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Weapons of Mass Destruction
Text: Jeremiah 18:18-23
18 Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.
20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.
21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.
22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
23 Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger. [1]
Introduction:
We have heard much in the news over the last several years about WMD’s – “Weapons of Mass Destruction”. Of course they are talking about chemical and biological weapons that have the potential of killing 10’s of thousands of people in the matter of moments when released. With the right amount and placed in a strategic position they could kill 100’s of thousands of people and infect even millions.
Listening to the news this week on several occasions and hearing particular reports about some things going on in our own country, I concluded that we are having a problem with our own WMD’s.
I am not a political activist, nor am I one who goes around looking for a fight concerning a just cause. BUT, I am a CHRISTIAN / AMEICAN CITIZEN / PREACHER and PASTOR of a local church which is suppose to be getting out the TRUTH of God, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that men, women, girls and boys might get saved and go to Heaven when they leave this earth.
As a Pastor trying to keep in touch with what is going on in the world and seeking to bring some sense of comfort to the hearts of those who will listen to me preach. God nudged my heart this week about these WMD’s in our country.
I will not change
THERE ARE THREE “WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION” I want to point out to you this morning.
I.
Liberal Tongues.
** Those of civilization that are NOT saved and Christians who are carnal.
A.
Liberal
tongues have NO convictions about these matters.
i. Lying – Many people today would rather tell you a lie, than the truth.
Psalm 109:2
2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. [2]
Proverbs 26:28
28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin. [3]
ii. Wounding another – It does not matter what I say – so what if it hurts someone feelings – GET OVER IT!!
Psalm 57:4
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. [4]
James 3:6
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. [5]
iii. Backbiting – Friends to your face and as soon as you turn around – they start saying about you what they just finished saying about the other person they were talking about.
iv. Being deceitful – It seems that we have lost our innocence and the ability to JUST BE HONEST about things.
Psalm 50:19
19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. [6]
v. Causing strife among the brethren & sisters – some people think they have to keep things stirred up all the time between some others.
Psalm 31:19-21
19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
20 Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city. [7]
vi. Cursing – using foul language as those who do not profess to be saved. If a person is claiming the name of Christ – then they should season their speech with salt and not the scum of this world.
Hosea 7:16
16 They return, but not to the most High: they
are like a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword for the rage
of their tongue: this shall be their derision in the
vii. To just sin in general –
Psalm 39:1
1 To the chief Musician, even to Jeduthun, A Psalm of David.
1 I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. [9]
James 3:3-5
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! [10]
** In the late 1800’s nearly the whole city of
B.
God has
a purpose for the tongue – biblically
i. It is to be keep from evil –
Psalm 34:13
13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. [11]
ii. It is to be guarded –
Proverbs 21:23
23 Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles. [12]
iii. It is to be bridled –
James 1:26
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. [13]
** There are times when it is better for everyone, especially us – to keep our mouths shut.
Proverbs 17:28
28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. [14]
C.
The
tongue is an indicator of your spirit.
i. It reveals your HEART.
Matthew
12:33-37
33 Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit.
34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. [15]
ii. It shows you have little or NO control over your tongue.
** James is very explicit about this in his book – Chapter three (3).
James 3:5-11
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? [16]
I.
Liberal Tongues.
II.
Liberal Tendency’s.
** Looking at these from a biblical stand point – I
thought of the “sins of
A.
The Sins
of
** I categorized them into five (5) groups
- Rejection of God.
- Reception of Idols.
- Rewriting the Laws.
- Rebellion against Authority.
- Religious in Form, but w/o the Power thereof.
** I’ll read you part if not all of Isaiah 59 and see if you see the resemblance to how we are doing today.
Isaiah 59:1-21
Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 3 For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. 4 None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. 5 They hatch cockatrice’ eggs, and weave the spider’s web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper. 6 Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands. 7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. 8 The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.
9 Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. 10 We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. 11 We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. 12 For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them; 13 In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.
14 And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. 15 Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.
16 And he saw that there was no man, and
wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought
salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. 17 For he put
on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head;
and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad
with zeal as a cloke. 18 According to their deeds, accordingly he
will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the
islands he will repay recompence.
19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his
glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood,
the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
20 And the Redeemer shall come to
B.
Could
history be repeating itself – only different country –
** I see us doing the same things as
Ø Rejection of God. – There are two lawyers from Thomasville that are suing the city of Lexington to REMOVE the words “In God we Trust” off the courthouse uptown.
Ø Reception of Idols. – We are a country that given ourselves over to the gods of leisure / greed / pleasure and self-gratification.
Ø
Rewriting the Laws. – The Supreme Court of
the
Ø Rebellion against Authority. – It’s the same ole – same ole – “No one is telling me what to do – I am my own person and I’ll make my own decisions – After all, I have RIGHTS, you know.”
Ø Religious in Form, but w/o the Power thereof. - About two thirds of Americans (64%) report that religion is a "very important part" of their lives. This is especially true among women (74%) and African Americans (89%).
Percentage of Christians claiming to be:
|
Born Again Christians |
46% |
|
Catholics |
21% |
|
Protestants |
52% |
|
Other Christians |
63% |
|
Evangelical Christians |
24% |
|
Catholics |
10% |
|
Protestants |
39% |
|
Other Christians |
26% |
I.
Liberal Tongues.
II.
Liberal Tendency’s.
III.
Liberal Temples.
** I am speaking here of Churches and will list several things that will kill a church.
A.
Love of
Compromise.
- In the area of Scriptures.
- In the area of Standards.
- In the area of Sacrifice. ( For everything but God)
- In the area of Submission.
B.
Lack of
Convictions.
-
In the Church
- Guilty of carnality (following the flesh) instead of Giving in to Christ.
- Pushing the Programs – instead of Pursuing the Power.
- Appearance of Godliness – instead of Acquiring the Grace.
-
In the Christian
- Blending with the world. – in action and attitude
- Borrowing from the world. – in music and message (love one anther)
- Being LIKE the world. – in dress and demonstration
C.
Loss of
Commitment.
- We cease to put Christ first in our lives.
- We cease to put church foremost in our lives.
- We cease to make Christian living familiar in our lives.
D.
Lame
Compassion.
- For those in Sickness.
- For those in Sorrow.
- For those in Suffering.
- For those in Need of Salvation.
- For those in all sorts of Situations.
** Too much lip service is given in the church today. Brother Eddie Goddard preached last November in our Missions meeting – “Talk is cheap – it takes money to ride the Train”.
Conclusion:
This is to just touch the WMD’s of our day. It is sad to note that MANY are
being destroyed by these weapons of mass destruction and EVEN MORE SADLY
is that much of it is coming from and through the CHURCH.
Sermon by John Hill Jr.
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