I don't think any introduction would need it, right Chris? I'm so thankful for James's prayer because that means I need to do no review for us tonight because we've been talking about when the Lord does the shaking, how do we get to the point in our life like we see in Jeremiah chapter 7? So if you have your copy of God's Word, I want you to turn with me to Jeremiah chapter 7. How do we get to the point, as God's people, that we refuse to listen to Him? And the first thing that we looked at last night when we gathered together was the reason is that truth has perished in the homes of the people of God. And when truth perishes in the home, just like James said during his prayer, we realize that that building block that God has given us for the family, the discipleship is not continuing. What happens? Things begin to fall apart. And so it's no surprise to us if truth is perishing in the family, then it's going to matriculate out into other things in our life. And so we begin to see how important the family is, which is why we spent time on that last night. But we are coming today and we're going to hear a second reason why we find ourselves when people of God refuse and to listen to Him and repent. And it's because truth has perished among God's leaders. I want you to go with me to Jeremiah chapter 7 again. And I want you to just look at one verse. It's verse 4. And it's saying, this is, remember, Jeremiah was speaking to the people who were going in and out of the temple where they're supposed to worship God. And in verse four it is telling the thing that jeremiah says do not trust in these deceptive words This is the temple of the lord the temple of the lord the temple of the lord in the time of jeremiah Think about who was letting the people go astray because who was in charge of taking care of worship in the temple The people couldn't just go in and out of the temple anytime they wanted to When they went in the temple who had to be there for them to be able to worship god. Do you know? The priests were supposed to be there to make sure that the people worshipped rightly. And what we're seeing here is that people were going in and out of the temple, they weren't worshipping God rightly because there was no one to hold them accountable for the standard that God had given them. And so what we are seeing is, is that the people of God, the priests, had forgotten what God called them to. Truth had perished among the priests. And then we go on down and we see the priests were not only the leaders in the Old Testament, but God sent prophets to his people. And when we think about prophets, we see that what we look at, and I want you to turn here because I want you to see it. It's only a few chapters away. Go to Jeremiah chapter 14, everybody. Jeremiah chapter 14. And I want you to see these three verses here. We're gonna begin in verse 13. So the priests were leading people astray. Listen to what the prophets are doing. In fact, when I look at my scripture, the heading says lying prophets. Did you ever say that? I'll read it to you and you'll see it. Then I said, Jeremiah, then I said, ah, Lord, behold, the prophets say to the people, you shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place. Listen to verse 14 and the Lord said to Jeremiah the prophets are prophesying lies in my name I did not send them nor did I command them to speak to them in this way They are prophesying to you a lying vision worthless denomination the deceit of their own minds Therefore, thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, although I did not send them, and who say, Sword and famine shall not come upon this land. By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed. Verse 16. And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out into the streets of Jerusalem. victims of famine and sword, with none to bury them, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, for I will pour out their evil upon them. Do y'all see what's happening? As the priests were not leading the people of God towards God, nor were the prophets leading the people of God towards God. Every leader that is supposed to be helping God's people live for the glory of God was failing in their job. And so if you get to the place where you're trying to ask how do people get to the place where they refuse to listen to God, Truth is perished in families, and now we're seeing truth is perishing in the leaders of God's people. When truth perishes from those who lead God's people, hearts will turn away from God. Hearts will begin to attach themselves to the things of this world. Hearts will go after other idols. And a heart that is not led by the Holy Spirit is going to go towards something that is away from the Lord and sin. So Jeremiah was calling for the people of God to amend their ways and he is calling for a reformation? He was calling for a reformation in the family, and now Jeremiah the prophet is calling for a reformation among the leaders of God's people. I just want y'all to think about that for a second. When God's people fail to be led by those God is supposed to be giving to lead the people, because the truth of God has perished in them. And so if we're gonna understand what this passage means, I want us to make sure we're on the same page about what the priests God in the Old Testament called the priests and the prophets to do. This is what it is. The priests. The priests were to serve as representative of the people before God. So the people didn't go to God themselves. If you know anything about the temple, in fact, when they went in the temple, they couldn't just go in themselves. Only priests could go in because they were going to represent God for the people and we begin to see that the priests were supposed to teach proper reverence and gratitude and praise. They were supposed to define a way of life that led people towards who God is. Their most important role was a mediator and an intercessor. So what we're trying to say, the priests were mediating things from the people to God and they were supposed to be praying for the people on their behalf to God. That was the role of the priest and there was one office called the high priest where he would go into the most holy of holy places in the temple one time a year on the day of atonement and he would take the sins of all the people who were the people of God and he would give it all and represent all of the people before God. And we're gonna talk about more about priests tomorrow, but understand their role was to represent the people before God. And if you are being represented by someone who is supposed to be pointing you towards the things of God, and they're not, don't you think it's going to show up in how you live? This is what's happening with the priest. And then we move on to the prophets. In a general sense, a prophet is a person who speaks God's truth to others. The English word for prophet comes from the Greek word prophetess, which means one who speaks forth or an advocate These are supposed to be the people who were speaking the very words of God prophets often had a teaching and a Relevant or a role they would declare God's truth on issues contemporary issues But also tell the people of God what was going to happen if they continued to in their sinful ways. The prophets were supposed to tell and deliver the God-given, delivered visions to them, to the people. And so what we are seeing here, for example, in Isaiah's ministry, if you remember, he touched on both the present and the future. Isaiah preached boldly about the corruption of his day, and he delivered God-given visions of the future of Israel. The prophets were supposed to do what for the people of God? Lead them towards who? He was supposed to be the mouthpiece of God. The people knew who God was by what the prophets were speaking. If truth had perished in the priests and in the prophets, guess where the people were not being led towards? They weren't being led towards God. And so this is what we're seeing here today. We need to remember that God gives his people leaders. And I want you to turn here. This is not far away Jeremiah 50 We're in the same book here because I want you to see how important this is but in Jeremiah chapter 50 Verse 6 What was happening during Jeremiah's day is the leaders of God's people, the shepherds, had left the sheep to fend for themselves. Listen to what Jeremiah 50 verse 6 says. My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains. From mountain to hill they have gone, they have forgotten their fault. What we are beginning to see is that the leaders that God had put in place to lead his people were doing nothing but leading the sheep astray. And when that happens, guess what happens to the people that you're supposed to be leading? When the leader fizzles out, what happens to those that you're supposed to be leading? that go astray, and just like sheep, each one goes to his own way, if you want to go back to how scripture says it. The leaders of God's people were leading them astray. And you may say, well, I understand in the Old Testament how important the priests and the prophets are, and we ask the same question again tonight that we asked last night, what does that mean for me? It means everything to David, because we're looking for the principles of God's word that we need to adhere to today, and this is the principle. God has called people to shepherd his people And the people that God has called to shepherd His people in the church today are pastors and elders. And so if we're looking at this and we're trying to figure out how we get to the place in our life where we refuse to listen to God, it's second reason is because the leaders of God's people have refused to point the people of God towards God. Truth has perished among the leaders. This is a very serious thing, because as we see, our pastors and elders in churches today are supposed to make sure that we are shepherding people in a way that is pleasing to the God. The times may be different, but the principle remains, God's leader are given the task to lead God's people towards the things of God, and that is their sole purpose. And when we fail to do that, we begin to see, we come out with the people who are led astray and who do not follow hard after the God. So restated for us today, reason number two why people find them in a place where they refuse to listen to God is because the pastor and shepherds of God's people have led the church astray. I want to say this clearly, that I do not think at all that the pastor of this church has led anybody astray, because in fact, I am extremely thankful for James and his ministry in Winsboro, South Carolina, because he has shown that he is honoring God's word. He doesn't hold back. He seems that he elevates God and his word, and that is a necessity in order for the people of God to be able to stand. Because what we see here is that there are many churches around this area, around our state, and around our nation, and around our world, where truth has perished among the pastors and the elders, and they are leading their people straight to the doorsteps of hell. And nobody knows it. And that is a problem. Truth has perished in our churches. And as we look at this, we're seeing pastors and elders in the churches today. What are they supposed to do? You don't have to turn here, but I'm gonna read this to you so that you understand the call of God's leaders today for the church. 1 Peter 5 1-5. So I exhort the elders, the leaders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed. Verse two, listen to this word, shepherd the flock of God that is among you. Remember in Jeremiah chapter 50, it said that the shepherd had let the sheep go what? The call for the New Testament church is for pastors and elders to shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly as God would have you, not for shameful gain, but eagerly, not domineering over those you are in charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. If pastors lead people astray, we, the people of God, need to see exactly what the pastors and the elders are supposed to do in the church, because we do not want to be led astray. So what is, again, the role of God's leader in the church? We have been given a clear instruction in the book of Peter, and we see when Peter is being spoken to by Jesus in John chapter 21, Jesus asks Peter three times, do you what? Do you know? Do you love me? First time that Jesus asked Peter, do you love me? Peter responds, yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And you know what Jesus responds to Peter with? Feed my lambs. The second time, Jesus says to Peter, Peter, do you love me? Peter, more exasperated than the first time, says, yes, Jesus, you know that I love you. And he says, tend my sheep. The third time, Jesus asks Peter, do you love me? Completely exasperated at this point. Peter says, you know that I love you. Why are you asking me this? And the last thing that Jesus says to Peter is, feed my sheep. The most important role of a pastor or elder in a church is that he feeds the people of God what they need. what they need is truth. And so what we are seeing here is that we as the church must be fed and that is the job of our pastors and our shepherds. And some of you might be looking at me and you might say I'm not a pastor or an elder what does this have to do with me? You need to know this because if you're a loved one or someone in this area, someone in Wentzburg, South Carolina, someone in your family is sitting under a pastor who is teaching them something that is contrary to the Word of God, you need to remind them that they are being led astray. And they need to find somewhere where God's Word is honored above everything else. The pastor shepherd must feed the sheep that God has given them. I'm reminded of Psalm 23. We all know this Psalm. You understand this easily in Psalm 23 verses one through two, the perfect shepherd. What does he do? He makes me lie down and greet chef and green pastures. And he leads me beside what still waters. You all know that one, right? And so the reason that the shepherd leads the sheep towards that is because what's he going to do in the green pastures? What are the sheep going to do? They gotta eat. They need to be fed in order for them to be nourished, in order for them to be provided for. The sheep need to eat. The shepherd provides the sheep nourishment they need for life and to grow strong. In a like manner, it is a job of the pastor or shepherd to feed his people with spiritual food and drink that they need, which is the word of God. The pastor's ministry is a word-based ministry in which he uses solely the word of God for preaching, and for teaching, for rebuking, for exhorting, and for counseling. It is the role of your pastor and every pastor that God establishes over a local church for him to teach his people what God's word says, not what he thinks. God's very clear on his truth. And he's showing us, that's why he gives us his word. In Titus 1.9 it says, hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that he may be able to give instruction and sound doctrine. and also to rebuke those who contradicted, able to give instruction and rebuke those who contradicted. All other jobs and responsibilities of a pastor shepherd find its origin and the pastor's responsibility to feed his sheep. The word of God is the nourishment that we need. And why is this so important for me to tell you is because you need to be aware that there are pastors and shepherds malnourishing the people of God all around you. So many people have sat in churches where they're not being taught truth, where they're not being pushed towards truth. And what they have become is a lazy, energy-less people who don't even know who God is. The only thing they know about God is what they think about God. And it's not based on anything, but they're on sinful thoughts. And so people have made God who they want Him to be. God is not to be made who we want Him to be. God is who He says He is in scripture. And that's what people need to know. Who is God? And the only way for people to know that is for God's Word to be honored. What we are seeing here is that we are aware that there are people who are leading the church who are malnourishing the people of God. They're not teaching people about the one true God. And their claim for authority is the word church slapped on the sign of their building. And as we said on Sunday morning, just because a place is called a church does not mean that God is specifically honored there as he deserves to be. The neglect of church leaders in this area is a source of much anguish to me because you know what happens to people when they are malnourished in the word of God? They have nothing to stand on. And so when things happen in your life and you don't know the word of God, when things happen, you don't really know who God is. You have nothing to stand on. And so when some wave of anxiety or when something in your life, some tragedy happens, most people who have been malnourished in churches, they throw their hands up in the air and say, I don't know what to do because they've never been taught what? True, they've never been taught to lean in to who God is and trust who he is and his sovereignty and his goodness. And so they throw their hands up in the air. They don't say, I don't know what I'm gonna do. God is not for me. He must be against me. And they walk away from a faith that they never were part of because they never really knew who God was in the first place. Malnourishing the people of God is a unbelievably, unfortunately, very common thing we're seeing in the churches across our nation. In fact, you may go door, go in the doors of the church all your life and think that you're doing what is right. And you may think that you have a right relationship with God if you're sitting under a pastor or elder who is doing this, but you really don't even know who God is because he's never been shown to you through scripture. This is a strong warning to us, everybody. And this is not y'all. This again is for other people in your sphere of influence. And I got news for you. This happens right here in Windsor, South Carolina, where God and his word are not honored in churches around us. And so this is a strong warning for us that when we see that a pastor spends more time telling stories or jokes or what they think that is founding on the word of God, then that is your telltale sign to get out of that church or to go to the leaders of the church and say, we need a leader who is going to point us towards the things of God. Help us get what we need. Don't stay in a church like that. Don't allow your family to stay in a church like that. Don't sit in a place where God's word is not honored because if you do, you will be malnourished and you will find yourself on a path away from the things of God. It is unbelievably important. Get out. Wherever you are, do not attend a church where the words of Psalm 138 verse two are not true. And Psalm 138 verse two says, God has exalted above everything else, his name and his word. The next thing that we see a pastor slash shepherd or elder is supposed to do is not only to feed the sheep, but what do you think they also need to do? Not only do they need to feed them, but what else do they need to do? Sheep are dumb dirty and defenseless They're defenseless. What do they need? They need protection they need somebody to protect This is the call of the pastor the shepherd to protect the people of God because they're in need of protection one of the functions that we see here is that One of the functions of a pastor or that flows from teaching God's Word is to protect God's people and what we're seeing is you can't know error if you don't first know what is You don't know what is false if you don't first know what is true, which is why the feeding is so important. Acts 20 verses 28 through 30 tells us about the protection that we need to be doing as pastors and elders from false teachers. And we say, oh, there's no false teachers in churches today. You're a liar if you say that, because guess what? There are. There are people who are coming into doors of churches and who are trying to lead people astray because they do not know God's word. Acts 20 speaks to this. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you an overseer of. Care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure, fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. And from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be alert. What am I telling you is that there are people inside the doors of the church who unfortunately want to lead the people of God astray. And the scripture is telling you to be on guard against false teachers. Be on guard against people who are telling you something about God, but they cannot base it in scripture. Protection sometimes is not only from false teachers, but protection also happens as we have to be protected from ourself and our own sin. Protection from our own sinfulness is why a pastor is called to the ministry of exhortation, which is calling people away from sin that is dishonoring towards God and towards an obedience that is pleasing to Him. One of the things that churches don't like is for a pastor to tell them that they are wrong. If you are sitting in a church and the pastor never tells you that you are wrong in what you are doing, then you are probably not in a great place. Because I got news for you. Guess what, everybody? Everything we do is not. Right. The job of exhortation is important as the pastor or shepherd or elder protects his people. Titus 2.15 says, declare these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you. Warn those who are straight that there are consequences to sin and their behavior. It is why pastors eventually confront ongoing unrepentant sin and enforce church discipline in a church. There are times when I sin and I don't see my own sin. There are times when you sin and you don't see it or you don't want to pay attention to it and you live in that unrepentant sin over and over again. And what you need, the loving thing a brother or a sister or a pastor or elder can do to you is to come to you and say, what you are doing is sinning. How can we help you break this in your life? And that is exactly what we're called to do. An essential part of being a pastor or elder and shepherding the people is to exhort the people and tell them when they're wrong, when they are wrong. And again, remember Jeremiah chapter seven, if nobody ever tells you that you're wrong, you might think you're fine. I've done this several times where we had to go and to confront people along with other elders and deacons in our church, and it is never easy, and it is never tidy, and it is never fun to do. But it is necessary for the people of God to be pointed towards God. Pastors and elders must protect the sheep this way, even if the protection is from their own sin and their selves. We do not want our people to have a false sense of security, When you find a pastor or an elder who is willing to protect you at all costs, even when it means that he himself personally is going to be attacked, you have found yourself a good church to be in. So why are we talking about this? There's only two pastors that I know of in this room right now, correct? Why do you need to know that? Because you need to know what to be on guard for. I think that we are living in a world where Jeremiah chapter seven is being lived out right before our eyes, where people are entering into the house of God, singing and humming all the way into the doors of the church. And they come in and they sing their songs and they listen to a pastor that really says nothing at all that comes from scripture. They check the box, they've gone to church and then they leave out the church doors and their entire life is unaffected by the gospel of Jesus Christ. We need to know how we are to live as God's people. We need God's word to be established and upheld, and we need to see what is happening all around us. Why does this happen in our world? It's because truth has perished in families, and truth has perished in the leaders of God's people. I think one of the biggest fears that I have for any area and for any place is that there is not churches that will stand for the truth of God's word in that area. I think that one of the scariest places that a person can be is thinking that they have a relationship with God when they do not. Does that make sense, everybody? I would rather people know that they were either saved or lost. Because at least if they were lost, they would know they need something eventually. But if a person lives their whole life thinking they're saved when they're not, because they really don't know who God is, they're never looking for the gospel. And that's what I am convinced of that we see all around us. A bunch of people that because they know there is a God, saying they are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, when their life shows nothing of it. When you truly adhere to God and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit living in you, guess what is going to happen to your life? Your life is going to show it. And if your life doesn't show it, what's the conclusion that we should draw? That you don't have the Holy Spirit living in you. That's the scariest place to be. I am so thankful that y'all, I think majority of you, except for maybe a few here, go to this church where God is exalted and his word is preached, because that's desperately what we need. And my only prayer and my only thought is that I wish more people filled the seats of this church and churches like it in Williamsburg, South Carolina. Because what they need, what Winsbro desperately needs is a revival of the things of God and for the people here to see God for who He truly is. I think we've gotten so used to looking at our parents, which really is another indicator of what we talked about last night, how important families are in discipleship. And we think because our parents have taken us to church, or they grew up in this church, or our parents have a saving faith that we're going to have a saving faith. But that doesn't save you, does it? Your parents' faith does not save you. Your parents' church attendance does not save you. Do you know what saves you? The gospel of Jesus Christ. And when you're saved by the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit lives in you, you will want to know who God is. And I'm gonna say this one more time to just make James get a really big head, but I am so thankful that he preaches the word of God to the people of God so that you don't turn out to be like the people in Jeremiah chapter seven. Why did the people of God get to the place to where they refused to listen to God? Two things, truth has perished in the families, and truth is perished in the leaders of the church. And y'all, if y'all have family members or friends that go to churches where you know truth is not taught, and let me tell you how to distinguish if truth is not being taught in a church. If what they teach goes against scripture, or if they're not teaching the full counsel of scripture, then they are not teaching God's word. If you hear your family member say that the church is telling them that what is called sin in scripture is not sin, then you can rest assured that the pastors are tickling their ears rather than telling them what God says. And what does your role need to be in that process? You need to beg them, you need to beseech them to get to a place where God and his word are honored. Because if you don't, it just might be too late when they finally get to that point in their life. In Jeremiah chapter seven, what happened to the people who refused to listen to God? Do y'all remember? They were judged by God. They were completely wiped out of their land, and they put great hope in it. When God's people refused to listen to him, judgment will come. But judgment doesn't have to be our end, because God has sent us his son, Jesus. Father, you are to be honored and exalted in churches. Why do we even have churches if you're not honored and exalted? I don't know. But Father, we realize and know that the job of the church is to be called out from the world. The job of the leaders that you have put in places at churches is to teach people, to feed your sheep, to protect your sheep. And so Father, I wanna thank you that that happens here at Bethel ARP, that your word and you are honored, that the people who come here are fed and protected. But Father, I wanna pray for Winsboro as a whole and the surrounding areas. I am praying that you will raise up leaders who will fill the churches in this area, who will point people towards you and you alone. Father, help us to know truth so well from your word that when someone tries to teach us something that is erroneous, we're able to stand up and say, that's not what the word says. Father, help us to be a people who are so dedicated to you as you really are, and we know you through your word that we can show people you. Father, help us to be stable on sturdy ground, which is your word. Any other foundation is sand. And we can't stand on sand. It washes away, and it takes us with it. Thank you for this place. Thank you for being given truth in this area. And I pray for that you will continue to bear fruit in this ministry here at Bethel and in the churches that do honor you and your work. We love you. We thank you. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. If you would join me.