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

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God's word and Spirit changes the perverse to be meek and obedient

I was reminded of "Success" where failure would have been better as we've been studying Hebrews the past few weeks. I came across this:

The Holy Scriptures are the word of God. When God sets it home by his Spirit, it convinces powerfully, converts powerfully, and comforts powerfully. It makes a soul that has long been proud, to be humble; and a perverse spirit, to be meek and obedient. Sinful habits, that are become as it were natural to the soul, and rooted deeply in it, are separated and cut off by this sword. It will discover to men their thoughts and purposes, the vileness of many, the bad principles they are moved by, the sinful ends they act to. The word will show the sinner all that is in his heart. - Matthew Henry Commentary (Hebrews 4:11-16)

Perverse defined:

• Turned aside; hence, specifically, turned away from the (morally) right; willfully erring; wicked; perverted.
• Obstinately in the wrong; stubborn; intractable; hence, wayward; vexing; contrary.
• legal, of a verdict Ignoring the evidence or the judge's opinions.

Meek and obedient define:

• Submissive, willing to comply with the commands, orders, or (instructions) of those in authority.

Commandments of Jesus,
Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3)
Jesus teaches love precedes obedience and the indwelling Holy Spirit

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Active rebellion or passive indifference, our accountability regarding sin

When we sin it's not just what we do or don't do, it's in our very nature. Christians believe our sins are covered by the death of Jesus and confirmed in his bodily, historical resurrection. God draws us to himself throughout our lives, via people, His creation, His Spirit, and circumstances. When we repent from sin, turning to God it is through the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord and Savior, committing our lives to follow him. Committing to do what he has commanded us to do.

The following explores sin (Active rebellion or passive indifference) as it relates to God, others, ourselves and our work and finally in our relation to God's Love.

In Relation to God (Repentance means to contrition Psalm 51:4)
 - Foolishness of indifference (Psalm 14:1-3; Psalm 53:1-3; Romans 3:10; Job 15:16)
 - Evil of rebellion (Genesis 6:5,12; Psalm 10:2-11,4)
 - Idolatry (Exodus 20:1-2,3,4,5,6,7)

In Relation to Others (Repentance means reconcilation Matthew 5:23-24)
 - Family (God's desire Luke 15:11-32): Parents (Exodus 20:12), siblings (Genesis 50:20), children (Matthew 18:6-7)
 - Friends: neighbors, community (Ephesians 4:28, 1 John 2:6,10)
 - Strangers (Luke 3:11, Luke 12:42-48,1 Timothy 6:17-19)
 - Enemies (1 Cor 4:12)

In Relation to ourselves (John 15:4-5,6-7,9-10; John 8:31, 1 John 2:17,24,27)
 - Our bodies (1 Cor 6:18-20)
 - Our minds (Psalm 32:1-2,3-4,5,6,7)
 - Our lives (Sabbath for man Mark 2:27, Exodus 20:8-11)

In Relation to our work
 - Foolishness of laziness (Matthew 25:14-30)
 - Evil of theft (Matthew 15:19; Revelation 9:20-21)

In Relation to God's Love
 - Revealed in Jesus Christ (John 3:16-21, Romans 5:6-9,8; 1 John 4:10 )
 - Revealed in Creation (Genesis 2:7;Romans 1:20; 2 Peter 3:5; Hebrews 11:3; Psalm 33:6)



Since Jesus ascended to Heaven some 2017 years ago we have been living in the "Grace Period" that is talked about in Joel. Joel proclaims God's message of judgement, repentance and eternal restoration.

Good and evil, multiple world views 

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Pride in our heart; it's companions and consequences

THE HUMAN HEART—Pride

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)

COMPANIONS OF PRIDE

Proverbs 16:18;18:12; 21:4; 16:18;21:24; 27:2; 20:6; 17:19

A. Haughtiness (18:12: 21:4: 16:18). Haughtiness (arrogance, aloofness) is being disdainfully or contemptuously proud. Pride from our heart shows contempt for others because from the outside it seems obvious what that person should do - yet we are blind to our own problems.
 - Before disaster, the heart of a man is haughty and filled with self-importance (18:12)

B. Scoffing (21:24). Why does he scoff? It is his way of letting you know his superiority and your inferiority.

 - acts with overbearing (egotistic, autocratic/dictatorial) and insolent (rude) pride. (21:24)C. Boasting (27:2; 20:6: 17:19). Pride’s greatest fear is that someone else will not notice the greatness it sees in itself. Therefore, it boasts of itself.

I. PRIDE VS. GOD

Proverbs 16:18;3:5-7; 8:13; 15:33; 22:4;16:5; 6:16-9;29:23; 15:33

A. Pride is the Ultimate Sin Against God (3:5-7). It is the assumption that man is self-sufficient and important enough to compete with God’s greatness. magnitude. strength and wisdom.

- Fear the Lord [with reverent (respectful, worshipful) awe (wonder) and obedience (submission, compliance, willingness)]
- And turn away from evil (sin, crime, wrong, darkness, disaster, injury, harm)

B. Pride Opposes the First Principle of Wisdom (8:13: 15:33: 22:4). That principle is the ‘fear of the Lord.”

How does it oppose this principle?

 - 22:4, The reward of humility [that is, having a realistic view of one’s importance] and the [reverent, worshipful] fear of the Lord Is riches, honor, and life.
 - Very important, but not most important
 - Jesus demonstrated humility,  emptied himself, being a bondservant, likeness of man Philippians 2:7, was homeless (Luke 9:58), for our sake become poor, through his poverty we become rich (2 Cor 8:9), he prayed earnestly for us (Heb 5:7, John 17), he was the greatest servant leader (Luke 22:27), he ate with outcasts (Luke 15:1-2), didn't look to men for glory (John 5:41), would not accept promotion (John 6:15), he washed his students feet (John 6:38)

C. Pride is an Abomination to God (16:5; 6:16.19). It claims honor for itself, but only God can bestow honor and He does so in response to man’s humility rather than his pride (29:23; 15:33).

 - (16:5) Everyone who is proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting and exceedingly offensive (displeasing, insulting) to the Lord; Be assured he will not go unpunished.

 - A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others]. Wowza, it's mid-year review time....

II. CONSEQUENCES OF PRIDE

Proverbs 16:18; 11:2;25:27;13:10; 28:25;15:25: 16:18-19; 18:12

A. Shame (11:2:25:27). It is ironic that pride seeks glory for itself, yet receives shame.

 - (11:2) When pride comes [boiling up with an arrogant attitude of self-importance], then come dishonor and shame,
But with the humble [the teachable who have been chiseled by trial and who have learned to walk humbly with God] there is wisdom and soundness of mind.

B. Contention (13:10: 28:25). What kinds of relationships experience conflict, strife, and contention because of pride? Work relationships, home relationships, family, community, strangers on social media (Kathy Giffin beheading Trump)...

C. Destruction (15:25: 16:18-19: 18:12). God brings the man who challenges Him to ruin. He has no need to even compete with man for glory.

Thanks to Rob Harbison for sharing this excellent study on Proverbs

http://www.padfield.com/acrobat/harbison/proverbs-rh.pdf

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Jesus preached repentance as did the early church (Doctrine of Repentance)

In his book "Doctrine of Repentance", Thomas Watson writes to the reader: CHRISTIAN READER,
The two great graces essential to a saint in this life are faith and repentance. These are the two wings by which he flies to heaven. Faith and repentance preserve the spiritual life as heat and radical moisture does the natural...Repentance is a pure Gospel grace. The covenant of works admitted no repentance; there it was, sin and die. Repentance came in by the Gospel. Christ has purchased in His blood that repenting sinners shall be saved. The Law required personal, perfect, and perpetual obedience. It cursed all who could not come up to this: “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal 3:10). It does not say, he that obeys not all things, let him repent, but, let him be cursed. Thus repentance is a doctrine that has been brought to light only by the Gospel.
Listen to this puritan classic here, get the free pdf here, below are my notes from chapters 1-4

Jesus preached repentance as did early church (Matt 4:17;Acts 3:19;8:22;Mark 6:12; Luke 24:47)
Repentance is a foundation grace (Heb 6:1)
Repentance is a grace required under and coming by the Gospel.
Repentance comes by the Word (Acts 2:37; Jer 23:29) and the Spirit (Acts 10:44; Zec 12:10; 1 John 2:20; Acts 8:29)
Infusion of grace breeds repentance
Repentance depends upon a change of heart.
Repentance is a grace of God’s Spirit whereby a sinner is inwardly humbled and visibly reformed

Six ingredients of the spiritual medicine of that make true repentance
1. Sight of Sin: prodigal “came to himself” Luke 15:17, we need illumination – the light of life

2. Sorrow for Sin: Look upon whom they have pierced and shall mourn, as for an only son (Zec 12:10). Martyrs shed blood for Christ; penitents shed tears for sin (Luke 7:38). Sorrow is shown with a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17), beating the breast (Luke 18:13), sackcloth, pulling hair (Isaiah 22:12; Ezr 9:3) outward signs of inward sorrow. Sadness for the offense, not for the punishment. Lament not for scandalous sins – but the heart sins, the root, even though it doesn’t blossom.  If there is not some dawning of faith in the soul, it is not the sorrow of humiliation but despair.
a.       Penitential work consists of fasting, penance, pilgrimages, in which there is nothing of spiritual pain. They torture their bodies, but their hearts are not rent. (to rend your heart is to trust God's precision scalpel)

3. Confession of Sin: voluntary (Luke 15:18), feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse. Confession must be sincere; hypocrite confesses sin but loves it. True confession particularizes sin (not like Nebuchadnezzar –“ had a dream but it’s gone from me” (Dan 2:3,5) – like Israel “we have served Baalim (Judges 10:10).  We must confess our sins with a resolution not to act them over again (Isa 1:16), so we don’t fall into a hardened heart like Pharaoh (Exo 9:27,34).
a.       Confession must be qualified:
    i.       It reproves those that hide their sins – many would rather have sins covered than cured.
    ii.      It reproves those who confess sin but only by halves, not all. If we do not confess all, how should we expect that God will pardon all?
    iii.      It reproves confessions that mince and extenuate sins. Grace makes the worst of evils, but hypocrites make the best of them (i.e. "born that way," "just the way I process")
   iv.      It reproves those who are far from confessing sin, they boldly plead for it. Instead of tears of lament, they use arguments to defend sin.
b.      Let us show ourselves penitents by sincere confession of sin.
  i.      Holy Confession gives glory to God.
  ii.     Confession is a means to humble the soul. A true penitent confesses that he mingles sin with all he does. Therefore anything good seen in him is a reflection of God's work, not his own.
  iii.      Confession gives vent to a troubled heart.
  iv.      Confession purges out sin.
  v.      Confession of sin endears Christ to the soul (Romans 7:25) – that God should appoint His own Son to lay down.
  vi.      His blood for the payment of our debt, how is free grace magnified, and Jesus Christ eternally loved and admired.
  vii.      Confession makes way for pardon (Luke 15:20, 1 John 1:9)
c.       It is reasonable (if one has wrong another) and easy (compare to first covenant)

4. Shame for Sin, blush a holy bashfulness (Eze 43:10; Ezr9:6) “blood of Christ in the face.”
a.       Every sin makes us guilty, much un-thankfulness, naked, put Christ to Shame, instigated of the devil, turns us into beasts, folly.
b.      Our sins are worse than that of a heathen because we sin against more light.

5. Hatred of Sin, Sound repentance begins in the love of God and ends in the hatred of sin.
a.       Set your heart against sin, universally, in all forms. Not just strong aversion but personal enmity.
b.      Real hatred in ourselves and others too (Rev 2:2; John 2:15; Psalm 101:7)
c.       Godly: sin is a thorn in the eye, wicked: it is a crown (Jer 11:15) loving sin is worse than committing it (Heb 10:26)
d.      Sin is the cursed thing (Rom 7:13) as seen by its origin (1 John 3:8), nature (Rom 2:23; 1 Sa 2:30; Eze 16:43; Isa 7:13; Eze 6:9; Heb 6:6) and affliction (sickness, poverty, death). Affliction causes repentance and prevents damnation (Psalm 119:71; 2 ch 33:12; 1 Co 11:32). Affliction reaches the body, but sin poisons the fancy and disorders the affections. Affliction is corrective; sin is destructive.
  i.      Sin is worse than affliction is evident because the greatest judgment God lays upon a man in this life is to let him sin without control. Diagnostics of a depraved psychology and consequences (Romans 1:18-32)
  ii.      Compare sin with hell, and you shall see that sin is worse. Torment has its emphasis in hell, yet nothing there is as bad as sin. Hell is of God’s making, but sin is the devil’s creature.
e.      Sin is the Trojan horse out of which comes a whole army of troubles

6. Turning from Sin, weeping and turning together (Joel 2:12, Eze 14:6; Isa 55:7, Job 11:14).
a.       Dying to sin is the life of repentance, perpetual fast – turn and never go back
b.      Notable change, wrought in the heart – Satan would have Christ prove deity by turning stones into bread, Christ accomplishes a far greater miracle in making stones become flesh,  Christ turns a heart of stone into flesh.
c.       Notable change, wrought in the life. Discernable to others, dark to light (Eph 5:8; Acts 9:21), from jailor to nurse and physician (Acts 16:33)
d.      Turn from sin with the heart; It is odious to make a show of turning from sin while the heart is still in league with it.
e.      Turning from all sin (Isa 55:7), destruction of every lust; he who indulges one sin is a traitorous hypocrite
f.        Turning from sin upon a spiritual ground (right manner from the love of God). When men and their sins are congealed together, the best way to separate them is by the fire of love. (You Can Say No to Sin (Titus 2:11-14)
g.       Turning from sin to God. In True repentance, the heart points directly to God, as the needle to the North Pole. The repenting prodigal not only left the harlots but arose and went to his father. God complained “they return, but not to the most High (Hos 7:16)
h.      Real turning from sin is such a turn as has no return. Forsaking sin is moving off one’s native soil, never more to come back to it. Returning to folly is a fearful sin because it’s against clear light – against the illumination of the Spirit (Psalm 85:8). Returning to sin gives more power to the devil over a man’s life than before (Matt 12:45). Actual turning from sin is divorcing it (Acts 3:26). Turning reproves those who are but “half-turned/almost Christian (Acts 26:28). Cake on one side, dough on the other (Hos 7:8)

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