Called & Equipped: Trusting God’s Sovereignty Over Our Inadequacies

Introduction

Today we begin a five-week journey through the book of Jeremiah. Rather than walking through all 52 chapters, we’ll highlight key themes that rise from this massive prophetic work.

Jeremiah was speaking to a people in spiritual crisis. And through his words, we’ll learn what it means to remain faithful to God when the culture around us is rejecting Him—how to speak truth when people find truth unwelcoming, and how to live with conviction in a world that’s growing increasingly hostile to it.

Jeremiah served as the primary prophet to Judah during one of the darkest periods in her history, leading up to her destruction. Other prophetic voices like Habakkuk and Zephaniah were active as well, but it was Jeremiah—alongside Ezekiel in Babylon—who exposed Judah’s deep rebellion with the piercing brightness of God’s Word.

His name, Jeremiah, may mean “Yahweh establishes,” “Yahweh exalts,” or even “Yahweh hurls down”—scholars still debate the precise meaning. He was the son of Hilkiah, a Levitical priest. Though Jeremiah himself never seems to have served as a priest, he was born into a priestly line. He is credited as the author of this massive collection, though someone else likely arranged and compiled it.

Most scholars believe the book is a compilation of his sermons and sayings, loosely gathered without a strict chronological order. So we won’t find a neat timeline here—but what we do find is a faithful record of over 40 years of prophetic ministry.

The video we just watched helps set the stage. Jeremiah stepped into a nation in crisis, a people drifting, and a prophetic call that demanded courage. But the hope of this book isn’t just political or national—it ultimately points forward to Jesus, the one who brings true restoration through a new covenant. That hope extends not just to Israel, but to everyone who belongs to Him.

And that brings us to where we begin today—in chapter 1, with Jeremiah’s call. He didn’t feel qualified. He didn’t feel ready. But God doesn’t call the qualified—He qualifies the called. That was true for Jeremiah. And it’s true for us.

As we walk through Jeremiah 1:4–19, we’ll consider four unchanging realities that apply to anyone God calls—realities that anchor us when the message is hard and the audience hostile:

I. God’s Call Comes with Sovereign Intentionality (vv. 4–5)

II. God’s Presence is Greater than Our Inadequacies (vv. 6–10)

III. God Watches Over His Word to Fulfill It (vv. 11–14)

IV. God Prepares You for What You’ll Face (vv. 15–19)

I. God’s Call Comes with Sovereign Intentionality (vv. 4-5)

Let us examine God’s calling because right out of the gate Jeremiah wants his readers to understand that his call, his ministry, his destiny did not begin with him, it began with God.

Jeremiah 1:4–5 LSB

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.”

Let me pause here briefly—I know this passage is long and I can’t camp here too long, but I can’t just breeze by this either. Please notice the language:

“Now the word of Yahweh came to me saying” (v.4)

The word came, the word said. Later in this passage we will see…

“The word of Yahweh came to me a second time…Then Yahweh said to me” (vv. 13-14)

Now the word is indistinguishable from Yahweh. The word speaks means Yahweh speaks

“After these things the word of Yahweh came to Abram in a vision, saying…” (Genesis 15:1)

Again, the word came but this time the word was seen (vision) and the word spoke. And look at what the word says and how Abram responds to the word

“ I AM a shield to you…And Abram said, ‘O Lord Yahweh…’” (vv. 1-2)

the word came, the word was seen, the word speaks, and the name of the word is Yahweh. What am I driving at?

John 1:1 LSB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 LSB

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 5:39 LSB

39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that bear witness about Me;

Luke 24:27 LSB

27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He interpreted to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.

Guys I am still on that Hebrew’s high concerning the supremacy of Christ. Even here in Jeremiah, it is still about Christ. Jesus is above all things and He created and sustains all things. And Jeremiah testifies that it was the Word who formed him—that same Word who, centuries later, would become flesh and dwell among us. That means the hand that formed Jeremiah was the very same hand that would later be pierced for us.. Now let’s go back to our regularly scheduled program

Jeremiah 1:4–5 LSB

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.”

So before Jeremiah could respond, object, envision a life for himself, way before mom and dad could even ask him, “Hey Jerry, what do you want to be when you grow up?” God had already determined it.

The word “knew” (Hebrew: יָדַע, yada) is more than intellectual awareness. It speaks of intimate knowledge and relationship. This is the same verb used in Genesis 4:1—“Adam knew Eve…” It implies not just familiarity but intentional affection. God didn’t just foresee Jeremiah’s existence. He set His love and purpose on him before his body was even formed.

In other words, God shaped a human life around His divine plan, not the other way around.

Exodus 9:16 LSB

16 “But, indeed, for this reason I have caused you to stand, in order to show you My power and in order to recount My name through all the earth.

Those who are in Christ were created for Christ, this is why the apostle says:

Ephesians 2:10 LSB

10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

God says He formed Jeremiah. That’s the same verb used in Genesis when God forms man from the dust. This is intentional craftsmanship.

He also says, “I consecrated you”—that is, “I set you apart.” This echoes the priestly language of sanctification. God made Jeremiah holy unto Himself, devoted for divine use.

God’s call on your life didn’t begin with your performance or your résumé. It began with His purpose. You were formed, known, set apart, and appointed. That doesn’t mean everyone is called to public ministry like Jeremiah, but it does mean that every believer has a sovereignly assigned role in God’s redemptive mission. You are called and equipped to be faithful wherever He places you

When you’re tempted to question your usefulness in the kingdom, remember this: You were God’s idea. You are not self-made. You are not man-approved. You are God-called.

But like Jeremiah, even knowing that God called us, we often still protest. “But Lord, I’m not ready… I’m not qualified…” That’s exactly what Jeremiah does next—and how God responds to him is where we go next.

II. God’s Presence is Greater than Our Inadequacies (6-10)

Jeremiah 1:6 LSB

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

Jeremiah does what many of us do when we feel the weight of God’s call—he panics. His response is classic. The Hebrew word ǎhā is translated “alas” is basically, “oh no!!!”

The idea that Jeremiah will have to address nations is terrifying. He begins to inform God I am just a kid because God needed that piece of information which obviously He was lacking.

The truth is that God does not call you based on your abilities, your station, your education, or anything else you think you can or cannot bring to the table. He calls you based on His own presence. Consider Gideon, he was hiding, not confronting, but hiding from the Midianites.

Judges 6:12 LSB

12 And the angel of Yahweh appeared to him and said to him, “Yahweh is with you, O mighty man of valor.”

Gideon was hiding from the Midianites when the angel of Yahweh called him a ‘mighty man of valor.’ Not because of anything in Gideon—but because of the One who was with him.

So how does God respond to Jeremiah’s protest? He doesn’t argue with him. He doesn’t say, “Come on, Jeremiah, don’t sell yourself short—you’re actually amazing.” That’s how we encourage each other, right? We reach for affirmation. But God gives something better: His presence.

Jeremiah 1:8 LSB

8 “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to deliver you,” declares Yahweh.

The promise of deliverance is not based on Jeremiah’s skill or even maturity level—it’s based on God’s nearness. The excuses people come up are always based on themselves, yet God always anchors His call on His own presence. God called Moses and told him to go confront Pharaoh, the meanest, baddest, strongest monarch in all the land,

Exodus 4:10 LSB

10 Then Moses said to Yahweh, “Please, Lord, I have never been a man of words, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your slave; for I am one with a hard mouth and a hard tongue.”

In other words, “bbbbut, I,I,I, ha,ha,have a speach im-pe-pe-pe-pediment” For all we know, Moses made that up since he is described as eloquent and educated in the book of Acts. At any rate, see God’s response:

“Who has made man’s mouth…I, even I, will be with your mouth…” (vv. 11-12).

Both Moses and Jeremiah received divine enablement to go forth. All they needed was His presence and all of their Inadequacies, both real and made up are of no consequence.

The Messenger does not need to be impressive when the message is from God.

One brother here during a our weekly men’s meeting began to tell me how much he had been blessed by my preaching. In essence he was throwing me flowers for a job he considered exceptional. But I saw the reality immediately. He was not moved because of my charm or because of my superior oratory abilities. And I thank God every day I do not have to be clever, or innovative. All I have to do is tell you what God says according to His word and that is what keeps you coming here week after week. I wish he would have said, “you really look good in that jacket” I could say, “yup I put it together all by my self.” But no, he was mesmerized with the thing that actually mesmerizes, GOD.

2 Corinthians 3:5 LSB

5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,

His presence is what make anything you do worth while. And guess what, look at what He has promised:

“…behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mat 28:20)

Here at our church, our vision is to:

Help people experience and share in an exciting relationship with Jesus.

And let’s be honest—we’ve gotten pretty good at the experience part: we know how to worship, pray, read, and sit under the Word. But the sharing part? That’s where a lot of us panic—just like Jeremiah. ‘ALAS!’ we say.”

When God calls you to speak truth into difficult places, He’s not asking you to rely on your personality, your eloquence, or your credentials. He’s asking you to trust His presence and speak His words.

What are you holding back on because you feel too insecure? Too young? Too scarred? Too weak? Don’t let those things keep you from obedience. God’s presence is not just with you—it’s for you.

And the reason God’s presence matters so much is because what He puts in your mouth isn’t ordinary speech. It’s His Word. And that’s where we go next.

III. God Watches Over His Word to Fulfill It (vv. 11-14)

After calling and commissioning Jeremiah, God gives him a vision—a simple object lesson that’s both visual and deeply theological. He shows him the branch of an almond tree. Why? Because the Hebrew word for almond (shaqed) is a play on the word for watching (shoqed).

This is a Hebrew pun with a divine point: God is watchful. He’s alert. Awake. Fully aware. He is not a passive observer of history—He is actively fulfilling His Word.

Then Yahweh said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to do it.” (v. 12)

This would have been incredibly important for Jeremiah to hear—because nothing in his ministry would look like success. His sermons would be rejected. His life would be threatened. His warnings would go unheeded. And yet, God assures him: You’re not preaching into a void. My Word will be fulfilled—even if you don’t see it yet.

Earlier we saw how Jeremiah was called by the Word—the same Word that John tells us became flesh in Jesus (John 1:1, 14). Now, in this vision, we see that God is not only the sender of the Word—He is the keeper of it.

In other words, God doesn’t just give a Word and hope it works—He watches over it, carries it, and fulfills it Himself. That’s why Jesus said:

Matthew 5:17 LSB

17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

Jesus is the Word made flesh and the fulfillment of every Word God ever spoke. When Jeremiah saw the almond branch, he saw a symbol of God’s watchfulness. When we see Christ, we see the embodiment of that watchfulness fulfilled.

Isaiah 55:11 LSB

11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what pleases Me, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

The Word became flesh—He preached, healed, suffered, and then declared, ‘It is finished.’ But what exactly was finished? It finished accomplishing everything that pleases God. And when He finished (the Word that is) it returned to heaven not empty but fulfilling everything.

God is not careless with His promises. He doesn’t speak and forget. He speaks—and fulfills. He watches over every word, every syllable, every breath of His revelation—because His name is on it.

So when you feel like your obedience is producing nothing—when you speak truth and no one listens, or when your faithfulness feels wasted—remember the almond branch. You may not see fruit today, but the Word will not return void.

But God doesn’t just watch over His Word—He also prepares His servant for the opposition that will come when that Word is preached which brings us to the last point:

IV. God Prepares You for What You’ll Face (vv. 15-19)

“For behold, I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north,” declares Yahweh; “and they will come, and each one will set his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all its walls round about and against all the cities of Judah… But you, 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. Now behold, I have given you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls of bronze against the whole land…” (vv. 15, 17–18)

God shows him a second vision—a boiling pot tipping from the north. That image represents Babylon, the coming invaders. Judgment isn’t theoretical—it’s imminent. And notice—God doesn’t offer Jeremiah an escape. No, He tells him to get ready.

“Gird up your loins and arise…” (v. 17)

That’s ancient language for: Brace yourself. Toughen up. Get dressed for battle.In other words, don’t be surprised when people push back. Don’t be shocked when they resist truth. Don’t be dismayed when the culture hardens. You were called for this. Not in spite of the resistance, but into it. God calls us into:

1. Mental and spiritual readiness – “Gird up your loins”

You need to settle it in your soul now: obedience will cost you something. It might be comfort. It might be relationships. It might be approval. But God doesn’t hide that. He tells Jeremiah up front: This won’t be easy—but I’ll be with you.

2. Uncompromising obedience – “Speak to them all that I command you”

Not part. Not half. Not the easy parts. All of it. God doesn’t need spokespersons who edit His message—He needs faithful messengers who will deliver His Word without flinching.

3. Resilient strength – “I have made you a fortified city… a pillar of iron… walls of bronze”

God doesn’t just call you to stand—He builds you to stand. This is divine reinforcement. Jeremiah would be rejected, beaten, imprisoned, and isolated—but never destroyed. Because when God calls you, He doesn’t just send you—He fortifies you.

Just like in Jeremiah’s time, the Lord has not been coy with us concerning the mission field:

John 15:18–20 LSB

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

The apostle Paul has warned us concerning the the attitudes we will be confronting:

2 Timothy 3:2–4 LSB

2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

But in spite of what we see, what we receive, the apparent lack of progress we are commanded, to

2 Timothy 4:2–5 LSB

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

You don’t have to be made of stone to stand in a storm—you just need to be strengthened by the One who is.

And the One who called you, formed you, spoke to you, and walks with you—He’s the One who will make you stand.

Conclusion

Jeremiah didn’t volunteer for ministry. He didn’t grow up dreaming about being a prophet. He didn’t feel qualified, and he wasn’t excited about the assignment. But God called him anyway—because the mission wasn’t about Jeremiah’s strength, it was about God’s presence, God’s Word, and God’s faithfulness.

We live in a culture that increasingly resists truth. It celebrates noise and drowns out conviction. But just like in Jeremiah’s day, God is still calling people to stand. Not because we’re bold—but because He is with us. Not because we’re eloquent—but because He puts His Word in our mouths. Not because it will be easy—but because He will strengthen us to endure.