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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021529A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:33 >>HELLO FRIENDS AND WELCOME AGAIN TO SABBATH SCHOOL 00:35 STUDY HOUR COMING TO YOU HERE FROM THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY 00:38 ADVENTIST CHURCH. A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR 00:41 FRIENDS JOINING US ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. 00:43 THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO STUDY THE WORD OF GOD TOGETHER 00:46 WITH US TODAY. A VERY ALSO - ALSO, A VERY WARM 00:50 WELCOME TO OUR CHURCH MEMBERS HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH - 00:53 GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL HERE THIS MORNING ON A BEAUTIFUL, SUNNY, 00:56 CALIFORNIA, WARM SUMMER'S DAY. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. 01:00 OUR LESSON, AS WE'VE BEEN STUDYING OVER THE PAST FEW 01:03 WEEKS, DEALS WITH BIBLICAL MISSIONARIES. 01:05 AND, FOR OUR FRIENDS WATCHING, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COPY OF THE 01:08 LESSON FOR TODAY, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD LESSON #3 AT THE 01:12 AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE - JUST AMAZINGFACTS.ORG - AND YOU CAN 01:16 FOLLOW ALONG WITH US AS WE STUDY TOGETHER. 01:18 WE HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT GOES ALONG WITH OUR STUDY TODAY 01:21 ENTITLED LIFE IN THE SPIRIT AND, FOR ANYONE WANTING TO RECEIVE 01:25 THIS GIFT, ALL YOU'LL HAVE TO DO IS JUST CALL OUR RESOURCE LINE. 01:29 THE NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #155. 01:36 THAT NUMBER AGAIN IS 866-788-3966 - ASK FOR THE BOOK 01:42 CALLED LIFE IN THE SPIRIT - IT'S OFFER #155. 01:45 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO YOU. OH AND, BY THE WAY, YOU CAN 01:49 ALSO READ THIS FOR FREE ONLINE AT THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE. 01:52 WELL, WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST GROUP THAT'LL BE BRINGING SOME 01:55 WONDERFUL MUSIC TO US THIS MORNING. 01:58 IT'S ACTUALLY THREE FAMILIES THAT HAVE JOINED TOGETHER AND 02:01 SING AS A GROUP - THE STEPHEN FAMILY, THE CRUMB FAMILY, AND 02:05 THE DODSON FAMILY. SO, AT THIS TIME, WE'LL LISTEN 02:08 AS THEY LIFT OUR HEARTS INTO THE PRESENCE OF GOD FOR WORSHIP. 02:18 (MUSIC) 02:21 >>FAIREST LORD JESUS, RULER OF ALL NATURE, O THOU OF 02:37 GOD AND MAN THE SON, THEE WILL I CHERISH, THEE WILL I HONOR, 03:00 THOU, MY SOUL'S GLORY, JOY AND CROWN. 03:24 FAIR ARE THE MEADOWS, FAIRER STILL THE WOODLANDS, ROBED IN 03:41 THE BLOOMING GARB OF SPRING; JESUS IS FAIRER, JESUS IS PURER, 04:05 WHO MAKES THE WOEFUL HEART TO SING. 04:30 FAIR IS THE SUNSHINE, FAIRER STILL THE MOONLIGHT, AND ALL THE 04:47 TWINKLING STARRY HOST; JESUS SHINES BRIGHTER, JESUS SHINES 05:09 PURER THAN ALL THE ANGELS HEAVEN CAN BOAST. BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR! 05:57 LORD OF ALL THE NATIONS! SON OF GOD AND SON OF MAN! 06:16 GLORY AND HONOR, PRAISE, ADORATION, NOW AND FOREVER MORE 06:38 BE THINE. AMEN, AMEN, AMEN. >>AMEN. 07:42 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT BEAUTIFUL SONG. 07:43 I LOVE FOUR-PART HARMONY. IT WAS JUST GORGEOUS LISTENING 07:47 TO IT BEHIND THE WALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BLESSING 07:49 US AT GRANITE BAY TODAY. THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JOINING US 07:54 FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD, IT'S YOUR TIME 07:57 TO JOIN WITH US IN SINGING YOUR FAVORITE SONGS. AND THIS MORNING 08:02 WE'RE GOING TO START WITH #524 - ' TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS 08:07 - JOIN WITH US - THE FIRST, SECOND, AND FOURTH STANZAS. 08:10 (MUSIC) >>'TIS SO SWEET TO TRUST 08:25 IN JESUS, JUST TO TAKE HIM AT HIS WORD; JUST TO REST UPON HIS 08:34 PROMISE; JUST TO KNOW, THUS SAITH THE LORD 08:40 JESUS, JESUS, HOW I TRUST HIM, HOW I'VE PROVED HIM O'ER AND 08:47 O'ER, JESUS, JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS! 08:53 O FOR GRACE TO TRUST HIM MORE. 08:59 O HOW SWEET TO TRUST IN JESUS, JUST TO TRUST HIS 09:05 CLEANSING BLOOD; JUST IN SIMPLE FAITH TO PLUNGE 09:11 ME, 'NEATH THE HEALING, CLEANSING FLOOD. 09:16 JESUS, JESUS, HOW I TRUST HIM, HOW I'VE PROVED HIM O'ER 09:23 AND O'ER, JESUS, JESUS, PRECIOUS JESUS! 09:29 O FOR GRACE TO TRUST HIM MORE. 09:35 I'M SO GLAD I LEARNED TO TRUST THEE, PRECIOUS JESUS, 09:42 SAVIOR, FRIEND; AND I KNOW THAT THOU ART WITH ME, WILT BE WITH 09:50 ME TO THE END. JESUS, JESUS, HOW I TRUST HIM, 09:57 HOW I'VE PROVE3D HIM O'ER AND O'ER, JESUS, JESUS, PRECIOUS 10:05 JESUS! O FOR GRACE TO TRUST HIM MORE. 10:14 >>PASTOR ROSS WILL NOW HAVE OUR PRAYER. 10:19 >>LET US JUST BOW OUR HEADS AS WE BEGIN WITH A WORD OF PRAYER. 10:21 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, ONCE 10:24 AGAIN, FOR US TO GATHER TOGETHER TO STUDY YOUR WORD. 10:26 AND, LORD, AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MISSIONARIES, I PRAY THAT 10:29 YOU WOULD REVEAL TO US HOW WE CAN BE MISSIONARIES, MAYBE IN 10:32 NOT SOME FAR-DISTANT COUNTRY, BUT MAYBE RIGHT IN OUR OWN HOME 10:35 AND IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. THANK YOU, LORD, FOR THESE 10:38 LESSONS. WE ASK A BLESSING AS WE STUDY 10:40 TOGETHER, FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 10:44 AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO INVITE PASTOR DOUG BACHELOR TO COME 10:46 FORWARD AND LEAD US IN OUR STUDY OF LESSON #3, DEALING WITH THE 10:51 SUBJECT OF UNLIKELY MISSIONARIES. 10:53 THANK YOU, PASTOR DOUG. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 10:55 I WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO BOTH LED THE SPECIAL MUSIC AND THE 10:58 SPECIAL MUSIC THAT WE HAD. I SURE ENJOYED THAT AND, AS HAS 11:01 BEEN MENTIONED, WE WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL WARM WELCOME TO NOT 11:05 ONLY THOSE WHO ARE PART OF OUR CLASS HERE AT GRANITE BAY THIS 11:08 MORNING, BUT THOSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING. WE KNOW WE HAVE AN 11:11 EXTENDED CLASS AROUND THE WORLD AND WHEN WE SAY 'WARM WELCOME' 11:14 FROM SACRAMENTO, WE'RE NOT JUST USING A FIGURE OF SPEECH. 11:18 SUMMER HAS OFFICIALLY BEGUN HERE AND THIS IS A PLACE WHERE YOUR 11:22 SEATBELT CAN ALSO DOUBLE AS A BRANDING IRON AND IN THE 11:25 AFTERNOON THE ASPHALT WILL LIQUEFY. 11:29 SO I THINK WE HAVE 105 BUT THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING OF 11:33 SUMMER FOR US, RIGHT? SO THIS IS A MISSION FIELD HERE. 11:40 ANYWAY, WE'RE GOING INTO OUR LESSON DEALING WITH - LESSON #3 11:45 - THE NEW SERIES ON BIBLICAL MISSIONARIES AND THIS LESSON, IN 11:49 PARTICULAR, IS TALKING ABOUT THE UNLIKELY MISSIONARY . 11:52 I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO REPHRASE THIS LESSON A LITTLE BIT AND SAY 11:55 THE UNLIKELY MISSIONARIES BECAUSE, AS WE GO THROUGH THE 11:58 LESSON - AND THIS IS FROM 2 KINGS CHAPTER 5 - 12:01 IT'S THE STORY OF NAAMAN THE LEPER. 12:03 YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THERE'S THREE OR FOUR MISSIONARIES THAT 12:07 ARE IN THIS ACCOUNT AND SO IF YOU'LL TURN TO THAT PASSAGE IN 12:12 THE BIBLE - AND THAT IS 2 KINGS CHAPTER 5 - I GUESS I SHOULD 12:16 SAY, BEFORE WE GO THERE, WE WANT TO READ OUR MEMORY VERSE. 12:20 THE MEMORY VERSE ACTUALLY COMES FROM THE WORDS OF JESUS IN THE 12:22 NEW TESTAMENT. THE MEMORY VERSE IS FROM LUKE 12:25 CHAPTER 4, VERSE 27. I'VE GOT IT HERE FROM THE NEW 12:28 KING JAMES VERSION - LUKE 4:27. YOU READY? "AND MANY LEPERS WERE 12:34 IN ISRAEL IN THE TIME OF ELISHA THE PROPHET, AND NONE OF THEM 12:39 WAS CLEANSED EXCEPT NAAMAN THE SYRIAN." 12:43 SO JESUS ACTUALLY REFERS BACK TO THIS STORY THAT WE'RE GOING TO 12:47 CONSIDER TODAY ABOUT THE UNLIKELY MISSIONARY. 12:50 NOW, IN THE FIRST SECTION, IT TALKS ABOUT HE HAD IT ALL AND 12:54 WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH 2 KINGS CHAPTER 5, VERSE 1 AND 12:58 THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT WE CAN LEARN RIGHT HERE. 13:00 2 KINGS CHAPTER 5 SETS UP THE STORY: "NOW NAAMAN, COMMANDER OF 13:06 THE ARMY OF THE KING OF SYRIA, WAS A GREAT AND HONORABLE MAN IN 13:11 THE EYES OF HIS MASTER, BECAUSE BY HIM THE LORD HAD GIVEN 13:15 VICTORY TO SYRIA. HE WAS ALSO A MIGHTY MAN OF 13:19 VALOR," - I'M GOING TO PAUSE RIGHT THERE AND NOT READ THE 13:22 LAST FIVE WORDS IN THIS VERSE. IT'S THREE WORDS IN THE NEW KING 13:27 JAMES VERSION, FIVE WORDS IN THE KING JAMES VERSION, BUT IT 13:31 CHANGES THE WHOLE PICTURE. LET'S JUST STOP AND CONSIDER 13:33 WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR ABOUT NAAMAN. 13:35 AND WITHOUT READING THOSE LAST FEW WORDS IT TELLS US HE WAS A 13:38 GREAT MAN, HE'S A BRAVE MAN, HE'S AN HONORABLE MAN, HE'S A 13:45 MAN THE LORD COULD USE. NOW, THAT MAKES YOU THINK: HERE 13:48 HE IS, THE COMMANDER OF THE ARMY OF THE NATION THAT WAS OFTEN AT 13:53 WAR WITH ISRAEL AND YET IT SAYS THE LORD COULD USE HIM. 13:56 YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES GOD USED ENEMY ARMIES TO DO HIS WILL IN 14:03 PUNISHING HIS OWN PEOPLE. THE LORD USED NEBUCHADNEZZAR TO 14:08 TEACH A LESSON TO ISRAEL. AND THE LORD SOMETIMES USED THE 14:14 SYRIANS AS A JUDGMENT ON THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. 14:19 AND IT WASN'T JUST THAT THE SYRIANS FOUGHT WITH ISRAEL - 14:22 THEY ALSO FOUGHT WITH OTHER KINGDOMS TO THE EAST AND TO THE 14:26 NORTH - AND THIS WAS A MAN THAT GOD COULD USE. IT ALSO TELLS US 14:30 THAT GOD USED PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT NECESSARILY PART OF HIS 14:35 NATION. A MAN OF VALOR - HE WAS BRAVE ON THE BATTLEFIELD. 14:40 HE WAS A MAN RESPECTED BY THE KING. 14:42 HE WAS OBVIOUSLY A MAN THAT WAS FAMOUS - WHEN HE WENT UP AND 14:45 DOWN THE STREETS OF DAMASCUS IN HIS CHARIOT, THEY ALL KNEW WHO 14:49 NAAMAN WAS. JUST UNDERNEATH THE KING, HE'S 14:52 THE GENERAL AND SO HE HAD A - PROBABLY A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE. 15:00 BY THE WAY, WHAT WAS POTIPHAR'S POSITION IN EGYPT? 15:04 WASN'T HE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD FOR THE PHARAOH? 15:07 AND DID POTIPHAR HAVE A HEBREW IN HIS HOUSEHOLD SERVANTS? 15:14 >>JOSEPH. >>UH HUH - THAT'S GOING TO - 15:16 YOU'RE GOING TO FIND SOME SIMILARITIES HERE. SO, IF YOU 15:19 SAY, 'WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?' 'WELL, YOU KNOW, I'D 15:22 LIKE TO HAVE A GOOD JOB.' NAAMAN HAD THAT. 15:28 'I'D LIKE TO BE RESPECTED.' NAAMAN HAD THAT. 15:32 'IT'D BE NICE TO HAVE MONEY TO PAY THE BILLS.' NAAMAN HAD THAT. 15:35 A GOOD REPUTATION - HE HAD EVERYTHING THE WORLD WOULD WANT 15:40 EXCEPT THOSE LAST WORDS: "BUT HE WAS A LEPER." 15:46 AND THE ORIGINAL ACTUALLY SAYS, 'A LEPER' - THAT'S ALL IT SAYS, 15:49 'A LEPER.' IT CHANGED THE WHOLE PICTURE. 15:52 YOU'LL NOTICE, IF YOU HAVE THE ITALICIZED VERSION IT JUST SAYS 15:56 'A LEPER.' KING - NEW KING JAMES SAYS, 'BUT A LEPER.' AND THAT 16:02 CHANGES EVERYTHING. WHY? 16:05 LEPROSY WAS ABOUT THE MOST DREADED DISEASE THAT YOU COULD 16:10 GET IN BIBLE TIMES BECAUSE IT MEANT NOT ONLY A LONG, SLOW, 16:14 PAINFUL DEATH, IT MEANT SEPARATION FROM OTHERS. 16:17 IN THE BIBLE LEPROSY IS COMPARED TO SIN AND WHEN ANYONE CAME 16:21 WITHIN A STONE'S THROW, YOU'D CRY OUT 'UNCLEAN! 16:25 UNCLEAN!' YOU'D WARN THEM YOU'RE A LEPER 16:27 AND THEY'D FLEE THE OTHER DIRECTION. SO HERE NAAMAN, 16:30 HE'S GOT EVERYTHING ANYBODY COULD ASK, BUT HE'S A LEPER. 16:34 NOW IT'S INTERESTING - AND I WAS READING OUT OF MATTHEW HENRY'S 16:39 COMMENTARY. HE SAYS, "NO MAN'S GREATNESS OR HONOR OR INTEREST 16:45 OR VALOR OR VICTORY OR WEALTH CAN SET HIM OUT OF THE REACH OF 16:48 THE SOURCE CALAMITIES OF HUMAN LIFE. 16:51 THERE IS MANY A SICKLY CRAZY BODY UNDER RICH CLOTHING." 16:55 PEOPLE MAY OUTWARDLY HAVE SO MANY THINGS THAT YOU THINK, 'OH, 17:00 I WISH I COULD HAVE THEIR LIFE.' AND PEOPLE ADORE AND IDOLIZE 17:05 THESE PEOPLE IN HOLLYWOOD AND LITTLE DO THEY KNOW THEY'VE GOT 17:10 AIDS AND THEY'D GIVE EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO HAVE YOUR HEALTH 17:15 AND LIVE IN OBSCURITY. "BUT HE WAS A LEPER." 17:19 NAAMAN WAS AS GREAT IN THE WORLD AS IT COULD MAKE HIM AND YET, 17:24 THE LOWEST SLAVE IN SYRIA WOULD NOT WANT TO BE IN HIS SKIN. 17:28 AND SO IF NAAMAN SAID, 'WHO WOULD LIKE TO TRADE PLACES WITH 17:32 ME?' THE LOWEST SLAVE IN SYRIA DIDN'T 17:34 WANT TO TRADE PLACES WITH HIM BECAUSE WHAT PROFIT IS IT IF YOU 17:37 GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD AND YOU'RE TERMINAL? 17:39 SO IT CHANGES THE WHOLE PICTURE. 17:43 AND THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY SIN IS. 17:45 NOW THE STORY GETS INTERESTING HERE. 17:47 IT SAYS - IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT VERSE - AGAIN, IN 2 KINGS 17:52 CHAPTER 5 - IT SAYS, "AND THE SYRIANS HAD GONE OUT ON RAIDS, 17:57 AND HAD BROUGHT BACK CAPTIVE A YOUNG GIRL FROM THE LAND OF 18:02 ISRAEL. SHE WAITED ON NAAMAN'S WIFE." 18:06 THEY'D GO RAMPAGING THROUGH THE BORDERS OF THEIR VARIOUS 18:09 COUNTRIES - ISRAEL'S SOLDIERS WOULD GO ON FORAYS UP INTO SYRIA 18:13 AND THEY WOULD RANSACK THE FARMS AND THEY WOULD PLUNDER, AND THEY 18:17 WOULD CARRY OFF CAPTIVE THE WOMEN AND SOMETIMES THE CHILDREN 18:21 AND WOULD OFTEN KILL THE FATHERS AND BURN THE FARMS AND THIS 18:25 YOUNG GIRL - WE DON'T KNOW ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT SHE WAS 18:27 CAPTURED IN ONE OF THESE RAIDS AND THEN SOLD TO BE A SLAVE. 18:31 AND INSTEAD OF TOTALLY DESPAIRING AND WISHING THE WORST 18:34 ON HER CAPTORS - YOU KNOW, SHE'S LONGING FOR HOME, HER MASTER 18:39 GETS A DISEASE, SHE'S BEEN SOLD AS A SLAVE - SHE MIGHT BE 18:42 THINKING 'GOOD RIDDANCE. HE DESERVES IT. I HOPE HE DIES A 18:45 SLOW DEATH.' BUT INSTEAD, SHE'S INTERESTED IN HIS CONCERN. 18:49 AND THE SAME WAY THAT JOSEPH DECIDED 'IF I'M GOING TO BE A 18:54 SLAVE, I'M GOING TO BE A GOOD SLAVE AND GOD'LL WORK IT FOR 18:56 GOOD' - THIS GIRL, DON'T FORGET, KNEW THE STORY OF JOSEPH. 18:59 THIS GIRL ALREADY KNEW THE STORIES OF ELISHA. 19:02 SHE WAS ACQUAINTED WITH HER HISTORY AND SO SHE MAYBE HAD 19:07 THOUGHT - IT DOESN'T SAY HOW OLD SHE WAS BUT, BASED ON THE 19:10 LANGUAGE, SHE'S PROBABLY LIKE TWELVE OR UNDER. 19:12 SHE THOUGHT, 'WELL, IF I'M GOING TO BE A SLAVE, GOD WORKED IT OUT 19:17 FOR JOSEPH TO BE A WITNESS, I'LL BE A GOOD SLAVE.' AND WHEN 19:20 NAAMAN CAME DOWN WITH LEPROSY AND SHE SAW HOW HE WAS 19:22 SUFFERING, IT MOVED HER HEART AND SHE WENT TO HER MISTRESS AND 19:26 SHE SAID, "WOULD GOD THAT MY LORD WERE WITH THE PROPHET THAT 19:31 IS IN SAMARIA! FOR HE WOULD RECOVER HIM OF HIS LEPROSY." 19:35 WHOA, SHE HAD A LOT OF FAITH. NOW HOW DID SHE KNOW THAT HE - 19:44 HAD ELISHA DONE MANY MIRACLES? HAD ELISHA EVER HEALED ANYONE OF 19:47 LEPROSY YET? >>NO. 19:50 >>NO. HOW DID SHE KNOW? 19:52 'EXCEPT YOU BECOME CONVERTED AS A LITTLE CHILD, YOU WILL NOT 19:56 ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.' GOD WANTS US TO HAVE CHILD-LIKE 19:59 FAITH. HAD ANYONE BEEN HEALED OF LEPROSY BEFORE, PRIOR TO THIS 20:03 STORY? >>YES. 20:06 >>YEAH. WHAT ABOUT WHEN MIRIAM GOT LEPROSY BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT 20:11 RESPECTING HER BROTHER'S LEADERSHIP? 20:13 AND SHE HAD IT FOR SEVEN DAYS AND MOSES PRAYED FOR HER THAT 20:19 SHE MIGHT BE HEALED RIGHT AWAY AND GOD SAID, 'LOOK, IF HER 20:21 FATHER HAD SPIT IN HER FACE SHE'D BE ASHAMED AT LEAST A 20:25 WEEK' - SO FOR SEVEN DAYS SHE WAS OUTSIDE THE CAMP AND GOD 20:27 HEALED HER AND SHE CAME BACK. BUT YOU KNOW WHO ELSE HAD 20:30 LEPROSY VERY BRIEFLY AND WAS HEALED? 20:33 >>MOSES. >>MOSES. 20:34 IT LASTED A MINUTE OR LESS. 20:37 YOU REMEMBER WHEN GOD WAS SAYING - MOSES SAID, 'WHO ARE - WHO AM 20:41 I GOING TO SAY SENT ME?' AND HE SAID, 'YOU'LL SAY THAT I 20:45 SENT YOU.' HE SAID, 'LET ME GIVE YOU A COUPLE SIGNS - TAKE YOUR 20:47 HAND - PUT YOUR HAND WITHIN YOUR GARMENT' - LIKE NAPOLEON, I 20:49 SUPPOSE - 'AND PULL IT BACK OUT AGAIN.' HE PULLED IT BACK OUT - 20:52 IT WAS LEPROUS. GOD SAID, 'PUT IT BACK IN 20:55 AGAIN.' HE DID THAT PRETTY QUICK AND HE 20:57 PULLED IT OUT AND IT WAS HEALED. SO YOU COULD - HE WAS HEALED OF 21:00 LEPROSY VERY QUICKLY. SO SHE KNEW THAT STORY. 21:03 SHE KNEW ABOUT MIRIAM AND SHE THOUGHT - NOBODY HAD EVER COME 21:08 TO ELISHA - YOU CAN'T POINT TO ANYWHERE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT 21:11 WHERE SOMEONE CAME TO ELISHA REQUESTING SOMETHING THAT WAS 21:15 TURNED AWAY. SO SHE SAID, 'ELISHA CAN DO ANYTHING. 21:19 JUST GO TO ELISHA.' NOW WHO DOES ELISHA REPRESENT IN THIS STORY? 21:24 >>CHRIST. >>WHO'S A GREAT HEALER? 21:27 >>CHRIST. >>WHO'S OUR GREAT PROPHET? 21:29 IT'S JESUS. AND THEIR NAMES ARE ACTUALLY SIMILAR. 21:31 JESUS' NAME, IN THE ORIGINAL, IS YASHUA AND THAT MEANS - 'YA' - 21:34 MEANING 'JEHOVAH' - 'SHUA' - SAVIOR. 21:40 ELISHA'S NAME IS THE OTHER NAME OF GOD - 'ELOHIM' 'SHUA' - 21:44 ELISHA - AND IT MEANS 'GOD IS SAVIOR' - IT'S SAYING THE SAME 21:48 THING, IT JUST USES ONE OF THE DIFFERENT NAMES OF GOD. 21:50 SO ELISHA'S A TYPE OF CHRIST. WHO DO WE GO TO IF WE WANT 21:54 CLEANSING FROM OUR LEPROSY OF SIN? 21:56 >>JESUS. >>BUT SOMETIMES WE DON'T GO 22:01 EASY. SO HE GETS THIS MESSAGE AND, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES ME THINK 22:07 ABOUT A STORY IN THE BIBLE - I DON'T KNOW - THIS IS IN SEVERAL 22:09 GOSPELS - LUKE 5 - DON'T LOSE YOUR PLACE IN 2 KINGS 5 - LUKE 22:13 5:12-15, "AND IT HAPPENED WHEN HE WAS IN A CERTAIN CITY," - 22:17 JESUS - "THAT BEHOLD, A MAN WHO WAS FULL OF LEPROSY" - I USE 22:21 LUKE'S STORY BECAUSE LUKE SAYS HE'S FULL OF LEPROSY - "A MAN 22:24 WHO WAS FULL OF LEPROSY" - IT MEANS IT'S ADVANCED - HE "SAW 22:28 JESUS; AND HE FELL ON HIS FACE AND IMPLORED HIM," - THIS IS THE 22:32 FIRST LEPER WE KNOW OF THAT JESUS HEALED - "FELL ON HIS FACE 22:34 AND IMPLORED HIM, SAYING, 'LORD, IF YOU ARE WILLING, YOU CAN MAKE 22:37 ME CLEAN.'" JESUS HAD NOT CLEANSED A LEPER YET BUT HE 22:40 THOUGHT, 'WELL, IF ELISHA COULD DO IT AND GOD COULD DO IT IN THE 22:42 OLD TESTAMENT, YOU CAN DO IT.' 'IF YOU'RE WILLING YOU CAN 22:45 CLEANSE ME.' AND JESUS "PUT OUT HIS HAND AND TOUCHED HIM, 22:49 SAYING, 'I AM WILLING; BE CLEANSED.'" - WHEN THE LORD 22:53 BROUGHT THE WORLD INTO EXISTENCE, WHAT DID HE SAY? 22:55 'LET THERE BE LIGHT.' AND WHEN JESUS SAYS 'BE CLEANSED' 22:59 DOES IT HAPPEN? >>YES. 23:03 >>THERE IS CREATIVE POWER IN THE WORD OF GOD. "IMMEDIATELY THE 23:07 LEPROSY LEFT HIM. AND HE CHARGED HIM TO TELL NO ONE," - BUT AFTER 23:11 YOU'VE BEEN CLEANSED FROM LEPROSY, CAN YOU KEEP IT TO 23:13 YOURSELF OR DO YOU BECOME A MISSIONARY RIGHT AWAY? 23:16 >>IMMEDIATELY. >>HE COULDN'T KEEP IT TO 23:19 HIMSELF. SO WHEN YOU'VE BEEN HEALED FROM 23:21 LEPROSY YOU BECOME A MISSIONARY RIGHT AWAY. 23:24 YOU WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW, GOD CAN NOT ONLY HEAL 23:27 FROM LEPROSY, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE THAT WERE 23:30 STRUCK WITH LEPROSY. WHO WERE THEY? 23:33 MIRIAM - WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT - AND WHO WAS THE OTHER ONE? 23:38 IT'S IN THIS STORY - OH, THERE'S ACTUALLY THREE - MIRIAM, KING 23:43 UZZIAH, AND GEHAZI, THE SERVANT OF ELISHA. 23:48 GOD CAN HEAL FROM LEPROSY AND GOD CAN GIVE LEPROSY AS A 23:53 JUDGMENT AND SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER. 23:56 SO WHO IS THE FIRST MISSIONARY IN THIS STORY? 23:59 THE LITTLE MAID; AND SHE SAID, 'OH, IF HE WERE ONLY WITH THE 24:04 PROPHET WHO IS IN SAMARIA.' YOU KNOW, HOW OFTEN HAVE GOD'S 24:08 PEOPLE BEEN THE BEST MISSIONARIES WHEN THEY WERE IN A 24:11 FOREIGN COUNTRY IN A POSITION OF SERVICE? 24:15 CAN YOU THINK OF SOME EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE OF OTHERS THAT WERE 24:18 GREAT WITNESSES IN A FOREIGN LAND? HOW ABOUT ESTHER? 24:24 HOW ABOUT SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO? 24:29 I HEARD, I THINK IT WAS, DR. LESLIE HARDING SAY THAT ON 24:32 THE PLAIN OF DURA WHEN THOSE THREE HEBREWS DID NOT BOW DOWN, 24:35 THEY ACCOMPLISHED MORE OF WHAT GOD'S WILL WAS FOR ISRAEL AS A 24:40 NATION BY THEMSELVES THAN HE WAS TO ACCOMPLISH FOR THE PRECEDING 24:44 600 YEARS OF ISRAEL'S HISTORY. HE WAS TRYING TO GET ISRAEL TO 24:49 BE A WITNESS OF JEHOVAH'S POWER TO THE OTHER NATIONS AND WHEN 24:53 THEY STOOD UP, EVERYBODY KNEW ABOUT GOD'S POWER. 24:56 AND WHEN DANIEL DID NOT BOW DOWN - THE SAME WAY, WHEN HE WOULDN'T 25:02 PRAY TO DARIUS - PROCLAMATION IS MADE BY NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND THEN 25:06 A PROCLAMATION IS MADE BY KING DARIUS AND THERE ARE WITNESSES. 25:08 JOSEPH, IN A FOREIGN LAND, IS A WITNESS. 25:12 SO FREQUENTLY WE DO MISSION WORK SURROUNDED BY STRANGE PEOPLE. 25:19 A LOT OF CHRISTIANS HAVE DONE SOME OF THEIR BEST MISSION WORK 25:21 IN PRISONS WHERE THEY'RE IMPRISONED FOR THEIR FAITH. 25:24 SO HERE, THIS GIRL, SHE STILL HAS A CHEERFUL ATTITUDE. 25:28 AND DOES NAAMAN LISTEN? 25:30 IF YOU'RE DYING - IF YOU'RE TERMINAL - NORMALLY YOU MIGHT 25:34 SCOFF AT THE SUGGESTION OF A CHILD THAT A PROPHET IS GOING TO 25:37 HEAL - WHO HAD NEVER HEALED ANYONE OF LEPROSY - BUT DID THE 25:41 SYRIANS KNOW THAT ELISHA HAD GREAT POWER? 25:44 >>YES. >>YOU READ SOME OF THE EXPLOITS 25:47 - ELISHA CAPTURED A WHOLE SYRIAN ARMY SINGLE HANDED. 25:51 THIS HAPPENS IN LATER CHAPTERS BUT THERE WERE OTHER THINGS. 25:55 THEY HAD HEARD ABOUT HIM MAKING AN AX HEAD FLOAT; HIM 25:59 PRONOUNCING A CURSE AND THE SHE-BEARS PUNISHED 42 CHILDREN 26:03 THAT HAD BEEN MOCKING HIM; AND HOW HE HAD A DOUBLE PORTION OF 26:07 ELIJAH'S SPIRIT; AND THE JORDAN RIVER PARTED WHEN HE STRUCK IT 26:11 WITH THE ROBE; AND - I MEAN, THEY HAD HEARD ABOUT - MATTER OF 26:14 FACT, ONE TIME, WHEN THEY TRIED TO AMBUSH THE KING OF ISRAEL, 26:17 EVERY TIME THEY TRIED TO AMBUSH THE KING OF ISRAEL, ELISHA TOLD 26:21 THE KING OF ISRAEL, 'WATCH OUT, THE SYRIANS ARE GOING TO GET YOU 26:24 HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO GET YOU THERE.' AND THE KING OF SYRIA 26:26 SAID, 'WHO IS BETRAYING OUR SECRET PLANS?' 26:29 AND THEY SAID, 'NO ONE, MY LORD, BUT ELISHA THE PROPHET, WHO IS 26:33 IN ISRAEL, HE KNOWS WHAT YOU SAY IN YOUR BEDCHAMBER BECAUSE THE 26:37 LORD REVEALS IT TO HIM.' SO THEY ALREADY KNEW SOMETHING, LIKE I 26:40 SAID, SOME OF THESE THINGS HADN'T HAPPENED YET, BUT THEY 26:43 KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT ELISHA. SO WHEN SHE SAID, 'OH, BUT IF HE 26:45 WOULD GO BE WITH THE PROPHET THAT IS IN ISRAEL.' SO HE'S 26:48 DESPERATE AND IT SAYS NAAMAN WENT IN AND HE TOLD HIS MASTER. 26:55 NAAMAN GETS A MESSAGE TO THE KING AND HE SAID, "THUS AND THUS 26:58 SAID THE MAID THAT IS OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL." 27:01 - THE KING DOESN'T WANT TO LOSE HIS BEST GENERAL. 27:03 THEY HAD HEARD ABOUT THE MIRACLES IN ISRAEL, MAYBE 27:05 THERE'S A CHANCE. 'WE'LL TRY ANYTHING AND IF WE 27:08 DON'T TRY, WHAT HAVE WE LOST? - IF WE TRY. 27:10 NOW, YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING, 'AREN'T THEY AT WAR WITH EACH 27:13 OTHER?' THEY WERE ALWAYS AT WAR WITH 27:15 EACH OTHER, BUT THEY HAD PERIODIC CEASE FIRES. 27:17 THIS IS HAPPENING DURING ONE OF THOSE EPISODES WHERE THEY WERE 27:21 LIVING UNDER A CEASE FIRE, BUT THE SYRIANS AND 27:24 ISRAEL, DURING THE TIME OF THE DIVIDED KINGDOM, WERE ALMOST 27:27 CONSTANTLY WARRING OVER THEIR BORDERS. 27:30 I COULD JUST CITE A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES, BUT THEN THEY DID HAVE 27:33 PERIODS WHERE THEY WERE AT PEACE. 27:36 FOR ONE THING, THERE WERE CERTAIN SEASONS WHEN THEY'D 27:39 FIGHT EACH OTHER. THEY AGREED THAT IF THERE WASN'T 27:41 FOOD FOR THE ARMIES, THEY JUST WERE AT PEACE. 27:44 EVERYONE WAS TOO BUSY FARMING, THEY COULDN'T FIGHT THEN. 27:46 AND SO THIS WAS DURING - THEY DID ACTUALLY TRADE WITH EACH 27:51 OTHER AND THIS WAS DURING ONE OF THOSE - SO IT'S KIND OF 27:54 IRREGULAR THAT THE KING OF SYRIA IS GOING TO SAY, 'I REALIZE THAT 27:59 NAAMAN HAS CONQUERED YOUR FORCES IN MANY BATTLES, BUT HE'S SICK 28:03 NOW AND I WANT TO ASK YOU A FAVOR.' YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT IT 28:08 WAS VERY INTERESTING WHEN THE SHAH OF IRAN WAS STRUGGLING WITH 28:12 HEALTH PROBLEMS, HE FLEW TO AMERICA FOR TREATMENT EVEN 28:15 THOUGH THERE HAS OFTEN BEEN TENSION BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES. 28:20 SO IT'S NOT UNPRECEDENTED. ANYWAY, THE KING WRITES THIS 28:27 LETTER AND HE GETS A LOT OF MONEY - YOU KNOW, WHO WAS IT - 28:30 SOLOMON THAT SAID 'MONEY ANSWERS ALL THINGS'? 'YEAH, I KNOW WE'RE 28:35 AT WAR BUT I'M GOING TO PAY YOU REALLY WELL FOR THIS.' 28:38 AND SO HE SENDS NAAMAN WITH - HE'S GOT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, 28:41 BY TODAY'S STANDARDS, OF GOLD AND SILVER AND CLOTHING. 28:44 HE TELLS THE KING AND THE KING OF SYRIA SAYS - I'M IN VERSE 5, 28:48 "GO TO, GO," - ANOTHER - GO TO, GO MEANS MAKE PREPARATIONS TO GO 28:51 - "AND I WILL SEND A LETTER UNTO THE KING OF ISRAEL. 28:55 AND HE DEPARTED, AND TOOK WITH HIM TEN TALENTS OF SILVER, AND 28:58 SIX THOUSAND SHEKELS OF GOLD, AND TEN CHANGES OF CLOTHING." 29:02 - INTERESTING NUMBERS - TEN TALENTS, SIX THOUSAND - TEN - 29:08 YOU GOT TEN AND SIX - THOSE ARE NUMBERS THAT APPEAR FREQUENTLY 29:13 IN THE BIBLE - NUMBERS OF MAN CONTRASTED AGAINST THE NUMBERS 29:17 OF GOD'S COMMANDMENTS. 29:18 "THEN HE BROUGHT A LETTER TO THE KING OF ISRAEL, WHICH SAID," - 29:23 NOW WHY DO YOU GO TO THE KING OF ISRAEL? 29:26 DID THE LITTLE GIRL SAY THAT IF NAAMAN WOULD GO TO THE KING OF 29:28 ISRAEL, OR DID SHE SAY GO TO THE PROPHET? RIGHT? 29:33 WELL, THE KING OF ISRAEL SAID, 'WELL, NAAMAN IS YOUR SUBJECT. 29:36 HE'LL DO WHAT YOU TELL HIM TO DO. I'M GOING TO YOU BECAUSE 29:38 YOU'LL ORDER HIM TO DO WHAT I'M ASKING. HERE'S THE MONEY.' BUT 29:41 WHEN THE KING GETS THIS MESSAGE, HE DOESN'T REACT VERY WELL. 29:46 "AND IT HAPPENED, WHEN THE KING OF ISRAEL READ THE LETTER, THAT 29:50 HE TORE HIS CLOTHES AND SAID, 'AM I GOD, TO KILLS AND MAKE 29:54 ALIVE, THAT THIS MAN SENDS A MAN TO ME TO HEAL HIM OF HIS 29:56 LEPROSY?'" - NOW WHY'D HE TEAR HIS CLOTHES? 29:59 WHEN DID SOMEBODY TEAR THEIR CLOTHES? 30:01 ONE TIME YOU WOULD TEAR YOUR CLOTHES IS IN TIMES OF BLASPHEMY 30:05 - WHEN A MAN PUTS HIMSELF IN THE PLACE OF GOD AND WHEN HE WAS 30:09 BEING LOOKED UPON AS GOD AS THOUGH HE COULD HEAL, HE SAID, 30:13 'I'M NOT GOD.' SO THAT MIGHT BE ONE REASON AND HE'S ALSO TEARING 30:17 HIS CLOTHES AS A SIGN OF MOURNING BECAUSE HE SAYS, 'OH, 30:21 LOOK, HE'S TRYING TO CAUSE ANOTHER EXCUSE TO BREAK THE 30:23 CEASE FIRE AND GO TO WAR. HE'S ASKING ME TO HEAL HIS 30:25 GENERAL - AND WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T HEAL HIS GENERAL? 30:27 IT'S GOING TO BE AN INSULT.' - HE SAID, 'THIS IS - THERE'S 30:31 SOMETHING GOING ON BEHIND THE SCENES HERE. 30:32 THIS IS REALLY TRICKY. WHAT IS HE UP TO?' 30:34 YOU KNOW - HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES THE DEVIL WILL 30:36 MAKE YOU SUSPICIOUS OF A PERSON'S INNOCENT INTENTIONS? 30:39 LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN BECAUSE THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT: 30:43 SOMETIMES THE DEVIL WILL MAKE YOU SUSPICIOUS OF A PERSON'S 30:46 SINCERE INTENTIONS. 'OH, WHAT ARE THEY REALLY THINKING?' 30:49 'WHY ARE THEY DOING THAT?' 'THERE'S MUST - THERE'S AN 30:51 ULTERIOR MOTIVE.' 'THEY'RE UP TO NO GOOD.' 'IT'S A TRAP!' 30:54 AND THEY REALLY ARE BEING TOTALLY HONEST. 'CAN YOU PLEASE 30:57 JUST HEAL MY SERVANT OF THEIR LEPROSY.' AND THE KING IS 31:01 PUTTING THE WORST POSSIBLE SPIN ON IT AND THEY - YOU KNOW, 31:05 NAAMAN COMES AND HE'S NOT BY HIMSELF. YOU DON'T TRAVEL WITH, 31:07 YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN GOLD AND SILVER AND CLOTHING 31:10 BACK THEN - THIS ISN'T ANY CLOTHING EITHER - THEY GOT THIS 31:13 AT NORDSTROM. THIS WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE REAL EXPENSIVE 31:15 CLOTHING. AND SO NAAMAN COMES WITH HIS SOLDIERS AND HIS GUARD 31:20 AND THEY DELIVER THE MESSAGE AND THEY'RE BEING PUT UP IN THE 31:25 LOCAL QUARTERS AND THE KING IS GATHERING WITH HIS WAR COUNSEL 31:28 WHAT'S HE DOING?' AND WHILE THE KING IS CARRYING 31:30 ON AND HAVING THIS FIT, IT SAYS THAT 'ELISHA THE MAN OF GOD 31:39 HEARD IT' - IT HAD ALREADY REACHED ELISHA, WHO LIVES IN 31:42 SAMARIA - OR JUST OUTSIDE OF SAMARIA - IT TELLS US IN ANOTHER 31:45 STORY HE HAD A HOUSE IN SAMARIA DURING THE FAMINE - THAT'S IN 31:48 CHAPTER 6. SO ELISHA LIVES IN THE CITY, 31:50 HE'S NOT FAR AWAY, AND IT SAYS, "WHEN ELISHA" - I'M IN VERSE 8 - 31:56 "THE MAN OF GOD HEARD THAT THE KING IF ISRAEL HAD TORN HIS 31:59 CLOTHES, THAT HE SENT TO THE KING SAYING, 'WHY HAVE YOU TORN 32:02 YOUR CLOTHES? PLEASE LET HIM COME TO ME, AND 32:04 HE SHALL KNOW THAT THERE IS A PROPHET IN ISRAEL'" NOW WHY IS 32:08 ELISHA SAYING HE'LL KNOW THERE'S A PROPHET IN ISRAEL? 32:12 IF YOU READ 2 KINGS CHAPTER 1, THE SON OF AHAB, KING OF ISRAEL 32:17 IS SICK AND DYING AND HE DOESN'T KNOW IF HE'S GOING TO DIE AND HE 32:21 SENDS MESSENGERS TO INQUIRE OF THE PROPHETS OF BAAL-ZEEBUB, THE 32:26 GOD OF EKRON - A PHILISTINE GOD - TO FIND OUT IF HE'S GOING 32:29 TO RECOVER, INSTEAD OF GOING TO A GOD OF ISRAEL - INSTEAD OF 32:32 GOING TO A PROPHET OF ISRAEL, THE KING OF ISRAEL SENDS TO 32:36 INQUIRE OF THE PROPHETS OF THE GODS OF THE PHILISTINES. 32:40 AND SO, THAT'S PART OF THE REASON ELISHA IS SAYING 'THERE 32:43 ARE STILL PROPHETS IN ISRAEL, LET HIM COME TO ME.' AND SO, YOU 32:49 KNOW, SOMETIMES - HOW OFTEN HAVE YOU BECOME DISTRESSED BECAUSE OF 32:53 SOME CIRCUMSTANCES YOU CAN'T HANDLE - YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND - 32:55 AND YOU BECOME AGITATED AND GOD IS SAYING, 'BRING IT TO ME IN 33:00 PRAYER.' BRING YOUR PROBLEMS TO JESUS. WHO DOES ELISHA REPRESENT 33:03 IN THIS STORY? >>JESUS. 33:07 >>AND WE FRET AND WRING OUR HANDS. DURING OUR MORNING 33:09 WORSHIP YESTERDAY WE READ A BEAUTIFUL QUOTE FROM DESIRE OF 33:11 AGES THAT TALKS ABOUT HOW OFTEN WE STRESS OVER THINGS WHEN WE 33:15 OUGHT TO JUST GIVE IT TO GOD. I WOKE UP AND HEARD ABOUT THIS 33:18 SUPREME COURT RULING - I TELL YOU, I WAS NOT JUST A LITTLE 33:22 DISCOURAGED - AND WE NEEDED TO READ THAT FOR WORSHIP - THAT GOD 33:25 IS STILL ON THE THRONE. HE HAS A THOUSAND WAYS OF TAKING 33:28 CARE OF THINGS WHEN WE CAN'T THINK OF ANY. 33:30 YOU'VE JUST GOT TO PUT IT IN GOD'S HANDS. 33:33 AND SO - YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL. 33:38 I'M JUST SORT OF TRANSITIONING INTO THE PREACHING SERMON MODE. 33:40 I FORGET THIS IS A CLASS. SO SOMEBODY GOT NUMBERS 12:10 - 33:51 YEAH, I KIND OF READ THIS ALREADY, SORRY. 33:55 BUT GO AHEAD - GO AHEAD AND READ THAT FOR US. 33:57 THIS GIVES THE STORY OF THE HEALING THAT SHE EXPERIENCED. 34:01 >>"AND WHEN THE CLOUD DEPARTED FROM ABOVE THE TABERNACLE, 34:04 SUDDENLY MIRIAM BECAME LEPROUS, AS WHITE AS SNOW. 34:08 THEN AARON TURNED TOWARD MIRIAM, AND THERE SHE WAS, A LEPER." 34:14 >>YEAH, SO GOD HAD HEALED HER OF LEPROSY AND IT HAD HAPPENED 34:19 BEFORE AND THIS WAS IN ISRAEL'S HISTORY. 34:21 THIS WAS ALSO EVIDENCE THAT THE KING SHOULD NOT HAVE DESPAIRED 34:24 BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT STORY, DIDN'T HE? 34:26 WELL, IF HE WAS READING THE WORD. 34:29 NOT ALL THE KINGS OF ISRAEL WERE ACQUAINTED WITH THE WORD. 34:31 SO WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT ELISHA? DO WE FIND THAT HE IS A 34:38 SPIRIT-FILLED PERSON IN THE BIBLE? HE IS. 34:43 NOW, DID ONE OF YOU HAVE JOHN 15:5? NOPE? 34:48 I'M GOING TO READ THAT ONE. AND ONE OF YOU HAS GOT 2 KINGS 34:51 5:10 - OKAY, YOU'LL BE NEXT. LET ME READ JOHN 15:5. 34:57 THE BIBLE SAYS, "I AM THE VINE, YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. 35:00 HE WHO ABIDES IN ME, AND I IN HIM, BEARS MUCH FRUIT; 35:04 FOR WITHOUT ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING." 35:07 INCLUDING A HEALING FROM LEPROSY. 35:09 SO THE KING WAS FRETTING AND GOD SAID, 'LOOK, WITHOUT ME, YOU 35:12 CAN'T DO ANYTHING.' AND SO EVENTUALLY A MESSAGE COMES FROM 35:16 ELISHA TO THE KING AND HE SAYS, 'WHY HAVE YOU TORN YOUR CLOTHES? 35:21 LET HIM COME TO ME. HE WILL KNOW THAT THERE'S A 35:24 PROPHET IN ISRAEL. ALRIGHT, SO YOU GO AHEAD AND 35:27 READ 2 KINGS 5, VERSE 10. >>"AND ELISHA SENT A MESSENGER 35:30 TO HIM, SAYING, 'GO AND WASH IN THE JORDAN SEVEN TIMES, AND YOUR 35:34 FLESH SHALL BE RESTORED TO YOU, AND YOU SHALL BE CLEAN.'" 35:39 >>ALRIGHT, SO FIRST MESSAGE COMES FROM THE LITTLE GIRL. 35:43 SHE IS A SERVANT OF NAAMAN'S WIFE. 35:47 THE SECOND MESSAGE COMES FROM A SERVANT OF ELISHA. 35:51 SO YOU'VE GOT A FIRST MISSIONARY, YOU'VE GOT THE 35:54 SECOND MISSIONARY HERE. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO BE A 35:58 MISSIONARY? IF YOU TELL A PERSON HOW TO WASH 36:01 AND BE CLEAN, SPIRITUALLY, THAT'S MISSION WORK. 36:05 DOES IT HAVE TO BE A COMPLICATED MESSAGE? 36:08 HOW MANY YEARS OF SEMINARY DID THAT LITTLE GIRL HAVE? 36:13 DID SHE GIVE A LIFE-SAVING MESSAGE? 36:17 IS THERE A PASSAGE IN THE BIBLE THAT SAYS, "OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF 36:21 BABES THOU HAST ORDAINED STRENGTH"? THAT'S PSALM 8:2. 36:26 HAVE YOU HEARD OF CHILDREN PREACHERS? 36:29 >>YES. >>CAN GOD GIVE MESSAGES OF 36:33 SALVATION THROUGH MEN AND WOMEN? >>YES. 36:37 >>CAN EVERYBODY BE A MISSIONARY? >>YES. 36:39 >>YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND SO IT'S HAPPENING THROUGH SERVANTS. 36:45 ALL THESE MESSAGES ARE BEING GIVEN THROUGH SERVANTS. 36:48 NOW WHY DIDN'T ELISHA COME OUT TO SEE NAAMAN FACE TO FACE? 36:54 AND HOW DID NAAMAN REACT TO THAT? IF YOU LOOK IN CHAPTER 5 37:01 IT SAYS IN OH, LET'S SEE HERE, GO AND WASH IN THE JORDAN RIVER. 37:08 "BUT NAAMAN" - VERSE 11 - 2 KINGS 5:11 - "BUT NAAMAN BECAME 37:13 FURIOUS," - YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT THAT BAD IF YOU'VE GOT A GENERAL 37:18 WHO KNOWS HOW TO HAVE SOME APPROPRIATE RAGE. 37:21 IT CAN COME IN HANDY, MAYBE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A SOLDIER, 37:27 BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS GOOD FOR A CHRISTIAN. 37:29 IF YOU LOSE YOUR TEMPER, SOMEONE ELSE FINDS IT. 37:32 SO HE FLEW INTO A RAGE AND HE SAID, "'INDEED, I SAID TO MYSELF 37:37 - I THOUGHT WITHIN MYSELF, 'HE WILL SURELY COME OUT TO ME,'" - 37:41 SO WHAT'S ONE THING THAT NOW OFFENDS NAAMAN? 37:44 NAAMAN HAS COME - HE IS A MAN OF PRESTIGE. 37:48 HE'S NUMBER TWO IN THE KINGDOM OF SYRIA. 37:51 HE HAS COME ON A LONG JOURNEY. HE COULD HAVE SENT MESSENGERS TO 37:55 RETRIEVE, WITH A CHARIOT, ELISHA AND SAY, 'PLEASE COME TO ME.' 37:59 BUT HE THOUGHT, 'I WILL HONOR THE KING OF ISRAEL. 38:02 I WILL HONOR THE PROPHET. I WILL GO PERSONALLY. 38:05 HE COULD HAVE COME INCOGNITO AND GONE PRIVATELY TO THE DOOR. 38:09 YOU KNOW, THAT HAPPENED ONE TIME. A QUEEN DRESSED UP LIKE A 38:13 COMMONER AND WENT TO THE HOUSE OF ELISHA. 38:15 BUT - OH NO, IT WASN'T ELISHA, IT WAS ABIJAH THE PROPHET - AND 38:20 HE STILL KNEW WHO SHE WAS EVEN THOUGH HE WAS BLIND. NAAMAN 38:23 COULD HAVE SAID, 'I'LL DISGUISE MYSELF' BUT HE WENT OPENLY. 38:30 HE EXPECTED, BECAUSE HE WENT OPENLY, HE'S GOT THIS RETINUE 38:32 WITH HIM - HE THOUGHT HE'D BE RECEIVED. DIDN'T EVEN COME OUT 38:37 TO GREET HIM. NOW ELISHA'S NOT A WEALTHY PROPHET. 38:41 ELISHA IS DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE AS THE ONE WHO POURED 38:45 WATER ON THE HANDS OF ELIJAH. HE WAS A SERVANT HIMSELF THAT 38:48 DID MENIAL THINGS FOR ELIJAH. AND SO, NOW HE'S THE PROPHET IN 38:54 ISRAEL, BUT HE'S NOT WEALTHY. HE - HE DIDN'T EVEN COME OUT. 38:59 WHY? WHO DOES ELISHA REPRESENT? 39:02 THIRD TIME I'VE MENTIONED THIS. >>JESUS. 39:04 >>WHAT DOES LEPROSY REPRESENT? >>SIN. 39:07 >>HOW COME WE CAN'T SEE GOD FACE TO FACE? 39:09 >>WE'VE SINNED. >>OUR SINS HAVE SEPARATED US 39:12 FROM OUR GOD BECAUSE OF OUR INIQUITIES, ISAIAH SAYS. 39:15 SO HE SENDS THE MESSAGE THROUGH A SERVANT - ELISHA SENDS THE 39:20 MESSAGE THROUGH A MISSIONARY. DOES JESUS SEND THE MESSAGE OF 39:24 SALVATION PERSONALLY TO ALL THE WORLD? WELL, HE CAME IN HUMAN 39:27 FORM BUT 99 PERCENT DON'T HEAR IT PERSONALLY FROM JESUS, 39:33 THEY HEAR IT THROUGH THOSE THAT ARE SENT BY JESUS. 39:37 THROUGH THE SERVANTS OF ELISHA THE MESSAGE COMES. 39:40 THROUGH THE SERVANTS OF JESUS THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION COMES. 39:44 AND SO, NAAMAN IS MAD - 'YOU DON'T COME OUT TO ME PERSONALLY. 39:47 AND I THOUGHT YOU'D STAND AND CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD. 39:51 I THOUGHT YOU'D INVOKE YOUR GOD AND WAVE YOUR HAND OVER THE 39:56 PLACE - I GUESS IN SYRIA THIS IS HOW THE PROPHETS DID IT. 40:00 THEY WOULD CARRY ON - STOMP, YELL, SHOUT, WAVE THEIR ARMS, 40:02 THROW SOME GUN POWDER IN THE FIRE, GET A BIG POOF, AND THEN 40:06 HEAL THE LEPER. HE DOESN'T SAY, 'HEAL ME.' HE 40:10 ACTS LIKE THE LEPROSY'S OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. 40:13 AND THEN HE BEGINS TO REASON - 'AND THE PRESCRIPTION 40:17 YOU'RE GIVING ME IS A BAD PRESCRIPTION. 40:21 YOU'RE ASKING ME TO WASH IN THE JORDAN RIVER. 40:25 "ARE NOT THE ABANA AND THE PHARPAR, THE RIVERS OF DAMASCUS, 40:30 BETTER THAN ALL THE WATERS OF ISRAEL? 40:32 COULD I NOT WASH IN THEM AND BE CLEAN?'" YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT 40:37 OF CONFUSED CHRISTIANS THAT RATIONALIZE USING THEIR OWN 40:43 JUDGMENT INSTEAD OF THE WORD OF GOD. IS IT TRUE THAT THE WATERS 40:48 OF SYRIA WERE CLEANER THAN THE JORDAN? PROBABLY. 40:52 JORDAN RIVER IS THE LOWEST RIVER IN THE WORLD. 40:55 IT RUNS DOWN INTO THE DEAD SEA. IT'S FULL OF MINERAL SALTS. 40:58 THE JORDAN, ITSELF, HAS MINERAL SALTS. 41:00 YOU CANNOT DRINK THE JORDAN WATER. 41:03 THERE ARE RIVERS YOU CAN DRINK BECAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY 41:06 RUN OUT OF THE MOUNTAINS AND THEY'RE A LITTLE CLEANER. 41:09 YOU CAN'T DRINK THE JORDAN. IT JUST WASHES THROUGH THE 41:12 FARMLAND AND IT WASHES, NOT ONLY FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF LEBANON, 41:16 BUT THE JORDAN COMES OUT OF THE SEA OF GALILEE SO IT'S LAKE 41:19 WATER THAT THEN WASHES INTO A RIVER, AND IT JUST IS NOT CLEAN. 41:21 AND AT CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR IT GOES BETWEEN - YELLOW, BROWN, 41:26 AND GREEN ARE THE COLORS OF THE JORDAN. 41:29 AND YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY NAAMAN WOULD SAY, 'THE JORDAN? 41:33 THE RIVERS OF DAMASCUS ARE CLEANER. IF I'M GOING TO GET 41:37 CLEAN, LET ME GO TO A CLEANER RIVER.' ISN'T THAT GOOD LOGIC? 41:40 SOMETIMES WE SUBSTITUTE OUR RATIONALIZATIONS FOR GOD'S 41:46 COMMAND. WE SAY, 'WELL, THAT'S NOT FAIR. 41:48 THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.' BUT WHAT DOES THE WORD OF GOD SAY? 41:51 IS IT SAFE FOR US TO PUT OUR REASONING AHEAD OF THE WORD OF 41:56 GOD? WE NEED TO PRAY FOR THE CHURCH - 41:59 WE DO THAT SOMETIMES. WE SAY, 'WELL, I KNOW THE WORD 42:01 SAYS THAT BUT I'VE GOT A BETTER ARGUMENT. 42:03 I'VE GOT A BETTER RATIONALIZATION AND MY ARGUMENTS 42:07 MAKE SENSE.' BUT THEY'RE NOT BIBLICAL. 42:11 AND SO IF IT DOESN'T FOLLOW THE WORD OF GOD, IT DOESN'T MATTER 42:14 HOW LOGICAL YOUR ARGUMENTS ARE. 'ARE NOT THE ABANA AND THE 42:18 PHARPAR RIVERS OF DAMASCUS CLEANER THAN ALL THE WATERS OF 42:21 ISRAEL?' YES, THEY ARE, BUT GOD DIDN'T 42:24 TELL YOU TO WASH IN THOSE RIVERS. 42:26 SO YOU DO WHAT GOD SAYS IF YOU WANT THE MIRACLE. 42:29 DOES GOD WANT US TO BE SPECIFIC AND FOLLOW HIS WORD? 42:32 >>YES. >>YOU DON'T EVER HEAR ABOUT A 42:35 MIRACLE IN THE ABANA OR PHARPAR RIVERS. 42:37 YOU DO HEAR ABOUT MIRACLES IN THE JORDAN - WHERE AN AX HEAD 42:42 FLOATS, THE RIVER PARTS MIRACULOUSLY FOR ISRAEL, IT 42:46 PARTS FOR ELIJAH, IT PARTS FOR ELISHA. IT'S A MIRACULOUS RIVER. 42:50 IT LOOKS DIRTY ON THE OUTSIDE BUT IT'S A RIVER THAT GOD USED 42:54 AND HE SAID, 'YOU CAN WASH IN THIS RIVER.' BY THE WAY, IT'S 42:58 THE RIVER WHERE JESUS WOULD BE BAPTIZED. SO HE'S BASICALLY 43:04 ASKING NAAMAN 'GO BAPTIZE IN THE RIVER SEVEN TIMES AND YOU'LL BE 43:08 CLEAN.' SO HE GETS UPSET AND HE STORMS AWAY IN A RAGE. 43:12 NOW NAAMAN THOUGHT HE HAD A PERFECT LIFE. 43:17 HE THOUGHT HIS BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS LEPROSY. 43:19 WHAT WAS NAAMAN'S BIGGEST PROBLEM? 43:22 >>PRIDE. >>SAME PROBLEM THAT THE DEVIL 43:24 HAD. SAME PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE. IT'S CALLED THE GREAT SIN. 43:27 IT'S PRIDE. YES, HE WAS A GOOD MAN. 43:29 HE WAS A BRAVE MAN. HE WAS A RICH MAN. 43:31 HE WAS A MAN GOD COULD USE, BUT HE WAS PROUD. 43:33 THAT'S THE PROBLEM THE DISCIPLES HAD. 43:37 'WHICH OF US IS THE GREATEST?' ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 43:39 THEY ARGUED AMONG THEMSELVES. IT'S A PROBLEM WE SOMETIMES 43:41 HAVE: 'HOW COME I'M NOT BEING APPRECIATED AS MUCH AS THEY'RE 43:44 BEING APPRECIATED? HOW COME THEY'RE GETTING THAT 43:47 OFFICE AND I'M NOT GETTING THAT OFFICE?' 43:48 YOU CAN THINK OF A THOUSAND WAYS OUR PRIDE PLAYS OUT. 43:52 WE THINK OUR PROBLEM MIGHT BE THE LEPROSY - THE PROBLEM IS 43:55 PRIDE - THAT'S WHY WE'VE GOT LEPROSY. 43:57 AND HE FINALLY BLOWS UP AND HE DEMONSTRATES HIS PROBLEM. 44:01 SO HE GOES STORMING - HE TURNS AND HE GOES AWAY IN A RAGE. 44:06 HE SNAPS HIS HORSE AROUND - HE BEGINS TO GALLOP OFF BACK 44:09 TOWARDS DAMASCUS. HE STARTS OUT GALLOPING BUT 44:12 EVENTUALLY THE HORSE IS TROTTING AND THEN IT ENDS UP IN A SLOW 44:16 WALK BECAUSE DAMASCUS IS QUITE A WAYS. 44:17 AND GOD IN HIS MERCY HAD ARRANGED THINGS PROVIDENTIALLY 44:21 WHERE HE'S GOT TO GO BY THE JORDAN RIVER TO GET BACK HOME. 44:25 ISN'T GOD GOOD? SO HE STORMS OFF IN A RAGE. 44:31 YOU KNOW WHAT ONE OF THE WORKS OF THE FLESH IS? 44:35 GALATIANS 5:19, "NOW THE WORKS OF THE FLESH ARE EVIDENT, WHICH 44:39 ARE: ADULTERY, FORNICATION, UNCLEANNESS, LEWDNESS, IDOLATRY, 44:42 SORCERY, HATRED, CONTENTIONS, JEALOUSIES," - HERE'S ANOTHER 44:46 WORK OF THE FLESH - "OUTBURSTS OF WRATH," - HE WAS NOT BEING 44:50 LED OF THE SPIRIT, HE WAS BEING LED OF THE FLESH AND HE WENT OFF 44:53 INTO A RAGE. NOW WE'RE GETTING READY - WHO'S GOT 2 KINGS 5:15? 44:58 ALRIGHT, YOU'LL BE NEXT. ALRIGHT, THIRD MISSIONARIES IN 45:04 THE STORY: "AND HIS SERVANTS CAME NEAR." 45:08 - WHY DOES IT SAY THE SERVANTS CAME NEAR? 45:10 YOU CAN'T COME NEAR UNLESS YOU'RE FIRST FAR, RIGHT? 45:16 THEY HAD BEEN RIDING AT A DISTANCE - WHY? 45:20 >>LEPROSY. >>BECAUSE NAAMAN WAS UNCLEAN. 45:22 BUT AS HIS HORSE SLOWS DOWN - YOU KNOW, HE STARTS OFF AND HE'S 45:26 RIDING OFF - HIS SHOULDERS ARE BACK - HE'S MAD. 45:28 NOW HIS SHOULDERS ARE SLUMPED, HIS HEAD IS DOWN, AND HE KEEPS 45:32 LOOKING OFF TO THE RIGHT AT THE JORDAN RIVER - BECAUSE HE'S GOT 45:34 TO RIDE RIGHT ALONG THE JORDAN RIVER. 45:36 THERE IT IS ON HIS WAY UP TO DAMASCUS. 45:37 EVENTUALLY HE'LL CROSS IT. AND HIS SERVANTS COME AND THEY 45:40 REASON WITH HIM. YOU KNOW, IT'S A GOOD LEADER 45:44 THAT CAN LISTEN TO THE REBUKE OF SERVANTS. 45:48 NOW THEY DO IT RESPECTFULLY AND THEY SAY, 'MY FATHER,' - A 45:56 FAMILY APPROACH - 'IF THE PROPHET HAD TOLD YOU TO DO 46:01 SOMETHING GREAT, WOULDN'T YOU HAVE DONE IT? 46:03 HOW MUCH MORE THEN WHEN HE SAYS TO YOU, 'WASH AND BE CLEAN'? 46:08 YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ANCIENT DOCTORS, THEY WOULD SAY AS A 46:11 PRESCRIPTION, 'TO GET THE DISEASE OUT OF THIS PART OF YOUR 46:13 BODY, IF YOU JUST HOLD THIS HOT COAL IN YOUR HAND, 46:15 THE BLISTER WILL SUCK ALL THE POISON OUT.' 46:18 THEY USED TO MAKE PEOPLE HOLD HOT COALS. 46:19 THEY USED TO MAKE PEOPLE RUB ON PAINFUL CONCOCTIONS AND THEY 46:24 WOULD SAY, 'IF YOU GO AND WASH IN THIS SPRING A HUNDRED MILES 46:27 AWAY' - OR - 'IF YOU KILL A HUNDRED PHILISTINES' - THEY HAD 46:32 ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS AND THEY USED TO MAKE THEM RUB 46:35 WORM'S BLOOD AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS. 46:37 AND HE SAID, 'LOOK, GO WASH.' BUT WHAT'S IMPLIED? 46:41 WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU 'GO WASH.' WHAT'S THE IMPLICATION? 46:44 >>YOU'RE DIRTY. >>YOU'RE DIRTY. 46:47 WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU TO GO WASH SEVEN TIMES, WHAT'S THE 46:50 IMPLICATION? >>REALLY DIRTY. 46:53 >>WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU TO WASH SEVEN TIMES IN A DIRTY RIVER, 46:56 WHAT'S THE IMPLICATION? 47:00 I USED TO WONDER WHY - ANY OF YOU HAVE SIBLINGS AND YOU'D ALL 47:04 TAKE A BATH AND YOU'D SHARE A BATH? 47:06 AND YOU'D GET IN ONE AFTER THE OTHER? 47:08 THEY WOULDN'T RUN A NEW BATH, JUST ONE AFTER THE OTHER. 47:10 ANY OF YOU - DID YOU ALWAYS GET CHOSEN LAST? 47:15 DID YOU EVER WANT TO BE LAST IN THE WATER? 47:17 THERE'S THIS RING AROUND THE TUB AND YOU HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN IN 47:21 YET? GREASY RING. 47:23 I USED TO GET IN LAST BECAUSE THEY FIGURED I WAS PROBABLY THE 47:27 DIRTIEST, BUT THEY STILL MADE ME TAKE A BATH BECAUSE THEY FIGURED 47:30 NO MATTER HOW DIRTY THE WATER WAS, I WAS DIRTIER AND I'D COME 47:32 OUT CLEANER. SO WHEN SOMEBODY'S TELLING YOU 47:36 TO BATHE IN A DIRTY RIVER, IT'S NOT A COMPLIMENT. 47:39 WHEN THEY TELL YOU TO BATHE IN A DIRTY RIVER SEVEN TIMES - CAN 47:43 YOU UNDERSTAND WHY THAT WOULD BE HUMILIATING FOR NAAMAN? 47:46 SO HE WAS WILLING TO LISTEN TO HIS SERVANT. 47:52 YOU KNOW THERE'S A VERSE IN JOB - 31:13, "IF I DID DESPISE THE 47:56 CAUSE OF MY MANSERVANT OR OF MY MAIDSERVANT WHEN THEY CONTENDED 48:01 WITH ME; WHAT THEN SHALL I DO WHEN GOD RISETH UP? 48:05 AND WHEN HE VISITETH, WHAT SHALL I ANSWER HIM? 48:08 DID NOT HE THAT MADE ME IN THE WOMB MAKE HIM?" 48:11 IN OTHER WORDS, JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT AN EMPLOYEE AND AN 48:15 EMPLOYER, DOESN'T MEAN THAT GOD CAN'T SPEAK THROUGH THE 48:17 EMPLOYEE. THAT'S WHAT JOB SAYS. AND YOU WILL ANSWER - WAY BACK 48:23 IN THE BOOK OF JOB IT SAYS THE SAME GOD MADE US BOTH. 48:25 THIS IDEA OF RACIAL SUPERIORITY IS NOT TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE. 48:30 JOB'S THE OLDEST BOOK IN THE BIBLE AND JOB UNDERSTOOD THIS 48:33 PRINCIPLE. IT'S A GOOD VERSE TO REMEMBER. 48:36 ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, READ 2 KINGS 5:15, PLEASE. 48:39 >>"AND HE RETURNED TO THE MAN OF GOD, HE AND ALL HIS AIDES, AND 48:44 CAME AND STOOD BEFORE HIM; AND HE SAID, 'INDEED, NOW I KNOW 48:48 THAT THERE IS NO GOD IN ALL THE EARTH, EXCEPT IN ISRAEL; NOW 48:52 THEREFORE, PLEASE TAKE A GIFT FROM YOUR SERVANT.'" 48:56 >>THANK YOU. I LEFT OUT A VERY IMPORTANT 48:59 PART: NAAMAN LISTENED TO HIS SERVANTS. 49:02 HE HUMBLED HIMSELF. HE WENT DOWN IN THE RIVER. 49:07 HE WASHED FIVE - DID HE GET THE HEALING AFTER ONE TIME? 49:12 >>NO. >>THREE TIMES? 49:14 DID HE GET THIRTY PERCENT HEALED AFTER THE THIRD TIME? 49:18 I GUESS IT WOULDN'T BE THIRTY PERCENT IF YOU'RE GOING TO 49:21 SEVEN. BUT HE WASN'T HEALED IN DEGREES. 49:24 HE WAS STILL A HUNDRED PERCENT SICK - HE WAS A HUNDRED PERCENT 49:28 SICK WHEN HE WENT DOWN THE SIXTH TIME. IS THAT CORRECT? 49:32 BUT WHEN HE CAME UP THEN, THEN HE WAS HEALED. 49:37 DO NUMBERS MATTER TO GOD? WHEN GOD TOLD JOSHUA 'MARCH 49:41 AROUND JERICHO SEVEN TIMES' DID THE MIRACLE HAPPEN AFTER SIX 49:46 TIMES? >>NO. 49:47 >>NO. AND IT WASN'T UNTIL NAAMAN DID 49:50 IT THE SEVENTH TIME THE BLESSING CAME. 49:53 WHEN GOD SAYS 'REMEMBER THE SEVENTH DAY. 49:55 I BLESSED THE SEVENTH DAY.' SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT SEVENTH-DAY 49:57 ADVENTISTS ARE A LITTLE FASTIDIOUS AND PARTICULAR OR 50:00 LEGALISTIC. BUT DOES GOD SHOW IN THE BIBLE 50:04 THAT WHEN HE GIVES A NUMBER HE MEANS WHAT HE SAYS? 50:06 AND HE SAYS, 'I BLESSED THE SEVENTH DAY. 50:09 YOU REMEMBER THE SEVENTH DAY.' HE MEANS WHAT HE SAYS. 50:11 SO DON'T EVER APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. 50:13 SO AS SOON AS HE'S HEALED HE'S SO HAPPY - DO YOU REALIZE HE'S 50:17 HALFWAY TO DAMASCUS? BUT WHAT DOES HE DO? 50:19 HE RETURNS TO THE MAN OF GOD TO GIVE THANKS. 50:23 YOU REMEMBER THE STORY WHEN JESUS HEALED THOSE TEN LEPERS 50:26 AND ONE OUT OF THE TEN RETURNED TO THANK HIM. 50:30 WAS THE ONE WHO RETURNED TO GIVE THANKS AN ISRAELITE? 50:35 WHAT WAS HE? >>A SAMARITAN. 50:39 >>A SAMARITAN. SO NAAMAN, LIKE THAT SAMARITAN - 50:42 THE GENTILE - HE RETURNS TO THANK THE MAN OF GOD. 50:47 WHAT'S THE REASON THAT WE GIVE, OUT OF OBLIGATION OR THE LORD 50:51 LOVES A CHEERFUL GIVER? NAAMAN COMES BACK, HE COULD HAVE 50:54 GONE HOME. HE NEVER GOT AN INVOICE YET. 50:56 HE SHOULD SAY, 'I'LL WAIT FOR THE CHECK - THE BILL TO COME IN 50:58 THE MAIL FOR MY HEALING.' HE GOES BACK, HE WANTS TO THANK 51:01 GOD. HE WANTS TO PRAISE GOD. 51:03 AND HE REALIZES THAT THE GOD OF ISRAEL IS A - NOT ONLY A TRUE 51:06 GOD, THE TRUE GOD. HE GOES BACK AND HE SAYS, 51:10 'INDEED, I KNOW' - THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAVED BY, WE'VE GOT TO 51:13 PERSONALLY KNOW THROUGH PERSONAL CONVERSION AND CLEANSING. 51:15 WE HAVE A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE THAT OUR LEPROSY IS TAKEN AWAY. 51:18 NOT ONLY DID GOD HEAL HIM, IT SAYS SOMETHING ELSE. 51:22 IT SAYS HIS FLESH WAS RESTORED - THAT MEANS IF HE WAS MISSING 51:25 FINGERS OR TOES, THEY POPPED BACK INTO PLACE AND IT CAME LIKE 51:29 - NOT JUST ANY FLESH, BUT WHAT KIND? 51:31 >>A BABY. >>LIKE A CHILD - WHICH LOOKS 51:33 REALLY STRANGE ON A SOLDIER, DOESN'T IT? 51:34 I CAN JUST PICTURE THIS SOLDIER CELEBRATING WITH NAAMAN AND 51:39 PRAISE TO GOD HE COMES OUT, HE'S CLEAN, HIS LEPROSY'S GONE, 51:41 THEY'RE ALL JUMPING AROUND. THEY'RE CELEBRATING. 51:43 THEY'RE SHOUTING AND THEN THEY LOOK AT HIM AND SAY, 51:45 'WOW, IT LOOKS SOFT. CAN I TOUCH IT?' 51:48 THE GENERAL - LIKE A LITTLE CHILD'S SKIN. 51:51 WHY? BECAUSE YOU'RE BORN AGAIN. 51:54 WHEN YOU'RE HEALED OF LEPROSY YOU'RE BORN AGAIN. 51:57 'EXCEPT YOU BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN.' THAT'S WHAT A 52:01 CHRISTIAN IS - A SOLDIER WITH BABY SKIN, RIGHT? 52:04 FLESH CAME - HOW MANY WOMEN WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN OINTMENT 52:08 THAT DID FOR THEM WHAT THE JORDAN RIVER DID FOR NAAMAN, 52:12 AMEN? WOULDN'T THAT SELL? 52:13 THERE'S A NAME - WE CALL IT 'NAAMAN'S OINTMENT.' AND YOU'VE 52:20 GOT A STORY TO SELL IT. SO HE GOES BACK AND HE SAYS - 52:25 HE SAYS TO ELISHA - NOW, DOES ELISHA COME OUT AND SEE HIM 52:31 THIS TIME? >>YES. 52:33 >>NOW IT'S FACE TO FACE BECAUSE HE'S CLEANSED FROM HIS LEPROSY. 52:35 WILL WE SEE JESUS FACE TO FACE? AND HE SAYS, 'TAKE SOMETHING.' 52:39 HE URGES HIM TO TAKE MONEY. HE SAYS, 'I WON'T TAKE IT.' NOW 52:43 COULD ELISHA HAVE USED THAT TO HELP THE SCHOOL OF THE PROPHETS? 52:46 >>SURE. >>SURE. HE WASN'T RICH. 52:48 WHY DID HE REFUSE TO TAKE IT? THE SAME REASON THAT JOSEPH 52:53 REFUSED TO TAKE MONEY WHEN HIS BROTHERS TRIED TO PAY FOR THE 52:56 FOOD. BECAUSE SALVATION IS A GIFT. 52:58 YOU CANNOT PAY FOR IT. IT'S NOT OF WORKS. 53:00 IT'S A GIFT OF GOD. WITHOUT MONEY AND WITHOUT PRICE. 53:04 THAT'S WHY WHAT GEHAZI DID LATER WAS SO OFFENSIVE TO GOD. 53:08 HE WAS CURSED WITH LEPROSY BECAUSE HE TRIED TO PUT A PRICE 53:11 ON IT AND GOD HAD INTENDED IT TO BE A SYMBOL OF THE FREE GIFT OF 53:15 CLEANSING. AND THEN NAAMAN SAYS, 'PLEASE 53:18 GIVE ME SOME DIRT FROM ISRAEL BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GO HOME AND 53:22 I'M GOING TO KNEEL AND I'M GOING TO PRAY AND I'M GOING TO WORSHIP 53:24 ON THE DIRT OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL.' ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? 53:27 A LITTLE WHILE AGO HE WAS DISMISSING THE WATERS OF ISRAEL 53:31 - 'WHO WANTS THE WATERS OF ISRAEL?' 53:33 NOW HE'S READY TO TAKE HOME THE DIRT OF ISRAEL. 53:34 ISN'T THAT INTERESTING? AND THEN HE - HE ASKS FOR MERCY. 53:40 HE SAID, 'NOW, THE KING IS GETTING OLD AND WHEN HE GOES TO 53:45 WORSHIP RIMMON, HE ALWAYS LEANS ON MY HAND. 53:48 WILL YOU PLEASE FORGIVE ME, BECAUSE I EXPECT HIM TO STILL 53:52 NEED ME TO HOLD HIM UP AS HE GOES AND HE BOWS TO RIMMON IN 53:55 HIS TEMPLE.' AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELISHA SAID TO HIM? 53:58 'GO IN PEACE.' HE REALIZED, 'LOOK, YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY. 54:02 YOU'VE JUST RENOUNCED THE GODS OF SYRIA. 54:04 YOU'VE ACCEPTED THE GOD OF ISRAEL AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE 54:07 IN A HARD PLACE IN YOUR SITUATION AND GOD UNDERSTANDS.' 54:11 NOW THAT TELLS ME SOMETHING ABOUT THE LORD. 54:13 >>AMEN. >>THAT GOD IS A PRACTICAL GOD. 54:15 SO NAAMAN BECOMES THE FOURTH MISSIONARY. 54:20 HE NOW GOES BACK - SO YOU'VE GOT THE LITTLE MAID, YOU'VE GOT 54:25 GEHAZI WHO BECOMES A MISSIONARY - NOW WHEN GEHAZI APOSTATIZED 54:29 AND HE BECAME GREEDY LIKE JUDAS, DID NAAMAN'S CLEANSING GO AWAY? 54:35 EVEN THOUGH ONE OF THE MESSENGERS THAT GOD USED TO HEAL 54:39 NAAMAN WAS CORRUPT, THE CLEANSING STILL STAYED - BECAUSE 54:45 IT'S NOT THE MESSENGER, IT'S THE MESSAGE, RIGHT? AND THE LITTLE 54:48 MAID, THE SERVANTS OF NAAMAN, THE SERVANT OF ELISHA, 54:53 AND NOW NAAMAN. WHEN HE IS HEALED HE GOES BACK 54:55 INTO SYRIA - THE GENERAL - AND HE BECOMES A MISSIONARY FOR THE 55:00 WHOLE COUNTRY, TALKING ABOUT THE GOD OF ISRAEL. AND SO THIS ALL 55:04 HAPPENED BECAUSE OF THE CLEANSING. GO AHEAD READ FOR US 55:07 - I THINK THIS IS OUR LAST VERSE - 1 JOHN 5:2 AND 3. 55:11 >>"BY THIS WE KNOW THAT WE LOVE THE CHILDREN OF GOD, WHEN WE 55:15 LOVE GOD, AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. 55:18 FOR THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD, THAT WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: 55:22 AND HIS COMMANDMENTS ARE NOT BURDENSOME." 55:24 >>NO BURDEN IN THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD. 55:27 AS SOON AS NAAMAN WAS CLEANSED HE WANTED TO WORSHIP AND OBEY 55:29 THE GOD OF ISRAEL AND HE BECAME A MISSIONARY FOR GOD. 55:33 THIS IS A WONDERFUL STORY OF HOW GOD USES PEOPLE AND SOMETIMES - 55:37 YOU NOTICE - ONE MAN'S CONVERSION - HE GOT A MESSAGE 55:40 FROM THREE DIFFERENT PEOPLE. IT'S NOT ANY ONE PERSON. 55:43 ONE PERSON SOWS, ANOTHER PERSON REAPS, SOMEONE CULTIVATES AND 55:45 IT'S LIKE FARMING, EVERYBODY WORKS TOGETHER AND IT MIGHT BE 55:49 ONE PERSON THAT'S CONVERTED FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE COOPERATING AND 55:52 WORKING AS MISSIONARIES. AND THEN THAT PERSON BECOMES A 55:55 MISSIONARY AS SOON AS THEY ARE CLEANSED. WONDERFUL STORY. 55:59 ANYWAY, WE HAVE A FREE OFFER WE WANT TO REMIND YOU OF. 56:02 IF YOU DID NOT CATCH IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BROADCAST IT'S 56:04 CALLED LIFE IN THE SPIRIT AND ALL YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS CALL 56:09 866-788-3966. WE'LL SEND THIS TO YOU - IT'S 56:14 866-STUDY-MORE. GOD BLESS YOU, FRIENDS, UNTIL WE 56:17 CAN STUDY HIS WORD TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 56:20 (DRAMATIC MUSIC) (THUNDER) (CREAKING DOOR) 56:33 >>THROUGHOUT RECORDED HISTORY TALES OF GHOSTS AND SPIRITS CAN 56:37 BE FOUND IN FOLKLORE IN NEARLY EVERY COUNTRY AND CULTURE. 56:42 THE EGYPTIANS BUILT PYRAMIDS TO HELP GUIDE THE SPIRITS OF THEIR 56:45 LEADERS. ROME SANCTIONED HOLIDAYS TO 56:48 HONOR AND APPEASE THE SPIRITS OF THEIR DEAD. 56:52 EVEN THE BIBLE TELLS OF A KING THAT USED A WITCH TO CONTACT THE 56:56 SPIRIT OF A DECEASED PROPHET. TODAY, ANCIENT FOLKLORE OF 57:00 SPIRITS AND APPARITIONS HAVE GONE FROM MERE SUPERSTITIONS TO 57:05 MAINSTREAM ENTERTAINMENT AND REALITY. 57:08 SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS INVESTIGATE STORIES OF HAUNTINGS 57:12 AND SIGHTINGS, TRYING TO PROVE ONCE AND FOR ALL THE EXISTENCE 57:17 OF GHOSTS. EVEN WITH ALL THE NEW-FOUND 57:22 TECHNOLOGY AND CENTURIES OF STORIES ALL OVER THE WORLD, 57:26 THERE IS STILL NO CLEAR-CUT ANSWER. 57:31 SO HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT'S TRUE? WHY DO THESE STORIES PERSIST? 57:39 DOES IT EVEN MATTER? WE INVITE YOU TO LOOK INSIDE AND 57:46 FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF. VISIT GHOSTTRUTH.COM . 57:57 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 58:04 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2015-07-09