Our Fire-starter comes from 2 Kings 5. Our Fire-starter thought is:
lying to get what you want!!!
Here in our text we read of Naaman, his servants, Elisha and Gehazi,
Elisha’s servant, the king of Israel and the king of Syria.
The Syrians had fought against Israel and brought back a little maid as
we know according to Verse 2 and she waited on Naamans wife. Knowing
that Naaman was a leper she said she wished that Naaman was in Israel
because the Man of God could help him. He goes to Elisha the man of God
and at first he is mad because he thinks differently than the Lord
thinks!!! He thought Elisha would have come out and wave his hand over
the spot and pray and it would have been over with instead Elisha tells
him to go to Jordan and dip yourself seven times. He gets upset as we
know in verse 11-12. His servants asked him a question in verse 13 and
that is if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou
not have done it? He went and dipped himself in Jordan seven times and
his flesh became clean. Elisha will not take a gift from Naaman but as
we are going to see this morning, Gehazi does.
Gehazi has been around the man of God, he has probably seen the power of
God manifested in the life of Elisha and Gehazi seeing all of this and
knowing that Judgment could happen he goes and lies to Naaman. By the
way, normally, it’s not just telling one lie but one lie leads to
another lie that leads to another lie. Let’s see Gehazi this morning
Lie #1 my master hath sent me
Lie #2 my master said for me to tell you this
Lie #3 two young men have come of the sons of the prophets from Mount
Ephraim

All because of simply wanting something he lies and has to tell 3 lies
just to get what he wants. Friend, it’s better to tell the truth and be
right with God then to tell a lie and have to tell other lies.
Gehazi comes back to Elisha and lies to him in verse 25. Elisha asked
where he had gone and Gehazi said I didn’t go anywhere. There is lie #4
to cover up lie number one.
The punishment for Gehazi was the leprosy of Naaman would be on Gehazi
and he became a leper.
It cost to lie and it also cost sometimes to tell the truth but always
be willing to tell the truth!!!! The price of sin is greater than the
price of doing right.
May God helps us to always tell the truth!!!

2 Kings 5:1-27 KJV
Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man
with his master, and honourable, because by him the Lord had given
deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a
leper. [2] And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought
away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on
Naaman’s wife. [3] And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord
were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of
his leprosy. [4] And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and
thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. [5] And the king of
Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel.
And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six
thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. [6] And he brought
the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come
unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that
thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. [7] And it came to pass, when
the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and
said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto
me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and
see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. [8] And it was so, when Elisha
the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes,
that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes?
let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in
Israel. [9] So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and
stood at the door of the house of Elisha. [10] And Elisha sent a
messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy
flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. [11] But Naaman
was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely
come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and
strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. [12] Are not
Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of
Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away
in a rage. [13] And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and
said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing,
wouldest thou not have done it ? how much rather then, when he saith to
thee, Wash, and be clean? [14] Then went he down, and dipped himself
seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and
his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was
clean. [15] And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company,
and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that
there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray
thee, take a blessing of thy servant. [16] But he said, As the Lord
liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to
take it ; but he refused. [17] And Naaman said, Shall there not then, I
pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules’ burden of earth? for thy
servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto
other gods, but unto the Lord. [18] In this thing the Lord pardon thy
servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship
there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of
Rimmon: when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon
thy servant in this thing. [19] And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he
departed from him a little way. [20] But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha
the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian,
in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord
liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. [21] So Gehazi
followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he
lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? [22]
And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even
now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of
the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two
changes of garments. [23] And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents.
And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two
changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they
bare them before him. [24] And when he came to the tower, he took them
from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go,
and they departed. [25] But he went in, and stood before his master. And
Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy
servant went no whither. [26] And he said unto him, Went not mine heart
with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is
it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and
vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? [27]
The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy
seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.