During the days when Mohammed Ali was a great boxer, he would go around in his arrogance and say that, "He
was the greatest." Humility was never his strong suit. One day, back in his prime, he was on an airplane and the
plane was ready to take off and the flight attendant had repeatedly told him to put on his seat belt. He finally
told her, "I’m superman and superman don’t need no seatbelt." The flight attendant didn’t hesitate a minute but
shot back with, "Superman don’t need no airplane either, now buckle up."
A sailor once took a group of young people boating for the day. One young man bragged the whole way about
all he knew about the sea. Every time the sailor began to give instructions this young man would interrupt with
his supposed knowledge. After some time a squall blew up. The sailor began to hand out lifejackets. “Where’s
mine?” cried the know-it-all. “Don’t worry son,” replied the old sailor. “You don’t need a life jacket. With a
head as full of hot air as yours you will float forever!”
The lion was proud of his mastery of the animal kingdom. One day he decided to make sure all the other
animals knew he was the king of the jungle. He was so confident that he by-passed the smaller animals and
went straight to the bear. "Who is the king of the jungle?" the lion asked. The bear replied, "Why you are, of
course" The lion gave a mighty roar of approval. Next he asked the tiger, "Who is the king of the jungle?" The
tiger quickly responded, "Everyone knows that you are, mighty lion " Next on the list was the elephant. The lion
faced the elephant and addressed his question, "Who is the king of the jungle?" The elephant immediately
grabbed the lion with his trunk, whirled him around in the air five or six times and slammed him into a tree.
Then he pounded him onto the ground several times, dunked him under water in a nearby lake, and finally
dumped him out on the shore. The lion--beaten, bruised, and battered--struggled to his feet. He looked at the
elephant through sad and bloody eyes and said, "Look, just because you don’t know the answer is no reason for
to get mean about it!"
Naaman was a great general of the Syrian Army.
Listen to vs. 1 - host of the King of Syria
2 - Great man with his master
3 - Honourable
4 - delivered Syria from his foes under his commander skills
5 - Mighty man in valour
BUT he was a leper.
Isn’t it something how everything can be right about someone’s life but it
just takes one thing to mess things up.
Ill. - When my girls are playing - they’re happy, laughing, enjoying
themselves fully, but one wrong fall, or one wrong move and it breaks up
all of their fun. Instead of laughing, they are now crying.
Ill. - Just think about Majic Johnson of the L.A. Lakers. He was at the top of
his game. He had everything he wanted, then everything changes because
he makes wrong choices. Because of a little virus called H.I.V. gets into his
body.
Ill. Think about people all around us. I serve on the Henry County Chaplains
and I had a call a while back. A man had retired from his job. He had
bought a nice vehicle. It was a beautiful summer day. He was out washing
and waxing his pride and joy. When all of a sudden with no warning what so
ever his heart stops. He has a massive heart attack. Instant death, instant
eternity.
Think of all the lives that we are hearing about that has cancer now a days.
Isn’t life so precarious and so precious.
This Great General Naaman had the world under his control. He had
everything right where he wanted it. He was at the height of his career.
BUT there was this little disease that destroyed his body with nasty,
pusturous sores all over his body.
- When you had leprosy no one wanted to be around you, you were banned
from life. In fact, they had leprosy camps for all of those who were unclean.
I find it very sarcastically humorous that when everything is going well in
our life that we have no time for God. We don’t even acknowledge God. We
just live our life in whatever way we want.
That’s exactly what Naaman did. He had everything going for him. He was a
Syrian. The Syrians had their own gods. One was named Rimmon.
I wonder why he didn’t go to Rimmon for the healing of his leprosy. On the
other hand, I bet he had already tried everything including his false gods.
He probably went to the best physicians, the priests, the world.
Isn’t that what we do - try everything in the world and then if the doctors,
medicines, psychologists, psychiatrists, and everything else doesn’t work
then we say God you’re my last resort. There’s no other place to go. No
one else can help me - As one preacher said “Has it come to that?”
- Naaman was probably feeling as low as he could feel. It seemed like there
was no hope. His body had betrayed him, the whole world had let him
down. He was all alone. Then came a little slave girl that he had gotten
from Israel.
She says Naaman - I know a man that can take away all of your problems.
- Naaman’s eyes must have opened wide, his ears perked up.
“Tell me, slave girl, who is this man?”
“His name is Elisha - He’s a man of God.”
“He can get in touch with Heaven.”
“He can cure you of this plight in your life.”
What a witness! A man that can touch Heaven’s portals. The question I
have at this point is “Can people witness that about you?”
Oh dear ones, that is exactly what Christ is trying to tell you this morning.
No matter how bad it seems, no matter what the situation, no matter how
deep in sin you have gotten yourself --- Christ can heal you of this awful
disease of sin. He can cleanse you, He can cure you of your plight.
-- What kind of plight do you have this morning? Pride, Self-Indulgence, No
self-control?
-- What has been eating away at your soul?
-- What has distracted you from having a purifying relationship with God?
Work, Children, Money, Sickness, Abuse, Priorities our of Order?
GOD IS THE CURE!
He sent his servant boy here to tell you this morning that God has heard
your cry, He knows your need and that he can take care of the problem.
There’s nothing too hard for our Lord. With man it is impossible, but with
God ALL things are possible.
So what does Naaman do?
-He collects some very nice gifts.
-He get’s the king of Syria to write a letter to the king of Israel - Jehoram.
-He has a big escort of the military.
Look at this great man.
He has all the world could offer -
- Riches
- Power
- Social standing
- Might
But those things don’t give happiness that will last. They can and will let
you down.
Dear ones it didn’t make him content or cured. It made his life feel hopeless
and empty. Have you ever felt that way?
Your works, your riches that you worked so hard for, your might, your
position, and your power will not save you. Just like it didn’t save Naaman.
- They went to the King Jehoram to get the cure.
- Elisha heard about this great enterage of Naaman and he sent word to the
Syrian Commander to come to his house.
- In other words, Elisha was saying you’ll not find your answer in the world.
It’s going to come from a higher power than a worldy king or a worldly
religion.
Vs. 10 - When this parade arrived at Elisha’s house He sent his messenger
to this foreign dignitary. He didn’t even invite him in.
- The messenger said for him to “Go and wash in the Jordan river 7 times.”
- “Wash in the what? - How many times? Are you crazy? Do you realize who
you are speaking to?”
- “Yeah, aren’t you the leper, the one who has tried everything else to
make you happy and haven’t got the answers to your needs? Aren’t you the
one who came and wanted to be cured?
“By the way mister, we didn’t come looking for you. Do you want to be
healed or not?”
Listen friend, do we want to be healed or not? If we don’t want to be healed
then I guarantee you this. We won’t be. We have got to get to the point
where we come to God and ask him to save us - Heal us - Fix our miserable
lives. And when he says humble yourselves before me, have faith, trust in
me.
You know what we say many times? “Yeah, but I wanted you to help me so
I could be about my own business as usual. Lord don’t you know that this is
the microwave age. Where’s the instant cure in a package? Why are you
trying to interrupt my lifestyle?”
I didn’t expect for you to ask for this consecration thing where I actually
have to obey what you say. I thought I could bring you a few gifts, give you
a little of my attention and poof you would fix all my problems and I would
be on my way.
vs. 11 - Naaman was wroth - that means he had just exploded in rage.
Because he didn’t like the way he was being treated. He thought of himself
more highly than he was. Poor Naaman. That’s the way many of us want
others to think.
Poor Christian person - Got this affliction, trial, problem and God won’t heal
them.
Illustration
In one of the episodes of the old "Amos & Andy Show", Amos had tired of
Andy alsway hitting him in the chest and asking, "Ain’t thta right, Amos ?"
One day, Amos goes to see the Kingfish. "Look, Kingfish," Amos asks,
showing several sticks of dynamite strapped to his chest. "The next time
Andy slaps me on the chest, he’s gonna blow his fool hand off !" Isn’t that
the way anger and pride and rebellion are? In attempting to hurt someone
else, we always seem to hurt ourselves.
Anger, Pride, and rebellion will only cause you more problems. They won’t
solve the ones you have now.
Vs. 12
- 1st of all - Did God cause your situation or did you? Many times we get
ourself into pickles and expect our Genie in the bottle to fix it all up.
“Your wish is my command!” NOT!!
- 2nd of all - Maybe the prayers we have been praying is not effective
because we aren’t willing to do what God says to do to solve the problem.
- God says I’ll give your life back if you come and get saved and live
as I have shown you through my Word.
- And you’ll get your priorities straight.
- Seek ye FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and THEN
all these other things will be added unto you.
Maybe you’ve not been seeking the right things and not in the right
places 1st and that’s why we are not getting the results that we are looking
for.
No true revival, lost ones not saved, sick not healed, etc. Maybe we
need to fall in love with the Lord all over again!
God help us to get on track with Him again! Instead of saying why do we
have to do this? Say ‘Lord what can I do?’
Help us to be willing to do what He says, when says it!
Vs. 11 “But Naaman was wroth and went away” The worst thing you could
do this morning is to walk out that door and not search yourself of where
God wants you to move up.
“But Naaman was wroth and went away”, Just like we have done to
God too many times. Many times maybe you have come face to face with
God and walked away.
“Has He talked to your heart but yet you walked away?”
Vs. 11 “But Naaman was wroth and went away, and said, Behold I thought,
He will surely come out to me...”
How many of us have tried it our way? How many of us have tried to make
deals with God. “Lord if you save me out of this situation then I will...” Lord
if you do this then I’ll do this.”
Vs. 11 ...I thought, surely he will come out to me... (Meet me on my terms
in other words - God doesn’t work that way)
Vs. 11 “..., and stand, and call on the name of theLord His God, and strike
his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”
This is so familiar. How many times have we come to God in prayer with the
answers already in our minds that we want him to give.
Too many times we have the mindset of ... “Lord let your will be done” and
Lord by the way here is your will.”
1st you need to do this and 2nd this and 3rd that.
- I can’t help to wonder of how many blessings we have messed out on
because we were not willing to do things God’s way? And not ours!
Because WE know what we needed to do before we asked God. Instead of
letting him give us Divine Wisdom.
I wonder when we got so WISE that we didn’t need God’s Word in our life.
Lord help us to humble ourselves before the Lord of Lord’s, King of Kings,
and God of Gods. We need to say Lord whatever you want, whatever you
ask I will obey!
We can never be saved until we are willing to let God be the Lord of our life
as well as the Savior of our life. We can never stay saved until continue to
walk in the light of God’s Word no matter where it takes us.
Vs. 13 - But His servants came... “My father, if the prophet had bid thee do
some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then,
when he saith to thee, wash and be clean?”
- Sometimes it seems if God were to tell us to go and make a million dollars
and then you can be saved.
- Or you must knock on so many doors then you will be saved.
- What if it was live whatever way you want and just believe then you will
be saved.
- You must say so many Hell-Mary’s then you will be saved.
- You must give so much money to the Church then...
- Just have a church membership then...
- Just speak in tongues...
- Just be baptized or accepted in the church then you can be saved.
What does the Bible say?
-Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
- Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we
were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
- John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that
believeth not on the Son shall not see life;...”
- Eph. 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Romans 10:8-10
Vs. 14 Naaman had to set his pride out of the way and have faith in Elisha.
“Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according
to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the
flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”
He was cleansed of all sickness. He was made pure. Dear ones, that is
exactly what happens when we are cleansed in the blood of Jesus Christ.
WE are washed of all uncleanness. Praise the Lord it means we are made
whole again.
When Naaman minded the Lord, when he obeyed the Lord’s command. Only
when he obeyed the Lord’s command. Only then when he put away his
pride then...Naaman was made whole.
If you are here this morning and you have not been made clean by the
Lord. If you still have this deadly thing called sin in your life you too can be
cleansed. Why not experience the cleansing power of God right now?
Ajax can’t get you cleaner.Clorox can’t whiten you any whiter. Dove can’t
soften your old hard skin any better.
You can be freed from the bonds of sin this morning by allowing Jesus to
cleanse your heart with His blood. The soul cleansing blood of the spotless
lamb of God that was sacrificed on the Cross of Calvary for our sins.
No other way will do. Only God’s way will work! Why don’t you allow God to
make you whole again? Dip into God’s love today!
Vs. 15 Listen to this verse. What a testimony of God’s Power. You could be
able to say that today. If...
Last part of 15 Naaman wants to give Elisha all these gifts.
Vs. 16 Elisha refused the gifts.
Vs. 17 - 19 He knows that this God Rimmon is not the true God. And he
asks pardon from having to go to the wrong temple.
Vs. 20-24 Gehazi the servant of Elisha wanted the gifts, so he ran after him
and took some of the gifts.
- When you run after the world, you get the what the world has to give --
EMPTY PROMISES! Let me tell you IT COSTS YOU!
Vs. 27 - When he returned to Elisha - Elisha told him the leprosy that
Naaman had would be on Gehazi and on his seed.
Notice two things about this verse. First Gehazi reaped what he sowed.
He started getting his priorities out of order.
-Secondly, pay close attention to the last three or four words in this
sentence.
“and on his seed.” Sin doesn’t just want to destroy your life, it
doesn’t just want to steal your joy, it’s an unsatiable desire that effects
your family, friends, fellow workers. You are testifying something with your
life.
Either testifying for Satan or God.
Greed and pride will destroy you my friends.
The only way to be healed is to let God cleanse you, save you.
Illustration
Pride can be poison
Near the end of World War II, a soldier wrote home about the strange
sights he saw while France was being liberated. He saw Germans jumping
and shouting for joy at the thought of being taken prisoner and escaping
the fighting. He saw many wounded Germans gratefully accepting Allied
offers of mercy. But one German, a stern S.S. man refused help.
The S.S. man required an immediate blood transfusion. “Will it be British
blood?” he asked.
The doctor nodded, “Healthy British blood. You will die if you do not take
it.”
The German frowned at his benefactor. His face tightened into a rigid
frown. “Then, I would rather die.”
A few hours later his body was prepared for burial.
That man was crazy you might say. He should have taken the transfusion of
blood and lived.
Dear ones, we are in the same situation this morning. If you don’t take the
transfusion of blood that Jesus has provided, we too will die an even more
horrible death than this man.
This death the Bible says will be eternal punishment, eternal torment.
God help us this morning to set our pride and self out of the way and let
the Lord have His way. Don’t let Satan harden your heart this morning.
Don’t let friends or family stand in your way. Don’t let some idea of I will
later, allow your soul to be damned forever.
Let the blood of our Saviour be transfused into your veins this day so that
you might have life and life more abundant.
God can and will save you if you are willing to do it His way!
Giving When It Counts - Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a
hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz, who was suffering from a rare
and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood
transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the
same disease and had developed the antibodies, needed to combat the
illness.
The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little
boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister.
I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and
saying, "Yes, I’ll do it, if it will save her."
As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled,as
we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks.
Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and
asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?"
Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he
was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her.You
see, after all, understanding and attitude, is everything.
