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A LITTLE GIRLS GREAT FAITH

January 21, 2001 AM

Sermon Outline

2 Ki 5:1-5

INTRO: This lesson is especially for our girls! (Yes, there is something useful for everyone in it.) I recognize that women of faith have been an integral part of Gods plans and purpose through the ages. Perhaps, though, we have not mentioned them often enough and have not used their lives as inspiration for our girls and young women. So, especially for our girls, I want to talk about a very special young girl. (Text)

I. HER SPECIAL QUALITIES?

A. She was a young girl

1. maid is used of infancy to adolescence

2. I would guess, then, a teenaged girl

3. this fact sets stage for a remarkable person

B. She was an Israelite slave

1. away from parents, kin - owned by another

2. resentment? anger? fear

3. she was not in the most advantageous position!

C. She was apparently conscientious, efficient

1. she waited on Naamans wife

2. she isnt sullen; isnt sloppy; isnt unconcerned

3. she sought to make the best of a bad situation (Im reminded of Josephs doing the same thing!)

D. She cared for people around her

1. she was concerned about Naamans condition!

2. could have felt, I couldnt care less. Im just a slave to this family. Why should I care? - she cared

3. relationship with her mistress must have been open, cordial for her to have felt free to make such an observation

E. She was apparently very religious, zealous

1. remember, she was from Northern Kingdom where idolatry was rampant - had begun with Jeroboam

2. but she knew about Elisha, the prophet of God

3. she had not forgotten Whose she was

F. She had great faith

1. the God of the prophet could heal Naaman!

2. there were no maybes with this girl - she must have been very definite, convincing

3. she knew Who she believed - 2 Tim 1:12

G. She is not named!

1. nothing further is said about her

2. this is so often the way of a righteous, faithful life ... goodness which is daily, normal - touching others lives ... without fanfare

3. she sought no glory, no attention ... she was just good

II. SOME IMPORTANT LESSONS

A. Power of a female presence

1. powerful presence of godly women is seen over and again in scripture (Deborah, Hannah, Esther)

2. so often seen in encouragement of men in their lives ... of encouragement of men to lead

3. but here is a young girls influence!

B. Youth does not exempt from faithfulness

1. Biblical examples abound: Joseph, Samuel, David, Daniel

2. the pressures of youth are admitted - but here are real young people who kept the faith in their youth

3. and this young girl is no less an example

C. Serving others is godly behavior

1. note what Jesus said at Mt 25:37-40

2. Mt 10:42 cup of cold water ... lowly service ... but it is godly behavior

3. this little girl was serving God!

D. Being personally noticed is not the objective

1. recall what Jesus said at Mt 6:5

2. moment by moment righteousness is quiet, influential ... the joy of the ordinary

3. this girl would have been wonderful to know!

CLOSE: Girls, dont ever think you are not important in Gods scheme of things. Your faithfulness, your purity, your inspiration will make a great difference.

Cecil A. Hutson

14 January 2001

God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

You must believe and have faith in God because "without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)

You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called "Sinner's Prayer" that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the "Sinner's Prayer" to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, prayer alone will not save you. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)

You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus "Lord of your life." Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just "accept Jesus as your personal savior." We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)

Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God's grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God's grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)