Appalling Things

An Appalling Thing to God

By Pastor Dan Kennedy

www.pastorkennedy.com

There are few things more appalling than seeing one being blinded by inappropriate personal interests, misguided ambition, deceitful misinformation, or destructive behavior, plunging headlong to their own destruction.

“Wait,” we want to cry out to them, “You are headed in the wrong direction!”

But they look at you with a blank stare and continue full force to their own doom!

An appalling and horrible thing

has happened in the land:

the prophets prophesy falsely,

and the priests rule at their direction

my people love to have it so,

but what will you do

when the end comes?

Jeremiah 5:30, 31

Scripture Reading

Joshua 2:11-3:6

The Sad Cycle of Israel’s Unfaithfulness, Judgment, Repentance and Deliverance

11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. 14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.

The Lord Raises Up Judges

16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those who plundered them. 17 Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they whored after other gods and bowed down to them. They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers had walked, who had obeyed the commandments of the Lord, and they did not do so. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up judges for them, the Lord was with the judge, and he saved them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge. For the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who afflicted and oppressed them. 19 But whenever the judge died, they turned back and were more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods, serving them and bowing down to them. They did not drop any of their practices or their stubborn ways. 20 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he said, “Because this people has transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, 21 I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, 22 in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the Lord as their fathers did, or not.” 23 So the Lord left those nations, not driving them out quickly, and he did not give them into the hand of Joshua.

3 Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. 2 It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before. 3 These are the nations: the five lords of the Philistines and all the Canaanites and the Sidonians and the Hivites who lived on Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal-hermon as far as Lebo-hamath. 4 They were for the testing of Israel, to know whether Israel would obey the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. 5 So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 6 And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods.

Appalling Things

An appalling and horrible thing

has happened in the land:

the prophets prophesy falsely,

and the priests rule at their direction

my people love to have it so,

but what will you do

when the end comes?

Jeremiah 5:30, 31

30 An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land:

• Any Educational Structure [the Prophets, in this case] (those which are suppose to be the “standard bearer” for the truth) is, in fact, undermining Truth with deceptive lies

31 the prophets prophesy falsely8267, (שֶׁקֶר [sheqer /sheh·ker/]: lie, deception, falsehood, fraudulently, wrongfully)

• The Teachers [the Priests, in this case] (those with “hand’s on” access to people/children) instruct these in accordance with the deceptive lies fostered by the Educational Structure.

and the priests rule at their direction3338 (יָד (yāḏ): hand - by pointing their hand – or as an extension of the prophet’s command; on their own authorityNIV/NASB; by their own powerNKJV)

• My people love to have it so,

• But what will you do when the end comes?

Ecclesiastes 3

16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work.

✤ “The Prophets”: Who are the primary voices that affect us, speaking to us and giving us direction in our life? What is the foundational “educational structure” in our life? What formulates the basis of our learning?

The Media influence of our 21st Century World…

•What fulfills the appetite of our soul?

oTuning in to the chatter of many frequencies on the channels of the world’s radio directed to our favorite styles of music and/or cultivated tastes of talk shows.

•What sustains the curiosity of our spirit?

oSurfing the World Wide Web to occupy our time, learn what is happening in the world, or communicate with friends on the social networks.

•What motivates the satisfaction of our life?

oClicking through the channels of TV to see what entertainment is being offered, or what news is new, or what game is being played. Being mesmerized by the entertainment offerings of the world.

“An appalling and horrible thing

has happened in the land:

the prophets prophesy falsely,

and the priests rule at their direction

my people love to have it so,

but what will you do

when the end comes?”

Jeremiah 5:30, 31

✤ “The Priests”, or “our Teachers”: Who are the secondary voices that we allow to reinforce and interpret the primary voices that speak into our lives and give us direction? Who do we allow to “teach” us? Who are the ones who reinforce me to drawn near to God and study His Word?

oBooks, literature, or authors that we read?

oMovies and TV sitcoms or programs?

oReligious leaders?

oBroadcast personalities?

oCertain Musicians?

oProfessors or teachers?

oFinancial Gurus?

oPoliticians?

oChurch?

o“Personal Satisfaction” drives?

✴ Are these voices empowered by God’s Spirit, or are they serving the spirit of the world?
✴ Are they giving deceptive, self-serving advice, or are they true to God’s Word?
✴ Are they self-deceived, possibly living a lie and promoting their own wisdom, or are they who they should be before God?

Who are the “Prophets” and our “Priests” in our lives?

We need to discern the validity of what is taught from the many voices pointed our direction.

“An appalling and horrible thing

has happened in the land:

the prophets prophesy falsely,

and the priests rule at their direction

my people love to have it so,

but what will you do

when the end comes?”

Jeremiah 5:30, 31

✤ “The People love to have it so…”:

Do our friends – those around us, press us to go with them to love the experiences on the “Broad Road” on which the rest of the world is walking…blindly, to their eternal damnation? Who are the friends who encourage me on to God?

What do we love?

Matthew 7

13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Unless we become hardened to sin, we know when we are doing wrong!

Know what the Scripture says for ourselves.

“Do good and avoid evil.”

Amos 5

14Seek good, and not evil,

that you may live;

and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,

as you have said.

15 Hate evil, and love good,

and establish justice in the gate;

it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,

will be gracious….

The Marks of the True Christian

Romans 12

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good…

Do we know some of the things in which we are participating are not the things that God would be pleased with? Are we going to change, by the power of the Spirit of Christ?

•Seek to determine God’s will and direction for our life,

•Seek God’s mind through meditating on His Word in the Bible, and

•Ask God to guide and give you His strength every day, by the Power of His Holy Spirit.

“An appalling and horrible thing

has happened in the land:

the prophets prophesy falsely,

and the priests rule at their direction

my people love to have it so,

but what will you do

when the end comes?”

Jeremiah 5:30, 31

✤ What is the end for which we should prepare?

“The End” in this passage can be considered as two-fold:

1. At death…this could be anytime! Today, tonight, in 50 years?

There will come a day when both the Believer in Christ and those who are totally against God, will be judged for who they are.

2 Corinthians 5 –

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

2. At the end of this earth’s age.

2 Thessalonians 1

…when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

Revelation 20

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

What is the end for which we personally should prepare?

An appalling and horrible thing

has happened in the land:

the prophets prophesy falsely,

and the priests rule at their direction

my people love to have it so,

but what will you do

when the end comes?

Jeremiah 5:30, 31