When the Mighty Must Bow - DJ Dickerson - 7/5/26

Well, this evening we are continuing our

Sunday evening lessons connected to what

our children are learning in their Bible

classes. And I I will say again how one

of the blessings of doing this is that

we again are reminded that children's

Bible lessons are not childish truths.

You've heard me say that a couple of

times in the past, haven't you?

Well, as we have noticed in previous

lessons, the the language certainly may

be simple, the the pictures may be

colorful, the memory verses may be

short, but the truth is certainly deep

enough to search every heart in this

room.

Uh recently our our our kids were

studying a powerful account from the uh

Old Testament in 2 Kings chapter 5. And

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

2 Kings chapter 5 is that of Naaman. And

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

there's some things that I was studying

uh and and I I've said this uh numerous

times when I'm studying uh these lessons

how often you come across certain things

and it kind of just hits you and you and

you know, you're like, "I've read that

numerous times. I don't know why

uh it's it's it's kind of resonating

now."

Uh but that's why we find the Bible

being called the living word. Uh so,

we're going to be talking about and

reinforcing the lessons that our kids

have learned. And that is uh from 2

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

Kings chapter 5 in your Bibles. Do you

turn over there? And the title is when

the mighty must bow. When the mighty

must bow.

There are some problems that wealth

cannot solve.

Uh there are some wounds that

success

cannot conceal.

And there are some conditions that power

cannot command

to go away.

Uh a person may be respected by an

entire nation

and still carry a private burden that no

one else can see.

Uh, one may stand before others that's

dressed in honor

while underneath those garments

there's pain,

anguish,

despair.

One may appear to have everything under

control

while quietly living with something that

is beyond their control.

This is really how the Bible in 2 Kings

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5 introduces Naaman.

When you go to 2 Kings 5 and look at

verse 1, it says, "Now Naaman, commander

of the army of the king of Syria, was a

great and honorable man in the eyes of

his master because by him the Lord had

given victory to Syria. He was also a

mighty man of valor, but a leper."

And and I've always been impressed of

how this verse really builds Naaman up,

right? And uh,

you find that it mentions of course he

was a commander, he was great, he was

honorable, he was highly regarded by the

king, he was a mighty man of valor,

but then the verse ends uh, verse 1

with three small words that change

everything, "but a leper."

And you know, when we're reading there

in the first part, it's it's so

interesting that that really Naaman had

what we'd call an impressive resume,

but he also had an incurable condition.

Uh, he could command armies, but he

could not command his own flesh to be

healed.

He could defeat enemies on the

battlefield, but he could not defeat the

disease that was attacking his body. He

could stand confidently before kings,

but he was powerless before his own

mortality.

And thus, what I find is is Naaman

really gives us this reminder today that

every human accomplishment eventually

encounters a problem that it cannot

solve.

Like education.

Certainly can accomplish many things, I

believe we would agree.

But it cannot cleanse sin.

Uh

money can purchase medicine,

but it cannot purchase redemption.

And influence can certainly open many

doors,

but it cannot open the door of

salvation.

A person may be strong in the eyes of

the world while at the same time being

helpless in the presence of

one's greatest need.

So, really, Naaman's account is not

simply about a man who was healed of

leprosy.

It is about a powerful man who learned

that before he could receive the

blessing of God, he had to surrender his

pride to the word of God.

You know, uh one of the crafts that, you

know, Emily had from her Bible class,

and again, I always like to take a

moment to express my appreciation for

for the teachers of our children. Y'all

do such a wonderful job. And it means a

whole lot to me as a parent of

children

that that you spend that kind of time,

that kind of energy, and impress upon

them the importance of these lessons.

And the the crafts that y'all do. And

one of the crafts, of course, was, you

know, was there with when we was at the

table and she was, you know, showing

Naaman. And of course,

you You I said, "How many times did

Naaman dip in that water?" And she said,

"Seven." Right? And And so, we go over

those things. This is important as we we

impress upon their minds because that

that even though our children may

definitely remember that Naaman dipped

seven times in the Jordan River,

we want them to remember that.

But as adults, we also must see the

truth beneath the surface as we grow.

Right?

Because before Naaman could go down to

the water, Naaman had to come down from

himself. So, let's talk about that. The

great man who could not heal himself.

The Bible does not minimize Naaman's

accomplishments. As I just mentioned, he

he was not an insignificant man. He had

risen to one of the highest military

positions in Syria. Soldiers followed

his orders. Kings respected his counsel.

Nations knew his name. Now, the text

even says

that Naaman

that through Naaman, the Lord had given

victory to Syria. Now, that you know,

sometimes that might be something we

kind of overlook, kind of real in

passing.

But that's pretty interesting because

Naaman probably attributed his success

to well, military strength, the courage,

strategy, or experience. And you can

kind of make a list here as one who

commands an an army here. Yet yet

scripture though quietly reveals

that behind his victory stood the very

providence of God.

Naaman was certainly successful, but he

did not yet understand the true source

of that success.

Uh

how often that still happens when you

make application of this,

many people still live in this this kind

of

condition.

They say, "I built this business. I

earned this position. I created these

opportunities. I work for everything I

have. I I I. And and now I'm not taking

away hard work certainly does matter.

Discipline matters. Wise choices, that

matters. But no one is entirely

self-made.

Because our abilities, our

opportunities, our health, our

relationships, our breath and time exist

under the very problems of God.

Paul even brought up in 1 Corinthians 4

and verse 7. 1 Corinthians 4 and verse

7. For who makes you differ from

another?

And what do you have that you did not

receive? Now if you did indeed receive

it, why do you boast as if you had not

received it?

You know,

understanding,

you know, that of all that we have and

all that we are blessed with,

something Naaman had to understand is

that yes, Naaman was pro-powerful, but

he was not self-sufficient.

Those words still come back, don't they?

But a leper.

And that again reminds us that earthly

success cannot make us

invulnerable.

Here's a sobering truth.

Many lives can be described with that

same three-letter word.

He is successful,

but his home is falling apart.

Y'all ever seen something like that?

She is admired,

but she feels completely alone.

He appears strong,

but he is carrying a burden no one else

can see.

She smiles in public,

but she weeps in private.

He has achieved nearly every goal,

but he still does not know why he is

here.

You see, that little word often reveals

the struggle that's hidden behind the

success.

The pain concealed beneath the

appearance.

And the weakness that human achievement

cannot overcome.

Cuz a title cannot heal

every wound.

A uniform cannot cover every weakness,

and wealth cannot protect us from every

sorrow. Because sooner or later, every

person encounters something that reveals

how little control they truly possess.

Naaman's leprosy actually placed him in

that position.

Naaman's physical condition illustrates

really I I think a deeper spiritual

reality.

That sin is a universal condition no

person can cure through human power.

Look at Isaiah 1 and verse 6. Isaiah 1

and verse 6.

From the sole of the foot

even to the head, there is no soundness

in it. But wounds and bruises,

putrefying sores.

They have not been closed or bound up

or soothed with ointment.

Sin may be hidden beneath success,

reputation, religious appearance for

that matter.

Or may maybe maybe even outward

respectability could be another we could

add. But a concealed spiritual disease

is

a disease.

Naaman needed to recognize that all his

strength could not solve his greatest

need, his greatest problem.

And that's where the journey toward

grace begins because until a person

recognizes their need, they will never

truly seek the remedy that God provides.

Second Kings chapter 5

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

we're introduced to Naaman right off in

verse 1 as we noted. But yet, there's

something else that I I believe we

certainly want to look at again.

The little girl who knew where hope

could be found.

Great lessons here. Look at verse 2 of 2

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

Kings chapter 5. 2 Kings chapter 5 verse

2 Kings 5:2

2 where our attention is now shifted

from a famous commander

to an unnamed

child.

And the Syrians had gone out on raids

and had brought back captive a young

girl from the land of Israel. She waited

on Naaman's wife.

I thought how often, you know, when

you're reading this, the contrast could

not be greater.

Could not be greater. Naaman in verse 1,

a mighty commander. Verse 2, we have a

young servant girl.

Naaman had authority.

This girl had been taken captive.

Naaman's name was known throughout

Syria.

Her name is never recorded.

Naaman had soldiers under his very

command.

And she, this little girl, served in the

house of the man whose nation had

carried her away.

By the world's standards, Naaman was

important.

And this little girl was insignificant.

Yet the powerful man needed something

only the little girl possessed.

Y'all see that?

Because she knew where hope could be

found. Look at that in verse three. Then

she said to her mistress, "If only my

master were with the prophet who is in

Samaria, for he would heal him of his

leprosy."

That's what she told Naaman's wife.

And I I want you to take a moment and I

want you to think about the faith that's

contained in that sentence in verse

three.

She did not say, "Perhaps the prophet

could help this guy."

She didn't say, "You know, maybe

something could be done."

She spoke with such confidence.

And then you look at the position that

she's in.

She had been separated from her home,

her family. She was living in a foreign

land under circumstances she had never

chosen.

Yet she had not forget she had not

forgotten the God of Israel.

Isn't that something?

This little girl here.

She had lost her freedom, but she had

not lost her faith.

Removed from her homeland, but she had

not been removed she had not removed God

from her heart.

And and I think something else stands

out to me here.

And and that is

she refused to let suffering make her

cruel.

You ever think about that part of it?

You know, in our world standard

a worldly person would say, "I You know

what? I don't care if he's ever cured of

that leprosy."

She she could have rejoiced

over Naaman's condition.

Let him suffer.

Look at me. Look where I'm at.

She could have remained silent and she

could have watched the disease progress.

And instead she she showed compassion to

someone connected with her captivity.

You don't think that speaks volumes

about this girl?

And I say this is sometimes one of the

most missed parts of this account.

She had enough faith to believe God

could heal Naaman

and enough love to want Naaman healed.

Friends, she didn't have an army. She

didn't have wealth. She didn't have no

public position. She only had a

testimony.

But her words

set in motion a chain of events that

eventually led a Syrian commander to

confess faith in the God of Israel. Tell

me that's not something.

We often imagine, friends, that

influence belongs only to the person

speaking before a crowd.

Yet some of the greatest influence

occurs

in quiet conversations.

A child speaks to a parent.

A friend speaks to someone who's

hurting.

A Christian tells a co-worker where hope

can be found.

A Bible class teacher plants truth in

the mind of a student.

A mother teaches her children to pray. A

father opens the Bible at the kitchen

table. See, those are the things right

there.

Because, yes, we can't cleanse someone

else's sins. We can't do that.

We can't transform a heart by our own

power.

But like this little girl, we can point

people toward God. That's what we can

do.

Oh, the world said that that girl, she's

a captive.

Yeah, that's true. She was a captive.

And she was a servant to Naaman's house.

But God used her as a messenger

in the circumstances that she was in.

Naaman certainly wore the uniform, but

you know what she carried? She carried

the truth.

And as our children studied this story

just recently in their Bible classes, we

should remind them that they are not too

young to influence someone for good.

They're not.

Because you know what our children could

do? They They can speak kindly.

They can invite friends to Bible class.

They can pray for someone who is sick.

They can tell another child what they

have learned about God.

And we must be careful never to

discourage

such children by acting as though

children have nothing meaningful to

offer.

Oh, they certainly do.

Because the first voice of hope

in Naaman's account here did not come

from a king, didn't come from a soldier,

and didn't even come from a prophet.

We've only made it to verse three.

The word of hope came from a little

girl.

That was in some

circumstances that

we certainly wouldn't want to be in

ourselves.

I think that is a great example we don't

want to just skip over

when we study about Naaman.

With that,

the third thing I want to bring to your

attention is looking for God's blessing

in the wrong place.

Well,

when Naaman heard what the girl had

said, well, where did he go?

Well, he went to the king of Syria. The

king prepared a letter to the king of

Israel, and Naaman departed with silver,

gold, and expensive clothing, which you

find recorded there in the next few

verses of 2 Kings chapter 5.

2 Kings 5 · chapter mention

And so, Naaman approached his need the

way powerful people often approach

problems. How How is that? Well, I've

got wealth, I've got influence, I've got

some royal connections.

He went to a king rather than directly

to the prophet. He carried money as

though the blessing of God could be

purchased. He brought a royal letter as

though human authority could command

divine power. Oh, what trouble.

And when the king of Israel read the

letter, it says there, "Am I God? Look

at that in verse 7. Am I God to kill and

make alive? That this man sends a man to

me to heal him of his leprosy?"

What the king understood is really his

own helplessness, cuz he couldn't heal

Naaman.

And well, he feared that Syria was

looking for an excuse to create

conflict, too, I'm sure.

Cuz that's what he says. "Therefore,

please consider and see how he seeks a

quarrel with me."

And when Elisha heard that the king had

torn his clothes, he sent word, "Please

let him come to me,

and he shall know that there is a

prophet in Israel."

There in verse 8.

Oh, yeah. Naaman, he had gone to a

palace, but his answer was not there in

that palace.

He went to the man that was wearing a

crown, definitely, but the king had no

power over his condition.

And Naaman needed to learn that

spiritual blessings cannot be attained

through earthly influence.

And Naaman eventually arrives at

Elisha's house

uh with horses and the chariot, you

know, you can kind of get that scene in

your mind what that look like.

Uh the great commander of Syria, he he

he stopped before the prophet's humble

dwelling. Soldiers may have stood

nearby.

Horses stirred the dust, you know, the

chariot uh displayed I I sometimes I

think the prominence and the importance.

But Naaman had arrived and then surely,

you know, Elisha is going to come

outside. Surely the prophet's going to

to recognize the significance of the man

that's at his door.

Surely there's going to be a dramatic

ceremony worthy of someone of Naaman's

rank, but Elisha didn't come out. He

sent a messenger, didn't he?

There in verse 10, Elisha sent a

messenger to him saying, "Go and wash in

the Jordan seven times and your flesh

will be restored to you and you shall be

clean."

Every time we read that, right? We we

study this.

Those instructions are so clear. They're

simple. They're they're even quite

specific.

And Naaman is not happy with that. He's

he's furious, isn't he?

Because what we find in the next verse

is

when I stand when I when I thought

stands against God said.

Because verse 11 goes on to tell us,

"But Naaman became furious and went away

and said, 'Indeed I said to myself, he

will surely come out to me and stand and

call on the name of the Lord his God and

wave his hand over the place and heal

the leprosy.'"

Now I want you to to to think about

this, that Naaman did not misunderstand

the command. He simply didn't like it.

Because the words I said to myself.

Now, other translations, you're going to

find the words I thought.

And again, those are dangerous words

when they are placed above the word of

God.

That happens today.

I thought God would do it this way. I

thought sincerity was enough. I thought

worship should be based on what feels

meaningful to me. I thought salvation

should happen according to my

understanding. I thought God would

accept whatever I chose to offer him.

That's not how it works.

And and really Naaman already kind of,

you know, he had a script in his mind of

what this would look like.

You know, Elijah's going to come

outside. He's He's going to stand before

the commander. He's going to call upon

the name of God and, you know, he's

going to wave his hand over as

uh the diseased place and there's going

to be this dramatic healing that's going

to occur. That's what's going to happen.

And and perhaps Naaman's soldiers would,

you know,

watch in amazement and

uh perhaps, you know, Elisha would

receive the gifts and Naaman would

return to Syria. He'd be healed,

honored, unchanged in his estimation of

himself. You see?

But but God was is not merely addressing

Naaman's skin. See, that's that's the

deep part of this this this account.

Cuz, you know, Naaman was still on the

surface here. See, he was on the skin

surface. This is what we call the

superficial part.

That's what he was on.

God was confronting something much

deeper.

And that was the pride issue.

Because Naaman wanted healing without

humility.

He wanted cleansing while remaining in

control of a situation.

He wanted God's blessing, but he wanted

it delivered according to the way he

expected it to be delivered.

That's what pride does. Pride is often

willing to do something difficulty

difficult if the difficulty allows us to

appear

impressive.

Pride will climb a mountain if others

are watching. You know that?

Pride Pride will will perform a great

deed if it produces admiration.

And pride may even make a costly

sacrifice if it allows us to boast in

what we have accomplished.

But it's quite interesting that pride

struggles with simple submission.

Had Elisha Think about this. Had Elisha

told Naaman, "You go defeat another

army."

Naaman would have understood that

assignment.

Had he told him, "You go pay a great

price over here." Naaman He He'd already

brought the money.

Had he told him, "Perform some heroic

act."

Naaman would have welcomed the

challenge.

But the prophet told him to

go dip

seven times in the Jordan River.

You see, a great task would have allowed

Naaman to remain great.

A simple command required him to become

humble.

And I think we see the trouble here.

Cuz Naaman would not be able to return

to Syria and say, "I earned my healing

through strength." He would not be able

to say, "I purchased it with my wealth."

All he'd be able to say is, "God did

this."

Interesting when you think about grace

and you think about how grace leaves no

room for human boasting. And boy, Paul

has talked a lot about that, didn't he?

But I want you to show you Ephesians

Ephesians 2:8–10

chapter 2 verses 8 through 10. Ephesians

Ephesians 2:8–10

chapter 2 verses 8 through 10.

For by grace you have been saved through

faith.

And that not of yourselves, it is the

gift of God. Not of works lest anyone

should boast, for we are his

workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for

good works which God prepared beforehand

that we should walk in them.

We have to understand we start talking

about that word grace.

God's grace cannot be earned, cannot be

purchased, and cannot be demanded.

It must be received through humble faith

and obedience to his word.

We must always

keep that in mind.

What else do we know about Naaman?

Well,

you know,

there's some better rivers.

That's what That's That's He starts

working He starts doing some reasoning.

Human reasoning starts kicking in. You

know, there's better rivers of Damascus

here. Look at verse 12. Are not the

Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of

Damascus, better than all the rivers of

the waters of Israel? Could I not wash

in them and be clean? So he turned and

went away in a rage.

You see, we look at Naaman's perspective

and we start thinking, "You know what?

He might have a point." His His argument

really sounds reasonable.

Because the the rivers near Damascus,

they you know, they may have appeared,

well, cleaner, clearer, more impressive

than the Jordan.

Let me ask this, you know, if if the

issue was simply washing,

why not choose a better river?

But the issue was not which river looked

better.

The issue was which river God had

appointed.

See, Naaman confused

what seemed better to him with what had

been commanded by God. And that

temptation has not disappeared even in

2026, friends.

People still say, "Well, this way seems

more meaningful. This method appears

more effective. This practice is more

popular. This approach makes more sense

to me." And I could just go on and on. I

think you get the point.

But the ultimate question is not what

seems best to us. The question is, "What

has God said?" What does Proverbs 14 and

verse 12 tell us? "There is a way that

seems right to a man, but its end is the

way of

death."

Now, Abana and Pharpar, you know, may

have been better rivers in Na- Naaman's

estimation,

but they were not the rivers named in

the command.

Sincerity

and another river

would not cleanse him.

Passion and another river

not going to cleanse him. The approval

of a king would not

cleanse him.

And the agreement of every soldier in

Syria

would not cleanse him. God has said,

"Jordan." Faith had to go to Jordan, and

this principle appears throughout

scripture. You know that?

The fruit in the Garden of Eden appeared

good for food and pleasant to the eyes,

but God had spoken.

Marching around Jericho did not resemble

a conventional military strategy, but

God had spoken.

The blind man in John chapter 9 even may

John 9 · chapter mention

not have understood why Jesus placed

clay on his eyes and told him to wash in

the pool of Siloam, but he obeyed and

returned seeing.

Those are prime examples where the power

was never in human wisdom. The power

belonged to God

who attached his promise to his

instruction.

Naaman, what does he do? He turns away

in a rage. The river was ready, the

command was clear, the promise had been

given,

and yet pride was just carrying him away

from the very blessing that he had

traveled so far to receive.

And friends, sometimes the greatest

obstacle

standing between a person and the

blessing of God is not confusion,

lack of opportunity, or difficulty.

Sometimes the greatest obstacle is

ourselves.

How true that really is.

Oh, the servants. Let's talk about them

for a moment. The servants who loved him

enough to speak.

Naaman's servants approached him and

said,

"My father, if the prophet had told you

to do something great, would you not

have done it? How much more then when he

says to you, 'Wash and be clean?'"

I believe that their words were

respectful there in verse 13.

I I believe also they were direct.

Uh they didn't flatter Naaman's anger.

They didn't, you know, they didn't fuel

that flame. Uh they they they didn't

say, "You know, you Naaman, you're

right. Uh the prophet should have not

should have shown you more respect, you

know.

No, what they did is they helped him see

that he was about to lose the blessing

because the command was too simple for

his pride.

Interestingly, Naaman had already

listened to a little girl,

a servant girl.

And now he needed to listen to his own

servants.

And God surrounded the mighty commander

with humble voices.

How wonderful that is.

And one of the clearest marks of

humility is the willingness to receive

truth from someone we might consider is

beneath us. Y'all Y'all ever think about

that?

Pride asks, you know, "Who are you to

tell me?"

Mhm.

But humility on the other hand asks a

different question.

Is what you are saying true?

You see the difference in those?

And then pride comes back, you know,

pride examines the status of the

messenger, but yet humility considers

the wisdom of the message.

And the point that I want to share with

you in this is that we all need people

who care more about our souls than our

egos.

We need friends who will not simply just

agree with us, you know? See, that's

once we like, "If that person agrees

with me, I'm probably going to go to

that person. They're going to agree with

me. So, let's let's let's kind of circle

the wagons on this."

Now, friends, we need brothers and

sisters who will lovingly say, "You need

to reconsider."

We need mature Christians who will

remind us what scripture says when

there's anger, when there's fear, or

when there's personal preference

preference that clouds our judgment.

That's why Proverbs 27:6 stands out to

Proverbs 27:6

me here.

Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but

the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Cuz Naaman's servants in verse 13 risked

speaking to an angry commander.

Why?

Why did they do that?

Because they wanted him to be healed.

And they helped him

turn

back toward the river he needed to be

going to to begin with.

That's good friends. That's good people

that we need to have in our lives.

Oh, those faithful.

Yes.

And then

we get to the point of the account in

verse 14.

Yep, the seven times in the Jordan.

That's a lot of times what what we we

kind of remember a lot about Naaman,

don't we?

So, he went down and dipped seven times

in the Jordan according to the saying of

the man of God.

Those words I want you to notice.

He

went down.

I believe those three words, he went

down, describes more than physical

movement. Yeah, there was physical

movement, but I think there's more here.

Because the commander went down. The

great man went down. The mighty man of

valor went down. The man accustomed to

giving commands went down in submission

to a command.

See, this is what verse one. We just

went through that.

Because Naaman had to descend from his

chariot. He had to remove the garments

that displayed his rank. He had to

expose the condition he could not cure.

And he had to enter the Jordan before

his servants and perhaps his own

soldiers.

And then he dipped. You think about that

once,

twice, still nothing.

Third time, his skin still remained

diseased.

All the temptation after the fourth or

fifth dip to say, "Oh, this is foolish.

I knew this would not work. I surely I

have done enough."

Six dips,

but not seven.

And the command was not to begin

washing, the command was to

go in seven times.

Because partial obedience would have

left Naaman in the same condition

he came.

Now, this does not mean that Naaman

earned his healing by by completing a

meritorious work. Uh the water itself

possessed no power to remove leprosy. I

mean, again, we talked about the Jordan,

you know, it's a dirty river, is what he

was calling it.

He was healed because God kept his

promise when Naaman trusted the word to

obey.

Because biblical obedience is not an

attempt

to place God in our debt.

It is a response of faith to the grace

of that God offers.

And you can read throughout Hebrews

Hebrews 11 · chapter mention

chapter 11 in the hall of faith that

repeatedly joins faith with action,

doesn't it?

You can go through several of them. By

faith, Noah moved. He built an ark. By

faith, Abraham obeyed when he was called

to go out. By faith, Israel passed

through the Red Sea. Every one of those,

faith does not merely agree, "Yes, God

is able." Faith acts upon what God has

said.

We obey.

Cuz Naaman, he dipped that seventh time,

what's it say? His flesh was restored

like the flesh of a little child, and he

was clean.

The great commander emerged from the

river with skin like a child. And I

thought there's so much, you know, I the

beautiful irony of that description.

Because who had pointed him toward hope

to begin with?

That little girl.

And now Naaman's flesh became like that

of a little child. And and the mighty

man had learned childlike trust that

Jesus spoke of in Matthew 18 and verse

3.

His submission placed him where God's

power cleansed him.

God was faithful.

This verse 15 makes it clear even

that really this is

more than a change in his skin.

Cuz Naaman returned to Elisha and said,

"Indeed,

now I know that there is no God in all

the earth except in Israel. Now

therefore, please take a gift from your

servant."

You know, the greatest change

in Naaman was not what happened to his

skin. Although that was certainly was

wonderful, no doubt.

But the greatest change in Naaman is

what happened to his understanding.

The disease

he would have never chosen

became the circumstance that brought him

face to face with his need for God.

And Naaman probably would have never

traveled in Israel

had he not become a leper.

I don't know.

I don't think he'd ever stood outside

Elisha's house.

I don't think he would have ever entered

the Jordan.

I don't think he'd have ever confessed

the God of Israel.

And we should be cautious

about assigning a specific divine reason

to every hardship cuz the Bible does not

teach that every sickness is a direct

result of you know some you know

somebody says an individual sin or that

of every trial will be removed if

someone has enough faith.

But scripture does show that suffering

can awaken us to realities prosperity

often conceals.

Cuz hardship friends can strip away the

illusion of control.

Weakness can remind us of our

dependence. Loss can reveal what we

truly value and pain can force us to ask

questions comfort allowed us to ignore.

Naaman's leprosy told him, "You are not

as powerful as you believe."

And God's word told him, "You are not

without hope."

Now,

Naaman offered Elisha a gift and Elisha

refused it.

Elisha didn't want Naaman to think that

God's power could be purchased or that

the miracle had been a business

transaction type deal.

And yet Naaman, he brought silver, he

brought gold, he brought all sorts, but

he had received something money could

never buy.

And I submit to you tonight that's the

same the same is true about redemption

today.

First Peter 1 and verses 18 and 19 tells

us, "Knowing that you were not redeemed

with corruptible things like silver or

gold from your aimless conduct received

by tradition from your fathers, but with

the precious blood of Christ

as of a lamb without blemish

and without spot."

Cuz friends, we're not saved because we

possess enough wealth, because we can

perform enough impressive deeds, or we

can establish enough personal godliness,

goodness.

Salvation was purchased by Christ and

it's received through faith that submits

and obeys his will.

How else can I end this

rather than this point about Naaman and

the gospel?

You know, centuries later

Jesus referred to Naaman while teaching

in Nazareth.

Sometimes that's overlooked. Sometimes

we read the gospels and we we don't see

that. But Luke 4 and verse 27, his word

says, "And many lepers were in Israel in

the time of Elisha the prophet and none

of them was cleansed except

Naaman

the Syrian."

You ever wonder why that was so

specific? Why why, you know,

why?

Why do we have this?

Well, Naaman was a Gentile.

He was an outsider. He was a commander

in the army of an enemy nation.

Yet he received cleansing when he

humbled himself before the word of God.

And the people in Nazareth became angry

when Jesus reminded them of Naaman. They

didn't want to hear that God's mercy

could extend beyond the boundaries that

they had drawn.

And so what Naaman's account

demonstrates today even that God's grace

is not controlled by nationality, by

position, by background, or human

prejudice.

We must never decide that someone is

beyond the reach of the gospel message.

The person may be proud. Naaman was. The

person may begin with a mistaken idea.

Naaman did that. The person may, you

know, initially become angry at the

truth. Well, Naaman and furious and he

was angry. The person may seem like an

unlikely candidate for conversion.

Naaman was an enemy commander.

But what did the word of God do?

Humbled Naaman.

Corrected false assumptions and led a

willing heart toward cleansing. Friends,

the gospel is for every person. That's

why in the Great Commission, Jesus said

in Mark 16:15-16, "Go into all the world

Mark 16:15–16

and preach the gospel to every creature.

He who believes and is baptized will be

saved, but he who does not believe will

be condemned."

Yes, Naaman's cleansing was physical.

Salvation in Christ is spiritual.

And we should not treat the two as

identical events.

Yet Naaman's account clearly illustrates

an enduring principle I want just to

remember is God's blessings are received

according to God's word, not according

to human substitutions.

Some object to baptism by saying water

cannot save anyone.

Water by itself does not save.

There is nothing special about this

water. This is city of La Porte water.

Which I still I think is pretty good

based on other other waters.

But the Jordan River had no natural

power to heal leprosy.

And you know what? Baptism water has no

magical power to remove sin.

The power belongs to God. The saving

blood belongs to Christ and the hope of

salvation rests upon the death, burial,

and resurrection of Jesus Christ and one

submitting to him. Guess what? Repenting

of their sins, confessing Jesus be son

of man God, and that's what Jesus

saying.

And that's what Peter says.

Repent let everyone be baptized in the

name of Jesus Christ for the remission

of sins. Acts 22 and verse 16, what did

what was Paul what was Saul told? Arise,

be baptized, and wash away your sins,

call on the name of the Lord.

What's Colossians 2 and verse 12 say as

describing baptism? At the moment in

which we are buried with him in baptism,

in which you also are raised with him

through faith in the working of God.

In the working of God. Y'all notice it?

That same humility Naaman needed at the

Jordan is the same humility every sinner

needs before the gospel.

We must be willing to set aside our

thought and submit to God said. And

that, friends, is when the mighty must

bow.

We must bow.

This is such a powerful account our kids

just learned.

And it's a powerful account that holds

so many truths that we have looked at

and considered this evening.

But I'll submit to you that Naaman's

account asks each of us a very serious

question we end with.

What stands between us and complete

submission to God?

Is it pride?

Is it fear? Is it concern about what

others may think of us? Is Is it

attachment to a belief we have always

held? Is it the assumption that

sincerity can replace obedience? Is it

the thought that we have more time on

this earth?

Naaman nearly returned to Syria

unchanged.

It's possible to come near the truth and

still walk away from it. There's a lot

of people that have entered buildings

and have heard the word of God, have had

Bible studies, and have heard what they

are to do. And you know what? They have

went back

to Syria.

Y'all get the point.

Unchanged.

Understand that

we don't need to allow pride to take us

away from what God is offering.

Jesus died for our sins, was buried,

rose again on the third day.

And that tells us through him

forgiveness is available, through him

guilt can be removed, through him the

old life can be buried, a new life can

begin, but you must submit.

And that takes humility

to do that. If you're subject to

invitation call, whatever your condition

may be,

diseased, diseased in that of sin,

the river,

the water is not the obstacle.

Naaman had to overcome Naaman.

And many times we must overcome

ourselves.

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand

of God, and he will lift you up.