Welcome to this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that all of my US readers have had a good Thanksgiving Day.
Over the course of the last several weeks, we've been studying what we can learn from the life of Nehemiah. He started out as the cupbearer to the Persian emperor. When Nehemiah heard about the sad state of the city of Jerusalem, he asked the emperor for permission to go back and rebuild the walls of the city. Nehemiah returned, and he encouraged the people to rebuild. Immediately, he faced opposition while trying to do the will of the Lord. However, with the help of the Lord, Nehemiah was able to accomplish his task.
Today, I want us to focus on what type of leader Nehemiah was. Not only was he in Jerusalem to rebuild the walls, he was appointed the governor of the area. Those who were poorer and were in debt came to him and told him that there were being burdened down by interest and taxes. They weren't able to pay and were losing there homes and property.
The Bible says that Nehemiah became very angry when he heard this. He ordered that no interest should be charged on loans. The Torah forbids the charging of interest. He also told the rich people to give the land and property back to the poor. They agreed that they would do that. Nehemiah cared about those who were the least among the people. He made sure that there needs were taken care of.
Another thing that Nehemiah did is that even though he was entitled to a large sum of money and food as governor, he didn't take it because he did not want the poor people to be burdened. This is another mark of a great leader.
What can we learn from how Nehemiah acted to those who were poor? Just as Nehemiah cared for those who were poor and oppressed, we should too. Jesus said that when we have done it unto the least of those among us, we have done it unto Him. When we help those who are in need, those who need food, clothing and housing, we are doing what Jesus wants us to do.
We need to take an example for our leaders from Nehemiah. The type of leader that God wants is someone who cares about the poor and the oppressed in the land. We should speak out against oppression, and seek policies that will end oppression and help the poor. Nehemiah demonstrated what a Godly leader is like. He or she cares about justice and wants to help people. He or she makes sure that the rich do not get more and more at the expense of those who are poor.
As followers of Jesus, let us do what we are able to do to help those who are less fortunate than we are. Let us work for justice and seek an end to oppression. Let us all do the work of the Lord in this world to help to make this world a better place. Amen.
Prayer Requests
I am feeling a little better, and I want to thank the Lord for this. Please keep praying. Thank you.
Pray that all will be safe during the World Cup.
Pray for those recovering from natural disasters. Indonesia is recovering from an earthquake, and there are people in the US and elsewhere recovering from storms. Remember the people of Pakistan as they are recovering from the flooding.
Continue to pray for peace in the world. Ukraine, Syria, Yemen and other nations at war need our prayers.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Brunei and Guinea-Bissau. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, we will finish up our series on Nehemiah. I will post the verses on Monday, and I will try to have a midweek post. May God bless you all.
No comments:
Post a Comment