His goal is to get to the lake and obtain water to satisfy his thirst. As he travels toward the “lake”, the lake seems to maintain it’s distance, or at some point just disappears. IT WAS A MIRAGE!
Such an experience only brings disappointment and tragedy to the individual who believes the mirage is real.
In our nation, there are many people who have looked to the mirage of MANKIND for their SATISFACTION, SAFETY, AND SECURITY.
For example, from the safety of our homes, we have watched television and seen the devastation in other countries:
• Buildings blown up
• Human bodies laying on the street
But on September 11, 2001, as we watched television we saw the kind of attacks that we have seen in other nations, but now it was happening to us. The Trade Towers in New York, both 110 stories high, came crashing down, taking the lives of thousands.
These two majestic towers were the pride of the US. But when they came crashing down to the earth, killing thousands, they taught the Americans something. We learned WHAT MANKIND CAN BUILD IN YEARS, CAN BE DESTROYED IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.
Once this devastation took place, there was only one question left to be asked, “WHERE DO WE NOW PUT OUR TRUST?”
Let’s look at two things in this sermon:
• FALSE SECURITY
• TRUE SECURITY
I. FALSE SECURITY
Look at Jer. 7:3 4, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.”
While we live in a modern age, there is very little difference between Jeremiah’s age and our age. They put their trust in a FALSE SECURITY like many today are doing. Notice, what Jeremiah said those in his age had done.
A. THEY TRUSTED IN LYING WORDS
Words mean things. Someone said, “Words are vehicles through which thoughts travel.”
Every society has developed some type of communication. In America, we have chosen the English language as our mode of communication. As in other languages, each word means a certain thing.
• Some words that we use in the English language represent certain colors. If I say something is yellow, every English speaking person will know what I am talking about, because words mean things!
• Some words are designated as numbers. If I say I have two eyes, every English speaking person knows how many eyes I have, because words mean things!
• Some words are powerful. That is, you can say a few words in church, and you are married. You can say a few words in your sleep, and you are divorced! Words mean things!
There are thousands of words in the English language that we use to communicate with other mortals. But words are like anything else, they can be abused. For example, there are those who take advantage of us by using LYING WORDS.
Illus: Suppose there is a bridge washed out down the road, and I know about the condition of that bridge. You stop and ask me if it is safe for you to go down the road, and knowing the bridge is washed out, I tell you everything is fine. You might be glad to hear me communicate that to you, but the fact is, I know there is not one ounce of truth to what I said.
During the days of Jeremiah, the people had placed their faith in a FALSE SECURITY.
Look again at Jer. 7:3 4, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.”
Notice Jeremiah said they had placed their trust in, “Lying words.”
Their prophets had told them they had it made because they had the TEMPLE OF THE LORD.
Notice, Jeremiah mentions it three times for the emphasis they placed on it, “The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD.”
It is wonderful that they had the temple of the Lord, but it was a lie to say because they had the temple, this was all they needed. Their prophets spoke lies to them and they believed those lies. You see, we often prefer to believe a LIE than to be told the TRUTH.
• For example, if you want to be popular, look at people and tell them they look great! It might be a lie, but they give you a smile and are grateful that you told them such a lie.
• Now if you want to be unpopular, tell people the TRUTH about how they look, and they will be mad at you until the day you die.
This is why Bible-preaching preachers stay in hot water all the time. Why? BECAUSE THEY PREACH THE TRUTH, AND VERY FEW PEOPLE TODAY WANT TO HEAR THE TRUTH!
The false prophets spoke words that were lies, and they believed them.
How disappointed some are going to be when they realize they have built their lives around a pack of LIES!
Illus: Not one who died in the Trade Towers (Sept 11, 2001) in New York would have entered those buildings had they known that these buildings they were entering were going to cost them their lives. They had come to believe:
• These buildings were designed by some of the best architects and engineers in the world.
• These buildings were built by some of the best contractors in the world.
• These buildings were the pride of New York city.
• These buildings were built to withstand a devastating earthquake.
But when these buildings came tumbling down, how they must have regretted putting their confidence in these buildings that man had built.
They were led to believe they were safe in these buildings, if they did not believe that they would not have entered them. On Sept. 11, 2001, thousands placed their trust in these architects, and walked into these two 110 story buildings only to regret it later.
And the people in Jeremiah’s age did the same thing, they placed their trust in lies. They took the easy road and believed the LYING PROPHETS. THEY TRUSTED IN LYING WORDS like many today are doing, and -
B. THEY PRACTICED AN EMPTY RELIGION
“...The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.”
To them the temple was little more than a “good luck charm.” The same thing goes for man today. People will say, “I have to go to church Sunday, things are not going so well in my life!”
The church building is not a good luck charm that brings about things in our life that we wish for. But that is the way they saw the house of God.
Look at Jer. 7:14 15, “Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, WHEREIN YE TRUST...”
DID YOU HEAR WHAT THE LORD SAID ABOUT THIS TEMPLE THEY WORSHIPPED IN? He said, “…WHEREIN YE TRUST...” That is, they were BUILDING WORSHIPPERS, not GOD WORSHIPPERS.
The Trade Towers ranked as two of the greatest buildings on the face of the earth. Look at some of the staggering statistics about these buildings.
• Their height was 1,368 and 1,362 feet (417 and 415 meters)
• It was a complex of seven buildings on 16-acres
• Construction of a world trade facility had been under consideration since the end of WWII
• Designed to be very tall to maximize the area of the plaza, the towers were initially to rise to only 80-90 stories. Only later was it decided to construct them as the world's tallest buildings.
• Construction began in 1966, and cost an estimated $1.5 billion.
• One World Trade Center was ready for its first tenants in late 1970, though the upper stories were not completed until 1972.
• Two World Trade Center was finished in 1973.
People from all over the world came to visit these buildings. They came with their cameras, and marveled as they looked up and saw two 110 story buildings that seemed like they reached into the sky.
When people left the site of these buildings, they left saying to each other and to themselves, “HOW GREAT MANKIND HAS BECOME TO DO SUCH A MARVELOUS THING AS BUILD THESE BUILDINGS.”
Listen, Buildings are not great, GOD IS GREAT. He might give mankind the wisdom to do such things, but remember it is GOD WHO DOES GREAT THINGS!
Mankind today is like it was during Jeremiah’s time. They put their trust in material things, they are “building worshippers”.
They felt secure in this marvelous temple that they worshipped in, but if you go to where this marvelous temple was once located, all you will find is some foundation stones that show us where it once was…THAT’S ALL!
Jer. 7:14 15, “Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.”
Many people are feeling secure about eternity because:
• THEY WORSHIP IN A GLORIOUS CHURCH BUILDING
• THEY PUT AN OFFERING IN THE PLATE WHEN IT IS PASSED AROUND
• THEY HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED
• THEY PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNION ORDINANCE
• THEY MADE A PROFESSION OF SALVATION
• THEY DO WORK FOR THE CHURCH
The sad thing is that their security is a FALSE SECURITY because they have NOT been saved, and cannot be right with God until they get saved! Their security is based on nothing more than LIES FROM THE PULPIT, or a “FEELING” that things are OK. One day the walls of their security will come tumbling down, and it will involve the destruction of their souls.
This is a FALSE SECURITY, but let’s look at a-
II. TRUE SECURITY
True security can only be found in the living God.
Illus: We look at the uncivilized world and make fun of those who put their faith in gods of STONE, WOOD, AND METAL.
We say we do not understand how anyone can put their TRUST in something that is made by mortal man. But before we are so quick to condemn these heathen, let’s consider the fact that we in the civilized world do the same thing. Our gods may not look like their gods, but we have our gods.
We have put our trust in these gods we serve:
• We have young people today who do not know how they got here, or where they are going, because they have been lied to by a college professor that taught them they are here because of evolution.
• We have young people that think that the only reason God placed them here on earth, is to have a good time.
• We have parents today that have problems, and the only solution they have to solving their problems is to turn to drugs and alcohol.
• We have Christians who are so backslidden they can not remember the last time they sought the Lord Jesus in prayer.
Our society has placed it’s TRUST in the wrong places, and these things have tumbled down all around us. True SECURITY can only be found by TRUSTING the living God.
Many folks are letting it be known, THEY ARE AFRAID! And they have every right to be, but if they will return to the Lord in TRUE REPENTANCE, there is still hope.
The Psalmist said in Psalm 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”
WHAT MUST WE DO? Jer. 7:5a, “For if ye thoroughly AMEND YOUR WAYS and YOUR DOINGS…”
HOW DO WE AMEND OUR WAYS?
A. WE MUST LIVE RIGHT
Look at Jer. 7:5b, “...if ye thoroughly execute judgment....” The Christians dealings with his fellow man are to be fair and above board. We don’t try to cheat each other out of things.
God is not pleased when men live their lives with the attitude, “I do not need God for riches, I will cheat my way through life.”
Look what God’s Word says about such a life, in Prov. 20:23, “Divers weights are an abomination unto the LORD; and a false balance is not good.”
God despises this attitude of the ungodly, who think they can get by in this life by cheating, deceiving and stealing. We are to be JUST in all our dealings, not always trying to get something for nothing. WE MUST LIVE RIGHT!
B. WE MUST BE COMPASSIONATE
Jer. 7:6, “...OPPRESS NOT the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow,....” We ought to have compassion on people, and try to make their burdens lighter not heavier! God is not pleased with a person who is going about making people’s lives miserable.
C. WE MUST LIVE COMMITTED LIVES
Jer. 7:6, "...NEITHER WALK AFTER OTHER GODS to your hurt:” Notice that God says that if you trust in false gods, you do so “to your hurt.”
When we do these things and make amends, then God said there are some things He will do.
Look at Jer. 7:7-12, “Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.”
Conclusion:
God wants us to know that if we are going to continue to put our trust in LYING WORDS, He has some very harsh things to say to us.
Look at Jeremiah 7:8-12, we read, “Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel.”
These are some harsh words. God knew what they were doing and he confronted them with their acts. God said, “Will ye...
• STEAL
• MURDER
• COMMIT ADULTERY
• SWEAR FALSELY
• BURN INCENSE UNTO BAAL
• WALK AFTER OTHER GODS
God said that they had the nerve to do these things, and then to come into the temple and present themselves before God and ask God to bless them! He said they say, “We are delivered to do all these abominations.”
• Some Christians think they are saved to SIN
• Some Christians think they are saved to SIT
• Some Christians know they are saved to SERVE
Illus: The coney is a rock badger, a bit larger than the prairie dogs out west. coneys are gray, the color of the rocks. As long as the coney is on the rock sunning itself, it's almost impossible to see. When a predator comes to attack, the coney will run into a hole in the rock. If a vulture or an eagle wants to sweep down on the coney, it has to knock down a mountain to get at it.
One thing about coneys, they know where their security lies. If a coney decides to go off on the prairie, venturing away from the rock, then it is vulnerable.
• It doesn't matter how courageous the Coney is
• It doesn't matter whether or not it's been taking body building lessons at the local gym
The most courageous coney can fall victim to the smallest wolf or lion. When it wanders away from the rock, a Coney is dead meat.
If we take that truth and make spiritual application with it, we could say, "If you have the wisdom of a badger, you'll know where your security is.” And the security you must have is the security of God himself. Don’t wander away from the “Rock!”
I. FALSE SECURITY
II. TRUE SECURITY
