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Smokies getaway, come Worship with us, where You are 'family'...amongst a bunch of folk who just 'FLAT-OUT LOVE THE
LORD!'
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Sermon Topics
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Sermon Topics |
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Sunday -
July 16th, 2006
"A LEGACY OF LEPROSY"
by
Pastor Tony Sutton |
2Ki 5:14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven
times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his
flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was
clean.
2Ki 5:15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company,
and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that
there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I
pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant.
2Ki 5:16 But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I
will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.
2Ki 5:17 And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I pray thee, be
given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? for thy servant
will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto
other gods, but unto the LORD.
2Ki 5:18 In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my
master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he
leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon: when I
bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant
in this thing.
2Ki 5:19 And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him
a little way.
2Ki 5:20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said,
Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving
at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will
run after him, and take somewhat of him.
2Ki 5:21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him
running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and
said, Is all well?
2Ki 5:22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying,
Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young
men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of
silver, and two changes of garments.
2Ki 5:23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged
him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes
of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare
them before him.
2Ki 5:24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their
hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and
they departed.
2Ki 5:25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha
said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant
went no whither.
2Ki 5:26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when
the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to
receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and
vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
2Ki 5:27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and
unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as
white as snow.
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WE
FIND IN THE WORD THAT NAAMAN RECEIVED A HEALING FROM GOD, THROUGH
THE DIRECTION OF ELISHA. NAAMAN OFFERED TO GIVE A BLESSING OF
RICHES, ELISHA WOULD NOT RECEIVE IT. GEHAZI A VERY DEVOUT SERVANT OF
ELISHA WAS PRESENTED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN WEALTH. MANY
THINGS, NO DOUBT CROSSED HIS MIND, BUT THE TEMPTATION WAS SEEMINGLY
MORE THAN HE COULD BEAR. I AM SURE HE REASONED IT OUT AND JUSTIFIED
IT IN HIS MIND, HOWEVER RIGHT IS ALWAYS RIGHT AND WRONG IS ALWAYS
WRONG. IT IS NEVER WRONG TO DO RIGHT AND NEVER RIGHT TO DO WRONG!!!
WITH THIS DECISION CAME JUDGMENT. THE LEPROSY THAT NAAMAN HAD WAS
NOW ON GEHAZI AND HIS SEED FOREVER. DOES THE SIN THAT I COMMIT TODAY
AFFECT ME AND THOSE AROUND ME? I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS MY LIFE AND
WHAT I DID WAS ON ME AND NO ONE ELSE. WELL, I BEG TO DIFFER. THE
THINGS WE DO TODAY IN SOME CASES WILL AFFECT OUR LOVED-ONES FOREVER.
WE WILL LEAVE BEHIND A TESTIMONY, A LEGACY, IF YOU WILL. IT IS UP TO
YOU AND I AS TO WHAT KIND OF LEGACY WE LEAVE BEHIND. WE ARE SETTING
A STANDARD RIGHT NOW FOR OUR CHILDREN, LOVED-ONES, FRIENDS AND
FAMILY. I WOULD MUCH RATHER LEAVE BEHIND A LEGACY THAT I LOVED THE
LORD, THAN THAT OF GEHAZI. LEPROSY EATS AWAY AT THE VERY FIBER OF
YOUR BEING, JUST AS SIN WILL DESTROY YOU AND THOSE YOU INFLUENCE.
PRODROMAL SYMPTOMS OF LEPROSY ARE GENERALLY SLIGHT AND NOT
RECOGNIZED RIGHT AWAY. JUST AS SIN IN OUR LIFE IS. IT WILL SLOWLY
DESTROY YOU AND OFT TIMES YOU ARE SPIRITUALLY DEAD BEFORE YOU EVEN
ADMIT IT. 90% OF PATIENTS EXPERIENCE NUMBNESS LONG BEFORE THE
LESIONS APPEAR. DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR? TEMPERATURE IS THE FIRST
SENSATION THAT IS LOST, YOU KNOW YOU DON'T FEEL HOT OR COLD. THE
NEXT THING TO GO IS THE LIGHT TOUCH, THEN THE PAIN, THEN DEEP
PRESSURES. YOU KNOW, HIS TOUCH IS GONE, YOU DON'T FEEL THE PAIN AND
THE PRESSURE LEAVES ALSO. THEN COMES PERIPHERAL NERVE DAMAGE, OFT
TIMES LEAVING THE EYES DRY. THE TEARS ARE DRIED UP. MY GOD MY GOD
WHAT HAS IT COME TO? WHEN TEMPTATION IS LOOMING IN THE DARKNESS AND
THE FOG OF SATAN HAS SET IN, JUST HOLD ON FOR HELP IS ON IT'S WAY.
JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE GOD AS A PERSON STANDING BEFORE YOU DOES
NOT MEAN HE IS NOT THERE. COUNT THE COST!!!
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Lord, inspired you to re-dedicate your life to the Lord, or simply
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| 2
Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth. |
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