Sermon Tone Analysis

* When we are called into a relationship with Christ we are not just called into a salvation relationship.

* Yes, that is the greatest aspect of our relationship with Christ, but that is only the beginning.

* You and I as Christians are called to a committed life of serving Christ and proclaiming His message from the mountains.

* So why don't we do it more often?

How many of you, if I were to ask, would answer "yes, I have shared my faith this week."

or even, "Yes, I have shared Scripture with someone this week."

Some of you can, and that's great, that's where we want to be, but others cannot say that.

So I say, why?

* The way the world works if you had a piece of news, or worse gossip, you would be on the phone immediately with everyone you knew filling them in on the latest.

Yet, when you sit holding the greatest news of all, you hold it in.

Did you know that the most damaging person in the church is the believer who confesses Jesus with their mouth inside but then walks outside and denies him with their life; That's what an unbelieving generation finds simply unbelieveable.

Christianity is on the decline and false religions are growing at the fastest pace they have in years.

Because we remain silent.

* I want to submit to you that I feel the number 1 obstacle we have to overcome is fear.

I have preached on overcoming fear before, but this morning I want us to look at overcoming fear from Jeremiah's perspective.

He was just like us, woefully inadequate, but divinely called.

That's what You are.

But God says, despite your inadequacy, I am going to use You to change the lives of others.

I'm going to use you to deliver my message.

Let's see how we can overcome some fears that plague us.

* Read Jeremiah 1:5-9.

What was it that Jeremiah was afraid of?

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We fear our insignificance (v. 5)

* The first fear that Jeremiah delt with was a fear of insignificance.

Now Jeremiah was somewhere between 16 and 25 when God called him, and that point in his life he probably thought, and culture confirmed that he was insignificant.

* Our feeling of insignificance may not stem from our age but rather because people have never really trusted us, or built us up.

We tend to beat each other up, don't we.

Yet we as Christians are not insignificant at all, we have a huge importance to God.

* We see that as God reassures Jeremiah; "before I even formed you in the womb I knew you."

* Think about this.

God took you as an embryo and gently formed you.

Sometimes, in our case God does such a good job forming that unborm child that He decides to keep it for Himself, but as God sits there looking over you, putting that tiny heart in the casing of this unborn child he touches that heart, prays over that heart, that heart is you.

God knows You,

* Not only that, He also consecrated you.

That Hebrew word is qadesh; it means to set apart as something hallowed, or holy.

It means to honor something.

That's what God did to You.

* Not only did He consecrate you but He also appointed you.

Jeremiah was appointed a prophet.

You and are similarly appointed to tell people about Jesus.

* Still feeling insignificant?

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We fear our immaturity (v.

6-8)

* Again for Jeremiah we see this portrayed in his age, but regardless of our age, some of us still feel we are immature when it comes to our faith.

Or worse, we think we are mature but really are immature.

* Immaturity simply is a fear that our level of knowledge is not adequate to step up and make a stand.

* It manifests itself but saying, "well, what if someone asks me a question that I don't know the answer too?" Wow, welcome to my world.

You know it's okay to not have all the answers.

* God reassures Jeremiah here that maturity level aside, I'm going to give you the words you need to speak.

* And guess what, He has given us all the words that we'll ever need, and He has given us the Holy Spirit inside us.

Sometimes the most mature people are the ones who can admit they are immature.

God can use that.

What God can't use is a self-proclaimed know-it-all going around casting judgment on everyone else becuase they "know what the Bible says".

* Did God change your life?

Did you become a new person when Christ saved you?

If so, don't be scared of that, rejoice in it.

If you don't have the answers that great, that means God's going to answer.

Let Him!

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We fear our inability (v.

9)

* So we struggle with God and say, okay, you know me and you give are my maturity.

But I still can't do it, because I don't have the words.

I am not able to speak.

I am not physically able to open my mouth and speak Jesus into people's lives.

Why do you think the number 1 phobia is public speaking.

People fear their inability.

* Fortunately God hasn't called us all to be public speakers, simply to speak to someone.

You can do that.

* Jeremiah was worried about accomplishing that task.

* But he got a visible sign of what it was going to be like.

He saw God reach down and touch His mouth and said "I have placed my Words in your mouth!"

He's done that for you too.

\\ * What do you fear?

* You know it's okay to be afraid, but that should not paralyze you from impacting the world for God's kingdom.

* This week, I want you to find somebody and just simply share some Scripture with them.

Call them up, write them a card, send them an email and say, I read this verse and it made me think of you.

Do you know how powerful that is in a person's life.

* This week, if somebody asks you a question and you don't know the answer, or if you are scared to talk to them because your afraid they might ask you a question; don't worry about it, engage them anyway, if you don't know the answer, say, "I don't know, but i'll find out."

* Do you see your significance here, God formed you for a reason, don't neglect that reason, He has promised to be your courage, and your strength.

But the first step is get yourself out of the way.