Where Are The Nine — Keith Malcomson

Where Are the Nine? — A Call to Remember God's Work

In this hour that the Lord has really done so much in our hearts, in our lives, in gathering us as the people of God. And we're making our way into a brand new year to seek to glorify Him in all that we do.

Saints, it is a wonderful thing to know Christ in this hour. This is the crisis hour of all generations. Do you realize the Bible says more about the hour that we are just about to enter into than any other hour in history?

So saints, I pray that we're gripped here this morning with the reality of the times and the hour that we live in. Praise God. I'm going to bring you to a special message here this morning in this meeting to Luke chapter 17.

Remembering Christ's Work in the Church

And I want you to turn there with me this morning. I already said that this was going to be a special message as we gather here. I had hoped to preach this as the last message at the end of last year in the building that we have used for six and a half years.

This message here this morning is very specific to this church and especially to what God has done in the past six and a half years in a building on 74 O 'Connell Street in the city of Limerick. It was actually seven years ago on the 15th of September 2013 that we as a church met for the very first time.

It didn't make sense. It didn't make sense at all. I stopped all my travels, me and Candice, we stopped all of our travels and we started a church with six or seven folk in a living room. We got too noisy for the neighbors so we had to move into the kitchen somewhere between the cooker and the clothes dryer.

We were squeezed in there for those who remember it. And I thought every single day for a year the devil whispered in my ear, you're deceived, you're crazy for embarking on this. But I want to tell you here this morning, I'm very glad when I look at the faces in this meeting, when I think about all the Lord has done, I'm so glad that this man was mad enough to embark on starting a church in Limerick City in Ireland.

I'm so glad on the 15th of September we broke bread for the first time, gathered in a living room. All those there apart from ourselves had never led a prayer meeting, broken bread, preached or anything like that, but we gathered around the Lord Jesus Christ.

But listen, several months later on the 20th of April 2014, six and a half years ago, that we moved into our first building that had been much prayed for. It was 74 O 'Connell Street and we embarked on meetings in that building on the high street for the next six and a half years.

This meeting is specifically for those, it's for everyone, but I want to tell you it's specifically for those that have memories, experiences or testimonies from that six and a half years. If you ever sat in one of those meetings, I've got a very clear message for you here this morning.

The Memorial of an Unnamed Place

I want you to turn to Luke chapter 17 and follow with me as I read this morning. Listen to what my title is here this morning. One year ago when I knew we were looking for a new building, God laid this message on my heart and I've had to sit on it for an entire year, never got to preach it in that building, but I'm preaching it to you now because we'll never be back in that building again.

We're going to move into a new building when we next gather, but this message is a memorial to the Lord Jesus Christ. Not a church, not a preacher, not believers, but a memorial, a testimony, an Ebenezer that we're going to raise this morning to the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is my title. Where are the nine? Question mark. It was a question asked by Jesus. Where are the nine? I know I've got your attention now. Reading from Luke chapter 17 and verse 11, and it came to pass as, and it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

And as he entered into a certain village, there met him 10 men that were lepers, which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, Jesus master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, go show yourselves unto the priests.

And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, just one of them, when he saw he was healed, he turned back and with a loud voice glorified God and fell down on his face, face at his feet, giving him thanks.

And he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, were there not 10 cleansed? And this is my text, but where are the nine? There are not found that return to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, arise, go thy way.

Thy faith has made thee whole. My message here this morning, as we pray together that the Lord would speak unto us is where are the nine? Father, I pray for this message. We want to raise up an Ebenezer.

We want to remember things that we've forgotten. We want to remember and bring before ourselves things that we didn't even think were still testimonies are still notable, are still worth you inquiring about.

But father, I thank you in heaven that you have marked everything that happened in that old building on the corner of a Connell street. You remember, you see, you have recorded every testimony, every experience, every conviction, every miracle, every touch of the Holy Spirit, every message preached, though men forget about it, though we in this church forget about it.

There's not one message, not one exhortation that was given in six and a half years in that building that you forget. You don't forget one sentence. And Lord God, you remember all the encouragement. Lord God, all of the stirrings, all of the conviction, all of the challenge, all of the encouragement that many others, including ourselves have forgotten.

But father, I pray by your grace, use this message to remind us to stir up our hearts so God, to warm our hearts this morning, that there's nothing that you forget, nothing you've done that's wasted, nothing that we do in your name by your spirit that is cast aside as worthless.

Lord God bless your word this morning in Jesus mighty name. Amen. Amen. Man, I'm excited to preach the word of God this morning, especially this message as God has stirred up my mind and putting this message together.

My message, where are the nine? Question mark. Where are the nine? Question mark. It was from Jesus Christ himself concerning things that men had forgotten. Let's go to this message here, and I've got several points here this morning.

Christ's Journey Through Samaria and Galilee

Let's read again from verse 11, verse 12. And it came to pass as he, that is Christ Jesus, went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee, and he entered into a certain village.

And there met him 10 men that were lepers, which stood afar off. Please note with me that this is speaking about Christ's journey to the city of Jerusalem as he went to Jerusalem. And if you were to go in a straight line, you would have went from Galilee all the way through Samaria to the city of Jerusalem, if you're going in a straight line.

But Christ wasn't going in a straight line. On his way to Jerusalem, his last journey where he would be crucified at Jerusalem, he took a different route, not a straight route through Galilee, through Samaria to Jerusalem.

But there were people, there were places that he was to go to that were going to be critical in the will and the purpose of God. It says as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

That doesn't mean that he walked straight through those two regions or provinces. What it actually means that he went, he walked down the border between Samaria and Galilee. In other words, he had Samaria on one side, Galilee on the other.

And he's walking actually down the middle of these two regions. He's going to go down to the river Jordan. Then he's going to stop at Jericho where he touches life there. And finally, he's going to reach Jerusalem.

I want to see you, I want you to see in this message here that he had no loyalty to Galilee or Samaria. He was there and he was going to do a work right in the midst of those two regions. It says here in our text that he then entered into a certain village.

And I want you to notice something. It specifically doesn't mention the name of this village. It doesn't mention where it is. It doesn't give its name. Neither are the names of these 10 lepers mentioned in this.

You know what? They're faceless, they're nameless, and the place is nameless. But I want you to realize here this morning, and we're speaking about 74 O 'Connell Street, where we as a church had a building that we spent six and a half years.

Do you realize places really aren't important? The names of places, what they look like really isn't important. It doesn't matter that you know where 74 O 'Connell Street is, but it does matter what happened there.

That's what we find in this text. You know, Luke was always careful about detail, about dates, about names, about titles, about miracles. He was a very detailed man, but he just writes here, a certain village.

Do you realize the building we met in for six and a half years, it really isn't that important. The building we're going to meet gathering in the future really isn't important. But you know what is important?

Who we met there, what happened there, that is eternal. I want to tell you that over the years, certain church buildings meant an awful lot to me. There was a little wooden church building in a place called Hadley in England.

That's where I got born again at four and a half years old. It was actually there at five years old, I had a vision about coming revival. It was a few years later when I was 15, I got baptized in water at that church.

And in fact, another two years after that, I was back there in England and I testified for the very first time in a church. Do you know that old wooden building has memories for me that I can never forget.

They tore down that building. I was so sad to see they built a nice brick building. It's not the same to me sentimentally, but you know what? It's the experiences with God. It's those spiritual things.

They are timeless. They are eternal. They can rip that building down. But I assure you the testimony is as alive this morning as ever it would. If you were to go up to Belfast, go down those back streets.

There used to be an old wooden building called the Railway Mission. They tore it down. I'm so sad about that. I can't visit it today. I can't go and look at it or show Candice that building. But I want to tell you, in that old building when I was 13 years old, I got baptized with the Holy Ghost.

It was in that building. God called me to preach. It was in that building that he told me, when you step out of ministry, this is how you are to handle it. Never make known your needs financially to men.

All in that little building, God encouraged me. God prepared me. God blessed me. God spoke into my life. They tore the building down. But I tell you, Saints, this baptism in the Holy Ghost is as fresh now as ever it would.

You see, you in this meeting this morning, you members of LCC, some of you got saved in that building. Some of you got baptized in the Holy Spirit. Many of you, we left that building to go and baptize you in the river in a good old-fashioned way.

Many of you had your children dedicated to the Lord there. Some of you were married there. Many of you have known no other church than this church. This is the only born-again church that you've ever been a member of, that you've ever sat in on a regular basis.

Saints, all of us here in LCC have memories, have experiences, and have testimonies about that old building. We'll never walk in it again. It'll never be a meeting place to us again. A certain village.

But I assure you, what happened at that certain place is very important. They can tear down the building, but they can never steal the testimonies and the things that God done there. It says that as Jesus entered into a certain village, and I do want them in a certain building, I can assure you.

The Lepers' Desperate Cry for Mercy

It says, as he entered in, there met him 10 men that were lepers, which stood afar off. Here it is that Christ is about to go into this little tiny village. And you've got these 10 men. They're not allowed in that village.

They can't go into that village to hear the sermons. But here they are as a group, and they are gathered together. Look at them. It says they stood afar off. They're social distancing. You know, it was the regulation of the law.

They weren't allowed to go into that village. They weren't allowed to approach on the other men and women. They weren't allowed to see their families. They weren't allowed to go back home. They weren't allowed to go to their workplace.

You know why? The law said it. There was legislation in place. There was a health regime by the law of God in place that they could not go into that place. They were cast out from society. Do you realize these group of 10 men cried out to the Lord?

When you, this morning, begin to understand your need, you're going to cry out to the Lord. You ask me, why do you think it is I don't cry out to the Lord? With real feeling and real heartfelt conviction.

You know why? You don't feel your need. You think you're just fine. That's why you don't cry out to the Lord. These 10 men felt their condition. They recognized their condition. They understood their condition.

They realized how serious it was, and they got very desperate because of that. It says in the law, Leviticus 13 and four, concerning lepers, all the days wherein the plague shall be in him, he shall be defiled.

He is unclean. He shall dwell alone. Without the camp shall his habitation be. You know what? You're locked out. Leprosy locks you out. Do you realize there was some of you, before coming into that old building, you were locked out of certain realms of society because of your sin, because of your condition, but the grace of God met you there in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Public Meetings Centered on Jesus Christ

Let me give you my points here in this message this morning, as we raise up an Ebenezer of thanksgiving unto the Lord. Saints, as I preach, thank the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember what he did to you. Be not unforgetful or unthankful this morning, but we're here to raise up a living testimony to one person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

My first point here in this message, public meetings, public meetings. You find that in verse 13, public meetings. I want to tell you, this Bible teaches public meetings. It's not enough to have a Zoom meeting.

Thank God for it. I'm so grateful for the hundreds and many thousands we've reached through Zoom, but that isn't sufficient. There's got to be a public gathering of people together around Christ. Do you realize public gatherings or gathering to the Lord Jesus Christ is a life-changing environment.

Every time we have a meeting, whether it's on Zoom or face-to-face or in a church building, whatever it is, do you know what the secret to a public gathering is? Unto Jesus Christ do we gather. He is the center.

He is the voice in the midst. He is the person with power. I know that there's prayers can be answered here. Saints, that is the secret of our meetings. Why do you think there's people in this meeting born again this morning, filled with the Holy Spirit, who have experienced God in a real way?

Why do you think that was? It was because Jesus was there at 74 O 'Connell Street. Why do you think you're still walking with God? Why do you think you haven't turned back? Why do you think that those besetting sins that almost destroyed your life, why do you think that you're still here seeking after God and holiness?

Because you heard the voice of the Lord Jesus Christ in a public gathering that touched your heart. Here in verse 13 it says,. And they, the ten lepers, lifted up their voices and they said, Jesus Master, have mercy upon us.

Now look at these ten lepers who are gathered together unto Christ. They've come praying. They've come to They've come to experience the Lord Jesus Christ. They had heard about him. Someone must have told them.

And they recognized him for who he was. They recognized that he is Jesus, the Savior of the world. They call him Master. He is a teacher. He is rabboni. He is someone to be followed. Someone who can teach us the way unto God.

They cried out, have mercy upon us. Notice here they didn't just do nothing. You know a man who doesn't do anything doesn't get anything from Christ. You, you, you say I'm too timid to seek after God.

Then you're not going to get anything from God. Do you hear me? If you sit down and say God isn't interested in me, God isn't answering my prayers, God isn't looking at me, you won't get one thing from God.

You need to stop that in the name of Jesus Christ. You know what these 10 lepers, their condition was hopeless. Their condition was helpless. They had no power to save themselves. They could feel pain in their body.

They were discouraged in heart. They, they were lamenting that they couldn't see their family. They couldn't go to work. They couldn't go into the city. They couldn't have a social life. They were doomed to pain, to discouragement, to sorrow, to loneliness, to sadness.

That was their future. But you know what saints, in a public gathering, in a place that they knew they could find Christ, you know what, they lifted up their voice. Some of you, you need to lift up your voice this morning.

You, you say I'm not like that. It's about time you got like that then. You need to lift up your voice when we close this meeting. If no one else is in that house, you need to lift up your voice and shout.

I don't care if the neighbors bang on the wall. Cry out to Jesus. Jesus, master, have mercy upon me. I'm telling you how to get your needs met. I'm telling you how to stop the man of Calvary at your address here this morning.

We, we read that they didn't just do nothing. You know what, they lifted up their voice. Why did they do that? They felt their needs. They felt the desperation. They had a prayer. This prayer was created out of their needs.

Don't think that God doesn't answer prayers because we have a need. He often does. Many times the only reason you came seeking salvation was because you found yourself in a helpless condition. There is feeling in this.

These 10 men felt their condition. They had emotions. They had desperation. They had a heartfelt cry. They were crying out, Jesus, master, have mercy upon us. What a simple cry, but what a powerful cry.

Do you realize Christ can't enter into that little village? He's got to stop with them. Do you realize any gathering of God's people, whether three people or 10 ,000, if there's someone there that says, Jesus, master, have mercy, he's got to stop.

I assure you, he'll come to your house today. If you get off this meeting and begin to cry on them, I promise you by the word of God, he'll come to your house. I promise you, you'll stop him in his tracks and he'll answer your cry.

By the law, the Old Testament legislation in Leviticus and the Old Testament, the leper was to cry out when he saw any man or any woman. Unclaim, unclaim. The law actually reveals your condition. The law makes you confess your condition.

The Old Testament legislation makes you to cry out. It makes that your prayer. You know, I hear some people praying. It would almost depress you at times. I'm in Christians. They're moping around. They're grumbling.

They're complaining. They're telling us all what a sinner they are. You know what? Most of that is the law. All it is, is that the law is making you cry out. Unclaim, unclaim. Don't come near me. I'm a hopeless case.

You know what? You're living under law. Get out from under the law and begin to seek after the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know what grace makes you do? It makes you to cry out. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Master, Savior, have mercy on me.

Notice that those under law with leprosy cry out. Unclaim. Don't come near me. You don't want to be in fellowship with me. You don't want to be around me. You are under law and it's unbelief. You can stay there, but Christ won't meet your needs.

I assure you, one glimpse of Jesus under grace and you begin to say, mercy, mercy, give me mercy. Do you know what mercy is? It is the compassion of God. It is the love of God. It is the warmth of God.

It is the kindness of God. It is the goodness of God. It is the patience of God. It is the time of God. It is God's outstretched hand towards you through the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of you need to begin to say, have mercy on me.

Have mercy on me. You know, I'm helpless. I'm hopeless. I'm doomed. There's nothing I can do, but I can seek the Master. If you sit there and do nothing, I know where you'll be in a year's time. But I tell you, if you begin at the end of this meeting to cry out, have mercy upon me.

I assure you, you'll raise up a testimony to the Lord Jesus Christ. All 10 men cried for mercy and they brought Christ to a standstill. You know what it says? He saw them. He saw them. When he saw them, you know what?

It took them to cry out, have mercy for him to see them. You think that God doesn't see you? Then cry out for mercy. You think he's not looking at you? I promise you, cry for mercy and it'll say here, when he saw them.

Then it goes further. It says he said unto them. In other words, he saw them, then he spoke unto them. Do you realize these two things are Christ's response to an individual in a public gathering? He sees them.

He sees them. When you gather under Christ, he'll see you. You say Christ isn't taking note of me. Are you taking note of Christ? You're sitting there. You're not even aware of him. You're not laying a hold of him.

You're not crying out to him. You're not going to where he is and you're saying, sure, Christ isn't coming looking for me. Maybe you need to get up. Be careful of my words. I mean, get up and go and get him.

Maybe some of you just need to shake yourself a bit. Maybe some of you right now need to begin to shout, have mercy upon me. Oh, I'm a very quiet person. God help you, he'll bypass you. I'm a quiet person.

I'm a timid person. I'm a shy person. That is my nature by character, by personality. But I'll show you one thing along this way I've learned. I'm desperate for Jesus Christ. I can't live without him.

I can't manage without the grace of God. Have mercy on me. Love me. Have compassion. Be moved towards me. I need that warmth. What did he say under these 10 lepers here at this time? He said, go show yourselves unto the priests.

He didn't touch them. He didn't say you're healed. He didn't do any of that. But he is Christ. You see, you better learn to listen to Christ. And do you know what these men did? They certainly didn't start arguing with him.

You see, he didn't touch them. And you need to learn something about Christ. He never did a miracle the same way in the gospels twice. Never. He never did that. Do you know, he doesn't deal exactly the same way with any individual.

You may say, well, why doesn't he do with me what he's doing with them? Maybe he's not trying to do that. Maybe you need to listen to what he is saying to you. What did he say to the 10? He didn't say I've healed you or pray a prayer for them.

He didn't touch them. He didn't say you're healed. Go on your way. He didn't say any of that. You know what he said? Go show yourselves unto the priests. Do you realize he's quoting the Old Testament?

He's quoting the law. He's quoting the regulations. He's quoting practical advice. He's saying that you need to go show yourself onto the priests in the city of Jerusalem. Do you know what the legislation was?

If a man was clean of his disease, he had to go and see the priest. And then the priest would write a certificate and said, you're clean. You're free. You're whole. There's no leprosy in your body. You know, Christ was telling them something from the word of God.

And because he was speaking that, it meant they were healed. They were healed. It was an assumption. Why would he send you to the priest to get checked if you weren't healed? Do you realize that Christ is working within the normalcy of our life, but he's telling you to go to the priest, go show yourself to be clean.

Some of you would sit down and say, what's the point of doing that? He didn't pray for me. He didn't heal me. I don't feel different. I don't look different. You'd study yourself. You'd go, please, sir, I've got a question.

But you know what Jesus said? He said, go show yourself onto the priest and listen. And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed as they went. Notice what is happening here in this message.

They're presenting themselves to Jesus Christ. Many miss the blessing because they don't do that. They sit through gatherings, but they never put themselves in the place of blessing. Do you know the public gathering of God's people is the place of blessing?

We've seen hundreds come through this church. They're sitting at home. They could care less about coming to church. They've missed out on a hundred blessings. I promise you, they're a mess in their life.

They're a mess in their home. Their marriage is a mess. You know why? They never put themselves in the place of divine blessing. And since you've got to put yourself in the place of blessing, notice your Jesus work within the realm of legal legislation.

He's sending them to the doctor. He's sending them to the religious leader who would inspect their disease. You see, some of you think that going to a doctor could nullify faith. Not at all. Not at all.

I can remember the time God healed my knees. I had to go to the doctor that morning. I went there. God had spoken to me that he's going to heal me that night. I knew it. On the way out to the doctor, I had my little scripture for the day.

I just read it on my wall. It says, I am the Lord that healeth thee. I'm on the way to the doctor. But you know what? That doesn't nullify faith. I know I'm going to be healed that night. That doctor can't do anything for me.

He told me, three months time, we're going to operate on your knees. I was in pain and agony. Those drugs, I threw them in the cupboard, never did touch them. That night, God healed me. The next morning, I went back to the doctor to testify.

I knew he'd only give me one opportunity. So I told him, as soon as I start testifying, I told him everything. Notice these 10 lepers had to obey the word of God. Go, go. Some of you aren't listening to God.

He's saying, go. And as you go, you will be healed. He told them very clearly, go. And as they went, it came to pass. Some of you are sitting waiting and saying, I'll go when he answers. Then nothing will happen.

If you don't obey that, go. The command of God. Things only happen as you obey God. Some of you want to argue with God. You'll stand still until you see something. You try to reason it out. You want to quiz everybody about the answer.

Why isn't this happening? What about this? You need to begin to go in simplicity of faith. And it says that as they went, all of them were cleansed. That's a real fact. All of them were cleansed. Point two is the one who returned.

The One Who Returned to Give Thanks

Only one. All of them were cleansed. All of them were healed. As they went, all of them obeyed him to go to the priest. But only one returned. Let's look for a moment at this one who returned. Verse 15.

And one of them, underline that, and one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God and fell down on his face, at his feet, giving him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

Notice here that this one saw that he was healed. I believe the other nine were waiting for the priest to tell them. But here is one who actually is looking for the answer. They know the answer is in Jesus, not in the priest.

The nine thought the answer was in the priest. But here this one is looking, and he saw that he was healed. He actually saw it. He discerned it. You know what? You never see something you're not looking for.

Never. Never. You never see that cloud the size of a man's hand unless you're looking for it. Only those looking for it. Saints, that gives me great hope for this church in your lives. Those who are praying and it seems to be delayed.

Those who are looking, praying, believing, asking, why am I not healed yet? What an encouragement to know that you're looking for healing. Why am I not saved yet? What an encouragement that you're actually looking to be saved.

Why is this not happening yet? What a wonderful thing. I can imagine him walking, looking, going, has it happened yet? Has it happened yet? Saints, what a wonderful thing. But that man was healed. He saw that he was healed, that Christ had actually healed him.

And you know what it says? He turned back. Remember Naaman in the Old Testament, the captain of the Syrian army, and he went to the prophet of God, Elijah, to be healed. Do you remember the story about him?

The prophet wouldn't come down to see him, wouldn't come to him. And he got rather angry and he was going to turn his back and leave. But his servant talked to him, said, would you not go bathe in that old dirty river, the Jordan, seven times like the prophet said?

Well, he done it. But listen to what it says. It says concerning Naaman, and he returned to the man of God. He returned. He wasn't happy when he left that door before, because the prophet said, I want you to go dip seven times in the Jordan.

The prophet wouldn't even come downstairs to speak to him. But look at Naaman, when he went and did what God said, he was healed. But he returned to the man of God, very grateful, very thankful. Look at this one.

Saints, you and this church are the one. Can I say that here this morning? You are the one. All those testimonies over six and a half years, you are the one. You're not the nine. You are the one this morning.

You know what? You realized what Christ had done. You realized it wasn't a church. You realized it wasn't a man. You realized that the Lord Jesus Christ heard your prayer, answered your prayer. And as you went, as you obeyed the word of God, you were healed.

Some of you struggled to get through to salvation. But as you went, God healed you. He saved you. He delivered you. He set you free. He led and guided you. You know what it says? This man who turned back, this one, with a loud voice, he glorified God.

Saints, this is my message this morning. The one turns back to glorify God. There is a glorifying of Jesus. It's not just receiving things, not just testifying. I give glory to God. All the glory, not to a church, not to a preacher, not to any individual, but all the glory goes to the Lord Jesus Christ.

If God has done anything in six and a half years, it's to his glory and to his honor. Notice with me. He turns back. He cries aloud with a loud voice. Oh, that you be loud. You know, we ask for a testimony time, like you to give your testimony.

And people shyly, reluctantly testify about something. Oh, for that one that cries aloud to give glory to God. I've got to tell you this morning what he done. I've got to tell someone. I've got to tell someone.

Saints, have you forgotten as the one, have you forgotten what great things God has done? It also says he fell on his face. That shows humility. Fell on his face at his feet. That shows submission. And it says that he gave thanks.

And he was a Samaritan. You know, everything was against him. He was a Samaritan. He was a Samaritan. The other nine may have been Jews, but he was a Samaritan. He was a Gentile, an outcast, a half-breed.

His culture was wrong. His accent was wrong. His family was wrong. His genealogy was wrong. But I tell you, he's a man giving thanks unto God. I wasn't excluded because I'm a Samaritan. You see, leprosy is a great leveler.

If the other nine were Jews, and it could have been, here is a Samaritan amidst all of these Jews. They're outside a small village. These are the only people they can be with. You know why all these ten are together?

Because of leprosy. Some of you guys, you are out amidst friends, groups of friends, because of your leprosy. Leprosy is a great leveler. It doesn't distinguish between color or creed or accent. You can get a bunch of sinners together.

They can have all sorts of diverse differences. But if they're all smoking the same weed, oh, what a unity there is. You know what? Sin is a great leveler. But I want to tell you, the grace of God is a great leveler as well.

I could care less if you're a Samaritan. I don't care about your color this morning. I don't care about your accent. But I do care, have you found the Lord Jesus Christ? You see, you in this church are the one.

Your children were dedicated to the Lord in this church. You were married in this church. You never thought you would do that until you met the Lord Jesus Christ. You were saved and baptized in water in this church.