Sermon Tone Analysis

*CALL TO WORSHIP  PSALM 103*

 

 

8 THE LORD IS COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS,

SLOW TO ANGER, ABOUNDING IN LOVE.

 

9 HE WILL NOT ALWAYS ACCUSE,

NOR WILL HE HARBOR HIS ANGER FOREVER;

 

10 HE DOES NOT TREAT US AS OUR SINS DESERVE

OR REPAY US ACCORDING TO OUR INIQUITIES.

11 FOR AS HIGH AS THE HEAVENS ARE ABOVE THE EARTH, SO GREAT IS HIS LOVE FOR THOSE WHO FEAR HIM;

 

12 AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST,

SO FAR HAS HE REMOVED OUR TRANSGRESSIONS FROM US.

 

13 AS A FATHER HAS COMPASSION ON HIS CHILDREN,

SO THE LORD HAS COMPASSION ON THOSE WHO FEAR HIM;

* *

\\ * *

*JEREMIAH'S STAND*

*JEREMIAH 38:1-13 (NIV) \\ \\ *

PASTOR DOUG FORSBERG,

AN ASSOCIATE AT BETHANY FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

 

RECENTLY SPOKE OF AN EXPERIENCE HE HAD

WHILE PASTORING A SMALL CHURCH IN FLORIDA.

IT INVOLVED A MEMBER OF HIS CHURCH,

AN OLDER GENTLEMAN BY THE NAME OF BENNY.

NOW BENNY WAS ABOUT NINETY-NINE TO ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD AND HE LIVED IN THE LOCAL NURSING HOME.

ONE DAY WHILE IN THE MIDST OF HIS USUAL DUTIES

PASTOR DOUG GOT A CALL FROM BENNY,

OUT AT THE NURSING HOME.

BENNY CALLED UP AND SAID, "HURRY, HURRY.

PASTOR DOUG I’VE GOT TO SEE YOU RIGHT NOW.

IT’S IMPORTANT.

PLEASE HURRY."

PASTOR DOUG, KNOWING BENNY’S AGE FEARED THE WORST,

SO HE DROPPED EVERYTHING AND RAN OUT TO THE NURSING HOME TO SEE WHAT EMERGENCY BENNY WAS FACING.

WHEN HE ARRIVED PASTOR DOUG ASKED BENNY,

"WELL BENNY, WHAT’S THE EMERGENCY?

WHAT’S SO IMPORTANT?"

BENNY LOOKED UP AT THE PASTOR AND SAID,

"PASTOR DOUG, I’M GOINNA GET MARRIED,

AND I’VE CALLED YOU OUT

BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO PERFORM THE CEREMONY."

PASTOR DOUG WAS KINDA TAKEN BACK AND HE SAID,

"UH, OK, BUT FIRST TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT THIS WOMAN?"

 

BENNY REPLIED, "OK."

DOUG ASKED, "IS SHE A CHRISTIAN?" HE SAID, "NO!"

PASTOR DOUG SAID, "ALL RIGHT, IS SHE BEAUTIFUL?"

"NO!"

 

PASTOR DOUG IS LIKE, "WELL, OK."

HE SAID, "NOW I’M JUST ASKING TO ASK, NOT IMPLYING TOO MUCH, BUT BENNY, IS SHE RICH?" BENNY SAID, "NOPE!"

 

PASTOR DOUG WAS REALLY TAKEN BACK, SO HE FINALLY ASKED, "BENNY, WHY ON EARTH DO YOU WANT TO MARRY THIS WOMAN?"

 

BENNY LOOKED HIM RIGHT IN THE EYE AND GRINNED,

"BECAUSE SHE CAN DRIVE AT NIGHT!" \\ \\

(PAUSE) IT’S NICE TO SUPPLEMENT OUR WEAKNESSES WITH SOMEONE ELSE’S STRENGTHS.

* *

* *

*SLIDE*

*JEREMIAH 38:1-13 (NIV) \\ */JEREMIAH THROWN INTO A CISTERN/

*38*     SHEPHATIAH SON OF MATTAN, GEDALIAH SON OF PASHHUR, JEHUCALA SON OF SHELEMIAH, AND PASHHUR SON OF MALKIJAH HEARD WHAT JEREMIAH WAS TELLING ALL THE PEOPLE WHEN HE SAID, 2 “THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS: ‘WHOEVER STAYS IN THIS CITY WILL DIE BY THE SWORD, FAMINE OR PLAGUE, BUT WHOEVER GOES OVER TO THE BABYLONIANSB WILL LIVE.

HE WILL ESCAPE WITH HIS LIFE; HE WILL LIVE.’ 3 AND THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS: ‘THIS CITY WILL CERTAINLY BE HANDED OVER TO THE ARMY OF THE KING OF BABYLON, WHO WILL CAPTURE IT.’ ”

4 THEN THE OFFICIALS SAID TO THE KING, “THIS MAN SHOULD BE PUT TO DEATH.

HE IS DISCOURAGING THE SOLDIERS WHO ARE LEFT IN THIS CITY, AS WELL AS ALL THE PEOPLE, BY THE THINGS HE IS SAYING TO THEM.

THIS MAN IS NOT SEEKING THE GOOD OF THESE PEOPLE BUT THEIR RUIN.”

5 “HE IS IN YOUR HANDS,” KING ZEDEKIAH ANSWERED.

“THE KING CAN DO NOTHING TO OPPOSE YOU.”

6 SO THEY TOOK JEREMIAH AND PUT HIM INTO THE CISTERN OF MALKIJAH, THE KING’S SON, WHICH WAS IN THE COURTYARD OF THE GUARD.

THEY LOWERED JEREMIAH BY ROPES INTO THE CISTERN; IT HAD NO WATER IN IT, ONLY MUD, AND JEREMIAH SANK DOWN INTO THE MUD.

7 BUT EBED-MELECH, A CUSHITE,C AN OFFICIALD IN THE ROYAL PALACE, HEARD THAT THEY HAD PUT JEREMIAH INTO THE CISTERN.

WHILE THE KING WAS SITTING IN THE BENJAMIN GATE, 8 EBED-MELECH WENT OUT OF THE PALACE AND SAID TO HIM, 9 “MY LORD THE KING, THESE MEN HAVE ACTED WICKEDLY IN ALL THEY HAVE DONE TO JEREMIAH THE PROPHET.

THEY HAVE THROWN HIM INTO A CISTERN, WHERE HE WILL STARVE TO DEATH WHEN THERE IS NO LONGER ANY BREAD IN THE CITY.”

10 THEN THE KING COMMANDED EBED-MELECH THE CUSHITE, “TAKE THIRTY MEN FROM HERE WITH YOU AND LIFT JEREMIAH THE PROPHET OUT OF THE CISTERN BEFORE HE DIES.”

11 SO EBED-MELECH TOOK THE MEN WITH HIM AND WENT TO A ROOM UNDER THE TREASURY IN THE PALACE.

HE TOOK SOME OLD RAGS AND WORN-OUT CLOTHES FROM THERE AND LET THEM DOWN WITH ROPES TO JEREMIAH IN THE CISTERN.

12 EBED-MELECH THE CUSHITE SAID TO JEREMIAH, “PUT THESE OLD RAGS AND WORN-OUT CLOTHES UNDER YOUR ARMS TO PAD THE ROPES.”

JEREMIAH DID SO, 13 AND THEY PULLED HIM UP WITH THE ROPES AND LIFTED HIM OUT OF THE CISTERN.

AND JEREMIAH REMAINED IN THE COURTYARD OF THE GUARD.

Situation of Jerusalem \\ Message of Jeremiah \\ Opposition to Jeremiah \\ Weakness of the king \\ Imprisonment

 

 

 

 

*SLIDE*

*I.

JEREMIAH STOOD ON THE STREET CORNER.*

AND PREACHED THE WORD OF GOD.

THE PROPHETS BEFORE JEREMIAH PREACHED,

RETURN TO GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART.

BUT NOW, THE TIME HAD COME.

JUDAH HAD GONE BEYOND THE POINT OF NO RETURN.

AND GOD HAS MADE UP HIS MIND,

AND HE WAS GOING TO GIVE JUDAH

INTO THE HANDS OF THE BABYLONIANS.

ALL JEREMIAH HAD LEFT FOR HIS FELLOW COUNTRYMEN WAS FOR THEM TO RUN FOR THEIR LIVES.

SOMETIMES THE TRUTH IS HARD TO HEAR.

SOMETIMES THE TRUTH HURTS.

BUT IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE.

IF YOU REALLY LOVE THEM

IN THE WAY THAT SAYS I WANT THE BEST FOR YOU.

THEN YOU WILL TELL THEM THE TRUTH

SO THAT THEY WILL HAVE A CHANCE

TO SAVE THEMSELVES FROM THE COMING DISASTER.

AND SO THIS IS WHAT JEREMIAH IS DOING.

HE'S TELLING HIS FELLOW COUNTRYMEN TO

GIVE THEMSELVES UP TO THE BABYLONIANS.

HE'S SAYING, YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE

AGAINST THEM,

BECAUSE GOD HAS SENTENCED YOU TO CAPTIVITY

IN THAT FAR AWAY COUNTRY OF BABYLON.

IF YOU DON'T SURRENDER TO THEM

THEN THE WHOLE CITY WILL BE BURNED

TO THE GROUND.