Written by: Mary Sexton

Youth Day - Sunday March 13, 2011

Sermon Topic: Lesson s From One of Our Ancestors

The speaker for the service was Minister Ian Gibson. His text was taken from Jeremiah 38:6-13 and the topic was “Lessons From Our Ancestors”. He began by telling the congregation the story of Jeremiah’s divine commission as prophet to the nations. He tells us that in the beginning Jeremiah thought that he was too young for the task. But the officials to the king felt that Jeremiah was spreading a message that was causing discouragement among the soldiers and the people of the land. They wanted Jeremiah put to death. However, they thought they could silence him by putting him in a cistern or a “pit”. The pit was muddy and dark because it was normally used for storing water because the land was dry. Now Ebed-Melech was an official in the royal palace and had heard that Jeremiah had been put into this pit. Ebed-Melech took it upon himself to be brave enough to go to see the king about getting Jeremiah out of the pit. Ebed-Melech was a person of good character. Character is formed in all of us at an early age. It tells others that you are a person of respectability, responsibility, caring, trustworthy, fair and good. Minister Gibson acknowledged that it was good to see brothers in the church. He said that it was important for men to worship as we live in trying times and we need to develop character.

“Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding.” (Proverbs 3:13) KJNIV

Minister Gibson told the congregation that when you have good character, it will make you do right when others encourage you to do wrong. It will make you stand up for someone who is being persecuted. It will cause you to deal right with everyone no matter how many opportunities you will have to take advantage. God will put you in difficult situations to strengthen your faith and help build character in you. He said to welcome difficulty into your life. Ebed-Melech viewed the world in such a way that he felt a kinship with Jeremiah. Because Jeremiah was in a very difficult situation. Ebed-Melech saw a fellow human in need. Minister Gibson said to expect ups and downs in our lives. We just need to remember that we can lean and depend on God to see us through!

“Therefore since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” (Romans 5:1,2) KJNIV

Minister Gibson said that we are to exist in unity with all creation. We need to treat each other as brother and sister, and continue to develop our character and meet our challenges in a God-like manner. We must remember that our children are looking at us and imitating our reactions to every challenge that we face. So we need not be so concerned about who the person is if they need help and we have the capacity or the ability to give help. As Christians we are all one in God’s name. As children of God, we are held to a higher standard than those who do not know Christ. If everyone in the world today understood the ties of kinship, we would have a better world. Reaching out, giving, consoling, helping, loving and caring about our fellow man is a trait we all need to have in our character. We must remember that God wants us to ‘Love one another as I have loved you‘. He has promised to do all things for us. And all we have to do is serve him and praise Him for the good things and the bad.

“He answered, ‘Love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself’.” (Luke 9:27) KJNIV

Minister Gibson said to be an agent of change. Be bold enough to let God use you to make a change, Let Him use you to be a voice for those who are afraid to speak out or for those can’t speak for themselves. God has the power to divinely place us in a position of authority to be a change agent and we have to be ready to meet the challenge. Serving God and praying daily will help to keep you prepared for the trials and challenges that will come. God is our rock. He has promised to keep us and never to leave us in our times of trial. If we trust in Him, confess Him to be our Lord and Savoir, He will be there when we need him. All we have to do is call on Him and He will answer! To recap the points from Minister Gibson’s’ message - we must constantly pray to develop our character, we must adopt the attitude of kinship and lastly we have to decide to be agents of change.

“Listen, my son and be wise , and keep your heart on the right path.” (Proverbs 23:19) KJNIV