230827 Jeremiah 1: Called

MP: Walk worthy of the calling which you have been called AMP: Neglecting the duty you have been summoned to fulfill

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INTRODUCTION

Ephesians 1:1–14 First thought

In Ephesians chapter 1 the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of God’s Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3.16-17) opens his letter using unique terms to describe those who are truly Christians, like, “faithful in Christ Jesus” (v1), “blessed in Christ” (v3), “chosen before the foundation of the world (v4)”, “predestined to adoption” (v5 & 11), “sealed by God’s Holy Spirit” (v13-14). These terms are not descriptive of just anyone reading the letter. These terms are descriptive of those who are in Christ.

As such, this message is really relevant to those of us who have been redeemed by Christ. Who own Him as Savior and Lord. If your only hope is Christ, if you have repented of sins and believed in Him alone this message is for you - You are blessed, you are chosen, you are predestined, you are sealed. You are experiencing now, the greatest grace, you are in Christ. Why did God do all of this for those who are described in chapter 2 as “dead in transgressions and sins?” (v1). Children of wrath (v3). Why did God do this? Make alive, save, redeem, adopt, make new? Why should He call anyone - well in chapter 2.7 He says so…

Ephesians 2.7 “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” He did this to show off His amazing grace. And for this He will be glorified forever. But this also begs the question what is the responsibility of the elect, the called, the chosen in this life? If we are called, to what end in this life. Let’s go to Ephesians 4....

Ephesians 4.1-6 “Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, exhort you to walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

We are called to walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called Christian. Since the blessing of redemption from death is ours. Since new life is ours. Since salvation is ours. Since adoption is ours. Since the Holy Spirit is ours. Since Christ is ours what is to be our response? Walk worthy of the calling with which we have been called. That looks like demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit. That looks like unity. That looks like hoping in Christ alone. That is what walking in the manner worthy of the calling with which we have been called. Christian, we have been called, are we walking in this manner?

The main point of this message is “walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” REPEAT Rephrased you could say of this main point, "In your daily life, strive to fulfill the responsibility incumbent upon one who has received all that you have."

Question, have we carefully considered all that is ours and what our responsibility is? What is required of those redeemed by God?

So what is the responsibility of the elect? Stay tuned.

MAINPOINT

ROADMAP

PRAYER

CONTEXT

627BC-586BC | A period of Crisis and transition during the time of the Assyrians (presumably) during the reign of wicked king Manasseh. Jeremiah a Levite - probably in his late teens. His job was to warn without fail that judgment would soon fall by Babylon

Jeremiah = Yahweh Establishes, a man who was courageous born in the land of Benjamin to Levitical parents. At the time he is unmarried, perhaps a man of some means, wildly unsuccessful in a forty year career trying to persuade men, women, priests and kings to abandon their foolish pursuit of death but a faithful man in God’s judgment because Jeremiah obeyed God. Jeremiah was a man who struggled with his peers and the established authority of the day which nearly resulted in his death several times. Layman considered him to be a traitor to Babylon while the religious sect denied his message of doom. His message was impacted by Deuteronomy which could be summarized as “Obedience results in blessing, but disobedience in curses” and Jeremiah presents God as the Divine Warrior/Lord of Hosts. Jeremiah communicated a message of releasing idolatry and receiving God’s Word (Paraphrase of NAC information).

Jeremiah 1 | 1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of Yahweh came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 And it came in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.

2 Kings 22 / 2 Chronicles 34 Josiah is 21 when Jeremiah begins to serve

SERMON

I. Chosen, Consecrated and Confirmed (v4-5)

4 Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the innermost parts I knew you, And before you came out from the womb I set you apart; I have given you as a prophet to the nations.”

OBSERVATION:

Prophets always ultimately proceed

Moses Exodus 4:14 “Then the anger of Yahweh burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can certainly speak. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you. And he will see you and be glad in his heart.” Exodus 4.18 “Then Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.””

Jonah Jonah 1.2 ““Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before Me.”” Jonah 3.3 “So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of Yahweh. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk.”

Saul Acts 9.5-6 “And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but rise up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”” Acts 9.20 “and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”” Galatians 1.15 “But when God, who had set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased” Acts 18.9-10 “And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will lay a hand on you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.””

Samson Judges 13.3 “Then the angel of Yahweh appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall be with child and give birth to a son.”

Knowing equals love - we are loved by God 1 Corinthians 8.3 “but if anyone loves God, he has been known by Him.”

Christ/Messianic Psalm 22.9-10 “Yet You are He who brought me out of the womb; You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts. Upon You I was cast from birth; You have been my God from my mother’s womb.”

Isaiah 49.1 “Listen to Me, O coastlands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar. Yahweh called Me from the womb; From the body of My mother He made My name to be remembered.” Isaiah 49.5 “So now says Yahweh, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, To return Jacob back to Him, so that Israel might be gathered to Him (For I am glorified in the sight of Yahweh, And My God is My strength),”

Delay may be an initial response but obedience must always result Matthew 21:28–31

What do we speak - only the word of the Lord Jeremiah 23.28 ““The prophet who has a dream may recount his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares Yahweh.”

PROMISES

Exodus 3.11-12 “But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God at this mountain.””

Dt 31.6 ““Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or be in dread of them, for Yahweh your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.””

Dt 31.8 ““And Yahweh is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.””

Isaiah 43.2 ““When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.”

Jeremiah 1.17 ““Now, gird up your loins and arise and speak to them all which I command you. Do not be dismayed before them, lest I dismay you before them.”

Jeremiah 1.19 ““And they will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares Yahweh.”

Romans 8.28-29 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. Because those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers;”

Jeremiah 20.11 “But Yahweh is with me like a ruthless mighty one; Therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have not prospered, With an everlasting dishonor that will not be forgotten.”

II. Complaint (v6)

6 Then I said, “Alas, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I do not know how to speak Because I am a youth.”

Ezekiel 3.17 ““Son of man, I have given you as a watchman to the house of Israel; so you will hear a word from My mouth, and you shall warn them from Me.”

Philippians 2.13 “for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”

Philippians 4.13 “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

OBSERVATION

Do our feelings have any impact on the legitimacy or efficacy of God’s calling?

III. Commanded to take Courage (v7-8)

7 But Yahweh said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. 8 “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares Yahweh.

COMMAND

Luke 21.14-15 ““So set in your hearts not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.”

Jeremiah 15.20-21 ““Then I will make you to this people A fortified wall of bronze; And they will fight against you, But they will not prevail against you, For I am with you to save you And deliver you,” declares Yahweh. “So I will deliver you from the hand of the evil ones, And I will redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless ones.””

OBSERVATION

Jeremiah could never keep from speaking on behalf of the Lord Jeremiah 20.9 “But if I say, “I will not remember Him Or speak anymore in His name,” Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire Shut up in my bones; And I am weary of holding it in, And I cannot prevail.”

1 Corinthians 2.1-5 “And when I came to you, brothers, I did not come with superiority of word or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the witness of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my word and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

Age is no indicator of true piety 1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but show yourself as a model to those who believe in word, conduct, love, faith, and purity.”

x נְאֻם is utterance or a whisper, 176 times in Jeremiah

God doesn’t want our strength - He has plenty of His own, He wants our weakness, He has none of that 2 Corinthians 12.9 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

Jeremiah was only to speak what God commanded him - he was authorized to do so without fear of them. It begs the question, “what would the Christian experience be like freed from fear?”

IV. Commissioned (v9-10)

9 Then Yahweh sent forth His hand and touched my mouth, and Yahweh said to me, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. 10 “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To uproot and to tear down, To cause to perish and to pull down, To build and to plant.”

OBSERVATION

He is equipped to communicate judgment and to comfort

We do not wage carnal warfare 2 Corinthians 10.4-5 “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the tearing down of strongholds, as we tear down speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”

2 Peter 1.21 “For no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

Jeremiah 23.29 ““Is not My word like fire?” declares Yahweh, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”

WORD STRUCTURE

x לִנְת֥וֹשׁ וְלִנְת֖וֹץ and וּלְהַאֲבִ֣יד וְלַהֲר֑וֹס and לִבְנ֖וֹת וְלִנְטֽוֹעַ׃

Replace uproot and tear down with “uproot and undo”

replace “cause to perish and to pull down” with “demolish and abolish”

replace build and to plant with “grow and sow”

OBSERVATIONS ON ELECTION FROM EPHESIANS 1 & 2

He is equipped to communicate judgment and to comfort

APPLICATION

CONCLUSION: Why this choosing, why this calling and why this commission and what should be done - what is our takeaway

Ephesians 4.11-16 “And He Himself gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ, so that we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ, from whom the whole body, being joined and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the properly measured working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

Ephesians 2:4–10 | 4 But God, being rich in mercy because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.