Participants:
Series Code: TWH
Program Code: TWH180901A
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00:32 Our scripture
00:35 that I have chosen to be read at this time 00:40 is found in the Book of Ecclesiastes. 00:47 That's right after Proverbs, 00:51 written by the wisest foolish man that ever lived. 00:59 And it's Ecclesiastes 12, that's the last chapter, 01:03 and it's the conclusion of the whole matter, 01:06 the last couple of verses. 01:10 I'll give you a moment there to find 01:13 that particular text in your Bible. 01:17 Ecclesiastes 12: 01:20 13, 14. 01:24 "Now let us hear 01:26 the conclusion of the whole matter: 01:31 Fear God and keep His commandments, 01:36 For this is man's all." 01:39 I think King James has it, the whole duty of man, 01:44 something like that. 01:46 "For God will bring every work into judgment, 01:51 including every secret thing, 01:53 whether good or evil." 01:58 At the conclusion of our study this morning, 02:01 we are gonna come right back to this text again. 02:05 So you want to just kind of keep that in mind 02:10 and see how 02:11 our study 02:14 ends up at its starting point. 02:18 Excuse me, just a second. 02:26 I spoke here last 02:29 on the first Sabbath of March. 02:33 It's five months ago. 02:36 It's the first Sabbath of September today. 02:38 Okay. 02:40 And I know all of you remember 02:44 distinctly 02:47 what I spoke upon in all the detail points 02:51 of my sermon, right? 02:54 No? 02:55 Well, you know, I would expect 02:59 you would forget some other people's preaching 03:01 but I just can't hardly fathom and imagine 03:04 that you would forget mine. 03:07 But in case your memory is like mine, 03:09 really good but really short, 03:12 I brought my first sermon here with you, 03:14 this is going to be part two today. 03:16 So I'll have to preach the first one an hour 03:20 and then we'll go into the sec... 03:23 No, I won't do that. 03:25 But I do want to quickly review with you. 03:30 I entitled it 03:33 a story to ponder 03:36 or a story worth pondering. 03:39 And the story is found in the Book of 2 Kings. 03:45 If you want to turn there, 03:47 2 Kings chapter 5, 03:53 and chapter 5 records the story 03:57 of the healing of captain Naaman, 04:01 captain 04:03 of the Syrian army. 04:08 And, of course, the story 04:11 wouldn't be completed without also the little maid, 04:16 the unnamed servant girl 04:20 to the wife of captain Naaman. 04:26 She is prominent in the story. 04:31 Let's bow our heads for prayer. 04:32 Father in heaven, 04:35 it's such a privilege to be able to open Your Word, 04:41 and spend some time in it. 04:45 It's the living Word. 04:48 It's the Word that you spoke and worlds came into existence, 04:53 and you spoke in it steadfast, 04:57 and so now we ask you that you'll speak again 05:00 today here in our presence, 05:04 in Jesus' name we make this request, amen. 05:09 So we learned last time that captain Naaman 05:15 was a pretty prominent man. 05:18 In fact, he was a national hero 05:22 in Syria, 05:24 capital of Syria, of course, being Damascus. 05:28 He was popular with the people, 05:31 a national hero. 05:33 He was revered by the soldiers who served under him. 05:39 He was trusted by the king. 05:42 And the text says he was blessed by God, 05:47 not some foreign God, but blessed by the God. 05:53 Prominent man, famous man, capable man, 05:57 well recognized man. 06:00 The trouble is all of that famousness 06:04 and ability and greatness 06:08 counted for nothing 06:10 because the Bible records 06:13 he was a leper. 06:16 That's what we discovered in part one of the story. 06:22 And we had to bring that truth home. 06:25 You see we can think we are a pretty big stuff, 06:29 good looking, 06:31 famous, 06:33 dynamic, 06:35 intellectual, 06:36 talented, 06:38 all of the things 06:40 that you might want to describe, athletic, 06:43 but all that counts for nothing in heaven's eyes, 06:47 because guess what? 06:50 We are lepers too. 06:52 Our leprosy is called sin. 06:55 And sin is a contagious disease 07:01 like leprosy. 07:02 It's one that heaven doesn't want in its midst. 07:07 That's why we are quarantined, we are in a penitentiary. 07:11 We are doing time because we are sinners, 07:15 we are quarantined. 07:17 And so we need healing 07:19 like Captain Naaman needed healing. 07:23 And we can't do it ourselves. 07:24 We took a little time to compare how sin and leprosy, 07:29 the similarities between the two diseases, 07:33 sin and leprosy, 07:34 both were defiling, both disfiguring, 07:38 both deadening, both disassociating, 07:42 you just lost all contact with society, 07:45 we've lost all ability to directly communicate 07:49 and be with the rest of God's universe 07:53 because of sin, because of leprosy, 07:56 and leprosy was deadly, comparisons. 08:01 Then we focused on the story of little maid 08:06 and we grappled with 08:10 the concept of God's providential leading. 08:15 That's a difficult thing 08:19 to try to understand at times, 08:22 maybe most of the time. 08:25 He does things, orchestrates things, 08:27 allows things, and it seems baffling to us. 08:31 How could this little Hebrew girl 08:35 torn from her family, like it must have been, 08:40 be in God's providence 08:42 or how could he allow her or why did he allow her 08:46 or did he allow her 08:48 and we grappled a little bit with that. 08:51 And I guess I don't know how well I did 08:56 with that whole scenario 08:58 but what I've concluded 09:02 is that the providence of God is a mystery 09:06 that we cannot always explain, 09:09 and many times we can't, it makes no sense to us. 09:12 But yet I firmly believe 09:15 that when the veil is drawn back, 09:18 and we can see as God sees, 09:22 we would say I want it no other way. 09:25 As hard as it might be, as bitter as the pill might be, 09:29 it's difficult 09:30 or just can't understand the situation. 09:37 When we see it through God's eyes, 09:40 we'll say it is well, I won't want it any other way. 09:46 We also considered a bit 09:51 the lack of faith 09:55 of the king of Israel. 09:58 I mean you would think God's people, 10:01 who have His Word and His prophets, 10:04 in all the histories of his leading, 10:07 they would be the ones that had the most faith. 10:11 But as soon as Captain Naaman shows up at the king's door 10:16 with a letter from the king of Syria, what does he do? 10:19 He wrenched his clothes. 10:22 Who can heal a leprosy? 10:23 He expects, 10:25 no, he is not really wanting to be healed from, 10:27 he just wants to pick a fight. 10:29 And so we spent a little time 10:31 considering that dynamic. 10:36 Then we looked at the actual meeting 10:39 of Elisha and Naaman. 10:44 Naaman was a bit offended by that meeting 10:49 because you see Elisha didn't even come to the door. 10:53 Instead, he sent one of his servants 10:56 to meet Captain Naaman. 11:00 And said, "Go, wash in the River Jordan, 11:04 seven times, you'll be healed." 11:08 The proud Captain Naaman 11:10 needed his pride humbled a bit. 11:15 And so what did he do? 11:16 He turned on his heels 11:18 with his big motorcade of soldiers 11:21 and servants and steeds and chariots 11:25 and away they started to leave. 11:31 Once again, a servant comes to the rescue. 11:36 And one of his soldiers, 11:38 one of his servants addressed him, 11:40 "My father, my father," and reasons with him. 11:45 And humbles his pride 11:48 and he went to the River Jordan 11:51 and he dipped seven times, as the prophet said, 11:56 and he was healed. 11:58 That's where we left the story the last time that I spoke. 12:03 And so we want to carry it on from there. 12:08 If you want to turn to 2 Kings chapter 5... 12:15 and we'll read it in verse 14, we'll pick up there. 12:19 I am gonna read the whole presentation, 12:22 thank you, 12:24 read the whole, rest of the story 12:26 and then we'll work back 12:28 from that point of dipping in the River Jordan. 12:40 All right. 12:42 Verse 14, 12:44 "So he went down and dipped seven times 12:46 in the Jordan, according to the saying 12:48 of the man of God, 12:51 and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a child, 12:55 and he was clean. 12:59 And he returned to the man of God, 13:02 he and all his aides, 13:04 and came and stood before him, and said, 13:08 'Indeed, now I know that there is no God 13:12 in all of the earth, except in Israel, 13:17 now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.' 13:22 And he," that is Elisha, "said, 'As the Lord lives, 13:27 before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.' 13:32 And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 13:37 So Naaman said, 13:38 'Then, if not, please let your servant 13:42 be given two mule-loads of earth, 13:47 for your servant will no longer offer 13:49 either burnt offering or sacrifices to other gods, 13:54 but to the Lord." 13:56 Verse 18, 13:57 "Yet in this thing may the Lord pardon your servant, 14:02 when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon," 14:06 that's the temple 14:08 where the idol Ba'al Hadad 14:13 would have been located, the chief god of the Syrians, 14:18 "when he goes there to worship there, 14:21 and he leans on my hand, 14:23 and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, 14:27 when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, 14:29 may the Lord please pardon your servant 14:32 in this thing." 14:35 Then he," that is Elisha," said to him, 14:39 'Go in peace.' 14:41 And so he departed from him a short distance. 14:45 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, 14:49 said, 14:50 'Look, my master has spared 14:54 Naaman this Syrian, 14:57 while not receiving from his hands what he brought, 15:01 but as the Lord liveth,'" over my dead body, 15:06 "'I will run after him and take something from him.' 15:11 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. 15:14 And when Naaman saw him running after him, 15:17 he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, 15:21 'Is all well?' 15:23 And he said, 'All is well. 15:25 My master has sent me, saying, 15:28 'Indeed, just now 15:29 two young men of the sons of the prophets 15:33 have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. 15:37 Please give them a talent of silver 15:39 and two changes of garments.' 15:43 ''Talent of silver, 15:45 75 pounds, 15:48 what's that in ounces? 15:51 1400 ounces, 1200 ounces, something like that. 15:56 Number of, anyway, lot of money, 15:58 17,000 bucks worth. 16:01 How would a college student today like a gift of $17, 000 16:07 for visiting the prophet? 16:09 Pretty good, huh? 16:13 Now Naaman said, 16:15 'Please, take two talents,'" 16:17 $35,000, 16:19 "and he urged him, 16:20 and bound two talents of silver in two bags, 16:24 with two changes of garments, and handed them 16:28 to two of his servants, 16:29 and they carried them ahead of him, " 16:32 that is ahead of Gehazi, 16:35 "and when he came to the citadel, 16:39 he took them from their hand, 16:41 and stored them away in the house 16:43 and then he let the men go, and they departed. 16:47 And now he went in and stood before his master Elisha 16:51 and to him 16:53 Elisha asked, 'Where did you go, Gehazi?' 16:57 And he said, 'Your servant didn't go anywhere.' 17:00 And then he said to him, 'Did not my heart go with you 17:04 when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? 17:10 Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, 17:15 olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, 17:18 male and female servants? 17:21 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you 17:25 and your descendants forever.' 17:27 And he went from his presence leprous, 17:31 as white as snow." 17:36 Wow. 17:41 So Captain Naaman dipped in the River Jordan 17:46 seven times and was healed, 17:50 physically healed from the leprosy. 17:54 But Captain Naaman came out of that water a new man, 17:59 a different man. 18:02 Bible calls it, "Born again." 18:05 In fact, it was Jesus 18:06 speaking to another famous prominent person 18:12 who said the words in John 3, 18:15 Moses, surely I say to you, 18:18 "unless one is born again, 18:22 he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." 18:25 And so Captain Naaman has a new birth. 18:30 And the text that we just read illustrates that 18:33 in maybe about four different ways 18:36 we can see the evidences of the new birth. 18:40 First of all, he goes back to the prophet. 18:45 He returns back to the prophet. 18:48 Now that sounds easy. 18:50 But for Naaman to have got to the River Jordan 18:54 to do his dipping, 18:56 that was a 25 mile trip, 19:00 and you're travelling about 3 miles an hour. 19:05 That tells you about how long it's going to take 19:08 to get back from the River Jordan. 19:11 So you have Samaria, 19:14 you have the spot on the River Jordan, 19:17 and then you have Damascus, where he's headed. 19:20 He's going to have to go the opposite direction of home 19:26 to go back to the prophet 19:29 to say thank you, okay? 19:32 So he had to go out of his way, 50 miles basically, 19:35 out of his way to say thank you to the prophet. 19:39 But that's a reflection of a changed heart. 19:44 The proud man that went and stood at Elisha's door 19:47 and didn't even get out of the chariot, 19:51 you know, stood there 19:52 expecting Elisha to come to him, 19:55 that proud man now tracks back 19:58 25 miles to say thank you, 20:02 that's the sign of a changed man. 20:07 Secondly, when he comes back, 20:11 he makes two confessions 20:15 and one very interesting request. 20:19 His first confession 20:21 is "Indeed, now I know," 20:27 very emphatic, 20:29 "Indeed, now I know that there is no God 20:33 in all the earth except in Israel." 20:37 That's verse 15, the second part. 20:39 That's his first confession. 20:41 He says, "Indeed, I know." 20:43 I mean, for a fact, I know that there is no God 20:46 in all of the earth except in Israel. 20:52 I can think of Paul 20:54 who makes some emphatic statements like, 20:57 "I know in whom I believe," you know? 21:01 John, 21:02 "These things I have written unto you that believe 21:05 on the name of the Son of God that you may know 21:09 that you have eternal life." 21:12 Job makes the same kind of emphatic statement. 21:15 "I know that my redeemer lives, and he shall stand 21:19 at last on the earth, and after my skin is destroyed, 21:23 this I know, 21:24 that in my flesh I'll see God." 21:29 The second emphatic statement 21:32 along with the most unusual request is in verse 17. 21:38 Now Naaman said, 21:41 "Then, if not," in other words, 21:42 if you're not going to take the gift from me, 21:45 "please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth." 21:51 Now this is the same guy who was having a real problem 21:56 dipping seven times in the muddy Jordan River, 22:01 okay? 22:02 He could think of more beautiful cleaner 22:04 rivers back at Damascus. 22:06 In fact, he named two of them. 22:08 I'd rather go there and dip 22:10 than this stinking river here in Israel. 22:14 The same man who made that statement 22:16 is now asking for two mule-loads of dirt, please, 22:20 "Can I take some dirt back with me?" 22:23 So why has he asked that request? 22:26 Well, the people in his day, in his culture 22:31 believed that each God that a nation served 22:36 was somehow connected with and to their land, 22:40 to their territory. 22:42 So if he is going back to Syria, 22:45 and he wants to worship the God of Israel, 22:49 he can't do it on Syrian land, 22:52 he has to do it on the land of Israel. 22:55 So if he takes some dirt back with him, 22:58 and lays the dirt out, and kneels on that dirt, 23:03 then he is worshipping the God, 23:06 the true God of Israel, you see? 23:09 So it was very practical. 23:10 "Please, I need a couple loads of dirt please. 23:13 Get the skid steer out, 23:15 let's get a couple loads of dirt, 23:17 and I'll take it back with me, 23:19 so that I can worship the God of Israel." 23:24 And then he goes on to say, 23:25 "For your servant will no longer offer 23:28 either burnt offerings or sacrifices 23:32 to other gods, but to the Lord." 23:39 The third evidence that I see 23:41 of Naaman's change, 23:45 his new heart, is his generosity. 23:49 He comes back and he wants to offer 23:53 Elisha a gift, an offering, 23:57 and he brought quite a bit with him, 23:59 brought a lot of money with him, both gold and silver, 24:02 and designer clothes, you know, tailor-made suits. 24:07 Surely, the prophet would need some of this money for, 24:13 you know, the schools of the prophets. 24:15 I've been a treasurer in a conference before 24:18 and our academies are like black holes. 24:23 The money, you know? 24:25 And it disappears as quick as you can pour it in, 24:28 it's kind of... 24:29 Sometimes, I think maybe 3ABN is a little like that. 24:33 But anyway... 24:36 So surely, Elisha could use that money 24:40 for a lot of good things. 24:43 But he says no. 24:45 And the reason he said no 24:48 is because he did not want Naaman to think 24:53 that the work of the prophet is all about profit, 24:57 okay? 24:58 I'm not here to do this for money. 25:01 Money means nothing. 25:03 In fact, I am richly paid because you're a new man. 25:07 You're both healed physically of leprosy, 25:11 and whenever in history has that ever happened, 25:15 but even more, you're healed internally. 25:19 The rebellious man, 25:21 who was rebelling against the God of heaven, 25:24 warring against Israel and the God of heaven, 25:27 is now a believer. 25:29 That's my reward. 25:31 And he also wanted the captain to understand that God's grace 25:36 is not something you buy. 25:39 It's a free gift. It's a free gift. 25:43 God paid the price 25:46 so that we wouldn't have to pay the price. 25:51 The fourth evidence of Naaman's conversion 25:56 is the sensitivity 25:59 and tenderness of his conscience. 26:03 This creates a little dilemma for us today 26:07 trying to figure out how to handle this. 26:09 "Yet in this thing 26:11 may the Lord pardon your servant, 26:15 when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon 26:17 to worship there, and he leans on my hand, 26:21 and I bow down in the temple, 26:23 when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, 26:25 may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing." 26:30 Wow. 26:31 How would you answer that? 26:35 You know, would you say, "Sure, no problem. 26:40 God will overlook at that." 26:42 And then you got thinking, hmm, I wonder if that would make him 26:47 begin thinking that you can compromise. 26:51 What's in it in the Bible that it says, 26:54 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, 26:58 or any likeness of anything that's in the heaven above, 27:02 or that is in the earth beneath, 27:03 or that's in the water under the earth, 27:05 and you shall not bow down to them or serve them. 27:09 For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God." 27:13 So you want to encourage 27:15 the captain to disregard that? 27:20 Kind of difficult. 27:22 On the other hand, you might think, 27:24 "Well, Naaman is new born babe in the faith. 27:29 He probably doesn't have sufficient maturity and trust 27:32 in God to withstand the consequences 27:35 of refusing to go in with the King." 27:38 I mean the times that Naaman's thinking about, 27:43 this whole deal, it will be probably 27:44 some national festival, 27:46 when all the big brass are out 27:48 and the King is part of the whole activity 27:52 of this grand occasion. 27:53 He goes in to the temple and bows down 27:56 to the national god or idol, 27:59 and of course, it's expected 28:02 that the general of the armies of Syria 28:04 would go with him, he'd lean on his hands, 28:09 you know? 28:11 So how would you answer that? 28:15 I find it interesting in Elisha's response. 28:21 Elisha says to him, verse 19, "Go in peace. 28:26 So he departed from him a short distance. 28:29 Go in peace. 28:31 Elisha's answer isn't affirming him 28:36 or denying him. 28:39 It isn't saying yes and it isn't saying no. 28:43 It just says, "Go in peace." 28:45 Okay? 28:52 I guess maybe Elisha probably knew 28:56 that Naaman wasn't mature enough yet 29:00 and to send him away at this point, 29:04 at this high point, 29:05 I mean he's just been healed of leprosy. 29:08 What a joy? 29:10 He's just discovered the one true God, 29:14 the only God in all the earth that can heal someone, 29:17 who's got honest-to-goodness leprosy. 29:19 It's like having terminal cancer 29:23 with only days to live and absolutely hopeless, 29:27 and you're healed. 29:30 I mean, who can do that? 29:32 And so you can just think of the anticipation. 29:36 His soldiers and the whole retinue 29:40 that's come with him are excited and ecstatic 29:43 about this thing. 29:44 When they go back home, the whole nation of Syria 29:47 is going to hear the story. 29:48 I mean little maid is going to be excited. 29:51 Mrs. Naaman is going to be excited. 29:53 I mean he is going back with joy 29:56 and to temper that whole event with the dilemma 30:00 of what do you do 30:02 about handling going into this service. 30:06 Elisha just puts it off for God to deal with at a future time. 30:16 As I have experienced life, 30:22 and had evidence of my own sin 30:27 more clearly as the years go by, 30:32 I don't know about you, but for me, 30:35 I have concluded to deal very gently 30:41 and softly with other people 30:45 in their sin but deal more sternly 30:51 and directly 30:52 with me and my sin. 30:57 And I think that's maybe what Elisha is teaching us. 31:02 We learned that from the story that God's grace is healing, 31:08 and that the growth in grace is progressive, 31:12 not instantaneous. 31:16 Don't know if that's helpful to you or not. 31:20 I know that there may be some saints among us 31:23 who have never sinned a day in their life, 31:25 maybe won't understand that. 31:28 But for me in my house, it makes sense to me. 31:33 The story turns 31:37 now in quite a marked way. 31:40 You know, Naaman has been healed, 31:43 he's come back to say thank you, 31:45 he's offered his gift, 31:47 he's taken back his two mule-loads of dirt, 31:50 and he's headed home, and now the story turns. 31:54 And it's the sad and dark side of the story. 31:58 And the person that comes into view 32:01 is the servant of Elisha, Gehazi. 32:07 And one word describes this man 32:10 and the word is covetous. 32:14 This man suffers from the leprosy 32:18 that you don't see on the outside 32:21 but was present on the inside 32:24 and that was covetousness. 32:28 And I just have a few lessons 32:30 that I'd like for us to catch today 32:32 about covetousness. 32:35 First, covetousness blinds 32:37 one's spiritual perception 32:41 and undermines one's character, 32:44 his likeness to God. 32:47 And Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, 32:52 said, 32:54 "Look, my master has spared 32:57 Naaman this Syrian." 33:02 He doesn't view Naaman as a someone to win to God. 33:08 Instead, he views Naaman as an enemy to be destroyed. 33:14 And somehow, his master, Elisha has spared him, 33:20 didn't destroy him, 33:23 and he calls him, this Syrian, okay? 33:27 So he has disdain, his spiritual perceptions 33:33 are dimmed or blanked out 33:36 as a result of covetousness. 33:40 And so he says, 33:41 "I will run after him and take something from him." 33:47 It isn't that I'll receive something from him. 33:51 He says, "I'll take something from him." 33:56 Gehazi had lots of advantages. 33:59 He was the servant of Elisha, the man of God. 34:03 He was constantly in the companionship 34:05 of a godly person. 34:08 He saw many wonderful miracles performed by Elisha. 34:12 He sat at his feet, at the feet 34:14 of one of the Old Testament's greatest teaching prophets. 34:19 What an opportunity for light and truth? 34:22 Gehazi continually witnessed the life of a man 34:26 greatly dedicated to God, a man of unselfishness. 34:32 So all of these privileges Gehazi had, 34:35 yet Gehazi disregarded it all. 34:38 He paid no attention. 34:39 He was blind to light, deaf to sound, 34:43 unfeeling to touch in spiritual matters. 34:46 His covetous nature caused him to completely disregard 34:50 his spiritual opportunities. 34:53 Yet when you contrast him 34:56 with Naaman's servants, 34:59 Naaman's servants had no spiritual advantage. 35:04 Yet they sympathized with Elisha 35:08 and had the good of Naaman at their heart. 35:13 Elisha's servant, 35:14 Gehazi had great spiritual advantages. 35:17 Yet he complained about Elisha's actions 35:21 and was disinterested in the welfare of Naaman. 35:24 It makes no sense. 35:28 We would have predicted or I would have predicted 35:31 just the opposite. 35:32 Surely, Elisha would be the one 35:35 who had the servant of character, 35:37 while he then, Naaman would be plagued 35:40 with covetous evil servants. 35:43 However, such was not the case. 35:45 The servant with all the advantages 35:48 for good turned out bad. 35:51 And the servants who had 35:53 few spiritual advantages turned out good. 35:57 All this tells us that the greatness of privilege 36:00 does not necessarily predict the greatness of character. 36:05 The heart must be receptive and responsive 36:09 to the promptings of the Holy Spirit 36:11 or the spiritual advantages does one no good. 36:17 A covetous heart blinds 36:19 one's spiritual perceptions. 36:24 Today, we have a government run 36:29 welfare system. 36:32 And I can be misunderstood in what I'm about to say. 36:36 So please listen carefully and understand the intent 36:39 of what I'm saying. 36:41 But in the government welfare system, 36:45 the philosophy is if you could change the environment, 36:49 in other words, if you could clean up the slum 36:53 or remove people from the slum, 36:55 it would solve the problem. 36:59 But that's not the case. 37:02 You won't solve the slum problem 37:04 without first taking the slum out of the people, 37:09 that's the problem. 37:12 You know, you can take 37:14 and put a person you might say, 37:18 from the slum and put them in a palace, 37:22 and sadly they could turn the palace into a slum. 37:27 What we need is a heart change. 37:29 Now I'm not saying this about everyone 37:32 who lives in an urban area, in the ghettos of an urban. 37:37 But I'm saying 37:39 that we've been long enough as a nation, 37:43 throwing money without saying, "Wait a minute, 37:47 there needs to be a heart change." 37:51 You can't make a person who maybe doesn't want to work, 37:54 you can't give him a job and make them work, okay? 37:57 So there're two issues there. 38:00 The poverty is one issue 38:02 but the heart issues is the other 38:04 and probably the greater issue 38:06 is what I'm saying. 38:07 I hope I haven't offended somebody. 38:10 But it's something to think about. 38:13 So here it is, Gehazi had the best of environment, 38:19 but had a covetous heart and was blind to it all. 38:23 And the servants of Naaman 38:25 who didn't have any of those advantages 38:28 had the right heart. 38:30 And so it makes a difference. 38:36 Let me... 38:38 Time is running away here. 38:40 Another example of or lesson we can learn 38:45 from Gehazi's covetousness 38:50 is it has an insatiable appetite. 38:56 Covetousness makes one have an insatiable, 39:00 that's you cannot satisfy the appetite. 39:05 Now Gehazi pursued Naaman, 39:07 when Naaman saw him running after him, 39:09 he got down from the chariot to meet him and said, 39:11 "Is all well?" 39:13 And he said, "All's Well. 39:16 My master has sent me a saying, indeed, 39:18 just now two young men... 39:22 No, I just. Now. Yeah. 39:27 "Two young men... 39:31 sons of the prophets have come to me 39:34 from the mountains of Ephraim," 39:36 could be true, don't know for sure. 39:40 Could have had two sons of prophet's come. 39:43 I was using the story though as suspect. 39:46 Please give them one talent, a talent of silver 39:50 and two changes of garments. 39:52 So Naaman said, "Yeah, please take two talents," 39:56 and he urged him, and bound them, you know, 39:58 in the sacks and gave them the two changes of garments, 40:02 handed him to his servants, 40:03 so that they could carry them back to Samaria, the capital. 40:09 It's interesting here 40:13 the insatiable appetite 40:17 of covetousness led... 40:23 Gehazi to deception. 40:27 And so he has to first deceive 40:31 Naaman by saying this story, 40:35 you know, making up a story. 40:38 And now he's got the booty, you know, 40:41 the two big bags of silver, and the change of clothes, 40:46 and now 40:48 Naaman has just created a problem for Gehazi. 40:53 They're headed back home with all this stuff 40:57 and Gehazi can't be seen with it. 41:01 So what's he going to do? 41:04 And the story says they came to the citadel. 41:07 The citadel is the Hebrew word for ar-mone' 41:12 which is kind of like a hill. 41:14 So they came to a hill, 41:16 probably on the hill was a guard tower, 41:18 or maybe even a fortress, could have been guarded, 41:22 could have been abandoned, we don't know which, 41:24 they came to that before they got to the city, 41:27 and Gehazi has to think of something really quick, 41:29 and he says, "Ah, we'll just unload it here guys. 41:32 We'll just put it right here, 41:34 and I'll handle it from this point." 41:37 And so they unload it, and stash it, 41:40 and then he sends the servants away, 41:43 and then he goes in and stamps once more, 41:46 as if nothing has happened in front of Elisha. 41:53 However, now Elisha asks him a question. 41:57 "Where have you been, Gehazi?" 42:00 Now they're deceptions, 42:01 insatiable appetite of covetousness, 42:07 both can't be satisfied 42:09 and usually causes you or it leads you into deception. 42:13 Now another lie. 42:15 "Sir, I haven't been anywhere. 42:16 I haven't been anywhere." 42:18 And then, 42:21 sadly, 42:26 Elisha responds, "Really? 42:31 You know, my heart went out." 42:34 It's almost like saying my heart dropped, 42:37 my heart dropped when I saw Naaman 42:42 get off of his chariot 42:44 and come and meet you, my heart dropped. 42:49 The text we started with today, 42:51 let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. 42:54 "Fear God and keep His commandments 42:58 for this is man's all, 43:01 for God will bring every work into judgment 43:04 including every secret thing whether good or evil." 43:09 Covetousness 43:11 not only causes us to be deceitful, 43:15 but we also lose 43:19 or we are blind 43:21 to the recognition that God sees all. 43:25 We somehow forget that, that God sees all. 43:29 And Gehazi forgot it, was blind to it. 43:35 He can't hide it from God. 43:38 And so the answer came from Gehazi, 43:43 "It's not the time for money or to receive clothing" 43:47 and he even reveals to Gehazi 43:52 what he intended to do with the money, 43:57 olive groves, vineyards, 44:00 sheep, oxen, 44:03 male and female servants. 44:07 It wasn't for any college kids going back to school. 44:13 It was for oxen and sheep, olive groves 44:17 and the like. 44:20 As I close here, there are some comparisons 44:22 that I'd like to make, some contrasts. 44:27 This is a story, at least the last, 44:30 the story of two miracles 44:34 and each miracle has to do with leprosy, 44:37 okay? 44:39 While both miracles deal with leprosy, 44:42 they do so in a contrasting way. 44:45 The first miracle brought them 44:47 removal of leprosy. 44:49 The second brought them affliction of leprosy. 44:54 Naman left white, leprous. 44:58 The first miracle was one of grace, 45:02 and the second was one of judgment. 45:05 The first miracle was one on a gentile, 45:09 the second on a Hebrew. 45:12 And you would have thought 45:14 the gentile would have been lost 45:15 and the Hebrew would have been saved, 45:18 but it's just the opposite. 45:20 The first miracle involved a man of eminence, 45:24 Naaman, the captain of the Syrian army. 45:26 The second involved a servant, Gehazi. 45:30 The first miracle was announced by Elisha through a servant 45:34 to the recipient. 45:36 The second was announced by Elisha personally 45:40 to the recipient. 45:42 The first miracle occurred in public 45:44 before a number of people, particularly Naaman's retinue. 45:52 But the second occurred in private before only Gehazi 45:58 and Elisha. 46:00 Though a contrast to each other, 46:02 these two miracles are inseparably connected. 46:07 The first miracle is a sequel, 46:10 or the second miracle is a sequel to the first. 46:13 That's the first thing. 46:16 The second thing that, did I got from this study 46:21 was like so many of the Old Testament stories 46:26 and characters, 46:29 they were prophetic in nature. 46:33 They're what Doug Batchelor calls historical, 46:38 they're an oracle which is like a prophecy, 46:42 something that only God can reveal, 46:44 that has to do with the future, 46:46 that we wouldn't know about otherwise, 46:49 something about the story 46:52 has an omen something to do with the future. 46:57 And so I can think of a story 47:01 similar to this one 47:03 of Naaman, and Elisha, 47:08 and Gehazi in the New Testament. 47:14 Jesus' role is both prophet, 47:19 priest, and king, right? 47:23 He is both, a prophet, He is a priest, 47:25 and He is a king. 47:27 In His prophetic role, you can see 47:30 Old Testament examples of that in like Moses, 47:34 Moses a prophet was a law giver. 47:37 Jesus as a prophet was a law giver. 47:43 Joseph like Jesus 47:47 was turned against by his family, 47:50 by his brethren, 47:53 and sold often to slaves, he swivels to be killed, 47:57 just like Jesus was sold, 48:00 you know, by His own people. 48:03 Elisha is the prophet 48:07 calling people to decision. 48:11 Jesus was a prophet calling people to decision. 48:15 One of the roles of a prophet is that of a teacher 48:20 and miracle worker. 48:21 Prophets brought healing and teaching 48:25 into Israel, to the people of God, 48:29 and Jesus' role as a teacher and healer 48:33 is His prophetic role. 48:36 Jesus was the prophet. 48:40 Judas Iscariot was the servant. 48:44 And Mary the one that bought the spikenard 48:49 and parted on him was the leper 48:54 who had been healed by Jesus. 48:57 And Mary, the leper, so thankful, so grateful, 49:01 like Naaman, poured her gift upon Jesus. 49:07 But the covetous Judas 49:10 looked at it and he says. 49:15 Then Judas Iscariot, the disciple 49:18 who would soon betray him said, 49:20 "'That perfume was worth a year's wage. 49:24 It should have been sold 49:26 and the money given to the poor.' 49:28 Not that he cared for the poor, he was a thief, 49:32 and since he was in charge of the disciples' money, 49:34 he often stole some for himself." 49:38 So the story 49:41 of Naaman, 49:43 and Gehazi, 49:45 and Elisha 49:47 is the story of Jesus before it ever happened 49:52 and it's a lesson for us. 49:55 "And therefore the leprosy of Naaman 49:59 shall cling to you and your descendants forever.' 50:02 And he went out from his presence leprous, 50:05 as white as snow.' " 50:06 The account of Gehazi's life 50:09 is a tragic story. 50:12 Only the Lord knows what the history of Gehazi 50:16 might have been 50:17 if he had not allowed covetousness 50:20 to rule his soul. 50:22 May God help us to profit by his failure. 50:28 May we through this well illustrated warning, 50:32 see the great curse of covetousness 50:35 and avoid it like the plague, 50:40 okay. 50:42 Father in Heaven, 50:44 to be like Jesus is our wish. 50:49 We have sung the sentiments of our hearts just now. 50:53 Thank you that we can look to you 50:56 for the healing of our leprosy, our sin. 51:01 Search our hearts and see if there is any secret 51:04 or covetous thing in us and cleanse it from us, 51:09 we pray. 51:10 Now we leave Your house of worship 51:13 but not Your presence. 51:15 We ask Your Spirit to be with us, 51:17 and live in our hearts, 51:18 and in our lives, 51:20 and reflect You to those 51:21 we come and meet, this coming week, 51:24 in Jesus' name we pray, amen. 51:26 Amen. |
Revised 2018-09-24