LESSONS FROM NAAMAN

WELCOME PRAY

The Lexham English Bible (Chapter 5)

Now Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man before his master and ⌊highly regarded⌋, for by him Yahweh had given victory to Aram. Now the man was a mighty warrior, but he was afflicted with a skin disease. 2 When the Arameans went on a raid, they brought back a young girl from the land of Israel, and ⌊she came into the service of⌋ the wife of Naaman. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my lord would come before the prophet who is in Samaria; then ⌊he would cure his skin disease⌋.” 4 He came and told his master, saying, “Thus and so the girl who is from the land of Israel said.” 5 So the king of Aram said, “Go, I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” He went and took ⌊with him⌋ ten talents of silver(750lbs), six thousand shekels of gold (150lbs), and ten sets of clothing.6 So he brought the letter to the king to Israel, saying, “Now, when this letter comes to you, I have just sent Naaman my servant to you that you may cure him from his skin disease.” 7 It happened that when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God to cause death or to give life? This man is sending a man to me to cure his disease. Indeed! But know and see that he seeks an opportunity against me.”8 It happened that as soon as Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why did you tear your clothes? Please may he come to me, that he might know that there is a prophet in Israel.” 9 Then Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and he stopped at the doorway of the house of Elisha. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, you must wash seven times in the Jordan, then your flesh shall return to you, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became angry and he went and said, “Look, I said to myself, ‘Surely he will come out, stand, call upon the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hands over the spot; then he would take away the skin disease.’ 12 Are not the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all of the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them that I may be clean?” Then he turned and left in anger. 13 But his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had spoken a difficult thing to you to do, would you not have done it? Why not even when he says to you, ‘Wash and you shall be clean’?” 14 So he went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh returned as the flesh of a small boy, and he was clean.Elisha’s Greedy Servant Gehazi15 When he returned to the man of God, he and all of his army, he came and stood before him and said, “Please now, I know that there is no God in all of the world except in Israel. So then, please take a gift from your servant.” 16 And he said, “⌊As Yahweh lives⌋, before whom I stand, I surely will not take it.” Still he urged him to take it, but he refused. 17 Then Naaman said, “If not, then please let a load of soil on a pair of mules be given to your servants, for your servant will never again bring a burnt offering and sacrifice to other gods, but only to Yahweh. 18 As far as this matter, may Yahweh pardon your servant when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he is leaning himself on my arm, that I also bow down in the house of Rimmon: when I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may Yahweh please pardon your servant in this matter.” 19 He said to him, “Go in peace,” so he went from him ⌊a short distance⌋.

WHY DO YOU THINK THIS STORY MADE IT INTO THE BIBLE ??? 2TIM 3:16,17

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 3

16 All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, 17 in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

SO WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS BIBLE STORY ???

YOUR POSITION IN LIFE DOES NOT GIVE YOU ANY ADVANTAGE WITH GOD !!!! NAAMAN WAS REGULARLY IN THE PRESENCE OF KINGS & DIGNITARIES & OTHER POWERFUL PEOPLE; HE WAS THE MIGHTIEST WARRIOR IN THE REGION , WELL RESPECTED BY MANY POWERFUL PEOPLE BUT HE WAS NOT EXEMPT FROM HARDSHIP & DEATH ...... NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE , DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOUR FRIENDS , YOUR POWERFUL POSITION , OR YOUR WEALTH WILL PROTECT YOU FROM HARDSHIP OR DEATH IN THIS WORLD..... BUT WHEN THOSE HARD TIMES COME YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO LOOK FOR HELP PSALM 121

The New King James Version Psalm 121

I will lift up my eyes to the hills—From whence comes my help?

2 My help comes from the LORD,

Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper;

The LORD is your shade at your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in

From this time forth, and even forevermore.

WE WILL ALL COME TO TRIALS IN THIS LIFE ,,, AND ONLY GOD CAN GIVE US THE VICTORY !!!!

PICK FRIENDS THAT ENCOURAGE YOU TO SEEK GOD & DO WHAT HE SAYS...

NAAMAN DIDN'T WANT TO DO WHAT THE PROPHET SAID TO DO ; BUT HE HAD SOME PEOPLE AROUND HIM ENCOURAGING HIM TO DO WHAT GOD SAID DO....... SOMETIMES ITS EASY TO DO WHAT GOD SAYS ,,, BUT WE NEED SOME GOOD PEOPLE AROUND US ENCOURAGING US TO FOLLOW GOD BECAUSE SOMETIMES ITS HARD......

YOU CAN NOT EXPECT GOD’S SALVATION IF YOU REFUSE TO DO WHAT GOD SAYS DO.... NAAMAN’S SALVATION CAME AFTER DOING WHAT GOD SAID DO ,,,, NAAMAN BECAME A SERVANT OF GOD WHEN HE CHOSE TO DO WHAT GOD SAID ..... ROM 6:15,16

The New King James Version Chapter 6

15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

SO IF YOU WANT GOD’S BLESSINGS & FAVOR ON YOUR LIFE ,,, IF YOU DESIRE SALVATION FROM THE PENALTY OF SINS ,,, THEN YOU MUST PLACE YOURSELF IN OBEDIENCE TO GODS WILL !!!!

WHAT IS GOD’S WILL ,,, WHAT DOES GOD WANT FROM US, FOR NAAMAN IT WAS TO WASH 7 TIMES IN THE JORDAN RIVER ,,, BUT FOR US IT STARTS & ENDS WITH JESUS JOHN 6:28,29

New Living Translation Chapter 6

They replied,

c Expansion “We want to perform God’s works, too.

b Question What should we do?”

29 a Response Jesus told

b Speech them,

c Pronouncement “This is the only work God

Supplied wants from you:

d Expansion Believe in the one he has sent.”

AND JOHN 6:38-40 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Jn 6:38–40.

THERE IS NOTHING THAT GOD WANTS MORE FROM YOU THAN FOR YOU TO FOLLOW WHERE HE IS LEADING ,,, TO DO WHAT HE SAID DO!!!!

The New King James Version (1 SAM 15:22,23 Chapter 15)

22 So Samuel said:“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,And to heed than the fat of rams.23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,He also has rejected you from being king.

NAAMAN DID NOT UNDERSTAND HOW WASHING HIS DISEASE IN A DIRTY RIVER COULD HELP HIM 1 LITTLE BIT , BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING TO RECEIVE GOD’S BLESSING & SALVATION , YOU JUST HAVE TO OBEY , THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SYSTEMATICALLY GIVING 10% OF THERE INCOME BLESSES THEM , OR HOW KEEPING THE SABBATH DAY HOLY HONORS GOD AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND,,, EVE, IN THE GARDEN COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW SHE COULD EAT ALL THE OTHER FRUITS BUT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL 1 SHE COULD NOT ,,, BUT THAT DISOBEDIENCE BROUGHT DEATH BUT JESUS BROUGHT LIFE , ETERNAL LIFE !!!

THE MOST IMPORTANT , OVERARCHING THING , THAT GOD WANTS FROM YOU IS TO BELIEVE IN HIS SON.

IT WAS HIS SON WHO CAME TO INTERPOSE HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD ON OUR BEHALF, IT WAS HIS SON WHO WALKED AMONG US TO LEAVE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO LOVE GOD & OUR NEIGHBOR , IT IS HIS SON WHO ACTS AS OUR HIGH PRIEST INTERCEDING ON OUR BEHALF ,, WHO IS OUR ADVOCATE , AND BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT LOVE FOR HUMANITY HAS BEEN GIVEN JUDGMENT OVER US , ,,,,, 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Jn 3:14–21.

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT SOMEONE THINKS , ASK THERE OPINION BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT SOMEONE BELIEVES , WATCH HIS ACTIONS ,,, PEOPLE WILL SAY WHAT THEY THINK BUT WILL LIVE WHAT THEY BELIEVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IF YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS YOUR LIFE WILL START TO PATTERN AFTER HIS , YOU WILL START DOING WHAT HE DID, TREAT OTHERS HOW HE DID AND WHEN YOU LEARN SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM IT WILL BECOME IMPORTANT TO YOU TOO.......

GOD WANTS HIS ADOPTED CHILDREN TO LOOK LIKE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, CAN SOMEONE SAY AMEN!

WE CAN LEARN FROM NAAMAN THAT OUR STATION IN LIFE , OUR POWERFUL POSITION OR CONNECTIONS OR OUR GOOD DEEDS WILL NEVER SECURE OUR SALVATION ,,, THAT NONE OF US WILL EXPERIENCE SALVATION OUTSIDE OBEDIENCE TO THE WILL OF GOD ,,, AND THAT WE NEED PEOPLE IN OUR LIFE THAT WILL ENCOURAGE US TO DO WHAT GOD SAYS DO......

AS WE BEGIN TO CLOSE I WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK THE STORY OF NAAMAN REPRESENTS THE BASIC JOURNEY OF MOST PEOPLE INTO CHILDREN OF GOD ,,, WE START OUT IN LIFE TRYING TO BUILD UP OUR STATION IN LIFE , CLIMBING THE EMPLOYMENT LADDER & SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY WE REALIZE WE ARE MORTAL & ARE FACING DEATH & START LOOKING FOR SALVATION & MAYBE WE GO TO A CHURCH OR LISTEN TO A PREACHER BUT IT SEEMS TOO HARD & TOO BIG A STEP TO TAKE , BUT SOMEBODY STEPS UP & ENCOURAGES US TO FOLLOW GOD & BELIEVE IN HIS SON & OUR LIFE STARTS CHANGING & WE KNOW THAT THERE IS NO OTHER GOD BUT THE ALMIGHTY ,,, & WE START BEING CONFORMED INTO THE IMAGE OF JESUS CHRIST ..... ITS THE JOURNEY OF SALVATION .....

I DON'T KNOW WHAT PLACE YOU ARE IN ON YOUR JOURNEY BUT I KNOW THAT WE ALL NEED SOME GOOD PEOPLE TO ENCOURAGE US TO WHAT GOD SAYS DO !!!!!!

IN CLOSING TODAY IF YOU WILL JOIN ME & COMMIT TO ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO DO WHAT GOD SAYS DO PLEASE STAND. AND IF YOU NEED SOME SPECIAL ENCOURAGEMENT PLEASE MEET ME UP FRONT AS WE PRAY FOR GOD TO HELP US....

PRAY

CLOSING SONG # 516 - ALL THE WAY

DISMISSAL PRAYER