JER. 2:26-30 "AMERICA, WHERE ARE THY GODS THAT THOU HAST MADE?"
A) America is without question the richest nation on Earth! * No one can argue with that!
* She has the strongest and largest churches in the world! * America has more preachers than
any other country in the world!
* She has more Christian colleges, more Christian universities, more Bible schools than any
other country! * Yet, in spite of all these things, sin is in our midst!
B) The devil is making an attack upon this nation that we cannot fail to see!
* He would like to destroy everything worthwhile! * He would like to destroy every soul winning
church, every outreach, every Christian school & every preacher who preaches the Word of God!
C) Multitudes have turned to modernism! * But the Bible still says, "Be ye holy ......."
* Only a small percentage - 12 to 15 % attend church on Sun. morning in America.
* Maybe not that many at times! * Sun. nights, even a smaller percentage!
D) Almost none at all for our Wed. night prayer meeting!
* Our text comes from the book of Jeremiah, the weeping prophet.
* Jeremiah looked upon the people of Israel with amazement and tears!
E) He was amazed that they had turned away from the eternal God!
* He was in tears as he pled for their return to God! * He gives the message of God to Israel:
* "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings ......." Jer. 3:22
F) Three separate thoughts I will try to join together in this brief message:
(1) THE DUMB GODS OF MAN!
* The people of Israel turned away from the living God to the dumb gods of man!
A) They had turned to mountains and hills for salvation!
* It says in v.28 "The number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah."
* They turned away to false gods, to idols!
B) Our mind goes back to the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel & the prophets of Baal!
* They were standing and prophesying & Elijah said, "Build your altar, set it afire with your
prayers." * "I’ll build an altar & set the fire with my prayers!"
C) The prophets built the altar! * They prayed - nothing happened!
* Dumb gods! * But God answered the prayer of Elijah!
D) Man is a worshipper! * He has to worship something or someone, no matter who!
* And he often worships himself because he thinks he can do all things!
* They say, "I have my own way." * My dear friend, the only way is the Bible way!
E) Being a Christian, one who believes the Word of God & accepts it as that is the way to go!
* This is the Bible, God’s Holy Word! * We stand for this!
* But many have turned away and refused to receive it!
F) Man worships objects! * Money, houses, and land - things!
* Jesus gave the parable in Lk.12:16-21 about the rich fool saying of this one, "Thou fool ......."
* And again we have the story in Lk.16:19-31 "There was a certain rich man ......."
* Man worshipping objects, worshipping things!
G) Man worships his own inventiveness! * He feels that he can work it out!
* In his foolishness he says, "Look what I’ve done, look what I’ve built!"
* Nebuchadnezzar - Dan.4:29-30 "At the end of the 12 months he walked in the palace ......."
H) Friend, you can worship a helpless god as did the worshippers of Baal.
* You can worship a god that cannot hear you! * You can worship a god who can never help
you in your time of need! * That god is a failure & your life is also a failure!
* What a waste it is when people fall for false worship of this world!
I) I want you to see this, this morning! * Think of your life for a moment:
* Are you worshipping God or do you worship the things of the world?
* Are you falling for some of the sinful things of the world?
* Are you falling for the money, for the riches, for the power, for the things of this world,
* The dumb gods that cannot answer prayer nor do things for you?
J) If you fall for these gods, you’ll have an empty life!
* Our hope is not in the things of this world! * "My hope is built on nothing less than ......."
(2) THE DANGER ZONE OF MAN! * Today, we fear certain things! * For example:
A) We fear price inflation! * There’s a lot of talk about that, especially gasoline prices!
* What is happening today? * Prices going up, eating away at our salaries.
* Eating up what we’ve saved & making it difficult to live comfortably!
* It’s outrageous, most families can’t afford to go to doctors anymore!
B) Then we fear the inconvenience of a depression! * The loss of salary, mortgaged property,
* The loss of position, all these things we fear!
* But the danger zone is that we do not fear what we ought to fear!
C) For example, we do not fear sins! * We’ve grown so use to sin that we look over it,
* Saying, "What difference does it make?"
* We take sin like a policeman who is used to seeing crime everyday!
D) We take sin like the lawyer in the courtroom who is used to the trials & sentencing!
* We take sin like the doctor takes sickness - He’s used to seeing it & it doesn’t bother him!
* We’ve gotten accustomed to it and this is a tragedy!
E) We do not fear sin! * This is the danger zone, so alert yourself!
* This world is filled with sinful, wicked people, beer drinkers, those who are immoral, and
immodest in every way! * They are used to the sin of this world! * We need to fear sin!
F) We do not fear indifference toward holy matters! * People are indifferent (unconcerned).
* They care little about the church, the Bible, prayer, giving, missions, witnessing, about anything!
* They are indifferent to it all! * Nobody is troubled anymore!
G) Jeremiah pointed this out saying to the people, "This is one of your problems!"
* "You are indifferent toward the things of God, you have turned away!"
* "But where now are thy gods that thou hast made? What can you do? What can you say?"
H) They had nothing at all - they were empty! * This is what Jer. is trying to point out to them!
* We do not fear indifference, but we had better start, for one day we will face God!
I) We do not fear wasting of a life! * You only have one life to live, don’t waste it!
* I have only one life, maybe I’m not doing all I ought to do, but I pray everyday, "God, let me
use this one day in the best way!" * I’ve got eternity, I’ve got heaven waiting for me,
* But I’ve got just this one life in which to serve Him!
J) Without Jesus, there is nothing! * We do not fear the wasting of a life!
* One’s life is wasted if he lives it outside the knowledge of Christ!
* Serve Him today, live for Him!
* People are so busy, working, building, planning, until they’ve left God out altogether!
K) That’s true of America! * People say, "I don’t have time to go to church, read the Bible, pray."
* "I’m just too busy, I wish I could be like you, go to church all the time, but I’m too busy."
* That’s funny - the same ones can take 2-4 weeks off for vacation & think nothing about it!
L) There’s nothing wrong with taking off! * But don’t lie about being too busy for God’s work!
* Keep God in first place! * If He doesn’t rule your life today, I hope He will before this service
is through! * These things should alert us!
M) The danger zone is the danger zone of indifference!
* Get concerned, be alert to what’s happening to America!
* Be alert to your home life, your business life - keep Jesus in the very center!
(3) THE DELIVERENCE OF MAN! * The dumb gods of man - the danger zone of man - now ...
* There is a way out for the individual, and a way out for the nation! * It’s God’s way!
A) First, we have the goodness of God! * God longs to help us & He’s ready to help us!
* I’m continually amazed at the goodness of God! * God is supplying every need!
B) Second, we have the promises of God! * Promises to a nation - 2 Chr.7:14 "If my ..."
* Promise to the one that is away from God - 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our ......."
* Promise to the church - Rev.3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man ..."
* Then there is the promise to the sinner - John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath ......."
C) Third, we have the power of choice! * You can choose to walk with the world or God!
* Enoch made a choice - he chose to walk with God!
D) This is what you should chose this morning! * What is your need this morning?
* Let God supply it! * He’s promised to help! * He has power to help!
* He has compassion to help! * He wants to help & we can have His help by simple faith in Him!
CLOSE
A) My friend, if you’ve never been saved, if you’ve never accepted Christ as your Savior,
* There couldn’t be a better time than right now!
B) You may be trusting in things! * Church membership, baptism, good works, giving to others.
* I hope you will come forward to say, "I put my faith & my trust in Jesus Christ, God’s Son!"
C) God is speaking to you this morning - this is your hour to be saved!
* You come today and God will save you!
D) Maybe you need to re-dedicate your life to God!
* Whatever the case, come - you’ll never regret it!
