UNWELCOME MESSAGE
Jeremiah 26:1-15
PROCLAIM
THE ENTIRE WORD OF GOD
V:1. Early
in the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the
Lord: 2 "This is what the Lord says: Stand in the courtyard of the Lord's
house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in
the house of the Lord. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.
3 Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from his evil way. Then I will
relent and not bring on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil
they have done. 4 Say to them, 'This is what the Lord says: If you do not
listen to me and follow my law, which I have set before you, 5 and if you do
not listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I have sent to you
again and again (though you have not listened), 6 then I will make this house
like Shiloh and this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the
earth.'"
A. The Israelites were a very stubborn
people.
1. God gave Israel His laws and commands
when brought them out of slavery in Egypt 900 years earlier.
2. They were promised victory when they came
into the promised land if they
Followed His commands.
3.
They
had times when they were obedient and times when they were disobedient to God’s
commands.
4. God punished them in their
disobedience by allowing them to be persecuted by the enemy until they cried
out for help.
B. In this text, the Israelites angered
God with their disobedience again.
1. It is the mercy of God to give us a
warning before impending judgments.
2. God has given us preachers and
teachers to bring a word to us.
3. Some messages are not easy to preach
or teach.
4. Nobody wants to be chastised from the
pulpit by the preacher.
5. Nobody wants to hear about God’s
judgment for their sins.
6. Everybody wants to hear the Good News
that makes them feel good in
Their situation.
7. Every preacher/teacher wants to be
seen in a positive light.
8. We like to hear that it was a good
message.
C. God is not interested in your
popularity contest.
1. God is not interested in making you
feel good with the Word. He wants you to pursue good.
2. Israel had turned to evil ways.
3. The message from the Lord to Jeremiah
was don’t change my Word.
Tell my people exactly
what I said.
4. We can’t sugarcoat the Word of God so
it will be acceptable to the
Congregation.
5. The Word from the Lord to Jeremiah
was to tell the people you are in sin.
a. You didn’t listen to my Word or
follow my laws and commands.
b. If you don’t repent and turn from your
evil ways, I will destroy you.
6. To all who preach and teach you can’t
proclaim the Good News without
Proclaiming God's
punishment for continuing in sin.
7. We love to quote part of the scripture
that sounds good.
a. For example; I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me,
Or Whatever I ask the
Father in Jesus's name will be done for me.
b. These verses are true but conditional on
obedience. They don’t hold
True in sin.
c. We handicap church folk with incomplete
preaching.
d. Incomplete preaching fails to
proclaim the consequences of sin.
D. The reason for God’s warning is to
get us to listen and repent.
1. It is the job of the preacher/teacher
to give a warning.
2. It does not matter whether you like
the message or not, it is the Word of God.
UNWELCOMED
MESSAGE
V:7 The
priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah speak these words in
the house of the Lord. 8 But as soon as Jeremiah finished telling all the
people everything the Lord had commanded him to say, the priests, the prophets,
and all the people seized him and said, "You must die! 9 Why do you
prophesy in the Lord's name that this house will be like Shiloh and this city
will be desolate and deserted?" And all the people crowded around Jeremiah
in the house of the Lord.
A. You can expect disgruntled members
when you preach or teach on the consequences of sin.
1. People may want to throw you out of
the church when you get into their particular sin.
2. We have the evidence in front of us
of what God has done in the past as a
Result of our
disobedience.
B. We cannot back down when threatened
for preaching the Word of God, people don’t want to hear.
1. When God gives us a word to preach,
He will protect us in our preaching.
2. You can quickly become unpopular when
you preach about sin.
3. In this day and age, the news and
social media glamorize all kinds of sins.
4. We got laws on the books that
legalize that which is an abomination to the Lord.
5. In 2021, there are people who would
rather believe a lie and die than hear the truth.
C. Notice it was in the house of the
Lord where the congregation threatened to kill the prophet.
1. It was the leaders of the church, the
priest, and the false prophets who stirred up the crowd to kill Jeremiah.
2. Some men claimed to be prophets, had no divine commission.
3. You can tell the difference between
those called by God and those who were not called.
a. Those called by God follow His
commands.
b. Those who were not called, reject
God’s commands.
4. Church folk who don’t know the Word
can easily be led astray.
PREACH
THE WORD, GOD WILL CHOOSE THE AUDIENCE
V:10 When the officials of Judah heard about
these things, they went up from the royal palace to the house of the Lord and
took their places at the entrance of the New Gate of the Lord's house. 11 Then
the priests and the prophets said to the officials and all the people,
"This man should be sentenced to death because he has prophesied against
this city. You have heard it with your own ears!"
A. What starts as a local issue, can
become a national issue.
1. It is the Lord who allows the
ministry to elevate to higher levels.
2. The officials of the King’s office
heard about the riot of the people against
God’s prophet.
3. There were people from all the towns
of Judah, in Jerusalem to worship at
a festival. (verse 2).
4. A divine festive occasion turned into
mob mentality against the God they
Came to serve.
5. Our Lord Jesus was crucified at the
hand of an angry mob led by religious
Leaders some 500 years
later.
B. It is the Lord who allowed the case
against His prophet to get the attention of
Higher officials.
1. When God is working in your life, you
got an advocate in high places.
2. This indicates that in the midst of a
life-threatening situation, you can have peace that surpasses all
understanding.
3. When you know the Word of God you can
stand against the wise of the devil.
4. When God is on your side no mob can
stand against you.
UNSHAKEABLE
FAITH
V:12 Then
Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people: "The Lord sent me
to prophesy against this house and this city all the things you have heard. 13
Now reform your ways and your actions and obey the Lord your God. Then the Lord
will relent and not bring the disaster he has pronounced against you. 14 As for
me, I am in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right. 15 Be
assured, however, that if you put me to death, you will bring the guilt of
innocent blood up on yourselves and on this city and on those who live in it,
for in truth the Lord has me to you to speak all these words in your
hearing."
A. If you stay faithful, God will give
you a higher platform to present His message to all the people.
1. When you serve God, you are a pawn on
a stage with all the world watching.
2. The message of the Gospel is not a
local message but an international message.
3. God wanted the attention of all His
people to make them realize the devastating effect of their disobedience.
4. The message in the temple walls
became a message to the entire nation.
B. The message God gives is not all
about you, but the nation.
1. Like George Floyd's death. It started
out local but gained national attention
Due to public outrage and
nationwide protests.
2. The result is police reform nationwide.
C. Jeremiah’s faith was grounded in the
Lord.
1. In face of death threats, his massage
from the Lord was the same.
2. Repent and live.
3. As for me, kill me if it's your
desire, but you will bring innocent blood on you and the city.
4. In other words, Jeremiah was saying
if you kill me, a prophet of the Lord,
You curse yourself.
NATIONWIDE
REFORM
V:16 Then
the officials and all the people said to the priests and the prophets,
"This man should not be sentenced to death! He has spoken to us in the
name of the Lord our God."
A. Watch this: When God gave Jeremiah a
national platform, men with wisdom step forward with a Godly viewpoint.
1. Men who knew the Lord recognized the
Jeremiah was speaking for the Lord.
2. Men who knew the history of Israel
and how God worked for them and
What God had done in past,
gave their viewpoint.
3. The leaders of the mob said kill him,
he deserves to die for speaking against their sins.
4. The leaders of the wise group said
let him be, he speaks for the Lord.
5. The wise leaders knew that there
would be a curse on the nation if they
Did not repent and become
obedient.
B. When the preacher speaks, take God’s
message as personal to you.
1. The reason for Jeremiah’s prophecy is
found in verse 3.
2. God wanted His people to listen and
turn from evil.
3. The God of our salvation intends to
save us from ourselves.
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
WITH GOD FROM THE WISE
V:17 Some of
the elders of the land stepped forward and said to the entire assembly of
people, 18 "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of
Judah. He told all the people of Judah, 'This is what the Lord Almighty says:
"'Zion
will be plowed like a field,
Jerusalem
will become a heap of rubble,
the temple
hill a mound overgrown with thickets.'
19 "Did
Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did not
Hezekiah fear the Lord and seek his favor? And did not the Lord relent, so that
he did not bring the disaster he pronounced against them? We are about to bring
a terrible disaster on ourselves!"
20 (Now
Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied in the
name of the Lord; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land
as Jeremiah did. 21 When King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials
heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard of it and
fled in fear to Egypt.
A. It is important to have leaders who
know the Lord and the national history to give advice and wise council.
B. We must be careful who we listen to.
C. Know your past.
If you don’t know your past you might repeat the same mistakes.
1. Israel had a past of being chastised
by the Lord for their sins.
2. What God did yesterday, He can do
today.
3. The wise men of the king's court knew
the past and refused to kill Jeremiah.
GOD HAS YOUR
BACK
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