Jeremiah Cracked Cisterns

(S1) — Why would anyone take something of value and exchange it for something worthless?

Boy/trade up/Marbles/Gi Joes

Goal was always to trade up…

Why would anyone trade the good for the bad? Good marriage/One night stand — Good health/sickness/disease — Good life, exchange it for pig squaler — Good Job/Jail

FDA Speaker — Jump suit — One decision away

(S2) — Jeremiah’s message Israel… God’s indictment, accusing them of exchanging the good for the bad

Jeremiah 2:11 (NLT)

Prophet margins — How they went from a faithful nation to an idolatrous people

Allegory — Parable — Something familiar to teach a lesson

Hosea — Marriage: Devoted relationship to an adulterous one

Isaiah — Yielding luscious fruit...to producing only wild grapes...

Jeremiah — Mother’s womb/Intimacy of God’s call…to be overtake by their enemies

Today Jeremiah takes us from life-sustaining wells of ever-flowing water to cracked cisterns that only run dry.

The people had known the goodness of God — Abundance,, provision, life-sustaining relationship. But they traded it all for, what was meaningless.

Romans 1:22-23 “Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.”

How did they get there? Marriage: A flourishing Relationship...

Jeremiah 2:1-3 I remember...

The early years of Israel’s history, the people were, for the most part, devoted and faithful to the LORD. Their deliverance from Egypt up through the wilderness wanderings. As a youthful nation, the people did at times slip away from God, murmuring, complaining, and committing acts of wickedness. But they soon confessed and repented of their sins, turning back to the LORD.

Their backsliding never lasted long and they never deliberately or recklessly tried to corrupt the way of righteousness that was spelled out by God’s commandments.

During these years Israel was like a bride who loved the LORD and followed Him wherever He led (v. 2). Israel was holy, set apart to be God’s pure and righteous people (v. 3; Ex. 19:1–20:26). Israel was chosen to be the first body of people—to follow, worship, and serve the LORD. Jeremiah-I (Chapters 1–29) (King James Version) (A. The Lord’s Indictment against His People, 2:1–3:5)

From being devoted — Faithful — Loving — Trusting to seeking only other Gods

Two questions — Why did they get there — Why do the faithful today fall away from a relationship with God?

“A growing group in America: “religious nones.” This group describes themselves as “nothing in particular” when asked if they identify with a specific religious group. The vast majority are ex-Christians, and most are under the age of 35.”

Look around, who do you know who is not here?

Notice theirs was not an abrupt turning away they slowly drifted away...

Marriage’s don’t go bad overnight...

Series — Prophet Margins

(S) — Two accusation levied against them...

Jeremiah 2:13 (NLT)

“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all

Jeremiah 2:5 “They worshiped worthless idols, only to become worthless themselves.”

They traded what was VALUABLE for what had no value. What was meaningful for what what was meaningless. In their forgetting, they stopped worshipping — replaced God with worthless things.

Jesus tempted in the wilderness...

Luke 4:8 “Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and Him only him.’””

To forget, is to replace it with something else. To trade our devotion to one thing to another.

Tic Tok — Make a fortune on social media — Girls in Savanah taking selfies

Living on dried up wells

Matthew 6:33 “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

Like a slow leak in a tire you can drive it for a while, but eventually you end up on the side of the road.

I. Become more GRATEFUL

Give thanks in all things — Count your blessings — Express it often

II. Check your DISTANCE from God

Drink from the well that brings LIFEJesus is the living water who has came to bring life...

“Someone who engages the Bible 4 or more times a week is”

407% more likely to memorize scripture

228% more likely to share faith with others

59% less likely to view pornography

30% less likely to struggle with loneliness.

IV. Do it all for God’s GLORY not yours

Give PRAISE to whom its deserved. Give CREDIT to the one who rescued you.

Pursue what has eternal meaning over what will not last.

They had stopped listening, which lead to their infidelity — lack of devotion, love, trust, adoration, God’s abundance and protection

They went after what had no eternal benefit…things that won’t last…meaningless

Matthew 6:19 “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.”

They were trying to fill broken cisterns of their human soul with things that always needed replenishing...

This is a never ending life of seeking and never finding what satisfies: Success — Fortune — Unhealthy relationships —

Our Amway business

They had strayed so far, that they became what thy pursued — Apart from God and all the blessings…exchanging the good for the bad

If you have ever had something so good, why would you ever want to go without it?

Would we ever trade what is good for what is bad? Not on purpose…it happens over time

Truth is we are all broken cisterns. On our own we will run dry — WE LEAK — Why we need Jesus

(S) — What they had...

Jeremiah 2:7 (NLT)

“And when I brought you into a fruitful land to enjoy its bounty and goodness, you defiled my land and corrupted the possession I had promised you.

God’s presence (protection) — Provision (Abundance/plentiful — Goodness

They had all the virtues of Eden — Exchanged it all for...

(S) — How? What did that look like?

Jeremiah 2:8–9 (NLT)

WE LEAK

Hole in my bucket...

Because of sin, we are broken cisterns — unless we are intentional about pursuing Jesus who is the living water, the well will always run dry!

“I don’t think there’s a believer out there who hasn’t felt an unnerving disconnect from the Lord. It leaves us feeling anxious and sad. It can have us unsure, unsettled, and empty.” Val Marie

(S) — Why we need Jesus, His Word,