Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Thank you for being here this morning.
[00:00:02] We're going to turn in our Bibles to the book of Jeremiah. Wow, we are really coming to the end of this book.
[00:00:09] The good news is, Lord willing, only one more chapter and then you can say, we have studied the book of Jeremiah. How's that?
[00:00:19] Some of you may not have been here every week for it, but, you know, you can always pick up these messages on our online site. They're all pre recorded. They're all recorded and they're being streamed right now. But then they're recorded and you have opportunity to hear them.
[00:00:36] You know, this morning as I was looking through this. Well, this morning I was looking through this week, one of the longest chapters in the Bible. It may not be the longest one, but it was a long chapter, 64 verses. And I thought to myself, I could preach more than one sermon on this chapter. But, you know, the chapter lended itself to bring out one main idea. And so I had to decide which verses not to speak on and what I came away from. This chapter, you're going to. It's extremely relevant. I think chapter 51 of Jeremiah ties into the very end of the Bible. And I think we're living in a very significant moment in time. And I've entitled the message, how do we experience hope in times of uncertainty and chaos? How many say we're probably living in some uncertain times? How many would agree with the pastor that you think we're living in a little bit of a chaotic, uncertain moment in human history? Okay, there's been other moments like that in history, but we know we're living in one of those moments. I think that's important to know.
[00:01:34] I think there's been a growing clash of values. It just seems to intensify, it develops greater polarization. Not just politically, if that was the case, that's one thing. But I find that it does it relationally. And many times people find themselves differing in viewpoints. And what I'm noticing today, and I've had lots of discussion with different people, is the ability of people to cut other people off.
[00:02:01] It just seems so pronounced today. It's just like, I don't know how many families have talked to me and said, you know, my child has totally cut me off. There's no relationship. They don't want nothing to do with me. And by the way, this is a growing trend in our culture today, and it's a very painful situation that people are experiencing.
[00:02:20] I think we see today families are divided. Nations that were once allies now are dealing with almost in an adversarial situation, our world seems quite fragile. I think most of us would agree with that. And Jesus warns us that one of the signs of the times when he is going to return to our world, he kind of explained to his disciples what it would look like. And I want to read some of the verses. I'm not going to read them all, but this is the sign of Jesus return and at the end of the age. Now, we could argue biblically that we're living in the end of the age because Peter called this the last days 2000 years ago. So we know that we are 2000 years closer to the end. And for some of us, every day is getting closer to the end. Right? I just did a funeral service yesterday, so I'm well aware of how fragile this life really is. So we're moving in a direction. This is not a circular circle, kind of a round and round kind of life. But reality is, it's chronological. We see that we're moving toward a defining moment. We're moving towards Christ's return. And this is what Jesus said in answer to questions that his disciples asked. And I'm not going to quote them all, but I'm going to quote some. Jesus said, watch out that no one deceives you. Number one, guard yourself from deception. Number two, you're going to hear wars and rumors of war, but see to it that you are not alarmed. How many know that when you start hearing about wars, it is alarming? But Jesus said, now don't panic.
[00:03:52] That's a good word. How many go, that's a. That's a great word.
[00:03:56] How are we going to respond to life and its uncertainties? I find a lot of people panic. How many say, that's probably true, and yet Jesus is trying to teach us how to handle chaos. How many would like to be able to live with a sense of calm in the midst of chaos? Anybody here besides the pastor? You want to be able not to have a high levels of anxiety. You want to be calm. You want to be able to handle what's coming your way. Jesus is talking about this. He goes on to say here in the next verse, 9, then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death. I don't know. That's not a verse that I'm quoting to myself. You know, I'm really looking forward to this, Jesus. No, I don't quote. This is not one of the promises I'm pulling out of the promise box, Right? But Jesus says that in the end, this is what's going to happen.
[00:04:43] And I think we are a little bit shocked when sometimes as believers we feel like, you know, people are not happy with the fact that I'm a believer. They feel alienated and upset. He goes on, you're going to be hated by all nations because of me. That word nations is ethnicity. So all groups of people will hate people who are followers of Jesus. How many go? This is not encouraging. Pastor. I came to church to be encouraged, not to be in despair, but just follow what I'm going to say today. I'm pointing out to you that when you're living in uncertain, difficult, challenging, chaotic times, these kinds of expressions are going to happen. If we're not aware of that and they begin to happen, what's going to happen? We're going to be filled with alarm. We're going to start panicking. I'm saying, no, no, arm your mind, prepare yourself, get your mind in a certain space. Begin to understand, oh, this is, this is bound to happen. This is normal reaction to what God is doing on our planet. He says, at that time many will turn away from the faith. Well, this is a warning to us as people sitting in church today. There's people going to turn their back on Christ in these moments of adversity and pressure.
[00:05:54] Listen to me very carefully. We have to hear this.
[00:05:57] You need to arm your mind. You need to be prepared. Listen, I may have to suffer because I'm a follower of Jesus, because people are going to turn against me.
[00:06:07] I have to be ready for that. You know, if you don't prepare your mind for these kinds of things and it happens, you're going to be, you're going to be falling away, you're going to be under so much pressure, you're just going to cave into that pressure.
[00:06:20] And I'm going to warn us today, you're going to see in this text of scripture why that's not a good decision.
[00:06:25] It says, and you're going to be betrayed and people are going to hate each other.
[00:06:30] I kind of noticed that in Covid people got a little intense.
[00:06:34] I was a little bit shocked at how people who, you know, said they were followers of Jesus and the fruit of Christianity, the end result of our faith is love. I saw a lot of non loving behavior.
[00:06:46] Come on.
[00:06:48] It's true.
[00:06:50] So don't be surprised. That's what Jesus is telling us. He's preparing our thoughts regarding this thing. But he says, but the one who stands, he says, but because of the increase of wickedness, is that happening right now? We're Seeing an increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
[00:07:11] So you got to say to yourself, am I prepared to do what it takes to experience eternity with God? That's a question you have to ask your own soul. Am I ready to do whatever it takes so that I'm going to spend eternity with God for all of eternity? It's a great question.
[00:07:30] Do we have here we have the warning of Jesus, but we also have examples of other times in history where it was chaotic and distressing. What did God have to say to those people in those times at such times as that? Okay, and here in the book of Jeremiah, we find this period prior to exile and then concluding the Jewish exile. So 70 years have elapsed while they're in Babylon. So Jeremiah starts prophesying before and he finishes a message that's prophetic because he doesn't live to see the end.
[00:08:08] But Jeremiah is going to tell them all this time, if you've been reading and listening and read through the book and listen to these messages, you're going to hear Jeremiah says we have to surrender to the Babylonians and comply to what they're asking us to do. That's God's point. That's God's program at that moment. But at the end of his book, the last message that Jeremiah preached, and this is now chapter 51, he's going to tell them Babylon is going to be crushed. It's going to be judged, and you need to run away from Babylon. A totally different message.
[00:08:41] Isn't that amazing? So he tells them, this is how you survive and this is what ultimately will happen.
[00:08:48] You need to have a little discernment is what he's telling us. And Jeremiah's message to his own nation was not just one of impending judgment, which he did tell them ahead of time, you're being judged because of your idolatry. But he said at the end he's telling, but this is a word of hope. You're going to go back to your land. You're going to. You're going to be restored. How many know that it's really great when your life is falling apart, that God comes along and says, don't worry about it. I'm going to take care of this. I'm going to bring restoration in your life.
[00:09:19] Anybody like that word? I like that. I'm glad there's a word of hope. So God doesn't leave us on a down note. He's going to give us a upbeat Note. And that's the part I like. So Jeremiah 51 is not simply a history lesson from the past, as Philip Reichen says, but it's a warning for the present.
[00:09:40] Babylon is not just a historic city, but it stands for everything hateful and odious to God. So I'm going to say this, to us, Babylon is a symbol. As a matter of fact, in the book of Revelation, when he's talking about John, the Beloved is writing in the first century, when he's talking about Babylon there, he's not talking about the city in Mesopotamia. He's not talking about that city between the Tigris and the Euphrates. He's talking about Rome.
[00:10:10] It's a coded word. It means something more than just a geographical and physical location. Babylon is actually every culture that is proud, arrogant, wasteful, violent and destructive. It represents every city that sets itself against the kingdom of God.
[00:10:31] I'm going to shock you. We're living in Babylon and we need to understand that, okay?
[00:10:39] As a matter of fact, Philip Litcomb, he says, Robert Litcomb says this. This is a city which has no redeeming value. A city given over to the wholehearted worship and pursuit of evil. You know, one of our congregants, I was having a meal with them this week and they said, I don't understand why this culture is becoming so evil.
[00:10:58] I said, listen, when you turn your back on God, you can only go in one direction. When you turn towards darkness, all you can embrace is what's evil. And the culture now thinking itself to be wise, as the scripture says in the Book of Romans, has become foolish. And we have been degrading ourselves. And most of the great civilizations in the past deteriorated to such a point because they literally imploded from within because of moral evil. And folks, we're moving in that direction. We need to understand that.
[00:11:30] Ray Balke, who is an urban missiologist, said throughout the Bible, Babylon is a symbol of a city which is anti God.
[00:11:38] Augustine in the fourth century wrote this in the City of God. He viewed the history of the world as a conflict between two great cities, the City of Man and the City of God. As Augustine studied the Bible, he discovered that Babylon represented the City of Man standing against the City of God. And then as he examined his own culture, he realized, because he was a Roman, he realized that Rome had become the capital of the City of Man.
[00:12:05] Pretty powerful. And that's why John talks about Babylon, the Book of Revelation. He recognizes God was saying Babylon is a symbol.
[00:12:15] Babylon is every culture or society that's in rebellion against God and embraces anti God values. That's Babylon. Okay, I think I've defined it. I think we got it. Everybody understand it. I think it's important because we need to get it. So what can we learn from this moment of time in the nation of Israel? These exiles, these Judeans, you know, we can look at, okay, this is great news. They know the city's going to fall in a minute here, and they know that they're going to be restored to their homeland. But that has a whole unique set of challenges.
[00:12:51] And some of them don't want to embrace that challenge because it's difficult.
[00:12:56] My question is, so what difference does it make in the 21st century? What difference does it make right now in the place that we're living? That's a more important question.
[00:13:06] That's the question we're going to focus in on today. How does this influence and impact my life? Because you know something? It's going to touch every last one of us in this room. And we need to understand something. As a matter of fact, I'm praying for a miracle today that's going to happen inside of your heart so that you're going to really grasp how significant this is, because we're all going to have to make a choice.
[00:13:27] So what should our response be when our society seems to be breaking down around us? And in Jeremiah 51, we find three things that bring hope to those who trust in God in a time of uncertainty and a time of chaos. And here's number one.
[00:13:43] You need to know this.
[00:13:45] I would even write this down. God is just.
[00:13:48] In other words, God is going to do the right thing.
[00:13:53] You and I need to know. God always does the right thing.
[00:13:57] God will bring injustice and oppression to an end. God will hear the cry of the afflicted and show mercy and grace to them. God will ultimately punish wickedness and bring justice to bear upon the perpetrators of evil.
[00:14:12] We need to be aware that God will render what we sow. What I mean by that is simply this. If we desire, you know, if we desire to experience mercy and forgiveness, we must sow it.
[00:14:28] What am I saying? You and I need to show mercy and forgiveness in order to receive mercy and forgiveness.
[00:14:34] But if we sow abuse and evil and indifference and apathy, and there'll come a day when all of that will overtake us.
[00:14:46] Evil will overtake us. I got to ask a question. How many? Here you are saying I want evil to overtake me.
[00:14:54] Any takers on that?
[00:14:57] Oh, you're saying hard pass to that, Pastor.
[00:15:00] I'm with you. Let's hard pass it. How do we avoid that stuff? Let's pick up the story. Jeremiah 51. I'm not going to read all 64 verses.
[00:15:10] Okay, we'll read a few. This is what the Lord says. See? I will stir up the spirit of a destroyer against Babylon and the people of Lechemi. That's another name for Babylon. I won't go into all the meaning of that. I will send foreigners to Babylon to winnow her and to devastate her land. They will oppose her on every side in the day of her disaster. How many know in the ancient world how they winnowed grain? You know what they would do? They would create a winnowing space. They would throw grain there and then they would throw it in the air.
[00:15:42] They would basically. The grain would fall on the. On the. On the ground. And the wind would move away some of the chaff.
[00:15:51] There was a sifting. Remember when Peter was.
[00:15:55] Jesus warned him, you're going to be tempted, Satan's desire to what, Sift you as wheat?
[00:16:01] In other words, he's going to allow you to be tested. He said, I'm going to bring about this winnowing into the life of Babylon. He goes on to say, let not the archer string his bow, nor let him put on his armor. Do not spare her, young men completely destroy her army. They will fall down slain in Babylon, fatally wounded in her streets. In other words, her army will not save her in that hour.
[00:16:25] Verse 5. For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the Lord Almighty, though their land is full of guilt before the whole one of Israel. That's an interesting expression. What's he saying? God was going to raise up another empire to destroy the Babylonians for their transgressions, primarily against Israel and Judah, primarily against the people of God. Listen, I wanted to say something. You don't want to be persecuting God's people because one day you will be destroyed as a result of that. So don't do that. That's a very bad tactic. These guys found that out. Okay, number one. Number two, it's interesting here that Jeremiah's message of the fall of Babylon almost seemed a little bit absurd. I'm going to tell you why I went to London here recently, and I was in the British Museum.
[00:17:23] Has anybody ever been to the British Museum in London? Okay. Some of you. Okay. A few. All right. It's really a fascinating place. I mean, it's one of the ultimate museums in the world. I'LL tell you that right now. If you ever have a chance, go. And you get there. And I was going to show a slide, but I just didn't have time to do this to you. But I was going to show you how big the doors were.
[00:17:45] They actually replicated the doors going into the city of Babylon. I'm standing up to it.
[00:17:51] It's like.
[00:17:53] I don't even know how to describe it. It's so tall. It's unbelievable. It dwarfed me. It's what it did.
[00:17:59] I mean, the walls were so thick. Nobody to give you an idea how secure the Babylonians felt. If you read the book of Daniel, remember the one king Belshazzar, he's throwing a party while the armies that are trying to invade him are around the wall. But he's got total confidence that there's no way they're going to penetrate his city.
[00:18:19] Little did he realize that what they did was divert the waters and went through the channels where the waters flowed into the city and actually conquered them in a day. It was unbelievable. It's an amazing story of arrogance, false sense of security, and then the quick destruction of a city and an empire. It's unbelievable. But John Calvin says Babylon was at that moment when Jeremiah was saying this was at the height of her glory, with her fabulous hanging gardens, her mighty Ishtar gate, and the rest of her wonders. Jeremiah thus predicted the rune of Babylon, not in simple words. For nothing seemed then more unreasonable than to announce the things which God at length proved by the effect. In other words, it just seemed impossible that this great empire would ever fall, let alone fall like, overnight.
[00:19:12] Incredible.
[00:19:14] I'm going to make a point here, and this is the point you need to hear today.
[00:19:19] Everything you see with your natural eye will no longer be here in the future.
[00:19:26] Everything you see materially is temporal.
[00:19:29] It's temporary, it's fading away.
[00:19:33] And yet most of us, we cling on to this life as if that's all there is to it. And we put so much energy into this life world and into this life, and we put very little effort and energy into that which is eternal.
[00:19:49] And I would say that's not a good decision on our part, because everything you see one day will be no more. And so much of us put so much into this and we don't realize it's all going to be gone.
[00:20:03] And it may be gone sooner than we think.
[00:20:07] We better rethink our values. We better rethink where we're pouring our time, energy and our lives.
[00:20:16] I think we need to Focus on that which is eternal. And the only thing that's eternal in this room is you.
[00:20:23] Not necessarily your physical body, but you, your soul, the person who you are, the people around you, the people in our community. That's what's eternal. And you know, a lot of times we're not focusing on each other, we're focusing on everything but the real things that are eternal. And that's a big mistake.
[00:20:40] Let me move on here. In verse 5, we're reminded that God was committed to his people even though they had been unfaithful to him. I like what Walter Brueggemann says, this action is taken because Israel and Judah are still the object of God's concern. The term rendered they were not going to be forsaken is the adjective form of widow. That is this people is not without the strong protective husband who will intervene on their behalf. So even though, you know, I just wrote down, so what should we get from this? Even though we have been unfaithful to God at moments in our life, God is still faithful to us. How many say, that's amazing. How many here are so grateful that God is unlike you and me, that God is always faithful?
[00:21:25] Even when you and I mess up, God says, I'm still there for you.
[00:21:29] I'm still there for you. You know, it is great to have a relationship with God. It is great to enter into a covenant with God. You know, when you get married to somebody, you're entering to a covenant, right? God says, I'm married to you. Listen to me. When we get to heaven, the picture of the church is that we're a bride. We're going to be united to the groom. Marriage is going to be consummated. It's a very powerful imagery. It's a picture for us to understand. God is, you know, you and I are actually married to God. So even though we sometimes are unfaithful to God because we' chasing after other things or putting our confidence and our trust in other things, God is still there for us.
[00:22:06] That is an amazing thing to me. We don't deserve it. That's the nature of God. But let me move on.
[00:22:13] I could just talk a little bit more, but I'm not going to about the fact that God is going to bring judgment on the nation.
[00:22:21] Verse 24. Babylon must fall because of Israel slain. Verse 56. A destroyer will come against Babylon. Her warriors will be captured and their bows will be broken. For the Lord is a God of retribution and he will repay in full. In other words, God's going to judge Babylon for the way they treated his people. Let me move on. The second thing that brings hope. In times of uncertainty and chaos, there's no need for despair.
[00:22:49] I'm going to ask you a question. When you're in the middle of a crisis, how many of you feel like, emotionally, you feel like I'm in despair.
[00:22:56] Let's be honest. I feel like things are falling apart. I just, you know, I feel full of anxiety. I just, you know, it's like my world is being turned upside down at that moment. Emotionally, what do you feel?
[00:23:09] You feel probably distressed.
[00:23:12] There's a bit of anxiety, a bit of anxiousness.
[00:23:16] But I want to say something to us today that we do not need to live in despair as God's people. We need to realize that God is governing the affairs of humanity and he will always work out his purposes, including our salvation. Despite our struggles, our weaknesses, our doubts, and our sins, God can work to bring about our transformation.
[00:23:37] I love this. All things work together for good. Paul says, what's the good he's working towards to make you like Christ?
[00:23:44] What's it about? It's about bringing change. God is committed to changing you and me. You say, why would God, If God loved me, why wouldn't he just accept me the way I am? See, that's what people think love is. No, God loves you too much to leave you in your broken, fallen condition, just like he loves me too much to do the same. God is totally committed to restoring me into the image he had in mind when he designed you and me. He's making us into his image because when God created humanity, he created them in his image. And so sin comes along and mars the image of God. And when you and I come back into a relationship with God, He. He restores that image, and he's in the process of restoring that image. So that as you journey with God day by day, you should be moving towards that image. You should be getting stronger. You should be moving from faith to faith, from strength to strength, from glory to glory, from victory to victory. It's a beautiful picture. He's changing you.
[00:24:43] And, you know, over time, you should be able to look back and go, wow, I'm just not the person I once was.
[00:24:48] You know, I am not the per. I can say this honestly. I'm not the person I once was.
[00:24:54] I'm a different person. I'm changing. I'm hopefully changing and becoming more like Christ. I'm growing just like God is calling you and all of us to bring you through these experiences in life. He's not out here. You know, we think, oh, why isn't God just giving me what I want?
[00:25:09] Because what you want may not necessarily be what you need, and it may not make you more like Christ.
[00:25:16] So God's committed to making you more like himself. And you know, the beautiful thing is when you look back, in hindsight, you're looking back at your life and you're going, thank God. God's been working on me. Thank God. He's been changing me. I need it to change, and I recognize that. And I still need to change. I don't think I've arrived. I still need to change.
[00:25:35] Andrew Blackwood explains that often the moment of difficulty and suffering in our lives are God's vehicle of restoration. He said the Hebrew people did not know it at the time, but the period of exile that seemed to them the destruction of their faith was actually its resurrection.
[00:25:54] What do you mean? Before the exile, they were idolaters. Did you know that? Read the Bible carefully. They were filled with idolatry. They were being warned by the prophets to turn away from false worship. They were totally locked into that world in which they were living in. They totally gave themselves to the life in which they were living in.
[00:26:15] And God kept warning them for hundreds of years to repent. And they weren't doing it. God finally said, I'm taking you out of the land. He broke them.
[00:26:23] He delivered them from their idols, he brought them to Babylon, and now he's going to bring them back. But they're totally different people. How many know when you've gone through crisis in your life and deep pain and deep loss and deep sorrow, when you come out the other side, you're not the same person. How many go, that's true.
[00:26:44] They're just a different person.
[00:26:46] And God had to do that. He had to take them through a deathlike experience in order to bring new life into them. And he was committed to doing that.
[00:26:56] He goes on to say here, he spared them. He's going to spare them now from destruction. Listen to the response in verse six. It says, flee from Babylon. Run for your lives.
[00:27:08] See, this is poetry, but it's a very powerful poetic moment.
[00:27:12] Flee from Babylon. Run for your lives. Do not be destroyed because of her sins.
[00:27:18] It is time for the Lord's vengeance. He will repay her what she deserves.
[00:27:24] I'm going to say something to all of us. If you're hanging with the wrong crowd and the wrong crowd is about to be punished, you're going to be punished with them.
[00:27:34] Run.
[00:27:35] Get out Of Dodge, if I can say it that way.
[00:27:38] Run for your lives. Okay. He's telling them, get out of Babylon. I'm about ready to destroy the city.
[00:27:44] Isn't that interesting?
[00:27:46] Now, in chapter 29, earlier, when they first got there, what did he tell them? Pray for the city.
[00:27:52] Build your homes here. Build your life here. Okay. I think you say, well, it's kind of a conflicting word, Pastor. No, it's not. I'm going to explain this to you real carefully.
[00:28:02] Jesus said, you are in the world, but you're not of the world.
[00:28:07] You cannot love the things of this world. The pride of life, the lusts of the flesh. Right?
[00:28:14] John says, that's the wrong stuff. In other words, don't value what society values. That's ungodly. Don't value that stuff.
[00:28:25] We need to intercede and pray for our city, for our culture, for the people that are in it. We're to love the people that are in it.
[00:28:33] But you and I, we need to run from its value system.
[00:28:37] We need to have a totally different value system.
[00:28:40] You know, our goal is not to be rich and famous. That's not our goal in life.
[00:28:47] If that's your goal, that's the world's goal.
[00:28:50] They want to be known. They want to be seen. They want to have all the best of what this earthly life has to offer.
[00:28:57] True.
[00:28:59] That's right.
[00:29:00] God says, run from all of that.
[00:29:03] All of that stuff is going to perish.
[00:29:05] And I'm going to say something to you. You know, Jim Carney, if he was standing here today, he made this quote. That's why I can say it. Jim Carney said, I wish every one of you were rich and famous like I am. And then you would find out that it's not all that it's cracked up to be because it doesn't meet the needs of the deepest cry of the human soul.
[00:29:25] Isn't that interesting?
[00:29:26] In other words, he said, you should experience success so that you realize it's pretty empty.
[00:29:32] You should experience fame and wealth so you could realize how empty it really is. Because he's been there and he says that. That's a quote from him, by the way.
[00:29:40] Why am I saying all of this? Don't embrace this value system. It's perishing, guys.
[00:29:47] It'll take you down. It'll kill you.
[00:29:49] You say, well, then, what should we embrace?
[00:29:52] We should embrace God's value system.
[00:29:54] We should embrace God's kingdom. We should embrace that which is eternal. We should build our lives on a different foundation. We should build our lives On Christ and his sacrifice and his love for us. We should be building our life on trying to live out the will and word of God for our lives and fulfill his purposes for our lives.
[00:30:15] You know, there's so much lying going on in this world. There's so much deception going on in this world.
[00:30:21] You know, I listen to people and I go, it's just. I shake my head. You can be anything you want to be. I go, no, you can't. That's nonsense.
[00:30:30] We all have limitations in this room. You were all designed for different purposes. You're not going to become something you were never designed to be. I can guarantee you, you know. You know many. And I see this. This is how foolish we are as human beings. Oh, I want my kid to be a superstar in the NHL. Do you know how many parents, you know, they're letting their kids, they're putting all of this money into hockey, hoping the kid's going to make it, or whatever avenue you think your kid has some propensity towards, and you're pushing them in that direction. You know what?
[00:30:59] God's the one that determines, not you.
[00:31:03] And, you know, I've watched parents make those foolish decisions, you know, where they skip church and they miss church and they do all kinds of things and they don't put the kingdom of God first in their life, and their kids eventually lose out and they want nothing to do at church because the parents, by their behavior, have been tracking down and showing them that this is the most important goal rather than the things of God.
[00:31:23] We should be repenting from that. We should be saying to ourselves, my goodness, what have I been thinking? I'm pushing for something that's temporal. And, you know, I mean, I like sports.
[00:31:34] I'm not a sports hater. I enjoy it. But here's the deal. Most of these players have a lifespan of about four or five years. They get injured. They're. You know, I had a stepbrother who was actually drafted by the Boston Bruins. He ended up playing in the American Hockey League way back when. And you know what? He never got to the NHL. You know why? Because he was in a car accident when he was playing from Milwaukee, and that was the end of it. I mean, he can walk and do other things, but he couldn't play hockey anymore. And that was the end of his career.
[00:32:05] You see, when we make the thing, the wrong things are goals in life, we'll lose everything in life.
[00:32:12] I'm saying, why don't we bow before Almighty God and say, God, you know, exactly what you want with my life.
[00:32:19] You know, I was thinking of Jim Elliott as I was preparing this message. And I was thinking to myself, you know, a person's not a fool if he gives up what he cannot keep, which is the temporal things of life, to gain what he cannot lose, which is the eternal things. And why don't we pursue the kingdom of God and his righteousness?
[00:32:37] You know, I'll tell you what my life verse is. I was a brand new Christian. I fully surrendered to God and I said, this is it that's going to move me. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. And God says, I'll take care of all your other needs. And let me tell you something. I've been a Christian now 50 years, and I can say God has been faithful.
[00:32:57] As a matter of fact, Patty and I marvel. You know, I was warned. My pastor said, you go into ministry, you'll have nothing.
[00:33:03] Well, that's not quite true. You know, we actually own our own home by the grace of God. God's been good to us. He's provided for us. I'd have never dreamed I would have had the life I have. But you know what? Put God first, that was not the goal. God and his kingdom has been the goal. If you make that the goal, you'll be happy. You'll be happy at the end. We're called to flee the values of our sinful and rebellious society. I've already pointed out Babylon is the culture and rebellion against God. We're called to flee it. We're challenged to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God and not to conform to the patterns of this world, but to be transformed. By what? The renewing of our mind. That word there In Romans, chapter 12, it's such a beautiful word. Be transformed. It's used three times in the New Testament. Three Greek words. The word. When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain. That's the word. The word that it says in Corinthians. It says, and you're being changed from glory to glory. That's the word. This is the only three times it's used. And what does it really mean? It's changed from the inside out. God is changing us. You know, God's not interested in squeezing us into its mold. You know how the world works. It wants to squeeze you into its mold. It wants everybody to think alike. Dress alike, talk alike, do alike. You know, this is the model we're trying to make you fit into. Believe me, it's there.
[00:34:27] God says, no, I'm not interested in that I want you to be transformed. I want you to be changed from the inside out.
[00:34:34] There's a pressure to make people change from the outside in. It never works.
[00:34:38] Even religious people try to do this. I want my kid to be more Christian. You know, they try to put pressure from the outside. It doesn't work, guys.
[00:34:45] Don't do it.
[00:34:46] Just pray for your kids. If you're not happy with their behavior, pray for them. You know, look at yourself. What could I do to be a better parent? How can I model what the kind of life I want them to lead? Help me to be an example of what it means to be a godly person. Help me to show them that when someone wrongs me, I show forgiveness. Yeah, we have to model that stuff.
[00:35:09] Listen, let me move on and just say this. Well, this is a good verse. I want to go back.
[00:35:15] James says, you adulterous people. Don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity or being an enemy of God?
[00:35:23] Here's what we need to know about God's decisions. I don't need to defend myself because vengeance belongs to God.
[00:35:32] You see, God will take care of the problem.
[00:35:37] And Paul teaches us from the book of Romans. He says, don't take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, it's mine to avenge, says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, do what feed him. Do good to him. If he's thirsty, give him something to drink. This is what Christians should be doing in our world. You know, when people treat us poorly, we treat them well.
[00:35:58] How many go? That doesn't make any sense, Pastor. Yeah, it does. That's what Jesus did. We're supposed to love people. That's what we're called to do. We need not fear what tomorrow holds because we trust the One who created all things. I could read through verses 15 and 19. I'm not going to do that right now. But if you read through these verses, it'll tell you God's the Creator. And this is the sad thing.
[00:36:21] While the Babylonians were attributing the creation of their world to their false God, I want you to know Jeremiah takes issue with all of this and says, all idols are frauds. They're lifeless, worthless and objects of mockery. They will perish as well as all who put their trust in him, in those gods, they. Now listen, do we do the same thing today?
[00:36:46] Let me point out to you. People struggle with an uncertain future. Where do we look for help? We look to financial people, the financial markets, the political people. And I'm going to tell you something. You're going to be disappointed with them.
[00:36:59] I guarantee you can all be disappointed with their answers.
[00:37:02] I'm not asking you to be rebellious against them. I'm just saying don't put your full trust in them.
[00:37:08] The biggest problem in our nation today is not a political problem, folks.
[00:37:12] The problem with Canada today is a spiritual problem.
[00:37:17] And unless we deal with things in the right way, we're never going to solve. The division, the bickering, the polarization, the isolation, all the things that are going on will never be solved politically.
[00:37:28] It has to be solved spiritually.
[00:37:31] And that means the church has to begin to focus in on what her calling is and what her responsibilities are.
[00:37:38] And so I'm going to say this. Listen to what he writes here. Don't lose heart or be afraid when rumors are heard in the land. How many know that that's what we're getting today, a whole bunch of rumors.
[00:37:49] And don't be afraid of all of that stuff.
[00:37:51] As a matter of fact, after the death of Nebuchadnezzar, there was a lot of political intrigue and a lot of rumors. And Jeremiah says, don't even focus on that. But let me move on to the last point here, and I'm going to close because my time is up.
[00:38:04] Three things that bring hope. One, God is just.
[00:38:08] God is in control. Number two, you don't need to despair. God's the creator. He's bringing things to an end. Number three, we need to obey God over having false hope.
[00:38:19] There's a lot of people out there, they're purveyors of false hope. They're saying, we have the answer. I'm going, no, you don't.
[00:38:26] God is the answer, and we need to turn to him.
[00:38:30] You know.
[00:38:36] You know, one of the great challenges to obedience is that we're focused in on what we're seeing rather than listening to what God has to say.
[00:38:45] One word says anyone who pinned their hope on Babylon was doomed to disappointment. So was anyone today who pins his or her hope on this present world. As a matter of fact, John says this. The world and its desires pass away. But whoever does the will of God lives forever.
[00:39:02] I'm going to close with that. Why don't we stand?
[00:39:08] So what am I saying today?
[00:39:10] What's the point of the sermon? It's real simple.
[00:39:14] Don't live for what's temporal.
[00:39:18] Don't pour your energies into the things that are passing away. That doesn't mean you don't work, you don't buy. I'm not saying you don't work. I'm saying, yeah, get a job. Yeah, you can buy a house. Yeah, you can buy a vehicle. I don't think that's wrong.
[00:39:31] But that's not the focus of your life.
[00:39:34] What I would say is that's just facilitating living.
[00:39:38] But when you make that the goal and you cut God out of your life, you're making that an idol.
[00:39:46] That's the problem.
[00:39:47] Okay, we have to get to a point where let's say we lose all of these things. You know, sometimes as Christians, we're hung up about what we're going to lose.
[00:39:58] If it's temporary anyways, don't worry about it. Can I say that one more time? If it's temporary, don't worry about it. It's temporal.
[00:40:06] What you should be concerned about is what is eternal.
[00:40:10] That's what you don't want to lose. Is that making sense to you?
[00:40:14] So what am I saying to us?
[00:40:16] Set your sight on things above.
[00:40:20] Set your eyes on that which is eternal.
[00:40:24] We are racing towards eternity right now. I don't know if you know that. We're moving toward it moment by moment. Heaven is preparing to invade earth. I don't know if you know this.
[00:40:34] Jesus is preparing to come back to this planet.
[00:40:38] And here we are down here trying to feather up the little nest and you know, like, we're going to stay here forever. Are you kidding me?
[00:40:46] It's not going to happen.
[00:40:49] This is all fading away now. Here's the good news. If you shoot for what you don't see, which is eternal, the things of God, Jesus will come back and he will restore this planet.
[00:41:02] So he's not against material things because God himself came and took on a material body. So don't misunderstand what I'm saying here today.
[00:41:12] What I'm saying is don't make the things you see the goal of your life. That's what I'm telling you.
[00:41:19] Make what you don't see the eternal things the goal of your life.
[00:41:25] Make walking with God the goal of your life. Make seeking God the goal of your life. Making spending time with God the goal of your life. Make sure that you're reading the scriptures daily so you can understand what God is doing and saying in this time.
[00:41:41] I'm amazed at so many people that are saying, yeah, I'm a Christian, I'm a follower of God. Do you spend time with God? No, I don't.
[00:41:48] What in the world.
[00:41:50] What that tells me is you're Going to get sucked in to all of the garbage that's being dumped at you at 100 miles an hour.
[00:41:58] Media, entertainment, news, all the stuff coming at us is just flying at us. And the only way to handle that pressure is you got to have a renewed mind.
[00:42:09] You got to be in the word of God. You know what happens when you start becoming a daily Bible reader? I'll tell you what happens.
[00:42:15] After a while, it starts cleansing your mind.
[00:42:18] Then eventually you start looking at life through a new lens. You're seeing life the way God sees it, and you're recognizing things. You can just see it. It's so clear.
[00:42:28] So when somebody says to me, I can't understand what's going on, I'm going. It's real simple. Go to the book of Romans, chapter one.
[00:42:34] It says, when they knew God, they were not thankful because they lost a sense of gratitude. How many people are not grateful?
[00:42:44] Whole bunch of people. They weren't grateful for what they had.
[00:42:48] They basically began complaining.
[00:42:51] And eventually they became wise in their own eyes. And the Bible says, you know, they became fools. Because the moment you reject God, you move away from the foundation of wisdom. Now you become a foolish person. That doesn't mean you're not intelligent, just means you're foolish.
[00:43:07] And when you move into that foolish place, you begin to degrade yourself and other people. And if you read Romans chapter one very carefully, you're going to see the degradation that happens to people as they move away from God. Until finally evil becomes not only prevalent, but it becomes a dominating element in your life. And pretty soon you're a person that's living under the bondage of addiction.
[00:43:29] And I can look at our culture today, and I could just name the addictions that are just overwhelming our culture today. And very few people seem to be free from them.
[00:43:39] Addiction all around us.
[00:43:41] It's a culture that's now falling apart and just disintegrating in front of our eyes.
[00:43:48] Listen to me very carefully.
[00:43:51] The empires of Persia, Greece, Rome, Egypt, I go on and name them, they're gone. Why?
[00:43:58] Moral degradation. They just rotted from the inside out. And then finally some group came along and knocked them off.
[00:44:06] We are doing that right now, folks.
[00:44:08] This culture today is weaker than it's ever been. It's getting weaker all the time.
[00:44:13] So it's happening.
[00:44:16] So I'm saying to you, like Jeremiah, flee Babylon.
[00:44:21] The last verse in Revelation, one of the last verses, it says, babylon, fallen, fallen is Babylon. The system you're looking at is coming to an end.
[00:44:33] Listen carefully. The system that you and I are living in is going to come to an end.
[00:44:38] Don't put all your eggs in that basket, but move your heart towards God. This morning, say, okay, God, I'm hearing you.
[00:44:47] I got to go for what's eternal with every head bowed.
[00:44:51] I'm speaking. If you're a believer or not doesn't matter. Today God is telling you he's speaking to hearts right now. He's saying, I want you to shift from what is temporal to what is eternal.
[00:45:03] I want you to begin to move your passions, desires and values to the things that will never perish.
[00:45:13] And if you listen to me, God is speaking to you. If you listen to me, you will remain through the adversity and the difficulty that are coming because inside you will not despair because you're not. Your hope is not in what's perishing. Your hope is in that which is eternal.
[00:45:33] I'm speaking right now to you. How many here say, you know what, Pastor? I feel God speaking in my heart right now. I feel like I need to make a shift on the inside and my being. I got to move to that which is eternal and not which. That which is temporary. How many? Just raise your hand right now. That's you. He's telling you right now. Make a shift inside. It doesn't mean you don't have a house. It doesn't mean you don't own a car. Doesn't mean you buy clothes. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about don't trust what this world is offering.
[00:46:01] Don't live for that which is temporary, but go after that which is eternal with a new fervor that you've never had before.
[00:46:09] Say, lord, give me the strength to pursue you with all my heart.
[00:46:15] I give you my heart, Lord. We thank you. We thank you. This morning you're turning hearts to you. You're turning hearts to you and away from that which is perishing.
[00:46:27] In Jesus name, amen. God bless you as you leave this morning.
