It is good to be here to post another Weekend Sermon. This is one of my favorite times of the week, when I can share the Word of the Lord.
Once again, I would like to thank the Lord for my job. I have had a lot to do this summer as one of the employees has been on vacation for most of the time. However, it has allowed me to get more hours and improve my financial situation. I thank all of you who have prayed on my behalf.
During your prayer time this week, please pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Israel and Gaza are experiencing trouble. War is still raging in Syria, and the unrest in Ukraine continues. Pray for the peace of these places, and that the love of Jesus will reach the hearts of many people in these countries and around the world.
For the past several weeks, we have been in a series of messages about the miracles of Jesus. We will continue with that series in a few weeks. In the interim, there are a few different messages that I would like to post throughout the remainder of the summer.
Today, I would like to talk about a man in the Old Testament that many people may have heard little about. This man is named Micaiah, and he was a great prophet of the Lord. As I Kings 22 begins, Ahab the king of the ten northern tribes of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah made an agreement to go to war against the king of Syria. Before Jehoshaphat would go into battle, he wanted to hear a word from the Lord about whether or not he should go. To placate him, Ahab brought in 400 prophets who all foretold that all would go well if Ahab and Jehoshaphat went into battle.
This didn't satisfy Jehoshaphat. He wanted to hear a message from a prophet of the true and living God.
Ahab said that there was one man that he could call whose name was Micaiah. However, Ahab warned Jehoshaphat that Micaiah never had anything good to say about him.
Micaiah was summoned into the king's presence. Beforehand, Micaiah was warned that 400 prophets had already prophesied that Ahab would be successful. Micaiah was warned that he shouldn't rock the boat, so to speak.
Micaiah would have none of it. He was a true prophet, and he would only tell what the Lord had given to him by means of revelation. He told the kings that they would be defeated, and Ahab would die in battle.
King Ahab ordered that Micaiah be thrown in prison and given nothing but bread and water. Jehoshaphat did not heed the Word of the Lord through Micaiah. Jehoshaphat also did not intervene and help Micaiah.
The two kings went to battle, and they were soundly defeated. Ahab was slain that day on the battlefield, and Jehoshaphat barely escaped with his life.
What does this story have to teach us today?
The first thing that I notice in this account is that Jehoshaphat should not have been in an alliance with Ahab to begin with. Ahab was quite possibly that most wicked king mentioned in the Bible. What fellowship does light have with darkness? Jehoshaphat was basically a good king. He should have relied on the Lord to help him and not relied on the evil king Ahab.
In our world today, we often find ourselves in situations where we want to get into some type of relationship with someone who does not know the Lord. This can be a business relationship or a romantic relationship for instance. The Scripture makes it quite clear that a Christian should not be in a relationship such as this with an unbeliever. The Apostle Paul says that we should not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. In most cases, the unbeliever will lead the Christian down the path that they know they should not go down.
The next thing that strikes me in this account is the prophet Micaiah. This was a bold and fearless man. Four hundred false prophets had already told the kings what they wanted to hear. However, this didn't influence Micaiah at all. He wasn't intimidated by the thought of imprisonment or any other punishment the king might inflict. Micaiah was faithfully committed to speaking what God wanted him to speak.
I hope that as a Christian, I can be as bold as Micaiah. I know that I need to boldly stand up and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in spite of the ridicule that others may heap upon me. If you decide to go full out in following Jesus, you will suffer persecution in this world. The Bible says as much when it states that those who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
We must not stay silent in the midst of persecution. Like Micaiah, we must boldly proclaim the message given to us to proclaim. As followers of Jesus, we have been given the message of love, light and hope in the risen Christ to proclaim to this generation that is in so much darkness. Let us not fail to be faithful to our Lord.
Finally, we can also learn something else from Jehoshaphat. When we hear the Word of the Lord proclaimed, we better listen to it. Jehoshaphat decided to reject the words of Micaiah and do what he wanted to do anyway. That decision almost cost him his life.
Jesus has given us His teachings and commandments as recorded in the Gospels. He has proclaimed His true and living way in passages such as the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. If we call Jesus Lord, it is imperative that we follow Him and what He has commanded us to do. To do anything else will only lead to heartache and turmoil in our lives.
I often wonder what became of Micaiah. This I know. Those who faithfully follow the Lord, will be rewarded in Heaven because the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
You may be facing persecution for your faith, or you may find it hard to stand up for your faith when you know you are the only one who is a Christian within your social group. Take a lesson from Micaiah. Stand up and speak the truth of the Lord in your words and in your deeds.
Next week, I will try to post a book review. I am not promising anything, but I will try. I will post the Weekend Sermon on Friday or Saturday. May God bless you. Amen.
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