VBS 2007 #5/5

#1 · August 20, 2007, 3:41 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on August 20, 2007, 3:41 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
SERIES: VBS 2007 #5/5

LET ME GIVE YOU A SUGGESTION

August 19, 2007

Text: 2 Kings 5:1-15

Even though it has been a couple of weeks since Vacation Bible School, I want to return to its themes to finish the last lesson. At Avalanche Ranch, participants learned a Bible Point every night. We learned that God is real, God is with us, God is strong, and God is awesome. The Bible Point for the last Bible lesson was God is in charge. The Bible story was from 2 Kings 5, which teaches us the story and lesson of Naaman. This Bible lesson is a good VBS lesson because it is miraculous and stands out. It certainly teaches the fruits of listening to God and doing what He tells us. Recall from the earlier lessons in this series is that, within the context of His will, God wants the best for us. We receive Gods best blessings when we obey Him. The Treasure Verse, appropriately, was John 14:15, If you love me, obey my commandments.

I remember being asked a strange question when I was applying for a hospital chaplaincy internship while in seminary. The director of the program asked, "Do you consider yourself teachable?" I thought this a strange question because I had been in seminary classes for two years and was learning a lot. I had come out of the Navy in which a majority of the time was spent learning everything it took to be a qualified submariner. I had been a student all of my years before that. So yes, I thought, the answer should be obvious from my application and biography. I certainly am capable of learning, and that makes me teachable.

I have since learned, though, the true meaning of the question, and it turns out to be not quite as strange as I originally thought. The meaning I have derived is this: Was I open to learning about myself through observations that others made about me? Was I able to look at and accept personal evaluations and suggestions, even though my ego might rebel against such scrutiny? Was I open enough to hear and learn from other's opinions, or would I shut myself off from continuing to learn about my needs and the needs of others? And as I learned about myself, could I share myself with others more honestly so that I could be a truer bearer of God's message of hope and reconciliation? Could I learn to be an honest Christian?

These are hard questions and hard lessons for many of us. It is hard for any of us to retain a spirit of humility and openness. This becomes truer with the more honor and fame and seniority that we receive, because then we get to feeling important and needed beyond the reality of the situation. When we're not careful, we get to believing that we are God's gift to humanity.

Don Shula, former coach of the Miami Dolphins football team, told a story on himself several years ago. He and his wife went to a quiet place for vacation; someplace that he thought he would not be recognized. They found a small seaside town in Maine where they thought they would be unknown. It was raining on the day of their arrival, so they decided to take in a movie. When they entered the theater, the house lights were on and they were surprised that the handful of people gave them a warm little round of applause as they took a seat. Inwardly pleased, Don whispered to his wife, "I guess there isn't any place where I'm not known." About that time a man came over with a friendly smile and shook hands with Don and his wife. "I'm surprised that you know me here," said Don. "Should I know you?" asked the man, puzzled. "We're just glad to see you folks. The manager said he wouldn't start the film until at least ten people were here."

The Bible is full of examples of conceit, arrogance, and pride. Pharisees, Sadducees, and many others could not learn from the Messiah because they just would not believe that they could be wrong about their particular evaluation of Scripture. On the other hand, there are also wonderful examples of lives that were changed simply by the laying aside of inflated egos and wounded pride. The account of Naaman in 2 Kings is one of those examples. Let's see how proud Naaman was convinced to take a suggestion, and what his decision did for him.

"Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy." Naaman, Syrian commander, had received every honor that was available to a person in that day, but he had a problem. He had leprosy, a disease that would continue to wear at him and waste him away. He would probably lose his position and his friendships.

Serving Naaman's wife was a young girl captured from Israel. Mentioned in only one verse of the Bible, she is certainly a minor character. Her position in life is that of a captured slave. She is forced to serve. Yet, even in her slavery, she did not hide kindness from her master. Nor did she hide her faith in God; instead, she used her faith to become a part of this miracle.

"Let me give you a suggestion," this young girl told her mistress. "If my master would see the prophet in Samaria, he would be cured of leprosy." In this moment, Naaman began to be teachable. He could have discounted the advice. He could have ignored her completely. After all, he was a great commander; she was only a defeated enemy - a Hebrew of all people. But his desperate disease led him to desperate measures; so the meek instructed the mighty.

Having secured permission and blessing from his king, Naaman traveled to Israel to see their king. But nothing is going to happen here! Left at this level, king to king, only war would break out because of misinterpretation and wounded pride. So the king and kingdom of Israel was distraught as punishment from their conquerors was anticipated. Until Elisha, the man of God, heard of the problem. "Let me give you a suggestion," he wrote to his king. "Have this man come to me so that he will know there is a prophet in Israel."

Again, facing a desperate situation, pride was put on the back burner. Notice how the king of Israel responded. He did not impose his authority and reply, "No, Elisha, you've got it all wrong. Commanders don't travel to prophets. You come to us." He was so happy to be relieved of this problem that he readily sent Naaman to the prophet. The meek instructed the mighty.

Now put yourself in Naaman's place. You are a great leader. You have risen to command of the Syrian army through battlefield valor, demonstration of leadership, and probably a bit of political intrigue. You are a busy man, used to issuing orders that had better be carried out. Now, however, out of desperation, you have taken the advice of a lowly slave girl and traveled to Israel. You have met the king of this captured territory and have been told to go on down the road to some guy named Elisha. No royalty, no government official, no status at all in the Syrian system, but here you are anyway in front of this guy's door.

So what do you expect? Do you not expect to see the prophet himself? Do you not expect to be treated in accordance with your rank and position? Do you not expect to be greeted and hailed as a representative of the conquering royalty of this trampled land? I think Naaman expected all of this.

But who comes out? A messenger. A messenger, of all people, of a common man of a defeated land. Another servant who says to Naaman, "Let me give you a suggestion. Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

"OK, this is enough!" Naaman roars as he turns away in frustration, disgust, and anger. "In fact, it's too much. In the first place, I come all this way on the basis of a slave girl's rumor. I go see Israel's king, and he gets all upset cause he can't do anything. Then I get the run-around by being told to go to some prophet who sends his servant out to tell me to go jump in the river! The Jordan river, no less! That brackish, smelly thing. The worst river in Damascus is better than this thing! Who does Elisha think I am? Some Israelite slave? I thought that he would surely come out and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy!" So he turned and went off in a rage.

Now, normally, that would have been the end of it. After all, can't we identify with Naaman's frustrations enough to know that he was fed up? Are there not plenty of people today who have grown impatient with the testimonies of Christian men and women because they are not stylish enough? Even Israel had failed to comprehend God's message. That's why they were in this mess with Syria. Israel had rebelled and had fallen prey to idolatry and selfish living.

I find it significant that Jesus referred to this encounter in Luke 4. Referring to the dishonor that a prophet has in his own home, Jesus told those in the Synagogue, "And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed - only Naaman the Syrian." As always, the people who lose sight of who they are in the sight of God Almighty will never be teachable and will always reap the curses of their stubborn sin and selfishness.

And, as we've read, Naaman almost missed his moment of healing because of his wounded pride. Except that, once again, he was confronted by some lowly servants; this time, they were his own. "Let us give you a suggestion," they pleaded. "Consider this: 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'!"

I can just see Naaman at this point hanging his head in tired exasperation and exclaiming, "I give up! All I've had is servants telling me what to do. At any time, I could have ordered any or all of them killed because their news displeased me, yet they still have spoken up. They still have not let me alone. So I, the great Naaman, will do this distasteful task. I, the conqueror of kingdoms, will bend my will to the advice of these lowly slaves and conquered people. I, a great man in the sight of my king, will become teachable in this moment; I will go down to the Jordan." And he did, and we know that he was healed. The meek instructed the mighty.

This is what it means to be teachable. This is what it means to be humble in the sight of the Lord. Before the Lord, we are all servants. Before the Lord, we all seek to use our gifts in His service. Before the Lord, we all need to be healed of our spiritual rebellion and the curses of our stiff-necked pride.

"And his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy." So many times, we look for the magnificent miracle that we miss the real miracle. The healing of Naaman's leprosy was a miracle, but I am struck more by the miracle of Naaman's change of heart; by his putting aside of pride which allowed him to learn from those he would normally despise or at least ignore. Pride, and only pride, keeps many a modern Naaman from receiving the blessing which came to this Syrian dignitary. If we can but forget our pride, put off our intellectual harness and critical apparatus, and go right into the stream of the life-giving life of God, the blood of the Lamb, then our flesh, too, will become as clean as that of a young boy. If each week we bathe our souls in real worship in the sanctuary, if each day we dip into the Bible and know real moments of dedicated prayer, then the miracle of restoration will be given to us as truly as it was for Naaman.

And God says to us all, "Let me give you a suggestion. Listen to my humble Son, whom I love and whom I gave, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Listen to my humble Son, who invites you to share your yoke with him, for he is gentle and humble in heart." Naaman had to dip into the Jordan seven times for cleansing; we need only to be washed once in the blood of the Lamb. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Im not going to send you to the Jordan River to dip seven times, but I hope you are teachable in this moment to have the blood of Jesus, the Lamb, applied to your heart in order to be cleansed from sin. I hope that you are teachable in this moment to keep walking in the Spirit so that you receive from God the best blessings that He has in store for you. God is in charge.

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.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

170 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

www.bhfirstbaptist.com
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

SERIES: VBS 2007 #5/5

LET ME GIVE YOU A SUGGESTION

August 19, 2007

Text: 2 Kings 5:1-15

Even though it has been a couple of weeks since Vacation Bible School, I want to return to its themes to finish the last lesson. At Avalanche Ranch, participants learned a Bible Point every night. We learned that God is real, God is with us, God is strong, and God is awesome. The Bible Point for the last Bible lesson was God is in charge. The Bible story was from 2 Kings 5, which teaches us the story and lesson of Naaman. This Bible lesson is a good VBS lesson because it is miraculous and stands out. It certainly teaches the fruits of listening to God and doing what He tells us. Recall from the earlier lessons in this series is that, within the context of His will, God wants the best for us. We receive Gods best blessings when we obey Him. The Treasure Verse, appropriately, was John 14:15, If you love me, obey my commandments.

I remember being asked a strange question when I was applying for a hospital chaplaincy internship while in seminary. The director of the program asked, "Do you consider yourself teachable?" I thought this a strange question because I had been in seminary classes for two years and was learning a lot. I had come out of the Navy in which a majority of the time was spent learning everything it took to be a qualified submariner. I had been a student all of my years before that. So yes, I thought, the answer should be obvious from my application and biography. I certainly am capable of learning, and that makes me teachable.

I have since learned, though, the true meaning of the question, and it turns out to be not quite as strange as I originally thought. The meaning I have derived is this: Was I open to learning about myself through observations that others made about me? Was I able to look at and accept personal evaluations and suggestions, even though my ego might rebel against such scrutiny? Was I open enough to hear and learn from other's opinions, or would I shut myself off from continuing to learn about my needs and the needs of others? And as I learned about myself, could I share myself with others more honestly so that I could be a truer bearer of God's message of hope and reconciliation? Could I learn to be an honest Christian?

These are hard questions and hard lessons for many of us. It is hard for any of us to retain a spirit of humility and openness. This becomes truer with the more honor and fame and seniority that we receive, because then we get to feeling important and needed beyond the reality of the situation. When we're not careful, we get to believing that we are God's gift to humanity.

Don Shula, former coach of the Miami Dolphins football team, told a story on himself several years ago. He and his wife went to a quiet place for vacation; someplace that he thought he would not be recognized. They found a small seaside town in Maine where they thought they would be unknown. It was raining on the day of their arrival, so they decided to take in a movie. When they entered the theater, the house lights were on and they were surprised that the handful of people gave them a warm little round of applause as they took a seat. Inwardly pleased, Don whispered to his wife, "I guess there isn't any place where I'm not known." About that time a man came over with a friendly smile and shook hands with Don and his wife. "I'm surprised that you know me here," said Don. "Should I know you?" asked the man, puzzled. "We're just glad to see you folks. The manager said he wouldn't start the film until at least ten people were here."

The Bible is full of examples of conceit, arrogance, and pride. Pharisees, Sadducees, and many others could not learn from the Messiah because they just would not believe that they could be wrong about their particular evaluation of Scripture. On the other hand, there are also wonderful examples of lives that were changed simply by the laying aside of inflated egos and wounded pride. The account of Naaman in 2 Kings is one of those examples. Let's see how proud Naaman was convinced to take a suggestion, and what his decision did for him.

"Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy." Naaman, Syrian commander, had received every honor that was available to a person in that day, but he had a problem. He had leprosy, a disease that would continue to wear at him and waste him away. He would probably lose his position and his friendships.

Serving Naaman's wife was a young girl captured from Israel. Mentioned in only one verse of the Bible, she is certainly a minor character. Her position in life is that of a captured slave. She is forced to serve. Yet, even in her slavery, she did not hide kindness from her master. Nor did she hide her faith in God; instead, she used her faith to become a part of this miracle.

"Let me give you a suggestion," this young girl told her mistress. "If my master would see the prophet in Samaria, he would be cured of leprosy." In this moment, Naaman began to be teachable. He could have discounted the advice. He could have ignored her completely. After all, he was a great commander; she was only a defeated enemy - a Hebrew of all people. But his desperate disease led him to desperate measures; so the meek instructed the mighty.

Having secured permission and blessing from his king, Naaman traveled to Israel to see their king. But nothing is going to happen here! Left at this level, king to king, only war would break out because of misinterpretation and wounded pride. So the king and kingdom of Israel was distraught as punishment from their conquerors was anticipated. Until Elisha, the man of God, heard of the problem. "Let me give you a suggestion," he wrote to his king. "Have this man come to me so that he will know there is a prophet in Israel."

Again, facing a desperate situation, pride was put on the back burner. Notice how the king of Israel responded. He did not impose his authority and reply, "No, Elisha, you've got it all wrong. Commanders don't travel to prophets. You come to us." He was so happy to be relieved of this problem that he readily sent Naaman to the prophet. The meek instructed the mighty.

Now put yourself in Naaman's place. You are a great leader. You have risen to command of the Syrian army through battlefield valor, demonstration of leadership, and probably a bit of political intrigue. You are a busy man, used to issuing orders that had better be carried out. Now, however, out of desperation, you have taken the advice of a lowly slave girl and traveled to Israel. You have met the king of this captured territory and have been told to go on down the road to some guy named Elisha. No royalty, no government official, no status at all in the Syrian system, but here you are anyway in front of this guy's door.

So what do you expect? Do you not expect to see the prophet himself? Do you not expect to be treated in accordance with your rank and position? Do you not expect to be greeted and hailed as a representative of the conquering royalty of this trampled land? I think Naaman expected all of this.

But who comes out? A messenger. A messenger, of all people, of a common man of a defeated land. Another servant who says to Naaman, "Let me give you a suggestion. Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

"OK, this is enough!" Naaman roars as he turns away in frustration, disgust, and anger. "In fact, it's too much. In the first place, I come all this way on the basis of a slave girl's rumor. I go see Israel's king, and he gets all upset cause he can't do anything. Then I get the run-around by being told to go to some prophet who sends his servant out to tell me to go jump in the river! The Jordan river, no less! That brackish, smelly thing. The worst river in Damascus is better than this thing! Who does Elisha think I am? Some Israelite slave? I thought that he would surely come out and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy!" So he turned and went off in a rage.

Now, normally, that would have been the end of it. After all, can't we identify with Naaman's frustrations enough to know that he was fed up? Are there not plenty of people today who have grown impatient with the testimonies of Christian men and women because they are not stylish enough? Even Israel had failed to comprehend God's message. That's why they were in this mess with Syria. Israel had rebelled and had fallen prey to idolatry and selfish living.

I find it significant that Jesus referred to this encounter in Luke 4. Referring to the dishonor that a prophet has in his own home, Jesus told those in the Synagogue, "And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed - only Naaman the Syrian." As always, the people who lose sight of who they are in the sight of God Almighty will never be teachable and will always reap the curses of their stubborn sin and selfishness.

And, as we've read, Naaman almost missed his moment of healing because of his wounded pride. Except that, once again, he was confronted by some lowly servants; this time, they were his own. "Let us give you a suggestion," they pleaded. "Consider this: 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'!"

I can just see Naaman at this point hanging his head in tired exasperation and exclaiming, "I give up! All I've had is servants telling me what to do. At any time, I could have ordered any or all of them killed because their news displeased me, yet they still have spoken up. They still have not let me alone. So I, the great Naaman, will do this distasteful task. I, the conqueror of kingdoms, will bend my will to the advice of these lowly slaves and conquered people. I, a great man in the sight of my king, will become teachable in this moment; I will go down to the Jordan." And he did, and we know that he was healed. The meek instructed the mighty.

This is what it means to be teachable. This is what it means to be humble in the sight of the Lord. Before the Lord, we are all servants. Before the Lord, we all seek to use our gifts in His service. Before the Lord, we all need to be healed of our spiritual rebellion and the curses of our stiff-necked pride.

"And his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy." So many times, we look for the magnificent miracle that we miss the real miracle. The healing of Naaman's leprosy was a miracle, but I am struck more by the miracle of Naaman's change of heart; by his putting aside of pride which allowed him to learn from those he would normally despise or at least ignore. Pride, and only pride, keeps many a modern Naaman from receiving the blessing which came to this Syrian dignitary. If we can but forget our pride, put off our intellectual harness and critical apparatus, and go right into the stream of the life-giving life of God, the blood of the Lamb, then our flesh, too, will become as clean as that of a young boy. If each week we bathe our souls in real worship in the sanctuary, if each day we dip into the Bible and know real moments of dedicated prayer, then the miracle of restoration will be given to us as truly as it was for Naaman.

And God says to us all, "Let me give you a suggestion. Listen to my humble Son, whom I love and whom I gave, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. Listen to my humble Son, who invites you to share your yoke with him, for he is gentle and humble in heart." Naaman had to dip into the Jordan seven times for cleansing; we need only to be washed once in the blood of the Lamb. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Im not going to send you to the Jordan River to dip seven times, but I hope you are teachable in this moment to have the blood of Jesus, the Lamb, applied to your heart in order to be cleansed from sin. I hope that you are teachable in this moment to keep walking in the Spirit so that you receive from God the best blessings that He has in store for you. God is in charge.

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.

Rev. Charles A. Layne

First Baptist Church

PO Box 515

170 W. Broadway

Bunker Hill, IN 46914

765-689-7987

bhfbc@bhfirstbaptist.com

http://www.bhfirstbaptist.com

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org