Missing the Connection
YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT? - Part 1
July 22, 2007
Mike Matijevich
mmatevich@aol.com
Text 2 Kings 5:1-19

Intro:
* I don’t know if you have ever said that to God before but I have.
Sometimes we hear a message or an older believer (discipler) you hear something that you think is God trying to tell you to do something, but you aren't sure…
Or it doesn't seem to make sense and God doesn't often tell us why.
* I wish there was more, "Here is why…" verses in the bible.
- "Thou shalt not… & here is why. Sorta paint a picture, but…
* But there aren't and you find yourself in a situation as a Christian or maybe you are not and yet you feel like God is moving you in His direction & you are not sure of…
1. You want me to accept Jesus as my Savior
2. You want me to forgive (when they did _________ to me)
3. You want me to change instead waiting for my wife to change….
4. You want me to be ethical in my business
* God if you could just tell me WHY, what will the results be?
NOTE: I realize that INFORMATION doesn't always result in cooperation…
Because sometimes we DO KNOW WHY and we don't do it.

* Here is the ultimate truth I want us all to get, "God ultimate agenda for our obedience is NOT your cooperation.
* The reason God is not- so He can say, "Well I finally go them to cooperate with me."
- You say, "I'm a Christian & I'm standing in line like all the rest, I'm doing the five things."
* God's GOAL is not to just get us to ACT right!

* God is after so much more & that is WHY God doesn't tell us MORE.
The "WHY" behind the "WHAT".

2 Kings 5 Illustrates God's ultimate agenda in getting us to obey Him. Not just to cooperate.

2 Kings 5:1-3 (Every spring the Syrians put raiding parties together go into neighboring areas…
* Stealing everything they could get their hands on. (Border skirmishes)
* Context this little girl had been with them long enough that considered Naaman's family as friends.
Old enough to remember a powerful prophet in Israel named Elisha. He could cure Naaman.
* Not a great plan but…
2 Kings 5:4-9 Here comes Naaman to Elisha's house…
2 Kings 5:10- Naaman, "You want me to do what?" (paraphrase)
"That doesn't make any sense." "I have leprosy… & the Jordan is dirty."

2 Kings 5:11-12 "Rage" - 2 things disgusted him: (1) Sending a servant (2) Wash in Jordan

* This doesn't make any sense…
- God you want me to give when I'm barely able to pay my bills now?
- I'm 30 something and my boyfriend & I shouldn't live together?
* So we do what Naaman did- we say "forget it!"
* That's NOT what I expected. Not what I thought would turn out.
* Fortunately Naaman had some people around him that… had COURAGE to SPEAK into his ANGER.
* Someone to bring REASON into his UNREASONABLENESS.

2 Kings 5:13 If God had asked to do some HARD things- but it was SIMPLE!
* For some of us God has asked you to do a SIMPLE thing.
What do you have to lose?

2 Kings 5:14 What if you had cancer God said go down to the Colorado River & you would be healed… Would you do it?
* This is God's hidden agenda behind your OBEDIENCE…
God is NOT simply trying to CONTROL your BEHAVIOUR - that would be simple for Him…
These are the VERY things God uses to ACCOMPLISH His HIDDEN AGENDA!

2 Kings 5:15 Here is the hidden agenda in all that happens to us & in us…
* That we might KNOW the ONLY true God…
*** To get your FAITH to INTERSECT with His FAITHFULNESS!
In that MOMENT you EXPERIENCE GOD!
*** Then what has HAPPENED IN you overshadows WHAT is HAPPENING around you!
* Not that the leprosy is gone but the God of the universe knows about ME!
* That the God of the universal touched down in my life.

* God did all that he did (does) so He could have a RELATIONSHIP with you.
Relationships are based on trust- the CURRENCY of relationships.
* God will withhold things from us, or call on us to do UNUSUAL things…or force us out beyond our scriptural comfort zone… in order to teach us to TRUST Him.
*** That's when He comes to me in that moment & that is when something happens in our relationship.
* Naaman came looking for a cure to his leprosy & he meets God!
He didn't show up with a SPIRITUAL problem - but a circumstantial problem.
* Naaman went home and talked about finding God!

*** He didn't know what hung in the balance of that decision & neither do you!
You don't know what hangs in the balance where God wants you to trust & obey Him the areas where He is nudging you.
- You think you know what hangs in the balance…
"Yes I know what hangs in the balance… I'll be lonely, poor, having nothing."
- You DON"T know because you don't know what ultimately what God wants to do IN & Thru you.

* Listen what happen in the end… the dirt part… kinda cool…
2 Kings 5:15c- 17
* I not only believe this thing here, but I'm going to KEEP believing when I get back home.
So when I get back home I'll put your dirt over my dirt- maybe He'll hover over me there.
* He is NOW a God worshipper- because his little bitty faith intersected with God.
* He was a CHANGED MAN!

*** That is the Christian Life over & over & over & over again- not a ONE time Thing!
It is an agonizing thing- because you will then begin to say, "What if I___________".

* You don't know what hangs in the balance of your decisions…

* Young people listen - most of your world revolves @ 3 or 4 things:
(1) "I'll be left out" (2) "I'll never experience that…" (3) "What are people going to say?"
* You never know what hangs in the balance of your decisions.
UNTIL you come to the place where you say, "God I trust you now, and I am going to watch & see what you'll do in my life."

Examples:
* Adam & Eve- "What -we can't eat it"
Abram- go & I'll …What you want met to do what?
Noah- build… What build a…
Moses- tell Pharaoh… What…

* What has God been pressing, pushing this week, last month, last year to do… but you were saying "What? You want me to do what?"
* Just do what He wants.
* When God's faithfulness arrives you'll KNOW it.

* How smart is your God?
How Wise is your God?
How well does He know you?
Can He be trusted?

Little phrase to help you…
"To understand WHY, submit and apply."

You want to figure it out?
Just trust Him and submit & apply.

Pray…