Jeremiah

We are continuing today with our Series going through the prophets we're looking at these prophets today, even though they were speaking thousands of years ago because what they have to say is incredibly relevance to us now last week we looked at Isaiah this week. We're looking at Jeremiah these two prophets we're operating in in very similar circumstances Isaiah was was prophesying fryer to Jeremiah, but they are both speaking to the exact same group of people there speaking to God's people in the nation of Judah Isaiah preached ahead of time and said you're not going to fall to Assyria, but you are going to fall to Babylon. Well everything that Isaiah prophesied about Jeremiah Witnesses, and he's preaching and he's prophesying as All of the Calamity that Isaiah said was going to come as it's coming about Jeremiah's watching it. This is why he's called The Weeping prophets because of the destruction that he sees in his own lifetime but like Isaiah, It's not all doom and gloom in Jeremiah. There's this message of hope that Rings through so even as we say, this is the weeping prophet at the same time. We can see the Hope in Jeremiah. Now how many of you could quote a verse from Jeremiah? Just raise your hand if you can quote a verse from Jeremiah no shame. If you can't come on put them up there. Let's be proud of those who can who can quote a verse from Jeremiah. I want to demonstrate something to you. I bet I can tell you what the reference of that verse is. I bet you can quote Jeremiah 29:11 for I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord right? That's the verse that we all know from Jeremiah is important for us to understand though that that message of Hope This Promise of God to his people to do good for them and not to harm them that this prophecy comes about after Jeremiah got done telling the people of God. You're going to be an exile for 70 years an entire generation will die out in captivity and not be able to return home. I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. That message of Hope only comes after this message of judgment. Why judgment because Jeremiah speaking to God's people and God's people have rejected him God's people have said we're going to do our own thing. We don't need you anymore, Yahoo! And so judgment comes for that and that's why we really like Jeremiah 29:11 and why we don't so much look at the rest of it because Jeremiah has some hard things to say now today's message as any message this trying to You Know cover so much territory in one brief for your sake. I hope so brief message is difficult to Encompass all of this. And so the way I'm going to do this today Jeremiah is the longest book in the bible Jeremiah has the longest book in the Bible. Everybody thinks it's Psalms because Psalms has a hundred and fifty chapters, right? It's actually Jeremiah Jeremiah has more words. And so Jeremiah wins. Alright Jeremiah is the longest book in the Bible. But we are going to tackle it all today. But the way I'm going to do that is we're going to look at the structure of Jeremiah. We're going to see how Jeremiah is laid out and that's going to be the message but don't be surprised right in the middle of this structure. That's where I'm going to preach my sermon. Okay. So we're going to camp out for a long time in the middle section of Jeremiah. Don't be surprised or think that I'm going to preach for two hours cuz I'll kind of tied all back in at the end. We're just going to camp out in the middle for a while. So the first thing that we see when we're looking at the structure of Jeremiah turn to chapter one when you turn to Jeremiah, you're probably already there, but if you're fine chapter 1 I want you to see Jeremiah one starts with this call Jeremiah this call to Jeremiah. God says. To one of his priests Jeremiah's one of the priests and he says listen, this is what my intent is for you to join me reading chapter 1 starting in verse for now the word of the Lord came to me saying before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born. I consecrated you. I appointed you a prophet to the Nations. Then I said, oh Lord God behold. I do not know how to speak for I am only a youth 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 do not be afraid of them for I am with you to deliver you declares the Lord. Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth and the Lord said to me behold. I have put my words in your mouth. 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.

That's a little bit of a burden. Can we all agree? We don't know how old Jeremiah is but sufficient to say that in his eyes. He's really young and because he prophesied for about 40 years this this make sense. He probably is pretty young right now. And so the Lord says this is what I want you to do. Any says I can't do it. I'm too young. And God says you can do whatever I tell you to do and here's my words to do it and there were going to be words that pluck up and break down destroy and overthrow, but they're also going to be words that build and plant Jeremiah has this really unique kind of call. He he's called to be somebody who announces destruction who announces the fact that God is holy and righteous and he is going to judge those who refuse to submit to him. But he also gets the privilege of declaring here is the Hope. For those who do listen to God for those who do repent of their sin here is building and planting here are the good things that come out of God's judgment that becomes a reoccurring theme for Jeremiah as the Lord calls him this kind of starts to mark his whole book and some of you join me this weekend reading Jeremiah and I want to say thank you for doing that. If you're not a part of we have a Facebook group. So there's a Facebook page. They're about worthless anymore because of the way Facebook's algorithms work. So join our group find Art find our group. If you don't know how to do that shoot an email to secretary at RH spc.org and Nicole are secretary can help you get plugged into that but one of the things we're doing there is throughout this sermon series on the prophets were posting a video each week big does an overview. It's from a group called The Bible project that got some fantastic resources. You don't have to wait for me to post that you can Go check it out yourself the Bible project. Org and he was replacing these videos that kind of give an overview and then I'm calling and asking you these profits before we get to him and if you read it this week or you watch the video you kind of see in Jeremiah's call. Almost the shape of the ministry. That's to come you. See these themes repeated Jeremiah doesn't want to talk that thing gets repeated a couple times and the Lord says you're going to speak you're going to say and the message that he says is one of Destruction and one of hope this is a repeated theme throughout the book. So Jeremiah's call kind of sets the stage for the book. The next section that I want us to consider is chapters 2 through 24 chapters two through 24 in into 224. We see the failures of God's people this is God listing out in excruciating detail. And I do mean excruciating detail.

Where his people have failed to keep his Covenant where his people have failed to honor him as God exactly what they're being condemned for and and it needs to be set in context before we look at some of these we need to understand kind of some historical background here. There were two Nations within God's people God's people were designed to be one holy nation, but shortly after its Inception it splits into two and you have the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the southern Kingdom of Judah in about 7:22 BC. The Northern Kingdom of Israel gets conquered by Assyria. The people are taken away into Exile and they don't come back. Jeremiah is speaking about a hundred years after that to the southern Kingdom of Judah and what are the things he constantly does. He Compares Judah to Israel? And he says look you guys should have seen God's judgment. You should have seen what God was going to do when you've had all these false gods when you were going and ignoring what the god of Israel had called you to ignoring Yahweh. You should have seen the consequences of that. You should turn from that so into through 24 time and time again, he calls out the people of God and he says you should have seen what was coming and changed but what Judah did they see what happened is really like, oh man. Maybe we shouldn't worship all these false gods. Instead of saying that they say hey Israel got taken away for worshipping false gods. What we'll do is we'll worship Yahweh and the false gods. And they can't have it both ways. And so in Chapter 2 the the charge is brought against Judah and it did they say in chapter 2 verse 13 Jeremiah says this repeating the words of the Lord. My people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me the Fountain of Living Waters and they've hewed out cisterns for themselves broken cisterns that can hold no water. The failure of God's people was they had rejected Yahweh and they had replaced him with false gods. Now if you and walked up to the average person who's at the temple in Jerusalem giving an offering to Yahweh. This would have been incredible news. They would not have seen themselves as having replaced. Y'all way with false gods. No, no, we worship Yahweh. We haven't rejected him. Look at we still have the temple sacrifices going on but

Jeremiah says no you have because anytime you try to set something else up alongside Yahoo, and say we're going to worship both of these things. You have rejected Yahweh. You have replaced him and he says you've made the worst decision possible Judah you've taken the Fountain of Living Water and replaced him with Wells that hold no water. Now he's speaking in an area that is much like our own it's amazing. If you see pictures of Israel, it kind of looks like Southern, Utah. Rocky dry water is really important. That was the same thing for them. And he says you've taken this spring that never runs dry and you've gotten rid of it and instead you've dug Wells out in the sand they give you no water. You've Chait you rejected me. You've replaced me with these false gods. People say no we haven't will yes you have because anytime you try to add something to the worship of Yahweh. You're actually taking it all away. You can't have it both. You can't worship both Yahweh both God. And these other false gods and it's not just the people have rejected God and replace them with these false gods their leaders. Are actively leading them to do this their leaders are demonstrating a terrible example those charged with Leading the People towards y'all way have led them away from him is a really interesting passage in chapter 5 turn there with me. in chapter 5 we see this.

Jeremiah is spraying. Oh Lord. Do not your eyes look for truth. You have struck them down, but they felt no anguish you've consumed them, but they refused to take correction. They have made their faces harder than Rock. They refuse to repent Jeremiah is pouring out like his struggle. God you sent me to tell these people and they won't listen. They won't hear your words. They won't respond to it in faith. They won't repent but then it's almost like an idea and a pops into his head. Inverse for then I said these are only the poor they have no sense. They don't know the way of the Lord the justice of God Jeremiah says wait, I wonder if this is the problem. I wonder if the problem is that I'm just looking to those who who aren't capable of knowing they're so busy seeking after the things of this world are so busy trying to just stay alive. They can't seek God. I'm going to go in verse 5 pieces to the great. I'm going to go to the people that God has charged with leading these people. Maybe there. the listen

I'll go to the great. I'll speak to them for they know the way of the Lord. They know the justice of their God. These are the people who study this. These are the people who know these are described. These are the leaders of Israel. They'll listen because they know the word of God and yet they don't but they all alike had broken the Yoke the adverse the bonds from the top of society to the bottom of society Jeremiah says nobody's listening to the word of God even those who should know better. Everybody's rejected. Yahweh. Look at verse 3331 at the same chapter.

And appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land the prophets prophesy falsely and the priests rule at their Direction my people love to have it. So but what will you do when the end comes? Those who are being say we don't want to hear the truth. We just want you to tell us what we want to hear and the people who are leaving say sure will tell you what you want to hear. As long as you just give us money.

And all of it is for nothing. The leaders are leading the people away from Yahweh in the people are gladly following Jeremiah says, this is a problem. But the biggest thing it seems like the Jeremiah we see in Chapter 7. In chapter 7 we see the the failure that really rankles the most.

is hypocrisy The failure that he just has to speak against the Lord says don't let this one stand. Yes apocracy the fact that the people's worship of Yahweh didn't lead to any sort of transformation in their lives. It didn't make a difference. They worshipped. Yahweh on the Sabbath they worshipped him in the temple and then they walked right out and they proceeded to commit Injustice. They proceeded to ignore the needs of the widows and the orphans. They took advantage of the Foreigner in their midst. They did not pursue. Righteousness their worship didn't make any difference look at chapter 7 with me.

Jeremiah is speaking. in the gate of the Temple He's speaking to the people. Who are there saying we're going to worship Yahweh. And this is what he said for if you truly amend your ways and your Deeds if you truly execute Justice with one another if you do not oppress the Sojourner the fatherless or the widow or shed innocent blood in this place. And if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, then I will let you dwell in this place in the land. I gave of old your father's forever. Like if you'll do these things judgement won't come if your worship of me in this Temple changes the way you relate to the people around you instead of being driven by greed. You're driven by a desire to meet the needs of these. I won't judge you Judah.

But behold you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal murder commit adultery and go after other gods that you have not known and then come stand before me in this house, which is called by my name and say we are delivered only to go on doing all these Abominations. Has this house which is called by my name become a den of robbers in your eyes behold. I myself have seen it declares the Lord. For Jeremiah the straw that breaks the camel's back. So to speak is the fact that the people say we're worshipping Yahweh and yet it makes no difference in their lives to the failures hear the Jeremiah looks that the people have rejected y'all way. They've replaced him with false gods their leaders are leading in the wrong direction and the people are totally fine with that and the fact that their worship makes no difference. Here's why I think the prophets matter today. Because those failures in God's people. I have a really hard time not seeing in the American Church.

Every single one of those the Jeremiah addresses I see in. Us in me in the American church, we have rejected and replace the god of the Bible

We have rejected. And replace the god of the Bible.

That should terrify us.

when we hear people say I can't believe in a God who?

We judge sin. when when we say I know it's wrong, but God will forgive me. When we say if I just have enough Faith got to give me what I want when we say God owes me this. We are not talking about the God of the Bible. We're talking about slot machine. God pull the handle enough times and you'll get a jackpot you get what you want. We're talking about chill Jesus Jesus. Who's okay with my sin and just wants to hang out with me. We're not talking about the God of the Bible we have by and large replaced. The unimaginably great Yahweh. With a God who makes us comfortable. If you are comfortable in the presence of God if there is no fear when you send you have replaced the god of the Bible with a god of your own imagining. Jeremiah says this is why God's judgment was coming on Judah.

Church, do you think we escaped? If we do the same thing.

money can be a replacement for God. That fat retirement accounts can be where you place your security.

That paycheck can be the source of your identity.

Not Yahweh. sex can replace God the pursuit of personal satisfaction that never-ending desire to have your needs met in your flesh gratified can be a substitute deity. comfort Can become Christ in your life?

You created God would never ask you to do something. That would push you beyond your comfort zone.

You imagine a deity? Who would make no claim? T the way you spend your days Fame popularity He's all of these things Church. We've replaced the god of the Bible with our desire for things that he would give us. In eternity, but we want them now.

And so we worship at the altar of social media and the stock markets and our Hobbies. and a god The Great I Am

Says to us would you return to me don't reject me. This is not an Old Testament vs. New Testament thing. We have a tendency to think because we're under the new, there's no need for us to respond in obedience to the holy and righteous God because we have his Spirit how we get a blank check on doing what he said. No. Go to revelation. Look at the churches that John addresses there and read the warnings unless you change your allegiance to these false gods churches unless you change unless you return Christ will come and remove his presents from among you. The church in America is dangerously close to being a church of Revelation.

Jeremiah has words for us to hear if only we would hear them.

He calls us come back to the truth. Come back to the God who is real nothing. God you created. Don't substitute your good ideas for the truth that he's revealed in his word. Israel

have leaders Do they put their trust in and do they gave permission to lead them away from Yahweh. The American church has done the same. You cannot jump on Facebook and not see this another story of a celebrity Pastor having an affair another story of a famous person in Christianity walking away from the faith. Another worship leader who has rejected Orthodoxy and embraced heresy time and time again, we see it because it's a church we've settled We settled for saying I don't have to live my face so long as there's this book by this guy that I can read and he's living his fate so long as there's this leader up on a pedestal who we can hold up and say look at isn't it? Great how he's following Jesus? And we set up these celebrities and said look we're strong. And when the celebrities fall were shocked, but the problem is we valued charisma. Over character we have been more enamored with somebody's communication ability. Then we have been with their personal Holiness. We've been so focused on whether or not they were qualified leaders and whether or not they were people that people wanted to follow with asking are they following Christ? And the celebrity culture is killing our church here in America.

Don't get it. Until I look at my own life. and I say

Yeah, yeah, that's what I do. I get so excited.

when a new book comes out

and I can read what the celebrity pastor had to say. And I neglect the word of God that's in front of me. I'm so concerned with what this person would have to say, but I don't care to go back and read what God Said. This is a Temptation for us to set up leaders and not ask are they leading us anywhere worth leading? Do they have leadership capabilities? They're hired. But we don't ask. Where is it that we're going here? If it is not towards greater obedience. If it is, not two more faithfulness in Christ, if the fruit of that leadership is sin. We have a problem if we chimed in and say that's okay. They're great leaders. That's okay people like them. That is problematic. You guys are so encouraging to your leaders here. I open my bullets and I saw something about Pastor appreciation month. Can I humbly beg you not to do anything for pastor appreciation month?

Because too often we've settled for this Christianity. It says the pastors are the real Christians. Let's appreciate them and yet I don't see nursery workers appreciation month. And I think that if we're going to have a teacher appreciation by the preacher appreciation month, we should have a nursery workers appreciation month and we should have a toilet cleaners appreciation month and we should have a humbly serving without Ever Getting Any recognition whatsoever never standing in front of people. Nobody knows their name appreciation month. The church is not about the pastor's. It's about Jesus. And I emphasize Jesus intentionally. This is his church. And we fall into the Trap. I'm not a celebrity never will be Bryant's not a celebrity. Well you kind of his to me. Richard's not a celebrity dance not a celebrity and yet we could fall into the same Chapel saying these are the ones whose gifts matter in the church. Let's just listen to them and let's focus on them. Know the vision that Christ has is that all of us would be following Jesus that I would exercise my gift which I mean you can disagree with me after today, but I think it's teaching. I think it's preaching.

But the church fails if you're not exercising your gifts. And to organize and orchestrate the church in such a way that the pastors are the ones held up is to me part and parcel of this problem that Jeremiah is calling a timeout when we set leaders up on a pedestal when we Elevate some gifts over others. We're in a spot where we got to be careful that we don't lose Jesus. but the final thing The final thing where I see the similarities between with the problem that Jeremiah is addressing and in the American church today. Their worship of Yahweh didn't make any difference in their lives. They could come to the temple and leave unchanged. This is where I worry for myself and I worry for the American Church. We have entire conference is dedicated to worship. We have entire weekends dedicated to coming and seeing some songs and getting some good feelings.

And then we walk out and ignore broken and hurting world around us.

Judah was called out because they were worshipping Yahweh and then walking out and taking advantage of widows and ignoring orphans and taking advantage of foreigners in their midst. They were being unjust for the sake of their own greed if that's not America. I don't know what it is. To benefit into profit from the backs of those who have no voice. To take advantage of the weak so that the powerful might gain. It sounds suspiciously like our culture. Here's what I want you to understand. I am so thankful for our worship team leading Us in songs every week, but I want you to hear and they would want you to hear singing songs is not the whole of worship. Part of it. Don't get me wrong. That's not the whole of it raising our hands.

Getting Goosebumps. When the song comes together just right.

that's not worship if it doesn't lead to transformation. worship is transformation worship is living a life that looks different from my non-Christian family members worship means that my social media interactions look different from the interactions of those who are not Christians worship means My conversations sound different than my non-Christian co-workers conversations worship means that the way I use my money is different from the way my non-Christian neighbor uses his money worship means that my life looks different not because I'm better. Then the non-Christian because Jesus changed me not because of anything in me, but because of who it is that I'm worshipping if we are worshipping than Monday through Sunday is affected not just Sunday morning. Or Jeremiah could stand outside of these doors today as we walk out and say goodonya worshiping Yahweh raising your hand singing some songs. Now, what is happening with the poor in your neighborhood? What is happening with the abused? In your community, where have you ever gone out of your way to meet the needs of those around you let alone those in the world around you.

This week in this was one of those deals that popped up on the radar. Threw it out there on Facebook. Just seeing who might come there was a simulcast from a guy named David Platt who could very easily be one of those celebrity preachers if we let him but he keeps refusing to let us do it. And he did the simulcast on the book that he had just written called something needs to change. And all of the money from the book anything that it makes as it sails is going directly to meeting the needs of people around the world to pay did this simulcast withitness was based out of a trip that he took to the Himalayas where he saw poverty. and need first-hand

and he he saw young girls being trafficked. For the desires of men he saw Injustice. He sawed deep spiritual need and if you haven't watched the simulcast, I would encourage you to do that. Okay, but what I want you to know, it's not just that there is a call to us. To let worship transform Our Lives not just our Sunday morning, but there are people whose example we can look to. There are people who are blazing this trail of saying yes, there is great need in the world. And yes, I'm willing to be used to meet it and he shared the story of just three one a couple in the Paw. At American man and his Nepalese wife who are sitting on the border of Nepal and India looking for girls being trafficked from Mountain Villages down to the cities of India. This couple has rescued their Ministry and it's it's a team effort. It's not like they're doing it on their own but this this ministry they've rescued 19000 girls and young boys from sex trafficking. Just one Christian couples that Jesus is Lord, and here's a need and I'm going to go meet it 19,000. If they've rescued that many how many others did they mess? They're still in need there. And then he interviewed a church planter could not be shown could not be named whose voice had to be the skies because he's planting churches in a country where it is illegal to do. So he is making disciples in the place where you died for proselytization. And they interviewed this guy and he says we we're seeing God do incredible things.

But aren't you afraid of death? No, not afraid of death. If I die I go to be with Jesus. If I live I get to declare the gospel and see Sinners repent and trust in him. Why would I be afraid? And this man has an option. He doesn't have to live in this context yet. He chooses to live in this context. I was reading an article this week and in the article, they quoted a lady from a closed country immigrated to the United States. And she came here and they were here for a couple months and she told her husband. I want to go back.

Because there is a satanic lullaby in the United States and the Christians here are sleepy and I'm getting sleepy too. I'll go back where I might die for being a Christian. Rather than stay here. We're being a Christian would make no difference.

Church These are the examples of our brothers and sisters around the world. Boldly putting their lives on the line boldly sacrificing their comfort that the couple in the Paul they're expecting their first born. Any day she's like 9 months. They weren't sure if they were actually going to be there for the simulcast because she could have gone down the labor and any moment they're saying I don't need to raise my kid in the US. My kid doesn't need all that stuff all that money all that privilege. I want to be where Jesus Is working where lives are being transformed?

Here's the problem though. Some of you look at your life and you like

I don't even know where Nepal is on a map. Let alone if I could live there.

I really don't think I'm called to learn another language and go overseas. You know what you might not be. But the definition of worship is still the same transformation. Now, here's the thing. It's going to keep us late and some of you might check the clock, but please don't. I want you to hear the story of the third couple. Did they interviewed on Wednesday night? I want you to see how it is that God moved in their lives. To let worship transform more than just Sunday.

All right, that's one more couple. I want to introduce you to tonight Andy and Melissa moon is a little different picture here with the younes. They actually live here in the United States down in Florida and Andy and his family owned and run a dental practice down there. So the humans don't live in Nepal or the Middle East they're right here, but that doesn't mean they're not affecting change in the world. So let's get them on Andy and Melissa. Are you there? It's good to see you guys. Hey, we're happy to be here. Alright, so listen, and I just told people that you are a dentist there actually in the dentist office right now. This is the time where you were happy to not be in the dentist office. Not that we don't love going to the dentist office. But anyway, just little background not just in in what you do but in a how God has lead been leading is leaving now and you guys to leverage your lives your family and your work for his glory in the world. 5 years ago we were living the American dream. We had all the worthy except apostrophe.

Until one day I'm driving to work and I'm praying to God and what do you want to do with our lives? And he asked me very simple question. You just asked me and what have you done with what I've given you and the reality was not much only for myself and my family also and Maitland call metal and I will repay all we need to give more than you receive. So we decided at that moment to use a picture of a music for best for live to give you Ministries both local and global. So, all right. So God leaves you guys say, okay, we have resources. We need to give then where to give how to go about that. Tell someone about how God LED you what kind of work I know when it comes to water. For example, the gospel just how God leads you to be a part of what he's doing around the world once they opened your eyes to the opportunity.

Carousel was about a year ago that we really became convicted about the physical needs in the world and we just began praying God. You know, what do you have for as what are you asking is if you and he made it very clear that it wasn't a matter of spreading the gospel or meeting physical needs. It was spreading the gospel and meeting physical needs and not really letting you the Water Crisis in the world and just all the people who are dying from preventable diseases. So we became involved with us what our ministry who work with local pass Earth and the identify areas of need and we've been able to financially help provide while or families in Uganda entire tribes there or old and Cambodia and hand washing stations and also by Hurricane shelters for individual families in Nepal.

I like I like cuz I'm thinking about this. I just want to make sure we're getting the picture here is a couple of family with kids in South Florida. Whose lives are having a massive impact on communities in Uganda and Nepal and Cambodia. From from their dental practice. So we we want you guys to know and I personally want you to know how grateful I am for God's grace in you and the the picture you guys are giving us. And so we actually contacted the water Ministry that you guys worked with and said, hey, we know that you have been doing something. Can we get on the action? And so we are going to come alongside one of those projects to specifically in Northern Chad among unreached people groups there. So there's a pastor there who is going in unreached people groups there in the Sahara unreached drive to and he's using water making clean water available through Wells to open doors for the gospel. And so I actually think we have a picture of the pastor. So this is the pastor right here and knows here's the best fart so he gay Score the first believer to come to Jesus in this one particular try but he's going on with this water fixture sharing the gospel. Somebody comes to Jesus the first guy who comes to Jesus says what I need to be baptized while they're in the Sahara. And so what they do is they dug a hole in the sand put a tarp in and then took water from the well and there it is. He's being baptized. so so I just want you guys to know that we're going to be part of the results of just disability and I saying we want to be part of change alongside you guys three projects like that in Northern. Thank you guys.

Thank you for sparing us on Earth. I pray for you guys and innocence. And now I pray for all of us God we pray we pray.

Thank you for thank you for the grace. You've given us. Thank you for the grace of giving to you and thank you for good Dentistry. To your glory just think about faces on simulcast all over the place all the different unique just Grace opportunities. You've given us we praise you for your grace and each of Our Lives not one of us. He doesn't have Jamie Grace. You've given us every single one of us for the younger same thing about students. I've heard it's already after reading this book. I think it through ideas to work to wear their parents to do this or that are on their own. Please, please cause Call sausage for people to take the grace. You've given us into stewarded. Maximally For Your Glory and oral aversion. Dre for Northern Shad. We pray for these projects in Cambodia. And you're gone to Nepal. We pray for the spread of the Gospel. They are we pray that people would live with clean water if you want to live for eternity through living water, and we would spend all of our Lives blessed Beginnings us toward that we break these things in Jesus name. Amen.

You didn't have a lot of the context, but I hope you got the point.

Doesn't matter where you are. What kind of resources you have some of you have wealth some of you have not wealth? Some of you have incredible freedom of time. Some of you are incredibly busy. Some of you have families. That's your primary Ministry some of you have nobody.

And maybe God is saying use that for me to here's the thing. I don't want you to hear me today saying Church. Let's not follow the path of Judah in rejecting our god. Let's not follow the path of Judah in following leaders that don't lead us to Christ. Let's not follow the path of Judah and not allowing our worship to Transformers. I want you to hear me say that but I don't want you to hear just me to say that we all do that the same way they were all supposed to go sit on the border of Nepal and India. They were all supposed to go be Church Planters in the Middle East. I don't think we are. But we're all supposed to do something. Our worship has to transform Us in some way or another.

Or we've missed something along the way and so my question to you today is and and for just for the sake of time and because I feel this is the way the Lord is leading. I'm going to skip the second half of my sermon.

Stuff for each of us today. The question is if Christ has changed us and that's that's the hope for Israel to hope for Judah is the hope for us that there is coming a king. Who would change the world? Did this new king who would come from Jeremiah's perspective looking ahead from our perspective looking back that this king would begin to transform men and women from selfish Pursuits into pursuing the glory of God and the good of their fellow man. That's the second part of Jeremiah in spite of God's judgement. Look what he's going to do. Well, he did it and he sent Jesus in Jesus died on a cross take the punishment for our sins. So that our lives can be renewed in our lives going to have purpose and meaning and frankly. I cannot imagine a more depressing scenario than the meaning of my life would be that I die comfortable. Where did I have money to do with what I want or that my family is always next door if that's what my life means. I don't want my life. But if my life could be given for the cause of Christ and could change the life for 19000. Young boys and girls if my life could bring the life-changing gospel to people who never heard. It didn't know they needed it. But now they want nothing more if my life could be given so that the money that I receive is not mine, but it is seen as something that God has given me to steward. To make a difference in the world my life all of a sudden looks a whole lot different and a whole lot more desirable. So if you're here this morning, and you are a Christ Christ follower. I want you to know that your life means so much more than what's your culture tells you it means your life has a purpose that is unimaginable to a world that says I want money Comfort Fame. You life has a purpose that reaches beyond the grave to life forever and it's going to look different for each of us. And here's the thing if you are a Christ follower when you say I want to know how my life can impact the world. I want to know how my life can make a change, but I don't know where to start. Let me encourage you to do something. Give me a call this week. Give Brian to call this week. Give Dan a call this week and say look. I want my life to make a difference. I want to be a part of worship that transforms not just worship that fills my Sunday morning.

Could you help me and here's what here's what we'll do. We'll sit down with you and say hi. What are you good at? What is it that you find joy in what resources has has God given you all right. Now, let's take that and then let's look at the world and I guarantee you every single one of you has gifts and abilities every single one of you has resources unique to you that God says I want this to make a difference in the world and will together track it down David Platt reference the verse when he was thanking the un's for what they were doing just going about their lives. I mean, that's what they're doing. He was a dentist before you still at dentist. He's just taking his profits and let's get water to people that need it. Let's get the gospel the people that need it. What did he say? He said thank you for sparing us on he was quoting scripture there. We're told that is Christ followers Were Meant to Spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let's do that together. Let's agree together to let worship be something that takes place Sunday to Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday, because we want to make a difference in the world. It's kill a different for each of us, but let's explore it together. If you are not a Christ following your sitting here this morning what I'm afraid you may have heard me say is just do more good and God will love you. Now that's not how it worked. Israel showed up to worship Israel showed up to sing Israel showed up to do all those things they even did some good deeds. At the end of Jeremiah were told about a situation where the king commanded the people free all your slaves.

And Jeremiah says will you freedom but then you went back and took him back anyways. Your good deeds are like that one step forward two steps back. Look at this. Good thing. I did look at these couple bad things. I did. Your good deeds won't save you Jesus saves you this Messiah this coming King saves You by taking the punishment you deserved and then Rising like you couldn't from the grave he offers you a new life. And if you are not a price floor, but you want to know more about that. I'd encourage you to reach out to one of the pastors. Our numbers are on the back of the bulletin. So if you're a Christ follower and you don't know what it is or how God would use you to make a difference in the world sit down with one of us this week. Would love to help you find that if you're not a Christ follower, but you want to know how you could have meaning and purpose for your life. The transcends it. Get in touch with us this week. Would love to talk with church. We want to respond in Worship in so I'm going to just pray for us real quick. The worship team is going to come we're going to sing a song and that song will end but our worship won't because we're going to go out of these doors and we're going to make a difference in the world because Jesus gives us Grace and that's for our good and for the good of those around us. Let's pray.