so so Amen, I sure am glad that His grace is sufficient for me, is sufficient for you, and I'm glad that we have help and hope in the Savior. I'm glad I got somebody that'll not just help me, but they'll hope me. My grandfather died at 93, and he used to not use the word help, he used the word hope. He said, people would hope me, and that's what help does, it gives you hope. And that's what the grace of God will do for you. It'll give you hope. And as we look here in Jeremiah chapter 38, if you'd like to go ahead and find your place there, I'd like to welcome those that are joining us by the way of the internet across the world. We have people that tune in and listen to our messages. I just want you to know that we appreciate you. We need your prayers and we pray for you as well. And if you ever have a prayer request or something that we can pray with you about, please don't hesitate to email us there at our church website and we'll be glad to pray for you there wherever you might be. And if you'd find your place in Jeremiah chapter 38 and the title of the message is, A Servant of the King. This is part of a series that we just started here on unnamed saints and servants in the Bible. Even though it's going to seem like this person has a name, that's not his name. That's more of a title that was given to this person. It wasn't his given name. And we don't know his given name, but we know the title that was given to him, and he lived up to that title that was given to him. And not just for in this world, but for the world to come as well. And we wanna definitely be like this saint and this servant of God here that we find in Jeremiah chapter 38. Let's start reading verse one. Then Shephatiah the son of Matan, and Gedaliah the son of Pasher, and Jucal the son of Shalamiah, and Pasher the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, he that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. But he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live, for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. Thus saith the Lord, this city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it. Therefore the princes said unto the king, we beseech thee, let this man be put to death. For thus he weakened at the hands of the men of war that remain in this city. And the hands of all the people in speaking such words unto them, for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. Then Zedekiah the king said, behold, he is in your hand, for the king is not he that can do anything against you. Then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malkiah, the son of Hamilech, which was in the court of the prison, and they let down Jeremiah with the cords. And in the dungeon there was no water but mire, so Jeremiah sunk. in the Myrrh. Up until this passage here to these first six verses that we just read in chapter 38, everybody except for the people who is referred to as those there in Jerusalem and others there, they're referred to as the people, but everybody else here so far is mentioned by name. We have their given name, for some we even have the name of their dad. But in verse one, we've got a group of men who apparently are running things in the country. And I think that's kind of representative of what's going on today. I'm not too sure that the one that calls himself the president here of our country's running things. It don't appear that he's doing that. It appears that there's some people behind him that's running things, it's not him. But here, these people, they don't like the message that Jeremiah has been preaching. Jeremiah is just as plain spoken as he can be. He just told it like it was, and he just gave it straight from the Lord. You see, Jeremiah was not a politician. He was a preacher, and he only sought to please the Lord. You see, they had already locked Jeremiah, but Jeremiah was still faithful to just say thus, saith the Lord. You know, we've got plenty of people in type there in the days that we're living in who are mentioned in verse one. Oh, they've heard what God wants, but yet they have their own agenda. They've heard the man of God, they've heard the message, but they're not listening to what God has to say, you see the Chaldeans up until this point had retreated for a while, but they were coming back, and the words that Jeremiah gave here in these first six verses are true. They shall take the city. But the king Zedekiah here, he's a real politician. He acted like he wanted to hear what Jeremiah had to say, but he also wanted to please the crowd that was around him. But you see, right here at this point in this story, I'd like to just cry out to Zedekiah and say, Zedekiah, you can't have it both ways. Jeremiah's gonna go on there in the chapter here and he's gonna remind Zedekiah that if he had just listened to the Lord, that it would be well with him. But Zedekiah's gonna fall for the fear. of man. In Proverbs 29, 25, it says that the fear of man bringeth a snare, and that's what you're gonna see play out here in the life of Zedekiah, the fear of man. He ought to have feared God. He ought to have obeyed God. He ought to have followed the commandment of God, the message from God. but yet he chose the fear of man, and it's definitely gonna put a snare in his life. But over in Proverbs 29, 25, it says, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe. Zedekiah could have spared Jerusalem from being burnt to the ground. He could have spared his family, but he feared man more than he trusted in the Lord. You know, in the middle of the Bible, Zedekiah there, he had access to the Old Testament. He had access to the book of Psalms. In Psalms 118, it says, It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. How true that is. But here we see that Zedekiah, he's going against the will of God. He's going against the word of God. And it ain't gonna turn out good for him. In Psalms 118 and verse 9 it said, It's better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. You see, he was listening to the wrong crowd. Can I just say this? Sometimes in church there's a wrong crowd. There's a crowd that think they run things. And there's a crowd there that consider themselves princes, but we better be careful that we're not listening to the crowd, we're listening to the Lord Jesus Christ. The only thing that Jeremiah's guilty of here is preaching the truth. But isn't it good that in judgment, Jeremiah was preaching a message of hope? He was preaching the fact that your lives can be spared if you'll just surrender. That's not a popular message. But yet it was God's will. In Jeremiah 38, six, it says, and they took Jeremiah, then they took, then took they Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchi, the son of Hamilach, which was in the court of the prison. And they let down Jeremiah with cords, and in the dungeon there was no water but mire, so Jeremiah sunk. In the Myrrh, in typology here, we have a picture of the Messiah who'll be rejected by his own. They didn't want to hear what Jeremiah had to say. He was sin of the Lord, but yet they rejected the message that would have spared them from the judgment to come. And even though Jerusalem was gonna fall, they could have spared their own lives. John 1 11 says that he came unto his own and his own received him not. Speaking of our Lord and Savior. in the midst of judgment and on the verge of Judah being taken into captivity and being set aside for some time, there was some good news for all those that would believe the word of God. That good news is still there today in John 1 12, it says, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Judah, Jerusalem's gonna reject Jeremiah. They're gonna reject the message from the Lord, but there was one. an unnamed servant of the king, who would hear the message and he would take side with Jeremiah. Let's read right here in verse seven. It says, now Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs, which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon, the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin. Ebed-Melech here is not a proper name. It just means a servant of the king. This was not this man's given name that was given to him at birth in Ethiopia, but the king had given him this name or this title. You know, the greatest name that you and I can have today is not Smith or Jones or the Rothschilds or the Soros or the Clintons. or the Trumps or the Bidens, the greatest name that you and I can have designated to us is that of being a servant of the King of Kings. I tell you, I want to be known as a servant of the King of Kings. It's not about my given name. It's not about me. It's about the one that I serve. Ibn Malik, this unnamed servant of the Lord, He was doing more than just serving Zedekiah. He was doing the will of God and he was doing the Lord's bidding. You know, you and I are also called to do the Lord's work. Oh, as God has put Israel aside for a while. Oh, God has chosen some servants. to do his will. That's where you and I come in. We, too, were strangers. We, too, were sold on the slave market of sin, but Jesus ransomed us. He redeemed us, and he put us in the work of the Lord. If you would, keep your place here and turn to 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2. Here's gonna give you a description of what we ought to be doing and what God has called us to. In 1 Peter 2, verse 1, it says, Wherefore, laying aside all malice and all guile, and hypocrisies and envies, and all evil speakings, as new-born babes that desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, and holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious, but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed. But ye, are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. You see, we were just like Ibn Malik. We were not a people, but now we are, the people of God. Ibn Malik, he knew something of the mercy of God. Ibn Malik, he may have been a eunuch, he may have been a slave in kings at Achaia's court, but he had tasted that the Lord is good. He was not what's in the flesh. He was once not a people, you think about it, but now he was a people of God. He was doing the Lord's business. He was a chosen generation, if you would. He was a royal priesthood, a holy nation. He was a peculiar people. You know, we too. We're nobodies. Oh, we too have been sold on that slave market of sin, but thank God for the day that Jesus died on the cross to redeem us with his precious blood, and we too tasted that the Lord is good. We weren't, we're nobodies. We were heading nowhere, but now we're servants. of the king of kings. God has placed each one of us here for such a time as this. It was no coincidence that Ibn Malik was in the position that he was in. He too, he fit right in to God's plan. He may not have been a Jeremiah, but he was a servant of the king. I'd like to preach a few minutes on this unnamed servant, Ibn Malik. Again, that title meaning a servant of the king. Let's go back to Jeremiah chapter 38. First thing that I would like for us to notice about this servant, that he was a man that was aware. Look in verse 7. Now when Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard, underline that word, he heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon, the king sitting in the gate, of Benjamin. Here we've got a servant of the king who's not consumed with his duties or with his responsibilities in such a way that he's not aware of what's happening to the prophet Jeremiah. Oh, I wish that we had more servants of the king who were more interested in the work of the Lord than they were just for caring for the responsibilities in this life. And I'm not talking about caring in that fact of being nosy or just wasting your time, you know, looking on Facebook at what everybody else is doing or not doing. No, I'm talking about being aware. Ibn Malik was aware of Jeremiah's condition, and he was moved to action. He wasn't just moved to gossip, you know. He wasn't just moved to say, did you hear about Jeremiah? He didn't want to be the first old man, I heard this. Let me tell you what I heard. Are you aware that there's a world outside these church walls that is dying and going to hell? They're in the same shape as Jeremiah. They've been lowered into a miry pit of sin where there is no standing, and the only hope they have is if a servant of the king will go to them with a message of hope. Last week, we had a man visit with us on Wednesday night, and he had a great burden for children. He had a great burden for the bus ministry, and he even gave some money toward our bus ministry to be able to help a family that's in need, and he kept saying these words. How will they know? How will the children hear? How will they come to church unless someone goes and gets them and brings them to Jesus and takes that message of hope to them. Why has God put in our heart here in our church to mail out gospel mailers every week into our community? It's because we're aware of the condition of our community and we've made ourselves available to go on behalf of the king and to the king, to them. And may the Lord help us as we pray for our community. And we put feet to our prayers and we take them a message of hope. Number two, the second thing that I would like to bring to your attention about this man, this unnamed servant of the king, is that not only he was aware of the condition of Jeremiah, but he was a man of availability. He made himself available to be used of the Lord. Can I ask you, are you available to do something for the Lord? You see, this man was a servant He was a stranger, but he was no stranger to the Lord. Oh, he had believed the Word of God that Jeremiah had preached. Look at verse 8. It says, Ebed-Melech went forth out of the king's house and spake to the king saying, hey, have you made yourself available to present yourself to the Lord on behalf of others? Are you praying for our missionaries? Are you praying for each other? Are you praying for your family? Are you praying for your neighbors and for your coworkers? We've got a prayer list that goes out every Wednesday by email to our church folks and friends and family of this church. Are you praying for those in need? When's the last time that you left your area of responsibility to do the bidding of God? Because you see, that's what Ibn Malik knew. He could have been content just staying where he was and doing what he was supposed to do. But God put a burden on his heart and he had to do something about it there. and he went outside the area of responsibility to do the will of God. You see, this story would have turned out totally different if Abed-Melech had not went to the king on behalf of Jeremiah. Oh, that brings my heart to wonder how many situations that you and I, we were aware about that could have turned out differently had we Had we did something about it? Had we interceded? Had we went to the king on behalf of someone else? I wonder how many situations, oh man, we were the first to repeat what happened, but we didn't do anything about it. One day we're gonna have to stand before Jesus and we're gonna have to give an account as to what we did with the knowledge that we had about someone else's condition and what we did about it. The Bible says there's not an idle word that's not written down in heaven. When you gossiped instead of praying, when you got some news and you couldn't wait to tell someone else, when you should have went to the king on behalf of that person and said, God, help them. Oh, God, use me. Here am I, Lord. Can I be a help to that person? I'm gonna tell you, we're gonna have a lot to answer for in this life. There's many people that are given the gossip. They just love it. They can't wait to find stuff out and they can't wait to be the first one to tell it. Can I ask you something? Have you heard that there's a great need for gospel tracts? Have you heard that there's a great need for souls to be saved across the world in different countries where our missionaries serve God? Can I ask you something? Do you do something about it? Do you pray for the missionaries? Do you do something about it? Do you go to the king but you also make yourself available? Do you give to missions? Do you give to get the gospel out to others? Do you witness yourself? Do you give out tracts? Do you pray for those that are on our prayer list? Do you pray for those who you know are held up in the mire of sin? Do you exhort others by being faithful to church? You know the servant of the king here, he was available. One day we're going to have to give an account for our availability to the Lord. I think we can all say that we've wasted many opportunities. This servant of the king, not only was he aware, not only was he a man of availability, but he was also a man who was able. In Jeremiah 38.10 it says, Then the king commanded Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian saying, take from hence 30 men with thee and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he die. This servant of the king was a man who was able. This king knew that he could accomplish the task. You see, you and I are well able. we're well able to accomplish the great task that God has given us to reach Myrtle Beach, to reach South Carolina, America, and the world. I'm telling you, he wouldn't have gave us the Great Commission if we weren't able to do it through his power. Jesus said in Matthew 28, 18, and Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given in heaven, given me in heaven and in earth. In Philippians 4.13 it says, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. You see, it's God that makes us able. Without God, we can do nothing. But if we'll just make ourselves aware, if we'll make ourselves available, then God will make us able to do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us. Hey, you can be the husband that God wants you to be. You can be the wife that God wants you to be. You can be the dad and the mom, the grandparent, the brother, the sister, the child that God wants you to be. You can be the Sunday school teacher that God wants you to be. You can be that soul winner, that singer. You can be that person of prayer, that giver that God wants you to be. You see, Ibn Malik, he was a eunuch. He was a slave. He'd never been on a rescue mission like that one. And that's why the king sent his special forces with him. You see, we can't reach Myrtle Beach by ourselves. But we can be aware. We can be available. And God will enable us to reach people, more people than we ever thought possible. the pastor that was here with us this past Wednesday night, he took several of our gospel mailers and he asked how that he could go about getting that same thing done in the town where he ministers. And this is what he said, he says, I have to do more. On top of everything else that I'm doing. He says, I have to do more to reach the lost. You see, we're not in this by ourselves. God has many servants out there that are just aware, that are available, and God will make them able to accomplish the task that he's given to them. Number four, I would like for us to look at the fact that this servant of the king, not only was he aware, not only was he a man of availability, not only was he a man that was made able by God, but he was also a man of action. Look at verse 11 with me. So Ebed-Melech took the men with him and went into the house of the king under the treasury and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. And Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, "'Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags "'under thine armholes under the cords.' "'And Jeremiah did so. "'So they drew up Jeremiah with cords "'and took him up out of the dungeon, "'and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.'" You see, O Ebed-Melech, this servant of the king, he didn't just sit by. and expect the soldiers to do everything. You see, he got involved. It says in verse 13 that they drew him up. You see, he got involved. He was a man of action. Can I just ask you today, are you a man and a woman of action in the Lord's work? You see, this servant of the king, he could have just easily sat by him. He could have just easily kept to himself. Oh, but because he had tasted that the Lord is good. because he had put his hope in the Lord and not in a king. Oh, God would use him in a great way. Are you involved in the Lord's work? There's a judgment day coming. Judgment was coming for Judah. We're gonna have to give an account of every opportunity missed to get involved. You're gonna have to give an account to that. Can I ask you, are you faithful to the services? You say, well, we're the Wednesday night crowd. Well, there's more than you here. There's people that are listening by the way of the internet. Are you faithful to the services? Do you give of your time, your talents, and your treasures to the Lord's work right here? Do you tithe? You could be here right now and you don't tithe. Can I just say you're robbing God and you think you're all right doing that? Do you give to missions? Do you witness? Do you read your Bible? And by the way, that's part of being a missionary. That's just our reasonable service. That's the bare minimum that you and I can do. How many Christians are not even doing the bare minimum? You know, the Bible says not to forsake the assembling of ourselves of the manner some is, but so much the more as we see the day approaching. Sunday afternoons and Wednesday nights and special meetings, that's part of our reasonable service. And I want to thank those of you that have taken the time to listen to us by the way of the internet. God bless you. I'd like to thank all of our folks for being here. For those that are not here, please be here. We need you here. There's no time to slack off in the Lord's work. In 1 Corinthians 15, 58 it says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. This servant of the king was a man who received a great award. The king Zedekiah did not reward him for his efforts. Jeremiah did not reward him for his efforts. But God himself gave him a reward. God spared him from the judgment to come. Look at chapter 39 with me. Turn over a page, chapter 39, and let's start reading in verse 15. He says, Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying, Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil and not for good, and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord. And thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid. For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword. But thy life shall be for a prey unto thee, because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord. You know, I wonder what type of reward you and I are gonna receive of the Lord one day. I wonder how much of what we've done for the Lord is going to translate into gold and silver and precious stones. You see, the day of the Lord is coming for this world. Judgment's coming. Destruction's coming. The judgment seat of Christ is coming for every believer. I wonder what Jesus is going to have to say about us. I wonder if we'll hear this same commendation that Ibn Malik heard. I wonder, when we hear the words, well done, or I wonder if Jesus is just going to look at us with his hands in the air going, did you do anything? Were you aware? Were you not aware? Were you not available? Were you not able? Were you not a man of action? What type of award? Should you and I receive of Jesus? Can I ask you tonight, are you aware? Maybe there's someone that just needs to be more aware tonight. Maybe you need to quit trying to find out every little thing that's going on around you with everybody else and make yourself aware of what God wants you to do with your life. Are you available? Maybe there's someone here tonight that just needs to be more available to God. Maybe you need to come to this altar and say, here am I, Lord, send me, I'm ready. Lord, whatever you'd have me do, I'm willing. Can I ask you, are you able? Are you able? God'll equip you. He won't ask you to do anything that he won't prepare you for. Can I ask you this, are you ready to act? Maybe if there's someone here tonight that needs to get more involved, maybe there's someone listening by the web, the internet. You need to get more involved right where you are. As you see the day approaching, it's no time to do less. It's time to be more faithful. Can I ask you, how much have you invested in heaven? Are you saved? Have you trusted Christ as your Savior? Have you put your faith in Jesus to save you from the judgment to come? Ibn Malik put his trust in the Lord. I trust that you have trusted in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for the justification of your soul.