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THE POWER OF TESTIMONY
2 Kings 5:1-5
Gladys Aylward , missionary to China more than fifty years ago, was forced to flee when the Japanese invaded Yangcheng. But she could not leave her work behind. With only one assistant, she led more than a hundred orphans over the mountains toward Free China.
In their book The Hidden Price of Greatness, Ray Besson and Ranelda Mack Hunsicker tell what happened:
“During Gladys’s harrowing journey out of war-torn Yangcheng…she grappled with despair as never before. After passing a sleepless night, she faced the morning with no hop of reaching safety. A 13-year-old girl in the group reminded her of their much-loved story of Moses and the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.
“ ‘But I am not Moses,’ Gladys cried in desperation.,
“ ‘Of course you aren’t,’ the girl said, ‘but Jehovah is still God!’”
When Gladys and the orphans made it through, they proved once again that no matter how inadequate we feel, God is still God, and we can trust in him.
THAT IS A POWERFUL TESTIMONY!
A Powerful Testimony is not born necessarily or exclusively out of an experience with God. It is possible to have an experience with God and have no testimony. An evangelistic testimony or a witness is more than something that you know, it is something that you would die for. We will talk about this on Sunday morning but the word “witness” also can be translated “martyr”. This testimony or this witness is more than something you know to be true, more than something to which you can attest. It is something that you would die for because you know that it is true. It is something for which you would pledge your allegiance.
Jehoram had rejected Baal and worshiped Yahweh in the form of a golden calf (2 Kings 3:1-3). Now this was not all bad, at least in Jehoram’s mind. He was no doubt convinced that the LORD would bless him for turning his back on Baal. After all, didn’t the LORD promise that Israel would be blessed if they served the LORD? And wasn’t he the king of the northern kingdom of Israel?
Jehoram knew Elisha and his work well (2 Kings 3:10-24). Seeing a miracle is no guarantee that you will believe God. Compare Jehoram in chapter 3 with the people of Nazareth in Luke 4:16-30, especially in light of verse 27 where Naaman is mentioned. These people did not reject God but they were convinced that they were in fine shape, the way they were. That is why they had no testimony that they pleased God because they felt like they were okay. They were depending, in our religious vernacular, on their own works for salvation. What is disturbing about Jehoram’s example and many of the kings of Israel, is that they did not rejected Yahweh. They believed He was their covenant God and they believed in His miraculous power. They added, however, mainly out of political reasons an idol. They were trusting God but after their own fashion.When Naaman came to Jehoram, his first thought was not of Elisha or Elisha’s God but of the danger he was in (2 Kings 5:6-8). Jehoram’s reaction shows that he knew the weakness of his idol. He panicked as if there was no God in Israel. This is why Elisha, when he heard of it, sent a message to Jehoram saying, send the man to me so that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A POWERFUL TESTIMONY
A Powerful Testimony is born out of faith (5:1-5).
The young lady lived in a time and area of rebellion against Yahweh (Compare 3:2-3 with 10:27). The worship of Yahweh and the worship of Baal were both practiced in Israel, although the worship of Yahweh was the official religion. Even then, the worship of Yahweh was centered around the idols of Jeroboam. The worship of a false god is sinful. The false worship of the true God is also sinful.
The young lady had probably never seen Elisha or the works he had done, especially not the works of chapter 3.
The young lady believed God and His prophet even though there was no known case of healing of leprosy since the days of Moses and Miriam.
A Powerful Testimony is born out of loving kindness (5:1-5). This is the loving kindness we saw in Ruth and that Rahab asked for from the spies of Jericho.
This loving kindness is compassionate. Ps 103:4, “Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,” La 3:22, “Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.” Perhaps you have heard the saying, that everyone deserves to hear the gospel once before other have heard twice. According to God’s Word, none of us deserve to hear the message of salvation at all. When we witness, when we support missions, when we pray for the unsaved, it needs to be based on more than emotional sentiment but on true spiritual character (Colossians 3:8-14). There is an emotional element but if this element is not supported by spiritual character, it will not last. You have to clothe yourself in compassion. Put it on. Then you will have an effective testimony.
Naaman was not healed because he brought money but because of God’s mercy. God did not want Naaman to earn his healing but to believe Elisha’s word and obey (verses 10-14). This was possibly why Elisha rejected payment for his services.
This loving kindness is forgiving. David prayed in Ps 86:5, “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” Moses prayed in Nu 14:19, "Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now." This little girl was reflecting the character of her Lord. There is no greater witness than when we love as God loves and when we forgive as God forgives.
THE RESULTS OF A POWERFUL TESTIMONY
A Powerful Testimony can result in a changed life (verses 17-18). Naamans knowledge of God was imperfect as evidenced by his transportation of dirt to Syria. However, his allegiance to the LORD was total. He repented of his idol worship and turned to the only true God. Naaman did what Jehoram did not do. He trusted God. If we are going to reach our neighbors, our family, our friends, our community, our world with the gospel, they are going to have to see in us this testimony, that we believe Jesus. They are going to have to see it constantly, consistently, in all types of situations. Then they going to have to do what Naaman did and understand that they have no help except in Christ Jesus.
CONCLUSION: True lifestyle evangelism is not being a good neighbor and hoping that people will want what we have. True lifestyle evangelism is having a faith in Christ that permeates our lives in such a way that people cannot help but know that we have thrown all our eggs in one basket and have found it to be the right basket, the basket of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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