Morning Message Text: Jeremiah 23: 23-29
23 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away?
24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.
25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’
26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?
27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their ancestors forgot my name through Baal worship.
28 Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the LORD.
29 “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
Morning Message:
I would like to start out on a positive note this morning. I know that my sermons are often filled with words of correction. I am always looking for ways that we, the congregation of Marion Church, can better serve the Lord and obey his call upon our lives. I am always encouraged and uplifted when we sing: It Is No Secret what God can do. This hymn helps me to remember that no matter how far I may have moved from God, he is always willing to take me back. And as a congregation, no matter how down we may be, or how stagnant we have become, he can, at any moment breathe new life into us. No one is beyond the reach of God, and nothing is beyond his repair. I chose hymns like It Is No Secret and Revive Us Again because I truly believe in the power of God to forgive people and to change lives. I believe in revival, and I look for it with the expectation that it could happen at any moment. It could happen while I am preaching this message. I preach about our shortcomings in the hope that true change will take place in our lives.
In Psalm 80 there are several verses that we did not read that I think are important. In verses 3 through 7 we hear a familiar cry from the people of Israel. “Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?” One of the things that I love about the Psalms is that you hear honest prayers. Israel has sinned and God has punished them. The person writing this prayer comes to God humbly and honestly. They tell God exactly what’s on their hearts, and they ask God for exactly what they want. Now listen, we must learn from their experience. They are asking God why. Why Lord have you allowed this to happen to this vine that you love? Why have you allowed such devastation upon this land, our home that you gave us? You loved us and cared for us and gave us this home, why would you allow this? Do you know the answer to this question? They are crying out: Revive us, restore us, and we promise that we will call upon your name. Why has this happened to Israel? Could this happen to us?
The whys are answered in today’s scripture in Jeremiah. God says, “Am I only a God nearby, and not a God far away?” God is asking, “Do you think that you can hide your actions from me? Do you really think that I am a God with limits? Am I not everywhere? Tell me, where can you go that God is not there?” That sounds silly to say but we, human beings either live like God can’t see us or we don’t care if a holy God sees the way we act and live. We know better than this, but we act differently when we are in church than we do in the parking lot. I talk to people all the time that will let a word or two or fifty slip in front of me and say I shouldn’t talk like that here or in front of you. Why? God hears you wherever you are, and I am no one special.
Here is the problem that existed in Israel that contributed to them being exiled, and I believe that it is a major problem today in this country. Listen to what God is saying: “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name.” They say: “I had a dream! I had a dream! How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds.” What happened in Israel? Jeremiah was trying to warn God’s people that if they didn’t mend their ways, God was going to exile them from the land that he gave them. The false prophets were telling them lies, saying that they had wonderful dreams of how God was going to bless them and do wonderful thing for them, despite their sinfulness. They knew that these prophets were wrong, but they listened to them because that’s what they wanted to hear. They stopped listening to Jeremiah; his church probably wasn’t very well attended. They even put him in prison for speaking God’s word.
This is happening today in this nation that was founded on Christian principles and God’s Word. There are many full churches and church telecasts with very high ratings in this nation. Now I am not saying that every full church is doing something wrong, I certainly hope that’s not the case. What I am saying is that we have too many preachers that will not utter a word of warning to their congregations. They refuse to preach the whole Word of God because that might affect their attendance and their bottom line. Listen to what God is saying here and take heed. “Let the prophet who has a dream recount the dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. “Is not my word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” If this nation is to survive, it will be by the Word of God, not the dreams and delusions of the minds of charlatans who pose as prophets and preachers of the gospel.
In Christ’s Love and Peace,
Pastor Bob
Views: 0
