TRUST IN GOD
Jeremiah 17:5-8
I. Introduction
A. The choice between a curse and a blessing.
B. The Curse - Trust in man
1. Depends on the Flesh for Strength (17:5)
a. Flesh is the opposite of Spirit (Isaiah 30:1-3)
b. Relying on the world’s systems
i. economically
ii. for advancement
2. Turns his heart away from God
C. The Blessing - Trust in God - Confidence in him (17:7)
Recognizes his dependence on God for strength
1. Listens to the Spirit (Follows God’s Counsel) (Ps. 1:1)
2. Stays close to God - His source
II. The foundations of the two men
A. The one who trusts in man is like a bush in the desert. (17:6)
1. Shallow roots (Ps. 146:3,4)
2. Has no connection to the source of life.
B. The one who trusts in God is like a tree by the waters. (17:8)
1. Deep roots
2. Connected to the source of life
C. The opportunity for transplantation
III. The fixed state of the two men
A. Illustration - Mortgages
B. The one who trusts in man (17:6)
1. Good will come
2. He will not benefit from it.
C. The one who trusts in God (17:8)
1. Bad times will come.
2. They will not affect him (Ps 91)
IV. The fruitfulness of the two men
A. The one who trusts in man (17:6)
1. Complete barrenness (Mt. 3:10; Lk 3:9; Jn. 15:2)
2. He’s in the place of God’s judgment (Deut. 29:23)
B. The one who trusts in God (17:8)
1. Constant fruitfulness
2. No anxiety
V. Conclusion
c. 2000
