“Inadequate? Obey Anyway!”

Jer. 1:6-19

INTRODUCTION:

8:30 – The Impossible
Pre-school age S/S teacher asks “What happened on Easter?”
Janice – “Easter is the time when Jesus rose from the grave…”
Teacher – “That’s right!” interrupted the teacher. But Janice wasn’t finished –
Janice – “Yes and when Jesus comes out of the grave, if he sees his shadow, he goes back in for six more weeks. But if he doesn’t see his shadow, he stays out!” (not totally impossible – they do begin to catch on)

Preacher’s kid - son Jessie had attended with me. I had spoken on Moses leading the children of Israel through the Red Sea. Jess had heard the message three or four times, but he had one of those quizzical looks on his face. “Dad,” he began, “when Moses took the children of Israel through the Red Sea, did you say they walked across?” “Well, yes, son,” I answered. “That was the result of the miracle. The land was dry enough for them to walk on.” “But why didn’t the children of Israel ride their Big Wheels?” Bingo. That’s when it hit me – the children of Israel.

Little Robbie – drawing a picture of his version of Adam and Eve falling into sin in the Garden. The drawing had in its center a rectangle. There were two small circles connected to the bottom of the rectangle and three small circles connected to the top. “What are you drawing, Robby?” “It’s a car,” Robby replied, never looking up. “I see,” said Mrs. King, even though she didn’t. “It’s a Corvette convertible with three people in it,” Robby said. “But Robby, we wanted a picture from our Bible story.” “IT IS!” he shouted. “Don’t you see? It’s a picture of God driving Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden!”

Finally – when theology is confusing, stories and coloring re difficult – always shift to singing – “Crayon Him with many Crayons” or “Gladly, the Cross-Eyed Bear” or “Rise, Shine, and Give God the Gory”

Jesus isn’t a groundhog - Moses didn’t run a day care center – God doesn’t drive a Chevy – and songs sometimes lose – in translation- But in the face of the impossible – Go ahead and give God the Gory!

INTRODUCTION:

The Impossible
Our professor had been living up to his reputation for giving exams that ranged from impossible to you’ve-gotta-be-kidding. Then one day, as he handed out an important test, he announced, “This is by far the easiest exam I have given in my 16 years of teaching. If you have expended any effort whatsoever studying, you are guaranteed at least to pass.” Any comfort I took from his words was erased when a voice from the back of the room piped up: “That’s what you said last year.” (contributed by Steve Pardo)

College students’ ineptitude at doing laundry is an old joke, but I encountered a new variation here at Amherst College in Massachusetts. After carefully filling her machine and adding soap, one freshman – quarters in hand – asked me, “Do I just toss these into the washer?” (contributed by Loann West)

Two inhabitants of hell were taking a walk when a frigid breeze blew by. Then a storm dumped several inches of snow. The men looked around in amazement “What’s going on?” one asked. “Only thing I can figure,” replied his companion, is that the Cubs just won the World Series.” – ( - Playboy)



We often find in our world – as Jeremiah found in his – much more that appears impossible than these – God, too often, calls us to the impossible – we so naturally refuse! Jeremiah shows us a better way to respond.

Last week – Jeremiah – appointed – prophet – nations – given away –
Vs. 10 describes what that would mean – 4 ‘tear downs’ 2 ‘build ups’ = 2x judgment – mercy! So often ‘prophets’ lot – call people to live well, live rightly, lets people know who God is, what – like, what – says, what – doing.

Peterson – a prophet wakes us up from our sleepy complacency so that we see the great and stunning drama that is our existence, and then pushes us into the stage playing our parts whether we shrink we are ready or not
A prophet angers us – by ripping off our disguises, dragging out into the open our heartless attitudes and selfish motives.
A prophet makes it difficult to continue w/a sloppy or selfish life.”

Gordon Aeschliman – “World Christian magazine” – “Faithfulness to a prophet’s call would bring a difficult life that no rational person would voluntarily subscribe to –“


Looked pretty impossible to Jeremiah – he refused.

We see the tension building in his heart (expressed comments vs 6, 8)
He feels – a. inexperience – “only a child” term suggests “child – young adult” history = Jeremiah 20-24 years old. Feels too young – doesn’t know ways of the world.
b. inadequacy - “I do not know how to speak!” – doesn’t feel capable, able to do this.
c. fear vs 8. (terrified vs. 17) – issue of heart – fear that could paralyze
We can sympathize with Jeremiah – anyone here experienced call of God upon your life and not known tension??

God’s Call My Tension
Your life is not your own – bought with a price! - sacrifice
More blessed to give than receive! - hold on to, save, bank it
Speak truth in ‘love’ - gossip
Go into all the world - too hard & too dangerous
Us and Mike Ditka – self control - blow steam
Be holy as I am holy - can’t do that very long!
- not smart enough
- not strong enough
- not wise enough
- not strong-willed enough
- not perceptive enough

I’m much more practiced, experienced in excuses and deception and cover-up and denial and dishonesty.

Spirit of God – Jeremiah – “heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (17:9) beyond cure

There is always a great gulf between what God calls us to do and what I think I can do. He calls me to the impossible – I want to refuse.
(grand design) (content with trivial)

So how should I respond?
Notice God’s encouragement to Jeremiah

1. New Focus – NOT “I child” – Join me – my mission – vs 7 I send, I command. Sovereign Lord = director of drama, fulfilling purposes

APPLICATION – uncertain today? Call = tension = unsure of direction
?God still send? Command? Does focus on Him, enjoy His fellowship – “Lord said to me” Listen for His voice in Word (Job 33:14 – For God does speak! Now one way, now another – though man may not perceive it.

(b) vs. 9 new experience – He touch my mouth – my words, your mouth! ?”You don’t know how to speak?” Open your mouth – my words are there! Encouragement to Jeremiah – Life of God finds expression in life of a man! The two go together. Reality of Lord of Universe evidenced in the expression of a finite, created man. Energy & power of word of God invade Jeremiah! There is adequacy – confidence – competence – courage – exhilaration!

APPLICATION:
God didn’t call us because we were qualified or experienced or because we felt good about His plans – He called us in order to qualify us, in order to equip us.

God will do thru you the very thing He commands – enjoy His partnership, His presence, His power, His provision.
?right a wrong? ?let to of past?
?solve a problem? ?need an escape?
?heal a wound
?Exchange hate for love?

ILL. Uncle Tom – God was with him
“Living as a Called Person” In his book A Casket of Cameos, F. W. Boreham reflects on the faith of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom. The old slave had been wrenched from his old Kentucky home and put upon a steamship headed for unknown places. It was a terrible moment of crisis, and, Boreham observes, “Uncle Tom’s faith was staggered. It really seemed to him that, in leaving Aunt Chloe and the children and his old companions, he was leaving God!”
Falling asleep, the slave had a dream/ “He dreamed that he was back again, and that little Eva was reading to him from the Bible as of old. He could hear her voice: ‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; for I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, Thy Savior.” Boreham continues:
A little later, poor Tom was writhing under the cruel lash of his new owner. “But,” says Mrs. Stowe, “The blows fell only upon the outer man, and not, as before, on the heart. Tom stood submissive; and yet Legree could not hide from himself the fact that his power over his victim had gone. As Tom disappeared in his cabin, and Legree wheeled his horse suddenly round, there passed through the tyrant’s mind one of those vivid flashes that often send the lightning of conscience across the dark and wicked soul. He understood full well that it was God who was standing between him and Tom, and he blasphemed Him!”

(c) 3rd encouragement – (new focus, new experience)
Two visions 1) almond branch (11-16) 2) boiling pot
Almond branch – 1st from winter (blossoms before leaves) = 1st awake from winter. There is anticipation/promise, - God is awake, alive, fulfilling
Vision accented with pun – almond = sha – ked watching – sho – ked
Every spring – almond every day – “watching”


(13) Boiling Pot
Scalding water, tipped out as fire burns down, to flow thru streets of towns of Israel. Picture of judgment – murder, rape, pillage, looting, destruction.
People left their God for idols – judgment coming – Jeremiah and people of Israel knew northern kingdoms were on the move – danger coming!
But boiling pot is positive also –
G.K. Chesterton – “I believe in getting into hot water – it keeps you clean!”
Eugene Peterson – “The great paradox of judgment is that evil becomes fuel in the furnace of salvation.”

Only Jeremiah sees the judgment limited and localized – in the pot, at the No.
People of Kuwait – no idea of resolution
Jeremiah knew judgment coming – but would end. God would use it for His good. It would be dangerous but it would not be overwhelming.

APPLICATION:
Vision for each day of future? Remember day saved? Remember joy of word? Remember victories God gave? Don’t forget! If God is going to use us – we must be trusting in His word. (He is watching to see that it is fulfilled) We are hopeful and expectant. If we are to be effective in world – we mush not be intimidated by evil – it is limited and contained according to God’s purposes. We want to neither be conformed to it, nor afraid of it, nor desensitized by it, nor overcome by it, nor defeated by it. Jeremiah’s visions gave him stability. Their meanings give us stability too.

(d) new identity (gave new focus, new experience, new visions)
(18) – fortified city, iron pillar – bronze wall = invincibility!!
No longer only a child – not delivered from the e delivered from the experience of the fight (19), just assured of victory, deliverance, companionship of Lord!

So we –

All authority in heaven and earth given to me. I w/you to end of age!
Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world
Who shall separate us from the love of God? Rom. 8:35
Trouble? Famine? Sword? Future? Hardship? Nakedness? Death? Any Powers? Persecution? Danger? Demons? Height? Depth? Anything else in all creation? NOTHING!

God has not made us prophets today – fortified cities, iron pillars, bronze walls
But He had made us evangelists, pastor-teachers, leaders, encouragers, givers, helpers, servants.

CONCLUSION:
In the impossibility of these areas of call – we face our tension and are encouraged by God to respond – new focus upon Him, experience with Him, vision from Him, identity alongside Him.


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