What is your Achilles’ Heel? Achilles warrior in ancient mythology
Believed to be invincible in battle
Except for one weakness in his heel, touch it Achilles helpless
What are your weaknesses? What is your Achilles’ heel?
Weaknesses or vulnerabilities that hold us back
May be a nagging physical illness,
All insecure at some level about our looks
Maybe you are aggravated by emotional pain you carry
Just can’t get rid of it, broken r-ship, or abuse, or some guilt
Maybe it’s a memory you have some baggage that suffocates you
Want to talk to you today about a great General
And how God dealt with his Achilles heel
His name is Naaman listen to how he is described
Naaman was commander of the army..a great man…highly
regarded…through him the Lord had given victory..
valient soldier…BUT HE HAD LEPROSY. Vs 1 TNIV
He was the equivalent of a 5 star general successful feared warrior
He had everything. He was at the height of his career.
BUT he had Leprosy We all have those buts in life don’t we
Call them Achilles heel, weakness, Jay is great BUT
Leprosy was an infectious skin disease
lepers had to live in colonies, banned, away from everyone
Naaman’s leprosy meant his days as general were soon to be over.
Like Naaman had AIDS or flesh eating virus threatened his position
He had been to all the medical experts but to no avail
Everyone knew about his little problem
Just like we feel everyone knows about our weakness or failures
Apostle Paul in NT said he was given a thorn in flesh
He said something to keep him from being conceited weakness
We wish and pray for miraculous removal of our weaknesses
Sometimes god doesn’t take them away but works through them
1. God may ask YOU TO DO THINGS THAT SEEM BENEATH YOU
Remember Naaman is 1 of most successful military minds in world
He is used to being in control and in charge
God sometimes works in our lives through things seem beneath us
Naaman was probably feeling as low as he could feel.
It seemed like there was no hope. His body had betrayed him,
the whole world had let him down. He was all alone.
Notice who helps Naaman; A JEWISH SLAVE GIRL
The only reason she was in Aram she was a spoil of war
She had no standing she was a mere servant in Naaman’s house
She is the hero in the story says I can help Naaman
“Go see prophet in Israel name is Elisha - He’s a man of God.”
“He can get in touch with Heaven and you can be cured”
Naaman had to be willing to listen
He may have been so desperate would try anything
Are we that desparate for God?
So Naaman gathers a fortune SILVER GOLD AND CLOTHES
He’s man of power so he comes on strong every man has his price
So he gets together $50 K in silver, $5,K in clothes, $1.2 mil gold
Brings gets a letter from his king to Jehoram of Israel
which in effect says if you help Naaman you are helping me
sending him to you so you will cure him of his leprosy
Big military entourage with Naaman King of Israel blown away
Assumes Syrian king is starting a war Am I God?
Interesting doesn’t say king calls on God
Just worries tries to deal with it himself
Elisha hears about the fretting king who is dismayed
And says send him over to me, I’ll talk to him
King Jehoram doesn’t have a lot of options
He is thrilled to get Naaman off his hands
Naaman takes riches, & warriors rings doorbell at Elisha’s house
Elisha doesn’t even come to the door
Just sends his underling out telling Naaman what to do
Naaman is used to dealing man to man with leaders
He has got enough $$ to make Elisha rich,
How dare you disgrace me? You come out and see me
OUR GREATEST STRENGTHS CAN BECOME WEAKNESSES
Naaman is a successful general, he is wealthy has influence
But our greatest strengths can become weaknesses
Decisive take charge
I can speak well but mouth got me in trouble
Look at response Vs 11 NLT Naaman became angry & stalked away.
“I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said.
“I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy
and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me!
Doesn’t this guy know who I am? He is supposed to pray
Wave his hand and get rid of all my problems
One of the worst things we can do is get angry and go away
Story would not have happy ending if Naaman remained stubborn,
Sometimes we walk away from God we don’t get our way
Paul said I was given a thorn in flesh to redirect me
Remember God may ask you to do things that seem beneath you
2. God uses THE ORDINARY THINGS
What was it Elisha asked general Naaman to do?
Duck in the Jordan river 7 times to be healed
This would be humiliating everybody knew He had leprosy
Now Elisha and his God wanted to make public spectacle of him
Imagine how these people would laugh general in public bath
Jordan is not clear river silent & black mud churned up from bottom
Like the muddy Mississippi River
Naaman this is ridiculous rivers of Damascus, Abana & Pharpar,
better than any of the rivers of Israel Why shouldn’t I wash in
them and be healed? Instead of being in mud
Naaman’s prominence about to destroy him
This just doesn’t make sense Naaman was looking for Elisha to do
magic and heal him raise your hand call on your God to heal me.
Have you prayed Lord thy kingdom come thy will be done
And then instructed God and what his will should be
Maybe that is what Naaman was doing here
He wanted healing but only on his terms
I wonder how many blessings we have messed out on
Because we’re not willing to do things God’s way instead of ours!
Because WE know what we needed to do before we asked God.
Instead of letting God give us Divine Wisdom.
Who are the ordinary people God has used in your life?
Weren’t anyone else’s super star but made a difference in you
Sometimes we are willing to do the extraordinary for God
But not the ordinary Sometimes God asks us to do the ordinary,
to be the servant in order for us to understand God is everywhere
And God is concerned about all people
God uses some very ordinary people because they are available
Are you willing to be available to God?
3. God will REWARD YOUR FAITHFULNESS BEYOND WHAT WE EXPECT
Naaman has a decision to make After going to all this trouble
The “prophet” won’t talk man to man
And then sends out a silly request of washing in filthy Jordan river
The story would end differently
If it weren’t for a servant who talks some sense to Naaman
“Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult,
wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him
when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’ Vs 13 NLT
What do you have to lose, why not try it?
Naaman had been to all the best medical experts
He had called on Rimmon the god for Aram for help
Now will he believe and follow Israel’s God?
Vs. 14 Naaman had to set his pride aside & have faith
Dipped himself in Jordan 7 Xs & was completely healed made pure
That is exactly what happens when we come to Jesus cleansed pure.
Happened because slave girl shared her life with him
Are you willing to accept what God does or doesn’t do in you life?
2 Cor 12 Paul said he had a thorn in the flesh life us he prayed
For God to take it away may be physical or symbolic
Don’t know whether it was physical thorn, or symbolic
2 Corinthians 12:9 TNIV God’s response
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my
weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
How do you prepare for the biggest days of your life?
By being faithful every day of your life; in prayer and Bible study
Will you give your all to God today? even warts\weaknesses
God knows about your vulnerabilities give those to him too
Will you allow him to take the weakest part of you & transform it?
Are you willing to humble yourself before God today?
Dip into God’s love today!
Our God is a God of stooping
Give God all that you are today
Including your weaknesses see what God will do
