The Anatomy of a Call - Jeremiah 1:1-10

Introduction

Many of you will remember the 1993 movie Groundhog Day (and many of you weren’t even a thought in your mother’s mind yet). It tells the story of a weatherman who is sent for the fourth straight year to learn whether or not Puxsutawney Phil will see his shadow or not. And, the guy is just over it. He had not spent all of those years in college so that a groundhog could predict the weather, and he plans to change his job and his life. Except something crazy happens. When he wakes up the next morning, it’s Groundhog Day again. And, he gets stuck in this time loop where he has to relive the same day — his least favorite day — every day. He goes to the same places and sees the same people and does the same thing every day, and it looks like this is all his life will be.

Life can feel that way, can’t it? Like it’s just happening. You just wake up, wash, and repeat. Our lives can feel like they’re something that happen to us, something that happens without rhyme or reason. Our lives can even feel more like a sentencing that we have to endure rather than gift we get to enjoy.

God’s Word

Jeremiah helps us to see differently. If there was any life that must’ve felt like a sentencing, it would’ve been Jeremiah. It’s no accident that he’s known as the weeping prophet. But, what Jeremiah helps us to see is that nothing about our lives are accidental or just happening to us. God uses our lives and circumstances to direct us to his call. I want us to look at Jeremiah’s call to be a prophet and see The Anatomy of a Call: (Headline)

God “appoints.”

I was born to Jimmy and Kelly Hale in 1986. I grew up in Rabbittown, AL and graduated from White Plains High School. Our house burned down when I was 10, and we changed churches to Iron City as a result. The man I spent the most time around growing up, other than my dad, was my grandad. He loved to laugh and tell big stories, and being around him taught me how to tell a story, too. But, he wasn’t my biological grandad. He was only my grandad because of dysfunction in my family, dysfunction that my dad had to endure.

And, there’s two ways to look at a biography like mine and a biography like yours. They’re either an accident or they’re providence. It just happened to us, or there’s a design. Is it just a coincidence that my house burned, or was it God’s design to move us to the church I’d one day pastor? Did the dysfunction my dad endured just happen that brought my grandad into my life, or was it the design of God teaching me how to tell an interesting story in preparation to preach?

Jeremiah’s biography helps us to see the truth about ours.

We’re “handcrafted.”

Jeremiah 1:5 ““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.””

Jeremiah was a young man of about 20 at the exact same time that King Josiah was a young man of about 20. He was born into the priestly line and lived in Anathoth where all the priests lived. And, God opens up his call of Jeremiah by insisting that none of this was by accident. God himself had personally “formed” him in his hands, and God himself personally “knew” who Jeremiah was and what his story was all about. God had designed Jeremiah to be a specific person born in a specific place at a specific time to do a specific work. Jeremiah’s life had a designer. It wasn’t an accident.

You see, there was a reason Jeremiah was born at the time of Josiah. He would have the reference to show how they had rejected God’s good covenant. There was a reason Jeremiah was a prophet who was born to be a priest. God would use him to prophesy against the priests he’d been raised by. Jeremiah was perfectly placed to be able to say what God would have him say and do what God would have do.

Jeremiah’s life was interlaced with his call, and so is yours. You are not an accident. Your life is not just happening. You aren’t just another person who popped out of the human factory that life happened to. You were handcrafted, not mass produced. You were designed by God as a particular person in a particular place at a particular time for a particular work. Your life was engineered and designed in a way that would “form you” into the person whom God would use and prepare you for the work God has for you.

We’re “handpicked.”

Jeremiah 1:5 ““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.””

Notice also God’s electing, choosing grace here. Already in “knew you,” there is something more than knowing the facts of Jeremiah’s life in view here. God is saying that He “knew” Jeremiah because Jeremiah is one of his true children. He “knows” his sons. But, God goes a step farther. He’s “consecrated” — set aside, designated — Jeremiah for an "appointed” work. Jeremiah was a work of God for the work of God.

And, that’s who we’ve been chosen to be, too. God hasn’t chosen us to merely be receivers of grace. He’s chosen us to be instruments of grace too. Now, we have to be careful in applying Jeremiah’s call to our call. We live in the era of the New Covenant, and Jesus is our Great Prophet. We have the Spirit, but we’re not likely to have this type of special revelation experience where God speaks audibly to us. But, I think it does apply.

We all HAVE BEEN called — handpicked — to out the general calls of God in our particular life. By that, I mean God has called all of us to be holy, be filled with the Spirit, to make disciples, and to glorify him, and He’s handpicked you specifically, He’s “appointed” you to do those things in your specific life. God has handpicked you to be his instruments of grace to your wife, to your children, to your friends, to your neighbors, in your church. Your life may just feel like it’s happening. It may feel like it’s ordinary. But, God has handpicked you to be able to reflect him in it in a way that is unique. You may not be Jeremiah, but you may raise him. Your name may not be in the history books, but the ones who meet Jesus through you might. Will you answer the call?

We may be called — handpicked — into God’s service in a particular, special way. I am convinced that I am called to be a preacher of the gospel, and I’m convinced that I’m called to do that right here. And, God is calling some of you to the ministry, to pastor. What does that look like? Answer a few questions: 1) Are you in agreement with God’s word? 2) Do you have a great desire for the work? 3) Do you have an overwhelming burden for the work? You’ll see Jeremiah’s. 4) Do spiritually mature people who know you see it? 5) Would you do it if it doesn’t go well or you won’t be paid?

Will you answer the call God has for you? Now, if you’re scared and nervous and overwhelmed by the call you sense may be coming? I have Good News for you. God doesn’t just call...

God “qualifies.”

Jeremiah 1:6 “Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.””

Jeremiah responds to his call and his life the way we’re apt to respond to ours. “You’ve got the wrong guy.” Jeremiah says, “Look. I’m a teenager. I can’t even rub two syllables together that make sense. There’s no way that I can be your mouthpiece to a generation.” Most people in the Bible laugh at God’s call.

And, what story after story teaches us is what I’ve experienced personally: God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called. You see...

He “equips.”

Jeremiah 1:7 “But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak.”

God isn’t coming to Jeremiah because Jeremiah is a prophet. God is coming to Jeremiah because He’s going to make him a prophet. Jesus doesn’t call his disciples because they are fishers of men. He calls them because he’s going to make them fishers of men. When it comes to his instruments of grace, God does all the making. I can name 20 people in the youth group that I grew up in here that would’ve been more gifted pastors than me. God has done the making. You can see that God gives to Jeremiah the substance of his call. He tells Jeremiah, “No excuses!” Here’s why: “You’re going to go where I send you, and you’re going to say what I tell you.” God is going to give to Jeremiah the equipment he needs to fulfill his call. That is, God making clear to Jeremiah that his call doesn’t depend upon him so long as He depends upon God.

You’re ineptitude doesn’t disqualify you; it discredits you. And, that’s actually good news. Here’s what I mean: It creates the space in your life so that only God can get the credit. If you look at God’s call and then at your resources, you’ll find a deficit every time — until you realize that God’s grace will not call you where it will not supply you.

When I was 15, I began to think that God might have the ministry in mind for me. But, I had a problem: I totally freaked out when speaking in front of crowds. To this day, I am nervous until I’m at home on my couch after service. I remember as a senior that Circle of Champions wanted to do a video of my testimony for them to show. I was so nervous that I would interject “Lord!” every three words like it was a prayer or something. When I was in college, I tried a few different things, but I kept find myself back in ministry situations. So, I became the student pastor here, but I still didn’t like to preach. So, I just thought — “I’ll be one of those super relational guys that doesn’t lean on preaching too much.” And, that was pretty much the case until I was in about my fourth year of ministry, and it was like God set me on fire. Preaching became my passion. And, I’m telling you it was the Spirit’s equipping. Do you believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? Then, you ought to be able to believe his Spirit can equip you for the work. Trust me, when I tell you that I was the last guy in Rhonda Turner’s discipleship training class who she thought would be her pastor one day. Only God could get the credit for what’s happened in my life. God gave me the equipment that I needed to fulfill his call, and He will give it to you too.

He equips and...

He “empowers.”

Jeremiah 1:8 “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord.””

Jeremiah’s call was a harrowing one. He had to tell people who believed they had all the answers that they didn’t have God himself. He had to go the priests of whom he was family and neighbor to tell them that they were heretics whom God had condemned. His job was to tell the king and all his people that they were wicked and evil in God’s sight. Not exactly the way to win “most popular.” Jeremiah would find himself locked in chains and flogged by his own people. They would want him dead and would try to make him miserable. Jeremiah’s ministry was set to be a terrifying one.

So, God says, “Do not be afraid.” Now, there’s two ways to tell someone to not be afraid. Sometimes, Josiah will wake up in the middle of the night and cry because he’s afraid of the dark. Now, I’m not proud to say that sometimes I yell back, “You’re fine. Go back to sleep.” You can’t tell an afraid person not to be afraid and expect their fear to evaporate. But, there are other times when my son is afraid that I will pick him, wrap him in my arms, and tell him he’s safe. And then, he’s easy to calm.

You don’t just answer God’s call with God’s equipment. There’s better news yet. You answer God’s call with God himself. God doesn’t just say, “Don’t be afraid.” He says, “I’m with you. You’re safe with me. You’ll never face it alone.” I can make you two promises this morning. First, whatever it is God calls you to do is going to be scary. It may be raising kids in gender confused world. It may be teaching and coaching in a secular school for God’s glory. It may be sharing your faith at work. It may be suffering through cancer with enough grace to show your friends the reality of God. It might be a missionary to Iraq, but I can promise, whatever, it is, it’ll scary. But, the second promise is bigger and longer lasting than the first. God will be with you. God will empower you.

It’s important to know that God has not chosen any of you to do nothing. He’s appointed and equipped you that you might glorify him in a significant way. That is, God HAS called you, and after He calls...

God “commissions.”

Mike Rowe hosted a show called “Dirty Jobs.” And, it was fascinating because he would find the work that most people don’t want to do, and he’d join in with the people who were actually doing them. Often times, he’d find that they’re lives were more fascinating and their pay was higher than many college graduates. But, people didn’t sign up to do it because it was a dirty job.

What often surprises people is that the call of God is a dirty job. It’s not clean and easy. And, herein lies the reason that most people want to avoid God’s call: it’s hard.

But, the calls of greatest consequence always come at the highest costs. And, we see it as God commissions Jeremiah for the work He has set aside for him to do.

It’s “hard work.”

Jeremiah 1:10 “See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.””

Verse 10 is really the summary verse of Jeremiah’s ministry. There’s six verbs that are used in succession, and each of these verbs will show up repeatedly throughout his prophecy. And, there’s an imbalance to these verbs. Four of the six are negative and destructive verbs. Jeremiah’s ministry is not going to be on the cover Outreach Magazine’s 100 fastest growing churches. No other prophet in town is going to be jealous of Jeremiah and wish he could have his call instead. In verse 10, by sending Jeremiah to confront his people with the truth of God’s judgment, He might as well have been pointing at the Amazon river and telling him that his whole life was going to be lived walking against the current from one end to the other. Jeremiah’s life was going to be remembered for its tears, not its parties. In fact, Jeremiah’s ministry begins during the revival of Judah under Josiah, and it won’t end until the last king of Judah is killed and the people are being marched off to Babylon. He’ll witness the fall. He’ll watch his hard words come true.

Paul is getting ready to pass the torch to Timothy in his second letter, and so he tells him to be ready to share in the sufferings of the cross. He says in 2 Timothy 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” That is, we can’t expect to follow our crucified Savior against the currents of a depraved world and expect to come out unscathed. But, you know, we should do it any way. The calls of greatest consequence always come at the highest costs. Raising kids — adopting kids — is scary. You should have them and show them the love of Christ any way. Sharing the gospel is terrifying at work. You should do it any way. Accepting God’s call to the ministry is terrifying. You should do it any way.

Because the hard work is worth it! The hard work is worth it! The cross gives way to the resurrection. It’s hard work, but...

It’s a “great reward.”

Jeremiah 1:10 “See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.””

God set the horizon for Jeremiah so that he could understand why he was doing so many hard things. God was using Jeremiah to tear down because He was going to rebuild. God was using Jeremiah to put the death knell in the Old Covenant because a New Covenant was about to come. Jeremiah may have had a message of judgment, but God was going to bring about salvation through that judgment.

And, that point us to the cross, doesn’t it? There’s never been a calling more difficult than Jesus’ call. Upon the cross, He bore the full weight of judgment. He died under judgment. But, it was through his death under the judgment of sins that salvation has come to us.

You see, your calling is going to be harrowing, hard work. You’re going to find yourself at the end of yourself more times than you can count. You’re going to want to quit. You’re going to ask God, like Jesus, “Is there another way?” The cross isn’t an easy path. But, your cross is going to give way to resurrection. Your cross will be changed out for a crown. So, go therefore and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Jesus has taught you. And, remember, Jesus is with you always to the end of the age.