Rewards of Obedience

Welcome to the intense podcast entire family for Friday, January 7 tells you to do something respond with swift agreement.

Today's podcast teaches you about the enduring rewards of obedience, God always rewards obedience.

You can take your Bible and go from Genesis to Revelation is what your father the principal is to be found in every single book of the Bible, God always rewards obedience.

But there is a companion truth that goes with our failure to obey God will bring suffering and pain to us. Eventually now on leave of the reward nor the suffering are always immediately evident in our life but eventually they're going to surface either the joy of my rewards or even the pain of my suffering you and are not to be obedient to God motivated simply because we want to be rewarded, because if you think about it for a moment. I think the three primary reasons you and I should be motivated to obey God.

One of them is that he's God. And because he's God and he is the sovereign of this universe. He deserves to be obeyed. Secondly, he's a wise God and all the requires of us what is best for us so that wisdom says you do what is always best for you and the third motivational to be about love and devotion to him. But let me ask you this. What is God telling you to do today and the question is are you doing what God is telling you to do now. This passage of Scripture we going to deal with is a perfect example of a man's struggle with obedience and the result of his reward in being obedient to God. So the time of this message is the rewards of obedience and so if you turn the second Kings chapter 5, beginning in verse one. The Scripture says now, Naaman, captain of the Army of the King of air around was a great man with his master and highly respected because by him. The Lord had given victory to air around the man was also a valiant warrior but he was a leper that was in his household. The Scripture says owned on the passage a little girl who had been taken captive as a slave as the Aramaeans had plundered the nation of Israel. They had taken the subtle Israelite girl and he had taken her as a servant. She was a servant to his wife. That is Naaman's wife one day while the servant and Naaman's wife were in conversation. The little girl said to Naaman's wife. I wish that my master that is Naaman were with the prophet who is in Samaria, then he would cure him of his leprosy. She was so convincing to Naaman's wife. When Naaman came home she said to him how servant said there was a prophet and it's really his name is Elisha. He can heal you of your leprosy.

That little girl was so convincing to the wife and she was so convincing her husband.

The name and immediately went to the king and told him what the little girl said verse five says that the king said to Naaman go now immediately that you will know how valuable Naaman was the key look in verse five. Go now and I will send a letter to the king of Israel, he departed and took with him 10 talents of silver 6000 shekels of gold and 10 change the Raymond which in our money today would be over $1 million. So the king felt that Naaman was so valuable that he sent to the king of Israel amid over a million-dollar gift in order to have his servant Naaman healed well when he arrived on the scene.

Verse six the Bible says he brought the letter to the king saying and now as this letter comes to you, behold, I have sent name on my servant to you that you may cure him of his leprosy. It came about when the king of Israel read the letter that the Torah is close and said am I God to kill and the make alive that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy, but consider now and see how he is seeking a quarrel against me. So the king of Israel misunderstood what the king of Aram said he was simply saying to him, would you be responsible to see to it that this man comes in touch with the prophet in Israel so he can be healed of his leprosy, because Naaman Artie told him it was the prophet there who healed people of the leprosy so when Elisha hears that the king is tearing his clothes and is in and feel all and saying that the king of Iran is seeking court within he says in verse eight why you torn your close now.

Let him that is Naaman come to me and he shall know that there is a prophet initial. I watch that in Elisha's purpose for healing.

Naaman was far greater than simply removing an incurable disease of leprosy. He wanted Naaman to understand that that God in Israel is God and that Elisha, his prophet has relationship with God, whereby when he talks to God.

God is able to cure the incurable disease of leprosy, so he sends him that is Naaman to Elisha, the prophet, so here comes Naaman with all of his following his soldiers that cherish their horsemen and they come before the household in Samaria where Elisha is living now something happens there. They are sending before Elisha's door and what happens in Elisha's servant, not Elisha Elisha servant comes out and addresses the captain of the host this very very prized soldier and warrior of the king of Aaron and the servant, not Elisha says to Naaman, sir, if you would be healed of your leprosy, my master, the prophet in this really Elisha says go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River immediately. Naaman becomes furious. The Bible says wash myself seven times the Jordan River. If I wanted to take a bath, I would've stayed at home. Besides that, the rivers of Damascus are far better rivers than the rivers of Israel. The river Jordan, that muddy river.

He says you telling me to go wash myself seven times in the Jordan River pieces beside that he says I expected the prophet to come out and to wave his hand over me. That is over the place where he had leprosy and that I would be healed, so he turns in anger were the soldiers and they began to march off, but his soldiers had to wait a minute hold sir if the prophet had said that you do something very difficult. You would've done that so at least give them a chance. He told you to wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, you have leprosy, that's an incurable disease you're going to die. Please consider what he said into the Jordan.

He walks humiliated before his soldiers having himself a pity party and the humiliation fit and he gives himself seven times in the Jordan River to come up the seven-time insured and totally healed of his leprosy now against the background of that event that happen hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

I want to give you five basic principles.

My friend that if you will exercise in your life.

God will reward you in every area in which you apply these principles every single area.

Here is the first and will put these against the background of the Scripture. The first what is this our needs. Our needs are often times, God's opportunities for lessons in obedience our needs. Often times, God's opportunities for lessons in obedience. What was the greatest need in Naaman's life it was to be healed. It was to be cured of leprosy which would destroy. That was the greatest need of his life. It did make a difference. What else he had fine wonderful family servants money position. The favor of the king, but overshadowing all this was that dark shadow leprosy that he knew one day would incapacitate him and eventually destroy him he would become an untouchable ultimately separated when that had covered his body and so he goes to the prophet of God, my friend. God sometimes creates needs are not singing sent leprosy to them that he allowed the leprosy to come to them and all the for God to do a dramatic work that not only influenced him, but multitudes of sometimes God allows the need to come in their life.

Sometimes he creates the need. What is it that God wanted to teach Naaman able to teach them first of all, that the God of Israel is God that Jehovah Yahweh Elohim, the God of Israel is the only God and the evidence of his sovereignty is that he can cure what no man can possibly cure and that is leprosy God for the teaching first of all the places trust in the God of Israel. He wanted to teach him how very important it is to be obedient to this God. You see, God wants the blessings he desires that you not become everything he wants us to be. He's provided we will be and can be, but only in response to obedience and faith in him. So God use this experience in Naaman's life to teach them a very valuable lesson. Second thing I want to notice here. Obedience may often require what appears to be impractical, and unreasonable medicine here is Naaman standing before Elisha's door outcomes.

The servant he says if you want to be healed.

You go to the Jordan River and you dip yourself seven times there's nothing rational about that and you see this is more than likely, it was Naaman's thinking is pretty good think. Wait a minute you telling me to go dip in the Jordan River.

What about all the other folks who got leprosy while they down the dipping in the Jordan River. Here's the reason I watch this because God didn't tell anybody else to go to the Jordan River and why seven times listen to me carefully. If you look around to see what other people doing and choose to be obedient to God and the base of a Lakota doing. You will disobey God.

I would ask a question supposed Naaman had not gone to the Jordan, he would've died a leper. Suppose you do not obey God.

You listen you will never know what God would have done in your life because you failed to be obedient to it. I cannot tell you how important that is for thinking what you notice in this passage that our failure to obey God, may cost does the very thing we desire. Most our failure to obey God, may cost is the very thing we desire. Most what is the greatest need. What was the greatest desire Naaman's heart to be cured of his leprosy. But you see.

Suppose he had done what most people do. First of all, he said this is ridiculous. This is foolish. I'm not going to do it. He had three problems. Number one was pride me, Naaman, captain of the Army. My king is sent over $1 million to the king of Israel and you the profit you will not even come out to even speak to me is priority his second problem was his anger. He became furious because, listen, because his expectations work that crashed. He said I thought that surely he would come the main standing: the name is Lord wave his hand on the place and cure the leper.

He said he was furious because his expectations were not met and his third problem was unbelief. He didn't believe that in obeying the prophet of God that Almighty God would cure him of his leprosy.

Do you know those three problems sometimes hours, especially not of pride in that mode of unbelief.

I think about it his own. Naaman on his way down the Jordan and elixir that might remodel what he says in his languages but is probably pretty file.

Here's the money. Jordan and here standard soldiers. Men who follow him in battle right into death Valley and what is he do, he turns and looks at him and with great humiliation.

He walks into the Jordan money Jordan River. So what is he do he holds his nose and goes down one time and comes up.

He says see that I did not tell you just the way I went down same old disease, humiliated he goes on the fourth time. The fifth time the six time. He says six times. That is enough. I'm getting out of here, but they said Naaman one more time please. Seven-time okay seven times he goes in the seven-time think the seven-time and what you think happened to him immediately when he came up the seven-time all of a sudden all of his unbelief vanished and what was he saying that God in Israel is God, he saw a demonstration of the supernatural power of God in his own life he became a believer.

Suppose he had only dip six time six times when the Developer. Let me ask a question and he only done partially what God is told you do or have you been told he will be the human obedience is obedience is doing what God says when God says how he says it. I don't have to understand how I don't have to understand why. All I have to do is to be obedient to Almighty God. Obedience is the key to God's blessings.

The rewards of obedience when we do what God says do when God says doing how God says do it this all of heaven opens because my friend, God will never become indebted to us. He's going to reward he's going to bless he's going to parties blessings for thing about you to jot down a very important point right counsel, right counsel always encourages obedience to God right. Counsel always encourages obedience to God. These soldiers of Naaman said to him, Naaman or Capt. please please just try it, you have nothing to lose by dipping in the Jordan, please try and we listen carefully.

Be very careful. The kind of counsel you listen to. You see the many people who just don't like silver people hurt or see other people need and want to rush in and show them how to take care of themselves when they may be interfering with God.

Be very careful than when you counsel somebody you always counseled them to obey God one last principle I want you to get them and that is the rewards of our obedience will strengthen and encourage our faith and the faith of others. The rewards of our obedience will strengthen and encourage our faith of a close look what happened. The name I mean he came out of the Jordan River a total believer in Jehovah God.

Not only did he become a believer but is so just believe they went back to the key and he of course could not deny that the God of Israel is God. How that must've gone through that Army like like and through the whole nation that the God of visceral heels, leprosy, nobody heals leprosy, the God of Israel. Hills represent he must be God my phenol I'm saying you there is I don't know about you but one thing I'm going to do is I'm going to be obedient to God.

The rewards and obedience beyond my ability to tell you I only ask you your sake sake of your family the work of the kingdom in this country and around the world and our influence the multitudes of vague God and he will richly been keeping listing to rewards of obedience.

If you like to know more about Charles Stanley for intense ministries, and had started writing this podcast is a presentation of intense ministries Atlanta, Georgia