Jeremiah... Never, Never Give Up Series

Jeremiah.... Never, Never Give Up

(The Kingdom Falls)

The Story Chapter 17

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. - Gal 6:9

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. – 1 Corinthians 15:58

QUESTION – have you ever felt like giving up? Have you ever felt like quitting, like throwing up your hands and tossing in the towel and saying; “I can’t do this anymore, I’m done, I quit – it’s over…?

You’re working ON; a project, a relationship, a ministry – you’re working on a life… AND – you’ve had just about all that you can take. I MEAN - you’re making little if any progress, you’re spinning your wheels, you’re not getting anywhere… You’re tired, worn out, weary and frustrated…

NOW - I don’t know about you BUT – I’ve been there and done that.. a time or 2 or 3 or…

Good morning Dad it’s 4 am and I am at such a bad place. I need you. Doubt, fear, insecurity…etc are racing to consume me. I feel like I am nothing right now… Dad if I were you I would forget me. I am such a failure… fear, doubt and blowing it, are just how I do!

I am tired of rejection

I am tired of waiting

I am afraid for my family

If I should leave the ministry now, just let me know

I don’t like things right now! At all!!!

When will this end.

HELP!

Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be dismayed. Therefore, I have set my face like stone, determined to do His will. And I know I will triumph… See the Sovereign LORD is on my side… Trust in the LORD and rely on your God. – Is 50:7-10

Thanks DAD I so need your perspective on this thing… Yes one day will be the day, that I will rise from these ashes and become who I am supposed to be. And it could actually be today… If I make that choice.

OKAY...

THIS MORNING – as we continue our message series, ‘The Story’ – we are going meet an Old Testament guy, named Jeremiah… (The prophet not the bullfrog)… A guy who never gave up.

NOW - Jeremiah has been one of my mentors for years in my faith journey… I MEAN – there has been a bunch of times over the years (when life was really) THAT - I would grab; my pen, my bible, my journal…and crack open words written by this prophet of God over 2,500 years ago.

AND – each time God has used Jeremiah to speak straight to my heart. Though I have never met him, I really love the guy and I can’t wait to invite Him over, throw some steaks on the grill, grab some sweet tea and chill out with him in heaven…

NOW - my goal this morning is two-fold… FIRST & FOREMOST - to lift up our awesome and mighty God… AND SECOND – it is my hope that something I share today (a word, a thought, a phrase… whatever) will help someone out there who feels like quitting.

OKAY… let’s do this.

BUT… let’s pray first.

Prayer

NOW JEREMIAH – comes onto the scene in the middle of Chapter 17 of The Story. Let’s do a quick recap of where we are in the Story

The nation of Israel—remember?—split into two kingdoms: Northern Kingdom (being Israel), Southern Kingdom (called Judah). And over a two-hundred-year period history, you had God sending nine different prophets. We’ve looked at Elijah, Isaiah, and now this week Jeremiah.

But there were nine different prophets that He sent to warn the people, “Look, judgment is coming, and if you don’t do some things differently, if you don’t turn around, if you don’t go a different direction, you’re going to experience some really severe consequences because you have rejected Me to follow these false gods, these other idols.”

For two hundred years God warns His people, “It’s coming! It’s coming! Judgment is coming!” Finally it comes.

AND - as we saw last week the Assyrian army comes into the Northern Kingdom and they just destroy the Northern Kingdom. One hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrian soldiers knock out the Northern Kingdom. The Southern Kingdom is next.

But the Assyrians come to attack the Southern Kingdom, but the Southern Kingdom has this X-factor. It’s King Hezekiah that we studied last week, who was a man of prayer, a man of purity, a man of humility. And the Bible says that during his lifetime God withheld His judgment from His people. Instead of judging His people and bringing this discipline upon them, He brings salvation because of Hezekiah, and He rescues the people from the Assyrian army.