DEALING WITH THE RICH AND  POWERFUL

It is supposed that to reach the rich and famous; we must portray a certain lifestyle and method of work to be adopted into their circle. Should we? How are we to reach the rich and famous?

We are continuing our look at God’s love for us and his plan (his mission) to bridge the gap between us and him. His mission is to bring us back into a loving relationship with him. He wants us to become His disciples and members of his family.  

Thus, He calls for us to respond to His love. But our relationship with Him does not end with His call, for a call without action from the one being called has no value. His call includes the rich and famous. How, then, do we reach them?

(Read 2 Kings 1-19 and continue)

Review our past and present videos at SabbathSchoolDaily.com or visit my YouTube Channel,

Sabbath School Daily by Dr. Brenda Ware Davis 

Let Us Inviting God’s Presence:

Holy Father, you love everyone and call for us to reach out to the rich and famous. Please open the door of opportunity so we can do so. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

God’s Mission, My Mission

(Lesson 9)

Mission to the Powerful

Part 3 Naaman

We are reminded that Christ died for all humanity. When he looks at us, he does not look at us in regard to our background, wealth, ethnicity, or status. It is God’s purpose to draw all humanity to Himself, including those individuals classed as powerful non-Christians. (see Ellen G. White, The Acts of Apostles, p. 416).

Thus, in 2 Kings 5:1–19, we see Naaman, a very influential man, a Syrian commander, asking the prophet Elisha for two things we may think are a little strange after God has healed him using a young Hebrew girl who served Naaman’s wife. She informed her about the prophet Elisha. Thus, God used both this servant, a young Hebrew girl, and Elisha, the prophet, as a bridge to bring Naaman, who had leprosy, to Him.

The story is found in 2 Kings 5:  Naaman, a commander of the army of the king of Aram, who had leprosy. The young Israelite girl, who had been captured and taken as a servant to Naaman’s wife, suggested that Naaman see the prophet Elisha in Samaria, believing that he could be healed. After being healed, Naaman asks two things.

First, he asked to take two mule-loads of earth from Israel back to Syria for the purpose of worshiping the living God.

In 2 Kings 5:17 it says:

17 So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth;

Then Naaman explains to Elisha, saying: for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the Lord. (2 Kings 5:17).

You see, Naaman understood that the Lord was the only true God. However, at the same time, Naaman’s pagan influence still affected his thinking to some degree.

So, his thought was that God was connected in some special way to the land of Israel and must be worshiped on its ground.

Therefore, Naaman wanted to take some of the dirt from Israel back to Syria.

Naaman’s story teaches an important lesson about leading people to Christ. New Christians may need time to change some of their old thoughts and beliefs.m

Next, in 2 Kings 5:18, Naaman, showing how sincere he is about worshipping the God of heaven and earth, expresses to Elisha his concern about something he must do from time to time. He says:

18 Yet in this thing may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing.” (2 Kings 5:18).

Though Naaman has chosen the true God, he recognized that doing so in his own idolatrous country wouldn’t be easy. For starters, the king of Syria still worshiped the god Rimmon. What’s more, it was Naaman’s job to serve as the king’s escort. Although Naaman had no plans of eliminating his duties to his earthly king, he did not wish that his bowing down be viewed as worshipping Rimmon. Nor did he want the word to get back to Elisha that he was worshipping false gods.

So, before Naaman left Israel, he shared his concern with Elisha. Elisha listened to Naaman, and in 2 Kings 5:19, we see that Elisha tells him to “ ‘go in peace’ ” (2 Kings 5:19).

Some might conclude that Elisha gave Naaman permission to worship false gods. Not so, according to the SDA Bible Commentary. When Elisha said, “Go in peace,”

It says:

These words must not be thought of as either expressing approval or disapproval of Naaman’s parting request. He was to depart in peace, not in doubt or restless uncertainty. God had been kind to him, and he was to find happiness and peace in his knowledge and worship of God. Naaman was a new convert, a man with conscientious scruples, who would grow in strength and wisdom if he clung to his new-found faith. God leads new converts on step by step, and knows the appropriate moment in which to call for a reform in a certain matter. This principle ought always to be kept in mind by those who labor for the salvation of souls.”—The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 2, p. 878.

In other words, Elisha meant that Naaman should go with the surety of God’s love for him. And, with the passing of time, and as Naaman increased in faith, God would show Naaman the changes he needed to make in his life. 

This same principle applies today.  God knows the best time for new believers to make changes in their behavior. Therefore, it is not up to us to decide when those changes should be made.

Therefore, we must allow the Holy Spirit to do His work, and once the word of God is spoken in love to the soul, “the truth will have quickening power when spoken under the influence of the grace of Christ.” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 6, p. 400)

Naaman was a Syrian commander whom God healed. What about someone who is highly educated and who feels they need no healing? That would be Nicodemus. Read John 3: 1-12 and continue to the next segment of this video, Part 4: Witnessing to the Learned: Nicodemus

God’s Mission, My Mission

(Lesson 9)

Mission to the Powerful

Part 4: Witnessing to the Learned: Nicodemus

Nicodemus had a lot of knowledge. John 3:1 describes Nicodemus as a Jewish leader.

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews (John 3:1).

Jesus refers to him as a teacher of Israel in John 3:10

10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? (John 3:10).

Nicodemus understood the World of God very well. He also has a strong desire to know the Lord. To the average person, Nicodemus may have looked as if he was a true follower of God. In fact, Nicodemus kept all the commandments. He was highly regarded among the Jewish people. What’s more, Nicodemus was both powerful and wealthy

Based on his status, many believed that Nicodemus’s riches and power were signs that God blessed him. But Nicodemus felt that something was missing in his life.

Read about Nicodemus in John 3:1–12.

When Nicodemus came to Jesus, he tried to pretend that everything was fine spiritually and that he didn’t really need anything from Him.

But Jesus knew Nicodemus’s heart. Similarly, God knows the hearts and needs of all the rich and powerful, regardless of their background.

Nicodemus came to Jesus because Jesus’ teachings had touched his heart. But, Nicodemus’s pride kept him from announcing publicly that he believed in Jesus as Savior and Lord.

So, to keep others from seeing him, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night. Little did he know that that night, his encounter with Jesus would change him forever.

Acts of Apostles tells us that:

Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin and, with others, had been stirred by the teaching of Jesus. As he had witnessed Christ’s wonderful works, the conviction had fastened itself upon his mind that he was sent by God. Too proud openly to acknowledge himself in sympathy with the Galilean Teacher, he had sought a secret interview. (Split)

In this interview Jesus had unfolded to him the plan of salvation and His mission to the world, yet still Nicodemus had hesitated. He hid the truth in his heart, and for three years, there was little apparent fruit. . . . When at last Christ had been lifted up on the cross, Nicodemus remembered the words that He had spoken to him in the night interview on the Mount of Olives, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up” (John 3:14); and he saw in Jesus the world’s Redeemer. . . .

Now, when the Jews were trying to destroy the infant church, Nicodemus came forward in its defense. No longer cautious and questioning, he encouraged the faith of the disciples and used his wealth in helping to sustain the church at Jerusalem and in advancing the work of the gospel. (The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 104, 105)

Although, after that meeting, Nicodemus didn’t make a public confession that he had accepted Jesus as his personal Savior, he still became a follower of Christ.

This is evident in John 7:43–52 and John 19:39.

They show that Nicodemus’s life had been changed by his encounter with Jesus. Thus, Nicodemus tried to protect Jesus when He was alive and sought to honor Jesus after Jesus died.

Jesus touched Nicodemus’s heart. Jesus bridged the gap between him and God. This powerful man, with all his knowledge and education, like many others with a similar lifestyle, needed the Savior. Regardless of status in life, we all need the Savior to bridge the gap between us and God.

Yes, we may have knowledge of the Word of God. But having knowledge does not mean we have established a true relationship with God. Having all knowledge and possessing the ability to understand the mysteries in the Word of God alone cannot save us. To be saved, we must accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Naaman was influential in that he was a commander of Syria, and Nicodemus was influential in that he was a wealthy teacher of Israel. Both realized their need for Jesus, but what about the rich who refuse to acknowledge their need for Jesus? Read Mathew 19:16-22 and Luke 19:1-10 observe the difference. Then view my next Video, Part 5: Mission to the Rich

————————————————

Share your results in the comment section below.

Thank you for watching this video. To be notified when my next video comes out, Subscribe to my YouTube Channel, Sabbath School Daily, by Dr. Brenda Ware Davis.

You also may obtain the study guide for this series at Sabbath.School or ssnet.org

If you enjoyed this video and want to use it to help fulfill God’s mission, click Like…..then…..Share.

Thank you for Liking, Sharing, and Subscribing.

Hebron Seventh-day Adventist Church

 7902 Wheatly Street

Houston, TX 77088

Watch Past and Present Lessons at SabbathSchoolDaily.com