When God Judges A Nation Part 2

When you proclaimed the coming judgment of God's fellow Israelites know he liked wonton with no thought of the day of accounting. We in America must learn what they learn. Because where Israel went so will we. From the Moody Church in Chicago. This is going to win when books are whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Today we continue a series on the church in Babylon unleashing the power of the spirit filled witness elixir. Are we as slow now to listen to prophetic warnings as Israel was in the days of Jeremiah, no Dave, I've been studying communication and I'm absolutely convinced that people here what they want to hear and if our hearts are closed. Absolutely, we are no better than the Israelites. Their hearts were closed because they were into pleasure.

They were into idolatry in the very same thing is happening to us today. But the good news is that there are many people who are open to God. Those who are listening to this program. Of course, are anxious, I'm sure to hear what God has to say.

Through his word. I've written a book entitled the church in Babel and because I want us to understand what Israel was going through the parallels to today and the church for a gift of any amount. It can be yours.

Here is what you can do. Go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 and now let us contemplate the church in Babylon and I are in touch with woman and her husband, who have an organization proclaiming justice and she was telling me the other day when I was talking to her on the phone that there is a state in these United States southern state where she is involved in a textbook controversy in this publishing house and she gave me the name of the textbook in the publishing house and the whole bit published a textbook that gives 35 pages to Islam.

Islam gave us liberty. Islam help the dignity of women. Islam gave us culture 13 pages devoted to Christianity and the chapter is entitled, the Crusaders now. She has been objecting to this, and even some changes have been made, but this is what I found interesting. The pastors in her community said oh yeah we have to do something we have to be involved. We want you to lead this Crusade so to speak, delete this charge and she did bravely. No pastor showed up to support her, but there she was, and then a Muslim on the committee said I'm going to make sure that all of these textbooks are pro-Islamic and if anyone opposes me. I'm going to call them three things racist, homophobic, and intolerant. Is there anything in America that is worse than being called racist, homophobic, and intolerant. I simply tell you today that we are paralyzed as a nation because of political correctness and standing for truth is going to become more difficult as the days go by. Blessed are those who like Jeremiah, God says Jeremiah made you a bronze wall. I had made you a strong pillar and I'm going to be with you and even if everyone is against you. You speak my word. May God grant us many, many Jeremiah lesson number three the faithfulness of that view is no guarantee that a nation is going to turn to God under Jeremiah previously under Josiah few generations back, there were reforms, they found the book of the law. They began to read the book of the law and that people began to go to church so to speak, they began to go to temple and they repented of their sins and all, but the reforms were too late to little by the next generation. Everybody had forgotten them and everybody was into their idolatry into their immorality and into their own way of life.

So there is no guarantee.

The reason I mention that as I was speaking at a conference this summer of homeschoolers several thousand homeschoolers in Denver and they assigned me the topic of how can we turn this country around my my opening line was.

I have no guarantee that we can when it comes to the culture wars. Clearly, we seem to be losing those one at a time. Their dominoes coming all the way from the White House across the nation regarding certain things and therefore we have no guarantee what we have to do is to ask a different question. What does faithfulness look like in a nation that is under judgment. That's the question that I wrestle with all the time and how can I prepare myself, my family, my grandchildren, and the wider Christian community here at the Moody church. How can we be strong and courageous at a time when even our freedoms are being closed in upon so I hate to be the bearer of such bad news.

I wish I could say that I see revival breaking out everywhere were praying for that.

I pray for that. I was on my face before God. This week praying for this nation because I love it and I grieved at the direction that we are going but we have no guarantees. Number four and nation can reach a point of no return and nation can reach a point of no return. That's what God said about Judah is that even though Moses and Samuel pray don't bother. He's a Jeremiah don't bother praying because I'm going to judge this nation.

It's gone too far. There's no way now that your prayers are going to hold back the reins of judgment while when Rebecca and I were in Niagara Falls about 40 years ago my word. I don't even feel 40. How could I say that we are in Niagara Falls 40 years ago I remember we're standing there with a guide and he said you know you see those rocks over there. Some pointed something out. On the other side of the falls. He said that's known as the point of no return. He said if you ever get this far.

At the speed of the water.

The power of the water will take you over the falls so boats should never get close to the point of no return. Are we there is a nation.

I hope not. I'm not a prophet. It would take a prophet for us to understand exactly how and when God is going to judge America in the future, but it does not take a prophet to know that judgment not only is coming, but judgment has arrived judgment has arrived and you know the way in which we must understand that sometimes people say pastor Luther, do you think that God will ever judge America. I usually try to smile guys want to try to smile when you give an answer like this. You say my dear friend, God is judging. America you see every sin has some immediate judgment and then in the future as God wills. There is accumulated judgment for all nation but we are already reaping the seeds for the destruction of the family.

God says in Deuteronomy 28. If you don't follow me. I'm going to destroy you, and then he goes on to say that the families will be destroyed and 20 million children going to bed tonight with only a single parent in the home that's part of the destruction and then the increase in the breakup of the family were the governor of Colorado can sign a document now. The children can have more than two parents, of course, why not priming and in all that because the families been destroyed now is just a collection of individuals that come together for sexual reasons and other reasons and so it's all gone. The point is this that is part of God's judgment, but only a part. There may be a time when there is even future judgments more severe that our national and their scope but I don't know that and I don't know whether we've reached the point of no return.

Many of my friends think we haven't.

They believe that there is a great massive revival now I have to tell you, very honestly, I cannot see a day when the same-sex marriage as it sweeps this country would be reversed unless there would be a massive great revival in the United States of America for which I pray but I don't believe we have guarantees, so a nation can reach the point of no return. I trust that that's not true of the nation I love so much.

The great United States of America number five and this blows me away number five God values the human heart, not buildings and institutions when I was thinking about this in real I realized wouldn't have been great if Solomon's Temple had not been destroyed. When that be wonderful. I see Mary Whelchel here, who leads tours to Israel. Wouldn't it be great if we could lead a tour to Israel and say, come with us and see Solomon's Temple. Imagine what that would do to the tourist industry in Israel.

Beautiful temple. It's up for a couple of hundred years.

I think God destroys it and then something else even worse to take in that temples destroyed centuries later.

Of course you know you have the small temple under Zerubbabel. Herod comes along and builds this massive temple massive you've seen pictures of it and Jesus is sitting there on the Mount of olives looking at and says to the disciples. Do you realize that every stone here is going to be thrown down. Why because you didn't know the date of your visitation. All my the temple isn't even finished during the time of Christ. It's finished in about 64 A.D. begun in 19 BC it's finished in about 64 A.D. talking about what 70 or more years, 80 and then six years later.

70 A.D. the Romans believe that there is gold in the stones they dismantled it stone by stone and there, it's destroyed and I think think of all of the work that went into building this beautiful temple and it would still be standing today built with greater rhodium stones of time, some of which still exist goddesses means nothing to me you didn't know the day of your visitation. This beautiful structure is destroyed.

You see my heart today Rebecca and I were in Washington DC this fall. The National religious broadcasters drive down Pennsylvania Avenue you see these beautiful buildings in Washington. Many of them have snatches in verses of Scripture engraved on them, and to know that we are consciously as a nation turning away from that heritage. Turning away from the Judeo-Christian ethic which gave us unity, and in its place, replacing it with a kind of relativism and the acceptance of immorality and God may keep those buildings. They may be inhabited eventually by other people by other nations by other religions, but to see that you say God this nation.

Whatever. I know that there is argument about how Christian the founding fathers were.

I can get into that, but there was a historical Christian Judeo ethic day certainly can't be denied to know that all that is that in goddesses. I don't care about your build I could destroy them in a moment of time.

If I don't have your heart buildings don't matter number six when a nation is judged when a nation is judge the righteous suffer with the wicked the righteous suffer with the wicked. You see when this nation was judged and yet all these people going to Babylon. There were righteous people, among them. That's why we're going to be looking at the book of Daniel. Eventually, and so forth because Daniel is one of the ones was carried off into Babylon and there is living for God in a pagan culture, Shadrach me shack in a Bendigo those guys living for God in a pagan culture. They don't bow before the idols of their culture. That's why what we need to do is to learn that so they themselves experienced temporal judgment, not eternal judgment. I mean, that's the thing. The city of God in the city of man are concurrent only in this life. Eventually they will be separated after the final judgment righteous in one place. The unbelievers in the other. But the point to be made is that we also suffer if a nation goes downhill economically because of an overspending government we all suffer as a result of that/. Just an observation to be made true historically true today.

Number seven God uses evil nations to judge his own people.

God uses evil nations to judge his own people. Now you have to think about the book of the Habakkuk member, Habakkuk, he's writing during this period of time. Habakkuk is saying oh there's so much wickedness in the goddesses `you haven't seen anything yet. I'm raising up the Babylonians to calm against her nation. Habakkuk says you've gotta be kidding. Now this of course is the paraphrased version he saying you can't be real. God there worse than we are God's as I know there worse than you are and I'll judge them for their evil, but I'm using them against you to destroy your city because you don't turn to me while Europe is understanding this.

I know that most Muslims and I hope that many are listening right now we don't paint Islam with a big brush because we know that there are many Muslims who don't want sharia law. The ones that live near you. I'm sure want to live peaceful lives, and they make good neighbors. But Europe, some of the countries there the game is over. I've talked to historians because of the birth rate in all the time will come. You know what God said and that the 28th chapter of the Deuteronomy he says as a judgment, just catch this for a moment.

He said as judgment. Your children will worship other gods how what is that say about generations. What you're going to find a sharia law begins to gain steam in some of the European countries that are totally paralyzed, completely paralyzed by political correctness will see there what happens. Oh, we're not as bad as the people who fly planes into buildings and kill innocent ones.

God says yeah but those are the kinds of people. I use when a nation turns from God. Number eight the Lord had isn't it time for hope after all this I think so, how many of you say pastor at Stivers a motivator right we have a I.

I don't know if that's a quorum, but I'm going with hope right now. God gives us promises to live in a pagan culture God gives us promises we haven't looked in detail in the book of Jeremiah. Benny means, but remember it is Jeremiah 33 three that says: to me and I will answer the and show the great and mighty things, which thou know is not you know there's a man in the book of Jeremiah, and I wish I could tell you his story. He pulled Jeremiah out of the pit and even had pads under the ropes so that the prophet wouldn't be hurt and you know this man who was an African he's from Ethiopia. He was scared with the coming judgment.

Is it boy am I ever scared you know what God said to him, God says I am going to deliver you. This is in chapter 39 because you trust me there's not anything that's going to happen to you, you're going to survive this not because he was good, not because he was courageous goddesses because you trust and God gives promises to his people, you know, when you pass through the fire. I'll be with you when you go to there. The floods will not be overcome. God always stands with his people in a time of trial. Tony Evans great African-American preacher friend of mine. I was actually with him last week if you can believe it, and that he tells this story that I love. He and Lois's wife were on a cruise and over the intercom came the thing that you know were headed into a storm so buckle up.

It's going to be rough. Lois didn't like it so she calls the captain and talks to his assistant and said if were going into a storm. Why don't we just stay here.

Let the storm blow over and put down anchor here and then we can go into the storm assistance and I'll get back to you in a moment I'll talk to the captain. He calls back and says two things.

Number one, and I'm sure number one was said very diplomatically. He wanted me to remind you that he's in charge and you're not. I would be a good thing to be reminded and then number two you said this, I want to give you a sentence that I never want you to forget on your deathbed should be able to quote this ready for it all in the balcony wherever your listening.

Are you ready for the sentence he said tell her that this ship was built with this storm in my head. When you trust Jesus, who died on the cross for your sin and took God's judgment and was raised from the dead and ascended into heaven, I tell you that ship was built with our storm in mind that you agree without a down God's gonna walk with us through this lesson number nine.

We must not be passive because we have work to do is see you are born into this generation because God says I want you right now and I want you to be able to spend your life telling about the excellencies of God and the redemption of God, the nation might not believe what your neighbors might and what you need to do is to be able to witness to the glory and the forgiveness of God because during times like this, God is calling out a people for his namesake and is calling out those people and is using me and you to do it this past summer teenager committed suicide left a note and said I'd messed up too many times I was actually at a Bible camp talking with one of the professors there and I said tomorrow I'm preaching a message on why he didn't have to commit suicide. Never preach that message at Moody Church see I don't get to preach here as often as I could. That's actually somewhat of a joke since I preacher all the time but I pointed out that if he understood the gospel.

Nobody ever has to commit suicide mess up. We've all messed up Jesus died for people who've messed up. Aren't you glad for that. That he died for people who have messed up you realize something of the judgment of God's message. I mean just judgment. God says I'm going to become the enemy of Israel.

I'm going to destroy your God says I'm going to do it. I'm going to use nations to do it but I'm doing it to scare you typhoons like to scare you. Tsunami sought to scare you about the terrifying nature of God. That's why this world needs the message of God's grace in the message of Jesus to member the days when Perry fires used to devastate homes and homesteads what the farmers used to do when the wind was blowing favorably is to start a fire around their homestead burn at all was far maybe 1/4 of a mile or whatever and then they knew that if the fire came, it would not come to them because their homestead was standing on the ground that had already been burned. Bible says it is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

But when you come to Jesus you are standing where the fire of God has already struck with the fire of God has been burned and Jesus took my hell that you and I deserve my friend, this is Pastor Luther and I hope that you, as some of the can diction with which I have preach the gospel because I believe so deeply it's a message that needs to be heard. We need to understand the grace of God, yes. But we also need to understand the judgment of God.

Perhaps you've missed some messages in this series would you like to have it in permanent form so that you can listen to it again and again.

Share it with your friends. Here's what you can do. Go to RTW offer.com or you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 I'm going to be giving you that contact info again but ask for the church in Babylon. I believe that these messages are very relevant to what we see happening in our culture and if we don't heed the warnings we will discover that we will experience much of the same fate. But thankfully, God is always with his people, even as Israel learned in Babylon. Here's what you can do good RTW offer.com ask for this series of messages entitled the church in Babylon or if you prefer you can call us right now: 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for helping us because together we are making a difference. The gospel of Jesus Christ goes to many people through the ministry of running to win and you were a part of what we are doing. You can write to us running to win 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, Illinois 6061 when God's judgment fell Jerusalem with its temple was sacked and looted by invading armies next time I'm running to win. Erwin Blitzer takes us to Lamentations chapter 1 as Jeremiah is mourning the destruction of the great city, this is Dave McAllister running to win is sponsored by the teacher