Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 35

Jeremiah 35
A Matter of Choice

I.  The Choice to Obey vs. 1-11
     “The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, [2] “Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.” [3] Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, his brothers and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites, [4] and I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door. [5] Then I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine.” [6] But they said, “We will drink no wine, for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, you nor your sons, forever.
     [7] ‘You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, nor have any of these; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land where you are sojourners.’ [8] “Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, [9] “nor to build ourselves houses to dwell in; nor do we have vineyard, field, or seed. [10] “But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
     [11] “But it came to pass, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, ‘Come, let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and for fear of the army of the Syrians.’ So we dwell at Jerusalem.””


II. The Choice to Disobey vs. 12-16
     “[12] Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying, [13] “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to obey My words?” says the LORD. [14] “The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, which he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; for to this day they drink none, and obey their father's commandment. But although I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, you did not obey Me. [15] “I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me. [16] “Surely the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father, which he commanded them, but this people has not obeyed Me.”’”

Deuteronomy 30:15-20


III. Punishment and Reward vs. 17-19
     “[17] “Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the doom that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them but they have not heard, and I have called to them but they have not answered.’” [18] And Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according to all that he commanded you, [19] ‘therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever.”’””

Malachi 1:6; Romans 2:5-11


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Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 20

Jeremiah 20
The Toll of Truth

I.  The Choice of Service vs. 1-7
     “When Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer, who was chief officer in the house of the LORD, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things, [2] Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks that were at the upper Benjamin Gate, which was by the house of the LORD. [3] On the next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “Pashhur [*fruitful on every side] is not the name the LORD has called you, but rather Magor-missabib *[terror on every side]. [4] “For thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am going to make you a terror to yourself and to all your friends; and while your eyes look on, they will fall by the sword of their enemies. So I will give over all Judah to the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will carry them away as exiles to Babylon and will slay them with the sword. [5] ‘I will also give over all the wealth of this city, all its produce and all its costly things; even all the treasures of the kings of Judah I will give over to the hand of their enemies, and they will plunder them, take them away and bring them to Babylon. [6] ‘And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into captivity; and you will enter Babylon, and there you will die and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have falsely prophesied.’”

Joshua 24:15


II. The Cost of Service vs. 7-10
     “[7] O LORD, You have deceived me and I was deceived; You have overcome me and prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me. [8] For each time I speak, I cry aloud; I proclaim violence and destruction, because for me the word of the LORD has resulted in reproach and derision all day long. [9] But if I say, “I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,” then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it. [10] For I have heard the whispering of many, “Terror on every side! Denounce him; yes, let us denounce him!” All my trusted friends, watching for my fall, say: “Perhaps he will be deceived, so that we may prevail against him and take our revenge on him.””


III. The Conviction of Service vs. 11-13
     “[11] But the LORD is with me like a dread champion; therefore my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will be utterly ashamed, because they have failed, with an everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten. [12] Yet, O LORD of hosts, You who test the righteous, Who see the mind and the heart; let me see Your vengeance on them; for to You I have set forth my cause. [13] Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD! For He has delivered the soul of the needy one from the hand of evildoers.”


IV. The Curse of Service vs. 14-18
     “[14] Cursed be the day when I was born; let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me! [15] Cursed be the man who brought the news to my father, saying, “A baby boy has been born to you!” and made him very happy. [16] But let that man be like the cities which the LORD overthrew without relenting, and let him hear an outcry in the morning and a shout of alarm at noon; [17] Because he did not kill me before birth, so that my mother would have been my grave, and her womb ever pregnant. [18] Why did I ever come forth from the womb to look on trouble and sorrow, so that my days have been spent in shame?”

2 Corinthians 2:15-16


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Sunday Sermon Outline: Hosea 7

“Wrong Choices”
Hosea 7

I.  Living a Lie  vs. 1-7
     “When I would heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim is uncovered, and the evil deeds of Samaria, for they deal falsely; The thief enters in, bandits raid outside, [2] and they do not consider in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness. Now their deeds are all around them; they are before My face. [3] With their wickedness they make the king glad, and the princes with their l ies. [4] They are all adulterers, like an oven heated by the baker who ceases to stir up the fire from the kneading of the dough until it is leavened. [5] On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine; He stretched out his hand with scoffers, [6] For their hearts are like an oven as they approach their plotting; their anger smolders all night, in the morning it burns like a flaming fire. [7] All of them are hot like an oven, and they consume their rulers; all their kings have fallen. None of them calls on Me.”

Matthew 15:14; Acts 5:29; Exodus 1:15-17; 1 Samuel 14:29; Daniel 3:18; 6:10; Acts 4:19-20; Matthew 23:37


II. Religious Tolerance  vs. 8-10
     “[8] Ephraim mixes himself with the nations; Ephraim has become a cake not turned. [9] Strangers devour his strength, yet he does not know it; Gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, yet he does not know it. [10] Though the pride of Israel testifies against him, yet they have not returned to the LORD their God, nor have they sought Him, for all this.”

Exodus 33:16; Malachi 2:11; 2 Corinthians 6:17-18; Psalm 106:35-36; John 15:19; Hebrews 11:13; 1 John 2:15; 1 Corinthians 15:33; 1 John 4:17; Hebrews 11:16; Matthew 13:20-21


III. Chasing Contemporary Trends  vs. 11-13
     “[11] So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without sense; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria. [12] When they go, I will spread My net over them; I will bring them down like the birds of the sky. I will chastise them in accordance with the proclamation to their assembly. [13] Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me! Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against Me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me.”

Hosea 2:12; Matthew 23:10


IV. Incomplete Worship  vs. 14-16
     “[14] And they do not cry to Me from their heart when they wail on their beds; for the sake of grain and new wine they assemble themselves, they turn away from Me. [15] Although I trained and strengthened their arms, yet they devise evil against Me. [16] They turn, but not upward, they are like a deceitful bow; their princes will fall by the sword because of the insolence of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.”

John 4:23-24; Matthew 23:27-28


Conclusion: Joshua 24:15


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Midweek Lesson Outline: Joshua 24

“As For Me and My House”
Joshua 24:1-29

Introduction: Genesis 6:5-6, 8-9; 1 Peter 3:20; Acts 2:40


I. God must be our champion vs. 1-13

“Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and their judges and their officers; and they presented themselves before God. [2] Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘From ancient times your fathers lived beyond the River, namely, Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor, and they served other gods. [3] Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River, and led him through all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants and gave him Isaac. [4] To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau, and to Esau I gave Mount Seir to possess it; but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt. [5] Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt by what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out. [6] I brought your fathers out of Egypt, and you came to the sea; and Egypt pursued your fathers with chariots and horsemen to the Red Sea. [7] But when they cried out to the LORD, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them; and your own eyes saw what I did in Egypt. And you lived in the wilderness for a long time. [8] Then I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived beyond the Jordan, and they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, and you took possession of their land when I destroyed them before you. [9] Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and he sent and summoned Balaam the son of Beor to curse you. [10] But I was not willing to listen to Balaam. So he had to bless you, and I delivered you from his hand. [11] You crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho; and the citizens of Jericho fought against you, and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Girgashite, the Hivite and the Jebusite. Thus I gave them into your hand. [12] Then I sent the hornet before you and it drove out the two kings of the Amorites from before you, but not by your sword or your bow. [13] I gave you a land on which you had not labored, and cities which you had not built, and you have lived in them; you are eating of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.’”

Numbers 14:8-9; Joshua 23:14; Hebrews 8:6; 1 John 2:25; John 20:29


II. God must be our choice vs. 14-29
 .
A. The Choice of Masters, vs. 14-18.

““Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. [15] If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” [16] The people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; [17] for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did these great signs in our sight and preserved us through all the way in which we went and among all the peoples through whose midst we passed. [18] The LORD drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God.””

Matthew 4:10; Matthew 6:24; James 4:4-10


B. The Choice of Holiness, vs. 19-21.

“Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgression or your sins. [20] If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you.” [21] The people said to Joshua, “No, but we will serve the LORD.””

Romans 3:23; 1 Timothy 1:13; 1 Peter 1:14-16


C. The Choice of Faithfulness, vs. 22-29.

“Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen for yourselves the LORD, to serve Him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” [23] Now therefore, put away the foreign gods which are in your midst, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” [24] The people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and we will obey His voice.” [25] So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made for them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem. [26] And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD. [27] Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be for a witness against us, for it has heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us; thus it shall be for a witness against you, so that you do not deny your God.” [28] Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to his inheritance. [29] It came about after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being one hundred and ten years old.”

Deuteronomy 30:15-20; James 2:14, 17; 2 Thessalonians 1:8


Conclusion: Life and death choices.

Judges 2:7, 10-12, 16-17; Hebrews 10:25; 11:25, 31; Exodus 24:7;
Romans 12:2; Hosea 4:6; Acts 10:24