“FIRE & HAMMER” Jeremiah 23:23-32
FBCF – 8/10/25
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Kids’ song from my childhood: “The B.I.B.L.E., Yes that’s the book for me. I stand alone on the W of G. The B.I.B.L.E.”
Every Sunday, we gather in this place & we gather around this book. We don’t gather around a dictionary or an encyclopedia (do we even still have those around anymore???). We don’t gather around a history or science textbook, a social studies or algebra textbook. We don’t gather around a comic book or a fiction book. We don’t gather around a trashy romance novel or a Louis L’amour western novel. We don’t gather around a children’s storybook or a fairy tale book. We don’t gather around a self-help book or a cookbook. We don’t gather around the Quran or the Book of Mormon or the Tripitaka of Buddhism.
We gather around THIS book – THE book – HIS book – the Bible, which, as 19th-century pastor J.C. Ryle said: “It is still the 1st book which fits the child’s mind when he begins to learn religion, & the last to which the old man clings as he leaves the world.”
Your staff LOVES the W of G! “Why do you love the W of G?” (Cindy on mission trip)
Mark: His Word provides peace and comfort.
Cindy: It has brought such comfort & hope to me in difficult times.
Michael: God’s Word speaks to every situation I could ever face! It leads, guides, and directs my life.
Brody: It is how the Lord SPEAKS to you, and it NEVER CHANGES.
Jordyn: It reminds me I don’t have to be perfect I just need an honest faith and God does the rest.
Matt: It has kept me alive and steadied me when I was shaken to the point, I didn’t think I could continue
Christian: I love the Word of God because it is truly God’s handbook for life. Now it may not give us the exact answers we want, but there is a passage for anything and anyone.
Why do we gather around this book & no other? Let’s let the Word speak about the Word & show us why it is different from every other book in the world:
It alone is a living book! Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is alive & active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul & spirit, joints & marrow; it judges the thoughts & attitudes of the heart.”
It alone was breathed out by God - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed & is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting & training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” It doesn’t just contain the word of God – it IS the Word of God!
It alone is eternal - Matthew 24:35 – “Heaven & earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”
It alone WILL accomplish what God wants it to accomplish - Isaiah 55:11 – “…it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, & shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
It alone brings life - Matthew 4:4 - “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
It alone will light the way for us to live - Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet & a light to my path.”
We continue to consider what true revival looks like & what will happen when it come to our lives & our church. And one thing is certain: Revival will only come when we, as the people of God, obey God & submit to His Word. And today is the only day that we are guaranteed to have that opportunity.
EXPLANATION – Jeremiah 23:23-32
Hebrews 1:1 – “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets.” And one of the prophets He used was Jeremiah, the “weeping prophet.” We continue to explore how God used him as His megaphone to deliver strong messages to His people. And that consistent message was repent, return to the Lord, & He will revive & restore you.
“Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, Isaiah – every major & minor prophet was sent by God to invite His people to come home. ‘Return to Me,’ God said through one prophet, ‘that I may return to you.’ The OT is the record of a relentless calling to stubborn people from a merciful Father.” (Elliff, The Presence-Centered Life, p. 31).
APPLICATION – The W of G constantly calls us to return to the Lord!
If you’re going to experience revival in your life:
STEP OUT OF HIDING – v. 23-24 – In this chapter, Jeremiah has prophesied some frightening words to false prophets who were leading the people astray. God plainly & powerfully told those false prophets that they can run but they can’t hide.
- “Am I a God at hand…& not a God far away?” – “I’m right here seeing everything you’re doing, hearing everything you’re saying, knowing everything you’re thinking.”
- “Can a man hide himself…”? – NO! It’s futile to try to do so!
- “Do I now fill heaven & earth?” – YES! Since He fills the entire universe, He fills this room, your office, your bedroom, your classroom, the football field, your vehicle, your hotel room when you’re on a business trip.
The false prophets should have stepped out of their perceived hiding & fallen on their faces in brokenness & repentance before the Lord, & He would have relented from His judgment. Instead, He said that He was against them 3 times: v. 30, 31, 32 – Words I never want to hear from Him to me!!!
You & I may not be OT false prophets, but the same God who saw them sees us today. And today He invites us to step out of hiding. He is right here & He sees & knows all about you & me. And in His love & GRACE & mercy, He beckons us to step out of hiding & fall down before Him.
SUBMIT TO THE FIRE – v. 29a – One Sunday morning in church at IBC. Had a few volunteer firefighters who were members of church. Middle of service, pagers started going off. A major fire had broken out downtown that quiet Sunday morning & had potential to wipe out an entire city block. Photos showed men still in their Sunday best fighting that massive fire. That fire changed the landscape of downtown Cleveland to this day.
That’s what fire does. It brings change – sometimes radical change. And the W of G is like fire. It brings change to our lives when we submit to it. His Word is like a fire:
- That can warm & comfort – Isaiah 43:1-2 – “…when you walk through the fire
- That can burn & cause pain – Acts 2:37 – The W of G, the Gospel “cut to the heart” – “pierced”
- That refines & purifies - A refiner’s fire melts down a metal, such as gold or silver, for purification purposes. Once a metal is in its melted down state, the dross in the metal rises to the top and is then removed from the metal before it cools… A refiner’s fire does not destroy the metal, rather it allows the junk within to come up so that it can be removed. A refiner’s fire does not consume, it makes the metal better and more valuable. (https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-is-the-refiners-fire-in-malachi.html)
- That can melt the hardest materials – Proverbs 28:14 – “whoever hardens his heart will fall into calamity.”
STAND UNDER THE HAMMER – v. 29b – Sometimes, the only way that God can get out attention is to use one of these (sledgehammer). Sometimes, His Word slams against our hard heads & hard hearts like a sledgehammer. Last week, we talked about how stiff-necked we can be. Today, let’s admit that we can also be extremely hard-headed & hard-hearted as God’s speaks to us by His Spirit through His Word spoken through His preacher.
- “If you play a game of chicken w/ God’s Word on any matter, there’s only one possible outcome for you: getting pulverized!” (The Tony Evans Bible Commentary, p. 698)
CONCLUSION – Some of this sounds so harsh, so hurtful, so harmful. But we’ve got to remember Romans 8:28 – “God causes ALL things to work together for good to those who love Him & are called according to His purpose.”
- If He is exposing you today as you try to hide from Him, it’s b/c He loves you & it’s for your good.
- If He is turning up the heat in your life & it’s making you uncomfortable or it’s painful, it’s b/c He loves you & it’s for your good.
- If He is pulverizing your heart today like a hammer, it’s b/c He loves you & it’s for your good.
Everything He does & everything He allows is b/c He loves you & longs for you to be His child if you’ve never given your heart to Him. If you DO know Him, everything He does & everything He allows is b/c He loves you & longs for you to be back in fellowship w/ Him.
Satan wants you to believe that you can just stay in your sin & everything will be ok – “It’s not that bad!” Wants you to continue to try to hide. Wants you to believe that you don’t have to respond to the Lord right now, that you’ll have another opportunity. Wants you to believe that you don’t really need or want revival in your life.
But that’s why God is turning up the heat. That’s why He is swinging the hammer today. He knows what’s best for you & He wants you to come home!
