2 Kings 5:1-14 (ESV)
U.S. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Ken Harris, Jr.
West Fort Hood Chapel
Independence Day 2010
First Sunday
Killeen, TX
4 July 2010
Big Idea: God sometimes uses Children to communicate to adults truths about His Grace – God’s unearned and unmerited favor – and love to believers and non believers alike.
Scriptural References: EAI (Expository; Application; Illustration); Ephesians 2:11-22 KJV (One in Christ – Christ died for us all); Romans 5:6-10 (KJV) Christ died for all us; Leviticus 13 – Regulations about Infectious Skin Diseases; John 6:1-15 (ESV) – John shares the story of the Poor Boy in a big crowd who was the source of food for 5,000 hungry grown-ups; Ephesians 5:1-2a (MSG): Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love …; Psalm 34:11 (KJV) Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD; Psalms 53:2 (KJV) God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God; Psalm 53:2 (KJV) God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God; Proverbs 22:15 (ESV) Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him; Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it; Proverbs 31:28 (In regard to the Proverbs 31 Woman/Mother): Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
I. ANNOUNCE THE PERICOPE: 2 Kings 5: 1-5 (ESV)
II. READ THE PERICOPE: 2 Kings 5: 1-5 (ESV)
III. READ THE TEXT: 2 Kings 5: 2-4 (ESV) – Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.”
IV. PURPOSE: To motivate the hearers to affirm to others that God sometimes uses children to communicate to adults truths about His ministry of Grace – unearned and unmerited favor - to believers and unbelievers alike.
V. SERMONIC THEME: "Out of the mouth of babes”
VI. INTRODUCTION:
Most Christian parents know by memory Proverbs 22:15 (ESV) because it is there that it is said: “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him” in other words foolishness lies in the heart of a child but the rod of correction will drive it far from him. I personally think that the “church” holds that particular verse to its heart too much.
Just observing Chaplain Chris Wienrich with the children as they paid close attention to his Sermon of Steps reminds us all of how important our children are to God.
It’s my personal belief that children aren’t taken serious enough when it comes to evangelism and being used in worship to help communicate God’s humor as well as His Grace and Love.
But, I submit to you today that God can – and often does - use our children mightily to communicate His Humor as well as His Grace and Love.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 1: Who amongst the adults, in attendance today, can ever forget the comedy television show hosted by Bill Cosby from 1998-2000 called, “Kids say the Darndest Things”?
a. As some of you may recall, Bill Cosby would also provide some of the humor in the show?
b. “The premise of the show lied in the fact that children are often guilty of saying some of the Most Embarrassing Things”.
c. And who amongst us, as parents today, can’t identify with that truth?
d. Well, I’m not sure if you’re aware of it but before Bill Cosby hosted the remake of the show; it was originally hosted by Art Linkletter.
e. One of the most memorable shows, hosted by Bill Cosby, aired one of Art linkletter’s shows of the past.
f. In this particular show, Mr. Linkletter was interviewing a young African American child who had Southern drawl. The child appeared to be about 5 years of age.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 2: When asked if he has a girlfriend the child responded, “Yes … I have three of them”.
a. When asked how old they were the child responded, “The only one that I know for sure how old she is 30 years old. But, I’m not sure how old the others are”.
b. Then the child went on and uttered, “I will have to ask my dad how old the others are”.
c. When asked how do your father know how old they are? The child responded, “Because he’s been seeing them for a long time!”
d. Needless to say the television audience erupted with laughter which reverberated in my hears again this morning.
e. The fact of the matter is, Kids do say the Darndest Things – but sometimes those things have validity to them.
f. Children can often be heard quoting and reenacting things they have seen, heard or both seen and heard by their parents and others.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 2: In fact, the Good Book in Ephesians 5:1-2a (Message Bible) encourages us, like children who learn proper behavior from watching their parents; to watch what God (our Father) does and then do it ourselves.
a. Speaking of watching what God does and then doing it ourselves, I wonder how the little Poor Boy, in John 6, life turned out.
b. How was his behavior personally changed or altered after watching and seeing our Savior – Jesus Christ – in action?
c. I mean you can’t have a better mentor or role model than Jesus himself.
d. What ever happen to that child?
e. What lessons did he really learn on what may have been a Summer Picnic in the mountains for him?
f. I contend this morning that the little boy learned – from watching Jesus - that God has no respect of persons when it comes to His Grace – unearned and unmerited favor - and Love.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 3: God cares about us long before we acknowledge who He is. He cares about our inner desires.
a. He cares about health and wellbeing!
b. Don’t let anyone hoodwink you or pull the wool over your eyes, God knows and God cares about sinners and saints.
c. For don’t you remember, the Bible says, in John 6:1-14, ….
d. … that used the a little Poor Boys lunch of 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish to feed 5,000 hungry grown ups.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 4: I submit to you today that God sometimes uses children to communicate his Grace and love to us Grown-ups or want-to-be grown-ups regardless of our faith status.
a. In our text today, on yet another holiday (Independence Day) in which our military has played a huge roll, …
b. we find ourselves observing how God’s Grace worked in the life of an unbeliever by way of a child.
c. Naaman the modern day Commander of Troops, or Squadron Commanding Officer (SQUO), ….
d. … had a severe skin disease or disorder called and diagnosed in his day as LEPROSY.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 5: Today, 4 July 2010, not many dermatologists, but some physicians might equate LEPROSY - because of its symptoms’ similarities – with Leish-mani-asis.
a. “Ancient leprosy – like Leish-mani-asis - began as small, red spots on the skin.
b. Before too long the spots get bigger, and start to turn white, with sort of a shiny or scaly appearance.
c. Pretty soon the spots spread over the whole body and hair begins to fall out - first from the head, then even from the eyebrows.
d. As things get worse, finger nails and toenails become loose; they start to rot and eventually fall off.
e. Then the joints of fingers and toes begin to rot and fall off piece by piece.
f. Gums begin to shrink and they can’t hold the teeth anymore, so each of them is lost.
g. Leprosy keeps eating away at your face until literally the nose, the palate, and even the eyes rot - and the victim wastes away until death.”
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 6: In our Scripture, today, the little Jewish girl loved her master.
a. Even though she was far from home, and had been taken against her will …
b. …she did not forget her God and she was quick to witness of His great power.
c. She trusted God in the midst of a crisis situation. As a result, she made the best of it.
d. Had she not been a faithful worker in the house, she would not have been an effective witness …
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
MOVE 7: But because of her faithfulness, her witness was rewarded.
a. Likewise, Christ desires to use our children today to witness to their fathers and mothers – friends and relatives.
b. My O’ My, how Christ needs witnesses today!
c. The question is, “are you parents willing to allow your children the podium to witness?
d. Are you willing to allow little Johnnie Jr., the opportunity to evangelize God’s Word at home and in your neighborhood.
******* TAKE 5 BEATS *******
CELEBRATION:
