Listen to the Warning
David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of heeding God's warnings and the dangers of a superficial faith in the face of spiritual decline.
David Wilkerson warns about the spiritual complacency and moral decay within God's people, as illustrated by the prophet Jeremiah. He emphasizes that many have become indifferent to sin, hiding behind a false sense of peace while neglecting the warnings of God's watchmen. The sermon calls believers to heed God's Word and remain obedient, as genuine renewal will face opposition from Satan. Wilkerson urges listeners to allow the Holy Spirit to examine their hearts and to strive for a blameless walk with the Lord in these challenging times.
Text
"From the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely ... Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed" (Jeremiah 6:13, 15).
The prophet Jeremiah saw a horrible condition coming upon God's people. They were hiding their sins behind a façade of superficial peace and security. Greed had overcome their hearts and their entire lives had become superficial -- superficial tears, superficial repentance, even superficial healing. Worst of all, they had lost their sense of grief for sin -- in society, in the church, in their own lives. Sin had become "just one of those things."
In Jeremiah 5:1-3, the prophet gives us a picture of the moral breakdown that occurred in Israel and the house of Judah. God's people sat under a message of searing truth and yet they turned away from it and rebelled. Their fear of God was waning and where once they had delighted in God's Word, they now turned away from the warnings of the prophets -- the watchmen.
God is setting watchmen over the church today; anointed voices placed by the Lord to be responsible for your soul. As a believer, it is your responsibility to heed God's Word and be obedient in order that you may be brought into the true image of Christ. That means walking according to the truth without compromising.
When God does something genuine in his people, Satan always conspires against it. When Nehemiah set about to reconstruct the walls of Jerusalem, there was great opposition. "But it came to pass, that when [the enemy] heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up ... they were very wroth, and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it" (Nehemiah 4:7-8). Likewise, when an individual turns to God and has a genuine renewal in his life, Satan will fight with all his might to hinder his progress. Set your heart to listen to the watchmen and allow the Holy Spirit to probe your heart deeply that you may walk wholly blameless before the Lord in this late hour.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Introduction to the warnings from Jeremiah
- The condition of God's people
- Superficiality in faith
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II
- The moral breakdown in Israel
- Rebellion against God's truth
- The fading fear of God
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III
- The role of watchmen in the church
- Responsibility of believers
- Obedience to God's Word
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IV
- Opposition from Satan
- The example of Nehemiah
- The need for genuine renewal
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V
- Listening to the Holy Spirit
- Walking blameless before the Lord
- Preparing for the late hour
Key Quotes
“Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed.” — David Wilkerson
“God is setting watchmen over the church today; anointed voices placed by the Lord to be responsible for your soul.” — David Wilkerson
“Set your heart to listen to the watchmen and allow the Holy Spirit to probe your heart deeply.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- Reflect on your own faith to ensure it is not superficial.
- Commit to listening to the guidance of spiritual leaders in your life.
- Prepare your heart to resist opposition as you pursue a deeper relationship with God.