Nehemiah 1:9-11 But if you turn to me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out to the uttermost part of the heaven… This is a suggestive text. There is another King, and He, too, speaks of a cup which is His, and a cup which we may bear, not for Him, but from Him to others. "Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of water only," etc. We are cup-bearers of our King, Jesus. I. CUP-BEARERS OF THE GREAT KING SHOULD REMEMBER WHAT THE CUP CONTAINS. The cup of blessing is communion with Christ. By His Cross He has reconciled the world to God, and now He invites the race to taste and see that the Lord is good. In the East there are various costly drinks. Some were supposed to have a healing, and others a life-preserving, element in them. The world's salvation is in that cup which Christ has filled for the life of the world. II. CUP-BEARERS OF THE KING SHOULD REMEMBER THE LOYAL MANDATE THEY HAVE TO OBEY. "Come" is the first word of Christianity. Come to Christ for life, for ourselves. Its next word is "Go." "Go ye into all the world," etc. If we do not believe in the healing water we shall not give it. Have you ever noticed how heartily people recommend their doctors? During the memorable illness of the Prince of Wales hundreds of people from all parts of the empire forwarded their nostrums for the disease; they felt quite sure that if these special remedies were tried the Prince would recover. Selfishness probably lay at the bottom of some of those recommendations, but in the main these people believed in their prescriptions; they had tried them or seen them tried, and had rejoiced in their success. We must believe, then, before we can give. And then we shall each do it in our own way. 1. Quietly, perhaps, as falls the dew, our influence will rest on others' hearts. 2. Suggestively, perhaps, by a spirit of reverence and a devout habit of daily walk, which tells of a life hid with Christ in God. 3. Communicatively, perhaps, as when we gather our classes in Sunday school, etc. 4. Distributively, perhaps, by means of the printed page. Every cup that God has placed in our hands — whether filled with wealth or knowledge — we ought to raise to the lips of others. III. CUP-BEARERS OF THE KING SHOULD RE MEMBER THE WORK OF THE ENEMIES OF GOD. We are not the only cup-bearers in the world. Other visitants are here with other cups, which seem as if they ought to hold sweet and satisfying waters: pleasure, beauty, ambition, etc. Some of these cups are filled with deadliest poison. The cup of knowledge — degrading literature, the cup of companionship, the cup of pleasure, are often so many cups of poison presented to the young.. IV. CUP-BEARERS OF THE KING SHOULD REMEMBER THAT IT IS A POST OF HONOUR. Christians are the representatives of Christ. They are doing what Christ would do ii He were here. V. CUP-BEARERS OF THE KING ANTICIPATE THE DAY OF DIVINE REWARD. Let us notice — 1. That Christ's rewards are ours now. 2. That the cup-bearer will be rewarded in the redeemed history of those to whom he has borne the living water, and who will welcome him to glory. 3. That the cup-bearer will be welcomed and rewarded also by the King of kings Himself. (W. M. Statham.) Parallel Verses KJV: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. |
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