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Alright Jeremiah chapter 5 and let's look at verse number 31 the last verse there This is the first phrase it says the prophets prophesy falsely the title for the sermon this morning the prophets prophesy Fosley, you know my my greatest fear brethren my greatest fear as a pastor is to come behind this pulpit and say something false That's my greatest fear have I said false things probably why because I'm a human being right? Probably have said some wrong things behind the pulpit, but you know every time I get up. I just have a fear of God The last thing I want to do is let down God and let down God's people You know people come to I think about the idea You know of starting churches and people come to church and they want to be fed the Word of God It just dawns on me how serious this business is you know preaching God's Word and what we notice here in this time of Judah is that they had prophets they had preachers don't forget that prophet is just another way of saying preacher Okay, it's not always somebody. That's telling the future. Okay. It's just someone preaching God's Word, and they were preaching falsely and so this this nation was in a Disastrous place you know God's judgment was falling upon them not even the preachers not even the pastors behind the pulpit We're preaching true things they were preaching falsely, and this is why you know You know coming down here for the 12 months This is why I want to be here and have some training sessions on how to study the Bible how to preach be Careful what you say be careful about what is clearly written in the Bible be careful about what you know clearly indicating What is your personal opinion your personal belief? You know separating these two things because we don't want to become prophets that prophesy falsely You know we start prophesying falsely our church will fall apart Okay, just like this nation of Judah started to fall apart, so let's start there in verse number one Jeremiah chapter 5 in verse number 1 God tells Jeremiah run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and See now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can find a man if there be any that Execute of judgment that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it God is telling Jeremiah look go for the whole capital city of Jerusalem And see if you can just find one person one person that fears God one person that executes judgment Somebody that truly knows the difference between right and wrong you know somebody that's seeking the truth if you just find one man Jeremiah in Jerusalem, I will forgive you guys. I will pardon it I will not allow the Babylonians to come and take you guys into captivity Now we know that I was still taken into captivity so do you think Jeremiah found a man not at all He didn't find a man. Can you please keep your finger there and let's go to Ezekiel Ezekiel you got Jeremiah then Lamentations then Ezekiel Okay, you're in Jeremiah, then Lamentations then Ezekiel. Let's go to Ezekiel 22 verse 28 Ezekiel 22 and verse number 28 by the way Jeremiah was not from Jerusalem Okay, and so we can't say well hold on that was Jeremiah. No Jeremiah was preaching in Jerusalem, but he was not of Jerusalem This is why he couldn't even find a man in the whole city. You know that would fear God and So the city was obviously full of unbelievers. You know and you could even say that the city had believers I'm sure there were believers in Jerusalem there were saved people, but they were lame Okay, and what I personally find you know the reason I Decided to join an IFB Church independent fundamental Baptist Church when I was like 20 years old or whatever I was I This I found these churches I found these preachers to be preachers that one of the truth proclaimed You know it didn't matter What was you know what was popular or not you know they had a heart to reach souls that they had a heart for the? King James Bible, and that's what drew me to the independent fundamental Baptists But what I'm finding over the last few decades is they are slowly scaling away from the soloing they slowly Scaling away from a strong position on the King James Bible They're slowly you know I'm moving away from from clear biblical teachings And they're just giving good good You know few good sermons that people could find in your average Hillsong Church And you know and my concern is that we might be Entering a phase with even the churches that we once thought were great churches are scaling back You know they're not no longer preaching the truth They're no longer executing judgment the way God desires and so when we look at Ezekiel 22 in verse number 28 Ezekiel 22 and verse number 28 who was Ezekiel Ezekiel was one of the priests and In Judah, and he was taken if you start by reading Ezekiel chapter 1 you notice. He's already a captive He's already been taken into captivity by the Babylonians Okay, here's a priest that God used, but look at Ezekiel 22 verse 28. It says here and her prophets again We're looking at the prophets that prophesy falsely these are prophets of Judah have dogged them with untempted mortar seeing vanity and divining lies unto them saying thus saith the Lord God when the Lord hath not spoken and Brethren you know Sydney is full of preachers There are churches right now people meeting in churches right now where the preachers are saying things well God feels this way God sees it this way, and they're speaking words that God did not speak We have to be careful as preachers you ever get behind this pulpit. Please understand. I have a high expectation from you I expect you to fear God I expect you to be careful about what you're going to say and I'm only going to say what God clearly says Otherwise you'll be like this when the Lord have not spoken you're saying things that the Lord has not spoken Be very careful be very careful any of us can fall into this trap all right Let's keep going verse number 29 the people of that land have used oppression and Exercise robbery and have vexed the poor and needy Yeah, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully now look at verse number 30 And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me up for the land That I should not destroy it But I found none So you can see the consistency right it's on Jeremiah Don't find one man, and then he's equals taking into captivity and God's only Ezekiel I couldn't find a man all right there was not one that would stand in the gap verse number 31 Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them I have consumed them with a fire of my wrath their own way have I recompensed upon their heads sayeth the Lord God What do we learn from this you know brother Matthew preached a great sermon? Not long ago was it last week brother. I'm losing track of time. You know about how God can you know who's saying? Hey, you know we might be a small church But God can use and God has used this church in a great way You know God has already seen many souls saved by the work of this church, and so yes We can look at a church, but you know what God is just looking for a man God is just looking for one person that will stand up and not be afraid not be you know afraid well What happens if I say the truth you know when people come in and you know will I be in the media? Will people come and sue me will people come and arrest me and if you're afraid you're not that man You've got to live up and be that man. You've got to be someone who is fearless is willing to preach God's Word without compromise That's who God is looking for And you know you say well You know I've got some fear about what the Bible says well You know what start working start working closely with God Start reading your Bible start getting passionate about the things that God gets passionate about Start hating the things that God hates start loving the things that God loves you know get into God's Word And let the brainwashing of this world die away and start understanding how God sees this world and sees this nation I don't know what God necessarily thinks of Australia, but I don't think he's thinking wonderful things about Australia and I don't think he's thinking wonderful things about Sydney you know as we go about and and what even even the what is it the Homosexual Mardi Gras all right. I mean well who was it that message someone saying hey You know it's not on this next year because of COVID-19 But then they still found a way to put him into a stadium or something They still find a way that this is so important for our city to celebrate They still found a way to celebrate it even though it's with lesser numbers You know this is disgusting There's so many other serious matters in this city in this nation, and these are the things that our politicians are prioritizing Again, you know it's Jeremiah's days are like this right? We need men and and men I truly say you know The Lord needs you the Lord needs you to stand up to be a gap in your families It's just to stand in the gap of your family to stand in the gap of this church Send in the gap of this city and of this nation. We need more men on my heart is to plant more churches My heart is to one day plant a church in Brisbane and maybe Melbourne and maybe Auckland Okay, if we train up men. I don't care how long it takes. I'm still young. I'm still I'm 39 Hey, you know I'll keep preaching to the day I die and if we can start many churches many soul-willing churches people are preaching God's truth in this area in this area of the World then praise God, but you know God is looking for a man. I want you to be that man I want you to be that person you don't have to be the pastor But just being a faithful member of the church just like good support to the leader That's running that that's right of the leader of that church You know that's what God is looking for and we can change we can change things we don't have to let a Sydney be Into captivity we don't need to let Sydney be defiled with all this corruption We can try to slow it down We can still win souls and pull them out of the fire bring them into everlasting life to be with us forever in heaven back to Jeremiah chapter 5 verse number 2 Jeremiah chapter 5 verse number 2 and though they say the Lord liveth Surely they swear falsely So yeah, you know what again? Our city Jerusalem You know there are a lot of people speaking about God All right, well you know as I get electricians to come in and fix things up for the lights in or do different You know signage on the windows people are like yeah, I'm a Christian. Yeah, but you're not saved Right that they say what the Lord liveth they say right? Surely they swear falsely Okay, and you know I don't want you to have this idea that just because someone identifies as a follower of Jesus Or as a Christian that they're automatically saved There are many people that swear falsely that swear falsely to Jesus Christ. Yeah, I'm a German I'm a Jesus follower or something, but they're not even saved They don't even know that salvation is a free gift paid completely in Jesus Christ that it's not of your works It's not your good deeds It's only of your faith for what Christ has done for us that gets us to heaven There's so many people that swear falsely that claim to be Christ or sorry Christ followers, or you know save people But they're not all right. Let's keep going verse number three Oh Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast stricken them and they and they have not grieved Thou has consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock They have refused to return Look he's saying this is not the first time the Babylonians is not the first chastisement or fall of judgment that's coming upon Judah God has chastised them before God has brought correction upon them before but he's saying they've not learnt their lessons They've just harden their faces It's like a child being disciplined right and instead of that child You know you know saying being sorry for the wrong that they've done. They harden their faces. I'm gonna take this punishment It's like ah you know it's rebellion against chastisements Rebellion against authority and it's saying look you you're doing you're acting like a child you'll harden your face against God You know and brethren let me tell you this you know God Chastises all of us He chastises all of us and when you feel God's chastisement if you're going through some trial or difficulty first thing to think about Is there something God is correcting me on is there something God trying to bring my attention to? And if you find there's an area in your life that needs to be fixed go and fix it Because the chastisements not going to go away if you just harden your face and think you're fine with God. You know if you don't Correct the the error God's going to bring stronger correction Stronger hand of judgment, and you're going to have more difficulties in life, and then you might be like well You know I'll just you know I'm fine. I'm all good You know you let your pride speak for you Then God brings a harder judgment a higher correction and before you know it He might even take your life away from you because you've harden your face against the Lord hey even Christians can do this if You're going through some trial Don't automatically think oh, it's a devil don't automatically think you know it's persecution It just might be God allowing you to go through some difficulty to fix something in you Maybe you've not been walking with God and God just wants you to come back to him and so in the in your state of Difficulty you're calling out to God God help me. Maybe that's why okay, but you fix the problem Otherwise the chastisement the trial difficulty won't go away. It'll just become harder. It'll just become more difficult for you to get through That's number three sorry that's number four therefore I said surely these are poor they are foolish For they know not the way of the Lord nor the judgment of their God so Jeremiah saying man these you know My people here on this land. They must be just stupid they don't know the judgment They don't know when God has judged him right. He's saying that they must be so ignorant. They don't even know God's methods anymore Okay, let's keep going verse number four therefore I said so Jeremiah comes to a realization here says therefore I said surely these are sorry first number five. He says I will get me unto the great men He says look man that they're just they're just lacking knowledge They don't realize God's hand of chastisement his correction is falling upon them his judgment. They're from going to go to the great men I'm going to go to potentially the politicians or the religious leaders. I'll go talk to them Okay I'll go talk to the great men and we'll speak unto them for they have known the way of the Lord they know the ways of the Lord right and The judgment of their God, but these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds So when he goes to speak to these leaders, maybe politicians Maybe religious leaders he finds out that even they are rebellious against God even they can't help the nation right it says they've broken the Broken the yoke and burst of bonds, you know, it's like, you know instead of following God's commandments they're like, ah, we don't need that they break away from God's law break away from the commandments of God and No, one of this nation is going so bad. The people are wicked, but the leaders are wicked All right, and it seems like Joe Biden has been elected as the president of the United States You know why that nation has a wicked president because it's a wicked nation. They're just getting what they deserve and When we get a wicked nation a wicked government and a weak wicked politicians, it's because our nation has become wicked Okay, you think you think the leaders the great men are going to fix things. They're not Okay, they just do whatever the people want to be in power. That's it. Okay, the people that can change the nation Are God's people. Okay with the gospel with the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed upon them Verse number six Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them Now we're going to be looking at the lion the wolf and the leopard here are speaking about again It's speaking about the Babylonians coming to take them. Okay coming to defeat them So it says here that wherefore a lion so the Babylonians have been described as a lion as a wolf and a leopard here So wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them So it's saying look you're going to be destroyed by the Babylonians just like a lot lion will slay its prey And then it says here and a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them so a wolf of the evenings, you know wolf will Sometimes hunt in the dark. Okay, so it's kind of saying like, you know, it's going to be an unexpected You're not going to be expected to lose this battle. You're not expecting them to come and wipe you guys out Okay, so it's been done in the evening as it were right symbolically and then it says a leopard shall watch over the cities So say look they're gonna send spies they're intelligent they're tactful they know how you fight They know how you're going to react that they're ready for you They're ready to fight It says everyone that golf out vents shall be torn in pieces because their transgressions are many and their Backslidings are increased and so they're definitely going to be defeated You've got these three animals being described as different ways. They hunt and watch their enemies verse number seven How shall I pardon these for the pardon deed for this Look God's saying how can I forgive you? How can I forgive you for your weakness for your backslidings says thy children have forsaken me and sworn by them That are no gods Listen, you you worship gods that are no gods How can I forgive you God is saying right when I have fed them to the fool? He said look I've been good to you. I fed you. I've given everything you need right then They then committed committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots houses now This is speaking again of spiritual adultery right they've gone to these other gods instead of the one true God and and God's using this very Again, very crude language. It's like a bunch of soldiers being gathered around a prostitute's house. Just one after another That's that's what you want. That's all you're after you know just you just going after these strange gods these false gods You're acting like adulterers, okay So God speaks in verse number seven about a spiritual adultery that they've turned away from God But then when we look at verse number eight He's speaking not just spiritually, but physically as well that the nation had become an adulterous wicked Nation verse number eight it says they were as fed horses in the morning Everyone made after his neighbor's wife Says look you don't even you don't even care about marriage You don't even care about adultery. You're just taking that man's wife. You're taking that man's wife that there's just sexual you know Immorality there's fornication as adultery. There's wickedness in this city But I want to understand the downfall it didn't start that way first It was a spiritual adultery first It was there turning against God and because they turned against God it then caused them to commit You know adultery physical adultery with their neighbor's wives, and they've been described like horses. Just like animals your animals God is telling them and Brevin this is what we learn what we learn here is you know in order for you to keep yourself pure To keep yourself you know pure to your wedding day right if you've not made that mistake yet The way to not commit adultery to remain faithful to your spouse and not commit these wicked acts What you must do is stay close to God Okay those that commit such acts the reason they've done it is because they first moved away from God They first turned away from God and because they were far from God spiritually Then you can get into all manners of sexual sins Okay in order for you to remain pure in this part of your life You must remain walking with God close to God okay, and that'll stop that downward spiral But I want you to understand how they got into this state let's look at verse number six sorry verse number seven once again I kind of mentioned it. It says when I had fed them to the fool Okay, and then verse number eight says they were as fed horses Okay, so we learn we get a theme there. Okay, so saying the people of Judah were well fed Okay, they had everything they needed okay. They were blessed by God. They were blessed on the land. They were rich Okay, they could enjoy their possessions and their wealth They were they were they were blossoming like economically people were doing well all right and again I just think of Australia one of the richest nations You know per person in this world you know the highest minimum wage in this country I don't understand when people tell me it's so hard in Australia It's like man Maybe you just need to live somewhere else in this world for a little while and come back and appreciate You know the blessings that you do have on this land, okay? But the danger the danger of being fed the danger of always being full the danger of being too blessed Brethren is that you get to a point where you think I don't no longer need God you have too much You know you don't know what to do with your wealth You don't know what to do with yourself you have too much idle time because you don't need to work as much And then you get into wickedness wickedness and what we see in our nation brethren is that yes? It's a great country. You know it's I'm thankful that my parents migrated here. It's given me opportunities It's given you know my family opportunities But when you're too full you have to be careful you have to be careful all right And when you have too much you got to ask yourself the question. Why do I have so much God? What do you want me to do with what I have is it just to indulge because if you start indulging yourself brethren? It's just going to lead you into weakness Okay, we'll look at that soon. Why does God give us wealth we'll have a look at that soon verse number nine Shall I not visit for these things Because asking the question isn't obvious that I've got to come and bring judgment on these guys Save the Lord and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this Go ye up upon her walls and destroy now. God's actually that here verse number 10 11. God is speaking to the Babylonians prophetically through Jeremiah case so he's telling the Babylonians go ye upon her walls as the walls of Jerusalem and Destroy, but make not a full end take away her battlements for they are not the Lord's For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously Against me save the Lord so God's on Babylon's go and attack him go and destroy them But he says but don't make them a full end don't destroy them completely okay Don't forget that Judah would once they take into captivity Be there for 70 years, and then they will be brought back into the land. They weren't made a full end Okay, they were still God still had a plan for them to come back and rebuild the city rebuild the temple all those things Now please keep your finger there. Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 6 Keep your finger there. Let's turn to Ephesians chapter 6 What I'm about to teach you guys is very important very important if there's only one thing you remember in this sermon I want you to remember this one, okay? Back in Jeremiah chapter 5 verse 10 it said when he's speaking about Babylonians the Babylonian says take away her battlements For they are not the Lord's You know what what are the battlements of the fortified cities you know the the strength he goes? You know go and go and destroy their forts go and destroy their barracks Go and destroy their their military the military might of Judah go and destroy those those are you know? those those forces of Okay, then it says they are not the Lord's they are not the Lord's Okay, what is that teaching us? That's teaching that not every battle is the Lord's you got Judah. They're ready for warfare They're ready to fight the Babylonians remember. They're God's people. They are they are God's people They're under the covenant with God all right, and that they've got their battlements. They've got their horses They've got their chariots, and they've got their soldiers and God says those are not mine. They don't belong to me One thing you must understand in the Christian life is that not every battle is the Lord's not every battle is the Lord's Okay, listen covered 19 restriction is not a battle of the Lord. It's not a battle of the Lord You don't have to get involved in this battle Okay, because you're going to get wiped out you're going to lose God did not call you to fight the battle of cover 19 Okay, cover 19 restrictions Show me the Bible where God tells us to fight that you're in Ephesians chapter 6 chapter verse 11 Ephesians chapter 6 verse 11 Does God want us fighting absolutely? We're in the Lord's army Verse number 11 put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil For we wrestle not against flesh and blood Okay, but against principalities against powers against the rulers of the darkness of this world Against spiritual wickedness in high places listen Reverend our battle is spiritual We're fighting for the souls of men. I don't care if you win the battle of whether you wear a mask or not I would just I think listen if I knock on someone's door And I have to wear a mask and I get that person saved. I don't care about the mask That's not the battle. I'm fighting brethren. Do you find that annoying absolutely? I've never even had to wear a mask once in fact Okay, thank God for Queensland. Thank God. I feel so man. I don't know what I'd be doing if I was in Victoria I'd be really annoyed. I'd be tempted to go and fight those battles. I'd be tempted to join those protests I'd be tempted to do those things and then I have to ask myself the question is this God's fights Is this what God has called me to fights am I going to waste my time hours and hours protesting maybe getting arrested Right for what cause for what cause am I wrestling against flesh and blood? You know is this what we're called to fight brethren understand what I'm telling you brethren is this our battle is primarily spiritual, okay? the devil is that play is the devil behind all these restrictions and Moving toward a you know removing our rights absolutely he is absolutely he's behind Listen we already know this from the beginning you know The Apostle Paul in 2nd Thessalonians said that the mystery of iniquity doth already work to bring in the Antichrist Back 2,000 years ago was already at work. It's not like it's not like oh, man You know that Satan's at work now. He's always been at work. This should be no surprise to us It's not like oh, you're so ignorant pastor Kevin. Don't you realize what's going on? Yep? We've known that Haven't you read your Bible? It's been from the beginning Okay, the devil's working hard to bring in his power and his government, but we've not been called to fight those wars brethren In fact you read revelation when the beast makes war against the believers it says he overpowers them Okay, it says he beats them he defeats them the tribulation is not a time where Christians have victory on this earth But it's a time where Christians will gain lots of rewards in heaven because they're preaching the gospel of the kingdom to all nations Okay, you read it read the end times. Do you ever see Christians stand up against the Antichrist? Making war against the Antichrist. They're losing the war against the Antichrist Okay, but they're winning the war of souls. They're winning the war of the Great Commission. That's what they're doing all right Keep your mind think about this. I really want to focus on this okay, and I don't just mean COVID-19 I'm just saying every battle you might find yourself in anytime you attempt to fight something stop Ask yourself the question is this God's battle is this the fight that God wants me to fight You know look in his word. Can you get confirmation from his word that this is the battle you ought to fight? So but we got you know we've got the battlements. We've got the fortified cities. We've got the chariots We've got the horses. What do we have to lose? Everything if it's Babylon if it's Babylon Okay, everything if it's Babylon you're gonna get wiped out if it's God's judgment on this nation. You're actually fighting against God's judgments God might be using Babylonians. Hey the Babylonians were not righteous people. They were wicked people they had their false gods, too They worship Satan too, but God allowed them to be used to bring judgment upon that city upon those people Okay God may very well allow the forces of Satan to march a little bit forward and bring some judgment upon Australia Because we deserve it brethren we deserve it with all the abortions with the same-sex marriage Okay with the euthanasia laws and everything all the wickedness that's coming into this nation You know every time we see difficulties and bushfires and all that. I'm just praying God Can you just bring a fear of God into this land? I'm not asking God. Can you put off it put out the fires. I'm not asking that anymore I'm not asking that anymore. I'm asking God Can you use this in a powerful way that people will be afraid about losing their lives that they will seek you Lord They will seek the answers for you You know everlasting life and can you please send a soul winner to their door to tell them the truth? That's what I'm praying these days Back to Jeremiah chapter 5 verse number 12 They have belied the Lord and said it is not he Neither shall evil come upon us neither shall. We see sword or famine nor famine. That's what they're saying in the land It's all gonna be good. God's not going to judge us Peace and safety all right it does remind me of the end times It says in first Thessalonians 5 free for when they shall say peace and safety Then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape But then it says this about us, but ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief Brethren we don't need to be in darkness Just recognize God's judgment. Just recognize that as our nation gets more and more wicked. I'm not happy about it I don't rejoice in the wickedness, and you know what it's not like I delight It's not like I'm like all right. God judges nation. You know destroy these people. That's not what I want I'm like God. Can you give us a little bit more time help us win a few more souls before your judgment falls That's what I'm asking for, but please use the difficulties in this world that people may have a fear of you verse number 14 Wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts because you speak this word That's the peace and safety behold. I will make my words in thy mouth Sorry, I missed verse number 13. Let me just read that again verse number 13. This is important It says and the prophets this is the prophets of the land shall become wind and the word is not in them Thus shall it be done unto them the reason they're going to get me destroyed This is because the prophets the preachers the passes they become like wind This is and the word is not in them. They're not preaching God's word They get behind the pulpit start with jokes start with some story. I've been there I've been sitting in the pulpit. It's only in the in the pews Waiting to get a good Bible study. What does God word say it's like the introductions half an hour long And it's like all right brethren. You know I'm wrapping things up now I'm like man. I'm gonna be an open our Bibles you open one Bible verse And then it's just it's like what in the world the whole the whole hour of sitting there listening to this guy was just wind And it's just hot air it just blows away. It has no substance We got a week. I don't want a preacher behind this pulpit being hot air No, the word of God not in them what that's not the preacher we want in this pulpit Those are not the men we need here Right bless it up at this church brethren. I love this church, and I want this to be a church that proclaims God's Word God's Word we don't want to be preachers of wind You think people come to this church just to be? Thanks pastor Kevin what a great sermon I Look at verse number 14 This is what the preacher should be like wherefore thus saith the Lord God of hosts because you speak this word It's been to Jeremiah behold. I will make my words in thy mouth fire And this people would and it shall devour them You know when you this is when you know you've heard a preacher when you feel like you've been burnt That's right well when the preacher is like fire, and it kind of hurts, it's uncomfortable it burns Yeah, that's the church you want to be that's the church. You should be part of brethren. That's the church You should be part of you know and sometimes if you get burnt I might blow a little bit and help it soothe it a little bit right But the whole sermon ought not to be wind right it needs to be fire It needs to burn it needs to consume all right it needs to consume sin it needs to consume wickedness It needs to consume wrong understanding wrong beliefs God's preachers need to be different from the preachers of this world verse number 15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far again the Babylonians Oh House of Israel saith the Lord it is a mighty nation It is an ancient nation a nation whose language thou knowest not neither understandest what they say Their quiver is an open sepulchre. They are all mighty men. They quiver. What's a quiver anyone know what a quiver is? Maybe but yeah, it's more for arrows. It's more in arrows, so just look there there there Their pouch for their arrows what to say there is an open sepulchre. It's a sepulchre is a grave It's like Sepulveda. It's where it comes from that's her name past the grave past the death It's an open sepulchre. He says look. You know they're going to destroy you guys I mean, they're so strong. They're so mighty you go and fight them. You're going to die Okay, you're going to go into the grave if you fight these guys right. They're all mighty men They're all powerful trained warriors. They know how to fight verse number 17 and They shall eat up thine harvest and thy bread which thy sons and thy daughters should eat They shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees. They shall impoverished impoverished their fenced cities We're in thou trustest with the sword so the Babylonians are going to come in and not just defeat them militarily But it's going to take all their possessions all their food all the things they had planned to give into Inheritance for their children, it's all going to be gone It's not going to be consumed by the Babylonians verse 18 nevertheless in those days saith the Lord I will not make a full end with you once again is promising you're going to come back one day Okay, verse number 19 and shall come to pass when you shall say wherefore doeth the Lord our God all these things unto us Then shall thou answer them like as you have forsaken me and serve strange gods in your land So shall you serve strangers in a land that is not yours, so when people start asking God Why did you allow this to happen doesn't that happen you got a door knocking? Well if God truly exists, why does he allow people to die from hunger? All right, why does he allow? These natural disasters why why why well this is why okay because you've turned your backs against the Lord That's why you've got and you served strange gods so what God is saying is you've turned against me I'm turning against you you want to strange serve strange gods well go then serve the strangers They'll serve some other people then if that's what you want So they're just getting the full and they're just getting they're just receiving what they wanted in the first place Okay, it was all why does God allow this You know I don't really say the door because you because you're wicked. That's why Well, we kind of do don't we because we say we tell miss the sinners We tell them they you know for all I've seen that comes short of the glory of God so in a way We are telling them. I guess we're not doing it exactly how Jeremiah did it, but we're doing it verse number 20 declare this in the house of Jacob and Publish it in Judah saying Here are now this Oh foolish people and without understanding which have eyes and see not which have ears and hear nots So God is telling the people you have eyes, but you don't you don't you can't see properly you have ears You can't hear properly okay now. Why is he saying this about the people of Judah? Well keep your finger there Let's go to Psalm 115 please Psalm 115 Psalm 115 Psalm 115 God tells us how a people can become blind or deaf spiritually okay in Psalm 115 verse number four It says their idols are silver and gold the work of men's hands So when you start worshiping statues idols the Catholic Church right Buddhists with their Buddha images who else has images and pictures Hindus okay, if you make those your gods right what what happens verse number five? They have mouths, but they speak nots Ears eyes they have but they see nots they have ears, but they hear nots Noses have they but they smell nots they have hands, but they handle knots feet have they but they walk nots Neither speak they through their throats, so obviously that's very obvious about a statue Okay, they can't do any of those things, but look at verse number eight They that make them are like unto them So is everyone that trusteth in them So if you worship an idol that cannot see then God's gonna make you blind Spiritually an idol that can't hear God's gonna make you unable to hear you worship false gods that can't walk You're not gonna better walk the ways of God okay, so the people that worship these false gods become like unto those idols Okay, spiritually dead as it were okay, so that's why Judah has become in this state They've started to worship these false gods now back to Jeremiah 5 verse number 22 Fear ye not me save the Lord What does it mean to fear God is it just a just you know God just when it says to fear God? It's just just respect God respect his authority is that what he means to fear God No, it doesn't fear means to fear To have I told you when I get behind this pulpit. I'm afraid Okay, my heart starts pumping Because I want to preach God's Word to God's people. I know how much God loves you You know I think about the people in this church, and I immediately think these are God's children. This is God's family God loves you guys He saved you with his son right God wants you to be more like Jesus every day He loves you he protects you he's going to protect you from false teaching Okay, and I just think man these people are the most important people in Sydney the most important people here in Fairfield East right now is these people right here God's people and God you want me to come behind the pulpit and speak to them God's Word Right fear Fear I'm afraid to let you down. I'm afraid to let down God look at this What kind of fear fear you're not me safe Lord will you not tremble at my presence to shake and tremble? Listen when the Israelites saw God's presence on the mountain the lightnings and the thunderings They were so afraid and they went to Moses said Moses. Don't let God talk to us you talk to us Moses Look, it's good to be afraid of God. It's good to fear God It'll help you walk in his ways. I don't want God chastised. I'd rather just please God I don't know get Jesus chastisement sometimes because I'm not perfect, but I'd rather just I want to make sure God is always pleased. I don't want him to be angry at me Alright, so you know healthy fear is right your children should have a healthy fear of being corrected when they disobey mom and dad Okay, it will help them on the right paths Tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for the bounds of the sea by a perpetual decree That he cannot pass it and though the waves thereof toss themselves Yet can they not prevail though they rule yet Can they not pass over it, but this people have a revolting and rebellious hearts they have revolted and gone Neither say they in their heart. Let us now fear Lord ago. They don't say that they don't say let us be God Okay, they giveth rain both the former and the latter in his season He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest and so brethren Australia needs the fear of God to return Australia needs a fear of God to return but not just Australia You you need the fear of God in your lives if you haven't got it you need it Okay as God's people God can bring swift judgment upon you as well I just read to you Hebrews 10 31 says it is a fearful thing To fall into the hands of the living God it is a fearful thing brethren Hey the context of this passage is about believers The context of this passage is about God chastisement God's judgment upon his people upon the saved You know even the saved should have a fear of God Unbelievers should have a fear of God Matthew 10 28 and fear not them which kill the body But are not able to kill the soul But rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell When I saw winning with brother David not long ago. There was a guy the door. He said he goes what I do you fear hell or something like that He does that bring fear. It should bring fear. It should bring fear It's almost like he was trying to mock the idea that you should fear hell You should fear hell God's Word says fear hell where God can cast both body and soul in hell Okay, it ought to be that fear, and you know what is hell burning for all eternity in the flames of hell Having rejected Jesus Christ knowing that you'll never get out of that place Facing God's wrath and God's fire for rejecting his free gift and his son it ought to give people fear And once people have that fear. They're like save me How do I get out of this place, and that's what the beautiful gospel comes in the free gift of salvation Verse number 25 your iniquities have turned away these things That's I turned away that the blessings of God your sins have turned away the blessings of God and your sins have Withholding good things from you So brethren your sins when you're tempted to sin. I want to think about this quite often when we sin or tempted sin We think ah if I sin God will judge me somehow I'm disappointing God Yes, but it's not just that when you sin you have good that God wanted to do until you have blessings I God wants to give you taken away from you removed from you. Okay, so it's not just the punishment It's also the removal of good things that God would have given you next time you're facing some type of temptation You know don't let it be well. I'm going to disappoint God That's one thing that should be keeping you from sinning, but the other thing is well I want to make sure I hold on to God's blessings in my life You know those two elements will help you overcome sin when you think about those things verse number 26 For among my people are found Wicked men they lay weights and hear that set of snares. That's like traps. They sell there It is they set a trap they catch men as a cage is full of birds So are their houses full of these seats therefore they are become great and waxen rich Do you know how someone becomes great and rich and powerful in this world? wicked men Pretty much okay pretty much It's going to be wicked men that seem like successful people in this world rich people Okay, with their with their mansions and their billions of dollars and all their power and all their influence You know they got that way because they were wicked. Okay. Let's keep going verse number 28. They are wax and fats they shine Yeah, they overpass the deeds of the wicked they judge not the cause the cause of the fatherless yet They prosper and the right of the needy do they not judge Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this and So bretton what this is telling us is that ungodly wicked people with too much money They don't know what to do with it when there are poor and needy they don't give to the poor needy Well, you know this is why God gives you wealth above what you have so you can be a blessing to others So you can be generous to others. That's why God gives you wealth beyond your needs beyond your means Now look if you're just meeting your means well praise. God all right praise. God. Yeah, that's good All right, but if you have more than you need you know instead of indulging instead of making your face shine You know getting the the facelifts and the what else wax and fats well I guess it's not really talking about getting fat, but I guess you know some rich people do get fat I mean, what's that Clive Palmer in Australia? I mean that guy's huge that guy's like a billion is I seem like one of the richest men in Australia He's wax and fats. It doesn't know what to do with the food. He just he just you know just consumes it all right I mean you know people with too much money They don't know what to do with it, so they self indulge and they get into wicked behavior keep your finger there Let's go to first timothy chapter 6 first timothy chapter 6 and again This is why I believe God's not going to allow his children to be excessively rich Excessively rich because God knows our hearts will follow off those things and all we're going to do is indulge ourselves Okay, and we're going to forget the cause of the needy We're not going to be looking out for the needs of others and see how we can help first timothy chapter 6 verse number 17 Now if you are someone that is rich if you are someone with wealth as a christian What should you do first timothy chapter 6 verse 17 the bible says charge them that are rich in this world Okay, so again timothy is a pastor Paul is 17 I think charge the rich if you got rich people in your church teach them what to do okay charge them It says that they be not high-minded Nor trust in uncertain riches. Oh, man. I'm such a good person look how rich I am that's not how you should be right now Don't be that way don't trust in uncertain riches But in the living God still trust in the living God look at this who giveth us richly all things to enjoy So if you have wealth if you have possessions praise God give God. Thanks. God gave it to you Okay, but don't have the attitude. Oh miss. I'm so good. It's me. You know I'm such a smart person I'm such a smart investor now. Just give God the glory give God the thanks. He's given you those things hey to enjoy This is God against you enjoying your wealth. No all right, but let's keep going To enjoy then verse. I'm 18 that they do good That they be rich in good works Ready to distribute okay. Hey, how can you be good? How can you do good if you're rich be ready to distribute start saying all right look I got too much What is a good cause that I can give toward hey my local church? That's a good place all right? You're not giving to pastor Kevin you're giving to the house of God you're giving to God's work All right, well you just find some other good works that are being done for God. Hey, I'm going to distribute here I'm going to distribute there. Thank you. God for giving me above and beyond so I can be a blessing to others Learn to distribute right what else to? Willing to communicate Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life Says look you got riches here Well, you know what you can translate those riches into eternal life if you use those those riches to give glory to God to serve God to give to his work now You're laying upon a good foundation in heaven when you get to it when you get to heaven You're going to have great riches in heaven because you served God with the riches that you have on this earth Okay, so God's not against rich people Okay, just don't be prideful give God the thanks and find a work that you can contribute to that will further the kingdom of God Okay So God is not against riches All right, let's keep going verse over 30 Jeremiah chapter 5 verse number 30 a Wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land almost done now So when it says wonderful often when you think of wonderful you think about something beautiful and amazing and great and fantastic Wonderful comes from of course wonder like when you wonder it's like what was this saying is it's unbelievable Okay, it's unbelievable. It you can't you know, it takes you by surprise What's taking God by surprise? You know, what? What is it? That's unbelievable a Wonderful because then it says and horrible thing. It's not a good thing a Wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land. So we end this chapter We've like the worst thing that's going on in this land the worst thing most horrible thing that's going on this land You thought it was all the sin It says here the prophets prophesy falsely That's the worst thing. That's a horrible. It's unbelievable God's prophets the people that are supposed to be preaching God's Word they prophesied falsely Do you understand why I want to be so careful in this church? Okay, because these were God's people Brethren you understand they have the teachings of God. They know what God wants They've gone generation after generation. Listen the next generation. My children are important to me. Your children are important to me I want them to love the Lord. I want them to serve the Lord. Don't forget our children. They're the future of this church They're the future pastors. They're the future song leaders and the future whatever Brethren. They're the future. They're the future, you know as serving the The Lord and and and and their generation is going to be even more wicked than the generation we grew up in They're important our children next generation is important Therefore we need to teach our children the truth. We need to tell them not just tell them What is right and wrong but show them in God's Word why it's right and wrong. Where does God say it's right and wrong? It says and the priests bear rule by their means but look at this and my people love to have it so So even though the prophets are prophesied falsely they're teaching lies. The people love it. They love it. Okay What will you do in the end thereof? What are you gonna do at the end when you're destroyed, you know? But they love it and Brethren listen Why aren't we a 10,000 member church? You know how easy there are so many churches in Sydney that have literally thousands upon thousands of people in their churches Is it because they're teaching the truth? It's because they love it. The world loves it. Why do they what do they love? They love preachers preaching false things Making them feel good about themselves. I guess we're not that bad after all God's not gonna judge Australia You know, it's all fine God's all God's never gonna bring his rod of chastisement upon us You know God, in fact, they even deny hell they didn't teach on hell anymore How did God once call me? He claimed to be a Christian and he says how can you teach people about hell? That's not loving. It's like what in the world? Of course. We're gonna teach. We're gonna teach them the truth What do you want to do sugarcoat things? The Bible tells us in 2nd Timothy 4 free for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and They shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables fables stories, you know fairy tales a Lot of preaching today a lot of church today. It's just fairy tales. It's just wonderful stories. It scratches your ears You know, do you like the story, you know red riding hood. Did you like that story? Did you like to preach it today? You know, I told you about the you know, go to locks and the What is it go to locks and the three bears. Did you like that preaching say Brevin didn't make you feel good Hey, that's what people love people love that kind of fairy tale preaching Let it not be so at blessed hope at this church and let's make sure that we are seeking sound doctrine Even if the fires of God's Word burns us a little bit at least, you know Your pastor loves you the preacher loves you if they're trying to burn you a little bit Okay, because they want to get rid they want to consume the sin in your life so you can please God So we would not be a people like the people of Judah were in this time of age, right? We can actually please God where God can continue to at least not not necessarily bless our nation because of its weakness But at least bless us at least, you know, we can please God God can look down and God is looking for one man I want God to say man all the men of blessed or Baptist Church are standing in the gap All the men are serving me. That's what I want for this church. Okay, let's pray heavenly Father Lord