# Being a Christian with Faith in 2021

Key Passage: Jeremiah 32:11-21
Date: June 7, 2024

If you would, to Jeremiah chapter number 32, Jeremiah chapter number 32, if you would please. The title tonight for the internet is being a Christian with faith in 2021, being a Christian with faith in 2021.

But Jeremiah chapter number 32, Jeremiah chapter 32, let me just give a little background before we read. We’ll read several verses tonight.

Jeremiah, he was in prison. He had been preaching that judgment was coming to Israel. And the King didn’t like it. And he said, “You’re discouraging the people.”

He said, “Look, man, King, just give in. God’s judgment is coming, and God will take care of it.” He wouldn’t listen. In fact, God’s judgment came specifically on that king in a great way. And even at this time, we’re reading that this passage, Jeremiah is in prison.

They had a little courtyard, part of the prison. And God told Jeremiah, “Now Jeremiah, your cousin, your uncle’s son, is going to come in and is going to offer you some land.” That’s interesting. I don’t know what all the little things the Bible description didn’t tell us, but maybe his uncle’s just trying to—his uncle’s son, his cousin’s trying to get a good deal out of this thing. He thinks we’re about going to captivity, and I’m going to sail this land. I’m going to swindle my cousin here, Jeremiah, a little bit.

And God told him what was about to happen. And God said, “Jeremiah, I want you to buy that land. And I want to use that land to be a sign to the people that you’re not always going to be in captivity, and I’m going to bring you back to this land. And I want you to go ahead and buy it. I want you to have witnesses there, and it’s sealed. In fact, I want you to hide the document in the earth.”

By the way, early America, a lot of our procedures they got from the Bible. You buy some property now, you have to have a deed that’s recorded down in Murfreesboro here. That’s from the Bible.

Jeremiah, when he bought that land, it was recorded. The witnesses were there, the proper deeds were signed, and he had the deed and so on. God was using Jeremiah to be a testimony of faith. God’s going to bring us back here to this land after 70 years is over.

And he did so. And I want to just—I believe the Lord wants us to pull out a finger to about this story from the Bible. So we’re going to start verse number 11. Jeremiah 32, verse number 11. Would you please stand if you’re able to just to show the word of God respect? Jeremiah 32. And we’ll start in verse number 11 when he’s telling Jeremiah to purchase the land, verse number 11. So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open, and I gave the evidence of the purchase under Baruch, the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, and in the sight of Hanamel, my uncle’s son, in the presence of the witnesses that described the book of the purchase before all the Jews at the court of the prison.

I charge Baruch before them saying, “Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed and this evidence which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel that they may continue many days.”

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.”

Many think that land was already taken captive by the Babylonians. They were already besieged in the city. And I said, “I want you to buy the land so that I give the people faith. Are you going to be back in this land again?” Let’s keep reading. Verse number 16.

Now, when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch, the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the Lord, saying, “Ah, Lord God, behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power, stretch out Thine arm.” I like this phrase: “And there is nothing too hard for Thee.”

But I like His prayer. Amen. Someone said in our prayer clauses, instead of telling God how big your problems are, won’t you tell your problems how big your God is? Kind of like that’s what Jeremiah’s doing. And there is nothing too hard for Thee. Thou showest lovingkindness unto thousands, thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them. The great, the mighty God, the Lord of Hosts, is His name. Great in counsel, mighty in work.

For Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings, which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt even unto this day." Notice how it’s going back in history and the mighty miracles that God had done for them already, even unto this day, and in Israel and among other men, and hast made Thee a name as it is this day, and hast brought forth Thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, with wonders, with a strong hand and with a stretched-out arm, and with a great terror, and hast given them this land which Thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey." I often emphasize that means ice cream, folks. You got to study that out, that’s what it means.

And they came in and possessed it, but they obeyed not Thy voice, neither walked in Thy law. They have done nothing of all that Thou commandedst them to do; therefore, the Lord hath called all this evil to come upon them. Behold the mounts.

They’re coming to the city to take it. They had built up old ramparts or mounts against the city, besieging it to take it. And the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans that fight against it because of the sword and the famine and the pestilence. And what they have spoken has come to pass, and behold, Thou seest it. And Thou hast said it to me, O Lord God, buy thee the field for money and take witnesses, for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans."

Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying, God’s answering him back. “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” I like that. God heard what Jeremiah said.

God’s basically saying, Jeremiah, you’re exactly right. Nothing too hard for Me. Therefore, thus saith the Lord, behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and under the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, he shall take it."

I’m not going to read all that, but let’s kind of get down to the very end when God’s saying, I’m going to let them be in captivity, but you’ll come back, you’ll possess this land again. And look down in verse number 42, if you would please. Verse number 42.

“For thus saith the Lord, Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them. And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans. Men shall buy fields for money and subscribe evidences and seal them and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south; for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the Lord.”

As you know, captivity did come. They were in captivity for 70 years. God really changed the globe. It brought Cyrus in. We’ve studied it out. We’ve studied the book of Ezra and Nehemiah. And God used that new king over Babylon—I really changed the name a little bit there—but God used him to bring them back. And they brought back those that still had faith to rebuild Jerusalem. It was fulfilled, but God had told Jeremiah, “You’re going to be back at this land.”

Now, you know, they were back there, and of course, they disobeyed God again, and the Jewish people, the children of Israel, were dispersed again. And then in 1948, God brought them back and made them a nation again, the nation of Israel. What a miracle that is. You won’t find that in history. God brought the Jewish people from all around the globe back into that land He had promised them and made it a nation all over again. Shocked the world. Praise the Lord. Our president at the time realized—he said, he literally said, “I’ve learned enough in Sunday school that we better recognize the nation of Israel right off of that.” Praise the Lord for that.

But actually, at that moment, they did not possess Jerusalem. In 1967, the Six-Day War—it’s an amazing war if you want to study a war—and all the enemy nations around Israel were trying to wipe them out. And Israel got the first punch in and really just amazing six days wiped them out. And they gained Jerusalem during that time. Now they had it before, but they got it back. And again, this was fulfilled. Of course, during the millennium reign, Israel will possess this Jerusalem again.

But here’s my—here’s my thing I want to try to emphasize: Can you imagine Jeremiah? He’s in prison. He has been preaching that judgment is coming. It is there. I mean, they’re besieging the city at that time, taking the city at that moment.

And can you imagine just the despair and the defeatism and the discouragement and no hope? And yet in the midst of that, God says, “Jeremiah, I want you to buy that land.” “Lord, what about the money?” God said, “Don’t worry about money. You don’t depend on money. You depend on Me. I always take care of you, Jeremiah. Don’t get stuck on how the economy is doing. We don’t depend on the economy. We don’t depend on God.”

And Jeremiah said, “Fully on the money, I’ll buy the land.” I imagine maybe his cousin said, “Boy, I’m getting a good one over on Jeremiah.” But the honest truth is, Jeremiah was getting a good one over on him. God was using Jeremiah.

Can you imagine as he had the witnesses there and they’re documenting the deed that Jeremiah is buying the land? And can you imagine as the word began to get out, “Jeremiah, the prophet of God, he believes—he has told us that God is going to bring us back to this land. There is hope.” And he believes that so much he’s willing to buy some land. And it was a sign. It was a seal for everyone to know that God’s still working. God’s not through. God’s going to bring us back to this city of Jerusalem. It’ll lay waste for a while, but God’s bringing us back.

Even while the enemies are marching into the city, Jeremiah has faith. And it brings faith to the people around. And as they see the documents and hear what Jeremiah is doing, they say, “Wow, maybe God is still working in America.” Can I say if we’re not careful, we’ll lose our faith in our day and time?

There are similarities here: how judgment and how sinful the nation of Israel had been, and America has been sinful. And we sing about the mercies of God, praise the Lord for the mercies of God. But here’s the thing I want to just point out, I believe God wants to point out tonight: in the midst of all that, God had a man of faith.

You say, “What does America need?” It needs men and women of faith. Men and women that have not lost faith that we serve a mighty God, but God’s still working in our day and time. He’s still hearing prayers. He’s still listening to you. He’s still in control. He’s still overseeing. His hand is still governing this world. Psalm 103:19 says, “His kingdom ruleth over all.” You’re still working.

Jeremiah was such a man of faith. God always uses men and women of faith. And if we’re not careful—when I’m preaching myself tonight—we’re not careful, we’ll get defeatism in our day and time and discouraged and despondent about how bad it is.

Listen, folks, they don’t need us to tell them how bad it is. The world knows how bad it is in America. They need men and women of faith. God’s still working in our day and time. Jeremiah was that spark plug that said, “Hey, I’m willing to stack my neck and my money out on the line. I’ll buy the land because God needs someone to show these people God’s still working.” God always uses people of faith.

And I’m not talking about people of faith that go to church. I’m talking about people who go to church, but they have faith that God’s working. God always uses people like that.

Look over in Judges chapter number six, if you would please, and this man called Gideon. This great man God used in a great way. The children of Israel were oppressed by the Midianites. You’ll know the story. God chooses to use this man Gideon. I want to propose to you: not Gideon was a man of faith. He had doubts and worries and fears. Oh, yes, we’ll read about that later on when God had to repeatedly give him old fleeces, we often call that. As a man of faith, I want you to see it.

Judges chapter 6, verse number 1, if you would please. Judges chapter 6 and verse number 1.

And the Bible there says, “And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Midian seven years. And the hand of the Midianites prevailed against Israel; and because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds.”

And I won’t keep reading. It’s just a very sad time for the children of Israel. And notice what God does. Look down in verse number six.

“And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord.” I like that. They’re talking to the Lord. They’re crying to the Lord. And it came to pass when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites, that the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them…"

Now I want you to notice his message because you’ll hear it kind of repeated in Gideon’s voice in just a little bit here: “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and I brought you forth out of the house of bondage, and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptian, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you and gave you their land. And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.”

Now there’s the prophet; that was his message. I don’t know several years earlier we think. But notice verse number 11.

“There came an angel of the Lord and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite,” that’s Gideon’s dad, “and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and said unto him, ‘The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.’”

It’s always interesting. He’s hiding behind the winepress, but God sees potential in that man. And he says, “Hey, thou mighty man of valor.” God a lot of times sees more than you see in yourself. God is all potentiality. And he said, “Hey, you’re a mighty man of valor.” I was hiding back there behind the winepress. He’s treading out the wheat.

Verse number 13: “And Gideon said unto him, ‘Oh my Lord, watch this. Here it is: If the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? Where be all His miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? But now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.’”

Now wait a second. That sounds like that prophet that was preaching a little before how God had delivered him out of Egypt, and that stuck and that gave some faith to this young man, by the way. When you hear from God, it will bring faith to you. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And you hear from God’s word and the prophet there, and it will give you faith.

“Hey, if God be for us, why is all this we serve a mighty God? Why is all this going on?” You see the faith there that Gideon had, and it came from the word of the Lord.

God’s looking for people like that today. People that have faith. It comes from the Word of God, not made up, cultivated, or kind of counterfeit faith, but real faith that comes from God. Gideon had that.

Now notice what the Lord says to him to this messenger. Verse number 14: “And the Lord looked upon him and said, ‘Go in this thy might. What’s that? We serve a mighty God. If the Lord be for us, why has all this befallen us? You’re so mighty. You brought us out of Egypt.’ It’s a man of faith. Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have not I sent thee?”

You know the story how God used Gideon in such a great way. He had to stand amongst his family, against his dad somewhat. Yet he stood as a man of faith and he stood. And then eventually God eased them together the armies, and God said, “Too many, too many people.” Say that man did it. We only need 300. You remember they’re stored in the 300, and they had the torches and the pitchers, and they circled the camp of the Midianites. There are just like grasshoppers in the ground.

The cicadas have come through some states. They haven’t made it to Tennessee real strong. Maybe they won’t make it. But kind of like the Midianites were like the cicadas when they’re in bloom, you know, and you hear—remember where there’s all—that’s where the Midianites were. And yet those 300, God used those 300 and Gideon and the Lord of Gideon, God used them to deliver the children of Israel from bondage of the Midianites.

Why was it? Because Gideon was a man of faith. I’m saying in our day and time, with such a sad, discouraging time, God is looking for men and women to have faith. God’s still working. We have a mighty God. If we’re not careful, we’ll get Doomsday written on us. Everything’s bad. Everything’s awful. “Let’s just hold on until the Lord comes back.”

Hey, I’m excited about the Lord coming back, but until the last second that the Lord comes back, I want to see God work in many ways. Oh, be so careful of losing our faith in 2021. Friend, you can still have a godly family in 2021. You can raise good godly kids that serve God, and you can have a good marriage in 2021. You say, “It’s so bad out there.” Can you raise good godly kids in 2021?

Noah in his day and time, he just had eight people. They’re the only ones that got on the ark. And yet he had a good family in the midst of a very wicked and violent time. Men and ladies of faith.

You know, people are going to be getting saved. According to 1 Peter 3, if I understand it right, one of the last things is going to happen is that the Gentile bride is filled. One person is going to get saved, the last person is going to get saved. Jesus is going to say—or God’s going to say, “Woo-hoo!” Hey, Jesus is going to go on down there and get your bride. Jesus is going to say, “Hey, I’m coming for my bride.” But the last thing that happens is somebody getting saved.

Friend, it may be that this is the best time there ever has been to be a soul winner. People just think, “Mike, they’re ready to listen.” I mean, they know something’s going on. I mean, something’s happening. We were on vacation. I witnessed some people. I had to get anybody saved. But my wife, she went in Dollar General. I was out in the truck eating, amen. She went to Dollar General to get some kind of charger, I think, for headphones or something like that. And she said, God made everybody leave Dollar General just that guy. She said he had black, black fingernails and all that stuff. And just the Lord said, “Man, you need to witness to that guy.” And that guy was so ready to listen. He was glad to have somebody personally tell him about Jesus Christ. He wanted to hear about it, wanted to get saved. He thanked her. He said, “Look, we’re leaving town, but find you a Baptist church and get in church somewhere.” And he said, “All right, I’ll do it.”

Friend, I’m saying people are listening. Don’t get defeated. “Well, people are getting saved?” Fooey on that. People are getting saved in 2021. It’s just a miracle. Even that Rutherford County Baptist Church is about to build over on prime real estate. That’s a miracle. Only God could do that. I’m saying God’s still working in 2021. Now it’s not finished. He’s not dried up. He’s not saying, “Well, it’s end times, I can’t answer prayers every day at this time.” Hey, Satan’s got nothing that he can throw at God that God can’t knock out of the park for him. He can hit a home run every time He wants to.

Be so careful. God’s using Jeremiah, a man of faith. He really is going against everybody that day and time. He’s buying land. People are probably talking, “What in the world is that crazy man doing? Spending his money on land when we’re going into captivity?” But God used that man of faith. God’s looking for a teenager of faith, a young person of faith.

We’re going to get defeated and discouraged, and just, “Oh, what a sad thing when God’s people get like that.” Friend, I don’t pray to a statue somewhere. I don’t just go through a ritual and pray. I’m praying to the God of heaven. It’s the God that measures out the heavens by His span. He puts all the waters in the world in the hollow of His hand. Heaven is His throne, and earth is His footstool. Friend, I’m saying, we’re serving a God—that’s the God you get to pray to. That’s a God you believe in and you’re serving. And don’t you let Satan take your faith in 2021. We need Christians that have faith in our day and time. So crucial. So critical.

You know, can I just say this, talking about our country a little bit here: America is going to stay free just as long as God wants it to. You say, “Preacher, you know what’s going on in D.C.?” Well, I know a little bit of it. I don’t know it all. You don’t know it all. You said, “Well, I’ve been watching the news.” You can’t believe about 10% of that, you know. But, friend, the end result is not up to D.C. It’s up to heaven, amen. And, friend, it’s just as long as God in His mercy says, “I want America free,” He’ll have His hand on America. He’ll stay there.

The final verdict is not over there in CNN or D.C. or Fox or any of that. The final verdict is in God’s hands. That’s where it is. So important, but keep our eyes on that. It’s crucial. If not, I’ll be discouraged. I’ll be defeated.

Friend, can I say this? You say, “What’s going to happen if the church loses this tax-exempt status?” Friend, God’s always—He’s always provided for His church. “Upon this rock, I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” By the way, those gates include Bill Gates, amen.

God’s going to take care of His church. Always has, always will. God’s going to be answering prayers. The last second, God’s going to be hearing and answering His people’s prayers. God’s promises are always true, friend. Always. Satan would love to get God’s people’s faith. Really, that’s where the battle is, honestly, right now. Satan’s trying to just belittle your faith.

Look over, if you will, in Mark chapter number six. Amazing verses. Just, just amazing what God says over here in Mark chapter six. Many of you have seen it before, but it just shows you where the bottom line—the battle is for our faith that God can work. God can still move.

And by the way, talking about moving mountains, that comes to my mind. I thought about it. I can’t help but think about the mountain of dirt just got moved not too long ago. Okay, have faith. That’s great. A man said, “If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you might say unto this mountain, ‘Remove hence to yonder place,’ and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you.” God moved that mountain. God’s still working.

Look at this. Mark chapter number six, if you would please. Look at verse number four. “But Jesus said unto them, ‘A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.’” Lots could be said about those. Watch this: “And he could there do no mighty work.”

Friend, that’s our King James Bible. I trust every word of it. He could there do no mighty work. It’s amazing. It doesn’t say he would not. It says he could there do no mighty work. It’s amazing. Why? Look at it: “Save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them.” He marveled because of their unbelief.

It’s amazing Jesus is marveling because of unbelief. He went roundabout the villages teaching. Friend, I’m saying, well, God’s people—God’s people, so many of God’s people in America—are just losing their faith. “Well, you know, it’s the end times.” And I’m not saying it’s not the end times. It’s not the end times. It’s been the end times. The New Testament time is the end times, for sure. I don’t know when the Lord’s coming back. Maybe it is. Maybe it is tomorrow. I don’t know. But, friend, I’m saying Satan would love to get God’s people where they’re so defeated in the end times and so just weary, and they’ve lost their faith that God can work in great ways. God is all right.

He could there do no mighty work because of their lack of faith. Wouldn’t it be sad if God came to my life and God came to our church and said, “Well, I can’t do a whole lot there. They don’t have much faith.” It’s a sad thing.

Yet Jeremiah, he was a man of faith. He was willing to obey God and buy this land and show the deed to everybody. Why? To encourage them: God’s still working. God’s going to bring us back. God always uses men and women of faith. It’s so crucial that we realize what’s going on and we don’t lose our faith that God can work in.

I love one of our mission—all of our ministers. God’s given us such great, great missionaries, praise the Lord for, and praise the Lord for you giving and enabling us to support 38 missionaries now. One of our missionaries, Brother Gene Harmon. How do you remember when Brother Gene Harmon came through our church? It’s been years ago. It’s been a long time to chat him. And he’s been there for over 25 years. And I think maybe he’s been with us once or twice in old years ago.

But Gene Harmon, here’s the story. He went years ago to China. He was actually before he got saved—he was into drugs and whatnot, I remember, out in New Jersey. And God saved him, and God transformed his life. He went to China, him and his wife, a little girl at the time, just one.

And all the other experienced missionaries said that when you go to China, you can’t just go out and witness. You’ve got to be so careful, and you know, you’ve got to be really wise. Don’t say too much because they might lock you up in jail and so on and so on. And so he went there, and it was just real quiet. And he listened to the experienced missionaries. And yet nobody got saved. Nothing was happening. His wife was just discouraged.

He said literally where they lived, there were ditches dug, and the sewage would just flow down the ditches. And he said, “Man, we were just discouraged, defeated.” He said, “I couldn’t stay there longer because my wife, she was just—she was going to lose it. And he said, ‘We’re going to leave. Nothing’s really happening. What are we doing here with sewage flowing everywhere?’” Just such a discouraged, depressed place. And he thought, “Well, we’re about to leave anyway. I’m going to have to go back to the States to keep everything together.”

And so if we’re going to leave, I’m just going to start witnessing. And he just started witnessing. I mean, he kind of stepped up, became a man of faith. Now he was trying to be wise about it. They used their daughter a lot to kind of draw people’s attention. They had witnessed to people. People got to get saved. They began to start underground churches. God began to work more and more. People got saved. Before they knew it, they said, “We’re not discouraged anymore. It’s exciting to see God work, people getting saved, lives getting changed.” God’s building underground churches all over. He’s been there for over 25 years.

Now, I remember not too long ago, maybe eight years ago—there’s been several times in some recent—but when China really oppressed them maybe 10 years ago, and they’ll do that from time to time. And he told his people, he said, “Look, enough of you’re trained and y’all know what you’re doing, underground churches all over. He said, ‘I probably ought to go back to the States and just let y’all run everything.’” And they said, “No, we want you here. You trained this. Yes, we don’t want you to leave. We want you here.” God’s just used it. It’s been a great way. He’s been there for years and years and years. Why? Because he became a man of faith.

I’m saying, if we’re not careful, we’ll just say, “Well, we can’t do much in 2021.” And Satan would love for us to believe that, and that’s what we truly believe: He could there do no mighty work.

Well, somebody can say, “I still have a mighty God.” Amen. God still hears prayers. There are promises in God’s Word, and people still getting saved. Lives are still getting changed. I mean, we serve the Creator of the universe. You said, “Do you believe in the Big Bang?” You better believe I do. God said it, and bang, it happened. I believe in that right there. That’s the God we serve. We cannot lose that. Satan would love it. God uses men and women of faith.

And then let me just say this: God used Jeremiah to bring light or faith to other people. Can you imagine as the word got around, “Well, Jeremiah, he bought some land.” Well, he’s one of those crazy—he’s a crazy independent fundamental Baptist. Maybe they said that, you know. And yet they said, “You know what? He says God’s going to bring us back to this land. God’s not finished with us, Israel.” And somebody said, “Well, it sure looks like we’re finished. I mean, the army is marching in as we’re talking. They’re killing people right now.”

“Yeah, but Jeremiah bought some land, and he says God’s going to bring us back.” Can you imagine the hope that brought to a discouraged mom trying to raise her children? Can you imagine the light, the hope that brought to a grandparent for the grandchildren? Can you imagine maybe a lady just so disturbed? Maybe her husband has already died in battle, and she’s just defeated and discouraged. And yet she heard about the prophet, the man of God, that had enough faith to buy some land because God’s going to bring them back. Can you imagine the hope and the light that that brought to the people in Jerusalem?

Friend, can I just say this? Your co-workers don’t need you to go to work and say, “Oh, it’s so bad. Did you hear the latest? You know how awful it is. It’s terrible. Everything’s falling apart.” Friend, they know that. They know that. They need a Christian that goes in there and says, “You know what? It’s bad, but God answered my prayer this week.”

“Hey, it’s bad, but they’re just fulfilling what the Bible says. Jesus is coming back soon, friend. I’m on the winning side. Won’t you join me on the winning side?” That’s what they need. They need men and women of faith to shed the light abroad to them. This old world—they don’t need defeated Christians. Men and women of faith.

Oh, friend, I’m just saying it’s so easy—me too, me too—to get my eyes on all this. And yet it’s so important to get our eyes on that right there. I say again, the future of our country, the future of your life, and all that we know, it’s not in the hands of D.C. It’s in the hands of God.

Would you look over here in Jeremiah? I just look over the book before that, Isaiah 1. What a great verse. We’ve read it before. Isaiah 1:9 is such a key to what God looks at in a day and time like this. Isaiah 1. You’ll know what we’ve read it before. It’s a wonderful verse. Isaiah 1 and verse number 9 of God’s Word: “Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been likened unto Gomorrah.”

Oh, friend, I’m saying the key is in that very small remnant. I don’t know how many thousands of people go through these fairs. Wilson County Fair, I believe it’s the biggest one in the state of Tennessee. It’s actually now the Wilson County Fair and the Tennessee State Fair. This year they combined them both. I believe it’s the biggest in the state. Thousands and thousands of people go through. Yet just have one little booth there. Brother Anthony was just telling me it’s a pretty small booth. Friend, that’s the key: the very small remnant. That’s the key.

And yet if that very small remnant, if we lose our faith, He could there do no mighty work. Oh, friend, I’m just trying to encourage us myself: Let’s not lose our faith. We serve a mighty God. I mean, I often say it, but if God were to just wipe His brow—if He ever does sweat—if God were to wipe His brow and one drop of sweat were to hit the devil, He’d knock him out. He couldn’t handle it. You serve a mighty God, a powerful God, an almighty God. And He wants to use men and women of faith and those that just believe in a God, even in our day and time. God’s still hearing prayer. He’s still answering, and He’s still honoring His Word and His promises. He’s still salvaging lives. And we cannot lose that.

That very small remnant, that’s the key. Hey, it’s time the very small remnant we separate from the world. It’s not time to just buddy up with the world. It’s not time for us to be undercover Christians. Man, you ought to look different, talk different, act different, go to different places. Your attitude, your spirit, your dress, all of it. We don’t listen to the same music. We don’t use the same language. It ought to be different. “Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate,” saith the Lord, “and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” That’s so important in our day and time: that we are separated Christians. So crucial in that very small remnant, separated remnant. So important.

We must be in the book, we must be in there reading it and trying to hear from it and get promises. Get a promise from God and write it down on three to five cards and put it in your card on the way to work every morning. Get that thing out and look it over and keep your faith strong. We must, because you’re the key: the very small remnant. Jeremiah was just one, but he was a man of faith.

Can you imagine the hope he spread? Can you imagine? “Did you hear what Jeremiah did? I can’t believe he’s buying land when they’re taking over right now, Babylon.” Yet the hope, the faith, the light. It’s so crucial in your neighborhoods all over Smyrna, Murfreesboro, LaVergne. There are pockets of light.

I think about the Coopers. The Coopers, God used them to be a light. They brought their neighbors. Bruce and Tina—Bruce and Tina got saved. Now, Bruce and Tina Baxter, they moved away over to Egypt, Illinois. I’m teasing. In fact, they found a good independent Baptist Church up there recently, praise the Lord for that. It’s awesome. Marlon and Stacy, a little light up there in that big old subdivision up in LaVergne. There are other lights. Donnie and Debbie, they’re in the same neighborhood, and others. And their neighbor Ted. And God used that light and spread it over their neighbor Ted. So many others. Tim and Mary, their light. Brother Donnie’s dad used to live beside him, and that light shined through Donnie’s dad to Donnie and Debbie. They’re in church today. But Donnie’s gotten saved, baptized. Miracles happen. I got Brother Donnie down and up. That’s a miracle, amen. Pockets of light. The very small remnant.

God always looks to His people. Abby there, Abby Holt and the whole family, they drove by. Ben would drive by this place, and he saw that little church. And he thought, “Well, I’ll go to that church one day.” They came to this church, and God began to work in their life. And they told Josh and Beth about it, and Josh and Beth in church. I pray so well for that. And so many things I can’t remember, don’t even know about many of them, but just a light. It’s so important that we be men and women of faith, a light in our neighborhoods, our workplace.

Satan would love to just dim our lights by weakening our faith that God can work. Yet Jeremiah, he’s buying land while the enemies are marching in. Yet God used that man of faith to shed hope, faith to the Jewish remnant.

God honored His Word. They’re there today, in fact. He always honors His Word. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be with the Lord one day in heaven and God say, “You know, towards the end time, I’m so glad you didn’t lose your faith. Proud of you. You just kept believing that I’m a mighty God, even in 2021.”

Say, “We just love to get our faith. Well, God can’t do much.” There’s a song you don’t know—many of you know it—“Hold the Fort, for I’m Coming.” Now, I’m not saying it’s a bad song, but I want more than to hold the fort. I want to be on the charge. God’s still working in our day and time. We don’t even get the attitude, “Well, let’s just endure until the Lord comes back.” No, friend, we’re on the winning side. “Good cheer, I have overcome the world.” That’s God’s attitude. We’re not a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. That’s what God gives. Oh, it’s so important we keep that faith.

Charles Tindley, you’ve heard we talk about him. He was born—his dad was a slave, mom also. Both of them were dead by the time he was five years old. And yet, the little fellow got saved years later. He would walk to church, and the church taught him to read. Between the church himself, he learned to read. His young teenage man, he was a janitor at a church in Philadelphia for years and years. He got called to preach. Some kind of scoffed, “Well, I don’t know. I mean, his parents were slaves.”

And yet that boy, God called him to preach. He learned to read and began to study his Bible. God began to bless. He did kind of a home study and got some kind of a degree. And he pastored in Cape May, New Jersey—my wife’s from there—a little church. God blessed and used that. The first service, some say there was only, besides him and his family, only one person there at the first service. God blessed. God used him.

Eventually, he made his way back over to Philadelphia, that church where for years he was a janitor. He became the pastor of it. Not a huge church at the beginning. Some people said, “Well, you can do it in Cape May, New Jersey, just a little bitty town in the southern tip of New Jersey.” Yeah, a little bit of town. “God could use you there, but not in the big city.” It was the second largest city in America at that time, Philadelphia. “God can’t use you, an uneducated kind of self-educated man. I mean, God can’t use you here.”

Some say that he would say often, “Well, I’m nothing, but God’s everything.” And he took that little church in Philadelphia at a church building of 150. God filled it up. Built another building, 300, and God filled it up. They enlarged and changed to 600, 1,200, 3,000, and God filled it up. For years and years and years, God used that man mightily. African Americans, whites, Jewish people, all kinds, Europeans came to that church. At one point, they said there were 7,000 members.

And he said, “I know I’m nothing, but God’s everything.” Going on, someone came to me and said, “Hey, what’s the secret? What’s the key to God using you?” This is what he said: “All I have to do is anytime something gets between me and the Lord, I just got to get it right, got to confess and get it right. That’s all I’ve got to do. God takes care of the rest.”

He’s a songwriter. He’s the one that God used to write the song, “Nothing Between My Soul and the Savior.” He wrote that song. God used him to write it. “Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.” Great song for this morning’s message. “We’ll understand it better by and by.” God used him to write all those songs. Some say he would often say, “Well, I’m nothing, but God’s everything.” I’m just saying, we cannot lose our faith in a mighty God.

Satan would love—he would love to get our faith so weak, so defeated. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, I read the book of Jeremiah and what all he went through and the sadness of it. I just thought, “Wow, he had never lost his faith.” When people were defeated, he was buying land in prison, buying land. And God was using his faith to be a light, a hope.

Oh, let’s just say, “Hey, Lord, if You use me to spread some faith to others, I believe in You, God.” Would you do that tonight?

If there be there tonight and you say, “Preacher, I want to be a man or lady of faith. I battle it in our day and time. I do too, my friend, but I don’t want to lose my faith. I choose to be a man or a lady of faith, believing God’s still working, God’s still seeking to show Himself strong on behalf of someone of you.” And, “Preacher, God spoke to my heart. I don’t want to lose my faith. I want to keep my faith strong that God’s working in a mighty way, and He can work in a mighty way in my life and through us and the lives of others.” God spoke to my heart about that tonight. That’s you tonight, you slip your hand to the preacher. That’s me. God spoke to me. I don’t want to lose my faith that God can do great, great things. God bless you. God bless you. That’s so key. That’s so key. As long as our church keeps that, friend, the sky’s the limit. Why? Because we serve God. If we’re depending on me or you, not much, but our faith’s in God. Wonderful thing we keep our faith. So many hands are encouraging. We want to have strong faith in God.

Maybe you’re here tonight and you say, “I need to separate. Or there’s things that’s just draining my faith. I need to separate from them.” Satan’s got a little drain plug. It’s some way that I’m connected to the world. It’s just draining my faith. And I need to unplug from that, whatever it may be: music, so many things, everything, movies, phone. I’m pretty sure I need to separate. Satan uses this one thing. He’s really just draining my faith through that. And I want to be a man or lady of faith, and I’m going to separate from that thing so I can be a man or lady of faith in 2021. God spoke to my heart about that. That’s you tonight, you slip your hand to the preacher. There’s some things I need to separate from. Hands up on that. So vital. So vital. It would be men and women of faith. God works through men and women of faith. It’s what He’s looking for: people of faith. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you so very much.

The wonderful thing is we don’t have to generate that faith from ourselves. That comes from God, His Word. I hear it. Only Lord, I want my faith in You. I think about that verse: “Sir, as we would see Jesus.” You get a good glimpse of Jesus, it will increase your faith. We need that in our day and time. Just keep our eyes on Him. Keep our strong faith in Him. And what a testimony Jeremiah is. What a great example. And just amazing, you think, buying land while the enemy is marching in. And that faith God used in great ways to bring hope to so many people. Glad you’re in church tonight. Appreciate you being faithful. Praise the Lord on Sunday night. The remnant’s here, amen. I love it. I’m glad to be a part of it, and part of this one right here. And let’s keep praying for one another. Pray for Marie Kent. And can you imagine shingles? Some of you know, Brother Kevin, everyone, you know how painful that is. You pray for her that she’ll get over it quickly. And Brother Kent’s been such a pest to her. He’s brought shingles on. I’m teasing with Brother Kent. I’m teasing with him totally. I don’t know if you heard that, but I’m teasing with you. Pray for Miss Kent, if you would please. And I know that. Appreciate it. And looking forward to Wednesday night already. Glad you’re here, and it’s been a blessing to have my children with us this weekend, praise the Lord for that, and grandson. And you’ll be praying for them. They’ll both be traveling now back home here soon.

Original File: Being a Christian with Faith in 2021 - Pastor Paul Chisgar - Sunday PM 8152021