Jump Start # 2955

Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

There was a wreck about to happen. There would be casualties. Some would die. The wreck didn’t have to happen, but it did. This wasn’t a car accident or a plane crash. This wasn’t the loss of fortunes on some get rich quick scheme. This was a spiritual crash. The people of God were heading quickly to a brick wall. Wicked kings, corrupt priests, indifferent people was all it took for the hearts of the people to be lukewarm towards God. They embraced idols. They ignored the commands of God. The prophets God sent were ridiculed. And, now, the good days were almost over. On the horizon Babylon was getting stronger and stronger. The Lord would use that wicked nation to teach His people a lesson. Arrogance and irreverence had caught up with them.

In one final plea, God begs the people to seek the ancient paths. But the people are defiant. They not only refuse, but verbally they declare, “We will not walk in it.” Stubborn. Rebellious. Arrogant. They weren’t going to win against God. No one does.

There are some lessons for us:

First, the ancient paths are just that, ancient. They are well traveled and well worn. Many have gone on that path before and it has worked well for them. Hiking in Yellowstone last year reminded me of this. One stays on the path. If not, you’ll get lost, run into a bear or be chased by a bison. Even on the path you must pay attention, bring your bear bell and not be foolish. The path takes you to known places.

There is a spirit among some that want to explore new ways. They tire of the same path that everyone else travels. They want to be spiritual pioneers. They want to be the explorers. And, off they go on a new idea, a new fad, a new tangent. Always looking for something different and new, they are not satisfied with the ancient paths. And, most, who go off on their on, do just that. They go off. They don’t stay true to the Biblical message and pattern. They don’t follow the apostolic order of things. Danger lurks when you get off the path.

Second, the ancient paths bring great results. Our verse calls it “the good way,” and, a source of “rest for your souls.” That ‘rest for your souls’ sounds like David’s Psalms 23. And, in that Psalm, David is being led by the Lord. Green pastures, quiet waters, even God’s presence when in the valleys is what one finds on the ancient paths. We find those ancient paths not by reading the latest mega church author who wants the church to look like Amazon. No, the ancient paths are found by spending time in the word of God. This path was first walked by the Lord. Others have followed. It has worked well for them. It will work well for us.

Don’t be looking for shortcuts. They don’t exist. Don’t be trying to find a better way. It’s the Lord’s way that matters. It is the ancient paths that God wants us on. The path that Moses walked. The path that Joshua walked. The path that the prophets walked. Biblical. Tried. True.

Third, some of God’s people just don’t get it. Our verse is not written to Babylonians. It’s not written to pagans. It’s about the people of God. God was telling them what to do. God was telling them why they should do this. The results are beneficial, healthy and helpful. Instead, the people of God turned their noses to God and walked the other way. Like a two-year-old, they declared, “We will not walk in them.” That declaration meant, we will not follow God. It meant we will not do what is good. They would not find rest for their souls. We will do it our way, go our way, and find our own way. And, by saying that, they were creating their own god—it was themselves.

And, today, all these years later, and all those pages of the Bible later, some are still wanting to be defiant and not walk with the Lord. I will not do what the Bible says. I will not do what is good for my soul. I will not find peace and rest for my soul. I will do it my way and only my way.

When it comes to the N.T., that spirit has never understood the concept of discipleship or following Jesus. The first step is to “deny yourself” (Lk 9:23). When one acts like a two-year-old, they have not denied themselves. When a person puts their feelings, their wants and their thinking first, they have not denied themselves. Oh, they may have been baptized, but they are not truly following the Lord. They may come to worship once in a while, but they are not truly following the Lord.

What can be done with the “I will not” spirit? With a child, you can send them to their room. With a grown adult, who is supposed to be a Christian, a “come to Jesus” conversation needs to take place. From that, a Bible study would help. But if that spirit remains, then discipline is what needs to follow. They are not walking in the tradition of the apostles. They are not following the Lord. To allow this to continue only hurts the church.

Some people just do not get it. And, it may just be because they don’t want to get it.

Roger

Jump Start # 2923

Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

One of the burdens that so many shepherds in the Lord’s church carry today is the belief that they must solve every problem and fix every person. That alone can be very overwhelming. The larger the congregation the more that is multiplied. So many people and so many problems. It is a wonder that any shepherd gets a night’s sleep.

Our passage written so long ago ought to help us some. The Lord was extending His loving hand to His people. They were quickly sinking into the mire of error and idolatry. There was a way out. The story didn’t have to end with defeat, shame and death. There was a better way. It wasn’t something new. They already knew. It was the ancient paths. Seek them and you’ll get out of that pit. Seek them and you’ll find hope. Seek them and you’ll find rest. Seek them and the Lord will forgive you. So easy. So simple.

The reply was quick, direct and defiled. We will not. We will not walk in those ancient paths. We will not have anything to do with what you want. We will continue on the path that we are on. We will not turn back. Leave us alone. We are happy where we are.

And, what we find here is a responsibility upon the people. God’s hand was extended but they were turning their backs on God. And, within this we find some powerful lessons for shepherds today.

First, some people do not want to be saved. That’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Some people do not want to rescue their marriages. They’d rather crash the marriage on the rocks and go over the waterfalls, as dangerous as that might be. Some people do not want to quit drinking. Some people do not want to worship the Lord.

Second, some messes created by us can only be straightened out by us. Sure the shepherds are there and would love to help and guide, but in the end, they can’t do anything unless we are willing. Jesus did not save every person. Some were bold enough to walk away from Jesus. Some saw the miracles and still refused to believe. Attitudes, forgiveness, second chances, we can preach those things all day long.

Third, we pile up pressure and guilt upon ourselves when we feel compelled to solve every problem. The truth is we can’t. And, since we can’t, we feel like failures. We believe that we ought to be able to. Some problems only the Lord can solve. Some problems are up to the hearts involved and if they are unwilling to work towards godly solutions, the problems will remain. The burden some shepherds feel shouldn’t be there. The Lord couldn’t save everyone. There were some who chose to walk away and go home. Was Jesus a failure? Should He beat himself up with sorrow and guilt? Why should it be different for us?

Fourth, some problems take a long time to solve. Problems can be created in seconds, but it can take decades to untangle the messes created by them. And, in those decades, people move, people die, life goes on. Some people move slower than a turtle when it comes to doing what ought to be done. Sure, they know that they ought to stop a sinful behavior. Certainly, they’ll agree with you that they need to apologize. But will they do it? One may change calendars before the first step is taken.

It is easy to point fingers and hang problems on leaders when it is not their fault. I’ve seen some of the best preaching done in a church that had the worst attendance. That’s hard to figure. Throughout this land there are many, many great shepherds who are doing their best to lead the people of God to Heaven. Prayerfully, they are putting their hearts into their work. They give up evenings and Saturdays to meet with others and to shape hearts that will be pleasing to the Lord. But there remains those, like in our passage, who just refuse to do what they should. It breaks the heart of these shepherds. They try one thing and then another, just to generate some spiritual interest in lukewarm and dead souls.

So, men of God, don’t fret over not being able to solve all problems. Sometimes, often times, it’s us. Some of us simply just do not want to do what is right, godly and wholesome. Jesus Himself could not change some of these hearts.

Does the church have problems? Certainly. Is it up to the shepherds to solve all these problems? Certainly NOT. Their role is to guide, shape and point the way to Jesus. In the Luke 15 parable of the lost sheep, why was that one lamb lost? Why wasn’t he following the shepherd like the rest of them? Did the shepherd do something wrong? The shepherd in that context is God. God never does anything wrong. As the shepherds are leading, it’s up to you and I to keep up with them. We must be watching and listening. We must be working out our own salvation. No one else will do that. No one else is expected to do that. They have their own salvation to work on. If we are responsible enough to be baptized, then we ought to be responsible enough to keep up our end of the bargain and walk with the Lord.

Some problems are just ours to solve…

Roger

Jump Start # 2812

Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls,’ but they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

The other day I received a reprint of an old religious publication that was first printed in 1857. This was an added treasure to my collection of restoration history. The editor and preacher lived in Indiana and years ago one of his descendants gave me a framed picture of this old preacher. Now, I have some of his early writings. And, all of this takes us to our passage today. Ask for the ancient paths, not old publications, but God’s word.

There are some wonderful layers to notice in our verse today:

First, God’s way is ancient. There is no getting around that. I got home late last night. It was already dark. I was walking to the mailbox to get the mail and looked up at the moon, bright and governing the night, just as God said. And, I thought, that’s the same moon that Jesus saw. It’s the same moon that Abraham saw. It’s the same moon that Noah saw. It’s the same moon that the first man, Adam saw.

There has been as shift in thinking for many concerning worship and God’s way. For some, the pattern of the N.T. is outdated, tired and too traditional. Some have opted for what they call a “contemporary worship.” Others are looking for something fresh, new and exciting. But that mindset is never settled. It is always on the look for something different. It’s constantly unsettled. There is always something better out there. That’s the thought. For that mindset, worship, patterns, organization and even truth is fluid, changing and evolving. What’s being tested and tried today will be discarded tomorrow. The things that the young people recognize today will not be around when they are grown.

There is an ancient way, a tried and true path that the faithful have traveled on for generations. And, this old and worn means works. It works because it’s from God. It works because it’s been tried. God’s word has brought comfort to troubled times and troubled homes. It has offered comfort through the dark days of grieving. It has challenged and motivated hearts to walk closer to the Lord and to pick up the towel of a servant. It has taught, warned and shown itself to be true over and over, decade after decade.

Lives have been changed because of that ancient Gospel. People have walked away from sin because of the powerful preaching of that old, old message. Congregations have been built and a world of good has been accomplished by the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Second, God is pleading with His people to ask, seek and follow that ancient path. That’s what we need to be praying for today. Tell me the old, old story still works. We are quickly moving away from that Gospel message. A generation today does not see any difference between the uniqueness of God’s way and the artificial churches of today. People bounce around from one to another, as if they are trying different fast food places. One is as good as another, is all they see. But, they are not all the same. There stands one that is special, different and unique. It alone follows that ancient path of God. It draws a line in the sand with God. It will not change with the times to become more social, more community activated, and more consumer orientated. It stays with God. And, because it’s on an old, old path, it’s not out of touch. It’s not a museum of the old. It’s alive, active and relevant. The message fits modern man. The concerns touches us where we live. It’s a true hope for a messy time. Ask for the ancient ways. Seek that ancient path.

Third, there will be some, as in the days of Jeremiah, who have no intention of following that old path. They want to blaze new trails. They want to seek new things. But in doing so, they are walking away from the Lord. They are leaving the Lord. They are not on solid ground. They are headed in unknown territory. Danger is ahead of them and they are not aware of it. But for those on that ancient way, walked by years by the faithful of God, it leads to the Lord. And, if that’s where we want to be, why try another way? Why look for something different?

Fourth, time will reveal which way was the correct way, but by then it will be too late to make any adjustments or changes. Once a person takes one step away from the ancient ways of God, the next person takes a step away from that first person. Then comes a man who takes a step away from the second person, which is now three steps away. Before long, there are so many steps away that one cannot even see that old path any longer. It’s just one step, is what folks say. What’s the danger with that? The danger is seen in Scriptures. After Joshua there arose a generation that did not know the Lord. Idols came in and troubled followed. Eternity will reveal whether staying on the ancient path was the right way to go. I believe it is. I believe it is, not because I just think so, it’s what the Scriptures teach. Those that are tired of the old will see their children grow up and be tired of their ways. One step. Then two steps. Then three steps. Then that old, old path is no longer in sight.

Last summer when we were in Montana, we hiked some trails. Beautiful county. Bison grazing in the distance. But one stays on the path. If you don’t you are likely to get lost. If you don’t you’ll likely run into a bear. Paths are there for a reason. God’s paths are where He wants us to travel.

Old paths…but true paths.

Roger

Jump Start # 2685

Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good ways is, and walk in it; and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.”

Some things and some people are just hard to figure out. Here in our passage, God is pleading with the wayward nation of Judah to get back to following Him. Idolatry has torn their hearts away from God. The “no other gods before Me,” of the Ten Commandments had been long forgotten and tossed out the window for these people. They were bent on doing what they wanted to do.

And, it’s like that today. We can show, preach, plead with some to do what is right and they will just go the other direction. We care more for their souls than they do themselves. And, here in our passage the Lord shows the upside to following Him. It is the good way. You will find rest. Now, the opposite is what they were inviting into their lives by not following the Lord. Instead of good, it would be bad. Instead of rest, they would have turmoil. God is telling them what they ought to do. Their response was, “we will not walk in it.” Their minds were made up. Concrete had been poured and dried. They were not interested.

One has to wonder if God ever thought about revoking our free will. The blessing of free will is choice. God doesn’t make us, nor force us. He wants us to follow Him because we want to. But the nation was acting like a three-year-old. Walk this way, is what God said. They said, “Nope. We aren’t going to do that.” God didn’t send the nation to their room, although that might have been a good idea. No, in time, God allowed their choices to take them as far from God as they could get. Because of His promises, which He always keeps, He allowed the nation to be in captivity for more than a generation. Longer than the wilderness journey, Judah was in Babylonian captivity. Many were killed by the Babylonian invasion. Others would die in Babylon. A few were allowed to return.

Stubborn, full of pride, not caring about the eternal, Judah was Hell-bent on doing what they wanted. And, they did. And, what they got was not rest, but captivity. What they got was not good ways, but Babylonian ways.

And, here is what this looks like today:

• The preacher has a lesson in mind for a couple of specific people. They are making wrong choices and they are headed away from the Lord. The preacher preaches his heart out. The ones that he had in mind never paid attention. They came in with a mind made up that they were going to leave just as they came. Unchanged. Unmoved. Indifferent.

• A parent does all that he can to be a great example and role model for his son. But his son’s heart is already in the far country. He has lied to his parents. He has snuck out several times. He continues to hang out with those who will sink him lower and lower into wrong choices. The dad is beside himself. He’s tried talking, lecturing, counseling, mentoring—everything. This wayward heart doesn’t want to listen nor turn.

• A wife does all that she knows how to keep the marriage above water. Her husband is no longer interested in the marriage, her or staying. He’s found someone else. His choices are wrecking the family. She pleads, but he doesn’t listen. She begs, but his heart is gone. He doesn’t want to talk to anyone about this. He is not interested in counseling. He doesn’t want to save the marriage. He wants out.

Wrong choices. Bad influences. Walking away from the Lord. There are times when we wish free will wasn’t so free and so easy. The heartache that the righteous go through and the tears that are shed could fill a river. Why does God allow this? Why doesn’t God change something? We wonder. We plead. We cry.

Free-will comes with a price. The blessing of choice also involves choosing the wrong fruit. So, what can we do when those that we love choose to do wrong?

First, loading guilt upon yourself doesn’t help matters. In some cases, maybe the guilt is deserved. Maybe we dropped the ball and didn’t do as we should. There has been those who were treated roughly and the scars have remained fresh for decades. All you can do is apologize, learn and try to do better. But our passage reminds us that some walked away from the Lord. God wasn’t to blame. God didn’t fail. God didn’t mess up. Even with the best, some choose to go the other way.

Second, we must never give up. As long as life is in the body, we continue to pray, set examples and try to get those we love back to the Lord. What doesn’t work in one method, causes us to try a different method. But we never, ever give up. Sometimes our efforts are casting pearls before the swine, but because of our love for these people, we will cast.

Third, freewill is enjoyed by those who respect it and use it wisely. I like having the freedom of choosing what I am going to preach about and what classes I am going to teach. I wouldn’t like that to be decided for me. I like the freedom to live where I want. I like the choice of eating what I like. Freewill can have wonderful benefits. However, freewill comes with consequences. Every choice leads somewhere. Every decision has ramifications. We can be as strong spiritually as we want to be. We can serve as closely as we want to. And, those right choices bring joy, love and assurance.

Finally, one day freewill will end. It ends in eternity. There will be no temptation in eternity. There will be no fear of failure, messing up or being kicked out of Heaven. That won’t happen. Satan won’t be there. There will be no bad influences. There will be no sin. We will be where we want to be. We will be doing what we want to do. We will enjoy the presence of God forever.

Won’t it be wonderful there.

Roger

Jump Start # 1510

Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”

  I was reading a book written by popular writer, Mark Batterson, the other day. It is pretty much run of the mill stuff that is being published these days. A few noteworthy quotes here and there, his life experiences sprinkled throughout, but basically what you would expect and find in most bookstore shelves these days. Then I came to page 106. He admitted on paper what is going on in the religious community today. Many accept this, but few are bold enough to put it on paper. Three statements:

• There are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet
• I’m not into ‘been there, done that.’ Part of it is a function of theology—I believe the church ought to be the most creative place on the planet.
• We’re orthodox in belief yet unorthodox in practice

Now, on the surface, those three statements sound refreshing and exciting. Out with the old and in with the new. This isn’t your grandma’s church—has an appeal to it. Stuffy, stale, old, out of touch has been put in the attic and contemporary, cutting edge, different has been invited in. You won’t find most cutting edge preachers in suits and ties these days. They are wearing jeans and Hawaiian shirts. They are appealing to a younger generation that has not found an anchor in the Bible. Instead of preaching, they are having conversations. In many communities this approach seems to be working.

Our verse today, from the old prophet Jeremiah, reminds us that God has placed a stake in the ground. These words, God’s words, are what Heaven desires of us. Seek  the ancient paths. God has a plan, a pattern and a way that He wants His people to do things. Our Bibles illustrate the importance of seeking the old paths. All over the Bible we are reminded of this principle. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Paul said, “the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things.” Follow the leader, follow God, is the tone of the Bible. Trail blazers, cutting new paths deep into the wilderness makes for great novels, but lousy theology.

When the statement is made, “There are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet,” are we to assume that God has left the door open and wants us to do whatever comes to our mind? We remember that Nadab and Abihu, Aaron’s sons, offered a strange fire to God. We are not told what their motive was, but it may have been nothing more than, “no one has thought of this yet.” God consumed them in that fire. King David, when transporting the ark of the covenant, put it on a cart, instead of having Levites carry it, may have thought, “this is a way that no one has thought of before.” When the ark started to tip, someone touched it to keep it from falling. Immediately he was struck dead.

God has a way. His way is defined in the Bible. Now, this doesn’t mean that we do not put excellence in our worship. This doesn’t mean, long and boring is the way to go. Worship ought to be exciting and challenging and relevant, and helpful, and deep and personal, and honoring God. Songs don’t have to be sung so slow that folks fall asleep. Sermons do not have to be dry lectures that leaves people wondering, “Do we really need to know this stuff?” Absolutely not. Jesus, not only connected with the people, He was practical and revealed what the people need to know.

We can’t think of better ways of doing things than what God has already told us. We can’t improve upon God’s model of things. And then, the statement, “we’re orthodox in belief yet unorthodox in practice,” doesn’t really make sense, let alone work. Try that statement in other avenues and you’ll see what I mean. “I am an American in belief but un-American in practice.” Really? “As a husband, I am faithful in belief but unfaithful in practice.” In integrity, I am honest in belief but dishonest in practice. How about, “I am a Christian in belief yet unchristian in practice.” Do you see how crazy all of this sounds? A person is what they are based upon what they believe. Unorthodox in practice points to unorthodox in belief. From our verse today, one cannot stand in the ancient paths in belief and yet travel down new paths in practice. These two do not fit.

All of this comes down to some simple core beliefs. Do we trust God? Do we think God’s way still works today? Do you have a heart to do what God wants?

At the end of our verse today, even before the ink had dried on what Jeremiah was writing, the reply came back. The nation didn’t need to think about it for a while. They didn’t have to talk it over among themselves. The answer came back, “We will not walk in it.” Their minds were made up. They were done with doing things God’s way. They had tossed out the old ways and were embracing something new and different. For Jeremiah’s people, it included idolatry and compromising with pagans. For Jeremiah’s people, their choice would lead them to being captured by the Babylonians. It meant punishment from God.

The cry to seek the ancient paths is something that we must decide as well. Stick with the Bible way or try something new and different. Radical theology today doesn’t have much patience for following very close to the Bible.

Do you? God wants you to seek after the ancient ways. Our look is backward, not forward. What worked then, still works today. You can’t do any better than what God has already done!

Roger