Sample Sermon

FAMINE IN THE FAMILY

Biblical Text: Jeremiah 14:7, 19-22

"O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee."

Hast thou utterly rejected Judah? hath thy soul loathed Zion? why hast thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold trouble! We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of thy glory: remember…break not thy covenant with us. Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Art not thou He, O LORD our God? Therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.

There is a tiny church in New Jersey that seats 80 people, if you include the choir loft and the pulpit. It has one center aisle…the only way IN and OUT of the sanctuary. Once you are seated, you are stuck there until the worship service is over and the folks on your row begin to file out of the church. Some call it a fire hazard; others view it as cozy…a family-oriented church, where everyone knows everybody, and worship, fellowship and service are the focal point of their lives.

There is a mega-church in California that accommodates more than 20,000 worshippers. It has 15 aisles, two levels of circular balconies, and an audio-visual system unlike any other. The church holds four services each week…not to accommodate the overflow, but rather in an attempt to resurrect its once vibrant and alive congregation. The church is now in bankruptcy.

This is the design of Christ’s church…to worship, fellowship and serve a Living Savior. This is the church for which Christ shed His blood. Yet, one is serving while the other is being salvaged. It’s clear that it’s not the size that matters. What does matter is the spirit of the people within its walls.

The nation of Judah was God’s chosen people. They lived under a covenant relationship with their Heavenly Father. God promised to bless them if they remained faithful. But something went wrong with that relationship.

For years, the people of Judah had been living in sin, separated and alienated from God. But their worship was hollow, and God was tired of it. Judah pushed God so far that He withdrew His protection from them, and they were now not only being invaded by Babylon, but they suffered a severe drought too. In the midst of their trials…trying to feed their families on meager fare…trying to save their animals from extinction…God seemed like a stranger to them. The LORD seemed like a powerless soldier who was unable to save them from their despair. In a state of complete despondency, they implored the LORD not to forsake them. But God turned a deaf ear to their cries. This generation would just have to wait out their punishment.

Where did Judah go wrong? How could it be that a people who had been so blessed were now forsaken and suffering? There was famine in the land; the land was dry and parched. But there was also famine in their relationship with God. It too was thirsting for a spiritual watering.

First, Judah suffered the famine of insincerity. They claimed to be His followers, the chosen people of God, but they were not sincere. Sure, they confessed their sins and addressed God as their “Hope and Savior”, but their hearts were not in it. They had lost their spiritual connection with the LORD. They were going through all the motions of worship, but they lacked the spiritual bond of a people truly committed to their covenant relationship with God.

Sure, they went through all the motions of worship…they visited the Temple; they worshipped, especially on all the holy days; they even gave their tithes and offerings. But that wasn’t enough to fool God. He knew their hearts were not in it.

Your worship reveals much about you. It will either cloud or confirm your conversion. If your worship habits do not match that big cross you wear around your neck, or that big bible you carry under your arm, God knows it. And your fellow believers do too!

On his dying bed a man asked his best friend why he never went to church with him. The man had tried for many years to get his friend to go with him, but the friend always had an excuse. To his dying friend he said, “I figured it didn’t really matter. When you came home from church you were the same ole sinner I always knew and loved!”

You see…God does not pay as much attention to our lip service…our hallelujahs and our Amen…as He does to our actions. In other words, God is saying, “Don’t tell me you’re saved; SHOW ME!” We can SAY that we are saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Ghost, but it’s our actions that reveal the truth about who we are in Christ.

Second, Judah suffered the famine of being enslaved by sin. God rejected their appeal for mercy because Judah was not willing to repent and turn away from her sins. The people of Judah had lived a wicked lifestyle for so long that their sins had become their normal way of life.

Are there sins in your life that you have allowed to become habitual? A friend of mine had a particularly difficult childhood. His father was an alcoholic. His father would come home late every payday, after the bars closed, with half a paycheck and a whole lot of hollering. His father’s favorite expression was, “Do what I say, not what I do!” But it doesn’t work that way. We are living examples, not books on a shelf. And we are judged by our actions.

Unpardonable sin is not a singular event for which a person later feels remorse. It’s an ongoing, willful, and active rejection of the Holy Spirit concerning the true identity of Christ. There is danger in assuming that you can commit the same sins over and over again…and expect God to forgive you over and over again. Why? Because those habitual sins MAY expose you for whom you really are…a sinner in love with sin! You can fool the church, but you can’t fool God.

No matter how evil our sins, it’s true that there is a pardon for them. Adultery, dishonesty, and even murder! The Apostle Paul was forgiven of his persecution of Christians. Every sin falls into the category of forgivable. But know this…that God knows if you love sin so much that you reject Him in favor of the world!

Third, Judah suffered the famine of imposing upon God’s grace and mercy too long. There is a limit to God’s grace and mercy, and those who cross the line can expect to suffer. I know that sounds contrary to everything you have been taught. You’ve been told that God is always ready, willing, and able to forgive and forget. And that’s true. But a repentant heart that is at the least willing to cease from sin must precede God’s forgiveness. And Judah did not have a repentant heart. Punishment was the only solution for a nation who had sinned beyond repentance.

There is no unpardonable sin today. Christ died for all sin. But there is an unpardonable state of continued unbelief. There is no pardon for a person who dies in unbelief. God calls it a hard heart. A hardened heart has no desire for the things of God. It ‘plays’ with God rather than prays to God. Pharaoh had one, and he and his army were drowned in the Red Sea.

Judah knew they were on the wrong track. They came to realize that their suffering was the direct result of their disobedience. But they were just not ready to change. Their hearts had become hardened toward the God of their salvation.

A park ranger was leading a group of hikers to a lookout tower in Yellowstone National Park. Along the way he pointed out some of the famous sites in the park. He was so intent on telling the stories that he paid no attention when his two-way radio received a message. Instead of answering, he turned the volume down. Further along the path, they stopped to study some rare flowers, and again the radio interrupted. So the ranger turned the radio off. As the group came close to the lookout tower they were met by a breathless ranger who asked why the guide had not answered his radio. From the tower, they could see that the group was being stalked by a huge grizzly bear, and they had been trying to warn them.

We can get so involved in our own lives that we don’t pay attention to the voice of God trying to warn us. Sometimes we turn down the volume. Sometimes we don’t pay attention. And sometimes we even turn Him off.

Have you turned God off? Be careful, because you may end up with famine in your family. You could cause generational suffering among your loved ones by your own disobedience and separation from God.

Maybe you realize today that you’ve been playing with God. It’s not too late to make it right. God does not love sin, but OH HOW HE LOVES THE REPENTANT SINNER! And God has a solution for your sin…Jesus Christ!

• The famine of sin may have made you ugly…but Christ can make you beautiful.
• The famine of sin may have made you greedy…but Christ can make you generous.
• Sin may have made you hateful…but Christ can make you loving.
• Sin may have made you selfish…but Christ can make you sacrificial.
• Sin may have made you corrupt…but Christ can make you pure.
• Sin may have made you resentful…but Christ can make you forgiving.
• Sin may have made you foolish…but Christ can make you wise.
• Sin may have hade you weak…but Christ can make you strong!

There’s no need for spiritual famine in your family.

• Christ has the capability of being your Savior.
• Christ has the power to be your Protector.
• Christ has the supply to be your Provider.
• Christ has the stability to be your Anchor.

Is there famine in your family?

• Christ is the Bread who satisfies your hunger.
• Christ is the Captain who defeats your enemies.
• Christ is the Physician who heals your afflictions.
• Christ is the Righteousness that cleanses your corruption.
• Christ is the Peace that calms our troubles.

Is there famine in your family? Come to Christ. Your famine will soon be over!