Jeremiah 1, Jeremiah 1. And I will say right off, my
message is not going to be about any of the history about Jeremiah.
It's going to be talking about what God does to for his people,
what he does, what God does. So, Jeremiah 1, we're going to
read the whole chapter. the words of Jeremiah, the son
of Hilkiah, of the priest that we're in. in the land of Benjamin, to whom
the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah, the son of
Ammon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
It came also in the days of Jehoiachim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah,
unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of
Josiah, king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive
in the fifth month. Then the word of the Lord came
unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee,
and before thou camest forth out of the womb, I sanctified
thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I,
O Lord God, behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child. But
the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child, for thou shalt
go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee,
thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces,
for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the
Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said unto
me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. See, I have this
day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms to root
out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down, to build and
to plant. Moreover, the word of the Lord
came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said,
I see a rod of an almond tree. Then said the Lord unto me, Thou
hast well seen, for I will hasten my word to perform it. And the
word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What
seest thou? And I said, I see a seething
pot, and the face thereof is toward the north. Then the Lord
said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon
all the inhabitants of the land. For lo, I will call all the families
of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord, and they shall
come and they shall set every one his throne at the entering
of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof,
round about, and against all the cities of Judah. And I will
utter my judgments against them, touching all their wickedness,
who have forsaken me and have burned incense unto other gods,
and worship the works of their own hands. Thou therefore gird
up thy loins and arise, and speak unto them all that I command
thee. Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before
them. For behold, I have made thee
this day a defense city and an iron pillar, and brazen walls
against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the
princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against
the people of the land. And they shall fight against
thee. but they shall not prevail against thee. For I am with thee,
saith the Lord, to deliver thee. I just want to tell a little
illustration or a story, true story, of when I had my surgery. So my doctor puts me to sleep
when he does the surgery. So when I finally came to, I
know they put my arm up like this on a piece of ice and have
it up here. Well, when I first woke up, I
pulled my arm down like this. And the nurse said, you need
to put that back up there. Keep it up there level with your
heart. And so I told her, I said, I'm just a rebel. I'm just a
rebel. So she asked me what I did. And
I said, well, I work in IT. I said, but I'm a preacher too.
And then the other nurse behind the counter said, You're a preacher
and you're a rebel? I said yes. Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners, and I'm a sinner. I'm a rebel.
So I'm not saying this to brag, because I did not expect to say
that. I was actually more worried about what I was going to say,
not knowing I was fully awake than I was anything. I did not
expect that to happen. Things happen that cause my mind
to go a certain way and then my mouth to speak. I believe
it was God doing me like he did with Jeremiah there in verse
six and eight, verse six and eight. Six through eight, I'm
sorry. Then said I, ah, Lord God, behold,
I cannot speak, for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, say
not I am a child, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee,
and whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak. Be not afraid
of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the
Lord. Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth,
and the Lord said unto me, behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. God promises all of his people
to be with them no matter where they are. And I think Joe referenced
this last week from Psalm 139. If I go to heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, behold,
thou art there. Even in the uttermost parts of
the sea, he is there with us. This is also included in that,
even though it doesn't say that in Psalm 139. But if you go into
surgery, I am there. If you come out of surgery, I
am there. He will give you the words to
say. And Walter did a good job of talking about this last week.
This is for all of God's people, not just people who stand up
behind the desk. He will give you the words to
tell others what Christ has done for you. What I told the nurses
was the gospel. It may have been very short and
simple, but that small verse has the gospel all in it. Now,
as a lot of times as it happens, the conversation just kind of
stopped right there. And I imagine they thought I
was a little bit loopy. And if they thought that, they
would have been right. But I want to talk about the God who, and
listen how it says it, I may have misquoted this before, but
listen how it says it, Jeremiah 1.5. Before I formed thee in
the belly, I knew thee. The word therefore knew thee
means simply to know. The word itself could mean I
know intimately. I didn't see that in the direct
meaning of the word, but I do see it in the context because
it goes on to say, and before thou camest forth out of the
womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto
the nations. So there is a knowing of God
that is intimate. He chose to set Jeremiah apart
as he does with all of his people. So I want to talk about the following
today. The God that knows us, the God that protects us, the
God that gives us what we need, and the God that fights for us.
So first, the God that knows us. Our text is one place where
we can see God says here that before he even formed Jeremiah
in the womb, he knew him. For God to know me in this way,
it gives me great comfort. knowing that he is a sovereign
God controlling all things, that he knew me before he even formed
me. I am one of his, and because
he knew me, he formed me and he set me apart. I had no part
or parcel in this, in this knowing. I was not even formed yet, yet
he knew me. I had no part or parcel in this
forming. Who forms themselves in the womb?
I had no part or parcel in this setting apart. He is the one
who formed me and did this for his specific purpose. What comfort
it is knowing that God does this for all of his people. But we
can go back to Psalm 139. Let's turn over there for a minute,
Psalm 139. And I wanna just look at verses
13 and 14. Psalm 139, verses 13. For thou hast possessed my reins. Thou hast covered me in my mother's
womb. I will praise thee, for I am
fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and
that my soul knoweth right well. Because God has been pleased
to set us apart for his use, he keeps us from the very beginning
and he will keep us until the end. It says here, thou hast
covered me in my mother's womb. The only reason we are not consumed,
and by we I mean the people of God, but the only reason we are
not consumed is we are chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world. and he is the lamb slain from
the foundation of the world. And that's scripture if anyone
is wondering. But the only reason we are not
consumed because we are born the children of wrath even as
others, but it is because he protects his always. Look at verses one through six
of Psalm 139. We can see this God protecting
us. Let me get over here. Oh Lord, thou hast searched me
and known me. Thou knowest my down-sitting
and mine uprising. Thou understandest my thought
afar off. Thou compassest my path and my
lying down and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is
not a word in my tongue, but lo, oh Lord, thou knowest it
altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and
before and laid Thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful
for me. It is high, I cannot attain to
it. Who is going to get to us to
destroy us? Who is going to get past God
to get to us? I tell you, no one is. not even
ourselves. We know that we have no confidence
in this flesh and that's because we know that in this flesh dwelleth
no good thing. But there's nothing in this flesh
that will ever get past God so that we might destroy ourselves.
He has made it so. We're talking about a God who
knows his people. And again, Joe said this last
week, 2 Timothy 2.19, nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth
sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, and
let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. God knows everyone, but he does
not know everyone in this way. Hebrews 4.13, we read, neither
is there any creature that is manifest in his sight, not manifest
in his sight, but all things are naked and open unto the eyes
of him with whom we have to do. God knows all things. But the
God of Scripture, being a holy sovereign God, knows his people
in love. Because he loves us, he did what
he did on that tree so that we might go free. But the manifestation
of his love for his people is him dying on that tree. So why
would he not protect us in this way? He orders our steps. So next, we have the God that
protects us. And I already said it, that God
protects us even from ourselves. Verse eight, we see this in our
text in verse 19 of Jeremiah. Be not afraid of
their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. And then in the last verse, and
they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against
thee, for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee. But you know what I really need
though? Protecting from myself. Let me tell you, I don't have
to worry about others bringing me down, I can do a good enough
job of that myself. It's like that one story that
someone told, and I think it was Henry, but a woman said something
like this, you gotta help my son, he's hanging around the
wrong crowd. Henry's reply was this, I think
your son is the wrong crowd. I am the wrong crowd. When it
comes to sin against God, I am my greatest enemy. And we do
have other enemies. I don't want anybody to misunderstand.
But listen to what Scripture says, 1 John 3, 19-21. And hereby
we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before
him. For if our heart condemn us,
God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things. Beloved,
if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward
God. You see that? God knoweth all
things. And let me just say right off
here, this knowing, this protecting, this providing, and this fighting
for his people all goes together. They're not in separate in time,
they're not separate in thought or action by God. They are all
being done all at the same time. If our heart condemns us not,
it is because we have confidence in God, because we know we should
have no confidence in this flesh, because nothing good dwells there.
He is greater than our heart. He is greater than anything.
It is God that protects, Isaiah 41 10. Fear thou not, for I am
with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy
God. I will strengthen thee. Yea,
I will help thee. Yea, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness. His protection is not just what
he does for us in circumstances. Certainly he may protect us from
circumstances at times, but at other times he may be pleased
that we go through or be in certain circumstances that may put us
in peril, peril of a physical nature. I recall a passage where
Paul said that they despaired even of life. But it is what he does with his
right hand of righteousness. And I should say what he has
done with his right hand of righteousness that protects us. But he does
give us what we need no matter the circumstances. So next we
have the God that gives us what we need. Verse nine of our text. Then the Lord put forth his hand
and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, behold,
I have put my words in thy mouth. What is it that God gives us?
He gives us everything we need, but in our text, what is it that
He gives us? He gives us His words to speak. 2 Corinthians 10 verses four
and five, for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. but
mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting
down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against
the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ. We fight this battle not with
carnal weapons. We fight this battle with the
weapons he gives us. He gives us the sword of the
spirit. The scripture says, what does
it say that is? Ephesians 6, 17. And take the
helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word
of God. We fight against the flesh with
the word of God and we have already read a passage where we can see
what his word does. Hebrews 4, 12 and 13. For the
word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. and
of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature
that is not manifest in his sight, but all things are naked and
open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do." It is his
words which he gives us in our mouth to speak to men and women,
the same word he had someone speak to us with, that he might
show that we are naked before him. This gospel, which is his
gospel, that gospel that speaks of what Jesus Christ has done
for us to turn us from ourselves to serve the living God, given
to us so that he might save them that believe. We are told in
scripture that the preaching of his word is life unto life
to some, and to others it is a saver of death unto death.
It is God that gives the words to us and it is God that gives
the increase. His word will not return unto
him void. We know that God supplies all
of his people's needs. What does Paul say? Philippians
4.19, but my God shall supply all your need according to his
riches in glory by Jesus Christ. But as we see here in Jeremiah,
he sent Jeremiah with words from him, and by those words, he would
judge these people. The almond rod and the seedling
pot. I'm not gonna go into the details of that, because I'm
not sure I know all the details of that, but his word will judge
us. It will either be a message of
condemnation alone to you or I, or it will be a sweet sound
of grace to you. Either he will cause you to hear
his words by giving you life, eyes to see, ears to hear, and
a heart to perceive, in which he will cause you to repent of
what you are. To all else it is hid, 2 Corinthians
4, 3 and 4. But if our gospel be hid, it
is hid to them that are lost. In whom the God of this world
hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light
of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should
shine unto them. This gospel is that the Lord
will fight for us. The Lord Jesus Christ is his
right hand of righteousness, and it is he who has and does
fight for us. So next, the God that fights
for us. Verse 19 of Jeremiah 1. And they
shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against
thee, for I am with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee. It
says they shall fight against thee. Of course, this is Jeremiah
specifically here that it's talking about, but it is the same for
us just as it was for Jesus Christ. They fought against him even
though he came not into the world to condemn the world. Is that
what the scripture says? John 3, 17 through 19, that's
what it says. For God sent not his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him
might be saved. He doesn't have to do anything
to condemn us. Because read what it says in
the next verses, 18 and 19. He that believeth on him is not
condemned. But he that believeth not, he
that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth
not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation,
that light is coming to the world, and men love darkness rather
than light, because their deeds were evil. Christ condescended not to condemn
men and women, It was by and through his condescension that
men and women are saved. He fought the war, the battle,
and he won it. By doing this, he was triumphant
over death for those whom he died for. Again, he fights the
fight for us. What do we do? We say his words
and we rest. But listen, even his own fight
against him and will fight against those God sends unto them until
he opens their eyes. But he in his own good time sends
them with his words through a messenger. What does he do with his words?
What did we already read? And let's turn over to 2 Corinthians
4. 2 Corinthians 4. 2 Corinthians 4. 2 Corinthians 4, verses 4 through
6. 2 Corinthians 4, verse 4. In whom
the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe
not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them. For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus'
sake. For God who commanded the light
to shine out of darkness has shined in our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. It is God who shines in our hearts
so that we might then see and hear his gospel. And when he
does this, we will then lay down our arms against him. He causes
us to quit fighting against him. When his gospel was sent to us
by his messenger, whoever that might be, our walls begin to
crumble. That citadel that we have erected
against the God of glory, against the God that fights for us, that
wall begins to crumble and the king enters in, enlightening
our souls. God could use anything else.
He could use what he wants to use. But he chose words, that
is his gospel, to lay siege to a man or woman, arresting them,
tearing down that which they used to try to hide from God.
But thank God, no matter where we are, he is right there with
us because he has loved us with an everlasting love. So what
is the conclusion, my conclusion? God knows us. He knows us because
He wanted to know us. He chose to know us. Others,
He did not choose to love. Him setting His eyes on us was
purely His choice. What did He do for those who
were His? Well, He did everything for them. There's nothing that
one of His can glory in and say, I did something. Because if we
are to do something, it is He that gives us even the strength
to do it. But what he did in loving us,
he ordered our steps. He kept us safe. He hedged us
in so that we would not be consumed, not even by our own selves. He
gives us his words so that we might tell others what he has
done for us and for all of his people. He gives others words
to tell us, to comfort us with his words. This gospel telling
what he did for his people that manifest that love he had for
them, he had for me, So as we started out and as we see this
God in Jeremiah Wah, this God knows us, this God protects us,
this God gives us what we need, and this God has fought and always
fights for us, his chosen people. So what do we have to fear? Who
is going to say unto him, what doest thou? So there is no condemnation
to his people, only life in Christ Jesus. And if you would turn
over with me to Romans 8, and I'll end with this, the first
four verses of Romans 8, and you probably already know it,
but I'm gonna read it again. This is a place you can rest
here. Romans 8, one through four. There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus
who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit. For the
law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death. for what the law could not do,
and that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Amen. Dear Lord God, cause our
minds, hearts to be stayed on you, dear Lord. Give us your
gospel, dear Lord, to comfort us as we go through this life,
dear Lord. May it be that you come quickly,
dear Lord. All these things we ask in Christ's
name, amen.