Greg Laurie - How to Find Eternal Life (12/30/2017)
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Pastor Greg Laurie preaches from 2 Kings 5 on Naaman's healing from leprosy as a picture of finding eternal life. Naaman, a proud, powerful Syrian general, must humble himself, obey God’s simple command to wash in the Jordan, and surrender his pride to receive healing—showing that eternal life comes not through wealth or self-effort but through humble faith in God’s provision.
The Me-Me Generation and Narcissism Today
Oh, grab your Bible and turn to 2 Kings chapter 5. And the title of my message is, "How to Find Eternal Life." This is from our series that we are calling, "The Greatest Stories Ever Told." Why don't we start with a word of prayer.
Father, we ask now as we open your word, that you would speak to us and help us to understand that there is no man or woman out there right now that deep down inside does not have the same need that we have. We are all the same in our heart of hearts. And the answer is the same for all of our needs. So we ask for your blessing on this time of Bible study. In Jesus name we ask it. Amen.
Well I was born in a generation that is called the baby boom generation. And we are kind of getting on in years. And now our children, they were called the millennials. And they were also dubbed the me generation. Well now our children are having children, and do you know what they are calling them? The me, me generation.
Consider these statistics that I read in a recent article from Time Magazine. Quote, the incidence of narcissistic personality disorder is nearly three times as high for people in their 20s as for the generation that is now 65 or older. 58% more college students scored higher on a narcissism scale in 2009 than 1982.
See what has happened is back in the 70s, my stupid generation thought that the problem in the world was low self-esteem. And people needed to learn to love themselves more. By the way, that was never the problem. It's never been a problem learning to love ourselves. And I've never believed the idea that we all need to love ourselves a little bit more. The problem is we love ourselves enough as it is.
If you look at a photograph with a bunch of people, and you were in that photo, who do you look for first? You don't look for someone else. You look for you. Because you love you. And I love me. Right? That is why the Bible says, love your wife as you love yourself. Because it is an obvious thing. It is already a fact.
The Failure of the Self-Esteem Movement
Well anyway there was all this emphasis and all this money spent on this whole movement. And it didn't turn out so well. One expert said, the problem is when people tried to boost self-esteem, they boosted narcissism instead. All that self-esteem leads people to be disappointed when the world refuses to affirm how great they know they are.
Coming back to the me-me generation, they got so many participation trophies growing up. A recent study showed that 40% believe they should be promoted every two years regardless of performance. It is called a sense of entitlement. And it is a big problem in our country right now.
Well, I don't think I have to work hard or be resourceful. Everything should be given to me on a silver platter because I am just so wonderful. If you don't believe me, watch auditions for The X Factor or American Idol. Here are people with no abilities whatsoever and they are completely oblivious to it. And when a judge has the audacity to say, I don't think this is what you want to do with your life. They of course get upset and throw things at the judges and so forth. It is just a problem with the whole culture right now.
Priorities of the Younger Generation
A poll was done of 18 to 25 year olds. And they were asked, what is your goal in life? You know what the number one goal was? Getting rich. That is the generation's most important life goal. 51% said their goal was to be famous. 30% said their goal was to help people who needed help. 22% said their goal was to be leaders in their community. And 10% said their goal was to be more spiritual.
Well listen. These are people who have their priorities out of whack. Your number one goal should be obviously to know God. And then to find His plan and purpose for your life. And if you chase after fame and fortune, you are going to just end up like all the others who have done that. And if you don't ask me, you can ask a well known biblical character who goes by the name of Naaman.
Introducing Naaman – Power, Fame, and a Hidden Crisis
He was rich and famous and powerful, but he had a problem. A life threatening problem that all of his power could not fix. And his story is introduced to us in 2 Kings 5. So let's look at it together. Starting in verse 1.
"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. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper."
Now groups of Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel. And among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman's wife as a maid. One day the young girl said to her mistress, "I wish my master would go see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would heal him of his leprosy."
So Naaman went with his horses and chariots, and he waited at the door of Elisha's house. But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: "Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
But Naaman became angry and stalked away. "I thought he would surely come out to meet me," he said. "And I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
We'll stop there.
Naaman's Position and the Onset of Leprosy
Now verse one introduces us to Naaman. He was a great general in the army of Syria. If you are a general in the army of Syria, you are an army. That is it. But we hear a lot about Syria these days. Of course they are in the news with all of their internal conflicts. But this was another time, and Syria was a great world power. And even back then they were an enemy of Israel.
But here in the Syrian army was this great man Naaman. He would be like a five star general. Like General Eisenhower. Or General MacArthur. Or General Omar Bradley. All five star generals. And so this was a powerful, influential man. He had everything the world says you ought to have to make you happy. He had power. He had high military rank. And he also had fame. He was a legend in his own time. And he had great wealth in keeping with his position.
Interestingly, verse one tells us the Lord had given him great victories. Now at this point Naaman wasn't really a believer. But yet God had blessed him in many ways. Verse one tells us the king of Aram had high admiration for Naaman. See he had the trust and friendship of the king himself. The king of Syria, Ben-Hadad. And he was loved by his people. And everything a person would dream of.
But one day Naaman, and I am just imagining now for a moment, might have saw a little spot on his hand that he had never seen before. And he probably thought nothing of it. And the next day he saw four or five more spots. And now there were others that were spreading on his arms and his legs. And he thought, what is happening to me? So he goes to his doctor. And he gets a checkup. And he asks, what's wrong? And he was given news that no man of this century ever wanted to hear.
The doctor would have said, General Naaman, I regret to inform you that you have leprosy. That would be like being told, not only are you going to die, but you are going to die a painful death. Because leprosy at this time was incurable.
The Hidden Disease and Universal Human Needs
So here was Naaman with all of his power and his fame and his fortune. But he found out he was a leper. He would become one of the walking dead. Maybe he walked out on the beautiful balcony of his home overlooking Syria. And he thought of all of his accomplishments, all of his victories on the battlefield. And now what? He is going to die for certain.
It is as though God was tapping the shoulder of the great general. And we all know people this has happened to. You know, everything is going well. Your health is great. You have a lot of money in the bank. And then you get that call from the doctor who said, we are a little concerned about some of these tests that we recently did on you. And we want you to come in. And we want to talk to you.
Or maybe there was that accident that happened unexpectedly. Or that new ache or pain that you had never had before. And it is a good thing to say, God, are you trying to get my attention?
Leprosy in Culture and the Armor We Hide Behind
See, back in this culture, if you were a Hebrew and a leper, you would be cut off from everybody else. Once you found out you were a leper, you could have no interaction with other people. You had to separate yourself from them. In fact, if you were walking down the street as a leper in Jewish culture, and understand Naaman is in Syrian culture, but if you were in Jewish culture, you would have to announce, "Unclean, unclean," so people would steer clear of you.
I mean, that is a great way to have no friends. Imagine walking into a room. "Hey everyone, unclean, unclean." Ah! They all clear the room. Because leprosy was highly contagious.
Now what was leprosy? Well today it has another name. It is called Hansen's disease. And it is treatable. It was once thought that if you had leprosy, your limbs would basically just rot and fall off. But in recent years a lot of research has been done on leprosy or Hansen's disease by Dr. Paul Brand and others. And they have proven that the disfigurement associated with Hansen's disease comes solely because the body's warning system of pain is destroyed.
In other words, you could wash your face with scalding water if you have leprosy and not know it. You could cut off your finger or severely burn your foot and not be aware of it because you don't feel pain. In third world countries, vermin would sometimes chew on sleeping lepers without them knowing. Thus lepers would be missing fingers and toes and so forth because the pain mechanism completely shut down.
But I doubt anybody knew Naaman was a leper. Because he kept it all covered up. He wore royal robes or perhaps a uniform of some kind. And of course he had his armor. And he hid everything beneath it. And this just reminds us that there is no life without its share of problems.
Wealth's Relativity and the Hole in Every Life
You know if you don't have much, you are always thinking about how to get more. If you have a lot, you are always going to find someone that has more than you. And if you have the most, you are worried about how you are going to keep it. And you know, wealth is a pretty relative term anyway.
It has been said if you have money in the bank, or in your wallet, and spare change in a dish somewhere, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. See? And that is true. See, we would say, oh I am not very wealthy because, you know, I don't have a whatever, a great car. I don't live in Newport Coast. Or I don't, whatever it is you want to think of as a wealthy thing. But then someone living there says, well, yeah, but I don't have the wealth of Bill Gates, you know, who has, oh, and another says, well I don't have the wealth of that person.
Look, if you have money in the bank and in your wallet, and spare change, you are among the 8% of the world's wealthy. So my point is simply this. You can have it all and still have a missing part of your life. There is sort of like a hole in your life.
And yet, this is what so many people, as they pointed out, aspire to. We want to be like those people, like the rich people, the famous people, the successful people. But they have their troubles too.
Everyone's Deep Needs – Emptiness, Loneliness, Guilt, Fear
There is an old legend about people who lived in a certain village who constantly complained about their troubles. So each one was invited to throw all of their burdens and problems into one big heap in the middle of town. And they were given the privilege of choosing another trouble to replace theirs. And after careful deliberation and consideration, each selected the same problems they had cast aside, feeling that their own problem was less difficult than the problems of others.
That is not a true story. That is a fable, right? But it gives you an idea. And there are people that put up a front. And you think, oh man, that person doesn't need the gospel. They are too beautiful. They are too handsome. They have got it all together. I mean, oh yeah, let's go to Skid Row and talk to those people. But listen, I don't care if you live on Rodeo Drive or Skid Row. The problems of mankind are effectively the same.
Years ago, Billy Graham was speaking to itinerant evangelists who gathered for a great congress in Amsterdam. And he said, these are things that he has found true of every person. He said, and I quote, "When I go to proclaim the gospel, whether it is on a street corner in Nairobi, or a meeting in Seoul, Korea, I know there are certain things that are true in the hearts and minds of all people."
So these things are true of every person you will meet, no matter where they are at in life. Men, women, high or low on the social economic ladder, it doesn't matter.
The Four Universal Heart Conditions Without Christ
There is an essential emptiness in every life without Christ. Number one, there is an essential emptiness in every life without Christ. The Bible teaches in Romans 8:20 that creation was made subject to emptiness not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it in hope. And it is an emptiness that cannot be filled with anyone or anything. Everybody has that.
Number two, we can assume that in our hearers there is a loneliness. You may have a lot of friends. You may have no friends. You may be extremely popular. You may be unknown. But we all know that feeling where you can be with a bunch of friends in a room and suddenly this loneliness just sweeps over you. And really it is a loneliness for God.
You might have a big family and you can still have that loneliness because there is a part of your life that can't be filled by even a husband or a wife or children or parents or friends. It is a loneliness for God.
Thirdly, we are speaking to people that have a sense of guilt. Deep down inside, people are guilty. Now some may be able to suppress that guilt to some degree, but it is there. If their conscience is working, it is there. In fact, I think if you don't feel guilty, you should be concerned. If you feel guilt when you do something wrong, congratulations, your conscience is in working order.
If you can do something wrong and feel no guilt or no remorse, you should be very concerned about that. Romans 2:15 says, "You demonstrate when you feel guilt that God's law is written within you because your conscience accuses you or tells you what you are doing is not right."
Why do we feel this guilt? Very simple answer. You are guilty. And what are we guilty of? Sinning. And we all sin. So we all have that as well.
And then there is a universal fear of death. I know people try to act all tough like they are not concerned about it. But trust me. There is a fear of death. Deep down inside, it frightens us. The Bible speaks in Hebrews 2:15 of those that are held in slavery by the fear of death.
That is why there are so many books right now that you can buy on the afterlife as experienced by different people. Written from people ranging from little children that say they have had visions of heaven of people who die in accidents. And they talk about leaving their body. And we read these books with great fascination and sometimes quote from these books. But there is only one book I think is reliable on the topic of the afterlife. And that is a book I am holding in my hand. And all these other books that I would look at, I would compare to what the Scripture teaches.
But we want to know about it. We are afraid of it.
The Young Girl's Faith and Naaman's Journey
So here is the reason I bring all this up. Everyone is empty. Everyone is lonely. Everyone is guilty. Everyone is afraid to die. Because you might see a person and say, well they would never listen to what I have to say. Trust me. Deep down inside these things are true. So start praying for them.
So here is Naaman. I mean this guy has got it all together. And you would think no one could ever reach him. So who does the Lord hand pick to reach the great Syrian war general? God picks a young girl who we don't even know the name of, who was strong in her faith and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Verse 3 says, one day the girl said to her mistress, "I wish my master would go see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would heal him of his leprosy."
Who did God use? This unknown girl. And by the way, a footnote. This girl was taken captive from Israel. This girl was kidnapped. How easily she could have been bitter against God for allowing this to happen. And certainly angry at the people she now worked for. She could have said, you know what, that Naaman, he deserves it. And I am glad he has leprosy. And I am glad he is going to die.
No, that is not the way she felt at all. She was concerned for him. And she seized the opportunity to tell Naaman about a prophet in Israel that could pray for him.
Elisha and the Humble Path to Healing
Now who was this prophet? It was Elisha. Remember last time we looked at Elijah sort of passing from the scene. He was caught up to meet the Lord there in that chariot of fire. And then his calling, his anointing, fell on his successor, who had a name similar to his, Elisha. And God was already working through the prophet Elisha. In fact, he had raised someone from the dead. So he too had this miracle working power.
Well, this girl had somehow heard about Elisha. I don't know if he sent out tweets or had a Facebook page. I doubt it. But you know, she had heard the stories of the prophet. And here she is in a foreign land, working for these people. And yet her heart goes out to Naaman. And she says, man, I wish you could go meet that prophet in Israel.
I think this is such a great testimony. Isn't it a wonderful thing when you've lived such a godly life that when you speak to someone, they listen? When you say, you know, I want to tell you something that you need to hear. And they listen to you because they respect you. Because you are a hard worker. You are a man or a woman of integrity. You are a person that has shown love and compassion to them in the past. And so when you speak, they listen.
You know, it has been said, preach the gospel and when necessary, use words. Now that is, you know, kind of an interesting statement that can be misunderstood because certainly to proclaim the gospel requires verbiage. But I will tell you what, you can be the most eloquent communicator, but if you contradict it by your life, your words won't matter all that much.
So she earned the right to bring the message because she was such a great person and a hard worker. When she spoke to her master, he paid attention. And he goes to the king of Syria. King of Syria contacts the king of Israel. And saying, who is this Elisha guy? I can't help this man. But this woman held fast to her faith.
I mean, here she is in a foreign land. It reminds us of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were taken captive into Babylon. And by the way, those weren't their given names. Those were the pagan names given to them by the king. But though he changed their names, he could not change their hearts. And they walked closely with God, as did this young woman.
So she tells Naaman about Elisha. And so what happens? Verse nine, Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha's house.
So Naaman went to the king of Syria. King of Syria contacted the king of Israel. They set it up. Found out where Elisha lived. And along comes the great Naaman.
The Humiliation That Led to Healing
Now picture the scene if you will. He is a great man. And he is expecting a great healing. Something dramatic. Something immediate. And by the way, he is willing to pay for it. Because in his possession is one million dollars in coin. He is going to drop a million bucks on the prophet if he can heal him of his leprosy.
I bet his chariots were fabulous. You know, gilded in silver and gold, pulled by the finest Arabian stallions chomping at their bits. And he had his big burly bodyguards surrounding him in their uniforms and their gleaming swords and their armor. And they pull up in a cloud of dust. And here is Elisha's house. Probably a crackpot sitting out in front. And you know, his name kind of hanging at an angle because the nail came loose. Elisha.
And so they pound on the door. You know, there is a great man here, Naaman, who wants to see you. And I love this story because Elisha doesn't even come out and meet Naaman. He has a servant named Gehazi. He says, just go out and tell him to go dunk himself in the Jordan River seven times and he will be healed.
So the door opens. And now walks Gehazi, the servant of Elisha. "Hello. How are you? Nice to see you guys. Listen. The prophet says, go down to the Jordan River. Immerse yourself seven times. You will be healed. God bless. Have a nice day. Goodbye." Door shuts.
There is Naaman in his chariot. All of the men looking like, is he serious? And as Naaman said, he thought Elisha would come out and wave his hand and the leprosy would be gone and there would be a big party and Elisha would take the money. No, no, no. It wasn't going to happen that way.
It doesn't make a lot of sense in some ways. Naaman is outraged. Does he know who he is dealing with? Does he realize who I am? It almost appears from the story that Elisha was deliberately trying to humiliate Naaman.
But I think that God designed this healing, if you will, to really be appropriate for who Naaman was. See, the Bible says, humble yourself under the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up. And sometimes we need to swallow our pride and just say, man, I need God's help.
And Naaman's pride was wounded. And initially, his leprosy was the enemy of his personal happiness. And now his pride was the greater enemy. And he had a million bucks. The prophet wasn't even interested. And so he's thinking, what am I going to do? I'm not going to go dunk myself in that crummy river. We have better rivers back in Syria. They are cleaner. The water is bluer. That river, the Jordan, it is all muddy. Why would I do that?
The Armor of Pride and the Call to Humility
He was hiding behind his armor. And you know what? We all have armor that we effectively hide behind. I don't know how many of you remember that old song by Simon and Garfunkel called, "I Am a Rock." But it's a pretty insightful song. I'm not going to sing it for you. Or maybe I will. No, I'll just give you the lyrics.
"A winter's day in a deep and dark December. I'm alone, gazing from my window to the streets below, on a freshly fallen, silent shroud of snow. I am a rock. I am an island. I've built walls, a fortress deep and mighty that none may penetrate. I have no need of friendship. Friendship causes pain. It's laughter and it's loving, I disdain. I am a rock. I am an island. I have my books and my poetry to protect me. I'm shielded by my armor, hiding in my room, safe within my womb. I touch no one and no one touches me."
There's the song. Okay. Right? "I am a rock. I am an island." See, now you're not thinking of what I've been reading. "And a rock feels no pain. And an island never cries."
It's very well written. And it's the idea of, you know, I've isolated myself. I have my books. I have my poetry. I have my life. I touch no one. No one touches me. It's laughter and loving. I disdain. I have no need of friendship.
Why would a person end up this way? Because they've been hurt. Have you been hurt in life? Let me tell you something. I used to be this way. I had my armor I hid behind. And I'll tell you why. Because the way I was raised, in my crazy childhood, I never had a dad. And my mother, it's as though she wasn't there. She never told me she loved me. I'm not saying that to elicit sympathy. I'm just stating the fact. I never heard my mom say to me she loved me. She never hugged me. She never affirmed me.
I was the opposite of the kid that was indulged like kids today. And so I grew up having to fend for myself, take care of myself. And I grew up feeling that I could never open my heart to anyone. Because I had been hurt by so many people. And there are a lot of people like that out there. And you developed this sort of defense mechanism. And you are a survivor.
So when I became a Christian, and all these Christians are talking about love and brother and sister. I'm thinking, this is a little icky to me. I don't know. I don't really want to hug you. I don't even know you. And much less say, I love you. I don't know if I love you or not.
It took me a long time to be able to say to someone, "I love you." It took me a long time to accept love and then to give love. Because I was afraid, oh I'll get hurt again. But, and I'm not saying I haven't been hurt since I've been a Christian. But what I am saying is, you can open your heart up and you can take the armor off. And you can let God in and then you can let others in as well.
And so I understand the armor that Naaman hid behind. And so here he is now, and he is not going to go down to that Jordan River. And I think there is a reason. And it is not just because the river was muddy. It is because he didn't want to peel that armor off. Because if he were to peel the armor off, everyone would know the truth. The great Naaman, underneath his uniform, was a leper.
The Simple Obedience That Brought the Miracle
But one of his officers reasoned with him. Look at chapter 5, verse 13. His officer tried to reason with him and said, "Sir, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, 'Go wash and be cured.'"
Naaman thought, you know, what have I got to lose? They will find out eventually anyway. So they are going down there by the Jordan River. And the great general steps down from his chariot. And probably for the first time, perhaps, he takes off that helmet. And the people see the disfiguring of leprosy in his face. He takes off his breastplate. He takes off his belt, his sheath, his sword. And he takes off his robe and strips down. And they see this man has leprosy. They see this man is in a horrible state.
And he goes down to that Jordan River. This is so humiliating. Because he is a man's man. And, you know, he wants to make an impression on his other men. And he is having to go through these steps. And the prophet didn't say immerse yourself once. He said seven times.
So he goes down the first time, comes up. Leprosy. Goes down again. Comes up. Still leprosy. Third time. Fourth time. Fifth time. Leprosy. It isn't even partially gone. He is as leprous as he was from the beginning. Goes down that sixth time. And now he is getting ready for number seven. And I bet he stayed down a little bit longer. And he comes up. And he closes his eyes. And he opens them. And he is afraid to look.
And then he looks. And there is no leprosy. It is gone. In fact, the Bible says his skin was like that of a little baby. Have you ever looked at a baby's skin? It is so perfect. You know, I look at my grandchildren's skin, especially little Christopher. And, you know, if you put glasses on and look in the magnifying glass and look at your own skin, and it is frightening. Forget the magnifying glass. Just look at his skin. Yikes!
And then I look at his skin. It is just so clean. And there is no blemishes on it. And that is what his skin looked like. It was like the skin of a little baby. And his men break out in cheers. Imagine how that girl that worked for him felt when she heard how God had answered her prayer.
I wonder if she ever thought that God would use someone like her to reach someone as significant as Naaman. You know, a lot of times, we don't hear about those people that work behind the scenes. We hear about men and women that God raises up and uses in a singular way. But we don't hear the story of the unknown people that played a key role. And helping them to get to the place that they are.
And God used this woman just as he used David, a little Shepherd boy, watching over his sheep, handpicked by the Lord to succeed the paranoid and wicked King Saul and be the next king over Israel. And in fact, he was the greatest king Israel ever had.
Or how God chose Mary, a peasant girl, living in a town that was renowned for its corruption and sinfulness and immorality. She was an unknown person living in an unknown town in the middle of nowhere. And God says, that's my girl. That's the one who will fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah. And she will be the virgin that will conceive and bring forth the very Son of God.
Naaman's Transformation and New Faith
And so Naaman is stoked. He's so excited. He's healed. And at this point, he is not only healed, but he believes in the Lord. Not the false gods of Syria, but the true and living God of Israel.
And now he wants to go back and thank Elisha for this. So 2 Kings 5:15. Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him and Naaman said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Now please accept a gift from your servant."
Elisha replies, "As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept your gifts." And although Naaman urged him to take the gifts, Elisha refused.
Then Naaman said, "All right, please allow me to load two of my mules with earth from this place, and I'll take it back home with me. And from now on, I'll never offer any burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other God except the Lord."
This is such a great story. That's why we have it as a part of our series, "The Greatest Stories Ever Told." This whole story is a classic picture of a man without God, or a woman. They are searching for everything this world has to offer, and it doesn't satisfy.
Parallels Between Leprosy and Sin
And the problem is that every man and every woman has a problem like leprosy, and it's called sin. In fact, there are some interesting parallels between leprosy and sin.
Number one, leprosy was an incurable disease. Now this is a miracle that caused it to be removed. But under normal circumstances, if you were a leper, you would have it for life, and it would result in your premature death.
And an interesting thing about leprosy, it would have an insignificant beginning, often starting with a small bright red scab. Little do people think of the long-term consequences of sin. You know, that little sin, or so you think, that isn't that big of a deal that becomes bigger with the passing of time.
You know, that little indiscretion. Now that moment with that guy or that girl, and then maybe you find out you're pregnant. And I think of all the young girls today that go out and don't even think twice about getting an abortion. And according to one study, women who have had abortions are nine times more likely to attempt suicide than women in the general population.
You know, sometimes the full effect of what you've done doesn't hit you until later in life. And you kind of rationalize it in the moment, but sin starts small and always gets big. That's how leprosy was as well.
Secondly, leprosy was inherited. It poisoned the blood, and it could be passed on from mother to child. So if a mom was a leper and gave birth to a child, the child would be born leprous. And in the same way we are all born as sinners.
Listen we don't become sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. Let me repeat that. We don't become sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. It's natural. I never had to sit my two boys down and say, "Boys I am going to teach you now how to be selfish. Repeat this word after me. Mine." No, it came naturally to them. Just like it came to me.
I watched two of my grandchildren fight over a toy earlier today. You know, that is just natural. We are all that way. It comes into our life. We are born with it.
And then once contacted, leprosy spreads quickly. And just as sin does. And it causes a state of living death. There is a loss of sensation, a discoloration of skin. Your vision is impaired. The Bible tells us that when we are living in sin, we are dead in trespass. Paul said, "She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives." Sin deadens you. And that is exactly what leprosy did.
Finding Eternal Life – The Simple Path of Faith
But here is the good news. No matter what sin we have committed, God can forgive us if we will turn from that sin. The solution for Naaman was to go down to the Jordan River, peel off his armor, and immerse himself seven times and he would be healed.
And the solution for us is to realize that we need God's forgiveness. You know, if Elisha would have told Naaman to jump around on one foot for an hour and cluck like a chicken, he probably would have preferred that.
And it is funny how people today, they want eternal life. That is the title of my message. "How to find eternal life." And if you were to tell them, well I will tell you what, if you want to receive eternal life, you have to shave your head, wear a lime green robe, and go down to LAX and scream and yell for hours on end. Okay, I will do that. Let us go. Where do we get the robes?
I mean, you tell them any crazy thing. But you say, no. If you want to be forgiven of your sin, if you want to find eternal life, you need to admit to God you are a sinner, turn from your sin, and put your faith in Jesus Christ.
"Well, is that all?" Well, yeah, that is all. But just because it is a free gift doesn't mean it comes cheap. God had to send His Son to die in our place so we could be forgiven of this sin.
So how do you find eternal life? By believing in the one that God sent to this earth for us, Jesus Christ. And He proved that love for us at the cross when He died for our sin. Then we must believe in Him. And that brings us to the communion table.
Communion: A Reminder of Christ's Sacrifice
Well, why do we do this? Because Jesus told us to. He said, I want you to do this in remembrance of Me. Let me read the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11 about how we are to approach this table.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes."
Now listen to this. Verse 27: "Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."
Now whenever you read the word therefore in the Bible, find out what it is there for. Very important thing Paul is saying. Now we all know that Jesus told us we are to do this in remembrance of Him. We all get that. But then Paul says, therefore, if you eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner.
What does that mean? That means that you take of the bread or you drink of the cup without knowing the one it represents. See, communion is for believers only. A non-Christian should never receive the elements of communion.
You might say, "Well I think it is a good ritual. Maybe it will get me closer to God." No. Because Paul says if you receive these elements without believing in the one they represent you can actually eat and drink judgment to yourself. Quite frankly it is almost as though you are making a mockery of God to receive the elements and not believe in the one they represent.
Now we don't believe in transubstantiation. And that is the belief that the bread becomes the flesh of Christ or the body. And that the wine or the juice, we use juice here, becomes His blood. We don't believe that. This is still bread and it is still grape juice from the supermarket. Hope that doesn't mess it up for you.
But it is not about the bread or the cup in particular. It is about what they represent. You see. They represent the Lord Himself. So when I receive this element, it is not that this is some holy thing I am holding in my hand. But it represents the one who is holy who hopefully is living in my heart.
So I don't want to do it without believing. And number two, I don't want to receive these elements in a flippant, cavalier, or overly casual way. Like, well, let's just get this thing over with, whatever. No, no. No, think about it. Because the Bible says, let a man examine himself.
So I have to ask myself the question, you know, am I a true follower of Jesus Christ? If I am, then by all means, receive communion. You might say, well, Greg, I'm a sinner still. And I've sinned this week. Well, it doesn't say you have to be perfect. It doesn't even say you need to be worthy. It says don't receive it in an unworthy manner.
See, the fact is, the communion table is a great place to confess our sin. A great place to come to God and say, "Lord, I have fallen short this week, or even today. I have said things I shouldn't have said. I've held grudges. I've had those impure thoughts. I've done that thing I shouldn't have done. And I turn from it and turn to you now. I'm sorry for that sin."
This is the place to deal with that. It's not for perfect people. It's for forgiven people that need more forgiveness, which is all of us.
Invitation to Receive Christ Before Communion
But let me just close in saying that if you've joined us tonight, and most of you have. And thank you for coming. But if you joined us here tonight as a visitor, or maybe you're not a believer. Well, I would tell you, if you have no intention of believing in Jesus, just let these elements pass right on by as we distribute them.
But better yet, I would urge you to believe in Jesus right now, and ask him to forgive you of your sin, and then have your first communion with us as a follower of Christ.
So we're going to pray, and I'm going to give you an opportunity to ask Christ to come into your life. And if you've fallen away from the Lord, an opportunity to come back to him again before we receive communion together.
So let's pray. Now Father, we thank you for your word to us. And we thank you for what Jesus did at the cross. How he laid his life down, and shed his blood, and bore our sin, and rose again from the dead. Now if we'll turn from that sin and ask him to come in as Savior and Lord, he will do just that. And he will forgive us.
Because he says he stands at the door, and he knocks, and if we'll hear his voice, and open the door, he will come in. So Lord, I pray for any here, or those that are watching, or listening, who may not know you yet, would you help them to come to you right now, and be forgiven of their sin.
Now while our heads are bowed, and our eyes are closed, and we're praying, maybe you would say tonight, Greg, I want Jesus Christ to come into my life. I want him to forgive me of my sin. I want to know that when I die, I will go to heaven. I'm ready to say yes to Christ right now. Pray for me. I want Jesus in my life.
If that's your desire, if you want Jesus Christ to come into your heart, if you want him to forgive you of your sin, if you want to go to heaven when you die, would you lift your hand up right now wherever you're sitting, and let me pray for you. If you want Christ to come into your life, just lift your hand up, and I'll pray for you right now. Wherever you're sitting, slip your hand up. Let me pray for you. God bless you. God bless you. Anybody else? You want his forgiveness tonight. You want to know that you'll be ready for the Lord's return. You want your guilt taken away. You want your sin forgiven. Lift your hand up. Let me pray for you tonight. God bless you. God bless you.
Lift it up where I can see it, please. Anybody else? Lift your hand up if you would. God bless you. They're in the back. While our heads are still bowed, maybe some of you would say, you know, I've fallen away from the Lord. I haven't been walking with him as I ought to, but I want to return to him tonight. Pray for me.
If that's your desire, if you want to return to Jesus Christ, come back to the Lord, would you raise your hand up and let me pray for you? You want to come back to the Lord tonight. God bless you. God bless you.
Now listen. God bless all of you. All of you that have raised your hand, if you would, please. I want you to stand to your feet, and I'm going to lead you in a prayer right here, right now, before we receive communion.
So all of you that raise your hand, if you would, please, stand to your feet. Just stand up. That's right. God bless you guys. Stand up. Wherever you are, stand up. God bless you. There's more of you that raise your hand. Stand now. We're going to pray together. Anybody else? Stand up. I'll lead you in this prayer of commitment or recommitment to Christ. God bless you. Stand up. There might be a few more of you that want to do this. Stand now. We are going to pray together. You won't regret this. Don't be embarrassed. You are among family and friends here tonight.
Just stand to your feet. Let me pray with you. One final moment. If you are going to stand, stand now. Anybody else? God bless you. Stand up now. Anybody else? Stand now. All right. God bless you guys.
Now, you that are standing, I want you to pray this prayer out loud after me. Again, as I pray, pray this out loud after me right where you stand. Pray this now if you would.
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, but you died on the cross for my sin. I turn from that sin now, and I choose to follow you. Lord, from this moment forward, be my Savior and Lord. Be my God and my friend. Thank you for calling me, and accepting me, and forgiving me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.