WEBVTT 00:00:02.560 --> 00:00:05.280 Thank you for joining us on the CCW podcast. 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:11.119 Make sure you connect with us on social media to stay up to date on ministries and events happening at CCW. 00:00:11.279 --> 00:00:14.960 We hope you're encouraged, inspired, and motivated by today's message. 00:00:15.199 --> 00:00:19.120 To find out how to connect with us, keep listening after the message ends. 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:28.480 See all of you guests and visitors and everybody else, our members and attenders. 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:31.359 It's good to see a gr uh see a green out here. 00:00:31.519 --> 00:00:37.359 Some of y'all, before you leave, we've got some uh pinchers in the back if you missed it. 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:51.600 But, anyways, two weeks I do want to tell you uh before we get rolling into the message this morning, the biggest event, uh one of the biggest events that we put on all year is extravaganza and then Easter Sunday. 00:00:51.759 --> 00:00:58.719 And um, just a little housekeeping thing on Easter Sunday, want to ask that the church would help us with. 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:03.679 If you're a member, you usually hear Easter is usually packed service. 00:01:03.920 --> 00:01:15.359 And so we would ask, uh as I know y'all are good Baptists and good churchgoers, but we would love to reserve the back part of the church for anybody brand new. 00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:25.680 Uh people coming in, it's real hard when they get to a new church and they get ushered up to the front row, which by the way, if anybody needs a better seat, they're wide open here. 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:26.799 Thank you, Brooke. 00:01:26.879 --> 00:01:27.840 I appreciate y'all. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:29.120 I mean, I do. 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:32.159 So, anyways, but we would like for you to do that. 00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:46.079 And then we're asking anybody that for the kids process, we're keeping the magician who's coming to do extravaganza, Christian magician, gonna um share the gospel through his uh illustrations and magic on the day of extravaganza. 00:01:46.239 --> 00:01:47.680 He's staying through for Sunday. 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:58.480 So if you have a child that's gonna be registered, if you guys would get here as close to 9.30, maybe on the more 9.15 sign, it would help us get people registered. 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:06.319 Anybody has kids that morning, it would allow people that are new to be able to get that done, get in, and get set for Easter. 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:08.319 We want to be on our best for that. 00:02:08.479 --> 00:02:11.280 But these cards are available in the lobby. 00:02:11.360 --> 00:02:18.560 They're separated into, I think, 50s, and we would love for you to take them because people are going to go to church on Easter, right? 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:21.759 Easter and Christmas, most of the time, people are gonna go to church. 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:23.439 We would love for it to be this one. 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:30.960 And so you can take this to your neighbor, to your coworker, students, to your teammates, and uh that would be awesome. 00:02:31.120 --> 00:02:38.960 Well, turn your Bibles to 2 Kings chapter 5, and we are finishing the Standing on the Mountain series. 00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:40.400 So it's been good. 00:02:40.479 --> 00:02:46.400 I hope that uh God has spoken to you through this, and I know that He has in my heart and life. 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:49.520 2 Kings chapter 5, as we jump in. 00:02:49.919 --> 00:02:53.520 I was thinking this week, everybody's got problems. 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:57.759 Rich people got problems, poor people got problems, right? 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:00.000 Popular people, they got problems. 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:01.680 Unknown people got problems. 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:06.719 Plain people got problems, well-dressed people got problems, sloppy people got problems. 00:03:06.960 --> 00:03:08.719 Any color person got problems. 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:11.439 Not one person here escapes problems. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:14.159 Our heroes have problems, right? 00:03:14.639 --> 00:03:16.719 Single people, they want to date. 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:19.360 Dating people, they want to be single. 00:03:19.919 --> 00:03:23.360 There's people that are trying to take protein to put on weight. 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:26.240 There's people that are drinking slim fast to take off weight. 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:27.280 We all got problems. 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:34.000 Hairy people are waxing, and people that are thinning hair trying to take horse tail shampoo to thicken their hair. 00:03:34.319 --> 00:03:38.319 We got car problems, we got house problems, we got appliance problems, we got job problems. 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:39.360 Can I get an Amen? 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:40.639 We got bill problems. 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:42.240 We all got problems. 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:45.199 We got school problems, students, we got problems. 00:03:45.599 --> 00:03:48.400 Problems are no respecter of persons. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:52.000 It's an unwelcome guest at all of our front door. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:53.520 We got problems. 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:55.919 So I guess that's a good time to pray. 00:03:56.240 --> 00:03:57.199 Join me. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:02.719 Father, we love you, and we're thankful that you're good. 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:10.000 And God, that as Pastor Dave already mentioned, we don't have to know how to solve everything. 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:17.279 God, we can lean into you, and God, I pray that we would, knowing that you're the answer. 00:04:17.439 --> 00:04:23.920 And God, I pray that you would help us today as we grasp some of your scripture to understand what it is we need to do. 00:04:24.319 --> 00:04:28.000 God, how in desperation, God, we can turn. 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:29.759 Lord, draw our hearts to that. 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:33.759 Lord, I pray that you would rebuke any act of sin. 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:40.399 God, we want this church, this body, to be in full unity hearing from you. 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:41.759 We love you, Jesus. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:42.639 Amen. 00:04:42.959 --> 00:04:44.480 Let's look at verse number one. 00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:46.800 2 Kings chapter 5, verse 1. 00:04:46.879 --> 00:04:59.519 It says, Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:05.199 He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 00:05:06.319 --> 00:05:10.079 Point number one this morning is this the who's who have problems. 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:12.160 The who's who. 00:05:12.800 --> 00:05:14.000 Naaman was great. 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:15.120 It said so. 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:16.079 Honorable. 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:17.839 Naaman was somebody. 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:20.879 Letter A, Naaman was a conquering captain. 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:26.399 It said, God given victory, mighty man of valor. 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:32.160 That word is Khalil, possessing heroic or courageous determination. 00:05:32.319 --> 00:05:34.399 Are you getting a picture of Naaman? 00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:36.560 He had physical and warlike strength. 00:05:36.720 --> 00:05:43.199 He had earned respect, paid his dues on the battlefield, blood around his ankles. 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:44.560 He was a manly man. 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:47.759 He was probably a specimen to behold, a man's man. 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:49.040 Y'all are getting a picture? 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:51.279 You've watched Disney and seen Beauty and the Beast. 00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:52.959 Have you ever heard of Gaston? 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:56.720 For there's no one as burly and brawny as you see. 00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:58.319 I've got biceps to spare. 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:00.480 Not a bit of him skinny or scrawny. 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:03.360 I'm picturing Gaston when I think of Naaman. 00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:05.519 Naaman walked by and ladies batted their eyes. 00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:07.360 Said, Oh, it's Naaman. 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:10.000 Children swelled with pride. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:11.360 There's our hero. 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:14.959 The men saw him and said, I want to be like Naaman. 00:06:15.360 --> 00:06:17.920 And said he was a mighty man of valor. 00:06:18.079 --> 00:06:21.600 You know, that title was given to just a few people in Scripture. 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:25.199 A couple of them are Gideon and David. 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:28.399 Great war victories under those men. 00:06:28.639 --> 00:06:36.000 Naaman is the only non-Jew mentioned, only Gentile mentioned as a mighty man of valor. 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:42.959 But notice this, it says, because by him, he was mighty, it says, because by him the Lord had given victory. 00:06:43.199 --> 00:06:45.759 Well, what victory is it talking about? 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:57.759 If you had gone back to 1 Kings chapter 22, Syria fought, and in this battle, Ahab, remember Ahab previously the evil, wicked ruler? 00:06:58.079 --> 00:07:00.720 Ahab was killed in this battle. 00:07:00.800 --> 00:07:04.800 And Jewish legends say that it was Naaman who shot the arrow. 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:10.720 And so it says, because of this victory, he was a mighty man. 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:15.519 But verse 1 gives us all of his list, why he's the whose who. 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:23.920 And if it would have just ended before that, comma but, we would say, Naaman was a great man, and we'd be done. 00:07:24.000 --> 00:07:26.000 We'd have resolution about Naaman. 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:32.560 But I want to tell you just a little further before we jump into that comma but, why was Naaman great? 00:07:32.800 --> 00:07:34.800 And why I think that you are. 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:39.439 Ecclesiastes 3.11 says he has made everything beautiful in his time. 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:44.639 In Genesis 1.27, it says God made man in his own image. 00:07:45.439 --> 00:07:52.319 You are great, not because you are good, but you are great because you serve a great God. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:56.000 You are this beautiful, you are this talented. 00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:58.639 And listen, when I see you, I'm happy every week. 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:00.800 This Sunday is my favorite day. 00:08:00.959 --> 00:08:04.160 I look so forward to shepherding this body of people. 00:08:04.319 --> 00:08:12.079 And you are great, but you are great because God is a great master craftsman who's never made a mistake. 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:18.319 And you are great because he had a purpose and he's got a plan for your individual life. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:25.839 Because when I think about that, even though people are great, and the world has its standard of greatness, right? 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:37.360 We all know the world, and I say this a lot, the triple P possessions, power, prestige, the world has its reason for greatness, and society says if you follow that, you'll become something. 00:08:37.840 --> 00:08:44.720 But even in all that, in all that it explained about Naaman, he still had problems, right? 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:46.960 He still had problems. 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:50.879 And I thought even back to our heroes through this, Elijah and Elisha. 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:54.320 Elijah stood with God on the mountain. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:55.759 Glory, value. 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:59.840 He saw God, he saw things that very few people seen. 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:04.080 But at times Elijah and Elisha were the loneliest characters. 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:06.879 I mean, the power of God fell on them. 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:09.279 But sometimes they were the loneliest. 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:11.679 Sometimes they were off by themselves. 00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:14.639 Sometimes Elijah was not great. 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:17.120 Sometimes he was not strong. 00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:18.879 He was full of problems. 00:09:19.519 --> 00:09:25.679 He was given all this hand of God that worked, but it didn't always mean that everything was always great. 00:09:26.000 --> 00:09:30.879 In fact, Luke 12 says, to whom much is given, much is required. 00:09:31.279 --> 00:09:32.720 And so we see this. 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:37.360 God uses this who's who, but he has problems. 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:40.240 We all have problems. 00:09:40.399 --> 00:09:42.799 But I want to remind you of something so good. 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:46.960 I believe you're the who's who of creation, too. 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:57.279 God thought so much of you that he sent Jesus Christ, his only son, to die to solve the biggest problem we'd ever have. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:09:59.279 That's how much he thought of you. 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:01.600 But what about Naaman's problem? 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:02.720 Let's get to that part. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:06.399 It says, but Naaman was a leper. 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:09.600 Letter B, Naaman had a contagious condition. 00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:14.639 But Naaman had leprosy. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:18.399 But Naaman had shh secret problems. 00:10:18.879 --> 00:10:20.960 Leprosy was a secret problem. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:25.759 It was a physical and social and spiritual condition that affected a man. 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:32.320 It would start in the skin and nervous system of somebody, and then it would go outside the brain and in the spinal cord. 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:36.399 It could spread to the hands, the feet, the face, and the earlobes. 00:10:36.720 --> 00:10:41.440 Patients with leprosy experience disfigurement of their skin, of their bones. 00:10:41.600 --> 00:10:48.480 It would twist limbs, it would curl fingers, they would sometimes have tumor-like growths called lepromas. 00:10:48.879 --> 00:10:53.600 And if you had this problem, it was a death wish. 00:10:53.840 --> 00:11:09.519 So Naaman was a leper, and it was a secret problem because if anybody found this out about the great, wonderful, courageous, amazing Naaman, it would cause his position to be in jeopardy. 00:11:09.840 --> 00:11:11.759 Naaman had this contagious problem. 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:13.919 Clark said this about leprosy. 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:16.879 Here was a heavy tax upon his grandeur. 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:24.879 He was afflicted with a disorder the most loathsome and the most humiliating that could possibly disgrace a human. 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:33.360 Just because it's a secret doesn't make it invisible. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:47.679 Leviticus 13, 45 talked about leprosy and the commands that happened when you came with this disease and you were commanded that you would have to walk on the other side of people on the road and yell, unclean. 00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:56.320 If you were walking down a road with somebody else, you were to yell to them, you were to alert them, letting them know, unclean. 00:11:56.960 --> 00:11:58.559 I'm unclean. 00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:05.360 And you would walk your lonely path because nobody wanted to get near that sickness. 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:14.799 When we went to Tennessee Temple, every now and then, now I gotta tell you, there was there were some tight rules, and we knew what we were getting into. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:17.200 They had a handbook before you went to college there. 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:22.480 There was things like, you know, 11 o'clock, you couldn't date past 11 o'clock. 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:23.679 You had to be in for curfew. 00:12:23.759 --> 00:12:26.159 You're talking 23, 24-year-olds, right? 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:28.159 I'd been dating as a 17-year-old. 00:12:28.240 --> 00:12:29.759 Now they're telling me I gotta be in. 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:32.960 And then at first you couldn't you couldn't date alone. 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:34.960 You had to have a double date, right? 00:12:35.200 --> 00:12:54.559 And so we knew what we were getting into, but uh at Tennessee Temple, the guys were mostly forbidden to enter into the ladies' dormitory, to that special area for females, except when they were moving on and off campus. 00:12:54.720 --> 00:13:02.879 And so there was a couple of special, special occasions where you could even walk in the girl colony on the hall. 00:13:03.519 --> 00:13:09.200 And I'd go in, and I'm gonna tell you, every guy that walked in there, you felt like a creep. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:24.080 You felt innately like you were a wrong, you were in the wrong place, and the the scowling eyes of the others that you weren't there to visit, but you'd walk in and you had to yell as you entered the hall to help a girl move her refrigerator or move her clothing, move her stuff. 00:13:24.159 --> 00:13:29.360 You had to yell, man on the hall! And you were sure you'd walk on the hall, man on the hall. 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:37.600 Man, you did not want to connect eyes when you were on that hall because you were absolutely a creep if you did. 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:44.639 I'm a sideshow, I'm nasty, man on the hall, I'm contagious, please stay away. 00:13:45.440 --> 00:13:48.480 But I thought about the leper. 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:54.720 And as he walks down a dusty road, you know there's places, and you've heard of this, leper colonies. 00:13:54.960 --> 00:14:01.039 They were commanded to go down their dirty, dusty path, be away from everyone, and they were excluded from everyone. 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:06.159 They were excluded from their community, they were excluded from the temple, were not able to worship. 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:12.879 They were excluded from social activity and spiritual activity, and they were physically a disease. 00:14:13.679 --> 00:14:16.639 And you knew this, there was no hope for you. 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:23.519 If you had this disease, it was going to slowly or quickly take over, and you were condemned. 00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:28.559 Naaman was great, but Naaman had a great problem. 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:31.759 Well, I want you to see verses two through four. 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:33.120 Second point. 00:14:33.360 --> 00:14:34.879 And that's in your outline, right. 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:39.759 The who, as in the who is that, the who have problems. 00:14:42.320 --> 00:14:44.480 The who's who and just the who. 00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:47.360 Verse two through four. 00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:54.960 And the Syrians had gone out on rains, raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:56.960 She waited on Naaman's wife. 00:14:57.120 --> 00:15:04.799 Then she said to her mistress, If only my master were with the prophet who was in Samaria, for he would heal him of his leprosy. 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:11.919 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, Thus and thus, said the girl who was from the land of Israel. 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:14.960 Letter A, she was a captive with concerns. 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:23.039 We see this young girl who had been taken, a Jewish girl, a slave girl in this land, captive. 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:25.360 She had things against her. 00:15:25.440 --> 00:15:27.200 She had been kidnapped, she'd been taken. 00:15:27.360 --> 00:15:28.639 She was young. 00:15:29.840 --> 00:15:31.120 She had problems. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:34.159 Naaman had problems, this girl had problems. 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:35.919 She was not known for her valor. 00:15:36.080 --> 00:15:37.600 She was not known for her strength. 00:15:37.759 --> 00:15:43.360 She was not known for her courage or her power or her prestige or even her name. 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:45.679 We're not even given a name. 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:46.799 Who was she? 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:48.000 We don't know. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:49.519 But we know this. 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:51.200 Hear me, church. 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:53.120 She was concerned. 00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:57.679 She was concerned for someone who had done her wrong. 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:02.240 She had every right to be angry, upset, bitter. 00:16:02.320 --> 00:16:06.559 She had every right to question where she was, maybe question God. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:12.799 Who knows what else had happened to her, but she was there captive and she was serving Naaman. 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:14.399 She had problems. 00:16:15.120 --> 00:16:16.399 We had problems. 00:16:17.200 --> 00:16:19.440 She had problems, but she was nice. 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:25.840 She was someone who'd probably, they say, had been privy to this secret. 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:29.600 We find out she does know because she offers a cure. 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:30.720 Privy to a secret. 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:31.039 Why? 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:36.879 Because maybe a nobody, a servant, would be involved in removing the armor if somebody came in and out of battle. 00:16:37.039 --> 00:16:38.720 She was there to serve, but we know this. 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:42.720 She knew what was going on with Naaman's problem. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:45.440 And she had information. 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:50.240 And if you have information, information, how many of you know, is powerful. 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:53.519 She had this secret, but she was a nobody. 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:56.399 She had a decision to make with this information. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:59.279 Will I help the man who holds me captive? 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:01.759 Why was she nice? 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:04.640 When others maybe weren't nice to her. 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:08.880 The Bible says in Micah 6.8, do justice. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:12.160 To love kindness and to walk humbly. 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:18.079 Ephesians 4.32 says, be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another. 00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:22.960 In Hebrews 13, it says, Don't forsake hospitality. 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:27.039 Galatians 6.10 says, as we have opportunity, do good unto all men. 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:35.519 You know, I want to tell you something, church, I've never, ever, not once, ever won somebody to Christ by arguing them to Christ. 00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:36.960 Never once. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:40.720 I've never debated somebody to Christ. 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:44.799 Not one time in all of our ministry has that happened. 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:55.759 But in mine, in Heather's ministry, scores of people, this is not a boast, but scores of people have either come to church or come to Christ because we were nice. 00:17:58.079 --> 00:17:59.359 We were nice. 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:01.359 I'm going to tell you a story. 00:18:01.440 --> 00:18:14.240 I'm not going to give a real name, but Johnny showed up at church and youth group one week, and his friend had invited him, and he got there, and Johnny had never had any experience with a church like ours. 00:18:14.319 --> 00:18:18.400 And usually a teenager doesn't have a whole lot of questions, but Johnny did. 00:18:18.480 --> 00:18:23.279 And he began to ask and want to meet with me, and he wanted to call me and talk to me about his questions. 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:26.319 He had only ever been to the PTC church. 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:30.400 And at that church, the pastor preached, I made a friend of him. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:31.599 His name was Ron. 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:33.359 And Pastor Ron preached with a ha. 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:35.680 You ever had one of them or heard one of them? 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:39.279 Jesus was on the cross. 00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:43.920 And when he came down, I thought, I can't do that. 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:47.599 But I've been waiting my whole life to share this. 00:18:47.759 --> 00:18:51.119 There's only one other time that I heard preaching like that. 00:18:51.279 --> 00:18:55.279 And it was in a, okay, that was Pastor Ron from Pentecostal Tabernacle. 00:18:55.359 --> 00:19:00.720 We went, my grandparents went to a church called Corinth Baptist Church in Mountain City, Tennessee. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:02.240 We're talking in the sticks. 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:06.640 And I went to that church and I'm sitting, and all of a sudden, listen, this is the first thing that happened that was fun. 00:19:06.799 --> 00:19:10.559 After Sunday school, that everybody went outside and they joined together for the smoke break. 00:19:10.799 --> 00:19:11.279 Everybody. 00:19:11.519 --> 00:19:13.039 Sister pastor, everybody. 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:15.920 I'm like, all right, okay, this is what we're doing here. 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:17.279 So they all got together. 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:20.000 Then the guy got up and shared prayers like an auctioneer. 00:19:20.079 --> 00:19:22.400 He said, brother, sister's cloud a lot, Macamoris out of his head. 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:23.599 I don't even know where he's sitting. 00:19:23.680 --> 00:19:26.000 He went through the prayer request, the guy that I saw smoking. 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:28.160 And then the man got preaching. 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:30.400 He didn't have a Bible, nothing that I ever seen. 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:31.519 And he got going like that. 00:19:31.759 --> 00:19:33.599 Nah, and let me tell you something. 00:19:34.319 --> 00:19:36.480 And he and he was smacking things, and I'm looking. 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:38.559 I'm like, are y'all seeing this? 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:41.359 And nobody's even moved. 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:43.440 They're just watching like this is normal. 00:19:43.519 --> 00:19:46.480 And I'm like, wow, this is awesome. 00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:52.880 And he's going and he starts talking about a sin and he starts getting more and more specific about this sin. 00:19:53.039 --> 00:19:56.640 He climbs down the stage, walks to a man, and he says, You know what I'm talking about? 00:19:57.279 --> 00:19:58.720 And the man says, Yes, preacher. 00:19:59.200 --> 00:20:04.640 He climbed up on the pew, the man sitting there, and he straddled him, one leg over either side of his legs. 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:06.240 He said, You know exactly the sin. 00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:07.920 And he said, Yes, you do. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:08.880 And he said, Yes, preacher. 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.079 And he said, Bat him. 00:20:10.319 --> 00:20:12.799 And he smacked him on both sides of his cheeks. 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:14.880 I said, What? 00:20:15.039 --> 00:20:17.039 We didn't even have to pay for this. 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:18.880 This is awesome. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:23.599 I mean, I think he just called him out for his sin and he was happy about it. 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:26.880 Yes, preacher, bam! I don't know what happened. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:35.920 So, listen, Johnny went to a church that had a preacher, and then he started coming to ours, and he's like, I don't know what's going on. 00:20:36.079 --> 00:20:37.119 I'm not sure, Pastor. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:38.880 And he'd ask me all these questions. 00:20:39.039 --> 00:20:43.279 And listen, Johnny lived in a bad part of town, and he needed a ride. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:46.640 Every time he came to church, it seemed like, and we'd go give him a ride. 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:54.640 And Johnny would need food, and we'd go buy Johnny food, and we got people to help sponsor and pay for camps because he couldn't do that. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:21:04.319 And one evening Johnny called and he said, Pastor, I mean, he for a kid 14, 15 to be questioning and wondering about doctrine and scripture, it was real rare, you know. 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:05.599 They're worried about baseball games. 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:09.920 You know, it was just, and he said, Pastor, I think I need to be saved. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:12.079 And I'm like, Are you serious? 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:12.880 Yes. 00:21:13.119 --> 00:21:14.480 I'm like, yes. 00:21:14.799 --> 00:21:19.519 And so I start on the phone, you know, ready to just, and he's like, I can't do it on the phone. 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:21.440 I'm like, this kid is so thoughtful. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:24.000 Like, he's like, I need to, I need to meet with you in person. 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:25.200 This can't be on the phone. 00:21:25.279 --> 00:21:29.680 So the next day he gets the school bus to drop him off at our house. 00:21:29.839 --> 00:21:32.000 And Heather was gone, and I had Wyatt. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:33.759 I was in charge of watching Wyatt. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:38.720 And I'm like, all right, you come in and we start talking and I start sharing the gospel. 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:40.640 I listen, an hour goes by. 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:42.400 I've totally forgotten about Wyatt. 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:46.160 Wyatt is in the back room, I don't know if he's four or something like that. 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:49.359 And I'm like, we're about ready to get to the prayer and everything. 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:50.880 And I'm like, Johnny. 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:53.279 I said, He's like, what? 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:53.839 What happened? 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:55.279 I was like, I forgot about Wyatt. 00:21:55.359 --> 00:21:59.200 And then I go back, and the kid has colored all over his face, his arms, his body. 00:21:59.279 --> 00:21:59.839 He has mood. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:02.000 Marked up from head to toe with marker. 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:05.200 And I'm like, all right, you're gonna have to get saved looking at that. 00:22:05.359 --> 00:22:08.240 But anyway, he came to Christ. 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:09.519 Listen to me, church. 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:14.480 He came to Christ, and it was because we were nice. 00:22:15.200 --> 00:22:16.319 We loved him. 00:22:17.039 --> 00:22:18.000 We loved him. 00:22:18.640 --> 00:22:20.640 I want you to hear that, church. 00:22:20.960 --> 00:22:24.640 Nobody's ever been argued to Christ, but a lot of people have been loved to him. 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:28.720 I see people get mad about their way and people get unkind. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:32.079 And Philippians 2 says, prefer others better than yourself. 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:36.799 This lady had been captive, had been stolen, but she was kind. 00:22:37.839 --> 00:22:38.720 She cared. 00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:47.279 And let me tell you, by the way, she cared, and because she did, it helped keep the situation in unity. 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:50.559 She cared, she could have ran her mouth about it. 00:22:50.799 --> 00:22:54.640 She could have told somebody, did y'all hear about what's going on with Naaman? 00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:57.839 She could have blew his cover, the whole thing could have fallen apart. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:00.319 She could have said, he's got the lep and it's bad. 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:02.480 She could have ran her mouth about it. 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:04.319 But she was nice. 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:07.759 She had problems, but she was nice. 00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:10.160 I thought about a couple of life lessons from this. 00:23:10.319 --> 00:23:13.119 Number one, Pastor Dave shared this last week. 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:16.880 Do what you can with what you got. 00:23:17.759 --> 00:23:20.160 This woman was a slave, a captive. 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:27.119 But when information was given, she remembered a prophet and she remembered the God of that prophet. 00:23:27.359 --> 00:23:28.960 And immediately she cared. 00:23:29.119 --> 00:23:32.240 She wanted somebody to be helped, even if it was their captor. 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:38.799 The second thing, a life lesson, until I learn to be merciful, how will I gain mercy? 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:41.119 The Bible said, blessed, Matthew 5. 00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:44.480 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall see mercy. 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:47.839 So hear the story within the story. 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:49.359 There's two captives. 00:23:49.680 --> 00:23:52.480 He has a disease and she's a kidnap victim. 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:54.240 But you know what she said? 00:23:54.640 --> 00:23:55.200 Hear me. 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:56.000 Don't miss it. 00:23:56.079 --> 00:23:57.279 She said, I can help. 00:23:57.599 --> 00:23:59.039 She said, I can help. 00:23:59.279 --> 00:24:03.039 If you can help, why would you withhold it, church? 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:08.559 People need help and you've been helped, so why not extend the grace that's been given to you? 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:12.640 No matter what your circumstances, you have means to help. 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:14.480 And so I want to challenge you. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:16.960 Make a goal, one person to help every day. 00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:18.000 Make a target. 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:25.359 I guarantee you, your ministry and the ministry of the church will blossom if you'll think intensely about giving help. 00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:34.880 And by the way, your ministry will grow and your problems will seem to shrink when you help because you can't focus so much on all that's going bad when I'm helping somebody else. 00:24:35.039 --> 00:24:37.200 And so we need to help. 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:40.240 Get busy being a help. 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:44.240 Well, she was a captive with concerns, but let her be. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:46.400 She was confident in the cure. 00:24:46.640 --> 00:24:48.559 Want you to look at verse 3. 00:24:54.640 --> 00:25:00.640 Then she said to her mistress, if only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria. 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:02.880 She didn't say maybe here. 00:25:03.119 --> 00:25:04.480 She didn't say it was possible. 00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:07.279 She said, For he would heal him. 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:16.480 David Jeremiah said, to say there is a prophet in Israel was the same as saying Israel had a real God. 00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:22.000 So this woman was saying, if she could meet with my prophet, if she could meet with the man of God. 00:25:23.119 --> 00:25:26.720 Naaman was accustomed to being able to solve his own problems. 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:28.319 How many of you feel like that? 00:25:28.480 --> 00:25:41.519 Being able to fix things in your own strength, being able to find a way, to brainstorm a way, to get yourself, and you pulled yourself up by your bootstraps, and you will figure it out. 00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:46.079 Naaman was used to that. 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:48.880 His servant was from Israel. 00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:50.240 She was Jewish. 00:25:51.279 --> 00:25:58.240 She would have believed, or at minimal, she shows her belief, but she would have her life heard of Jehovah. 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:05.279 She would have known that Naaman had a secret and Jehovah could fix his secret problem. 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:10.400 She said, I wish he could see Elisha. 00:26:10.799 --> 00:26:12.640 Because then he'd get help. 00:26:13.440 --> 00:26:16.240 Elisha, God is salvation. 00:26:16.480 --> 00:26:17.119 Remember that? 00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:18.480 That's what Elisha means. 00:26:18.640 --> 00:26:20.079 I want you to see verse 8. 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:21.759 It's important for the context here. 00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:22.720