MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER
RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK
TEXT: 2 Kings 5:1- 27: Philippians 4:8
ILL. Now that Federal Agencies have proclaimed the Covid pandemic is over, there have been several polls taken about changes in church attendance.
One poll of 5,872 adults published just 2 weeks ago, found that in 2019 (just before Covid) 55% of them attended church services, but 3 years later, (after Covid) the figure was down to 43%, a drop of 12%.
Of those regularly attending church services now, an overwhelming 82% say they are optimistic about the future of their congregation. And a whopping 89% say they are proud to be associated with their church.
By the way, while the poll reported a 12% drop in attendance after Covid was over, Ridge Chapel has had a 9% increase. The pollsters also found that 24% of those polled now belong to a religious group other than the one they grew up in. (By Public Religion Research Institute, Melissa Deckman, CEO, 5-16-2023)
A. But in the midst of that “bad news/good news” concerning the church in the United States, our nation seems to be spiraling downward in its morals & actions.
I have a hard time forgetting scenes on television of a student coming up behind a substitute teacher in a high school hallway, knocking her down, then bending over & hitting her again & again.
And how about the scenes of someone on the street suddenly knocking down an elderly person; or pushing someone onto the subway tracks?
ILL. A newspaper article told about a man arrested for child molestation. It reported that when authorities went to his house they found stacks of pornographic magazines & pictures.
In response to that news item, the newspaper received this anonymous letter, "I, too, read Penthouse magazine & watch the Playboy Channel. I am also proud to say that I am a devout Christian."
But I wonder? How can he call himself a "devout Christian" when the Bible clearly says, "Brothers...whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure...let your mind dwell on these things" (Philippians 4:8).
ILL. A few years ago another poll announced that 45% of those who regularly attend church said that they didn't let their religion affect the way they lived their lives.
Yet Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven." It’s not just what we say, but what we do, too.
PROP. With that in mind, there is a story in the 5th chapter of 2 Kings about a Syrian general, a Jewish prophet, & his assistant. It is about a pagan who finds God, & a Jew who finds that he hasn't fooled God.
I. THE STORY UNFOLDS
A. As we look at the 5th chapter of 2 Kings, we find the Syrians have been sending raiding parties into Israel. One captive they bring back to Syria is a young Jewish girl who becomes a servant in the house of Naaman, commander of the Syrian armies.
Now Naaman had a serious problem, & only a few people knew it. He had leprosy, a disease that attacks the nervous system. Naaman was losing all sense of feeling in his body. His men thought that he was courageous in battle because when an arrow hit his leg he did not react. They interpreted that as toughness but Naaman knew the sickening truth that he could not even feel the arrow as it ripped into his leg.
B. Naaman had tried everything but there was no known cure for leprosy. But one day, this servant girl told Naaman's wife that there was a prophet in Israel who could heal Naaman of his leprosy.
When Naaman heard this he went to his king & told him about it. Immediately the King of Syria prepared a letter to the King of Israel. Then he sent Naaman on his way with a host of horsemen & chariots, & with presents of silver & gold & rich garments.
But when Naaman arrived in Israel, the king of Israel became very frightened. Listen to what it says in 2 Kings 5:7.
"As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes & said, ‘Am I God? Can I kill & bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!'"
C. But Elisha, the prophet of God, heard of Naaman's visit & sent word to the king to have Naaman come to his house.
So Naaman came in all his splendor, with horses & chariots & rich gifts to the house of Elisha. But Elisha didn't come out to speak to Naaman. Instead, Elisha sent his assistant, Gehazi, with a message that Naaman should go & dip himself in the Jordan River 7 times.
Naaman felt insulted & was enraged at being treated this way after his long journey. Vs's 11 & 12 say, "But Naaman went away angry & said, 'I thought that he would surely come out to me & call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot & cure me of my leprosy.
'Are not Aban & Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them & be cleansed?' So he turned & went off in a rage."
But after his men calmed him down, he decided to do what the prophet said. He went to the Jordan River, dipped 7 times, & his leprosy was gone.
Vs's 14 & 15 report, “His flesh was restored & became clean like that of a young boy. Then Naaman & all his attendants went back to the man of God.
“He stood before him & said, 'Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."
D. Naaman went back rejoicing to the house of Elisha & wanted to give him the gifts, but Elisha gave God the glory & refused to take anything.
At first, Naaman assumed that Elisha's refusal was just a matter of politeness, so again he urged Elisha to accept his gifts. But still Elisha refused to take anything.
Now Naaman was really impressed. The God Elisha served was not like the gods worshipped in Syria. Elisha’s God possessed supernatural powers, & His prophets did not expect bribes or rich rewards for themselves.
Naaman decided that he wanted to serve this God, too. So he asked Elisha if he could take back to Syria 2 mule loads of earth from Elisha's property as holy ground on which to worship & offer sacrifices to God.
In vs. 18, Naaman begins to call himself a servant of God & asks God to please pardon him when he goes back to Syria & has to go with his king when the king goes to worship the Syrian gods. Naaman promises God that he, himself, will not worship those gods any more.
So Naaman leaves Elisha & his assistant, Gehazi, as a convert to the worship of God rejoicing in all that has happened to him.
E. Now listen as I read 2 Kings 5:20-24.
“Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, ‘My master was too easy on Naaman…, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.’
“So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. ‘Is everything all right?’ he asked.
‘Everything is all right,’ Gehazi answered. ‘My master sent me to say, “Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.”
‘By all means, take two talents,’ said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi.
“When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.
II. GEHAZI’S TRAGIC MISTAKE
The actions of Gehazi bring about a tragic ending to an otherwise inspiring story. And as we look at it, we find that Gehazi made a tragic mistake.
A. The Bible tells us that he resented the fact that God's mercy had been given so freely to Naaman. He thought, "Why should my master let him off easy? He should pay for the miracle that God worked in his life. It's not fair." "As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him & get something from him."
Have you ever heard these words?
"We are the only Bible the careless world will read.
We are the sinner's gospel. We are the scoffer's creed.
What if the type is crooked? What if the print is blurred?
What if our tongues are speaking of things His lips would spurn?"
B. Gehazi’s decision had the potential of planting seeds of doubt in Naaman's mind. Here was a new convert who was excited because he had discovered the Lord God a God who was real & powerful & who cared about him & had cleansed him of his leprosy.
When Gehazi caught up to Naaman he lied to him, & Naaman generously gave him more than he asked for. Naaman even sent 2 servants back to help Gehazi carry it all.
Tragically, Gehazi hid the money & clothes he had gotten from Naaman & then lied to Elisha also.
Maybe that is understandable. Gehazi had been Elisha's assistant for a long time. Perhaps he thought, "I've served Elisha for years & what has it gotten me? I don't have any land. I don't have any fine clothes. It's time I started looking out for myself. From now on I'll take care of myself first."
So he did. He sought security in possessions instead of God. And what was Elisha's response to Gehazi?
III. HOW DID ELISHA RESPOND TO GEHAZI'S LIES?
A. The first thing we learn was that Elisha cared about Gehazi.
Vs’s 25-27 say, “When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, ‘Where have you been, Gehazi?’ ‘Your servant didn’t go anywhere,’ Gehazi answered.
“But Elisha said to him, ‘Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes…? Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.’
“Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous - it had become as white as snow.”
Elisha cared enough about Gehazi to confront him. I can just see Elisha waiting for Gehazi to get back. And when he came into the room, Elisha asks, "Where have you been, Gehazi?"
And after Gehazi lies to him, Elisha said, "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you?"
B. Secondly, the Bible tells us that Elisha gave him the opportunity to confess. God does that, too. Remember, after Adam sinned, God gave him an opportunity. He said, "Adam, where are you?" All Adam had to say was, "God, I’m sorry."
In the N.T. Jesus gave Peter the opportunity when he said, "Simon, do you love me?" A good friend gives his friend an opportunity to set things right. And Peter made the right decision.
Gehazi had his opportunity too. But he chose to lie to Elisha & said, "Where have I been? Why, I've been here all the time."
C. Thirdly, Elisha made sure that Gehazi realized the consequences of his actions. Elisha said, "Gehazi, do you realize what you have done? You've compromised me. You've compromised God. You've taken a miracle that God performed in the life of a Gentile that caused him to be a convert to God, & you made it into something sordid & greedy."
IV. WHAT WAS GOD'S REACTION TO ALL THIS?
What was God's reaction to all this? God was upset. Matter of fact, in the O.T. God strikes 3 people with instant leprosy. And the third is Gehazi.
I'm convinced that whenever an innocent, sincere individual is taken advantage of, or has his faith ruined because of our greed or by our example, that God takes that very seriously, too.
CONCL. I think we all need to take a good look at ourselves. With whom do you identify? Do you identify with Naaman, someone who needs God’s help? Then come to Jesus & let him wash you & make you new. He wants to forgive you if you'll let Him come into your heart today.
Maybe you're like Gehazi. Maybe you’re thinking only about yourself, because if you don't, nobody else will. So you've started to erode your honesty, your integrity, & your morals.
I’m glad that God no longer strikes us with instant leprosy. I’m glad that He wants to cleanse us & make us like new.
If you're ready to accept Jesus or if you have found the church home here that you’ve been looking for, then we invite you to come forward today to make your decision known, & we’ll all rejoice with you! I urge you to come without delay as we stand & sing!
INVITATION HYMN
