"Building a Church Through Outreach"
Something New
ELCOG 9/16/07
Text: 2 Kings 5:9-14
Are you willing to do something different? Are you willing do something new? Do you have a desire to see God move in such a way that you will not be afraid to go against tradition? Is your desire so strong that if God moves in a different way you will still be obedient? This morning I want these questions to stay in your mind as we look at a man in the bible that almost lost his blessings because it did not come in the way he expected.
The interesting thing with expectation is that we have a plan for what we are expecting. We have an idea of how the expectation will be fulfilled. If for some reason everything doesn’t line up we become frustrated or maybe confused that we are not receiving. How many times in your life have you missed a great opportunity because it came in a different package? How many times could you have been blessed, but you were expecting the wrong thing?
Naaman was a man that had leprosy that went to Elisha to be healed. He went with gifts to give the prophet for his service. He went expecting to be healed.
** Many people come to church expecting something from God. You come with a problem and you are here with your offerings of praise so that God will heal you or help you. You bring your need to the house of God so that you can get an answer.
Naaman saw the prophet and was excited about being healed UNTIL the prophet gave the instructions for his healing. He was prepared to be healed, but not in the fashion that Elisha healed him. Elisha told Naaman, "Go dip in the Jordan River seven times". Sounds easy enough, except Naaman has a pride issue, after all he is the great commander of the army. It would be below him to go to this dirty river and wash himself like the homeless and the helpless of the day.
Naaman became very mad and stormed off because the healing didn’t come the way he expected. Listen to the words of Naaman, "I expected him to wave his hand over me and call on the name of the Lord his God to heal me".
His expectation was different the goal was the same…. To be healed, but the expectation was different. Some of you may have the same goal, but with different expectation. You want to be healed, but you thought that God’s healing would come by the laying on of hands. You thought God was going to bless you, but you didn’t realize he was going to ask you to take a dip. You expected to come to the altar and the preacher place a little dot of oil on your forehead, but God is asking for something else. You can either take a dip and be healed or you can stomp away with your leprosy. What is your decision this morning? Do you want to be healed? Do you want your life changed? Then you must be willing to do something new. God is still moving, but he may be asking you for something new. He may be asking you to take a dip. No more waving of the hands….he wants you to take a dip.
Verse 13: His officers reasoned with him and said, sir if you were asked to do something great you would have done it without question. As a warrior, if the prophet would have asked you to go kill and enemy or even a bear or lion, you would have done it without any question, but you are being asked do something that seems a little uncomfortable to you. Its simple, but it’s a little untraditional and little odd and it’s out of your league. It’s out of your level of expertise. So you get mad instead of getting blessed.
The servant finally got the master to go to the Jordan River to wash and just as the prophet said he was healed. But he had to be obedient.
God is trying to bring your healing. He is trying to work a real work in your life, but you are mad because he is asking you to take a dip. You must be willing to do something different. The healing is here, the blessings are here, the power is available, but you must be willing to go against yesterday’s traditions and your formal church training and take a dip. It might not come with the traditional oil and the normal prayer, but it’s coming if you will be obedient to the new thing.
Isa. 43:18
18Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.
Isa. 43:19
19Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
Isa. 43:20
20The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
Isa. 43:21
21This people have I formed for myself; they shall show forth my praise.
God wants to do something new in your life, but you must be willing to be obedient to his new plan of action. I know that Mama didn’t do it like this, but God has given a new word. He is going to do a new thing. Hold on and be obedient and take a dip. Wash yourself in the Jordan. Don’t stop on the first wash do it again. Wash again. Wash 7 times and watch God perform his miracle.
He wants to do a new thing, but we are stuck on old traditions and in old methods. I know you wanted a hand wave and a prayer, but god is working in a new way. Listen receive the blessing!
Let me remind you about the river of healing that Ezekiel talked about in chapter 47:
Ezek. 47:1
1Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.
Ezek. 47:2
2Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
Ezek. 47:3
3And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
Ezek. 47:4
4Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
Ezek. 47:5
5Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
Ezek. 47:6
6And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.
Ezek. 47:9
9And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
The water is for the healing of the land. The water is for your healing. But you must be willing for something new. You must be willing to wade out a little deeper. You must be willing to allow the water to flow. It may be something new, but God wants to heal the waters. He wants to heal the land. He wants food to be plentiful, and water to be pure. He wants you to be healed and you to be blessed. But you must be willing to experience something new. You must be willing to by pass the hand wave and the prayer and go to the river to wash. I know that is not what everybody else is doing, but God wants to touch you in a new way. Open up and be obedient and watch God heal your hurts, your discouragements and your past. He wants to take away your depression and it may be different from what you expect. He may bless you in ways that you have never imagined. He may use you in ways that you never thought, but be obedient and let God prove himself to you!
Are you ready for something new? Are you willing to break tradition? Will you be obedient or will you leave here today mad because it was different that what you expected?