Tug Of War
Jeremiah 1:1-10
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
2 To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
4 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
I have entitled this today: “Tug of War”
The name Jeremiah means”Jehovah is high, Jehovah raises up or launches out.”
Jeremiah 1:4 says: Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
This is the first Prophecy given in this book, and it concerns itself with the call of Jeremiah.
According to verse 5, Before God formed Jeremiah in the belly, I knew you.
Before you were in the belly of your mother God knew you.
Before Jeremiah came out of the womb, the Lord sanctified him and ordained him to be a Prophet unto the nations.
God through foreknowledge knows everything that there is to know.
God not only knew what kind of man that Jeremiah would be, but He knows what kind of man or woman that you can be.
It was not that Jeremiah did not have a choice of what he could do, because he did.
But God, because of who He is knows everything about us and what we can become in Him.
He opens up the doors in our lives and all we have to do is walk through the doors where He is leading.
The words, “I sanctified you” refers to the call of Jeremiah that he has been set apart for this particular use.
The words, Ordained you a Prophet unto the nations, means appointed.
His message would not only have to do with Israel but those nations that had to do with Israel.
Jeremiah 1:6-7
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
Almost immediately upon Gods commands, the flesh lacking faith withdraws, so did Moses and Jonah.
The call demanded absolute leading and absolute obedience.
Jeremiah 1:8
8 Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
This verse implies, and by the Lord at that, that Jeremiah will face great opposition, but he had the promise of the Lord to deliver him, but only if Jeremiah fully obeyed the Lord.
God will not and cannot bless disobedience.
Jas 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Jeremiah 1:9
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
The phrase, I have put my words in thy mouth, explains inspiration.
The mouth was Jeremiah’s mouth, but the words were God’s words.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Jeremiah 1:10
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Jeremiah was set over nations and over Kingdoms for God, He was His mouthpiece.
He was to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
I have entitled this today: “Tug of War”
Dream 8-13-09
I dreamed that we were in a tug of war. I put my feet down, planted them and pulled. We won.
Interpretation
2 Corinthians 10:1-6
1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:
2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;
5 Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; through God: or, to God
I was in a tug of war. At first, I was losing. But when I planted my feet, took hold of the ground that God had given me, I was a winner.
It is time to take hold of the ground that God has given us, if He has given it to me then it is my property.
If we have strongholds in our lives then it is time to stand your ground in the Name of Jesus Christ and win the battles that you are going through.
Don’t worry about what you think; stinking thinking can kill your God given Destiny.
When we start to think then we might start to doubt.
Doubt sees obstacles but faith sees the way!
Sometimes we might think that we are too young to speak the Word that God has given us. Quit thinking and read your Word!
Jeremiah 1:6-7
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
7 But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.
The Word tells me that God changes not!
If God sends you then you will perservere in what you are sent to do.
Just like Jeremiah don’t worry about peoples’ faces.
There have been times that I have worried about what others think, STINKING THINKING.
I worry about what they might say or react to what I am doing.
Who cares what man thinks if God spoke it do it and you will be victorious in what He has said?
Some of us might feel like we are in a tug of war, not knowing what the outcome will be.
Plant your feet, stand your ground and pull for the things of God like never before.
For some of you, maybe Satan has been fighting you tooth and nail and it seems that nothing absolutely nothing is going right.
Are you seeking first the Kingdom of God and His rightousness?
Mt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
Church, keep on pulling for God, grab hold of your rope!
Rope in the dream a 3 string chord!
Ec 4:12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ga 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Ga 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Satan wants you to get in a tug of war and not be grounded in the Word of God.
He wants to try to kill, and destroy you.
There is no weapon that is formed against you that will prosper, why because of who you serve.
When Satan and his imps start to tug, start pulling back and know who you believe in.
2Ti 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
No matter what comes against me I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, because I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Don’t say you’re too young or that you can’t speak that well. It does not matter. God will help you win the wars that come your way.
Ro 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Tug of war, it is time to plant your feet and win!
1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
Jeremiah 1:9-10
9 Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.
Closing
If you feel that you are in a tug of war, I want you to come up front and we are going to pray.
If you are interested in seeing some God given dreams given to me and others in our church go to:
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/w/windoffaithdrea/
Go to the new text page for the God given dreams.
