The Prophets Speak to Our Generation

Introduction

Your Bibles there. That’ll be a place where we get the bulk of our verses for this morning’s lesson. The reading by Josh, you know, was not maybe the typical encouraging, uplifting reading that we like to start our Sundays with. But sometimes we may need a message that’s not always just feel good and uplifting. Sometimes, actually, sometimes hearing messages of warning and of condemnation of the sin in our culture is uplifting. Well, I want to ask you to do a little exercise with me if you will. If you have a pen or pencil and a piece of paper, please write down the number of people that you intend to invite this week for the special services that we’re having. Maybe it’s 10 or 20, you think. Maybe it’s just five or four or three or two or one.

But write that number down, and that goal is yours. And there’s something about writing a goal down that solidifies it. That’s not my goal. It’s your goal. And why? Why would we need to be inviting people? Why do I place such a big emphasis on that? Well, it’s one thing that we all can do. And there are more Herberts out there. You know, Herbert was uh baptized recently, and he’s a part of this congregation, and that all got started because Debbie asked him to come. And that was part of our last invitation effort for the last gospel meeting. So it can result in salvation. And so let’s uh let’s be diligent about doing that. In our next week’s lesson, the special lesson on where did they all come from?

A history of the churches. This morning I want to talk to you about the title of my lesson is The Prophets Speak to Our Generation. Now, of course, the prophets did not speak to our generation directly. And America cannot be compared in every way with Israel or Judah, obviously, because America is not the chosen nation of God. Did you know that? But God will judge any nation that rejects him. Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. The prophets’ warnings and rebukes to the nation Israel and the nation Judah have application to our nation today in some really surprising ways when you read through the prophets. And so what do we need to do? We need to take heed to those warnings.

1. America Has No Delight in God’s Word

That’s what we need to do. And we’re going to make four comparisons today. And the first is that America, just like Israel and Judah of old, has no delight in God’s Word. And as a rule, we see certainly this is the case. That America ignores the Word of God. It’s not that we don’t have the word accessible. It’s not that you can’t download it for free on your iPhone or whatever device you have. It’s not that if you have a quarter in your pocket, you can’t go to the local thrift store and buy a Bible. The word is accessible, but there is an ignorance of the word of God and a willful ignorance at that. This was the case in Jeremiah’s day, in Jeremiah 6 and verse 16, a famous verse.

Thus says the Lord, stand by and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. Now let’s just pause there for a moment. Ask for the ancient paths. Now, old doesn’t necessarily mean better in every case. But in this case, in the days of Jeremiah, they were turning away from those old paths to new paths. And they were unwilling to hear the word of the Lord and unwilling to listen to what Jeremiah had to say. That the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, they will come, and Nebuchadnezzar will come, and you will be taken captive. They didn’t want to hear that, and they didn’t want to do the word of the Lord. And so, what a powerful message for us today.

I mean, this is modern America. We’ve got technology and science and I mean, we don’t need that old dusty religion. That pagan, you know, ancient superstition. That’s sort of the attitude of America. And uh, when I say pagan, I mean any religion. You know, any of that religious stuff. That’s sort of the mindset of a lot of people in America. We don’t need the ancient paths, but what we need is the ancient paths. Those truths of God’s word are still applicable for us today. And so Jeremiah’s trying to get the people to realize this, but what is their attitude at the end of the verse? But they said, We will not walk in it. Verse 17 continues, and I set watchmen over you saying, Listen to the sound of the trumpet.

It’s a warning, take heed. But they said, We will not listen. It’s just a stubborn, willful uh ignorance of God’s word, or heeding to that word. In verse 10, you really feel bad for Jeremiah. To whom shall I speak and give warning that they may hear? Behold, their ears are uncircumcised. They’re closed. That’s the problem. Uncircumcision was unprepared, unprepared to listen. Behold, their ears are closed, and they cannot listen. Behold, the word of the Lord has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it. I was talking with Mr. Harkrider the other day, and we were talking about evangelism and sort of how things are changing. Methods have to change, and people out there are just not as interested. He was talking about when he had the TV show years ago that it was easier to go up to people and say, Hey, would you like to learn more about the Bible?

And that there are more people that would just in general be willing to say, well, yeah, I’d at least be willing to learn more about the Bible. But in today’s climate, it’s a lot harder. Evangelism is not easy. That doesn’t mean that the fields aren’t white. There are people that are looking, but they’re fewer and farther between. But it’s maybe not as bad as it was in the days of Jeremiah. To whom shall I speak and give warning? It’s like I can’t find anybody that cares. And we see a similar attitude in Isaiah chapter 30 and verses 9 through 11. For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the Lord, who say to the seers, you must not see visions, and to the prophets, you must not prophesy to us what is right.

Speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions. Get out of the way. Turn aside from the past. Let us hear no more about the holy one of Israel. And Greg and I have been studying with Mr. Harkriiter for several weeks now on Isaiah, and this phrase holy one of Israel, that term is one that he uses for God very, very often. But their attitude is, you know, speak to us pleasant words. What does America want today? We want Joel Osteen. You know? I mean, we want a gospel that will tell you how to lose weight and how to balance your checkbook. We want a gospel that will help you not be depressed and help you to feel happy. We don’t want a gospel of strict obedience in America at large.

We don’t want a gospel that tells us of judgment and the wrath of God. You see, speak to us pleasant words. And do you want a big church? I tell you, if if we really wanted this church to be big, you know what we could do? We could just stop preaching the truth and just start preaching feel good. And you know what? This place would quadruple. It would grow. Speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions. The promised consequence for such an attitude to the people of Judah was disaster. In Jeremiah 5 and verses 30 and 31, an appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority. And my people love it so. But what will you do at the end of it?

In chapter 6, verse 19 Hero, earth, behold, I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their plans, because they have not listened to my words, and as for my law, they have rejected it also. This refusal to listen would result in disaster. And it was would result in captivity. And it was on the brink of happening. They did not realize, they didn’t see the danger that was very real and right in front of them. And so, you know, could there be application of that to America? I don’t know what disaster may be coming, but certainly God judges nations that don’t listen to his word. Such a society hates those that rebuke it. As Amos says, they hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks with integrity.

I tell you, you want to become the least popular person at work. Say something negative about homosexuality. You will become public enemy, number one. Or say something negative about any other religion. Or say something negative about some other denomination or some denomination.

2. America Is Obsessed With Money and Pleasures

I mean, that is that is a sin in this culture’s mindset. How backwards is that? They will actually despise you when you speak the truth. All that this nation really tolerates is toleration. And as long as you tolerate everything, our nation will tolerate you just fine. But when you stop and don’t tolerate everything, then now you’re not tolerated. That’s just our nation. So there’s no delight. There is no delight in the word of God. A second comparison is that America, like Israel and Judah, is obsessed with money and pleasures. Everyone is greedy for gain. Of course, this is not true all the time, and there is an exception to this, but this is the most materialistic nation there’s ever been. Jeremiah says in chapter 6, 13, for from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain.

And from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. I was listening to a sermon the other day, and this preacher was talking about he was watching TV one day, and since he couldn’t find anything better to watch, he turned it to the religious station. And he was listening to this preacher talk about this airplane that he had bought that God wanted him to buy. And that this preacher needed help from the congregation. They needed to give more money and make bigger contributions to pay for this airplane that God wanted him to buy. And it worked. From the least of them even to the greatest of them. Everyone is greedy for gain. Do we sometimes think greed is only for those rich people? No, greed applies to everyone, from the least to the greatest.

Even the dirt poor. In fact, they can have a greater problem with greed than anybody. A society that only cares for material things, will do anything to acquire them, as Amos talks about, and we’re going to camp out in Amos for just a couple of minutes and come back to Jeremiah. But if you want to be in Amos chapter 2, in verses 6 and 7, it says, For thus says the Lord, for three transgressions of Israel and for four, I will not revoke its punishment, because they sell the righteous for money and the needy for a pair of sandals. Now, how pathetic is that? I need a pair of sandals, so let me sell this needy person. These who pant after the very dust of the earth on the head of the helpless.

I don’t think I’ve ever panted for dust before. Also turn aside the way of the humble. And a man and his father resort to the same girl in order to profane my holy name. Here’s one of my favorite verses in Amos chapter 4, verse 1. Hear this, you cows of Bashan, who were on the mountain of Samaria. Now, Bashan was on the east side of the Jordan, but it was it was a place known for its cattle, apparently. You know what he’s talking about. Of course, Samaria is the chief city, the capital city of the northern kingdom at this time of Israel. Cows of Bashan. He was talking about the women. Now, didn’t he know that it’s politically incorrect? If if you call women anything, don’t call them cows.

Hear this, you cows of Bashan. He’s talking about their laziness and so on. Who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to your husbands, bring now that we may drink. Feminism was in full force. Who was wearing the pants in the family? It wasn’t the husband. Who was taking all this role and power, even oppressing the poor to gain it? It was the women. And it said when the point in life and the goal in life is so that we may kick back and say to somebody, bring me something to drink. That’s how it had become.

In Amos chapter 6 and verses 4 through 6. Those who recline on beds of ivory and sprawl on their couches and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall. Do you get the idea that this is a time of prosperity for the nation? Who improvise to the sound of the harp and like David have composed songs for themselves, who drink wine from sacrificial bowls while they anoint themselves with the finest of oils? Yet they have not grieved over the ruin of Joseph. Now let me ask you something. Is there anything wrong with beds of ivory? Might be kind of nice, actually. What about sprawling on couches? I sure hope there’s nothing wrong with that. Any eating lambs from the flock and from the midst of the stall.

Anything wrong with eating lambs and calves? What about improvising songs? Nothing wrong with that. Well, the drinking wine from sacrificial sacrificial bowls, certainly there was something wrong with that because that was to be poured out to the Lord. And they anoint themselves with the finest of oils. Anything wrong with that? You see, there’s nothing wrong inherently with most of these things listed here. But the problem is when you push God out of the picture in order to have your pleasures. What is the emphasis in life? Are you going to emphasize God? You see, they weren’t even grieving over the ruin of Joseph. I like to write songs, but I haven’t done it. Maybe since I wrote that song that I played to my wife when I proposed to her.

And now you know where my guitar is? It’s up in my attic. Anything wrong with playing music? No. Nothing wrong at all. I just don’t have time. I remember when I used to have time. Maybe you have time or make the time to do something like that. There’s nothing wrong with that. But when life becomes, well, what I’m going to do with my time is I’m going to sit around and do everything I want to do. And watch episode after episode on Netflix. And over and over and over, and I’m just going to sit, and that’s going to become the way I spend my time. Aren’t there better things to do? Is life all about me and my pleasures? Have we become like the like the Israelites in the days of Haggai who built their houses, even their paneled houses, but were not even putting any of their resources or time towards the house of God that would lay in ruins.

Where are our priorities? Such a nation that is materialistic and greedy and selfish and hedonistic will be judged. And I don’t know of any nation that is more of all of those things I just listed than the nation of America. Well, I’m not materialistic. You know, if you are so confident to say that, you might need to stop and really examine yourself. We all need to think about. This is a materialistic nation. It is very hard not to be materialistic and be in this culture. And I’m speaking to myself and everybody else. So if your toes are bleeding, mine are too. Such a nation will be judged. Amos says in Amos 3 and in verse 15, I will also smite the winter house together with the summer house.

3. America Has a False Sense of Security

The houses of ivory will also perish, and the great ones will come, great houses will come to an end, declares the Lord. So, our nation is obsessed with money and pleasures. A third comparison is that America, like Israel and Judah, has a false sense of security. Our nation doesn’t believe God will judge us. I mean, when you hear God talked about, it’s not in terms of judgment. I listen to this radio host, and he’s a good radio host when it comes to money. But when he starts talking about God, he is so liberal. Well, God is crazy about you. He’s crazy about everybody. Well, I don’t think he’s crazy about people who are following Satan. He loves them, gave his son for them. Another thing that this radio host will say is God gave us a love letter.

The Bible. Isn’t that sweet? Well, when you read it, it reads a lot more like tough love. Right? There’s a lot of wrath. There’s a lot of judgment in this love letter. And yes, there is love, but there’s also wrath and judgment. But our nation doesn’t want to think of a God like that. A God who will judge America. No, God loves us. Look, I’m a good person. We’re all good people, right? Nobody’s hurting anybody. Well, yeah, actually, a lot of them are. Jeremiah 5 and verse 12. Talking here, and I’m going to read the previous verse to set this up a little bit. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt treacherously with me, declares the Lord. They have lied about the Lord and said, Not he.

Misfortune will not come on us, and we will not see sword or famine. And actually, it’s the following verse I wanted to emphasize. The prophets are as wind, and the word is not in them. Thus it will be done to them. And so the words of the prophets was not God. God would never bring misfortune on us. You see, they had false teachers who are preaching peace when there was no peace. Does that sound like America? There are false teachers all across this land who say a lot of good things. And you can see them on the TV and hear them on the radio, and they have nice soothing voices, and they get in a lot of truth, but then they have the error that’s in there.

And part of it is that they are preaching peace when there is no peace among those that maybe they’re speaking to that follow a perverted gospel. Jeremiah says, They have healed the brokenness of my people superficially, saying, peace, peace, but there is no peace. We in America vainly trust in our plans of deliverance. I mean, we’ve we’ve got the Federal Reserve. Hey, if things get really bad, you know we’ve got the FDIC. We’re okay. We’ve got our plans for deliverance. We feel secure. That’s the same way the people of Judah felt. Isaiah was dealing with this attitude that, listen, the Assyrians are going to come. And don’t think you can turn to the Egyptians for help. And in Isaiah 30, 16, and you said, no, for we will flee on horses.

Now, how’s that for a long-term plan? I’ve got a plan, and my plan is I’m going to run. Okay. Therefore you shall flee. And we will ride on swift horses. Therefore, those who pursue you shall be swift. You see, our plans for deliverance are not what we should put our trust in. Our fallback, our safety net is no safety net. Technology. Money. What be it? Or the military. We vainly trust in our military might. Hey, this is America, after all. Don’t we have the most powerful military on earth? That’s what we’re told anyway. Most advanced and well equipped and so on and so forth. And so if anything happens again, with, you know, like a 9 11 situation, or we have some nation that decides, you know what, we’re going to just turn and attack America, we’ll be alright because we’ve got a strong military.

Woe to those who go down to Egypt, Isaiah says in Isaiah 31, for help. Now that’s where they were relying. This powerful nation of Egypt, they’ll help us against Assyria. Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong. But they do not look to the holy one of Israel nor seek the Lord. Our military is strong and it’s big. It’ll protect us. We need to trust in the Lord. Was it a large army that was the result of Israel’s success in so many situations? Was that the reason that they could ward off the Amalekites who attacked them at Rephedim before they got to Sinai? It was because they had a large army, right?

Maybe it was a large army that helped Gideon defeat the innumerable host of Midianites. You see?

And look at David fighting Goliath. Was it power that defeated Goliath? It was the Lord. And that’s who we need to be trusting. Amen.

Now, see, that time you said amen, and I didn’t make you say it twice. The last two times I did that, I felt bad. So I’m going to try not to do that anymore. We vainly trust in our national strength and greatness. This is America. This is the greatest nation that’s ever been. That’s what we’re told. And in some ways, I suppose that’s true. But if we’re not careful, we become arrogant. And we think, well, a nation like America, this nation’s so great, so powerful, so unique, so much better. It could never fall. I mean, look at these other nations, these great powerful nations. Well, they’re not like us. They’re not like America. Amos says in chapter 6, woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure in the mountains of Samaria.

Again, Samaria, the capital city of the northern kingdom, a great city. The distinguished men of the foremost of nations, to whom the house of Israel comes, go over to Kalnah. That’s a great city in that time, and look. And go from there to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines, these great cities. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than yours? Do you put off the day of calamity and would you bring near the seed of violence? I think the point is that those cities are, you know, they’re subject to being attacked. Does Israel think they’re better than those great cities? Do we think we’re somehow better than these other nations that are subject to fall? No, we are not, even though this is America.

4. America Is Not Ashamed of Our Sins

So we have a false sense of security. And fourth and finally, America, like Israel and Judah, is not ashamed of our sins. We don’t even know how to blush. I was at a park with my parents and my family. One of these big parks with trails, and there were these owls up in these trees that a bunch of people were looking at, and there were these two men, young men come along, and we’re looking up there, and my parents and I were just sitting on this bench, and they turned around and started walking off. One of them’s real bulky, you know, muscular, and the other one’s just sort of, you know, skinny. And they put their arms around each other. This big old bulky man hugging up against this other man.

And there they go, walking through the park. As if to say to anybody looking, yeah, we’re gay. You got a problem with it. And we’re not ashamed. And nobody said anything because in our society you can’t. We don’t even know how to blush in this society. And the things that people wear. It’s appalling. And I think, are you not embarrassed? I’m embarrassed for you to be wearing that in public and showing everybody that? How embarrassing. And the things that people say, the jokes that people laugh at. And their face doesn’t even turn red. And the things that people watch on the TV and the movies. I mentioned in a sermon that Holly and I had gone to watch a movie old fashioned in Altamont Springs. And when we went there, there’s this line coming out of the building.

It wasn’t the line for old fashioned. I asked a worker. It was a line for 50 shades of gray. So here are these people standing in public with a full knowledge that they’re about to go and watch pornography. And everybody around them knows that’s what they’re going to see. Is there any shame on their faces? Do they care that anybody will see them doing this? I’m not saying that, you know, it would be better if you would hide your sin. But I think it shows a deeper depravity when you do it openly and without any defense. Jeremiah says, were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all. They did not even know how to blush. Notice he doesn’t say they didn’t blush.

He says they didn’t know how. Like blushing. Well, what’s that? That’s that’s quaint. You know? That’s old-fashioned. Therefore, they shall fall among those who fall at the time that I punish them. They shall be cast down, says the Lord, in a parallel verse in chapter 8 and verse 12. Pervasive sin in our nation is committed openly and without defense. There’s no need to defend it because nobody’s got a problem with it. Gambling right there in every gas station. Alcohol carrying it out into your car right in your hand so everybody can see it. No shame. Openly and without defense. And there’s a hypocrisy about this. Because America tolerates some sins, most sins, almost all sins, but hypocritically condemns others. This whole recent Duggar situation with a young man that years ago did something very, very bad, and I’m not trying to defend what he did, and he’s not either.

But it happened years ago and is being resurfaced, and now the show is canceled. I mean, you’ve got to cancel a show like that, right? With somebody who does that, and he quit his job that he was working and doing and turned his life upside down? Well, certainly he shouldn’t have done what he did. But you see, America doesn’t like to be judged, but it loves to judge. Well, what about all those shows that actively promote the vilest of sin on a regular basis? Are those shows going to be taken off the air? No. Hypocrisy. And when we think about the sins of our culture, the lesson we must come away with is, brethren, we must not share in those sins. James says, adulterers and adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?

Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy with God. And James speaks in really the language of the prophets when he says adulterers and adulteresses, as Jeremiah said, Oh, that I had in the desert a lodging place for travelers, so that I might leave my people and go away from them, for they are all adulterers, a crowd of unfaithful people. You ever feel that way about our nation? Now I’m not saying that I’m, you know, sinless, and certainly we are not, but we are to be light in the midst of darkness. Do you ever feel that I wish I didn’t have to be around all this trash? It’s torture to be around this filth, but I think too many Christians think, well, I want to put myself right in the middle of it.

Conclusion

And we just share. Maybe not in the same depth of immorality, but still in the immorality. And sin is sin is sin. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them, Ephesians 5 and verse 11. So we’re not ashamed of our sins. So the four comparisons. America has no delight in God’s word, is obsessed with money and pleasures, has a false sense of security, and is not ashamed of our sins. What can we learn from all this? We certainly learn that judgment comes on people, on a nation that turns away from God. So what can we do about that? What can you and I do about that problem? Well, first of all, we can pray. And we are told to do that in passages like 1 Timothy 2 and verses 1 and 2, to pray for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life and godliness and dignity.

And so pray that Christianity may continue and that it may flourish. Now, should we pray that God would avert judgment on this nation? I don’t know. God told Jeremiah not to do that. Don’t pray that judgment won’t come because it’s coming. So I don’t know. You know, I don’t know what form judgment may come on this nation, but I believe that it will come. This nation has a heavy weight of guilt upon it. Just think of abortion alone. The millions of babies who have been murdered. There is a heavy weight of guilt on this nation for that alone. So what can we do? Pray. Pray. Pray. Secondly, do not be conformed to this world. I’ve been studying about church history, you know, in preparation for my next week’s lesson.

And over and over I’m just amazed at how devoted a lot of these people were and these martyrs in ways that our secularized church today may not really have an idea of. And I’ve become more aware that in a lot of ways we have just become chameleons of this nation around us. And if we think we’re not conformed, maybe we need to examine ourselves. Because it’s so easy to do in this culture. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

I’m not trying to be mean. Thirdly and finally, trust in the Lord, come what may. Habakkuk was really struggling with the idea of the Chaldeans coming against his people. And he was afraid and fearful. But he says this though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he has made my feet like hinds feet and makes me walk on my high places. Come what may in this nation.

When the judgment may come and what form it may come, I do not know. But one thing I do know, and that is that the Lord is there for me, and he is there for you, and we can rely on him and have victory and overcome, though our bodies be destroyed, and though this whole place be destroyed. God will always be there, and we have a home for us in heaven ultimately with him. So trust in the Lord and not in our nation. Hope that these thoughts have been helpful and maybe even encouraging in a roundabout way. I love you all so much, and I’m proud that you’re my family, and I’m glad to be a part of a people that are serious about serving God.

May we become more serious about serving him. Would you bow your head with me in a word of prayer? Our Father and God, we are sorry for our sins. We’re sorry for becoming part of the immorality of this wicked nation, this nation of unbelief, this nation of willful ignorance of your word. Even those who call themselves religious so often have no desire for your truths, and even the religious leaders are corrupt in so many cases. We pray that we may be pure in your sight, that you would give us, Father, not an attitude of arrogance as we look across the land and see the sin that is there, but an attitude that I don’t want to fall into the judgment of an Almighty God. May you forgive us.

May you protect your people, regardless of what may come on this nation. Protect us, and Father, ultimately, in the end, protect us that we may see you in heaven. Thank you for your Son. It is through him that we pray. Amen. At this time we will dismiss to our Bible classes and we’ll reconvene at eleven for another period of worship in which we will have the Lord’s Supper.