GUILTY PREACHERS

JEREMIAH 6:1

A. "THEY HEALED ALSO THE HURT OF THE DAUGHTER OF MY PEOPLE SLIGHTLY, SAYING PEACE, PEACE; WHEN THERE IS NO PEACE
  1. The context of our text will show that:
    1. That the prophet of the Lord directs the accusation against the prophets in Israel and in Judah
    2. They mislead the people by telling them that all is well, at a time the enemy was making preparations to lead Israel into captivity
  2. This influence by the priests was criminal in the highest degree:
    1. They should have told the people the truth, giving the reason for the pending judgment of the nation
    2. And they should have made heartfelt repentance the hope of Israel
    3. But they did neither B. GUILTY PREACHERS
  3. This is, I realize an unpleasant title for the message of the hour, but true just the same:
    1. "They healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly"
    2. "Saying peace, peace, when there is no peace"
  4. The duty of the preacher:
    1. "Preach the word, in season and out of season" - 2 Tim. 1:6
    2. Call sin by its proper name, regardless of the reaction of the guilty - Ez. 3:17-19
    3. Point the sinner to his infraction of the moral law - the ten commandments - Eccl. 12:13-14; I John 3:4
  5. Real peace and heaven's price attached to it:
    1. What is real peace?
  6. True peace is in the first place, the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord - John 14:27; 16:22; Eph. 2:14
  7. To be spiritually minded it life and peace - Rom. 8:6
  8. "Great peace have they that love Thy law" - Ps. 119:165
  9. "O that they hadst harkened to My commandments then had thy peace been like as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea" - Is. 48:18
    1. The effects of true peace:
  10. True, heavenly, peace tend to make us holier, we hate sin and love righteousness - Ps. 119:104; 128; 163; Ps. 97:10; Ps. 119:165;
  11. True peace stands under the hardest blows of misfortune and earthly sorrow - "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" - Job 13:15
  12. It will be enduring peace because it is the peace of Jesus Christ our Lord
  13. The safeguards of peace: - Peace, like every other gift of God is conditional:
    1. We must abide in Christ continually - "In me ye might have peace" - John 16:27-33; John 15:1-12
    2. Only as we abide in Christ do we have true peace against a guilty conscience - Rom. 8:1, 31-37 C. DEAR FELLOW MINISTERS
  14. Is the finger of divine accusation pointed at us?
    1. Because we fail to preach the truth about sin and its consequences? - Ez. 3:17-19
    2. Because we feed ourselves and fail to give meat in due season to God's people - Matt. 24:48-51
    3. Does our negligence cause God's people to be scattered upon all the mountains of Israel? - Jer. 23:2
  15. Are we, figuratively speaking, the dumb and ignorant, but greedy dogs spoken of by the prophet Isaiah - Is. 56:8-12:
    1. Can it be that our fear of losing our job will make us guilty of grossly neglecting our duties in our relationship to God and the people
    2. Have we lost the vision of our high calling
  16. But lest we are misunderstood, we will hasten to emphasize:
    1. That God's finger of accusation is not put against all the ministers of the gospel
    2. To say so would be to do an injustice to the faithful workers in God's cause
    3. Jeremiah was a prophet in Israel, but he was loyal to God and his nation; he was a faithful steward of God's goods
    4. He was so loyal to God and the people that He suffered great hardship and torture by those in high places


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