The River of Offense is the River of Deliverance
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 09/22/2018
Foundation Scriptures:
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. 5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. 7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. 8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. 2 Kings 5:1-14 KJV
1. Naaman, the Leper.
a. Naaman was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
b. He was the commander of the army of the king of Syria.
c. He had status.
d. Leprosy had him.
2. He Became Offended.
a. He became offended through pride.
b. His opinion was that the rivers they had back home were way better than the rivers of Israel.
c. Fortunately for him, he had wise servants.
d. They asked him, “My father, if the prophet had bid you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much rather, then, when he says to you, Wash and be clean?”
3. Through the Offense, into the Miracle.
a. If he could get through his offence, he would step into his miracle.
b. Dip seven times and be clean.
c. Jesus spat into the dirt and made clay, telling the blind man to go wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:11). He obeyed and was healed.
d. He basically called the Syrophoenician woman a dog (Mark 7:27).
e. She chose not to be offended but responded in faith.
f. The rich young ruler was offended by Jesus’ answer to his question concerning eternal life because of covetousness (Matthew 19:16-22).
g. He could not give up his possessions to follow Jesus.
h. Some people are offended by Jesus, Himself.
i. Romans 9:33 KJV — “As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
j. Matthew 11:6 AMPC — “And blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is he who takes no offense at Me and finds no cause for stumbling in or through Me and is not hindered from seeing the Truth.”
k. Some people are offended with speaking in tongues.
l. Tongues is the gateway to the supernatural.
m. Some people are offended with joy/laughter.
n. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit.
4. Humility.
a. To receive from God, you have to humble yourself.
b. Don’t come with preconceived ideas of how God is going to do something.
c. Verse 11: Naaman thought…!
d. Your opinions can get you into trouble.
e. Your opinions could be hindering your breakthrough.
5. Walking Free from Offences.
a. Step over that which offends you and walk in freedom.
b. Today is your day of blessing and liberty.
c. Humble yourself.
d. Job 22:29 KJV — “When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.”
e. James 4:6b KJV — “Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”
f. Allow God to have His way in your life.
g. Submit to His Word.
h. Submit to His Holy Spirit.
i. Allow those who are in spiritual authority over you to help you.
j. Don’t be a law unto yourself.
k. Will you humble yourself today?