"Insignificantly Significant" Sermon by Philip Phua on 3 Nov 2013 Part 2 on Sermon Series on "Nameless Nobodies" in the Bible.

1. SSMC Sunday Celebration
3 Nov 2013
2 Kings 5:1-27

2. insignificantly significant

3. GEOGRAPHY

4. 2 Kings 5 - 2 Parts
• Part 1: verses 1-19 - Naaman’s healing
—A leper cured from leprosy.
• Part 2: verses 20-27 - Gehazi’s curse
—An Israelite cursed with leprosy.

5. NAAMAN
LEPER

6. NAAMAN
• Worldly significance – a ‘great’ man with
a ‘great’ problem (v. 1).
• ‘Great’ kings could not help (vv. 4-7).
• Words of an insignificant servant pointed
to a prophet of the GREAT God (vv. 2-3).
• The prophet’s instructions offended his
‘greatness’ (vv. 11-12).

7. NAAMAN
• Humility – healed after he was willing
to become ‘insignificant’ and follow
‘insignificant’ instructions (vv. 13-14).
• Salvation - A gentile who received God’s
favour (v. 1), is healed (v. 14) and worships
God as Lord of all the world (v. 15).
• Transformation - from a ‘great’ leper to ‘your
servant’ (vv. 15, 17-18).

8. 2 Kings 5 - 2 Servants
• Part 1: The nameless Israelite servant girl
• Part 2: The named servant of Elisha, Gehazi

9. servant #1
2 Kings 5:2 -4

10. the nameless servant girl
• Captive of war - victim of
hardship & pain, a slave.
• Servant of Naaman’s wife.
• Insignificant in every way
- age, gender, status.

11. the nameless servant girl
• Remembered her beliefs.
• Courage to speak up about
what she believed.
• Motivated by genuine care
for those in need.
• Her words of truth reached
kings and led to Naaman’s
healing and salvation.

12. servant #2
2 Kings 5:20-27

13. GEHAZI
• Servant of the prophet
(v. 20, cf. 2 Kings 4).
• Very likely played a role in
the miracle (v. 10).
• Witnessed miracles done
by the power of God.
• Very likely worshipped
God.

14. GEHAZI
• Motivated by a hunger for
worldly significance (v. 26).
• Greed: “W.I.I.F.M”—What’s
In It For ME (v. 20)?
• His words of deception and
lies led to curses on himself
and his descendants (v. 27).
• Transformation: from a
prophet’s servant to a leper.

15. 2 Kings 5 - 2 Sayings
“If only my master would see the
prophet who is in Samaria! He
would cure him of his leprosy.”
“My master was too easy on Naaman,
this Aramean, by not accepting from
him what he brought. As surely as
the LORD lives, I will run after him
and get something from him.”

16. insignificantly significant

17. Philippians 2:5-8
Have this mind among yourselves,
which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he
was in the form of God, did not count equality
with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied
himself, by taking the form of a servant, being
born in the likeness of men. And being found in
human form, he humbled himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.

18. Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve, and to give his life
as a ransom for many.”

19. Prophet, Priest & King

20. 2 Kings 5 - 2 Challenges
1. LOVE God : Looking Inward
PURSUE God’s significance in spite
of my insignificance – past, pain,
fears.
Whose significance am I living for /
am I running after?

21. 2 Kings 5 - 2 Challenges
2. LOVE Others : Looking Outward
PROCLAIM God’s significance.
Release others to do the same.
Listen to God speaking through the
insignificant people He has placed
in my life.