The Call of Jeremiah

TEXT:  Jer. 1:4-10

INTRODUCTION:

A.      JEREMIAH - 627-586 BC - JOSIAH TO CAPTIVITY.  A MAJOR PROPHET.

          1.       Josiah's reform shallow and short-lived, People still idolatrous.

          2.       Two enemies to truth - idolatry and hypocrisy.

B.      OUR SITUATION NOT MUCH DIFFERENT.

          1.       Mysticism and Modernism the religions of the day.

          2.       Shallow reform - swing back to religion not far enough.

C.      OUR CALL IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENT.  LET'S STUDY JEREMIAH'S CALL.

I.      HIS PLACE KNOWN FROM THE BEGINNING.( vs. 4-5 ).

A.      JESUS KNOWN FROM BEFORE THE WORLD( 1 Pet. 1:18-20 ).

B.      PREACHING CENTRAL TO GOD'S PLAN( Eph. 3:8-11;  1 Cor. 1:21-24 ).

II.     THE HUMILITY OF JEREMIAH( vs. 6 ).

A.      JEREMIAH DID NOT CONSIDER HIMSELF WORTHY.

          1.       The ones to receive the message were more experienced - Rulers.

          2.       A message of doom - Unheeded message - despised.

B.      GOD'S POWER IS IN THE MESSAGE, NOT THE MAN( Rom. 1:16 ).

C.      MANY LISTENERS WILL THINK US FOOLISH( 1 Cor. 1:23;  Acts 26:24 ).

D.      OUR MESSAGE WILL OFTEN GO UNHEEDED( Matt. 7:13-14 ).

III.    JEREMIAH TOLD NOT TO SAY HE WAS A CHILD( vs. 7-8 ).

A.      HIS LACK OF SELF-CONFIDENCE A REFLECTION ON GOD.

B.      GOD PROMISED TO DELIVER JEREMIAH.

C.      GOD PROMISES TO BE WITH US TODAY( Matt. 28:19-20 ).

D.      IF GOD IS FOR US ...( Rom. 8:31;  Phil. 4:13 ).

IV.   HE WAS TOLD TO GO WHERE GOD SENT( vs. 7 ).

A.      WE MUST GO WHERE GOD SENDS US( Matt. 9:36-38;  2 Tim. 2:2 ).

B.      THERE IS A COST( 2 Cor. 4:6-10;  2 Cor. 12:15 ).

V.    HE SPOKE WHAT WAS COMMANDED( vs. 7-9 ).

A.      WE ARE LIMITED TO THE WORD( 1 Pet. 4:11;  2 John 9 ).

B.      THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES OF TEACHING MORE( Gal. 1:6-9 ).

C.      THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES OF TEACHING LESS( Acts 20:27 ).

VI.   HIS MESSAGE WAS A DUAL MESSAGE( vs. 10 ).

A.      A MESSAGE OF JUDGMENT.

          1.       Ours is of the terrors of judgment( Acts 17:30-31;  2 Thess. 1:7-9 ).

          2.       We need to be aware of the sureness of judgment( Heb. 9:27 ).

B.      A MESSAGE THAT BUILDS AND PLANTS( James 1:21;  Rom. 10:13-15 ).

C.      PREACHING THE GOSPEL RESULTS IN JOY AND SALVATION

          ( 1 Cor. 1:21-24 ).

GOSPEL = GOOD NEWS!

CONCLUSION:

A.      WHAT DOES THE GOSPEL DEMAND OF ME?

B.      AM I SHARING IT?