\u201cAs the local church, we have the responsibility to make our voice heard. What we\u2019re going to do this morning is look at the prophet Jeremiah. He lived in a very difficult time, but he made his voice heard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The nation of Judah had forsaken God, and God\u2019s judgment was near. Jeremiah preached for 42 years under the last 5 kings of Judah. Unfortunately, his message was not received and Judah did not repent. He was treated as a traitor, misunderstood, persecuted, arrested, and imprisoned.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n So what did Jeremiah achieve? He faithfully delivered God\u2019s Word for 42 years, but nothing happened. Instead, Judah fell into the hands of the Babylonians just as he had said.<\/span><\/p>\n Well, the people were spiritually awakened after the exile when they realized that God had been speaking to them all along. They repented and preserved the writings of Jeremiah\u2019s prophecies. Jeremiah\u2019s prophetic ministry turned the remnant around and brought them back to God. What can we learn from Jeremiah about being a voice to our nation?<\/span><\/p>\n 1. We are chosen by God to be a prophetic voice<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The Church in general is a prophetic community. We have the Bible, which is our prophetic book, and we have been called to bear witness to the nation. Depending on the situation, our ministry as the church is to give warning or encouragement.<\/span><\/p>\n Just as Jeremiah indicted his own nation for their sins, the church is to be a voice of conscience to the nation<\/strong>. When the nation goes wrong, it is the church\u2019s responsibility to speak up.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n From our youth shameful gods have consumed<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 the fruits of our ancestors\u2019 labor\u2014<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n their flocks and herds,<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 their sons and daughters.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Let us lie down in our shame,<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 and let our disgrace cover us.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n We have sinned against the Lord our God,<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 both we and our ancestors;<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n from our youth till this day<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 we have not obeyed the Lord our God.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n (Jeremiah 3: 25-25) <\/em><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n <\/p>\n Whenever a society departs from God\u2019s Word, all moral restraints begin to fall away. This is what we see happening in our world today. Moral corruption abounds on every front. Dishonesty is everywhere. That is why we need to be awakened, and the church must make her voice heard.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n There are many issues we can speak up about:<\/span><\/p>\n Speaking up may seem daunting if we are only a small local church, but we do have representative bodies in Malaysia that would speak on our behalf. We can help and participate by supporting them and standing behind them.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We can also participate in nation building by involving ourselves in the 7 mountains of social influence:<\/span><\/p>\n As individuals, whether in our schools, universities, offices, etc., we need to speak up whenever there is injustice and right the wrongs. We may not always see the outcome, and change may not come within our lifetime, but we must continue to do the right thing. It has to be a life commitment\u2014a broad based commitment. If we give up, we lose our voice.<\/span><\/p>\n We also need to be the voice that calls people back to God<\/strong>. In Jeremiah chapter 5, God points out to the people of Judah that they have seen His creation. They have seen the oceans and the land. They have understood the seasons and the rain that together produce food and sustain life.<\/span><\/p>\n They have seen the consistent endurance of God\u2019s power and provision. Their hearts should be stirred to worship the Almighty. Yet, the people refused to repent. Jeremiah\u2019s message is that ignoring, denying God, and unbelief in God is a big sin of rebellion.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hear this, you foolish and senseless people,<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 who have eyes but do not see,<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 who have ears but do not hear:<\/span><\/p>\n Should you not fear me?\u201d declares the Lord.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0 \u201cShould you not tremble in my presence?\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n (Jeremiah 5: 21-22) <\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Most Malaysians acknowledge the existence of God, but many are anxious to deny the existence of the biblical God because He demands moral obedience. The prophetic church needs to call rebellious people to repentance. That means turning away from all idolatry, worshipping the only living God, and obeying His Word.<\/span><\/p>\n To believe in Christ means to worship God and submit our lives to Him. Otherwise, there is no meaning in saying, \u201cI believe.\u201d We need a passion for missions\u2014to reach out to our friends and tell them about Jesus. As a church, we must understand, believe, and participate in God\u2019s divine mission.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Ref:](\"http:\/\/lifehopeandtruth.com\/uploads\/images\/Jeremiah-the-prophet.jpg\")
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