VIDEO RECORDING OF THIS SERMON
AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS SERMON
In Jer 25:15-33, the wine cup of the Lord’s fury is taken to all nations and they shall drink it. The Lord will send his sword into all countries. As verse 33 says, “And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth.”
No nation escapes the sword of God. They all must drink from the cup. He said in verse 29, “For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth.”
As Bible believing Americans, we don’t have a hard time understanding that God will judge this country. We just have a hard time accepting that God might bring his sword upon us while we are still here. We want him to wait until after the rapture. Jim White was right when he said, “I believe most of us are more interested in our disappearing than we are in his appearing.”
We just have to accept that America is going to be punished. And we may still be here when that punishment comes.
God can use any means at his disposal to bring his sword upon us. He can use the whirlwind, Jer 25:32. We certainly know about whirlwinds. In 2 Chr 6, when Solomon prayed the prayer of dedication for the temple, he mentioned many of the means God typically uses: defeat in war, 2 Chr 6:24, drought, 2 Chr 6:26, natural disasters and sieges, 2 Chr 6:28, and captivity, 2 Chr 6:36. He can use diseases, Deut 28:22, 27, 35, terror and madness, Deut 28:28, and economic collapse, Deut 28:29, 33. And there are other means, as well; but you get the idea. When God turns against a nation, there is absolutely no way that nation can hide from God or avoid his wrath.
When the ten northern tribes broke off from the two southern tribes in Israel, “the cause was of God,” 2 Chr 10:15. This occurred when Rehoboam answered Jeroboam roughly. When Rehoboam and Judah wanted to retaliate, the Lord stopped them by saying, “this thing is done of me,” 2 Chr 11:4. God gets involved in these things. “The Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon,” 1 Ki 11:14. “God stirred him up another adversary,” 1 Ki 11:23. You read these kinds of things throughout the Bible.
And Israel was not the only nation at war. In 2 Chr 15:6 when Asa, Rehoboam’s grandson was king in Judah, “nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.” Look at 2 Chr 15:5. This trouble was everywhere and God was behind it.
Surely you are upset about what’s happening in our country and in the world. That’s why the Lord told his disciples that these things are the “beginning of sorrows,” Matt 24:8. These wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes and the ones that are still to come, Matt 24:6-7, are “sorrowful.” When the troubles escalate, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake,” Matt 24:9. I know this was written to his disciples, but many martyrs in the church have already been killed before us. Don’t think the same might not happen to us.
So, what are we to do when our country starts drinking the cup?
Don’t be deceived – Matt 24:4 – there is so much deception out there right now. False doctrine is everywhere. And when you go to the news, you aren’t certain if your source knows what he or she is talking about. You will get all of your news and direction and understanding from the Bible. You will know more about what is going on when you get God’s perspective on the matters. He is the only one in the universe who really knows what’s going on and what he is doing.
Don’t be troubled – Matt 24:6 – people are moving from one panic to another. Panic is addictive. They are juked up all the time and worried. That kind of worry will kill your prayer life, Phil 4:6-7. You panic and then seek peace. Seek peace and don’t panic. Ps 56:3 starts with fear and end with trust. Ps 56:11 starts with trust and dispels fear. Trust God; you are his child. And remember from Prov 10:30, “the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.” No matter what they’re doing right now, if it’s wicked, it will not last and neither will they.
Don’t be offended – Matt 24:10 – According to Dan Crenshaw in his book, Fortitude, people are getting offended and angry over what he calls “micro-aggressions.” People are looking to be offended. But we are not like the rest of the world. The psalmist said, “Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend them,” Ps 119:165. Don’t get offended by what you’re seeing down here. You don’t know what part God has in it.
Don’t be unloving – Matt 24:12 – our love for each other is our distinguishing mark that we are Christ’s disciples, Jn 13:34-35. NO one else can love like God’s children can love. Love God, love his words, and love his children. Be fervent in your love for one another.
Don’t quit preaching the gospel – Matt 24:14 – doctrinally, this verse, like so many others in Matt 24, applies to the Tribulation. We won’t be here during the Tribulation. However, the spiritual application is that we still have the gospel of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ to preach. And lost souls still need to be saved. Don’t quit preaching.
Conclusion: there is chaos and confusion all around you. Trying to sort it out by listening to men is only going to make you more confused. Spend more time in your Bible, more good time in prayer, more time loving your brothers and sisters in Christ, more time preaching the gospel, and don’t get offended.