Read Jeremiah 21:1-10
Many churches today preach health, wealth and prosperity. “Have your best life now” is a popular phrase. If you are a man/woman of faith, you can speak it into reality. Speak it and receive it. Gab it and grab it. If you have faith you can be rich, powerful, healthy and in charge at work. Never again will you have to labour and serve someone else. According to some churches, the world is at your fingertips. You just have to believe.
Similarly in Jerusalem false prophets also preached health and wealth prosperity. In contrast to Jeremiah the lone prophet they preached blessing not bane, jocularity not judgement. They predicted that the enemy would be defeated and that the people of Jerusalem would reign supreme.
But in stark contrast Jeremiah preached woe not weal. He foretold destruction and death, heartbreak and horror. God would not fight against the nations. He would fight against his own people! (v 5). God had decided to do harm not good to His own city.
We have to ask ourselves why God would choose to do harm and not good to His own people. Why would God bring woe rather than weal? Even more so we need to ask these hard questions because the modern day church tolerates and entertains, and in some cases even promotes, every conceivable sin. People who continue practices that God has forbidden are even ordained into the ministry!
Way back in Jeremiah 2:13 we see the answer. God is not writing a mystery novel where the people have to work out the reason for their judgement. God plainly and clearly tells them that judgement is coming because they have sinned against the Lord their God. Jeremiah 2:13 captures it well.
My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
If you and I are going to live in the glorious presence of God and if we are to enjoy His favour and blessing then we must learn to examine our lives. Corporate and individual examination is a regular must for the man or woman of God and for the people of God.
Corporately the church needs to regularly set aside time to consider whether the path it is on, the activities it is involved in and its general conduct are in agreement with God’s plans and God’s desire. This is not meant to be a self congratulating exercise but an honest and hard look at one’s own congregation.
Individually we need to do a similar thing focussing on our motivations, our words, our actions and reactions and our general path of life. Are we on God’s path? Are we doing God’s work? Are my priorities in line with God’s? Are my decisions God honouring? Is God pleased with my life, my conduct, my speech and my thought life?
The fallacy of many churches today is the belief that God will bless you because you simply speak the name of Jesus. The reality is much more brutal. If you speak the name of Jesus but live in contradiction to it, bane not blessing will be your reward!
Prayer:
Using today’s passage and the reading notes spend time in prayer.
Adoration:
Confession:
Thanks:
Supplication:
· Pray that each and every person in your congregation would be willing to have a good hard and biblical look at themselves and to make any needed changes. Pray that God will be glorified in this as people become more Christ-like in word, deed and thought.
· Pray that the leadership of your church would be able and willing to assess the church's progress and to make any necessary changes to ensure that the church is on a good path that is seeking to glorify God.
1. Imagine that early one morning you witness a TV preacher sprouting ungodly lies about health, wealth and prosperity. The following Sonday a fellow believer tells you he saw the program and was totally blessed by it. How do you respond?
2. What would be the appropriate course of action if someone in your church preached something you didn’t believe to be true?
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 21-24
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.
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 21-24
Before
Cell, complete the ‘On Your Own’
section on the previous page. Describe the
context of this passage?
List the key
words/phrases and what they mean? Use your previous page notes
If you were to break up the passage (Jer 21-24) how would you break it up and
what heading would you give each
passage? Hint: Don’t just rely on the NIV headings.
What was the key
to the message given to Jeremiah at the Potter’s house?
In Jeremiah 21:1-10 what evidence can you find that
God demands repentance from His people?
As you read
Jeremiah 21:11-14 what evidence can you find that God requires justice?
In chapter 22,
what does God require of the kings of His people?
What is the point of including a direct word to
Shallum (22:11ff) and Jehoiakim (22:18ff) and Jehoiachin (22:24ff)?
Given that chapter 22 is largely for the kings how
can we apply this passage to God’s people today who are not
in kingship or leadership? Hint: Read chapter
23!
What is the
point of the vision in chapter 24?
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
How does this
passage help you or encourage you in proclaiming Jesus to the world?
No comments:
Post a Comment