Burt Harper: There's room for failure and recovery in Christian life

>> Bert Harper: The Bible.

>> Jeff Chamblee: It's the word of God, sharper than any two edged sword. This sacred book is living and active and contains all that's needed for life and godliness. Stay with American Family Radio for the next hour as we study God's word and take your Bible questions. Welcome to Exploring the Word.

>> Bert Harper: One of the most significant verses that really helped me in my Christian walk is in Sacrament Corinthians chapter 4, when it talks about us being knocked down but not being knocked out, about failing for a while, but not forever. And so all of us have some failures in our lives. Sometimes we have to, overcome some things. One of my heroes was John Wooden, the famous coach at the UCLA Bruins who won more championships and, and they would ask him, said, well, what happens on the court when your boys, make a mistake and they're trying something new? He said, oh, that's encouraging. That means that they're trying something new. And usually when you try something new, there's going to be some time that you're going to fail. And so there's got to be room, and I don't mean this in a negative way, I mean it in a positive way. There's got to be room for failure and recovery in our lives. This is Burt Harper and Alex McFarland. And Alex, I'm really anxious to look at this passage of scripture in the book of Jeremiah today. I just, looking forward, I think it's going to bless a lot of people as they see what God can do in their lives.

>> Bert Harper: Brother.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, amen. Amen. We're going to look at the latter part of Jeremiah chapter three and the beginning part of Jeremiah chapter four. And I'm going to throw a teaser out here and we'll circle back it before the program is over. how God says you can bless yourself. Now we think about worshiping, the Lord and blessing others. There's a way you can even bless yourself. And we'll kind of unpack that in a little bit. But you know, Bert, I was at the hospital doing a visit sometime back and I got on the elevator and there was an elderly man and I kind of smiled and I said, how you doing today? And I thought his reply was interesting. He said, well, I ain't doing myself no harm. And I was thinking about that and I guess that's probably a good day's work if we don't do ourself any harm. But there are things that are subtle sometimes that come into our Christian life that do ourselves harm and One of those things is drifting away, and our heart goes cold and we backslide. And Israel was prone to that. And we're going to read some from Jeremiah 3. And I know, look, Israel is Israel, and the church is the church. But these principles, are applicable to all people, really, of following the Lord or falling away from the Lord. And the consequences of that.

>> Bert Harper: Well, Alex, let me ask you that question to set that up. Were Israel God's people?

>> Alex McFarland: Yeah, of course.

>> Bert Harper: Are we God's people?

>> Alex McFarland: Absolutely.

>> Bert Harper: Now, again, that sets it up. Yes. Not everything applies. No, it does not. But the great principles, they do have application in our life. I, So the Old Testament is relevant to us even today.

>> Alex McFarland: Here's the thing, folks, listen. Turn to the Lord and blessing follows. Turn from the Lord and consequences follow. And very often those consequences are quite serious. Turn to the Lord and there's blessing and favor. Turn away and there's consequences. So let me read a little bit from Jeremiah 3, 20, 25. It says, like a woman unfaithful to her husband, you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me. Lord. A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and the pleading of the people of Israel, because they have perverted their ways and they've forgotten the Lord their God. Return, faithless people, and I will cure you of backsliding. That's what God says. The people said, yes, we will come to you, for you are the Lord our God. Surely the idolatrous commotion on the hills and mountains is a deception. Surely in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. From our youth, shameful gods have consumed the fruits of our ancestors labor and their flocks and herds and sons and daughters. Let us lie down in our shame. Let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the Lord our God, both we and our ancestors. And from our youth to this day, we have not obeyed the Lord our God. Now, Bert, let me read, Jeremiah 4:1 4. And see, here's the thing. In 3 Jeremiah 3, 20, 25, we've got the problems. In Jeremiah 4:1 4, the very, very next chapter, we're going to have the solutions. I'm going to read this, and we're going to unpack it a little bit. It says, you, Israel, return. Okay, You, Israel, return, says the Lord. in a truthful and just and righteous way, you swear as surely as the Lord lives, then the nations will invoke blessings by him, and in him they will boast. This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and to Jerusalem. Break up your Fallow ground or your unplowed ground, and do not sow among m thorns. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord. Circumcise your hearts, you people of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, or my wrath will flare up and burn like a fire because of the evil you have done. It will burn with no one to quench it. So, Bert, we've got the. The ways they got off the path and God's invitation to come back to a relationship with him in the way of truth. what do you get out of all this, Bert?

>> Bert Harper: Here you hear the words return. If you return, it means that there was a time in your life where you were on the right path, you were journeying in the right direction, and something has happened. There's been a time when, you lost it, you took a wrong turn, you took a detour. And God is saying, this is the way. Now, the first issue, they came. They are faced with reality, the reality of them being away from God, reality of their failure. Alex, I'm afraid sometimes Israel, the church, individuals, we gloss over that, and we're not. We don't have clear direction.

Alex Backs: God's love and salvation is conditional on obedience

And it takes usually an issue in our life, whatever that issue is, a disappointment, a heartache, a, relationship that is hurting for us to examine. You remember when Paul would write concerning the Lord's Supper, he would always say, examine yourselves. And how important is that? So when you're reading this here in Jeremiah chapter 3, and we see all these words of what they've done, and they've been devoured by the land and they've gone astray, don't just look at it as a history lesson. Look at it and understand. Lord, is this where I am? Is this the direction I'm on? Have I taken a detour? And now am I meandering, through life and not having a direction? it really speaks loudly, but. But the hope is return to me. Isn't that good news?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, it is. And let me just say this. You know, we often hear about the unconditional love of God. And that's true. God does love unconditionally. I mean, if we turn and repent. But isn't the salvation of God the favor, the blessing, the restoration? I mean, it is conditional on, us aligning our life and in accord with God's word and God's, prohibitions and boundaries. God, expects something of us, doesn't he?

>> Bert Harper: Yes, he does.

>> Alex McFarland: I think a lot of people today, you know, people, and they email me sometimes when they hear me preach or I'll speak about morality or marriage or something on interviews. And people email me kind of these letters and they'll say, well, the God I believe in loves people. He does. God is love. He loved you so much that he sent his son to die on the cross and suffer immeasurable pain so that we could be forgiven. he paid our sin debt on the cross. But let me say, while God's love and salvation is a free gift that you can receive, God most certainly does put conditions on what it means to go to heaven. There's conditions on what it means to have blessing and favor. Bert, I'm going to say this and you feel free to disagree. There's conditions on what it means to get your prayers answered because the Bible says your iniquities have separated between you and your God and he will not hear.

>> Bert Harper: That's in Isaiah 59. And it also, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. So what does it mean if you're not righteous, if you're not fervent? it means you're not going to get much, answer to your prayer. So it's in a positive way and a negative way concerning prayer, Alex?

>> Alex McFarland: Well, it really is. And so the unconditional warning of God's punishment and the unconditional promises of God's blessing, they're very much dependent on the conditions of the people's heart and obedience. Now it's interesting, to the people that want God just to be a one way street of, I can live any way I please, but God will still love me. And yes, God does love his creation. Let me say, just as the salvation of Jesus is a free gift to whosoever will may come. Whosoever will may come. I would say what also is unconditional is the reality of God's judgment. I mean, the wicked shall be turned to hell and all the nations that forget God.

>> Bert Harper: So we're looking at some severe issues here. Now there's one word and, in the new King James version that I use most of the time and it says in verse 22 of chapter 3, Return from your backsliding. Now.

>> Alex McFarland: Oh, yes, backsliding.

>> Bert Harper: And we talked a little bit about this earlier, before we got on because we was talking about. We don't hear that word very much anymore. I heard it all the time when I was growing up. And I think that the Bible. I know, let me. Now let me rephrase that. I know the Bible does not teach continual backsliding. Backsliding should not be a lifestyle. It should be a hiccup in your journey. there's just something wrong with continual backsliding. There's something wrong with that relationship. Sounds like that relationship. Relationship may not be real, brother.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, yeah, you know, in technology, they'll talk about a glitch. You know, the computer crashes or the electricity blinks off for just a second, they'll say, you know, we don't know. There was just a glitch in the system. Backsliding is like a glitch in our Christian walk. And I want to say this. I think the American church has become, kind of comfortable with backsliding or backsliddenness. I mean, it's almost like deadness and apathy is the new normal. And that's not right. I mean, let me read a scripture from Hebrews, chapter three says, take care, brothers, lest there be any of you in an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called day, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Now, that's talking to Christians. M. Isn't that something that fall away from the living God? Got a hard heart. So, as we look at Jeremiah 3. 4, I'm going to pull out some things.

Alex: Bert, let's talk about backsliding

But, Bert, I'm glad you brought this up, and let's talk about backsliding, because here's the thing. somebody might say, well, listen, I'm not out there in overt sin. I'm not hopping, the bars and drunk and, cheating on my spouse or all those overt, you know, egregious sins. But, Bert, is it not the beginnings of backsliding to sort of neglect your prayer life, to stop caring about lost people going to hell? you know, I go to church when it's convenient, but two or three, four Sundays a month? I mean, that's my Sunday's my only morning to sleep in.

>> Bert Harper: Let me see. Does that sound a little lukewarm? and there was some church somewhere, sometime that I heard about. Alex, that was lukewarm. And God's opinion was that you make me sick.

>> Alex McFarland: Isn't that something?

>> Bert Harper: It is. And what you just described, backsliding. Not reading your scriptures, not praying, not seeking the Lord, not being a witness, not saying a word. Fitly spoken. Loving your wife, loving your children, discipline your children in a godly manner. okay. Will you stay there forever or will you continually. Is backsliding a, state, or is it a state where it continually goes down if you don't correct it.

>> Alex McFarland: And folks, let me say the lake house and the soccer field have no place on Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night, or your kids are going to be raised to be comfortable with backsliding.

>> Bert Harper: You're listening to Exploring the Word. We're in the book of Jeremiah, chapter three, chapter four. We've stated the issues. We're going to talk about how to be overcome. So stay with us as we return to Jeremiah, chapter three and four.

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>> Jeff Chamblee: This is Exploring the Word on American Family Radio.

>> Bert Harper: Everybody here looking for revival, our own hearts and across man. Anybody looking for a revival, lift up.

>> Alex McFarland: Your voice and say amen.

Alex McFarland and Bert Harper discuss Jeremiah 3 and 4

Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarland and Bert Harper. We're in Jeremiah 3 and 4. We're talking about the falls and the failures and the way to forgiveness and talking a little bit about avoiding backsliding. Let me say this before we get back to the text. Bert and I both, have a pretty, robust travel schedule. He preaching around the country and myself as well. And, you can reach [email protected], you can email us, whether it's a request for speaking or, a question for the show. Your question might become the topic of a future show, but wordfr.net and, by God's grace, we've got a lot going on this year, Bert. We've got a number of the truth for new Generation Apologetics conferences we're doing around the country. We've got a youth camp that we do every summer to equip teenagers to stand strong for the faith. And people can find [email protected] where can people keep up with you and Jan and all that God's doing through your life?

>> Bert Harper: They can go to repairingthefoundations.net and find out that.

Alex: Churches are recognizing the value of truth for a new generation

But I want to talk about Truth for a new generation just for a moment. Alex, this is an observation. you started it off, and I'm talking about people just pouring out and coming, to those. It was great. And then a little bit not too long ago, you said, okay, you know, not having quite as many, but it's kind of like, okay, it is good. And churches and towns and ministries are recognizing the value of truth for a new generation. And they are asking you, hey, Alex, you come. I just noticed that that's from an observer. Isn't that great how God does that? You know, it was on your heart to do. God raised you up to do that, and it was so effective. And I was at the one in Spartanburg, South Carolina. And I'm telling you what, just. We saw the power of God, and then, okay, yeah, we did some, but they weren't quite as well attended. And everything you say, okay, has it run its course or whatever? The answer is no. Now folks know and realize how powerful they are. So I want to tell you, and I want to emphasize truth for a new generation. When it comes to your area, if it's in a driving distance, you need to be there. You need to bring your youth group, your college group, you need to bring your family. You need to be there as an adult, and you will be strengthened, challenged, and blessed. Now, you don't get all those three all the time, but you do it. Truth for a new generation. And. And I know I'm spending more time on it than you do, Alex, right now, but I am that convinced of how effective it is in helping people be what God wants them to be. Not just do, but be. God's more interested in your being than he is. You're doing. Because if you become what God wants you to, be, you will do what he wants you to do. And that's what Truth for a NewSong Generation is all about. So, if it's in your area, I pray you will make every effort to make it available to you and your church and your family.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, thank you for that endorsement. And to God be the glory. We'll keep you posted on where we're doing these and what's going on. And, the website for that is truthforanewgeneration.com and so, you know, a part of what we're doing relates to what we're talking about on the show. We, need a great awakening in our country, a great revival for the church to turn back to Jesus Christ and not be satisfied with any carnality or backsliding. Elmer Town says before we're going to see a lot of church growth, we've got to see church health. And so, that was the case in Israel. It's our case as well.

Alex: Avoid generational slide. It's not a promise, but it is a tendency

So let me talk about this. Let me parse this out a little bit. you know, God said, you know, if you'll return to me, then I'll bless you. Here's the sources of the problems. Let's unpack these a little bit from Jeremiah 3, 20, 25. For one thing, they've distorted or perverted their way. They've forgotten Jehovah, their God. They've backslidden in their heart. They've lived shamefully, and they've taught their children to do so. Jeremiah 3, 24, 20, 23, 24. They've sinned against God, and they've not obeyed the voice of the Lord God. Let's talk about this, a little bit. The people of Israel were a chosen people, called out different. You know, the Bible says God called out for himself a peculiar people or a specific people with a specific purpose. The church is the same way. Israel would go into an area and they would take up the habits of the people and the idols and things like that. Bert, don't you think it's incremental? It happens to distort or pervert the way to get off the path. It happens not suddenly, but gradually. Would you agree?

>> Bert Harper: I agree. I preach a sermon sometimes when I do a family revival called generational slide. It's not a, promise, but it is a tendency. Okay. and the Bible's filled with that tendency. I just give you one. and it's Joshua followed the Lord with all of his heart. Caleb did as well. The fathers followed that, but they did not share that information with the third generation. And when the third generation came along, they had forgotten all that the Lord had done. You find that at the end of Joshua and the beginning of Judges, and that is repeated. Avoid generational slide. you have to fight against it. There's a tendency to go downstream. So those words here in verse 21, they had perverted their way and they had forgotten the Lord, their God. They go together. Alex, I know you got them listed, you know, here, but they run parallel lines with one another. If you forget what God is done and is doing, you're going to reestablish it in your own eyes. That's the reason some people. You was talking earlier about. People will email you or text you and say, that's not the God that I serve. Well, either you have forgotten the God you served or, you know, you didn't know in the first place. So avoid generational slide. Teach it and share it. Yes, it's the responsibility. It's like a relay race, isn't it? You got to hand off, the baton, but the next generation's got to take that baton. But at least we better offer it to them, hadn't we?

>> Alex McFarland: great point, great point. that we better offer that baton, because it is incremental. And, you know, let's remember that our calling as a Christian, if you're a born again Christian, I mean, you know, there's a lot of life. I mean, we're busy these days, but our calling is to be conformed to the image of Christ. You know, one of the big questions we get is, especially from young people. And I completely get it. I totally understand. But they'll say, how can I know God's will for my life? Well, you know, do I move to this city? Do I take that job? Do I earn this degree? What is God's plan for my life? God's plan for the life of every Christian is that you be increasingly, increasingly conformed to the image of his son.

>> Bert Harper: Amen.

>> Alex McFarland: And the people of Israel here, that was the source of the problems. They forgot God. You know, if you forget what your assignment is, you'll wind up doing most anything. They backslid in their hearts. Verses 23 and 24 of Jeremiah 3. They lived shamefully and just unavoidably. Their children picked it up as well. Now, let me say here, and I'm going to, you know, if I rub anybody the wrong way, sorry, Bert. I came up and I became a youth ministry in a culture where, RAs and GA's and kind of, you know, Bible drills and things like that were on the way out and fun and games were on the way in. And I think a lot of my fellow youth ministers, you know, in the 90s thought that I was kind of hardcore and I was, you know, you know, I was less about, you know, paintball, and volleyball and more about discipleship Although we did those things too. You know, nowadays I see this and listen very carefully, folks. I'm in a lot of churches. Virtually every weekend I'm in a different church. And oftentimes youth ministry, it's high energy and loudness, you know, action, action, action, and, subwoofers. So rather than hearing the still, small voice or getting into the word of God, kids are kept super duper busy. Everything's got to be like over the top stimuli. Loud music, bright lights, high action. And I get that. I mean, there can be a place because kids are energetic, but there has to be. If we're going to do what the church is supposed to do, there has to be a time when we are quiet before God. We read and meditate on his word, and we really do the things that contribute to discipleship. And Bert, do you see that? I think we're substituting busyness for godliness.

>> Bert Harper: You're right. Alex, let me. I just got to speak to that.

Alex says worship should not be a concert every time you gather together

You know, worship should not be a concert every time you gather together. And yes, there's time for concerts. You know, I, enjoy hearing some of the, songs that introduce each segment. You know, love those songs. They're powerful songs. They're about Jesus and the Word. If you hear it on Exploring the Word, it's the word of God and Jesus that's primary. But worship is not always high energy. Sometimes it is peace, be still. that was worship. When they saw Jesus and he calmed the storm, they looked upon him, what man is this? And I guarantee you at that point in time, you could have heard a pin drop because of that. Just the awesomeness of who Jesus Christ is. Sometimes that's what is needed. We're not saying, you know, worship in the same way every Sunday. No, you don't see that in the Bible. You don't. You really don't. You see, sometimes when they were, over in the Old Testament, they would put one choir on one side and another choir on the other and they would sing to one another. Sometimes it was just them by themselves. Sometimes it was like up in the upper room and them gathering there, examining themselves and so thinking that worship's got to be the same thing every time you gather together. As far as the outward part of it, I think is our own expectation. Alex, I'm just. You and I are sharing our thoughts here. But, you know, I think there's even in what people call big church, you know, doing the same thing. No, sometimes we need to do A little bit different. Sometimes it's always Jesus and always the Word. But, you know, I don't see a formula of that kind of exact schedule in the scriptures, in the NewSong Testament concerning the early church worshiping. They did certain things, but it didn't have a schedule on it, did it?

>> Alex McFarland: No, it really didn't. And, folks, hang, with us here. Put on your thinking cap for a second. Because in our worship, in our preaching, and in our handling of the word of God and learning and meditating, internalizing the scripture, it's supposed to be about Jesus. It's supposed to be about his kingdom. It's supposed to be about God's truth. And so much. I was thinking this, just yesterday, actually, I was in a worship service. So much of the songs and the lyrics and the preaching is about me now, how I feel and emotions. Let me say this. And, it's probably going to be counter to a lot of what you hear. So much of the Christian life is not about your emotions and how you feel. It's about your status and your state and your position in Christ. And if you are in Christ and you're living for Jesus, your emotions will follow. One of the ancillary side benefits is that you will have joy and your emotions will catch up, but joy and emotion is secondary. You in Christ and growing is primary. But so many of the praise songs and the preaching and the praise songs, they put, emotion and me and my perspective and how I feel, they make that primary. And, being conformed to the image of Christ and the doctrine, Jesus is the Son of God, his kingdom is coming. Go into all the world and make disciples. The primary things become not secondary, but tertiary. Way out there on the edge. There was a song, we used to sing growing up more about Jesus. Would I know more of his grace to others. Show more of his saving fullness. See more of his love who died for me now let me quote that song. I love that song. More about Jesus Let me learn more of his holy will Discern Spirit of God my teacher be showing the things of Christ to me More about Jesus on his throne Riches in glory all his own More of his kingdoms sure. Increase more of his coming Prince of peace Bert, we got to take the lens off of us and put it back on Jesus. back in The Jeremiah, 3, 23, 25. Part of the source of their problems. They sinned against God because they were living for themselves. Verse 25 of Jeremiah 3. They have not obeyed the voice of Jehovah.

>> Bert Harper: Now that means they had to hear it, and now they're not obeying it. You hear that? They heard it, but they wouldn't obey it.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, in the American church, because we've got such loud amplifiers, I'm afraid we can't even hear it. How can we obey God when we're too busy and too noisy and too distracted to even hear God?

>> Bert Harper: Alex, let me share this with you. Using that song, some of the greatest.

>> Bert Harper: Songs that have blessed my life.

>> Bert Harper: And this is personal. it sounds preferential, and I understand that. But taking some of the older hymns that people I, won't say if discarded, but doesn't sing anymore and bringing it back, I've noticed in several of the churches that I've been in, it's like, oh, it's a rediscovery. So let me challenge people to rediscover the hymns. Some people are doing it. A lot of the writers are doing that, putting a bridge to it, putting a little different thing to it. and one of them was one day when heaven was filled with his mercy. And now they've redone it, and it's a glorious day. And I love that. that is powerful. So some of you who are songwriters or want to be songwriters, look at those hymns. Look at them real closely, and you may want to put a little tweak to them and listen. Alex, we need to sing those hymns. They teach us a lot about God and Jesus, don't they?

>> Alex McFarland: Absolutely. Absolutely. We're exploring, the word. You're listening to our program in Jeremiah 3 and 4. Stay tuned because we're going to come back right after this.

>> Jeff Chamblee: The AFR app is a powerful tool, but it does have limitations. You can't use it to change the oil in your vehicle or get rid of carpet stains. It won't walk the dog, won't pick up the dry cleaning or take the kids to practice. But while you're doing those things, you can listen to your favorite AFR content through the app on your phone, smart device, or Roku. Just go to your app store or visit afr.net Listen to AFR wherever you go with the AFR app.

Freeborn means so much to me. I had had abortions, uh, plural

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>> Jeff Chamblee: Exploring the Word on American Family Radio. Connect with Alex and Burt on the Exploring the word Facebook page. Facebook.com exploring the word.

>> Bert Harper: Your words give us life that's never ending.

>> Speaker F: Your words bring us love that never fails.

>> Bert Harper: Everything else will fade away, but what will remain?

>> Alex McFarland: All your world.

Bert Harper: Jeremiah 4 invites us to return to the Lord

Welcome back to Exploring the word. Alex McFarlane, Bert Harper. What a great invitation from Jeremiah 4.

>> Bert Harper: 1.

>> Alex McFarland: Return to me, says God. Bert, aren't you glad? Regardless of what happens, regardless of what we do, we can return to the Lord. And in fact, he invites us to do that.

>> Bert Harper: Hallelujah. Again. We've already referred one time to the books in the letters to the churches in Revelation, and I would say a lot of times it is repent and return. And, that's what's needed in lives and in churches, denominations. again, we're just using the word of God. And that word return is beautiful. Let me give you one illustration, and I want you to go ahead and look at chapter four. Aren't you glad the prodigal son returned? He was in the pig pen of life as, what preacher was it? one of the pig. the pig pen trail, I think.

>> Alex McFarland: The hog pin trail. Oh, man, yeah.

>> Bert Harper: I remember. Just a great, great sermon. And, so he returned. And then there's this song. It's classic. I will return to the God of my fathers.

>> Alex McFarland: Ev Hill preached.

>> Bert Harper: Ev Hill preached that. And so the return is a beautiful word. It is a word that's filled with invitation and response. Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, amen. You know, before the break, we were talking about some song lyrics and things like that. I remember, as a kid growing up, and I would hear this song. Love divine, all loves excelling. Do you remember that?

>> Bert Harper: I do. I remember those songs, and I think.

>> Alex McFarland: That was a Wesley song, but it had this line in it about take away our bent to sinning, Alpha and omega, B. Do you remember that?

>> Bert Harper: I do. I remember that. As a child, I didn't, completely understand it, but if they don't understand and their children singing these songs and they don't understand. Give it time. You know, the first time I ever saw an algebra problem, I certainly didn't understand it. But I majored in math for two years. It finally caught up. And so just because it's difficult doesn't mean it doesn't need to be shared.

>> Alex McFarland: Exactly. Exactly. And by the way, okay, while I'm up on a soapbox with this whole.

>> Bert Harper: Program, we're going to, I'm going to ask Brent to, Burt and Alex's soapbox program. That's what it's going to be. Go ahead, brother.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, you know, so many, they want to, you know, for lack of a better word, dumb down the words. You know that Wesley song, Love Divine? I love succelling. Most modern hymn books, they clean up the words because they want to make it easy. And yeah, I think about the Churchill quote. Churchill liked the King James Bible and he wasn't really a fan of modern translations. And this is, you know, 50 some years ago because Churchill died about 65. But he said, you know, must everything be reduced to pablum? Must we not stretch our kids anymore? In other words, let's not try to make it always so easy. Let's try to cause people to stretch. You know, a good teacher allows there to be an appropriate level of cognitive dissonance. Let people have to think and stretch and mentally process things. And,

Bert: America has done such a disservice by dumbing things down

So speaking of mentally processing things, I want to talk about the pathway back.

>> Bert Harper: Well, Alex, let me start one thing, and I know I interrupted you, but I had a class in college and the professor came in and he put the book. He said, I wrote this book. And he said, for you to pass, this class, you're going to have to read my book. You're going to have to come to lecture and hear it. And I'm not going to bring it down on, your level. You're going to have to come up to my level. And that made me mad as a college student. But guess what? I did great in that class because I took the Challenge. Now, over half of them were gone at the end, but those that stuck it out, and it's still a class that I remember this day. And it wasn't a Christian school at that time. It wasn't a Bible class. It was honestly, it was a class concerning, geology. And, I took that class. And listen, I took the challenge. So there's some kids, some adults out there that will take the challenge of what you just laid down to stay with the word and don't, dumb it down. Make it understandable. But yes, don't dumb it down. So, Alex, I'm sorry, but I just wanted to speak to that and say, you're right on, brother.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, praise God. And let me say, folks, regarding salvation and sanctification. Does God love you? Yes. Will God Bless you. Yes. Will God amaze you and do things for you you can't dream of? Yes. But God is not gonna dumb down anything for the human race. I mean, you know, and I've gotta say, Bert, the deep gold of scripture, the nuggets of blessing and truth in God's word and coming to Christ, we have done such a great disservice by dumbing things down, trying to make it instant microwave spiritual maturity. And God's not gonna dumb it down. And I think part of the reason that the American church, as anemic as it is, and part of the reason that our nation is dying, whether it's socialism, Islam, atheism, immorality, just relativism, lawlessness, part of the reason that we are living in a lawless culture is because God's messengers that have been dispatched throughout to pray in heaven, to proclaim righteousness, we've tried to help God out by dumbing it down for people. And basically, you know, what we've got is not the medicine of Dr. Jesus, but the pablum and the uselessness of just human effort. And so God lays down a hard path, but it's the right path. In Jeremiah 4, he says, Return to me. Put your detestable idols out of my sight. Stop going astray. At the end of verse one, live and speak in a truthful, just and righteous way. Be a witness to the surrounding nations and cause them to become godly. Jeremiah 4:2, proactively cultivate that which is godly, good and moral. Stop sowing among thorns. That's carnality, worldliness, secularism. Dedicate your lives To God, verse 4, and humble your, circumcise your heart. Now, circumcision was, ah, a rite of the Jewish males to show that they were part of God's chosen people. But we're to circumcise our heart and humble ourselves and our soul before God. Bert, let me camp out for just a second about Israel. When they were following God and they were where they were supposed to be, they were actually a witness to the surrounding nations that prompted godliness among the other nations. I want to say this, America, even though the people in the secular classrooms that really don't know anything about our history, they're training generations of kids to try to hate America. But there was a day when we were a godly nation and we were that light on a hill, the city on a hill, America in her prime prompted godliness and morality among the other nations of the world.

>> Bert Harper: And just think about Israel. And I use this, I Love geography. it's just something that, I enjoy. Notice where God placed Israel. Right there. Where three continents meet, right there in that strategic location. Africa, then Europe, Asia, real close. Where three continents come together. And we find out that God placed America at this strategic place. and, you know, it says from sea to shining sea. And, again, I don't want to parallel. Israel is Israel and America is America. But still, what I'm sharing with you, the testimony of influence in others. Your life should influence others. Your family should influence others. Your church should influence others for good. And a country that has, the foundation that ours had from the founding fathers also influenced. And that influence used to be good. I'm not so sure it's that good anymore. That's kind of where we are.

>> Alex McFarland: well, you know, we're apologizing for. For being who we are. And, you know, so much kids are taught not to really have patriotism and pride in the country. Certainly not taught to know the God of our fathers. But really, they're taught more about the outward environment than the inner state of the heart. And so God told Israel. And I think it's a lesson for us that we are to cultivate that which is good and godly within ourselves. The. The pathway back no, longer go astray. Verse 2 of Jeremiah 4. And in a truthful, just and righteous way, you swear as surely as the Lord lives, then the nations will invoke blessings by him, and in him they will boast. This is what the Lord says to the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Now there's a warning after it says, you know, plow up your heart. Break up your fallow ground. Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, or my wrath will flare up and burn like a fire because of the evil you have done. It will burn, and no one will quench it. Jeremiah 4.

>> Bert Harper: 4.

>> Alex McFarland: the burning fire of God's judgment and the unquenchable flame of God's punishment. You don't hear that preached on too much nowadays, do you?

>> Bert Harper: You do not.

Break up the fallow ground is that ground that has grown, hardened

You don't hear the last part of verse three and the first part of verse four. I think the last part of verse three. The reason it doesn't register is because we're not agrarian society any longer. the fallow ground is that ground that has grown, hardened. You remember when the sower went out and sowed seed and it went on hard ground? it didn't have enough, root for it to blossom and grow. And so when the sun came up, it wilted Break up the fallow ground. In other words, you go out and you till that ground to get the ground soft enough that the seed can go in. And then you don't do it among thorns, there's places you just don't sow. And so because of this agrarian very thought here, in verse three, break up that fallow ground. being raised, agriculturally, as I was, that really made sense to me. And sometimes we have to understand God wants to break up the fallow ground of our heart. We've grown hard. We've grown to that point. Yes.

>> Alex McFarland: Bert, I guess you know what a disc harrow is, right?

>> Bert Harper: You better believe it. Yes.

>> Alex McFarland: Some of you will know what a disc harrow is. have you ever seen ground so hard that a plow or a disk bounces along the ground?

>> Bert Harper: I have. I'll tell you what, we do that when we were doing that, I, my dad and my brother and I, we would take some weights and it's usually railroad ties that we had extra. And we would put it on that diskhara so that it would be more weight and get it further into the ground to try to break it up. And it always had to do it one time. But then, guess what? We had to do it a second time. And so, then. Have you ever heard of a subsoiler? Some soil. Yeah. Some soil was so hard, so far down that you had to go deep into it. And so there are some people in their hearts, in their lives, they've hardened their heart so hard that the word of God has to go deep into their lives to break up that fallow ground. Alex.

>> Alex McFarland: Well, folks, a plow. And many of you will know, but in case you're not from a farm, okay, we're going to give you a little farming lesson. Okay? You got a tractor, and you got a thing called a three point hitch. And you can connect to your implements. So let's say you've got a plow, whether it's a subsoiler or a disc harrow. And you know, these things are made of cast iron and they weigh hundreds and hundreds of pounds, real heavy. But fallow ground, unplowed ground, is so hard that the plow doesn't even pierce down through it. So what you got to do is you've got to put weight on it like a railroad tie or a stack of cinder blocks. And half the neighborhood kids, that adds weight. You can tell we've done this before.

>> Bert Harper: We have.

>> Alex McFarland: But what you do is you've got to slowly and repeatedly go over it, and eventually the hard ground begins to break up and the ground gets tilled and then you can put a seed in it and mostly it'll be silver queen corn. Alright, my point is this. Sometimes our lives get so, conditioned away from God, our hearts get hard. We're not attentive, our discernment is gone. The Holy Spirit is like the master gardener who can till our heart and put in the seed of God's truth. And Bert, you know, sometimes we have to because our heart gets hard just like ground gets like cement. You know, we gotta hear the word over and over. We've got to be, softened and ready and broken up like fallow ground of Jeremiah 4:4. That you know, the seed of truth can begin to take root all over again.

>> Bert Harper: That's right.

>> Alex McFarland: I love the American church and hundreds of thousands of churches, millions of Christians. But look, we need a revival and we need our hearts deeply tilled. The awakening we so desperately need can only come about as the Holy Spirit of God cultivates our heart like the fallow ground that needs to be broken up. And Bert, I pray for that. I really pray for that. And God will give it, but we've got to seek it, Alex.

>> Bert Harper: That's the reason in missional work, so many times they try to get some people involved in Bible study, in an ongoing Bible study m. And they will come the first time, the second time, the third time. Very few come to Christ on the first or second time missionally. And it's true also with believers that over a period of time of the Word of M God coming into our lives, it breaks up the fallow ground. That's what the word of God does. Now again, music can set the tone for emotion and us receiving it, you know, but the word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit is what breaks up that fallow ground, in unbelievers, but also believers. And so that's so important to preach the Word. And so Jeremiah says what? Return to me. that's good news that we can, isn't it?

>> Alex McFarland: And you know what Jeremiah 4 says in verse 2, that in returning we will be blessed ourselves. I mean, the greatest favor you can ever do for yourself is turn your life completely over to God.

>> Bert Harper: That wouldn't do you any harm like that older man said, would it?

>> Alex McFarland: That's right.

>> Bert Harper: It would do you good. Well, Alex, thank you for sharing this with us today from Jeremiah 3 and 4. It's a blessing to hear it and we encourage you. Return to the God of your father, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do what the prodigal son did. Come to yourself and say, I'd be better off with my father than I'm out here in the pig pen. Alex, again. Thank you, brother.

>> Alex McFarland: Hey, we look forward to being with you again on Exploring the Word. Tell somebody about the show, but tell everybody about Jesus. The views and opinions expressed in this broadcast do not necessarily reflect those of the American Family association or American Family Radio.

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