The reason people forget about God and live miserable lives (Jeremiah 2-3:5)

key verses: 

"...Why then do my people say, ‘At last we are free from God! We don’t need him anymore!’... for years on end my people have forgotten me." Jeremiah 2:31-32

AIM: Every calamity's root is forgetting the God that made you and rescued you to be holy.

A) Leaders stopped asking 'Where is the LORD?' and turned to idols ruining their future (1-13)

1-3) another message to Jerusalem, "remember eagerness as young bride follows, Israel holy first child protected"

 - Interesting "holy first child" is not Isaac 

4-6) Listen LORD, "worship worthless idols, become worthless. Didn't ask 'where is the LORD who saved/led out of Egypt'

• God's desire for us is salvation in relationship with him (Hosea 13-14)

7-9) fruitful land, you defiled/corrupted. Priests didn't ask 'where is the LORD?' teachers ignored Him, prophets name of Baal (Numbers 25 sex plague, 1 Kings 18:21 tested,  Romans 11 explains) - worthless idol. Children's children charged.

• Similar message from Zephaniah 1:2-3) everything on earth, all mankind will be destroyed, Zephaniah 1:4-6) hand against Judah, Baal worship, idolatrous priests, astrologers, apostate believers
• 1 Kings 16:29-34) Omri, evil, worse than others, married Jezebel, worshiped Baal, setup Asherah pole, Jericho rebuilt costing life of oldest and youngest sons.

10-13) sent searching elsewhere exchanging glorious God for worthless idol, abandoned fountain of living water, dug cracked cisterns 

• Rescued, kept.. so now I can walk in your presence, O God, in your life-giving light (Psalm 56:13 Coram Deo))

Application: Getting off course starts with wicked leaders. Yet the Lord is interceding on your behalf, giving you a thirst for his righteousness. Your broken cisterns can't hold this holy water. We are lost. Pray the Father draws us to himself. Give us the gift of faith - let us repent of ignorance, help me to release my grip on worthless idols. Awake my soul. 

B) God delivered us from slavery, yet we've used our freedom to leave him (14-22)

14-17) "why Israel enslaved, tormented, destroyed? you rebelled against God, though he leading you"

18-19) "what gained from wicked world? punishment, shame - see evil bitterness = fearlessly abandon LORD."

20-22) "freed from slavery, yet said 'I won't serve God' - prostituted instead, stained guilty

Application:   I need to stop rebelling against God and let him led me in the fear of the LORD.

C) We claim to be right with God, yet we are living apart from him, living a lie (23-3:5)

23-25) "you deny worshiping images of Baal, yet lust is obvious, panting after other gods 'I can't stop'

26-27) "thief, shame only when caught, leaders bring idols, turned backs to LORD, in trouble cry out 'come and save us!'

28-30) you don't call on idols because you know the are lifeless, your rebellion punishes children, they don't respond to LORD discipline - because you killed your prophets

31-32) listen to the words of the LORD, why MY people claim freedom from God, forgetting him:

• 33-34) plot, scheme, win lovers, clothes stained with blood of innocent/poor
• 35) you say, 'I've done nothing wrong, God's not angry with me!' - claim you've not sinned
• 36-37) flit from ally to ally for help, Egypt/Assyria let you down, despair/exile - LORD rejected nations you trust
• 3:1) Divorce is final, you prostituted yourself, why are you trying to come back?
• 2-5) Look, shrines of defilement, adultery to other gods, polluted land with brazen prostitution/wickedness, spring rain fails - shameless fake repentance, fake obedience, "you keep on doing all the evil you can."

Application: People claim freedom from God because we don't live as we claim to believe. Lord, I've sinned against you in every way. I've surrounded myself with idols and have grown callous to your discipline. I've lived a life 'I can't stop' - a lie. I don't want to live a lie, but to live in Spirit and Truth. 

Thank you Father, Lord - you're mercy is made new everyday. Help me follow where you lead, the way you lead. Amen. Thank you for conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgement. Revelation 22:15