评论
打印
??Intro：It was an excited and happy Captain Naaman that headed home to Syria in our lesson today! He had left Syria a disfigured and dying man, with only one hope：that the prophet of God in Israel could cure him of the dreadful disease of leprosy.
??You may remember how God used the prophet Elisha to send Naaman to dip in the Jordan River 7 times, and sure enough, Naaman had been made clean from his leprosy!
??Because of this miracle, Naaman had believed in the true and living God. Now Naaman was returning to Syria, clean and new on the inside and the outside! How excited and happy he and his servants must have been!
??But back in Elisha's home in Samaria, someone was not happy at all! It was Gehazi, Elisha's servant. In frustration he was saying something like this to himself, "Can you believe it! My master let Naaman go back to Syria with all that silver and gold and those expensive clothes, and wouldn't take one thing Naaman offered him!" Gehazi was probably thinking of all the nice things he could have bought with even a little of that silver and gold. Maybe he was thinking also that it wasn't fair that Naaman had so much more than he did. Wanting and resenting what others have is called "coveting" , and God's Word warns us that coveting is serious sin. Gehazi said to himself, ？" I will run after him, (Naaman) and take some."
??Knowing Naaman couldn't have gone far, Gehazi slipped quietly out of the house without telling Elisha, and then raced down the road to catch up with Naaman's chariot. When Naaman saw Gehazi coming he stopped the chariot and got down to meet Gehazi. Anxiously he asked, "Is everything all right？" Perhaps Naaman's eyes were full of kind concern. Gehazi answered breathlessly, "Everything's all right." And then Gehazi told a bold, deliberate lie! "My master sent me because two young men of the sons of the prophets have just come from Mount Ephraim, and my master needs a talent of silver and two sets of clothes for them." Had Elisha sent Gehazi？We know he had not, but Gehazi chose to cover his sin of coveting with a lie, so he used Elisha's name.
??Main Truth：Do you sometimes cover your sin？If you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior from sin, you have become God's child forever. But even as God's child, you will sometimes sin, and when you do, you must choose whether you will cover that sin, or confess it. If you know the Lord Jesus, don't cover your sin, confess it! Many times boys and girls try to cover their sin by lying or blaming someone else. Can we say our Bible verse for today？Proverbs 28：13, "He that covereth his sin shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and forsaketh it shall have mercy." If you know the Lord Jesus, don't cover your sin, confess it!
??Gehazi was covering his sin with a lie. Rather than rejoicing in the wonderful miracle God had done for Naaman, Gehazi's greedy heart could only think of getting more money and things for himself. Captain Naaman's heart was so full of gratitude and praise to God for his healing, he was eager to give to the servant of God's prophet. Naaman had just come to know the true and living God of Israel, and his life had been changed forever!
??Gospel：Have you let the true and living God change your life forever？God is the One Who gave you your earthly life. He made you, He knows everything about you, and is very interested in what's happening in your life. Ephesians 2：4 says, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us？" God loves you and wants you to be in Heaven with Him forever, but you cannot go there until your life has been changed. The Bible tells us that when we were born with this earthly life, we were born with a sin nature, a want-to to do those wrong things, like wanting the things that belong to other people, or disobeying our parents. All those wrong things we think, say and do are sin. God says we have all sinned and are headed for a dreadful punishment, which is separation from God forever. But did you know that is exactly why Jesus, God's perfect Son came to earth long ago？It was to take the punishment for your sin. I Corinthians 15：3 & 4 says, ？" how that Christ died for our sin according to the Scripture, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scripture." Christ Jesus came and suffered for our sins by allowing cruel men to nail Him to a cross. He was beaten, and spit upon, and crowned with a crown of thorns. The blood that flowed from Jesus as He hung on that cross was the payment for your sin and mine. But after the Lord Jesus died and was buried, we know He arose the third day and is now in Heaven. When you tell the Lord Jesus you are sorry for your sin and ask Him to forgive and save you, He will! Then your life will be changed forever, just as Captain Naaman's life was changed!
??Naaman was so grateful that God had changed his life that instead of the one talent of silver Gehazi had asked, Naaman insisted he take two, and even sent his own servants to help carry the two expensive outfits which Gehazi had requested. Elisha's servant must've been thinking fast, to know where to hide Naaman's gifts so that Elisha would not see them. The Bible says that when they came to the tower (or secret place), Gehazi took the money and clothes from the servants and hid them in that place. Then he let the men go back to their master Captain Naaman, and he himself went and stood before his master Elisha as if nothing had happened. "Where have you been, Gehazi？" Elisha asked.
??Now Gehazi has another choice! Will he choose to cover his sin, or confess it？What should he do？??Main Truth：Even for you who know you have already asked Jesus to come into your life, there will be times when you do those things you know are sin. If you have already believed in the Lord Jesus as your Savior, don't cover your sin, confess it! When you blame someone else, or shrug your shoulders and say, "Oh, everybody's doing it" , or "Well, it was just a little sin, " or "Nobody saw me, " those are all ways to cover your sin.
??And the truth is that you can never cover or hide your sin from God. God sees everything, including the thoughts we think. When God's Holy Spirit shows you in your heart that you have thought, or said, or done something wrong, quickly confess by telling God what you have done. He promises He will forgive and cleanse you. (I John 1：9) Then you can thank Him and ask for His power to keep you from that sin. No matter how often you come to God, remember His promise is always true, if you will choose to confess sin rather than cover it.
??Gehazi made the choice about his sin. When Elisha asked, "Where have you been, Gehazi？" Gehazi replied, "Your servant didn't go anywhere." Even though Gehazi knew Elisha was a prophet of God, Gehazi chose to try to cover his sin with another lie.
??Climax：Elisha answered, "Didn't my heart go with you when Naaman turned from his chariot to meet you？Is it a time to receive money, and to receive clothes, and all those things？Because you have done this, the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your descendants forever."
??Conclusion：II Kings 5：27 ends with these sad words："And he (Gehazi) went out of his presence a leper？" You will remember from our lesson about Naaman that leprosy in Bible days was a terrible skin disease for which there was no cure. Not only would Gehazi suffer the most dreaded disease of that day, but his children and grandchildren, and the following generations would suffer as well! I'm sure as Gehazi heard these shocking words, his hidden treasure of silver and gold and expensive clothes suddenly lost all their importance. Too late he had realized that his sin was not really covered at all, for God had seen everything.
??Challenge："He that covereth his sin shall not prosper？" our memory verse says. There is no amount of money or things that can ever be as important as keeping our lives clean with the Lord. If you know the Lord Jesus, covering your sin will break the fellowship between you and God, hinder your prayers from being answered, and also bring other sadness in your life. Will you this week say Proverbs 28：13 every morning, and remember, as soon as God shows you in your heart that you have sinned, don't cover it, confess it! God promises He will forgive. Then remember to thank Him and ask for His power to stop doing that sin.
??Invitation：If you have never believed on the Lord Jesus, God says you are separated from Him unless your life is changed. Jesus, God's perfect Son, has already made it possible for your life to be changed by dying for your sin. Acts 13：38 & 39 says, " …through this man (Jesus) is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins：And by him all that believe are justified (that means made right)…" When you tell Jesus about your sin and that you believe He died for you, you can ask Him to save you from sin. Jesus wants to save you and change your life today! Will you go right now to "How to be a Child of God" , and follow those steps.
