Finding Courage in the midst of Chaos

Introduction

Good morning Church! As everyone well knows if you’ve watched the news at all, this last week has been one of the most chaotic weeks I can ever remember in my life. There were protests and riots taking place all across our nation. There was looting of businesses, burning of shops and police stations and police cars, there was vandalism of public property, there was violence and even murder in some places. And if that weren’t enough, we’re still dealing with the effects of the coronavirus plaguing our land as well!

To date, 2020 has to go down in history as one of the most chaotic years in history! The year started off with a bang and hasn’t slowed down since! And by the looks of things, it has no intentions of slowing down either! With the election coming up in November, there is bound to be even more chaos as we get closer!

And so as I began to ask God what he’d have me preach on this week, the Holy Spirit led me here to Jeremiah Chapter 1 and as I began to read through the background on Jeremiah and then the first chapter, I began to see the bigger picture that I feel God wants us to realize! And that bigger picture is this…in a world that is full of chaos, there is a way to find courage and be bold for God!

I want to make a statement this morning as we get into the message here and I’d like for you to write this statement down somewhere and take it with you wherever you go.

“As a born again child of God, I am invincible until God’s mission for me is complete!”

And the next time this world or the devil or your peers try to tear you down or break you down and tell you that you’re not good enough or worthy enough and that you are a failure you look them straight in the eye and say, “I am a born again child of God and therefore I am invincible until God’s mission for me is complete!”

And if we can know that we’re not going to leave this place one second before God is ready for us to, we should live fearlessly this morning Church and in turn be able to Find Courage in the midst of Chaos!

Now, i f you’re wondering how I can say all this in confidence this morning it’s because God said it to Jeremiah right here Chapter 1! And that’s what I want us to look at here today. If you have your Bible’s turned to Jeremiah Chapter 1 say “Amen”.

The Origination — (Vs. 1-3)

"Jeremiah" — means "exalted of the Lord" or "established by the Lord."

The prophet Jeremiah was the son of a priest named Hilkiah. This fact tells us that since Jeremiah’s father was a priest that they were from the tribe of Levi which was the priestly tribe. What this also meant was that as soon as Jeremiah was of age he would also become a priest and begin performing his priestly duties.

Little did he know though that God had other plans! God wasn’t content with just allowing Jeremiah to make atonement for the sins of the people but rather He had plans for Jeremiah to go out and turn the people from sins! As a priest, Jeremiah would have more than likely stayed in a certain place and performed the same duties day in and day out but God had a different plan set aside for Jeremiah! He wanted him to go out to all the people and tell them that judgment was coming because of their wickedness! He wasn’t content with simply allowing people to come to Jeremiah for the word, He wanted Jeremiah to take the word out to them!

The Bible also tells us here that Jeremiah was from the town of "Anathoth"

Anathoth was what is known as a priestly city, a city that had been set aside by Joshua for the priests and their families (Josh. 21:15-19). Thus Jeremiah was born and reared among the families of other priests in a village on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Anathoth was only about three miles northeast of the capital Jerusalem, which means that Jeremiah would have been very familiar with the political world that swirls around a capital city government.

The Bible then tells us that Jeremiah started his ministry in the "thirteenth year" of Josiah the king of Israel and ministered during the rest of the reign of Josiah and also during the reigns of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah sons of Josiah. Zedekiah was the last king of Judah before being taken into captivity by the Babylonians.

Two kings not mentioned were Jehoahaz (a son of Josiah who followed his father on the throne) and Jehoiachin (a grandson of Josiah, and son of Jehoiakim). They both reigned only about three months each which could be why they weren’t listed here.

As I just mentioned, Jeremiah's ministry continued until the great captivity of Judah by the Babylonians. So all in all, his ministry lasted approximately forty years.

Now that we have a little information about Jeremiah’s Origination, next let’s look in Verses 4-5 at his Ordination.

The Ordination — (Vs. 4-5)

There are 4 statements that God makes here to Jeremiah that I want to stop and look at for just a moment because they give us some very important details about the God we serve this morning! And when you understand these all important details, it should help us find courage in this time of chaos! First off, these 4 statements....

A. They speak to the Sovereignty of God — “I formed the & I knew thee”

Isaiah 43:1 — But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.

2 Timothy 2:19a — Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his.

1 Corinthians 8:3 — But if any man love God, the same is known of him.

Nahum 1:7 — The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.

B. They speak to the Sanctifying Power of God — “I sanctified thee & ordained (appointed) thee”

1 Peter 1:3-5 — 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Jude 1:1, 24-25 — 1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Philippians 1:6 — Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Romans 8:28-31 — 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Psalm 37:23-24 — 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

The Rationalization — (Vs. 6)

God does call the equipped, He equips the called!

The Affirmation — (Vs. 7-8)

Vs. 7

Psalm 103:14 — For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

1 Corinthians 10:13 — There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Vs. 8

Hebrews 13:5b-6b — 5b I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6b The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Matthew 28:20b — lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Isaiah 54:17 — No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

The Dispensation & Exaltation — (Vs. 9-10)

Vs. 9

Luke 12:11-12 — 11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: 12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

Philippians 4:19 — But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Vs. 10

He tells Jeremiah here that He has exalted him over everyone and that his job is to cleanse and reconstruct!

Isaiah 43:10-13 (NASB) — 10 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. 11 "I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me. 12 "It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And I am God. 13 "Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?"

Isaiah 40:21-24 (NKJV) — 21 Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. 23 He brings the princes to nothing; He makes the judges of the earth useless. 24 Scarcely shall they be planted, Scarcely shall they be sown, Scarcely shall their stock take root in the earth, When He will also blow on them, And they will wither, And the whirlwind will take them away like stubble.

The Education — (Vs. 11-16)

Vs. 11-12

God sends Jeremiah a vision and then asks him what he sees. He replies that he sees a rod of an almond tree. Then God responds by saying, “you have well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.”

There are a few different explanations what this actually means but I’m going to give you what I believe God is saying to Jeremiah here. You see the almond tree was the first of the fruit and nut trees that would blossom coming out of winter and so when Jeremiah sees a rod “branch” of an almond tree here and then follows it up by saying, “you have well seen for I will hasten my word to perform it,” I believe he’s saying to Jeremiah, as spring is just around the corner when the almond trees begin to bud, judgment is just around the corner for the sins of my people! Jeremiah I am about to pour out my wrath upon my people Israel for their backslidden and whoremonging ways!

And this explanation makes even more sense to me because of what God says next to Jeremiah in Verses 13-15.

Vs. 13-15

The Bible says that God sent Jeremiah a second vision and this time it was a “seething pot” which is a caldron of boiling water with it’s face toward the north. God then explains to Jeremiah that He is going to use forces from the North to come and destroy Judah because of their wicked and rebellious ways!

During this time period, Assyria which lie directly to the North had been overcome by the Babylonians along with some other forces but this was the beginning of what would become the Great Babylonian Empire.

Vs 16

God tells Jeremiah why this is going to happen to the people of Judah. Because of their wickedness, their burning incense to false gods, the worshiping of their own works and their forsaking of the One, True God, He states that His judgments will be poured out against them!

Can you imagine young Jeremiah as God is pouring out His plan to him? I’m sure at this point he’s scared to death! God you’re really wanting me to go tell these people all this?

I’m just a nobody. I’m still wet behind the ears and am just now getting ready to learn all the ways of the priesthood and here you are wanting me to go tell all these people they’re living wrong and your wrath is about to be poured out upon them?

I can only imagine that Jeremiah’s insides were probably quivering! I know if God had of spoken to me like that at 20 years old I would of been! I’d probably still be now at 34 to be honest with you!

So we see God’s Education of Jeremiah. Now let’s look in Verse 17 at God’s Consolation to Jeremiah.

The Consolation — (Vs. 17)

By God telling Jeremiah to gird up his loins, what He in effect was saying was, “get up and get ready!” It’s time! Go tell everyone I’ve commanded you to! Then God says something to Jeremiah here that should of started easing some of his anxiety and fear… he says, “be not dismayed at their faces.”

Can you imagine the faces Jeremiah got when he began pronouncing the message God had laid on his heart?

I’m sure he probably got some of the same faces I get in this pulpit from time to time when I preach on something that you’re not to fond of! I’d love to have one of those go-pro cameras strapped to my head looking out at y’all when get to preaching on something like tithing!

I believe you’d even be surprised at the faces you make! I mean sometimes I’ll be right in the middle of a message and one of you make a face and I’m like...I didn’t even know faces could move like that!

But God says, “Jeremiah don’t get scared and run away when they start looking at you funny, ok?”

Then God gives him some Inspiration and Invigoration in Verses 18-19.

The Inspiration & Invigoration — (Vs. 18 - 19)

Listen friend, I believe up to this point old Jeremiah was probably shaking in his boots but after God gives him this word of encouragement here I believe he was like Keaton yesterday and he was dancing in those boots!

What greater word of encouragement could you ask for than this right here?!

God tells Jeremiah, “I have made you a defenced city, an iron pillar and brasen walls against the whole land!” Nothing and no one shall be able to penetrate you! If I am for you, no one shall be able to stand against you Jeremiah!

Then notice the verbiage God uses here…Kings, Princes, Priests and people of the land…no one, no matter of their status or stature will be able to hurt you because you are mine and I have a mission for you to complete!

Notice God tells Jeremiah here, “they shall fight against thee!” That’s scary isn’t it? But do you realize this same message is still relevant today! If you go out here in this evil world I can guarantee you that you will have some who will fight against you but I want to follow it up the same way God did to Jeremiah…but they shall not prevail against you for I am with thee to deliver thee!

I don’t know about you but when I begin to ponder on the thought that the God of all creation is on my side and no matter what this world throws at me I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, man I feel invincible!

We should be encouraged this morning to know that with God all things are possible and that no evil whatsoever shall prevail against us as long as our mission for him isn’t complete!

You can find courage in the midst of chaos this morning friend by realizing that if God be for you, then no one and nothing can come against you and prevail for Jehovah is on your side and will deliver you!