July 26, 2023
This Sunday, July 30, is the
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost. It is also our Church Picnic!
There
will be one worship service at 10 a.m. followed by food and festivities!
Verse of the Trinity Season:
145:1 I
will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
This week’s sermon is: Kingdom
Parables 3
This week's readings are :
Things You Didn’t Learn In Sunday School About … Jeremiah
Like Isaiah, I don’t remember studying Jeremiah in Sunday School.
We actually know a lot about Jeremiah as his life story is woven throughout the book that bears his name – some of which was written by Jeremiah, himself, and some by his scribe – a man named Baruch.
Jeremiah lived about 100 years after Isaiah.
Isaiah
served during difficult times – the Northern Kingdom (Israel) was taken into
captivity by Assyria.
Jeremiah was called to serve as the Southern Kingdom (Judah) was being invaded by different nations and eventually defeated by Babylon.
Jeremiah was called “in the 13th year of King
Josiah,” which means he was called around 625 B.C.
His
ministry spanned about 40 years starting from when he was a young man – probably
around 20.
He
was from a priestly family that had fallen out of favor with the kings of Judah.
He is
the prophet of the decline and fall of Judah – including the fall of Jerusalem
in 597 B.C.
Jeremiah
1:5 - I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you
were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:16-19 - “I will pronounce my judgments against them for all the evil they did when they abandoned me to burn incense to other gods and to worship the works of their own hands. 17 “Now, get ready. Stand up and tell them everything that I command you. Do not be intimidated by them or I will cause you to cower before them. 18 Today, I am the one who has made you a fortified city, an iron pillar, and bronze walls against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests, and the population. 19 They will fight against you but never prevail over you, since I am with you to rescue you.”
Much of Jeremiah’s career was proclaiming that Judah
would go into captivity.
Not a
popular message!
Weeping prophet – genuinely grieved over the fall to come. (Lamentations)
This is hard book to read.
Non-chronological.
Content
God
portrayed as a scorned husband.
Judah
as His cheating wife.
Graphic language
Frustrating
He
is opposed by the rulers of Judah
Jeremiah
36 – King Jehoiakim
He
is opposed by false prophets
Jeremiah
28 – Hananiah
He
was arrested, imprisoned in a well, rescued by faithful people
He was there when Jerusalem fell
to the Babylonians and they were taken captive.
He
stayed in Judah.
People
wanted to flee to Egypt – God says, “No! I will bless you here.”
Kidnapped him and took him to Egypt with them. He died there.
The book is one of hope, too.
Speaks
of the return of a remnant and blessing in captivity.
Jeremiah
23 – prophesies of a “Righteous Branch” – talking about Jesus
Promises of peace and the restoration of God’s covenant with His people.
Some key thoughts for today:
Take
God’s Wrath Seriously
God’s
wrath was ultimately poured out on Jesus on the cross.
Yet,
there are earthly consequences for sin – even at a national level.
Idolatry
Sexual
immorality
Oppression
of the poor and weak
Jeremiah
is a word of hope
God’s mercy and faithfulness are His proper work and his ultimate attitude toward us even in the midst of everything going wrong in the world. He has plans for our good and to give us a glorious future.
Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
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