The Winning Life
Jeremiah 18:15 and Selected Verses
Introduction
1. This past week the Cardinals won the World Series. Sports Illustrated writer summed it up this way: “Given up for dead several times during the regular season, nearly toes-up in the final days of it and afforded a zero chance of doing anything once they tripped into the postseason, La Russa’s Cardinals captured one of the most unlikely World Series titles in history Friday night, beating the favored Tigers in five games for St. Louis’ first Series win since 1982.”
2. How did they do the seemingly impossible—to win when almost everyone concluded that they would fail?
3. I would not consider myself an authority on Baseball—but this is my amateurish take on the Cardinals.
a. They worked hard
b. They committed less critical errors that their opponents
c. They listened to La Russa, their manager.
4. Although there are many who can see parallels to life and sports, like Baseball, believe it or not, life is far more complicated.
5. We can work hard and try to commit less errors, but the Bible says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). No matter how much we try, the Bible reveals that “our righteous deeds are like filthy garments” (Isaiah 64:6).
6. But there is something we can learn from the World Series: the Cardinals listen to their manager.
7. Who do we need to listen to? Who do we need to follow in life?
8. Deuteronomy 13:4 “You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.”
9. For the nation of Israel, under the leadership of King Zedekiah, there was a whole-hearted struggle to honor the authority of God in their lives.
10. Centuries before Zedekiah, another leader declared: “Joshua 24:15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
11. Unfortunately, the people of Israel rejected God and turned to go their own way.
Text
God said through the prophet Jeremiah (18:15) ‘For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway.”
Thesis
1. Like Israel under King Zedekiah, many people today have forgotten God. They worship everything under the son, but God. And, they have chosen to walk in the bypaths—ways of their own design, rejecting God’s way to hope and eternal life.
2. This morning I want to talk with you about a different way to life—different from Israel and King Zedekiah’s way, different from the prevailing way of our present society. Using Jeremiah 18:15, I want to show you how we can live the winning life.
Transition
1. The Israelites under King Zedekiah were heading toward destruction. God, in His proclamation to Israel through the prophet Jeremiah identified three over-riding problems—transgressions—sin—that would bring about the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the Southern Kingdom.
2. The first over-riding problem that God identified: “For My people have forgotten Me.”
3. What did the people of Israel forget?
a. They forgot God!
b. They forgot His blessings!
c. They forgot His authority, His power, and His judgments!
d. They forgot when He rescued them from slavery, brought them through the Red Sea, gave them water to drink, food to eat, and victory over their enemies.
e. They forgot!
4. What have you forgotten?
a. Did you forget about His salvation—the death and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ?
b. Did you forget about His grace and mercy—knowing that you deserved death and destruction, but He rescued you by His great love?
c. Did you forget about His power—to heal, to give peace, and to place in your heart a joy unspeakable and full of glory?
d. Did you forget…?
5. What Israel should have done and what you must do is…
I. REMEMBER
1. That is how you can live the winning life—remember!
2. Remember how he brought you out of that miry clay—that quick sand of sin and despair.
3. Psalm 103:1-5 “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”
4. How does “remembering help in bringing about the winning life?
5. First, Remembering puts everything in proper perspective. It’s not what we have done. It’s not our intellect, our abilities, our talents—it is by God’s grace and mercy that we have salvation through faith.
6. Second, Remembering gives hope—for God does not change. His authority, power, and love then are the same today. His promises are yes and amen.
7. And third, Remembering places value on the gift of salvation. When Jesus assembled his disciples in the upper room on the night He was to be betrayed, He commanded the disciples to take the bread and drink the cup to remember the awesome price that was to be paid for redemption and reconciliation to God.
Transition
1. But Israel forgot—and many today forget. And, forgetting leads to confusion, skepticism, and even unbelief.
2. Not only did God say: “My people have forgotten Me,” but He then declared: “They burn incense to worthless gods.”
3. The second over-riding problem of Israel was: They rejected the One True God, and worshiped worthless, meaningless, powerless gods.
4. They placed their trust in idols made by human hands—they honored the gods of the Canaanites—gods of fertility, gods of harvest, gods of weather, gods of war—anything but the One True God.
5. And, is America much different than Israel and King Zedekiah? You may say: “I don’t worship stone idols—or pray to the gods of weather or the gods of war!” However, you may worship your job, or sports, or other people, or your investments, or even yourself.
6. Israel burned incense to worthless gods. What should Israel have done, and what should we do?
II. Worship God.
1. That’s how you live the winning life—not only to remember what God has done but to Worship God, for He alone is worthy.
2. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well, he addressed the issue of authentic worship. John 4:23-24 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. 24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
3. How does authentic, biblical worship help in producing the winning life?
4. First, Worshiping God fulfills your created purpose for living. If you never are able to answer to satisfaction why you are here, you will be miserable and directionless. The writer of Deuteronomy 6:13 says: “You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.” Your supreme purpose—your reason for being is to worship God alone. Not on your terms—not based upon your feelings and emotions. You are to worship God because He is God—according to His instructions in His word. And, that is why you were created.
5. Second, Worshiping God reorganizes your priorities in life. Authentic worship affects your priorities. Self, your friends, your job, even your family must take second place to God. Jesus made the point when he said: (Luke 14:26) “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” Now, does this give you license to hate one another? NO! But, in comparison to God, you are to love Him completely, whole-heartedly, without any hesitation. God becomes the chief object of your affections. God becomes Lord and Master of your life. Genuine worship produces an obedient life to God’s Word.
6. And third, Worshiping God opens the doors to His blessings on your life. God gave a promise to Israel if only they would heed His word: Deuteronomy 15:4-6 “However, there will be no poor among you, since the LORD will surely bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, 5 if only you listen obediently to the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today. 6 “For the LORD your God will bless you as He has promised you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.” When you genuinely, biblically worship God, you will live a life of obedience. Living a life of obedience to God’s Word invites His blessings and promises into your life.
Transition
1. But Israel refused to worship God—they burned incense to worthless gods. Time and time again God invited them to repentance and restoration. And, time and time again the people of Israel refused and embraced false gods that provided no help, no satisfaction, and no blessing.
2. Not only did God say to Israel: “My people have forgotten Me,” and declared: “They burn incense to worthless gods,” but he then confirmed that: “they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in bypaths, Not on a highway.”
3. God had shown Israel what to do—guided them along the way—revealed to them that if they stay on the right road, they would be blessed and their enemies defeated.
4. But God revealed the third over-riding problem—Israel grew tired of God’s way. They complained, they murmured, and they grumbled against God and all who honored God. Not only did they reject God’s way—the one true way—they embraced all the ways of their enemies and God’s enemies.
5. What should Israel have done? What should you do?
III. Live God’s Way
1. And that’s how you live the winning life—not only to remember what God has done and to Worship God, but also to live God’s Way—the way He designed and ordered.
2. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
3. How does living God’s way help in experiencing the winning life?
4. First, Living God’s Way produces holiness. Isaiah 35:8 “A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it.” God is preparing you for heaven. He is setting you a part for His good pleasure. And, that means holiness—holy living—shunning sin and doing what is right in His eyes.
5. Second, Living God’s Way invites peace. Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When you travel on the well-worn paths of righteousness, you will discover an incredible, life-sustaining peace. Even when all around you is turmoil, struggle, pain—in the center of the storm there is the peace of God that hold you up when you want to fall down; that gives you courage when you want to run and hide; and that opens the door to divine rest—in is everlasting arms.
6. And third, Living God’s Way leads to everlasting life. Jesus said, (John 14:6) “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” The prevailing thought in today’s world attempts to push the idea that there are many ways to God—the Muslim way, the agnostic’s way, the Buddhist’s way, the New Age way. But, as Jesus makes it plain—there is no other way except that you be born again—a spiritual re-birth—adopted into the family of God by receiving His grace through faith.
Conclusion
1. In a Baseball game, a team wins, not because of a single player, but because to whole team is following the strategy lay out by the manager of the team.
2. Israel failed because they wanted to go their own way. They forgot about God’s love and His judgments; they failed to worship Him alone; and they went off course, following their own way—a way that led to destruction.
3. But, turning Jeremiah 18:15 into a positive, we can see what God expects from you and me: He wants us to remember what He has done; He wants us to worship Him alone—nobody and no-thing else; and He want us to follow His way—the way that leads to repentance, restoration, and genuine relationship with Him.
