HPFFJ: Helping People Find and Follow Jesus
2 Kings 5:1-19a
#HPFFJ
INTRODUCTION
Two people left the same parking lot after church. Both turned right. Both got on the same highway. For the first ten miles, they could see each other. One was headed home. The other was headed out of town. At the first fork, one took the ramp marked North. The other stayed South. From a distance, it looked like nothing changed—same speed, same road, same direction. But a few miles later, one was pulling into a familiar driveway while the other was crossing a county line.
If you had asked them at the beginning, “Are you going the same way?” they would have said, yes.
If you asked them at the end, the answer would have been obvious… no.
Going in the same direction for a while is not the same as going to the same destination.
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
This statement is not only direction for our church, but the destination to which we are called as a church family. It is where we end up. Before we ring in the New Year of 2025, I would like us to pause and focus on the purpose of our Church. We always do this at the beginning of each calendar year. It is important to gather as a church family and orient ourselves all in the same direction… the purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.” As I reflected on this statement and the word “direction,” I think I like the word “destination” a little better. Every single thing that we do needs to fall under this umbrella statement of purpose and direction. Everything... because it is our destination as a church family.
A KEY CONCEPT OF THIS PURPOSE STATEMENT IS “WITNESS”
A key outward concept in the purpose statement of our church is that each of us should make sure that on a regular basis each of us is being a witness for Jesus. That is the “find” part of the statement. “Witness” is a word the Bible uses when it comes to sharing faith. A witness tells about Jesus Christ. A witness is one that testifies on evidence that they have seen and heard.
Jesus Christ says in Matthew 10:16-20
READ MATTHEW 10:16-20 (ESV)
“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for My sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
Jesus, in describing His disciples making their way through the world, encourages them to be witnesses of their time with Jesus. He even tells them that the Holy Spirit will give them the words needed when they need it.
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
A KEY CONCEPT OF THIS PURPOSE STATEMENT IS “DISCIPLESHIP”
A key inward concept in the purpose statement of our church is that each if us should make learning to live like Jesus a priority on a regular basis. That is the “follow” part of the statement. A follower of Jesus is a disciple of Jesus. Another name for this is “believer.” You can also use the term “Christian” if you want but sometimes that word does not mean what we think it means. A disciple is a believer in Jesus who seeks to follow Jesus each day.
A disciple is “one who responds in faith and obedience to the gracious call to follow Jesus Christ. Being a disciple is a lifelong process of dying to self while allowing Jesus Christ to come alive in us” (Greg Ogden, Discipleship Essentials, page 24). Or to put it another way, “A disciple is simply someone who believes in Jesus and seeks to follow him in his or her daily life” (Billy Graham, kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/billy-graham/article77272832.html).
Jesus Christ describes following Him in Matthew 16…
READ MATTHEW 16:24 (ESV)
“Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
This is who we are.
TRANSITION
I would like us to focus on an Old Testament passage as we think about our church mission statement. This is a little odd since “Helping People Find and Follow Jesus” is not even a possible thing until the birth of the church in the book of Acts in the New Testament, but the principles of “finding and following” God are 100% present in the Old Testament. “Witness” and “follow” is in the Old Testament.
This morning I want us to see these outward and inward principles in action. Let’s read from 2 Kings 5. When does 2 Kings 5 take place? 2 Kings 5 happens after the life of David (whom you may be familiar with). 2 Kings 5 happens after the prophet Elijah. 2 Kings 5 happens before the exile to Babylon which means before people like Daniel, Esther, or Nehemiah. 2 Kings 5 happens about 800 years before Jesus’ birth. 2 Kings 5 centers around a man named Naaman. Let’s read from 2 Kings 5:1-19.
READ 2 KINGS 5:1-19a (ESV)
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 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. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” 5 And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.” 8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the Name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” 16 But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord. 18 In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 He said to him, “Go in peace.”
TRANSITION
I know what you are thinking… a passage from the Old Testament about a man getting healed from leprosy has absolutely nothing to do with “helping people find and follow Jesus.” You are correct. Actually, you are only half correct. Let’s get into the passage and see how 2 Kings 5 relates for us to “help people find and follow Jesus.” To process what happened to Naaman, I’d like to walk backwards through the passage to illuminate exactly took place and why. We will go through the end, the middle, and the beginning (in that order).
THE END (verses 14-19)
The end of the passage has the man named Naaman leaving in peace. That word in verse 19 is a specific term meaning that Naaman is leaving in a state of total well-being and security based on God’s presence. He is whole. He is full of health. He is the best version of himself. All is right in every corner of his world.
We find that this “peace” that Naaman is experiencing is important because he arrived on the scene sick, broken, literally falling apart, and unwell in his physical body. Verse 14 shares with us that Naaman dips in the Jordan River seven times as instructed and he is healed of his leprosy. The leprosy was causing chaos in his life. He is cured and he has peace.
The scene of this miracle for Naaman is the Jordan River. The Jordan River is a place of prominence in the Bible:
* Israel crosses into the Promised Land through the Jordan River in Joshua 3–4
* Elijah and Elisha both part the Jordan River echoing God’s miracle with Joshua (and Moses)
* John the Baptist calls Israel to repentance in the Gospels at the Jodan River.
* Jesus Himself is baptized in the Jordan River
You might think that the Jordan River is a grand river, but it isn’t. It is actually just a muddy creek some of the time and is not all that great as a river. If I am not mistaken, some of the Jordan is damned up in modern times which makes it even less of a river.
We find that this “peace” that Naaman is experiencing is important because he arrived on the scene an idol worshipper not knowing God and so he was broken spiritually. Verse 15 shares a wonderful declaration of faith in which he places all his believing loyalty with YHWH God. His whole spiritual life shifts from idols that have no power to belief in God Almighty Who he worships. He is whole in his spirit and he has peace.
This statement that Naaman makes is on par with some of the other great confessions of faith in the Old Testament. He is right up there with Rahab in Jericho in Joshua 2 and Ruth to Naomi in Ruth 1. His confession of faith shows how much he has changed on the inside. He is a changed man physically and spiritually after his experience in the Jordan River
On a side note, the whole “let me take dirt with me” request is because his faith in God was incomplete in that it was common belief that gods were in charge of certain territories… which is true for the idols he normally worshipped. Deuteronomy 32 shares this perspective with us as well that these false gods (we call them demons) had jurisdictions in which they operated. YHWH God was the God of Israel so he wanted to literally take some of the land with him so he could properly worship God. In his infant faith, he did not yet realize YHWH God crosses all boundaries and is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and is sovereign over all territories, all nations, and all people.
TRANSITION
In the end, Naaman’s life is completely changed. He finds God and begins to follow Him. Yes! That is the destination! How did Naaman get there? What happened in his life that Naaman ended up seeking and finding God? The answer to these questions is the point I want to make for us this morning. Let’s back up a little to the MIDDLE of the passage.
THE MIDDLE (verses 5-13)
The middle of the passage sees Naaman securing permission to leave his country and travel to be healed. He has been told it is a sure thing. He brings payment with him and letters of introduction and purpose to the king of Israel.
The king of Israel is less that thrilled that Naaman ends up on his doorstep. Prophets in the Bible are truth-tellers that were often unpopular. People today wrongly call themselves “prophets” and seek honor. Being a prophet of the Lord God is not popular. King Ahab even calls the Prophet Elijah, Elisha’s teacher, “troubler of Israel” (1 Kings 18:17).
Naaman shows up and the king of Israel, who is the son of Ahab, knows he does not have the power Naaman is seeking and thinks that the request is a political maneuver readying for war. The king panics. I think I might panic as well if Naaman, a renowned warrior general shows up and you can’t do what he wants.
When George S. Patton shows up, you help him.
When Optimus Prime shows up, you grease his joints.
When Darth Vader shows up, you help him.
Elisha hears of the vexation of King Jehoram son of Ahab and sends word. Naaman arrives at his house and Elisha pretty much ignores the famous warrior general, but tells him to go wash in the muddy teeny Jordan River seven times.
Naaman’s reaction is anger. He traveled all the way to Israel and the prophet didn’t even get out of his easy chair to greet him. He has to wash in a muddy creek when there are better rivers in his own land. What Naaman is not aware of is that the command is not about the water, but is about obedience.
* Obedience to the Lord God leads to healing, restoration, and life.
* Obedience to the Lord God leads to salvation, wholeness, and peace
One of his servants who travel with him is humble and pleads with his master to listen and obey. He convinces him that it is a simple thing that has been commanded. He would have done it had the prophet asked something hard… just do the simple thing. Naaman agrees and dips in the Jordan. The Bible is very clear that his skin is completely restored like that of a young man’s skin. In my brain, I imagine not only is the leprosy gone, but battle scars are gone as well. There is complete and utter restoration because YHWH God is sovereign and almighty over all.
The key event in 2 Kings 5 is that Naaman is healed!
TRANSITION
Let’s now take a look at how all of this started. We looked at the end, then the middle, now let’s look at how all of this with Naaman kicked off. This is where Helping People Find and Follow Jesus” really comes into view. Here is where the dominos are tipped over to start Naaman on his journey of healing and peace. What is the answer to how Naaman finds God? Finds healing?
THE BEGINNING (verses 1-4)
RE-READ 2 KINGS 5:1-4 (ESV)
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. 2 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. 3 She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
The passage begins with describing Naaman. Naaman is no slouch. He is the commander of the armies of Syria. He is a great warrior and mover of men and politics. The words in the passage describe a man who is “greater than others,” “loud and mighty,” and “distinguished in deeds.” We should note that in verse 1 we also see that he is a tool. He is a tool in more ways than one. Referenced in the passage he has been used by God Almighty to discipline the people of Israel. God gave victory to the armies of Syria through him.
We also are introduced to the fact that Naaman is broken. He is specifically broken physically with the illness of leprosy. Leprosy is a chronic bacterial infection that primarily attacks the skin, peripheral nerves, upper respiratory tract, and eyes, causing skin sores, nerve damage, muscle weakness, and loss of sensation, which can lead to injuries and disabilities. This means Naaman was also probably socially ostracized in some circumstances even though he was a mighty man.
Verse 2 records for us, and this is important, that Syria raided Israel and carried off captives to become slaves. One of those slaves, an unnamed young girl, ends up in Naaman’s household as a slave to his wife… Mrs. Naaman.
Verse 3 is our key verse in what we are looking at. The young girl, a believer in YHWH God, says to her mistress that in Israel there is healing. This unnamed Israelite girl witnesses to her captors that if Naaman were to seek God’s favor from Elisha in Israel that he would be healed. Before Naaman ever steps foot in Israel, Elisha through the power of God has already:
* Healed Jericho’s water in 2 Kings 2 blessing an entire region
* Raised a dead boy back to life in 2 Kings 4
* “Heals” (for a lack of a better term) poisonous food in 2 Kings 4
* Provided for over 100 people with a small amount of food in 2 Kings 4
This little lady had heard what YHWH God was doing through His prophet and told her master about it.
This young girl has compassion and faith. Despite being taken from her home and brought into a foreign land, the girl shows great compassion for rusty crusty Naaman. When she learns that Naaman has developed leprosy, she doesn’t express bitterness or anger but instead seeks to help him. She tells Naaman’s wife that there is a prophet in Israel, Elisha, who could heal him. Her simple statement reflects her believing loyalty (faith) in YHWH God and His ability to heal.
This young girl has boldness. This little one is notable because of her boldness. She could have kept silent, given her position as a young, captive foreign servant, but instead, she speaks up, offering hope through her belief in YHWH God’s power. She spoke up even though she was oppressed.
This young girl has faith in YHWH God and by extension Elisha’s power through God to heal. Please note that the girl doesn’t just suggest that Naaman go to any ‘ol healer, but she points specifically to Elisha, the prophet of God. She expresses confidence in Elisha’s ability to heal Naaman’s leprosy. This shows her belief in God’s working through His prophet and her trust in God’s power to restore health.
She is a witness.
She is helping Naaman find and follow God.
She is giving God all her believing loyalty and living out that faith while struggling.
This young girl is so bold, confident, and compassionate that Naaman goes to the king to ask for permission to travel to meet Elisha to get healed. Naaman’s journey to wholeness, healing, and peace begins with the witness of a believer to an unbeliever.
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
TRANSITION
So what do we take from 2 Kings 5?
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
APPLICATION
This little girl didn’t need to be an expert, she just needed to be a witness to what she believed. We don’t need to be an expert, we just need to be a witness for what we believe. May we use our words expressing our experience with God to show other people the direction they need to go to find Him.
This little girl didn’t need to be perfect, but leaned on her believing loyalty about God in that she believed even though her life was oppressed. We don’t need to be perfect, but we do need to continually grow in believing loyalty as we live our lives in the ups and downs. We need to continually sharpen our souls and our faith in God so we can have solid believing loyalty in Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
This is our destination.
PRAYER
