Where Are The Jeremiahs When We Need Them?

This past week, Alistair Begg, a noted preacher from Parkside Church, spoke to nearly 300 pastors at Western. I had the privilege of having lunch with him on Tuesday. Given that I was speaking with one of the great contemporary preachers, I couldn’t help but ask if he had ever preached Jeremiah. His answer was immediate and concise: “Why would I do that?” After letting him know I was into my third week of this study, his simple counsel was to get out now!!

I can understand. Jeremiah is an unnerving book. There are homiletical challenges at every corner. It has taken me 28 years to finally preach it. But here is what I am discovering early on. Jeremiah’s words are as centering as any for our times (and I am certain Begg would agree [I think]). The disturbing scenes out of the turbulent Middle East, the failure of leadership at the highest levels, the endless empty rhetoric, as well the continued economic meltdown, all give a sense that this world is coming apart at the seams. For the first time that I can remember, I do not feel the optimism that my parents had for me and my peers. I do not have the confidence that my kids will have it as good as my generation. And much of the reason for this parallels what was going on in Jeremiah’s time.

Like Jeremiah’s time, we have come to believe the present is decided by the policies of a nation rather than the will of a holy and compassionate God. We continue to buy into the myth that our hope is in Washington or on Wall Street. People track the polls and numbers on a daily basis, as if it all rides on an election, or falls on what the Federal Reserve announces, or what the latest employment numbers indicate.

This would be familiar territory for Jeremiah. His was a world of profound spiritual neglect, one that relied on people rather than God.  Israel, just prior to its dismantling, made some disastrous choices—choices similar to the ones our present culture is making—choices that were suicidal.  But then, as Plantinga put it, any time we choose sin it is like pulling the plug on your own resuscitator.

With the passion of a poet, the grief of a spurned lover, and the trembling of a man who knew the fear of God, Jeremiah defined his age and explained the impending judgment—

-they lived in denial—primping for a party when they should have been putting on sackcloth and ashes

-they lost their senses—which is what happens when you choose to worship idols and not the living God. You become what you worship

-they went after leaders who pandered to their wishes—empty chested men who tickled ears. They gave candy to the diabetic, fast food to those with heart disease, entitlements out of exhausted reserves, and quantitative easing to please the wealthy

-they listened to voices who gave superficial diagnoses—the nation was terminally ill, but her shepherds assured her it was all minor wounds

-they took neither God nor His word with any degree of seriousness—there was no fear nor awe, no unsettledness that they stood before a fierce and holy God who will not be mocked

-they were consumers defined by their consuming—using the system to line their pockets, abusing and oppressing the weak to get the latest deals

And no one seemed to notice, take any of this seriously. It was an uncaring, unnoticing culture on its uncaring way to ruin. It was as if a spirit of deception and delusion had descended upon the land. Are we on a similar course? Are we allowing the same spirit to descend upon us? Are we pulling the plug on our own resuscitator?

It will take a prophetic voice like Jeremiah’s, calling our culture to face reality, asking God to give us leaders who will lead, and passionately persuading people to fear God.  Walter Brueggemann, one of the most insightful OT scholars I have read, delivered a sermon in April of 1992, making this very point:

“We are, I imagine, like old Jerusalem. The very poetry we dread and want to silence is the poetry we must hear—and utter (we are after all God’s present day prophets). We must utter it, because the God of Moses has no other access point in the unglued city, except to haunt with trembling by poetic lips. Those lips do indeed cause a deep trembling, for the one who utters and for those who hear.”

Comments

[John Seidlitz]

Very appropriate in this post modern age. I have read several of Brian McLaren and Rob Bell's books that make a person feel good but I can't believe what they are saying. So the Jeremiah series has been helpful in my thinking.

[Bud]

What I like about this is the relevance to our times. While I concur that the church must avoid adopting political issues, your approach here is to clearly and strongly address the those very issues while avoiding the "party" politics out there. Keep on going.

[Stacy Williams]

Thank you, I have recently been looking for facts about this question for a while and yours is the best I have found so far.

[Alan]

Sarah and Robby are the best in the business!! I am so tfnukhal for you guys! You made it so personal and it was a blast to have you by our side the whole day! Thank you for capturing our day in every way! I can remember everything I was thinking and feeling from these pics and I know I still will be able to when I am 80 just because of how great of a job you did!! love love love you guys! Oh and we are totally honored to make the blog :)

[SandraSanders]

Good day! It was such a huge pleasure to visit this blog and to read this post. And there is one thing which I would like to ask you. Do you practice guest blogging?

[Satomi]

Pretty interesting place you've got here. Thanks for it. I like such tpocis and everything connected to them. I definitely want to read more on that blog soon. Joan Benedict

[Matheus]

I really apetpciare this video. Yeah our life right now is a lesson in patience it seems more so than other times in our lives. I sure do apetpciare though the comfort He'll give us when we allow ourselves to feel it.

[Damaikol]

VivekanandaSub: A NOT APPLICABLE.. OUT OF CONTEXT .articleHelllo Sir,I have read the article and i dont think the dscsuision done is not taking the Current generation into consideration.What you talked was just like a page from a History book which has no value or meaning or connection to thee current happennings.Re write your article on how the rulers are supporting Muslims or SCs and STs just for Vote banks. This article is just again a Dusty Crooked and OLD Communist way of thoughs which doesnt apply..!