“A Scroll of 2nd Chances”

Jeremiah 36

Quest for Best - developing a response - ability to
word of God

INTRODUCTION:

Tues. night - Katie - Scrabble Game - on a roll!
Words - their connection with each other - essence of this game.
Jeremiah 36 - term “word(s)” used 16xs!
words on a scroll - with these words God - reveals Himself.
Abraham Heschel - “Brittle vessels of consonants & vowels” became the medium which God used to reveal Himself - “so little matter in words, so much meaning” These words - written on a Scroll. This Scroll - vehicle of our passage today - helps us understand that living well - reaching for the best - means developing a response - ability to W.O.G. - means cultivating ears that hear (Jesus - ears to hear...) after looking at the (1) Scroll - want to understand its (2) significance - then apply these truths to our lives.

I. SCROLL (5 elements)
1) the writer - Jeremiah and Baruch (1) (2) (4) Baruch is from a family of scribes but mostly an inn keeper to this point.

2) the winter - 36:1 - written - 4th year of King Jehoiakim 36:9 - read - few months later - winter of 604 BC (Nov 24 - Dec 23) Date is important - Babylon/Egypt superpowers of day. Israel cause in middle. In this Nov-Dec. period, Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon - in Palestine - tribute. Same month as fast is called. Neb. captured/plundered AskKelm. Israelites looking for rescue.

3) the words of the Scroll
36:2, 3, 7, 29 - 23 years worth of Jeremiah’s messages. (3) disaster coming (7) anger and wrath pronounced (29) King of Babylon coming to destroy -- sober message --

4) Scroll’s purpose - effect repentance (3) (6-7) Read 3x -
A. the people 9-10
B. the princes 11-12 included El-Nathan, bounty, humor, ch. 26
C. the king
God’s hope - when they hear of the coming disaster - perhaps they will turn from evil, wicked ways.

5) Scroll’s fate - fuel for fire in King Jehoiakim’s firepit (22-23) section-by-section - heat/ashes

Meaning of all this?

II. SCROLL’S SIGNIFICANCE/importance
varies with persons involved in this text
A) GOD - scroll is a revealer - instrument of revelation
God - not idea/thought but a person, Deals with people in love, truth, loyalty, justice.
God seen that way thru Scroll’s words. he has something to say. He wants to be heard. He reveals Himself in a way we can grasp Him - He’s removing clouds, fog, confusion and making Himself known. Primary revelation = mercy

Scroll expresses God’s grace/mercy/opportunity for another chance.
5 verbs - (1) take
(2) write active process
(3) hear energy here - claim/demand for response!!
(4) turn
(5) forgive
Remember - all these words proclaimed before. Not new - same people, same words, all heard before - apparently they didn’t realize their significance, value, importance.

God’s hope - they will respond, turn, be forgiven (restored back into His favor)

Therefore - for God - Scroll is a memory shaker - what God is like - He gives another chance.

B) WRITERS - Jeremiah and Baruch - bit different
Jeremiah - restricted - limited, can no longer preach - Scroll opens door for continued ministry.
for Jeremiah = involving someone else in his ministry
= taking some risks - out on limb, trust someone else

for Baruch - Scroll means much same - getting involved in ministry - limb - challenge - risks. Thom Lemmons - He Who Wept

therefore, for these two men - Scroll means ministry - new/extended/risky

Scroll also has significance for
C) THE KING
For King Jehoiakim - Scroll has no value on surface but hidden importance in reality.
a) surface - no value apart from curiosity, maybe some superstition He hears - but non-chalantly cuts it up - section-by-section. vs. 24 - shows no fear
Suggest
b) there is hidden importance for the king. His non-chalance is a charade. He’s really afraid. Fear revealed = vs. 26 - orders Jer & B arrested. But he’s afraid to appear afraid! Fact - hears it all rather than throw away all at once = fear. Fact that Babylon is coming causes him more concern than he shows.

Finally - Scroll has significance for
D) PEOPLE OF JUDAH
Scroll = indictment (31b) unwilling to hear - stubbornness, obstinance, intransigence towards God’s love and mercy and judgment. Their fate/doom is sealed w/o repentance on their part. Jerusalem > a graveyard of deaf ears.

PRETTY SIGNIFICANT SCROLL

Conclude with lessons for us - for every scripture - God-breathed, valuable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in truth.

One reason still time: God still desires to reveal Himself to us!

Advice: When you pick up the Bible next - read it w/expectation : God wants to speak to you, reveal Himself to you. Read it like a letter from a friend.
“Finding a place to live so quickly was a real blessing. Last week there were over 5000 people on a waiting list to find housing in Dublin. There are 2000 more college students here than usual and our area is considered exhausted as gar as places to live. So we rejoice at what God has provided for us. We bought a car 2 weeks ago. It’s a 1980 VW, has 83,000 miles, gasoline costs $4.50 a gallon - insurance $2,000 US dollars. As a whole, Irish college students are suspicious of us Americans... it requires a real sense of trust. With prayer, patience, and lots of relationship-building time together, we hope to develop some intimate friendships with students. But at this point, it seems very hard to see how these things will develop. Susan and I as a whole are doing “grand” as they say here. There’s nervousness about meeting new folks. It’s somewhat intimidating to walk into the Snackery (where people eat at Kevin Street) with barely anyone you know there and unsure of your next step. It all seems overwhelming. But, God is faithful! No real homesickness to speak of yet. We’re just enjoying being tourists at this point. A TV would make some of the silence go by quicker...you know when you return to your flat that there will be no phone ringing, no one stopping by 0 and lots of questions in your mind!

Jeffery is revealing himself - strengthening our relationship - That’s what God wants to do!

Another lesson - God calls us to personal response!
King Jehoiakim heard but didn’t listen, heard but didn’t respond!
When you pick up the Bible next, expect to not only see God, but also expect to have the secrets of your heart exposed. Don't be surprised if you feel anger or guilt - especially over selfishness. Eugene Peterson: “In our selfishness, we violate beauty, manipulate goodness, dominate people, all the while defying God. Consciously or not, most of us - most of the time - live this way.”

In this arena - God calls us to personal response. He calls us to live beyond what we feel, want, or understand. King Jehoiakim and his pocket knife are a picture of the way we try to use the scripture instead of responding to God because of it.

Wanting to maintain control over our lives, to keep the initiative in our hands, we chop the word of God into little pieces so that we can control it and maybe even put it to practical use - like warming us on a cold winter day! We reduce Scripture to something impersonal that we can use for our purposes or discard at our pleasure. We dismember its organically developed parts so that it is no longer a complete representation of God’s address to us to which we must respond.

Scriptures call us to personally respond to the God revealed in them.

3RD LESSON
GOD IS ALWAYS READY TO GIVE A SECOND CHANCE!
vs. 3 - Perhaps.....
vs. 6-7 Perhaps....
You may have come here today needing another chance
- dallying with sin - unkind - whatever
- fooling around - unforgiving
Scroll of Jer. 36 is an expression of 2nd chances. Answer to guilt - repentance. Follow-up to repentance - forgiveness. God’s mercy restores, renews, revitalizes

God also gives second chances for ministry. Like Jeremiah’s situation - one door closed, another opened. Restricted? age, health, strength, finances, emotions, resources? Look for other avenues of outlet for service. No doubt, will involve risks, chances, trusting others in ways you’re not used to - Go For It. Like Baruch’s situation: By all accounts, from family of scribes - but living as an innkeeper! You are gifted as a believer - get involved - sure scary, feel inadequate - we can use you in the ministry of this church - step out in faith.


CONCLUSION:
Shipwrecked alone on deserted jungle island - what single book would you most like to have> How about a practical guide to boat building? That’s what this Scroll is about - reveals Scripture - the Bible as a boat-building guide for shipwrecked people - a guide to getting back home, to getting back to God.

God reveals Himself - calls for personal response - He’s ready to give 2nd chances.


DISCLAIMER: These messages are offered for your personal enrichment. There is no legal copyright on this material. You have my full permission to use any of this material as long as you cite the source for any substantial amount used. Enjoy!