HEALTHY INDEPENDENCE-VI—Jeremiah 17:1-14
Jn. 15:18-19—Jesus told His disciples:—“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Jn. 17:15-16—Jesus prayed for His disciples:—“I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.”
God’s people must exhibit a ‘Healthy’ independence from the world in which they live.
?Are you living INDEPENDENTLY of that which has potential to destroy you?
The prophet Jeremiah contrasted two major aspects of Independence—Independence from God versus independence from the world.
*Dependence upon YHWH brings independence from worldly influence.
What can be gleaned by contrasting healthy & unhealthy independence?
*How can I be independent of worldly influence?
So far we’ve found that A Healthy Independence Engages(deals with/handles/manages)...
1. A RESIDENT REBELLION(:1)
2. An ABERRANT EDUCATION(:2)
3. BLINDLY SIGHTED BENEFITS(:3-4)
4. An ANGERING LIFESTYLE(:4e)
5. MISPLACED/Aberrant TRUSTS(:5)
6. The ‘CURSE’ Of MISPLACED/Aberrant TRUST(:6)
7. A CORRECTED TRUST(:7)
8—A Healthy Independence Engages(deals with/handles/manages)...
A TELLING PLANTING(:8)
Explanation:(:8)
:8—“For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,
Which spreads out its roots by the river,
And will not fear when heat comes;
But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought,
Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”
Very practically, by virtue of a person’s faithfulness to Almighty God, God’s ‘blessing’ is brought to him/herself. This “blessing” directly corresponds to or contrasts with the ‘curse’ which the unfaithful person brings upon themselves(:6).
•This verse(:8) pictures the “blessing” promised in :7. The promise is had by any & all whose lives are lived out by personal “trust” & “hope”(:7) in the eternal God, YHWH.
?Are you one of those faithful?...
Pay attention & we’ll see...
“For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,”
Again, a comparison is made in order to give the reader/hearer a practical application of the contrast between a life surrendered to an ABSENCE of faith in YHWH, VERSUS a life directly SURRENDERED to faith in YHWH.
•Here a “tree” is contrasted with ‘the shrub’ of :6. Everything in verse :7 relates to a picture of a well-watered “tree.”
•The “tree” is not just contrasted with the shrub, but also with the shrub’s setting. One’s ‘setting’ is ultimately brought upon a person by EITHER their personal LACK of faith, OR by the PRESENCE of personal faith & a reliance upon it... (CONT...)8—A Healthy Independence Engages...
A TELLING PLANTING(:8)
•It is not so much that a person’s actual outward circumstances change by faith, so much as their faith-filled RESPONSE to their circumstances changes!?•A Christian may actually LIVE in a physically desolate situation, & be surrounded by a POTENTIALLY languishing situation. BUT the Christian will approach those same outward circumstances very differently from the non-Christian. The non-Christian will approach their setting(‘planting’) from the standpoint of a perpetually thirsty “shrub”, whereas the Christian will approach their setting(‘planting’) as a well-watered “tree.”
•This is NOT an example of looking at a glass as being half-full or half-empty! This is rather an example of approaching & experiencing life via the empowerment offered thru two different & opposing means...This “tree planted by the waters” is an example of approaching & experiencing life via the empowerment offered thru what or who a person trusts in.
What you do with YOUR ‘planting’ is very TELLING, because it signifies the RESOURCE from which YOU draw sustenance. What you do with your ‘planting’ is accomplished by what is ‘brought to the table’ thru your trusted resource!
In the ever-changing situations & circumstances of daily life, the people who have faith in the self-revealing & eternal God, will be reminiscent of “a tree planted by the waters.”
A TELLING PLANTING is:
A.—An INTENTIONAL planting!—“Like a tree planted”—Note that the “tree” is “planted.” It is NOT some willy-nilly happenstance. That is, there has been intentional intervention by God for the believer’s sake! God has your best interests at heart/in mind!?•When you put your trust in God, ALL the POWER of HEAVEN becomes available to you!...Never to misuse or abuse for self, but rather, so in your own unique way, you will commit your unique makeup in Christ, toward giving all glory to Almighty God. And thus the power of the Kingdom of Heaven is neither given to yourself nor to anything or anyone other than God.
i.—Who “planted” you?—YHWH, the ever-present God!—Upon an initial trust of Jesus, the Holy Spirit of God permanently transforms you...So that HE compels you to ‘bloom where you’re planted.’
B.—An OPTIMIZING Planting—“Which spreads out its roots by the river”—God always equips wherever He is allowed to save & become Lord of a person’s life!
C.—A BENEFICIAL planting!—...
i.—Continually Watered—“Planted by the Waters” & “By the river”—For the Christian, God the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit is the steady & reliable source of life-maintaining & life-renewing ‘water’ as it were.
ii.—Continually Independent(of debilitation)—“Will not “Fear/See” when heat comes”—They’ll not be oblivious of it, but victorious over it!
“What is the “heat” speaking of?—“Heat” is any strong temptation that would cause you to leave God. Anyone faithful to the eternal God thru Christ Jesus will not even “see” the approach of that danger, much less experience it. As the adage goes, ‘once you’re saved you’re always saved.’ And with that reality comes great comfort in any adversity!
•We pray with Jesus, “Do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”—Mat. 6:13
•This is in direct contrast to verse 6b’s “shall not see when ‘good’ comes.” Just the opposite happens for the faithful Christian...they will not see when “heat comes.” Why, for the Christian, is there no sight of nor “fear” of “heat’s” presence? Because the Source of protection(YHWH) & the means of engagement with the “heat”, is entirely trust-worthy & trounce/squash-worthy!
“Fear/See”—har raw-aw’—Qal Imperfect—1) To see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To see, 1a2) To see, perceive, 1a3) To see, have vision, 1a4) To look at, see, regard, look after, see after, learn about, observe, watch, look upon, look out, find out, 1a5) To see, observe, consider, look at, give attention to, discern, distinguish, 1a6) To look at, gaze at. Strong—To see, literally or figuratively(in numerous applications, direct & implied, transitive, intransitive & causative); a primitive root.
“Heat”—Mx khom—Noun Masc.—1) Heat, hot. Strong—Heat. Used 14X.?From—Mmx khaw-mam'—To be hot(literally or figuratively); a primitive root.
iii.—Continually Green—“But its leaf will be green”(growing/healthy/lively/lush)—Trusting in God’s deliverance keeps a person from shriveling away & losing themselves to their own sinfulness.
iv.—Continually Trusting—“And will not be anxious in a year of drought”—Note that there are “years” of drought promised!, but they are experienced singly one-by-one. And none of the “droughts” has the power to unseat you or move you away from God’s love. No power is given up to the droughts, but rather the droughts are given up to YHWH!
“Anxious/Careful”—gad daw-ag’—Qal Imperfect—1) To fear, be anxious, be concerned, be afraid, be careful—1a) (Qal)--1a1) To be anxious, be concerned, 1a2) To fear, dread. Strong—Be anxious; a primitive root. Used 7X.
Mat. 6:33-34—“But seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness, & all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
1Pet. 5:5-7—“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, & be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
Acts 20:22-24—“And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains & tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, & the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
Php. 4:6-7—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus.”
v.—Continually Producing—“Nor will cease from yielding fruit.”—You give glory to God Himself, while continually doing what God has gifted you to do, regardless of your circumstances! Whether lean times or fat times or somewhere in between, God MUST gain the glory!
Jn. 3:25-31—“Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples & the Jews about purification. And they came to John & said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified--behold, He is baptizing, & all are coming to Him!” John answered & said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’ “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands & hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly & speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.”
Illustration:
•The times in which we are currently living:?1)Fear of COVID is separating the church to some degree...?2)In which policemen & policewomen do not have the restraint required to fulfill the commitment that their badge represents, particularly in respect to the dignity of human life...?3)Rioting in the streets & criminal disregard for human civility & dignity, which goes unrestrained & is condoned...?4)Completely unreasonable & prejudiced thinking that supposes a person is owed respect simply because of the color of their skin—?•All the above & more give us good cause to look at our verses in Jeremiah, & particularly verse :8. Are we dedicated to God or to empty religion?/A TELLING PLANTING
•Our church has a prime example of this truth/In the front of the sanctuary we have two flower beds/The west one extends around the western side of the church building/You will notice that there are vinca planted all along the edges & under the Loropetalum on the corner/Actually a tiny spot of vinca was planted a few years back(I can’t remember exactly where)/But now the vinca has reseeded itself many times over, so that they grow everywhere!—They grow like weeds!/But they are beautiful flowering weeds!/Despite our having to pull some of them up, they reseed into every nook & cranny in every one of our flowerbeds!/More than that, the vinca thrive in most every nook & cranny available to them, whereas the stuff we specially purchase to grow languishes & dies/God’s people should live their lives like those beautiful unconquerable flowers! God’s people should put forth their every effort to please our God! Despite what we might personally consider to be adversity. A crack in the asphalt in 95-degree sunny baking weather seems inhospitable...But for the vinca it is an opportunity! ?Are you tough enough to be a Christian?/A TELLING PLANTING
•We have a coffee mug that reads: “Bloom Where You’re Planted”—Now that’s a good word from God!/What you do with A TELLING PLANTING is indeed revealing!
?Do you WHINE about your circumstances, making everybody around you miserable?
?Do you BLAME others for your situation?
?Are things not like they used to be?
?Do you remember yesteryear as better than today?
?Is your misery always someone else’s fault?
OR...
?Do you continually live in the “blessedness” that God’s eternal wisdom brings?...even to your ‘not so comfortable’ situations?
Application:
?Are you properly engaging(dealing with/handling/managing) A TELLING PLANTING?
?Are you exhibiting A Healthy Independence?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
A Healthy Independence Engages(deals with/handles/manages)...
8. A TELLING PLANTING(:8)
1. A RESIDENT REBELLION(:1)
2. An ABERRANT EDUCATION(:2)
3. BLINDLY SIGHTED BENEFITS(:3-4)
4. An ANGERING LIFESTYLE(:4e)
5. MISPLACED/Aberrant TRUSTS(:5)
6. The ‘CURSE’ Of MISPLACED/Aberrant TRUST(:6)
7. A CORRECTED TRUST(:7)
Pt# 8 only! VIDEO ONLY Presented 08/30/2020am to:
1BCCbelle(Video to YouTube shared to Facebook @ ‘Byron Sherman’ & ’First Baptist Church Carrabelle’)
206 SE Ave. A(Storrs Ave.)
Carrabelle, FL 32322
