Sermon Tone Analysis

As a train was about to leave a large railroad station, the conductor began to take tickets.

Looking at the ticket of the first passenger he remarked, "Friend, I think you're on the wrong train!" "But," replied the man, "the ticket agent told me this was my train."

After a little discussion, the conductor decided to check with the ticket agent.

Before long, it became clear that the conductor was on the wrong train!

When the leader is lost, how can the followers be going on the right track?

Leadership in our culture today.

Leadership in our society today.

Leadership in our country today.

I very obvious but, underhanded change today.

Think about this from Dwight D. Eisenhower...

“In order to be a leader a man must have followers.

And to have followers, a man must have their confidence.

Hence the supreme quality of a leader is unquestionably integrity.

Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, on a football field, in an army, or in an office.

If a man's associates find him guilty of phoniness, if they find that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail.

His teachings and actions must square with each other.

The first great need, therefore, is integrity and high purpose.”

Not really the case today.

Our culture seeks not integrity, but ingenuity.

Not purpose, but performance.

Not necessarily ability, but ambition.

Ability to say what we want to hear, not necessarily what we need to hear.

The leaders that we follow today do not for the most part carry the qualities of even just 10 years ago.

The main characteristic we look for is can he accomplish.

Can he bring us to where we need to be, no… can he take us to where we want to be.

Can he provide what we value today.

Can he make me more successful?

Can he make me more wealth?

Can he help me to get more and work less?

Can he bring more comforts in life?

Can he help me keep up with the jones’?

Can he uphold the rights that I believe I have?

Can he deliver what I want?

Or will he at least promise to get me what I want?

I don’t want a leader to tell me what to do, but give me what I want.

Gimme that, promise me that, and I will follow you anywhere.

Leadership today in the time of pragmatism.

But many of our leaders today, want the same thing and they need us to make it happen for them.

And we see this.

This is why we act the way we do today.

The corruption of leadership brings the corruption of the people.

But does the corruption of the people make bad leaders?

For sure, but leaders are not supposed to be led by the people.

If they are does that make them not leaders but followers?

This is not a new thing, we have seen it throughout all generations.

And even in Jerusalem.

And they had the best leadership of them all.

So shall we say once again… rebellion?

Let’s take a look.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

Hardheaded Hearts

Mis-leadership

Still There

The first thing we will look at is the outrageous behavior of the people in the city of God, Jerusalem.

Second, we will look at the cause of this behavior displayed by the mis-leadership of the leaders in the city of God, Jerusalem.

Finally, we will see that even in the midst of such rebellion the Lord is still in the city, displaying His unconditional love for His people.

Thesis: Though sin and the patten of this world cause us to fall into more and more rebellion through bad leadership, it is the steadfast love of the Lord, that illumines our hearts with His word and empowers us with the Holy Spirit to the salvation provided to us by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus.

He is here.

I. Hardheaded Hearts

- They do what is right in their own eyes.

A. We got a woe here.

The Hebrew “hoy”… translated woe or what sorrow awaits.

Remember… this is an attention getter.

Something serious.

Something heartbreaking.

The rebellious, defiled, polluted that is an oppressor.

(oooh some woke language here.

But more emphatic here is the rebellion.

The hard headed and hard hearted rebellion described by the Lord.

It is a simple description.

None one can tell it anything.

And it will not listen to correction.

B. And what a travesty this is.

Ever heard the saying, “don’t know what you got till it gone.”

Think of the nations that were mentioned in the previous chapter.

Philista, Moab, Ammon, Ethiopia, and Assyria.

None of them have had the privilege of hearing the voice of God like did Israel.

Namely Jerusalem.

Can anyone or anything have any greater or more wonderful than this?

What a travesty this is… nothing more wonderful than the words of God and Jerusalem will not listen.

C. Apparently they did not listen to the word of God and the history of what happens to people who do not listen.

D. And they did not enter the land.

Not only do they not listen to the voice of God, but they also Loq-ha mu-sar.

They would not accept the discipline or correction of the Lord.

So many times there were calamities, tribulations, hardships, rebukes, drought, famine, defeat by other nations… but they would not accept the discipline of the Lord.

They ignored what they were being taught.

They ignored what God desired to impart unto them.

They ignored his correction.

And to do this would be unwise.

E. And to top it all off… the worst of indictments given to the city of God.

They did not trust the Lord.

They were called out for their unbelief.

This is the worst of the worst.

Living our lives in unbelief.

Not trusting the Lord.

This is the worst thing we can do.

Constant punishment and judgement came upon the people for their unbelief.

Not unbelief that the Lord exists.

But unbelief that the Lord is good.

We don’t trust that he is doing what is best for us.