Shame On The Shepherd

SHAME ON THE SHEPHERDS

TEXT: JEREMIAH 50:1-6

MY PEOPLE HATH BEEN LOST SHEEP: THEIR SHEPHERDS HAVE CAUSED THEM TO GO ASTRAY, THEY HAVE TURNED THEM TO GO ASTRAY ON THE MOUNTAINS; THEY HAVE GONE FROM THE MOUNTAIN TO THE HILL, THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN THEIR RESTINGPLACE.

INTRODUCTION:

HAVE YOU EVER REALLY STOPPED TO SEE HOW MANY TIMES ISRAEL FOUND ITSELF IN CAPTIVITY? JUST IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES THIRTEEN TIMES THEY TURNED THEIR BACK ON GOD AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN THEY ENDED UP SERVING SOME OTHER KING OR GOD BESIDES JEHOVAH. OF COURSE YOU REMEMBER THE JEWS IN EGYPT. JEREMIAH DESCRIBES THE STATE OF ISRAEL AFTER BABYLON DESTROYED IT IN 588 B.C. JEREMIAH WAS SO OVERWELMED WITH THE CONDITION OF GOD’S PEOPLE THAT HE FOUND HIMSELF PROSTRATE BEFORE GOD NOT EVEN ABLE TO LIFT HIS HEAD OFF THE GROUND. IT DOESN’T END THERE EITHER. ALL THROUGH HISTORY THE JEWS HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES BACKSLIDDING. USUALLY THEIR BACKSLIDDING WAS A RESULT OF THEIR LEADERS LEADING THEM DOWN THE WRONG PATH. TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME OF THESE SITUATIONS. EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD LOOK AT THESE EXAMPLES AND THEN HANG THEIR HEAD IN PRAYER BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE CAN FIND OURSELVES DOING THE SAME THING THEY DID. IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH: WOE IS OUR COUNTRY!

I. LAMENTATIONS 2:14 THY PROPHETS HAVE SEEN VAIN AND FOOLISH THINGS FOR THEE: AND THEY HAVE NOT DISCOVERED THINE INQUITY TO TURN AWAY THY CAPTIVITY; BUT HAVE SEEN FOR THEE FALSE BURDENS AND CAUSES OF BANISHMENT.

IN 588 BC WE FIND ISRAEL IN A STATE OF RUIN: COMPLETELY LEVELED TO THE GROUND. IN WAS IN SUCH A STATE THAT JEREMIAH WAS BROKEN BEFORE GOD TO PRAY AS NEVER BEFORE. HE (JEREMIAH) TELLS US IN 2:14 THAT IF THE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN TO THEMSELVES PROPHETS OF GOD WHO TOLD THE TRUTH AND NOT SPOKEN WORDS THAT TICKLE THE EARS THEY WOULD HAVE KNOWN THE TRUETH AND BEEN ABLE TO TURN BACK TO GOD BEFORE IT WAS TO LATE. IF YOU STUDY THIS PERIOD OF TIME ABOUT 150 YEARS 600 TO 450 BC YOU WILL FIND THIS IS WHEN THE MOST ATTENION AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF OLD TESTMENT BOOKS WERE WRITTEN. YOU WILL ALSO FIND THE MOST TEARS IN THIS PERIOD: JEREMIAH, ZEPHANIAH,HABAKKUK,ZECHARIAH, HAGGAI, EZRA, NEHEMIAH, ESTHER, II CHRONICLES, II KINGS, DANIEL, EZEKIEL ARE ALL WRITTEN RIGHT AROUND THIS PERIOD AND ALMOST ALL WITHOUT EXCEPTION ARE WRITTEN WITH TEARS AAS TO THE CONDITION OF ISRAEL. 14 BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT COVER 200 YEARS NO OTHER PERIOD OF TIME IN THE OLD TESTAMENT HAS THAT MANY BOOKS COVERING IT.

II. MATTHEW 26:4 AND CONSULTED THAT THEY MIGHT TAKE JESUS BY SUBTILTY, AND KILL HIM.

500 YEARS LATTER AND THEY STILL HAVEN’T LEARNED THEIR LESSON. HERE WE SEE THE LEADERS AGAIN LEADING THE JEWS DOWN THE WRONG PATH. WILL THEY EVER HEAR THE TRUTH? HERE WAS GOD ALMIGHTY DWELLING ALMONG THEM AND THEY DON’T WANT HIM. THEY REJECTED JESUS BECAUSE THEY WANTED A LION. WHEN JESUS WAS KILLED THEY CRIED HIS BLOOD BE UPON US AND FOR TWO THOUSAND YEARS NOW IT HAS BEEN UPON THEM. I WISH YOU COULD SEE A SERMON WRITTEN IN TEARS FOR ALL THOSE JEWS THAT HAVE DIED OVER THE PAST TWO THOUSAND YEARS AND HAVE GONE TO HELL BECAUSE THE BLOOD OF JESUS COVERED THEM BUT NOT AS IT HAS FOR US. THE SAME BLOOD THAT SAVES CHRISTIANS TODAY IS THE SAME BLOOD THAT HAS COST THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF JEWS TO THIS VERY DAY. PRAISE GOD THE BIBLE SAYS THE DAY WILL COME WHEN THE JEWISH NATION WILL BE SAVED, BUT NOT JUST YET. TODAY MAYBE AS WE SPEAK A JEW IS GOING TO HELL.

III. II TIMOTHY 4:3,4 FOR THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THEY WILL NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE; BUT AFTER THEIR OWN LUSTS SHALL HEAP TO THEMSELVES TEACHERS HAVING ITCHING EARS; AND THEY SHALL TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, AND SHALL BE TURNED TO FABLES.

WELL HERE WE ARE IN 2001! AND BELIEVE ME WHEN I TELL YOU WE DO NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE. I WENT TO CANIDATE FOR A PASTORS JOB IN SC AND A PASTOR’S WIFE TOLD ME NOT TO PREACH A MESSAGE I BELIEVED WAS FROM GOD. SHE SAID YOU’LL NEVER BE THEIR PASTOR IF YOU DO. I HEAR THINGS LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME. WOE IS ME I SEE IT ALMOST EVERY SUNDAY SOMEWHERE PREACHERS TICKLING THE CONGREGATIONS EARS WITH PRETTY WORDS. LISTEN WE ARE IN VERY DANGEROUS TERRITORY WHEN WE ARE AFFRAID TO HEAR GOD’S WORD THE WAY HE WANTS IT GIVEN. PASTORS ARE NOT TRUSTING GOD. PEOPLE WILL FIRE YOU AS A PASTOR IN ALOT OF PLACES FOR TELLING THE TRUTH, PASTORS HAVE TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES CONSEQUENTLY, THEY WATER DOWN THE WORD. THIS RESULTS IN A WATERED DOWN ABUNDANT LIFE. THERE IS NO JOY ANYMORE, NO REVIVAL AS IN DAYS OF OLD, NO PRAISING OF GOD LIKE IN THE DAYS OF OLD.