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Introduction
When it comes to God, our point of view is ALWAYS different from His...
God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways are better than our ways.
God sees the whole picture, while we see only a snapshot.
And this is true, not only in interpreting the facts of a situation, but also in understanding the way God designed life to work.
What we assume is so often different from what the Bible tells us is true.
For example,
• We think trials bring only pain; God says they bring growth.
• We think the way to get is to keep; God says the way to receive is to give.
• We think the greatest person has the highest position; God says the greatest is a servant.
• We think that when someone hurts us, we should get even; God says that when someone hurts us, we should bless them.
• We think God uses great people; God says He uses insignificant people.
In pretty much all areas of life, our natural thoughts run opposite of what Scripture teaches…As a matter and fact, that’s why in the process of Christian growth, we must have our mind’s renewed...
In the next several weeks, Lord willing, we will be looking at truths from the Bible that run the exact opposite of our natural way of thinking...
Tonight, I want to look at the fact that even when we cannot understand God’s plan, we can still walk by faith.
We simply TRUST AND OBEY.
If we are going to receive what is best and experience life to the fullest, we must be willing to walk by faith and trust God no matter what He asks us to do.
We are going to look at three examples of TRUST AND OBEY from three different perspectives over the next few weeks and tonight, we begin with:
Naaman’s Need
Turn to 2 Kings 5 with me...
The Christian journey starts by trusting Christ as our Saviour.
We don’t come to Christ on our own terms and earn salvation - the Bible is clear on this.
How do we do it?
We simply trust the payment Jesus has already made and obey Him by calling out to Him for salvation...
Simply TRUST and OBEY...
The story of Naaman in 2 Kings perfectly illustrates this...
We see that Naaman, a captain of the host of the king of Syria (a pretty important guy) has leprosy.
Leprosy was one of the most feared diseases at that time, and most of the time, the person who contracted leprosy would die from it.
There was a little servant girl who believed in what God could do.
She told Naaman’s wife that there was a prophet of God in Israel who could heal Naaman of his leprosy.
This was amazing faith on the part of the servant girl, because up to this point, we have no record of anyone ever being healed of leprosy.
It’s wonderful to me that God would use this little servant girl to fulfill His plan in saving Naaman…
Naaman had position, power, prestige, popularity, and possessions, but did not have the answer to his problem.
Yet, a little servant girl, who by all means would have been a nobody, had the accurate solution and she was faithful to point the way.
If you are a Christian, don’t underestimate your power and ability to give hope to people and be used to change their lives by pointing them to the Lord.
Naaman went to Israel and directly to Elisha’s house.
Elisha didn’t bother to answer the door.
Instead, Elisha sent his servant with the prescription for healing…Elisha wasn’t impressed by the letter from a king or by Naaman’s status.
He presented to Naaman, God’s simple solution for healing.
The Bible tells us that Naaman was furious in reaction to what Elisha had instructed him to do.
Naaman wanted to be healed, but he wanted it to be done his way.
Referencing back to the introduction tonight, Naaman’s thinking was different than God’s thinking.
Look back at verse 11...
2 Kings 5:11 (KJV 1900)
11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.
Naaman had thought the prophet of God would come to him face to face and call upon the Lord in an elaborate ceremony.
Naaman thought the rivers in Syria were far nicer than the muddy Jordan River.
Everything that Naaman thought was the opposite of God’s plan.
Naaman thought that the prophet of God would come to him face to face and call upon the Lord in some elaborate ceremony, and Naaman thought the rivers in Syria were far nicer than the muddy Jordan river...
Everything that Naaman thought was the opposite of God’s plan...
Had it not been for some servants with some sense that talked to Naaman, he would never have been healed.
He listened to their advice and followed Elisha’s instructions.
When Naaman exercised faith through obedience, God healed him from the leprosy...
Naaman needed cleansing from leprosy.
But the greatest need all of us have is cleansing from our sin.
In fact, leprosy is sometimes used in the Bible as a picture of sin.
Naaman’s story is a picture of God’s way of cleansing us from sin.
All of us are born sinners.
This is a condition that was passed down to us from Adam, and it is one that we choose as well.
We don’t find cleansing from our sin through our good works or attending church or being baptized or giving to the poor or any of the “Syrian rivers” we might think would bring cleansing.
Salvation doesn’t come from works at all.
Have you received forgiveness of sins?
Do you have eternal life?
One Sunday afternoon in Chicago, a group of ballplayers entered a saloon.
When they emerged, they saw a group of people outside a building playing instruments, singing gospel hymns, and testifying of Christ’s power to save from sin.
Memories of a log cabin in Iowa, an old church, and a godly mother raced through the mind of one of the ballplayers.
Tears came to his eyes.
Presently he said, “Boys, I’m through!
I’m going to turn to Jesus Christ.
We’ve come to the parting of the ways.”
Some of his companions mocked him, but others were silent.
Only one encouraged him.
He turned from the group and entered the Pacific Garden Mission.
Later the ballplayer told what occurred.
“I called upon God’s mercy.
I staggered out of my sins into the outstretched arms of the Saviour.
I became instantly a new creature in Him!”
The converted ballplayer was Billy Sunday, who became the world-renowned evangelist.
Conclusion
If salvation were up to you or me to determine, we probably would devise a plan that didn’t require us to simply humbly receive God’s gift.
Our plan would be like Naaman’s—we would want a big fanfare and special appreciation for our contributions.
But the plan of salvation isn’t up to us, it’s up to God.
And His plan is that He gave His own life to pay for our sins, and He offers us forgiveness and a restored relationship with Him as a free gift.
Have you received Jesus as your Saviour?
Have you turned from trying to earn salvation by your effort or religion or ideas and simply trust the payment that Jesus already made?
Salvation is just the beginning of our walk of faith and learning to trust and obey the Lord.
Next Wednesday, we’ll look at another picture of how God sees things differently than we do through a challenge the disciples faced while ministering with Jesus.
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