Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20050320.htm

LAMENTATIONS: EFFECTIVELY FACING SINFUL FAILURE
Part II: Discerning False From True Ministers Through Difficulties
(Lamentations 2:1-22; 4:1-22)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

If we hold to the majority opinion of our civil and even religious leaders, are we assured of holding to God's TRUTH? That is a loaded question in view of the following facts:

(1) Brad Davis, talk show host on Torrington, Connecticut's radio station AM 610 last Tuesday morning reported numerous public officials and news reporters or columnists had privately asked him to convey to the former State Governor, John Rowland their support in his sentencing to be held later that week for corruption in his office.

Yet, according to Brad, not one of these prominent people had written a column or promoted in some public way their support that the former Governor get a light sentence for the good he had done in office. Apparently, to protect their own positions, these prominent people were heeding the "politically correct" powers that be.

So, were all of these prominent people representing what is right before GOD in not publicly supporting a light sentence for the former governor while they privately did the opposite? How can we tell if we trust the majority opinion of our civil leaders?

(2) At the MORAL level, Brad Davis also reported that same morning that all the polls indicate the majority of the PEOPLE in our State of Connecticut oppose the legalization of gay marriage and/or civil unions. However, contrary to this majority opinion and what happened in all the states in the last national election that had the issue up for a vote by the general population, our State legislators were sure to legalize gay marriages and/or civil unions, and you can be sure it would be met with the blessing of many religious ministers as well!

A big problem looms for us when we read in Jude 7 of the Bible that God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah expressly for HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVITY ! If our Connecticut State legislators pass a law that legalizes gay marriage and/or civil unions, IS that God's WILL for us OR are we biting a bullet with the WRATH of God -- how can we be SURE?

IS the MAJORITY OPINION of our civil and religious leaders where GOD'S TRUTH is to be found? HOW can we tell in view of the fact that their decisions are leading to increasing disillusionment for many people?

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "I or a friend has felt the MAJORITY opinion of religious leaders was GOD'S TRUTH, but that has led to in increase in pain and/or disillusionment! HOW may we discern GOD'S TRUTH?!"
  1. Jeremiah noted Jerusalem's great trials arose for HEEDING the MAJORITY but ERRANT opinion of her RELIGIOUS LEADERS:
    1. God's prophet, Jeremiah asserted Jerusalem suffered the Babylonian invasion due to God's wrath for her sins, Lamentations 2:1-13, 15-19:
      1. Jeremiah held Babylon's invasion expressed God's wrath, 2:1-9.
      2. He went on to describe the terrible effects of that wrath as follows:
        1. Jerusalem's leaders sat silent on the ground in humiliation with dust on their heads, clothed in sackcloth for mourning, 2:10a-c.
        2. Even young women who usually anticipated marriage and family life were bowed to the ground in depression, Lam. 2:10d.
        3. Jeremiah grieved deeply over the devastating effects of the invasion on the city's little children, Lamentations 2:11-13.
        4. Gentile foes then gloated over Jerusalem's fate, and all because of God's keeping His promise to punish the city for sin, 2:15-17.
    2. Well, God's wrath had fallen since Jerusalem's people had heeded the majority but errant opinion of her religious leaders versus obeying the written Scriptures and Jeremiah's minority stance as follows:
      1. Jerusalem fell as her people heeded her religious leaders who did not expose her sin and call her to repent, Lamentations 2:14.
      2. These messengers had represented the MAJORITY opinion versus the words of God's true prophet, Jeremiah who supported God's written words found in Scripture (as follows):
        1. The majority of the religious leaders ignored Scripture's God and promoted idolatry, Jer. 2:8; thus, they said Jerusalem would enjoy peace and Babylon would cease to be a threat, 28:1-2, 11.
        2. Yet, the minority opinion by Jeremiah warned against the worship of any pagan gods aside from Scripture's God (Jer. 2:4-8) in keeping with the Scriptures at Exodus 20:1-5; he went on to warn Babylon would invade the city for such idolatry as an instrument of God's wrath against it, Jeremiah 1:14-16.
  2. Jeremiah noted Jerusalem suffered God's wrath for the sinful lives of these errant religious leaders of the MAJORITY opinion, 4:1-20:
    1. Jeremiah continued reporting the effects of God's wrath on the fallen city of Jerusalem, Lamentations 4:1-12, 17-20:
      1. He told how her precious children had come to be treated worse than were the offspring of animals, Lamentations 4:1-5.
      2. He explained this state was the result of God's judgment, Lam. 4:6.
      3. Through all the levels of Judah's society, God's judgment had exacted a great price: elders had starved to death (4:7-9) and even compassionate mothers had cooked their children for food all as the result of this expression of God's wrath, Lamentations 4:10-11.
      4. The unbelievable had happened: Jerusalem had been invaded, sacked and spoiled, and her people had been hunted down like wild game by the Babylonian invaders, Lamentations 4:12, 17-19.
      5. This state violated the belief Jerusalem's inhabitants had adopted [from the majority opinion of her religious leaders], the belief God would never let Jerusalem fall prey to Gentile invaders, 4:20.
    2. Jeremiah then explained God's wrath had fallen due to the evil deeds of the city's errant majority of religious leaders, Lam. 4:13-14; thus, when Babylon invaded contrary to this majority opinion, the people came to despise these errant leaders as if they were lepers, 4:15-16!
  3. Finally, Jeremiah, the vindicated prophet with the MINORITY view called on God to show Jerusalem mercy (2:20-22), trusting He would exact judgment on malicious helpers of Jerusalem's invaders like Edom (4:21-22) as He had the FALSE errant religious leaders!
Application: If we have experienced growing trials or a growing sense of disillusionment with the credibility of the teachings of the MAJORITY opinion of civil and/or religious leaders, it is GOD'S signal by HIS WITHDRAWAL of BLESSING that we must heed SCRIPTURE, and that EVEN if it is the MINORITY stance! (1) May we then TRUST ALONE in CHRIST ALONE for salvation from sin as Acts 4:10-12, John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:8-9 of the BIBLE teach versus opinions of the MAJORITY of even religious leaders to the contrary. (2) May we then confess to God what the BIBLE says violates God's righteousness lest God discipline us as Christians 1 John 1:9; Hebrews 12:28-29. (3) If we take the right stands and God comes to VINDICATE us, may we do as the prophet, Jeremiah did and pray for God's FULL vindication of His truth for other needy, spiritually unwary people around us!

Lesson: (1) God's wrath fell on Jerusalem because her people heeded the messages by the MAJORITY of her RELIGIOUS LEADERS instead of siding with written Scripture and the minority opinion from Jeremiah. (2) Jeremiah then called on God to finish vindicating His truth, urging Him to show mercy and judgment where each was due.

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 Today marks the 23rd anniversary Sunday of my ministry at Nepaug Church, and I have only the grace of God to credit for the length of that tenure. I bring this up because it happens to be the same length of time that the eighteenth century Jonathan Edwards labored at the Congregational Church in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Amazingly, after his 23 years of service, his congregation dismissed him from the pulpit in 1750 because he came to assert that unsaved people were not to partake of the communion elements of the Church. Edwards believed as Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches, that salvation was by faith alone and not by faith plus works in opposition to many in New England who felt partaking of the elements saved the soul. Jonathan Edwards was fired for upholding the Word of God against the majority opinion of his day and in his congregation.

However, decades later, we honor Jonathan Edwards as a very influential and great man of God. He is noted as the greatest spiritual leader in the Great Awakening that shook New England just before the American Revolutionary War, an awakening that has left an indelible impact on us today. (William W. Sweet, The Story of Religion in America, p. 128-137)



As it was in Jonathan Edward's day, so it is now. There is a decision to be made, one of following the MAJORITY opinion of our civil and religious leaders, OR of heeding CONSCIENCE and the WRITTEN WORD of GOD which is OFTEN in the MINORITY opinion: may we like Jonathan Edwards or even Martin Luther before him or the Apostle Peter in Acts 5:29 before Luther OPT for what CONSCIENCE in accord with the WRITTEN SCRIPTURES present VERSUS what MAJORITY opinion of OTHER LEADERS claims to the CONTRARY.

God will then bless us as He did Peter and Martin Luther and Jonathan Edwards!