July 16, 2023 - The Courage to do the Right Thing in a Difficult Time - Pastor Paul Vallee

07/27/23 • 45 min

Jeremiah 37

In the editor's synopsis of Barbara Tuchman's book, 'The March of Folly,' we see the historical tragedy of folly in human governance. "A phenomenon noticeable throughout history regardless of place or period is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests. Mankind, it seems, makes a poorer performance of government than of almost any other human activity. Why do holders of high office so often act contrary to the way reason points and enlightened self-interest suggests? Why do intelligent mental processes seem so often not to function? ...It may be asked why, since folly or perversity is inherent in individuals, should we expect anything else of government? The reason for concern is that folly in government has more impact on more people than individual follies, and therefore governments have a greater duty to act according to reason.

In Jeremiah 37, we find that a relief force of Egyptians has drawn away the Babylonian from their siege around the city of Jerusalem. In this moment of respite, we see two fascinating incidents that reveal the nation's folly and the prophet Jeremiah's faithfulness. How do we respond in a crisis? Do we act with integrity and courage? Or are we overwhelmed, vacillating, and ultimately disobedient to what God reveals to us in His word? What may be more telling about our lives is our response after a crisis. How do we move forward? Do we go back to our lives before the crisis? Or do we make significant adjustments and grow as a result of the situation in our lives? Do we respond by renewed obedience toward God and His word? What is the outcome of an indifferent or apathetic life toward God? Our actions reveal the actual condition of our souls. Here in Jeremiah 37, we find a contrast between the beleaguered prophet and the indecisive king, who allowed political expediency to determine his course of action to the detriment of him and the nation. What can we learn from the poor decisions of others to make better choices for our lives?

Jeremiah 37

Previous Episode

July 9, 2023 - Emerging out of Spiritual Darkness, Pastor Adam Sapelak

Darkness can be a terrible thing. Not only can it be scary, but it is also dangerous. While physical darkness is threatening, spiritual darkness is the actual danger. At some point, all people have been spiritually blinded, but when we are exposed to Jesus and His light, we have an opportunity to not only escape the dark, but to overcome it and help bring others out. The world is lost in the darkness, and as believers, we can often try to cure the symptoms of that darkness instead of the root cause. Falsely we believe that if we create a world that looks healthy, we can deceive ourselves and think it is healthy. If we put all our energy and hope into curing the symptoms, we have already lost the true battle and missed God's call upon His church and people. We are bearers of Christ's light, and our call is to offer, share and give it to a blind world. Spiritual darkness is a growing problem, but we have the only true answer. God has given us abilities, gifts, His Word, and His Presence to walk in a dark world. Are our eyes seeing the spiritual blindness all around us? Are our hearts responding to that darkness? Do we know how to walk in the dark? Are our hearts breaking for the lost? Will we stand by or enter the world as bearers of Christ's light?

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July 23, 2023 - Living in the Shadow of Death - Pastor Paul Vallee

From the day we are born till the day we die, we all live in the shadow of death. It may not seem so acute or the shadow so large as in times of war, famine, plague, or another crisis. Generally, we are rightfully busily engaged in this gift called life and tend not to focus on that inevitable outcome of our lives. But death is always around, stalking and taking the lives of people.

As we consider an unknown future, the thought came to my mind that ‘When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we do not need to fear it as a child of God. Death is problematic, but fear is an even more significant threat. Fear paralyzes people. It keeps them from moving forward, from doing what is right. The challenges the prophet Jeremiah faced in bringing God’s message of impending judgment to an unreceptive nation took continual courage to remain faithful to God and His message for His people. People often reject the truth because it is not what they want to hear. While many ignore the message, others threatened by the message become hostile to the messengers.

Fear does strange things to people. Some are almost superstitious in their avoidance of ‘negative talk.’ It is almost as if they believe that to silence the words means to avoid the reality to which they may point. So-called ‘gag orders’ are intended to keep someone from publicly stating a truth when it may be injurious.

How do we handle opposition toward us? What do we do with death threats? Persecution is a very real reality for believers. Jeremiah’s message was speaking directly against the establishment of his day. His message was counter-cultural, and many opponents wanted to silence him. How are we responding to God’s message today?

In Jeremiah 38, we discover three responses toward God’s message that some reject, while it is the only means of addressing our ultimate enemy: death.