12th September 2025

12th September 2025


Pray (ACts)


Read (Exodus 17:8-16 focus v14-16)


Message (Alan Burke)


You might think I am a heartless unloving monster but many a day my heart is broken, many a day I shed tears. This you might think impossible, that it is not something you have ever seen from me, and believe it or believe it not I’ve come close to shedding tears a few times in the pulpit and have had to catch myself or skip over the next part of the sermon. The reason is because I know the eternal destiny of those who do not know and love the Lord. It is something we try to ignore, something we try to say is unloving, or that try to explain away. Scripture is clear on what awaits for those who do not seek refuge in the LORD and if that doesn’t bring you to tears it should, it should give us zeal for the lost and a desire to reach out, preaching Christ crucified the power of God and the wisdom of God. 


I suspect having read this passage you know why I started like this and it’s probably not going to get very many likes for the LORD promises to completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven. We might think to ourselves that God’s response is more than a bit extreme, a bit of an over reaction surely? We might even be tempted to think that this is the God of the Old Testament and be thankful for how the God of the New Testament is all about love and grace. But throughout the scriptures the Lord is consistent. We must not forget that in the end all those who are the enemies of the Lord will face his wrath for all eternity. Jesus spoke more on the eternal punishment than any other in the scriptures of its reality , in great detail and those who will go there and how it is eternal punishment (Mt 25:46). Revelation 20:15 tells us what awaits for all who are the enemies of God. For; Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:15). The Amalekites were the enemies of God and faced the eternal consequences. That should grieve us and give us zeal for the lost in our community where we are. 


In the victory we are not told the response of the people to the attack of the Amalekites, although I think it’s safe to say that Moses was getting a sore ear again by the people if their past is anything to go by. For us it is easy in the midst of what we face to cry out to wonder why, why has this happened to me, why Lord, we cry out in wonder and well the people here remember were led by God into Rephidim to face thirst and then to face the Amalekites. 


Just as the Lord allowed the Devil to bring testing to Job, Jesus took the the disciples onto the sea even though he knew the storm would blow, the Lord puts us whether we like it our not in places that our faith in him is tested. It is not to cause us to stumble but so that we would look to him, the Lord is sovereign over all things not only in this world but also in our lives to teach us dependence on him knowing that he has the victory. God doesn't promise us an easy life as believers, the promise of the gospel is not come to Jesus in your life will be easy and comfortable. But the Lord though through James tells us how to respond in whatever we face, and in James 1 we are told; 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing….12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. (Jam 1:2-4, 12).


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q72 What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.
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