False religion is obvious, life is rotten apart from God (Jeremiah 12-14)

Jeremiah 12-14

outline: 

• A) False religion is uprooted, so that we can learn the way, the truth and the life (Jer 12)
• B) We were made for God, purified in Him to care his flock, nothing from myself (Jer 13)
• C) We need to be completely "poor in spirit" to see God (Jer 14)

AIM: LORD, Create in me a pure heart that pursues You in love and truth. 

Key verses:

• Q: Why are wicked, evil people prosperous and happy... Your name is on their lips, but you are far from their hearts. (Jer 12:1-2)
• A: Desolate, wasteland mourns...My people have planted wheat but are harvesting thorns. They have worn themselves out, but it has done them no good. They will harvest a crop of shame because of the fierce anger of the Lord.” (Jer 12:13), So this is what the Lord says to his people: “You love to wander far from me and do not restrain yourselves. Therefore, I will no longer accept you as my people. Now I will remember all your wickedness and will punish you for your sins.” (Jer 14:10)
• Response: "Lord, we confess our wickedness and that of our ancestors, too. We all have sinned against you. For the sake of your reputation, Lord, do not abandon us. Do not disgrace your own glorious throne. Please remember us, and do not break your covenant with us. Can any of the worthless foreign gods send us rain? Does it fall from the sky by itself? No, you are the one, O Lord our God! Only you can do such things. So we will wait for you to help us." (Jer 14:20-22)

A) False religion is uprooted, so that we can learn the way, the truth and the life (Jer 12)

 Jer 12:1-4) LORD, justice - Jeremiah complaint Evil people happy, God lips, hearts empty, land suffers

• Eyes that see, ears that hear and heart that understands

5-13) LORD reply, tired now, family against you, my chosen people act like vultures, now abandoned, overtaken, barren, desolate and no one cares. They plant wheat and harvest thorns, warn out and will harvest a crop of shame.

• Do we spend our efforts on awareness (programs) or life changing power of God (prayer)?
• Do we meet physical (food/shelter) and spiritual (love God/worship) needs, cultivating the ground of repentance? 
• We need both, Knowledge of SIN cultivates a conscience and heart for God

Jer 12:14-17) LORD, I will uproot evil nations, uproot Judah from them - afterward I will have compassion on them all, learn my name, way and obey - else destroyed

• How God's wayward children repent with healed hearts (Jeremiah 3:6-4:2)
• I will destroy those who used to worship me but now no longer do (Zephaniah 1:6)
• Jesus explains working in his kingdom is about giving not taking (Matthew 19:30-21:17)

B) We were made for God, purified in Him to care his flock, nothing from myself (Jer 13)

Jer 13:1-11) Loincloth, buried in a grave, rots - this is how pride of people who refuse to listen, follow selfish desires, worship other gods (popular music). As loincloth clings to mans waste, God created us to cling to Him to be His pride, glory, honor to His name.

• God answers Billie Eilish's question "what was I made for?"
• When have I spent more energy in things taking me away from the Lord than pursuing the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. How is pride at the root of my refusal to listen to the Lord. What might humble me before my I'm dead and buried? 
• Do we wash our robe or love to live a lie (Rev 22:14-15)

Jer 13:12-14) Jars meant for wine, everyone will be drunk; king, priests, prophets, common people - smashed against eachother, parents against children, pity/compassion won't keep Me from destroying them.

Jer 13:15-23) Listen, humbly, give glory to God, acknowledge Him before he brings darkness upon you, poverty, captives, exile, open eyes, where is your beautiful flock he care you to care for? Allies I cultivated rule over me. Why? I can't start doing good, when I've always done evil.

• I've spent more time mentoring non-believers than the beautiful flock the Lord gave me to care for. I've reaped thorns when my lips spoke of the Lord but he was not present. I didn't invite the Lord to show me, I showed the Lord what I would do. My heart now understands and I turn to the Lord to be healed. 
• Scribe who has read and the prophet who has seen

Jer 13:24-27) Scatter like chaff those who forgotten LORD, put trust in false gods, exposed to shame, adultery, lust, disgusting idol worship, sorrow awaits you, How long before you are pure?

• Spiritual believers but not followers of Jesus Christ
• The reason people forget about God and live miserable lives (Jeremiah 2-3:5)
• Wisdom comes from being sensitive to God's character (Jer 10)

C) We need to be completely "poor in spirit" to see God (Jer 14)

Jer 14:1-10) Drought, dry wells, death - People acknowledge wickedness, God's salvation, yet God reveals people love separation from God, unrestrained lives, wickedness. 

• John 3:16-21, "God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants."

Jer 14:11-18) Don't intercede, while their prophets lie in God's name saying "all is well", foolishness from lying hearts, war, famine, disease - their own wickedness, pouring out death on them.

19-22) Rejected, wounded past hope of healing? Without peace, terrified. We confess our wickedness, sin against You, please remember us, don't break covenant with us. Worthless foreign gods can't make it rain, only LORD our God.

• Waiting on the Lord like a restaurant server, not a customer in line (Psalm 27:4,7-8)
• Principles and applications in praying for others
• Leave your jar behind and pick up your mat and walk