A Day of Good Tidings…and We Hold Our Peace
Missions Emphasis Series
Chuck Sligh
February 19, 2012
A PowerPoint presentation of this sermon is available by mailing a request to me at chucksligh@hotmail.com.
TEXT: 2 Kings 7:3-9 – “And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate: and they said one to another, Why sit we here until we die? 4 If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die. 5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. 6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. 7 Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. 8 And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. 9 Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.”
INTRODUCTION
Starvation in the Bible is a picture of the lost person without Jesus.
We read in John 6:35 – “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
Here Jesus calls Himself “the Bread of Life.” Man without Jesus is in a state of spiritual starvation, in need of the Bread of Life. He searches in vain for something satisfying to fill his empty soul. Only the Bread of Life—Jesus, can fill a soul and give it spiritual sustenance and health and life.
In our text, these four lepers were in a hopeless situation – verse 4 – “If we say, We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die.”
If they did nothing, their condition was hopeless. The same can be said of us in the spiritual realm.
We can try to find spiritual sustenance in religion, or works through self-effort.
But if we trust in religion and good works to save us, we’ll die without Jesus. There’s no hope in these things. In the end, they leave us empty of real spiritual sustenance and nourishment, for only JESUS is the Bread of Life; only HE can satisfy.
Or a person can look for true happiness in a bottle, or a needle or pornography—something to take the spiritual hunger pains away for a while. But when he comes off the high, the hunger returns. The gnawing of his soul cries out for something better—something higher—in the only One who can bring true fulfillment and satisfaction in this life. And in the end, without the Bread of Life, he will die without Jesus.
And if a person simply does NOTHING—again, he’ll die without hope. Any alternative besides the real Bread of Life—Jesus Christ—ultimately leaves a person hopeless and empty. And the ultimate hopelessness is to die without the Bread of Life and be in hell for eternity—still hungry, yet FOREVER unsatiated, unsatisfied.
These beggars came for help when their situation was beyond all hope. With this in mind, note with me several things about this interesting passage of Scripture:
I. NOTE FIRST, A REMARKABLE INTERVENTION – Verses 5-6 – “And they rose up in the twilight, to go unto the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there. 6 For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us.”
This was a most remarkable occurrence. They come to the edge of the camp, expecting the Syrians might very well kill them. But wait—there are no Syrians! In fact, it’s spooky—they look around and there’s NOBODY there. They stumble into a ghost camp.
What had happened?—GOD had intervened! GOD had stepped in and performed a miracle. God had made the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and horses and such a great host of soldiers that the Syrians fled in fear. But there WERE no chariots or horses, or any army of soldiers either. What we see here is the intervention of God for deliverance and provision for these starving and impoverished beggars.
That’s the way God works in the spiritual realm too, isn’t it? God works in our lives to bring us to Him. We can all look back in our own lives and see how God uniquely intervened to bring us to salvation. Maybe God brought you into a fiery trial to bring you to the end of yourself and make you cry out for Him… Perhaps He brought a person into your life to help you look at your lost spiritual condition and introduce you to Jesus, the Bread of Life. Maybe you lost someone dear to you, and death became a reality, causing you to start thinking about spiritual things—which led you to the Lord.
But you came to God because of God’s working in the circumstances around you and because of His working in you and His direct intervention in your life. God does this in every person who comes to Him.
II. CONSIDER NEXT, A REPREHENSIBLE INACTIVITY – Verse 8 – “And when these lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp, they went into one tent, and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it.”
They ate and drank; they enjoyed the wonderful things God had arranged for them to have; they partook of all the treasures; they feasted and dined and acquired whatever their heart desired.
But all the while [PAUSE]—their countrymen in the city were still starving.
• While they feasted, their countrymen fasted.
• While they had sufficiency, their friends endured scarcity.
• While they dined and danced, others were deprived and doomed.
That, dear believer, is the situation we can find ourselves in if we are not careful.
• We can feast on Jesus, the precious Bread of Life.
• We can hungrily devour the delicious morsels of the wonderful Word of God.
• We can enjoy the pleasures and treasures of being a believer.
• We can come week after week to the our place of worship and have our souls are filled and satisfied to the point of overflowing.
All the while, there are those all around us with whom we’ve never lifted a finger to share the wonderful blessings we have in Jesus and the Bible and salvation and the church.
• We have LOVED ONES with whom we have not shared the Bread of Life.
• We have NEIGHBORS who need the nourishment that only the Savior can give.
• We have FRIENDS who ought to share in the bountiful blessings of salvation.
• We see A WORLD that needs the Gospel, and needs local churches to reach local communities with the Gospel; and missionaries to be sent to evangelize and establish those churches.
Yet we’re so often more concerned about the things of this life than for a lost world. We want to hold on to our money so we can spend it on more things we that will pass away, rather than lay up treasures in heaven by giving to missions so that people can know Jesus. We’re too worried about what our friends and loved ones and co-workers might think of us if we share the Gospel with them than for their eternal souls.
Oh, what a sad, reprehensible activity to become a glutton on the Bread of Life and not to unselfishly share of our bounty with those in spiritual need!
III. I’D LIKE YOU TO SEE THIRDLY A REGRETTABLE INDIFFERENCE – Verse 9a – “Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace:…”
Note that up until this time they “held their peace.” How many others died before getting the opportunity to eat food that was in abundance in the camp? How many beggars and paupers could have had all the silver and gold they could want if someone had told them sooner?
And how many people we know and love and people on foreign lands will never hear the wonderful Gospel of Jesus Christ because of our indifference and apathy. Oh Christian, WAKE UP! Let’s not be like these beggars were at this point in time. Be like they BECAME—witnesses to others of what was available!
IV. WE SEE FOURTHLY, A RESOLUTE INTENTION – Verse 9 – “Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king’s household.”
Note the last phrase of that verse: “...now therefore, come, that we may go and tell the King’s household.” They made a definite decision. They said, “This isn’t right. It’s not fair for us to have plenty without sharing it.” So they went and told the king and those in the city.
Now I want you to note something—No one ever gets involved in the ministry of witnessing or the ministry of missions without FIRST MAKING A DECISION.
• You’ll not become a faithful witness until you make a conscious decision in your heart to begin sharing your faith.
• You’ll not support missionaries through our Faith Promise Missions Program unless you first make a decision and say to God, “Lord, I want to be involved. I’m GOING to be involved. Lord, what would you have me to do for the cause of missions through my church?”
V. A REWARDING INCREASE – Verses 14-16 – “They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, Go and see. 15 And they went after them unto Jordan: and, lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels, which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned, and told the king. 16 And the people went out, and spoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.”
Because of the beggars’ report to the people about the food and riches in the camp of the Syrians, all who were willing to come for them were nourished and enriched. There was an increase because of the beggars’ faithfulness to tell the people where they could find bread.
Psalm 126:6 promises us that “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Someone said that witnessing is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find food.
Are you telling other beggars where to find Jesus, the Bread of Life?
VI. LASTLY, WHAT IS THE REASONABLE IMPLICATION OF THIS STORY FOR US?
It is not fair for us to have the Gospel and withhold it from those who need it.
Illus. – I’ll go into more detail next week, but did you know that only about 6 percent of the world’s population is natively English-speaking, leaving 94% in which English is not the native language? – Yet 90 percent of the ordained preachers minister to that 6 percent, leaving only 10 percent of the preachers to preach to the 94 percent for whom English is not their native language.
Let me ask you—Is that fair? Someone has said, “It’s not fair for anyone to hear the Gospel twice until everyone has had the opportunity to hear it once.”
We MUST ACT to do whatever we can to share with the lost the glorious truth of salvation in Jesus Christ to the world.
Why?
• First, because those who are lost cannot be saved from sin and hell unless someone goes to them with the Gospel. – Paul says in Romans 10:13-15a – “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent?…”
• Second, we MUST get the Gospel out to the world because we’re commanded to preach the Gospel to everyone. – Mark 16:15 says, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
This is a direct command to the church from our commander-in-chief. We should do it first because Christ commands it.
Illus. – The story’s told of a regiment in World War II that received orders to plant some heavy guns on the top of a steep hill. The soldiers dragged them to the base of the hill, but were unable to get them farther. An officer, seeing that situation, cried, “Men, IT MUST BE DONE! I have orders in my pocket.” And on the orders from their superiors—it was done!
It’s the same with us, fellow soldiers of the cross. We have orders to preach the Gospel to everyone in the world. We MUST go forth and do it!
How can we take the Gospel to the world? – Note Acts 1:8 – “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
• First, by witnessing in our Jerusalem.
Your Jerusalem is your local area. Jerusalem is your town, your Army post, your workplace, your neighborhood, your friends, your loved ones.
• The next step is to reach outside our community through giving to missions, to get the Gospel to our Judaea and Samaria—the regions outside our immediate area—and ultimately, to the uttermost part of the world.
CONCLUSION
Illus. – When Dr. Lyman Beecher was on his deathbed, a young preacher inquired of him, “Dr. Beecher, what is the greatest of all things in the Christian life.” He replied, “It is not theology; it is not controversy: it is to save souls.”
How true.
Illus. – David Brainard, an 18th century missionary who literally spent his health and eventually his life to reach the Indians in Chattanooga, Tennessee had a passion for souls. Brainard had a heavy burden for the Indians he ministered among. He wrote in his journal, “I cared not where or how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so that I could gain souls for Christ. While I was asleep, I dreamed of these things; and when I waked, the first thing I thought of was this great work. All my desire was for the conversion of the heathen, and all my hope was in God.”
Oh, that we had that kind of compassion for souls!…
Oh, that our hearts would beat to win our relatives, neighbors, and co-workers to Christ.
Oh, that our eyes would see the mass of lost humanity around the world that desperately needs the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Oh, that we would all—every single one of us—say to God, “Lord what would you have ME to do?” and then DO whatever God lays on our hearts.
That if God said, “Go to darkest Africa,” you would GO without hesitation.
That if He said, “I want you to pray—diligently, faithfully—for souls and for missionaries and for missions fields,” that you would not be too busy with the affairs of this life that you could not PRAY!
That if He said during our missions month, “I want you to GIVE to missions, or I want you to give MORE than you ever have for the cause of missions,”…
that you would not flinch for an instant,…
that you would instantly obey His command…
and that you would dig deep so that we can do the job God has called us to do.
