Sermon Title: Just Wanted A Cosigner!

This Week’s Theme: Christians Are Called to Be Honest with the LORD

This Week’s Word is Hypocrisy: An outward pretence, masking an inner reality.

Memory Verse: Titus 1:16 “They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”

Essence of the Text in a Sentence: When faced with two choices, the remnant of Judah ask Jeremiah to pray to the LORD for them, only to reject the answer they received.

Sermon Proposition: When faced with choices, every Christian should honestly seek the LORD through prayer and submit to His way.

Sermon Objective: I want those in attendance to acknowledge and turn from their need for God to give them what they want.

INTRODUCTION: WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE! DECISION DAY! WHAT TO EAT. WHERE TO GO! WHAT TO DO? DAVID AND HIS MIGHTY MEN FOUND THEMSELVES IN THIS PLACE.

TRANSITION:

Sermon Text: Jeremiah 42

Jeremiah 42:1–6 NKJV

1 Now all the captains of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near 2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see), 3 that the Lord your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do.” 4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard. Indeed, I will pray to the Lord your God according to your words, and it shall be, that whatever the Lord answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you.” 5 So they said to Jeremiah, “Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God sends us by you. 6 Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”

I. DO YOU SEEK DIRECTION?

Jeremiah 42:2; Proverbs 3:5-6;

Jeremiah 42:1–2 NKJV

1 Now all the captains of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people, from the least to the greatest, came near 2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please, let our petition be acceptable to you, and pray for us to the Lord your God, for all this remnant (since we are left but a few of many, as you can see),

Explain: DON’T YOU SEE IT THAT THESE LEFT OVER HEBREWS, THEY DID THEY RIGHT THING THE SOUGHT DIRECTION FROM GOD. LIKE DAVID AND HIS MIGHTY MEN WHO FOUND THEMSELVES IN VARIOUS SITUATIONS. THESE PEOPLE RESPONDED BY ASKING THE LORD FOR DIRECTION. THEY TOOK PROVERBS 3:5-6 AND LIVED IT OUT

Proverbs 3:5–6 NKJV

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

R

LEAN ON THE LORD

LOOK TO THE LORD

THE WANTED TO KNOW SHOULD THE RUN TO EGYPT OR REMAIN IN JUDAH

TODAY YOU MAY BE FACING THE DECISION

TO SAY YES OR NO

TO GO LEFT OR RIGHT

TO STOP OR GO

TO TRUST OR DOUBT

What has been your approach to making decisions?

Prove your approach with scripture.

Because Christ has provided Christians with an approach to decision making, how will you use the Word of God to change your mindset, feelings, and actions toward making decisions?

II. DO YOU SHOW DETERMINATION ?

Jeremiah 42:5-6; Proverbs 4:27; James 1:5-6; 1 Corinthians 15:58;

Jeremiah 42:5–6 NKJV

5 So they said to Jeremiah, “Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God sends us by you. 6 Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”

Explain: [know this about God / know this about man]

Proverbs 4:27 NKJV

27 Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

James 1:5–6 NKJV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

1 Corinthians 15:58 NKJV

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Apply: [embrace this about God / embrace this about man]

Illustrate: [show an example of one who knows and loves God’s Word, Will, and Ways]

Name the times and the ways you are not steadfast in following God?

III. DO YOU SHOW DISTRUST?

Jeremiah 42:10-22; 43:2-4; 17:9-10; 6:13-14; Titus 1:16: Jeremiah 41:17-18; 22:21; Proverbs 30:12; 14:12;

Explain: THE DAY CAME. THE ANSWER FROM THE LORD CAME 10 DAYS LATER. JEREMIAH GATHER EVERYONE TOGETHER. HERE IS THE ANSWER, STAY HERE.

REMAIN AND LIVE

Jeremiah 42:10–12 NKJV

10 ‘If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up. For I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought upon you. 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,’ says the Lord, ‘for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand. 12 And I will show you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and cause you to return to your own land.’

RUN AND DIE

Jeremiah 42:13–14 NKJV

13 “But if you say, ‘We will not dwell in this land,’ disobeying the voice of the Lord your God, 14 saying, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor be hungry for bread, and there we will dwell’—

Jeremiah 42:16–17 NKJV

16 then it shall be that the sword which you feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; the famine of which you were afraid shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there you shall die. 17 So shall it be with all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to dwell there. They shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. And none of them shall remain or escape from the disaster that I will bring upon them.’

SEEMS SIMPLE, FOLLOW GOD, RIGHT. CHRISTIAN HUSBANDS, JUST FOLLOW GOD. WIVES JUST FOLLOW GOD. JUST DO WHAT HE SAYS, RIGHT. CHILDREN, WORKERS, FRIENDS

LOOK AT THEIR ANSWER Jer 43:2-3

Jeremiah 43:2–3 NKJV

2 that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, “You speak falsely! The Lord our God has not sent you to say, ‘Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.’ 3 But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon.”

BUT THE LORD DIAGNOSIS BEFORE Jer 42:20

Jeremiah 42:20–21 NKJV

20 For you were hypocrites in your hearts when you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord your God says, so declare to us and we will do it.’ 21 And I have this day declared it to you, but you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, or anything which He has sent you by me.

Jeremiah 17:9–10 NKJV

9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

Track record of not hearing

Jeremiah 22:21 NKJV

21 I spoke to you in your prosperity, But you said, ‘I will not hear.’ This has been your manner from your youth, That you did not obey My voice.

They think that they are right. Look at Prov 30:12

Proverbs 30:12 NKJV

12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness.

Proverbs 14:12 NKJV

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Jeremiah 6:13–14 NKJV

13 “Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely. 14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace.

Titus 1:16 NKJV

16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.

Jeremiah 41:17–18 NKJV

17 And they departed and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, as they went on their way to Egypt, 18 because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had murdered Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor in the land.

Illustrate: [show an example of one who knows and loves God’s Word, Will, and Ways]

This passage communicates God attribute of ALL-KNOWING, how have you shown people around you that you believe that God is ALL-KNOWING and you are not? How do you show this at home, on the job, in the community?

Because Christ has provided Christians with the tools to please God, how will you use the Word of God, His Spirit, and His people to change your mindset toward wanting Him to do your will?

Conclusion: A concluding statement to recapture interest (a reason to remember).

Restatement of main idea and summary of main points so that the listeners will respond (specific action or attitude change) to God’s will.

Respond to God’s Message by

Committing Your Way to the LORD

Resting in the Lord

Waiting on/for the LORD

Delighting in God

Trusting God

Road map to biblical transformation:

Renew your mind concerning misleading, deceitful, or hypocritical speech.

Jeremiah 9:5 “5 Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity.”

Jeremiah 17:9 “9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?”

Jeremiah 17:10 “10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.”