Series: Changed pt 2
The song “changed” was played twice this morning before our service and this is how and why this song was written:
Rascal Flatts’ new single, “Changed,” co-written by Gary LeVox, Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley, came about from a true story told by Neil. His oldest daughter came to him, wanting to be baptized. He found a pastor that would baptize her on the beach at sunset and walked away inspired.
“Neil and his wife and his other daughter are standing on the beach,” Gary said, re-telling the story. “All you can see as the sun is setting is the Pastor standing there and Allie, his daughter. And he sees her, she comes down, brings her back up, and she just raises her hands up, praying.”
Neil visited Gary not long after the baptism and shared the story with him along with the beginning of the song he’d started writing about the experience. He sang the opening lines to Gary who was moved deeply by the lyrics.
“I just fell apart,” Gary said. “It was just like, ahhh. That melody never left my head. The story never left my head. And one day I said ‘Hey, let’s get a day together and just go out to the farm and write this thing.’”
‘This thing’ resulted in “Changed,” which is not only the name of their latest album but their current tour.
Thesis: We need to learn the lessons from the past and be changed – this is why we have all the examples of the OT and historical past of Israel to gleam from. The stories of the OT are lessons to be learned – We need to learn from the past and not make the same mistakes that they made. But I believe many are not learning from history and desiring to be changed! How about you?
Summary of sermon 1 and 2 from our series “Changed”:
We learned that God is watching us in our lives on a daily basis. He sees if we sin - he knows if we are repentant or not – he sees into our hearts. We cannot deceive God – He is truth and He knows all things!
We discovered last week that we need to make sure that we are not listening to deceptive words. Deceptive words or philosophies that are contrary to the teaching of the Bible are meaningless and worthless in the scope of life and eternity.
Deception is running ramped in this world every night and day on TV’s, internet, movies, sitcoms, certain news stations, certain churches are teaching deception, sin is being ignored and even celebrated yet God has not changed His mind on what is good and evil. We have and we have to change our hearts and minds back to His truth not our manmade distorted lies.
The Bible warns us that in the last days even the elect will be led astray by deceptive words and we need to make sure we are not one of them. I see this happening all around us today – some churches are compromising God’s truth –some even trying to rewrite the Bible and distort God’s truths.
Jesus has placed us Christian’s on this planet in such a time as this to make an impact on our culture. The culture should not be changing the church is – instead the church should be changing the culture but as I look around I see little change for the good – but I see a lot of change for the celebration of evil. For us to make a difference for God requires us to change our ways to completely follow Jesus’ teachings and direction through the Holy Spirit. God has not changed and He will not change – we have to change!
We have been spending our time in Chapter 7 of Jeremiah for a few weeks now. I will be honest with you I wanted to be done with this section of Scripture two weeks ago. But the Lord keeps bringing me back to it. I cannot get it out of my head or my heart. I hear His voice telling me there is more that I want my people to see, hear and understand. So here I am again back in this section of the Bible for another week or two!
I want to remind you that this is a key center piece to the book of Jeremiah and it’s a main teaching called the “Temple Sermon” very similar in importance to Jesus “Sermon on the Mount” teachings. Jeremiah is conveying crucial spiritual truth to God’s people. The people of God are not listening but God is still speaking through the prophet. God warned Jeremiah that they would not listen because their hearts were hardened and deceived.
Chapters 7-10 are Jeremiahs main message which is voicing the Word of the Lord to the people of the day. He is delivering this message at the gate so all can hear! It’s public – its bold and it makes people angry and upset.
In the book of Jeremiah we have this prophetic word being spoken to the people by Jeremiah and it’s a hard word to deliver and a hard word for the people to embrace and hear. We know that Jeremiah was called at a very young age to be the spokes person for God to a people of God that had been drifting further and further away from the truth of God’s Word and His ways. Jeremiah was not the person who wanted this great job of rebuking the people for their sinful misguided ways. Jeremiah argued with God that he was too young to do this in Jeremiah 1: 6. But God assured our reluctant prophet that he had formed him in the womb and called him to do this unglamorous task for Him.
God reminded our reluctant prophet to speak exactly what God wanted him to speak. He was not to allow fear to hold him back from speaking the truth of God’s Word to the people of Judah. He was to be obedient to God’s direction and His leading. He had to say what God wanted him to say not what men or women wanted him to say.
Now Jeremiah in chapter one of his book is told by the Lord that he would stand up against the kings of the land, the rulers in the land, the false prophets and priests of the land. God would protect him and rescue him as long as he did what he was suppose to do. Once again that was to speak God’s Word which God had implanted in his mouth to the people. Jeremiah is warned by the Lord that the people will fight against him during his time of ministry but he was reassured that God would rescue him.
Jeremiah is considered to be one of the greatest prophets of the Israelite people. His name means Yahweh hurls – Jeremiah definitely hurled God’s Word to a people who rejected pretty much everything he said. But he was obedient to do it anyway!
He started his ministry at about 20 years old and it lasted for around 50 years.
He was considered a fanatic by the people who listened to him Jer. 12:6. He was rejected by his home town of Anathoth and endured severe hostility from the people of Israel - Judah. But God looked out for our man of faith and obedience.
During the reign of Josiah Jeremiah saw his nation return to God for a short period of time. It was a great time to minister in this era but Josiah died and Jehoiakim took over after a 3 month short reign of another king and led the nation into heathen worship, he also oppressed the people by living a life of luxury placing undo financial burden on the people, he also spent recklessly on building projects which also heavily taxed the people.
In the book of Jeremiah we have the message of God being written down and delivered to the people of God. But we also discover the heart and the mind set of Jeremiah.
Our man of God is revealed in this book:
IBE notes: This contrast between his naturally warm personal feelings and his strict Divine mission not rarely appears in the heart-utterances found in his prophecies. At first he rejoiced when God spoke to him (15:16); but soon these words of God were to his heart a source of pain and of suffering (15:17ff). He would have preferred not to utter them; and then they burned in his breast as a fire (20:7ff; 23:9). He personally stood in need of love, and yet was not permitted to marry (16:1 f). He was compelled to forego the pleasures of youth (15:17). He loved his people as nobody else, and yet was always compelled to prophesy evil for it, and seemed to be the enemy of his nation. This often caused him to despair. The enmity to which he fell a victim, on account of his declaration of nothing but the truth, he deeply felt; see his complaints (9:1ff; 12:5 f; 15:10; 17:14-18; 18:23, and often). In this sad antagonism between his heart and the commands of the Lord, he would perhaps wish that God had not spoken to him; he even cursed the day of his birth (15:10; 20:14-18; compare Job 3:1ff). Such complaints are to be carefully distinguished from that which the Lord through His Spirit communicated to the prophet. God rebukes him for these complaints, and demands of him to repent and to trust and obey Him (Jer. 15:19). This discipline makes him all the more unconquerable.
In contrast to other optimistic prophets, who had hoped to remedy matters in Israel (Jer. 6:14), Jeremiah from the beginning predicted the destruction of the city and of the sanctuary, as also the end of the Jewish nation and the exile of the people through these enemies from abroad. According to 25:11; 29:10, the Babylonian supremacy (not exactly the exile) was to continue for 70 years; and after this, deliverance should come.
So let’s look a little deeper into our section of Scripture again today:
Scripture Text:
Jeremiah 7:1-11:
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
2“Stand at the gate of the LORD’S house and there proclaim this message: “‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah who come through these gates to worship the LORD.
3This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place.
4Do not trust in deceptive words and say, “This is the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD!”
5If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly,
6if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm,
7then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your forefathers forever and ever.
8But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.
9“‘Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known,
10and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, “We are safe”—safe to do all these detestable things?
11Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching! declares the LORD.
Yes, I read for the third time in 3 weeks the very same passage of Scripture!
T.S. – What we are dealing with today with a redefinition of sin, and Biblical commands is no different than past nations spoken of in the Bible. They are placed in the Bible – these nations from history to learn from. The sad truth is we don’t believe in learning these lessons from the past because we think we are wiser. We actually think our nation is different and it lives by a different rule book of right and wrong. We think we are powerful and invincible and we are safe and have a peace that will always be in place. How deceived this nation and it leaders are!
T.S. – Let’s really focus on learning some spiritual lessons today from Jeremiah again!
1. Let’s review some of the lessons from Jeremiah from the last two weeks:
a. God calls people even in the womb to do specific tasks for Him.
b. God enables us to achieve the tasks He gives us to do for Him.
c. God will protect us and preserve us even in dangerous situations as long as we do what He tells us to do.
d. God expects us to follow His direction and His commands and not fear what men may do to us.
e. God will hold us all accountable for our lives and our actions – Yes, He is watching how we live our life every day.
f. God desires obedience to His words not just sacrificial offerings with no changed life or heart.
i. God is not into religion He is into relationship.
ii. A religion is a manmade way to God and a relationship is based on God’s way to us.
iii. God will listen to our hearts as we pray and intercede for our people but there is a limit to how long God will put up with sin.
1. Yes, we can cross the line with God when our prayers will not be heard!
a. Jeremiah 12: 1-17
T.S. – So we have been reminded of a few spiritual lessons from Jeremiah’s book let’s look at a few more spiritual lessons from our text today.
2. Lessons are to be learned from the past and we have this example of Judah placed before us today to learn from.
a. Lesson to learn from out text today:
i. Application of our text today taken from sermon on sermoncentral.com called "An incomplete job" by Tim Patrick.
1. Let’s be reminded of my first point from last week ---Notice the behavior of the nation of Judah and their behavior, they claimed to follow God and they did the religious motion of serving God in the Temple by offering up sacrifices but their lifestyle and actions said different and God watched them do this week after week.
a. To Him their sacrifices meant nothing because they were worthless religion with no heart change.
b. Many people with names on the church roles will not find their names written in Heaven because they have not received a new nature.
i. They have a name but nothing else. People make statements such as: I am Catholic, Baptist, Ag, evangelical, Methodist, Episcopal but these names mean nothing to God if there is not genuine heart change.
ii. I can also add other religions to the list as well - I am Muslim, Buddhist, new age, spiritualists, Christian and the like.
c. Do you remember my 3 Testimonies from Africa last week? I shared 3 stories of changed lives after they had an encounter with Jesus:
i. Sahadu:
1. Street boy from House of Hope – He is from the Fulani tribe sent at young age to a Muslim leader by his father at age 5 to learn the Koran and be a beggar on the street for Allah. He came to kids of hope 8 years ago and a few years ago he accepted Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior. The last six months he really made a sacrifice for God. He wants to be a pastor-he feels called to be one. So another missionary invited him to an English course to learn to read. But his job wouldn’t give him the time off so he quit his job. This was a big sacrifice because it’s hard to find a job. He goes daily to this missionaries house to improve his reading so he can go to bible school and fulfill his divine call to ministry.
ii. Hamadou:
1. Also sent to a Muslim leader’s house to learn the Koran and beg on the street. He started coming to kids of hope about six years ago, he used a lot of drugs like sniffing glue. He caused a lot of trouble his first few years at the house. A few years ago he accepted Jesus Christ and he quit drugs and now lives for Jesus. He now holds a job as a guard for Christa and he works with Abbey learning to read. Last week he read his first book and he is so excited to learn about God and His Word.
iii. Kate:
1. Was a horse trainer from age of 16. She got saved in her 40s but her whole life was focused on horses not on people at all. In her 50’s she went off to bible school in whales. After bible school she wanted to be a missionary. She applied at several missions agencies to be a missionary but was denied because she was too old. She stumbled upon “Go to nations” and she asked them and they said “Yes.” So she did her internship in Guatemala. But she got discouraged due to the language barrier. So she looked all over England again for a different missions group but again the answer was “No.”. She then felt God tell her to come to Burkina. She was working here at house of hope when the leaders of kids of hope left and then they informed her that she was now in charge. She has become the boy’s mother and created a safe haven for these boys. The boys are all Fulani and they are the hardest tribe to reach and Kate is reaching many of them for Jesus Christ because of her faithfulness to serving God in action and deed.
2. God does not want religion from us but a personal relationship with us.
a. Did you hear that – religion is going through a set of religious ritual which is man-made and doing this week after week with no changed heart or mind toward God and His ways.
i. Matthew 22:37: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart.”
ii. Romans 10:10: “It is with your heart that you believe!”
iii. Ephesians 5:19: “make music in your heart to the Lord.”
iv. Ephesians 6:6; “doing the will of God from your heart.”
3. In Judah - their religion gave them a sense of false security.
a. "Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit.” (vs. 8 NKJV)
i. The people were trusting in deceptive words instead of trusting the Lord. But God was watching them do this time and time again so He sent them Jeremiah to correct their wrong assumptions and open their minds to truth.
1. He also had sent them Amos and Isaiah but they did not listen to them either.
b. The world culture is great at saying every things fine don’t listen to that doom and gloom.
i. Illustration: The people who died on the Titanic were given false security. They were told the Titanic was unsinkable-- but we all know it sank.
ii. Illustration: On the news this week the president of Russia was blasting the US because a few years ago they told him and many other nations that our economy was solid and it was not going to crash. This last week he came out and blasted the arrogance and the deception of the US government for making such claims years ago.
iii. I keep hearing that our economy is getting better – don’t you? Can I ask for a show of hands of how many really believe it is?
1. Are we being given a false hope?
c. For many people today their religion gives them a false sense of security ---I saw this in Africa a lot.
i. With the way some Muslims pray daily to Allah but their religion is filled with bondage –fear and oppression.
1. Share the story of the Muslim who wanted to pray right where we parked our truck to get wood and him yelling at me!
2. I even saw it some who claim in Africa who claimed to be Christians and yet also worship idols along with worshipping Jesus!
a. This is not genuine heart change!
d. Illustration: I remember reading a story that reminded me of another example of false security. There were a group of economists who gave false hope just before the Great Depression struck. These economists said America’s economy was in good shape. They said our economy should be safe for the next 50 years.
i. Are you living with false security? Has Jesus given you assurance of your salvation because you can know that you are saved you don’t have to guess?
4. They put their faith in a place not in a person.
a. Many do the same today in America and all over the world.
i. Their church building is their holy place not their hearts!
b. The Judah nation had made the Temple a fetish. They believed that the Temple gave them physical security and yet also a license to sin.
i. Here was the deceived mindset of the Judah people: I go Saturday worship God by giving Him sacrificial offering then Sunday I go back to worshipping my other gods and live a life of sin. Why? Because I am good I made my offering on Saturday and I will do the same next week – I have my get out of sin free card and it’s awesome!
1. Bonhoeffer called this cheap grace!
ii. Some think the following today: “I get heaven with no life change or heart change because of grace!”
1. However I do not see that grace is a license to keep on sinning – instead it should change our hearts – see Galatians 5 and 6.
c. Their faith was in the Temple not in the Lord! Their faith was centered on doing religious acts with no heart change or soul change.
d. The Temple became a substitute for faith at which time it became an idol to God!
i. The Lord wanted their attention and worship and they gave it to a building and a twisted religious system.
5. Their religion actually hindered their ability to hear God’s voice.
a. Whenever God tried to correct them their religious leaders told them that they were being deceived because in their religion God fit into the box they made for Him.
i. They were the experts on god and Jeremiah was not!
ii. This is why Jeremiah was banned from the Temple and a conspiracy was set in motion to have him killed, this is why the Pharisees had Jesus killed because he did not fit their image of God.
1. International Bible Encyclopedia: The priests for this reason determined to have the prophet put to death (Jer. 26). However, influential elders interceded for him, and the princes yet showed some justice. He was, however, abused by the authorities at the appeal of the priests (Jer. 20). According to 36:1ff, he was no longer permitted to enter the place of the temple. For this reason the Lord commanded him to collect his prophecies in a book-roll, and to have them read to the people by his faithful pupil Baruch (Jer. 36; compare Jer. 45). The book fell into the hands of the king, who burned it. However, Jeremiah dictated the book a second time to Baruch, together with new additions.
b. Whenever we allow something to usurp our relationship with God we at that point hinder our ability to hear His voice!
c. According to Jeremiah they would rather listen to the lies of the false priests and prophets than listen to the voice of God.
i. Why, because they told them what they wanted to hear. Your fine – just offer your sacrifice and you can keep on sinning. You have grace!
ii. Life is good – we are prosperous and at peace and it’s going to stay that way because we are God’s people –God’s nation – we are His chosen ones.
iii. They did not listen to the history lesson from Shiloh – were God destroyed that sacred place because of the sin of the people.
1. This placed housed the Ark of the Covenant but God allowed the Philistines to capture it and destroy this holy site because he had departed because of the continued sin of the people.
6. They thought they could also worship their manmade idols and God would be okay with it.
a. But he let them know that he saw what they were doing and he was not okay with it!
b. God is not looking for religious ritual – He is looking for genuine change in a person’s heart and life.
c. God is looking for transformation of the heart and this is revealed in the way we live our lives. It is also revealed in how we live for justice and righteousness. It is revealed in how we respond to injustice.
i. Do we oppress the alien? Outsiders or love them – care for them?
ii. Do we care for the fatherless?
iii. Do we care for the widows?
iv. Do we shed innocent blood?
1. Do we stop the shed of innocent blood like standing up against abortion? Not many churches do today!
2. What we have done in America is not different than what Judah and Israel did with child sacrifice in 7:30-31.
a. Abortion is child sacrifice for our idols of fame-fortune-inconvience-selfishness and the like.
b. There have been 53 million abortions in America since it was legalized and 99% of them are not done for medical reasons!
3. Also reference 7:18 The Queen of Heaven – was the Assyrian –Babylonian goddess Ishtar – Our Statue of Liberty is designed after this goddess by the way!
a. See Revelation 17 for a depiction of the End time Great Prostitute which will be destroyed – look at the a picture of the Statue of Liberty and read Revelation 17-18.
v. Do we follow other Gods which keep us from worshipping the Lord on His day?
1. If we do this we are just harming ourselves!
2. Every day people are harming themselves!
b. All that we are dealing with in this era has occurred in the past – it’s the same sins just disguised under different headings like – freedom to choose (abortion-child-sacrifice), equal rights (the right to sin and go against natural laws of God), liberty (freedom to do what we want even sin), religious pluralism (all ways lead to Heaven)and the like.
i. We need to learn from history – Years ago I read the series “The rise and fall of the Roman Empire” by Gibbon and he talked about what led to the demise of the Roman Empire.
1. The following from http://www.conservativedailynews.com/2012/05/the-fall-of-the-roman-i-mean-american-empire/: Here is a list of a few of the reasons that Rome fell. See the similarities?
a. The senate became extremely corrupt and political instability became the norm in the country. A series of very incompetent, rather crazy Emperors were elected and the people suffered as a result. Civil revolts sprung up, lead by rebellious citizens.
i. *Washington is now extremely corrupt and political instability is the norm. Over the last few years since President Obama was elected we have seen several of his policies split the Nation. Civil revolts are springing up like the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street.
b. Emperor Constantine divided the empire into two halves. This made Rome easy to concur.
i. Our country is dividing – lines are being drawn- Rich vs. poor, the haves and have not’s, class warfare is on the rise. We have dissent over Gay rights. We have the battle getting worse between Democrats and republicans. We have the battle against Christianity by Government officials. We have IRS scandal focusing on opposing groups.
c. Rome depended on its empire for funds; but it became very poor and had trouble coping economically. Rome had nothing to trade, and could not rebuild itself.
i. America depends on its people for funds, but we have become poor because of wild deficit spending and we are having trouble coping economically.
ii. Our debt is soaring and accumulating every day.
d. During certain Imperators regimes, they debased the currency. This meant that a coin didn’t have a default value. Instead, it was represented by the amount of silver it contained. When Emperor Claudius was in power, coinage wasn’t even made up of 1% actual silver. As a result, severe inflation occurred.
i. Our currency was once backed by gold, now it is backed by the word of the government. We have had; QE1, QE2, the fed is printing money like crazy, severe inflation is just down the road according to some economists.
e. High taxes were another issue which wasn’t resolved easily. It caused distress and anxiousness among many classes in Ancient Rome as taxes kept increasing.
i. We have been raising taxes more and more but it is never enough. Job creators cannot hire people, which means higher unemployment, which causes distress and financial pressure among the people.
f. With the expansion of the Roman Empire, many different cultures were accepted in Rome, because they were not dedicated to Rome, but their own cultures, pride in Rome faded and Rome along with it.
i. Pride in America is no longer the focus, while other cultures are celebrated; the American culture is being pushed to the side and even criticized. Multiculturalism is being pushed but it does not work, as the United Kingdom and France is now finding out today.
ii. Old saying: “Those who ignore history, are doomed to repeat it” It looks like our future is staring us right in the face, but Americans refuse to see it.
1. The Major Causes for the Fall of the Roman Empire
a. Antagonism between the Senate and the Emperor
b. Decline in Morals which breaks down the family unit.
c. Political Corruption and the Praetorian Guard
d. Fast expansion of the Empire
e. Constant Wars and Heavy Military Spending
f. Barbarian Knowledge of Roman Military Tactics
g. Failing Economy
h. Unemployment of the Working Classes (The Plebs)
i. The 'Mob' and the cost of the 'Games'
j. Decline in Ethics and Values
k. Slave Labor
l. Natural Disasters
m. Christianity
i. http://www.his.com/~z/gibho1.html: What led first to Rome's decline and ultimately to her fall? Gibbon discovers many causes, which he discusses in various parts of his work. For instance, the long period of peace and the uniform government of the Romans gradually extinguished the industry and creativeness of the people, as well as the military discipline and valor of the soldiers (Chs. 2 and 7); the indulgence in luxury, which originally remained confined to the nobles and residents of the Imperial Court, was later extended to the troops, totally corrupting their morals (Ch. 17); the enrolment of mercenary barbarians in the armies, which served to excuse the Roman themselves from military responsibilities, at the same time encouraged the barbarians within the Empire to grow in power and influence (Ch. 17); the multiplication of oppressive taxes was countered and evaded by the rich, who shifted the burden to the poor, who in turn also dodged them and fled to the woods and mountains to become Rome's rebels and robbers (Ch. 35).
Conclusion:
So what is God saying to you and I today? Why is He leading back time and time again to this section of Jeremiah?
Video Clip: Beyond the Walls.
The church of Jesus Christ was placed on this earth to change the world not for the church to be changed by the world.
Reference video from Tony Evans “What is the role of the church?”
The answer it’s to change the culture around us. It’s to be light in the midst of darkness – to be a salt that preserves this world from spoiling. It’s to be different and powerful for God. According to Jesus the gates of Hell will not prevail against His church –“ …maybe the reason we seem to be losing the culture war is because most churches are not Jesus churches?’ Tony Evans
The question being proposed to us today as individuals and as a nation is will we learn from the failures of the past? Will we put our faith into action and live what we say we believe in or not. Will Christians look and act like Christians will we stand for Biblical values or deceptive humanistic values. Will we stand with God and His word or reject it. That decision lies within each of our hearts today – what choice will you make?
The big question for you today: “Will you change and align you heart with God and His ways?”
Here is my answer to that question this morning:
But as for me and my house we will serve the Lord – But as for me as pastor of this church and our congregation we will serve the Lord! I want to be changed more into the image of Jesus each day of my life!
If we choose to follow the Lord and His Word –and change - He will always make a way for us – that is His promise:
The miraculous story of the Kids Center in Burkina:
Joel and Heidi had been praying for a faith center for six years. Four years ago they found some land and went home to raise some money. They didn't raise enough money. Then during the flood year they found the land flooded so they thanked God that it hasn't worked out to buy the land. About six months ago an organization talked to Joel. They had a building they wanted to sell for 200,000. They couldn't sell it so they offered it to Joel for. 100,000. It needs a lot of work but has so much potential.
The bottom line of my message today:
What does God desire from us? We find the answer in Jeremiah 7:23. "But this is what I commanded them, saying, `Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you.’ (NKJV)
God wanted His people to be obedient and to focus on a relationship with Him. He still desires the same today. Sometimes we substitute a cold, dead, formal religion for a life changing relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no comparison of the two.
Illustration: Consider this comparison. If you had a choice between eating card board and eating a sirloin steak which would you choose? The card board is stiff, tasteless and does not offer nourishment. The steak, on the other hand, is fresh, tasty and is filled with nourishment. Dead religion is the same way. Dead religion is stiff, tasteless and does not satisfy. Jesus, on the other hand, offers a fresh relationship and satisfies the deepest longings of your soul.
Please do not stop half way. Do not allow yourself to be satisfied with mere religion. God wants you to clean up the inside. God wants you to face your sin. God wants a relationship with you. He sent His Son as an answer to your sin problem. Finish the job. We need to turn back to Jesus and change this culture back to God and His ways!
But it starts with our willingness to change today!
