“Go Jump in a Lake”
II Kings 5:1-14
2KI 5:1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. 2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and 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!" 8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." 11 But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage. 13 Naaman’s servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, `Wash and be cleansed’!" 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
INTRODUCTION
• There are three people in this story whom I think we can relate to this morning…I think they will challenge us, wherever we may be in our spiritual journey.
• Let’s take a look at these three people:
I. One who had a HURT {vs 1, 5, 9-14}
NAAMAN
• This is the obvious character we would look at. Let’s take a look at him really closely:
1. His Past
• This man was used by God to do great things
• Sometimes some bad things happen to some really good people
2. His Pain (vs 1)
• This was a death sentence…no answers at all for this man
• You may be facing a very difficult situation as well
3. His Price (vs 5)
• He was ready to do whatever he could in his own power to get his answer
• Friend, please lose the idea that you have somehow merit God’s good graces in order for Him to love you
4. His Process (vs 9-13)
• There is NO way Naaman had planned on his answer coming this way
Elisha didn’t “do the spectacular” thing
In fact, Elisha didn’t even talk to him
He had to dip in a filthy river
He had to do it seven times
• We need to realize that God often answers our prayers in ways that we would never expect
5. His Patience (vs 14)
• I am glad Naaman didn’t stop with 6 dips in the water
• Be patient, Friend, God knows what He is doing!
You may be here and are saying in your heart, “Well, Pastor, I’m really not facing any major problem or hurts today.” I have a word for you as well this morning!
• Let’s look at:
II. One who had HELP {vs 2-5}
A SERVANT GIRL
• This young lady had the answer for someone who was hurting
• I wonder if we have the answers for a hurting world this morning?
Only one out of every three adults attending a Protestant church shared their faith with a nonbeliever last year.
Tomorrow, 1200 teenagers in our country will attempt suicide
Tomorrow, 2899 marriages will end in divorce
Tomorrow, 8 parents will be killed by their own kids
• We need to not only recognize that there is a hurting world around us; but, we must care enough to point them the right direction!
III. Those who had a HEART {vs 13-14}
NAAMAN’S SERVANTS
• Naaman was obviously very frustrated and was ready to give up
• Some unnamed servants reached out to him and encouraged him to not give up
In the news last year was the story of the rescue of the 9 miners from the PA coal mine. A large part of their survival was their encouragement of one another. One of the miners said, “We decided we were all going to live together or die together.”
Your words of encourgament are like the leaven Jesus told about in his story. Those words are like yeast starter.
Are you committed to building one another up? It kept 9 coal miners trapped in PA alive for 77 hours. Think what it could do for our church family.
• What the body of Christ seriously needs are some unnamed servants of God who are willing to find a brother or sister in Christ and say, “Don’t give up, do what God is telling you to do!”
• Is there someone near you who needs your encouragement?
RESPONSE
• Where are you today?
• Are you HURTING?
* Don’t be frustrated today…God has His plan in place
* Don’t give up on Him…keep obeying
• Can you offer HELP?
* The world desperately needs some direction from us!
• Can you offer your HEART?
* Can you encourage someone in this room by praying for
them, loving them, being there for them?
Find a place where you can pray this morning and pray for one another in this place!
