08/13/2018
Jeremiah 1:4-19 Sermon, The Call Of Jeremiah- “Do not say, “I am too young.”
The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. ” “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” The word of the Lord came to me: “What do you see, Jeremiah?” “I see the branch of an almond tree,” I replied. The Lord said to me, “You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled.” The word of the Lord came to me again: “What do you see?” “I see a pot that is boiling,” I answered. “It is tilting toward us from the north.” The Lord said to me, “From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land. I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms,” declares the Lord. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah. I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made. “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord. [Jeremiah 1:4-19]
Jeremiah was most likely intimidated by God’s call to confront the people of Israel and Judah over their sins, for one, he was a youth. Often people see people who are younger as inexperienced or not knowlegable. There can be a attitude of “What? You telling me what to do? Ha your just a young person and I have years on my side.”
Yet where was Jeremiah’s confidence? God’s call and commission.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul says: Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant —not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:4-6
Paul preached a messsage of the Gospel and repentence and turning to Christ for reconciliation to God. Yet the prophet Jeremiah and the Apostle Paul both knew that God was the strong force to back up the work he had called them to do.
In the story of Jeremiah he was young but reminded by the Lord that He was on his side even if the people refused to listen to him because of his age. Jeremiah throughout the book of Jeremiah spoke warnings of God’s judgement coming from Assyria and Babylon if they did not turn away from sin and idol worship. Unfortunately they people would not repent and judgement came.
Whatever it is that may seem to be a deterent, whether being young or whatever society may try to use to discredit the message. We should irregardless obey God’s call and share the message he gives us to proclaim, the Gospel.
God said to another prophet in this time:
And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
Ezekiel 2:6-8 -
The point is God calls them to obey and proclaim what he gave them to say, and then said irregardless of whether the people responded or not was not the focus but rather obeying and proclaiming the message he gave to them to preach to the people. Often times most of the people rejected God’s message and fell into God’s judgement for it but the prophets did their part and were faithful to obey.
The same is true when we share the Gospel as modern 21 century believers. We cannot make a single person respond, only God can truly change hearts but regardless of the outcome, our role is obeying and doing as our Lord commands
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Mark 16:15-16 -
