MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
(Powerpoints used with this message are available at no charge. Just email me at mnewland@sstelco.com and request #409.)
TEXT: 2 Kings 5:1-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
ILL. This week I read a story told by Bobby Stults on Sermon Central about a timid Christian who prayed: "Lord, if you want me to witness to someone, please give me a sign to show me who it is."
That very day he found himself on a nearly empty bus when a big, burly man sat down next to him. The timid believer anxiously waited for his stop so he could exit the bus.
However, before he could get off, the big burly guy burst into tears & then cried out with a loud voice, "I’m a lost sinner & I need the Lord. Won’t somebody tell me how to find the Lord?"
The believer immediately bowed his head & prayed, "Lord, is this a sign?"
A. In the 5th chapter of 2 Kings, during the time of the prophet Elisha, there is a story about a pagan general & a Jewish slave girl that is a powerful example of an effective witness.
Vs. 1 says, "… Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master & highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy."
Now, to help fix this in your mind, realize that ancient Aram is roughly equivalent to the country of Syria today. Damascus was the capitol of Aram then, just as Damascus is the capitol of Syria today. Aram & Israel were enemies then, just as they are today.
But at the time of our story, there was a shaky peace between them. Yet, even during this time of peace, there were still occasional skirmishes along the borders of the two countries. During one of these, a young Israeli girl was taken captive & became a servant to Gen. Naaman's wife.
The life of a slave was generally very difficult because you were looked upon as property, a living tool to be used & disposed of at will. Yes, some masters weren't cruel, but usually the life of a slave was one of hopelessness & despair.
B. But when this Israeli slave girl learned that Gen. Naaman had leprosy, Vs. 3 tells us, "She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria. He would cure him of his leprosy.’"
In obeying & serving God as a prophet, Elisha had parted the Jordan River, raised a boy from the dead, & had been used by God to perform other miracles as well. The slave girl had heard the stories & was convinced that Elisha could heal her master, & she wanted to see him healed.
Amazingly, Naaman listened to the girl. Maybe it was just a grasping at straws, but taking the word of his servant girl, Naaman headed for Israel with an entourage of soldiers, a letter from the King of Aram, & chariots loaded with gifts.
After first going to the palace of the King of Israel, Naaman was finally directed to the house of Elisha.
2 Kings 5:9-10 tells us, "So Naaman went with his horses & chariots & stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, ‘Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, & your flesh will be restored & you will be cleansed.’"
Did you notice? Elisha did not come out of the house to greet Naaman. He sent a servant with a message for him instead. Naaman was a proud warrior who commanded armies. He was used to fanfares & cheering crowds, & this was not the kind of reception he expected.
It was bad enough to have a terrible disease that rotted away his flesh. It was humbling enough to travel hundreds of miles on just the word of a slave girl. But then to have the prophet not even come to the door to greet him! Naaman's pride was hurt, & he reacted furiously.
Vs's 11-12 tells us, "Naaman went away angry & said, ‘I thought that he would surely come out to me & stand & call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot & cure me of my leprosy.'
‘Are not Abana & Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them & be cleansed?' So he turned & went off in a rage."
C. It is obvious that Naaman needed more than just healing of his leprosy. He needed a lesson in humility, too. But let's not be too hard on him. None of us likes to be treated as if we're not important. And the more famous you are, the more humbling it is to discover that some people aren't impressed.
ILL. Christian Herter, when he was governor of Mass., was at a picnic at the end of a long day in which he had been forced to miss both breakfast & lunch.
When he went through the food line, the lady passing out the chicken gave him only one relatively small piece of chicken. He asked politely, "Ma'am, may I have another piece of chicken?"
She said, "No, one piece per person." He said, "Ma'am, I'm really hungry & I haven't eaten all day. May I please have another piece?"
She said, "No, one piece per person." He said, "Ma'am, do you know who I am? I'm the governor of this state."
She replied, "Do you know who I am? I'm the lady who passes out the chicken. Now move along!"
Naaman felt humiliated, & he refused to go to the Jordan River.
But vs. 13 says, "Naaman's servants went to him & said, ‘… if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash & be cleansed!'"
Naaman listened, & finally decided it was worth a try. So they headed toward the Jordan River.
There Naaman took off his armor & costly robes, & waded into the Jordan. He did what Elisha had told him to do, dipping himself 7 times in the muddy river. Vs. 14 says, "And his flesh was restored & became clean like that of a young boy."
Can you imagine what it would be like to have leprosy, an ailment that is life threatening, that causes people to avoid even being close to you - & then suddenly to be healed?
Vs. 15 says, "Then Naaman & all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him & said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.’" A pagan general came to know the one true & living God because of the concern of a young slave girl.
PROP. So let's notice some truths about this slave girl that will help us in our efforts to be good witnesses for Jesus Christ.
I. SHE WAS SENSITIVE TO HER MASTER'S NEED
A. The first thing we notice is that she was sensitive to her master's need.
As a slave, She could have been tempted to rejoice in the pain her master was experiencing. Yet, she cared about those who cared little about her. She did not bury herself in her own suffering or take pleasure in others' pain.
APPL. Folks, we're surrounded by hurting people. All around us are people experiencing the pains of broken homes, physical illnesses, loneliness, & abuse.
ILL. A young preacher was told, "Son, remember that whenever you preach, there is a broken heart in every pew."
But such concern does not come naturally to most people. Therefore we must work to develop an awareness of, & a compassion for, the hurting.
ILL. At a Christian Camp the kids spent one day learning a little bit of what it was like to have different handicaps. Some wore blindfolds to learn what it was like to be blind. Some pretended to be lame & had to get around in wheelchairs.
One boy became a deaf person for a day. With cotton balls in his ears & bandages around his head to insure he could not hear, he tried his best to play softball, to listen to instructions, & to communicate with friends.
He could still play softball, but communication was difficult. He felt isolated, & came to the conclusion that being blind cuts you off from things, but being deaf cuts you off from people.
His father says that's the reason his son was especially moved when they witnessed a deaf man in their church use sign language to confess his faith in Christ before he was baptized.
SUM. Don’t be afraid to expose children to people with disabilities. Like the servant girl in the story of Naaman, we too must be sensitive to the needs of others & teach our children to do likewise.
II. SHE WAS A CREDIBLE WITNESS
A. Secondly, we must be credible witnesses to those around us.
If the slave girl had not been a good & faithful worker, no one would have listened to her. If she had been lazy & a complainer, Naaman wouldn't have paid any attention to what she said, or even consider making the long journey to Elisha.
Her genuine concern & integrity must have been obvious to Naaman & his wife, or she would not have been believed. Living a life of integrity helps us maintain credibility with others.
People will trust you when they know that you are truthful & honest.
B. It is virtually impossible to teach children to live a trustworthy life unless you are modeling it for them.
You teach them by practicing what you preach by guarding your tongue when you get angry, by showing kindness to your family as you do to others. Then your children will understand the importance of living a trustworthy life.
SUM. We don't know who the parents of the servant girl were, but they had evidently taught her that her testimony for God would be enhanced if she did the simple things right do a good job, be kind to others, keep your temper under control. She had gained credibility by her trustworthy life.
The Bible tells us in 1 Thess. 4:11-12, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business & to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders & so that you will not be depend¬ent on anybody."
III. SHE WITNESSED POSITIVE RESULTS
A. Now can you imagine the joy the servant girl felt when Naaman came home cleansed of his leprosy & praising the true & living God she worshiped?
Still, we cannot assume that much changed in her life after Naaman returned. We don't even know her name.
Often, faithful witnesses receive no reward here on earth. They seem almost unnoticed, even as everyone rejoices over the sinner whose life they have touched. You see, our job is to present Christ to people, not to make a name for ourselves.
ILL. Once when the well-known preacher Lloyd Olgilvie was the featured speaker at a banquet, the man who introduced him stood up & said,
"Today, you will meet someone who is known around the world. He has been instrumental in changing millions of lives. He has been called a great teacher & a man of compassion. His name is Jesus Christ, & here is Lloyd Olgilvie to tell you about him."
The best witnesses do not care about recognition. They only want to rejoice in the results that come from sharing the message.
IV. NOW HOW ABOUT OUR WITNESS?
ILL. Joyce Hollyday tells the story of a school teacher who was assigned to visit children in a large city hospital. One day she received a call to visit a particular child.
The teacher took the boy’s name & room number, & was told by the teacher on the other end of the line, "We’re studying nouns & adverbs in this class now. I’d be grateful if you could help him with his homework, so he doesn’t fall behind the others."
It wasn’t until the visiting teacher got to the boy’s room that she realized that it was located in the hospital’s burn unit. No one had prepared her to find a young boy horribly burned & in great pain.
Once in the room the teacher felt she couldn’t just turn around & walk out. So she stammered awkwardly, "I’m the hospital teacher, & your teacher sent me to help you with nouns & adverbs." The boy was in so much pain that he barely responded.
The young teacher stumbled through his English lesson, ashamed at putting him through such a senseless exercise.
The next morning a nurse on the burn unit asked her, "What did you do to that boy?" Before the teacher could finish her burst of apologies, the nurse interrupted her: "You don’t understand. We’ve been very worried about him.
'But ever since you were here yesterday, his whole attitude has changed. He’s fighting back; he’s responding to treatment. It’s as if he has decided to live."
The boy later explained that he had completely given up hope until he saw the teacher. It all changed when he came to a simple realization. With joyful tears, the boy said: "They wouldn’t send a teacher to work on nouns & adverbs to a boy who was dying, would they?" (Donald Wm. Dotterer, Living The Easter Faith)
Like this teacher & the slave girl in the story of Naaman, you too can witness effectively. If people see Christ in you through your “good works” they will more easily listen to you when you invite them to Christ & His church.
ILL. Somebody said that “Evangelism, or witnessing for Christ, is one beggar telling another beggar where he can find bread.” 90% of the growth most churches experience is the result of someone inviting a friend or relative to come to church.
Because of Jesus, we have the opportunity to be a part of the greatest chain reaction this world has ever seen, as one life touches another life, who touches another life, who touches another life on down through all eternity!
INVITATION: And I invite you this morning to be a part of that chain reaction, that body of Christ, the church, & to let Jesus be the Savior & Lord of your life. Will you come as we stand & as we sing?
