“CALL TO ME” Jeremiah 33:3
FBCF – 8/17/25
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Cellphones have changed our lives in so many ways – some good, some not so good. Some ways they’ve made us lazier – Other ways more efficient. We use them for so many more things that just making phone calls – apps for everything! On my phone: My to-do list, notes app, weather, news, maps, medical & fitness apps, travel/airline apps, tickets for ballgames & concerts, banking & financial apps, our church’s giving app, shopping, Google, Kindle books, an app that tracks airplanes (grandson loves that one! Wants to find all the crop dusters that are flying!), podcasts, music, Scripture memory, devotionals, the Bible (get the YouVersion Bible app!), & more. Most of us use our phones as alarm clock.
Another way cellphones have changed our lives is that most of us no longer have landline phones in our homes. (video of kids trying to use rotary phone)
Another way that cellphones have changed our lives is that we don’t remember numbers anymore. Used to know everybody’s number – family members, friends, girlfriend/boyfriend, parents’ work, stores… Now we don’t know anybody’s numbers anymore. I don’t even know my Mama’s cellphone # - she still has a landline & I know that number b/c it’s the same number we’ve had since I was a kid, but I don’t know her cellphone #. But that’s OK b/c all I need to do is to do this: Pull her up in my contacts or go to my “recents” & touch her name & I’m calling her: (call Mama)
Today, we are finishing up these revival-prep sermons from the book of Jeremiah w/ a message based on 1 verse of Scripture that many people have coined as “God’s phone number” – Jeremiah 33:3. Turn to that now.
EXPLANATION – Jeremiah 33:3 (p. 662)
Context of Jer. 33 – Jeremiah in prison in Jerusalem. King Zedekiah had put him there b/c Jeremiah had prophesied that the Babylonians would succeed in conquering Jerusalem. It was a terrible time period in the life of God’s people, but they had brought it on themselves due to their persistent rebellion & disobedience to the Lord. Despite suffering b/c he continued to preach the impending judgment of God, Jeremiah remained faithful to the Lord, even when it hurt.
v. 1 tells us where he was – “still shut up in the court of the guard” – the royal prison – not as bad as if he was thrown into a dungeon or put in solitary confinement. But in prison, nonetheless.
v. 2 tells us who was speaking to him – “Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it – the LORD is His name.” This is why Jeremiah could continue to remain focused & faithful as a prophet of God. He KNEW that the God who was speaking to him & through him is the one true living God of all creation – the sovereign Lord of all, the Creator of the universe. He made the earth, formed the earth, & established the earth, making it solid & firm. He knew that he could trust in His Lord to take care of him no matter what his circumstances looked like. He had already made this declaration in 32:17 – “Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens & the earth by your great power & outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.”
And then, in the midst of suffering & pain, this God – HIS God – gives him this word of encouragement & comfort: “Call to me & I will answer you!”
When you KNOW that this is your God – when you know how strong & powerful He is – when you know that He has always been faithful to you & always will be – when you know that the plans He has for you are plans “to prosper you & not to harm you, to give you a future & a hope” (Jeremiahs 29:11) – then you will KNOW that He is a God to you can & MUST call to. And that’s exactly what He wants us to do – “Call to me & I will answer you & show you great & mighty things you do not know.”
APPLICATION – Revival does not come unless & until God’s people call out to Him.
THE INVITATION – “Call to me” – Our relationship w/ God is not a false relationship b/c He’s not a false god. It’s not a dead relationship b/c He’s not a dead god. It’s not a cold, impersonal relationship b/c He’s not a cold, impersonal god. It’s not an uncertain relationship b/c He’s not a god of uncertainty & confusion. Our relationship to Him is a REAL relationship, a LIVING relationship, a WARM, PERSONAL relationship, a CERTAIN, DEFINITE, SECURE, SURE, TRUSTWORTHY relationship!
This relationship begins when we call to Him – Romans 10:13 – “Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” Some of you need to do that today!
- If you’ve never trusted Jesus to save you, then you can have this real, living, warm, personal, certain, definite, secure, sure, trustworthy relationship w/ Him RIGHT NOW! Call to Him now!
Begins when we call to God. And continues & becomes more & more real to us as we continue to call to Him in prayer! If we want the Lord to truly revive & restore us, individually & corporately, we must call to Him in prayer. Revival simply will not come apart from the people of God calling out to Him in prayer.
W of G shows us this:
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people…”
- Psalm 85 – a prayer from David – v. 4 – “Restore us again, O God of our salvation…” – v. 6 – “Will you not revive us again that your people may rejoice in you?”
History shows us this:
- Hebrides revival in Scotland in 1949ff – over 20k people saved – Preceded in prayer by 2 sisters, Peggy & Christine Smith – 84 & 82 yrs old – Peggy blind & Christine bent over by arthritis – Huge burden for their community. Prayed in their cottage 2-3 nights each week 10 PM – 3 AM.
- Sept 23, 1857 – Young man in NYC, Jeremiah Lanphier, burdened by spiritual deadness around him. Began prayer mtg for businessmen in heart of city @ noon – 6 people showed up. W/in 3 yrs, 50K a week getting saved. Over 1 million people saved in the US.
So, CALL TO HIM! What if history will show that the next great spiritual movement in our nation began when a 138 yr-old Baptist church in Flora, MS began calling out to the Lord for revival in faith & desperation? What if history will show that it began when 1 PERSON in that church began to earnestly call out to the Lord for revival? That’s exactly what He invites you to do! Call to Him…
- Humbly – He won’t revive a proud heart!
- Honestly – About your sin – Confess it!
- Repentantly – Turn from your sin & to Him
- Believingly – He hears you & will do what He promises to do – forgive, revive, restore…which leads to next point…
THE EXPECTATION – “I will answer you” – When you call to Him, expect that He will answer you! Why?
- B/c He promises He will – Didn’t say “I MIGHT answer you” but “I WILL answer you!”
- B/c He loves you – He’s your Heavenly Father who loves you w/ a perfect, everlasting love! Matthew 7:11 – “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”
- B/c He wants to work in your life – Doesn’t mean we won’t suffer (Jeremiah in prison!). But as we said last week, remember Romans 8:28!
- B/c He wants to revive & restore you – Get ready! If you pray for revival in your heart, expect Him to do it. If you pray for Him to restore your relationship w/ Him, expect Him to do it.
Drought – pastor called prayer mtg on bright, sunny day. Elderly lady brought umbrella to mtg. Everyone laughed. But as they prayed, clouds rolled in, wind began to blow, & downpour started. “If you pray for rain, bring an umbrella!” If you pray for revival, GET READY! “I WILL answer you!”
THE REVELATION – “Show you great & hidden things that you have not known” – “great & mighty things” (NKJV) – “great & incomprehensible things” (CSB) – “wonderful & marvelous things” (GNT)
Means He will show us things that ONLY HE CAN DO! I don’t want see things that WE can do in our own strength & ingenuity. Those things don’t matter & don’t last. What matters & what lasts is what ONLY HE can do.
First time I met Bill Elliff – mtg at Table 100 w/ a bunch of other pastors several yrs ago. Bill said this: “What if God did something that took our breath away? Look at the Bible. Not one single time where there was a united cry to God that He didn’t respond. If you want His manifest presence, something has to happen. People have to get so desperate that they pray & unite!”
CONCLUSION – So are we that desperate? Are YOU that desperate? Do you want to see God do things that only HE can do – “immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine”? Then call to Him & believe that He WILL answer you & show you great & mighty things that ONLY HE can do!
- Invitation for those who need to make profession of faith, join church, or other public decision.
- Chalk circles – for those in here, those in overflow, & those watching this service.
