Markers of Maturity - Obedience

Series - Markers of Maturity

We wrap up this series thinking about obedience, using the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5:9-14.

Transcript

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We're gonna focus in this morning if it's okay. And I said this last week. We like to we like the idea of being mature, right? But we don't always like the process of getting there. And uh and today, with that in mind, we're gonna look at um obedience. Obedience, what it means to hear God and do what he asks us to do. You might think, ah, easy peasy. Well, if that's you, cool man, show me how it's done, because I don't know about you, but sometimes I can I can get a bit stuck. You know, it's not easy necessarily to hear the things he wants us to do and then do them. Um, you know, but also, you know, just the idea of doing the things that we're actually supposed to do, you know, his commandments, the things that maybe we're not meant to do, not doing those things. I I haven't always been obedient. Um, I remember I was I was 17, 18 years old, and um and I was leading worship at a conference in Wales, and uh and basically, long story short, I was invited to go and move from the northeast down to a place called Guildford, which is full of southerners and it's horrible. Don't go there, right? Um and and I I really, really wanted to go. It was awesome the opportunity to just be part of what you know I believe God was calling me to, and I think maybe. But I I I had this prophetic, I might have told you this story. I had this big, bold, prophetic word from this prophet, this man of God, and he used this guy used to talk with these and thou's, you know, the kind I mean, and it was it was the word was essentially don't go. You feel led, but don't go, and it was so specific. So I went. Now, nothing terrible happened, there was no lightning strike from heaven. In fact, I spent nearly a year in Guildford, and I learned so much that I that I used daily, it was a massive part of my journey. Um, but man, I'm so sorry, Lord, I didn't obey the word. I don't know about you, I don't know if you've been in that situation, maybe not from the front, someone prophesying like that. Um so thankful that God is good. Um, but I'll never know the consequences, I guess, of the disobedience. I wonder if you struggle when you get a sense of God speaking because you don't want to do it. If you don't, wow, I'm impressed. Um, but it can be really hard, right? Even just simply to follow his commandments. Did you really ask me that, Lord? I just cannot do it, God. I cannot do that. You want me to do that? Surely not. No, I'm making that up. God doesn't want me to do that, and you know, uh, I went go and see your pal. And I did this. I asked loads of people what they thought because I hadn't really shared the story, and I went and asked loads of people, and they were all like, Uh sounds like you don't need to go. And I just kept asking people until someone went, Well, you can always just do it and go for it. And I went, That's a great word. I believe that's from the Lord. So I was so immature, hey. Um in a minute. Oh man. Let's be people who can discern his voice and follow instructions, eh? Um, shall we read a little story from the Bible? I don't know why I said that in a Yorkshire accent, but I did. Um it's about someone who struggled to follow God's instructions. Let's see if what we can learn from their mistakes. Sound good? Yeah, come on. We're gonna read uh in a moment from 2 Kings 5, 9 to 14. Naaman is a powerful, rich commander uh to the king of Aram. Aram is uh, you know, they're an often a hostile neighbor to the land of Israel, okay? Even though he's rich and powerful, Naaman, he's rich and powerful, he commands lots of people. He has a bit of a problem. He's suffering with a skin disease called leprosy, which is really nasty stuff, okay? Um there's a bit of a story around this, but it's not what we're focused on today. They send a message to the king of Israel, all right. He kind of overreacts a little bit. Again, another story, and uh Elisha, God's prophet, steps up and says he'll sort it out, okay? Um, so here we are. Verse 9, chapter 5. So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to him. Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and then your flesh will be restored, and you will be cleansed. How good does that sound? But Naaman went away angry and said, I thought that he would surely come to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of leprosy. Are not the Abbana and the Farpa, the rivers of Damascus, better than the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed? So he turned and went off in a rage. Naiman's servants went to him and said, My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then when he tells you, Wash and be cleansed? So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him. And there was, and his flesh was restored and be and he became clean like that of a young boy. Amen. So there's loads to unpack here, okay? Um, I just wanted to stop and say, even in my situation, thankfully, God has been faithful here. Um, here we have Naaman, he's not an Israelite, okay? So, with our earthly logic, why would God be interested in someone who worships other gods, serves a pagan king, has done all of the stuff that Naaman's done. But God's power goes beyond logic, amen. It has no borders, he loves you and wants what's best for you, even if you've disobeyed, he is good, he is faithful. So just relax in that, okay? But let's be honest. Naaman seems to struggle in this story, and if I'm being honest, I might as well. I mean, could Elisha have not just popped out to see him? Where is the logic in going for a wash? As if he'd not tried that before. It's got leprosy. Probably try to have a wash. But let's be honest, obedience is tricky. Not just doing the right things and not doing not the wrong things, but as Christian, you know, we're called to as Christians, but to know when God is asking you to do something and step out and do it. The little whisper asking you to stop behaving that way, or maybe start behaving another way. The little whisper, the call, the the word that says, you know, cook that person a meal. Speak to them. Stop. Whoa, I know you're busy, but stop and have a word with this person in the street. I always say, in the Isle of Aldi, don't I? That's where it always seems to happen for me. So I thought it would be helpful to look at Naaman's obedience obstacles, things that maybe he kind of let get in the way of his obedience, and therefore his miracle. Obviously, not you, just Naaman. Not you, Naaman's, his the things that he let get in the way. Is that good? You with me? Yeah, cool. So Naaman let his plans get in the way. His way of doing thing, things, his thoughts around how things should be, right? Naaman came in all his pomp and ceremony with chariots, horses, parading around, right? It says earlier in the chapter that Naaman left Israel, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing. Like he was a way, you know what I mean? He was obviously like operating on a different level to maybe you and me. Um, but remember, he said, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and wave his hand over the spot and cure me of leprosy. See, formality, our plans say that Elisha should have come out to meet him, right? That was the done thing. Instead, Elisha sends his servant to just give an instruction. It's a bit, you know, it's not the right way. It's not how it should be done. He's right to be offended, surely. Who knows that God doesn't really have, doesn't place that much importance on our earthly formality. He's the God, like we said a few weeks back, he's the God of new wineskins. Even if our logic doesn't agree with it. Who knows, God? I've said that. How often do we discount the word of God because it doesn't match up with our plans, our expectations, the way that we think about situations. Naaman obviously doesn't understand the bigger picture. All right, and it's so easy, isn't it? But God, that doesn't make sense. See, Elisha to come out and meet him is it would risk Elisha becoming ceremonially unclean because of the nature of Naaman's leprosy. See, God sees the bigger picture of what's going on. Maybe he's asking you to do something unexpected that deviates from your plan for a reason that maybe you don't see yet. Maybe he's asking you to do something that makes no sense now, but in the future, it will reveal the beautiful thread of grace in your life. Come on, let's be ready for it. As a church, let's be people who can listen. Let's not discount the little whisper that seems a bit out there because of the disruption it might cause to our plans. Amen. Number two, his pride got in the way. See, Naaman didn't just expect it in a certain way, he clearly thinks that it should be a big deal. All right, he's caught up in his dignity, in his power, in his authority. He's offended that Elisha would send a servant to give the message. I wonder how often do we miss the message because of the manner in which it's sent. See, every so often God will, like he did to me, speak in a prophecy. You'll get that word, you'll, you know, and it'll be big and it'll be a moment and it'll be powerful. But it doesn't always happen. It doesn't always that the earth will shake, and the audible God of uh voice of God, you know, sometimes I think that would be easier, wouldn't it? You know, if I heard the audible voice of God to go and do something, then I cannot deny I should do it. But faith is that is is seeing without seeing, right? And I find that he often speaks in the quiet moments, the moments when we let ourselves settle. See, Naaman was ready to walk away and miss the miracle because of his offense, because his pride got in the way. When I was moving to Guildford, I was chasing significance. To be, yeah, I wanted to be using worship ministry the way that I thought capable. Maybe God had plans for something much smaller. Who knows? But that sounds like immaturity to me. Let's not miss out on a word because if we think highly of ourselves, because we assume God would never want us to do a task that we deem beneath us. Number three, is common sense. I mean, I'm with him on this one. Naaman must have thought, you want me to wash in the river, mate? Do you think I've not tried that already? In fact, no doubt, with all his riches and his power, he's probably tried everything. The fact that he traveled so far to Israel with 10 changes of clothes shows his desperation. He says, Are the rivers of Damascus not better than the waters of Israel? Could I not have washed in those and be cleansed? Probably valid points. Maybe those rivers are cleaner. But it's not the river that cleansed him, it was God's response to Naaman's obedience. How often do we miss the word? Because it seems to make no sense, no common sense, no earthly wisdom. Are you willing to do the silly thing? The bizarre, the seemingly weird. See, it's not always what God asks us to do that makes the difference, but our faith and our obedience to step out in the moment. Thing of Joshua marching around the city seems a bit weird to me. Hosea married a prophet's prostitute. Gideon sent most of the army home. Isaiah walked around naked for three years. Ezekiel cooked bread using human feces as the fuel. Noah built an ark and Joseph remained engaged to a pregnant woman. Don't make a lot of sense, does it? Not with our earthly wisdom, not with our common sense. Would you march the walls? Would you build the ark? Would you walk around naked for three years? Would you offer to pray for your mate at the coffee machine? Would you give up the thing that he's asking you to give up? Are you willing to be interrupted to be obedient? Let's be ready for it. Because sometimes, often, his word doesn't make sense in the moment. But God delights in faith and obedience. Number four, and this might be you. He feared the consequences. No doubt Naaman would have feared what people were thinking as he arrived at the riverbanks. When he had to wash seven times. Seven dips. Imagine what people must have thought. I wonder if he took all the chariots and the gold and the silver with him. It's often our meet our immediate response to a word from God is to think, man, what will people think? What will people think? Galatians 1 10 says, Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings or God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. Let's be people who aim to please God. And it might mean losing some friends, upsetting some people. I don't know. It might mean being bold and standing up for what you believe in. But don't fear. God will uphold you. Amen. If you're anything like me, any one of those things might hinder you in your decision to follow God's prompting. I wonder what your instinct is when you sense God speaking or asking you to do something or not to do something. Maybe it's pride, maybe it's fear. Maybe you try to rationalise your response like I did. So how do we overcome that stuff? How do we become hearers and doers of the word? People who hear his promptings and do what he asks. How do we know when God is speaking and it's a word we should obey? It's a big question, innit? Well, you know me, I like a list. Firstly, let it sit. You know what? If it's a big word, a big scary thing, sometimes those ones take time to just sit with. You know the little ones like go and pray for your mate, or just stop and ask that person, how's it going? They're easy, just do those ones, step out in faith and go for it. But you know the big ones, the ones with big consequences. You've got to let it sit, let it ruminate. And I feel like this is maybe a word for someone, okay? Resist your instinct to logic it away. Okay? Resist your instinct to logic it away. Try not to feel the fear just yet, okay? Don't think too much about the consequences at this stage. Just sit with it. Try and work out is this God's voice? Because once you know that it's a word from God, then it makes facing the fear much easier. Don't start going 10 years, two minutes, five minutes, 10 next week. Don't look ahead, just think, Lord, is this what you're saying to me? Obviously, doubt's a thing, right? But let's err on the side of faith, of hearing and doing. Let it ruminate, chew on it, meditate on it. And this is the key bit. Instead of thinking, oh what if? Think what if? Think with faith, filled eyes. Come on, think what could oh man of God, are you calling me to do this? Are you wanting me to do that? Just imagine what could be dare to dream that God can use you. If he's asked you to do something, he's done it for a reason. Let's try and see it before it happens. Number two, check the word aligns with the word. Amen. So God's word is truth. Our ideas and our plans often aren't. Right? We've got to know God's word and know that what he's saying to us aligns with that because God isn't gonna ask you to leave your husband. Okay? Sorry. He's not gonna ask you to leave your husband, all right? He's not gonna ask you to rob a bank to fund that mission's trip. Alright? He might be asking you to obey him and do something a little bit out there, but it will never contradict his word. Amen? Cool. Number three, check in with a pal. Don't check in with all the pals until someone agrees with what you want, right? Like I did. Proverbs 12, 15 says, the fool is right in his own eyes. But a wise man listens to counsel. Naaman's servants, I love them, they seem like good blokes. Naaman's servants gave some really good advice. Advice that would see him healed. They say, My father, if the prophet has told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? Much more then. Why, when he tells you, wash and be clean, be cleansed. They basically very carefully tell him he's been an idiot without saying he's been an idiot. Naaman man, you would have done the grand thing, but the simple thing you refuse. The wise thing would be for Naaman just to give it a go, right? What's he got to lose? Thank you, Lord, for wise friends who help you see from a different perspective. We need those people in our lives, don't we? Alright? Not everybody is a wise friend. Okay, you've got to choose your wise friends carefully. Um But I thank the Lord for wise friends who tell me when I'm being an idiot. And we need we need to be that friend as well, don't we? We need to be that friend. See, they called him father. They softened the blow. In fact, they probably risked their lives to the point to point to point out this stuff to him when he was in such a rage. But they did it anyway. Do you have those friends? Can you be that friend? Because it's not always the easiest conversation to have, is it? Come on. Let's believe God for them. And if you don't have those friends, ask the Lord. Last one. Be bold. It's not the last one. I did that last week as well. Be bold and get started. See, once you know it's a word from God, it's time to step out. Maybe you just need to go for it. Sell the house. Give that money. Start that business. In my experience, the obedience isn't necessarily always in the big step, but there's always a first step. Okay? You've got to do it. You've got to step out. Don't just ruminate because it's easier to ruminate. That season's gone. Once you know you've got to do it, you've got to do the thing. Maybe you need to start small. Put one foot in front of the other. Remember the deed's feet? Yeah. He'll guide us. No doubt Naaman didn't have much faith for it. He was probably just giving it a go. But often obedience doesn't look like the big step. Amen. Number five, stay the path. Once you've heard from God, done the thing that you're going to do, you've taken the first step. What happens if the fruit doesn't come immediately? It might take a while. Often the multiple steps, the small steps of faith, of obedience. Maybe that's what we need to focus on. And often the waiting is the hardest part, isn't it? The obedience to do the thing and the faith to wait it out. Maybe there's more obedience in the waiting than the big lavish step you took. Because you know, like launching the website is easy, but waiting for the customers is tricky. Amen. So come on, have faith. Let's be obedient. Let's hear his word and step out. You know, some of you are Naaman right now. Maybe it's pride holding you back. Maybe it's fear. I don't know. It's not too late. Naaman left in a rage, right? But God's word doesn't grow old. You can't miss it. You can come back to it just like Naaman did. Just like Naaman did. Come on. If he said to you it's time to do something, then maybe it's time to step out. And we want to help you in that. We want to support you in that. We want to pray for you. But let's take the first step. We can do it together. It's exciting. That's what community is. Um, shall we pray? Father, we love your word. We want to be people with obedient hearts, people that read your word and do it, people that sense your spirit and respond. Father, will you help us? Father, will you help us? We pray to hear your word and be doers. Father, you know, for anyone here who is in that place now of not being sure of should they step out, should they not, should they wait. Is this you, Lord? God, I pray that you'll help them. Lord, that they can read your word and have it confirmed, that they can talk to their trusted people, God, and have it confirmed. Father, I pray, God, that we will be people who hear from you, God, and act in obedience. Lord, I pray that we'll do it quickly. I pray that you will help us in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.