1 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:04,640 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:07,120 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:12,520 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: The series is called Triggered. This is week four and 7 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: I just trust that you can expecting today for God 8 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:27,200 Speaker 1: to speak to you. Let's look at Second King's chapter five. 9 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,200 Speaker 1: I'm gonna give you my title right up front. Title 10 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: of this message is why I went off touch Somebody 11 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:43,959 Speaker 1: tell him. It's a long story. When I first decided 12 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: to preach on this topic of triggered, I figured that 13 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: it would help me personally and then we could do 14 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,479 Speaker 1: group therapy. But I wanted to do it from the 15 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: Word of God because I am not a psychologist, certainly 16 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:01,560 Speaker 1: not a neuroscientist or anything like that. I interviewed a 17 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:04,760 Speaker 1: neuroscientist a few days ago and that is now on 18 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: the Elevation Church YouTube, so you can go and watch that. 19 00:01:08,319 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: I asked her questions related to the clinical reasons that 20 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: sometimes we do the things that we do, and had 21 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,479 Speaker 1: a conversation with her about not just understanding things with 22 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: cliches and jargon that we sometimes used to cover up 23 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: our lazy thinking, and sometimes we spiritualize issues that are 24 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: practical in the same time sometimes try to sell things 25 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: practically that are spiritual. And so it's just a great 26 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 1: talk that's on the Elevation Chirch YouTube and you can 27 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 1: check that out. But this week I want to share 28 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:41,480 Speaker 1: a character study on a Bible character who is so 29 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: familiar to me. And by that I mean not only 30 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,560 Speaker 1: have I read this story quite a few times, but 31 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: I feel like I know this guy. I feel like 32 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: I've met him one time in the mirror, and certain 33 00:01:59,880 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 1: things about him really spoke to me, And so I 34 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: just pray that the same will happen for you today 35 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: as I read this text. I want to just tell 36 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 1: you the spoiler alert right up front. Naman in Second 37 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: King's Chapter five has leprosy and gets healed. But that's 38 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: just the headline, and so there's a lot to learn 39 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: in the midst of it, and I want to read 40 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 1: a few verses and kind of drop in and explain 41 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: and move along in this narrative. The Bible says in 42 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: Second King's Chapter five, verse one. Now, Nayman was commander 43 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 1: of the army of the King of Aram. He was 44 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: a great man in the sight of his master, and 45 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: highly regarded because through him the Lord had given victory 46 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: to aerm It's interesting the way that is phrased, because 47 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: it says it wasn't by him that the victory was one, 48 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: it was through him. And I think understanding that is 49 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: very critical if you were to have any hope of 50 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: remaining sane in your life, just to know that God's 51 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: going to do it through you. You know, half of 52 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: the time that I'm messed up is because I'm trying 53 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: to do it for God, and He's trying to do 54 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: it through me. But he can't do it through me 55 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: when I'm trying to do it for him, and so 56 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: I just start forcing situations and then I'm frustrated and 57 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: irritated and agitated, and I'm mad at everybody and everything 58 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: because I'm trying to do stuff for people and for 59 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 1: God that God would like to do through me if 60 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: I would yield myself and yield my will. And this 61 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: is even more interesting because Maemon is not an Israelite. 62 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:37,119 Speaker 1: He's not one of these chosen people, as they understood 63 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 1: it at the time, he's actually a commander of an 64 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: enemy army from Arim that would consistently raid the Israelites 65 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: and not only do damage to their crops, but many 66 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: times take their people away in bondage. At the end 67 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: of one of these raids. Bible says he was a 68 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: great man in the sight of his master, and highly 69 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: regarded because through him, he was highly regarded because of 70 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: what he did. He was highly regarded because of the 71 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: results that he achieved. He was highly regarded because of 72 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: the outcomes that were brought about through his skill set. 73 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: And so he was a great man in the sight 74 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: of his master, and highly regarded because through him. I'm 75 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 1: reading it over and over on purpose, because it's so 76 00:04:23,839 --> 00:04:26,599 Speaker 1: profound that if we skim the surface we will miss 77 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 1: the meaning. He was a great man in the sight 78 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,080 Speaker 1: of his master, and highly regarded because through him the 79 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:36,680 Speaker 1: Lord had given victory to aerm and he was a 80 00:04:36,800 --> 00:04:44,880 Speaker 1: valiant soldier. But he had leprosy and incurable skin disease, 81 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,039 Speaker 1: a non lethal form of it in this case, but 82 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 1: a problem. Nonetheless, he was great. But and depending on 83 00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: when you see someone in the setting that you meet 84 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: them in, you might be he sometimes more acquainted with 85 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 1: their victories than their vulnerabilities. That's why I advocate just 86 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: a little bit of time dating, just a little bit 87 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: of time to see them in pressure filled situations, just 88 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:15,880 Speaker 1: a little bit of time out of the candlelight, under 89 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: the harsh neon glow of some of the trials of life. 90 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:22,479 Speaker 1: Just a piece of advice. But I can't prove it 91 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: in the Bible. But I think you know, depending on 92 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: where you see someone determines what you see. And I 93 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: realize this more and more now because I think people 94 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,120 Speaker 1: think that they should behave in front of a pastor. 95 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 1: So when I meet people, a lot of times I 96 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: realize I might not be meeting the truest version of them, 97 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 1: do you know what I mean? They might not always 98 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 1: speak in Hebrew and Greek, they might sometimes speak in 99 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: other tongues. But when when I really want to know 100 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: about somebody, especially on staff, I don't go off of 101 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 1: my first impression, because I don't really trust my first 102 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: impression of people any more. I used to I used 103 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: to say I have discernment. Now I realize that a 104 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,719 Speaker 1: lot of what I thought was discernment was really me 105 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: just vibing off of somebody or maybe they reminded me 106 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: of somebody, and I didn't like some people that were 107 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: really cool, consistent people, but I thought they were boring. 108 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: But the reason they were boring is because they're not 109 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: always having to create drama in their life. And I 110 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: found out that drama works good in movies, but in 111 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,239 Speaker 1: real life, I don't want the ticket to that show. 112 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: So now am my preaching already? This is just the 113 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: first verse. And what I learned about myself is I 114 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: need to ask others. I need to get references. And 115 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: at times i'll meet somebody on our staff and it's 116 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: not a small staff, and I don't know everybody on 117 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,360 Speaker 1: the staff anymore. I used to. I used to hand 118 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: select people, and oh man, when I hired the first 119 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,400 Speaker 1: staff member, I got the opportunity to spend just hours 120 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 1: and hours getting to know him, so I knew his 121 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 1: strengths and weaknesses pretty well. But now I will ask 122 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 1: someone about someone, ask somebody that works with them and 123 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: has had to work with them in a pressure hopefully 124 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 1: if I can, if I can get somebody that has 125 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 1: had to work with them when there was a deadline involved, 126 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: or has seen how they managed a disappointment, you know, 127 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 1: and how they treat others and things like that. So 128 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: I will ask how is so? And so let's say 129 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: that I wanted to know about JT. I would ask. 130 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:25,160 Speaker 1: I would be like, hey, how's JT? And I would 131 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: wait for the person who knows them, not the person 132 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 1: who met them, but the person who knows them to 133 00:07:32,040 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: I would wait for them and see how long they 134 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:38,200 Speaker 1: hesitate before they answer the question, because I want to 135 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: see how long they're going to scroll through, you know. 136 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: And sometimes people will say the right thing, but it's 137 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: the inflection in their voice they say it with that 138 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: lets you know there's something else. I'd be like, hey, 139 00:07:50,720 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: I've noticed JT on our staff. He seems like he 140 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: seems like a great guy. And if the person's voice 141 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: goes up when they answer, you got pay attention to that. 142 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: And so it's like how's JT? And they'll go, oh, 143 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: he's great. And when they hit that falsetto like unnatural 144 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: soprano note, he's great, it's the sounds like axel rose, 145 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: you know. Up there. I'm like, but what everybody say? 146 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:26,600 Speaker 1: But what? Because one thing that has really helped me 147 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 1: in ministry and in life is to realize that everybody 148 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: has two eyes, two ears, one nose, one neck, most 149 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: people two arms, two legs, and everybody has at least one. 150 00:08:47,679 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: But he was a great man. But it's in the Bible, people, 151 00:08:56,840 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: I'm not making it up. It said that this great man, 152 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 1: he's great. But the problem with being a preacher is 153 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: I can see your eyes. I can see your ears, 154 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: I can see whether or not you're taking notes, and 155 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: if you don't have a pin out, I'm judging you 156 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: so hard right now. I hope you feel the vibrations 157 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 1: of the flames of hell. The issue with this arrangement 158 00:09:26,760 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 1: is I can't see your but and it's probably better 159 00:09:31,760 --> 00:09:35,839 Speaker 1: that way. It's been a lot of my ministry preaching 160 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 1: to people's heads, preaching to people's intellect. And I messed 161 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 1: around and pastored this church now for over twelve years. 162 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 1: And I messed around and got a few stray grays 163 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: in my beard, and I messed around and got involved 164 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:53,360 Speaker 1: in a few people's lives. And I messed around and 165 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,839 Speaker 1: found out that everybody has a butt. And the only 166 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: way I knew it is that a few people showed 167 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: me there there. I know it's awkward, and you know, 168 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: half the reason that sermons don't really register more than 169 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: two hours. Sometimes is because we're all trying to cover 170 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 1: our butt. That's the strategy most people come to church with. 171 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: See why b cover your butt? You cover it behind 172 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: a big smile and appraise the Lord in a Chand 173 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 1: you know I could do that? Do you know what 174 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:39,160 Speaker 1: I'm saying? He was a great man, but he had 175 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,200 Speaker 1: a skin issue, and nobody can see that on the 176 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: battlefield because on the battlefield I got armor. We all 177 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: have something that we use to cover a spot in 178 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 1: our life. Let's be honest, we're not talking about human anatomy. 179 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:13,000 Speaker 1: You have multiple bucks, You are great with people, but 180 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: you don't take care of yourself. You see what I'm saying. 181 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:21,719 Speaker 1: You are really good at succeeding and really bad at 182 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: being content. So I'm successful, but I'm miserable. I'm killing 183 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 1: it at work, but my fifteen year old do I 184 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:47,559 Speaker 1: even have to finish this? I got a great marriage, 185 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: I'm great, but I'm not making any money right now. 186 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:56,440 Speaker 1: And I'm a good emotional provider, but financially, you know, 187 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: I never learned how to do that. And the thing 188 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: about a really good encounter with God, you can tell 189 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:15,040 Speaker 1: when you've encountered God it will expose your and the 190 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: way it happens, it'll often be an unlikely way. Let's 191 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 1: talk about this in three stages. The first is exposure. 192 00:12:21,800 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: Nayman is perhaps changing one day in his own home, 193 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:28,839 Speaker 1: and verse two says, bends of raiders from aarm Remember 194 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: he's a captain, he's a commander of these armies from Aram, 195 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:38,440 Speaker 1: which would often go out and take different people captive. 196 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:42,280 Speaker 1: And on one particular such occasion, the raiders from Aram 197 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: had gone out and had taken captive a young girl 198 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: from Israel. And she served Nayman's wife. And she said 199 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,600 Speaker 1: to her mistress, if only my master would see the 200 00:12:55,600 --> 00:13:00,080 Speaker 1: prophet who is in Samaria, he would cure him of 201 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:05,200 Speaker 1: his leprosy. And so the Bible says something really important 202 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: in verse four. Because you are not blessed based on 203 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,960 Speaker 1: the word of God that you hear or the word 204 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 1: of God that you understand, you are base blessed, and 205 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: your life is changed in accordance with the word of 206 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:24,040 Speaker 1: God that you apply, obey, and act on. That's why 207 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,720 Speaker 1: you can hear thirteen years of teaching and still be 208 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:30,960 Speaker 1: mean as the serpent in the garden of Eden. No, 209 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 1: that's why you can hear a lot of teaching about love, 210 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: but if you don't make the decision to forgive, the 211 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 1: teaching about love will be snatched up by the birds 212 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 1: of the air and will not take root in your heart. 213 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 1: So verse four becomes really important if we really want 214 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 1: to change, if we really want to get beneath the surface, 215 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: and you know, not just have a skin deep spirituality 216 00:13:50,640 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 1: and a skin deep relationship with God where we can 217 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:55,880 Speaker 1: fake it for a little while, and we create stages 218 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,160 Speaker 1: to impress people, and we have armor that we put 219 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,280 Speaker 1: on to go out into our job, but we come 220 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,960 Speaker 1: home and feel like miserable, miserable people to live with, 221 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,440 Speaker 1: or we feel like we don't know how to be intimate, 222 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: but we know how to be impressive. And so as 223 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: long as people only see us from a distance, they 224 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:13,440 Speaker 1: don't really notice we're starting to cover our skin and 225 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: cover our souls and things that are just leaping out 226 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 1: of us at all the wrong time. Verse four says 227 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:25,480 Speaker 1: that Naman went to his master and told him what 228 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: the girl from Israel had said. And this took courage, 229 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 1: and it took humility for Naming to go to his 230 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: master and show his butt, to show his vulnerability when 231 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,040 Speaker 1: he was a man with so many victories. I just 232 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: want to stay there for a minute, because sometimes I 233 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: feel like we use prayer as an opportunity to read 234 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: God our resume, you know. And while I think it's 235 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: great to celebrate all the gol Elias that we killed, 236 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: sometimes the giants in us are kicking our butt and 237 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: we don't say anything about it until it's too late. 238 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:13,200 Speaker 1: And I'm getting bolder every year I passed her, as 239 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: I commit more and more to preaching to the part 240 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: of you that you would just as soon hide and 241 00:15:22,240 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: never mention, because I think that's where real help is found. 242 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:29,240 Speaker 1: And Naman went to his master and told him what 243 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: the girl from Israel had said. I mean, this is 244 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 1: a servant girl. And Naman is what a great man? 245 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:39,840 Speaker 1: A great man. He's a great man. But he's got 246 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: these spots that are starting to spread, and if he 247 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: doesn't do something soon, there's no telling what might happen next. 248 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:51,800 Speaker 1: And since there are no essential oils for this particular 249 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 1: form of leprosy at this point in antiquity, Naman has 250 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 1: to take the advice of a little girl. And now 251 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: we have a great man going to an enemy nation 252 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: in Israel, because of the advice of a little girl. 253 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: Are you willing to obey God even if he speaks 254 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: through something that seems smaller than you, because I notice 255 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 1: a lot of us won't. A lot of teenagers will 256 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: listen to me preach and roll their eyes at their parents. 257 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: And I don't understand that because I'm not paying for 258 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:28,320 Speaker 1: your college or your bracest. I'm not even buying you 259 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: ramen noodles. And sometimes I've noticed that men will listen 260 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: to me preach, but their wife knows them better than 261 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: I do and could say some things that would actually 262 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: help them. It's getting quiet, and even the women left 263 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:47,000 Speaker 1: me out on that one. It's like that, I'm ana 264 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: cancel reflective, y'all, don't help me with this sermon. It's 265 00:16:52,080 --> 00:16:55,880 Speaker 1: something about exposure and when a spot in your life 266 00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:01,040 Speaker 1: everybody says spot a leprous spots, something that is consuming 267 00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: you that others can't see when it is exposed by 268 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,080 Speaker 1: an experience. That's the second stage I wanted to mention 269 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: is experience, because things will happen in your life and 270 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:15,679 Speaker 1: you'll come up upon situations that will expose something that 271 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:17,720 Speaker 1: you would prefer to hide. And what you do next 272 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:23,600 Speaker 1: determines whether you get healed. So Naman went to his 273 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 274 00:17:25,840 --> 00:17:28,360 Speaker 1: Verse five says that the king said, by all means go, 275 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: I will send a letter to the King of Israel. 276 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: So Naman left, taking with him ten talents of silver 277 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 1: six thousand shekels of gold. That's like seventy five pounds 278 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:45,600 Speaker 1: of each. So Naman is going to Israel with his 279 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: resources to attain healing. He's gonna he's gonna deal with 280 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: this like he always deals with things, because he's a 281 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:01,719 Speaker 1: great man. He's a persistent man, prepared man. He's a 282 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:04,640 Speaker 1: powerful man. These other things that start with the letter 283 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:08,480 Speaker 1: P as well and the letter that he took to 284 00:18:08,520 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: the King of Israel read with this letter, I am 285 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: sending my servant naming to you so that you may 286 00:18:17,119 --> 00:18:19,120 Speaker 1: cure him of his leprosy. There's all kinds of stuff 287 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: wrong with that sentence. It's like the telephone game we 288 00:18:22,160 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 1: used to play when you pass a message along to 289 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 1: somebody and it starts out We're having jo chicken for lunch, 290 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 1: and it ends with I'm dying of cancer, and you 291 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 1: pass it down and it only takes three people. This 292 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: chain of communication has polluted the message itself because number one, 293 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:39,239 Speaker 1: the servant girl didn't say the king can heal him. 294 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: It said the prophet can. And sometimes we run to 295 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,880 Speaker 1: the wrong people because we have our own ideas about 296 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:51,680 Speaker 1: where our help comes from. Talk to me, and it's 297 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: not the king that is going to have the faith 298 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:55,880 Speaker 1: to get him healed. It's the prophet. His name is Elisha. 299 00:18:56,720 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 1: But the king sends the commander to the king because 300 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:04,880 Speaker 1: you know, this is to me, the most logical way 301 00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 1: to get him healed. We'll go straight to the top. 302 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:09,480 Speaker 1: But watch the king's response. And this is kind of 303 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:12,919 Speaker 1: interesting because when the king gets the letter and Naman 304 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:18,159 Speaker 1: shows up with all of the accumulated wealth that he 305 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: believes it's gonna take to get him healed. You know how, 306 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 1: we have our own ideas about what it's gonna take 307 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:25,160 Speaker 1: to make a change in our life. And I'm gonna 308 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: do it. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna go back, 309 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:28,439 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get my degree. I'm gonna go back. I'm 310 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,040 Speaker 1: get my degree. I'm gonna eat. I'm gonna eat so 311 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:32,960 Speaker 1: much Kal it's gonna be coming out of my nose. 312 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:36,400 Speaker 1: I'm not eating gluten again until twenty twenty four. I'm 313 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: gonna do hot yoga and cold yoga and powerlifting, and 314 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna do it all. Mariema Bible. 315 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna delete every social media off my phone. I'm 316 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 1: never going on Facebook again. I've got my face in 317 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:51,359 Speaker 1: the book. And he shows up with a lot of 318 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:53,880 Speaker 1: stuff that he thinks he canna need to get healed. 319 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,119 Speaker 1: But as soon verse seven, as the King of Israel 320 00:19:56,240 --> 00:19:58,800 Speaker 1: read the letter, he tore his robes and said, am 321 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 1: I God, you want me to do what? I got? 322 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 1: This friend, y'all, his name is Alex Early. He was 323 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: my college roommate and he used to make prank phone 324 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: calls in college and they were hilarious. Most of them 325 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: were clean. We were Christians, but he had the ability 326 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: to push people to their breaking point. He was a 327 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:18,199 Speaker 1: big fan of a guy at the time who did 328 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: prank calls named roy D Mercer, and this guy was 329 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 1: famous for taking people right to the edge, and so 330 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:25,600 Speaker 1: we would laugh. And we still have these phone calls 331 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:27,760 Speaker 1: recorded and one day I'm going to release them on SoundCloud. 332 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:30,400 Speaker 1: And these phone calls to me just bring me joy 333 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: At times in my life, because everybody's reaction was the same. 334 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: He make up a million scenarios. You know. He would 335 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: use this name, this alias duw Wane McGraw, Duwaine, and 336 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:44,960 Speaker 1: put a thing over the e because it's French. My 337 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: name is Dewane McGraw. And he'd say, my boy Bobby 338 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: is throwing up all over the shag carpet because I 339 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: came to the grocery store and I bought bad milk. 340 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,400 Speaker 1: And they would always say this, no matter what scenario 341 00:20:57,440 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: he made up. One time it'd be Bobby's throwing up 342 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: on the shag carpet. One time it'd be I took 343 00:21:01,119 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 1: my trousers to your laundromat and they shrunk up and 344 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 1: now they're coming up around my thighs and I look 345 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:10,520 Speaker 1: like a European and you know, but whatever scenario he 346 00:21:10,560 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: would bring up, their response was generally the same. What 347 00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:25,800 Speaker 1: do you want me to do about it? The king? 348 00:21:26,840 --> 00:21:30,919 Speaker 1: The king is like, you brought me a leopard? Do 349 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: you think I'm God? I'm not a doctor, I'm a king. 350 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:39,159 Speaker 1: Have you ever felt like life brought you something that 351 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:43,920 Speaker 1: was above your pay grate to handle? God? They're doing 352 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 1: that thing again where they sit there and look at 353 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: me like they always have it together and they have 354 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 1: all the answers. Because I looked at my kids the 355 00:21:50,720 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: other day and said, I am not Google. I am 356 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: not a search engine. I do not know. Furthermore, I 357 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:00,840 Speaker 1: do not care. Get out of my face. Sometimes I 358 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 1: wake up in the middle of the night and replay 359 00:22:03,400 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: things that I've said to my kids and feel so 360 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,439 Speaker 1: bad that I have to get up and baptize myself 361 00:22:09,680 --> 00:22:13,119 Speaker 1: in the bathtub and get saved again, just as I 362 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:17,760 Speaker 1: am without one plead, O Lamb of God, what do 363 00:22:17,800 --> 00:22:25,440 Speaker 1: you want from me? I'm only a man, And the 364 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: King says, I know what this is, this man, watch 365 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:33,680 Speaker 1: can I kill and bring back to life. He's triggered 366 00:22:34,040 --> 00:22:37,960 Speaker 1: because he is confronted with a situation that he is 367 00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:42,479 Speaker 1: unable to transform. And whenever life presents you with something 368 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: that you were not equipped for. So you got to 369 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,639 Speaker 1: be a dad and you didn't have a dad. You 370 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:49,919 Speaker 1: got to pay a bill, but God didn't give you 371 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,680 Speaker 1: a job. You've got to step into something that you've 372 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 1: never seen before with the faith to believe that it's 373 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,200 Speaker 1: already done. And it can be exasperating to the point. 374 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:05,200 Speaker 1: Watch this that you allow your past experience to contaminate 375 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: your perspective of the present moment. Remember what I said. 376 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: The King of Aaron, Benedett the second would often go 377 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: and invade Jehoram's land jahormas king of Israel. And so 378 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:22,440 Speaker 1: when he gets the letter saying, hey, can you help 379 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: my guy name in can you heal my guy naming? 380 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 1: It triggered within him a traumatic memory of the last 381 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:40,919 Speaker 1: time he was attacked, and so he goes off, not 382 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: because of the situation that he's experiencing, but because of 383 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: past experiences. Do you ever wonder why you go off? 384 00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 1: And it's inexplicable, like the level of the offense does 385 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:59,760 Speaker 1: not match the level of the outrage, And you wonder 386 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: why what was that all about? Hell? You ever with 387 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:07,960 Speaker 1: the elevation church sticker on your car said some words 388 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:09,879 Speaker 1: that weren't blessed the Lord, Oh my soul? And wonder 389 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:15,679 Speaker 1: you know how y'all think Holly is so sweet? What 390 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 1: time in college she was singing a worship song in 391 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: her Ford contour, and the song said I was there, 392 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:25,679 Speaker 1: I was in the passenger seat. The song said, you 393 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:31,399 Speaker 1: are so patient with me? Lord. She didn't get to 394 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:36,760 Speaker 1: Lord before she was screaming at the at the dodge 395 00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 1: ram that pulled out in front of her, and she's loud. 396 00:24:41,240 --> 00:24:43,080 Speaker 1: Holly is like when she's up here a reflect she 397 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 1: be smiling. But I'm gonna tell you something about Hollyford. 398 00:24:50,640 --> 00:24:55,959 Speaker 1: What what is that all about? Where did that voice 399 00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,719 Speaker 1: come from? We? And then the devil starts telling you all, well, 400 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: you know, not a real Christian, you're hypocrite. Some of 401 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: y'all are gonna lose it before the day is over 402 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:15,600 Speaker 1: because of your fantasy football lineup. No, not because of 403 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,840 Speaker 1: anything significant to anything having to do with real life 404 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:23,719 Speaker 1: in any way, because of other men that have absolutely 405 00:25:23,720 --> 00:25:26,400 Speaker 1: no effect on you other than one hundred dollars at 406 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 1: the end of the season. And you wonder why did 407 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: I go off like that? It's understandable because we live 408 00:25:35,320 --> 00:25:37,520 Speaker 1: in not only the age of anxiety, but if you noticed, 409 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 1: we live in the age of outrage too. How trendy 410 00:25:42,880 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 1: it is now to just get mad about anything that 411 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:51,680 Speaker 1: you don't like the first time you hear it. Well, 412 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 1: you'll aren't going to like this part of the sermon. 413 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: I don't think too much, but can I be honest 414 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: with you, I don't really care what shoes you were 415 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:07,520 Speaker 1: to church today. No, maybe my perspective is different, but 416 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:13,120 Speaker 1: I spend too much time seeing people's butts to care 417 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 1: about what you have on your feet today. So I 418 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:21,400 Speaker 1: don't have time when teen suicide is in an all 419 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 1: time high to check and see if you're wearing Adidas 420 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 1: or Nike, if you got yeezes, or you want to 421 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: just do it. I don't really have time to debate 422 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 1: with you about a sluice or a commercial or getting 423 00:26:38,560 --> 00:26:41,760 Speaker 1: mad about I really don't have time for it up 424 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:45,200 Speaker 1: here when people's lives are on the line. I really 425 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 1: don't have time for it in here, when people are 426 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 1: on antidepressants in a rate that's making them more depressed, 427 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:53,880 Speaker 1: but they don't know where else to turn, and we're 428 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:57,120 Speaker 1: run into all kinds of places that are leaving us empty, 429 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:04,960 Speaker 1: but we want to. There will be at least one 430 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:08,560 Speaker 1: comment on this YouTube video about the holes in my jeans? 431 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:17,080 Speaker 1: Are you for real right now? But it triggers something. 432 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:19,800 Speaker 1: You're not fighting me over shoes, You're not fighting me 433 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:24,639 Speaker 1: over jeans. One moment told me until you save your beard, 434 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 1: I can't watch you anymore. This is psychotic, she said. 435 00:27:35,080 --> 00:27:37,919 Speaker 1: I'm praying for you. I want to say, I'm praying 436 00:27:37,960 --> 00:27:40,560 Speaker 1: for you. I'm a fast forty days. If you're that 437 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:51,399 Speaker 1: messed up, I don't know why I went off. I 438 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,680 Speaker 1: think like for me, this is just what I'm working through, 439 00:27:53,680 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: and so this makes you think I'm crazy. You're right, 440 00:27:56,200 --> 00:28:00,240 Speaker 1: but I'm going through this season of my life where 441 00:28:00,320 --> 00:28:07,160 Speaker 1: I don't want to keep blaming my environment or consulting 442 00:28:07,520 --> 00:28:09,720 Speaker 1: things that happened in my life, because the cross of 443 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:14,680 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ gives me a new reality and it really 444 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:17,880 Speaker 1: changes everything in the sense that all of my life 445 00:28:17,920 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 1: has to be viewed through that lens of what He 446 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: did for me and who he says I am. If 447 00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:26,880 Speaker 1: I'm not careful, I'll be like the King who, when 448 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 1: confronted with an impossible situation that reminded him of a 449 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 1: past hurt, he inflicted the opportunity of his present moment 450 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:38,720 Speaker 1: with the pain of his past. Do you see what 451 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: I'm saying He projected. See every time he dealt with aerm, 452 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 1: it was an attack. And now it's an opportunity for 453 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: this man to be healed and see what God can do. 454 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,719 Speaker 1: But if what you went through isn't healed by what 455 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:57,920 Speaker 1: Christ did for you, you will treat the opportunity like 456 00:28:57,960 --> 00:29:01,360 Speaker 1: an attack. And I've noticed that, like I spend a 457 00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:05,120 Speaker 1: lot of my time fighting stuff that God is actually 458 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 1: sending into my life. I spent a lot of my 459 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 1: time fighting against people that I'm not really mad at. 460 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:14,440 Speaker 1: It's really not them. Tell the person next to you, 461 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 1: it's not you, it's me. It's me. I'm a perfectionist, 462 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,360 Speaker 1: and so sometimes when things aren't just like I want 463 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:28,560 Speaker 1: them to be, or here's what really happens, it really 464 00:29:28,560 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 1: happens with my expectation. Put that word up there, because 465 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:34,600 Speaker 1: when I expect it to be one way and it's 466 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: the other. Like when I went off on my dad 467 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:42,800 Speaker 1: a few years ago, it was because I rented him 468 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 1: a house. I moved him and my mom to Charlotte. Well, 469 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: I didn't move him, I hired movers and then they 470 00:29:52,720 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: got fired because my dad was crazy and it was 471 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: so funny. It really wasn't funny. It's funny now, can 472 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:04,920 Speaker 1: we laugh about it? Ah? Okay? But the day I 473 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: went to see him, and the story has a happy ending, 474 00:30:08,440 --> 00:30:10,760 Speaker 1: and then we ended up being together and it was 475 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:12,960 Speaker 1: good and all that. But in between remember name and 476 00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:14,960 Speaker 1: gets healed at the end of this story. But there's 477 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: some stuff in the middle that I want to talk 478 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 1: to you about, because in the middle of that, that 479 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:21,640 Speaker 1: whole messy situation with my dad, I remember going over 480 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 1: to check on them one day and I was so 481 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:25,920 Speaker 1: proud of the house that Holly had found that we 482 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:28,320 Speaker 1: rented for them, and my mom liked it and she 483 00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:30,320 Speaker 1: was happy. And my dad. The first thing he said, 484 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 1: I walke through dough. He said, this ain't gonna work, Bo. 485 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: And I know honor your father and mother and the Lord. 486 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,920 Speaker 1: I know that Bible verse, I promise you, I know it. 487 00:30:41,960 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 1: I even know that that honor is Cavat and Hebrew, 488 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: and it can also be translated glory and wait. But 489 00:30:48,560 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 1: the only thing I wanted in that moment, I'm gonna 490 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:55,120 Speaker 1: just be honest with you. I don't like to be disrespected, 491 00:30:56,480 --> 00:31:00,200 Speaker 1: and it felt disrespectful to me, and so I went off. 492 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:02,880 Speaker 1: And it really wasn't what he said, because really what 493 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:04,840 Speaker 1: he wanted was just a few small tweaks. But I 494 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:09,959 Speaker 1: couldn't hear that anymore, you know, because my expectation was 495 00:31:10,280 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 1: that he was going to meet me at the door 496 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:17,040 Speaker 1: and give me a big ol' hug and say, my 497 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:21,880 Speaker 1: son and whom I am, well pleased and the duff 498 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 1: with the sin, But he didn't read my script. What 499 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: do you do when people don't read your script? Meet 500 00:31:31,720 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 1: your expectation? And here's where the story gets good, because 501 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 1: I want you to notice that the same event that 502 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,800 Speaker 1: triggered the king and made him go into fear mode, 503 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 1: which is usually what's happening when we're lashing out or withdrawing, 504 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 1: because not everybody fights outwardly. Some of us bobble it 505 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:52,959 Speaker 1: up inwardly, and then we never go off. One day, 506 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 1: we just tap out, and you wonder, how did they 507 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: drop like that? Well, it's usually a series of un 508 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 1: met expectations. In this case, the King of Israel, jehosh 509 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:08,280 Speaker 1: he's traumatized to the point that he thinks that everything 510 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:11,040 Speaker 1: is a fight. It says it in the text. See 511 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:13,280 Speaker 1: how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me. 512 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:17,920 Speaker 1: That's verse seven. See how they're looking at me. See 513 00:32:18,120 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 1: they didn't even wave at me. See I told this 514 00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 1: is a Southern thing. You're supposed to wave at people 515 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:27,000 Speaker 1: when you drive by them. The town I grew up in, 516 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:30,640 Speaker 1: you waived at everybody. And the first time that we 517 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 1: were driving through the neighborhood and Holly didn't wave at people. 518 00:32:33,480 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 1: I corrected her. I was like, what is wrong with you? 519 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:41,640 Speaker 1: She's not from Monks Corners, She's from Miami, and it's 520 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 1: a different culture. It's an inferior culture of rudeness. And 521 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:55,960 Speaker 1: so anytime that you've been used to in your life, 522 00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 1: you've been used to fighting. If life has really been 523 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:00,000 Speaker 1: a fight for you, if you've had to fight for 524 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:01,720 Speaker 1: your mental health, or you've had to fight for your 525 00:33:01,720 --> 00:33:03,800 Speaker 1: emotional health, or if you've had to fight through issues 526 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 1: of bitterness and forgiveness because of abuse, if you've had 527 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:08,960 Speaker 1: to fight for your own and fight to make it, 528 00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 1: or if you had to fight your own family, when 529 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:13,200 Speaker 1: you've had to fight over and over again, everything looks 530 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 1: like a fight. Everything looks like a threat. Everything sounds 531 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:19,480 Speaker 1: like an insult. Every time somebody doesn't check on you, 532 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 1: it feels like abandonment. It's the trauma that's being triggered. 533 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:26,840 Speaker 1: But what's encouraging to me and what I got up 534 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 1: here to tell you about today, because this is pretty 535 00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:33,680 Speaker 1: depressing so far. But the same stimulus that triggered fear 536 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:39,479 Speaker 1: in the King's heart triggered faith in Elisha's. The Bible 537 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:42,360 Speaker 1: says in verse eight. When Elisha, the man of God, 538 00:33:42,440 --> 00:33:45,320 Speaker 1: heard that the King of Israel had torn his robes, 539 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: he sent him this message. Now watch this king. The 540 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:53,360 Speaker 1: king said, who do you think I am? You think 541 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:56,960 Speaker 1: I can? You think I'm a healer? Elisha said, I 542 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 1: know God is a healer. So watch this. Have the 543 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:05,800 Speaker 1: man come to me, and he will know that there 544 00:34:05,880 --> 00:34:11,440 Speaker 1: is a prophet in Israel. This man said, where you see, 545 00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:18,240 Speaker 1: where you see opposition, I see opportunity. And the same 546 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,840 Speaker 1: thing that triggered you to tear your robes and freak 547 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:24,520 Speaker 1: out and fall down in fear triggered Elisha to rise 548 00:34:24,640 --> 00:34:28,600 Speaker 1: up in faith. Elisha said, send him to me, because 549 00:34:28,640 --> 00:34:31,799 Speaker 1: the word of God is with me. Now Elisha has 550 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:36,280 Speaker 1: an experience to build this expectation on. Elisha has healed 551 00:34:36,320 --> 00:34:40,320 Speaker 1: the waters at Jericho. Elisha has multiplied the widow's oil. 552 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,879 Speaker 1: Elisha has spoken to parent wounds, and when that child died, 553 00:34:44,160 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 1: spoke life and it resurrected from the dead. Elisha has 554 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:50,440 Speaker 1: dug ditches in dry valleys and seen God bring water 555 00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:53,560 Speaker 1: from the direction of edom. Elisha has seen God do 556 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:56,000 Speaker 1: things that only God can do. And so when an 557 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,640 Speaker 1: impossible situation that is beyond him shows up. Elisha knows 558 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:02,840 Speaker 1: what thed. Bring him here to me. I got something 559 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:06,920 Speaker 1: for nameMan. I heal lepers for breakfast. Bring him to me, 560 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:09,759 Speaker 1: and he will know not how great I am, but 561 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:15,920 Speaker 1: how great God is. And so watch verse nine. I 562 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 1: love this story. Namon went with his horses and chariots 563 00:35:22,560 --> 00:35:27,000 Speaker 1: and his expectations and his leprosy and his greatness and 564 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 1: his butt, and he brought it all because he wanted 565 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:35,680 Speaker 1: to be healed. I know you want to be healed 566 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:38,440 Speaker 1: of something today, even though you've been covering it up. 567 00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:43,240 Speaker 1: And I know you use your charisma to cover your cracks. 568 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:46,960 Speaker 1: And I know that nobody knows how dark the thoughts 569 00:35:46,960 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 1: can really get for you sometime. But I've been doing 570 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,040 Speaker 1: this too long to sit there and preach to your armor. 571 00:35:57,480 --> 00:36:01,520 Speaker 1: Because a business leader walked up to me and told 572 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:04,040 Speaker 1: me that he had to kick his teenager out of 573 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:07,800 Speaker 1: his house. He said, we almost got in a fistfight, 574 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:12,920 Speaker 1: he said. I swung at him and missed. I realized 575 00:36:12,960 --> 00:36:15,879 Speaker 1: this has gone way too far. And the man had 576 00:36:15,920 --> 00:36:21,000 Speaker 1: on khakis while he was telling me. Pleaded khakis, double 577 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: pleated khakis, no tattoos, but didn't look like the kind 578 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:32,279 Speaker 1: of guy that would swing on his kid. But I 579 00:36:32,320 --> 00:36:37,080 Speaker 1: don't even really think you've seen your own butt until 580 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:43,879 Speaker 1: you've been through certain things. And then the weird thing 581 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:49,080 Speaker 1: is we all have short term memory loss if we 582 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:51,480 Speaker 1: have one devotion and read our Bible one morning. Now 583 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:56,279 Speaker 1: we start judging other people when they flip out. And 584 00:36:56,320 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 1: so naming is on the verge of some travel a 585 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:03,240 Speaker 1: long way to get here. It's like a ninety mile trip. 586 00:37:04,440 --> 00:37:06,440 Speaker 1: And he's got a big crew with him, and he 587 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:11,600 Speaker 1: needs a miracle, and we admire him because he went. 588 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:15,640 Speaker 1: I do, at least I think to even get to 589 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:20,000 Speaker 1: this point takes faith. And maybe one of the reasons 590 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:22,600 Speaker 1: I don't put a lot of condemnation or I try 591 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:25,800 Speaker 1: not to in my preaching, is because I'm pretty proud 592 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:30,000 Speaker 1: of you who decided to show up anyway. I know 593 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,360 Speaker 1: how many things could have kept you from being here, 594 00:37:33,040 --> 00:37:34,920 Speaker 1: and I'm pretty proud that you made the decision to 595 00:37:34,920 --> 00:37:40,440 Speaker 1: bring your butt to church. Give yourself a hand for 596 00:37:40,560 --> 00:37:44,680 Speaker 1: bringing your butt to church. And if you're watching online, 597 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:52,120 Speaker 1: you don't get to clap'stif. So Namemn went his horses 598 00:37:52,160 --> 00:37:55,920 Speaker 1: and cheriots stopped at the door of Elicia's house, and 599 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:59,959 Speaker 1: Elciaus and a messenger, Oh, this is not gonna go well, 600 00:38:01,239 --> 00:38:04,680 Speaker 1: because Naming is a great man. And when a great 601 00:38:04,719 --> 00:38:06,520 Speaker 1: man comes to your doorstef, you give him a great 602 00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 1: greeting and you welcome him by name. Man. I'm a 603 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:18,319 Speaker 1: retired This is my last sermon. Y'all enjoy it. He 604 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:21,680 Speaker 1: sent a messenger to say to him, go wash yourself 605 00:38:21,840 --> 00:38:25,000 Speaker 1: seven times in the Jordan. In the what in the Jordan? 606 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:28,400 Speaker 1: You mean that muddy little excuse for a river that 607 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:31,640 Speaker 1: y'all like to celebrate so much in this nation of Israel, 608 00:38:31,880 --> 00:38:34,759 Speaker 1: which I don't even like anyway. And he didn't even 609 00:38:34,800 --> 00:38:39,319 Speaker 1: come to the door and name. It went off. No, 610 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:43,239 Speaker 1: he literally went off, not in the figurative sense. He 611 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: literally decided, I would rather go home with my leprosy. 612 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:51,680 Speaker 1: I'd rather go home and my arm fall off. I 613 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:55,240 Speaker 1: would rather go I would rather die than be disrespected 614 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:59,799 Speaker 1: like this. And when he heard this ridiculous command, he says, 615 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:03,640 Speaker 1: some very important in the instruction. It was a simple instruction. 616 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:07,400 Speaker 1: It was a stupid instruction. It didn't make much sense, 617 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:10,200 Speaker 1: just like it doesn't make much sense when God tells 618 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:13,640 Speaker 1: you to forgive somebody so that you can be forgiven, 619 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:15,759 Speaker 1: and you want to say well, God, if they ask 620 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:18,040 Speaker 1: for it, I'll give it. And God says to you, 621 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:21,320 Speaker 1: I'm not talking about what they deserve. I'm talking about 622 00:39:21,360 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 1: your deliverance. I'm talking about your clean heart. I'm talking 623 00:39:25,640 --> 00:39:30,440 Speaker 1: about your clear mind. So if you want to get cleansed, 624 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:33,680 Speaker 1: I need you to do something that makes no sense, 625 00:39:33,760 --> 00:39:37,800 Speaker 1: because there is no cure for leprosy. It can't be cured. 626 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:40,440 Speaker 1: It's got to be cleansed, and it can only be 627 00:39:40,560 --> 00:39:45,400 Speaker 1: cleansed if you obey this command. And verse eleven starts 628 00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:52,479 Speaker 1: so sad, But there it is again. I'm gonna preach 629 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:56,600 Speaker 1: a whole series one day on the butts of the Bible. 630 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:05,800 Speaker 1: Stand in front a miracle standing. I mean, the guys 631 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:11,880 Speaker 1: around him are like, Okay, that's all we gotta do. Nayan. 632 00:40:11,960 --> 00:40:14,840 Speaker 1: You could keep the seventy five pounds of silver and 633 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:18,479 Speaker 1: the seventy five pounds of gold, and you can pass 634 00:40:18,520 --> 00:40:22,000 Speaker 1: out the ten sets of clothing and we could go home. 635 00:40:22,680 --> 00:40:25,960 Speaker 1: We can start back home. That's easy. Somebody start running 636 00:40:25,960 --> 00:40:27,759 Speaker 1: the water naming. You want it hot, you want an 637 00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:29,960 Speaker 1: extra hot naming. You want a rubber ducky, get the 638 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:40,000 Speaker 1: towel ready. You want some sunscreen. But it's a funny 639 00:40:40,000 --> 00:40:46,520 Speaker 1: thing about pride. It's a funny thing about the small things. 640 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:48,799 Speaker 1: It's a funny thing about something that seems beneath you. 641 00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:52,640 Speaker 1: Remember the King was triggered because of something that seemed 642 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:56,719 Speaker 1: beyond him. Am I God? And naming is triggered because 643 00:40:56,760 --> 00:40:59,880 Speaker 1: of something that seems beneath me. You want me to 644 00:40:59,880 --> 00:41:12,200 Speaker 1: do what? Uh? Huh uh I'm not doing that. Huh huh. No. See, 645 00:41:12,239 --> 00:41:14,279 Speaker 1: because when your heart is filled with pride, you try 646 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:19,160 Speaker 1: to write your own prescriptions. This is how I want 647 00:41:19,160 --> 00:41:20,640 Speaker 1: God to bless me. This is how I want God 648 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:21,880 Speaker 1: to come through. This is how I want God to 649 00:41:21,880 --> 00:41:23,520 Speaker 1: heal me. This is how I wanted to respond this 650 00:41:23,600 --> 00:41:32,400 Speaker 1: opportunity I want. This is so Naman went away angry, said, 651 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:35,120 Speaker 1: this is two very dangerous words. By the way, this 652 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:37,880 Speaker 1: is this is maybe the two most dangerous words for 653 00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:45,359 Speaker 1: you to interpret your life through. I thought, I thought, 654 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:51,719 Speaker 1: maybe those two words are the two words that are 655 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:56,719 Speaker 1: standing between me and peace today. I thought I thought 656 00:41:56,719 --> 00:41:58,640 Speaker 1: my dad was going to be grateful for the house. 657 00:42:00,239 --> 00:42:03,040 Speaker 1: Now he's telling me about getting somebody over here to 658 00:42:03,080 --> 00:42:08,120 Speaker 1: fix the Huh. I thought I thought you'd say thank you. 659 00:42:11,120 --> 00:42:14,480 Speaker 1: I thought you'd grow up and play piano and put 660 00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:20,480 Speaker 1: you in lessons, I thought, I thought. I thought he 661 00:42:20,480 --> 00:42:25,600 Speaker 1: would surely come out to me and stand and call 662 00:42:26,440 --> 00:42:27,960 Speaker 1: on the name of the Lord is God. See, nay 663 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:29,799 Speaker 1: men had it all planned out, because that's what great 664 00:42:29,800 --> 00:42:35,680 Speaker 1: men do. Great men make great plans, and when those 665 00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:38,400 Speaker 1: plans don't go the way that they were supposed to go, 666 00:42:38,520 --> 00:42:44,480 Speaker 1: great men go off, great women go off. Because I 667 00:42:44,480 --> 00:42:47,680 Speaker 1: had this family picture, and here's where you were supposed 668 00:42:47,719 --> 00:42:50,440 Speaker 1: to stand, and here's where you were supposed to smile, 669 00:42:50,760 --> 00:42:53,080 Speaker 1: and here's where you were supposed to and here's where 670 00:42:53,120 --> 00:42:57,160 Speaker 1: you were. I thought, could those two words be standing 671 00:42:57,200 --> 00:43:02,600 Speaker 1: between you and healing today? I thought, God says, my 672 00:43:02,640 --> 00:43:05,880 Speaker 1: thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not 673 00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:08,919 Speaker 1: your ways. For as high as the heavens are above 674 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:10,799 Speaker 1: the earth, so are my thoughts above your thoughts, and 675 00:43:11,880 --> 00:43:18,200 Speaker 1: my ways above your ways. But Naman went away angry 676 00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:21,000 Speaker 1: and said, I thought that I thought he'd come out 677 00:43:21,000 --> 00:43:25,040 Speaker 1: to me. I thought, I thought he would see because 678 00:43:25,080 --> 00:43:27,840 Speaker 1: I had this worked out. He comes to me, and 679 00:43:27,880 --> 00:43:31,520 Speaker 1: then I give him the gifts and I get the healing. 680 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:34,320 Speaker 1: This is how this works. Not this time, name it, 681 00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:40,200 Speaker 1: not this time. This transformation is not going to happen 682 00:43:40,239 --> 00:43:46,319 Speaker 1: on your terms. God's not going to do it like 683 00:43:46,360 --> 00:43:50,880 Speaker 1: you expected. He's not going to be held hostage to 684 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:55,640 Speaker 1: what you thought. So I thought that he would surely 685 00:43:55,680 --> 00:43:57,640 Speaker 1: come out to me and stand and call him the 686 00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:00,800 Speaker 1: name of the Lord is God, and way his hand. 687 00:44:03,320 --> 00:44:06,319 Speaker 1: See he's supposed to wave, he's supposed to wave his 688 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:10,000 Speaker 1: hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 689 00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:12,440 Speaker 1: He doesn't like the place God told him to get healed. 690 00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:15,080 Speaker 1: Are not Abna and far part of the rivers of 691 00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:18,160 Speaker 1: Damascus better than all the waters of Israel. I didn't 692 00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:20,160 Speaker 1: have to come here for this. Couldn't I watching them 693 00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:25,719 Speaker 1: and be cleansed. So he turned and went off in 694 00:44:25,800 --> 00:44:30,759 Speaker 1: a rage. And one of his servants, this guy needs 695 00:44:30,760 --> 00:44:35,560 Speaker 1: a raise, by the way, went to him. Notice how 696 00:44:35,560 --> 00:44:39,120 Speaker 1: beautiful the story is told. It's chronicled like this. Namon 697 00:44:39,239 --> 00:44:41,640 Speaker 1: went to his master and said, I need permission to 698 00:44:41,680 --> 00:44:44,640 Speaker 1: go to Israel. So he went to the king, and 699 00:44:44,680 --> 00:44:46,680 Speaker 1: the king said I can't do it. Then he went 700 00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:50,360 Speaker 1: to Elisha with his chariots and horses. And now Namon 701 00:44:50,480 --> 00:44:52,799 Speaker 1: went off in a rage, and he's about to He's 702 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:56,200 Speaker 1: about to miss the opportunity to be healed. Because he 703 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:59,240 Speaker 1: is going off. And here's why he went off, because 704 00:44:59,280 --> 00:45:05,719 Speaker 1: he didn't go in, and he went off because he 705 00:45:05,800 --> 00:45:09,040 Speaker 1: made his decision about what he thought about it, but 706 00:45:09,120 --> 00:45:11,439 Speaker 1: he didn't go in. You know, I've noticed something about 707 00:45:11,480 --> 00:45:14,400 Speaker 1: myself when I don't go into the presence of God, 708 00:45:15,200 --> 00:45:17,120 Speaker 1: when I don't go in and ask God, what are 709 00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:20,240 Speaker 1: you doing in this situation? When I don't go into 710 00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:23,279 Speaker 1: myself and seek for the spirit of God to leave me, 711 00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:26,280 Speaker 1: I start going off, and then I spend the next 712 00:45:26,320 --> 00:45:29,239 Speaker 1: week fixing stuff that if I would have taken one 713 00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:32,360 Speaker 1: moment and worshiped, if I would have taken one moment 714 00:45:32,400 --> 00:45:35,359 Speaker 1: and sought God's wisdom, if I would have taken one 715 00:45:35,400 --> 00:45:37,400 Speaker 1: moment and said, you know what, I don't want to 716 00:45:37,400 --> 00:45:40,200 Speaker 1: fight about this. I don't want to be right. I 717 00:45:40,280 --> 00:45:42,560 Speaker 1: want to be healed. I don't want to prove my 718 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:52,239 Speaker 1: own power. I want to receive your power God. And 719 00:45:52,320 --> 00:45:54,719 Speaker 1: what happens next is really beautiful because some of you 720 00:45:54,760 --> 00:45:57,880 Speaker 1: are going to do it today. Stand with me. The 721 00:45:57,960 --> 00:46:00,200 Speaker 1: servant came to Namen and says something that I think 722 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:02,200 Speaker 1: is very prophetic, and I hope you can hear it 723 00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:05,239 Speaker 1: on the level which it is intended. The servant Chase 724 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:09,400 Speaker 1: naming down Naman is on his way back to Damascus. 725 00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:13,879 Speaker 1: He's gonna walk ninety miles back home with leprosy still 726 00:46:13,960 --> 00:46:16,400 Speaker 1: on his skin because of something that seemed too small 727 00:46:16,400 --> 00:46:18,440 Speaker 1: and insignificant for a great man like him to do. 728 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:22,480 Speaker 1: He's gonna spend the rest of his life with this 729 00:46:22,640 --> 00:46:26,520 Speaker 1: disease because he didn't want to do what he was 730 00:46:26,840 --> 00:46:35,240 Speaker 1: told to do. And the servant said, hey man, sir nayman, 731 00:46:37,360 --> 00:46:40,160 Speaker 1: if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, 732 00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:45,680 Speaker 1: would you not have done it? Well, of course I would, 733 00:46:46,680 --> 00:46:53,040 Speaker 1: because I'm a great man. Well, if you're a great man, 734 00:46:54,480 --> 00:46:58,319 Speaker 1: how much more should you be able to do a 735 00:46:58,360 --> 00:47:04,400 Speaker 1: small thing? So when he tells you washouldn't be cleansed, 736 00:47:05,719 --> 00:47:09,439 Speaker 1: why not give it a try? You know, you've been 737 00:47:09,480 --> 00:47:14,319 Speaker 1: fighting so hard justifying your side of the story and 738 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:18,839 Speaker 1: justifying yourself and why is all right? And why is okay? 739 00:47:18,320 --> 00:47:24,719 Speaker 1: But hey man, why not if we already came ninety miles, 740 00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:28,400 Speaker 1: if we already came this far, and that profit is 741 00:47:28,440 --> 00:47:30,719 Speaker 1: telling you that if you dip in the Jordan you 742 00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:40,760 Speaker 1: can be cleansed, isn't it worth a try? You already 743 00:47:40,800 --> 00:47:44,600 Speaker 1: went to your master and got the letter. You already 744 00:47:44,640 --> 00:47:50,359 Speaker 1: went with your horses and chariots. Now you now you're 745 00:47:50,400 --> 00:47:53,520 Speaker 1: going off in a rage. But verse fourteen is the 746 00:47:53,560 --> 00:47:56,680 Speaker 1: happy ending, and I believe it's a new beginning for 747 00:47:57,120 --> 00:47:59,600 Speaker 1: many of us today. The Bible says, so he went 748 00:47:59,680 --> 00:48:07,000 Speaker 1: down and dipped himself in the Jordan. I'm glad after 749 00:48:07,239 --> 00:48:11,640 Speaker 1: Naman went off, he went in, and he went in 750 00:48:11,680 --> 00:48:14,640 Speaker 1: not just once, not just twice, not just three times, 751 00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:17,680 Speaker 1: not just four times, not just five times, not just 752 00:48:17,719 --> 00:48:22,799 Speaker 1: six times, but all seven. Often, when you're in the 753 00:48:22,840 --> 00:48:27,440 Speaker 1: process of obeying God, you see no immediate effects of change. 754 00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:30,920 Speaker 1: It's not like your skin gets healed a little bit 755 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:39,680 Speaker 1: with every dip. Woo woo woo. You got to have 756 00:48:39,719 --> 00:48:45,160 Speaker 1: the faith to go through the motions even when you 757 00:48:45,320 --> 00:48:50,040 Speaker 1: see no evidence. Go am I talking to him? You 758 00:48:50,160 --> 00:48:54,800 Speaker 1: gotta have the faith to go down and pray again, 759 00:48:56,280 --> 00:48:58,480 Speaker 1: to lift up your hands and worship and say, I 760 00:48:58,520 --> 00:49:01,279 Speaker 1: don't feel a thing right now. But God is with me, 761 00:49:01,600 --> 00:49:04,520 Speaker 1: and God is for me, And who can be against me? 762 00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:07,720 Speaker 1: And I will not fear though a host of enemies 763 00:49:07,760 --> 00:49:11,000 Speaker 1: and camps upon me. I will not be afraid. The 764 00:49:11,080 --> 00:49:14,520 Speaker 1: Lord is my helper. I lift my eyes to the hills. 765 00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:21,560 Speaker 1: My help comes from the Lord. By your head and 766 00:49:21,600 --> 00:49:24,400 Speaker 1: close your eyes for a moment. I believe this is 767 00:49:24,440 --> 00:49:29,120 Speaker 1: a significant word for someone in the room who is 768 00:49:29,160 --> 00:49:33,279 Speaker 1: about to go off. Maybe you've been going off, maybe 769 00:49:33,280 --> 00:49:37,840 Speaker 1: you already went off. I don't just mean temper tantrums, 770 00:49:37,880 --> 00:49:42,000 Speaker 1: breaking stuff, throwing pictures around the room. I mean that 771 00:49:42,040 --> 00:49:43,960 Speaker 1: there is something that God has given you to do 772 00:49:44,080 --> 00:49:49,680 Speaker 1: in your life that seems so ridiculous that you, like naymen, 773 00:49:50,680 --> 00:49:53,160 Speaker 1: are at the point of frustration. I want to speak 774 00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:57,080 Speaker 1: a word over your life today that in this moment, 775 00:49:57,120 --> 00:50:01,480 Speaker 1: the only way to receive healing is through your surrender. 776 00:50:03,880 --> 00:50:05,400 Speaker 1: As long as you want to stay in control of 777 00:50:05,400 --> 00:50:09,600 Speaker 1: those situations, they will continue to consume you. And that's 778 00:50:09,640 --> 00:50:11,480 Speaker 1: what the presence of God is for. This is the 779 00:50:11,560 --> 00:50:16,560 Speaker 1: Jordan river that you can dip in seven times. The 780 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:18,360 Speaker 1: Bible says that when he did it, his flesh was 781 00:50:18,400 --> 00:50:23,200 Speaker 1: restored like a young boy. Isn't that amazing that the 782 00:50:23,239 --> 00:50:28,320 Speaker 1: great man became like a young boy and he was healed? 783 00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:35,399 Speaker 1: And isn't it interesting that God's greatest golden Nayman's life 784 00:50:35,520 --> 00:50:41,839 Speaker 1: was not to heal his skin, but to produce faith 785 00:50:41,840 --> 00:50:43,879 Speaker 1: in his heart lift your hands in this moment, Father, 786 00:50:43,960 --> 00:50:46,799 Speaker 1: I thank you for every person, and I thank you 787 00:50:46,840 --> 00:50:50,560 Speaker 1: for every problem. I thank you for the great things, 788 00:50:51,840 --> 00:50:54,120 Speaker 1: and I thank you for the butt. Somebody in this 789 00:50:54,239 --> 00:50:57,960 Speaker 1: room has an addiction. Somebody in this room has an illness. 790 00:50:59,040 --> 00:51:05,640 Speaker 1: Somebody in this room has a heavy depression, and they 791 00:51:05,680 --> 00:51:11,200 Speaker 1: see no signs of change, and they have really, really 792 00:51:11,920 --> 00:51:17,480 Speaker 1: attractive armor, and so nobody can see but you what 793 00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:21,080 Speaker 1: they're fighting with on the inside, and they keep pushing 794 00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:25,920 Speaker 1: people away that you send to help them. In this moment, God, 795 00:51:27,480 --> 00:51:31,520 Speaker 1: may this be the first dip in the process of 796 00:51:31,560 --> 00:51:35,680 Speaker 1: their deliverance. And thank you for the Cross of Jesus 797 00:51:35,800 --> 00:51:39,920 Speaker 1: Christ that we stand under and look to today for 798 00:51:39,960 --> 00:51:42,960 Speaker 1: our healing and forgiveness and redemption has already been accomplished. 799 00:51:44,080 --> 00:51:46,480 Speaker 1: I thank you that we are not healed, cleansed, or 800 00:51:46,560 --> 00:51:50,520 Speaker 1: cured by achieving, but by receiving. Stretch your hands high 801 00:51:50,520 --> 00:51:53,719 Speaker 1: as you can stretch them. We receive your grace in 802 00:51:53,760 --> 00:52:03,319 Speaker 1: this moment. Your mercy in this moment waters wash over 803 00:52:03,400 --> 00:52:10,080 Speaker 1: our soul. Well. I hope you enjoyed the podcast today. 804 00:52:10,239 --> 00:52:12,359 Speaker 1: If you did, there are just a couple things I'd 805 00:52:12,440 --> 00:52:15,759 Speaker 1: love for you to do. Number One, subscribe to our show. 806 00:52:15,840 --> 00:52:18,879 Speaker 1: That way, the most recent episode will always be in 807 00:52:18,920 --> 00:52:23,000 Speaker 1: your feed, waiting for you ready when you are. And secondly, 808 00:52:23,040 --> 00:52:25,520 Speaker 1: if this ministry has impacted you and you'd like to 809 00:52:25,520 --> 00:52:27,920 Speaker 1: help us continue to reach others, you can click the 810 00:52:27,960 --> 00:52:30,360 Speaker 1: link in the description and you can give now and 811 00:52:30,560 --> 00:52:33,920 Speaker 1: I'll see you next time on the Elevation podcast