Okay, thank you brother now if you look at verse number seven there Jeremiah chapter 12 and verse number seven it begins by saying I have
Forsaken mine house the title for the sermon this morning is I have forsaken
Mine house now. I thought I better take that as a title because
You know God forbid
I would not want God to say that about this house
You know about bless help up the church that God would say about this house this church
I have forsaken mine house so these things are warnings for us brethren
You know we can't just pretend that we're an in you know invincible church that nothing
You know can ever hurt us
And you know the Lord may never consider removing his presence from us these things are in the Bible so we can meditate on
This see how God removed his presence from his people and that can happen to us as well again
This has nothing to do our salvation, but this has to do with our fellowship
This has to do our fellowship our worship with the Lord God
But let's start there in verse number one Jeremiah chapter 12 in verse number one the Bible reads righteous art thou O Lord
When I plead with thee, so I just want you to notice who's speaking here
Jeremiah is speaking to the Lord God now notice what he says yet
Let me talk with thee of thy judgments wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper
Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously
So Jeremiah starts by saying look Lord. I know you're a righteous God, and I want to talk to you Lord
I want to you know you see he bows down to praise speaking to the Lord
He says look I really want to talk to you about your judgments God
Okay, so there's something bothering Jeremiah, and it says ask God the question. Why do the wicked prosper Lord?
Why is it that those that are wicked here on this land or those that are against you those that hate your your your word?
Why do they seem to be doing so well in life Lord? Why do they have the?
The big house and and the cars and and the wealth and they've got the the prosperity that they've got they seem to be
Living their life at the fullest Lord. They're on Facebook. They're constantly on holidays
Look how happy they seem to be Lord, but I know they're wicked so Jeremiah starts asking this question
Why is it Lord that we see the wicked prosper?
And I don't know if this ever crosses your mind
And I know for me as a teenager this thought crossed my mind
Because as a teenager as a safe teenager, I'm trying to live for the Lord. I'm trying to live godly
I'm trying to go to church. I'm trying to keep myself pure from you know
You know alcohol and drugs
And you know and fornication, and I'm looking at other people
I'm looking at other people in the world that don't seem to love God
You know they're just giving themselves over to sin and nothing seems to be happening to them in fact
They seem to prosper in fact they seem to be getting the high paying jobs and doing so well in life
And you start wondering well Lord. I need to talk to you about your judgment Scott
Something doesn't seem right to me, and I don't know if that's ever crossed your mind
It's ever been a bit of thought, but you see here Jeremiah is asking that question, and then what does he say in verse number two?
he says
I'm sorry. I don't know if I finished verse number one
Wherefore are all they happy that deal very churchlessly so those that are doing bad things
They seem to be so happy Lord
What's going on verse number two thou has planted them yay?
They have taken roots they grow
Yay, they bring forth fruits
Thou art near in their mouth and far from their reigns they even seem to give you lip service
God they even seem to praise you they even seem to know
Thank you God for for my prosperity and my and my my well-doing in life, but they're very far from you Lord
They're they're very wicked. How is it Lord that they prosper?
Well, this isn't a question that only crossed Jeremiah's mind
It's not only a question that crossed me in my mind when I was a teenager if you can keep your finger there
Let's go to Psalm 73 Psalm 73, and I just want to show you in fact many times in the Psalms
You'll see the same idea being asked the psalmist asking God. Why is it that the wicked seem to prosper and
Brethren if that's crossed your mind
Then let's you know let's look at Psalm 73 and if you have your own time at home if this is a topic that bothers
You or you know you have questions over let me encourage you to read all of Psalm 73 because all of Psalm 73 deals with
This topic okay, but we're just going to look at different just portions of Psalm 73
Look at verse number one Psalm 73 verse number one. It says truly
God is good to Israel even to such are as are of a clean heart
But then it says this but as for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well nice lips
For so what the psalmist saying look yes, Lord. You know you know you're good to those that are clean heart
But you know I'm sleeping away Lord. You know the psalmist saying I'm starting to backslide Lord
I'm starting to you know desire desire
Worldliness and sinful things and he said and then in verse number three explains
Why he says for I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked
The Psalmist is look Lord. I'm looking at the wicked doing so well
They're prospering and because I'm seeing that Lord. I've become envious. I want what they want Lord
I want what they have Lord right. I want their their prosperity
I wonder I want to be successful in life the same way the wicked here are being successful in life
And so because he's got that desire. He's got a natural or they seem to be doing so well
This is why I'm sleeping Lord. This is why you know I'm trying to live godly
I'm trying to be clean of heart, but they're doing so well over there Lord. Why can't I just go that way?
Why can't I follow that off that Lord right so the psalmist asked this question drop down to verse number 15
It says if I say I will speak thus
Behold I should offend against the generation of thy children
So he's saying look if I start telling people in my church
You know my brother and sister the Lord like you know wow the wicked are doing so well that it's going to offend
God's children like like it is an offensive thought to others, okay, so he realizes he's in the wrong
He realized that by thinking this way and being envious this he's in the wrong here, but then he says in verse number 16
When I thought to know this it was too painful for me
Until so this thought is very painful to the psalmist right the wicked are doing so well Lord
I want to be like that and then he realized man. This is too painful for me. When is it?
Why is it too painful? He says in verse number?
17
Until I went into the sanctuary of God
then understood I
Their end he goes man. I had these stupid foolish thoughts
I was envious for these wicked until I came to church until I understood they have an end
What is that end look at verse number 18?
Surely thou did set them in slippery places
Thou castest them down
Into destruction and so the psalmist says ah, you know, I wanted to be like them Lord
I was so envious until I just it just daughter me. I understood I came to your sanctuary
I came here in your word and I understand that one day you will judge them Lord one day
They will be destroyed one day one day
They're going to be cast down and you're gonna tread over them Lord, then I understood
Oh, man, you know right now you're giving them time right now. You're being long-suffering right now
You're being merciful right now Lord
You've given them an opportunity to believe on Jesus Christ
But there's comes a time when they reject Christ
Over and over again and your judgment is going to fall upon them and I don't want that judgment to fall upon me
Okay, but he only understood that when he got himself into the sanctuary of the Lord
Okay, and for the New Testament that would be your local church
And this is why it's so important to preach on the judgment of God
You know and explain to the congregation that God will one day destroy the wicked
Okay, but if you go to church, it's love love love. God loves it all, you know, you know
you better pay Lord the we can do it so well and
Then well, maybe I should follow after their ways then Lord if you just seem to love everybody
You're never gonna pass judgment on anybody. You know, that's all you are Lord that you know, you're not this
God of justice then why not just walk after the wicked and many churches have patterned themselves after the world
You know you go into many churches you feel like you've walked into a club, you know, this is some some rave party
You know, I remember once when I was a teenager at my church youth group
They went to Hillsong, you know, there was some band playing some Christian Christian band
You know playing that rock music and and I thought man, this is different
I've never seen this in church and look it's full of young people
Right and you know, it's all full but then it's like you talk to some of the guys why are they there?
Oh to pick up the girls to check out the girls, you know
Take chair what what in the world are we going to church for the hats?
I would go to church for the moon. Are we going to are we just is this just like a Christian club in scene?
Is that what it is?
Because what are they they've envied the wicked they said well look look look how the wicked prosper look how they
You know get huge groups of people together let's pattern our church after that
But that weighs destruction. Hey those type of churches. They're going to be destroyed
I mean so many of those people aren't even safe to begin with anyway
They've got a false gospel many times and so they pursued after the ways of the wicked
Hey, they're leading people to damnation and you know what? I don't know if you ever wonder why is that church small?
Why does it take why does it seem so so much effort in order for it to grow?
Well, you know what? We're not going to pan ourselves after the wicked. Don't worry about it
Just let's just do what God wants us to do. Okay. Let's just serve you faithfully and not be envious of
Worldliness and and how they they apparently seem to prosper because their destruction will come you're still in Psalm 73
drop down to verse number 22
Psalm 73 verse number 22, then he says so foolish was I
He was man. I was foolish to think they were going to prosper right there. They're doing so well an ignorance. I
Was as a beast before thee what's a beast an animal he's a man. I'm just a dumb animal. Why did I think that way?
Why did I sit there for a man? I'm so envious of them. I mean that was so stupid, right?
I'm such a stupid animal the psalmist says
Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou has holded me by my right hand
Okay, so you can see this is a topic that the psalmist struggled with
This is a topic that Jeremiah struggled with and you may struggle with this
You know and I like I said the reason I remember just in my teenage years struggling with that is because
When you when you go from being a child to an adult, you know, you start questioning a lot of things
You know, you start developing your own thoughts and your hormones are working through your body and you know
God's using that time to help you develop into a an adult, you know
someone that can take responsibility for
Yourselves and you're gonna start having all different kinds of thoughts and ideas
And I tell you and I'm telling this to my children and anyone else here that might be a teenager or older
and there's gonna come a time when you're gonna be thinking why you know, why am I why why my parents trying to
Bring me to church and and learn about God and to live a clean and pure life
But when I go and hang out with my mates or if I go to work and I see my colleagues
They're full of wickedness. They seem to enjoy it. Look how much they enjoy life
Look how happy they seem look at all the sins
They participate in of and because you have the flesh you're gonna be like, well, I kind of want that Lord
They seem to be doing so well
Okay, but what you need to do is remember that God's judgments gonna fall upon them
It's not like that forever, you know, our life is a vapor. It's it's here one moment
It's gone the next and if they don't believe on Jesus Christ, they're gonna be damned in hell for all eternity
Okay, and even if they do believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and remain in their wicked ways
Well, the Lord's gonna chastise them. Okay judgment gonna fall
They're not gonna have a happy, you know
Satisfied complete Christian life if as a believer they continue down the same forms of wickedness
and so please
Understand and I say this to my children and those that are younger because the thoughts that cross your mind
Man, why be in church on Sunday? I can hang out with my mates
Right those same thoughts. Guess what your parents thought the same things when they were teenagers and guess what?
Your grandparents thought of the same things when they were teenagers. It's nothing new
Okay, because teenagers always think oh man, my parents are so old-fashioned or whatever, you know
I need to step out of their shadow
Listen we've all had the same thoughts and we've all been that stupid foolish animal like the psalmist says
Okay, we've all come thinking those those stupid thoughts as you know young people, you know when you envy the wicked
But let's go back to Jeremiah chapter 12 in verse number 3
Jeremiah chapter 12 and verse number 3
Jeremiah says but thou O Lord knowest me thou has seen me and tried mine heart toward thee
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter and
Prepare them for the day of slaughter. So Jeremiah wakes up to himself. He realizes. Oh, yeah like the psalmist
Well Lord the day of your judgment is coming. All right, I'm trying to live godly for you
Lord check my heart make sure it's right towards you and Lord these that you're going to judge these people in the land of Judah
You know Lord they're gonna be like a sheep to the slaughter, you know, and God's look you saying look Lord
Prepare them for the day of slaughter. All right, he realizes. Okay God. No your judgments, right? It's got to come
We've got to face this as a nation. It's time for this nation to be slaughtered
It's time for this nation to face your judgment
So he wakes up to himself instead of saying wow, look at the wicked now. He's realizing now your judgment is coming, right?
He's woken up to that truth. Okay
Now I also want you to notice there that you know
God will always bring judgment to the wicked and
Jeremiah is not trying to take vengeance for himself. Okay. He's not the one trying to you know
All he's doing he's warning the people. He's just preaching God's Word
That's all he's doing but he realizes that it's the Lord. What did it say there? It says
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter and prepare them for the day of slaughter, you know
Jeremiah saying Lord if that's your business, you know judgment vengeance that that comes on you Lord
I'm not gonna take action in my own hands Lord when the time is right
You're gonna bring judgment upon the wicked and we have to remember this in the wicked days that we live that when we see
The wickedness in our governments now and our politicians and and the powers that be you know
Remember don't take vengeance in your own hands. You can pray like Jeremiah Lord prepare them for the day of slaughter Lord
Prepare them, you know get them ready for your judgment to fall upon them. There's nothing wrong with praying for that
Okay, you'd be in the same
View or thinking the same things as Jeremiah, you know
Some people struggle with these kinds of prayers when you're praying for the Lord to judge the wicked
There's nothing wrong with that. I mean you're asking the Lord to step in. Here's the righteous judge
He'll do it at the right time and anytime the Lord judges anytime the Lord slaughters. It's right. It's correct
Okay, it's always the correct action by the Lord even though it may seem a little harsh on us
Okay, but that's because we are envious of the wicked
That's because we that that flesh and us that that thinks some of those things are okay
But when we wake up to the reality of God's Word would come to his sanctuary
We understand know Lord. You must be so frustrated at this wicked world Lord
Thank you for being merciful so far because this is why so many of us are saved today
Because you've given us an opportunity and Lord thankful the time you've given us
But we also know the time comes for your judgment to fall on the wicked
So there's nothing wrong to pray to the Lord when you become frustrated at this world
Instead of you being full of frustration and being upset to say Lord deal with it Lord, please
You know take the wicked slaughter them judge them in your time Lord in your time
Alright verse number four
How long shall the land mourn and the herbs of every field wither for the wickedness of them that dwell therein?
The beasts are consumed and the birds because they said he shall not see our last end
So I've preached on this before but you know, the sin of the nation was affecting creation was affecting the land though the animals
anyway, verse number five
If thou hast run with a footman and they have wearied thee then how canst thou contend with horses?
So now the Lord is speaking to Jeremiah. Okay, and he's asking Jeremiah, you know
Well, let's keep going
It says and if and if in the land of peace wherein thou trustest they wearied thee
Then how will thou do in the swirling of
Jordan okay. This is a great verse because it's basically saying look if you want to contend with horses now
I don't know. Have you ever raced with a horse? You know in Australia, we love the Melbourne Cup
well, I mean, I don't care about it, but you know Australians love the Melbourne Cup and seeing those horses run and
Is it like a million million dollars to win that prize to win that race something along those lines or maybe more?
I don't know, you know, it's quite a lot but hey those horses run hard
okay, God has created those horses to be powerful creatures powerful creatures of war and
You know in a short term sprint a horse will always beat a man in a short term in a long term a man can beat
A horse. Okay, because men are created differently
But in a short term a horse can definitely outrun a man
Now if you want to contend with horses if you want to be like a spiritual, you know warrior
You know someone that can you know, go all the way and contend with some powerful creatures
You first have to learn how to run with a footman the footman there is the infantry, you know
It's the the armies. So obviously in this day and age, you know to get your soldiers around they would have to you know
Run get from one place to the next place
It's not like they had all the vehicles that our armies have today
They would have to but here's what it's saying here is in order for you to run hard in order for you to serve God
Faithfully in order for you to be strong in the faith
You must start with what might be what is lesser right riding with the infantry
Walking with the infantry if you can't keep up with the infantry
There's no way you're going to run with or keep up with horses or contend with horses. You say what are you talking about?
Here's what I'm talking about. If you want to achieve something great with God
Okay, just start with the little that God has given you. Okay, you want to do big things for God
I want to do big things for God, you know, I do I want blessed hope better search to do great things for God
You know, I want us to to be on our deathbed and say man, you know what we did some amazing things for God
You know in our church, you know, I'm ready to meet my Savior, you know
I want new life at this church that to do great things with God and we can have these grandiose plans and nothing wrong with
That nothing what we think in big
Okay, but in order for you to achieve the big things you must take care of what is smaller first
Okay, if you've got a big plan, you know what in 2021, maybe in 2020
You haven't read your Bible cover to cover you make a plan. You know what Lord?
I'm gonna read my Bible cover to cover in 2021. Hey, that's a good plan
Hey that that's really good because many Christians haven't even read the Bible once cover to cover
Okay, but here's the thing. You've got to start world. That's a big plan. How am I gonna get there?
You know what? All it is is 15 minutes a day. You know what Lord? Can I do 15 minutes a day?
Can I can I can I find 15 minutes Lord? Maybe seven minutes in the morning?
Maybe eight minutes in the evening if you can't do it all at once
Are you willing to give it that because here's the thing if you're not willing to do that
You're not going to get for the Bible at the end of the year
Okay, so you got to just break it down small
I want to achieve something big but I've got to do what is small if you can't commit a few minutes every day
To the Word of God, you're not going to read your Bible cover to cover
Okay, and so it's wonderful to think about the big plan, but always well
I need to first start with the smaller things and that's how I get to the big picture
All right, what else?
You know the Bible says in 1st Timothy 3 5 speaking about the qualifications of the past or the bishop
It says for if a man know not how to rule his own house
How shall he take care of the Church of God?
Hey, you know taking care of the Church of God is kind of like contending with the horses
It requires a lot of effort. It requires a lot of sacrifice
But if you can't even rule your own house
if you can't even have your children in subjection and for them to be faithful obedient children and for your wife to be
Submitted to the husband and you can't provide for your own family
You know, you don't even work hard and give them what they need. How are you going to look after a church?
Okay, and so, you know God gives us
opportunities that we can then use
To further ourselves to do bigger things, you know
if you want to be a pastor one day you've got to just learn how to run a family and
Yet how many pastors today have been ordained with that? Maybe they're not even married or they didn't have children
Okay, and then they're eventually going to mess up the church because they haven't even run with the infantry
They haven't run with the footmen and they're trying to contend the horses. They're gonna fail that can't keep up
You know, we need to think about what God has given us
Even if it's something small take care of that and if you take care of that you'll be able to do something greater
For the Lord, you know when he came to King David or before he became King David
And he took on Goliath. Was that his first battle? Do you think?
No, you know he goes to King Saul and he says look I've slain the lion
I've slain the bear and if God has given me victory then God's gonna give me victory over Goliath
But they didn't learn to lesson. I've got to first take down these these animals then I can take on the Philistines most powerful warrior
Okay. Hey, yeah, David could contend with the horses because he learned how to run with the footmen
Okay, and so that's the lesson that we have here but not only that
If you look at the second part of verse number five, it says and if in the land of peace
Where in thou trustest they wear thee then how will thou do in the swelling of Jordan?
So we know Jordan is a the Jordan River there, right? So it's all about the swelling of Jordan. What's that talking about?
That's like a like a flood right? Maybe too much rain has fallen on the land and then the banks
You know can't contain the water and so there's a flooding right and normally when there's a flood in it causes some type of natural
Disaster right but Lord saying here look when when you're at peace and you can't serve me when things are peaceful
You know
Before COVID, let's say okay before we had some some challenges if you couldn't even come to church
When it's a time of peace and it's easy to come to church. How are you going to come to church when things get difficult?
Right, I mean how are you gonna how are you gonna serve God when the time gets more difficult, you know
People will often say man. You know what? I will serve God no matter what, you know, I mean think of the Apostle Peter
He says Lord. I will never oh
You know, I will what's to say? Sorry, I'm forgetting to forget. Oh, I will never deny you Lord
Right Peter says but when things get difficult for him what happened? He denied the Lord three times, right?
You you know what you've got to learn when there's a time of peace
That's a time for you to get yourself worked up
Spiritually to read your Bible to learn how to pray to study your word to be in the habit of being in church
You know to to be in the habit of preaching the gospel to the lost because if you're not doing it during peaceful times
Hey when the Jordan River overflows when there's flooding there's turmoil there and it's hardship. You're not good
You're definitely not gonna be doing it then
Okay, and so you need to learn how to use the time that God has given us when times have been peaceful to just serve
God then and when times get difficult, you're going to continue serving God even then okay
Look at verse number six Jeremiah chapter 12 verse number six
For even thy brethren and the house of thy father
So this is God telling Jeremiah about his own family the house of your father your brethren as your brothers and sisters
They have even they have dealt treacherously with thee
Yea, they have caught a multitude after thee believe them not though. They speak fair words unto thee
so
Jeremiah's own household did not like what Jeremiah was preaching
Okay, they've dealt treacherously with thee that they're doing harm to you Jeremiah
Okay, he says believe them not though. They speak fair words unto thee
What is it saying? It says the people in your own house of your own family. Hey, they speak nicely to you
Okay, but God's on Jeremiah don't believe them. They don't love you. They don't care for you
Okay, they're trying to hurt you Jeremiah
God's warning them about this and you know what this just reminds me as soon as I think about this passage
I think about flattery and in Proverbs 29 verse 5 it says a man that flattereth his neighbor
Spreadeth a net for his feet
Okay. Now you might be the target of flattery one day. Say what is flattery when someone speaks well of you?
Well, that's part of it, but it's overboard and you know, it's overboard and you know
You know, it's it's when people come up to me and they don't just say hey pastor
That was a good sermon, but when they come up to me and say, you know what pastor you're like the best preacher in the world
Right, you know every sermon you preach man, it's like oh man, you know
This is the most amazing thing I've ever heard and they flatter you and you know what it can feel good sometimes
All right, because it feeds the ego it feeds the flesh. Okay, and then you got to be reminded. Hold on. Is this flattery?
Is this flattery, you know and?
I'm just telling you the amount of times that I've seen
The people that have been the most
Critical of our church and of myself as a pastor have always been those that have had the most flattery
You know just just just oh man. It's so amazing. Look how God's using you, you know, it's like man
Yeah, of course, but you just seem to be going a little bit too far
And you know you want to give people the benefit of the doubts. He said maybe it's just excited
Maybe it's just really happy and you know, he's just thankful to be in a good church or whatever
But those yet you eventually find out no they're not there for the long run
In fact, they may have even be trying to put a net some type of trap before you to cause you to stumble to cause
you to fall
You need to be aware of flattery. God is wanting Jeremiah be careful
They speak to you right in fair words beautiful words Jeremiah is such a great preacher, but really they're trying to
Deal treacherously with Jeremiah and so God says look don't believe them don't believe their words
We need to be aware when someone's been too
Flattery, you know using flattery with their lips to praise you you need to be careful, you know
And just ask the question is this person being genuine or they trying to cause me to stumble to cause me to fall
verse number seven I
Have forsaken mine house. I have left mine heritage
I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies
So when the Lord says he I forsaken mine house
We know what the house of the Lord was in the Old Testament. It was his temple
Okay, and of course Jeremiah's preaching to the southern kingdom, which has Jerusalem which has a temple God says look I've already left
I'm gone. I'm my presence is no longer there where they're coming to sacrifice to me and worship me
He says I've left money heritage. Look at this. I have given my the dearly beloved. That's it
That's the people of Judah
The dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies
You know God in other words God was protecting Judah all this time from the enemy
In fact the northern kingdom about 120 years before this was taken into captivity by the Assyrians
You know the Assyrians they wanted to go into the southern kingdom and capture it as well
They were planning to do it, but God stepped in and did a miracle and killed, you know thousands of their troops
You know whether we're the king of
Assyria, you know
Realized look look at all these dead bodies overnight and he realized man
God's not helping me here and he ends up fleeing
But God was protecting Judah from all these enemies that wanted to hurt her and now God says you know what?
I'm gonna give my beloved to its enemies. I'm gonna allow judgment to fall now. Please keep your finger then
Let's go to Revelation chapter 2 and verse number 4
Revelation chapter 2 and verse number 4
Because
If God can forsake his house and we know in the New Testament his house is the local church
Then let's not become too prideful to believe that God can never forsake this house
He can he can okay. He can forsake blessed
Hope Baptist Church, but in Revelation chapter 2 verse number 4. Jesus is speaking to two churches here
And it says in Revelation 2 4
Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee
Because thou hast left thy first love
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else
I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place
except thou repent
Jesus is warning the church here that he can remove the candlestick
Hey, we ought to be that lights, you know, the church is meant to be the light of the world
We are all meant to hear I represent Christ and and be at the bearer of the good news of the gospel
And to serve God and to be different from this world
Jesus look there can come a time when I take that candlestick and I remove it when my presence is removed from the local church
Why is it removed because they left their first love?
You know what if we lose our love for God, you know
What's the first commandment to love the Lord with all our hearts mind soul, right and strength, you know
if we if we are just in the habit of just just it's just a just just a
You know mundane tasks that we do every week to be in the house of God and we forget to worship God
We forget to love him
the Lord's warn us that the next step there is that we're going to not do the first works and
My best understanding of the first works is the Great Commission, you know
What Jesus Christ left us here to preach the gospel to every creature to baptize to teach all things whatsoever
I have commanded thee you know what and if we're not teaching God's Word, we're not preaching the gospel
We're not doing the baptisms. God's gonna remove his candlestick from his house
He's gonna remove his presence from his house and let it never be so, you know for blessed up at the church
You know as long as I'm the pastor here
I'm gonna do everything I can to ensure we remain to be a candlestick here
Okay, and if one day you guys have a new pastor you need to remind that man
Listen, we need to remain as a candlestick. We need to keep serving God. We need to keep loving God
We need to keep doing the first works that Christ has left us to do and when we see that started to slip
We need to fix that. Okay, we need to fix that sometimes that the past needs a gentle reminder
You know, we need to get back on track. Otherwise, we might risk losing the presence of God
Okay, so these warnings are here from a for us in the Old Testament
Okay, not to just our man. Look how wicked they were but to warn us Lord help us not to become like them
Okay back to Jeremiah chapter 12 verse number 8
Now what I'm about to read will blow the minds of a dispensationalist
Okay, because the dispensationalist believes that God has this
You know this great love for Israel no matter what, you know, they're the apple of God's eye
No matter what, you know, if you're aware of dispensationalism, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about here
Okay, but look what he says in verse number 8. He says mine heritage. What was the heritage remember in verse number 7?
He called it his dearly beloved
But look what he says about them in verse number 8 mine heritage is unto me as a line in the forest
It cry out against me therefore have I hated it
So God says look it used to be on my beloved. I used to love this nation
Now I hate it. I
hate it
Brethren, you know what Israel today in the Middle East God hates that nation
They've turned against God. They still don't believe in Jesus Christ. They think it's a false prophet
Okay, some false Messiah. You think they're right with God you think God's looking down at that nation man. I just love those people
No, God's hate God hates them
okay, and
Look, can they be beloved they can be?
Okay, if they believe God if they believe the gospel if they get right with God
You know that tells me about our church if you're saved you believe in Jesus Christ. We are his beloved
We are his beloved brethren, okay
But
You can see here that God can turn from love to hatred
You know and I was gonna say very quickly
It seems very quickly because it's like verse number seven verse number eight
But don't forget these things are going on for decades
These are going on for years and years and years how they've been slowly turning themselves against the Lord worshiping false gods
Okay, verse number nine
Mine heritage again the people of Judah is unto me as a speckled bird
The birds roundabouts are against her come ye assemble all the beasts of the field
Come to devour. So God is illustrated using illustration here of Judah as a speck
I don't know what a speckled bird really is. But anyway, let's think about it of a bird
Maybe it's nesting right and you know have other birds other
Predatory birds sometimes will go to the nest of other birds and take their eggs
Okay, and so that's the kind of the idea you've got all these other birds roundabout are against her
Right, but not only the birds it says come ye assemble all the beasts of the field come to devour
So you've got this little bird and all these predatory birds wanting to eat that bird
But not just a bird all the all the predatory animals, you know, I try and basically, you know
God's using that as an illustration of Babylon, you know of all the surrounding our nations
Especially that our enemies because you've seen later on the enemies of Judah
They're they all want to destroy that nation and God's saying all right come it's time to destroy them come
It's time to devour that speckled bird, which is the southern kingdom
Verse number 10 many passes have destroyed my vineyard. They have trodden my portion underfoot
They have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness
So again, I want to pass again the pastor here was a leader of the people, okay in the Old Testament
But we can apply this to the New Testament. These passes have destroyed the vineyard
Why because they have trodden my portion underfoot?
Okay, so, you know, it's not a pastor's job. It's not my job to trample all over you
Okay, and again some passes are like this. Yes. There's nothing new
Okay, some passes will make you feel like, you know, they'll use
you know
You know, it's like psychological
Psychological weapons against you right where you're sort of like, you know, there's my pastor like me or does he not?
You know what, you know sometimes, you know the past will make you feel like, you know, he's angry at you
So you're trying to how man I've got to make it up to the pastor. What do I have to do?
Do I have to put more money in the you know in the offering do I have to you know?
Bring him a meal do I have to do all these special favors? So, you know, he could be on my side
You know or a pastor might just have a you know favorites, you know, how do I get into the group of favorites?
What do I have to do right and you and then like, you know pastor might be, you know get angry at you
You know, he might demand things from you, you know, he's you know, some people like this want to tread you under their foots
I don't want to do that brethren. I promise you that I don't want to do that
If I don't want to tread you on them under my foot. I just want to edify you
I want to lift you up. I want you to grow in Bible knowledge
I want you to grow in love for God, right? And if you miss a church service
I don't want to be the kind of pastor that rings you up. Hey, where were you this Sunday? Are there pastors like that? Absolutely
You know what if you're not here this Sunday and I hear for the service
Oh, we kind of know why because of COVID but you know other reasons look there must be other things going on
There must be something important for them not to be in church today. All right, and I rest easy at that, right?
I'm not gonna ring you up like other pastors do
Maybe after you if you miss that church for a while, I'll ring you up more out of concern
Are you okay brother? Haven't seen you for a few weeks. Is there anything that you need? Can I pray for you?
Okay, but not to ring you up. You haven't been in church for the last few weeks. What's going on? You know and
Some pastors can be like that right they tread underfoot
God's people and he reminds me there are first Peter chapter 5 verse number 2. I'll just read it to you
It says feed the flock of God which is among you
That's the job of the pastor to feed the flock of God taking the oversight thereof not by constraints
But willingly not for filthy Luca not for money that is but of a ready mind
Then it says neither has been lords over God's heritage, but being and samples to the flock
Brethren, if I ever overstep my you know
My position with you if I all of a sudden try to become a lord in you in your life
You know, you know get get into your family life
You know get get outside, you know the times of service and tell you what to do and boss you around right and you know
It's right for you to rebuke me
Okay, because it's not my responsibility to be a lord over our God's heritage. It's not my responsibility to tread on the foots
You know God's heritage
Okay
My job is to be an overseer
Okay to watch out for our souls to edify to lift you up to give you knowledge to feed you God's Word
Many people have come out of churches where they felt like man, they must feel like you know, the past is this God, man
You know everything he says everything he does is right, you know, whatever he criticizes that must be right
You know, I'm not interested in criticizing you. I'm not interested in finding it
Look, can I if I wanted to could I literally make a list of all the things that I think is wrong in every family
This church I could do that
In fact, you could probably make a list of things that are wrong in my family
Right, we could do that. That's not my job Reverend. My job is just to feed you God's Word
You know and it's then your responsibility to say, okay, I've learned God's Word. How am I gonna apply this in my life?
It's not for me to go into your family and tell you how to manage things
Okay, and be a lord in your life. That's not my job
Okay, it's the Lord's job to be the Lord. Okay, he's in charge
Right, but you can see how bad pastors can really ruin churches ruin Christian lives
Back to Jeremiah. Oh, you're already there verse number 12
It says the spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness
For the sword of the Lord shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land
No flesh shall have peace. So when he says that the sword of the Lord
Shall devour again. This is about the Babylonians the Babylon
You know, there's this Kingdom from the Norfolk are coming down to destroy Judah
But here it's referred to as the sword of the Lord. Don't forget. It's God's judgment that's falling upon them verse number 13
They have sown wheat but shall reap thorns
They have put themselves to pain but shall not profits and they shall be ashamed of your revenues
Because of the fierce anger of the Lord so now we're looking at part of the this this judgment that's fallen upon Judah
God's saying look you're gonna go out there. You're gonna sow wheat
You know, you're gonna start to try to grow, you know crops in your land, but instead of wheat you're gonna receive thorns
Okay, and don't forget this is part of the curse of man, you know when when God cursed Adam
I'll just read it to you in Genesis 3 18
God told Adam thorns also and thistles
Shall it bring forth to thee and thou shall eat the herb of the field in the sweat of thy face shout out eat bread
till thou return unto the ground and so God is saying look part of the curse part of the judgment because you've sinned against me is
Working is not going to be that easy. There's going to be the thorns. There's going to be the thistles
There's going to be challenges in order for you to provide for yourself
Well, God's kind of taken that same principle and applying it even further here in the land of Judah
You're gonna go about trying to grow your crops grow your wheat, but God's gonna cause it for thorns to come up
You know and destroy those crops. So part of the judgment was also on the farmland verse number 14
Now verse number 14 is quite interesting. It says thus saith the Lord against all mine evil neighbors
So God now is not speaking to Judah, but he's speaking to all of the evil neighbors of of Israel
So all the other nations say Egypt, right the Philistines think about all the different people that we often see
You know the Babylonians the Assyrians
Think about all the kinds of enemies that we see Israel in battle with all its surrounding neighbors that are constantly at war with Israel
So God's speaking to them now. Okay, and God look God refers to him as evil neighbors, but look he's speaking to them
He says that touch the inheritance, which I caused my people Israel to inherit
Behold, what does behold mean?
Means pay attention right look out God told them listen pay attention to what's going to happen behold
I will pluck them out of their land and
Pluck out the house of Judah from among them
So God is now Jeremiah's now preaching to the other nations pay attention
Watch now the God's gonna take his people that nation Jude is gonna pluck them out of the land pay attention
evil neighbors
Okay, so of course we know that's when the Babylonians came and took the people into captivity being plucked out of the land
Why is God telling these evil Gentile neighbors to pay attention? Let's keep going verse number 15
And it shall come to pass
After that, I have plucked them out I will return and have compassion on them
So we know that happens 70 years, you know later in captivity and will bring them again
Every man to his heritage and every man to his land. So God is again here prophesying for Jeremiah
Yes, they're gonna be plucked out of the land, but there's going to come the time which is seven years later
They're going to come back into the land, but it's telling the nations around them pay attention
Listen, watch what's happening right verse number 16
This is why it's so important says and it shall come to pass if they will diligently
Learn the ways of my people
So God's got some of these wicked gentle nations
look if you learn the ways of my people if you learn the ways of those that were in Judah and
Swear by my name the Lord liveth as they taught my people to swear by Baal
Then shall they be built in the midst of my people
But if they will not obey I will actually pluck up and destroy that nation sayeth the Lord
So what is God saying this is look?
When they come back and you know in the seven years captivity, okay, I've given you this prophecy
So, you know, it's coming from the Lord
You see the the soon gonna be plucked away and they're going to come back eventually
But if these wicked evil neighbors say, you know what we want to serve God
Okay, we want to follow after the ways of God's people we want to swear by the name of the Lord
We want to say the Lord liveth. We want to make God our God
God says to these gentle nations, okay
Right the anniversary 16 then shall they be built in the midst of my people?
Listen, God was never racist. God was not like man. I just love Israel
I just love the Jews and I hate every other nation around them
No, God's saying to them listen pay attention
Because your your opportunity is coming up here when they come back into the land if you guys come and worship me as well
You can be in the midst of my people. I'm gonna build you up in the midst of my people
God was always open to
Gentile nations if they turn from their weakness they turn from their false religion and they turn to the one true God of Israel
God would receive them
Okay, so it's you know, yes Israel was special in the eyes of God
But only if they were godly only if they worship God only if they loved God
Right, but God at the same time was willing for other people of other nations to worship the same true
God as long as they learnt the same ways they did the same things
They believed in the Lord like the people of Israel, you know, nothing's changed. God has always had an opportunity for other nations
Yes, the evil neighbors to come and believe on him
Okay. Now if you can please turn to Ephesians chapter 2, let's end on this one Ephesians chapter 2 and
while you turn to Ephesians chapter 2
I'm going to read to you from numbers 9 14. Okay numbers 9 14
And in numbers 9 14
God tells the nation of Israel
He says and if a stranger
So shall sojourn among you now stranger is someone that's not of Israel
That would be from the other nations, right and will keep the Passover answer the Lord
according to the ordinance of the Passover and we know the Passover represents Jesus Christ and this is and according to the manner thereof
So shall he do you shall have one ordinance both for the stranger and for him that was born in the land
God is saying look if a stranger comes from another nation and they want to worship God
They want to keep the Passover. They want to remember Christ through that picture is look allow them to come
God was always open to the other nations. Okay. Now this takes us to Ephesians chapter 2 and verse number 13
Ephesians chapter 2 and verse number 13. So now you can see that in the Old Testament God had a plan for the Gentiles
They could believe in the Lord. They could be saved as well
Okay, but then in Ephesians chapter 2 in the New Testament, we also have this in verse number 13
It says but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ
For he is our peace who have made both
one and have broken down the middle wall of
partition between us
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity enmity is like another saying enemy
It's kind of like the neighbors of Israel Judah where the enemy is, right? Well, God's broken that down
Okay, even the Lord of Commandments contain ordinances
for to make in himself of twain one new man so make in peace and
That he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross
Having slain the enmity thereby and came and preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that were nigh
So we have this beautiful
Picture here of Christ's sacrifice that through his death through his blood that he's brought this peace
Between those of Israel and the Gentile nations if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
We are one people we are one body. We are one spiritual body, but notice
While that's new in a sense from a spiritual nation perspective
The same was also true in a physical nation, right? And so it's not like God just changed his mind
Okay, these things were pictures of Jesus Christ people were allowed to to worship in Israel
Worship the one true God, you know, even if they were from these gentle
Evil neighbors that are referred to here and so God always had a plan for the entire world
Okay, don't get into this this sensational thinking that all in the Old Testament God only loved the Jews
In fact, it still loves the Jews even though they reject him and we're like plan B
We just got in because God rejected the Jews that is so far from the truth
God has always had a plan for the Gentiles. All right, and just like the Israelites
They were meant to be a light to the world. They were meant to be a holy nation
They were meant to be the ones that proclaims the goodness of God and salvation through the Lord God
Okay, but they failed. Well, let us not be like them
You know God has given us this church the responsibility to be the light in the world to go and preach the gospel to proclaim
The good news of Jesus Christ so we could bring others and bring them to peace with us with the Lord God
Okay, so we're given the same responsibilities as the Jews of old
Alright, let's not fail in the task. They failed they failed. Okay, but let's make sure that we don't fail
We don't fail in our love for God
We don't fail in the first works because we want to make sure that God's presence is always here
We never want the Lord to say that he has
Forsaken, you know blessed hope at this church. Okay, let's pray heavenly fire