One of the last verses that Brother Gabe read in Lamentations said we ought
to seek the Lord. Man ought to seek God. Turn with me again to Acts
17. I read from this passage a while
ago. I read Acts 17, verses 22-23. And in the 27th verse, I've entitled
this message, What Every Man Ought to Do. What every man ought to do. And Paul, the apostle, said in
verse 27 of Acts 17 that they should seek the Lord. Seek Him in order to find Him,
to seek Him, to find that which is unknown, to
find that which Location is not sure. And you know, we know that
the Lord, we know that the Lord is here. He said, where two or three are
gathered together in my name, I am in the midst of you. Now,
as I've said before, surely there's two or three here. Surely there's
two or three that's met together in His name. Surely there's two
or three that have sought Him in prayer and asked, Lord, would
You meet with us today? Lord, would You bless this Word
to my heart? I don't want to just go to an
assembly and just go to a service and just come and take up some
time and be done about 11 o'clock, you know. I want to hear from God. The
Lord has promised that He speaks. Lord, You said that Your sheep
hear Your voice. And Lord, I know that we hear
through the Word. I know we hear by faith. Lord, I'd like to know something
about that. I'd like to hear from God. I'd like to hear, Lord,
in the way that You have set forth that Your sheep hear Your
voice. I'd like to hear that way. Wouldn't
you, Freddie? I'd like to hear that way. I'd
like to hear. Lord, if it's a... You said the
hearing ear, the seeing eye, the hearing ear, It's of you. And I've heard about hearing
with the heart. What did you cause me to hear? Apostle
Paul says men ought to seek the Lord. Seek to have an audience with.
That's what it means. I just looked it up just a minute
ago. Seek to have an audience with. I'd like to. I'd like to. Have an audience
with God. I know. That man by nature. I know that he doesn't seek after
God, I know that. Psalm 53, two and three, God
looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if
there were any that did understand and did seek God, every one of
them is gone back, apostatized. They are all together become
filthy, corrupt. There's none that doeth good,
no, not one. God looked to see if any of them
understood or any of them sought, and there was none. There was
none. Now, you think about that. Not
one person understood and not one person in themselves saw
God. It's not that men are not religious. Paul, we read this a while ago
in Acts 17, 22. Paul stood in the midst of Mars
Hill and said, You men of Athens, I perceive that in all things
Ye are too superstitious. You're religious. It's not that
men are not religious. There's temples built all over
this world to the disgust of human religion. False free will. man-centered, man-honoring, man-elevating,
false religion. You're just, you're so religious. It's not that men are not religious. The issue is nobody understands
and nobody seeks God. That's the problem. I made mention last Wednesday
night of this verse 23. Paul says, As I passed by and
beheld your devotions, your gods, those that you worship, I found
an altar with this inscription, To the unknown God, whom therefore
you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you. The reason that men in Athens and the reason that
even men today, I mentioned last Wednesday, I said the reason
that everybody can get together and have a little community, church, citywide,
whatever you want to call it, meeting of the different denominations,
the reason that This denomination can get with this denomination.
We're going to have a weekend of prayer. We're going to we're
going to have all the denominations, anybody that wants to come. We're
going to we're going to just put aside for a few minutes our
differences and we're going to come together and we're going
to pray together. And we're going to we're just going to ask God's
blessing on Fairmont and just in surrounding areas. And the
reason that men can all get together is because they're unsure. of their God. Maybe, just maybe, maybe God
is a little bit more lenient than we. A believer can't do that. We don't worship the same God. We're not praying. We know who
our God is. I've noticed that you've got
this inscription on this altar to the unknown God, whom ye therefore
ignorantly worship." Paul said, I'm going to tell you about the
God that you don't know. Men ought to seek the Lord. Here's the reason. Here's the
first reason I see in this passage that men ought to seek the Lord.
This is why every man ought to seek the Lord. They don't, but
they ought to. Number one is because he's the
creator of all things. He's the governor of all things.
And he's omnipresent. Look at verse 24. that made the
world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven
and earth, and dwelleth not in temples made with hands." Men
ought to be seeking, asking, asking for mercy, seeking God,
asking, Lord have mercy. They ought to. But they don't. Why shouldn't they be asking?
Because man by nature, he's a rebel against God. We ought to be,
but we don't. He made this. He's here and he's
ruling, reigning. It's Sunday morning. This is
the Lord's Day. This is the Lord's Day. Paul,
I mean, John, the Apostle John, he was on the Isle of Patmos
and he said, I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day. This is the
day that the Lord was raised. This was the day that the apostles
began to meet, meet together and assembling their selves together.
This is the Lord's Day. Men ought to be hearing the gospel. They ought to be. But because of their rebellion
against God, because they don't care, they don't. Jeremiah 23, 24 says,
Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him,
saith the Lord? Do I feel heaven and earth? Do
I not? Do not I feel heaven and earth? Men ought to seek the Lord. Here is the second reason men
ought to seek the Lord based upon what the Apostle Paul was
saying. Because He is the only hope of
life. Physical, spiritual, eternal. He is the only hope of life. Verse 25 says, "...neither is
worship with men's hands, as though he needed anything, See,
if He give us to all life and breath and all things, men ought
to seek the Lord. You know, we go every day. We're going to get up. If you
go to work, you've got a certain time you're supposed to be there.
And you're going to go and you get your paycheck. bills to pay,
and you got this, that, and the other, and you got, you know,
and when I retire, I'm going to so-and-so, and then I'm going
to do this, and I'm trying to set aside, and I'm trying to
do this, that, and the other. Do you know that all God's got
to do is withhold your next breath? And you're gone. Just cause you to just let something... We went out to get a bite to
eat last night. Just let a little something get
stuck in your throat and you can't get it up and somebody's
not there to help you out. And I'm telling you, you just
met God. Men ought to seek the Lord. Because
Almighty God giveth to all life and breath all things, all that
are not seeking Him right now, all that are seeking Him, He
holds their life and breath in His hand. That last breath of
fresh air that you just took. Man, didn't that feel good? Man, that felt good. I just,
you know, you ever gotten choked and you just Didn't know if he
was going to get your breath. You're scared. You're thinking,
man, I almost choked. Man, I'm glad that came up. Men
ought to seek the Lord. He's not worshipped with men's
hands or men's efforts or men's works, but he's worshipped from
the heart. That's the way. God Almighty
is worship. I've seen these television people
say, let's just worship. Let's all just worship the Lord.
And as I say, that's the first thing, the hands come up. It's not worship with men's hands. Anybody can put their hands over,
well, almost anybody can put their hands over their head put
their head back, close their eyes and sway. God Almighty is not worshipped any other way
than by a new heart. But that does not relieve man's
responsibility to seek Him. Men ought to seek the Lord. They
don't. He's worshipped by a new heart. A believer understands that terminology.
A believer understands what's being said. And unbelievers say,
what do you mean a new heart? Believers understand. Because
men don't understand it doesn't take away the truthfulness of
it. Worship from the heart. Listen
to this, Deuteronomy 11, 16. to yourselves that your heart
be not deceived, and that you turn aside and serve other gods
and worship them. Be careful, be cautious that
your heart, a new heart. A new heart is a new will. It's a new person. It's a new
life. There is life that is part. It's a brand new man. He's imparted. He's given. There's life. He's
born from above. And those that are born again,
they seek the Lord. They seek Him. They seek for
His company. You get up in the morning before
you ever get up. You start, you're still lying
in the bed. It's early morning. I don't know
what time it is. It's just you've just woken up. You're just you're just awake.
And you begin to think and you begin to pray. You begin to pray. And you ask. Wake up morning,
it's. Today's Sunday. Lord, would you bless these services
today? Lord, I can't do this. Who's sufficient for these things?
Lord, would you bless these services? Lord, would you bless my son? He's going to preach. Lord, would
you bless the messages I preach? I'm so frail. I've got some notes. And I think I know what I'm going
to preach on. But Lord, would You bless us. You seek the Lord. You want an audience with Him.
And you're absolutely convinced that He hears you. You know He
does. I know He does. He hears. Almighty God, men ought to seek
the Lord. God alone is the benefactor. That means He's the one who gives
help. He's the only one. I'm a present help. Who can help
save him? He breathed life into Adam, and
I'm telling you, he's breathing life right now. Every one of
us, every one of us is sitting here. Any life that we have,
physical, spiritual, and in that blessed day, the fulfillment
of that spiritual life eternal. I'm telling you, He has given
us that life. Life and breath is in His hands. Thirdly, men ought to seek the
Lord because all men have a common need. Look at verse 26, And He
hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the
face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and
the bounds of their habitation." All the families he's made of,
the Scripture says, of one blood, one man. He made Adam. Came from Adam. I was doing some reading on that
and I began to think, you know. He's. Well, you've got some Orientals
and you've got some blacks and whites and you've got some reds
and you've got. They all came from Adam. Yeah,
yeah, they all came from Adam. The scripture says, He hath made
of one blood all men, all nations of men, for to dwell on all the
face of the earth hath determined the times before appointed and
the bounds of their habitation. Almighty God has fitted every
man, every woman with the characteristics about themselves to live where
they do. He determined their habitation. He determined the length of their
habitation. All the families of mankind, they all came from Adam and they
all fell in Adam. All men from one blood. This is why men ought to seek
the Lord. We've got a common problem right here. We're all
dead in trespasses and sins. Indeed, men ought to seek the
Lord. He's the Creator. He's the one that gives life. He's the one that made everybody.
He's the one that determined where everybody was going to
live and how long they were going to live, wherever they live, whenever they live, how long
they're going to live. He has determined exactly where men live in God
Almighty, determined that for His honor and His glory and the
good of His people. All things work together for
good to them that love God. All men ought to seek the Lord
because salvation is in none other. We all have a common need. We
are all sinners. God is wisely given to every
nation. They all came from one blood
to dwell on the earth. He determined the times before
appointed and the bounds of their habitation. God Almighty wisely
gave every nation, every people, the proper environment to learn
of to know Him, to seek Him. And
because man by nature does not seek Him, they are not without
excuse. Now you think about this. No
matter what the nationality, the color, where God put them,
He wisely put them right there and gave them the proper environment
to know Him. and because they don't know Him,
does not leave them without excuse." Romans 1.20, "...for the invisible
things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal
power and Godhead." You said, are you telling me
that the invisible things of Him, based on the creation of
the world, are clearly seen and understood and set forth by the
things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead? Yes. So that they are without excuse. Man's in trouble. Man's in trouble. Men ought to seek the Lord. Well,
knowing that men ought to seek the Lord, and knowing that man
by nature doesn't seek the Lord, and knowing that the Scripture
sets forth the reality that God's regenerated people truly do seek
the Lord. Let me wrap this up. By asking this question, you
can turn to Jeremiah 29, and I'm going to ask this question.
How is it, knowing that men ought to seek the Lord, and men by
nature don't seek the Lord, but the Scripture sets forth that
God's people do seek the Lord, here's my question. How is it
that men truly do seek God. Jeremiah chapter 29. I'm going
to just look at a few verses here, starting with verse 10. It says, For thus saith the Lord,
that after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you
and perform my good word toward you in causing you to return
to this place. Now, this passage of Scripture,
I'm going to tell you this, the next few verses, it actually,
it's dealing specifically, historically, with the Lord's people being
delivered out of Babylon. But you know this, this is not
merely a history book. These Scriptures are concerning
Him, the Lord Jesus Christ. This Bible right here is a record
that is sent to the people of God to set forth God's mercy
towards His people. That's what this book is all
about. It's about the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, from this passage of Scripture,
though I do realize that this was a historical event that actually
took place. From this, we're going to learn
the source and the means and the power by which men truly
do seek God. Jeremiah 29, 13, we'll look at
in just a second. I'll read it. It says, And ye
shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all
your heart. Now there's a promise that God
Almighty has promised. Ye shall seek me and find me
when you search for me with all of your heart. I read that and
I think, Lord, I want to know something about
that right there. You'll seek me and find me when
you search for me with all your heart. Well, coming down to that verse
in just a second here, Lord willing. We read verse 10, Thus saith
the Lord, that after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon,
I will visit you and perform my good word toward you in causing
you to return to this place. Now, I know this. That's a picture. That's type. God's people are
in bondage. The Jews were in bondage in Babylon.
God's people were in bondage to sin. And I want you to notice
what happened. He says that after 70 years,
the first thing I know about seeking God is this, is that
seeking the Lord occurs in God's time. After 70 years, there was
a certain period of time that the nation of Israel was in Babylon,
and the Lord said, after 70 years be accomplished when it pleased
God." That's what Paul said, when it pleased God, who separated
me from my mother's womb. Why didn't I or why didn't you
or anyone else that knows the Lord, why didn't you seek Him
before? Because it didn't please God. Paul said, when it pleased
God who separated me from my mother's womb. After 70 years
be accomplished. So I know this, that it happens
in time. Oh, but here's the next thing
I see in that passage. I will visit you. Oh, isn't that comforting? When it pleases me, I'll visit
you. I'll come to you. A believer
looks at that He says, well, you know, I do realize this whenever
it pleased God. That's when He visited me. That's when He said something
to me. That's when He caused my path to cross with the Gospel,
the power of God unto salvation. Whenever it pleased the Lord
to reveal His Word, He said, when it pleased me, I'll visit
you and I will perform my good word toward you. in causing you
to return to this place. I'll perform my good word." I
thought, what good word is that? There's not but one good word.
And in the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God
and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh. Listen to this promise. Just
flip back to Jeremiah 23, verse 5 and 6. Jeremiah 23, 5, 6. Behold, the days come, saith
the Lord, I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and a king
shall reign and prosper and shall execute judgment and justice
in the earth. In his days, Judah shall be saved
and Israel shall dwell safely. And this is his name whereby
he shall be called the Lord our righteousness. There's His good
Word. Christ is the good Word of God.
Christ is God's Word. He said, I'll visit you and I'll
perform My good Word. I looked up that word, perform.
You know what it means? I'll raise Him up. Do you know when you sought the
Lord? In God's timing, when God visited
you, And He raised up in your heart the Lord Jesus Christ when
He revealed Him to you, when He taught Him to you. Paul says,
When it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb to reveal His Son in me, then I conferred
not with flesh and blood. I will visit you and you'll return
to this place." Now, they were talking about back in Jeremiah,
they were talking about the promised land, they were talking about
Canaan. But I'll tell you this, Almighty God, who has raised
up His good word in His people's heart, there's a place of promise
that they have too. The Lord Jesus in John 17.24
says, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me
be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou
hast given me, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the
world. All that the Father has given
a heart to seek Him, to seek Him in Christ. all that the Father has caused
to seek Him. He has established Christ to
them, raised Him up, performed Him in their heart, and they
know Him. And those that seek Him do so
according to His purpose to show them mercy. Thy people shall
be willing in the day of thy power." Willing. They're willing
to come. They're willing to learn. They're
willing to seek. They're willing to love. They're
willing to stay. They're just willing. Lord, what
would you have me to do? What is your desire? In seeking
the Lord, what do you really want? Let me tell you the answer
is, Lord, I want You. If I have You. Where are you? Verse 11 of Jeremiah 29 says,
I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts
of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end. I know
the thoughts. You know what I thought about
when I read that? I know the thoughts that I have toward you.
I thought about when Moses asked the Lord, Lord, show me your
glory. And knowing that the word glory there, the root word of
the word glory, means to think. That's what Moses asked him. Lord, what do you think? What
do you think? He said, I'll have mercy on whom
I'll have mercy. I know the thoughts that I think
toward you, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you
an expected end. Do you know what the expected
end of the believer is? The expected end. It's the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's salvation by Him and in
Him and presence with Him. Verse 12, Then shall you call
upon Me. After the time is accomplished
and I visit you and I perform My good Word toward you, Christ
up before you in your heart and give you a heart, because I know
the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace and not
of evil, and to give you an expected end, then shall you call upon
Me." You know, isn't it amazing how man
by nature in religion thinks, or they set forth, all you've
got to do is call on the Lord and then He will. Wow! Man, you read what the Lord said
He did in verses 10 and 11 before it ever got to the verse 12 when
it says they called. Look what He had done for them
by the time they called. Then shall you call upon Me,
and you shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. God's people respond. to what Almighty God has already
done for them. When a man calls and a woman
calls on the Lord, you can bet this, Almighty God has already
regenerated them, given them a new heart. I will do this,
Ezekiel 36. Go back and read that again when
you have time, starting about verse 25. I shall give them a
new heart. They will, and I shall, and I
will, and they will, and I shall." And it comes down to verse 37.
It says, Yet for all these things will I be inquired of, saith
the Lord. You're going to ask me. Almighty God, who has purposed
to have His people call upon Him in the day of His pleasure,
He visits them, regenerates them, reveals Christ to them because
He knows the thoughts that He has of peace toward them. And
then they call on Him just like He said they would. Yet will
I be inquired of. And all of these things that
He demanded that they do, they do because He gave them a heart
willing in the day of His power. And they called on Him and prayed
to Him Lord, have mercy. Oh, and before the foundation
of the world, heap purpose. You'll call. And I'll hear. In verse 13, And ye shall seek
Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all of your
heart. Men ought to seek the Lord. And those that seek the Lord Seek Him. 2 Timothy 2.22 says, "...with
a pure heart." A pure heart. You know, it means a cleansed
heart. Seeking the Lord with all of your heart does not
mean that you seek Him in absolute perfection, because you know
we don't. But I'll tell you what it means.
When you seek for Him with all of your heart, it is to seek
with integrity and with sincerity. You know, a sinner comes to the
Lord and he knows what he is. That's where Paul says, Lord, I'm a sinner. Christ Jesus came
to the world to seek sinners, Paul said, of whom I'm chief. Whenever Timothy wrote, seek
Him with a pure heart, a sincere heart. I'm telling you, God's
people know something. about what they are. And they
seek the Lord, though they are plagued with the presence of
sin. There is a nature that seeks God. Paul said in Romans 7, in
my flesh I serve the law of sin, but with my mind serve and bow
to the Lord Jesus Christ. God's
people seek the Lord with eagerness and with a heart that desires
to find Him. And the Lord said, You shall
seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Men ought to seek the Lord. And I'm telling you, when you
find some that do, this is going to be the bottom line. I realize
the reason I sought Him is because when it pleased Him, He visited
me. And He gave me a heart and raised
up, performed His good Word toward me. And He taught me something of
what I am by nature. And taught me of my need of Him. And He gave me a heart to pray,
to ask. And He heard me. And He told me, He said, you
will call. You will seek. And He said, and
you're going to find Me. Oh, that He might give me a heart
to find Him. to His honor and to His glory
and to His praise and to my good, for Christ's sake. Amen.