The Ups and Downs of the Ministry of Elisha
- Adam Tyson
- Jan 10, 2010
- Series: 2 Kings
2 Kings 5
Elisha was a prophet of God in the Old Testament who experienced the power of God, but who also faced disappointments in the ministry. Naaman was a pagan foreigner who experienced the transforming power of God in both his body and his soul. Gehazi was a believing Israelite who was overcome with greed. May we learn from these two examples so that we may walk in the light.
This morning Pastor Tyson teaches from 2 Kings 5. The passage can be divided into two sections that illustrate the ups and downs of the prophet Elisha's ministry. Elisha experienced success through Naaman's healing and his transformation into a worshiper of God, but he also experienced failure through Gehazi, who turned away from God to a life of greed. The following is an outline for today's message from Chapter 5:
I. Naaman's Healing (vv. 1-19)
1. Naaman's Disease (vv. 1-6)
a) A great man (v. 1)
b) A Greater Girl (vv. 2-3)
c) The Request for Healing from Leprosy (vv. 4-6)
2. Naaman's Cure (vv. 7-14)
a) Responding in Fear (v. 7)
b) Responding in Confidence (v. 8)
c) God's Way of Doing Things (vv. 9-10)
d) My Way of Doing Things (vv. 11-12)
e) The Counsel of a Servant (v. 13)
f) Obedience Leads to Miraculous Results (v. 14)
3. Naaman's Gratitude (vv. 15-19)
II. Gehazi's Greed (vv. 20-27)
1. Gehazi Lied to Himself (v. 20)
2. Gehazi Lied to Naaman (vv. 21-24)
3. Gehazi Lied to Elisha (vv. 25-27)
We cannot help that there will be ups and downs during the course of our own walk with the Lord, but we must not capitulate or give in to our sin, nor should we complain about the trials or failures that we experience through God's sovereign works in our lives. Let today's message encourage and motivate us to be more obedient to the Lord, to delight in Him, and be increased in our love for Him. May we long to see Him glorified ever more because we enjoy His grace in abundance and His grace is more than sufficient!
