How to Mess Up a Ministry

Introduction

Tonight we continue our series on Elijah and Elisha. We began this series:

How God Sustains His People (1Ki. 17:1-6)

We saw the manner in which God mightily supplied the needs of Elijah in the midst of a drought in the land.

How God Uses His People (1Ki. 17:8-24)

We examined how God used the widow woman to supply Elijah’s need, as well as how Elijah supplied her need. Reminding us of Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

How the Fire Falls (1Ki. 18)

During a Feeble time w/ Depraved leadership & Divided people

God provided a Faithful man, who challenged his people; chastised false worship; Corrected the Basis of Worship; who had Confidence in God & Called upon the same

A Falling Fire

Came Powerfully; Sufficiently; Convincingly & Effectively.

How to Get Back in the Saddle

I. The Immorality of the Enemy (v1-4)

Unmistakable; Unconverted; Unsettling

II. The Indulgence of the LORD (v5-8)

Elijah Retreated; God allowed him Rest (v5-6b); God provided Refreshment for the Moment (v5b-6a); God gave Resources for the Journey (v7)

III. The Insight of the LORD (v9-12)

A Prophet Disheartened; God’s Power was Demonstrated; God’s Presence was Discovered

IV. The Instruction of the LORD (v13-18)

Get Back Where you Belong (v15a); Bless the Next Generation (v15b-16)

Be Encouraged

I Have a Plan (v17)

You are Not Alone (v18)

How to Have Peace Under Fire

I. The Reason for the Fire

For Following the Spirit’s Lead (v3); For Declaring the Word of the LORD (v4); For Having a Familiar a Description (v7-8)

II. The Right Way to Handle It

Be Situated Properly (v9b); Stand Fast in your Heritage (v10a); Stay Firm in Your Position (v9-12); Be Perceptive to the Spirit (v13-15)

III. The Rest of the Story

God Protected (v15); God’s Word was Proclaimed (v16); God’s Will was Performed (v17)

How to be Faithful in Times of Trouble

I. A Troubled Time

The Burden of Loss

The Opportunities it Presented;

Reviving of the Brethren; Remembering of the Past; The Resolve to Continue the Work

II. A Testimony of Faithfulness

Through the Pressures of the Known; Through the Pressures of the Unknown; Through the Voices of Discouragement

III. A Transformative Result

Because He was Faithful…

His Prayer was Answered; He Performed Miracles; He Proved His Calling

How to Set the Tone

I. The Waters were Cured

A Pitiful Land (v19); A Pristine Vessel and a Powerful Agent (v20); A Pronouncement Made (v21); A Purification Provided (v22)

II. The Mockers were Cursed

A Fallen City (v23a); A Faithless Generation (v23b); A Fury Unleashed (v24a); A Future Altered (v24b)

How to Solve a Problem

I. The Problem (v1a)

A Lack of Plan / Preparation; A Passing; A Pledge Unfulfilled

II. The Petition (v1b)

He had the Right Standing; She had the Right Source

III. The Plan (v2-6)

Was Faith Based; Faith in Procuring; Faith in Pouring

IV. The Providence (v7)

A Debt Settled; A Future Supplied

How to Bear Children

I. Our Conduct Unto Men

Her Description (v8a); Her Disposition (v8b); Her Duration (v8c)

II. Our Countenance Toward God

Her Discernment (v9); Her Devotion (v10); Her Deference (v13)

III. Children will be Born

Her Child was Born (v13)

How to Make the Dead Live

I. A Mediating Force

Her Care for him (v20); Her Commitment of him to God (v21); It was Crucial to Her (v22); Her Confidence (v23); Her Clarity (v24); Her Conviction (v27); Her Continuance (v30)

II. A Miracle-Working God

An Intervention (v30b); An Intimate Encounter (v32-34); An Indwelling & Expelling (v35)

How to Recover From a Mistake

I. There was a Responsibility Given

A Naked Land; A Noble Mission; A Needy People

II. There was Rot in the Pot

Was Placed by Accident; Was Polluting the People; It Brought more Peril than Plenitude

III. There was a Remedy Administered

It was by Intervention of Man; It was by Intercession of God; It Caused a Transformation & Continuation

How to See a Cleansing

I. The Start

Acknowledgement of the Good; Recognition of the Disease

II. The Spark

A Humble Voice; A Helpful Testimony

III. The Surety

A Chain of Faith (v3-5); An Investment by Faith (v5-6)

IV. The Simplicity

A False Impression; An Act of Faith

V. The Supplication

An Invested Servant; A Timely Intercession

VI. The Salvation

Submission to God’s Plan; Salvation Provided

The title of the message is "How to Mess Up a Ministry." So therefore, we're going to focus less on Elisha and more on Gehazi. However, as you will see, it's not just Gehazi's ministry that was affected.

The main part of the story concerning Gehazi begins with verse number 20, but we have to back up to the conclusion of the healing of Naaman in order to get our bearings for what is to come.

(Summarize the Healing of Naaman)

Now the leper, Naaman, is healed, and it's his desire to express thanksgiving that Bridges the two stories.

I. Recompense Refused

Recompense (def) To compensate; to make return of an equivalent for any thing given, done or suffered; payment for service;

We've seen Naaman coming back to Elisha to pay him for his healing. To compensate him monetarily for what he had received.

Healing brought Thanksgiving

Naaman enjoyed the blessing from having his leprosy healed. Remember, leprosy was an incurable disease. The Bible gave no cure for leprosy, only instruction on what to do to be pronounced clean from leprosy.

This was most assuredly a miracle that was performed for this man.

This fact did not escape Naaman. He was very thankful for what was done for him.

To express that Thanksgiving, he traveled back to Elisha in an attempt to pay him.

I was reminded of a story that Jesus told. (Read Luk. 17:11-19)

I'm not sure how far away Jordan was from where Elisha was. One commentator said 30 miles. But either way, it was some distance. Naaman was so appreciative that he went out of his way to give thanks.

Church, let me ask you this: Has God been good to you? Are you thankful for the salvation He has offered, the cleansing of sin He has given? Who do you reckon yourself to be? One like Naaman, who is going out of his way to show his thankfulness, or like the nine lepers that were cleansed, that went on about their way with little thought to what Jesus had done for them?

Healing brought Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Inspired Restitution

You have to consider Naaman like a young Christian. The starters, if you will, that I mentioned this morning. Naaman wanted to give back.

Back in verse 5, we see the amount that was given to secure the healing. (Ill.) I asked ChatGPT how much 6,000 pieces of gold, 10 talents of silver, and 10 changes of raiments would be in today's value, and it said conservatively $5.5 million. It went on to say that the true value cannot be measured in today's wages because money like that was so much more rare and wages were far lower than what we experience today.

Then it told me there was a clean takeaway from this and said: “Naaman brought a fortune fit for a king—but God’s healing could not be bought at any price.”

Isn't that true of salvation?

The point I want to make is that Naaman's healing inspired him to do something in return.

If you were to guess, as far as Christians are concerned, how many do you feel that they are inspired to do something for God in return for what God has done for them?

(Ill.) I am more comfortable and at ease preaching to the Sunday night crowd than I am the Sunday morning. Typically, the Sunday night crowd are those that actually want to be at church - Who come to get from God. There is less pressure for the Sunday night crowd than there is for the Sunday morning. The difference is one it's like pushing a car with four flat tires uphill to push in one inflated down a gentle slope.

That being said, I don't think that I have to convince this crowd too much that they should most certainly feel an obligation to recompense the Lord for what he has done. But I want you to ask yourself: Are you doing all that you should?

Thanksgiving brought restitution. Next, we see a refusal.

Refusal (and Redirection)

Elisha refused to take this recompense from Naaman. And there is a good reason why: It wasn't Elisha who deserved the recompense, but God. Had Elisha taken the gift, he would have, in essence, robbed God of the glory that was done.

Multiple times in Scripture we see where God would do mighty things, and God's servant was offered the reward, yet they refused.

Abraham had refused the gifts from the king of Sodom (Gen. 14:17–24)

Daniel would refuse the king’s offer (Dan. 5:17)

Peter and John would reject Simon’s money (Acts 8:18–24)

I put redirection here, and while Elisha doesn't say it outright, I believe it's alluded to in v16: “As the Lord liveth…” What Elisha was saying is, "The Lord's alive, and he's the one that deserves the praise."

This is not to be confused with love offerings or pastor’s salary or anything like that, for they are two different things.

This church gives me money for serving as pastor. I perform a function to try my best to lead this church spiritually and enrich your spiritual lives. It’s Biblical to pay the pastor. (see: 1Cor. 9:9-14) 1 Corinthians 9:9 “For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?”

(Ill.) What's taking place with Naaman would be akin to someone coming to the altar and being born again, and then trying to pay me for it - as if I was anything but the messenger.

Elisha refused it because it wasn't due unto him but unto God.

We see a Recompense Refused

II. Rottenness Revealed

Here is where we begin to look at Gehazi.

Gehazi has been on the spiritual down slope for a while now.

When the widow came to fall at Elisha's feet because her son was dead, remember Gehazi's reaction was to push her away.

Then when Elisha had sent Gehazi to raise him from the dead, he could not, indicating his spiritual backsliddenness.

Gehazi’s Perception (v20a)

Okay, Hazi began to see things not as they were, but as he thought.

To Gehazi, it looked like Elisha was being soft on this Gentile man. In his eyes, Elisha was either being foolish or weak. And the apprentice thought he was smarter than his master.

I say this sadly and shamefully that I have been both Gehazi and Elisha in this situation, and neither one of them is a good place to be.

You see church, it's important to have the right perspective because if we don't, we will see things incorrectly and it will cause us to act inappropriately.

(Ill.) This is typical of the "my truth" agenda today, where people justify their actions based on the way they see things. But perception and reality are not necessarily the same thing.

Matthew 6:22–23 “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Paul said: 2 Corinthians 4:3–4 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

Gehazi's perception was off. Satan had blinded him to truth. And darkness had set in upon his heart.

We see Gehazi's perception

Gehazi's Passion (v20b-21)

I say this was his passion because of the manner in which he went after it. He declares in verse 20, "I will run after him." And in verse 21, Naaman saw him running.

Gehazi was determined to gain from this situation.

(Ill.) I began to think of the Mike Murdocks and Jim Bakers of the world who would sell out God for a few dollars. Mike Murdock being the most egregious. He makes me sick watching those videos of him promising miracles if you sow seeds of $58 and such.

1 Timothy 6:10 “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

How many people over the years have erred from the faith because of their passion for that which is not?

Matthew 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

It's easy to look at Gehazi and how he would sell out for the amount in which he did - Which was not chump change. The silver (1 talent = 75#) was worth around $50,000 in today money, and the clothes were probably around half to as much as that themselves. That's not a bad haul, When you consider that Judas sold out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.

But as I've said before, there's many a people that sell out Jesus for far less.

At some point, church, we have to decide who's going to be the Lord of our life: Christ or money. The only way we decide that is when we act accordingly. Talk is cheap.

Gehazi's passion.

Gehazi’s Propaganda (v22-23)

There are two things to notice about Gehazi's story that he tells.

The first is that in order to get the gain, he had to sin.

Ghazi was not laboring for this money, just lusting after it. In order for him to get it, he had to lie.

(Ill.) There is many a criminal that if they would just put as much effort into laboring as they did lying, cheating, and stealing, they could be millionaires.

Secondly, he dragged Elisha down with him.

Once again, we see that our sin is never done in isolation. It always affects those around us.

Elisha would not take a reward because he did not want to be a hindrance to this young convert. He sought to be a blessing and point him to the true God from whence all blessings flow.

Gehazi undermined everything Elisha was trying to do.

Now when you go back to these televangelists and money-grubbing preachers, it not only affects them but it also affects me in the way people view me. Though I may try to do good, what they do undermines my effort. Not to mention the God of heaven.

Gehazi's propaganda hurt God, the man of God, the work of God, and the perception of God Among a host of people from another nation.

I wonder what the view of Elisha, God's people, and the God of Israel was by all that group when Gehazi ran back to get money?

We see Gehazi's propaganda.

Gehazi's Posturing (v24-25)

Lastly, we see Gehazi with his hall coming back to the house and hiding them there in. But then he has to go and face Elisha. When Elisha asked him where he was, he had to lie again.

But here's the thing about lying: You may deceive the world and the ignorant, but you will not deceive God.

Gehazi got away with his lie unto Naaman, but he didn't get away with it unto Elisha. Elisha, as I have said for all intents and purposes in this day, was as God unto Gehazi. And what did Elisha say? “Went not mine heart with thee…?”

Gehazi tried to lie unto the man of God to no avail. He acted as though he was innocent, but God knew different.

Make no mistake, you can put on a good face and you can put on a good show when you come to the house of God. And you might fool me, but you'll not fool God!

We see Gehazi's posturing.

We see a Recompense Refused; Rottenness Revealed

III. Ruination the Result

Lastly, we see the true end result of Gehazi's decisions.

His Deception is Revealed (v26a)

I've already spoken about this, but I wanted to drive home the point that we must be sure that our sin will find us out.

Gehazi's deception was revealed.

A Dilemma is Posed (v26b)

Elisha then asks him a curious question. In essence, he asks: Is now the time to be made rich?

That is a question I pose to you today. Is now the time to gather unto ourselves garments and olive yards and vineyards and sheep and oxen and men-servants and maid-servants? Is now the time to worry about the riches of this world?

Matthew 6:19–20 “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:”

Now is not the time to waste our time gathering up corruptible treasures and crowns. Now is the time to be laying up treasure in heaven!

A dilemma is posed by Elisha.

His Downfall was Apparent (v27)

What I mean by that is when he received leprosy, it was very apparent in the eyes of everyone. His downfall was not hidden, is what I'm saying.

When someone with like perceptions, passions, propaganda & posturing as Gehazi is revealed, their downfall is easy to see.

(Ill.) Have any of you all witnessed someone say in a bad relationship? And when ruination comes, it's not a surprise to anyone around them. It was easy for everyone to see but them.

This is often the way I feel when I see people struggling. Their perspective was so skewed that they could not see the issues that led up to their ruination. But for anyone that is spiritually perceptive, it was easy to see.

It was easy to see Gehazi's downfall coming. And why.

His Destruction was Not in Isolation (v27)

Notice the curse was not just upon Gehazi, but upon his seed as well.

Number one cause of spiritual destruction or stagnation would have to be the parents.

The second cause would be friends.

Gehazi's sin didn't just affect him, but it would affect all those that came after him.

(Ill.) When people try to refute that there is one way to heaven, and that's through Jesus, it seems they always want to point to people in other parts of the world that have never heard of Jesus. They find a problem either with the plan of salvation or with God because of that.

But let me tell you where the fault really lies. It lies first in those children's heritage. And then it lies second at the feet of the church for not sending enough missionaries.

It certainly is not God's fault if someone dies and goes to hell because they have been unexposed to Christ. There are people all throughout America that have been unexposed to Christ. Yet it should not be.

This is why we need to take our duties as parents and missionaries seriously, because there are people that are affected by the sin of others that need our help!

Gehazi had a ministry, but he messed it up.

Mark this message as a warning, so you do not mess up yours.

Conclusion

Maybe you need to ask God for strength to keep:

Your eyes clear

Your love for God pure

Your hands steady on the plow

So that you do not succumb to messing up the ministry in which God has called you to do.