One of the reasons we’re looking at this guy, Naaman, is because he is a lot like the typical New Yorker. He met God. Now let me ask you … Have you met God? Have you really met God? If you say, “Well, here I am. I’m in church. I go to church,” yeah, but that’s what the second half of this narrative, this historical account, is about.

Naaman, who was a pagan, who knew nothing about the Bible, who had absolutely no (what we would call) religious background is converted. He gets a changed heart. But Gehazi, who lives with the prophet, who is probably an apprentice to the prophet, who lives at the very heart of Israel’s biblical religion, who probably knew the Word of God inside out, doesn’t have a changed heart. Naaman meets God with no religious background; Gehazi misses God with all the religious background.

How do you know you’re not missing God? Have you met God? That’s what we’re going to look at. So first let’s look at the marks of a man who has met God. That’s Naaman. Secondly, let’s look at the marks of a man who, in spite of all his religious background, has missed God. That’s Gehazi. Then thirdly, we’ll say how you can be sure to meet and not miss God.

This sermon was preached by Rev. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 16, 2012. Series "Gospel in Life: Grace in the Case of Naaman". Scripture: 2 Kings 5:2-3, 15-27.

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