"B.R.E.A.T.H.E. easy!"

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2 Kings 5:1 NRSV

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.

2 Kings 5:2 NRSV

Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.

2 Kings 5:3 NRSV

She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

2 Kings 5:4 NRSV

So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said.

2 Kings 5:5 NRSV

And the king of Aram said, “Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments.

2 Kings 5:6 NRSV

He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

2 Kings 5:7 NRSV

When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.”

2 Kings 5:8 NRSV

But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.”

2 Kings 5:9 NRSV

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house.

2 Kings 5:10 NRSV

Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.”

2 Kings 5:11 NRSV

But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!

2 Kings 5:12 NRSV

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?” He turned and went away in a rage.

2 Kings 5:13 NRSV

But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

2 Kings 5:14 NRSV

So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

2 Kings 5:15 NRSV

Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.”

2 Kings 5:16 NRSV

But he said, “As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!” He urged him to accept, but he refused.

2 Kings 5:17 NRSV

Then Naaman said, “If not, please let two mule-loads of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except the Lord.

2 Kings 5:18 NRSV

But may the Lord pardon your servant on one count: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I do bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant on this one count.”

2 Kings 5:19 NRSV

He said to him, “Go in peace.” But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance,

Intro:

This week I want to talk about Peace!

The perspective that we will be dealing with on Tuesday night focuses on how we are to “walk in peace” with others from different faith traditions......

But.....

.....today I want to focus on what it looks like to achieve a level of “Internal Peace”

(slight pause)

Because......

......if we never find peace within ourselves

.....it’s virtually impossible to be at peace with anybody else!

(pause)

Barrel:

You will rarely find someone having a bad day......

......with the capacity to encourage your day

(slight pause)

....usually when someone is spoiled on the inside

......it usually stinks with negativity and pessimism all around their lives on the outside!

(pause)

And Freedom.....

.....what I have noticed is that whenever someone is at PEACE

.......they BREATHE easier!

It’s not so much that their lives are problem free.........but they have a way of allowing their Faith to control how they Inhale and Exhale through every human experience!

(pause and expound)

Lets look at the text......

2 Kings 5:1 NRSV

The text introduces Naaman to us........

General of an entire army of Syria

his name means fair/gracious

he has the honor of the king

he is a man of great influence

(pause)

and the text says....

“By him the Lord had given victory to Syria”

meaning.......Naaman led the Syrian army to victory by the power of the Lord.

(slight pause)

Now that’s huge!

......and the reason that’s huge is because even though Naaman is not an Israelite

.....God is still shown in the text as being the reason for his success!

(pause)

And I love what the text is saying....

........because there is no power given to anybody that does not come from God!

and....

.......I’m not quite sure that Naaman realizes God’s role in his victories

.....but the truth of the matter is that,

(slight pause)

Either God makes it happen.......

.......or God allows it to happen!

(pause)

The text says that Naaman is....

“A Mighty man of valor”

he is VERY ABLE when it comes to battle

And the text says.....

......Everything is looking good for Naaman until we read Naaman’s whole story.

(slight pause)

Because in addition to his achievements, and on top of him being VERY ABLE in battle....

.......Naaman has a tragedy in his life that he’s struggling with.

Because the text says.....

“But..............he was a Leper”

And so.....

.....Although he was winning in war, he was losing in a very personal area.

(pause)

.....his uniform

......his medals of honor

.....his valiant victories

(slight pause)

.....could not effectively/completely cover his condition!

(pause)

Freedom.....

.....there are some Naamans in your life

....who are winning in one place

........and HYPROVENTILATING in another one!

(pause and expound)

Look at it.....

2 Kings 5:2 NRSV

Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.

The text says....

The Syrians had carried off a young girl of Israel

Prior to the appearance of Naamans leprosy

A girl 15 year old or less was captured in a previous aattack against Israel..

And.....

.....now at this time of Naaman’s sickness

....this same girl is serving as an attendant to Naaman’s wife.

(pause)

Freedom.....

......this is another example of the “set up” I talked about on last week.

And.....

.......this is absolutely a traumatic scenario of life lived being described in the text......

(pause)

Because this little girl.......

......has been taken from her family and is now serving the same people responsible for turning her world upside down.

(pause)

Now....

.....if I could just be honest

......I almost felt like saying,

“Naaman you can stay sick as far as I’m concerned.”

(slgiht pause)

“Let the girl go home first.............

......and then we can talk about you getting healed!”

(pause)

And Freedom.....

......you would think that this servant girl is disturbed as much as I am.

.....but watch what she says in verse 3

(pause)

2 Kings 5:3 NRSV

She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

According to the text.......

......Instead of HYPROVENTILATING in a strange land

......there’s this remarkable breathing pattern of PEACE that allows this girl to do something extraordinary!

(pause)

Because even though her life is the “SET-UP”

.......She’s still willing to share her Faith with someone responsible for her pain!

(pause)

And not only that......

But after all she has been through......

.....and even though a lot of time has passed

(pause)

She has not forgotten her God, and her faith in God’s power!

(pause)

And.....

.....I don’t know about you but for me this girl is on another level!

Because she wants to see Naaman at Peace.........

......even though her world has been turned upside down!

And what’s so powerful about this is that......

.....it is her faith that pulls the trigger for everything that’s getting ready to happen next!

(pause)

Freedom.....

......if you want to get something started

.....let your FAITH push around the ROOM

.......and watch how everything starts moving!

(pause and expound)

Look at it......

2 Kings 5:4 NRSV

So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said.

2 Kings 5:5 NRSV

And the king of Aram said, “Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments.

Naaman goes into the king.......

....and tells him everything the girl just told him and his wife so he can get permission to go deal with his problem.

.....and so the king gives him permission to go into Israel.

.....and even sends a letter to Israel’s king also commanding him to heal Naaman.

(slight pause)

So......

Naaman leaves for Israel and packs his bags...

He takes......

Ten talents of silver - about $20,000

Six thousand shekels of gold - about $60,000

Ten changes of clothes

(slight pause)

Sidenote Freedom.......

.......Naaman’s mistake right here is that he thinks you can buy Peace!

......but somebody should have told ya boy

.....you don’t use resources to BREATHE

(slight pause)

........but you got to tap into the SOURCE to BREATHE easy!

(pause)

Look at it....

2 Kings 5:6 NRSV

He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

2 Kings 5:7 NRSV

The text says....

Naaman gives Israel’s king the letter and he completely freaks out!

Because.....

......in his mind the Syrian King got to be trying to start a fight between nations.

.....and the bible says the King of Israel “Rips his clothes!”

(pause)

And the King yelled out a rhetorical question filled with desperation and good theology....

“Am I God?”

Because......

.....when the king realizes what he cannot do in this situation

......he also actualizes what God is capable of in the same situation

(pause)

His question actually......

.....should have brought him PEACE!

.....he should have snapped out of it right then.

(pause)

Because.......

.....even though the letter was addressed to the king.

.....it was addressing the King of Kings!

(pause and expound)

Freedom.....

.......I have learned not to “Hold my breath”

.....every time I receive a bad letter!

(slight pause)

Because....

......every letter I read aint written for me!

(pause and expound)

But....

.....we serve a God that can

Pull back Dis-ease

Rearrange Dis-order

The episode of this King’s panic.....

...... was so dramatic that folk started talking about what happened.......

......and in verse 8 word gets back to the prophet Elisha

2 Kings 5:8 NRSV

Elisha says....

“King, why are you so upset?

and in my spiritual imagination I hear him saying.....

“King just take a deep breath, and calm down”

(pause)

“King......just send him to me,

.....so that he may know that there is a pophet in Israel.”

(pause)

In other words.....

King......

“Breathe easy!”

(pause)

Now watch this.....

2 Kings 5:9 NRSV

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house.

2 Kings 5:10 NRSV

Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.”

The text says......

Naaman shows up with all of the bells and the whistles........

......and Elisha doesn’t even come to the front door!

(pause)

Elisha simply sends the instructions that are necessary for Naaman’s Peace.

(pause)

He says to Naaman......

Go dip in the Jordan river 7 times

and your....

flesh will be restored

you will be clean

(pause)

Freedom....

....I wondered why the prophet told Naaman to dip 7 times

.....and the text doesn’t explain the why!

But here’s what I know about people......

Sometimes God has to get us to do something over and over.....

.....until we get to a place where we realize our part in it is so small that

......we give GOD all the credit for what’s happening NEXT!

(pause)

And I hear Elisha saying,

“Naaman......

......you aint gonna get it on the 1st DIP

.....Keep going until you get to 7!”

(pause and expound)

Freedom....

....watch this now because,

This type of disease is supposed to eat the flesh away

But the prophet says,

Naaman’s healing is going to “Restore” the tissue that was destroyed by the leprosy.

and not only that but.....

In the Jewish religion it was necessary to be in a state of purity....

…in order to remain in communion with God.

and the prophet says....

Naaman would be clean not by Syrian standards....

....but by Jewish standards after this miracle.

(pause)

Look at somebody and say.....

“BREATHE easy!”

Freedom watch how Naaman’ responds in verses 11 and 12....

2 Kings 5:11 NRSV

2 Kings 5:12 NRSV

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?” He turned and went away in a rage.

Naaman says......

“First of all....

.....I can’t believe the man of God wouldn’t even come out of his house and lay hands on me so I could be healed immediately

.....now I’m feeling some type of way

Because in my mind.....

......the way it was supposed to go is he was supposed to,

Call on God

Wave his hand over the dead/dying areas

Cure me of leprosy

(pause)

“Second of all....

Why he pick the dirty Jordan river?

I am the GENERAL..........of an entire army

....and now he could have found a BETTER spot for a GENERAL to dip into!

(slight pause)

......He could have picked the “A-banah river”

.....He could have picked the “Phar-par river”

(slight pause)

all of these rivers in Israel......

.........and he chose that NASTY JORDAN river!

(pause)

and the text says......

Naaman walked away “In a RAGE!”

......that word “rage” in the hebrew means

Venom/posion

(pause and optional expound)

Freedom.....

.......it’s a amazing what will drive you crazy

.......when you don’t have any PEACE!

(pause and optional expound)

Look at it now....

2 Kings 5:13 NRSV

Freedom this verse is a game changer.......

....because whenever we are off balance with what we are thinking

.....somebody with some sense has got to be able to

.....Talk us down!

(pause)

The text says......

.....Out of all of the people that could have spoken reasonably to Naaman

......it wasn’t another fellow officer in his army

.....but instead it was his servants who began to influence him by saying,

“with all due respect Sir.......

.....you’re looking at this completely wrong!”

(pause)

The prophet could have told you to do something that required you to do something of great magnitude.......

......and you would have done that with no problem.

(pause)

But that aint what he asked you.......

......all he said for you to do was,

“Wash and Be clean!”

(pause)

And according to verse 14.......

.....In my spiritual imagination

Naaman says,

“You know what.....

.......you right!

I am tripping......

......Let me just go on down here and get this over with!”

(pause)

And the text says.....

When Naaman,

“Dips himself in the river of Jordan.....

.....he came up with skin that looked like a young child!”

(pause)

Don’t miss this Freedom......

Because in my spiritual imagination....

Naaman has experienced more than just a cure of his leprosy...

.....because the text did not say, “his skin went back to normal”

(pause)

But the text says......

“his skin was RESTORED like the flesh of a little child”

(slight pause)

meaning......

......Every wrinkle from his aging skin

......Every callous from working hard in the field

......Every scar that reminded him of battles

(slight pause)

When Naaman looks at “the RESTORED Naaman”

In my sp. Imag........he almost can’t even BELIEVE what he sees!

I see Naaman....

“BREATHING EASY........

.......saying to himself,

“I’m BACK!

..........and I’m BETTER than EVER!”

(pause)

And I don’t know who this is for.....

but.........

........when you come BACK

.......you aint coming BACK NORMAL

(pause)

......you’re coming BACK............BETTER!

(pause and expound)

Freedom I’m out of here.....

......but when I looked at Naaman’s life and how he finds Peace i saw something!

(pause)

Naaman only had to “hold his breath” going under the waters of the Jordan river.

Stop holding your breath in the wrong places!

2. Naaman had to be willing to submit his mindset to something bigger

Sometimes the thing that’s big enough to bring you Peace, is smaller than you think!

3. Naaman had to realize he wasn’t giving the orders.

Sometimes our peace is sacrificed at the expense of our wanting to be in control.

(pause)

But what Naaman learns through this experience in the text is that I got to BREATHE if I’m going to have peace.

B. - Believe that it can happen

R. - Receive contructive criticism

E - Expect to encounter God in unexpected places

A. - Appreciate what God does in our lives.

T. - Talk about our faith in God

H. - Honor God going forward no matter what

E. - Enter into a God granted Peace that’s unrestricted

(pause)

Here it is Freedom.....

.....you can not Bring PEACE

.....if you don’t have PEACE

(pause)

Somebody say,

Prove it Pastor........

(pause)

Look back at Naaman’s life

....and everytime things got crazy

(slight pause)

........who showed up Breathing easy?

(slight pause)

And what you will discover is that every single time...........

......the people who are “BREATHING EASY”

.....are the

SERVANTS and the PROPHET!

(pause)

The Girl who should have been bitter

The ones who were committed to serving

The ones who knew NEVER to forget how to trust in God.

Every time it got crazy in the text..........

.........because they had PEACE down on the INSIDE

.......they took control of the CHAOS that was happening around them

......and they were able to,

“BREATHE EASY!”

(pause)

Freedom.......

Don’t you let NOBODY stop you from BRINGING PEACE!!

If a slave girl.......

.......and some servants

.....can BRING PEACE to a General of an entire army.....

(pause)

Wherever you go................

Whatever Hell shows up around your life..........

“BREATHE EASY!!!”

(pause and expound)

Psalm 18:2 NRSV

The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 18:3 NRSV

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies.

"B.R.E.A.T.H.E. easy!"

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