Well, our text this evening is found in Luke's Gospel in chapter 17, and it's the verse that follows our reading. Verse 19 of Luke 17. It reads, And he, the Lord Jesus, said unto him, The one man Arise, go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. I wonder if you've ever looked at this parable, or literally it's a miracle, it's history, but it speaks as a parable and as a miracle combined, and truly understood what it means. There is a twist at the end of the parable which we shall come to. In the life and the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, many came to him during those three years, but not everybody that was healed was given new life. Many come, many take benefit from the church and the gospel and the Bible, but not everybody is made whole. Ten lepers came to Christ and he healed them. They had benefits, they had blessing, tremendous blessing. Yet only one returned to give glory to God. Only this Samaritan, this stranger, the least likely, Not the Jews. We don't know how many amongst the ten were Jews and how many were non-Jews. But we know that one was a non-Jew. And he was the one who came and gave thanks to Christ. And who exercised true faith in Christ and was made whole. So my subject tonight, thinking of verse 19, is the necessity of faith. Sometimes the Bible says, there's a number of verses, one thing is needful. It's a good study to look at those verses. One thing is needful. What's needful in your life tonight? Sure you have many needs. They may be legitimate needs, things you've got to do, things you've got to buy, things you've got to be, But there is one thing needful, above all else, and that's the need of faith. If you don't have faith, you can't see God. You can't go to heaven. You won't have new life. You won't be made whole. The necessity of faith. So, here is this incident. This incident in the life of the Lord Jesus, we read in verse 11, and it came to pass, this is real history, that's the shorthand in Luke's writing, for this is real. It's not made up, it's real history. As he went to Jerusalem, and if we look at the other Gospels, we see that he is now winding his way to Jerusalem for the final time. And he skirts round Samaria and Galilee and he's headed to Jerusalem. He's going to the cross. He's going to die there for his people. Not for all people. That can't be. Otherwise he's failed. Because clearly not all people come to Christ. But all that he died for, all that the Father gave to the Son, they have been saved. They will hear the shepherd's voice, and they will come. Ten came to Christ. Only one had faith. Only one. Isn't that sobering? Ten percent. Nine, ninety percent. There was no evidence of faith in the miracle. It came to pass as he went to Jerusalem and he enters a certain village. We don't know its name, but we know that there was enough people to live there for there to be ten lepers gathering together. I read a picture that said these ten men were like wolves. gathering for crumbs of comfort in the midst of a storm. They were lepers, outcasts, rejected, despised, forsaken. Why were they together? They were looking for some comfort in their abject lives where they had virtually nothing except each other. Just gathering together, maybe like animals do in a storm, maybe when there's a flood and the animals have to seek the high ground and they have to look for somewhere that they can be. And these ten men, all they could do was just be together. It came to pass. As he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, that stood afar off. The Lord Jesus is going to do an amazing miracle. All of his miracles are amazing. The miracles of creation, the miracles in nature, the fact that he can heal, that he can give life, he can give life to the dead. He can give life to those who have no life. He can give new life. He can give spiritual life, abundant life. He's going to give these men hope. These men that had no hope. They stood far off. Why is he going to do this? Well, I think the fact that a number of the men are Jews, And one, maybe more, Samaritans, there's a lesson here. Lord Jesus is going to show and reveal his divinity. This is very important. There was a skeptical Jewish audience. And to the most part, they would reject him. And they would shout, crucify him. And so again and again he needs to demonstrate he is not just a man. He is the Son of God. He would say things like this, in John 10, I and the Father are one. That's such a statement. I and God the Father, we are one. One in truth, one in power, one in our understanding, one in purpose. He would say in John 14, no man comes to the Father except through me, by me. He would say again in John 14, if you know me, you know the Father. Those are outrageous statements. When you think about what he's saying, he's putting himself on the same level as God the Father. He's saying there's only one way to heaven and that's through me. They were outrageous statements. Unless he could prove his credentials as being God and man. This is very important. He had to show that he had divine power. And again and again and again. What does John say at the end of his gospel? I dare say if all the miracles, all the acts, all the words of the Lord Jesus were written down, the world would not be big enough to store all the books of all the records. of all that he said and all that he did, he had to show. This was the foundation that he needed to lay. It was what his whole life was built upon, God and man. And I say it again today, this is so important. People tell me they go to funerals and the Jesus that's mentioned, he's a weak man. He's a man that was taken by force. He's a man that had no choice. He's a man that was taken hostage. He's the man that was just a teacher, just a friend, just an example. No, no, no. This is the God-man. This is the man who is endowed with all power, with all strength, with all knowledge. Yes, he laid aside some of his powers. He was still hungry and thirsty and he wept. And he limited himself to one place at one time. But he is the God-man. And he is showing here in a wonderful way how he has power to heal. But with all of the miracles of the Lord Jesus, wherever we see a miracle over disease and over nature, it's speaking of the way of salvation. He's showing, I am God, but he's also showing this is the way that you need to come, that you need to be healed, This is the way how men's hearts, women's hearts are sifted. Nine to one. Oh, I don't know the ratio, but that's what it is here. The sheep and the goats. The insiders, the outsiders. The foolish, the wise. There's a constant division going on. We don't have a central aisle here. We have two. It doesn't really work in this building. But some churches, there's the left and the right. That's the picture the Lord Jesus used. He said there will be those on this side and those on that side. And he's drawing a line down the middle and he's separating. He's putting distance between them. Which side are you on? Are you for Christ? Have you been healed? Have you put your faith in Christ and has he made you whole? Let's look at this parable, this miracle, this composite parable and miracle. Verse 13, here's the lepers. Leprosy in the Bible. We can hardly get our head around it, it was such a disease. There's really nothing like it today. They were in a colony. A leper colony. Just picture that. The nearest thing that I can get in my mind is the sad, sad people in our own town who are heroin addicts. I know I mention this often, but there they are. They cling together. They share what they have. That's what these ten men were like. It's a horrible scene. It's a picture of sin. If you were to write the story of humanity in one word, what would that word be? Sin. Sin. The blight upon all of humanity. We are born into sin. and shapen in iniquity. It's the life-dominating word. Just look at the news. What describes the majority of what we hear? Sin. Sin. Sin led to disease. Sin is a pollution that contaminates every river. Sin is what defiles and sin is what destroys society. Sin has two great powers. It reigns over us and it ruins us. It's what sin does, we know it. I don't really have to prove it because I know deep down it's true in my life. If you're honest, it's true in yours. Sin is not a toy to play with. It's a tyrant. that ruins and rules us. Man was made for love and obedience. That's what God made Adam and Eve for. He made Adam and Eve to enjoy them. That they would follow him and obey him and instead sin made them selfish and disobedient. That's the story of humanity, sin. in one word. So these men, they were cast out. Verse 12, he met ten men that were lepers and they stood afar off. Why did they stand afar off? Well, there's a number of explanations for that, but in those days there was a Levitical law, you can read it in Leviticus 13, 46, and it said that they should dwell alone outside the camp shall be their habitation. That's the law. It seems unkind, unfair. Get away! But actually it was a kindness. It contained the disease. It was a kind of barrier. that kept the disease from spreading as virulently as it could have done. It was a mercy of God that the leprosy didn't go across the whole town. And anybody that was diagnosed as having leprosy, the priest said, unclean. Out. Outside the town. Outside the city. You're not to mix, you're not to be in community, you're not to be in conversation. Huddle on your own for comfort. What a desperate position to be in. Desperate. What a picture it is of us. Contagious sin. One child lies and another child lies. One child steals and another child steals. You don't have to teach children to sin. They just do it. Sometimes we hear of the youngest children saying things that are so horrible. Where did it come from? The thought that they think that someone else is ugly Where did that come from? Sin, such a terrible disease, and it gets worse, just like leprosy, so that we're cut off from God, we're unable to function as God intended, we have no friends, no friend in heaven, and we have a desperate need of being healed. So here's these men, far away, far enough away, verse 13, they had to shout, They had to shout. Why did they shout? Well, because they were a long way away. That's obvious. No, they were praying. This is a form of prayer. They lifted up their voices to Jesus. That's praying. Master, have mercy upon us. They prayed. That's what they said of Saul, wasn't it? Behold, he prays. They were praying. What gave them the desire to call out? Well, they must have known something of Jesus. They must have heard something of his name and reputation and fame. They must have known that he was able to give mercy, because that's what they asked for. You don't go into a sweet shop unless you want sweets. And you don't beg for mercy Unless you know there is a merciful Savior. And so they cry out, they lifted up their voices to Jesus, Master, Master, Teacher, Rabbi. What's their only hope? Mercy. Mercy. How did they know who this man was? Well, he was a mighty miracle worker. Three years, probably, he's at the end of his ministry, and they had heard. This is our hope. We must shout. He must hear. We must plead. This is their only hope. Is there hope with Christ? Is there mercy with him? Oh yes. There's always hope with Christ. One of them calls out. No, all of them call out. They beg for mercy. They lift up their voices, Master, have mercy on us. All of them are calling in unison. They're begging for mercy. What does the Lord Jesus do? He hears them. When he saw them, he said unto them, this is quite strange. Normally when the Lord Jesus sees somebody that needed healing, he'd touch them. Or he called the demon to come out of them. Or he did something, he made a spittle and put it on their eyes. There was all sorts of ways. But here he sends them away. That's very unusual. He says, when he saw them, he said unto them, go! What's he doing? He's sorting the wheat from the chaff. Oh yes, you say to me, well they all go. Of course they do. If there's benefit, humanity will always take benefit. He says, go unto the priest. He's testing them, he's searching them. He's saying, will you arise? Will you go? Will you follow? Will you do as I say? Of course, it's a simple instruction. It's not difficult. It's not like the leper who had to go and wash seven times in the Jordan. No, all they have to do is go and present themselves to the priest, the priests. They knew, most of them, that that was the right thing to do. The priest would determine whether they were clean or not. And so they go in hope. And as they go, they are cleansed. Does that mean that they were made whole? No, not at all. All it means is they got benefit. They took a blessing. Christ healed them. He gave them physical restoration. And they go to the priest. And as they went, they were cleansed. Oh, the mercy of God. The Lord Jesus is so merciful, even those that don't put their faith in him take a benefit. They take some help, they take his teaching, and it's helpful. They take comfort in death, they take his promises, they take his commandments, they take his example. But I tell you today, there's many people that have gone to church in this land today, They've taken benefit, but they've not put their faith in Christ. How do I know that? Well, that's what the parable tells us. So let me speak a little bit of faith. What is faith? We speak of living faith. We live not by sight, but by faith. We live looking unto a God that we can't see. We believe his word. That's what the Christian can do. Before you can have living faith, you need saving faith. Have you got faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? What does saving faith do? Well, first of all, it obeys. Oh, that's good, that's a start. It believes what God says, and these men did. They believed that there was a benefit in following what he said. Faith doesn't wait. It goes, it arises, it obeys, follows the simple instructions. Faith believes that there will be cleansing and healing and restoration. But you know even the wind and the waves obey Him. Even many things obey Him. That doesn't make you a Christian, that doesn't mean you've got faith in Christ. There were ten men healed, but only one was made whole. They get up, they go, they're healed, but Christ won't make people whole unless they put their faith in Him. Why is faith essential? Because without faith it is impossible to please God. You cannot be a Christian unless you put your faith in the risen Savior. In the one who heals and forgives and restores. Does faith save? The answer is no. Oh, that's heresy. No, faith doesn't save. What saves is faith in Christ. Faith in Christ. You've got faith? You obey? I believe there's a God? No, that doesn't save. The great problem people have is they have a form of faith, but it's within themselves. It's a faith that's willing to obey, a faith that's willing to go, But here's the catch. Here's the surprise. Here's the twist. Only one man comes back. 10%. How do we know he had faith? Because he glorified God. The other men took. They took the healing. They took the medicine bottle. They took the goodness of God. They took the benefit. But their faith was not in Christ. Because all who truly believe in Christ and whose faith is in the Savior, they will come back and acknowledge that the faith they were given was a gift. It wasn't their faith. It wasn't their word. It wasn't their doing. God gives faith and all I have to do is exercise it and acknowledge it. Faith in Christ saves. Faith in myself will not save. So why does only one return? This man, one of them, verse 15, when he saw that he was healed, where's the benefit coming from? Where's the healing? Where's the restoration? Who should I acknowledge? Christ. All the goodness is in Him. All the merit. I have none of my own. He comes back, he turns back, he's healed, he looks at himself, he sees his hands, they're like a baby. The baby's skin is all over him. And in his heart, I've got to praise God. I've got to thank him. It's from him, it's not me. He turns back and with a loud voice, he shouts out, praise to God! He's healed me, he's saved me, he's washed me, he's cleansed me. He falls down on his face at his feet, he bows down, Christ, you've healed me, you've saved me, and I'm a Samaritan. You see that? He was a Samaritan. The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans. But Christ treats us as he finds us. The Jews thought they were unclean, but we're all unclean. And he sees this man unclean, leprous. And he says, weren't the ten cleansed? Where's the nine? Nine that won't give glory to God. Nine that there's no ounce of thankfulness in their heart. What did we start with this morning? Always give thanks to God. Only a Christian can do that. Have you thanked God for life? Have you thanked Him for His Son, Jesus Christ? Have you come to Him? Have you believed in Him? Have you put your faith in Him? Well, He will say, You glorify God tonight. Verse 19, here's our verse, I kept it to the end. He says to this man, arise, go thy way in life. The faith that I have given to you, that you have exercised, I'm reading and amplifying the words. Thy faith, it's not his faith. It's a faith given to him. And you know all the ask for the gift of faith will be given it. And all you have to do is then put your faith in Christ. Thy faith has made thee whole. What's the difference between the ten? Ten are healed, but only one is made whole. That word whole means made complete. You have a donut, you cut it in half, you're not complete. Your life is like a fraction of the ring, but the Lord will make you complete, whole, fully formed, as God intended. Isn't that your desire tonight? Would you live life incomplete, unwhole, something significant missing? The Lord Jesus sees this man. He not only cleanses him, but he makes him complete. What was missing is added. What was missing, Christ was missing. You can't live life without Christ. He is all that you need tonight. If you've not put your faith in him, come, fall down at his feet, glorify God. and He will make you whole this very night. Let's pray together. Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that all that is needed for salvation is given. Mercy, cleansing, faith, and that evidence of salvation that we are willing to shout out and to bring glory to God and to make it known that we have been cleansed and washed and saved. Lord, may this be so tonight. Glorify thyself and save sinners, we pray. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.