This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "In The Mist Of Bad God Promises Good", 9/28/2014

IN THE MIST OF BAD, GOD PROMISES GOOD

 

Jeremiah 33:1-11

 

ALWAYS BE OPEN TO A WORD FORM THE LORD

V:1. " While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time."

 A. In the mist of our troubles, God wants to communicate with us.

     1. When you are going through trouble, you may not see the end, but God does.

     2. God will not leave you comfortless.

 B. In  troubled times, keep your focus on the Lord.

     1. Study the Word of God daily.

     2. Through your studies, God will reveal to you what  He wants you to do.

     3. It is the Word that gives comfort and assurance in times of trouble.

 

V:2 "This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it — the Lord is his name."

 A. We must continue  reminding ourselves that God is in control of our circumstances.

     1. We must keep our focus on the truth;  the earth is the Lord's and the fullness

          there of. 

     2. God is able to take care of all our needs according to His will

 B. God uses us and the circumstances He places us in to build up the body of Christ.

     1. Someone is always watching and can be encouraged by how we handle ourselves.

     2. God is the creator and the supreme authority who use us to benefit others.

     3. The  more times you open your Bible, the more times God will speak to you.

    

CALL ON THE LORD IN ALL TIMES

 V:3.  "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

 A. Prayer is the believers way to communicate with the Lord.

     1. God commands  believers to pray without ceasing.  1 Thes 5:17

     2. God has all knowledge.

     3. God is omniscience.

     4. You will never get to the point where you know everything about God.

 B. Everything we need to know is in the Word.

    1. God promises to answer our prayers.  John 15:7

    2. The prayers of the righteous does much good.

    3. Jesus said whatever you ask the Father in His name will be done for you.

 C.  There are some things that God has not given us  an understanding of.

     1.There are some things that God has not brought to our attention, that we do

         not know about.

     2. There are some things that we have not studied that we need an understanding of.

 D. God has some great things He want us to know.

     1. Our minds are finite.

     2. God chooses the time when He will take us into a higher knowledge of Him.

 E. God has some things that He wants us to know that we cannot find out on our own.

    1. There are some things that God causes to happen to us that we cannot conceive,

        that is in our best interest.

    2. When we submit ourselves to God's service, He will get us involved  in some

        things that are unimaginable that bring Him Glory.

 

PAY ATTENTION TO THE PROPHIES OF GOD

V:4-5 " For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege ramps and the sword 5 in the fight with the Babylonians: 'They will be filled with the dead bodies of the men I will slay in my anger and wrath. I will hide my face from this city because of all its wickedness."

 A. The God we serve is longsuffering, but true to His Word.

      1. Sometimes God is long on keeping His promises when it comes to punishment.

         a. The Children of Israel had been disobedient since God gave the law to Moses.

         b. In the law was a promise of prosperity if they kept the Law and a promise of

             punishment if they fail to keep the law (1500 BC).

 B. The time was at hand when God wrath fell on Israel  (600 BC).

     1. God sent the Babylonians to destroy their houses, their city and the temple.

     2. God is in control of your enemies and any action that succeed against you.

     3. The one thing you don't want God to do, is turn His face away from you.

     4. You are playing with fire when you continue to disobey God.

     5. You may get away with sin today, but tomorrow is not promised.

 

HEALING IS IN THE WORD

 V:6 "Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security."

 A. It is a good thing that God's promises do not depend on our obedience.

     1. What God promised for the nation of Israel took place, and there were

            some casualties.

        2. Most of the promises that God made to Israel were not individual but national.

            a. God made both individual promises and national promises.

            b. A whole generation of Israelites died in the desert and did not enter the

                promise land.

            c. God grew up another generation in the desert that did enter the promise land.

    B. It was Israel's sin that angered God and resulted in 70 years of captivity.

        1. At the time of God's wrath on Israel, He promised their restoration.

        2. Many Israelites died doing the war and the 70 year captivity, but a remnant survived

            and were restored to the promise land.

        3. Israel's sin took them into captivity, but God's love brought them out.   

 

This next series of verses may cover three different time frames.

  1. The immediate return of Israel from the 70 year captivity in Babylonia

  2. Birth of the Jesus in the flesh.

      a. His death and resurrection.

      b. The beginning of the present Church age with Jesus as Lord and Savior.

 3. The rapture of the Church

     a. The 1000 year reign of Christ

     b. The new heaven and new earth.

 

GOD PROMISES RESTORATION

 V:7. " I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before."

 A. After the 70 year period of chastisement, Israel was restored to the promise land.

     1. The city of Jerusalem was rebuilt.

     2. The walls around the city was rebuilt.

     3. The Temple was rebuilt.

 B. Israel again worshipped God in  the promise land.

     1. This period of restoration did not last long, before Israel began disobeying

          God's commands.

     2. Israel fell under Roman occupation before the birth of Christ.

 

THE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS

V:8. " I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me."

 A. Israel and all believers are cleanse from their sins by the blood Jesus shed on the

      cross.

 B. The atonement of sins come only through the blood of Jesus Christ

      1. This present age of Grace began with the death of Jesus on the cross.

      2. Our faith in Jesus created a new creature in us.

      3. We now belong to Christ. He is our Lord and Savior.

 

A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST

 V:9. " Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it."

 A. In Christ a new creation is born,

     1. In Christ a new Israel is born.

         a. This new Israel includes all who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

 B. It is in Christ Jesus that we bring praise and honor to God the Father.

     1. Peace with the Father is obtained by our faith in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.

     2. The joy we have originates from the heart because of the love of Jesus.

          a. God so loved the world that He gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

 C. Prosperity in life comes through being a good steward of the gifts and talents

     God gives us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

 D. Awe from those who are outside the body of Christ come because of our

      ability to handle the trials and tribulations of life with peace and joy in our

      hearts.

 

JESUS THE BRIDE GROOM

V:10-11. "This is what the Lord says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without men or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither men nor animals, there will be heard once more  11 the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying, "Give thanks to the Lord Almighty, for the Lord is good; his love endures forever." For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the Lord. "

 A. The Church is the bride and Christ is the bride groom.

     1. Before the coming of the bride groom, cities were spiritually desolate.

     2. Man was a waste dump or all kinds of sins.

     3. Without Christ, none can claim the righteousness of God.

B. In this present age of Grace, the Church is being prepared as the bride of Christ.

    1. Our sins are washed in the blood of Jesus Christ.

    2. We are cleanse by the Words of Christ through the indwelling power of the

        Holy Spirit.

C. When we reflect on the goodness of  God, we are able to give Him thanks and praise.

    1. Through the enlightenment of the Word, we realize that the Lord is good

         all the time and His mercy endures forever.

    2. During the millennium the fortunes of Israel will be restored.  Rev 20:4-7

    3. After the millennium, God will create  a new heaven and  new earth

        a. All believers will be in heaven in God's prepared place forever. Rev 21:1-2

 

ARE YOU READY TO BE THE BRIDE OF JESUS?

 

Rev M Mitchell, Asst Pastor of GMBC

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Prepared For Redemption", 9/21/14

PREPARED FOR REDEMPTION

 

Jeremiah 32:2-9, 14-15

 

Jeremiah was chosen by God before his conception in his mother's womb to be a  prophet

to the nations (Jer  1:5). He was sanctified and ordained by God for the adverse job of

proclaiming the evils of Israel and their punishment. His strength to endure the hostility

he faced doing his job came from the Lord.   Jer 1:8

 

Our lives are not about us, but the fulfillment of God's plan. The Lord's plan for us includes trials and tribulations. 

 

V:2. " The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah."

A. Jeremiah was put in prison because he proclaimed the Word of the Lord to the nation

     of Israel.

    1. Jeremiah proclaimed that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the people of Israel

        would be taken captive by the Babylonians.

   2. Jeremiah proclaimed that King Zedekiah would be taken captive.

B. At the time of Jeremiah's prophecies, Israel was under attack by the Babylonians.

   1. Zedekiah the King of Judah put Jeremiah in prison to shut him up.

   2. You can take a man out of the street, but you may not be able to take the street out

       of the man.

   3. You can put a man in prison, but you can't imprison his heart.

       a. Once you develop a love for the Word, nothing can shut you up.

       b. At one time, Jeremiah said he was not going to speak for the Lord.

       c. But he found out that it was like fire shut up in his bones. Jer 20:9

   4. Jeremiah was imprisoned for the sake of the Word, but he freely spoke the Word.

 C. When you proclaim the Word, there will always be those who will be against you.

    1. Right is right all the time, but people don't always want to hear what is right.

    2. From time to time, you can expect to suffer for the Gospel sake.

        a. When you are doing what God called you to do, you are under His protection.

            Jeremiah 1:8

        b. When you suffer for Christ's sake, rejoice because your reward is in heaven.

    3. Jesus said, "Take up your cross and follow me."

 D. Just because the Lord has not done what He said He will do, does not mean He want

      do it.

   1. Zedekiah and the people of Israel were taking the Lord's commands for granted.

      a. Their major sin was the worship of idol gods.

      b. They quit following God's commands and did follow the evil ways of the world.

   2. Israel had a history of disobedience.

       a. In the past,  when God punished Israel for their sins,  they would cry to the Lord

           and He would restore them to fellowship with Him.

   3. The temple was built around  1000 BC.

       a. God appointed David as King and promised that his kingdom would not end.

       b. In more than four hundred years of disobedience, God had not destroyed the

           Jerusalem or the temple.

       c. God promised that their disobedience  would lead to destruction.

       b. God is not mocked and a man will reap what he sows.   Gal 6:7

  4. The God we serve is longsuffering.

     a. Israel was given God's commandment by Moses around  1490 BC.

     b. They were never obedient to God's commands for any long

         length of time.

     c. God tolerated Israel disobedience for almost 1500 years.

 5. Sooner or later, God will chastise those He loves.

     a. Sooner or later, God will stop tolerating our sins.

     b. The nation of Israel reaped what they sowed.

     c. They sowed disobedience and reaped the harvest of destruction.         

 

V:3. " Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, "Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, 'This is what the Lord says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it."

A. The king did not want to hear that that his forces would be defeated by

     Babylonians.

   1. The Word of the Lord is not always pleasant to those who are disobedient to His

       commands.

  2. You cannot expect God to be pleased with your disobedience.

B. The king wanted acceptance  even though he was misleading God's people.

   1. The King wanted God's support while he was worshipping idol gods.

   2. When you turn away from God, He will turn away from you.

C. You must  teach the Word as God has recorded it.

   1. You can't change the Word of God to fit someone's circumstances.

   2. The Word of God is the truth.

       a. It is a sin to add to or take away from God's Word.

      b. The King wanted God to ignore His promises.

      c. The answer to the King's "Why" is because God said so.

 

" V:4.  Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hands of the Babylonians but will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes."

 A. The truth must be spoken regardless of who's feeling it hurts.

     1. Only the Lord knows what is best for us.

     2. It takes faith to teach the Word when we are going to be adversely affected by it.

     3. It is not man we should seek to please.

     4. In all circumstances we must please God.

 B. Jeremiah had the task of telling the King that his reign was coming to an end.

     1. Sometimes, God uses us to inform others of the consequences of their sins.

     2. Sometimes, God uses others to tell us the consequences of our sins.

 C. What goes around, comes around.

     1. King Zedekiah imprisoned Jeremiah for teaching the Word.

     2. King Zedekiah was imprisoned by God for disobeying His Word.

 

 V:5. " He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him,

   declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed".

  A. It is useless to fight against God.

      1. When you reject God's commands He can cause your enemies to defeat you.

      2, God will leave you in your distress until He decides to deal with you.

  B. God may have stages of punishment stored up for your chastisement.

     1. Zedekiah's army was defeated,.

     2. His beloved city was burned down.

     3. Zedekiah  was taken captive and held in Babylon until his death.

     4. We need to be careful to follow God's commands.

          a. This was a case of when it rains, it floods.

          b. When we continue to willfully disobey God, He may unleash a flood

              of trials and tribulations.

 

 V:6-7. " Jeremiah said, "The word of the Lord came to me: 7 Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, 'Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it."

A. God revealed an event to Jeremiah before the event took place.

    1. We should always be open to the Word of God  regardless of our circumstances.

    2. It is God who encourages us in the mist of our troubles.

    3. It is God who guides us in our troubles.

B. God can bless us in the mist of our troubles.

    1. While our enemies are planning our destruction, God plans our restoration,

    2. God is always in control of our situations.

    3. According to Jewish Law, property never left the family line.

       a. Property was transferred from one generation to the next in the same family.

       b. Jeremiah was next in line to inherit a field held by Hanamel

    4. Jeremiah was required to buy the field to keep it in the family.

 C. God used this transaction to show that Israel would be restored to their land

     at some point.

     1. They were taken out of the promise land.

     2. God planned  to restore them back to their land.

 

 V:8. "Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, 'Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.' "I knew that this was the word of the Lord,"

 A. Sometimes God uses others to confirm His word to us.

     1. What God says He will do for you; trust that He will do it.

     1. While Jeremiah was in prison, he was able to receive guest and transact

          business.

     2. Sometimes God uses our troubles as an opportunity to show His love for us.

     3. Sometimes God uses our troubles to draw us closer to our families.

  B. Sometimes it is in the mist of our troubles that others can observe the kind of person

       we are.

      1. By being imprisoned, the king observed the faith Jeremiah had in His God.

      2. The King had no faith in the Word of God, but He heard the Word from

           Jeremiah.

      3. The King would soon learn that the Word from Jeremiah came from the Lord.

 

V: 9. " So I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for

  him seventeen shekels of silver. "

  A. Even though Jeremiah was in prison, God gave him the resources to take care of

       family business.

      1. No matter where we are, God can take care of us.

      2. Even though Jeremiah was in prison, his focus was on the work of the Lord.

      3. Even though Jeremiah was in prison, his attitude remained positive.

      4. Even though  Jeremiah was in prison, he followed God's commands.

      5. Don't give up on God, because your circumstances are not good!

  B. We are never out of the sight of God.

      1. We are never in need when we keep our mind focused on the Lord.

      2. Spiritually, we are never without when we keep our focus on the Lord.

      3. We are never alone when we focus on the Lord.

      4. Financially, we are never without when we focus on the Lord.

 

Jeremiah 32:14-15

 

V:14. "This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time."

 A. What God wants you to have, you will have.

     1. God holds in trust that which He gives to us.

     2. Even though we may not physically possess it, God holds in reserve what He wants

         us to have.

     3. The land that Jeremiah purchased was held in trust until the day he could take

          possession of it.

     4. The promised land that God gave Israel was held in trust until they could take

         possession of it again.

         a. Israel was held captive for 70 years in Babylon.

         b. The promised land was held by God until their return. 

 B. Heaven is ours and we have been sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of

      redemption. 

     1. We were purchased by the blood Jesus shed on the cross.

     2. Our salvation is secure.

     3. Our salvation is eternal.

     4. Our salvation comes with responsibilities, obligations, God's promises and trials.

 

V:15. " For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and

  vineyards will again be bought in this land."

 A. God's plan for us is prosperity in Him.

    1. Israel lost possession of the promised land because of their disobedience.

    2. Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed because of the disobedience of the nation.

 B. God's punishment of Israel was for a season (70 years).

    1. At the time of Israel punishment, God promised their redemption and restoration.

    2. God chastises us to prepare us for our redemption.

 

PUT ALL YOU TRUST IN THE ALMIGHTY GOD

 

Rev. M. Mitchell,   Asst. Pastor of GMBC

 

 

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "The Promise Of Eternal Life", 9/14/2014

THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE

 

Jeremiah 31:31-37

 

Jeremiah 31:31-39

V:31. "The time is coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah."

A. This verse is one of the prophecies of the coming of Jesus Christ and His blood shed

     on the cross to atone for the sins of man. (Luke 22:20)

     1. The nation of Israel at the time of Jeremiah was under the dispensation of the Law.

     2. God promised a new dispensation of Grace.

B. Jesus' death on the cross fulfilled all the requirements of the Law.

    1. After Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden, all mankind was born in sin. (I Cor. 15:22)

    2. God promised a seed (Jesus) that would be the atonement of all sin.

 

V:32. " It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,"   declares the Lord."

A. The law was a conditional covenant.

     1. God promised Israel that if they followed His commands they would be blessed and

         the works of their hands would be fruitful.  Lev. 26:3-16

         a. Forgiveness for sins were accomplish through the sacrifice of animals by the

             Levite priests.

         b. Animal sacrifices were continuous because  the nation continued to sin.

         c. It was the intercessory prayers of the priest that brought peace between

             God and Israel.

     2. God promised that if Israel disobeyed His commands, they would be cursed.

         a. Throughout Biblical history, Israel refused to obey God's commands and

             suffered the consequences of their disobedience.

B. The new covenant of Grace sealed with blood of Jesus is an unconditional covenant.

    1. Jesus is the once for all sacrifice for all sins past, present and future.

    2. All who believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus have eternal life.

       a. Atonement of sins is not conditional on the faithfulness of man.

       b. Our salvation is not conditional on our goodness.

       c. Our salvation is base on the love of God for His people.

C. Israel could not keep the Law, so they were in  continuous need of a blood sacrifice.

   1. The Lord was a husband to Israel.

       a. Israel was the bride of the Lord.

   2. Jesus is the bridegroom under the dispensation of Grace.

       b. The Church is the bride of Jesus.

   3. Under the Law, the Levite priests were the intercessors between the people and God.

   4. Under Grace, Jesus is our intercessor, seated at the right hand of the Father.

 D. The nation of Israel was born in slavery.

      1. God sent Moses   to be their deliverer from bondage.

      2. All of us were born in the bondage of sin.

         a. Jesus is our deliverer from sin.

         b. His death on the cross freed us from the bondage of the eternal Hell.

 

V:33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people."

A. The Law was given to control the attitude of the Israelites.

     1. The Law was  forced upon the Israelites to be their school master.

 B. The New Covenant was established in the blood of Jesus Christ

     1. The new covenant is covenant of grace

         a. The Grace of Jesus Christ was given to control the hearts of man.

     2. Any man in Christ is a new creation.

     3.  The hearts of believers in Jesus Christ is controlled by the Holy Spirit.

         a. The Holy Spirit was sent by Jesus after His resurrection to be our

             comforter to teach us the Word of God.

         b. Anytime we study the Word of God, the Holy Spirit guides our

            understanding.

    

V:34. "No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,"  declares the Lord. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

 A. Once we accepted Christ as our personal Savior, we are drawn to the Word.

     1. We were brought out of the darkness of the world and placed in the marvelous

         light of God's Word.

    2. The new creation in us is urged by the Holy Spirit to grow in the knowledge of

        Christ through an understanding of God's Word.

    3. God will not leave us ignorant of Himself.

 B. This verse points to the body of Christ in which all believers are included.

     1. This verse is also the prophecy of the millennium kingdom in which

         a new Israel will grow up with Christ as their reigning King.

    2. The millennium kingdom will occur after the second coming of Christ.

        a. Christ will come again  and take up the whole Church body to reign

           with him during the millennium.  ( I Thes 4:16-17, Rev 20:6)

       b. The millennium is the time when God will fulfill His promise that

            all Israel will be saved. ( Rom 11:26 , Isa 45:17)

      c. Satan will be bound during the thousand year reign of Christ.

      d. The only voice Israel will hear is the Word of Christ.

 

V:35. " This is what the Lord says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar —  the Lord Almighty is his name."

A. God is the creator of all things in Heaven and on earth.

     1.God is authority over all creation.

        a. He caused the sun to shine by day and moon and the stars to shine

         by night.

     2. God is omnipotent.

         a. Not only does He have creative powers, but He gives illumination to

             the planets and stars.

         b. God created man to see His creation billions of miles away.

         c. God created man so that he could see and appreciate His glory.

     3. How much creative thought did it take to plan the universe?

         a. How much power does it take to suspend  objects in a orbit

            that they can't move out of?

         b.  When we look beyond ourselves we can see the unimaginable glory

              of God.

         c. When we look beyond ourselves we can see the unimaginable

              power of God.

         d. When we look beyond ourselves we can see the love of God for us

             that we cannot explain.

         e. All that we see in God's creation was done by Him for our benefit.

 

V:36 "Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares the Lord, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me."

A. This a great promise that God made to an ungodly people.

    1. The "if" is impossible because God's sight is unlimited and hindered by nothing.

    2. Jesus said it Himself, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my Word will never

        pass away".  Mat 24:35

B. This verse confirms God promise that a remnant of Israel will be saved.

    1. All believers in Jesus Christ have been adopted into the nation of Israel.

    2. This is the promise of eternal life for all believers. Rom 8:23, Eph 1:5

 

V:37 This is what the Lord says: "Only if the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of Israel because of all they have done,"  declares the Lord."

A. This verse is the promise of God's unending grace and mercy for His people.

    1. Heaven can't be measured. The foundation of the earth can't be understood.

        a. Therefore, this is the promise of eternal life for God's elect.

        b. The "if" in this verse is impossible for man, but possible for God.

        c. God cannot lie, therefore we can rely on His Word.

    2. There is no sin so bad that God can't forgive.

    3. Once in Christ, we are sealed to the day of redemption.  Eph 4:30

    4. We can fall away from fellowship with God, but never from a relationship

        with Him.

B. Salvation is not based on our goodness, but the love of God.

    1. Our salvation is not based on our ability to impress God.

    2. We cannot impress God because we cannot fully understand Him or His works.

C. God is infinite and we are finite.

    1. God has limited us to know only what is necessary to live in this short life time.

    2. The good news is, the infinite God we serve knows what is best for us and

        does what is best for us.

D. The God we serve predestined us as His adopted sons and daughters before the

     foundation of the World.  Eph 1:4

   1. The good news is that our salvation is not based on us.

   2. The good news is that God so loved the world that He sent His Son to die for our sins.

  

God has determined that we will be His people and He will be our God.

God has so ordered our lives with trials and tribulations that we will seek

Him out to be our God.

 

The problems we face in life are God's opportunity to draw us to Himself.

 

LET US GIVE GOD PRAISE AND GLORY FOR HIS DIVINE LOVE

  

God's Prophecies For The Redemption Of Man

 

Exodus   Law Given      The Cross      Dispensation of    Rapture     Millennium   Eternity

                                                             Grace                  

+__________+_________+_____________+___________+________+_________+____

 

                                                           Church Age            Church Taken Up           Israel

                                                                                          With Christ                Redeemed

 

Rev. M. Mitchell,  Asst Pastor of GMBC

This Week's Sunday School Lesson, "Hope For Restoration", 9/7/2014

HOPE FOR RESTORATION

 

Jeremiah 30:1-3, 18-22

 

V:1. " This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord".

 A. All scripture is God breathed.

    1. Through Biblical History, God chose men to record His Words.

        a. Lord= Jehovah= the self Existence or Eternal

        b. The name Jeremiah means "the Lord loosens which fit his task".

    2. The Lord is the author of all the Words of the Bible.

  B. The Word is the truth without any error.

    1. The Word of the Lord speaks to all men, past present and future.

    2. The Word was  first given to Israel, but it is for all of God's people.

    3. God spoke to a particular people at a particular time regarding a particular

        situation.

        a. Yet the Word is wisdom for all time.

        b. The time of this writing is after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian

            captivity.  590 BC

        c. Israel was taken captive for 70 years.

        b. God speaks to us in our times of trouble.

        c. It is during our troubles that God can get our attention

        d. The troubles of Israel resulted from their sins and their rejection of God's

             commands.

        e. The sins of Israel began during the exodus from Egypt.  1490 BC

 

V:2 "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Write in a book all the words I have

 spoken to you. "

 A. God instructed Jeremiah to write His Words without  any interpretation.

    1. Jeremiah could not leave out any of God's Words.

    2. The word "all" means every word God spoke or revealed to Jeremiah had to be

        recorded.

 B. Jeremiah was the vessel God used to record His Word.

      1. Jeremiah may have written in his style, and his language, but completely guided

          by God.

      2. Jeremiah produced the inspired text.

 C. God still speaks to us from the inspired text.

       a. Our interpretations  and translations are not inspired, but is the guide for us.

       b. It is the Holy Spirit that guides our understanding of the inspired text.

 

V:3. " The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers to possess,' says the Lord."

 A. God gave us His Word to encourage hope for our restoration.

      1. Even though Israel was taken captive, they would be restored back to the promise

          land.

       2. The Babylonian captivity was the punishment for their many sins.

 B. The land was first promised to Abraham and his descendants.

      1. Abraham descendants includes all God's elect from all nations of the world.

      2. From Abraham's descendants came Jesus in the flesh, the Savior of all God's

          elect.

 C. The land promise was to the Nation of Israel.

      1. Abraham's seed ( Jesus) would blesses the  entire world .

      2. It is through faith  in the  death and resurrection of Jesus that we are restored

          from our sinful state to a right relationship with the Father.

 

Jeremiah 30:18-22

 V:18.  "This is what the Lord says: "'I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place."

A. God chastises those He loves.

    1. Sometimes to get our attention God will destroy that which He allow us to build up.

    2. Israel had the Law that God gave to Moses.

         a. They refused to follow God's commands.

         b. They rejected the living God in favor of idol gods.

         c. They committed spiritual adultery in mist of God's sanctuary.

 B. God's chastisement is for a season, but His love is forever.

    1. God allows trouble in our lives for us to seek Him.

    2. God is not interested in our destruction, but He is interested in our restoration.

 C. The twelve tribes of Jacob inherited the promise land.

     1. Israel developed  as a nation during the 400 years of slavery in Egypt.

     2. The nation began when the Jacob and his twelve sons entered Egypt to

         escape the famine in the promised land.

  D. When Israel was delivered from Egypt into promise land, they lived in tents.

      1. The city of Jerusalem was built and the temple was constructed according to God's

           design for His Worship.

      2. It is our worship that gives God glory. 

  E. At the start of the Babylonian captivity, God gave Israel hope for restoration.

     1. No matter how bad we are, God can restore us to fellowship with Him.

     2. God is not interested in any physical building, but the spiritual building that

         is the body of Christ.  

     3. God uses  good and the bad to draw us into a closer relationship with Him.

  

V:19. " From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing. I will add to their numbers, and they will not be decreased; I will bring them honor, and they will not be disdained."

 A. Those who love the Lord will express their gratefulness in songs of thanksgiving.

      1. The restoration of Israel back to  the promise land is the "TYPE" of the Millennium  

          to come.

           a. After the second coming of Christ, the Church will be taken up to be with

              Christ .

           b. A remnant of Jews will go into the one thousand year reign with Christ.

 B. From the remnant  will grow a new nation of Israel

    1. Satan will be bound, so there will be no temptation of the flesh

    2. The millennium will be a time for Israel to rejoice with the Lord.     

 

V:20. " Their children will be as in days of old, and their community will be established before me; I will punish all who oppress them. "

A. The tribulation will be time when all the enemy of Israel will be destroyed.

    1. After the tribulation (7 year war against Satan), Israel will be under the leadership

        of Jesus.

    2. A new Israel community will grow up with Christ.

 

V:21. " Their leader will be one of their own; their ruler will arise from among them. I will bring him near and he will come close to me, for who is he who will devote himself to be close to me?'  declares the Lord. "

 A. Jesus Christ, the promise seed, will be there leader.

     1. The millennium will be Christ' reign on earth.

     2. Jesus is focused on the will of the Father.

 B. We are the seed of Abraham

     1. Our devotion should  be to the Lord and Him only.

     2. The more we submit ourselves to the Lord, the closer we will be to Him

     3. There is no greater companion than Jesus   

 

V:22.  "So you will be my people, and I will be your God."

   A. When we make God our Lord, we become His people.

       1. We were created by the Father to give Him glory.

       2. We were divinely appointed to be God's people.

  B. Because we belong to the Lord, we are heirs to the Kingdom of

       God.

      1. We must trust the Lord with all our mind, heart , soul and strength.

      2. We can rely on the Lord to provide all our needs.

 

The                70yr                Church Age    Tribulation   1000yr                New Heaven

Law given     Captivity                                 7yr              reign of Christ     New Earth

___+__________+________+____________+_______+______________+___________

                                                      

                         Jeremiah       The Cross         V:20                    V:19-21              V:22

 

1490 BC        590 BC           33 BC--                                                          Eternity

 

Rev. M. Mitchell   Asst Pastor of GMBC