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'24' Reasons Why We Need God
Living By Process

(1 Kings 5:1-14)

This is the story of a Syrian warrior called Naaman. He was a highly decorated military man. It is a story of political protocol with the King of Syria writing to the King of Israel asking that his elite warrior be cured of leprosy in the custom of divination and sorcery that they were used to with silver, gold and fine clothes as a reward. Israel's King was furious at the suggestion until the prophet Elisha successor to the prophet Elijah came forward. What are you looking for?

Next week the New York Giants will play the New England Patriots in an event that will draw the attention of 130 million people who will eat 8 million pounds of food while watching to include advertising that costs $2.4 million for every 30 seconds. It is an event where people can step out of their world filled with responsibility, bills to pay, children to raise and marriages to keep. There are many events in our lives captured on camera and preserved to look back on the most popular being the day of our wedding followed closing by the birth of children. All of them are great events. But we have become spiritual event junkies needing a regular fix for our dependency habits. There are more than enough pushers who will sell you a quick fix that quickly gets you addicted to the sensational and subjective lifestyle. But our story of Naaman reveals a process that does not hide his irritation and anger at the suggestions of Elisha if he wanted to live.

Overestimating events

Naaman represents our culture today who believes that anything can be bought for a price without a process. The more dramatic the problem the bigger the price. The estimated value of gold, silver and clothes Naaman bought with him was $2.5 million for the cure of leprosy. Naaman was a strong and handsome man in the same way that King Saul was literally head and shoulders above the men in Israel and King David who was known for his good looks. Not like a male model on front page of a popular magazine but rugged and ready. The problem is that the pushers of event addiction can over endorse the ability of a single event to bring complete change. The devil looks for these callous promises and cashes in on the false reality leaving you disillusioned but like an addict you search for another event. When you look for an event false expectations are created. An event is a good place to make a decision but change comes through a commitment to the process. A wedding is an event but the marriage is a process. Buying a house is an event but making a home is a process. Sunday services can look like an event but every week it is a process building on former weeks. Life is not just a process without its wonderful events but a combination of both.

Why we don't like the process

(2 Kings 5:10) "Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan…" The prophet Elisha was at least 30 miles away from Naaman so he sent Gehazi his servant with instructions. (2 Kings 5:12) "Are not Abana and Pharpar the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters in Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed? So he turned and went off in a rage." Naaman was angered at the process in two ways. Firstly, the pastor had sent someone else and not gone himself. Secondly, the counsel that was given was not what Naaman wanted to hear. All wisdom and counsel is centered in a process. I refuse to fight for men and their marriages and families and finances unless they are going to commit to a process and fight for themselves with me. When offering wisdom and counsel people can appear to be responsive but are just being polite with no intension of change. I can speak to someone from a standpoint of process but the person can be listening from a standpoint of event. They are hearing things I am not saying and I'm saying things they are not hearing. What Elisha was saying was from a standpoint of process. There was a Jewish girl that served the mistress of Naaman. (2 Kings 5:3) "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria!" How did this girl end up in the house of Naaman? Syrian soldiers had captured her some time ago. (2 Kings 5:2) "Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel…" Before the crisis of leprosy God had seen to it that a Jewish girl who knew of Elisha would be established in Naaman's house. When the crisis came she told her mistress who in turn told Naaman who sought permission from the King of Syria who wrote to the King of Israel who found Elisha who sent Gehazi with instructions. (2 Kings 5:12) "…he turned and went off in a rage." There was a process that bought you here today but if you expect an event to take place we have different standpoints and you will go off in a rage.

Avoiding the obvious

The generation of Jesus looked for further evidence in addition to what they already had. (Luke 11:29-30) "The mood of this age is all wrong - everybody's looking for proof, but you're looking for the wrong kind. All you're looking for is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles, but the only proof you are going to get is the Jonah proof given to the Ninevites, which looks like no proof at all. But what Jonah was to Nineveh, I am to this age." People who refuse to see what is right in front of them will always look for an event. They are often avoiding the personal responsibility of dealing with something they already know to be true. You have affirmed time and again the leadership in our church so what else are you looking for? The only sign God is giving you is right in front of you. It is land to build on and a church to grow through an intentional process.

How events and process work

There was a man who was crippled for 38 years waiting for an event by the pool of Bethesda. The water would mysteriously move and the first one who took the plunge was healed. He did not get his event but received another one in the person of Jesus healing him. (John 5:14) "Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." He was challenged to commit to the process of change or he would be back to the beginning looking for the next event. Jesus also taught a story about a demon possessed man who was delivered. This was a great event but the demon came back with seven more demons to possess him because the process of change had not commenced. (Luke 11:26) "…the final condition of that man is worse than the first." Events will clean you up but your addiction needs change. When you become a Christian the event is salvation at the cross but the process is to grow in it. (Philippians 2:12) "Work out your salvation…"

Intentional process

The sermons that are preached are not random texts with weekly inspiration but a carefully crafted process. If you miss out on the process of God's Word being planted in your heart all you have is subjective opinion and a single cell church that looks for the next event.

The Discovery Groups take what has been taught and expand on it in an intimate setting where questions and answers can be entertained.

Others groups in the church are gender or age related on the same night at the church

There are other groups that meet that address the issues of life stages

The challenge is dealing with people who are looking for an event based church where you can escape the process. There are plenty of addicts and too many pushers who will give you a weekly fix. This is why parents attend one church and send their kids to our church. This is why the husband or wife will go to church but not together. This is why some will attend a group but not be part of the church. The greatest evidence is that the Christian will not get their hands dirty in the ministry but will gladly write a check, donate something for someone else to work with.

Start with an event

o At some point the Word will ask you to do something you don't like to do.

o God has already put people in your life to bring you to this point

If you would like to see previous transcripts you can find them here: Teaching Series