7 Dips? Why Not Just 2 Or 3?

2 Kings 5:1 – Story Of Naaman

James 1:21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

I. JAMES 1:21 -- TWO LITTLE WORDS THAT PACK A MIGHTY PUNCH: “LAY ASIDE”

apo ý= away ýtithami ý= to lay something down

1. Combined together

a. laying something down & pushing it far away (out of future reach)

b. dinner table, when full – lay down the food & push the plate away

2. Also used to describe someone taking off dirty clothes at the end of day.

a. James uses this - how to deal w/ wrong attitudes & actions

b. deal with them like an old set of filthy clothes

“You must make the choice to remove those filthy, stinking garments from your life, to permanently lay them down and then deliberately push them out of your range forever....”

II. OT TELLS STORY ABOUT ONE WHO FOUGHT & STRUGGLED TO MAKE THAT CHOICE

A. Naaman – Proud 5 Star General - Underneath Metals & Armor – Had Big Problem

1. Anyone tell me what it was? Leprosy? You’re partially right

2. Bigger problem – his pride & attitude & spirit

B. Used To Having Everything Go His Way – Now Life Was NOT Going His Way

1. Leprosy – white skin spots, facial disfigurement, limb mutilation, blindness

a. inspired fear, horror, disgust

b. social stigma, isolation – leper colonies, remote islands

c. throughout history, disease that ended in suicide

d Naaman at the top of his game, name meant “pleasant”

e. now anything but pleasant – had a secret – humiliating secret

2. Wife knew – desperate, afraid to say anything (sanitize her & house too!)

a. slave girl accidentally saw raised white lesions

b. to Naaman’s wife go see Israel prophet – Elisha

c. Naaman – to do so meant he’d have to tell King of Syria

d. “I’d rather die” – humiliation – risk his career

e. every day he waited white splotches spread across his body

3. Permission from King – don’t come back unless healed?

a. I’d rather die than go crawling into Enemy territory

b. I’d rather die than beg help from Enemy prophet

c. every day waited – numbness setting into his fingers

4. Pride - heck with the prophet, I’ll go straight to the man in power – the King

a. wonder that Israel’s king didn’t kill Naaman– killed Ahab

b. King disgusted – get rid of him - “Do I heal?” – Go to the prophet

c. I’d rather die than go to prophet – but the clock was ticking

5. Crawling to the prophet was humiliating in and of itself (a different God)

a. Elisha didn’t come out, but sent helper to greet the general

b. to show Naaman – wasn’t about the personality, but the power

c. Naaman frustrated, further humiliated – not taken seriously

d. being set up to look stupid – 7 times in muddy Jordan – Joke!

e. I’d rather die than do that! Just wave a wand or something

6. Naaman almost walked away from it all

a. can’t return to family, can’t return to my country

b. his back was against the wall

c. either do it or life ends – pride almost caused him to walk away

III. CAME TO JORDAN – WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH HIS MIND BEFORE EACH DIP?

Before Dip #1

1. Everyone watching - most watching probably didn’t know he had Leprosy

2. Maybe a few trusted advisors – others clueless to why they were there

3. I’d rather die than lay down my sword – that symbol of power - Gnarled fingers holding his sword – too vulnerable

4. Dipped the first time – Nothing

DIP #1

1. I ain't doing this – this is stupid

a. I’m a highly decorated general – used to the immediate

b. it’s not working – must be a better way

c. how many times do we short-cut God’s way?

d. we want short-cuts to spiritual growth – don’t read bible – daily

e. we want short-cuts to restoration – just forgive & forget?!?

f. we want short-cuts to mental health – 1,2 sessions? No!

g. we want short-cuts to weight loss – pop a pill

h. we want short-cuts to physical health – just pray, wave wand - doctor says “slow-down, rest” – I don’t need to rest

i. how is it when God says this is the way to do it

- and we get impatient, take short-cuts

- not working, we suddenly become experts and

-Think we can advise God a better way

2. Unbuckled sheath & knife, weapons / Sloshed back in – nothing

DIP #2

1. No way I’m going back in – muddy – rivers of Syria better than this