Welcome to this edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am glad that you were able to stop by the blog and read the sermon today. I hope that everyone is doing well.
I have good news to report on my book project. I have finished the book, and it is now going out to publishers. I envision this as an ebook, but we will see as time goes on. Please pray that the book will reach many people. I will have more information here on the blog when the book is in its final form.
I want to thank everyone for their prayers on my behalf. We did not have anywhere near the bad weather that was expected. I am thankful to the Lord for this. I am also thankful that the flooding wasn't any worse in the Cedar Rapids area.
In prayer this week, please remember to pray for an end to the Zika virus outbreak. I heard on the radio this morning that there are quite a few cases now in Southeast Asia. Also, please pray for those who were injured in the train accident in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Remember to pray for peace in the world, especially remembering Syria. Pray that the message of Jesus will reach many people in Bahrain and Nepal.
Last week, we finished our summer series of messages concerning the Ten Commandments. I hope that you were able to read all of the messages. If not, they are available on the blog.
Today, we being a new series of messages about some lesser known characters from the Bible. These individuals might not be very well-known, but they demonstrated their faithfulness to the Lord in great ways.
Our message today will focus on a man by the name of Ebed-Melech. Let's set the stage to see how Ebed-Melech made it into the pages of the Bible.
Jeremiah was a great prophet who was given an extremely difficult task. At first, he was called to tell the people that God was going to bring judgment on the people if they did not turn aside from their wicked ways and repent.
The people would not turn away from idols toward the Living and True God, so the Lord told Jeremiah to tell the king and the people that the Babylonians were going to take the land and lead many into captivity. Not only that, God told the people through Jeremiah that they should not resist the Babylonians but that they should surrender to them.
This preaching enraged king Zedekiah and his advisers. Zedekiah's advisers told that king that Jeremiah's preaching was discouraging the soldiers, and they asked the king if they could do away with this troublesome prophet. The king agreed, and the officials threw Jeremiah into a cistern that didn't have any water in it. In the bottom of the pit was mud and mire, and they wanted to Jeremiah to sink down into it and die.
Well, this didn't seem right to a man named Ebed-Melech. Ebed-Melech was an Ethiopian who was a servant in the court of Zedekiah. When Ebed-Melech heard what had happened to Jeremiah, he went and found the king. Ebed-Melech beseeched the king to let him free Jeremiah. The king allowed Ebed-Melech to go to Jeremiah. Along with three other men, Ebed-Melech pulled Jeremiah out of the pit allowing him to survive and continue to bring his message to the king even though the king was not listening.
Eventually, Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians. However, Jeremiah told Ebed-Melech that because he had done a good thing for the Lord, Ebed-Melech would be safe from the Babylonian invaders.
So, what lessons can we learn from the life and actions of Ebed-Melech? One thing that stands out to me is the fact that Ebed-Melech believed in the Lord when everyone else denied the Lord.
During Jeremiah's time, the people had forgotten about the true God and had turned to idols. There were very few Israelites who remained faithful. In the midst of this unfaithfulness, an Ethiopian servant placed his faith in the True and Living God.
In my country, we are living in a time when Christianity is on the decline. Fewer and fewer people are identifying themselves as Christians, and fewer and fewer are attending worship services. At a time like this, those of us who follow the Lord Jesus need to remain faithful even when so many others are going a different way. The Lord knows those who are His own. He will remain faithful to those who follow Him.
Ebed-Melech was also a man who boldly stood up for what was right. Even though he was only a servant, Ebed -Melelch confronted the king when he saw that the king was doing something that was terribly wrong. The king could have had Ebed-Melech killed, but Ebed-Melech placed his life on the line and confronted the king anyway.
The Lord has called each one of us to stand up for what is right and good in this world. At times, those who stand for what is right will face persecution. I can guarantee you this, if you go full out for Jesus and seek to serve Him in all that you do, you will face persecution in this life. As Paul said in II Timothy 3:12, "Those who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."
Even though we may face persecution and ridicule for standing up for Jesus Christ, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be bold. If we acknowledge the Lord, He will acknowledge us before the Father in Heaven.
Right now is a time when we need people to spread the message of Jesus around the world. By doing this, we may face persecution, but we must be faithful anyway and do what is right.
Another thing that strikes me about the story of Ebed-Melech is that God has people in just the right place at just the right time to accomplish His will. Just like Esther was at the right place at the right time, Ebed-Melech was where he needed to be to accomplish the plans and purposes of the Lord. This makes me realize that God truly is in control of all that is happening. Nothing catches Him off guard. We can rely on the Lord to see His plans through to completion and perfection.
Finally, the story of Ebed-Melech shows us that the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Jesus told us that those who follow Him will receive a reward. When we go to be with Jesus, He will reward each person according to what he or she has done for Him.This has nothing to do with salvation because salvation is by grace through faith and not of works.
However, the Bible makes it quite clear that we will have different crowns and rewards in the life to come. If we faithfully follow the Lord,we will receive the greatest reward which is to hear Him say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant."
Next week, we will examine the life and actions of another less well known Bible character. On Monday, I will post the verses, and I will have book review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
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