SERMON OUTLINE:
• Picture 1: A plundered slave (vs 14-19).
• Picture 2: A Stubborn Animal (vs 20).
• Picture 3: A degenerate vine (vs 21).
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• If you want to embarrass a preacher:
• Just ask him how the first sermon he ever preached went.
• Most of can remember it well, because it was not a very enjoyable experience!!!
• Often during a preachers first sermon he is very, very nervous.
• Often you get very tongue-tied.
• And when you allow your nerves to kick in;
• It is easy to feel like you are the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time!
Ill:
• You may have heard of the expression ‘Spoonerism’.
• You will find it in the dictionary.
• A ‘spoonerism’ is an error in speech or deliberate play on words;
• In which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched.
• It is named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner (1844–1930),
• Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this tendency.
• Poor old Spooner had a dreadful habit;
• Of confusing his message in the process of giving it:
(e.g.).
• At a wedding he told the groom, 'It is kistomary to cuss the bride.'
• Calling on the dean of Christ Church he asked the secretary; 'Is the bean dizzy?"
(e.g.).
• Giving the eulogy at a clergyman's funeral, he praised his departed colleague as;
• “A shoving leopard to his flock.”
(e.g.). In a sermon he warned his congregation
• “There is no peace in a home where a dinner swells'.
• Meaning, of courses 'where a sinner dwells”'
(e.g.). Speaking to a group of farmers:
• Spooner intended to greet them as “Sons of toil,”
• But what came out was. "I see before me tons of soil.”
Well, any preacher will have empathy & understanding for the Reverend Spooner:
• And as Jeremiah was about to learn a she starts off his preaching ministry;
• Preaching is not as easy as it sometimes looks!
ill:
• Story told of a preacher who asked his wife:
• “Should I have put more fire into my sermon”,
• His wife replied: “No darling, you should have put more of your sermon in the fire”.
ill:
• Welsh Preacher worked himself into a frenzy while preaching on Psalm 42:
• “As the deer pants for the water, so my soul thirsts after you”.
• As he continued he cried out to the congregation:
• “Yes, brothers & sisters, it’s your pants that he wants!”
• (in the U.K. ‘pants’ is also a vernacular term for undergarments)
Transition:
• We are breaking into the story of Jeremiah;
• As Jeremiah, the young inexperienced preacher is preaching his first sermon
• (The whole sermon starts at chapter 2 verse 1 and finishes at chapter 3 verse 5).
• Jeremiah’s sermon is not full of ‘spoonerisms’;
• But they were full courageous, compassion and conviction!
• With great confidence in his God and in his message;
• Jeremiah confronted the people regarding their sins;
• And he pleaded with them to repent and return to the Lord.
In this small section (vs 13-23) the theme is ‘rebellion’:
• In verse 13 we are told that the people have committed two sins:
• First: They have abandoned the Lord.
• The source of spiritual life and nourishment
• Second: they have turned to idols,
• These idols are useless, in fact he compares them to broken water cisterns.
Ill:
• Malcolm Muggeridge was an English journalist, author and media personality.
• On one occasion Svetlana (pronounce: shet-LAWN-ah) Stalin,
• She was the daughter of Josef Stalin.
• Josef Stalin. Was one of the most powerful and murderous dictators in history,
• Stalin was the supreme ruler of the Soviet Union for a quarter of a century.
• His regime of terror caused the death and suffering of tens of millions
• Stalin’s daughter Svetlana (shet-LAWN-ah);
• Spent some time with Muggeridge in his home in England,
• While they were working together on their BBC production on the life of her father.
• According to Svetlana (shet-LAWN-ah);
• As Stalin lay dying, plagued with terrifying hallucinations,
• He suddenly sat halfway up in bed, clenched his fist toward the heavens once more,
• Fell back upon his pillow, and was dead.
• The sad, incredible irony of his whole life is that at one time Josef Stalin;
• Had been a theological college student, preparing for the Christian ministry.
• Yet for some reason;
• He made a decisive break from his belief in God.
• And this break resulted in his hatred for all religion.
• The name Stalin, which means “steel,” was not his real name,
• But was given to him by his contemporaries;
• Who fell under the steel-like determination of his will.
• And as Stalin lay dying,
• His one last gesture was a clenched fist toward God,
• His heart was as cold and hard as steel.
That attitude is shocking in an atheist, communist dictator:
• But Jeremiah tells us in chapter 2 that this was also the attitude of God’s people.
• They might not be waving rebellious fists up to heaven;
• But their hearts and minds were demonstrating those same rebellious streaks!
Ill:
• Story of the little boy in the back of his dads car as they drove down the motorway;
• The boy undid his seat belt and stood up as his dad was driving along the road;
• Dad warned him to sit down straight away and to put the belt on;
• Otherwise he would face the consequences.
• Reluctantly the little boy sat down put the belt back on and then said to his dad;
• “I may be sitting down in my body but in my heart I’m standing up!”
Note:
• If Jeremiah was an artist then think of chapter two is an art exhibition:
• Because in this chapter he paints for us a whole collection of pictures.
• Ten word pictures that expose the sins of the people.
• i.e. last week as you studied this passage you will have noticed picture 1:
• Verses 1-8: Where Jeremiah talks about an unfaithful wife.
• They were like a bride who abandoned her husband to be for someone else;
• A picture of how the Jews had abandoned the Lord for someone else – i.e. idol worship.
• i.e. Again last week you will have noted picture 2:
• Verses 9-13: Where Jeremiah talks about broken cisterns.
Ill:
• A cistern is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water.
• Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater.
• Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings
• In a land where water is such a valuable possession;
• Only a fool would abandon a spring of fresh flowing water;
• For a cracked muddy cistern that was unable to hold any water.
• Yet says Jeremiah to the people;
• That is exactly what you have done to the Lord!
• You have swapped the pure for the impure,
• You have swapped the superior for the inferior!
This evening we going to look at three of those many word pictures that Jeremiah painted:
Picture 1: A plundered slave (vs 14-19).
“Is Israel a servant, a slave by birth?
Why then has he become plunder?
15 Lions have roared;
they have growled at him.
They have laid waste his land;
his towns are burned and deserted.
16 Also, the men of Memphis and Tahpanhes
have cracked your skull.
17 Have you not brought this on yourselves
by forsaking the LORD your God
when he led you in the way?
18 Now why go to Egypt
to drink water from the Nile[b]?
And why go to Assyria
to drink water from the Euphrates?
19 Your wickedness will punish you;
your backsliding will rebuke you.
Consider then and realize
how evil and bitter it is for you
when you forsake the LORD your God
and have no awe of me,”
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.”
The Jews knew what it was to be literally enslaved:
• Their ancestors had been slaves in Egypt;
• Until God raised up Moses to bring deliverance;
• And to set free from the bondage of their Egyptian task maters;
• God gave them liberty and freedom;
• God gave them a new life in Canaan.
• BUT without even realising it;
• The nation had gone back into bondage, back into oppression, back into slavery;
• By taking on board the practices and idol worship of their neighbouring countries.
• Instead of trusting the Lord;
• Israel had allied itself with Egypt and Assyria its pagan neighbours.
• And they would pay a heavy price for this alliance!
• Verses 14-18: poetically describe how:
• Israel had become a vassal state, they had become subordinate to another.
• An example of that is verse 15:
• The term ‘Lions’ is a figurative term for ‘invading soldiers’;
• Who have ransacked, looted and stolen their goods and also they have burned their cities.
• Verses 18: contrasts the Jewish peoples stupidity:
• Instead of drinking at the pure river that the Lord had given them to drink from;
• These people were drinking from the polluted waters of the Egyptian river Nile,
• Again this is a poetic way of saying that God’s people;
• Were trusting in their pacts and treaties with Egypt and Assyria.
• And no longer trusting in him!
• So in Verse 19: God says beware!
• We see expressed in this verse an important principle to rebellious people;
• God punishes us by allowing our own sins to bring pain and discipline in our lives.
Quote:
“The greatest judgement God can send to disobedient people is to let them have their own way and reap the sad, painful consequences of their own sins”
Ill:
• These verses remind me of what the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia:
• Galatians chapter 6 verse 7
• New International Version:
• “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
• GOD'S WORD® Translation:
• “Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God.
• Whatever you plant is what you'll harvest.”
• The Israelites of Jeremiah’s day were planting seeds;
• And then praying and hoping for a crop failure!
• i.e. If you plant a field full of weeds they are not going to come up as corn!
• i.e. If you plant a field full of dandelions they are not going to come up as wheat!
• And believer if you constantly sow seeds of disobedience into your life;
• Don’t expect them to produce a harvest of blessings and the rewards of obedience!
• It aint gonna happen!
Notice:
• Verse 19 contains the word ‘backsliding’, which literally means ‘to turn away’.
• And this word describes the nations repeated apostasy.
• Remember that ‘backsliding’ on God:
• Whether that of an individual, or that of a nation,
• Does not take place all at once; but it is a gradual process.
Ill:
Life ought to teach us, that deterioration is never sudden:
• No garden is suddenly overgrown with weeds,
• No building suddenly crumbles,
• No church suddenly splits,
• No tree suddenly falls,
• No marriage suddenly breaks down,
• No person suddenly becomes base,
Quote: The words of Eleanor Roosevelt ring true:
“One's philosophy is not best expressed in words. It is expressed in the choices one makes.
In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves.
The process never ends until we die.
And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.”
Picture 2: A Stubborn Animal (vs 20).
“Long ago you broke off your yoke
and tore off your bonds;
you said, ‘I will not serve you!’
• Jeremiah often used animals to picture the behaviour of people;
• And in this verse he compares the Jews to an unruly animal that will not wear the yoke.
• Again and again and again Jeremiah would use the reoccurring phrase
• ‘The stubbornness of their evil hearts”
• (i.e. 3:17, 7:24, 9:14, 11:8, 13:10, 16:12, 18:12, 23:17)
Ill:
• While on manoeuvres, a battleship lookout noted a light in the dark, foggy night.
• After noting the light’s coordinates,
• The captain recognized his ship was on a collision course with the other vessel.
• The captain instructed,
• "Signal the ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees."
• The return signal countered,
• "Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees."
• The captain signalled, "I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees."
• The response was, "I’m a seaman second class, you’d better change course 20 degrees."
• By this time the captain was furious.
• His signal curtly ordered, "Change your course I am a battleship.
• The reply:
• “Change course 20 degrees. I’m a lighthouse!"
Sooner or later our stubbornness is going to get us into trouble!
• Jeremiah compared the stubborn behaviour of people;
• To an unruly animal that will not wear the yoke.
• When it comes to stubborn behaviour we often think of a mule.
• (A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse)
• Quote: “As stubborn as a mule”
Ill:
• Stubborn people, like a stubborn mule, resist and fight & won't submit to the masters will
• Stubborn people, like a stubborn mule dig in their heels and won't budge.
• Stubbornness says, “I will do things my way, in my time, if I want to”.
• Stubbornness doesn’t require a reason, it’s my way because I want it that way!
If you have a concordance at home and look up the word ‘stubbornness’:
• You might get a surprise;
• For the Bible links stubbornness constantly with sin.
• i.e. God equates stubbornness with idolatry.
• He uses phrases like “stiffening the neck”;
• ill: it reminds me of when you scold a stubborn child;
• And you can see them physically tense up at your words.
• i.e. God talks about stubbornness being linked to ‘pride’ and a ‘hardness of heart.’
• Again and again the religious leaders missed what Jesus had for them;
• Because their hearts were so hard that they couldn’t receive his instruction.
• Stubbornness makes us unreceptive to correction or instruction;
• And stubborn people will not grow spiritually.
• Stubbornness will hinder, obstruct and hold back any spiritual growth in the believer!
Ill:
• In his book "Run with the Horses,"
• Eugene Peterson tells how he saw a family of birds teaching their young to fly.
• Three young swallows were perched on a dead branch that stretched out over a lake.
• One adult swallow got alongside the chicks;
• And started shoving them out toward the end of the branch;
• Pushing, pushing, pushing until the end one fell off.
• Then somewhere between the branch and the water below,
• The wings started working, and the fledgling was off on his own.
• The adult swallow then repeated this tactic again;
• Pushing, pushing, pushing until the next young bird fell off & had its first flight.
• The third young swallow was determined not to be bullied.
• When the parent swallow came pushing, pushing, pushing the young bird refused to let go.
• He even hung upside down on the branch hoping not to be bullied off.
• The parent bird was without mercy.
• He pecked at the desperately clinging claws until
• It was more painful for the poor chick to hang on than risk the insecurities of flying.
• The grip was released, and the inexperienced wings began pumping.
• The mature swallow knew what the chick did not - that it would fly!
• That there was no danger in making it do what it was perfectly designed to do.
Transition:
• Birds have feet and can walk.
• Birds have claws and can grasp a branch securely.
• But flying is what they were designed to do;
• And not until they fly are they living at their best, graceful and beautiful and free.
• In the same way that God created swallows to fly;
• So He created us to follow His commands and laws.
• And, we are not really free until we do what God has made us to do.
• Only in obedience are we living at our best,
• Only in obedience will we be graceful, beautiful and free.
Picture 3: A degenerate vine (vs 21).
I had planted you like a choice vine
of sound and reliable stock.
How then did you turn against me
into a corrupt, wild vine?
ill:
• Like the thistle to Scotland,
• Or shamrock of Ireland.
• So was the Vine to Israel. (National symbol).
• It would later on be on their coins, and it would also be carved out on Herod's temple.
• In the Old Testament Israel as a vine was a familiar image
• (i.e. Isaiah 5:1-7. Psalm 80:8-16, Ezekiel 17:1-10; Hosea 10:1-2)
Ill:
• This whole region appears to have been a vine-growing area;
• From the earliest historic times archaeology bears witness to this fact;
• By discovering countless wine presses in and around these centres of civilization.
• As well as for wine;
• It is probable that the grape was largely cultivated as a source of sugar:
• The juice expressed in the "wine press";
• Was reduced by boiling to a liquid of treacle-like consistency known as "grape honey,"
• This may well be the "honey" of many Old Testament references,
• And before the days of cane sugar was the chief source of sugar.
• The whole Old Testament witnesses to how the Jews and their neighbours;
• Greatly depended upon the vine and its products.
ill:
• Like a vine planted in good fertile soil should produce good juicy grapes;
• So God expected his people to produce a harvest of righteousness;
• But instead it produced wild grapes.
• Because the Jews worshipped the false gods of their neighbours;
• They became like their neighbours – corrupt and spiritually dead!
Ill:
• Fruit of course can only come out of life!
• A factory can package fruit in tins but that factory cannot create it.
• Because fruit must come out of life!
• Sadly the Jewish people were unable to produce any fruit;
• Because they had cut themselves off from their life source!
Ill:
• Cut flowers.
• They look great but they are dead – cut off from their life source!
Conclusion:
• Now your homework and the application for the Christian of this sermon;
• Is to go home and read John chapter 15.
It is a chapter that deals with our relationship to Jesus (John 15: 1-11).
• It is the most important relationship WE can have.
• The key word is "Remain" or "Abide".
• It is used 10 times in these 11 verses.
• It is emphasising: union / being joined.
And as you read John chapter 15 notice the result of "Remaining" is fruit bearing.
• Scan John chapter 15 and notice the many mention it gets:
• Vs 2a: "Bears no fruit".
• Vs 2b: "Does bear fruit".
• Vs 2c: "Even more fruitful".
• Vs 4: "No branch can bear fruit by itself".
• Vs 5: "Bear much fruit".
• Vs 8: "Bear much fruit".
Fruit recurs, dominates, influences, the whole of this passage.
• But don't try and get the cart before the horse:
• Their are no short cuts,
• If you want to bear fruit you need to remain,
• Remaining, always results in fruit bearing:
If we refuse to remain;
Then like the Hebrew people of old we will become like dishevelled vines!
