At First Baptist I have started a sermon series on the life of Jeremiah. We hope to learn how to live God-sized lives of relevance and importance as we see how Jeremiah lived in relationship to Yahweh and then stood in the midst of his times and culture and proclaimed and lived out the word of the Lord.
This Sunday we will look at the point Jeremiah's early ministry when things really began to get sour on him. For over 55 years God's people had been ruled by evil and sinful kings: Manasseh and his son Amon. These guys led the country astray, and began state-sponsored pagan worship and immoral practices, some taking place in the Temple in Jerusalem. There was no end to their evil and wickedness. Amon's son, Josiah became king and began to turn things around. They found the book of Deuteronomy and this sparked a time of renewal as people returned to the Lord.
Chapters 2-6 in Jeremiah contain some of Jeremiah's sermons during this time of renewal. He preached against the sins of idolatry, comparing the people to unfaithful wives who give themselves to whatever man happens to come along - the people were engaging in every sin that came their way, and worshipped all manner of gods. Through Jeremiah, Yaweh called the people back to a right relationship with Him.
Jeremiah 6:16 says, "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
The people seemed like wanderers, seeking a way to go, but not knowing where they were headed. Without a destination in mind, they were blown about by every wind and walked down every road, ending up no where. That kind of a journey took its toll. The book of Deuteronomy reminded them of their destination, the point, the goal, and guided them down the ancient paths. If they would go down those roads, they would find what their hearts were seeking. Remember, Jesus told us, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..."
When I was a teenager I really loved The Beatles, and George Harrison was my favorite because he seemed to be the most spiritual of the four. Harrison's songs contained spiritual themes and concern for things in life that often echoed with Christian ideas. Some of his songs sounded very Christian to me, and I would try to tell myself that he was one, in some way. The older I get, and the more I know Jesus Christ, the more convinced I am that Harrison was not a Christian, but just a seeker who sampled a little of this and a little of that. In the end he was part Buddhist, part Hindu, part everything. He was recording an album when he died a few years back. My favorite song from that album is "Any Road." If you have time you might watch the video and listen to the song. The lyrics say, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." Do you know where you are going?
This Sunday we will look at the point Jeremiah's early ministry when things really began to get sour on him. For over 55 years God's people had been ruled by evil and sinful kings: Manasseh and his son Amon. These guys led the country astray, and began state-sponsored pagan worship and immoral practices, some taking place in the Temple in Jerusalem. There was no end to their evil and wickedness. Amon's son, Josiah became king and began to turn things around. They found the book of Deuteronomy and this sparked a time of renewal as people returned to the Lord.
Chapters 2-6 in Jeremiah contain some of Jeremiah's sermons during this time of renewal. He preached against the sins of idolatry, comparing the people to unfaithful wives who give themselves to whatever man happens to come along - the people were engaging in every sin that came their way, and worshipped all manner of gods. Through Jeremiah, Yaweh called the people back to a right relationship with Him.
Jeremiah 6:16 says, "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
The people seemed like wanderers, seeking a way to go, but not knowing where they were headed. Without a destination in mind, they were blown about by every wind and walked down every road, ending up no where. That kind of a journey took its toll. The book of Deuteronomy reminded them of their destination, the point, the goal, and guided them down the ancient paths. If they would go down those roads, they would find what their hearts were seeking. Remember, Jesus told us, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life..."
When I was a teenager I really loved The Beatles, and George Harrison was my favorite because he seemed to be the most spiritual of the four. Harrison's songs contained spiritual themes and concern for things in life that often echoed with Christian ideas. Some of his songs sounded very Christian to me, and I would try to tell myself that he was one, in some way. The older I get, and the more I know Jesus Christ, the more convinced I am that Harrison was not a Christian, but just a seeker who sampled a little of this and a little of that. In the end he was part Buddhist, part Hindu, part everything. He was recording an album when he died a few years back. My favorite song from that album is "Any Road." If you have time you might watch the video and listen to the song. The lyrics say, "If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there." Do you know where you are going?
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