Sermon Central
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The Jeremiah Files. Unique Me? Unique Call? Series
Contributed by John Gullick on Feb 6, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: A sermon that attempts to explore Jeremiah's call in relation to our own - Uses a massive illustration from the Hebrides revival in Scotland I have included it verbatim as the reader can then use what they feel is appropriate.
The Jeremiah files.
Unique Me?
Unique call?
Jeremiah 1New King James Version (NKJV)
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in
Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,
2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon,
king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days
of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year
of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem
captive in the fifth month.
4 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then said I:
“Ah, Lord GOD!
Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”
7 But the LORD said to me:
“Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
For you shall go to all to whom I send you,
And whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of their faces,
For I am with you to deliver you,” says the LORD.
9 Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me:
“Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,
To root out and to pull down,
To destroy and to throw down,
To build and to plant.”
11 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?”
And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”
12 Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”
13 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying, “What do you see?”
And I said, “I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.”
14 Then the LORD said to me:
“Out of the north calamity shall break forth
On all the inhabitants of the land.
15 For behold, I am calling
All the families of the kingdoms of the north,” says the LORD;
“They shall come and each one set his throne
At the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem,
Against all its walls all around,
And against all the cities of Judah.
16 I will utter My judgments
Against them concerning all their wickedness,
Because they have forsaken Me,
Burned incense to other gods,
And worshiped the works of their own hands.
17 “Therefore prepare yourself and arise,
And speak to them all that I command you.
Do not be dismayed before their faces,
Lest I dismay you before them.
18 For behold, I have made you this day
A fortified city and an iron pillar,
And bronze walls against the whole land—
Against the kings of Judah,
Against its princes,
Against its priests,
And against the people of the land.
19 They will fight against you,
But they shall not prevail against you.
For I am with you,” says the LORD, “to deliver you.”
Ever consider a snowflake?
Each snowflake is thoroughly unique - Even research has discovered it is unlikely to find two
alike.
We too are thoroughly unique – even among identical twins incredible individual
Characteristics occur. Personality and individual dreams occur.
Calls are important – God has a unique call on each persons life and that call is often revealed to be very long term.
For example John the Baptist was the greatest of Prophets (Matt. 11:9-11) and the privileged messenger who was sent to prepare the way of Jesus according to the Word of God. His call is so important that it is announced generations before his birth -
Isaiah 40:3, "A voice is calling, 'Clear the way for the Lord [YHWH] 1 in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God."
Mal. 3:1, "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord [adonai], whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the Lord [YHWH] of hosts."
Later John confirms all this when he says "He [John the Baptist] said, 'I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord.' as Isaiah the prophet said.'" (John 1:23).
Call is important – Jesus call also predates his birth by centuries and I would like to encourage you so does yours. In Psalm 139:
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
