Sermon for Sept. 12, 2010 posted Christian Church Online
Scripture: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28
4:11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A hot wind comes from Me out of the bare heights in the desert toward My poor people, not to winnow or cleanse --
4:12 a wind too strong for that. Now it is I who speak in judgment against them.
4:22 "For My people are foolish, they do not know Me; they are stupid children, they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do good."
4:23 I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light.
4:24 I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro.
4:25 I looked, and lo, there was no one at all, and all the birds of the air had fled.
4:26 I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the Lord, before His fierce anger.
4:27 For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
4:28 Because of this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above grow black; for I have spoken, I have purposed; I have not relented nor will I turn back.
There is a story about two friends, Billy and Tommy, out hiking in the deep woods. Suddenly the two men come upon a bear. The surprised bear suddenly rears on its hind legs and the bear is bigger than either of them. It growls menacingly and swipes one great claw at them.
Billy looks at Tommy and says, "You're wearing hiking boots. Too bad, dude. I'm wearing running shoes."
Tommy looks at Billy and says, "Forget it, you're not going to outrun that bear."
Billy shakes his head, says, "I don't have to outrun the bear, dude. I just have to outrun you."
I'm wondering this morning if you have paid attention to the news lately and begun to put two and two together. Horrible flooding in countries all over the globe, devastating hurricanes, ravaging fires, the recent poisoning of the Gulf of Mexico with raw petroleum, increased murders and crime along our southern borders, and the very latest, a gas explosion in California that killed six and wiped out an entire neighborhood in the resulting inferno. And all this while we are mourning the death of 2,996 souls on Sept. 11th, 2001. Why is all this happening even as the nation is sliding deeper into a financial depression, families are losing their jobs and homes, and the nation is under attack from radical Islamists who see us as "the Great Satan"?
Well, let's see. This is the country settled initially by those seeking freedom to worship as they chose, not as the government required; the Christian Bible was one of the first texts recommended for all schools; in Washington, D.C., the Capitol Rotunda was for many years used as a site for worship services by four different Christian churches, and worship there was first initiated by President Thomas Jefferson. We also have a U.S. Constitution which guarantees us certain "God-given" rights.
And yet, Christian prayer is forbidden in our public schools today, the Bible is not allowed in most schools, the public celebration of Christian holidays is not allowed on most public property and in many schools, lawsuits regularly stop Christian invocations at public meetings, luncheons, even sporting events. We have a President who has not attended a Christian church worship service during his two years in office, he has on two occasions refused to support National Prayer Day events as did the two previous Presidents, and instead has held at least two public Islamic prayer events at the White House, as well as celebrating the major Islamic holiday of Ramadan at the White House, which this year coincided with Sept. 11th, America's 911 day of mourning.
Contrary to past history, you will have a hard time finding a Gideon Bible in your hotel room these days. More hotel chains are refusing the free offer of Bibles placed in their hotel rooms for the visitor's use.
Even in polite society today, you hear God's name used often, but rarely as a blessing, most often as part of some swearing oath. Respect for the name of God, and for His son Jesus Christ, is disappearing. Sometimes you just want to speak up and remind some people that God's last name is not Damn.
However, while many in this nation have turned their back on America's first love, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has not changed. His love for His creation has not changed, His promises are firm, and His requirements are rock solid.
Some have said it appears this nation is under judgment by the God of the universe. But God does not have to work up plagues and natural disasters and enemies against America. All He need do is remove His protecting arm. All God need do is listen to those who want nothing to do with Him, want His inspired written word out of schools and other public places, want His celebrations and remembrances ignored.
After all, we are currently being inundated with false gods and idols in this country. And I'm not even talking about the false gods of Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism. Although some today would like to ignore it, the founders of this nation set us forward on a Christian foundation, evidence of which historians and researchers have found in abundance. And yet many, many people today pervert the right of freedom of religion to mean freedom "from" religion. They would ignore God even as God does not ignore them, their choices, or their eternal future.
The inspired word of God wisely tells us in both Matthew 6:21 and Luke 12:34 that where your treasure is, there will your heart be, also. If "worship" is defined as the act of being devoted to something, you must admit we are surrounded by idols, by "little gods" that we worship, to which we are devoted. There is everything from sports idols to music idols to cars, houses, wide-screen TVs, clothes, tools, you name it. Where do you spend your money? Why does the waitress get 20% while the work of God gets only 10%?
Where do you spend all your money, your treasure? That's where your heart is.
So it is no surprise that when events happen that offend us, where we feel redress is needed, turning to God is often not our first answer.
Nearly everyone in America, and most around the world now, know of the plans to build a mosque near the 911 Ground Zero site, of the Christian Pastor's plans to burn a stack of Islamic Qur'an books, of plans to build new mosques in neighborhoods close to us, and the presence of existing mosques -- 1,462 and growing -- already spread across America.
Coupled with the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and battles against the Islamic Taliban and al Qaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan, deadly Islamic-led terrorist attacks around the world, the issues of mosques, the Qur'an and Muslims themselves have become hot topics in America, triggering calls for action on many levels. Many call for political, legal, and even violent action. Many of those levels are also disturbing. They are disturbing if for no other reason than that they claim the cause of Christ as their right to call for violence.
To return to both the opening scripture and my opening story, when we don't pay attention, when we don't act out of knowledge and devotion, when we ignore the God who says He is truth and love, God can be a bear.
We in this nation are facing a bear of a time, and like the young man in the story, too many of us are ready to throw others under the bus to save ourselves. If we understood God better we would know what He means in Hosea 6:6 when, in a different context He says, "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." That is clarified for us in Matthew 9:13, " But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners;" and in Matthew 12:7, "If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent."
After almost a lifetime of study, I will be among the first to say that it is difficult for our finite mind to understand the infinite God, to know exactly who He is and to know exactly what He requires of us at any given moment. For life changes, changes moment to moment, what didn't matter a moment ago is foremost suddenly. What worked yesterday is useless today. Only God does not change. Only His precepts, His Word, His promises, do not change.
But if we, ignoring Biblical admonitions such as "study to show yourself approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth," from 2nd Timothy 2:15, if we go off half-cocked, launching out on what we think God would want, what meets our rendition of revenge, retribution or human justice, we should not expect to be greeted with His approval.
He is God. It is about Him, not about what we think it should be about.
Listen to the prophet Jeremiah's words from God to His people in verse 4:22, "For My people are foolish, they do not know Me; they are stupid children, they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do good."
Jeremiah was talking to the Israelites, but he might have been appearing on the 6 o'clock news last night, talking to us. How we use the resources He has given us, how we behave, how we serve our self first and ignore our neighbor, is foolish. And we don't know Him, not like we should. Even with the presence of the promised Holy Spirit, most of us are about one-inch deep in knowledge of the Almighty God and, because of that, we lack understanding. We would rather give money so someone else can get their hands dirty doing good, than extend ourselves and interrupt our own lives.
So, again, it is no surprise that when events happen that offend us, or that threaten us, turning to God is often not our first answer. We already know all the answers, we just don't want any new questions.
But let me suggest to you, God already knows not only all the answers, but all the questions.
Since I began with a bear story, let me conclude with one.
Another hiker, all by himself, rounds a blind corner in the trail and comes face to face with the largest, most dangerous bear he has ever seen. Too late to run, he drops to his knees and begins to pray to God for mercy. From the heavens comes the voice of God, "What is this? All your life you are an atheist, telling the world I don't exist? And now you want me to destroy this creature to save your life?"
"Oh, please, God," the man begged, "I will believe in You, honest. But if you can't destroy this bear to save my life, at least make the bear a believer, too."
"Done," said God.
The man sighed with relief, then looked up to see the bear on his knees, his paws together in prayer, saying, "Father, we thank Thee for this food we are about to receive."
So I suggest we get to know the Almighty God better, understand who He is and by so doing, better understand both who we are and what He wants from us. To give a twist to the classical ending, if God is the bear, the chances of you getting the bear? Zip. The chances of the bear getting you, solid.
Amen.
Daily Scripture Readings for September 12-18, 2010
Monday -- Ecclesiastes 9:13-18
Tuesday -- 1st Kings 3:3-28
Wednesday -- James 3:13-18
Thursday -- Ephesians 3:1-20
Friday -- 2nd Corinthians 6:1-10
Saturday -- 1st Corinthians 4:1-13
Sunday -- Hosea 11:1-11 Psalm 107:11-9; 1st Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13
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