Tuesday May 5, 2015

Read Jeremiah 7:16-8:3

People in churches across our land put their confidence in religion rather than in their relationship with the living Lord Jesus Christ. As we saw yesterday, that confidence could be in their attendance at church, in their giving, their partaking of the Lord’s Supper/ communion, their performance as a church member and so on. Unfortunately, the mark of false confidence is the belief that one can continue to sin unhindered because one has that confidence. Genuine belief in Jesus leads to genuine and heartfelt repentance where as false confidence does not.

The Lord our God gives us a corrective on the situation. In verse 19 He declares

But am I the one they are provoking? declares the Lord. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame?

Then He goes on to declare that judgement is surely coming for their false confidence. We read these terrifying words in Jeremiah 7:20 (NIV84)

‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: My anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and on the fruit of the ground, and it will burn and not be quenched.

The situation today is no different. The people who put false confidence in their religion will face the judgement of the Lord unless they repent. But here’s the beauty of the situation. When these people repent and believe in Jesus for their salvation they are freed from the need to perform or to seek confidence in anything.

By believing Jesus for salvation we are freed from the need to reach a certain level of performance to guarantee our salvation. We are freed from the need to act in a certain way to ensure we are saved. We are freed from the need to give a certain amount of money to shore up our salvation. We realise that things like attendance at church, actions and religion performance can do NOTHING to assure our salvation. Our salvation comes only from believing in Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and rose to life for our justification.

Such belief in Jesus leads to a life of genuine confidence - a confidence that God loves me and will never remove His love. By placing our faith in Jesus we can declare with Paul the Apostle

Romans 8:38–39 (NIV84)

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

With such love and confidence I can give of myself in wholehearted love and devotion. I can serve beyond my human ability. I can give sacrificially. I can live for God in every area of my life. I can climb the highest mountains and cross the deepest and darkest valleys. I can surrender all to the flames. I can lay down my life for the blessing of others.

Genuine belief in Jesus leads to a life of genuine confidence.

Prayer Points:

Using today’s Bible passage and reading notes spend time in adoration, confession, thanks and supplication.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Ask the Lord to bring great blessing to the MOPS/ Playpals ministry that runs at ChristLife Church each Wednesday. Pray that many families would find the love of Christ through these ministries and that we would see these ministries grow and reach even more families.

· Pray that the work of Shiloh Church Ministries in India would continue to reach more and more people and that they would have adequate resources to continue their work.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Confidence in religion leads to a life of hidden sin and half hearted service. Why is this?

2. Confidence in Jesus’ work at Calvary  leads to a life of radical service and other centeredness. Why is this?

3. How can you grow the right kind of confidence in your family, cell and church?

                          P r e p a r a t i o n f o r C e l l

Read this week’s passage and jot down any problems or issues that come to mind about the passage, it’s application or meaning to you and/or your church.

                             O n Y o u r O w n

Key Words/Phrases                          Jeremiah 7-10

Use this space to write down and define key words/phrases. Look for repetition and biblical themes from other parts of the Bible.

                       P r e p a r a t i o n f o r C e l l

After your cell has met, jot down the solutions you found having studied the passage together.

                                   P r a y e r

Prayer:

How does this passage lead you to pray in terms of

Adoration: Confession Thanks Supplication:

Non Believers to be Praying for

              C e l l G r o u p - D i g g i n g D e e p e r .

The Passage:      Read Jeremiah 7-10

Before Cell, complete the ‘On Your Own’ section on the next page. Describe the context of this passage?

List the key words/phrases and what they mean? Use the next page

How does chapter 7:1-8:3 relate to the previous section, chapters 2-6?

As we consider chapter 7-8:3, what was the major issue God had with the people?

In chapter 8:3-9:26, 8:4 and 9:13 are key verses. Describe what the people were doing that incensed the Lord to such anger?  What was the outcome of their actions?

In chapter 10 God is compared to the idols. How are the idols described/ How is God described?

Why is this comparison here in chapter 10?

In Jeremiah 7:1-8:3 we saw that the people of God were trusting in their religion. How might churches do that today?

In Jeremiah 8:4-9:26 we saw that the people of God were trusting in the Law. How might churches do that today?

In chapter 10 we saw that the people of God were trusting in idols. How might churches do that today?

If a church can’t trust in religion, the Law or idols, what should it trust in?

Given all that you have learnt from Jeremiah 7-10, what is the message given to your church from this passage?

Describe one practical thing you can take away from this passage that gives you stamina in terms of maintaining your ministry and calling. Think of your

head heart hands