Sermon Nuggets Mon May 17
Theme- Naaman's Cleansing
Verses- 2 Kings 5:1-15
Influence
Some visitors were being shown through a large modern manufacturing plant. As they passed through the research building, their attention was drawn to a strange sight. A huge steel beam was suspended on a single chain stretching down from the ceiling far above. And against this beam one tiny cork was being bounced again and again.
They were told this is an experiment in the superimposition of force. After the cork has bounced against the beam thousands of times, the beam will move.
The visitor asked if he might go back later in the day to see what had developed. All afternoon he watched the tiny cork bouncing against the motionless beam. Then late into the night he noticed a small tremor in the beam. Almost imperceptibly it changed positions. An hour later he could see that it was now, in fact, swinging slowly back and forth. And one hour after that the huge beam was moving strongly at the end of its chain. Fascinated the visitor saw the mass of iron, weighing tons, gathering momentum with every minute and move through the windless air of the great laboratory room like a mammoth pendulum.
What is the influence of a cork over a huge beam of steel? Yet in a small, but consistent way its little power was felt.
This week we want to look at one of the important stories of the persistent influence of a young slave girl had on a great and powerful man. It is a favorite story in Sunday school of many children because it talks about the influence of a child that really affected a country. We will look more closely at the story of Naaman, the leper. The slave girl's witness of God brought about his God-encounter. This story also reveals the works of man seeking his own ways to bring solutions to his problems and the importance of trusting humbly in the works of God by faith.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Tues May 18
The Problem Position
Naaman the Syrian was a great man and had a lot of influence with the King of his country. In fact, he was probably number 2 man in the kingdom particularly because of his abilities in battle. Look at the things that helped make him great. He was a commander of the army of the King of Arman. He had a position of responsibility. Now I realize that some people have the position of responsibility but aren't capable of handling it. Some people are born kings and have no ability. Others inherit a great fortunate that industrious or gifted fathers and grandfathers, mothers and grandmothers worked hard to pass on to their offspring.
But that is not the case with an army officer. The experience of success and failure determines your ability and wisdom. Naman had to earn his way into being respected in his field and have success and victory by discipline, training and wisdom. He gained the respect of his soldiers and he was a great man in the sight of his master.
A self made man concentrates on his accomplishments. A self made man has rewards, bank accounts, and businesses that speak of his achievements in the eyes of the world. I can't help but think of the foolish statements that Ted Turner made as a self-made man. He has done well in this world. Speaking to a group of broadcaster,"Delegates to the United Nations are not as important as the people in this room. We're the ones that determine what the peoples' attitudes are. It's in our hands."
Although he is the cable TV magnate he told one religious group he is looking forward to going to hell because that is where he is headed. He has repeatedly called Christianity a religion for losers. A self-made man sees little beyond their immediate accomplishments.
There is a phrase in the verse however, we do not want to overlook. “Because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram.” In other words, it was not Naaman that was responsible for the strong army, it was the Lord. I would normally think that when Aram fought against Israel the Lord should have been with Israel instead of Aram, but that was not the way the Lord was working. Many prophecies of the Bible remind us that pagan nations and Gentiles and nations often more sinful and godless will be used of God to teach his people lessons and bring people to point of repentance.
One Christian businessman who was highly successful has a picture in his office of a turtle on a fence post. He looks at that often and remarks that you know he did not get there on his own. Someone put him up there. That is his reminder of God placing him in a place of responsibility. He was not a self-made man, but a God made man.
But Naaman was also a heathen. Self made men tend to look at their position and accomplishments. But God wanted to use Naaman to bear witness for His glory. Syria gave Naaman birth, fed him, educated him, amused him, honored him, played for him, entertained him, filled his life with gaiety riches and variety but there was one thing that with all his power he could not do--he could not heal himself of the disease of leprosy. He would be ostracized by all people, for it was considered unclean and infectious. He may have been a self made man, but greatness that is only in our achievements, soon fades away.
Sin is like that in our lives. It is a plague from which regardless of position we cannot cleanse ourselves. We are doomed to destruction.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Weds May 19, 2010
Verses- 2 Kings 5:2-7 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.
Gentle Witness
A Prideful man soon realizes that he is not as much in control with his life as he once thought. It is often hard for independent self made people to receive help from others. It is hard for many people not to be in control of their lives.
No one in his country could cure an incurable disease. But he had a slave girl who was an Israelite. Aram raided Israel and kidnapped people for slaves. She was taken like many girls and used around the homes particularly to work in the fields or help with domestic work and in this case she was his wife’s helper. She served her family well, and showed concern for her master. I am guessing that she must have also been well treated, but it also shows that as a young girl she had been well trained in honor of the Lord and in the stories of the prophet of Jehovah and the prophet was Elisha.
She gave the gentle witness that if her master would go to Samaria there is a prophet that could cure him. The stories of the widow who had enough oil, the food that was plentiful the poison in the pot that was cured, the parting of the Jordan River and the raising of the widows son all stuck with this little girl and she was just as much an instruments of God will, as Elisha was in his way. Children can be used of God as witnesses.
It is important to teach children and instill the Biblical truths and lessons for when they are well taught children can be used as God's messengers in the right places and right times. Naaman had to become humble enough to listen to the wisdom of a little child.
I think of Jesus when he prayed, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father for so it seemed good in thy sight, (Mat. 11:25,26).
The children church worker in my home church trained an 8 year old girl to share her testimony and simple gospel presentation on how to get saved. When it was her time she stood up, with the other kids, some older, some younger, and said something like this. “Jesus Christ died on the cross for sin. I've sinned and you've sinned. He died so we can live forever if you accept Jesus as your savior. You have to believe and invite him into your hearts. O.k. now who wants to pray to accept Jesus?”
I watched Mr. Lipke, the worker, smiling. Then I saw his eyes get big as one little boy raised his hand. Then another raised his hand. Mr. Lipke came forward and said, “Now I don't want anyone fooling. If you mean it then come up here and well show you had to accept Jesus.”
He visited with these two afterwards to be sure they understood what it meant to give God their hearts and trust in Christ for their salvation. It was the witness of a little girl God used.
Jesus said, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick." Mk. 2:17 The sickness of sin needs the prophet from God, Jesus Christ, to miraculously cure us and make us whole. It is provided by the blood of Jesus who died that we might live.
There are testimony of many who have successful careers and influential positions who with heart attacks, cancer and disease are placed on the beds of affliction that they might hear the word of God and the message of their need for salvation. We need to know the Lord often uses insignificant and humble people to give a gentle witness.
Now who is the really the great one? Was it Naaman or the little slave girl? God knew who.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Thurs May 20, 2010
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."
The Works of Man.
There are three ingredients of one’s make up that get in the way of God. Power, Pride and Prosperity. Jesus said it was harder for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter into heaven.
That is unbelievable! We admire the rich young rulers. We not only admire them but seek to be like them. They are the goal of success in this life. But after all is said and done all of works of mankind mean nothing to the Lord.
Naaman sought to go to this land witnessed to by his slave girl because when you are in need you will try anything. He knew he had to do it the right way. He sought money and position and power to persuade this rural prophet how important it was to give him special treatment.
People with money expect and even demand special treatment. Those who ride first class expect the best of treatment that money can buy. Those who have the best lawyer do not expect to go to prison or pay for their crimes. Money and power get them out of all their troubles, so they think.
When you see how much he collected to be healed it is an awesome amount. Money talks. He brought with him 10 talents of silver and 6,000 pieces of gold. This is in the tens of thousands of dollars. How much would you give to save a life?
He brought ten changes of garments. These were of the finest quality that were not only hand made, but hand woven, and spun on some kind of a spinning wheel to even get the thread. So, this would have been very valuable to any one of that culture.
Naaman goes to the king for political power and pressure on the king of Israel. It is phrased in a very polite way, but the message is also clear that a powerful king is demanding something of a nation that militarily isn’t as strong.
So the king of Aram sends letters of authority and introduction with him to give the king of Israel. For it is also the works of man that places importance in who we know. Those who know influential people get ahead in the world. Those who can persuade others to get things done are wise politicians with power. Status speaks as well as money talks.
The King of Israel is upset thinking this is a ploy to get Aram to invade them. He admits that he is not a god who can heal incurable diseases. He tears his clothes as a public sign of anguish and concern.
The word is spread around how upset the king of Israel is. Elisha heard about this public display and sends the message to have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.
Money and status means nothing to the man of God. In fact Elisha never even came out to greet this rich powerful commander of armies. He only sent him a word through his servant "Wash 7 times in the Jordan river.” How humiliating.
My friend, Dale Lundgren, makes some connections with how people use man’s ways to seek salvation and forgiveness of sin. All the money in the world cannot cure us of sin. All the power of man falls short of cleansing. Salvation can’t be bought, or earned. Actually, in the Scriptures, money and works are the same thing. That is, we earn money from our works, or wages is the result of what we do. Ephesians 2:8 & 9 tells us it is all a gift, and it’s solely by grace. God is the only source. If we were to do anything to get it, we as humans are prone to brag about what we did to get it. We cannot do that with a gift.
God has a plan of salvation for all men, no matter who they are or what they believe. We are to simply believe into the Lord Jesus Christ to save you, plus nothing- No works. It is by grace through faith in the one and true prophet of God, Jesus Christ. It is by believing in His works on the cross that saves us.
If you have no money and no power and no political influence and no status of importance, take heart! That is not important to the Lord. We all need healing. We receive spiritual healing the same way- by faith in the works of God and acting upon that.
That is the best of news because it points us to the works of God.
Pastor Dale
Sermon Nuggets Fri May 21, 2010
Verses- 2 Kings 5:10-15 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.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."
The Path to Cleansing
As I was listening to the Christian Radio Station K-LOVE the announcer stated that prideful people do not pray much because humility is the key ingredient to admitting need and reaching out to God.
The same can be said for Namaan and his need for cleansing. He can admit need when he seeks to solve the problem himself- his way. But to humble himself to go to a foreign country, a non government official, a servant of the prophet and to be humiliated to dip seven times in the dirty Jordan river, was too much for General Naaman.
The best that money could offer was not good enough.
The Bible tells us that Elisha sent a letter to the king of Israel, instructing him to send this man to Elisha. Someone presents the good news of hope. Now he comes to Elisha’s house expecting the treatment he thinks he deserves. But he was offended when only the servant came out to give the message from the prophet.
The response of the proud man was anger than he would be treated in such a manner. It was only after the advice of his own servants that persuaded him to try it. They looked at the facts. He had leprosy. His life as he knew it was over. He was told to do something for free and there is no loss to try it.
The word of God came through Elisha. Now the real question was simply if he would be humble enough to believe to obey it.
So it is with salvation today. No one can come to the Lord his own way by his own works, or his own position. This is why Jesus highlights the faith of a child over the efforts of religious men. That is why Jesus is going from place to place without even a home or bed to lay his head. He came as the humble servant willing to give his life that we might be saved. The path to cleansing comes by the gracious gift of God and putting our faith in Him, Jesus Christ. Obeying him becomes the step of faith.
Lots of times the number seven in the Bible refers to completion. Seven days in a week became the pattern of God to show things were now completed.
This was God' way of meeting the man as a sinner. He needed to not only look at his need, but be brought to a point where he turned to God. Humility is needed when we turn to God. It shows that we are powerless and he is all powerful. Elisha became God's spokesman.
I came to knew a woman who was of financial means. She was used to getting her way. She was prideful. She knew little of the reality of God. Her world was full of things that she sought to make her happy.
When her husband left her and filed for divorce her neat world came crushing down. She asked me to go and speak to her husband telling him of his Christian duty to return God. But this experience was used to force her to look at the part she played and her own sinful behavior. She admitted that she didn't want to join the church or be baptized because she didn't want to do the work that was expected of members, and she certainly didn't want that embarrassment becoming all wet in front of a bunch of people. Baptism by immersion would ruin her hairdo and she would never want to be seen in public in such a condition. But God met her. At the point of brokenness and despair her world caved in. She submitted to God and cried out to Him for forgiveness of all her pride.
It didn't change her marriage as she hoped, but it changed her. She found the cleansing she needed. She came to the point of honestly praying, “Lord whatever you want me to do, I will do it. If Jesus could publicly go to the cross to die for my sin, I can go into the baptismal waters to tell people that I believe completely in you.” She did join the church and took up tasks and served to the best of her ability.
Cleansing came in response to humbly accepting the gift God gave.
Pastor Dale
