Exposing Misplaced Trust - 14

Like you to engage with me for a moment and imagine that I have a beaker back in chemistry lab get a beaker here with clear liquid at the top with sediment at the bottom you can imagine is a Christian what that settlement represents represents the residue the sin things that are unbecoming of Christ the things that God is committed to removing from our life as you look at that beaker looks pretty clear until you examine the fact that there sediment at the bottom. What happens when you bump that beaker move that beaker.

What appears to be clear all of a sudden becomes murky and muddy and I think that's a pretty apt description of the Christian life. Life is pretty tranquil and peaceful.

Our lives have a appearance of purity and yet there's still this residue on our lives that God is committed to rooting out and removing and it is the trials of life, the difficulties of life.

The storms of life that shake up our beakers, so to speak, and cause that sediment to begin to manifest itself in our life.

We become aware of things in our life that perhaps we weren't aware of the God is saying. I've got my finger on that and that has got to go.

That's what we have going on here in Lamentations chapter 4 God is judged is beloved nation, his temple. His place of worship his holy city lies in absolute destruction.

It's unimaginable is you listened as I read chapter 4 the description of the complete destruction that Is Taken Pl. in God is responsible for God is judged is people what we have here lease the way I want to process tonight in chapter 412 show you three expressions of idolatry that we find in Lamentations chapter 4. Three expressions of idolatry and why is idolatry such a menace to our life. What's because God is a jealous God in God requires exclusive worship and trust he will not tolerate our divided loyalties and he will work in our lives to remove those things that are competing with our affections for him. An idol is simply an object of trust that takes the emotional and practical place of God. Another one is put it this way. An idol is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, and anything you seek to give you what only God can give. That's a description of idolatry. So let's consider three expressions of idolatry. Lamentations chapter 4 and the first one is the false security of wealth, financial security. Notice how Lamentations 4 begins how the gold has become damn, how changed the Feingold. The chapter begins by lamenting the loss of the security and the glory of Jerusalem's wealth. This is the city of Jerusalem was the economic and spiritual center of Israel. The temple rose over the horizon with grander the ark of the covenant.

The walls of the sanctuary. The vessels and utensils and even the shields were made from precious metal. You read that description of first Kings chapter 6 gold was everywhere in this wealth that was known in Jerusalem, made a statement with the city has lost its luster. The temple is been destroyed the cherished symbols. Liana dust covered heap of ruins in any trust in what the temple and its goal represented had vanished wealth, financial security, money has power. We know that it provides security, it creates identity. It gives options to people but if were not careful money can fuel self sufficiency.

I'm not sure what the hymn writer had in mind, in the refrain of the last him. We just saying where he said, oh, to be saved from myself. Dear Lord, you can read a lot into that but I read into that, given what I'm prepared to preach tonight. God deliver us from the sin of self-reliance of depending upon ourselves entrusting anything that you see the foolishness of trusting and financial security because all the wealth all the gold how the gold has become them.

How change the Feingold the stones of the sanctuary are scattered at the head of every street doesn't take a lot of thought and imagination to consider how financial wealth can be a substitute for our security how we can be trusting in our portfolio and our bank account more than were trusting in the Lord. The Scriptures warn us proverb says if riches increase. What say, not your heart upon them. Why because they're uncertain. The fleeting thing to be here today and gone tomorrow and because that's not where our hope needs to be. That's not where our trust needs to be. That's not where our reliance needs to be needs to be on God and God alone. The snow this morning from Paul in first Timothy chapter 6 no godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into the world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and having food and clothing with these we shall be content but those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful us, which drowned men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows were worn in Scripture of the deceitfulness of riches, Bible says it's easier for Richmond to it's it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for Richmond to get into heaven. Why because it's so easy to trust in our riches and find security there, and as long as were trusting, something else will never trust in Jesus Christ. We can't have it both ways. We can't trust this and trap Christ at the same time Christ demands our exclusive trust. So the first title it's being exposed here. Lamentations 4 is the idol of financial security.

But second I want you to see the idol of misplaced trust that is in people. People whether it's politics or business, or religion. We can easily pin our hopes upon others lying in the rubble of Jerusalem was not only the gold but also any hope that a leader could fix the mass, the people found themselves in the culture of the nation was broken like earthen pots verse two, the precious sons of Zion valuable as Feingold how they are regarded as clay pots. The work of the hands of the Potter think about this description that's given here. The wealthy. The wealthy were rummaging through the ash heap's notice verse five, those who ate past tense delicacies are desolate in the streets.

Those who were brought up in scarlet embrace as sheep's so says Jeremiah princes known for beauty and fame were now deformed and nearly unrecognizable notice verse eight. Now, their appearance is blacker than suet. They go unrecognized in the streets there skin claims to their bones. It is become as dry as would those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger for these pine away stricken for lack of the fruits of the field. Even the king was captured read about that in Jeremiah chapter 39 verses one and 10 records the tragic events surrounding king Zedekiah's sons were captured and killed.

His eyes were gouged out and he was carried off into captivity in the Bible.

See, there are limitations to human leadership, the power of man-made government. The theories of economics and the security of national defense are not ultimate that cannot be where our trust is those systems and those who lead through them are frail in this book chapter 4 of Lamentations warns us that our deliverer does not occupy a seat on the Supreme Court.

He does not reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. nor in the boardroom of a Fortune 500 company are cloaked cannot be in those things, nor those people is much as that's true on a national level. Let's bring it more personal.

We must not, we cannot be guilty of looking to our closest relationships to meet those needs in our lives that only God can meet in husbands and wives can be guilty of that my wife's spiritual means I have a responsibility to nurture her into minister the word of God to her, but ultimately her satisfaction has got to be in Jesus Christ, she must look to him and him alone and I can help her find her satisfaction and him but I can't substitute for that you can for your spouse either. A good friend can be helpful when you're walking through pain he or she will never be able to bring complete healing to your heart because there's a gap in your soul that no mere human can feel try to have a friend play that role and disappointment is sure to follow. Try to occupy that space in someone else's heart and you will be frustrated because that's not your place. Remember our study and lament what is the first step in lament. It's what turning to God. We see that expressed in prayer language.

God is working in the nation of Israel to turn people away from themselves. These false trust. These false hopes in their wealth or financial security in the people and their leaders because he wants them to look to him and him alone so we must be very careful about where we are placing our trust. What we are relying upon as we live our lives.

Lamentations chapter 4 helps us see the vanity of making anyone, including ourselves. The ultimate object of our trust.

Now that sounds almost trite, but isn't that.

Doesn't that characterize every other religion outside of Christianity. I'm not trusting God and trusting myself on trusting my merit on trusting my effort on trusting these things start merit with God. It's rooted in our sinfulness and God must rooted out and doesn't all get rooted out when were converted.

It's a lifelong work of sanctification overseen by the spirit of God in the lives of his people until we are fully and completely conform to the likeness of Jesus Christ.

You see it in chapter 4 here. Moral authority had had vanished in Israel and Jerusalem that the text mourns the loss of credibility among those who work supposed to be righteous. Notice verse 13 spiritual leaders were complacent in the decay of the nation. It says because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed in her midst the blood of the just God brought judgment because of, in part because of the sins of the leaders. They reap the tragic consequences. Jeremiah describes these leaders as wondering, blind, isolated, defiled, verse 14. They wandered blind in the streets.

They defile themselves with blood so that no one would touch their garments. The people call them unclean verse 15 their honors vanished in verse 16 the face of the Lord scattered them no longer regards them. The people do not respect the priest nor show favor to the elders. In short, the religious leaders lost their credibility and their influence.

They became fugitives in their own broken culture. It used to be a preacher pastor was highly thought of in regard and are in our culture, but must.

My fear is that that is that that high, lofty thought has greatly diminished because of so many failures leadership failure at any level is sobering Lamentations for mourns the loss of spiritual authority and reminds us about the danger of resting upon the perceived spirituality of religious leaders. Yes, we should respect and we should pray for and we should submit to spiritual leaders but only as they are submitted to the word of God's, or considering manifestations of idolatry. Manifestations of misplaced trust. The danger of misplaced trust in financial security in the misplaced trust in people and spiritual leaders and then number three let's consider the manifestation of idolatry in the presumption of divine favor the idle that this chapter expresses is the presumption of divine favor. Now, no nation would have greater reason to claim a most favored status than Israel.

They were God's chosen people and prior to Jerusalem's fall. The Israelites had come to see themselves as a special people who had deserved and earned the favor of God the totally misunderstood the source of their blessing. It was in God and not an and not in themselves. In this chapter makes it clear that the nation was under the discipline of the Lord.

The judgment of God.

Jeremiah uses shocking language.

He describes their judgment is greater than Sodom. Did you remember that in verse six the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom in verse 11 we read the Lord has fulfilled his fury.

He has poured out. Here's his fierce anger.

I don't want to be on the receiving end of the anger of the Lord, nor do I want to be on the receiving end of the fierce anger of the Lord. That's what transpired in Jerusalem. There was this foreboding sense among the people that their days were numbered at the end was drawing near to jury listened in verse 18, verse 17. Still, her eyes failed us, watching vainly for our help and are watching.

We watched for a nation that could not save us. There's a lot of people in this country that have a misplaced trust they think their political parties going to save them that their favored candidate is going to save them. This is right here for a nation that could not save us this nation and its corruption this nation and its depravity is a poor Savior to be put your trust in. They tracked our steps so that we could not walk in our streets are, and was near our days were over for our end had come despite the rapidly declining condition of our country, there still an American optimism you noted that his optimism that is pretty pervasive in our culture and its deep-rooted in this idea that life will get better opportunities will yet abound and the sun will come up tomorrow but making cultural optimism and idle is a fools errand for many direct how many people had this idea that were blessed nation. God is bless this nation will, he may have in the past, but it's hard it's hard as a Christian to be optimistic about the blessing of God upon our nation given what we know is going on every day in this country every day in this country. There are 2500 babies murdered every day knowing that how can we say well the blessing of God is upon America. I'm rather inclined to think this is true of America for the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness mentioned this from this pulpit in this series of messages this idea that old that the judgment of God's future.

It's out there no Paul says the wrath of God. The judgment of God is being revealed against all unrighteousness. It's happening right now you say where is it. I think one of the most unnoticed manifestations of the judgment of God is leading the people run off understand what no restraint for God to give a man up to his sins is also ample judgment and there's more and more of that being manifested in our day. We must be careful that were not too emotionally tied to this American optimism. Lamentations reminds us that divine blessing does not guarantee a pain-free life or a culture that is receptive to us. This was an awful awful time in Jerusalem. It's been a difficult message to prepare was tempted to bring one concluding message on our study Lamentations tonight put a bow on it and move on this because of the calendar were moving in the missions month and I typically don't preach on Sunday. On Sunday nights during missions month we have missionaries here and I thought this is last Sunday of October.

I can bring a concluding message be done with the study Lamentations and then in December pickup new series begun would let me do that. I felt constrained. No no no no no no, the people of an expectation there can be same. Why did you skip chapters 4 and five of Lamentations there something there that you don't want us to Caesar something so it's what I know about you and what I am convicted about personally about my approach to preaching that constrain me to say no, no, were going to deal with chapter 4 and they were going to do with chapter 5. And whenever that's over than I can bring a concluding message and we can move on to something else, but this is something we need to hear.

I've heard people say will God would never judge America look look at all the good, America's done really, really, if you people think that her say that remind them of what God did in Jeremiah's day. Well, this chapter does not end in a hopeless way. There's hope. Jeremiah promises that God will not prolong his people's exile longer than necessary. There is purpose behind the dark cloud that's revealed in verse 22 of the chapter, the punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion.

He will no longer send you into captivity he will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will uncover your sins and that really is the whole chapter can be understood in the context of that last phrase of chapter 4, he will uncover your sense their sin was lack of trust in reliance upon God. They were trusting in financial security. They were trusting in people, leaders, and they were guilty of presumption because they were the people of God that God was obligated not to judge them. God was obligated to keep them God was obligated to shine blessing upon. Let's be sober tonight that our God is a consuming fire and judgment must begin where at the house of God at the house of God were too often guilty of hoping, wishing that God would judge the sins all around us and we don't say Lord start with me deal with my sin. So what's going on in your life. Let's go back to how I begin this message that beaker that set a minute as at the bottom of that of your life is God's shaken you disturbed your life. What is come to the surface. Is God revealing was God saying that Moscow fear pride, self-reliance, know whatever it is God, his he will uncover your sins. He's done that for me and it's a kind mercy of God when he does that there's some sins that have a power in themselves because they thrive and live in secrecy and you are deceived into thinking that this sin, nobody knows about. I can continue to traffic in it I can continue to dabble in it because nobody knows really nobody knows. Listen, if nobody knows, but he, who you fully all things are laid bare before the eyes of him with all we have to do. So let's not be deceived by that the all seeing mission. God knows and if he knows it doesn't matter if no one else knows he will uncover your sins want to shame you to know he will uncover your sins so your sins can be dealt with.

So you'll acknowledge them so you'll confess him so you will repent album them. That's why it's a good got a gracious God, a merciful God deals with his children. This way, so again I'm not the Holy Spirit.

Obviously he knows what he's dealing with us about tonight and may God give you and me grace to walk in obedience to what he is saying to us, spray father, thank you for your word. Thank you for even these difficult portions of your word that sober us and alarm us and frighten us. We so often focus upon the love of God and the mercy of God in the righteousness of God that we fail to see this manifestation of your character. The wrath of God's Lord.

May everyone in this place have the confidence that they have fled to Jesus Christ to escape the wrath it is to come in Holy Spirit of God would use a work in our hearts and lives that we would fear you incline our hearts to fear you and as we fear you enable us to walk lot walk in ways that are worthy of our calling and worthy of the Savior who gave himself for us. I pray in Christ name, amen