The other day we talked about changing lines from the wide gate to the narrow way. The problem is that most in the wide line think they are already in the right line because that is what they have been told, so there is no need to repent. So, they remain steadfast and continue in the wrong direction. Plus, there are so many people going in the same direction; how could it be wrong? Because so many people are going in the same direction, it feels right. This line is backed by hundreds of years of tradition and on top of that their reasoning also confirms their feelings. The leader will state how convinced they are and give proof of their certainty and make it clear that you would be a fool not to follow them. There self-justification comes from their popularity and the many books they have peddled, even though Paul said 2 Corinthians 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.” Since most who follow the gurus are unaware of the doctrines their chosen church believes, and added to that most are the biblically illiterate, they assume what they are being told is truth. They do not realize that because someone is preaching, they are not necessarily preaching truth. 2 Thessalonians 2:4 “He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” Paul said about the leaders teaching false doctrines that, 1 Timothy 1:7 “they want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” Yes, these leaders are very well versed in the beliefs of their distinct doctrines and theology, but not scripture. Having said that, they are very good at using scripture to validate their beliefs, which makes it hard for people to oppose them. Here is an example. One time I was attending a church where the minister basically said you could not understand the bible unless you understood the Greek. Basically he was saying you cannot understand unless I explain it to you. He read a passage from the Greek and then said what it meant. As I read my bible, I said yep that is what my bible said. By implying that the lack of Greek knowledge in his listeners, this elevated Him to a higher status than his listener. The listener would then become dependent on whatever they told them. Because most do not test the spirits, they are deceived. 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Many who follow these leaders, who could be preachers, teachers, apostles, prophets or evangelists, are also 100% certain they will spend eternity with God. They guarantee this with their own reasoning. 2 Timithy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” That time has been here since the time of Paul, hence the warning to Timothy.
Every group with their very distinct doctrines and theology, believe themselves to be right. Therefore, they feel they are definitely heading down the right path. For most, the feelings, experiences and traditions are so right, they cannot wait for eternity to begin. Every group that calls themselves the church believes their way is right and are convinced of it and most will die with their convictions. Jesus said John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Yet most churches have changed this verse to say, we are the way, truth and life. No one comes to the Father except through us. They teach that if you join with and believe their convictions, you also will inherit eternal life. Repentance is basically an agreement with the church you attend but, in most cases, you’d be better off getting a Costco membership. Jesus said to the Pharisees, Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” These men, as Paul described himself, are very intelligent but are hypocrites. Paul said Acts 22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.” Galatians 1:14 “I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. Paul also said, Romans 10:1 “my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.” This lack of knowledge was not new. Isaiah 56:10 “Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. 11 They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, they seek their own gain.” This effected the people listening. Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.” Jeremiah 4:22 “My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
The wide line is filled with false teachers. Peter described the false teachers this way. 2 Peter 2:1 “There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” Jude 1:11 “Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. 13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.” Jeremiah 5:30 “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” Deuteronomy 32:28 They are a nation without sense, there is no discernment in them. 29 If only they were wise and would understand this and discern what their end will be!”
Even so, for most, they believe the way they are heading to be the right way, but that belief can turn out to be wrong. Proverbs 16:25 “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” You can believe something with everything you have but it can still be false especially when you have placed experience, reason and tradition above the word of God. The church continues to follow this pattern of rebellion. What is said here to Judah can be said to the church. The disaster has already happened because of the church’s rebellion and there is only a remnant of survivors left. Jeremiah 18:11 “Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions.’ 12 But they will reply, ‘It’s no use. We will continue with our own plans; we will all follow the stubbornness of our evil hearts.” Jeremiah 11:6 “The Lord said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: ‘Listen to the terms of this covenant and follow them. 7 From the time I brought your ancestors up from Egypt until today, I warned them again and again, saying, “Obey me.” 8 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubbornness of their evil hearts. So I brought on them all the curses of the covenant I had commanded them to follow but that they did not keep.’ 9 Then the Lord said to me, “There is a conspiracy among the people of Judah and those who live in Jerusalem. 10 They have returned to the sins of their ancestors, who refused to listen to my words. They have followed other gods to serve them. Both Israel and Judah have broken the covenant I made with their ancestors. 11 Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I will bring on them a disaster they cannot escape. Although they cry out to me, I will not listen to them. 12 The towns of Judah and the people of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to whom they burn incense, but they will not help them at all when disaster strikes.” The disaster was God allowing the abomination that causes desolation to decimate the church.
Today there are too many types of churches to list such as Catholic, Baptist, Brethren, Anglican, Reformed, Pentecostal and the list goes on and on and there are also the many independents who share similar beliefs but do not call themselves denominations. They may say they are not Baptist but everything about them says they are. Can you imagine a true prophet of God saying what Jonah said to Nineveh to one of these groups either at a Sunday service or one of their conferences? Jonah 3:1 “Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: 2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. 4 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” Nineveh responded correctly. Jonah 3:5 “The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. 6 When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 This is the proclamation he issued in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let people or animals, herds or flocks, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let people and animals be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish.” 10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.” Jonah was upset when God relented but God said Jonah 4:11 “should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left—and also many animals?” Today the same can be said about the church, as most do not know the word of God.
I am sure you can picture the response of these churches to this message of repentance. That person would be thrown out and more than likely the groups would not repent as Nineveh did, which is why God relented. Having said that many churches will still say they are the way, therefore all the others are wrong, even though they say we agree to disagree. Many will say we believe in Jesus but which Jesus or which teaching do they believe in. 2 Corinthians 11:4 “For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” Galatians 1:6 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” If you are following a particular doctrine, theology / denomination, you have been deceived as there is no such thing as a Catholic or Baptist or Methodist etc. Christian.
Here is the danger and we have already talked about this; leaving one church for another does not help you as it is jumping from one frying pan into another. Transfer growth is basically all church growth is. Whoever does church the best, draws the crowds. Something personal may happen or political and people leave. If you have a good worship team, programs and preaching people will come. Most people attend church to have their appetites satisfied. If they feel that is not happening, they leave. The mechanics of the new church may appear will oiled but it is just another frying pan if that church has not repented or leading people to repent. Next week we will be looking at worthless visions. It is not wrong to search but you should know what you are searching for, so you are not deceived. If you are just looking for better programs, worship or preaching, you have already been deceived. If you are looking for God’s word and truth, keep searching with everything you have and don’t give up. What you are looking for may not yet have the power we have been talking about but are waiting for God to turn His face back to the church and His power will come. So many people fall for the organization of church and not the organism. For example, look at how many people follow the false teacher Joel Osteen and his wife. “Joel Osteen is a New York Times bestselling author and the Senior Pastor of America’s largest church, Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. More than 10 million viewers watch his weekly inspirational messages through television, and over 60 million people connect with Joel through his digital platforms worldwide.” Another said, “Lakewood's media broadcast has expanded into over 200 million households in the United States and to an international audience across 6 continents. Through podcasts, Sirius XM radio, and social media platforms the message is more accessible than ever before. Together with the leadership staff of Lakewood, Joel and Victoria are sharing the message of hope found in Jesus with a new generation.” The Jesus they talk about is a different Jesus and what they teach are other gospels. This is just one example of millions being deceived, by false teachers, even though scripture warns us very clearly not to be deceived. Matthew 24:4 “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” Acts 20:29 “I know that after I (Paul) leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” Jeremiah 12:10 “Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland.”
Jeremiah was called to preach truth to God’s people. Jeremiah 26:15 “In truth the Lord has sent me to you to speak all these words in your hearing.” Jeremiah 1:4 “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. 9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant. 17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” God said to Jeremiah, Jeremiah 2:11 “Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. 12 Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the Lord. 13 “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. 19 Consider then and realize how evil and bitter it is for you when you forsake the Lord your God and have no awe of me,” declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.” People who follow the likes of Joel Osteen think they have found the source of living water but in fact are following a different Jesus and adhering to other gospels. Before Osteen’s sermon they say “This is my Bible. I am what it says I am, I have what it says I have, I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the Word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive, I’ll never be the same, in Jesus name.” No, you will not be taught the word of God. This may sound great but in the end those who have been deceived will hear, Matthew 25:41 ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”
If you have been enthralled by the many false teachers like Joel Osteen, and you are still breathing (obviously you are breathing if you are reading this), you can repent. But don’t be deceived like many have been and start listening to another false teacher like John MacArthur. Repentance is conviction of our sin. When we kneel before God our response is that we are unworthy to be in the presence of God and feel the weight of Jesus dying for us. After Pentecost, Peter preached and, Acts 2:37 “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” It is important to understand the presence of the Holy Spirit but if you seek God, you will find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Zechariah 1:3 “Therefore tell the people: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Return to me,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the Lord Almighty.” This is good news, but we must return to God with everything we have. Remember you are not looking for a new church but the true church. Beware of groups that say they are the true church. You are returning to the word of God, not to man’s words about God.
In the presence of God, we will have this conviction. Lamentations 5:15 “Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. 16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! 17 Because of this our hearts are faint, because of these things our eyes grow dim 18 for Mount Zion, which lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it.” When Isaiah was before God he said, Isaiah 6:3 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” At the end of Job’s perseverance, he said to God Job 42:5 “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. 6 Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
This is where we need to be very careful to ask what are you being saved into? What Jesus are you bowing down to? We are told Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” Many people quote this verse and say I did that therefore I am saved but Jesus in the same chapter He talked about the wide gate also said, Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”
The problem is still the same as when God said to Jeremiah, Jeremiah 7:27 “When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. 28 Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.” What he told them was Jeremiah 7:23 “I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you. 24 But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. 25 From the time your ancestors left Egypt until now, day after day, again and again I sent you my servants the prophets. 26 But they did not listen to me or pay attention. They were stiff-necked and did more evil than their ancestors.’” At this point most will not listen.
Many people are looking but when they find out the requirements, they turn away. John 6:60 “On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it? 66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” Mark 10:17 “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’ 20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” 21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. 23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” Jesus knew his heart and his heart was focused on the world. Many Christians have no idea what it means to follow wholeheartedly; they just go to church. They may have prayed a prayer, been baptized and told they were secure and would see eternal life but that will not happen because they were saved into a different Jesus and committed to other gospels. What they were not told was Peter’s warning. 2 Peter 3:17 “Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.” satan is arrogant and if you listen carefully you can hear his presence.
Submitting to the true Jesus and the true gospel is the only way to be saved. After Pentecost Acts 4:8 “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Just because someone says you have been saved by the name of Jesus, doesn’t mean that you have. 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Most have not checked and continue to stand in the wrong line. Every day people are dying, thinking they are safe and secure, because they refuse to listen, have been deceived and deluded or simply do not have knowledge and will not see eternal life. 2 John 1:7 “I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. 9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.” 2 Timothy 3:5 “having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
Sadly, Christians have elevated these false teachers and have followed them wholeheartedly as they wait in the wrong line. But we must get out of that line and be like king Josiah who said 2 Kings 22:13 “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” 2 Kings 23:25 “Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.” The church must do the same and return to God’s word. Even though for most the bible is accessible many are blind and do not see, deaf and do not hear. Ezekiel was told Ezekiel 12:2 “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people.” There is also a severe famine taking place. Amos 8:11 “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.”
The good news is God has not forsaken those who truly seek Him. Ezra 9:8 “But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. 9 Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage.” Isaiah 54:7 “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. 8 In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the Lord your Redeemer.” When the Assyrians attacked king Hezekiah, Hezekiah prayed, Isaiah 37:18 “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.” God responded Isaiah 37:21 “Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22 this is the word the Lord has spoken against him: “Virgin Daughter Zion despises and mocks you. Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee. 31 Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above. 32 For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. “I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant!” God’s response to king Josiah was, 2 Kings 22:16 “This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. 17 Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ 18 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. 20 Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’” His sons refused to follow in his footsteps and did evil in the eyes of the Lord and disaster did come because Judah’s last king Zedekiah refused to listen even though Jeremiah had given Him hope if he obeyed. He did not Obey. Jeremiah 37:2 “Neither he nor his attendants nor the people of the land paid any attention to the words the Lord had spoken through Jeremiah the prophet.” 2 Chronicles 36:15 “The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. 17 He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians, who killed their young men with the sword in the sanctuary, and did not spare young men or young women, the elderly or the infirm. God gave them all into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.”
God said, Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” If you seek the true gospel, you will find it but only if you are looking for the truth. 1 Corinthians 15:2 “By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.” Then you must continue in it. Colossians 1:21 “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” Your eternal destination depends on whether you are following the right Jesus and the true gospel. Test the spirits and make sure. Set you sight on Jesus not man. Return to God’s word as His word as Moses said are not idle words but your life.
