Introduction:
We are going to take a familiar phrase to anyone with children and pose it to ourselves in a spiritual way. We tall out children to stop, look, and listen prior to crossing roads etc. Yet, we fail to stop and look at where we are, and start listening to God and his word. We are in just as much danger in the spiritual area of our lives as we are when crossing busy intersections etc. The difference being most motorist will stop if they see you not paying attention if they have time. Satan, if he sees you not paying attention he will come even faster (I Peter 5:8)!  We are going to reverse the stop, look, and listen to listen, look, and stop!

I.   Listen to God

A.   Jeremiah was called to be a prophet Jeremiah 1:5"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

1.  Christians are called to be preachers – Acts 5:42 " And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ."

a.  Christians need to grow and be able to instruct – II Timothy 2:2 "And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

B.  Jeremiah was going to tear down the error and build new foundations on the Old Paths of God Jeremiah 1:9-10 "9. Then the Lord put forth his hand, And touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant."
 

1.  Building on the "Old Paths" – Jeremiah 6:16 "Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. [Unfortunatly Israel decided not to walk in those paths] But they said, We will not walk therein."

a.  Today we need to be teaching the "Old Paths", it is the same message today as it was in the First Century – Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."
b.  The word of the Lord endures all time I Peter 1:24-25 24. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
c.  While all these "_________ Movements" want to change God’s word and try to make it "fit our culture" God says it was "once delivered" Jude 3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

C.   Jeremiah was going to have opposition, but God would be with him Jeremiah 1:19 "And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee."
D.   Israel had a false hope, they had been taught falsely "Peace" when there was no peace Jeremiah 6:13-14 "13. For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 14. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." 

1.  False beliefs need to be corrected – Proverbs 3:12-13 "12. For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. 13. Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding."

a.   The word is given in part for correction – II Timothy 3:16-17 "16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

2. Those that believe lies and are blinded to the truth are foolish - Jeremiah 5:2-4 "2. And though they say, The Lord liveth; surely they swear falsely. 3. O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return. 4. Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the Lord, nor the judgment of their God."

E.   Israel had no shame in their sinsJeremiah 6:15"Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord."

1.   To make changes we must feel sorrow for our sins – II Corinthians 7:9-10" 9. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death."
2. Israel wanted to do whatever they could to avoid heeding to God’s message Jeremiah 18:18 "Then said they, Come and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words."

A.   We are told to examine ourselves II Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

1.   The word of the Lord permits us to do so Hebrews 4:12-13 "12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do."

a.   By looking into that perfect law of liberty and continuing therein James 1:25"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

B.   See what Path you are followingLuke 13:24"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."

1. For there are two paths Matthew 7:13-14 "13. Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

A.   Sin unrepented of leads to death Romans 6:23"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

1.   Repent or perish Luke 13:3 "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
2.   We must do works that reflect our changes Acts 26:20 "But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance."

a.   Showing fruits of repentance Matthew 3:7-8 "7. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance."
b.   Ignorance will not be a valid defense Acts 17:30 "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent."

B.   By stopping our sinful lives we must dedicate ourselves to Him and lead faithful lives Revelation 2:10 "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

God does not want anyone to perish II Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

But the day will come when decision time is over II Peter 3:10-11 "10. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.11. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness."

Copyright 2001 by Brian Yeager may be reproducted for non-commercial purposes at no cost to others.