Stop Listening to False Prophets
They say, “Just hold out. Hunker down. Get in your holy huddles. Don’t engage culture at all.”
Stop listening to “Prophets” telling you to not serve Nebuchadnezzar
Jeremiah told the people and the king of Judah to submit to the king of Babylon and serve him. But there will be false prophets who will say Jeremiah was wrong.
If they don’t listen to Jeremiah, they will perish. If they do listen, they will find Life.
Then in Jeremiah 28, Hananiah came along and told them to not listen to Jeremiah. Jeremiah said they’d be in captivity 70 years. Hananiah said 2 years.
This is what the people wanted to hear. The bad wouldn’t be so bad! They didn’t have to serve the foreign king who was unholy. Just hold out! Just hunker down!
Today, we have the same false prophets. Don’t serve and benefit the unholy governments. By the way, 100% of the time, these prophets think “unholy” is whomever doesn’t agree with them.
They say, “Just hold out. Hunker down. Get in your holy huddles. Don’t engage culture at all.”
Stop…
Listening to your news cycles.
Listening to your social media echo chamber.
Listening to those who say to hunker down as the church.
Thinking the other side is evil.
We serve a King and in a Kingdom which stands above any government or government leader. This Kingdom is outside and above the kingdoms of the world. And yet, God’s Kingdom is in the middle of the world because we are citizens (Ephesians 2:19) and ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) of this Kingdom.
Like Stranger Things, there is are two kingdoms parallel each other. Unlike Stranger Things, the upside down is the Kingdom of God.
We can serve and benefit the kingdoms of cities, nations and cultures, no matter if they are holy or unholy because we have a higher service to our King and his Kingdom.
Daniel served and respected Nebuchadnezzar. Yes he and his buddies drew lines, but those were the exception. This was someone who conquered ruthlessly and yet Daniel served and benefitted Nebuchadnezzar, his city, his nation and his culture.
The darker the culture gets around you, the brighter the Light and Life Jesus has put in you penetrates the darkness.
Serving and benefitting the kingdoms of this world are how we bring the Light and Life to the darkness. Not yelling. Not demanding. Not pouting in a corner.
How do you earn the right to be at the table? Serve first. Earn the right to speak.
Food for thought:
How have you listened to the false prophets around you?
How can you serve and benefit the cities, nations and cultures around you so that the Light penetrates the darkness through serving?
How can you lead your church to serve, no matter how dark…or especially the darker it gets?