Conspiracy Theorists
October 11 Jeremiah 16:16-18:23
Object Lessons That Demand Obedience
Conspiracy Theorists
“Noah was a conspiracy theorist… Then it started to RAIN!”
--Author Unknown
Imagine the people in Noah’s day enjoying their comfortable, immoral, Godless lifestyles… until the door closed, the boat sailed, and there was NO MORE TIME!
The New Testament compares the days of Noah with The End Times. “But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (Matthew 24: 37)
Genesis 6 describes “the days of Noah” for us, “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Vs. 5,6)
Genesis 6: 11-12 goes on to tell us the hallmarks of this violent society, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.”
Corruption. Violence. Evil. Godlessness.
Do these words sound like the news, politics, and Hollywood’s direction to anyone?
According to the Pew Research Center, 41 percent of Americans believe that Jesus Christ will Return in the next forty years.
(2016 Issue)
Do, you think the numbers have gone up in recent years?
Wars, Immorality, Disease, Famine, Persecution, Loss of freedoms, and the removal of God from everything…Those are the wake-up signs of childbirth.
“As in the days of Noah”... You see, God isn’t going to be patient with evil forever. He is not only merciful, He is just, but justice demands judgment!
“Jeremiah was a bullfrog. Was a good friend of mine. I never understood a single word he said, but I helped him a-drink his wine, and he always had some mighty fine wine.”
(Three Dog Night) Catchy little tune, isn’t it?
Our Jeremiah sounded like a “Bullfrog”. He was always croaking and the people certainly didn’t like or want to understand a SINGLE WORD he was saying. God didn’t allow him to drink, party, or have a family. So, the only wine they got out of him was “WHINE”... The people closed their ears, eyes, hearts… and even worse!
Jeremiah was basically a “Tattletale”. He reminds me of Joseph and the coat of many colors. His brothers couldn’t grasp that perhaps God had shared something with him and not them. God forbid that the little brother would be “IN THE KNOW”.
Well, Jeremiah was definitely “In the KNOW” and NOOOOO BODY liked that!
When God gets ready to bring judgment he always sends his prophets to speak his “UNWELCOME MESSAGE”.
Jeremiah was like that youngest tattletale, for sure! Listen to Jeremiah’s report from his “Daddy” “Sin runs RAMPANT in your land.”(17: 3)
God goes on to instruct that the people are NOT to be sacrificing their children to idols, making profits at the gates when people come to Temple and that they are to return to keeping the Sabbath…. OR ELSE!
Guess what the people picked… OR ELSE!
But for now, Jeremiah is the “Lone Ranger” and that is scary, frightening, and par for the course!
How many object lessons that demand obedience has God given his people by now?
Jeremiah is out there preaching, getting persecuted, and there are no converts!
I think we get upset with God over two issues. We don’t like judgment, and we don’t like extended evil without judgment. People complain about both sides of the coin. How fickle!
So, I just want us to return to God’s Word and see what it says about God’s timing...
“The Lord is not slow in keeping HIS promise, as some understand slowness. He is PATIENT with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.” (2 Peter 3:9)
When Noah started building that Arky-Arky, all the people saw was Barky-Barky. He kept building…THEN THE RAIN CAME DOWN!
Jeremiah is croaking-croaking but he’s not joking-joking. He kept preaching…THEN THE NATION CAME DOWN!
Corruption. Violence. Evil. Godlessness…Patience and Mercy Proceeds Judgment.
Jeremiah, like Noah, was considered a conspiracy theorist… And then CAPTIVITY CALLED…
