July 2, 2023 - The Power of Experiencing the Truth - Pastor Paul Vallee
Jeremiah 36, Jeremiah Series We live in a society awash in lies posing as truth. What when wrong? What can we do about it? Jesus was challenged as to the heart of serving God. In his response, Jesus said, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37).’ This speaks of total commitment and developing a comprehensive understanding of Who God is and what He requires. It means that we need to develop a biblical worldview. It means that in ‘presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, we are to be transformed by renewing our minds (cf. Romans 12:2). We need to understand our world and see it the way God does. In his book, ‘How shall we live?’ Charles Colson relates: “Religion is not a reflection or product of culture, but quite the reverse. As the great twentieth-century historian Christopher Dawson argued, cult is at the root word of culture (taking ‘cult’ in its most basic meaning as a system of religious worship). The late political philosopher Russell Kirk agreed: ‘It’s from an association in a cult, a body of worshipers, that human community grows. The oyster offers a good analogy. Oysters make their shells, so if the shell is badly formed, the problem is not in the shell but in the oyster. Likewise, when a culture deforms and decays, don’t ask what went wrong with the culture; ask what went wrong with the cult-the religious core.” Our response to the word of God determines the answer. An indifferent and dismissive attitude does not diminish the message. God’s word is eternal, and what is being communicated will occur regardless of our response. Here in Jeremiah 36, we discover two very different responses to God’s word. The first group is struck with ‘fear,’ a deep concern for what God is warning the people about. This suggests that these individuals believed in and revered God and realized their danger because of their prior indifference. The second group, led by the king, had no fear of God and literally discarded the words. The king burned the message in the fire burning in the firepot in his winter apartment. The king was left with no lasting family dynasty, and the nation suffered greatly. So, how do we respond to God’s word? How is God’s word influencing, directing, and determining our lives? Are we just hearers, or are we doers of God’s word? Though there are only two responses toward God and His message, God’s actions also occur from those responses. So, what can we learn about human nature and God’s nature from interaction with His divine message? There are three things we learn from God’s revelation toward humanity.
