Sermon Central
-
One Minute To Midnight Series
Contributed by Ron Ferguson on Oct 3, 2022 (message contributor)
Summary: We look in the O.T. where God delivered right at the last moment. The trial required faith and patience. One minute to midnight - right at the last moment. The testing of our faith brings glory to God when the child of His love proves the faith that is genuine.
ONE MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT
This message will look at intervention in the nick of time. I don’t know if the expression “the nick of time” is known around the world, but it means “just in time”, “at the last moment”. “One minute to midnight,” is a similar expression, and it is surprising how God works that way. Is it to test our patience, or our faith in Him? Is it to aimed to produce in us a stronger faith for more difficult requirements ahead? Let us consider some aspects of this.
The subject of this message is “ONE MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT”. We will think about some of these biblical examples of one minute to midnight.
[1]. ELIJAH:
Elijah confronted Ahab, that wicked king of Israel who was married to an even more wicked wife. Ahab and Jezebel were the promoters of all the Baal worship in the land. After that episode the Lord sent him to the brook Cherith to care for him. The land was in severe drought but God kept His servant there with the nurture of a loving God. He provided the water, and bread and meat the ravens brought. There are some words Paul wrote – {{1Timothy 6:6-8 “But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment, 1Tim 6:7 for we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. 1Tim 6:8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”}}
Elijah was a godly man and godliness was accompanied by contentment, for Elijah rested in total faith beside that brook. Paul, in verse 8, says the basic essentials are food and clothing. Elijah had his food supplied miraculously, and had his hairy prophet’s mantle as his covering. What more could he ever need? That time of solitude was precious as he drew away from all the concerns and evil that was in the land.
After some time the flow in the brook lessened. What did Elijah have to do? Make provisions? Build a small dam to help retain some of the water? Try searching for containers to fill before the brook ran out? Would he look for another brook? He did none of that. He merely waited. He did not become concerned nor did he panic. He did not become anxious. Paul has advice on that matter as well – {{Philippians 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, Phil 4:7 and the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”}} Elijah rested contentedly just waiting the time of God, for he trusted in the God of Circumstances.
Then the brook dried up and the ravens stopped coming. Did he worry about being abandoned? No he did not.
Then at the exact time of Elijah’s need God made His presence known and he was instructed to go and live with a widow woman and her son. The Lord waited right to the very end before He took action. There is an expression “one minute to midnight” meaning right at the last possible time. Movies are fond of it. Someone is being strangled then rescue comes. Someone is about to fire a gun and the hero arrives. The bible has not copied the ways of the world but the world has copied the bible’s method. God has it all in control, but the child of God has to learn to be under the control of the Lord. He is always faithful. He never lets us down.
[2]. ESTHER:
We have all heard of wicked Haman. Each year the Jews have a feast called “Purim” where some of them stick pins in a made up doll representing Haman. Purim comes from the word “Pur” meaning the lot, as in casting the lot. This is an outline of the story of Haman.
1. A Jewish woman becomes queen. She was Queen Esther. This happened in the Persian reign that followed the Babylonian Empire. There was going to be an assassination attempt on the Persian king.
2. Mordecai, a Jew and uncle of Esther, saved the life of the king Ahasuerus (Artaxerxes) through a tip off. He was overlooked and unrewarded.
3. The King promoted Haman, a type of public servant with a public servant arrogance.
4. Wicked Haman was puffed up in pride and self importance and demanded everyone bow down to him. Mordecai refused. Power goes to the heads of vain people, and worthless ones too.
5. When Haman knew that Mordecai was a Jew then he determined to kill all who were Jews and hatched a plan and got the king on side. It was pride and arrogance that lead to hatred.
