WEBVTT 00:00:09.869 --> 00:00:16.050 This story is obviously connected to last week's 00:00:16.050 --> 00:00:22.449 message. It's meant to be set in comparison and 00:00:22.449 --> 00:00:28.269 in contrast to what came before it. The story 00:00:28.269 --> 00:00:34.979 of Naaman, the Syrian. the foreigner, the alien 00:00:34.979 --> 00:00:38.479 of Israel that came and traveled because this 00:00:38.479 --> 00:00:44.259 young servant girl told him of the prophet of 00:00:44.259 --> 00:00:48.359 God. Naaman comes and Naaman is miraculously 00:00:48.359 --> 00:00:51.320 cured and he comes to faith and he confesses 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:57.359 the God of Israel. Now, on the other half of 00:00:57.359 --> 00:01:02.530 the story, we find Gehazi. the servant of the 00:01:02.530 --> 00:01:07.629 man of God, the servant of Elisha. A man who's 00:01:07.629 --> 00:01:12.930 very different, but very similar to Naaman in 00:01:12.930 --> 00:01:18.170 some ways. Last week we saw that Naaman was a 00:01:18.170 --> 00:01:23.489 portrait of an unbelieving man and found utter 00:01:23.489 --> 00:01:28.530 relevance for the unbeliever today. Today we 00:01:28.530 --> 00:01:34.890 find... That Gehazi is a portrait of the unbelieving 00:01:34.890 --> 00:01:38.969 man and that he has an incredible amount of relevance 00:01:38.969 --> 00:01:44.069 for those present today who don't believe in 00:01:44.069 --> 00:01:50.370 Jesus Christ. We're going to look today at the 00:01:50.370 --> 00:01:54.909 privileges and the advantages that Gehazi had 00:01:54.909 --> 00:01:58.620 providentially come into possession of with regards 00:01:58.620 --> 00:02:02.680 to being near and close and around to the prophet 00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:07.599 of God. Those opportunities that God in his providence 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:11.599 has given to him to know the truth and to know 00:02:11.599 --> 00:02:15.020 grace. But we're also going to look and examine 00:02:15.020 --> 00:02:22.780 his heart. The heart of the servant of Elisha. 00:02:23.939 --> 00:02:28.219 Finally, we will look at his sin. As we read 00:02:28.219 --> 00:02:32.060 through this narrative, it was clear and obvious 00:02:32.060 --> 00:02:38.180 that he blatantly and outrightly lied to the 00:02:38.180 --> 00:02:43.780 face of Naaman. He sinned. So we'll look at these 00:02:43.780 --> 00:02:49.020 today, God willing, beginning first with his 00:02:49.020 --> 00:02:55.680 privileges. Gehazi had been given providentially 00:02:55.680 --> 00:03:00.780 certain privileges and advantages and opportunities 00:03:00.780 --> 00:03:09.199 in his life. Consider his position as the servant 00:03:09.199 --> 00:03:16.740 of the man of God. Is there a greater privilege? 00:03:18.030 --> 00:03:21.490 Is there a greater opportunity, is there a greater 00:03:21.490 --> 00:03:25.169 advantage to knowing the will of God than serving 00:03:25.169 --> 00:03:29.189 the one who speaks authoritatively on behalf 00:03:29.189 --> 00:03:34.610 of God himself? Is there more privilege than 00:03:34.610 --> 00:03:39.849 being around Elisha, the prophet of the living 00:03:39.849 --> 00:03:45.110 God? He was around him all the time. He was with 00:03:45.110 --> 00:03:49.500 him during the day. when he wasn't ministering. 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:54.280 He was with the prophet when he was ministering. 00:03:54.379 --> 00:03:57.060 He was with the prophet when he was prophesying. 00:03:57.199 --> 00:04:00.060 He was with the prophet when he wasn't prophesying. 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:05.439 He was around the prophet of God. He was near 00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:08.520 to the prophet of God. Think about the interactions 00:04:08.520 --> 00:04:11.919 and the conversations they had. The training 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.520 and the instruction that Gehazi received. There's 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:20.589 the possibility. That just as Elisha was the 00:04:20.589 --> 00:04:25.029 servant of Elijah and Elisha succeeded Elijah, 00:04:25.189 --> 00:04:32.990 that Gehazi was being mentored and trained to 00:04:32.990 --> 00:04:38.170 succeed Elisha. There's the possibility that 00:04:38.170 --> 00:04:41.790 he was being raised up to succeed the man of 00:04:41.790 --> 00:04:47.149 God. Think about the privileges for his faith 00:04:47.149 --> 00:04:51.370 that this man was in possession of because of 00:04:51.370 --> 00:04:54.910 his status, because of his position as the servant 00:04:54.910 --> 00:05:00.629 of God. He was around the word of God all the 00:05:00.629 --> 00:05:09.110 time. He heard God speak in and through Elisha. 00:05:09.529 --> 00:05:14.149 He was with him when it took place. But now consider 00:05:14.149 --> 00:05:18.649 also the previous works in the ministry of Elisha 00:05:18.649 --> 00:05:22.029 that Gehazi witnessed with his own eyes, that 00:05:22.029 --> 00:05:26.110 he experienced, that he took part in. If we just 00:05:26.110 --> 00:05:29.930 go back a couple chapters in 2 Kings and we think 00:05:29.930 --> 00:05:32.790 about some of the miraculous deeds and the miraculous 00:05:32.790 --> 00:05:38.310 works that God worked through Elisha, Gehazi 00:05:38.310 --> 00:05:44.939 saw them all. He was right there. He was present. 00:05:44.980 --> 00:05:48.180 When the Shunammite woman wanted to be gracious 00:05:48.180 --> 00:05:51.300 and kind to Elisha, and Elisha says, you're going 00:05:51.300 --> 00:05:54.819 to have a child in the next year. And then very 00:05:54.819 --> 00:06:00.060 soon, when that boy was older, he got sick. And 00:06:00.060 --> 00:06:03.660 the child died. The woman runs and she goes and 00:06:03.660 --> 00:06:06.620 she finds Elisha, the man of God. And who is 00:06:06.620 --> 00:06:10.379 it that Elisha sends to greet? The Shunammite 00:06:10.379 --> 00:06:16.759 woman who's lost her son. Gehazi. Elisha sends 00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:20.120 Gehazi to check on, heal the boy, to take his 00:06:20.120 --> 00:06:22.879 staff and to put it on his face. But nothing 00:06:22.879 --> 00:06:27.980 happens. Gehazi was present. He witnessed. He 00:06:27.980 --> 00:06:31.399 saw the divine and miraculous power of God at 00:06:31.399 --> 00:06:36.399 work through the prophet of God regularly. He 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:39.949 witnessed and he saw these things. He was present 00:06:39.949 --> 00:06:45.009 when a man had brought 20 loaves of bread and 00:06:45.009 --> 00:06:47.629 given them to the prophet. And the prophet says, 00:06:47.730 --> 00:06:52.569 give them to the sons of the prophets. He saw 00:06:52.569 --> 00:06:57.550 the miraculous deeds. Consider what he just witnessed. 00:06:58.990 --> 00:07:03.009 Think about what Gehazi just witnessed that we 00:07:03.009 --> 00:07:07.110 looked at last week in the story of Naaman. What 00:07:07.110 --> 00:07:12.970 just happened before his very eyes? Naaman is 00:07:12.970 --> 00:07:16.350 miraculously healed by the divine and sovereign 00:07:16.350 --> 00:07:19.750 power of the living God according to the word 00:07:19.750 --> 00:07:24.089 of the prophet. Gehazi was there. He was present. 00:07:24.149 --> 00:07:31.910 And it's at this very time that we see his heart. 00:07:32.889 --> 00:07:37.160 Gehazi witnessed great deeds. and great works, 00:07:37.439 --> 00:07:41.980 he saw the divine power of God actively working. 00:07:42.139 --> 00:07:45.939 He was around it. He was near to it. He was close 00:07:45.939 --> 00:07:49.660 by. He was associated with it, and he even took 00:07:49.660 --> 00:07:57.959 part in it at times. Yet, he remained in unbelief. 00:07:58.540 --> 00:08:07.180 He did not believe in the God of Israel. He was 00:08:07.180 --> 00:08:12.579 given great privilege, yet he continued in unbelief. 00:08:13.300 --> 00:08:18.420 How many today have been given providentially 00:08:18.420 --> 00:08:26.600 great religious privileges and advantages, yet 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:31.459 they continue in unbelief in their hearts? They 00:08:31.459 --> 00:08:34.279 hear the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:39.639 They're around the people of God. They have the 00:08:39.639 --> 00:08:43.059 word of God. They have a Bible. They're around 00:08:43.059 --> 00:08:46.820 the church. They hear the worship. They see the 00:08:46.820 --> 00:08:49.320 transformed lives. They've seen the power of 00:08:49.320 --> 00:08:51.899 God at work. They've seen individuals be saved. 00:08:52.019 --> 00:08:58.980 They know the gospel. Yet they continue in the 00:08:58.980 --> 00:09:03.580 hardness of their hearts. They're around it. 00:09:04.679 --> 00:09:09.279 They're near to it. They're close to it. They're 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:12.940 associated with it. They're nearby to it. But 00:09:12.940 --> 00:09:19.340 their hearts are still hard and unbelieving. 00:09:19.379 --> 00:09:24.759 They don't know those realities. They aren't 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:28.299 in possession of those realities in their own 00:09:28.299 --> 00:09:37.690 life. Just like Gehazi. Gehazi teaches us, brothers 00:09:37.690 --> 00:09:44.009 and sisters, that yes, unbelief is common to 00:09:44.009 --> 00:09:47.509 those who are far and distant from Christ, those 00:09:47.509 --> 00:09:49.590 who are in the world and those who are in the 00:09:49.590 --> 00:09:56.070 culture. Unbelief is prevalent, but unbelief 00:09:56.070 --> 00:10:02.289 is also present here. Unbelief is also present. 00:10:03.269 --> 00:10:08.210 in and around the gospel, in and around the people 00:10:08.210 --> 00:10:11.909 of God, you don't get any closer than Gehazi 00:10:11.909 --> 00:10:16.190 got. You don't have more privileges and more 00:10:16.190 --> 00:10:18.509 advantage and more opportunity. You're not exposed 00:10:18.509 --> 00:10:21.169 to more of the means of grace than Gehazi was. 00:10:23.090 --> 00:10:26.009 Unbelief is still present even to those who are 00:10:26.009 --> 00:10:31.750 closest to the work of God in this world. We 00:10:31.750 --> 00:10:38.169 see that. in Gehazi. We also must see his heart. 00:10:38.889 --> 00:10:43.210 We have to see what was taking place inside of 00:10:43.210 --> 00:10:49.409 him, the condition of his heart. We see glimpses 00:10:49.409 --> 00:10:52.870 of this in those previous experiences and previous 00:10:52.870 --> 00:10:59.730 works that he partook in with Elisha. We see, 00:10:59.769 --> 00:11:02.809 for example, When the Shunammite woman is running 00:11:02.809 --> 00:11:07.029 to Elisha because her son has passed away, her 00:11:07.029 --> 00:11:11.929 son is dead. She runs up to the prophet of God 00:11:11.929 --> 00:11:15.049 and she throws herself at the prophet's feet. 00:11:16.509 --> 00:11:23.090 And what does Gehazi do? In 4 .27 we read, When 00:11:23.090 --> 00:11:26.629 she came to the man of God to the hill, she caught 00:11:26.629 --> 00:11:29.740 hold of his feet. She's mourning, brothers and 00:11:29.740 --> 00:11:34.559 sisters. She's sad. She's grieved. Her heart 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:37.879 is broken. Her heart is upset. She is sad because 00:11:37.879 --> 00:11:43.039 of the reality of her life. And Gehazi came near 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:48.039 to push her away. But the man of God said, Let 00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:52.000 her alone, for her soul is troubled within her, 00:11:52.100 --> 00:11:55.039 and the Lord has hidden it from me and has not 00:11:55.039 --> 00:12:00.940 told me. Gehazi? does not understand his master. 00:12:02.539 --> 00:12:07.539 Gehazi doesn't understand the situation. It's 00:12:07.539 --> 00:12:11.500 not registering. It's not clicking with him. 00:12:11.740 --> 00:12:17.500 But we also see it when Elisha sends Gehazi to 00:12:17.500 --> 00:12:22.519 heal the boy. We read in verse 31 of the same 00:12:22.519 --> 00:12:26.039 chapter, Then Gehazi passed on before them and 00:12:26.039 --> 00:12:29.399 laid the staff on the lad's face, but there was 00:12:29.399 --> 00:12:34.120 no sound or response. So he returned to meet 00:12:34.120 --> 00:12:40.500 him and told him the lad was not awakened. Why 00:12:40.500 --> 00:12:44.039 wasn't the lad awakened? Why did the power of 00:12:44.039 --> 00:12:47.700 God not go forth from Gehazi with the prophet's 00:12:47.700 --> 00:12:54.679 staff? Why didn't it work? We see at the end 00:12:54.679 --> 00:13:00.440 of chapter 4, in verse 43, his attendant, meaning 00:13:00.440 --> 00:13:07.620 Gehazi, his servant, what will I set, what? Will 00:13:07.620 --> 00:13:11.559 I set this before a hundred men, speaking of 00:13:11.559 --> 00:13:14.659 the 20 loaves of barley bread that were just 00:13:14.659 --> 00:13:18.220 given to the sons of the prophet? Listen to his 00:13:18.220 --> 00:13:24.470 words. What? Will I set this before a hundred 00:13:24.470 --> 00:13:32.809 men? How is it possible that this will feed all 00:13:32.809 --> 00:13:36.470 of them? Sounds reminiscent of the little faith 00:13:36.470 --> 00:13:43.110 of so many in the New Testament. Gehazi didn't 00:13:43.110 --> 00:13:46.789 believe. He didn't understand, and he didn't 00:13:46.789 --> 00:13:51.659 truly comprehend. and perceive the power of God 00:13:51.659 --> 00:13:56.679 at work through the prophet of God. He had no 00:13:56.679 --> 00:14:01.799 faith. We see these glimpses in his previous 00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:04.480 works and his previous interactions, but we see 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:09.659 it much more clearly in verse 20 today of our 00:14:09.659 --> 00:14:16.580 text. So, pardon me, but Gehazi, the servant, 00:14:17.480 --> 00:14:21.620 of Elisha, the man of God, thought, behold, my 00:14:21.620 --> 00:14:27.740 master has spared this Naaman, the Aramean, by 00:14:27.740 --> 00:14:30.840 not receiving from his hands what he brought. 00:14:31.299 --> 00:14:35.399 As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take 00:14:35.399 --> 00:14:41.340 something from him. What's happening in Gehazi's 00:14:41.340 --> 00:14:46.370 heart? What is the atmosphere? What's the dynamic 00:14:46.370 --> 00:14:49.009 of his heart? What's the condition of his heart? 00:14:49.110 --> 00:14:52.009 We see it very clearly. We see the events, the 00:14:52.009 --> 00:14:55.509 interactions, the talk, the discussion. We see 00:14:55.509 --> 00:14:58.970 what's going on in his inner man and it reveals 00:14:58.970 --> 00:15:06.389 his unbelief. He's repudiating his own master 00:15:06.389 --> 00:15:11.519 in his heart. His master refused. to take anything 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:15.620 from Naaman. But now Gehazi says in his heart, 00:15:15.700 --> 00:15:20.639 I know what's best. My master doesn't know what 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:23.419 he's talking about. I'm going to take something 00:15:23.419 --> 00:15:27.840 regardless of what my master said. He's repudiating 00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:31.960 the prophet. But we also see that he's stereotyping 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:39.500 Naaman as a Syrian. What's he mean by this? When 00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:44.940 he says the Aramean, well, he means this Gentile. 00:15:46.120 --> 00:15:52.299 This man's not an Israelite. This man is a Gentile 00:15:52.299 --> 00:15:57.379 dog. He does not deserve that wealth. He does 00:15:57.379 --> 00:16:00.360 not deserve that influence. He does not deserve 00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:04.820 that gold and that silver. He's condescendingly 00:16:04.820 --> 00:16:08.259 making a determination and judgment about what? 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:14.639 Naaman deserves in his life. All the while ignorant 00:16:14.639 --> 00:16:17.860 and blind to the reality of his own sin and his 00:16:17.860 --> 00:16:26.500 own iniquity and his own heart. He's irreverent 00:16:26.500 --> 00:16:31.799 toward the Lord and his name. And he's doing 00:16:31.799 --> 00:16:38.159 it under the guise of religion. As... the Lord 00:16:38.159 --> 00:16:43.559 lives. Do you know what he's doing in his heart 00:16:43.559 --> 00:16:50.440 right now, brothers and sisters? Gehazi is orchestrating 00:16:50.440 --> 00:16:57.679 his sin. He is scheming how he's going to take 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:02.320 what he wants from Naaman, and he uses the name 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:08.190 of the Lord as he's scheming. Do you see the 00:17:08.190 --> 00:17:11.549 irreverence and the flippancy that he has with 00:17:11.549 --> 00:17:19.630 regards to the holy name of God? Most obviously, 00:17:19.710 --> 00:17:28.869 he's full of covetousness and greed. He wants 00:17:28.869 --> 00:17:35.650 what Naaman has. So what does he do in his heart? 00:17:36.809 --> 00:17:43.130 He plans it out. He schemes. He's cunning. He 00:17:43.130 --> 00:17:48.609 orchestrates what he will do to get what he wants. 00:17:49.410 --> 00:17:52.970 Do you see the atmosphere of his heart, brothers 00:17:52.970 --> 00:17:55.630 and sisters? Do you see the condition and the 00:17:55.630 --> 00:17:58.390 nature of his heart? It's plain and clear, is 00:17:58.390 --> 00:18:04.730 it not? His heart is dominated by sin, iniquity, 00:18:04.730 --> 00:18:08.829 and corruption, isn't it? And not just any sin, 00:18:09.009 --> 00:18:14.029 but self -righteous, arrogant, prideful corruption, 00:18:14.109 --> 00:18:21.589 just like Naaman. He's full of pride and pomp, 00:18:21.769 --> 00:18:27.069 just like Naaman was full of pride and pomp in 00:18:27.069 --> 00:18:36.109 his life. But similar to Naaman, the sin in his 00:18:36.109 --> 00:18:41.410 heart is just the symptom. Just like Naaman, 00:18:41.430 --> 00:18:44.130 these are just expressions and manifestations 00:18:44.130 --> 00:18:51.990 of something much deeper. Unbelief. Unbelief. 00:18:52.910 --> 00:18:58.019 Gehazi doesn't believe. that which he is so closely 00:18:58.019 --> 00:19:02.480 related to. He doesn't believe that which he 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:07.619 is so close to, brothers and sisters. And how 00:19:07.619 --> 00:19:12.259 do we know that this is unbelief? Is there something 00:19:12.259 --> 00:19:14.859 beyond the fact that his heart is dominated by 00:19:14.859 --> 00:19:19.880 this sin? Well, we have to remember, what has 00:19:19.880 --> 00:19:24.779 he just witnessed? What has he just seen? What 00:19:24.779 --> 00:19:29.420 just took place with Naaman? This man who has 00:19:29.420 --> 00:19:33.440 had this horrible skin disease is miraculously 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:40.460 healed. And Gehazi witnesses Naaman cleansed, 00:19:40.460 --> 00:19:47.140 purified, washed, transformed. He sees the power 00:19:47.140 --> 00:19:50.680 of God at work in the life of Naaman. He sees 00:19:50.680 --> 00:19:53.079 the grace and the mercy of God at work in the 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:58.680 life of Naaman. And where is his heart at? As 00:19:58.680 --> 00:20:03.059 he's witnessing this unfold, as he's seeing Naaman 00:20:03.059 --> 00:20:06.240 change and return with gratitude and the fullness 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:09.460 of generosity and joy and peace and confession 00:20:09.460 --> 00:20:14.349 of the God of Israel, where is... Gehazi's heart. 00:20:16.029 --> 00:20:21.589 Sin and self. It's as though the grace of God 00:20:21.589 --> 00:20:26.650 was never extended. It doesn't even register 00:20:26.650 --> 00:20:31.440 in Gehazi's mind what's happened to Naaman. The 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:34.160 blessings that have been bestowed on him. The 00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:36.480 good work that God has just done in this man's 00:20:36.480 --> 00:20:39.579 life. The power of God that just went forth that 00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:42.140 transformed Naaman. It's like he didn't even 00:20:42.140 --> 00:20:52.119 see it. Why? Why isn't he affected by this work 00:20:52.119 --> 00:20:56.099 of God in the life of Naaman? Why doesn't he 00:20:56.099 --> 00:21:00.190 marvel? At what God has just done. Why doesn't 00:21:00.190 --> 00:21:02.910 he praise and adore and worship the God of Israel. 00:21:02.990 --> 00:21:05.410 Because he's just been gracious and kind and 00:21:05.410 --> 00:21:08.210 merciful. To this man who knew nothing about 00:21:08.210 --> 00:21:11.369 the God of Israel. Because his heart is full 00:21:11.369 --> 00:21:15.309 of unbelief. Because he's consumed with himself. 00:21:19.809 --> 00:21:23.670 He can't look beyond his own unbelief. Just like 00:21:23.670 --> 00:21:29.049 Naaman couldn't look beyond. His own. Unbelief. 00:21:30.269 --> 00:21:36.730 Gehazi has the heart of a Pharisee. He has the 00:21:36.730 --> 00:21:39.589 heart of a Pharisee. Do you remember all the 00:21:39.589 --> 00:21:43.089 wonderful works that Jesus worked? That Jesus 00:21:43.089 --> 00:21:46.089 did? All the miracles, all the cleansings, all 00:21:46.089 --> 00:21:50.009 the healings? And did the Pharisees blink an 00:21:50.009 --> 00:21:55.900 eye at the mercy? At the compassion that Jesus 00:21:55.900 --> 00:22:01.279 Christ had on those who were needy? No. It's 00:22:01.279 --> 00:22:04.460 like it never even happened. If anything, they 00:22:04.460 --> 00:22:08.720 tried to conceal it and cover it up. Why? Because 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:16.680 of their unbelieving, hard, wicked hearts. Gehazi 00:22:16.680 --> 00:22:20.480 has the heart of the older brother in the story 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:28.779 of the prodigal. Gehazi's problem isn't so much 00:22:28.779 --> 00:22:32.420 his self -righteous attitude, his condescending 00:22:32.420 --> 00:22:37.480 outlook upon Naaman. His problem is that there 00:22:37.480 --> 00:22:41.759 is no faith in his heart and the God of Israel. 00:22:42.079 --> 00:22:45.920 He has never experienced the grace and mercy 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:49.680 and compassion of God in his own life, even though 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:53.740 he's around it all the time. He's never known 00:22:53.740 --> 00:22:58.940 it. And it has no effect on him or his heart. 00:22:59.940 --> 00:23:04.740 A sure sign of an unbelieving heart, friends, 00:23:04.799 --> 00:23:10.000 is that it's unaffected and it's unchanged by 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.319 the gospel of Jesus Christ. A sure sign that 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:17.680 you are dead in your sins and trespasses. that 00:23:17.680 --> 00:23:20.299 you don't know Jesus Christ, is that your heart 00:23:20.299 --> 00:23:23.279 doesn't melt at the thought of Jesus Christ dying 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:27.720 on the cross. A sure sign of your unbelieving 00:23:27.720 --> 00:23:31.720 heart is that there's no change produced in your 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:35.140 heart. You always come back to your sin. You 00:23:35.140 --> 00:23:37.559 always come back to your iniquity. You always 00:23:37.559 --> 00:23:39.980 come back to your corruption, your self -righteousness, 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:44.500 your arrogance, your pride. The course of your 00:23:44.500 --> 00:23:48.880 heart stays the same. Yeah, there can be ups 00:23:48.880 --> 00:23:53.420 and there can be downs, like waves. But the trajectory 00:23:53.420 --> 00:23:58.619 and the course of your heart is self. The trajectory 00:23:58.619 --> 00:24:03.539 and the course of your heart is sin, is pride, 00:24:03.819 --> 00:24:07.160 is arrogance. And the preaching of the gospel 00:24:07.160 --> 00:24:12.299 does nothing for it. The people of God do nothing 00:24:12.299 --> 00:24:16.259 for your soul. Yeah, they might bring conviction 00:24:16.259 --> 00:24:19.779 occasionally, encouragement and lifting you up 00:24:19.779 --> 00:24:21.779 a little bit. They might make you feel good in 00:24:21.779 --> 00:24:24.819 your emotions, in your attitude, in your heart 00:24:24.819 --> 00:24:27.180 sometimes, but it doesn't change the reality 00:24:27.180 --> 00:24:29.839 of the hardness of your heart, the unbelief that 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:34.680 resides in you, the void of true faith within 00:24:34.680 --> 00:24:41.069 you. That's a sure sign. Of an unbelieving heart. 00:24:41.789 --> 00:24:45.829 We've seen his privileges and his heart. But 00:24:45.829 --> 00:24:50.109 we also must see. His sin. Now when we consider 00:24:50.109 --> 00:24:53.690 his sin. We see this primarily in verses 21. 00:24:53.990 --> 00:25:00.190 To 25. We cannot. Separate or disconnect this. 00:25:00.809 --> 00:25:05.029 From his heart. We have to ask ourselves why. 00:25:06.150 --> 00:25:10.059 Does Gehazi. Take advantage of this opportunity 00:25:10.059 --> 00:25:14.519 in this time. Why does he transgress outwardly? 00:25:15.359 --> 00:25:19.380 Why does he sin in this moment at this time? 00:25:20.319 --> 00:25:26.359 Because of his heart. He sins outwardly because 00:25:26.359 --> 00:25:30.460 of the iniquity within him. Because of the unbelief 00:25:30.460 --> 00:25:34.079 that resides within his own soul. It cannot be 00:25:34.079 --> 00:25:40.240 separated. When opportunity comes for sin, the 00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:44.259 unbelieving man and woman or young person will 00:25:44.259 --> 00:25:51.500 take the opportunity. They'll pounce on it if 00:25:51.500 --> 00:25:58.500 it's opportune because of the unbelief in their 00:25:58.500 --> 00:26:03.200 hearts. So what did sin include? What was involved 00:26:03.200 --> 00:26:06.150 in it? There are several things we see in these 00:26:06.150 --> 00:26:12.950 verses. We see that he falsely claims to be sent 00:26:12.950 --> 00:26:18.049 by his master. My master has sent me. Let's look 00:26:18.049 --> 00:26:21.829 at this a little bit. So Gehazi pursued Naaman. 00:26:22.690 --> 00:26:25.670 When Naaman saw one running after him, he came 00:26:25.670 --> 00:26:28.730 down from the chariot to meet him and said, It's 00:26:28.730 --> 00:26:33.299 all well. He said, All is well. My master. has 00:26:33.299 --> 00:26:39.519 sent me. That's a lie. That's false. Elisha did 00:26:39.519 --> 00:26:43.099 not send Gehazi. He came of his own free will 00:26:43.099 --> 00:26:47.559 and his own want to. He pursued this himself. 00:26:48.259 --> 00:26:52.279 Then what does he say? Behold, just now two young 00:26:52.279 --> 00:26:56.279 men of all the sons of the prophets have come 00:26:56.279 --> 00:26:58.980 to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please 00:26:58.980 --> 00:27:01.799 give them a talon of silver and two changes of 00:27:01.799 --> 00:27:08.529 clothes. He also erroneously claims to be speaking 00:27:08.529 --> 00:27:16.549 on behalf of the prophet of God. That's blasphemy. 00:27:17.490 --> 00:27:23.349 That's a big deal. Elisha sent me, and Elisha 00:27:23.349 --> 00:27:30.509 wants me to say. And he elaborates on this deceitful. 00:27:31.500 --> 00:27:36.619 and made up tall tale about the school of the 00:27:36.619 --> 00:27:43.119 prophets being in need. He makes up a story so 00:27:43.119 --> 00:27:47.319 that Naaman will willingly, out of his good heart, 00:27:47.440 --> 00:27:52.079 his generosity, out of his gratitude, give Gehazi 00:27:52.079 --> 00:28:00.809 what he wants. Then he unjustly takes... that 00:28:00.809 --> 00:28:07.369 which is not his. Do you see a sin? His transgression? 00:28:08.089 --> 00:28:14.289 The blatant nature of it? What he has done and 00:28:14.289 --> 00:28:17.549 what he has done on behalf of his master? He 00:28:17.549 --> 00:28:23.170 does this with no regard whatsoever for his master's 00:28:23.170 --> 00:28:27.130 original purpose in rejecting and denying the 00:28:27.130 --> 00:28:31.720 gifts of Naaman. Why did Elisha reject those 00:28:31.720 --> 00:28:36.720 gifts? Because he wanted Naaman to know that 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:39.980 the God of Israel is the one true living God 00:28:39.980 --> 00:28:45.839 and that his mercy and his grace are free. You 00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:50.619 don't do anything to get it. It's freely given, 00:28:50.759 --> 00:28:54.279 even to those who are distant and far off, even 00:28:54.279 --> 00:29:01.000 to those who are Gentiles. So Gehazi disrupts 00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:05.700 that. Gehazi doesn't care about it. He goes forward 00:29:05.700 --> 00:29:08.759 with his sin. He doesn't care about the implications 00:29:08.759 --> 00:29:13.539 on Naaman's newfound faith. The fact that Naaman 00:29:13.539 --> 00:29:20.160 did give something, that the prophet would receive 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:26.400 something for his services. Gehazi doesn't care. 00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:31.779 He has no regard for anything but that which 00:29:31.779 --> 00:29:36.799 he desires and that which he longs for. And he 00:29:36.799 --> 00:29:41.920 does this all for the purpose of personal gain. 00:29:42.440 --> 00:29:49.940 For his own personal ends. We read in verse 26, 00:29:50.240 --> 00:29:54.839 Elisha speaking to Gehazi. Then he said to him, 00:29:56.039 --> 00:29:59.839 Did not my heart go with you when the man turned 00:29:59.839 --> 00:30:03.319 from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to 00:30:03.319 --> 00:30:07.220 receive money and to receive clothes and olive 00:30:07.220 --> 00:30:12.180 groves? Now, what's Elisha talking about? Where 00:30:12.180 --> 00:30:17.160 did olive groves come in? And vineyards? Vineyards? 00:30:17.200 --> 00:30:21.339 Where did those come from? And sheep and oxen 00:30:21.339 --> 00:30:26.480 and male and female servants? Elisha knows Gehazi. 00:30:28.519 --> 00:30:32.319 Gehazi wants the money for his own personal wealth 00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:35.099 and his own personal plans. He wants vineyards. 00:30:35.460 --> 00:30:39.839 He wants servants. He wants sheep. He wants oxen. 00:30:40.599 --> 00:30:44.500 He wants to build up his own estate, his own 00:30:44.500 --> 00:30:47.000 kingdom, his own wealth. And what's he willing 00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:54.380 to do to get it? Anything it takes. He doesn't 00:30:54.380 --> 00:31:03.460 care what. To Gehazi, the work of God was something 00:31:03.460 --> 00:31:12.359 that was useful in his life. To Gehazi, the prophet's 00:31:12.359 --> 00:31:16.480 words and the prophet's work was something that 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:20.720 was beneficial and something that served his 00:31:20.720 --> 00:31:27.920 own. purposes in his own life. The gospel was 00:31:27.920 --> 00:31:32.680 something that could be used for his own life 00:31:32.680 --> 00:31:37.779 and the improvement of his own life. It was wicked. 00:31:39.519 --> 00:31:45.880 We see his unbelieving heart on display. One 00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:50.390 might think, That Gehazi's sin would lead to 00:31:50.390 --> 00:31:53.970 his repentance eventually. But we see later in 00:31:53.970 --> 00:31:56.190 the story that he does not repent. He goes further 00:31:56.190 --> 00:32:00.430 into sin. What does he say when Elijah questions 00:32:00.430 --> 00:32:10.269 him? Where have you been? Your servant went nowhere. 00:32:13.170 --> 00:32:19.630 Another lie. Another sin. He does not repent 00:32:19.630 --> 00:32:23.710 in this episode or at this time, but he goes 00:32:23.710 --> 00:32:26.930 further into his sin and he is emboldened to 00:32:26.930 --> 00:32:30.250 go and stand before his master after hiding the 00:32:30.250 --> 00:32:33.450 wealth and the money and the clothes that he's 00:32:33.450 --> 00:32:42.589 just stolen from this newfound believer. Would 00:32:42.589 --> 00:32:50.140 there be consequences? Would his unbelief be 00:32:50.140 --> 00:32:56.680 found out? Would they follow him once he died? 00:32:58.099 --> 00:33:01.279 Would they be punished in this life or the next? 00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:06.519 Would his unbelief and sin lead to consequences 00:33:06.519 --> 00:33:11.099 in his own life? Would it produce something bad? 00:33:11.220 --> 00:33:15.200 Would it be seen and known and punished equitably? 00:33:16.589 --> 00:33:21.069 The prophet of God is not ignorant. The prophet 00:33:21.069 --> 00:33:24.230 of God is not ignorant of what the man has done 00:33:24.230 --> 00:33:26.650 in his wickedness and his evil and his unbelief. 00:33:28.109 --> 00:33:30.970 But he says, therefore, the leprosy of Naaman 00:33:30.970 --> 00:33:33.650 shall cling to you and your descendants forever. 00:33:34.390 --> 00:33:39.470 You want what Naaman has? You get what he had. 00:33:41.490 --> 00:33:44.720 Leprosy. We might think this harsh, but brothers 00:33:44.720 --> 00:33:48.819 and sisters, Gehazi chose to be a wicked crook. 00:33:49.839 --> 00:33:53.500 He chose to act upon his unbelief and pursue 00:33:53.500 --> 00:33:55.900 that which was according to his unbelieving wicked 00:33:55.900 --> 00:34:03.279 desires. So he's punished for it. There are consequences 00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:06.880 for unbelief and there are consequences for sin. 00:34:08.170 --> 00:34:11.110 They might be in this life, but they will surely 00:34:11.110 --> 00:34:15.969 and absolutely be in the next life. When the 00:34:15.969 --> 00:34:19.309 Lord Jesus Christ, the great and mighty prophet 00:34:19.309 --> 00:34:24.469 who knows all things, returns in power and glory 00:34:24.469 --> 00:34:30.929 and might and pomp, when he comes in power, he 00:34:30.929 --> 00:34:35.840 will judge the living and the dead. And he will 00:34:35.840 --> 00:34:38.440 not be ignorant of your heart and the secrets 00:34:38.440 --> 00:34:40.599 of your heart. He will not be ignorant of the 00:34:40.599 --> 00:34:42.639 corruption and the wickedness and the iniquity 00:34:42.639 --> 00:34:45.440 inside of you if you don't know Jesus Christ. 00:34:47.519 --> 00:34:51.960 He will judge you equitably. He will judge you 00:34:51.960 --> 00:34:59.320 rightly because he knows all. He's not an ignorant 00:34:59.320 --> 00:35:07.719 prophet. Jesus Christ, is not a dummy. He knows 00:35:07.719 --> 00:35:10.659 what's happening in this world. He knows what's 00:35:10.659 --> 00:35:13.139 happening in your heart. He knows your intentions 00:35:13.139 --> 00:35:17.079 and your motives. He knows in this church, in 00:35:17.079 --> 00:35:19.539 this gathering, in this membership, who are his 00:35:19.539 --> 00:35:24.280 and who are not. He knows those present who have 00:35:24.280 --> 00:35:27.079 faith and those who do not have faith. He knows 00:35:27.079 --> 00:35:29.559 those who are clothed in his righteousness and 00:35:29.559 --> 00:35:31.639 those who are not clothed in his righteousness. 00:35:33.519 --> 00:35:36.619 He is the all -knowing, all -powerful, mighty 00:35:36.619 --> 00:35:41.440 king and God. And when he returns, he will judge 00:35:41.440 --> 00:35:45.579 the living and the dead. And he will deal justly 00:35:45.579 --> 00:35:50.260 with your unbelief and with your sin. Just as 00:35:50.260 --> 00:35:54.079 Gehazi has been dealt justly with his unbelief 00:35:54.079 --> 00:36:00.199 and his sin. There are consequences. It will 00:36:00.199 --> 00:36:11.219 not be overlooked. When we consider Gehazi, we 00:36:11.219 --> 00:36:15.000 have to recognize that his sin and his transgression 00:36:15.000 --> 00:36:20.039 are demonstrating his unbelief and his ignorance 00:36:20.039 --> 00:36:25.579 of the grace of God. What he has done and what 00:36:25.579 --> 00:36:28.179 he has said and how he has done it demonstrate 00:36:28.179 --> 00:36:32.380 the reality that he does not in fact know the 00:36:32.380 --> 00:36:36.630 God of Israel. He doesn't know the grace and 00:36:36.630 --> 00:36:43.909 the mercy of God. When we consider Gehazi, when 00:36:43.909 --> 00:36:49.849 we consider Naaman, both were in unbelief at 00:36:49.849 --> 00:36:54.809 one time. Do you know whose unbelief is worse? 00:36:57.769 --> 00:37:02.969 Do you know which individual's unbelief is greater? 00:37:04.590 --> 00:37:10.630 Gehazi's. Because it's not an ignorant unbelief. 00:37:11.989 --> 00:37:15.150 It's an unbelief that he maintains, that he's 00:37:15.150 --> 00:37:20.269 staunch, and he proceeds in in spite of all the 00:37:20.269 --> 00:37:25.070 privileges, in spite of all the advantages, in 00:37:25.070 --> 00:37:28.489 spite of all the grace, in spite of all the exposure 00:37:28.489 --> 00:37:31.329 he has to the prophet of God, to the will of 00:37:31.329 --> 00:37:39.739 God. His is worse by far. The gospel of Jesus 00:37:39.739 --> 00:37:48.840 Christ is not something that you handle. It is 00:37:48.840 --> 00:37:53.199 not something you look at. It is not something 00:37:53.199 --> 00:37:57.900 you observe and you analyze and you evaluate 00:37:57.900 --> 00:38:05.010 or you criticize. The gospel of Jesus Christ 00:38:05.010 --> 00:38:08.369 is not something that you admire from a distance, 00:38:08.409 --> 00:38:14.010 that you look at. The gospel of Jesus Christ 00:38:14.010 --> 00:38:17.070 is not something that you make judgments and 00:38:17.070 --> 00:38:21.489 determinations about. The gospel of Jesus Christ 00:38:21.489 --> 00:38:25.190 is something that you receive and you bow down 00:38:25.190 --> 00:38:28.010 to. It is something that affects you. It's something 00:38:28.010 --> 00:38:30.349 that changes you. It's something that transforms 00:38:30.349 --> 00:38:35.079 you. It's something that overcomes your life 00:38:35.079 --> 00:38:40.340 and your sin. It's not something you merely look 00:38:40.340 --> 00:38:44.940 at and you handle it and you steer clear of the 00:38:44.940 --> 00:38:47.960 parts you don't like and you stay at a distance, 00:38:48.039 --> 00:38:50.980 a safe distance. It's something you give your 00:38:50.980 --> 00:38:54.039 life to, you submit to, and you surrender your 00:38:54.039 --> 00:38:56.960 soul to because Jesus Christ is the center of 00:38:56.960 --> 00:39:00.219 the gospel. Because he is the great prophet and 00:39:00.219 --> 00:39:03.360 he is the great king. And when we come to him 00:39:03.360 --> 00:39:07.199 in the gospel of Christ, we come to him as the 00:39:07.199 --> 00:39:12.300 mighty, powerful, all -knowing king and prophet 00:39:12.300 --> 00:39:19.400 and priest. The gospel is not something that 00:39:19.400 --> 00:39:26.500 we look at in an unaffected manner. The gospel 00:39:26.500 --> 00:39:31.809 is something that melts our hearts. That causes 00:39:31.809 --> 00:39:36.230 us to tremble knowing the glorious realities 00:39:36.230 --> 00:39:39.070 of what Jesus Christ has done for his people. 00:39:40.769 --> 00:39:44.650 Knowing that he has given his life for sinners 00:39:44.650 --> 00:39:47.190 who don't deserve it. Knowing that he suffered 00:39:47.190 --> 00:39:49.750 on the cross for sinners who should have been 00:39:49.750 --> 00:39:58.219 punished. That leaves you affected. It changes 00:39:58.219 --> 00:40:03.320 you. It impacts you. It moves you. There is a 00:40:03.320 --> 00:40:09.659 difference between being around the gospel. There 00:40:09.659 --> 00:40:13.320 is a difference between knowing about the gospel, 00:40:13.539 --> 00:40:17.760 being with or associated with people that know 00:40:17.760 --> 00:40:20.519 the gospel. There is a difference between being 00:40:20.519 --> 00:40:23.519 close and near to the gospel and knowing the 00:40:23.519 --> 00:40:27.500 gospel in your soul. There's a huge difference 00:40:27.500 --> 00:40:34.059 between knowing about the grace of God and redemption 00:40:34.059 --> 00:40:40.380 and being the recipient of the grace of God and 00:40:40.380 --> 00:40:48.139 redemption. There's a difference. It's something 00:40:48.139 --> 00:40:53.840 that you individually and personally must experience. 00:40:56.300 --> 00:40:58.659 You don't get the benefits by being around the 00:40:58.659 --> 00:41:01.260 people of God. You don't get the benefits by 00:41:01.260 --> 00:41:04.760 being close to it, by being near to it. You get 00:41:04.760 --> 00:41:07.300 the blessings and the benefits of Jesus Christ 00:41:07.300 --> 00:41:12.599 by being in Christ by faith and repentance, by 00:41:12.599 --> 00:41:16.420 being in union with him by faith, by knowing 00:41:16.420 --> 00:41:21.780 him personally, by your soul being affected and 00:41:21.780 --> 00:41:27.030 changed by him, by you. being justified, by you 00:41:27.030 --> 00:41:30.590 being sanctified, by you having the Spirit of 00:41:30.590 --> 00:41:37.670 God dwelling within you. You must be the recipient 00:41:37.670 --> 00:41:41.929 of the grace and the work and the power of God 00:41:41.929 --> 00:41:48.550 in the gospel. The longer a person remains near 00:41:48.550 --> 00:41:54.409 and close to the privileges, And the advantages 00:41:54.409 --> 00:41:58.250 and the opportunities and the graces and the 00:41:58.250 --> 00:42:03.650 mercy of God while remaining in unbelief? The 00:42:03.650 --> 00:42:08.929 harsher and the more severe the punishment by 00:42:08.929 --> 00:42:13.829 that great and mighty king who's also our prophet. 00:42:16.710 --> 00:42:22.230 It's a heart of unbelief that condemns us before 00:42:22.230 --> 00:42:27.090 God. It's our sin. It's not believing and not 00:42:27.090 --> 00:42:30.349 trusting in the gospel. It's transgressing His 00:42:30.349 --> 00:42:34.150 moral law. It's rebelling against Him and being 00:42:34.150 --> 00:42:37.869 a lawless person because of the sin within you, 00:42:37.889 --> 00:42:41.570 because of the corruption within you. But it 00:42:41.570 --> 00:42:47.769 is a heart of faith that justifies the guilty 00:42:47.769 --> 00:42:53.389 sinner before God. It is a heart of faith that 00:42:53.389 --> 00:42:58.670 delivers you from iniquity and from sin and from 00:42:58.670 --> 00:43:04.269 wrath and from hell and the justice of God. Which 00:43:04.269 --> 00:43:08.630 heart are you in possession of?