What if I just want to keep quiet?

Well, hey, thanks again for sending in questions related to our recent sermons. This last week, we started our series in Jeremiah, which we have titled The Whole Story, because we really find the whole story of the Bible contained within the one book of Jeremiah. We began, of course, at the beginning with Jeremiah’s um, formation in the womb, his calling into ministry, which parallels, um, our calling.

We are told that he, uh, was meant to be a prophet to the nations, um, both to tear down, call out what’s wrong, uh, confront people, but also to build up, to plant, to make new, uh, to give words of hope and redemption, um, into, into the dark world, even against people who, um, were hurtful toward him. Um, we said, like, likewise, we are to be prophets, uh, to the nations. As Jesus says in Matthew 28, you know, go, go therefore into all nations, teaching them everything that I have commanded you, baptizing them, um, and that Jesus will be with us always till the very end of the age. So we are meant to go out into the world, to speak what is true, to correct what is wrong, um, and also to, to plant, to build, to, to make, to make new. Um, so the question comes in this week, what if we keep quiet?

Is that an option? Um, what if I don’t want to go be a prophet to the nations? What if I don’t want to call out what is wrong around me? What if I don’t want to, um, give words of hope and redemption to people? What if I hear people, you know, disparaging Christ or the church or his word, and I just say nothing?

What if I see the chaos around me and, um, don’t feel like dealing with it, just walk away? Uh, well, first, I would say, I feel the same way a lot of days. Um, a lot of days, I, you know, I’m tired. I don’t want to engage. Um, or maybe I’ve been in some conflicts recently and just don’t want to take another one on. Uh, and so I totally get it.

I think that is certainly all of us. Um, but the Bible warns us, uh, pretty directly about shying away from being a prophet to the nations. Um, give you a couple of instances. Matthew 10, for instance, Jesus says, everyone who acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven. Um, there doesn’t appear to be a middle ground. We either stand for Jesus, um, or are in danger of being denied by him. Similarly, Hebrews 10, the author writes, but recall the former days, you know, after you were enlightened, you, you endured. There once upon a time, you engaged in these struggles. Um, you, you know, you bore the suffering, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, sometimes being

partners with those who were, um, afflicted, right? So you, you stood for Christ, you bore the consequences, right? Um, you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you yourselves knew you had a better possession, um, and an abiding one in heaven. Then he says, therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which is great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised.

The day is coming and will not delay. My righteous shall live by faith. If he shrinks back, God says, my, my soul has no pleasure in him. But then the author of Hebrews encourages us. He says, we are not of those who, who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls. Um, you really won’t find a scripture that says, oh, it’s okay to keep silent.

It’s all right not to engage. Everything will be fine. The warning of scripture is you absolutely must engage. You absolutely must go out and be a prophet to the nations. If you’re a follower of Christ, you, you must, um, stand for him publicly, uh, and endure whatever the consequence is that may come. Um, so thanks for the question.

It’s one that I need to be reminded of as well. It’s why scripture gives these warnings. We hope it’s helpful, and we’ll see you next time.