Faithfulness is something that is required of all Christians, but tragically some get so discouraged that they give up. Jeremiah felt like that. Be encouraged knowing that our Lord knows when we are weak and need a burden lifted.
Jeremiah 17: The Sin of Judah
1 "The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; with a point of diamond it is engraved on the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars,
2 while their children remember their altars and their Asherim, beside every green tree and on the high hills,
3 on the mountains in the open country. Your wealth and all your treasures I will give for spoil as the price of your high places for sin throughout all your territory.
4 You shall loosen your hand from your heritage that I gave to you, and I will make you serve your enemies in a land that you do not know, for in my anger a fire is kindled that shall burn forever."
5 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD.
8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
10 "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."
11 Like the partridge that gathers a brood that she did not hatch, so is he who gets riches but not by justice; in the midst of his days they will leave him, and at his end he will be a fool.
12 A glorious throne set on high from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.
13 O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living water.
Jeremiah Prays for Deliverance
14 Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise.
15 Behold, they say to me, "Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come!"
16 I have not run away from being your shepherd, nor have I desired the day of sickness. You know what came out of my lips; it was before your face.
17 Be not a terror to me; you are my refuge in the day of disaster.
18 Let those be put to shame who persecute me, but let me not be put to shame; let them be dismayed, but let me not be dismayed; bring upon them the day of disaster; destroy them with double destruction!
Keep the Sabbath Holy
19 Thus said the LORD to me: "Go and stand in the People's Gate, by which the kings of Judah enter and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem,
20 and say: 'Hear the word of the LORD, you kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who enter by these gates.
21 Thus says the LORD: Take care for the sake of your lives, and do not bear a burden on the Sabbath day or bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem.
22 And do not carry a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath or do any work, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your fathers.
23 Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck, that they might not hear and receive instruction.
24 "'But if you listen to me, declares the LORD, and bring in no burden by the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but keep the Sabbath day holy and do no work on it,
25 then there shall enter by the gates of this city kings and princes who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their officials, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And this city shall be inhabited forever.
26 And people shall come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, from the Shephelah, from the hill country, and from the Negeb, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the LORD.
27 But if you do not listen to me, to keep the Sabbath day holy, and not to bear a burden and enter by the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and shall not be quenched.'"
Things to think about…
1. The opening verses in Jer 17 say that Judah’s sin is written with an iron pen the point of which is made of diamond, Jer 17:1. Jeremiah is saying their sin is recorded and won’t erode or go away. It is etched with certain clarity. The children only knew about Asherim worship because they had not seen the pure worship of the Lord because their parents had rejected it for so long. Our children by and large follow the Lord as shown through our example. If we reject Him or treat Him casually in our church attendance, tithing, prayers, devotions etc – our children will in all likelihood follow our example. If we place Him high on the agenda in our families – our children are more likely to honour Him.
2. Jer 17:5-8 are very similar to the words of Psalm 1. Regardless of what is going on around us spiritually, those who are faithful to the Lord and His Word will bring forth godly fruit in their right season. Even if there is a spiritual drought – the Lord’s people will prosper. Hallelujah, I hope you are experiencing His wonderful provision.
3. Jer 17:9 is a universal truth for the state of the human heart. We cannot know the fulness of the depths of our own depravity. The great comfort and fear is that the Lord is the only One who does know it. Verse 10 is therefore both the blessing and a challenge of this truth.
4. In Jer 17:14-18 people were asking Jeremiah where the judgement was. They were saying ‘let it come’. Jeremiah is feeling isolated and depressed at their taunts because of his faithfulness to the Lord’s message. He prays that they would be put to shame and that disaster would in fact come upon them, vs 18. We are told that ‘vengeance is mine says the Lord’, Dt 32:35. Don’t you think Jeremiah is being a little vengeful here? Does he have the right to be so? When people are hard and proud it’s hard not to be. Jeremiah’s faith and trust however is in the Lord. Verse 14 is a bright spark as he boldly declares his faith and trust in the Lord of heaven and earth, “Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise”.
5. Part of the judgement upon Jerusalem concerned the fact that they were not honouring the Lord in keeping the Sabbath, Jer 17:19-27. They were treating it like any other day and trading all seven days. Even though we know Jesus is our Sabbath and Sunday is the day we celebrate this fact, the NT still calls Sunday ‘The Lord’s day’ – because Jesus rose up on a Sunday. We know that people find more and more excuses not to meet together and gather to be instructed, to pray and have communion and fellowship together. Other things like work, family, sport, shopping etc. often take this position, even by Christians. Some of these cannot be helped. Through a pandemic and social distancing mandates for example. However, they can become idols when they are placed before honouring the Lord. Heb 10:25 says ‘do not forsake gathering together’. How do you balance between Jesus being the perfect fulfilment of the Sabbath with the balance of meeting with Him and His people in worship on a Sunday? He is our sabbath, but it should be our desire to meet together for His glory and our good as we do.
Vision Point for cell groups – Cell groups on break over the school holidays
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Prayer Points
1. People in the church and community who have Covid.
2. That we see Christ even as Covid goes through the community.
3. Praise, hope and Joy through this new year.
4. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
5. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Internet sorted – Streaming can go ahead
2. More new folk on Sunday
3. Wonderful worship on Sunday – thankyou Paul, Zac, Gina as well as iMan and Tim – technical team.
4. Safety over the Christmas New Year’s season.
5. Joy in our service, great times in the cafe.
6. Word of God being blessed at CBC.
Announcements
1. All ministries on break until the end of January
2. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
