IT AIN’T RIGHT NOT TO TELL IT
2nd Kings 7:5-11
5 And they rose up in the twilight, to go into the camp of the Syrians: and when they were come to the uttermost part of the camp, behold there was no man there. 6 For the LORD had made the host of the Syrians to hear noise 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 And 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. 10 So they came and called the porter of the city: and they told saying, “We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied, and asses tied, and the tents as they were. 11 And he called the porters; and they told it to the king’s house within.
Thought: Every Christian ought to be glad to tell what the Lord has done for you.
Theme: It ain’t right not to tell it.
Introduction:
This Scripture centers on Four Lepers Who Found Deliverance:
Lepers were outcasts from society; they were shunned by the general population; they were separated from the people of Israel. Under the Law of Moses, lepers were considered unclean and they were required to live outside of the main camp until they were declared clean or healed by the High priest. Under the Law of Moses, God had also prescribed a healing process that would have cleansed these men if they had gone to the High Priest. In Jerusalem they would have found an authorized High Priest who could have helped them, but there was no healing available for them in Samaria. These four were truly helpless and hopeless. As lepers they would have been stoned to death if they tried to enter the city; as lepers, they received no help and no assistance from anyone inside the city; they could not even go to the temple because in the city of Samaria, there was no temple of the Lord and there was no High Priest to go to for the healing that might have received.
In the Bible, leprosy is a “type” that represents “sin”; and it works the same way sin works; it starts from the inside where no one can see it and it eventually works its way to the outside where its effects are revealed to everyone. As sinners or “lepers” before God, we ourselves were cut off, that is separated from God. Ephesians 2:12 reminds us that at one time we
“Were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.
Like these four lepers all of us were the children of wrath, that is, on each of us rested in the white-hot and never ending fire of God’s anger until we were saved, until we were delivered by the grace of God through the cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The blood of Jesus has washed us and cleansed us from all unrighteousness and restored us to God. Thank God we have a Savior and His name is Jesus!!!!
Some of us have short memories. We forget that just a few short years or months or weeks or days ago, we were first rate sinners with no hope and no chance to see God. Now that we are saved, we conveniently forget what we were and how we lived before Jesus came into my life. Like fat cats in the milk of plenty, we have swept away from our minds the days and nights of our sojourn in sin. How often do any of us remember what it was like when we knew not the Lord nor were obedient to His commandments? How many of us can go back through the tunnel of time and recall what life was like when we were strangers and alienated from the household of faith; how many of us are willing to remember what we were like when we were dedicated sinners? As we read the Scripture for this message, how many of us can relate to these four lepers, these four outcasts, these four helpless and hopeless men whom God rescued from death, hell and the grave? How many times have found ourselves in the same position as these four children of Israel who were locked out of the city of God? How many times have we experienced the deliverance of God? But more important, how many times have we shared our good news with some body who needs some good news?
The Scene for This Scripture:
Samaria, the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel; it was a city founded in opposition to the will of God, for Jerusalem was the authorized city of God for His people; Jerusalem was Zion, the hill of God’s holiness; Jerusalem was the official seat of human government for God’s people. Jerusalem was the place where God put His name and where He dwelt in the temple. The very presence of God abided among His people from the Holy of Holies in the temple built by Solomon. Yet, because God loves all of His people He still exercised care for all their well-being and we see His hand at work on behalf of the people of Samaria. This outlaw city of an outlaw government was under siege by the armies of Ben-hadad, the king of Syria. The city was surrounded on every side by their enemies; they were cut off from the outside so no one could leave the city and no food or supplies could be brought into the city. Inevitably, hunger and want descended on the people and they began to starve to death.
Our cities today are under a worse kind of siege, they are under attack by a far more deadly enemy; they have been invaded and surrounded by those who’s only desire is to steal from, to kill and to destroy all who live within. It is easy to see that
- We see violence in the streets, gangs roaming around doing murder and committing mayhem on whosoever they encounter.
S We see corruption from the highest levels of government to the lowest functionaries on the payroll;
S We see corruption in the police forces that are sworn to “protect and to serve”.
S If we open our eyes and pay attention, we see the siege affecting those who are poor and disenfranchised, those whom upper society has locked out
S There is corruption in our schools, you can get a condom in the nurses office but you better not say a prayer on the playground
S Everywhere we witness the effects of “Sin Gone Wild”, out of control; it’s in the news, it’s on the television (HBO - Hell’s Box Office).
The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life. In the siege at Samaria, the Lord sent His prophet with a word of hope and deliverance; our cities today need a word of hope and deliverance; we need preachers and prophets - we need witnesses and those who are willing to testify to the truth. I stopped by here this morning to ask: “Are there any Elijah’s in the house who will ask the Question: “How long do you stumble between two opinions; if Baal be god then worship him; but if The Lord Be God worship Him?” Are there any Elisha’s in the house who will deliver a message of hope to those who are hopeless? Are there any here this morning who will deliver a message of life to those who are dead in sin and trespasses? Are there any Isaiah’s who will raise their hand and shout “Here I am Lord, Send me!!!?
This is also the story of a Great Deliverance by God;
Our four friends knew they could get no help in the city, so did they did the worst thing the people of God can do, they went to the enemy for help. As they surveyed their situation, hopelessness began to set in and our four friends took a fatalistic approach; they took the approach that it doesn’t matter where you die so they headed for the camp of the enemy... It is a sad thing when the people of God sink so low in faith that they to turn to their enemies for help. These four fellows said, “Let’s go to the camp of the Syrians, maybe they will feed us.” so they got up and headed off to the enemies camp grounds looking to receive some relief. What they did not know was that The Lord had already delivered the people of Samaria from their enemies. Earlier that day the Lord had struck terror into the hearts of the Syrians and in fear for their lives they had run away and deserted their camp; they left everything they had, they left horse of war, they left donkeys that carried burdens, they left their food, they left their clothing, they left their gold and their silver, they left their jewels and weapons. Well does the Scripture say, “Not by power nor by might, but by My Spirit Saith the Lord.
- With God, nothing is impossible:
- He can turn around both horse and rider;
- He can bring victory out of defeat;
- In the midst of our poverties he can delivery plenty.
- He can make your enemies your footstoolHe can set a table before you in the presence of your enemies.
When nobody else can deliver you, the Lord will make a way somehow. When our four friends reached the enemy’s camp it was wide open for them and human nature immediately took over; they began to plunder the spoils, they began to horde unto themselves the riches God had blessed them with. Do we see ourselves in the character of these four who had just been delivered by God?
This is also a message about those who were convicted about sitting on some good news. These four lepers, these four outcasts from the congregation, had no idea that God had chosen them as vessels to carry His good news to the people in the city; they would bring news of deliverance to the very people who had put them out. But before God could use them He first had to convict them. When our four friends discovered the empty camp of the enemy and they saw the abundance of blessings provided by the Lord, they did two thing a lot of us still do today;
1. They started storing up all the blessings for themselves, they ate and drank until they were ready to bust wide open. How many of us are stuffed with the word and overflowing with the waters of the Spirit but we have not looked around to see who we can share the good news with?
And they began to “hide” the grace, the goodness and the deliverance of God. Having ate and drank their fill, they got selfish and began to go from tent to tent and hide stuff; they started hiding the precious things, the gold and the silver, the jewels and garments. Like those of us today who have found pearls of great price and instead of sharing the wealth, we hide it so no one else can receive it.
But in the midst of storing up the blessings for themselves, in the midst of hiding the blessings, the Spirit of God moved on their hearts and they were convicted. They looked around at all of this abundance and they began to think about the folks in the city who were starving for bread and thirsty for even one drink of water. They stopped and looked at each other and they told each other “it ain’t right for us not to tell it
- God has delivered us from our enemies - it ain’t right not to tell it!!!
- God has delivered us from hunger and it ain’t right for us not to tell it!!!
- God has delivered us from thirst and it ain’t right for us not to tell it!!!
- God has put new clothes on our back - it ain’t right not to tell it!!
- God had given us beauty for ashes - it ain’t right not to tell it.
I wonder today, if the Spirit of God has convicted anybody here because you have a testimony about the goodness of God but you won’t tell it?!
- What yokes has God broken in your life - and you haven’t told it?
- What burdens has he lifted from off your shoulders - and you haven’t told it?
- What addiction or habit has he set you free from - and you have not told it?
- What uncontrolled lust has he broken in your life - and you haven’t told it?!!!
- Where were you empty and he filled you up - and you haven’t told it!!!
- What has he healed you from - and you haven’t told it?!!!
- What prayer has he answered - and you haven’t told it?!!!
- What dangers seen and unseen has he delivered you from - and you haven’t told it?!!!
- What trials, troubles, turmoil’s and tribulations has he brought you through - and you haven’t told it?!!!
It ain’t right not to tell it!!
It ain’t right not to tell somebody who needs to be saved
On only one occasion Jesus healed a man and then told him,
Say nothing to any man: but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them.
This was because Jesus, while on earth, could only be in one place at a time; there were only so many people he could minister to at one time. But now, through the ministry and presence of the Holy ghost, Jesus is present all over the world, so there is no reason why would should not tell it everywhere we go. Allover this land in the cities and in the towns, on the highways and the byways - at the sea shore and in the desert - in the valleys and on the mountains - all over this land there are folk starving in the spirit, hungry for a word of hope even dying because those of us who have the good news are doing the same thing our four lepers did - we are eating our own fill, we are getting fat at the table of the Lord and we are hiding the good news from every one else. Beloved, if God has saved you than you ought to tell it!!!
The Joy of Our Salvation should lead us to tell somebody About Jesus
The Bible tells us that in spite of Jesus’ command, the man who was healed was so happy he went across the river and began to “blaze” - that is “proclaim” that matter, he told it to everybody he talked to; he told it to over and over again. The net effect was that so many people began coming that Jesus had to leave the city and start holding camp meetings in the desert. How can we contain the joy of our salvation? When I think about the goodness of God and how He has blessed me how can I keep it to myself - I just have to tell somebody about Jesus!!! There are those who received a healing or a blessing and they began to tell it:
- A blind man told it when Jesus opened His eyes
- A man possessed of five thousand demons told it when Jesus delivered him and set him free
- Five thousand hungry folk told it when Jesus fed them on the mountaintop
- A lame man told it when Jesus healed him and he began to walk
- Ten lepers told it when Jesus healed them of their leprosy
- A widow told it when Jesus raised her son from the dead
- Some folk in Bethany told it when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead
It ain’t right not to tell what the Lord has done for you:
- He saved me from hell fire and it ain’t right for me not to tell it
- He took me off the hell-bound train and set me on the old ship of Zion!! And it ain’t right for me not to tell it!!
- He gives me every day my daily bread and it ain’t right not to tell it
- He sustains me with all I need and it ain’t right not to tell it
- He healed my body and told me to run on and it ain’t right not to tell it
What Happens When We Tell It?
The Scripture goes on to tell us that these four lepers went back to the city and spread the news of God’s deliverance. The people who were starving, the people who were thirsty, the people who were poor, the people who were blind, the people who were in great darkness were overjoyed to hear the good news. The net effect was the whole city rushed through the gates; they were glad to find out that God had made a way fro them; they were glad to find out that God had run off their enemies, they were glad to find out that God had provided the food they needed; they were glad to find out that he had supplied all of their needs according to His riches in glory. I submit to you today that there are folk right outside the doors of this building who will be just as glad to receive the news that God has delivered them from their greatest enemy:
- Right outside this door are pimps and prostitutes who will listen if we tell it!
- Right outside this door are drug addicts who will listen if we tell it!
- Right outside this door are hungry and homeless folk who will listen if we tell it!!
- Right outside this door are the lonely and the unloved who will listen if we tell it!
- Right outside these walls are the broken and the abused who will listen if we tell it!
- Right outside these walls are they who have been misused and those who have been refused – they will listen if we tell it
Tell them a lady named Mary had a baby – and His name is Jesus
Tell them He is a healer to those who need healing
Tell them he is the bread of heaven for those who hunger after righteousness
Tell them He is a haven of rest for they who are weary
But don’t forget to tell them
- He died for all of our sins
- tell them one Sunday morning God raised Him up
- Tell them He has gone to prepare a place for us
- tell them he is coming back soon and very soon.Through the cross that Jesus carried God has delivered us from the penalty of sin
S When Jesus died God delivered us from death, hell
S When God raised Him up - he delivered us from the grave
S If we tell it - somebody will be delivered from drugs
S If we tell it somebody will be delivered from drink
S If we tell it somebody will be delivered from sexual sins
S If we tell it somebody will be delivered from depression and oppression from the devil
S If we tell it them broken hearts will be healed
S If we tell it then those who are blind will receive their sight
S If we tell it those who are hungry and thirsty shall be filled
S If we tell it then those who need mercy will be able to find mercy
S If we tell it then those who are at war will be able to find some peace for their souls
S If we tell it those who are weary will know that they have a resting place
- If we tell it then somebody will come to Jesus just as they are - weary, wounded and sad
S If we tell it - then some one will find a resting place and Jesus will make them glad.
Do what is right by God and tell it - It ain’t right not to tell it!
