Coming Empty-Handed

Okay, this morning I am very excited to continue our series, Christ in the Old Testament, as

we look at the gospel story throughout the whole Bible, New Testament and Old Testament.

Now, when I was growing up, well for most of my life, I have dreamt of doing something

great.

When I was a young boy, I wanted to be an artist.

I couldn't draw very well, but I wanted to be an artist.

But I didn't just want to be any artist.

I wanted to be a great artist.

I wanted to paint and draw the very best things that anyone could draw or paint.

Then I remember when I was about 12 years old, for about two or three weeks, I had this fantasy

that I was going to write a book.

I wasn't a very good writer, and I didn't particularly like writing, but I liked the idea of what

people would say when a 12-year-old had written a New York Times bestseller book.

I thought that would be amazing to have my name in lights, that people thought, here

is a child prodigy, a genius that can write this amazing book.

Well, that only lasted a few weeks.

But almost throughout all my high school, I wanted to be a great sportsman.

I dreamt about playing football in the Premier League, which was a very far-fetched dream because

I couldn't even make the first team at my school.

But that didn't matter.

I wanted to play for Manchester United and score the winning goal, or I wanted to play

cricket for South Africa, my country.

I loved playing cricket.

Again, I was average, but I dreamt about being great at cricket.

That obviously didn't materialize.

And then when I realized that God might be calling me to be a pastor, I had this dream about

what it would be to be the world's greatest pastor.

To have thousands of people flocking to hear my sermons, clamoring to join my church, what

it would look like and feel like to be a great pastor.

Throughout my life, I've despised the idea of being average or ordinary.

Whatever I did, I wanted to achieve some kind of greatness.

I wonder if you can resonate with me.

This morning, as we come to our passage of Scripture, we're going to dive into one chapter

in 2 Kings chapter 5.

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

It's in your bulletin.

And we're going to meet a man by the name of Naaman.

And Naaman was somebody who not just dreamt about greatness.

He was a man who had achieved much greatness.

In everything that he did in his life, he was well-respected.

He had a reputation for being a great man.

And he had broken through the ceilings of being ordinary and achieved greatness.

Now, the date is around 1200 BC.

There is a man in Israel called Elisha.

Elisha is the prophet of Israel.

He's kind of the man that has brought God's word to the nation of Israel.

And he's a man that God has used very powerfully.

He's done many miracles.

He's raised some people from the dead.

God has worked powerfully through Elisha.

But that doesn't mean that everything is fine and well in the nation of Israel.

You see, Israel had just been attacked previously by another nation called Syria.

And they were now under Syrian occupation.

The king of Syria was, in a sense, their king.

And the army of Syria was always on the doorstep threatening them.

They were under Syrian authority and Syrian occupation.

And so we pick up the story in 2 Kings 5, verse 1.

2 Kings 5:1

We're going to read through the text as we go today.

And then we'll bring three points at the end.

So read with me verse 1.

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 great victory to Syria.

He was a mighty man of valor.

But he was a leper.

Okay, so here we meet this man, Naaman.

Naaman is a powerful man.

He's the commander of the armies of Syria.

And Syria have defeated their enemies.

They are a powerful military nation.

Naaman is a well-respected man.

He's a well-decorated soldier.

In addition to this, he has the favor of the king.

The king likes him very much.

Because due to Naaman's leadership, Syria defeated their arch enemies, Israel.

By all accounts, Naaman has had a very successful life.

His career has gone well.

He is respected in society.

He is well-liked and well-approved of.

He's the kind of man whose name would have frequently appeared in the financial times as a respected member of society.

But Naaman has a problem.

And it's a problem that he cannot solve.

It's a problem that he cannot solve with all his fame, with his money, with his connections to the king.

He cannot solve this problem with military might or power.

It's a problem that is going to kill him.

And it's a problem that is outside of his control.

You see, Naaman has leprosy.

Okay?

Now, leprosy is bad news for anyone.

Leprosy means that your body doesn't function so well.

The members of your body stop working.

You stop getting feeling.

And your body stops functioning.

But the problem with leprosy was not just that it affected your body.

It also affected all your relationships.

Because leprosy in those days was considered to be contagious.

You're considered an outcast.

You're often relegated to a leprosy colony.

And so overnight, all your relationships are destroyed.

Your reputation in society is destroyed.

And so for a man who's respected in society like Naaman, to contract leprosy was not just bad news for his body.

It meant the end of his career, the end of his status in society, the end of his reputation.

For Naaman, this is devastating.

Everything that he holds in high regard is suddenly in jeopardy.

And in those days, it was incurable.

This is catastrophic news for anyone, but especially for a man who's well respected like Naaman.

And I wonder how we would respond if we were diagnosed with such a condition.

Well, Naaman encounters some very good news.

Some really good news.

But he gets it from the most unlikely source.

Read verse 2 with me.

It says,

Okay, so what's happening here?

On one of the military expeditions, Naaman goes.

He conquers this village.

And he finds this young lady there.

And he says,

My wife's been looking for someone like you to administer to her, to work in her service.

And so he brings her back.

And she now works as a servant to Naaman's wife.

She's obviously suffered a great deal.

She's been trafficked from Israel to Syria.

She's away from her family, her home, her people.

And she's now a slave in the service of Naaman's wife.

She's just a young girl.

She's just a servant.

She's never commanded an army.

She doesn't have the ear of the king like Naaman.

Here is just a simple girl who's probably never done anything great.

We don't even know what her name is.

Here is a young girl who's overlooked, who's despised, possibly abused, rejected.

She's a foreigner.

She's insignificant.

She's poor.

But here is a girl who knows something.

She knows something that Naaman, for all his prestige, all his education, all his accolades, all his success,

she knows something that Naaman doesn't.

Although she doesn't know much, she knew enough.

She knew who God is.

She knew that there's one true God.

She knew that God is really God.

She knew that nothing is impossible for God.

And most importantly, she knew how to find him.

She knew how to find him.

She knew this servant girl understands something of the sovereignty of God and the mercy of God.

For she says, if only Naaman were with Elisha, the man of God, he would heal her.

And parents, just as a side, I was thinking about this last night as I was just finishing up preparing.

For those of us that are parents, I want us just to consider, as we long for our children,

who would we rather our children grow up to be like?

Educated, sophisticated, well-regarded Naaman, who has no clear idea who God is and how to find him.

Or a young servant girl whose name we don't remember, who's never achieved anything great,

but someone who knows who God is.

Who knows that God is truly God.

Who knows that nothing is impossible for God.

And knows how to find him.

I pray as parents that we will be the kind of parents that want our children to grow up like this young girl.

Someone who knows God.

Well, for some reason, this girl, I don't fully understand it,

but she decides to show the most incredible grace and mercy to Naaman.

Instead of hating him and reviling him, instead of gloating in his downfall and saying to herself,

well, he deserves everything that comes his way,

she decides to show him incredible grace.

Because she goes to her mistress, Naaman's wife, and she says,

I know how Naaman can get healed of his leprosy.

Naaman needs to go to Israel and to find the man of God.

Well, Naaman hears this, and he goes straight to his king, the king of Syria,

and he tells him what this girl says.

And together they hatch a plan.

And the plan is this.

They say, you go to the king of Israel.

I, the king of Syria, will write a letter, give it my official royal stamp,

and I will command him to make sure that he secures your healing.

Okay?

And so Naaman gets on his horse, and he takes a whole entourage of people and money and gifts,

and he goes to the king of Israel.

And so look at what happens as he goes.

He's determined to secure his healing, and so verse 5 says this,

he went taking with him 10 talents of silver, 6,000 shekels of gold, and 10 changes of clothing.

Okay?

So he goes to the king of Israel with a letter from the king of Syria.

He also goes with his army behind him, kind of backing him.

But in case the king of Israel is giving him any trouble or, you know, is making it a bit difficult,

he takes a whole pile of money and some changes of royal clothing just to sweeten the deal,

you know, just in case he needs some encouragement.

Okay?

And so he goes, and verse 6, it says,

He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read,

When this letter reaches you, know that I, the king of Syria, have sent you Naaman my servant,

that you may cure him of his leprosy.

When the king of Israel read this letter, he tore his clothes.

Okay?

Good thing Naaman sent a change of clothes with him, right?

And he said to him,

Am I God?

Am I able to kill and make alive?

This man sends word to me to cure a man of leprosy.

Consider how this king is seeking a quarrel with me, a fight with me.

So the king gets worried, right?

Because now Naaman's come to him on the king of Syria,

and this letter says,

You are to heal this man.

Well, he doesn't have the power to heal him,

but at the same time, if he refuses him and lets him down,

or maybe the Syrian army is going to come invade them again and attack them.

So what's he to do?

He can't heal him, but he also can't refuse him.

Well, look at verse 8 with me.

It says,

When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes,

he sent him a letter, saying,

Why have you torn your clothes?

Let this man Naaman come to me now,

that he may know that there truly is a prophet, a man of God in Israel.

So Naaman came with his horses and his chariots,

and he stood at the door of Elisha's house.

But Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying,

Go and wash in the river Jordan seven times,

and your flesh will be made clean.

You'll be restored.

You'll be made clean.

Okay, so Elisha sends a servant to go and meet Naaman,

and he says,

You want to be healed?

You want to be restored?

Well, there's a river down there called Jordan.

Just go and wash seven times, and God will heal you.

Sounds simple, right?

Well, look at Naaman's response.

Look at verse 11.

Naaman was angry,

and he went away,

muttering to himself,

Behold, I thought that man would come out and stand

and call on the name of his God

and wave his hands over me

and cure me of my leprosy.

Are not Abanra and Pahapa,

the rivers of Damascus,

are they not better than all these rivers in Israel?

Could I not wash in them and be cleaned?

And so he turned away

and went away in a fit of rage.

This is not turning out to be a very fruitful business trip

for poor Naaman, right?

Firstly, this young servant girl really gets his hopes up

and says,

Just go to Israel and you'll be healed.

He goes there and he goes to king's palace

and he says,

Here I am.

I want my healing.

And the king says,

I can't heal you.

And just when it looks like all hope is lost,

Elisha sends a message saying,

Come to my house.

I'll help you.

And he goes there,

and Elisha doesn't even meet him.

He sends a messenger to go and talk to him.

And finally,

this messenger gives him a pretty silly message.

He says,

You want to be healed?

Just go wash in that river.

And Naaman is thinking to himself,

What kind of insult is this?

Doesn't Elisha realize who I am?

Don't you know,

Naaman says,

that I am the commander of the king's army,

the very army that have defeated you.

Don't you realize you are our subject?

And when I come to Israel,

you treat me with such inferiority.

And when I come to Elisha,

you don't even come out of your house and greet me.

You just send your servant.

Who do you think I am?

And then he says,

If I wanted to merely wash in a river,

I would have gone to a great river,

in a great country like Syria,

with great people around me,

important people watching me,

because that's who I am.

Why should I wash myself in some meager little river,

in a meager little nation like Israel,

with unimportant people washing me?

I am Naaman.

I deserve a better treatment than that.

And so Naaman turns around in his chariot,

and he leaves in a fit of rage.

You see, friends,

what God is trying to show Naaman here,

and what God is actually trying to show us,

is that Naaman's problem was not just

that he had leprosy of the skin.

The problem was actually that he has leprosy of the heart.

You see, Naaman's heart is sick.

It's not just his skin that's sick.

That's one thing.

But Naaman's heart is not sick,

is not well.

His heart is diseased and is broken.

It's the inner reality of his heart that needs healing.

See, friends, for all of us here,

the reason for most of our problems

and our struggles in life

is because our hearts have got leprosy.

Our hearts are sick.

Our hearts don't function like they're meant to.

The reason why marriage is hard

and we fight with our spouses

is because we are self-centered

and we are self-seeking.

The reason why we don't get on with our colleagues

and our family

is because we are self-justifying

and we want to seek our own pleasure.

The reason why we get disappointed with our kids

and we get frustrated when things don't go our way

is because our hearts,

at the deepest and the most fundamental recesses of our hearts,

is that we actually seek our own good.

We're looking after ourselves.

And in our hearts, we want to be somebody great.

But God is showing us here

that Naaman's problem wasn't just his lifestyle or his actions.

Naaman didn't just need to change his eating habits

or to do a bit more exercise.

What Naaman needed was somebody

to cure the leprosy of his heart.

Friends, just like leprosy,

sin makes our hearts not function properly.

Sin damages our relationships.

It damages our friendships.

And just like leprosy,

sin is highly infectious.

It affects every area of our lives.

But you know what?

Just like leprosy,

the leprosy of our hearts,

sin is just as incurable.

You can't fix it by changing your lifestyle.

You can't fix it by going to the gym.

You can't fix it by eating more healthily.

There's a problem with our hearts

and we need a miracle, a cure to fix it.

Friends, the problem with sin

is that it's destructive,

it's far-reaching,

it's incurable,

it's fatal.

And none of us are immune from it.

None of us are immune from it.

And that's exactly why God brings Naaman

to this terrible situation

where he wants to show Naaman

the condition of his heart.

He brings Naaman to the end of himself

and he wants to say,

Naaman, can't you see what's going on in your heart?

Can't you see the reason why you're angry

is because you feel entitled

to be treated better than that?

Friends, sometimes God will bring us

to a terrible situation.

Sometimes God will bring difficulty into our life

because in his kindness and his grace,

he wants to reveal to us

the ugliness of the sin in our hearts.

He wants to reveal to us

the true condition of our hearts.

And it's the mercy of God to show us that.

And so God does this for Naaman.

But the good news of the scriptures is this,

that God doesn't leave us there.

You see, just as God sent this young servant girl,

this girl that was overlooked and despised,

God sent this servant girl to show Naaman

how to get his healing,

God sent another servant.

He sent another servant.

Someone too that was overlooked,

someone that was despised,

someone that society didn't think of very highly,

God sent Jesus Christ

to show us the condition of our heart,

to bring us healing.

You see, this servant girl

is the most unlikely and improbable sources

of hope for Naaman's life.

And Jesus Christ in the same way,

born in the backwaters of Israel,

just like the servant girl despised,

rejected, looked down upon,

in many ways unimpressive,

very few people thought he was great.

Who would have thought a servant girl

would have been the solution to Naaman's healing?

Friends, who would have thought

that a carpenter from Israel,

born to an unwed teenage mom,

born in the backwaters of Israel,

would hold the key to our healing

and our salvation.

But he does.

He does.

And just as the servant girl

shows Naaman how to be saved and healed,

Jesus Christ, another servant,

comes and he shows us the salvation

that we so desperately need.

Well, let's get back to our story.

Look what happens here.

Elisha tells Naaman via his servant

to go and wash in the Jordan River

and be healed.

And twice, in verse 11, verse 12,

the scripture tells us that Naaman is angry.

Now the question is why?

Why is Naaman angry with Elisha

when Elisha has just told him how to be healed?

Why wouldn't Naaman be frustrated?

Elisha just told him how to be saved,

how to be cured of this life-threatening disease,

this disease that is going to kill him.

Naaman has just solved his problem,

and yet Elisha has just solved this problem,

and yet Naaman is angry.

Friends, why does Naaman reject this good news

that Elisha brings him,

the good news of his healing?

Well, I'll pull it to you.

It's the exact same reason that we reject the gospel.

The same reason that Naaman rejects Elisha's good news

is the same reason that you and I reject the gospel.

It's the same reason we don't believe the gospel deeply.

There's three things here that Naaman finds offensive

about Elisha's proposed solution.

Three reasons why he's offended,

even insulted by Elisha's supposedly good news.

And they're the same reasons

why we get insulted by the gospel.

Three reasons.

First is this.

Look at how Elisha snubs Naaman.

He doesn't honor him as Naaman thinks he deserves to be honored.

You see, Naaman prides himself in his status as a great man.

He's a commander of the king's army.

He has a reputation as being a man of great valor,

of great strength, of great courage.

He prides himself as being a man of influence,

a man of wealth.

He's a man of financial means.

And so when he hears that he needs to go to Elisha,

he comes with his horses and his chariots and his entourage

and his 6,000 gold coins and his change of clothing.

And he stands outside Elisha's door.

And what does Elisha do?

He doesn't even come out to meet him.

He sends a servant to go and tell him what to do.

And Naaman's response is,

doesn't Elisha realize who I am?

Who does he think I am?

That all he does is he sends his servant.

Elisha doesn't even come out to greet me.

And Naaman is offended by the lack of awe

and the lack of reverence that Elisha shows him.

Friends, in the Gospels,

Jesus Christ is constantly showing us

that those who think of themselves as important

miss the grace of God,

while those who don't think of themselves

as particularly important find the grace of God.

Remember the one point,

a rich, young official comes to Jesus.

And he says,

Jesus, I want to know what is it that I need to do

to get into the kingdom of God,

to know God,

to secure an eternal life.

And Jesus shows him a couple of areas in his life

where he needs God's grace.

And every time Jesus says,

well, what about this area of your life?

This rich, young, wealthy man says to him,

no, I think I'm covered in that area.

I think that's good.

And Jesus says,

okay, well, what about this area of your life?

And he says,

no, I've done that.

Don't worry, I'm fine.

Thank you.

And Jesus keeps on wanting to show him

his need for grace.

And eventually this man who's so proud goes off.

And Jesus turns to his disciples and he says,

how hard it is for a rich man

to enter the kingdom of God.

Okay.

It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle

than for a wealthy person to enter the kingdom of God.

What's Jesus saying?

He's saying,

it's so hard for those that are rich in self-importance,

those who are rich in self-sufficiency,

those who are rich in pride to receive the grace of God.

But then straight after that,

a Roman centurion comes to Jesus.

Here's a man who has men under him.

He's a man of authority.

And he comes to Jesus and he says,

Jesus, my servant is sick.

Will you come and heal him?

And Jesus says, sure, let me come to your house.

And the centurion says to him,

Jesus, I'm not worthy to have you come to my house.

Just say the word and I know he'll be healed.

Friends, here is a rich young official

that insists on his own self-importance and he gets nothing.

Here is a Roman centurion who insists on his own worthlessness,

his lack of importance,

and he gets everything that he needs.

Jesus said this, he said,

blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who are not rich in their own eyes,

said Jesus,

for those are the ones who are able to receive what I want to give them.

Friends, God is teaching Naaman what he wants to teach us today,

that the only way to find God,

the only way to find the grace of God,

the only way to find the healing and the salvation

that Naaman needed and you and I need

is to admit our need for it

and to come to God on our knees.

See, Naaman goes to Elisha

and he expects Elisha to bow down before him

and to revere him and to say,

oh, your greatness,

thank you for coming to my house,

let me help you.

And Elisha gives him none of that.

Elisha says, that's not how you find God.

Naaman, you want to find God?

You find him on your knees.

You find him on your knees.

Friends, I don't know where you're at today.

You may be a Christ follower,

you may be a spiritual seeker.

You may have been a Christian for many years,

maybe you're a Christian with doubts,

maybe you're a Christian with questions,

maybe you're not so sure about this whole Jesus thing.

Friends, come to Jesus.

Bring your doubts,

bring your questions,

bring your concerns,

bring your pain,

bring your anxiety.

Come to Jesus.

But don't come in pride.

Don't come in self-importance.

Don't come rich in self-sufficiency.

Come to him on your knees.

That's where you find him.

You find him on your knees.

Naaman is offended

because Elisha doesn't honor him as a great man.

He asks him to come to him on his knees.

Second thing is this.

Naaman is offended by the simplicity of grace.

Naaman's offended by almost the ordinariness

of Elisha's solution.

The fact that it was just so plain,

so simple,

made it untenable for Naaman.

Look at what he says.

Look at verse 11.

He says,

Throughout this story,

God has been trying to show Naaman

that he's been looking in all the wrong places

to find what he's looking for.

First, it's a little servant girl,

not the great doctors of Syria,

that tell him where to find his healing.

Then when Naaman does saddle up his war horse

and he goes to Israel,

where does he go?

He goes to king's palace

because palaces are where important people go.

That's where important solutions are found.

That's where problems are solved.

But the king can't help him.

And so he hears that Elisha can help him.

So he goes to Elisha's house,

but it's not Elisha,

the great man of God,

that heals him.

It's the servant,

the man whose name we don't even know,

that tells him to go and wash in the rivers.

And eventually,

finally,

when the servant does give him a solution,

it's as simple

and as unimpressive

as just go and take a bath

in the rivers.

You see,

Naaman wanted dramatic ceremony.

He wanted religious occasion.

He wanted bells and whistles

and smoke and fire and lights

and he wanted fireworks.

He wanted Elisha to build an altar

and to call on God

and wave his hands

and high ceremony.

And he doesn't get any of that.

Elisha says,

just trust me.

Just trust me.

Go and wash in the river

and you'll be cleaned.

And friends,

the gospel story

is one of majesty

and his magnificence

but is clothed in ordinariness.

It's the creator of the universe

born in a manger.

It's the God of all creation

hanging on a cross.

It's in the simplicity

and the ordinariness of Jesus

is part of the reason

why Israel rejected him.

They wanted a king

to come on a war horse.

They wanted a king

who they could fear

and they could adore.

They wanted a soldier

to come in might

and power

and deliver their enemies.

And instead,

they got a baby in a manger.

And Jesus tells a parable

where he says,

the gospel is like a man

who found a treasure

buried in a field.

And he went away

and he sold everything he had

to buy that field

to have that treasure.

And the truth is,

that's exactly what

the gospel is like.

It's a treasure

that is worth everything.

It's a treasure

that's worth more than

all the gold

and the diamonds

and all the jewels

and all the world.

It's a magnificent treasure.

But very often,

this treasure

is buried

in a field of ordinariness.

It's hidden

in a field of ordinariness.

And Naaman wanted

to find,

to be honored

and he wanted

the power

and the glory

and the strength.

And yet,

that's not where you find

what you're looking for.

Friends,

seldom is God found

on High Street.

It's in the field

of ordinariness

we find what our souls

are looking for.

Friends,

what about you?

Where are you looking

for Jesus?

Do you want Jesus

to come and be

an ally

to your quest

for health

and wealth

and prosperity?

A comfortable life?

Friends,

you won't find him there.

You'll find Jesus

in the simplicity

of repentance.

You'll find Jesus

in the simplicity

of a child.

You'll find Jesus

as you come and serve

the marginalized

and the hurting

and the poor

and the vulnerable.

You'll find Jesus

as you serve those

that have got no means

to serve you back.

You'll find him

on your knees.

Friends,

when was the last time

you got on your knees?

Cried out to God

and said,

God,

I'm so grateful.

That's where you find him.

You find him

on your knees.

The gospel's mind

staggeringly glorious

and beautiful,

but it's hidden

in a field

of ordinariness.

Finally,

Naaman is offended

by the cost of grace.

By the cost of grace.

This is a little tricky

to see,

but if we understand

the gospel,

this is really important.

So let's see

if we can make sense

of this.

Elisha comes to Naaman

and on one hand

he says to Naaman,

Naaman,

if you want to be healed,

it'll cost you nothing.

Remember,

Naaman comes

with a whole truckload

of money

and clothing

and wealth

and gifts

to buy his healing.

Right?

And Elisha says,

it'll cost you nothing.

It's for absolutely free.

But on the other hand,

Elisha says,

it'll cost you everything.

And that was a price

that Naaman

was not willing to pay.

See friends,

when you come to Jesus,

his offer of grace

is exactly the same.

On one hand,

he says it costs you nothing.

It's absolutely free.

You can't earn it.

You can't buy it.

You can't merit it.

But at the same time,

it demands everything of you.

It'll cost you everything.

And just like Naaman,

for many of us,

the reason we don't know God

and the reason

we don't know God deeply

is that that is a price

more than we're willing to pay.

And so look at what happens here.

Naaman arrives with his chariots

and his servants

and his entourage

and Naaman expects

that if he's going to be healed

of this leprosy,

it's going to cost him a lot.

It's going to cost him

a lot of money,

a lot of his time,

a lot of his energy,

a lot of his devotion.

It's going to cost a high price.

And Naaman is willing

to pay this price.

Right?

But what Elisha tells him

to do cost him

none of those things.

But what did it cost him?

What did it cost him?

It cost him his pride.

Right?

And that was a price

that Naaman is not willing to pay.

A little bit later,

his servants come to him

and he says,

Master,

so Naaman gets on his horse

and he says,

I'm out of here.

Forget you, Elisha.

I'm going back to Syria.

Right?

And his servants

chase him down.

They get on their horse

and they say,

wait, wait, wait,

Naaman,

let's talk about this.

And they say,

if that man,

the prophet,

had told you

to do something great,

would you not have done it?

You see,

if Elisha had said to him,

go and prove your greatness,

go slay some dragon,

go build a magnificent temple,

go on an expedition

to the ends of the world,

go and swim through fire and ice,

Naaman would have said,

that I can do.

There's a price I can pay.

There's a God I can serve.

Right?

If Elisha had said,

go and do some magnificent thing

to prove your greatness,

Naaman would have said,

yes,

now I can do it.

I'll show you

that I deserve this healing.

Here's Naaman's problem.

He says,

you want me to go wash

in that river?

Anyone can do that.

Anyone can do that.

My soldiers can do that.

A child can do that.

A drug dealer can do that.

Give me something great to do.

Give me something

that will show

that I'm magnificent.

Give me something

that will prove

my greatness

and how rich

and wealthy I am.

Give me something

that will cost me a lot.

And Naaman,

Elisha comes to him

and says,

unless you wash in the river,

you'll never be saved.

Sally Lloyd-Jones,

the author

of the Jesus Storybook Bible,

writes this.

She says,

all Naaman needed

was nothing,

but nothing was the one thing

that Naaman didn't have.

You see that?

Elisha didn't want his money.

He didn't want his devotion.

He didn't want his religious,

moral performance.

He wanted him to come empty.

He wanted him to admit

that he needed God's grace.

He wanted him to come with nothing.

Naaman had everything in the world

except nothing.

He didn't know how to come empty-handed.

Remember the words of that old hymn?

Nothing in my hands I bring,

simply to your cross I cling.

Friends,

the only way that we find God,

the only way that we find

the grace of God

that we're looking for

is to not come with all our stuff

and all our moral performance

and all the things

that we think will earn us

our salvation.

It's to come before our Christ,

our King,

with nothing.

It's to come empty.

It's to come and admit

that we need his grace.

As Hong Kongers,

we don't like to admit

that we're in anybody's debt, right?

We don't like people

to give us something

that we haven't paid for

or earned or achieved.

We don't like to lose face like that.

We don't like to admit

that we're either weak

or incapable

or in someone else's debt.

But friends,

the grace of God

is not something

that you can achieve.

It's simply a gift

that you receive.

And these three rocks of offense,

the humility of God's grace,

the simplicity of God's grace,

and the cost of God's grace,

the cost of his price,

these things almost cost

Naaman his life.

Naaman almost went home

empty-handed.

He almost died

because of these three things.

And friends,

you know what?

These three things

are the exact same things

that will cost us

finding the grace of God.

They're the exact same things

that will stop us

from finding who God is

and encountering him

in his power.

And although it's

the easiest thing in the world,

at the same time,

it's the most difficult

thing in the world

because the only thing

that we don't know

how to bring to God

is our nothing.

Our nothing.

Well, look at what happens next.

Naaman is offended.

He's insulted.

He's angry.

And so he gets on his horse

and he says,

forget this guy, Elisha.

I'm going back to Syria.

Verse 13.

His servants drew near to him

and said,

Master,

let's talk about this.

If that prophet had told you

to do some great thing,

would you not have done it?

Well, how much more then

when he says,

simply go and wash in the river?

Okay, so that they negotiate

and eventually they convince him.

Naaman tentatively,

he decides to swallow his pride,

to trust Elisha

and to bank his life

on this very simple word

that Elisha has given him.

Verse 14.

So Naaman went down to the river

and he dipped himself

seven times into the Jordan

according to the word

of the man of God

and his flesh was made clean

like a baby's bottom.

Right?

His flesh was restored

like a child

and he was clean.

Okay?

So Naaman goes down.

He's not so sure

that this is going to work

but he says,

okay, I'll try it.

He washes in the river

and God miraculously heals him.

But now look what happens.

Naaman goes home

a different man.

Naaman is changed.

He's not just,

his skin is not just healed,

his heart is healed.

Look what happens in verse 15.

In verse 15,

he goes back and he says,

now I know that there is no God

in all the earth

except the God of Israel.

You see,

he came to Israel superstitious.

He came thinking,

maybe this God can heal me.

I'm not so sure

but maybe this God can heal me.

But now he goes back,

a believer.

Naaman is not just healed,

he's saved.

Because what happens after this

is he goes back to Syria,

he's now a believer

in the God of Israel.

He came to Israel

to save his reputation,

to save his wealth,

to save his career,

to save his name.

But now he goes back to Syria,

a worshiper,

not of the gods of Syria

but of the God of Israel,

the one true God.

He goes back

and he's willing to put his name,

his reputation,

his career,

his wealth,

everything on the line

as he goes back

and he says,

I believe in that God.

See what's happened?

He came to try and save himself

and now he goes back

putting all those things

on the line.

What's happened to Naaman?

Friends,

he's become a believer.

He's got saved.

God hasn't just saved his skin,

God has changed his heart.

And friends,

that's the gospel.

That's what happens

in the gospel of the Bible,

in the Old Testament

and the New Testament.

As we encounter

the living God,

God changes not just

our circumstances,

he changes our hearts.

Naaman comes out of the water

a new man.

But it's all by grace.

He hasn't done a single thing

to deserve it.

He hasn't earned it.

He hasn't bought it.

He hasn't achieved it.

In fact,

that's been the problem

all along.

All along,

he's wanted to earn it.

He's wanted to buy it.

He's wanted to achieve it.

But for the first time

that he comes

and he tries to get it

not by buying it,

but he receives it

simply as a gift of grace,

that's when Naaman

is changed.

Let's land with this.

The question I want to ask

as we land is why.

Why could Naaman receive

this incredible gift

for free?

He didn't earn it.

He didn't buy it.

He didn't pay a cent for it.

You see,

this story is a true story.

It's not just a parable

in the Bible.

This is true,

but it's also true for us.

Friends,

we too,

like Naaman,

will find our healing,

find our restoration,

will find our salvation

for free.

You can't earn it.

You can't buy it.

You can't achieve it.

But why?

How can you and I

receive it for free?

Why does God forgive us

of the leprosy of our hearts?

Why does God give us

a new heart?

Why does God forgive us

of our sin

absolutely for free?

You can't buy it.

You can't earn it.

You can't achieve it.

Is it because God

has no standards

that he just says,

oh,

I'll just forgive your sin.

Let's just pretend

it doesn't happen.

What's a little bit of sin

between me and you?

Does God have no standards?

Of course,

God's got standards.

You read the Bible,

you know how holy,

perfect,

righteous God is.

Of course,

God has standards.

So how can God

just forgive Naaman's sin,

your sin,

and my sin,

without us having

to do anything

to achieve it

or earn it?

Friends,

the reason is

because the great cost

that Naaman had to pay

but he couldn't pay,

Jesus paid on our behalf.

Jesus Christ

went to the cross before us.

See, friends,

there is one deed,

there is one remedy

which could cure

the leprosy of our hearts.

The only deed,

the only cost,

the only remedy

cost the only sinless man

his life on the cross.

Jesus did go

to the ends of the earth

for us

because we couldn't.

You see,

even if Elisha

had said to Naaman,

Naaman,

go and slay some dragon.

Naaman,

go to the ends of the earth.

Naaman,

go and do some great thing.

No matter what Naaman did,

wouldn't have been enough.

There is no price enough

to pay for the healing

and salvation

that God had for him.

But there is a price.

But it costs

the only sinless man

his life on the cross.

Jesus Christ

didn't just swim

through fire and ice.

Jesus Christ

swam through an ocean

of divine judgment

and divine wrath for us.

Jesus didn't just go

and slay some enemy.

He slayed the ultimate dragon

of sin and death for us.

Jesus Christ

paid the ultimate price

that you and I

couldn't pay.

Friends,

what could wash our sin away?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

What could make us whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

You see,

the story of Naaman

is really the story

of the gospel.

It's the story of all of us.

It's the story of how

our hearts are sick

with leprosy.

But it's the story

of how Jesus

has come to heal us.

Jesus has come

to give us new life.

But Jesus comes

and he says,

you can't buy it.

You can't earn it.

You can't achieve it.

All you do is

you come to me

on your knees.

You come to me

with nothing in your hands.

You come and you admit

that you need it.

And in that place

you'll find the grace

that your heart

is looking for.

It's the story

of how Jesus

secured our hope

and our healing

from the terrible sickness

of our own hearts.

It's found in the grace

and the kindness of Christ.

It's the story

of how the grace of God

is for free

because it cost

his son everything

as Jesus died

on the cross for us.

It's the story

of how we come

and we bring to Christ

our nothing

and get everything

in return.

Friends,

will you trust him?

Friends,

will you come

to Jesus Christ

this morning?

Friends,

will you come

to him empty handed?

Will you come

and bring you nothing?

Will you come

and admit your need

for his grace?

Will you come

and admit,

Christ,

I need you?

Let's do that together now.

Let's pray.

Will you join me

as we pray together.

Father,

we admit that,

God,

we are no different

from Naaman.

We may look different

on the outside.

The trajectory

of our lives

and our life story

may be a little different.

But in our heart

of hearts,

God,

we too

are suffering

from a great disease.

God,

sin has captured

our hearts

and we have turned

from you.

Father,

we need a great miracle

to heal us.

We can't save ourselves,

Lord.

And so,

Jesus,

we come before you

this morning,

God.

For those of us

that are not Christians,

your only hope

is found

in coming to Jesus.

You can try

every other remedy.

You can

try some great expedition,

slay some dragon,

achieve some greatness.

You cannot cure

the leprosy

of your heart.

You want to be free

from it?

You have to come

to Jesus.

But you have to come

empty.

You have to do

what is very difficult

for us as Hong Kongers

to do,

which is to admit

our need for grace.

you have to come

and admit

that your only hope

is found in Him.

Friends,

if you know

how to believe

this morning,

can I ask you

to do that?

Can I ask you

to put your hope

in King Jesus?

Won't you swallow

your pride?

Won't you admit

your sin,

your need for grace?

Ask Jesus

to wash it away.

Ask Jesus

to make you clean.

Not just your skin,

but your heart.

Ask Jesus

to come and

wash away your sin.

But friends,

for those of us

that are believers,

we need to do that

as well.

We need to come

and constantly

admit our need

for Christ's grace.

We need to confess

our sin.

We need to admit

that it's not

our religious devotion,

our great effort,

to our moral performance

that earns us

God's favor.

It's Christ's sacrifice

and Christ alone.

Friends,

maybe you feel like

your walk with God

has been hard work

and you're not

dedicated enough.

Maybe you feel like

God is upset with you

because you

haven't worked hard enough.

You haven't done

enough for Him.

Friends,

can you bring

your nothing to Jesus?

Will you admit

that you've got

nothing in your hands?

Will you cling

on to the cross

of Christ

and Christ alone?

Friends,

for those of us

that are holding

on to

hurt,

bitterness,

bitterness,

disappointments,

will you bring

those to King Jesus

this morning?

Come on your knees.

Don't come in pride.

Bring those things

that come to Him

on your knees.

Come and admit

that you need

Christ to heal you.

come and ask God

to do a work

of grace

in your hearts.

I really feel

that God

wants to bring

healing this morning.

He wants to heal us.

He wants to set

some of us free.

Oh, Holy Spirit,

come.

Come and do

it, we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.