The Great Man, the Girl Servant, and the Godly Prophet

Well, these are the intimations, then we're going to begin worship now singing in Psalm 105,

Psalm 105 on page 374, singing to June Peterson, and we'll sing verses 1 to 7.

Give thanks to God, call on his name, to men his deeds make known.

Sing ye to him, sing psalms, proclaim his wondrous works, each one.

See that ye in his holy name to glory do accord, and let the heart of everyone rejoice that seeks the Lord.

We'll stand to sing these verses 1 to 7. Give thanks to God.

Sing psalms, proclaim his wondrous works, each one.

See that ye in his holy name to glory do accord, and let the heart of everyone rejoice that seeks the Lord.

The Lord almighty and his strength, with steadfast hearts sing ye.

His blessed and his gracious face, sing ye continually.

Think on the works that ye hath done, which admiration breed.

His wonders and the judgments all, which from his mouth proceed.

O ye that dad of Abram's race, his servant will appear, and ye that Jacob's children are,

whom he chose for his own.

Because he and he only is the mighty Lord our God,

And his most righteous judgments are, in all the earth abroad.

We're now going to call upon the Lord in prayer.

Let's unite our hearts in prayer.

Almighty and gracious God,

we give thanks that we are gathered here today once again in your name.

We give thanks for these words that you have given us to sing in your praise,

words that remind us, Lord, that it is our great privilege to worship you,

a privilege to know you as our God, and to sing your praises,

to call upon your name in prayer, and to contemplate the great works that you have done.

Lord our God, we come before you not in our own merit,

or any worth that we have in ourselves or in our works.

We come in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son.

We come, O Lord, confident that he is the ground on which we are able to approach you,

and find approval and acceptance with you.

And as we have been singing, help us, we pray,

to rejoice in your presence, in his name and for his sake.

We thank you again, Lord, today for your many acts of kindness toward us.

For you continue to show us your favor,

despite the fact that we need to confess frequently our shortcomings,

our own failures, our sins against you,

and our lapses, and the many ways in which, O Lord, we fail

to match up to the standard that you set before us.

O Lord, we are conscious that were we to depend on ourselves and our own ability,

we could never find a place of acceptance in your sight.

We thank you today that we depend upon the finished, perfect work of the Savior,

that we come in his name, the Lord Jesus Christ,

and on the promise that you will receive us and accept us in him.

We thank you for the way in which that favor and acceptance lasts

and will last throughout eternity for your people.

For all who have come to trust in him,

you promise that the righteousness that you impute to them will be sufficient

and will never be changed and cannot in any way be taken from them.

We thank you today for that righteousness.

Righteousness, as the Apostle Paul said, that is not of ourselves,

but that righteousness that is through faith in Christ.

The righteousness of Jesus himself.

And we thank you, Lord, today that we have once again the opportunity to come to contemplate

and to give thanks for all that you have done in regard to this.

Bless us, Lord, we pray today as a congregation.

And this week we have entered, Lord, we anticipate by your will,

taking part in many other activities and services throughout the week.

We set these before you and ask, Lord, that you would bless us and bless them to us.

We pray that your word might continue to flourish amongst us,

that the gospel will take effect, O Lord, increasingly in our lives,

that we may come more and more to show that fruit in our lives,

that spiritual fruit that is the product of your Spirit,

and that we may therefore be as lights in the world and as the salt of the earth.

holding forth the word of life as your disciples.

Forgive us, Lord, we pray for the many opportunities we let pass by us

in the way of your serving.

We thank you, Lord, that we have access to the way of serving you in this world in different ways.

And we pray that you would enable us by your Holy Spirit to be effective in this world.

Lord, we pray for our community around us,

for all the communities in which we find your people today,

throughout our land and indeed all the way through the world.

O Lord, our God, we recognize that there is so much against the gospel,

so much thinking, so much in the way of actions of people like ourselves,

and yet who are themselves ranged against you,

and who do not care and indeed are in opposition to the values and the principles of the gospel itself.

Remember all those today, Lord, who stand in enmity against the gospel and against your people.

Whatever structure of society they belong to,

whatever groups they may have formed for themselves,

Lord, you have given us a desire and a heart to pray for those who don't know you,

for those who oppose you,

for those who openly stand and defiantly against your will,

against your word, against your church.

We pray for your church as well, O Lord, in our nation,

and we pray that you would grant your blessing to the gospel,

even though we know that we hear, Lord, and see defections from your truth,

and that we see some, O Lord, have set up for themselves what is effectively an alternative gospel.

Gracious Lord, we ask that you would restore where that has been the case,

granted you would keep before us, Lord, how futile it is to import the culture of the age into the ways of Christ.

And Lord, we ask that you would make us conscious that we need to adhere closely and lovingly

to your commands, to your standard, to your promises and precepts

that are always going to be sufficient in every way for human beings throughout the age.

We ask your blessing today for our young folk, our children,

and as they receive instruction, Lord, in your word,

bless them today, we pray, and make us thankful for those who teach them,

who give of their time to study the lessons and to impart them to the children.

We ask that you'd bless them, Lord, from the youngest through to the oldest age group amongst them.

And we ask that the efforts that are made, Lord, in terms of meetings for discipleship,

meetings for parents and children in regards to the work in the congregation in these days and weeks to come.

We ask, Lord, that you would bless us and bless parents as they would take part in these discussions.

Help them, Lord, we pray, to contribute meaningfully to it.

And help us to listen to the ways in which our parents of young children seek to bring their concerns

and the other issues that they face in their lives to be discussed and to be part of our thinking as we look ahead.

Lord, bless, we pray, those today of our number who are ill.

We pray that you'd grant blessing especially to those who are seriously ill.

Bless those who have COVID.

Lord, we pray that it may not progress in a way that would become really ill,

that they would become really ill.

We pray that you would grant your hand upon them, Lord, to prevent this.

We pray that you'd bless all others, Lord, who have different illnesses.

We pray for those who are anticipating surgery and waiting for word,

those recovering and those receiving other treatments.

We pray for those who have issues of mental health, illness.

Lord, we ask that you would be pleased to speak to them today

and give to them a sense of your presence and of your provision for them too.

And help us, we pray, to bear in mind all those who suffer in different ways

and give us to realize, Lord, more and more how you have made provision for us in the gospel

and how especially in our own community we have so much also that is valuable in terms of meeting our needs.

Bless us then now, we pray.

Continue to go before us as we worship you here.

And throughout this day, help us to maintain it as a day of rest,

as a day that is holy to the Lord.

Lord, we ask it all in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Let's sing again to God's praise.

We're singing now from Psalm 130, 130.

This time in Sing Psalms version.

That's on page 173.

If you're using the Blue Psalm book, Psalm 130,

page 173, the tune is Martyrdom.

Lord, from the depths I call to you, Lord, hear me from on high

and give attention to my voice when I for mercy cry.

Lord, in your presence, who can stand if you our sins record?

But yet forgiveness is with you that we may fear you, Lord.

The whole of the psalm, Lord, from the depths I call to you.

Lord, from the depths I call to you.

Lord, hear me from on high

and give attention to my voice

when I for mercy cry.

Lord, in your presence, who can stand if you our sins record?

But yet forgiveness is with you that we may fear you, Lord.

I wait, my soul, wait for the Lord.

My hope is in His word.

More than the watchman waits for God,

my soul waits for the Lord.

O Israel, dear God,

O Israel, dear God,

O mercy is with Him,

and full redemption from their sins.

His people He'll redeem.

Let's now turn to read from God's word in the scriptures of the Old Testament,

and it's in 2 Kings chapter 5.

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

The second book of Kings, chapter 5, we're going to read verses 1 to 14.

It's page 372 in the pulpit Bible.

It should be around that same point for yourselves.

2 Kings chapter 5 and reading 1 to 14.

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

Naaman,

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, 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.

Now the Syrians, on one of the 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.

He would cure him of his leprosy.

So Naaman went in and told his Lord.

Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.

And 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.

And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read,

When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant,

that you may cure him of his leprosy.

And when the king of Israel read the letter,

he tore his clothes and said,

Am I God to kill and to make alive,

that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?

Only consider and see how 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 Abana and Farpar,

rivers of Damascus,

better than all the waters of Israel,

could I not wash in them and be clean?

So he turned and went away in a rage.

But a servant came near and said to him,

My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you.

Will you not do it?

Has 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.

Amen.

May the Lord again bless to us,

reading his word to his own praise.

Before we turn to look at this passage,

we'll sing once again to his praise,

this time Psalm 25.

Psalm number 25.

Again, it's in the Sing Psalms version,

page 29.

We're going to sing verses 4 to 9.

The tune this time is rocking him.

O Lord, reveal to me your ways,

and all your paths help me to know.

Direct and guide me in your truth.

Instruct me in the way to go.

You are my Savior and my God.

All day I hope in you alone.

Remember, Lord, your love and grace,

which from past ages you have shown.

Do not recall my sins of youth

or my rebellious, evil ways.

Remember me in your great love,

for you, O Lord, are good always.

Because the Lord is just and good,

he shows his paths to all who stray.

He guides the meek in what is right

and teaches them his holy way.

We'll sing these verses.

O Lord, reveal to me your ways.

O Lord, reveal to me your ways,

and all your paths help me to know.

O Lord, reveal to me your ways,

and all your paths help me to know.

Direct and guide me in your truth,

instruct me in the way to go.

You are my Savior and my God.

All day I hope in you alone.

Remember, Lord, your love and grace,

which from past ages you have shown.

Do not recall my sins of youth

or my rebellious evil ways.

Remember me in your great love,

for you, O Lord, are good always.

Because the Lord is just and good,

He shows his path to all who stray.

He guides the meek and watershright

and teaches them his holy way.

Now let's turn to 2 Kings 5,

the passage we read a minute ago,

verses 1 to 14.

And we'll consider some of the teaching

in this passage this morning.

You might say this is an account of the field marshal,

the slave girl, and the prophet.

This is a story of Naaman,

the account of his being healed of his leprosy.

He was the head of the army of the Syrians.

And there's also this slave girl

that had been taken captive by the Syrians

on one of their raids.

And of course there is the prophet Elisha,

the man of God.

People's lives sometimes are often bound

by the circumstances,

the experiences that they share in life.

Many lasting relationships began

with people being unexpectedly thrown together

into certain situations and circumstances

that perhaps they hadn't anticipated.

And yet from that developed

some lifelong relationships or friendships.

And you have,

whether that was the case here or not,

but you have the lives of certain people

thrown together in this incident here

in chapter 5.

In fact, there are six individuals,

six people altogether in the passage.

If you take in the rest of the chapter as well,

there are two kings,

the king of Syria and the king of Israel.

There's the prophet Elisha.

There's this little slave girl.

There's Naaman.

And then later in the passage,

there's Elisha's servant Gehazi.

And they're all together in this incident

that took place,

especially circled,

centered on Naaman

and his healing of leprosy.

So we're going to look at these in turn

and look at how in the account that we have here,

as we follow it through,

these three individuals,

we're going to focus on these three,

the Naaman himself,

the servant girl,

and also Elisha, the godly prophet.

You have the great man,

the girl servant,

and the godly prophet.

And from that,

some of the teaching in the passage

comes across to us

as we focus on the three individuals themselves

and how they interrelate

throughout the way the passage develops.

So look at,

first of all,

the passage begins with

the field marshal,

the great man,

Naaman,

commander of the army

of the king of Syria,

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.

Now that's a very deliberate description.

And you might ask,

well,

why does it go into

all of that detail?

One of the reasons is

that the following detail

is such a contrast,

you might think,

to what's being said there already.

So this man,

Naaman,

he was in charge

of the whole army

of the king of Syria.

If you go by the ranks

in the British army,

that would make him

field marshal,

the very top

of the strata

of the strata

of command

in the Syrian army.

So he was commander

of the army,

of the whole army.

Not only that,

but he was very close

to the king.

The king obviously

valued his leadership.

He depended on him

so much

as the leader

in charge of the army.

He was also a brave man.

It's spoken there

in very clear terms.

He was a mighty man

of valor.

The Lord by him

had given victory

to Syria.

All of these details

are followed by this,

but he was a leper.

For all his greatness,

for all his stature,

for all his bravery,

for all his ability,

for all his courage,

he was a leper.

Now,

in the Old Testament,

sometimes the word

for leper

can be indicative

of other similar diseases,

but it seems here

that it was indeed leprosy,

Hansen's disease,

as it's called nowadays,

that this was in fact

what this man suffered from.

He had this serious condition.

Leprosy was and is,

although it's rarer now

than it was then.

It's a disease

that affects the skin,

but it's actually a disease,

first and foremost,

of the nervous system.

It attacks the nervous system,

and then it can develop

in such a way

that leads to muscle wastage

and deformity,

as you know.

And as it attacks

the nervous system

and the nerve endings,

especially,

you'll find that

those who have had leprosy

and have leprosy,

and as it has developed,

will lose the sense

of feeling

in their fingers,

for example.

That's why somebody

with leprosy

can pick up something

as red hot

and not feel pain.

And, you know,

that's just by the way,

but we often complain

about having pains,

and pain is certainly

very, very difficult

to live with,

but actually,

in one sense,

pain is beneficial

because it tells you

there's something wrong,

and it tells you

it's something

you maybe need to deal with,

maybe even urgently.

Sometimes we should

just stop and think

that pain is something

we should actually

thank God for,

though it is very difficult

to live with constant pain,

and we need medication

for it,

and there's nothing

wrong with that.

I want to imagine

living without any sense

of feeling,

without the nerve endings

that tell you

that something's red hot.

Well, here was a man

who was a leper.

He suffered from leprosy

and probably had some

of those issues

with regard to his own body.

And in the Bible,

as you know,

leprosy is mentioned

frequently,

but leprosy is also

mentioned in the Bible

symbolically.

It's not that God

actually inflicted people

with leprosy

just so that he could

use it as a symbol

of something,

but leprosy,

as it did exist,

as a disease,

having its own

characteristics,

the Bible uses it

or it was used

under God's direction

as a symbol

of the effects

of sin as well.

Because one of the things

you find with leprosy

and with leper

is that leper

was actually set away

from the main body

of the people

in order to actually

be in a place

by themselves,

a leper colony

as it used to be called.

Sometimes you might think,

well, that's pretty cruel.

You're sending people away

because they're suffering

from leprosy.

They're with others

who suffer from leprosy.

They're actually outside

of the social circles

of their own people.

And of course,

that is the case,

but it's a protective measure.

It was really a form

of quarantine

so as to protect

those who didn't

have leprosy

in case they themselves

contracted it

and began to suffer from it.

So in many ways,

it was an act

of quarantine

and of protection,

a protective measure

for the community.

In any case,

that meant

that the person

with leprosy

was kept at a distance

from the main body

of the people.

And as you find

in the Bible,

leprosy to be symbolical

of separation

from social interaction

and certainly separation

from God

in the sense

that leprosy

was a symbol of sin

and the effects of sin

and the wastage of sin.

All of these things

were built into it

as a symbol,

as something

which represented that.

And you'll find,

therefore,

that when you come

to the New Testament,

you've got a wonderful emphasis

in the likes of

Mark chapter 4,

Mark 4 · chapter mention

chapter 1 and verse 40,

rather,

of Jesus doing something

which wasn't actually

allowed ceremonially.

The leper was unclean,

but Jesus touched

this leper

and cleansed him.

If you will,

said the man,

you can make me clean.

And Jesus touched him

and said,

I will.

Be clean.

Be healed.

And that, of course,

reminds us

that Jesus

is the great healer.

Here he is

dealing with

what represented

sin

and represented

being ostracized

and separated

from the community

and needing

to be rehabilitated.

And that's what

a Christian is.

It's somebody

who has been

dealt with by God

so that the sin

that is ours

naturally is dealt with

and dealt with successfully

and we're rehabilitated

into the company

and in the fellowship

of the people

of God

spiritually

and morally.

That's what God does.

That's what God

in saving his people

does.

That's what conversion,

that's what being

or becoming a Christian

in many ways

is about.

Well, here is a man

who,

for all his achievements,

for all his stature,

he suffered from leprosy.

And it just reminds us

as well,

doesn't it,

that for all the achievements

we may have

in this life,

for all the stature

that we may gain,

for all the social prominence

we may have,

we still need a healer.

We still need Christ.

We still need Jesus

to be our Savior.

none of these elements

in our ability,

in our social status

or anything else,

none of that is really

of any use

as far as giving us

a place in the favor

of God is concerned.

Only God can do that.

And God does that

when he brings us

to know himself

and brings us

into living fellowship

with Jesus Christ.

And it also reminds us,

doesn't it,

although obviously

leprosy was very obvious,

but nevertheless,

let's also not lose sight

of the fact that

many people

who may appear outwardly

to a very little

troubling their lives,

underneath that

may be a very serious concern

or issue for them.

We just never know

what's happening

in someone's life secretly.

There are many people

in our community.

There may be some people

in here today

who are carrying a burden,

carrying a weight,

carrying something

of a concern

that they're not able

to share with other people,

but they can bring it to God.

We have to be careful

in our relation with people.

Maybe they're people

who we regard as very grumpy

or very distant or whatever.

You just don't know

what's in that person's life

unless they tell you.

Well, here is Naaman,

commander of the king's army

in Syria.

But he was a leper.

And then he came across

this girl

who was a servant,

a slave.

You can see how she became

a slave to Naaman's wife.

The Syrians on one of the raids,

verse 2,

had carried off a little girl

from the land of Israel.

And she worked in the service

of Naaman's wife.

And she said to her mistress,

Would that my lord

were with the prophet

who is in Samaria.

He would cure him

of his leprosy.

So Naaman then went

and told the king

about this.

Now this is very interesting

that this unknown,

unnamed girl

actually fits into

such a central part

in the whole process

leading to Naaman's

cure of his leprosy.

And it reminds us,

doesn't it,

that whatever way

we come about

to be in a certain place

at any time,

there are no accidents

as far as God's placement

is concerned.

Here was a girl

who was actually brought

on one of the raids

of the Syrians,

carried off,

so that she could be

a slave in this

important man's house

for his wife.

But that's where

God had placed her.

God didn't approve

at all of the way

that she had actually

ended up there.

He didn't approve

of the raiding party.

He didn't give that

as his mark of approval.

But nevertheless,

this girl is placed

deliberately by God

and his providence

in this home

without which

they would not have heard

of the Elisha

who was the prophet

in Samaria.

And so it reminds us

that God's placement

of us is always precise,

always deliberate,

always purposeful.

Where are you today

in your place of work?

Who do you sit alongside?

Who do you work alongside?

Where are you

in terms of your neighborhood

or the street

in which you live?

Where are you

in terms of people

you interact with

on a daily basis perhaps

or on a regular basis?

Well, God in his providence

has placed you there

deliberately.

And he's placed you there

deliberately

for his own sake.

And especially today

if you are a Christian

witness to Jesus

and to some extent

we all are.

Otherwise,

why are we here?

Well, that's something

that God is saying.

That's why I've placed you

where I've placed you.

So that you can be

a testimony to me.

That you can tell about me.

that you can actually

do this

on an ongoing basis.

And it's important

of course too

for our young people.

They're in the Sunday school

and Bible class today.

Although some people

some of them

may be watching

of course online as well.

But there are relatively

young people here as well.

And as our young people

very often leave home

and go to work

on the mainland

or study on the mainland.

This is the kind of advice

we always try to give them.

Be true to Jesus.

Be true to the values

of God.

Be true wherever

you're placed.

Wherever God's providence

actually places you.

Be true to the things

you've learned

in your Sunday school.

In your Bible class.

In your church.

Under the preaching

of the word of God.

And that's what he's saying

to ourselves as well today.

Here was a little girl.

And she was true

to her faith.

She was true

to the religion

she belonged to

of the people of Israel.

Israel.

She spoke up

with concern

for this Naaman

who actually owned

her really

as the person

who was in charge

of that household.

But she spoke up

and said

if only my Lord

were with the prophet

who's in Samaria

he would cure him

of his leprosy.

So that's really

one of the great

great emphases

that we have

in our Christian life

isn't it?

We come across

different people

different days

different areas

especially those

we are with regularly.

This is the business

that we're in

as far as God is concerned.

Tell them about me

he's saying.

Tell them about

where there is a cure

for their sin.

Tell them

where there is

a person

who knows

their situation

where this saviour

is to be found

and what he can do

for them.

And so she spoke up

and even though

she's not named

that's not important.

You may never be famous.

We may never have

prominence in society.

We may never leave

a legacy

that will be thought about

for many generations

to come.

That doesn't really matter.

What really matters

is that for the time

that you and I

have in this world

and for the time

that God enables us

and leaves us

with our abilities

mentally and physically

we are there for him.

we are there

to be his representatives

to be his people

to be his witnesses

to be his church.

It doesn't matter

how old we are

it doesn't matter

how young we may be

wherever God

has placed us

we are there

for him

and for his sake.

So here's the servant girl

the slave girl

and we come now

to the godly prophet.

verses 4 to 8

actually tell us

of how things developed.

Naaman went into

his own king

his own master

told him about

what this girl had said

so the king of Syria said

well you go

and I'll send a letter

to the king of Israel

so he did so.

And of course

Naaman took with him

a whole lot of stuff

that he was going to give

to Elisha

this was his

this was his

going to be

Elisha's reward

for what he was going

to do for him.

He took all of these things

that are mentioned there

the money

the changes of clothes

and he took the letter

as well

from the king of Syria

to commend Naaman

to the king of Israel

and when the king of Israel

read the letter

he was furious

he tore his clothes

and he said

am I God

to kill

and to make alive

that this man

sends word to me

to cure a man

of his leprosy

only consider and see

how he's seeking

a quarrel with me

that's all the king of

the king of Israel

made of it

and of course

he was quite wrong.

that's why

Elisha actually

scolded him

when he heard about this

when he heard

that he had torn

his clothes

that he had done

this dramatic

thing

why have you done this?

let him come now

to me

that he may know

that there is

a prophet in Israel

in other words

Elisha was saying

to his king

to the king of Israel

what on earth

are you thinking about?

do you think

there is no God

in this place?

do you think

God cannot cure this man?

there is a man

who is king

and he's just lost

his way

he's lost his way

spiritually

he should

immediately have said

of course

Elisha

the man of God

I'll send you

I'll introduce you

to him

and he'll be able

to help you

and here is this man

this king of Israel

that's not what's

on his mind

he's looking after himself

and his own interests

and he has it

in his mind

the only reason

that this name

has come from

the king of Syria

is to actually

be a plant

in order to spy out

in order to actually

seek a quarrel

an excuse for war

well how wrong

we can be

how wrong

our political leaders

can be as well

and how wrong

we can be ourselves

in our conclusions

about things

so that's how he came

to meet Elisha

and so

in verse 9

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

now if you look

carefully at the wording

there

it's very deliberately

worded

and it's really interesting

how the detail

is given to us

Naaman came

with his horses

and chariots

and stood

at the door

of Elisha

there is this

great man

this famous

field marshal

in Syria

and there he is

with all his retinue

with his grand

accompaniment

and there he's coming

to Elisha

the prophet of God

in Israel

and he stands

at Elisha's door

he doesn't dismount

from his chariot

he's expecting

that this man

Elisha will come out

and have an audience

with him

all he's got to do

is stand there

and show his importance

surely Elisha

is going to recognize

this is a really

important man

I'd better go out

and talk with him

Naaman

doesn't do

any such thing

just leaves him

standing there

and he sends

a messenger

instead

and the messenger

says go and

wash in the Jordan

seven times

and

as Elisha's

message is

given to Naaman

he becomes

absolutely

furious

he goes away

in fact

in a rage

as you read

later on

in the passage

in verse 12

why is he so angry

why would a person

be so

enraged

about a message

that was to do

with the healing

of his leprosy

what could cause

such a reaction

well two things

two very closely

related things

Naaman

had come

to Elisha

with his own

plan

with his own

idea of how

he was going

to be cured

of his leprosy

see what he's

saying here

verse 11

Naaman was angry

and went away

saying

behold

I thought

that he would

surely come out

and stand

and call upon

the name of the Lord

and wave his hand

over the place

and cure the leprosy

there was

the Naaman's

own

idea

of what was

necessary

to cure him

from his leprosy

and it's all

built into

these two words

I thought

behold

I thought

that's your problem

and that's my problem

when it comes to

our dealing

with our sin

our relationship

with God

how is it

we think

naturally

just like Naaman

I thought

it's our own thoughts

we want to focus on

it's our own thoughts

we want to stand on

we have our own plan

as to how our life

should develop

human lives

sinful lives

have their own idea

as how things

can be put right

behold

I thought

you go to the New Testament

and you'll find

the same thing

many times

just go to Saul

of Tarsus

who became

the Apostle Paul

and these words

would fit

very much

into his own testimony

as you find it

in the likes

of Philippians 3

which we looked at

not so long ago

and there was

this man

this very able man

this teacher

in Israel

Saul of Tarsus

Pharisee

skilled in the Old Testament

knew his Bible

and he had his own idea

of how he was right

with God

when many others

were wrong

his own ability

his own

keeping of the law

his own obedience

to God

as he saw it

that's what really

gave him

in God's sight

gave him

the kudos

gave him

the acceptance

gave him

undoubtedly

the favor of God

as far as he was concerned

until Jesus

met him

on the way

to Damascus

and his plan

crumbled

God

crushed his plan

he smashed it up

because it was

completely wrong

and Paul

would have said

behold

I thought

I thought

this was the way

I was convinced

this was the way

I was convinced

I was in the right

but God

had other ideas

and Jesus

soon destroyed

Saul's own plan

and Saul's own

view of salvation

not only did

Naaman

though come

with his own plan

he also came

in his pride

and the two things

very often go together

don't they

almost inevitably

go together

our own plan

as to how we come

to be saved

and our pride

in standing on

that plan

and on that idea

but you see

what he's saying

he was told

go and wash in the Jordan

seven times

what does he say

are not

Abana

and Farfar

the rivers of Damascus

better than all

the waters of Israel

could I not

wash in them

and be clean

so he turned

and went away

in a rage

you see what he's saying

well Abana

and Farfar

apparently were

very clear waters

beautiful rivers

whereas the Jordan

very often brown

and dirty brown

carrying a lot of soil

here is this man saying

I'm not going to wash

in the Jordan

I've got Farfar

I've got Abana

back home

and they're better

than all the waters

of Israel

can I not wash

in them

and be cleaned

you see his pride

and his plan

go together

and it's his pride

for this moment

that just will not

accept

that the word

that God

has sent him

through the prophet

is actually superior

to any of his own

plans

yes the waters

of the Jordan

may be dirty brown

compared

to the rivers

of Damascus

but that's where

God is saying

that's where

you'll be cured

and you know

that's so often

the case isn't it

with the presentation

of the gospel

and the message

of the gospel

about Jesus Christ

I thought

we say in relation

to that

I thought

that my own work

would be enough

that my own ability

would see me through

and aren't there

just so many

other ways

along with the way

that the Bible

talks about

when it speaks

about putting

your trust

in Jesus

and having Jesus

exclusively

as your savior

are there not

all these other ways

are they not

just as good

are not these

other religions

just as good

is secularism

not just as good

well God is saying

you believe

in the Lord

Jesus Christ

and you shall

be saved

that's God's way

that's so often

what Paul is emphasizing

in the likes

of his letter

to the Corinthians

for example

as he talks there

about

to the Corinthians

about

the wisdom

of God

as against

the wisdom

of human beings

the wisdom

of men

and here he is

saying that

the Jews

seek after

wisdom

so do the Greeks

they are all

after wisdom

the way of wisdom

the way

of acceptance

with God

but we preach

Christ crucified

stumbling block

to the Jews

and foolishness

to the Greeks

a man who was

crucified

on a cross

at Calvary

rose from the dead

three days later

ascended to heaven

that's the record

of the gospel

and yet our hearts

unless God

changes us

will say

no I can't

accept that

that just

can't be right

I prefer

my own way

I thought

it should be

this way

let me ask

this question

do you have

a plan

today

and a pride

that's keeping

you from peace

with God

is your own

plan

and your own

pride

keeping you

from peace

with God

from coming

to know

the way

of salvation

as God

sets it out

for us

have you

discarded

your own

view

have I

discarded

my own

view

as I am

as a sinner

fallen

into sin

and with my

own ideas

of how I

should be

living my

life

and be

right with

God

have you

have I

discarded

that

and taken

up instead

God's plan

in Christ

because that's

really

that's really

the essence

of the issue

isn't it

just as Naaman

so Naaman

teaches us

we need to

discard our own

view and our

own plan

and certainly

our own

pride

and fall

in with

God's plan

and God's

provision

in the Lord

Jesus Christ

verse 13

his servants

came and said

to him

my Lord

my father

it is a

great word

the prophet

has spoken

to you

will you

not do

it

has he

actually

said

do you

wash

and be

clean

you see

what comes

across from

that is

the sheer

simplicity

of God's

plan

the simplicity

of what he's

being told

as against

what he himself

might have

thought

that's how it is

with our salvation

as well

because God's

method

is the simple

method

we come to

believe in Christ

we come to

give ourselves

to Jesus

we come to

trust in him

we come to

accept him

as he is

as he's offered

in the Bible

and that's

what God

is saying

you do

that

and you'll

be saved

but we

invent the

complexities

we invent

things that

really

complicate

the matter

don't we

we want

to find out

more about

this faith

and what

this faith

is

well that's

alright

once you're

in Christ

but don't

actually try

and complicate

things

in a way

that keeps

you from

coming to

Christ

because very

often

the things

that we

persuade

ourselves

of

and want

to work

through

and say

we can't

understand

very often

they're just

invented

by us

for the

sake of

avoiding

obedience

to Christ

and obedience

to Christ

is very

simply

capitulating

to him

yielding

our minds

our lives

to be ruled

by him

that's

God's

way

and today

if you've

not yet

come

at least

to make

it known

that you

are a

Christian

that you

want

to

serve

the

Lord

I

know

that

there

are

some

of

you

here

who

give

every

indication

in your

life

that

you're

serious

about

this

spiritual

business

who give

lots of

indications

that

this is

really

where you'd

want to be

your life

to be

anchored

in

Christ

and going

on

serving

him

don't

be

deflected

from

that

don't

actually

be

persuaded

by someone

who says

it's not

that

simple

it is

that

simple

you trust

in the

saviour

you come

into the

possession

of salvation

what could

be more

clear and

simple than

that

don't complicate

things

in a way

that prevents

you coming

to give

your life

over to

Jesus

and

here is

Naaman

having

heard

the

seven

advice

so he

went

down

and

dipped

himself

seven

times

in the

Jordan

according

to the

word

of the

man

of

God

his

flesh

was

restored

like

the

flesh

of

a

little

child

and

he

was

clean

he

did

exactly

as

God

required

of

him

as

the

message

from

God

through

the

prophet

set

before

him

you see

God's

way

always

works

and

I'm

sure

he

might

have

said

to

himself

well

why

didn't

I

do

this

in

the

first

place

why

did

I

give

myself

all

that

hassle

of

anger

and

frustration

and

thinking

that

my

way

was

best

I

should

have

done

as

just

accepted

his

word

to

begin

with

and

I

could

have

saved

myself

all

that

hassle

well

of

course

but

isn't

that

what

life

is

like

and

there

are

many

people

who

come

to

the

Lord

after

a

struggle

after

trying

to

work

through

the

complications

that

they

make

for

themselves

and

at

the

end

of

the

day

they'll

say

well

why

didn't

I

just

do

it

all

that

time

ago

I

should

have

done

it

then

and

maybe

you're

here

today

maybe

you've

been

just

struggling

struggling

your way

through

complications

that

you're

making

for

yourself

coming

to

God

and

coming

to

know

Christ

as

your

saviour

is

concerned

put