Naaman's Healing

We're going to begin our worship this evening by singing to God's praise in Psalm 27 in the

Sing Psalms. We're singing verse 1 to verse 5. The Lord's my Savior and my light, who will make me

dismayed. The Lord's the stronghold of my life. Why should I be afraid? When evildoers threaten

me to take my life away, my adversaries and my foes, they will stumble in that day. We're going

to sing from verse 1 to 5. The tune is St. Columba, and we'll stand to sing.

St. Columba, and we'll make me dismayed. When evildoers threaten me to take my life away,

my adversaries and my foes, they will stumble in that day. Although an army hands me in,

my heart will feel no dread. Though war against me should arise, I will lift up my head.

one thing that I need before the Lord, and this I'll see always, that I may come within

in the cross-house and dwell in cross-house and dwell there all my days.

and in the cross-house and dwell there all my days.

on the beauty of the Lord, I constantly believe in his, and in his mouth may seem to know

the direction in the cross-house and dwell there all my days.

the beauty of the Lord, and in his way.

the beauty of the Lord, I constantly believe in his, and in his mouth may seem to know

the direction in his ways.

the beauty of the Lord, and in his dwelling is, and in his dwelling is, and in his ways.

the meaning is, and in his ways.

the beauty of the Lord, and in his dwelling is, and in his ways.

May seem to know

Direction in His ways

For in His dwelling

He will be

Be safe in trouble

Will face

Within His tent

He'll shelter me

And on and on

Be raised

Let's unite her

Hearts in prayer

Let us pray

Lord our God

Our Father in Heaven

The privilege is ours

To come and draw near

To You in worship

The joy is ours

To know that You are a God

Who delights

In Your people coming

And to draw near to You

And to offer up

Praise from the very bottom

Of our hearts

Rejoicing in the fact

That You alone

Are our salvation

That in You alone

There is salvation

For all who will come

And put their trust

In the Lord Jesus Christ

And we thank You

That the Gospel

Is an open invitation

That there are no restrictions

Put on it

But that there is a free offer

Through the Gospel

We thank You

That the Word

Became flesh

And dwelt among us

And we thank You

That the beauty of Christ

Has been seen

And indeed is seen

In this world

That there were many

Who gazed upon the Lord

Who saw His works

Who saw His miracles

Who spoke of them

Who marveled at them

That we thank You

That the greatest one

Of all

That was those

Who could say

He is not here

For He is risen

We thank You

That there is such great hope

In those words

That though there were many

Who looked on

As our Lord

Was led to the cross

And as He was crucified

And as He gave His life up

That there was much sorrow

In that time

As there was darkness

Over all the earth

We thank You

For the resurrection morning

We thank You

For the power

He has

Over conquering death

And that in Jesus Christ

Now

We know the beauty

Of salvation

We know the delight

To be able

To come near to Him

And we pray

That even this evening

We will have that

Great longing

Of the psalmist

That one thing

We'll plead

Before the Lord

That we will seek it always

That we may come in

Within God's house

And dwell there

All our days

That we would see

The beauty

Of the Lord

And gaze constantly

Upon Him

We thank You

That that is not just seen

Here in this place

But even as we leave here

This evening

Help us to fix our eyes

On our Lord

And Saviour

Jesus Christ

The one who heals

Our sin sick hearts

The one who

If we come in repentance

And confessing

Our sins anew

He is able to cleanse us

From all our sin

So we acknowledge

Lord before You

And You this evening

Our shortcomings

How we are a people

Who falls short

Of Your glory

In so many ways

You know the wickedness

And the deceit

Of our hearts

As the word says

The heart is wicked

Beyond all things

And we know Lord

In our own experience

In our day to day lives

How easy it is

For us to sin

How often we say

The wrong thing

How often we do

The wrong thing

How often the wrong thoughts

Come into our minds

How often our inaction

Is sin as well

But we thank You

That there is yet

Forgiveness with You

And so we come as sinners

Before a holy God

This evening

Pleading with You Lord

Have mercy upon us

And direct us

Towards You

Lead us in our worship

Lift up our hearts

And our souls

To You this evening

So whatever our circumstances

Whatever our situation

We may find that great joy

Of salvation

Restored to our hearts

We thank You

That You are the one

Who is able

That we come before You

With powerless hands

And lips

We thank You

For the power of Your Spirit

We thank You

For the power You have

To work in and through us

And so we plead

Lord Your presence with us

That You will draw near to us

As we draw near to You

Bless all our homes

And families

As we unite our hearts

Together here

Bless the homes

We reach into

Through the online services

As well

And all who are

Unable to be with us

For such a variety

Of reasons

We thank You

That we have the means

To

For the gospel

To go out

We pray that You will bless it

To all ends of the earth

Not just the gospel

Preached here today

But throughout

Our denomination

Throughout our churches

Throughout all the churches

Of the world today

Wherever Your people

Have gathered

As Your church

That wherever Your name

Has been praised

That there will be much glory

Given to You

We pray for the work

Of salvation

To be seen and known

Far and wide

But we thank You

That Your gospel

Is not confined

In any way

Not limited in any way

And even as we see

In our reading this evening

That Your word

Is powerful

To convict

And to convert

And so we pray

For that power

To be with us

As we hear Your word

And as we come

To study it together here

We know Lord

That You know

Our very hearts

And our innermost thoughts

And we thank You

That as we come

In prayer

We come rejoicing

In the hope

That You are the one

Who is able to answer

Above and beyond

All that we ask

Or imagine

We thank You

That as we ask

For comfort

In our prayers

That You are able

To comfort

Beyond the comfort

We even imagine

That we cannot enter

Into the experiences

Of Your people

At times

In the hurt they feel

In the anxieties

They have

In those who are

Downcast in their hearts

Sorrowful in their souls

But we thank You

That You are the one

Who is able to uplift

That You are the one

Who is able to encourage

And so we pray

For all

Who we know

And love

And care for

Who are going

Through difficult times

Times of sorrow

Times of illness

Times of grief

We do pray Lord

For Your hand

To be upon them

For good

That they would know

That You are the one

Who is faithful

And always ever present

That You are the one

Who is near

We pray Lord

For our communities

At this time

We know that there's

Been so much activity

Around the town

These past days

We do thank You

For many people

We've met

And spoken to

We do pray Lord

That even from

This morning's

Breakfast

That there will be

Many seeds

That have been

Sown there

That will be

Blessed by You

Thank You

For every engagement

That was made

With people in the hall

Thank You

For those who came

Into the worship service

And maybe even here

This evening too

Those who are visiting

With us

We pray Your blessing

On each and every one

And we do thank You Lord

That You are a God

Who is able to unite us

As a people

Through praise

And worship

We thank You

For the families

Who are present

This morning

For the baptisms

We thank You

For the children

Who are baptized

We continue to pray

Your blessing on them

We thank You

For that great covenant

Promise that there is

And we pray

That You will draw

These children

And all our children

To know the covenant

Promise of Christ

Fulfilled in Him

That they through faith

Might come to confess Him

As their Lord and Saviour

Look after all our young people

During these holiday times

Remember especially those

Who are at camps just now

We continue to pray

For the camps

That continue to meet

In this week

And the week ahead

The weeks ahead

We ask Your safety

And Your protection

And Your blessing

Over each and every one

Of the leaders

And all the activities

They are involved in

And the children

Lord may they hear

The gospel good news

And may they be blessed

By it

We do pray for

The ongoing work

Of the church

Throughout our nation

And the nations of the world

How we need Your light

To go forth

And with power

Into our

Into every nation

Of the world

To bless our leaders

To bless those

Who rule over us

To bless those

Who have such

Desires for evil

In this world

When we think of war

And terrorist activities

And greed

And all of the things

That direct our hearts

So often

We pray for You

To melt the hardest

Of hearts

To bring grace

And to bring mercy

And to bring repentance

And to bring glory

To Your name

So we continue to pray

For the needs of our world

For Your protection

Over us as a people

For Your blessing

To be upon us

For Your reviving power

Of Your spirit

To be with us

Even in this time together

May You continue

To bless us this day

And look after us

And go before us

In the days ahead

Direct our steps

And our paths

Encourage our hearts

And give us lips

That will always sing

Your praise

And witness for You

So Lord continue

With us now

In our praise

As we continue

To worship You

Forgive us all our sins

And all we ask

We ask the forgiveness

Of all our sin

In Jesus name

Amen

We'll again sing

To God's praise

In Psalm 125

In the Scottish Psalter

You'll find this

On page 429

Psalm 125

Psalm 125

Page 419

We'll sing the whole

Of this Psalm together

Then the Lord

That firmly trust

Shall be like Sion Hill

Which at no time

Can be removed

But standeth ever still

We'll sing

The whole of this Psalm

The tune is St. Andrew

And we'll stand

To sing

From the Church

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Okay.

We turn together to read in God's Word, a reading in the Old Testament and in the book of 2 Kings.

2 Kings chapter 5.

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

We're reading from the beginning of the chapter down to the middle of verse 19.

2 Kings chapter 5, reading from the beginning of that chapter.

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

1 Kings chapter 5, reading from the beginning of that chapter.

1 Kings 5 · chapter mention

1 Kings chapter 5, reading from the beginning of that chapter.

1 Kings 5 · chapter mention

1 Kings chapter 5, reading from the beginning of that chapter.

1 Kings 5 · chapter mention

he is seeking a quarrel with me. But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had

torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me,

that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman came with his horses and chariots

and stood at the door of Elisha's house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying,

Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.

But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and

stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.

Are not Aban and Farpar, the rivers of Damascus, Beth and all the waters of Israel?

Could I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. But their servants came

near and said to him, My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you. Will you not do it?

As he actually said to you, Wash and be clean. So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the

Jordan according to the word of the man of God. And his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little

child, and he was clean. Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came

and stood before him. And he said, Behold, I know there is no God in all the earth but in Israel,

so accept now a present from your servant. But he said, As the Lord lives before whom I stand,

I will receive none. And he urged him to take it, but he refused. Then Naaman said, If not, please,

let it be given to your servant two mule loads of earth. For from now on, on your servant,

on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any God but the Lord. In this matter,

may the Lord pardon your servant. When my master goes into the house of Rimon to worship there,

leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimon,

the Lord pardon your servant in this matter. He said to him, Go in peace.

And so on. And may God bless that reading from his word to our souls. We're going to sing again

before we turn back to this passage in Psalm 31. We're singing the Sing Psalms version. Psalm 31 on

page 36 of the Psalm books. I'm going to sing from verse 1 to verse 7. In you I have taken refuge,

Lord. You are my shelter in distress, so let me never be ashamed, but save me in your righteousness.

We're going to sing verse 1 to verse 7, and the tune is Rockingham, and we'll stand to sing.

in you I have taken refuge, Lord. You are my shelter in distress. Oh, let me never be ashamed, but save me in your righteousness.

Lord, turn you here to hear my cry. How quickly to be dear to hear my cry. How quickly to be dear to hear my cry.

Lord, deliver me, and bring my love and firm defense, my stronghold and security.

You are my fortress and my love. You are my fortress and my love. For you may save me, my sure guide.

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O God of truth, my spirit I commit to you.

I hate all those who trust false gods.

I trust the Lord, for he is true.

I will rejoice and take delight in all the love that you have shown.

For my affection you have seen.

To you, my soul's distress is known.

Amen.

Well, if we can turn back to our reading in 2 Kings 5.

We want to consider these verses we've read.

Together we read of this man called Naaman.

Naaman, who was, as we read in verse 1, commander of the army of the king of Syria.

He was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria.

He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.

And so it goes on.

There are many things that we maybe think are hidden from others in this life.

Many things that we probably know in our own hearts that we're glad that people don't know about us.

But God's word reminds us that there is nothing hidden from the Lord.

You know, in the psalm we just sang, Psalm 31.

In verse 7 we read these words.

For my affliction you have seen.

To you my soul's distress is known.

And in the midst of Naaman's life, in the midst of everything that was good in his life, as he would see it himself,

there was something that was a great affliction to him.

But almost unbeknown to him, the Lord had a great plan and a greater plan for him than anything that he could have planned in his own heart.

And that's what we want to look at this evening as we come to look at this passage.

One of the many things that people will look forward to on a Sunday, and perhaps you've already enjoyed this afternoon,

is to sit down to a nice meal.

To sit down and enjoy maybe a traditional Sunday roast.

Gathered around the table, maybe with family and friends.

Sometimes it's hard to beat, just a nice roast and all the trimmings.

But with it comes another issue.

The dishes.

There may be a rush to come and sit at the table when everyone's called, that the food is ready.

But then once all the food is gone, once all the food has been devoured,

there'll be a different kind of rush.

And that's the rush away from having to do the dishes.

We'll leave that for someone else to do.

Because to make a roast involves a lot of work.

The roasting dish will be hard to clean.

The pan of vegetables that's dried and burnt to the bottom will be impossible to clean.

The Yorkshire dish, the Yorkshire pudding dish, it just will not clean no matter how much you scrub at it.

So there's a lot of work.

And that's when people will disappear.

And that's why there are billions spent on trying to find the magic cleaning agent

or the magic machine that will do the work for you.

But there are some stains that are just impossible and so hard to remove.

Well, this evening as we look at Naaman, we're looking at a man who in the midst of all his power and all his wealth,

a man who probably never had to clean a dish in his life.

We look at him, but he's got a different problem.

A different issue that's needing cleaning.

But no matter how much he has and no matter how much he can try to deal with this issue himself,

it is impossible.

It's a stain that's impossible to remove by himself.

As we've read there in verse 1, you see so many things about this man.

So many things that would have held him in great esteem among his people.

He was a man of great power, a commander of the army, second only to the king of Syria.

And yet he finds himself having to humble himself and look for help from someone he would never want to go near

by his own choice.

To go to the people of Israel.

To go to the prophet of God.

To go to Elisha in order to be healed.

And yet it's into this amazing situation that we see God working things for his good.

From the most unexpected of sources comes a word of hope to him.

From a little girl who had been taken captive.

Who has a great burden for her Lord as she calls him.

For her master.

And she speaks to his wife these wonderful words.

If only he would look to the Lord.

If he would only listen to this prophet of God.

And it's in this encounter that the word of God takes hold of this man who was a stranger to the God of Israel.

A stranger to the Lord and his grace.

And at the center, at the heart of it, is what it really means to be clean.

To have that stain of sin washed away.

A stain that we can never remove ourselves.

But that only the Lord can.

It's a reminder to us of ourselves.

And how we are a people who are unclean in so many ways.

But how the Lord is able to work from the inside out.

To make us clean.

In other words, to make us right with God.

But we may see ourselves in Naaman.

Or we have to see ourselves in Naaman.

In different ways to know this cleaning.

In order for our hearts to be made right with God.

Our hearts need to be pricked.

Just as Naaman's was.

And there's three things I want us to see about Naaman this evening.

That remind us of ourselves.

The first thing is this.

That Naaman was a sick man.

The second thing is he was a stubborn man.

The third thing.

And the most amazing thing is he was a saved man.

So the first thing we see is Naaman is a sick man.

Naaman and who he was.

We are introduced there in verse 1.

It tells us all about him.

But what does it tell us?

What does it say in that verse that stands out to you?

He was a commander.

Commander of the army of the king of Syria.

Which at this time was one of the most powerful kingdoms in the whole world.

It's hard for us to imagine just the power that this man had.

The hold that he had over his own armies.

And over all the nations around him.

People lived in fear of him.

He was a commander in the midst of this.

It says too that he was a great man with his master.

He was trusted by the king of Syria.

He gave him all authority and all power to do as he saw right in his eyes.

To go about all his conquests.

He was trusted by the king of Syria.

It also says that he was a mighty man of valor.

He was a brave man.

He had conquered many nations.

Many people.

He'd won many battles over his years.

You can almost see him as being untouchable in so many different ways.

And these are the kinds of things that in our day and age are so appealing to people now as well.

They want this sense of being untouchable as we were hearing this morning about everybody has their own individual ideas.

You cannot tell me what to do.

I am going to do what I want.

And these are the things that people see as being important.

People want power and wealth and authority are strived for.

And as we've seen over the last few years, they're not easily given up.

Nobody wants to let go of this power.

Nobody wants to let go of this authority if they have it.

People want this sense of power.

But yet there is something about Naaman in this verse that it tells us to.

Something telling.

You see, at the end of verse 1, there is a but.

He may have been all these great things.

A commander.

A trusted man.

A man of valor.

A mighty man of valor.

Yet it says at the end of the verse,

But he was a leper.

He was a sick man.

No matter how much power.

No matter how much money or authority he had.

This was something that was incurable.

He was a sick man.

Now we've experienced much sickness in different ways over these last few years.

Our world was living in a way where it seemed people were untouchable.

Nothing could get to them.

And yet during the pandemic, it seemed at some points that each day it was emphasized just how contagious the virus was.

And it was often noted that even so-and-so has got it.

And it's almost like people were astonished, surprised, that people in positions such as the rich and the famous sports people, the politicians, that this virus could touch them.

And yet no one was immune to it.

No matter the power that Naaman had.

No matter the wealth that Naaman had.

He was sick.

And no matter the power that anyone has today.

Or the status that anyone has today.

People are not immune to sickness.

But this is telling us more than just a physical illness.

This is reminding us of a greater problem.

A problem that's even more contagious than any virus of this world that comes our way in this world.

And it's the problem of sin.

Sin is the greatest sickness that we experience.

And we all have it.

You see, no matter how you describe your life today.

No matter how well you feel today.

Or no matter how weak and vulnerable you maybe feel today.

This is something we cannot get away from.

This is a problem we all have.

We all have this but in our life.

Not I am a leper.

But I am a sinner.

I am a sinner.

Naaman was a sick man.

You and I are sick people.

Because the word of God tells us so.

You read in the book of Romans chapter 3 verse 23.

Romans 3:23

We all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

No matter how much we try and deny it.

No matter how much we try and push that away from us.

No matter how much the world will tell us that we cannot say you are a sinner.

The word of God tells us that we are sick.

That we are all sinners.

Naaman was a mighty man.

A powerful man.

But he was a sick man.

But in the midst of this.

There is something greater going on.

God is at work.

There is another but in this verse.

A verse.

A but that we maybe don't see.

Immediately that doesn't stand out as much as.

But he was a leper.

You see in this opening verse.

It is not all about Naaman.

It is not telling us.

How great Naaman was.

It is telling us.

How great God is.

You read through verse 1 there.

And there is all these things about Naaman.

Naaman was a commander of the army.

He was a great man with his master.

High in favor.

But in the middle of the verse it says.

Another but if you like.

But because.

By him.

The Lord.

Had given victory to Syria.

It wasn't through Naaman's power.

It wasn't through Naaman's.

Military tactics.

Or skills.

It was the Lord.

That had given victory.

It was the Lord.

Who had won.

God.

Was in the midst.

Of everything here.

And it's a reminder to us as well.

For all.

Our world is sin sick.

That God.

Is working in this world.

God is working.

His purposes.

Through all his works of providence.

Providence.

God is still working.

Providence.

That doesn't seem to make sense to us.

At times.

Who could understand.

Why this mighty nation of Syria.

Naaman's day.

Was all conquering.

And all powerful.

When they did not trust God.

Yet in the midst of it.

God was teaching his people lessons.

And God was working.

Even in the heart of Naaman.

An enemy of God.

It was the Lord.

Who had given.

Victory.

In all the victories.

That Naaman had.

It was the Lord.

Naaman.

Could do nothing.

Without the Lord.

Willing it.

And the same.

Is true for ourselves.

Too.

We are lost.

Apart from the Lord.

God.

But we should be thankful.

That the Lord is speaking.

That the Lord is working.

That the Lord looks down.

On this sin sick world.

And what does he want for his people.

That they might be saved.

That they might come.

To him.

And be saved.

Because there is something else here.

In these opening verses.

That reminds us.

Of God's great works.

In verse 2.

It says.

Now the Syrians.

On one of their raids.

Had carried off.

A little girl.

From the land of Israel.

And she worked.

In the service.

Of Naaman's wife.

She said.

To her mistress.

Would.

That my Lord.

Were with the prophet.

Who is in Samaria.

It's such.

A minute detail.

In so many ways.

Naaman.

Would have had no thought.

For this little girl.

As she was taken captive.

Probably along with hundreds.

Or even thousands of others.

But this little girl.

Was about to change his life.

This little girl.

In God's providence.

Was brought to work.

In his household.

To have a word.

To speak.

To Naaman's wife.

Would.

That my Lord.

Were with the prophet.

Who is in Samaria.

Watching the courage.

Of that little girl.

To speak.

To say these words.

To her masters.

In their own home.

To stand up before them.

And direct them.

To their enemy.

And say.

You can get help there.

From this man.

Of God.

From this prophet.

Of God.

The courage.

Of this little girl.

And then.

Isn't it wonderful.

How God.

Works together.

All things.

How God.

In the midst.

Of this mighty.

Man of valor.

Life.

Uses.

A little.

Helpless girl.

To direct him.

To the place.

Of healing.

What we see.

In this little girl.

Is what we should see.

In every Christian.

Courage.

Courage.

To speak.

And to point people.

To the prophet of God.

To the son of God.

To Jesus Christ.

And to say.

To the sin sick world.

I know your problem.

Because I have it too.

I am a sinner.

In my heart.

Yet I know.

Where there is hell.

Would.

That you would go.

To Christ.

Would.

That you would come.

To him.

Who is able.

To heal.

We have a powerful man.

Who is a sick man.

But who hears.

Of a great God.

And that is what we should long for today.

For ourselves.

To know our sickness.

To know that.

No matter what power we feel we have.

We are unable to do anything about this sickness.

But to hear.

That there is a God.

Who can help.

To acknowledge our sin.

To acknowledge our weakness before God.

Pleading for help.

With him.

But we see the second thing.

Is a problem we also have so often.

Naaman.

Is a stubborn man.

And isn't that a problem.

We so often have.

Ourselves too.

You just look at the way Naaman responds.

When he hears about this.

Possibility of help.

He hears.

The potential of healing.

For himself.

And he's keen.

To find out.

What it is.

But he wants it on his own terms.

He wants everything done.

His way.

And that's because.

Like you and I.

He was stubborn.

Sin.

Makes us stubborn.

Sin makes us a people.

Who want to work things out.

For ourselves.

We want things done.

In our own way.

And who is willing.

To acknowledge.

Their stubbornness.

We are so often.

Too slow.

To admit it.

Even if someone was to tell us.

Why are you so stubborn?

Or you're just a stubborn person.

Our natural reaction.

Would be to say.

I'm not stubborn.

Our stubbornness.

Makes us stubborn.

To admit we're stubborn.

We don't want.

To admit it.

And we'll go on the defensive.

Straight away.

And so.

If someone tells us.

You're a sinner.

And you need to come to Christ.

Our natural reaction is.

No I'm not.

And how dare you tell me so.

And you see.

Our own hearts.

In Naaman's.

In his stubbornness.

As you see.

In verse 11.

Naaman was angry.

He was angry.

And he went away.

Saying.

Behold.

I thought he would surely.

Come out to me.

And stand.

And call upon.

The name of the Lord.

And just wave his hand.

Over the place.

And cure the leper.

Why.

Why.

Was he so angry.

Because.

In his stubbornness.

He couldn't humble himself.

To this point.

Where he would receive help.

From somebody else.

He wanted it done.

To.

In his way.

First of all.

He thought.

He could sort things out.

For himself.

By his wealth.

You see that.

In the middle.

Of verse 5.

In verse 5.

It says.

The king of Syria said.

Go now.

And I will send a letter.

To the king of Israel.

So he went.

Taking with him.

Ten talents of silver.

Six thousand shekels of gold.

And ten changes.

Of clothes.

In today's value.

You're looking at silver.

They're worth about.

Two hundred thousand pounds.

And gold.

Worth.

Probably around.

Three million pounds.

And here he is.

Carrying this wealth.

With him.

In the hope.

That he could probably.

Buy.

His cleansing.

Purchase it for himself.

And to be able to say.

I have done it.

By my own wealth.

And by my own means.

But we are fools.

To think.

That we can in any way.

Do anything.

To earn or pay.

For our salvation.

To find a way.

That is going to save me.

That's.

A cost that I can pay myself.

Because our salvation.

Is a cost.

That we can.

And could never pay.

Isaiah 55.

Verse 1.

Is that.

Great invitation.

And says.

Come.

Everyone who thirsts.

Come to the waters.

He who has no money.

Come.

Buy and eat.

Come.

Buy wine and milk.

Without money.

And without price.

But Naaman would rather bring.

His own wealth.

To buy it.

And isn't that the stubbornness.

Of our hearts.

So often too.

Where we feel.

That there is a way.

We can do something.

About our situation.

Ourselves.

We need to learn.

This lesson.

Of our stubbornness.

You cannot.

We cannot.

Do anything.

The second way.

You see.

He was stubborn.

Was.

Who he came to.

He was told.

To go.

To the prophet.

Of God.

In Samaria.

But who does he come to?

He came.

To the king.

Elisha.

Was almost way down the ranks.

He wasn't going to go to a common person.

He was going to go to the top.

To the king.

If anyone was going to help him.

It would have to be someone really important.

So he goes.

To the king.

But no.

It wasn't to the king.

He had to go.

But his stubbornness.

Made him.

When he did eventually go to Elisha.

He wouldn't even go through his door.

He wasn't going to come down.

And go into his place.

He was going to have to come out to him.

To help him.

Did he not know who he was?

And how important a person he was.

In our stubbornness.

We need to humble ourselves.

To recognize how unimportant we are.

And to realize the importance of the one.

Who is able to help.

The one who came into this world.

Who humbled himself by coming into this world.

Who was nothing to be looked at.

And yet when we are saved.

As the psalmist says.

That we might see the beauty of the Lord.

The beauty of Jesus Christ.

And humble ourselves before him.

Our stubbornness wants things done.

Our way.

But humility teaches us.

And grace teaches us.

There is nothing we can do.

That it has all been done.

By the Son of God.

By Jesus Christ.

And to see Jesus.

And to see the price that he has paid.

Should humble us.

That he came to give his life.

As a ransom for many.

That he came to pay the price.

That we could never pay.

The book of Acts.

It tells us that there is only one.

Who can heal our sin sick hearts.

In chapter 4 verse 11.

It says.

This Jesus is the stone.

Who was rejected by you.

He has become the cornerstone.

And there is salvation.

In no one else.

For there is no other name.

Under heaven given among men.

By which we must be saved.

There is no other way.

In a stubbornness.

Naaman thought.

He could do things his way.

Again you look at.

Verse 11.

And it says.

In his anger.

Behold.

I thought.

That he would surely come out to me.

I thought.

This is how it was going to work out.

I thought.

This was what was going to happen.

And we all have our own plans.

I thought.

This is how I would be saved.

But the truth.

Changes it for us.

To recognize it so often.

Not what we thought.

But what the Lord wants.

He thought he could change.

God's plan.

Naaman thought.

His ways.

His ways.

Were superior.

To God's ways.

He even found fault.

In God's plan.

When Elisha says to him.

Through the messenger.

Go and dip yourself.

Seven times.

In the Jordan.

What's his response?

What an insult.

Are there not better rivers.

In my own country.

That I could go and dip myself in.

Are there not better places.

I could go.

Be a bit like someone.

Saying to us.

Go to Glasgow.

And dip yourself in the Clyde.

You say.

Well.

Why not just go to the Creed?

It's cleaner.

It's better.

But when God says.

To do something.

You must do it.

We must obey.

The command of God.

And not say.

But I've got a better idea.

I've got a better way.

If God says.

Go to church.

To hear his word.

You don't say no.

If God says.

You're a sinner.

You don't say.

No I'm not.

If God says.

You must repent.

You don't say.

No.

I've got no need.

For repentance.

If God says.

Believe in the Lord.

Jesus Christ.

It's the only way.

To salvation.

You don't have the right.

To turn and say.

No.

I've got a better way.

For there is only one way.

To be saved.

And that is through him.

Millions.

Every day.

Make the same mistake.

That Naaman made.

Perhaps you've been making.

That mistake.

In your own life.

Again.

And again.

You think.

Your own ways.

I thought.

I could do this.

I thought.

I could do it.

This way.

Or a better way.

I've got a better plan.

But God is saying.

No.

There is no other way.

To be saved.

So he speaks.

To Naaman's.

Stubborn heart.

In the same way.

He speaks.

To our own.

Stubborn hearts.

And he says.

Do it my way.

Come.

Repent.

And put your trust.

In the Lord Jesus Christ.

In our stubbornness.

God sent his son.

To bring a stubborn people.

Back to himself.

There is only.

One way.

Naaman.

Was a sick man.

Something we must acknowledge.

Naaman was a stubborn man.

Something again.

We must acknowledge.

And turn our hearts.

Towards him.

But the third thing.

And the great thing.

You see here.

Is Naaman.

Is a saved man.

When we see.

God's grace.

Fulfilled.

In his life.

You see the.

I thought.

I knew best.

In verse 11.

God.

I know.

He is a saint.

I know.

He is a saint.

In verse 15.

He returned.

To the man of God.

To Elisha.

He and all his company.

And he came.

And stood before him.

And he said.

Behold.

I know.

There is no God.

In all the earth.

But in Israel.

I thought.

I knew.

He is saying.

You see his humility.

Now I know.

Now I know.

there is no other God in all the earth but in Israel. And this is the God who has come to us

in the person of Jesus Christ. There is no other God but him. What a transformation for this man

Naaman, the second most powerful man in the world, humbled before God.

How was he humbled? How did he come to this point? He obeyed the word of God from the prophet.

He dipped himself seven times into the Jordan and he was cleansed.

There was repentance. There was humility. There was obedience.

He went from unwilling to willing. And you notice some things that brought him to this point.

There was a word from his own servants in verse 13. Even when he was angry, his servants came and said

to him there in verse 13, my father is a great word. The prophet has spoken to you. Will you not do it?

Will you not do it? And sometimes we just have to speak directly to people. People are angry against

God. But they said to him, my Lord, my father, it's a great word the prophet has spoken.

Sometimes the hardest thing for us is to speak the truth.

But in a world that's so confused and lost, it is the truth that needs to be heard.

My friends, you are sinners.

But my friends, there's a cure in Jesus Christ.

Naaman's stubbornness is turned to submission.

Who would have thought, looking at this man, this Naaman, the most powerful man at this time,

that in his stubbornness, he would be changed.

And when we look around ourselves today, we see our own stubbornness and we see the stubbornness of others.

We see the truth in love.

Naaman dipped himself in the Jordan.

And what the word of God is telling us is, you must believe.

You see, Naaman wasn't changed by the dipping itself.

He wasn't changed by the Jordan itself.

It was by the power of God that changed this leper into a man who was clean.

And how are we made clean today?

How can we be made clean?

Well, Peter, in his first letter, tells us,

not with perishable things such as silver or gold,

but with the precious blood of Christ,

like that of a lamb without blenish or spot.

We are made clean through faith in Christ.

And Naaman's cleansing was complete.

He got more than his health.

He was made whole.

It tells us there at the end of verse 14,

his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child,

and he was clean.

He was made well.

And you see it so often in the cleansing of Jesus in the New Testament.

The woman with the issue of blood.

Blind Bartimaeus.

And so it goes on, there's so many.

By the touch of Christ, they are made well.

They are made clean.

They are made whole.

Your faith has made you well, he says.

We need that faith.

And as he is made well,

you also see that even in his anxieties and his fears

of being a man who had come to trust in the God of Israel,

and he had to go back to his own people,

to his own land,

and the fear of the worship that they were involved in.

And you see that in verse 17 down to the middle of verse 19.

He's going back to a place that is offering sacrifices to any God,

but the Lord, it says.

There's so much that is wrong with where he is going.

And he has this fear.

And he brings this fear to Elisha.

He's almost saying to him,

he's bowing himself before him.

He's saying in verse 18,

in this matter, may the Lord pardon your servant.

He knows the challenges he's going to have going back.

But Elisha says this to him,

go in peace.

And one of our greatest fears

when it comes to faith in the Lord Jesus

is to go back into the world

and to live among a people who will challenge our faith,

a people whose ways may be so different to our faith,

to hear a language that hurts,

to see behavior that hurts.

We don't avoid it.

You see, Naaman was being put back there

as a light for the gospel,

a powerful man in the midst of that nation,

just like Daniel,

who stood up for the Lord,

just like so many we see in the scriptures

who stood up for the Lord.

And so we as Christians

are to stand up for the Lord.

Do not be afraid to believe.

For the Lord says,

go in peace.

And what these words means is

he goes with us.

When we are well,

we are to tell others

of the way to be well

and not to be afraid,

for the Lord is with us.

He will never leave us

or forsake us.

He is with his people always.

That is the great promise.

Do you see yourself then in this man, Naaman?

We are a sick people,

just like Naaman.

But in God's providence,

here we are with the opportunity

to know

the one who is able to make us clean,

the Lord Jesus.

We are a stubborn people.

Our hearts are always stubborn.

To be told what we must do,

we don't like it.

The Lord is telling us,

humble yourselves.

Humble yourselves

unto the mighty arm of God

so that he may lift you up.

That's what the gospel tells us.

And the gospel assures us

that when we come to the Lord Jesus,

we are made well,

we are made clean,

and we are able to go in peace.

That peace that only he can give.

We all have this issue of uncleanness.

The stain that's so hard to remove,

impossible for ourselves.

But God sent his son into this world

that these stain of sin

may be eradicated from our hearts,

that we may be made well with him,

and that we may know his peace.

Just like Naaman,

we are to humble ourselves in obedience

and come to him.

So may we hear that great invitation

to come and be clean,

to be well,

and to go in peace.

May God bless his word to us.

We're going to conclude by singing

to his praise in Psalm 92

in the Scottish Psalter.

Psalm 92,

page 351.

We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 3.

Psalm 91,

Psalm 92, sorry.

Psalm 92,

in the Scottish Psalter,

verse 1 to verse 3.

To render thanks unto the Lord,

it is a comely thing,

and to thy name,

O thou most hide,

you praise aloud to sing.

We'll sing from verse 1 to verse 3

to God's praise.

You praise aloud to sing.

You praise aloud to sing.

To praise aloud to sing.

To praise aloud to sing.

Love to die in all the most high,

to praise aloud to sing.

Thy lovingkindness to show

for when shines a morning light,

and to declare thy faithfulness

with pleasure every night,

with pleasure every night,

with pleasure every night,

and to declare thy faithfulness,

with pleasure every night,

on heart and sing it instrument,

upon the psaltery,

And on heart and singлена.

And on heart we shall

and sound a BE sweet melody,

and邊 sweet melody,

and邊 sweet melody,

and邊 sweet melody,

and two.

And on the heart will fall in sun

And grace be carried out thee

After the benediction I'll go to the door to my right hand side

Let's close with the benediction

Now may grace, mercy and peace from God

Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Rest upon and abide with us all

Now and forevermore

Amen