Mourning The Destruction Of A Great City Part 2

Rain forests looking to Jesus, founder and perfecter of our Jesus done Jerusalem from the Mount of olives and wept over the destruction he knew the Romans would soon bring centuries earlier.

The prophet Jeremiah. When the city was destroyed. We we for our nation soon to feel judgment from the Moody Church in Chicago this morning to win Sir is clear teaching sauce make it across the finish line. Today we continue a series on the church in Babylon unleashing the power of the spirit filled witness estimates are there are a lot of reasons to leave our nation. There day there plenty of reasons to weep for our nation but at the same time we have to recognize that God has brought us to this hour and has given us the resources by which we can be faithful, even in the midst of all that is happening around us. I wrote the book entitled the church in Babylon.

It deals with all kinds of issues that we face today issues regarding the law when the state becomes God technology transgender is him sexuality, Islam, and immigration. We have to think through these issues and of course as I mentioned in a previous broadcast also five false gospels within the evangelical church for a gift of any amount. This book can be yours, simply go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 out the end of this broadcast. I'm going to be giving you that contact info again. Let us listen carefully to the weeping prophet there's another lesson and that is this I'm just sharing my heart with you today that we should we over our nation even as Jeremiah went over his nation. I told you last time that there were many prophets in Israel, but there was only one, Jeremiah, and he's known as the weeping at all throughout this book, and throughout his book of Jeremiah.

What is he doing he is weeping now he's being thrown into dungeon and the whole bit because the people are saying we don't want to hear you and so he pretty well has to stand for truth alone, but he's a weeping prophet does not remind you of someone else standing on the Mount of olives. Although Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou who killed us the prophets and stoners them, which are sent to you how often would I have gathered your children together, even as I hand gathers her chickens under her wing, but you wouldn't hold your house is left unto you desolate Bible says in the book of Luke that Jesus Christ wept over the city and when he wept over the city.

He predicted its demise and its downfall and dad. This is what he said when they you, even you had known this day that things that make for peace, but now they are hidden from your eyes for the days will come upon you when your enemies will set up a barrier around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground and your children within you and they will not leave one stone upon another, because you did not know the day of your visitation and the same thing that happened in 586 BC, as you well know what happened in 70 A.D. when Titus came after Herod builds that massive temple that all of us wish you were still standing so that we could go see it when we take a trip to Jerusalem six years after it was totally completed completed and 64 A.D. I believe it was destroyed six years later, God says you don't love me you don't accept me. Your heart is not with me will destroy even the very place dedicated to my name. We should weep over the violence of the city. We should weep over divorce. We should weep over pornography we should weep over child abuse. We should weep over the destruction of the family as we sought hearing in Illinois. Further adding to the destruction of the family just recently through same-sex marriage legislation. We should weep over the growing hostility.

You see, we are too self absorbed, sometimes to weep part way, you know, like Francis Schaeffer used to tell us the average American is content with them, personal peace, and affluence.

Just not in my world, not in my neighborhood. Thank you very much, but it can happen somewhere else. God may in this congregation be looking for a lot of Jeremiah's both men and women to intercede and to weep for a nation that has lost its way and not only weep and pray, but witness and do something wherever God has planted us. May that be true, but number four.

We should weep with hope. We should weep with hope. I told you that we were getting to hope.

You have to trust me we are getting to hope.

Look at in chapter 3, Jeremiah is so overcome by his sorrow that he says in verse 17, my soul is bereft of peace. Maybe that's you today. Maybe you parked your car in the parking lot of Moody church and you dried your tears and you came to worship and after this service are going to go back into the car you're going to start crying again. If that's you just know that you are welcome here because we are a place where we are welcoming to all sinners and that God knows that that's what we're about, but he says my soul and I'm not saying that that is a sin necessarily to weep, I just mean that we here at the congregation of Moody church are welcoming to all. I have forgotten what happiness is. Verse 17 so I say my endurance has perished, so is my hope from the Lord. Maybe you're here today and that you remember my affliction in my wanderings, the warm within the goal. Verse 20. My soul continues remember it in his bow down within me. Verse 21. Thank you. Jeremiah I needed this. I remembered something this I call to mind and therefore I have hope the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore, I will open him.

The Lord is good to those who wait for him to the soul who seeks him.

It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. In other words, Jeremiah says I was so overcome by grief that for a while. I forgot that God was there and then he says this, the steadfast love of the Lord is still there. The Hebrew word is tested it means God's covenant loyal love is still in place.

Does this mean that the destruction of Jerusalem that God has said is true with the Jews and says enough already know. In fact, later on will discover that it was Jeremiah himself who predicted that they would be in Babylon for 70 years. At the end of 70 years. They returned they would rebuild the temple and God would in effect start over again and eventually of course you know the Jewish people there in the land today and many of them and many of us believe that God still has a great future for remnant of people of Israel. The Jews and then God says to break my covenant over this not. The Bible says in Timothy it says even when we believe not.

He cannot deny himself. God is faithful today. You may be in darkness, but I'm reminded of the disciples out in the boat you member Jesus went into the mountain to pray and the disciples couldn't see Jesus, but Jesus could see them. He could see the longitude and the latitude of their little boat he could.

He knew the strength of the waves.

He knew the strength of each board. He knew the depth of the water and today in your distress. God sees you and I encourage you to take heart in the steadfast love of the Lord which never ceases and why are his mercies are new every morning. What's because when you wake up in the morning there has to be enough strength to get through the day in your day may be very dark and you may be sorrowful because of your own loss or the country's loss as we been speaking about our country and Deb what we need to do is when we wake up in the morning. We need to say God I need your mercies today.

They have to be new to me because yesterday's mercies don't help me through today. So Jeremiah said no for a few moments. I just forgot that I can still find hope in God, and he uses the word hope now positively two or three times in this passage. Furthermore, he says it is good for people to wait on God the soul. He seeks to seek Sam God is good to that person.

He says and so what Jeremiah does is he encourages us in God that in the midst of devastation, no matter what happens to America and I hope that everything that happens to America's good. I'm not a prophet, so I'm not predicting anything except the fact that what I see happening gives me a great deal of consternation, but apart from that time. The Bible says those who seek God. Those who understand his mercies, God will be there for them every single day. Aren't you glad for that. Now before we close this book we have to take one more glance over her shoulder and ask a question if it is true that Jerusalem took a direct hit by that I mean what happened to them was a direct judgment of God. If that is true, and clearly it seems to me that it is where else do we see anyone or anything or any city or where else do we see a direct hit of the judgment of God like it here. This book crying in chapter 1 verse 12. Is it nothing to you all you who pass by, look and see if there's any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the Lord inflicted on the day of his fierce anger that remind you of Jesus on the cross and think for example of chapter 2 verse 15 all who pass along the way clap their hands at you they hiss and they wagged their heads that the daughters of Jerusalem.

That's an expression used in the book of Mark for all those who looked at the crucifixion of Jesus. They clapped their hands. They hiss they wagged their heads a city's dying, but he deserves it. For example, of them. Chapter 3 verse 14. Doesn't this sound like what Jesus endured. I have become the laughing stock of all the peoples. The object of all their tonsil day long. Looks like Jesus endured fact is this, that when Jesus died on the cross. He took a direct hit. God says I'm going to lay upon him the iniquity of all who believe I am going to inflict in and that's why the Bible says it please the Lord to bruise him. I hope that your theology is great enough to accept the fact that God took responsibility for the destruction of Jerusalem and actually got also takes responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus.

Ultimately though, evil people do it yet because of secondary causality. Ultimately God says, even babbling is my Babylon and the wicked man who crucified Jesus are my wicked man doesn't mean that he condones what they have done, but he uses what they have done to accomplish his purpose. Now, young people, you'll discover this on the Internet. There will be things like this and saying you know Christianity is just like all the other religions of the world you know this God who needs a sacrifice.

And so the bill going to the pagan religions and explain to you how God needs a sacrifice and how pagan religions also needed to sacrifice here is something for you to remember. While it is true that pagan religions needed a sacrifice. There is no pagan religion and all the world were God demanded a sacrifice and ended at being the sacrifice, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto them. And Jesus said I will take the direct hit of the wrath of God against sin. I will take your hello if you believe on me, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus in the Old Testament. Jerusalem took a direct hit God's wrath and anger in the New Testament, Jesus takes that direct hit when he cries out in says my God, my God, why has thou forsaken then for three hours suffers under the hand of God, a kind of suffering that is so severe that even God closed the heavens and darkness was upon the face of the earth, so that people would know that what was happening between him and his father was hidden in the human eye, but this is what it means. It means that no matter how great your sin is you believe on Jesus Christ. You are exempt from eternal judgment. No matter how deep the pit is that you are in God is deeper still. And no matter how much you mourn. There are still mercies for you that are new every morning. If you come to Jesus Christ and believe even if we do go through temporal judgment there is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus said, he who believes in me, there is no condemnation as a hymn writer once put it, because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free for God. The justice satisfied to look at him. Part that pardon his offer to you today behold I put before you. Blessings and curses will you respond to Jesus today and then we can all sing together.

The mercies of the Lord never cease.

In fact, they are new every morning and I have to find the text to remember the words. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end.

They are new every morning great is thy faithfulness, Lord is my portion in the midst of devastation.

God, it's to bless and encourage his own people, but do you know the Savior.

I'm talking to those of you who are here today and and you have huge problems you may be, came to this church, even unintentionally, today, but here you are the midst of your sorrow. God is there. Through Jesus, to pardon you to set you free. That we join together as we pray God is talk to you, even where you are seated or where you're listening to this, you may be listening on the Internet or on the radio. Whatever way would you just stop now and say Jesus, I thank you today that you absorb the judgment of God so that I could be free and I receive that gift of eternal life.

I put my faith and trust in you as my Savior would you tell them that and now father we thank you that your mercies never cease Jesus name this is Pastor Luther I can't help but ask you a question. Have you ever been in a home where you have seen a plaque on the wall that says that the mercies of the Lord are new every morning.

I've certainly seen that perhaps I've even had that kind of a plaque in our home, although I don't recall that we did have you ever considered the context of that.

The context is the devastation that is described in the book of Lamentations. That's why think it's so important for us to read that book because on the one hand you have the tears of Jeremiah on the other hand, you have an affirmation of the faithfulness of God within a devastated city and today we need both. We need the tears but we also need the joy and the confidence that the mercies of the Lord are still upon his people. I wrote a book entitled the church in Babylon I wrote the book to help us navigate the culture because we may all believe the gospel. But what do we do with the issues that are swirling around us. I think it will be of tremendous help in your spiritual journey for a gift of any amount.

It can be yours. Here is what you do go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 ask for the book the church in Babylon. Issues regarding transgender is in immigration issues regarding doctrine. All of these are discussed in this book with a view to helping us be able to successfully represent Christ in a collapsing culture. Go to RTW offer.com or right now you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 thanks in advance for helping us because together we are making a difference.

It's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Luther a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Not all Christians agree on what's appropriate in a worship service.

Jerry listens to us on WGN be in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and noted this Pastor Luther recently. I listen to your morning service on the radio and noticed that you have both men and women read Scripture passages in first Corinthians 14 verses 33 to 35.

Paul clearly commands that women are to remain silent in the church service. How do you reconcile this passage, with women reading Scripture in your morning service. Good question Jerry. You want to make a couple of comments. The passage that you referenced in first Corinthians chapter 14 has to be balanced with what Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 11 there. He says that if a woman prays or prophesies she should have her head covered well if Paul means that women should always be silent in the church. Why is he talking about women praying or prophesying.

So we have to reconcile it with the other passage of Scripture and of course the apostle Paul is not contradicting himself in the same book. Mind you, because that also is in first Corinthians. Actually, chapter 11, where the reference that you made is to chapter 14 I think the key here is the context if you read in chapter 14 what you'll notice the apostle Paul is talking about judging prophecies. For example, he's saying that if somebody says they have a prophecy there.

Those within the church who should judge that prophecy.

Now, if a woman were to judge those kinds of prophecies she would be in effect taking authority over a man which Paul forbids so the apostle Paul says that women should be silent in the context that he's speaking and they should ask their husbands at home and they should not be the one making comments or judging prophecy. Now think about this for a moment when a woman stands up and read Scripture at the Moody church or some other church she in no way is taking authority over a man. She is not instructing. She is only reading God's word as it is printed and so that's why we think it's perfectly fine for woman to read Scripture and one other thing.

Have you ever thought of all the impact that women have had in the church, even publicly, perhaps behind-the-scenes.

I'm reminded of the beautiful songs that we saying that were written by women. Take for example Fanny Crosby writing Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. Now we read the theology of that song is excellent. It is biblical. We sing it we are blessed but that's all the work of the woman. It's something that a woman wrote, but of course we couldn't say that Fanny Crosby is trying to usurp authority over men. But what she has written is excellent. We sing it and we thank God for it so and all these things we have to have a balanced approach when it comes to the role of women in the church. As you know, very complicated subject and also a very controversial subject, but we have to find the balance of Scripture some wise counsel is always from Dr. Erwin Blitzer. Thank you Dr. lutes are if you'd like to hear one of your questions answered. Go to our website@rtwoffer.com and click on ask Pastor Luther or call us at 1-888-218-9337 that's 1-888-218-9337 you can write to us run into when 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 should believers living under national judgment circle the wagons and live off the grid or engage their flawed culture with enthusiasm next time. The surprising answer comes, God's instructions to Judah living in Babylon, running to win is sponsored by the Moody church