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  WHERE ARE THE NINE
  by Keith Malcomson
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Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of gratitude and
faithfulness to God, highlighting the contrast between those who receive
miracles but do not return to give thanks and those who remain faithful
and grateful. It calls for a reflection on the miracles and experiences
with God in the past, urging the listeners to have genuine faith that
leads to wholeness in Christ.

Duration: 1:07:15 Topics: "Gratitude", "Faithfulness"
Scripture References: Luke 17:11, Leviticus 13:4, Romans 2:4, James 2:26, Psalm 103:2

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon emphasizes the importance of gratitude and faithfulness to
God, highlighting the contrast between those who receive miracles but do
not return to give thanks and those who remain faithful and grateful. It
calls for a reflection on the miracles and experiences with God in the
past, urging the listeners to have genuine faith that leads to wholeness
in Christ.

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CONTENT
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In this hour that the Lord has really done so much in our hearts and our
lives and gathering us as the people of God and we're making our way
into a brand new year to seek to glorify him and 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. 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
and 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. 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 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 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 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
common 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 in 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 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 ten 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 on
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 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 he touches lies 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 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 at a 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
Shropshire in England that's where I got born again at seven and a half
year or sorry 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 kindness 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 I 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 since 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 Jesus entered into a certain
village and I do want them in a certain building I can assure you 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're 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 you think you're just fine that's why you don't cry out to
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 let me give you my
points here in this message this morning as we raise up an ebenezer of
thanksgiving unto the Lord since as I preach thank the Lord Jesus Christ
remember what he did to you be not unforgiftful 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 and 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 are 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 since 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 is 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 11 the 10 lepers lifted up
their voices and they said Jesus master have mercy upon us now look at
these 10 lepers who are gathered together unto Christ they've come
praying they've come to listen 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 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 doesn't answer 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 yous 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 neighbor's banging 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 it's 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 in the old testament the leper
was to cry out when he saw any man or any woman on claim on claim 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 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 on claim on claim 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 Jesus Jesus Jesus master savior have mercy on me
notice that those under law with leprosy cry out on claim 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 I 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 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 and 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 then 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 unto 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 you're whole
there's no uh 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 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 uh 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 unto 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 here 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 i knew it on the way out
to the uh 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 um 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 started 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 yous are sitting 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 yous 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 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 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 knew 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 since 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 why am i why has this not happened yet what what
a wonderful thing i can imagine him walking looking going has it
happened yet has it happened yet oh 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 naman 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 and said would you not go bees 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 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 deaf seven times in the jordan the prophet
wouldn't even come downstairs to speak to him but look at naman 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 realize 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 the salvation but as you
went god healed you he saved you he delivered you he set you free he he
led and guide you you know what says this man who turned back this one
with a loud voice he glorified god since 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 his honor notice with me he
turns back he cries aloud with a loud voice oh that you'd 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 since 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 it's 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 you know what you are the one who returned to give glory to
god and you're still here saints your testimonies are here he saved me
he changed me he encouraged me he protected me he lifted me up since
that's the one but my message this morning this is my main thing my
third point is my main point and it's a point that almost everyone
forgets about you see in this church after six and a half years in that
old building seven years meeting as a church many of you have forgotten
my next point you've been ignorant of it you've ignored it you've never
considered it but jesus marked it my third point where are the nine you
see in this church you think the only testimonies are those of the one
do you know what you're forgetting the nine who are not here this
morning and i mean there's hundreds of them there's hundreds of them
from the past six and a half years who passed through 74 o'connell
street and you don't even consider them you don't think any miracle
happened or you think it was in vain or our preaching was wasted that's
what you think and i think so easy but the word of god says something
else listen carefully on this point where are the nine verse 17 and
jesus answering said were there not 10 cleansed he's speaking about a
miracle here not just the miracle of the one but the miracle of the 10
and i want to remind you here i'm not just speaking about the
testimonies of those that are members of this church who stayed here or
who walked on with jesus christ there are other miracles you're
forgetting about this morning i want to talk about the nine we're not 10
cleansed and yet there's only one here this morning were there not 10
who met with the lord who heard the preaching who are convicted who are
encouraged who were changed at least temporarily who had something
happen in their life that even to this day they do not deny something
happened in 74 o'connell street and i tell you christ said were there
not 10 cleansed from leprosy they were really healed they were really
changed they were really delivered but where are they they're gone but
listen me the testimony isn't gone the miracle doesn't dissolve into
thin air the preaching was not wasted christ goes on to say but where
are the nine where are they you know what christ is looking for i
remember the miracles i see the miracles i bring it before me you know
to point the nine is not negative and i'm going to do it here this
morning you see the miracle was real the work of god was real the
preaching was real the conviction is real but where are the nine this
morning don't you dare doubt the reality of the miracles of god in those
who deserted us turned against us turned their back on us who forgot us
who weren't thankful for what jesus christ done don't you dare think
that it wasn't real and that all that was real from the past six and a
half years is what is sitting in this church this morning you were you
would make such a mistake i want to tell you you see the work of the
holy spirit is real is real they did not return they did not give thanks
they did not realize the reality of all that had happened you know what
these nine done they rushed on to the priest in a religious building why
did they do that they wanted to get back to normal society the one
wanted to return to jesus to give thanks to praise him to bow before him
to submit unto him but the nine didn't want that they had experienced a
real instantaneous miracle from jesus christ it was real their life
would never be the same again they could never forget that it was going
to affect their future life but they wanted to get back to normal life
they wanted to return to life as it used to be they wanted to go see
their family they wanted to go back home they wanted to return to the
workplace they wanted to be with their old friends again they wanted all
of these things and they said i'm rushing to the priest because i need
to get back into that something has happened in my life a miracle i'll
never be the same again i've been healed in my body but all of their
thoughts did not lead them to christ you know what it led them back to
life as normal oh what a tragedy here and yet christ said the only one
who turned back was this stranger this gentile this pagan this no gooder
but you know what he really realized what christ had done in his life
where are the nine in lcc this morning saints they are not here hundreds
of them hundreds of them should be here praising god they're not here
this morning and you know why because they're more interested in this
world than the person of jesus christ but you as a church do not forget
the miracles in the life of the nine let me just give you a reminder
here before we close here this morning can i just for a minute stir you
up you have your personal memories things that i've forgotten or i won't
mention this morning but let me mention a few things that happened in 74
O'Connell street and yet the people are not here today you may be
shocked because i go if god done that in my life any church i'd be
reluctant to leave that church listen one morning as we gathered at 10
30 in the morning to pray before the morning service at 11 there was a
lady in the church fell on her knees and lifted her hands and began to
praise god god had just healed her knees she couldn't bend down she
couldn't kneel down on her knees but god just healed her she wasn't
praying for it wasn't expecting it but in the midst of prayer the spirit
of god moved on her and healed her she left and never looked back over
her shoulder what about a man that was sitting down the road from 74
O'Connell street on a sunday morning he's sitting in the coffee shop
writing a letter his last letter to his mother he is about to commit
suicide his life is so hopeless he's going to end it that morning a
christian on the way to 74 O'Connell street walked past looked and saw
him and as was his custom when he began talking give him a gospel track
and the man said do you know i was writing my last letter i'll never
forget he walked in the back of that church and stood there where is he
this morning i don't know i don't know you know a man that was saved in
the nick of time from committing suicide but i i don't know where he is
today god have mercy upon him i remember in the back section of that
church a drug addict an alcoholic he turned up at the meeting on a
friday night and he said pray for me for my back me and someone else we
laid hands on him prayed for him instantly god healed his back and for
the following years he always said i know god healed me he always
testified that miracle of healing and he was always aware he had to get
right with god do you know where he is this morning he's a drunken
wretch of a man who'll mock the things of god he's one of the nine but
don't forget the miracle was real there's two brothers who came in
desperate for the word of god and for christ in the middle of the night
god woke one of those young men up with a dream of hell very explicit he
knew hell was real he knew he had to repent of his sins he's still out
there living with his partner drinking but don't tell me that dream that
warning was not from god i remember one night i was here in this study i
was sitting reading and i got a call got a message of a young man just
about to commit suicide i jumped in the car phoned paul and so said meet
me in there i i was hyperventilating he's on his way to jump off that
bridge well i tell you we paced back and forth outside that building we
we told the man don't let him out of that building he was going to
destroy his life he was living out on the streets and even i brought him
back uh within a few days brought him back to my house i was a bit
nervous i didn't know him uh candace was nervous i'm not scared for
myself but i am for my wife we hid the nice in the cupboard and we had
him there he's dirty he's smelly but he's sleeping in that nice bed of
ours you know what we're after a soul that that young man sat amongst us
and experienced god time after time after time you know what he turned
his back on us and said there's no love in that church there's no love
in that church i can give you hundreds of these testimonies an alcoholic
walked in that church one day several times tried to get off the alcohol
done everything went through rehab no way to get free of that alcohol
addiction we loved him we prayed for him we cared for him on a sunday
morning two weeks he'd been in there on a sunday morning as candace led
the worship singing those old hymns he he come under deep conviction
fell on his knees in the midst of worship and he cried out to the lord
you know what happened instantly he was instantly delivered from his
addiction to alcohol he was a free man he was an absolute free man he
was awestruck he was in absolute awe saying i have tried for a lifetime
an entire lifetime to get free of alcohol i never could do it i always
heard about being born again but i'm absolutely free we didn't even get
to preach to him we didn't get to pray for him there he was in the midst
of worship just free by the grace and the mercy of god you know what he
abode with us three months free free by the grace and the mercy of god
but he turned his back on us went back to a drink said again there's no
love in that church they're they're just trying to play games of my life
he went back to his drink back to his sin and never looked back again
god help us i can tell you of a man that come into our church on a
sunday morning on his way to kill someone and at the end of the meeting
after the preaching he was so under since i'm telling you about the nine
do you hear me this morning lest we forget and since we remember ourself
and go the rest was wasted oh no it was not you see we think there's
miracles there was no miracle because they're not here oh no did jesus
really heal the nine did he really remove leprosy from their body and
yet they never come back to give thanks i can tell you of a man on his
way to kill someone in revenge for his son's murder he knew who they
were but after the preaching that morning he came down into the altar he
said pray for me i want to kill someone but will you pray for me i i
don't want to do this thing we prayed a young man in this church not
long knowing jesus christ he phoned me up and he said i'm discouraged
i'm just trying to walk with christ here these are my early weeks and
months and he said i'm very down would you come and speak to me i jumped
in the car went in we sat at a garage had coffee together he was very
encouraged he left me went home fell asleep in his bed at 10 30 at night
he woke up and he felt in fact it was literally weeks he was saved with
an and he said he felt god telling him to get up go down to the river 10
30 at night it was dark as he walked down to the river there is a girl
14 years old up to her waist in water with her dog under her arm and
she's walking into the river she's in such turmoil and and such terrible
situation her family she's going to commit suicide but a young believer
who knows nothing of the leading of the spirit who doesn't even know the
terminology he is there at the river saying don't do it or you'll die
and go to hell jesus loves you christ died for you on the cross don't do
this thing or you'll go to an eternal hell you know what that young girl
was weaned out of that river and she returned again since i can give you
hundreds of testimonies of drug sellers of an ira man in there of a
catholic priest coming in the door of prostitutes listening to gospel of
travelers sitting there with their kids being affected i can give you
hundreds of testimonies you know what where are they this morning but
the miracles were real the conviction was real the drawings of the
spirit the dealings of an eternal god were real but you know what they
turned their back on god if they could do it with christ they can do it
with us here in the midst don't tell me that all those hundreds of
dealings of god were not real they were very real in the weddings we've
had in the church it's been real what god has done a baby dedications at
water baptisms remember one of those water baptisms all the people on
the bridge looking over stirred in their heart drawn i've never seen him
since but i do know that conviction was real since we as a church don't
only remember all the things of the one that was healed i'm stirring you
up this morning please remember the miracles of the nine we so easily
forget them listen miracles in our midst these are miracles that took
place in our midst and jesus is looking for them they'll all be held
accountable for them we've seen many who had a testimony without christ
like the nine do you know they went to the priest and the priest looked
at them said you're healed this is a miracle this is amazing they return
back to their homes saying i've got religion i believe in god god done a
miracle they had a testimony they left that miracle meeting was a
testimony but they left without christ do you hear me they never saw it
was about christ they didn't live for christ they didn't walk with
christ they don't know christ but they have a testimony they can go out
there and say god done this god answered this prayer god is real i know
he does miracles look i don't have leprosy but they do not have christ
you say can you have a miracle and yet not christ yes you can have a
testimony without christ you can have an experience without christ
notice also these nine represent the takers not the givers in other
words they take everything there was certain people in the church they
had no heating we emptied the the bank balance to help them they're cold
it's winter time their machine doesn't work certain people in the church
approached me and said can we help them i said yes we emptied the bank
account at a very early stage and believe me we needed the money and
they had more money than i had but we emptied the bank account to help
them i dare say they weren't in there more than one or two weeks more
and we never seen them again they left they left i'm talking about
there's been hundreds of takers who never gave anything do you know you
can receive healing from christ and you never give anything back to him
you don't give thanks you don't give glory you don't return to him you
don't dwell with them you can be a taker in the house of god and it's
real what you're taking it is very real but you know what it means
nothing if you're not a giver if you're not a giver a man phoned us on a
sunday night in a desperate situation his wife was very ill he couldn't
manage with his kids there was a newborn baby couldn't manage with he
said could you take this brand new born baby and look after i can't
manage life we immediately jumped in the car and went to see that man we
looked after that baby well candace looked after i just held him when he
cried the odd time while she was doing something but that baby we looked
after it we treated it well i when she was on the piano i would hold it
and still worship the lord nursing it then hand over to her and i would
go preach on a sunday morning you know that child we treated it like our
own and then handed it back it was well it was healthy it was looked
after since but that man i'll never forget one day at the table he said
i've had enough of you bunch and he stood up and walked out that door no
thankfulness saints get used to this is the nine and along this journey
for everyone we will have nine i feel like we've had thousands compared
to the one but you understand that since those nine represent those with
stories but no character stories but no character you say is that
possible is it possible to have a miraculous story that you share with
others but you have no godly character absolutely we've seen hundreds of
them we've seen these people walk in the door they sit down and say i've
got a dream i've got a vision i've led worship i've got stories about
jesus he answered my prayer but you know what they've got no character
absolutely no character none whatsoever we've had certain ladies come in
that church door and within one weekend they managed to speak to every
lady undermine authority cause dispute cause division cause dissension
they come in with lots of stories lots of testimonies lots of miracles
with lots of knowledge who they've got a lot to say but they've got no
character the nine walked away with stories testimonies miracles but
they had no character at all isn't it true in six and a half years in 74
O'Connell street how many people have we heard come in the door they're
in one meeting one message one worship service and they come afterwards
paul knows what i'm gonna say here they come in and you know what they
say oh boy my life can never be the same i have looked all over the
place for this church this is my church do you know what we do in this
church we just look at each other and go will it be back next week we've
had hundreds say this is the church for me we never see them again since
i tell you there's a lot of nines out there the one abides here but
don't you forget what we're doing is for all do you realize christ knows
all things did he know they were unthankful yes did he know they
wouldn't come back yes did he know that they wouldn't abide in this yes
why did he still heal them why did he convict them why did he speak to
them why did he have mercy on them do you know what at that moment in
that meeting they put up a sincere cry and god answered it but all the
time god knows the goodness of god is to lead you to repentance but many
never make that journey let me finish my fourth and final point my
fourth and final point is a final lesson you'll find it in verse 19 here
as we close verse 19 as we close and he said unto him arise go thy way
thy faith has made thee whole nine with a miracle that experience
something real from christ you're never going to see them again but it's
real it's supernatural it'll be held accountable christ one day is going
to say what did you do with the miracle what did you do with the love
but you know in this final point a final lesson for this one and it's
for you in this church it's for you that stayed the course it's for you
that came back to thank jesus it's for you with character and not just a
testimony it's you that have christ and not just a miracle from the hand
of christ do you know what it is it is this arise and go thy way arise
and go thy way since we've got a journey and with christ we can make
this journey their journey is without christ but my journey is in
thankfulness with an awareness what he's done i'm going to make this
journey forward but not without christ i need you in my life i need the
character of god i need obedience to you i need to be submitted to you i
need the humility of god i want you more than a miracle i want you more
than forgiveness i want you more than healing i want you more than
prophecies and visions it is christ that i desire and you know what i
don't want to make this journey without you you know what christ says
arise i've heard your desire arise and go on thy way and listen thy
faith has made thee whole how do i know you've got faith you're still
here you're still here you return to give thanks and you want character
you want christ you you want the house of god you want to abide with the
people of god he had faith the others didn't how can you get healed
without faith he had mercy upon them he had mercy on the nine you
telling me that all those hundreds that are out there playing with the
devil don't have faith yes they think they have faith because they
experienced a miracle they think they have great faith because god
answered their prayer they think they have faith because they had an
encounter with god no that was the mercy of god they cried out for mercy
and they got mercy but this one who abides here this is real faith how
do i know you've got faith you're still here saints of god you're still
walking you pick yourself up you're seeking after the lord jesus christ
and he said thy faith has made you whole you know this one he he
revealed his faith and the others didn't but listen he was made whole
something more than an outward miracle something more than an experience
something more than an encounter do you know what his faith has made him
whole can i ask you here as we close has your faith made you whole have
you returned to giving thanks we this day on this day will never be back
in 74 O'Connell street but the miracles the dealings of god with
hundreds if not thousands of individuals it was real and jesus doesn't
forget one of them he doesn't forget one sermon one time we witnessed a
sinner one time we prayed for a sinner he doesn't forget it and listen
to me this christ is going to say where are the nine did i not heal ten
and only this one returned pray with me lord jesus we return here at the
end of six and a half years and 74 O'Connell street and we say to you be
all the glory we want to fall on our face and humble ourselves at the
end of this time forgive us that we are so unthankful forgive us that we
forget the wonders forgive us that we're not lying in some grave in a
lost eternity thank you that we're not drinking the drink of this world
on the drugs of this world in a bed of sin thank you that we're here
desiring the lord jesus christ and we return this morning to say that
all the glory is to you everything that happened in that building it's
to your glory it's to your thanks and we remember all of the miracles
all those that were reached with the gospel every time you answered a
prayer and yet they forgot and never came to thank you but we as a
church we try this morning to stir ourselves up and to give you thanks
in jesus mighty name

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/cmSX49M_uo4.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-malcomson/where-are-the-nine/
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