Going Backwards, Not Forwards

Jeremiah 7:19-27

Many Christians genuinely believe that sincerity in their own heart trumps clear biblical teaching.

The Old Testament has a story about a king who won a great victory in God’s name. He was still confronted with further enemy troops, so he waited for the priest to offer a sacrifice to God. Unfortunately the person who could legitimately lead worship (yes, God considers all of us equal in his sight, but not all of us are given the same function) was not there. So the king - he is the leader, after all - took matters into his own hands and offered the sacrifice himself. And God was really displeased.

This story is told in 1 Samuel 13:1-14. Think of it, King Saul had all the good intentions. In his mind he was thankful for the victory and wanted further protection. But God has given us some direction in scripture and He expects obedience to His Word. The prophet Samuel told Saul that he had done “foolishly” (1 Sam13:13). Leaders and believers today make the same mistake. Many Christians genuinely believe that sincerity in their own heart trumps clear biblical teaching. Lay people assume leadership roles or make decisions which pastors should be making. And the question women in leadership are an emotive issue. Many of these will not be an issue if we read the bible in its plain meaning and obeyed it, even if we felt it was uncomfortable or contrary to what society is forcing us to accept.

Continuing in Jeremiah, we learn lessons from how God approached his people (today it is the church).

1. God was not pleased (7:19). The context here is hypocrisy and deceipt within the community of God. But it also applies to milder versions of disobedience. We all can point out overt instances of disobedience to God but it is actually the “soft” sins of disobedience that may ultimately weaken the church. Is there any part of scripture that is disconcerting to you? Do you genuinely feel called by God to do something or take up a role that the Bible clearly tells you you should nto be doing? Do not rationalise by looking at the ends to justify the means. Success today can be driven by  force of will and savvy marketing. Not everything successful is of God. The litmus test is obedience to His Word.

2. This is what God commands – Obey my voice and I will be your God….that it may be well with you (7:23). There are many areas where we have all been influenced by the world and its philosophy. Culture has begun to creep into church activities. We belive we have to cater to cultural trends to keep people in church. But God is more interested in His people obeying Him, not just mouthing that they are Christians.

3. Disobedience (even benign indifference) makes us go backwards, not forwards (7:24). Think of it. Why is the church declining in influence in society today? Why is it we are on the back foot when confronted with moral issues and losing the battle of the worldviews? Read in its plain meaning, the people of Israel in those days just thought that they could obey only what they felt they felt comfortable with and ignored inconvenient truths of scripture. We have fallen dangerously into the same rut. God have mercy on us.

Has your spiritual life become dry? Is your church consumed with gossip and politics? Are you subscribing to the secular or new age worldviews of the majority around you without even knowing it?

Resolve to read scripture as it is written. Ask the Holy Spirit to be your teacher. The Spirit will NOT tell you that some scripture can be ignored because it was only relevant for the 1^st century. Take the whole counsel of God as true and necessary for Christian living. And when you read something inconvenient or opposite to what you believe is true, just obey scripture by faith. Obedience is better than sacrifice (worship).

God promises that, contrary to what we think, we will go forward, and not backward, if we humbly obey His word.

Sola Scriptura -  Amen.