glory. We think of Mike Callahan, Angel, and so many others who have preceded us to glory. We look forward to that day when You will call us home, whether individually or corporately. The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." Even so, Lord Jesus, come.

We ask that You would speak to us this morning and give us clarity and insight from Your Word as we get back into Luke chapter 17. We thank You that You have given us Your Holy Spirit to guide us in all truth. We pray, Holy Spirit, that You would do that this morning, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

I'm going to attempt to actually finish the 17th chapter. We are in chapter 17 of Luke, verse 11 this morning. I do not have very high hopes of actually finishing, though. Luke chapter 17, verse 11 reads, "And it came to pass, as He, as Jesus, went to Jerusalem..."

He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. As He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off. They lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy upon us." What a great desire! "Lord, Master, have mercy upon us."

We notice as we get into this passage that Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem. This journey to Jerusalem began eight chapters ago back in chapter 9. As Jesus began to prepare to go to the city of Jerusalem, He set His face towards Jerusalem after a very specific event. There in Luke chapter 9, Jesus was on a mountaintop with Peter, James, and John. You remember the story. Verse 28 states, "It came to pass about eight days after these sayings that Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up into a mountain to pray."

As He prayed, the fashion of His countenance was altered, and His clothing was white and glistening. Behold, there He talked with two men, who were Moses and Elijah. Now, notice this in verse 31 of Luke chapter 9. Moses and Elijah appeared to Him in glory and spoke of His decease, which should soon be accomplished at Jerusalem.

What did Moses and Elijah speak to Jesus about there on the Mount of Transfiguration as Peter, James, and John watched? They spoke to Him about His death, which would soon be accomplished at Jerusalem. Jesus knew very well what was going to take place as He went to Jerusalem. In fact, He informed His disciples of this many times in the Gospels.

You begin to read about it in Matthew chapter 16. There, as Jesus was at Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do men say that I am?" They gave some answers to Him, but Jesus said, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter spoke up and said, "You're the Christ, the Son of the living God." Right after that, Jesus began to tell His disciples that He was going to Jerusalem and that He would be betrayed into the hands of the chief priests, that He would be persecuted and killed.

But He always told them, every single time He spoke of this, "And the third day I will rise again." For some reason, the disciples didn't seem to hear that. When Jesus began to tell His disciples this, Peter, who had just announced, "You're the Christ, the Son of the living God," seemed to miss the significance of what Jesus was saying.

Of the living God, He spoke up, and the Gospel of Mark says He began to remonstrate with Jesus. That means He got in His face and said, "Far be it from You, Lord; this will not happen." It doesn't seem to go together very well: "Far be it from You, Lord. I'm not going to let this happen to You." As Jesus is telling him, "We're going to Jerusalem, and I'm going to be betrayed." In fact, three times in the Gospel of Matthew, He prepares His disciples for this truth, for what was coming. He spoke with Moses and Elijah about His death, which would soon be accomplished at Jerusalem.

A few verses later, in Luke chapter 9, verse 51, it says, "And it came to pass when the time was come that He should be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem." So He sent messengers before His face, and they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for Him. However, the people in that city did not receive Him because His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem. Jesus set His face. In fact, Isaiah's prophetic work talks about God setting His face like flint. He was not going to be deterred; He was not going to be distracted from His mission that He had talked about with Moses and Elijah.

You may remember the story of that Samaritan city because right after that, in Luke chapter 9, a couple of His disciples, the two who had been up on the Mount of Transfiguration with Him—James and John—perhaps thought, "Peter, you're like Moses, but we are like Elijah." So they said, "Lord, should we call down fire on these Samaritans and destroy them because they won't receive You?" There they got the nickname "the sons of thunder" because they were ready to jump out and destroy those people.

But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are." It is interesting that immediately after these two events—Jesus preparing His disciples to go to Jerusalem and after Peter, James, and John see Him transfigured—Peter is cautioned and told, "Get thee behind me, Satan." In some sense, you might think that perhaps Peter had become a little puffed up at seeing the Lord glorified, and James and John as well, because they were ready to call down fire upon that city of the Samaritans. But Jesus says, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are. For the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." Thus began the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem.

His last journey to Jerusalem was significant because it was there, as he had spoken with Moses and Elijah, that he would be crucified. His death would soon be accomplished. Again, in Luke chapter 13, we see that Jesus was set to go to Jerusalem, and he knew very clearly what was going to happen when he got there. Luke 13, verse 22 states that he went through cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

As he went toward Jerusalem, some people came to him and spoke to him, saying, "Listen, if you go to Jerusalem..." In Luke chapter 13, verse 31, the same day, certain Pharisees said to him, "Get thee out and depart from here, for Herod will kill you." They warned him that if he went to Jerusalem, Herod was going to kill him. However, Jesus was not deterred from his mission. He was going to Jerusalem because that was the purpose of his coming—his death that should soon be accomplished there. Moses and Elijah spoke to him about that, illustrating that the law and the prophets of the Old Testament declared that Christ's first coming was centered around his death and suffering. That was what he came to do.

It came to pass, in Luke chapter 17, as Jesus continued his journey toward Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. It is interesting to note that Samaria comes first in the list. If you were a Jew during that time and lived in the region of Galilee, you would typically begin in Galilee and go through Samaria. However, many Jews refused to go through the land of Samaria because they looked down upon the Samaritans. In fact, John chapter 4, verse 9 states that Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. They hated the Samaritans and viewed them as worse than Gentiles because they were considered half-breeds and had mixed up the worship of God.

A real orthodox Jew, a good Jew, would not even go through Samaria. Instead, he would take a huge detour to the east, crossing over the Jordan River from Galilee to Jerusalem, going through the area of Perea. But not Jesus. Jesus went through Samaria. It is noteworthy that the text mentions he traveled in the midst of Samaria and Galilee. From chapter 9 to this point in chapter 17, and on to chapter 19, where we read of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem, it seems that Jesus...

Jesus was moving around between Galilee and Samaria, traveling from village to city to village, preaching the kingdom, teaching, and healing all manner of sicknesses. At this point, continuing on his journey to Jerusalem, he appears to be in Samaria. As he entered into a certain unnamed village, ten lepers met him, standing afar off.

These ten lepers were most likely in a Samaritan village. As Jesus came into that village, they stood at a distance. They were likely not even in the city because they had to stay outside of the village. Lepers were outcasts. To be diagnosed with leprosy during that time was a horrible diagnosis; it meant certain death and, more importantly, exile from the community. Healthy people would have nothing to do with them. If a leper entered a village, he would cover his face and cry out, "Unclean! Unclean!" People would move out of the way, wanting nothing to do with lepers for fear that they too would contract the disease.

In our nation today, we do not deal much with leprosy. In fact, at this point in time, there are only about 5,000 known cases of Hansen's disease in America. However, many other countries in the third world still face significant issues with leprosy. During the time of Christ, lepers were prevalent throughout the region, and there were different leper colonies where they would gather together.

As we continue to read this story in Luke chapter 17, we find that this was a mixed multitude of lepers. Some were Jewish, and some were Samaritans, which is interesting because the Jews hated the Samaritans. It is amazing how tragedy can sometimes, and oftentimes, bring forth unity. A community often only comes together in the face of tragedy. It is a sad fact, but it is true. Here, these people had received that tragic diagnosis: "You have leprosy." Even though some were Jews and some were Samaritans, they still congregated together. As Jesus entered the village, these ten men stood afar off; they could not come near to him.

It is interesting because in the Gospel of Matthew, we see another leper who ran right up to Jesus. In Matthew chapter 8, verse 2, he didn't care that he was a leper. He came right up to Jesus, bowed before Him, and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." Jesus reached out and touched the leper. No doubt, all the Pharisees and people gathered around Him gasped in shock as they saw Him do this. Jesus told him, "I am willing; be thou clean." At that moment, He no longer touched the leper. It wasn't a problem. He reached out, and the man was made whole. He was cleansed at that very moment.

In contrast, the lepers in Luke chapter 17, ten of them, stood afar off. They lifted up their voices and cried, "Jesus, Master, have mercy upon us." This is not merely a want; this is a need for every single one of us. We all need, not just want, the mercy of God. It is imperative that we receive His mercy. Thankfully, the Bible tells us that it is His character to be merciful.

We looked at this recently in Exodus chapter 34. There, God declares His name and defines His character. We read in Exodus 34, verse 6, "The Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed, 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful.'" The very first word that God uses to describe Himself, His nature, who He is, is the word "merciful." The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands. God has mercy for thousands. He is merciful.

In Lamentations chapter 3, Jeremiah says that the mercies of the Lord are new every morning. I am thankful that it is morning somewhere all the time. His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. In the Psalms, we read in Psalm 13, David says in verse 5, "But I have trusted in thy mercy, and my heart shall rejoice in your salvation." I have trusted in Your mercy. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful, holding mercy for thousands. Mercies that are new every morning. Mercies that you and I can trust in. Not just a want, but a need. They called out to Him, "Lord, give us mercy."

And mercy is an outward manifestation of pity. However, this call for mercy assumes that there is a need on the part of the one calling out for it. When a person says, "Lord, have mercy on me," it assumes that they have a need, just as these lepers did, no doubt.

Not only does it assume that the person asking for mercy has a need, but it also assumes that the person they are asking has the ability to fulfill that need. These men, when they said, "Lord, have mercy on us," recognized that they had a need and understood that only Jesus could meet it. I believe we need to come to that realization as well. Every one of us needs to understand that we have a need. A sinner will never repent until they recognize that need.

Once we acknowledge our need, often revealed through the law, there is only one place to go to fill it. Therefore, we must cry out, "Master, have mercy on us." The word "Master" speaks of a chief or a commander. Jesus is the Master and Commander. These men recognized Jesus' authority, understanding that He had the ability and authority to cleanse them. By calling Him Master and Lord, they were submitting themselves to do whatever He commanded.

In verse 14, He instructed them to do something. When He saw them, He said, "Go, show yourselves unto the priests." What was the purpose of this? Luke chapter 14, verse 2, tells us about something called the Law of the Leper. Every leper was to go to the priest, who would document their leprosy and keep a record of who the lepers were. It was the job of the Levites and the priests to do so.

If, by chance, one person was healed of leprosy, they were to return to the priest, who would inspect them and declare, "Yes, this person is clean." In Matthew chapter 8, verse 2, when that leper came to Jesus, bowed before Him, and worshiped Him, he said, "If you're willing, you can make me clean." Jesus touched him and said, "I am willing; be thou cleansed." He then commanded the leper, "See that you tell no one of this. Go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifice of Moses." Jesus instructed that leper to go and let it be known, let it be recognized.

You have been cleansed of your leprosy. Here, these ten lepers came to Jesus and cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us." Jesus said, "Go, show yourself to the priest." He hadn't healed them yet, but He gave them a command. And what did they do? It came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed.

Notice in verse 14 that it says, "When He saw them." Jesus has a way of seeing the things that you and I often pass over. In Matthew chapter 9, verse 36, it says, "But when He saw the multitudes," and the word "saw" there is the very same Greek word used of Him seeing the lepers here in chapter 17 of Luke. When He saw the multitudes, Jesus was moved with compassion for them, for they were as sheep without a shepherd. He saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion.

It's sometimes very easy for you and me to merely glance over things, not really taking recognition of what it is that we see. But this word in the Greek to see here, this verb, speaks of not only glancing at something and seeing it, but it also speaks of observing what you see, taking in the data that you're seeing, and ascertaining what must be done because of what you've seen. Jesus, in Matthew chapter 9, saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion for them. So, He did something very important. In Matthew chapter 10, He gathered His disciples together, divided them up into twos, and sent them out into the multitudes to preach the kingdom and heal the sick.

You see, He saw the multitudes, was moved with compassion for them, and He knew right then what He was going to do. It's amazing to me sometimes how many things we see, that we glance at and just take in, that our minds register. I know you've experienced this as I have. Driving down the street, you're going along, glancing in the mirrors, looking around, and all of a sudden, it just kind of clicks. I just saw a red hat. Then you start to look around. Am I nuts, or did I really see a red hat? There, off on the side, there's a little kid playing with a ball, wearing a red hat. You wonder, how did I see that?

Our minds are constantly taking in data, and we're just glancing over things. But very few times do we stop, observe, and look upon intently, as Jesus did here. We need to take in the data and understand what needs to be done.

Jesus saw in that way, and sometimes we miss it. There's a song by Keith Green that every time I hear it, it just convicts me like nothing else. It's called "A Sleep in the Light." It was written to the church, and the first verse says, "Do you see, do you see all the people sinking down? Don't you care, don't you care, are you going to let them drown? How can you be so numb not to care if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job's done." Later on in the song, it says, "Jesus rose from the dead and you can't even get out of bed."

I mean, it's one of those songs that you listen to and think, why am I listening to this song? It's just painful, but it's true. So often, we look at things and don't really ascertain what needs to be done. We just kind of glance at the news stories or at the person in need. Sometimes we may even think, oh, someone should help that person, and then we just go on our way.

These people cried out to Jesus, "Lord, have mercy on us." He saw them, he beheld them, and he knew what needed to be done. He commanded them to go and show themselves to the priest, and they obeyed. By calling him "Master," they were at the very least telling him, "We're going to obey what you tell us to do." "Master, have mercy on us." "Okay, go show yourself to the priest." As they went, they were cleansed. It was as they obeyed that the cleansing power came upon them.

We see this in other places in the Scriptures as well. Back in 2 Kings chapter 5, there was a man, an Assyrian. He wasn't even a Jew. He came to the prophet of God, Elisha, seeking healing because he too had leprosy. Elisha sent a message to him by his servant to go and dip himself seven times in the Jordan River. When this man received that word from the servant of Elisha, he was angry because Elisha wouldn't even come out and see him. He became even angrier when he thought, "Go dip in your dirty Jordan River? We have nicer rivers in Assyria. Why am I going to do that?"

But as he left, angry, one of his servants said to him, "Hey, perhaps it'll help."

You are dying of leprosy. You might as well just do what the guy told you to do. So he went and dunked himself seven times. When he obeyed, the healing came.

In John chapter 9, Jesus was confronted with a man who was born blind. There, He does a very interesting thing: He makes clay with spit in the dirt and rubs it in the man's eyes. As if to add insult to injury, you might think. The man is already blind, and now Jesus is going to rub dirt in his eyes. But Jesus says to him, "Go and wash in the pool of Siloam." As he does, he is made whole. He can see.

I believe there are people here today in this room who want the mercy of the Lord. You may even think in your heart, "Master, have mercy on me." But by saying "Master," are you willing to do the thing that He says whereby you may receive His mercy? The call of the kingdom is very clear: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

How many people have there been throughout the years who desired the mercy of the Lord but refused to repent, refused to obey, and did not find mercy? So many in Jesus' day—Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes—who wanted the kingdom of God but weren't willing to do what was necessary to receive it. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

These men, filled with sickness and leprosy, a mixed multitude of some Samaritans and some Jews, cried out, "Master, give us mercy." He said, "Go show yourself to the priest." They went, and as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw that he was healed, recognized the very same word that's used of Jesus. Seeing these ten lepers, he saw and recognized that he had been healed and ascertained that something needed to be done. He turned back and, with a loud voice, glorified God. He fell down on his face at the feet of Jesus, giving Him thanks. We note at the end of that verse that he was a Samaritan.

One of the lepers saw that he had been healed. He recognized that God had cleansed him of his leprosy. He took note of it, and at that moment, he turned back around and went back to Jesus.

Glorifying God with a loud voice that everybody would see and hear is often the reaction of a person transformed and changed by God. Jumping, leaping, and praising God, they thank the Lord for the wonderful things He has done. Although there were still nine lepers who continued on their way to Jerusalem, one came back, glorifying God with a loud voice. He fell down on his face at the feet of Jesus, giving Him thanks. He was healed of his leprosy—not merely cleansed, but healed. A physical healing had taken place, but he recognized that something else was different; he had been made whole.

However, he was a Samaritan, and as I've already mentioned in John chapter 4, verse 9, the Samaritans have no dealings with Jews. Yet, in John chapter 4, Jesus did. He was willing to go where the other Jews wouldn't go. Oftentimes, the amazing thing is that when we go where others are not willing to go, we find fruitful ministry. When Jesus went to Samaria in John chapter 4, He found a woman at the well who needed to be made whole. Here, as He traveled once again through Samaria, He found a leper—a Samaritan leper—who not only needed to be cleansed but also needed to be made whole.

There is ministry to be found in unlikely places. There is ministry to be found in unlovely places, from unlovely vessels and unlovely vines. Sometimes, we've got to go in and lift up the leaves to find fruit. God has a work to do, and we go to those places, whether it be our neighbor next door or somewhere else. Maybe we don't even want to go out the door and knock on the neighbor's door to ask them to come to a Bible study. But we go to those places not because we love to go or we love the place we're going, but because we love God.

Some people receive the call to go to China. Others receive the call to go to Belize, as Kelsey, who is here this morning, has received the call to go to Darfur. They go not because they love the place or because that place is awesome, or because they love to leave their friends, but because they love God, and so they go. Jesus would go to these places where others would say, "No, we don't go to Samaria. We have no dealings with Samaritans." There, He would find people who were in need. And you know what? There are people in your sphere of influence.

Maybe they are in places you don't really want to go, right next door. But they need the hand of the Lord to touch them. They need the mercy of God, and you are the instrument through which God will touch them.

Sometimes the mindset of the church is that the pastors are the ones who are to do it. However, God has brought you here so that you might be equipped for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ. This is the purpose of the leadership of the church. Ephesians chapter 4 makes it very clear: the prophet, the apostle, the evangelist, the pastor, and the teacher all have the same job and the same call for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ. Until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, God has called every single one of us in this room to be at work in the field.

Sometimes that field may not be the place we really desire to go, simply because we are fearful or it is outside of our comfort zone. But God has work to be done there. There are people who need the mercy of the Lord in those places, and we are the instrument through which God's mercy will flow to them, if we are willing.

Consider the Samaritan who had been healed. He recognized his healing, and with a loud voice, he glorified God. He fell down at the feet of Jesus, thanking Him and giving Him thanks. As you study through the Old Testament and read through the prophetic books, one of the indictments that God places upon His people, the children of Israel, is their lack of thankfulness. One of the things He judges them for in the books of Jeremiah and Isaiah is that He had given them so many things, yet they were not thankful for those things.

Romans chapter 1 talks about those to whom God has given much, yet they are not thankful. Here was just one of the ten, and perhaps it is even a good indication that only ten percent came to offer thanks to God. He wasn't even one of the Jewish people; he was a Samaritan, but he came and offered thanks to God. Many times we call out to God, asking Him to have mercy on us, to give us this, and to bless us with that.

We think of God sometimes as the in-and-out drive-through. When He does give those things for which we've asked, do we return to Him with thanks? This man had received mercy from the Lord. He recognized who it was that healed him, and he came to Him and worshipped. He bowed at His feet and worshipped.

Notice in verse 17 that Jesus took note of those who did not return. Then Jesus, answering, said, "Were there not ten that were cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that return to give glory to God, save this stranger or this foreigner." Where are the nine? Did not ten call out for mercy, and were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Only one has come to me, and he is a foreigner.

Now, did Jesus ask this question to try and get an answer from the people? No, He asked this question for us to think about it and to consider it. Where were the nine? Well, they were probably still on their way to Jerusalem. No doubt they were thankful that they were cleansed, and they felt that they were doing what God had told them to do: go and offer the sacrifice, go show yourself to the priest. But they did not return to God and worship Him.

One of the interesting things is the great contention between the Jews and the Samaritans regarding the aspect of worship. There was a big question between the Jews and the Samaritans about worship. We see that in John chapter 4 when Jesus comes to the woman at the well. He ministers to her, and when she begins to perceive that He might be a prophet, she starts to think that there is something different about this man. She says to Him, "All right, now listen, I have a question for you. If you're a prophet, answer this for me. You Jews worship in Jerusalem. Us Samaritans worship at this mountain in Samaria. Who's right?"

What did Jesus say? He said, "God is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth." He told that Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4 that God is seeking for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. I have no doubt that these nine lepers who were cleansed would go to the temple in Jerusalem, show themselves to the priests, and offer, maybe for the first time in years, a sacrifice of thanks to the Lord. They would offer the sacrifice that Moses commanded them. But only this leper, the Samaritan leper, offered worship in spirit and in truth.

And what happened? In verse 9, Jesus said to him, "Arise, go your way; your faith has made you whole." There is a difference between being cleansed and being made whole. All ten lepers were cleansed, but only one was made whole, and this wholeness speaks of an inward transformation. He had been made whole, just as the woman who came to Jesus with the issue of blood. She touched the garments of Jesus, saying within herself, "If I but touch the hem of His garment, I will be made whole." This was the ministry of the Messiah when He came.

Back in Matthew chapter 1, verse 21, we read, "And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins." The word "save" there is the same word used to mean "to make whole." He told this leper, who came and bowed and worshipped Him at His feet, "Arise, go your way." He no longer told him to go to Jerusalem and offer a sacrifice. Why? Because the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. God does not desire burnt offerings and sacrifices.

When this man came and offered the sacrifice of praise, spiritual and true worship to God at Jesus' feet, Jesus said, "Go your way; your faith has made you whole." The transformation had taken place. A work had been done in this man that was not merely external.

There are some people who believe in a higher power or follow some form of religion, and it has a way of transforming their outward existence. They offer sacrifices at temples, worship at temples, and go to priests to perform such acts. Their outward existence may look really well-reformed and may appear good to others, but their inward heart is still not whole, just like the Pharisees and the scribes.

I would submit to you that there are thousands upon thousands of churches in the world today that are just like the Jewish temples of old, where men offer spiritual worship of some sort. They offer sacrifices, and their outward appearance looks really good. It's no longer leprous; it's clean and cleansed. However, they do not offer true and spiritual worship.

Only one of the ten did, and only one of the ten was made whole. You can be sitting in this room today, offering some form of worship, sacrifices of praise. Maybe you even gave a tithe this morning, and so you've given an offering, yet it's just an external thing.

There’s a caution to those in Matthew chapter 7, where Jesus says, "Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and done mighty works in your name?'" And he will say, "Depart from me, I never knew you, you who practice lawlessness." You see, there is a possibility of sitting in a church, offering worship and sacrifices, going to the priests, who may declare, "Yes, you're clean," but you're not whole. It’s a danger—a great danger. Why? Because there is a great deception surrounding the kingdom of God.

As we move on now to verse 20 of Luke chapter 17, the Pharisees demanded of Jesus; they didn't simply ask, they demanded of Jesus when the kingdom of God should come. They came to him and said, "Tell us, when will the kingdom of God come?" This was the heartbeat of every Jew. They longed for a physical kingdom. They longed for the Messiah to come to establish God's kingdom on earth, to cast off the oppression of the Romans, and to once again exalt the Jewish people to the height of every mountain.

So they came to him and demanded, "If you're the Messiah, tell us, when shall the kingdom come?" Jesus answered them in verse 20, saying, "The kingdom of God comes not with observation, and neither shall they say, 'Lo here' or 'Lo there,' for behold, the kingdom of God is within you." The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, as Jesus tells these people. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," and those who repented would grab hold of and take hold of the kingdom.

But these Pharisees were again completely focused on the external. It was all about external things to them. When shall the kingdom come? Jesus says, "It's not going to be with observation. You're not going to see it, because the kingdom of God is within." Now, that does not mean that there will never be...

The kingdom of God is established physically, because even in the Lord's Prayer, which we were instructed by Jesus to pray, we say, "Your kingdom come, and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." His kingdom is a spiritual, heavenly kingdom. Jesus tells the Pharisees, "I am not come to establish a kingdom for you." However, it wasn't just the Pharisees; even Jesus' disciples were focused on this physical kingdom. We see this right up until the day that Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts chapter 1. What do they ask Him? "Will you now restore the kingdom unto Israel?" Jesus responds, "It's not for you to know the times or the seasons."

There is a time and a season when God will establish His kingdom once again. However, there is a caution that Jesus gives to His disciples in this passage. In verse 21, He says to the Pharisees, "Neither shall they say, 'Lo here' or 'Lo there,' for behold, the kingdom of God is within you." He then turns to His disciples and says, "The days will come when you shall desire to see the days of the Son of Man, and you shall not see it."

He warns His disciples that there is a day coming, hard days, when they will desire to see the kingdom of God and Jesus present with them once again, but it will not come. Since Jesus' ascension into heaven, Christians throughout the ages have hoped for and longed for the time when Jesus is here presently, bodily with us. There are difficult days that come when we desire to see the Son of Man, but we are told that we shall not see Him.

In verse 23, Jesus cautions them, saying, "See here or see there." He advises, "Go not after them, do not follow them." Why? Because in a corresponding passage in Matthew chapter 24, we read that there will be a great deception in the last days. Paul discusses this in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 as well, noting that many in those days will be deceived. In Matthew chapter 24, Jesus says to His disciples in verse 4, "Take heed that no man deceive you." Notice that He is speaking to His disciples: "Take heed, beware, church, that nobody deceive you, for many shall come in My name saying, 'I am the Christ,' and shall deceive many."

Take heed that you're not deceived. Again, down in verse 23 of Matthew chapter 24, Jesus says, "Then, if any man shall say unto you, 'Lo, here is the Christ,' or 'there,' believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if possible, they shall deceive even the very elect. But behold, I have told you beforehand."

So when they say unto you, "Behold, he is in the desert," do not go forth. "Behold, he is in the secret chambers," believe it not. There have been those over the years who have claimed that Jesus has come secretly. In fact, the Jehovah's Witness Church says that Jesus came back secretly and is ruling His kingdom from New York, specifically from Brooklyn, since 1914. But Jesus says, "Don't listen to them. Don't be deceived, church." Many have been deceived by these false prophets that have arisen.

Brigham Young, in the later part of the 1800s, when he left Missouri to bring the Latter-day Saints to the great Salt Lake Valley, said that they were going to establish God's kingdom here on earth. They believe that they have done so. But God says, "No, don't listen to them." Deceivers will come, and if possible, even the very elect will be deceived if they cling to these false teachings.

The Pharisees were asking, "Show us the kingdom of God. When is it going to come?" Jesus replied, "It's not going to come with observation." He then turned to His disciples and said, "Listen, don't be deceived." The scriptures make it very clear when this kingdom will come. Prophetic passages in the Bible clarify this: Matthew chapter 24, Revelation chapter 19, Luke chapter 17, and the passages we are looking at today, including 1 and 2 Thessalonians, all speak very clearly about what is going to happen prior to the coming of His kingdom.

We should not be deceived because we have the scriptures, the more sure word of prophecy. The Pharisees wanted to know, and Jesus said to His disciples, "The days will come that you desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you shall not see it." And if they say unto you, "See here" or "See there," do not follow them.

For as the lightning that lights across one part of heaven and shines unto the other part under heaven, so shall the Son of Man be in His day. Jesus says that His coming is not going to be a secret coming. It's going to be just like a bolt of lightning striking from one end of the sky to the other, and all eyes will see it. It won't be a secret.

In Revelation chapter 1, we read in verse 7 that when He comes, every eye shall see. Every eye is going to see. It's going to be like lightning striking from one side of heaven to the other. But He tells His disciples in verse 25, "But first must He suffer many things and be rejected of this generation." You see, there are two comings of Christ spoken of in the prophetic passages of the Bible. There is a day when He shall come, and every eye will see, and lightning will strike from one end of the sky to the other. People shall know that the kingdom of God is at hand. It's coming.

He shall return in the clouds, just as the angels told the disciples who were standing and watching Jesus ascend to heaven in Acts chapter 1. He shall return in like manner. Jude tells us that He is coming with ten thousands of His saints. Revelation chapter 19 tells us that we will be coming with Him on horses.

However, when He comes, it's not a pretty sight for those who do not know or follow Him. In fact, every single time that you read of the day of the Lord in the Bible, it speaks of judgment, vengeance, darkness, desolation, and destruction.

Jesus uses two Old Testament passages here to illustrate what He is talking about. After He says that first the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected of this generation, He says, "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man." They did eat and drink, they married wives, and they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

What's the purpose of saying this? Likewise, in verse 28, He continues, "Also as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat and they drank, they bought and they sold, they planted and they built. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all." Even thus shall it be when the day of the Son of Man is revealed.

He gives two Old Testament passages to illustrate His coming. His coming, although His people are saved from the midst of the wrath that is to come, is similar to the experiences of Noah and Lot. The rest of them noticed what happened. The flood came and destroyed them all, and fire rained down, brimstone rained down from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah.

On that day, He says, "He that shall be upon the housetop, His stuff in the house, let him not come down and take it away. And he that is in the field, let him likewise not return." When that day comes, don't hang around, is what Jesus says. Don't be caught trying to find your nicest shirt or going down to get it out of the house. No, He says, just flee to those who are alive and remain at that point in time. He says to get out of there.

One of the interesting verses is Luke 17:32: "Remember Lot's wife." Now, that's a short verse; we can all memorize it today. Everybody say it with me: "Remember Lot's wife." See, you've memorized a verse. This is one of those little gems of Scripture that hopefully should cause you to go back and ask, "What's that whole thing about Lot's wife?"

In Genesis chapter 19, God pours out fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah, but first, He removes righteous Lot out of the city. He takes Lot with his two daughters and his wife as they flee. However, it says in Genesis 19:17 that Lot's wife, as they went, turned back and beheld the city, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.

Sometimes people read that and think it's horrible. It's not that she just looked back casually; the word for "look back" in the original Hebrew speaks about longing for and even turning back. When judgment was falling on Sodom and Gomorrah, she looked upon her old house and thought about all the beautiful drapes and everything else. She was longing for it, watching it go up in smoke, and it says that she was turned into a pillar of salt.

Did you know that in the Dead Sea region, where it is believed that Sodom and Gomorrah once were, there are pillars of salt? The Jews actually have one that they've named Lot's wife.

Whether it is or whether it isn't, we don't know. Maybe we could do some DNA testing or something to find out, but whatever the case is, Jesus says, "Remember Lot's wife," for she desired the things of this world. She didn't want to let it go. Jesus gives us some teaching from that.

In verse 33, He says, "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." The person who wants to hold on to this life, the things of this life, the things of this world, is told that they will lose it. Jesus would say in another Gospel, "Whosoever loses his life for my sake shall find it."

He continues, "I tell you, in that night there shall be two in bed; one shall be taken and the other shall be left." It appears that Jesus now speaks about this event called the Rapture. In that night, there shall be two in bed; one shall be taken and the other left. There will be two grinding together at the mill; one shall be taken and the other left. There will be two in the field; one shall be taken and the other left.

At that very same time, around the end of days when the Lord begins to come back, in the same way that He took Lot out of the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, and in the same way that He kept Noah through the deluge, God will come and take His elect. One shall be taken, and the other left.

His disciples answered and said to Him in verse 37, "Where, Lord?" He said unto them, "Wheresoever the body is, there the eagles, or the birds, will be gathered together." This is one of those verses that oftentimes people look at and say, "What is He talking about there?" They ask Him a question: "Where or when, Lord?" In Matthew chapter 24, this same question is offered, and Jesus gives the same answer: "Where the body is, there the birds will be gathered together."

Of course, in our minds, we definitely get the picture of these scavenger birds coming wherever the body is. This was a common proverb during the day, meaning that the thing would happen when the necessary conditions are fulfilled. The event will occur when the necessary conditions are met, just as the birds come when there's a dead carcass on the ground.

The same thing is going to happen: the Lord is going to come when all the necessary conditions are in place. When everything is set, He will take His church away and pour out His wrath upon a Christ-rejecting and sinful world.

There is an interesting, correlating passage in the book of Revelation to what Jesus says here. In Revelation chapter 19, at the end, when judgment, fury, and wrath are poured out on mankind, we read in Revelation chapter 19, verse 17, where John says, "And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, 'Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.'" If you read on in Revelation chapter 19, you will find that the angel is calling all the birds of the air to come to the valley of Megiddo to eat the flesh of those who are destroyed by the Lord when He returns.

If you ever listen to Chuck Missler's radio broadcast, one of the things he always says is that we are entering into a time in history that the Bible speaks of more than any other time. The end of days, the return of the Lord, and the Lord is setting things in order. The necessary conditions are being strategically set, and the Lord will return. He will establish His kingdom once again.

However, those who are merely externally changed, like the Pharisees or the nine lepers in our story, will face judgment. The Scripture makes it very clear that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Let's stand and pray together. Lord, Your word is truth, and I pray that You would sanctify us fully by Your truth, the truth of Your word. I know that in this gathering, in a group this large, there are some this morning who perhaps only have this external cleansing but have not been made whole. Jesus, You came to seek and save that which is lost, and You came to save Your people from their sins.

Not just cleanse us on the outside to make us more socially acceptable or easier to get along with, but, Lord, you want to transform us from the inside out so that we would have your righteousness. Jesus, you who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might be the righteousness of God as we are in Christ.

I pray that by your Spirit now, you would speak to the hearts this morning of those in our presence who perhaps haven't come and worshipped you and been made whole. I pray that you would speak to them now, and that they would return to you to praise you in spirit and in truth, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.