Grateful for Mercy

Luke 17:11-19

A.W Tozer popularly said, “What comes into your mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you.”

• Tozer is speaking of our understanding of God and how we respond in true worship.
• Today I’m less focused on our mind’s understanding of God and more focused on our heart's affection for God.

I'm convinced we are most alive, most joyful, most how we were intended to be when our heart is filled with Gratitude and Love for God.

• We were designed to worship God
• We were commanded to love God 
• From an unlikely source today we see the proper response to God’s  mercy

Main Point: Praise and Faith is our response to the mercy of God.

1. The Mercy of Jesus (11-14).
2. Specifically toward Outcasts
3. Outcasts in Luke
4. Why is Jesus highlighting his mercy to the outcast?
5. When Jesus is merciful to outcasts its evident no merit could earn his mercy.
6. Ephesians 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.
7. We have no right to mercy.
8. Our mercies don’t only include what Christ has done but what they will do.
9. Jesus showed mercy. Their Healing- “And as they went they were cleansed” (14). 
10. Could you imagine the scene.
11. They would show themselves to the priest 
12. Worship for the Christian start with a recognition of the power and character of God.
13. He possesses the power to heal - and the character to want to.
14. If we are going to offer God the praise he deserves we must begin by recognizing his power and character.
15. The Response of Praise (15-16).
16. 9 overcome by eagerness keep running but 1 turns back.
17. He did 3 things
18. “praising God with a loud voice; “
19. “and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet,” 
20. “giving him thanks.”
21. The praise came from the one who grasped there desperate state the most.
22. The Samaritan turned around. (Why the Samaritan?)
23. Last week we talked about an unworthy servant simply doing his duty.
24. The Reward of Faith (17-19).
25. Jesus gives 3 rhetorical questions (17-18).
26. “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
27. The Samaritan recognized Christ as the Lord and Savior.
28. This picture of faith connects back to verse 5
29. Worship for us begins in this same place. 

Conclusions

1. We are the lepers.
2. God is Rich in mercy.
3. Those who recognize and receive his mercy respond in praise and faith.
4. When you’ve experienced the mercy of Christ you know he can be trusted.
5. We don't just praise God with our voice we praise him when we live our lives in submission to him.