Sunday, December 18, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 52

Jeremiah 52
The Fall of Jerusalem

I. The Seige of Jerusalem vs. 1-11

      A. Zedekiah's Sin vs. 1-3
      “Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. [2] He did evil in the sight of the LORD like all that Jehoiakim had done. [3] For through the anger of the LORD this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence. And Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.”
     B. Zedekiah's Shame vs. 4-7
      “[4] Now it came about in the ninth year of his reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, camped against it and built a siege wall all around it. [5] So the city was under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah. [6] On the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land. [7] Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled and went forth from the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls which was by the king's garden, though the Chaldeans were all around the city. And they went by way of the Arabah.”
     C. Zedekiah's Suffering vs. 8-11
      “[8] But the army of the Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho, and all his army was scattered from him. [9] Then they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. [10] The king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and he also slaughtered all the princes of Judah in Riblah. [11] Then he blinded the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon and put him in prison until the day of his death.”


II. The Destruction of the City vs. 12-16

      “[12]  Now on the tenth day of the fifth month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, who was in the service of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. [13] He burned the house of the LORD, the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; even every large house he burned with fire. [14] So all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls around Jerusalem.”
      “[15] Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away into exile some of the poorest of the people, the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon and the rest of the artisans. [16] But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.”


III. The Looting of the Temple vs. 13-23

      “[17]  Now the bronze pillars which belonged to the house of the LORD and the stands and the bronze sea, which were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried all their bronze to Babylon. [18] They also took away the pots, the shovels, the snuffers, the basins, the pans and all the bronze vessels which were used in temple service. [19] The captain of the guard also took away the bowls, the firepans, the basins, the pots, the lampstands, the pans and the drink offering bowls, what was fine gold and what was fine silver.”
      “[20] The two pillars, the one sea, and the twelve bronze bulls that were under the sea, and the stands, which King Solomon had made for the house of the LORD —the bronze of all these vessels was beyond weight. [21] As for the pillars, the height of each pillar was eighteen cubits, and it was twelve cubits in circumference and four fingers in thickness, and hollow. [22] Now a capital of bronze was on it; and the height of each capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capital all around, all of bronze. And the second pillar was like these, including pomegranates. [23] There were ninety-six exposed pomegranates; all the pomegranates numbered a hundred on the network all around.”


IV. The Replacement of the Leadership vs. 24-34

      A. Execution of the Shepherds vs. 24-27
      “[24]  Then the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest, with the three officers of the temple. [25] He also took from the city one official who was overseer of the men of war, and seven of the king's advisers who were found in the city, and the scribe of the commander of the army who mustered the people of the land, and sixty men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city. [26] Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. [27] Then the king of Babylon struck them down and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was led away into exile from its land.” 
 
      B. Deportation of the Sheep vs. 28-30
      “[28] These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away into exile: in the seventh year 3,023 Jews; [29] in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar 832 persons from Jerusalem; [30] in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile 745 Jewish people; there were 4,600 persons in all.” 
 
      C. Elevation of the King vs. 31-34
      “[31]  Now it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-fifth of the month, that Evil-merodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, showed favor to Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him out of prison. [32] Then he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the thrones of the kings who were with him in Babylon. [33] So Jehoiachin changed his prison clothes, and had his meals in the king's presence regularly all the days of his life. [34] For his allowance, a regular allowance was given him by the king of Babylon, a daily portion all the days of his life until the day of his death.”


Sunday, December 11, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 51

Jeremiah 51
Judgment on Babylon II

I.   A God Who Speaks vs. 1-12
      “Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am going to arouse against Babylon And against the inhabitants of Leb-kamai [Chaldeans] The spirit of a destroyer. [2] “I will dispatch foreigners to Babylon that they may winnow her And may devastate her land; For on every side they will be opposed to her In the day of her calamity. [3] “Let not him who bends his bow bend it, Nor let him rise up in his scale-armor; So do not spare her young men; Devote all her army to destruction. [4] “They will fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, And pierced through in their streets.” [5] For neither Israel nor Judah has been forsaken By his God, the LORD of hosts, Although their land is full of guilt Before the Holy One of Israel. [6] Flee from the midst of Babylon, And each of you save his life! Do not be destroyed in her punishment, For this is the LORD's time of vengeance; He is going to render recompense to her. 
     [7] Babylon has been a golden cup in the hand of the LORD, Intoxicating all the earth. The nations have drunk of her wine; Therefore the nations are going mad. [8] Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken; Wail over her! Bring balm for her pain; Perhaps she may be healed. [9] We applied healing to Babylon, but she was not healed; Forsake her and let us each go to his own country, For her judgment has reached to heaven And towers up to the very skies. [10] The LORD has brought about our vindication; Come and let us recount in Zion The work of the LORD our God!  
     “[11] Sharpen the arrows, fill the quivers! The LORD has aroused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, Because His purpose is against Babylon to destroy it; For it is the vengeance of the LORD, vengeance for His temple. [12] Lift up a signal against the walls of Babylon; Post a strong guard, Station sentries, Place men in ambush! For the LORD has both purposed and performed What He spoke concerning the inhabitants of Babylon.”


II.  A God Who Acts vs. 13-24
      “[13] O you who dwell by many waters, Abundant in treasures, Your end has come, The measure of your end. [14] The LORD of hosts has sworn by Himself: “Surely I will fill you with a population like locusts, And they will cry out with shouts of victory over you.” [15] It is He who made the earth by His power, Who established the world by His wisdom, And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens. [16] When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain And brings forth the wind from His storehouses. [17] All mankind is stupid, devoid of knowledge; Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, For his molten images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them. [18] They are worthless, a work of mockery; In the time of their punishment they will perish. [19] The portion of Jacob is not like these; For the Maker of all is He, And of the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of hosts is His name. 
     [20] He says, “You are My war-club, My weapon of war; And with you I shatter nations, And with you I destroy kingdoms. [21] “With you I shatter the horse and his rider, And with you I shatter the chariot and its rider, [22] And with you I shatter man and woman, And with you I shatter old man and youth, And with you I shatter young man and virgin, [23] And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, And with you I shatter the farmer and his team, And with you I shatter governors and prefects. [24]  “But I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea for all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes,” declares the LORD.”


III. A God Who Remembers vs. 25-40
      “[25] “Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, Who destroys the whole earth,” declares the LORD, “And I will stretch out My hand against you, And roll you down from the crags, And I will make you a burnt out mountain. [26] “They will not take from you even a stone for a corner Nor a stone for foundations, But you will be desolate forever,” declares the LORD. [27] Lift up a signal in the land, Blow a trumpet among the nations! Consecrate the nations against her, Summon against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni and Ashkenaz; Appoint a marshal against her, Bring up the horses like bristly locusts. [28] Consecrate the nations against her, The kings of the Medes, Their governors and all their prefects, And every land of their dominion. [29] So the land quakes and writhes, For the purposes of the LORD against Babylon stand, To make the land of Babylon A desolation without inhabitants. [30] The mighty men of Babylon have ceased fighting, They stay in the strongholds; Their strength is exhausted, They are becoming like women; Their dwelling places are set on fire, The bars of her gates are broken. [31] One courier runs to meet another, And one messenger to meet another, To tell the king of Babylon That his city has been captured from end to end; [32] The fords also have been seized, And they have burned the marshes with fire, And the men of war are terrified. [33]  For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor At the time it is stamped firm; Yet in a little while the time of harvest will come for her.”” 
     “[34] “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has devoured me and crushed me, He has set me down like an empty vessel; He has swallowed me like a monster, He has filled his stomach with my delicacies; He has washed me away. [35] “May the violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon,” The inhabitant of Zion will say; And, “May my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea,” Jerusalem will say. [36] Therefore thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am going to plead your case And exact full vengeance for you; And I will dry up her sea And make her fountain dry. [37] “Babylon will become a heap of ruins, a haunt of jackals, An object of horror and hissing, without inhabitants. [38] “They will roar together like young lions, They will growl like lions’ cubs. [39] “When they become heated up, I will serve them their banquet And make them drunk, that they may become jubilant And may sleep a perpetual sleep And not wake up,” declares the LORD. [40] “I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, Like rams together with male goats.”


IV. A God Who Saves vs. 41-53
      “[41] “How *Sheshak [Babylon] has been captured, And the praise of the whole earth been seized! How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations! [42] “The sea has come up over Babylon; She has been engulfed with its tumultuous waves. [43] “Her cities have become an object of horror, A parched land and a desert, A land in which no man lives And through which no son of man passes. [44] “I will punish Bel in Babylon, And I will make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth; And the nations will no longer stream to him. Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down! [45] “Come forth from her midst, My people, And each of you save yourselves From the fierce anger of the LORD. [46] “Now so that your heart does not grow faint, And you are not afraid at the report that will be heard in the land— For the report will come one year, And after that another report in another year, And violence will be in the land With ruler against ruler— [47] Therefore behold, days are coming When I will punish the idols of Babylon; And her whole land will be put to shame And all her slain will fall in her midst. [48] “Then heaven and earth and all that is in them Will shout for joy over Babylon, For the destroyers will come to her from the north,” Declares the LORD. [49] Indeed Babylon is to fall for the slain of Israel, As also for Babylon the slain of all the earth have fallen.”
      “[50] You who have escaped the sword, Depart! Do not stay! Remember the LORD from afar, And let Jerusalem come to your mind. [51] We are ashamed because we have heard reproach; Disgrace has covered our faces, For aliens have entered The holy places of the LORD's house. [52] “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I will punish her idols, And the mortally wounded will groan throughout her land. [53] “Though Babylon should ascend to the heavens, And though she should fortify her lofty stronghold, From Me destroyers will come to her,” declares the LORD.”

V. A God Who Judges vs. 54-64
      “[54] The sound of an outcry from Babylon, And of great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans! [55] For the LORD is going to destroy Babylon, And He will make her loud noise vanish from her. And their waves will roar like many waters; The tumult of their voices sounds forth. [56] For the destroyer is coming against her, against Babylon, And her mighty men will be captured, Their bows are shattered; For the LORD is a God of recompense, He will fully repay. [57] “I will make her princes and her wise men drunk, Her governors, her prefects and her mighty men, That they may sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake up,” Declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. [58] Thus says the LORD of hosts, “The broad wall of Babylon will be completely razed And her high gates will be set on fire; So the peoples will toil for nothing, And the nations become exhausted only for fire.””
      “[59]  The message which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the grandson of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah to Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. (Now Seraiah was quartermaster.) [60] So Jeremiah wrote in a single scroll all the calamity which would come upon Babylon, that is, all these words which have been written concerning Babylon. [61] Then Jeremiah said to Seraiah, “As soon as you come to Babylon, then see that you read all these words aloud, [62] and say, ‘You, O LORD, have promised concerning this place to cut it off, so that there will be nothing dwelling in it, whether man or beast, but it will be a perpetual desolation.’ [63] “And as soon as you finish reading this scroll, you will tie a stone to it and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, [64] and say, ‘Just so shall Babylon sink down and not rise again because of the calamity that I am going to bring upon her; and they will become exhausted.’” Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.”


Sunday, December 4, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 50

Jeremiah 50
Judgment on Babylon I

I.   First Cycle vs. 1-10
      A. Babylon's Destruction vs. 1-3
      “The word which the LORD spoke concerning Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, through Jeremiah the prophet: [2] “Declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim it and lift up a standard. Do not conceal it but say, ‘Babylon has been captured, Bel has been put to shame, Marduk has been shattered; Her images have been put to shame, her idols have been shattered.’ [3] “For a nation has come up against her out of the north; it will make her land an object of horror, and there will be no inhabitant in it. Both man and beast have wandered off, they have gone away!”
     B. Israel's Salvation vs. 4-10
      “[4]  “In those days and at that time,” declares the LORD, “the sons of Israel will come, both they and the sons of Judah as well; they will go along weeping as they go, and it will be the LORD their God they will seek. [5] “They will ask for the way to Zion, turning their faces in its direction; they will come that they may join themselves to the LORD in an everlasting covenant that will not be forgotten.
     [6] “My people have become lost sheep; Their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside on the mountains; They have gone along from mountain to hill And have forgotten their resting place. [7] “All who came upon them have devoured them; And their adversaries have said, ‘We are not guilty, Inasmuch as they have sinned against the LORD who is the habitation of righteousness, Even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’
      [8] “Wander away from the midst of Babylon and go forth from the land of the Chaldeans; Be also like male goats at the head of the flock. [9] “For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon a horde of great nations from the land of the north, and they will draw up their battle lines against her; From there she will be taken captive. Their arrows will be like an expert warrior who does not return empty-handed. [10] “Chaldea will become plunder; all who plunder her will have enough,” declares the LORD.”


II.  Second Cycle vs. 11-20
      A. Babylon's Desolation vs. 11-16
      “[11] “Because you are glad, because you are jubilant, O you who pillage My heritage, Because you skip about like a threshing heifer and neigh like stallions, [12] Your mother will be greatly ashamed, she who gave you birth will be humiliated. Behold, she will be the least of the nations, a wilderness, a parched land and a desert. [13] “Because of the indignation of the LORD she will not be inhabited, but she will be completely desolate; everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrified and will hiss because of all her wounds.
      [14] “Draw up your battle lines against Babylon on every side, all you who bend the bow; Shoot at her, do not be sparing with your arrows, For she has sinned against the LORD. [15] “Raise your battle cry against her on every side! She has given herself up, her pillars have fallen, Her walls have been torn down. For this is the vengeance of the LORD: Take vengeance on her; As she has done to others, so do to her. [16] “Cut off the sower from Babylon and the one who wields the sickle at the time of harvest; from before the sword of the oppressor They will each turn back to his own people and they will each flee to his own land.”
     B. Israel's Restoration vs. 17-20
      “[17] “Israel is a scattered flock, the lions have driven them away. The first one who devoured him was the king of Assyria, and this last one who has broken his bones is Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. [18] “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I am going to punish the king of Babylon and his land, just as I punished the king of Assyria. [19] ‘And I will bring Israel back to his pasture and he will graze on Carmel and Bashan, and his desire will be satisfied in the hill country of Ephraim and Gilead. [20] ‘In those days and at that time,’ declares the LORD, ‘search will be made for the iniquity of Israel, but there will be none; and for the sins of Judah, but they will not be found; for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.’”


III. Third Cycle vs. 21-28
      A. Babylon's Removal vs. 21-27
      “[21] “Against the land of Merathaim, go up against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Slay and utterly destroy them,” declares the LORD, “And do according to all that I have commanded you. [22] “The noise of battle is in the land, and great destruction. [23] “How the hammer of the whole earth Has been cut off and broken! How Babylon has become an object of horror among the nations! [24] “I set a snare for you and you were also caught, O Babylon, while you yourself were not aware; You have been found and also seized because you have engaged in conflict with the LORD.” [25] The LORD has opened His armory and has brought forth the weapons of His indignation, for it is a work of the Lord GOD of hosts In the land of the Chaldeans. [26] Come to her from the farthest border; Open up her barns, Pile her up like heaps and utterly destroy her, Let nothing be left to her. [27] Put all her young bulls to the sword; Let them go down to the slaughter! Woe be upon them, for their day has come, The time of their punishment.”
     B. Israel's Return v. 28
      “[28] There is a sound of fugitives and refugees from the land of Babylon, To declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, Vengeance for His temple.”


IV. Fourth Cycle vs. 29-34
      A. Babylon's Repayment vs. 29-32
      “[29] “Summon many against Babylon, All those who bend the bow: Encamp against her on every side, Let there be no escape. Repay her according to her work; According to all that she has done, so do to her; For she has become arrogant against the LORD, Against the Holy One of Israel. [30] “Therefore her young men will fall in her streets, And all her men of war will be silenced in that day,” declares the LORD. [31] “Behold, I am against you, O arrogant one,” Declares the Lord GOD of hosts, “For your day has come, The time when I will punish you. [32] “The arrogant one will stumble and fall with no one to raise him up; and I will set fire to his cities and it will devour all his environs.””
      B. Israel's Redemption vs. 33-34
      “[33] Thus says the LORD of hosts, “The sons of Israel are oppressed, And the sons of Judah as well; And all who took them captive have held them fast, They have refused to let them go. [34] “Their Redeemer is strong, the LORD of hosts is His name; He will vigorously plead their case So that He may bring rest to the earth, But turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.”


V. The Lord's Judgment on Babylon vs. 35-46
      A. The Sword of the Lord vs. 35-40
      “[35] “A sword against the Chaldeans,” declares the LORD, “And against the inhabitants of Babylon And against her officials and her wise men! [36] “A sword against the oracle priests, and they will become fools! A sword against her mighty men, and they will be shattered! [37] “A sword against their horses and against their chariots And against all the foreigners who are in the midst of her, And they will become women! A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered! [38] “A drought on her waters, and they will be dried up! For it is a land of idols, And they are mad over fearsome idols. [39] “Therefore the desert creatures will live there along with the jackals; The ostriches also will live in it, And it will never again be inhabited Or dwelt in from generation to generation. [40] “As when God overthrew Sodom And Gomorrah with its neighbors,” declares the LORD, “No man will live there, Nor will any son of man reside in it.”
     B. The Agent of the Lord vs. 41-44
      “[41] “Behold, a people is coming from the north, And a great nation and many kings Will be aroused from the remote parts of the earth. [42] “They seize their bow and javelin; They are cruel and have no mercy. Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, marshalled like a man for the battle against you, O daughter of Babylon. [43] “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, and his hands hang limp; Distress has gripped him, agony like a woman in childbirth. [44]  “Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thicket of the Jordan to a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make them run away from it, and whoever is chosen I will appoint over it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd who can stand before Me?””

Daniel 5

     C. The Will of the Lord vs. 45-46
      “[45] Therefore hear the plan of the LORD which He has planned against Babylon, and His purposes which He has purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them. [46] At the shout, “Babylon has been seized!” the earth is shaken, and an outcry is heard among the nations.””


Sunday, November 27, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 49

Jeremiah 49
Judgment on the Nations II

I.   Ammon vs. 1-6
     “[1] Concerning the sons of Ammon. Thus says the LORD: “Does Israel have no sons? Or has he no heirs? Why then has Malcam taken possession of Gad And his people settled in its cities [2] “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “That I will cause a trumpet blast of war to be heard Against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon; And it will become a desolate heap, And her towns will be set on fire. Then Israel will take possession of his possessors,” Says the LORD. [3] “Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai has been destroyed! Cry out, O daughters of Rabbah, Gird yourselves with sackcloth and lament, And rush back and forth inside the walls; For Malcam will go into exile Together with his priests and his princes. [4] “How boastful you are about the valleys! Your valley is flowing away, O backsliding daughter Who trusts in her treasures, saying, ‘Who will come against me?’ [5] “Behold, I am going to bring terror upon you,” Declares the Lord GOD of hosts, “From all directions around you; And each of you will be driven out headlong, With no one to gather the fugitives together. [6] “But afterward I will restore The fortunes of the sons of Ammon,” Declares the LORD.”


II. Edom vs. 7-22
     “[7] Concerning Edom. Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Is there no longer any wisdom in Teman? Has good counsel been lost to the prudent? Has their wisdom decayed? [8] “Flee away, turn back, dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Dedan, For I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him At the time I punish him. [9] “If grape gatherers came to you, Would they not leave gleanings? If thieves came by night, They would destroy only until they had enough. [10] “But I have stripped Esau bare, I have uncovered his hiding places So that he will not be able to conceal himself; His offspring has been destroyed along with his relatives And his neighbors, and he is no more. [11] “Leave your orphans behind, I will keep them alive; And let your widows trust in Me.” [12]  For thus says the LORD, “Behold, those who were not sentenced to drink the cup will certainly drink it, and are you the one who will be completely acquitted? You will not be acquitted, but you will certainly drink it. [13] “For I have sworn by Myself,” declares the LORD, “that Bozrah will become an object of horror, a reproach, a ruin and a curse; and all its cities will become perpetual ruins.”
     [14] I have heard a message from the LORD, And an envoy is sent among the nations, saying, “Gather yourselves together and come against her, And rise up for battle!” [15] “For behold, I have made you small among the nations, Despised among men. [16] “As for the terror of you, The arrogance of your heart has deceived you, O you who live in the clefts of the rock, Who occupy the height of the hill. Though you make your nest as high as an eagle's, I will bring you down from there,” declares the LORD. [17]  “Edom will become an object of horror; everyone who passes by it will be horrified and will hiss at all its wounds. [18] “Like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah with its neighbors,” says the LORD, “no one will live there, nor will a son of man reside in it. [19] “Behold, one will come up like a lion from the thickets of the Jordan against a perennially watered pasture; for in an instant I will make him run away from it, and whoever is chosen I shall appoint over it. For who is like Me, and who will summon Me into court? And who then is the shepherd who can stand against Me?” 
     [20] Therefore hear the plan of the LORD which He has planned against Edom, and His purposes which He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman: surely they will drag them off, even the little ones of the flock; surely He will make their pasture desolate because of them. [21] The earth has quaked at the noise of their downfall. There is an outcry! The noise of it has been heard at the Red Sea. [22] Behold, He will mount up and swoop like an eagle and spread out His wings against Bozrah; and the hearts of the mighty men of Edom in that day will be like the heart of a woman in labor.”


III. Damascus vs. 23-27
     “[23] Concerning Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame, For they have heard bad news; They are disheartened. There is anxiety by the sea, It cannot be calmed. [24] “Damascus has become helpless; She has turned away to flee, And panic has gripped her; Distress and pangs have taken hold of her Like a woman in childbirth. [25] “How the city of praise has not been deserted, The town of My joy! [26] “Therefore, her young men will fall in her streets, And all the men of war will be silenced in that day,” declares the LORD of hosts. [27] “I will set fire to the wall of Damascus, And it will devour the fortified towers of Ben-hadad.” 

2 Kings 14:28


IV. Kedar and Hazor vs. 28-33
     “[28]  Concerning Kedar and the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated. Thus says the LORD, “Arise, go up to Kedar And devastate the men of the east. [29] “They will take away their tents and their flocks; They will carry off for themselves Their tent curtains, all their goods and their camels, And they will call out to one another, ‘Terror on every side!’ [30] “Run away, flee! Dwell in the depths, O inhabitants of Hazor,” declares the LORD; “For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has formed a plan against you And devised a scheme against you. [31] “Arise, go up against a nation which is at ease, Which lives securely,” declares the LORD. “It has no gates or bars; They dwell alone. [32] “Their camels will become plunder, And their many cattle for booty, And I will scatter to all the winds those who cut the corners of their hair; And I will bring their disaster from every side,” declares the LORD. [33] “Hazor will become a haunt of jackals, A desolation forever; No one will live there, Nor will a son of man reside in it.”


V.  Elam vs. 34-39
     “[34]  That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning Elam, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying: [35] “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, I am going to break the bow of Elam, The finest of their might. [36] ‘I will bring upon Elam the four winds From the four ends of heaven, And will scatter them to all these winds; And there will be no nation To which the outcasts of Elam will not go. [37] ‘So I will shatter Elam before their enemies And before those who seek their lives; And I will bring calamity upon them, Even My fierce anger,’ declares the LORD, ‘And I will send out the sword after them Until I have consumed them. [38] ‘Then I will set My throne in Elam And destroy out of it king and princes,’ Declares the LORD. [39] ‘But it will come about in the last days That I will restore the fortunes of Elam,’” Declares the LORD.” 

Acts 2:9


[A special thank you to Barak and Krystal for the new microphone!]
LISTEN TO AUDIO MESSAGE HERE

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 47-48

Jeremiah 47-48
Judgment on the Nations I

I.   The Word Against Philistia 47:1-7
      “47:1 That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines, before Pharaoh conquered Gaza. 2 Thus says the LORD: "Behold, waters are going to rise from the north and become an overflowing torrent, and overflow the land and all its fullness, the city and those who live in it; and the men will cry out, and every inhabitant of the land will wail. 3 "Because of the noise of the galloping hoofs of his stallions, the tumult of his chariots, and the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers have not turned back for their children, because of the limpness of their hands, 4 On account of the day that is coming to destroy all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every ally that is left; for the LORD is going to destroy the Philistines, the remnant of the coastland of Caphtor. 5 "Baldness has come upon Gaza; Ashkelon has been ruined. O remnant of their valley, How long will you gash yourself? 6 "Ah, sword of the LORD, how long will you not be quiet? Withdraw into your sheath; Be at rest and stay still. 7 "How can it be quiet, when the LORD has given it an order? Against Ashkelon and against the seacoast - there He has assigned it."”


II.  The Word Against Moab 48:1-47

      A. Misplaced Trust vs. 1-9
      “48:1 Concerning Moab. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Woe to Nebo, for it has been destroyed; Kiriathaim has been put to shame, it has been captured; The lofty stronghold has been put to shame and shattered. 2 "There is praise for Moab no longer; In Heshbon they have devised calamity against her: 'Come and let us cut her off from being a nation!' You too, Madmen, will be silenced; The sword will follow after you. 3 "The sound of an outcry from Horonaim, 'Devastation and great destruction!' 4 "Moab is broken, Her little ones have sounded out a cry of distress. 5 "For by the ascent of Luhith They will ascend with continual weeping; For at the descent of Horonaim They have heard the anguished cry of destruction. 6 "Flee, save your lives, That you may be like a juniper in the wilderness. 7 "For because of your trust in your own achievements and treasures, Even you yourself will be captured; And Chemosh will go off into exile Together with his priests and his princes. 8 "A destroyer will come to every city, So that no city will escape; The valley also will be ruined And the plateau will be destroyed, As the LORD has said. 9 "Give wings to Moab, For she will flee away; And her cities will become a desolation, Without inhabitants in them.”
“10 "Cursed be the one who does the LORD'S work negligently, And cursed be the one who restrains his sword from blood. 11 "Moab has been at ease since his youth; He has also been undisturbed, like wine on its dregs, And he has not been emptied from vessel to vessel, Nor has he gone into exile. Therefore he retains his flavor, And his aroma has not changed. 12 "Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will send to him those who tip vessels, and they will tip him over, and they will empty his vessels and shatter his jars. 13 "And Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.”

      B. Misplaced Pride vs. 14-20
      “14 "How can you say, 'We are mighty warriors, And men valiant for battle '? 15 "Moab has been destroyed and men have gone up to his cities; His choicest young men have also gone down to the slaughter," Declares the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 16 "The disaster of Moab will soon come, And his calamity has swiftly hastened. 17 "Mourn for him, all you who live around him, Even all of you who know his name; Say, 'How has the mighty scepter been broken, A staff of splendor!' 18 "Come down from your glory And sit on the parched ground, O daughter dwelling in Dibon, For the destroyer of Moab has come up against you, He has ruined your strongholds. 19 "Stand by the road and keep watch, O inhabitant of Aroer; Ask him who flees and her who escapes And say, 'What has happened?' 20 "Moab has been put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out; Declare by the Arnon That Moab has been destroyed.”

      C. Misplaced Loyalties vs. 21-28
      “21 "Judgment has also come upon the plain, upon Holon, Jahzah and against Mephaath, 22 against Dibon, Nebo and Beth-diblathaim, 23 against Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul and Beth-meon, 24 against Kerioth, Bozrah and all the cities of the land of Moab, far and near. 25 "The horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken," declares the LORD. 26 "Make him drunk, for he has become arrogant toward the LORD; so Moab will wallow in his vomit, and he also will become a laughingstock. 27 "Now was not Israel a laughingstock to you? Or was he caught among thieves? For each time you speak about him you shake your head in scorn. 28 "Leave the cities and dwell among the crags, O inhabitants of Moab, And be like a dove that nests Beyond the mouth of the chasm.”

      D. Misplaced Priorities vs. 29-39
      “29 "We have heard of the pride of Moab -he is very proud - Of his haughtiness, his pride, his arrogance and his self-exaltation. 30 "I know his fury," declares the LORD, "But it is futile; His idle boasts have accomplished nothing. 31 "Therefore I will wail for Moab, Even for all Moab will I cry out; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres. 32 "More than the weeping for Jazer I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah! Your tendrils stretched across the sea, They reached to the sea of Jazer; Upon your summer fruits and your grape harvest The destroyer has fallen. 33 "So gladness and joy are taken away From the fruitful field, even from the land of Moab. And I have made the wine to cease from the wine presses; No one will tread them with shouting, The shouting will not be shouts of joy.”
“34 "From the outcry at Heshbon even to Elealeh, even to Jahaz they have raised their voice, from Zoar even to Horonaim and to Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim will become desolate. 35 "I will make an end of Moab," declares the LORD, "the one who offers sacrifice on the high place and the one who burns incense to his gods. 36 "Therefore My heart wails for Moab like flutes; My heart also wails like flutes for the men of Kir-heres. Therefore they have lost the abundance it produced. 37 "For every head is bald and every beard cut short; there are gashes on all the hands and sackcloth on the loins. 38 "On all the housetops of Moab and in its streets there is lamentation everywhere; for I have broken Moab like an undesirable vessel," declares the LORD. 39 "How shattered it is! How they have wailed! How Moab has turned his back - he is ashamed! So Moab will become a laughingstock and an object of terror to all around him."”

      E. Measured Judgment vs. 40-47
      “40 For thus says the LORD: "Behold, one will fly swiftly like an eagle And spread out his wings against Moab. 41 "Kerioth has been captured And the strongholds have been seized, So the hearts of the mighty men of Moab in that day Will be like the heart of a woman in labor. 42 "Moab will be destroyed from being a people Because he has become arrogant toward the LORD. 43 "Terror, pit and snare are coming upon you, O inhabitant of Moab," declares the LORD. 44 "The one who flees from the terror Will fall into the pit, And the one who climbs up out of the pit Will be caught in the snare; For I shall bring upon her, even upon Moab, The year of their punishment," declares the LORD. 45 "In the shadow of Heshbon The fugitives stand without strength; For a fire has gone forth from Heshbon And a flame from the midst of Sihon, And it has devoured the forehead of Moab And the scalps of the riotous revelers. 46 "Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; For your sons have been taken away captive And your daughters into captivity. 47 "Yet I will restore the fortunes of Moab In the latter days," declares the LORD. Thus far the judgment on Moab.”


Sunday, November 6, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 45-46

Jeremiah 45-46
The God of All

Introduction: Jeremiah 1:5, “I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:10, “See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant.”

I.   Consolation 45:1-5
      “[45:1] This is the message which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written down these words in a book at Jeremiah's dictation, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying: [2] “Thus says the LORD the God of Israel to you, O Baruch: [3] ‘You said, “Ah, woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning and have found no rest.’” [4] “Thus you are to say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Behold, what I have built I am about to tear down, and what I have planted I am about to uproot, that is, the whole land.” [5] ‘But you, are you seeking great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I am going to bring disaster on all flesh,’ declares the LORD, ‘but I will give your life to you as booty in all the places where you may go.’””

II.  Confidence 46:1-12
      “[46:1] That which came as the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations. [2]  To Egypt, concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the Euphrates River at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:”
     “[3] “Line up the shield and buckler, and draw near for the battle! [4] “Harness the horses, and mount the steeds, and take your stand with helmets on! Polish the spears, put on the scale-armor!”
      “[5] “Why have I seen it? They are terrified, they are drawing back, and their mighty men are defeated and have taken refuge in flight, without facing back; Terror is on every side!” Declares the LORD. [6] Let not the swift man flee, nor the mighty man escape; in the north beside the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen.”
      “[7] Who is this that rises like the Nile, like the rivers whose waters surge about? [8] Egypt rises like the Nile, even like the rivers whose waters surge about; and He has said, “I will rise and cover that land; I will surely destroy the city and its inhabitants.” [9] Go up, you horses, and drive madly, you chariots, that the mighty men may march forward: Ethiopia and Put, that handle the shield, and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.”
      “[10] For that day belongs to the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes; and the sword will devour and be satiated and drink its fill of their blood; for there will be a slaughter for the Lord GOD of hosts, in the land of the north by the river Euphrates. [11] Go up to Gilead and obtain balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied remedies; there is no healing for you. [12] The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry of distress; For one warrior has stumbled over another, and both of them have fallen down together.”


III. Calamity 46:13-24
      “[13] This is the message which the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt: [14] “Declare in Egypt and proclaim in Migdol, Proclaim also in Memphis and Tahpanhes; Say, ‘Take your stand and get yourself ready, For the sword has devoured those around you.’ [15] “Why have your mighty ones become prostrate? They do not stand because the LORD has thrust them down. [16] “They have repeatedly stumbled; Indeed, they have fallen one against another. Then they said, ‘Get up! And let us go back to our own people and our native land away from the sword of the oppressor.’ [17] “They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a big noise; he has let the appointed time pass by!’”

Acts 17:26, “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.”

      “[18] “As I live,” declares the King whose name is the LORD of hosts, “Surely one shall come who looms up like Tabor among the mountains, or like Carmel by the sea. [19] “Make your baggage ready for exile, O daughter dwelling in Egypt, for Memphis will become a desolation; it will even be burned down and bereft of inhabitants. [20] “Egypt is a pretty heifer, but a horsefly is coming from the north—it is coming! [21] “Also her mercenaries in her midst are like fattened calves, for even they too have turned back and have fled away together; they did not stand their ground. For the day of their calamity has come upon them, the time of their punishment. [22] “Its sound moves along like a serpent; for they move on like an army and come to her as woodcutters with axes. [23] “They have cut down her forest,” declares the LORD; “Surely it will no more be found, even though they are now more numerous than locusts and are without number. [24] “The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame, given over to the power of the people of the north.””


IV. Collision 46:25-26
      “[25]  The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh and those who trust in him. [26] “I shall give them over to the power of those who are seeking their lives, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of his officers. Afterwards, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old,” declares the LORD.”

V. Consideration 46:27-28
      “[27] “But as for you, O Jacob My servant, do not fear, nor be dismayed, O Israel! For, see, I am going to save you from afar, and your descendants from the land of their captivity; and Jacob will return and be undisturbed and secure, with no one making him tremble. [28] “O Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the LORD, “For I am with you. For I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, yet I will not make a full end of you; but I will correct you properly and by no means leave you unpunished.””



Sunday, October 30, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 44

Jeremiah 44
A Spiritual Evaluation

I.   Deserved Desolation vs. 1-14
      “The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, those who were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and the land of Pathros, saying, [2] “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are in ruins and no one lives in them, [3] because of their wickedness which they committed so as to provoke Me to anger by continuing to burn sacrifices and to serve other gods whom they had not known, neither they, you, nor your fathers. [4] ‘Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate.” [5] ‘But they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn sacrifices to other gods. [6] ‘Therefore My wrath and My anger were poured out and burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they have become a ruin and a desolation as it is this day.
      [7] ‘Now then thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, “Why are you doing great harm to yourselves, so as to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, from among Judah, leaving yourselves without remnant, [8] provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, burning sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you are entering to reside, so that you might be cut off and become a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? [9] “Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? [10] “But they have not become contrite even to this day, nor have they feared nor walked in My law or My statutes, which I have set before you and before your fathers.’”
      [11] “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to set My face against you for woe, even to cut off all Judah. [12] ‘And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have set their mind on entering the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all meet their end in the land of Egypt; they will fall by the sword and meet their end by famine. Both small and great will die by the sword and famine; and they will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach. [13] ‘And I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine and with pestilence. [14] ‘So there will be no refugees or survivors for the remnant of Judah who have entered the land of Egypt to reside there and then to return to the land of Judah, to which they are longing to return and live; for none will return except a few refugees.’””


II.  Deadly Defiance vs. 15-19
      “[15] Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, [16] “As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we are not going to listen to you! [17] “But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune. [18] “But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by the sword and by famine.” [19] “And,” said the women, “when we were burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?””


III. Disastrous Disobedience vs. 20-23
      “[20] Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women—even to all the people who were giving him such an answer—saying, [21] “As for the smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them and did not all this come into His mind? [22] “So the LORD was no longer able to endure it, because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; thus your land has become a ruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day. [23] “Because you have burned sacrifices and have sinned against the LORD and not obeyed the voice of the LORD or walked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this calamity has befallen you, as it has this day.””


IV. Divine Determination vs. 24-30
      “[24] Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt, [25] thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” Go ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!’ [26] “Nevertheless hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt, ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the LORD, ‘never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord GOD lives.” [27] ‘Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will meet their end by the sword and by famine until they are completely gone. [28] ‘Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs.
      [29] ‘This will be the sign to you,’ declares the LORD, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for harm.’ [30] “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am going to give over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave over Zedekiah king of Judah to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.’””


Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 44

Jeremiah 44
A Spiritual Evaluation

I.   Deserved Desolation vs. 1-14
      “The word that came to Jeremiah for all the Jews living in the land of Egypt, those who were living in Migdol, Tahpanhes, Memphis, and the land of Pathros, saying, [2] “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen all the calamity that I have brought on Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are in ruins and no one lives in them, [3] because of their wickedness which they committed so as to provoke Me to anger by continuing to burn sacrifices and to serve other gods whom they had not known, neither they, you, nor your fathers. [4] ‘Yet I sent you all My servants the prophets, again and again, saying, “Oh, do not do this abominable thing which I hate.” [5] ‘But they did not listen or incline their ears to turn from their wickedness, so as not to burn sacrifices to other gods. [6] ‘Therefore My wrath and My anger were poured out and burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, so they have become a ruin and a desolation as it is this day.
      [7] ‘Now then thus says the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, “Why are you doing great harm to yourselves, so as to cut off from you man and woman, child and infant, from among Judah, leaving yourselves without remnant, [8] provoking Me to anger with the works of your hands, burning sacrifices to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you are entering to reside, so that you might be cut off and become a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth? [9] “Have you forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? [10] “But they have not become contrite even to this day, nor have they feared nor walked in My law or My statutes, which I have set before you and before your fathers.’”
      [11] “Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am going to set My face against you for woe, even to cut off all Judah. [12] ‘And I will take away the remnant of Judah who have set their mind on entering the land of Egypt to reside there, and they will all meet their end in the land of Egypt; they will fall by the sword and meet their end by famine. Both small and great will die by the sword and famine; and they will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach. [13] ‘And I will punish those who live in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, with the sword, with famine and with pestilence. [14] ‘So there will be no refugees or survivors for the remnant of Judah who have entered the land of Egypt to reside there and then to return to the land of Judah, to which they are longing to return and live; for none will return except a few refugees.’””


II.  Deadly Defiance vs. 15-19
      “[15] Then all the men who were aware that their wives were burning sacrifices to other gods, along with all the women who were standing by, as a large assembly, including all the people who were living in Pathros in the land of Egypt, responded to Jeremiah, saying, [16] “As for the message that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we are not going to listen to you! [17] “But rather we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings and our princes did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune. [18] “But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have met our end by the sword and by famine.” [19] “And,” said the women, “when we were burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and were pouring out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes in her image and poured out drink offerings to her?””


III. Disastrous Disobedience vs. 20-23
      “[20] Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women—even to all the people who were giving him such an answer—saying, [21] “As for the smoking sacrifices that you burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your forefathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them and did not all this come into His mind? [22] “So the LORD was no longer able to endure it, because of the evil of your deeds, because of the abominations which you have committed; thus your land has become a ruin, an object of horror and a curse, without an inhabitant, as it is this day. [23] “Because you have burned sacrifices and have sinned against the LORD and not obeyed the voice of the LORD or walked in His law, His statutes or His testimonies, therefore this calamity has befallen you, as it has this day.””


IV. Divine Determination vs. 24-30
      “[24] Then Jeremiah said to all the people, including all the women, “Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt, [25] thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, as follows: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” Go ahead and confirm your vows, and certainly perform your vows!’ [26] “Nevertheless hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt, ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the LORD, ‘never shall My name be invoked again by the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord GOD lives.” [27] ‘Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will meet their end by the sword and by famine until they are completely gone. [28] ‘Those who escape the sword will return out of the land of Egypt to the land of Judah few in number. Then all the remnant of Judah who have gone to the land of Egypt to reside there will know whose word will stand, Mine or theirs.
      [29] ‘This will be the sign to you,’ declares the LORD, ‘that I am going to punish you in this place, so that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for harm.’ [30] “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I am going to give over Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt to the hand of his enemies, to the hand of those who seek his life, just as I gave over Zedekiah king of Judah to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who was his enemy and was seeking his life.’””


LISTEN TO AUDIO MESSAGE HERE

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 43

Jeremiah 43
The Ramification of a Wrong Decision

I.  Disbelief vs. 1-3
      “But as soon as Jeremiah, whom the LORD their God had sent, had finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God—that is, all these words— [2] Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You are not to enter Egypt to reside there’; [3] but Baruch the son of Neriah is inciting you against us to give us over into the hand of the Chaldeans, so they will put us to death or exile us to Babylon.””


II. Disobedience vs. 4-7
      “[4] So Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces, and all the people, did not obey the voice of the LORD to stay in the land of Judah. [5] But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces took the entire remnant of Judah who had returned from all the nations to which they had been driven away, in order to reside in the land of Judah— [6] the men, the women, the children, the king's daughters and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, together with Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah— [7] and they entered the land of Egypt (for they did not obey the voice of the LORD ) and went in as far as Tahpanhes.”


III. Disaster vs. 8-13
      “[8]  Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying, [9] “Take some large stones in your hands and hide them in the mortar in the brick terrace which is at the entrance of Pharaoh's palace in Tahpanhes, in the sight of some of the Jews; [10] and say to them, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold, I am going to send and get Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and I am going to set his throne right over these stones that I have hidden; and he will spread his canopy over them. [11] “He will also come and strike the land of Egypt; those who are meant for death will be given over to death, and those for captivity to captivity, and those for the sword to the sword. [12] “And I shall set fire to the temples of the gods of Egypt, and he will burn them and take them captive. So he will wrap himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd wraps himself with his garment, and he will depart from there safely. [13] “He will also shatter the obelisks of Heliopolis, which is in the land of Egypt; and the temples of the gods of Egypt he will burn with fire.”’””


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Sunday, October 16, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 42

Jeremiah 42
A Life or Death Decision

I.  Request of the Remnant vs. 1-6
     “Then all the commanders of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people both small and great approached [2] and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us, [3] that the LORD your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do.”
     [4] Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the LORD your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the LORD will answer you. I will not keep back a word from you.” 
     [5] Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the LORD your God will send you to us. [6] “Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God.””


II. Response of the Lord vs. 7-18
     “[7] Now at the end of ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah. [8] Then he called for Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him, and for all the people both small and great, [9] and said to them, “Thus says the LORD the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition before Him: [10] ‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down, and I will plant you and not uproot you; for I will relent concerning the calamity that I have inflicted on you. [11] ‘Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you are now fearing; do not be afraid of him,’ declares the LORD, ‘for I am with you to save you and deliver you from his hand. [12] ‘I will also show you compassion, so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own soil. 
     [13] ‘But if you are going to say, “We will not stay in this land,” so as not to listen to the voice of the LORD your God, [14] saying, “No, but we will go to the land of Egypt, where we will not see war or hear the sound of a trumpet or hunger for bread, and we will stay there”; [15] then in that case listen to the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah. Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “If you really set your mind to enter Egypt and go in to reside there, [16] then the sword, which you are afraid of, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are anxious, will follow closely after you there in Egypt, and you will die there. [17] “So all the men who set their mind to go to Egypt to reside there will die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence; and they will have no survivors or refugees from the calamity that I am going to bring on them.”’” [18] For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “As My anger and wrath have been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so My wrath will be poured out on you when you enter Egypt. And you will become a curse, an object of horror, an imprecation and a reproach; and you will see this place no more.””


III. Reminder of the Prophet vs. 19-22
     “[19] The LORD has spoken to you, O remnant of Judah, “Do not go into Egypt!” You should clearly understand that today I have testified against you. [20] For you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you who sent me to the LORD your God, saying, “Pray for us to the LORD our God; and whatever the LORD our God says, tell us so, and we will do it.” [21] So I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the LORD your God, even in whatever He has sent me to tell you. [22] Therefore you should now clearly understand that you will die by the sword, by famine and by pestilence, in the place where you wish to go to reside.” 


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Sunday, October 9, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 40-41

Jeremiah 40-41
Character in the Midst of Change

I.  Respect vs. 1-6
     “The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. [2] Now the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God promised this calamity against this place; [3] and the LORD has brought it on and done just as He promised. Because you people sinned against the LORD and did not listen to His voice, therefore this thing has happened to you. [4] “But now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chains which are on your hands. If you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will look after you; but if you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, never mind. Look, the whole land is before you; go wherever it seems good and right for you to go.” [5] As Jeremiah was still not going back, he said, “Go on back then to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people; or else go anywhere it seems right for you to go.” So the captain of the bodyguard gave him a ration and a gift and let him go. [6] Then Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.”


II. Relationships vs. 7-12
     “[7] Now all the commanders of the forces that were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon. [8] So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, both they and their men. [9] Then Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men, saying, “Do not be afraid of serving the Chaldeans; stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, that it may go well with you. [10] “Now as for me, behold, I am going to stay at Mizpah to stand for you before the Chaldeans who come to us; but as for you, gather in wine and summer fruit and oil and put them in your storage vessels, and live in your cities that you have taken over.” [11] Likewise, also all the Jews who were in Moab and among the sons of Ammon and in Edom and who were in all the other countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant for Judah, and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. [12] Then all the Jews returned from all the places to which they had been driven away and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered in wine and summer fruit in great abundance.”


III. Rebellion 40:13 – 41:3
     “[13] Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah [14] and said to him, “Are you well aware that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. [15] Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, “Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and not a man will know! Why should he take your life, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered and the remnant of Judah would perish?” [16] But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “Do not do this thing, for you are telling a lie about Ishmael.”” 
     [41:1] In the seventh month Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family and one of the chief officers of the king, along with ten men, came to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. While they were eating bread together there in Mizpah, [2] Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword and put to death the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. [3] Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with him, that is with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war.”


IV. Rationalization 41:4-10
     “[4] Now it happened on the next day after the killing of Gedaliah, when no one knew about it, [5] that eighty men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria with their beards shaved off and their clothes torn and their bodies gashed, having grain offerings and incense in their hands to bring to the house of the LORD. [6] Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went; and as he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam!” [7] Yet it turned out that as soon as they came inside the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men that were with him slaughtered them and cast them into the cistern. [8] But ten men who were found among them said to Ishmael, “Do not put us to death; for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil and honey hidden in the field.” So he refrained and did not put them to death along with their companions. [9] Now as for the cistern where Ishmael had cast all the corpses of the men whom he had struck down because of Gedaliah, it was the one that King Asa had made on account of Baasha, king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain. [10] Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah, the king's daughters and all the people who were left in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had put under the charge of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; thus Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and proceeded to cross over to the sons of Ammon.”


V.  Rescue 41:11-18
     “[11] But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done. [12] So they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon. [13] Now as soon as all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and the commanders of the forces that were with him, they were glad. [14] So all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. [15] But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the sons of Ammon. [16] Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, that is, the men who were soldiers, the women, the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon. [17] And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt [18] because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, since Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.” 


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Sunday, October 2, 2016

Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 39

Jeremiah 39
Confirming the Prophet

I.  The Consequences of Refusing to Listen vs. 1-10

     A. Collapse of the City vs. 1-3 
     “Now when Jerusalem was captured in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it; [2] in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city wall was breached. [3] Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.”


     B. Capture of the King vs. 4-7 
     “[4] When Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and went out of the city at night by way of the king's garden through the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah. [5] But the army of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and they seized him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he passed sentence on him. [6] Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slew all the nobles of Judah. [7] He then blinded Zedekiah's eyes and bound him in fetters of bronze to bring him to Babylon.”

     C. Captivity of the People vs. 8-10 
     “[8] The Chaldeans also burned with fire the king's palace and the houses of the people, and they broke down the walls of Jerusalem. [9] As for the rest of the people who were left in the city, the deserters who had gone over to him and the rest of the people who remained, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard carried them into exile in Babylon. [10] But some of the poorest people who had nothing, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard left behind in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at that time.”


II. The Consideration of God's Chosen vs. 11-18

     A. The Prophet vs. 11-14
     “[11] Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying, [12] “Take him and look after him, and do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you.” [13] So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent word, along with Nebushazban the Rab-saris, and Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon; [14] they even sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guardhouse and entrusted him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people.”

     B. The Protector vs. 15-18
     “[15] Now the word of the LORD had come to Jeremiah while he was confined in the court of the guardhouse, saying, [16] “Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to bring My words on this city for disaster and not for prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day. [17] “But I will deliver you on that day,” declares the LORD, “and you will not be given into the hand of the men whom you dread. [18] “For I will certainly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own life as booty, because you have trusted in Me,” declares the LORD.’”” 


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