November 11, 2001 Jeremiah 26:1-6
1 Early in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD: 2 "This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. 3 Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. 4 Say to them, `This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’"
A few years ago I attended a pastor’s get together in Grand Island. It came time to put Tristan in his pajamas before we left to go home. As I was attempting to do so, he was able to squirm away from me and run around with just a diaper on. When a fellow pastor saw what had happened, he grabbed my son and held onto him, telling me to put his pajamas on. Even though he hadn’t said anything, I knew by his actions what he thought - I shouldn’t allow my son to run away from me while I change him.. I didn’t take offense at it, but it made me think about how many times I have criticized others in the way they raise their children. It sure is amazing how we think we can do a better job than someone else at raising their kids. If you’re a parent - maybe you’ve been under the same scrutiny.
In a similar way, doesn’t God under go the same kind of scrutiny? As people look at the way God runs the world, they are always coming up with what they think are better ways to run the world, better ways to treat His children than what God says. Today, people are especially critical of how God judges the world. They don’t like a God who is so judgmental! “I can’t believe in a God who would send people to hell,” they say.
Today is Last Judgment Sunday. This text of Jeremiah is very fitting for today, because it talks about a similar kind of Judgment Day. God was about to send judgment on His people. It was about 608 B.C., just about 20 years before the final destruction of Jerusalem - when God would send the Babylonians into the land to destroy it. Women would end up so hungry that they would decide to eat their children - young men would be dashed to the ground and made slaves, women would be ravaged.
When you read what happened to these Israelites, it’s easy to feel pity for them. You feel sorry for the children who were eaten by their own parents. You feel sorry for the young men who were taken captive and the old men who were put to death - and you wonder “why”. It’s easy for us to ridicule God for allowing this to happen to them. And it’s easy for people to question why God would send thousands to hell on Judgment Day. But before we do this, let’s look at God’s attitude toward Judgment Day. As we do this, we will see that He isn’t as evil as people judge Him to be.
Even in Judgment, God is Merciful
I. He sends His Prophets Among the People
There was a reason for this judgment on the Israelites. Jehoiakim had just taken over as ruler of the southern Kingdom. Although he was the son of good King Josiah, he sure didn’t act like it. Anything that God wanted, he was against. Earlier, a different prophet by the name of Uriah had prophesied against Jerusalem. He knew that the king would try to murder him, so he fled to Egypt. Jehoiakim sent a party out after him, brought him back, and put him to death. Throughout all of the reformations that his father Josiah enacted, he and the people rebelled - they didn’t want anything to do with God. When Jeremiah later on wrote against Jerusalem - Jehoiakim took the scroll which Jeremiah had his scribe write and burned it. In justice, God could not allow such a society to exist without punishment. So He sent the Babylonians.
Instead of judging the Lord for sending judgment, let’s be fair and look at the whole situation. He didn’t tell Jeremiah just to sit at home and complain about the way his world was going. What did he do? In mercy, "This is what the LORD (said): Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Even though they deserved this judgment, the LORD wanted as many people as possible to know what was happening. There were thousands of Israelites who had to know the end was near! He showed his compassion by sending Jeremiah to where the people were at - in the temple.
So God also tells us, “go and make disciples of all NATIONS!” Bob Newhart once counseled a man who wanted to be a door to door salesman. He had him simulate what he would do on a door to door call. So the man went outside his door. Bob waited about a half minute, but there was no knock. Finally, he opened the door, and asked the man why he didn’t knock. He said “I’m too afraid.” Obviously, he wasn’t going to sell too much with that attitude. Isn’t that how we sometimes view evangelism? We wait for our neighbor to knock on our door and say, “I’d like to join your church.” It’s not gonna happen. If a flood was coming, you certainly wouldn’t wait until an “opportune time” to talk to your neighbor about it. We can’t just say to ourselves, “I don’t know anyone,” or “I don’t get to meet anyone.” That’s why God said GO. God sent Jeremiah among the people, and He is also sending you! If you don’t know who your neighbors are, then go and meet them. If you don’t have opportunities to meet people at work, then go in and have coffee at a busy time of the day. We need to get out - volunteer - go to garage sales - do whatever we can to get among the people. You know that the end is near. If you wait until tomorrow, that may be too late. True compassion reaches out where the people are! Don’t expect people to come to your door. That’s why God says go! He is a merciful God!
II. He sends them with His Word
If you think about it, this is why we are paling in comparison with many other churches. The Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses send out their missionaries - two by two - into the world. Many other denominations are trying to reach out to single moms, troubled children, etc., trying to create avenues to have people join their church. I have seen examples on TV of some churches that have support groups for the bereaved, activities for the youth, all kinds of things to the point where they are growing leaps and bounds. But if we just come to church, and go home, come to church, and go home - what will happen? We sure won’t grow.
But then again, if you think about it, you wonder what good are these churches doing? If we grow to a thousand members, and have all kinds of activities for the youth and singles, etc., what good are we really doing? Couldn’t a YMCA or a club do the same thing? That’s the problem that can happen with a church - it can be so concerned about bringing people in - that it forgets what the purpose is in bringing them in. I have heard sermons from some of these mega-churches - and the speaker will tell a really cute story about his family or his job, make a vague application to God, entertain the people, and go home. Nobody is told they are sinners. Nobody is told about the Savior. So then you think - what is the purpose of doing it if that’s all they do?
Notice why God sent Jeremiah out. He didn’t just send him to the temple to get to know the people. Why did He send Jeremiah? God said, Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s house and speak to all the people . . . Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word. God’s purpose was to get the Word out! What was the Word? If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened), 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’" It was a message of destruction - if you don’t repent, you’ll be just like Shiloh! Shiloh had been the center of worship for years during the years of Eli. The ark was there and everyone met there to worship God. But after Eli’s sons went astray with the people of Israel, God took the ark from Shiloh and it was deserted. God said, “if you don’t start listening to me - if you don’t follow my law - you will be destroyed just like Shiloh!” This was the only message that would save them! If God didn’t care, He wouldn’t have given Jeremiah a message. But He did! Even in judgment, God was showing His mercy.
Compare God’s actions with our own. What’s the first thing you do when you see such evil in the world? I remember the last time I was in Madison. I was walking along the market place, and I saw signs in the businesses which said, “the businesses of Madison support it’s gay and lesbian community.” I walked by a booth on the street selling pins and lapels that said the same thing. You know what I did? I walked by, shaking my head. I wanted to say something, but I thought to myself, “what good would it do? People would call be a bigot and hateful.” Instead of saying anything, I walked on by and complained about it at home.
How often is it that we do the same thing? The media today is crying out, “let us live our own lives,” and we are listening to them. You have a cousin who is living with someone - defiling the marriage bed. Instead of saying anything, you go home and tell your family what he or she is doing. You don’t want to make waves. You are distraught over the fact that your neighbor never goes to church. But you never invite them to church, after all, they wouldn’t go anyway. Where is the compassion in this? Instead of going among the people and warning them of their destiny, we are just sitting at home and complaining about it.
We are living in an age of tolerance. People are being told more and more that it’s ok to be homosexual. It’s great to have sex before marriage. Instead of living for God, make sure that you are successful in the business world. The only thing they are intolerant of, is people who tell them that they are sinning. But what does God say? 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. This is the message our greedy neighbors need to hear! It’s not ok to live your own life. As a matter of fact - God sends those who live like that to hell. If they don’t hear it - what will happen to them? They will go to hell. That’s why God sent Jeremiah, and that’s why He sends us. In mercy, He sends us out before Judgment Day with the only tool that will bring repentance - the Law.
III. He sends them again and again to avert Disaster
So God shows His mercy before Judgment Day by first of all sending His messenger among the people, and secondly by giving them a message that will bring the people to repentance. The third way we can see God’s mercy is in His attitude. Why did God give the Israelites such a harsh message? Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done. Say to them, `This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened). Time and time again - God sent out so many prophets. After they were stoned to death, He sent more. In patience and love He was the ultimate optimist. Even after Jeremiah had preached there for over 20 years, He still said, “perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way.” His only purpose was to save!
If any of you still wonder why God hasn’t ended the world - this is why! Instead of second guessing God, remember that God is patient. Remember what Peter said in 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. There is no other reason why this world is continuing on. God wants more to go to heaven.
This is why God hasn’t given up on us as well! Every year you hear the Lord say go and tell, but how many times do you say, “yes, but. . .” Thank God that He is so patient and forgiving with us. When we ignore God’s command to go - we deserve to go to hell. But instead, God brings us to repentance. He takes all of our sins off of us, and throws them on Jesus. Then He shows us that Jesus died for our lack of zeal. As the end draws nearer, He assures us that we are forgiven. Even if the end came today, we would still go to heaven, because the blood of Jesus purifies us from all sins. In patience, God continues to stick with us. Even in judgment, God is merciful.
Isn’t this a great motivation to stick with God’s great commission as the end draws near? How often have we given up on a prospect because they said “no” once? Instead of giving up on that person, now we know to go back time and time again. Just as God has been patient with us, we will be patient with others. Just as Jeremiah went back for over 20 years with optimism, we will continue to go back and preach the law and gospel time and time again. As long as the end is not here, we will continue reaching out. We will keep showing people their sins, so that we can show them the Savior that has died for their sins. As God’s judgment looms nearer, we will continue to mercifully reach out to our friends and neighbors, optimistic that God’s Word will work. It may seem that we are mean and unloving as we show people their sins. But our motivation is love, as we want people to come to repentance and faith in Jesus. Amen.
