Jeremiah's Letter - 9/6/09pm

Jeremiah 29:1-3 -The letter containing God’s word that Jeremiah sent

Jeremiah 29:4 -The Lord had caused the exile to be
The Lord is in control, and all has gone by His plan
A reminder that though they are in captivity, they are still God’s people
Job 42:1-6 -Job realizes God’s plans cannot be stopped, and that God’s way are greater

Jeremiah 29:5-9 -Build houses, do not listen to false prophets
They are going to be in exile for a while, so get used to it
Turn to the Lord in prayer, seek peace
Do not heed the many false prophets
I John 4:1-6 -Test the spirits

Jeremiah 29:10-14 -Exile will end after 70 years, and the people will turn to God
Things will continue to go as God has planned, even to when they will leave exile
The exile will cause the people to turn back to God, as they should have done from the beginning
Acts 26:19-23 -God wants all to turn to Him

Jeremiah 29:15-20 -Because the people have turned to others, those remaining will face trials
Because they still have not turned to God, but rather to the false prophets, punishment will continue in Jerusalem as well as in Babylon
They had ignored God’s prophets to listen to false prophets
Romans 1:20-25 -Reject the truth for a lie

Jeremiah 29:21-23 -The problem of false prophets
Two false prophets are singled out and condemned by God
They will become a curse, taken up by all of Israel
II Peter 2:1-3, 12-22 -As there were false prophets, there will be false teachers

Jeremiah 29:24-28 -Shemaiah is rebuked for not heeding prophets
Shemaiah had written letters telling Zephaniah the priest to put Jeremiah in prison with others who are “demented”
Shemaiah seems to blame Jeremiah for the captivity
I Peter 3:13-17 -Live so that shame comes on those who revile

Jeremiah 29:29-32 -Shemaiah’s house to be cursed, never to see the good that the Lord will do
Zephaniah had shared the letter with Jeremiah
The Lord will punish and destroy the house of Shemaiah for teaching rebellion
The Lord will do good things for His people
Matthew 25:31-46 -The sheep and the goats

Will you be one of the sheep who will see the good that God does for His people? Or will you be like Shemaiah who rejected what God had to say, and so was accursed?

A Man of Perseverance - 8/30/09pm

Matthew 10:22 -He who endures to the end will be saved

Jeremiah 1:1-19 -Jeremiah introduced and called. God gives him the message to preach
Covers a period of about 40 years
Young people can serve the Lord and valuable in His work
Jeremiah was to only preach/teach what was given Him
Jeremiah was not given a message that was going to be well liked

Jeremiah 8:4-22 -God’s indictment of Judah
Judah’s false wisdom and false piety
Judah’s complacent “peace”
Judah’s idolatry
Judah will be destroyed

Jeremiah 9:1-2 -Jeremiah’s sad response
Jeremiah does not rejoice at the destruction of his people
Jeremiah often referred to as the “weeping prophet”

Jeremiah 18:11-18 -Hearing God’s word, the people plot to slander and ignore Jeremiah
The people are called to repent and are condemned for their sin
They do not like this, so plot to see that Jeremiah is not heard

Jeremiah 18:19-23 -Jeremiah prays to God
Jeremiah had said what God wanted said
Jeremiah is willing to let them be judged accordingly

Jeremiah 28:1-17 -Jeremiah contends with Hananiah
Hananiah falsely prophesied peace and safety to Jerusalem, telling the king what he wanted to hear
Jeremiah stated the will of God
Hananiah, stating what people wanted to hear, died
Jeremiah, stating what was distasteful to people but pleasing to God, lived

Jeremiah 38:1-13 -Jeremiah is thrown into a pit, rescued by
Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian
Jeremiah’s life is sought by the princes of Jerusalem, and is cast into a pit
Jeremiah is rescued by one who is not a Jew

Jeremiah 38:14-28 -Jeremiah continues to preach until Jerusalem is captured
Jeremiah did not let previous events stop him, but continued to speak what the Lord had spoken