HERO WORSHIP AND DISAPPOINTMENTS AND TEMPER FITS
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I did this as a two part series.
TEXT:
2 KINGS 5:11 But NAAMAN WAS WROTH, AND WENT AWAY, and said, "BEHOLD I THOUGHT, HE WILL COME OUT TO ME, AND STAND AND CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD GOD, AND STRIKE HIS HAND OVER THE PLACE, AND RECOVER THE LEPER.
I ponder disappointment and temper fits.
1. WHAT IS DISAPPOINTMENT?
DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY.
TO FAIL TO MEET THE EXPECTATIONS OR HOPES...
To offer great effort and still not see fruition or realization of the goal.
To be confused and puzzled.
To let down, to work in vain.
Feelings of discouragement.
To worry birthed by uncertainty.
To bring to nothing, to make ineffectual.
To keep one from his desires.
Not clear or decisive thinking.
2. LIFE WILL BRING DISAPPOINTMENT TO EVERY PERSON.
We are people watchers. We love to expect more of others than we do of
ourselves. Then when our expectations are dashed upon the rocks, we find an
excuse to exempt ourselves from what we expect of others.
Often expectations fail where we see promises and demand a payday.
LIFE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS!
God is still working on us, we are not a finished product.
We look for human messiahs to be our kings and deliver us out of our woes?
We want water, but we don’t want to dig the well.
We tire of drinking out of others wells. Proverbs 5:15.
Then when we find out our new messiah is just another person like us, we
grow disappointed. Why are you searching for another to deliver you? It is
your choices, habits, and words that will grow your fruit!
We look for heroes, people to give us strength and ability, that we don’t
earn. We search for others to admire and lead us, so we don’t have to face
the battles ourselves. We want to make idols of others, then we find they
have faults and weaknesses just like us, so we are disappointed.
Disappointment can be deadly.
We look for a perfect church with a perfect pastor and perfect people, and
when we start that glimmers in our eyes. Then we start finding the
weaknesses and human faults and we lose interest and find an excuse to drop out and be unfaithful.
If you found a perfect church and joined it, there goes the perfection?
I know many today that want to travel around and tell others "how to" ...
while they remain unfaithful to the church. They have been disappointed by
everyone and by life and therefore they isolate themselves from what God has
commanded.
Stop and read Hebrews 10:25. Is the word of God true? Does the Bible mean
forsake not the assembling of ourselves together or is this a joke? Did God
have this written just to be an idle warning? But the preacher disappointed
me? But so-in-so is a hypocrite?
Is Romans 2:1 joking when it says: Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man...
3. DISAPPOINTMENT IS A MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL STATE ---
WHICH CAN BE A DEADLY DISEASE BROUGHT ON BY WATCHING OTHER PEOPLE, LACK OF PRIORITIES, BOREDOM WITH LIFE, AND ERRING BECAUSE OF A LACK OF KNOWING THE WORD OF GOD OR THE PLAN OF GOD, AND A COMMITMENT TO FAITHFULNESS.
DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY.
THE TEN MOST WANTED... (Writer unknown)
1. The man who puts God’s business above any other business.
2. The man who brings his children to church rather than sending them.
3. The man who is willing to be the right example to every boy he meets.
4. The man who thinks more of his Sunday school class than his Sunday
sleep.
5. The man who measures his giving by what he has left, rather than by the
amount he gives.
6. The man who goes to church for Christ’s sake rather than for himself or
for someone else.
7. The man who has a willing mind rather than a brilliant mind.
8. The man who has a passion to help rather than a passion to be helped.
9. The man who can see his own faults before he sees the faults of others.
10. The man who is more concerned about winning others for Christ than he is
about winning worldly honor.
4. WE ARE ALL PROJECTING SOME KIND OF A SPIRITUAL ATTITUDE IN OUR DAILY WALK AND BY THE WORDS WE SPEAK. DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY.
5. SOME PEOPLE ARE VIP’S .... (Very Important People)
2 Kings 5:1 Now Naaman, CAPTAIN of the host of the King of Syria, was A
GREAT MAN with his master, and HONORABLE, because the Lord had given
DELIVERANCE unto Syria: he was also a MIGHTY MAN OF VALOUR,
BUT HE WAS A LEPER.
ME --- BIG MAN!
DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY.
Everyone around knew Naaman and how important he was.
Naaman was a mighty man, a captain, a political power, a war hero, a
champion in the camp. This honorable man was used to getting things his way.
He said jump ---and everyone said, "How high?" This man was known of the King and he had friends in high places. He owned the best clothes, the best transportation of his day. He gave orders to many. He had followers in the army and he owned many personal slaves.
6. ME BIG --- LIVE DISAPPOINTED IN ME, BUT I HAVE BIGGER PROBLEM ...
Sickness is no respecter of persons. Somehow in Naaman’s claim to fame, he
contracted a serious disease and he was dying. His friends could not help
him, his money and fame could not help him, Naaman was doomed to die a
terrible death.
His death would not be as a hero in battle, his flesh was rotting off his
bones, he was unclean and could not be touched. What a disgrace to die of
leprosy? With all his fame, Naaman was a leper.
7. ME BIG --- MEETS A LITTLE NOBODY ... DISAPPOINTED LITTLE PERSON?
DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY.
2 Kings 5:2 --- brought away captive out of the land of Israel a LITTLE
MAID; and she waited on Naaman’s wife.
I want to tell you a truth, many big people owe great, unrecognized debts to
those that quietly serve behind the scenes. This little girl, a slave girl,
was to open the road to a miracle.
It had to be a great disappointment for this girl to be forcibly taken from
her home.
This little servant girl may never see her family again. On top of being
kidnapped, the girl was to become a slave. This must have been a terrible
emotional experience. Life had to be a disappointment for a slave girl.
8. WHAT IF THE LITTLE DISAPPOINTED REFUSE TO SPEAK?
A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED NOBODY HAS A PLAN THAT WILL RELEASE A MIRACLE.
2 Kings 5:3 And she said unto her mistress, WOULD GOD, my lord were with the
prophet that is in Samaria! FOR HE WOULD RECOVER HIM FROM LEPROSY.
This little girl, may have been a slave, maybe she didn’t know the King and
the high government officials but she KNEW THE MAN OF GOD and SHE KNEW GOD!
GOD’S PLAN COULD HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED IF THIS LITTLE GIRL HAD SEEN HOW LITTLE SHE WAS.
By opening her mouth, this girl became an instrument of God. The journey of
a mighty man to receive a mighty miracle came about by the little spoken
words of a little servant girl.
What appears to be INSIGNIFICANT and lacking in meaning, what appears to be
not worth considering, unimportant, was the most important and meaningful
words this wife will ever hear! These little words from a little person to a
BIG person will matter a great deal!
9. WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF EVERY PERSON SPOKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBILITIES OF GOD? DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY.
10. NAAMAN WENT TO THE WRONG SOURCE! HE TRIED MAN’S WAY ...
DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY.
Naaman traveled the long journey to Samaria. He was a sick man traveling
many dusty roads. Naaman approached the King with GREAT EXPECTATIONS,
2 Kings 5: 7 and the King rent his clothes and told Naaman, I can’t do
anything about your sickness.
Naaman must have been very disappointed. DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY.
11. WHAT IF THE MAN OF GOD, THE PREACHER DISAPPOINTS ME?
2 Kings 5: 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood
at the door of the house of Elisha.
10. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, "GO AND WASH IN THE JORDAN SEVEN TIMES, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be
clean."
11 But NAAMAN WAS WROTH, AND WENT AWAY, and said, "BEHOLD I THOUGHT, HE WILL COME OUT TO ME, AND STAND AND CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD GOD, AND STRIKE HIS HAND OVER THE PLACE, AND RECOVER THE LEPER.
DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY, Naaman went to the Preacher’s house in a demanding way.
Naaman expected the preacher to do things HIS WAY, the Preacher knew there
is a difference between God’s ways and what man expects.
12. NAAMAN EXPECTED A CIRCUS TENT REVIVAL.
How disappointed was this VIP when the Preacher did not yield to his
expectations.
I WOULD LIKE TO APPROACH ANOTHER AREA, DON’T YOU THINK ELISHA WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE GIVEN NAAMAN WHAT HE EXPECTED?
Elisha hears a big commotion outside his humble abode.
Elisha was not impressed with the hero, the captain, or his big name.
Elisha’s servant, came going to Elisha all impressed with the great wealth
he saw.
It was like a big parade as Naaman and his materialism was on display for
the man of God’s house.
Gehazi told his master, Elisha, we have a golden opportunity to elevate this
ministry to global portions. Gehazi saw how important this opportunity was
for focusing the eye of others on how important their ministry was.
13. Gehazi expected his master to jump at Naaman’s need.
Elisha stayed in his study, he didn’t even peek out at this carnival,
festival environment.
Elisha was beyond expectations of a man. Can you image what Gehazi thought
when the MAN OF GOD just simply replied, GO TAKE A DIP. --- NO,
TELL NAAMAN TO TAKE 7 DIPS IN THE DIRTIEST RIVER AROUND HERE.
14. Why the Jordan River?
The Jordan River is a type in the Bible. The Jordan is symbolic of DEATH. Naaman is going to HAVE TO LEARN, BUBBA, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SUBMIT TO GOD, GOD WILL NOT SUBMIT TO YOU OR YOUR EXPECTATIONS. BE
DISAPPOINTED IF YOU WANT, BUT YOU MUST COME TO THE POINT THAT
DISAPPOINTMENTS WILL NOT DRIVE YOU.
DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY, Naaman the reality is God is not impressed with you or your gifts.
15. DISAPPOINTMENT BREEDS ANGER AND RAGE!
2 Kings 5:11 But NAAMAN WAS WROTH, AND WENT AWAY, and said, "BEHOLD I THOUGHT, HE WILL COME OUT TO ME, AND STAND AND CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD GOD, AND STRIKE HIS HAND OVER THE PLACE, AND RECOVER THE LEPER.
12. Are not the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the rivers of Israel?
MAY I NOT WASH IN THEM, AND BE CLEAN?
SO NAAMAN TURNED AND WENT AWAY IN A RAGE!
16. ANGER, WRATH AND A RAGE WILL NEVER ACCOMPLISH THE PLAN OF GOD. ANGER IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO GOD’S WILL.
Go ahead Naaman, pitch your little temper fit, do it your way!
Ponder, what might have happened if Naaman had gone to the Abana River?
17. THE ISSUE IS CONTROL AND MANIPULATION.
IF I CAN MANIPULATE THE MAN OF GOD, I CAN MANIPULATE THE MESSAGE OF GOD!
Man has tried to manipulate God and his message since Adam and Eve. Man
wants to control by artful, deceitful, insidious means the plan of God. Man
wants to so control God that he takes his own advantages over God and God’s
man.
18. What was the purpose of Naaman’s trip? Control? Manipulation? No, healing was the need. Naaman started home still a very sick man. Now Naaman’s
disappointment with the man of God will yield to pain, bitterness, anger,
rejection and as he walks away disappointed, he has rejected the plan of God
and is alienating him self in complete rebellion. Now Naaman comes to the
conclusion, I don’t need this, and his independent spirit is soaring above
the plan of God.
19. AGAIN A LITTLE SERVANT BECOMES PART OF THE TEAM TO DEVELOP GOD’S PLAN.
2 Kings 5:13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, My father, if
the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done
it?
How much rather then when he saith to thee WASH, AND BE CLEAN?
20. ANOTHER CONTROL ISSUE ARISES: NAAMAN WANTS TO BUY THE MAN OF GOD?
In verse 15, Naaman returns submitted, so he offers an offering worth a lot
of money.
Elisha refuses the offering, sorry not for sale.
21. GEHAZI IS DISAPPOINTED, GEHAZI THINKS HE DESERVES MORE,
so he asks for a little, he should have just got it all.
DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY, Gehazi - the reality is God is not impressed with you or your gifts.
Look at Elisha’s words,
2 Kings 5:26 And Elisha said, WENT NOT MY HEART WITH THEE, WHEN THE MAN TURNED AGAIN FROM THE CHARIOT TO MEET THEE? IS IT A TIME TO RECEIVE MONEY, AND RECEIVE GARMENTS, AND OLIVEYARDS, AND SHEEP, AND OXEN, AND MENSERVANTS AND MAIDSERVANTS?
Vs..27. The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you and thy seed...
22. WHEN DISAPPOINTMENT BREEDS DISAPPOINTMENTS!
As Elisha followed Elijah and trained, so Gehazi had followed Elisha many
years.
Gehazi watched the anointing flow on Elisha. Gehazi was the next man of God
in training. Gehazi’s disappointments so drove him that he lost his
anointing and promise from God.
23. Forever the name of Gehazi shall not be recognized as prophet but for GREED!
The leprosy disqualified Gehazi. I ponder, do you think Gehazi tried dipping
in the Jordan? If he did, he returned home a disgrace, for disappointment,
ungodly expectations cost a terrible price.
24. MOM, I WILL BE FAMOUS!
Mom Taylor had two sons. They were both very special, but they were
different. One focused on the visible, the other on the invisible. The older son
thought he must make a name for the family and so turned his face toward
Parliament and fame. He compromised and became a famous politician.
The younger brother made a choice and decided to give his life to the
service of Christ and so turned his face toward China and duty.
Hudson Taylor, the missionary, died beloved and known on every continent.
But when I looked in the encyclopedia to see what the other son had done,
said one, I found these words, "The brother of Hudson Taylor." (unknown)
25. Down to Get Up ---- "The great man humbleth himself." - Isa. 2-9
I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one above another: and that
the taller we grow in Christian character the easier we could reach them. I
now find that God’s gifts are on shelves one beneath the other; and that it
is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower; and that we have
to go down always to get His best gifts....F. B. Meyer
26.QUIT IT! GROW UP!
It is time to identify the disappointments you have been carrying!
DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXPECTATION AND REALITY, don’t let
disappointments drive your heart to hardness and coldness.
God has a plan, the plan may be little and insignificant, but obey and don’t
watch people for applause. Press on!
27. I need your help? My hands are so little, you could help someone, you could
send this on or tell someone how to get this message. If you expand my
reach, than you have done as I. You are a team member.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
