Wednesday June 10, 2015

Read Jeremiah 26

The Western and Eastern mindset towards mission and missionaries is starkly different and sits at opposite ends of the spectrum. Whether one is right or better than the other is not for us to discern at this point in time.

When the situation on the mission field becomes dangerous and life threatening Western mission organisations pull their people out and take them to safety. In the same situation Eastern missionary organisations and churches send in more workers. People volunteer en-masse to work for the Lord in dangerous and life threatening situations.

Jeremiah found himself in a very dangerous, life threatening situation. He was called by the Lord to preach a very unpopular message to the people of Judah.

Jeremiah 26:4–6 is indicative of his ministry calling

Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5 and if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you again and again (though you have not listened),

6 then I will make this house like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’

Jeremiah went in obedience to the Lord’s command. He spoke the words to the people. And the result? Verse 8 shows us the reaction.

Jeremiah 26:8

But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets and all the people seized him and said, “You must die!

The entire town cried out in unison for the death penalty. Priests, prophets and people wanted Jeremiah to die!

There are really few parallels in Australian society. There is no sense in which the entire church, leadership and laity altogether, would call for someone’s execution. But to sense the gravity of the situation imagine if God called you to witness to a bikie gang. As you seek to speak to them the head honcho threatens you, ‘Come back again and we’ll kill you!’ Or imagine if you are part of a mission team going to India to preach in small country villages and the local chief tells you very severely, ‘If you speak of this Jesus man again, we will not be responsible for what the villagers will do to you!’ In either situation, would you go back? Would you continue your mission?

Jeremiah continued in such a life threatening situation and faithfully discharged all the duties of his ministry over 4 long and painful decades. 

Jeremiah’s trust in the Lord reminds us of another who trusted in the Lord. We read in 1 Peter 2:23

When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

Jesus entrusted Himself to God and suffered the pain and shame of crucifixion. He suffered being forsaken by God and even dying upon the cross being abandoned by both man and God. Will you entrust yourself to God and to His care? Will you persevere in ministry even when the odds are stacked against you, even when the chips are down and you might lose your life?

Our ministry and our suffering pales into insignificance when we meditate on the sufferings and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rather than bemoan and wail our sufferings, let us focus on Him and let us walk with joy the path set before us.

Prayer:

Using today’s passage and the reading notes spend time in prayer.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Pray for those in your church who are doing it tough, especially those who are suffering in ministry and service. Ask God to bless them with perseverance through a growing knowledge and appreciation of what the Lord Jesus has done and suffered on their behalf.

· Pray that Uni Impact in NZ headed up by Dave Richards will continue to win souls for the Lord and that they would have many opportunities to make more disciples. Pray that funding would not be an issue for them as the Lord provides.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. If you have suffered in your service to the Lord share what happened and how God walked you through it.

2. How can such sharing be positive? How can it become negative?

3. How  can we encourage those who are suffering for their service to focus on Jesus and His service?