Forgotten Hope

Pr Edi Giudetti

20-08-2017

Forgotten hope

There are times when you are surrounded by things that make you feel as if hope is lost. Jeremiah seemed to have felt this way when Jerusalem was forsaken of king and people, taken into captivity. There was a forgotten hope until he recalled it to mind saying;

²¹This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
²²It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
²³They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
²⁴The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
²⁵The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
²⁶It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. (Lam 3:21-26)

Perhaps you are surprised to know that we are beginning our celebration service with a reading from the book of Lamentations? Well I was just as surprised.

It’s not often I feel the need to go earnestly before the Lord to ask him specifically what passage of the Bible to preach on. I preach expositionally most of the time, having a chapter or book or series of books to go through I always have my passage and can build the outlive from it.

But I did not have the luxury of a passage for this afternoons service, it being distinct from all others. So I pleaded that the Lord would give me only that portion which he desired me to preach. I did ask only that it be that which tells all of himself. I desired to preach Christ.

Almost immediately the Lord impressed upon me the book of Lamentations, but he did not give me a specific passage yet I was sure that, in desiring to preach of him alone, he would make clear to me that passage as I read the book.

Well the first two chapters nothing came to my attention and I began to give excuse as to why I was in Lamentations. Until I came to the 22^nd verse of chapter three; and it was all I could do to keep my composure.

INTRODUCTION

The book of Lamentations is found in the midst of what is known as the five major prophets. Just like the five books of Moses that introduce the 17 historical narratives of the Old Testament; the five major books of the prophets; Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel and Daniel introduce the 17 prophetical books of the Old Testament.

And just as the central book of the five books of Moses (Leviticus), reveals the Law of God being the heart of the Righteousness of God; so too the center book of the major prophets (Lamentations), reveal the sorrow of God when that Law has been broken by those called to righteousness.

As the title of the Book suggests, it is a book of extreme sorrow and lament:

It contains 5 chapters,
- The first two chapters contain 22 verses each,
- The last two chapters also contains 22 verses each.
- The middle chapter, chapter three, contains 66 verses, that’s 22 x 3.
- And the 22^nd verse of chapter 3 begins this wonderful and timely reminder to Jeremiah, of the hope he can look to in the midst of the sorrow he experiences.

Like smiling rays of sunshine piercing through dark clouds of despair, the six verses we look at today break through the darkness to shine the most wonderful light.

But in order for you to appreciate the light of this passage and especially its placement, you need to appreciate just a hint of the darkness that people in the world are experiencing at this time.

Jeremiah writes ²¹This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

Verse 21 introduces our passage this morning, it tells of a hope, once forgotten, now recalled to mind.

It tells us of Jeremiahs FORGOTTEN HOPE

A FORGOTTEN HOPE

And that is my first point this afternoon as we watch and see the people of the world struggle so desperately because they have FORGOTTEN HOPE, but not just hope for hopes sake, the true HOPE, the SURE HOPE the ONLY HOPE that is found in the ONLY Saviour of the World, JESUS CHRIST. The word ‘hope’ is used in the Bible not as a ‘perhaps’ or a ‘maybe’, but as a certainty not yet attained. (Rom 8:24)

Today the state of hopelessness experienced by so many people the world over resembles the years of Judah just before the Lamentations. There are so many today living in darkness, so many who should not be in darkness, but are because they have removed the truth of Jesus Christ from view, indeed Truth has fallen in the streets (Isa 59:14), and because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved (2 Thess 2:10).

I am going to give you some statistics this afternoon, each of which I will provide a reference for in the footnotes online that you may be able to see them for yourselves. I don’t want you to think I am exaggerating the claims or that I am getting these from non-credible resources.

Most of these are referenced in David Kupelian’s 2016 book The Snapping of the American Mind.

This is an excellent book and could be a Journalistic sequel to the Scholarly 1987 book by Allan Bloom called THE CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN MIND.

Which, in an interesting way, could also be a follow up from Francis A Schaeffer’s 1968 book describing the downward trends of modern thought, called ESCAPE FROM REASON.

But, there are several other introductory books worth reading that will round out your understanding of the times we live in today, should you have read these books when they were written you certainly would be in no surprise of these days that have come about. And should you trust in the Bible, the Book of books, you should not be surprised of the days yet ahead.

In The Name of Education by Jonas Alexis gives specific understanding of what has happened to the Education system of the western world.
The Creature From Jekyll Island is an incredibly broad treatise on the financial system and explains both why we are where we are financially, and where the world is headed.
Less Than Words Can Say by Richard Mitchell is only available second hand, but a great and humorous read to see and understand what has happened to our words and how, in the name of education, we have changed how they are used.
The Marketing of Evil, also by David Kupelian covers a broad spectrum of issues and how they came to dominate modern thought.
Lastly, New Age Bible Versions by Gail Riplinger. An excellent introduction to the Bible Version issue. She has been given a lot of grief even by fundamental Christians who sadly do not beleive they have the word of God perfectly preserved in English. But the book is a credible eye opener to the issues surrounding The Bible, making a case for the preservation of Gods words, even in English. The many comparisons of Bible passages between versions in English, compared to the KJV are the most impacting aspects of this book.
Finally, if you don’t have time to read these books. The Bible will keep you walking circumspectly and redeeming the time, it will also make you wise as serpents and gentle as doves.

Let us please take a snap shot of a world that has FORGOTTEN HOPE.

In a report by the American Public Health Association, Suicide has past motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of Injury death in the USA [1]
In Australia according to Australian Bureau of Statistics “In 2015, suicide was the leading cause of death among all people 15-44 years of age, and the second leading cause of death among those 45-54 years of age. The median age at death for suicide was 44.5 years. This compares to a median age of 81.9 years for all deaths.” [2]
A long term study conducted in Victoria between 1992 and 2008 showed 6% of boys and 10% of all teenage girls engage in self harm with cutting and burning themselves as the leading injuries. Professor Keith Hawton said “The numbers we are talking about are huge” he also said self-harming people are 100 times more likely than the general population to take their own lives. But 90% stop doing this by the time they are adults.[3]
A report in the NYT 6.4 million Children aged 4-17 years diagnosed with Anxiety Disorders, 1 third of which are on prescribed stimulants like Ritalin or Adderall, which can also lead to psychosis.[4]
1/3 of American Employees suffer with cronic debilitating stress, more than half the millennial population suffer with it (18-33) to the point of sleeplessness and depression. [5]
The National Centre for Health Statistics report in 2011 states that 11% of all American aged 12 + take anti-depressants. [6]
Almost ¼ of women aged 40s & 50s are clinically depressed and on anti depressants [6.2]
Recent study (2017) 60 million adults (28%) in USA suffer with alcoholism. [7] 24 million on other illicit drugs such as Marijuana, cocaine, heroin, meth etc
2013 Nation Survey on Drug use reports that a further 24 million people using Illicit Drugs.[8]

Friends, when you add all those on anti-depressants, stimulants and those that are addicted to Alcohol and Illicit Drugs you are speaking about well over 100 MILLION AMERICANS DEPENDANT ON TOXIC SUBSTNACES TO GET THROUGH LIFE, that is almost 1/3 of their entire population.

Add to this is the number of men, women and children addicted to Pornography 85% Young Men and over 50% women. Does it then surprise us that this has led to what is referred to as an Epidemic of STD’s In America with over 110 Million cases of infection in 2014? With 20 million new cases each year. 50% of which are by those aged 15 to 24 years.[9]
The Church. The figures are not much better among those who identify as Christians with 77% of men 18-30 years addicted to pornography, even 55% of Pastors.[10]

But these statistics is not limited to America or Australia, the problems are worse in Europe.

A study in 2011 showed 38% of Europeans suffering mental illness of one form or another. The studies author said “”Mental disorders have become Europe’s largest health challenge of the 21st century,” The study covered 30 countries and over 514 million people. An incredible 165 Million people in Europe suffering with mental disorders. The World Health Organization said that Depression alone will be the second largest contributor to the Global Burden of Disease across all ages.[11]

Brethren, what is happening in the world today?

Why are there so many people struggling so deeply with life today?

What is it about reality that has so many turn to drugs, alcohol, games, entertainments etc?

Why are so many now using stimulants to help them cope with life?

What is the HOPE THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN?

And do we have a part to play in this collective amnesia?

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

Jeremiah recalls to his mind that which both he and his people have forgotten. It is at this time that the nation is almost consumed. This is the time that Isaiah refers to as Israel having been forsaken of “both her kings” (Is 7:16). The northern kingdom having been destroyed over a century earlier, and now Judah taken into captivity by the ancient people of Babylon for her many sins, her distractions, her refusal to turn to the Lord of HOPE that she may have HOPE. Judah also now turned to debauchery of all sorts and despised the WORD of God that they may have hope.

The city of Jerusalem sits solitary, she has become a widow, she has become tributary, a servant among the nations that have spoiled her. Those whom she ruled now rule her, those whom she had spoiled for their sins against the Lord, now have spoiled her for her sins against the Lord. Those to whom she should have revealed the nature of God, have revealed to her the wrath of God.

Now the people sit by the waters of Babylon and they weep. They are carried away captive and encouraged by them that wasted them to sing to them one of the songs of Zion, but how indeed can they sing the Lords song in a strange land? (Ps 137),

But it’s the leaders that have turned them away, the leaders of the people. The Pastors themselves have destroyed and scattered the sheep of the Lords pasture (Jer 23:1) they had driven the people away when they were supposed to have fed the them. The Bible says they became “Brutish”, they themselves did not seek the Lord (Jer 10:21).

Turn back to Jeremiah 5:30

Jeremiah tells of

“A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?”

Not only are the people taught error, told lies, encouraged for “Peace, Peace when there is no peace”, in others words they are told, ‘Everything is fine, all is good, there is no problem,’ that “there shall be peace in Our time”

(Perhaps some of you can recall to mind that last quote, you recognize the words of the English Prime minister Neville Chamberlain as he held aloft a piece of paper coming from his meeting with Adolf Hitler in September 1938 exclaiming the now infamous words ‘There shall be peace in our time’. Less than a year later World War two began.)

All they wanted to do was to scratch the ears of the people and tell them what they wanted to hear, this is the same in Churches the world over today. This same “wonderful and horrible thing” is happening this very day in Churches the world over. The Pastors prophecy falsely and the people love to have it so!

But the people do not have peace and they have FORGOTTEN HOPE, neither do they seek it and many of us, who are charged to remind them…..HAVE FORGOTTEN.

But Judah would not take warning that trouble was immanent, if they did not return to the Lord. No, they simply made their own hearts ‘fat and their ears heavy and shuts their eyes’ lest they would see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with hearts that the Lord should heal them’ (Isa 6:10).

Yet many were the warnings, many were the signs, many were the strong indicators that trouble loomed nigh, trouble that they brought upon themselves. It was the trouble that indicated to them that the time was coming for the end of that civilization.

Jeremiah begins his Lamentations; (Lam 1:1)

How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people!
How is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations,
And princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!

That civilization did end.

Our Civilization also is quickly coming to that same point where those who are asleep with none to open their eyes, will one day awake and ask “How has it come to this?”

Like the newly awakened King Theodens lament before the battle of Helms Deep in JR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

Many will awake and ask, “How did it come to this”

Jesus is our Hope and Portion

Return if you will please to Lamentations 3:21-24

Incredibly, in the midst of this deep trouble his world has found itself in, Jeremiah has recalled to his mind that which he had forgotten and, as a light that pierces the darkness, states;

²¹This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
²²It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
²³They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
²⁴The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Jeremiah remembered that there is a God in heaven, he recalled to mind his attributes, his mercies and confessed and understood that it is of the Lords mercies that they were not completely consumed. That they actually received so much less than their iniquities deserved. God is merciful with compassions that do not and will not fail.

Suddenly the Lord became his hope and his portion.

He looked to him that is in heaven and was revived in spirit in the midst of his trouble and grief.

WHAT SHALL WE THEN SAY, WHO LOOK TO HIM THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN?

WHAT SHALL WE SAY WHO LOOK TO THE ONE THAT DIED TO GIVE US LIFE?

WHAT SHALL WE SAY ABOUT THE ONE WHO CAME TO SEEK AND TO SAVE THAT WHICH IS LOST?

WHAT SHALL WE SAY ABOUT THE ONE WHO WILLINGLY EXCHANGED OUR SIN AND DEPRAVITY FOR HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS?

AND PROMISED THAT FOR THIS, HE WILL GIVE US ETERNAL LIFE……IF……WE……BELIEVE?

Brethren, what hope is there that can compare with the hope of eternal life? This is not some vain ‘perhaps’, this is a sure hope, an inheritance laid up for us. It is what the scripture here refer to as our “Portion”.

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

Jesus is our Portion, God is our INHERITANCE, there is nothing more sure that his love, his mercy, his compassions, his grace, his forgiveness, his life is that which we are to live life through.

But ONLY if we would be willing to DIE to ourselves.

Can you not see; the people of the world who have rejected the “GOD of ALL HOPE” are doing all they can to LIVE to themselves, they hold onto life AGAINST their lives and are in misery trying to escape from the reality of THE COST OF SIN. And its cost is destroying them from the inside out!

But the world seems happily intent to distract their thoughts of reality. They come up with a plethora of options to turn themselves all from facing reality; whether it is Chemical or Musical, Sensual or Dramatical, whether it’s filled with adrenalin or imagination. They are in a dream-world of fictional fixes to remove from their minds the wretchedness of reality.

It was the Cheshire Cat in Lewis Carrols classic ‘Alice In Wonderland’ who said

“Imagination is the Only Weapon in the war against reality”

But it is Jesus who wanted us to face reality and said

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matt 11:28-30)

It is Jesus who is the HOPE and the PORTION of man.

Jesus is our Anticipation and Pursuit

^v25The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

It is a patient pursuit that we engage in. Jeremiah recalled that the Lords mercies are renewed every morning, that his compassions do not fail but are sure.

He understood that the trouble of the people was that very trouble brought on by the people, and yet the Lord watched over them even in their trouble.

He gave them that were taken away rest, they had rest even though they were again ‘strangers in a strange land’.

They prayed even for the people and the kings of their captivity that they themselves might have peace, just as we are instructed to do today for those who rule over us.

Many had seen the direction of the nation and warned that trouble would come. So they patiently endured, knowing that The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

There was a time not long ago when Christians would speak daily about the things that pointed to the immanent return of the Lord. They had seen signs occurring almost monthly and waited in anticipation for the coming of the Just One. But those were the days that they turned to the word of God each day, they had the Bible and they trusted in his words and it gave them the greatest comfort as well as the clearest vision of that which is on the horizon. They, as Jesus said, could discern the signs of the times. They watched and Waited.

But the pastors of today are not as the pastors of yesterday, they see themselves more as entertainers and motivators rather than teachers and exhorters. They are more concerned with being liked and being popular than they are of building up, teaching and feeding those they are charged to Shepheard.

It’s not eternity that they focus on; not their own nor the eternity of others. They want Their Best Life Now. It is here and now that matters to them and not the hereafter. It is not treasure in heaven that they pursue but treasures on earth; it is not the anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ but the return of more prosperous times, that tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant (Isa 56:12).

But these are Pastors of no value; They speak of peace but the only peace that can be found is found in Jesus. A person must be born again else he will not enter into the kingdom of God and will never have peace but it’s very opposite, torment. The torment of rejecting the God of all peace will cling to them like a leprosy that will never have its end.

Jesus is the Gospel, he is that which he speaks of in that famous passage of John 3. Therefore, there can be NO PEACE FOR A LOST SOUL But that which is found in the Saviour, Jesus Christ.

It is not material wealth that we are to pursue its Jesus Christ.

Brethren, I have seen others, and been also a part of the pursuit of material wealth. What I have experienced and what I have seen is that it does not bring peace. Those who seek after Gold are not satisfied with Gold says the preacher of Ecclesiastes, it is vanity.

O that you would pursue Jesus, that you would anticipate him, that you would wait for him and seek him.

He is the one who will give you rest.

His word is that which will give you comfort.

His spirit is that which will give you joy.

His commands are that which will give you purpose.

And His promise is that which will give you HOPE.

Psalm 27:14

Wait on the Lord:
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart:
Wait, I say, on the Lord.

Jeremiah witnessed the most terrible scenes in this time, a time he warned about with a message he was persecuted for. From his youth to his old age he warned the people, 40 years long did he cry to them to seek after the Lord, to wait on the Lord, to stand strong, to be of good courage.

Psalm 56:3-4

³What time I am afraid,
I will trust in thee.
⁴In God I will praise his word,
In God I have put my trust; I will not fear
What flesh can do unto me.

This is the place where those who know the truth find their comfort, even while they may fear, they trust in his word, they put their trust in the Lord, they know that;

“it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man” (Ps 118:8)

Jesus is our anticipation and our pursuit.

²⁵The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

And when we seek him with all our heart, God promised that we will find him.

Jesus is Salvation

²⁶It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Jeremiah knew the time of the captivity of his people would be long. In fact, he knew exactly how long it would be. Seventy years long would Judah be taken away for their sin (Jer 25:11). They would have Children and grandchildren, they would build themselves houses and farm land (Jer 29:2-7). The nation in which they were taken would work to re- educate the people according to their own customs (Dan 1:4), to follow their own gods, to teach them of their own habits. The King of Babylon even went as far as giving many of their best captives new names according to their own gods (Dan 4:8). They encouraged the eating of their own foods and drink (Dan 1:5).

Jeremiah was himself not forced into captivity. He was permitted to go where he would go (Jer 40:2-4). My understanding is that he remained as some of the few remnant of the land, he did not follow the people into captivity nor can I recall him following the wicked to Egypt where they tried to run further from God.

Jeremiah waited, he waited in hope, he waited in hope quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

The world around him was a mess, it turned to its own way and reaped what it had sown.

In the midst of Lamentations is found HOPE and SALVATION. But that HOPE and SALVATION has a source, it is the LORD. The Lord is the one that sits in the High and lofty place.

Turn to Isaiah 57:15

¹⁵For thus saith the high and lofty One
That inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy;
I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
¹⁶For I will not contend for ever,
Neither will I be always wroth:
For the spirit should fail before me,
And the souls which I have made.
¹⁷For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him:
I hid me, and was wroth,
And he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
¹⁸I have seen his ways, and will heal him:
I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
¹⁹I create the fruit of the lips;
Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord;
And I will heal him.
²⁰But the wicked are like the troubled sea,
When it cannot rest,
Whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
²¹There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.

Jeremiah remembered Hope and where it is found. The world today is looking for a saviour, and there are not many who will tell the world who the Saviour is. Are we adding to the burden and grief of the world through silence?

Isa 43:11

I, even I, am the Lord;
And beside me there is no saviour.

JESUS SAID John 14:6

“I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh to the father but by me”

The world is looking for a saviour and, we not only know who he is, but also where he can be found and yet we keep silent. Jeremiah suffered a great deal because the word of the lord was like a burning fire shut up in his bones and he could not help but speak (Jer 20:9).

O that we would all be this way, even together, even in unison, even as a great shout to all people that they might hear that there is a comforter who will comfort them in their distress, who will save them from the sin which plagues their hearts and minds.

Perhaps this is the most difficult part of this message for you who know Christ and keep silent.

What is your role in the grief of this people?

They ALL seek an answer.

They don’t ask by their voice, they ask by their actions.

Does your silence about the saviour they seek add to the misery the world is in?

“But they won’t listen” you say!

The Bible says some will!

“but they will mock me…laugh at me….persecute me….I’ll lose my job…I’ll lose my friends…..I’ll lose my…..life…”?

But they will lose their soul!

I just finished a book about a missionary couple who were called to Northern Africa to a nation that was 100% Muslim in population. They served there for a number of years in both their help and in the Gospel. Many came to the knowledge of Christ and believed.

It was not long before that the Fundamental Islamic community began to rise up. They heard about the work and persecuted the young family. Husband, Wife and four young children. They were warned by friends and family not to go. But they could not disobey the Lord. They thought to themselves about Christians in the west who will not respond to the Gospel no matter how often they have it preached to them. When many tried to tell them of the great need of the land they lived in, they reasoned;

“we cannot justify to preach the Gospel to the many who have heard it twice, when there are millions who have never heard it once”

It was the wife who wrote the book; her husband was killed on the mission field as a martyr for the Glory of God.

Turn to Galatians 2:19

For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

When this missionary couple were asked even by the Muslims of the land that they risked their lives being there. Their response became the title of the book;

“We died before we came”.

Mark 18:35