God called Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations. So, it is fitting that Jeremiah ends with an extensive call to the nations to know the Lord and to walk in His ways. The Book of Jeremiah is no mere sorry tale of the demise of an ancient kingdom. But it is a constant refrain of grace, sung out to men who are utterly undeserving of it. It is a reminder that God’s promises are not for some particular tribe, language, nation or people, but for “every creature under heaven.” And most importantly, for you. You are not beyond God’s grace. You are not excluded from His offer. In John 6:37, Jesus says, “whoever comes to me, I will never cast out.” In Jeremiah 46-51, God calls the nations to turn back. In some of the Scripture’s most remarkable poetry, the Lord calls those who are far from him to return home. Join us as we see that God calls us to return as well.
Category Archives: Jeremiah
11/22/2020 | “Following Through” | Jeremiah 39-41
We have all seen the threatening-repeating parent — warning the disobedient child of a judgement that never comes. For hundreds of years, God sent prophets to warn the children of Israel and Judah of judgement for their sin. Persistently, He called them to repent, but unlike the threatening-repeating parent, God always follows through. Beginning in Jeremiah 39 we see the terrible picture of God’s judgement, a picture that warns us not to presume upon God’s grace. The Bible warns us that today is the day of salvation. How urgently have you heeded God’s call to turn back to Him? Join us as we examine Jeremiah 39-41 and consider the urgency of God’s call to turn back.
11/15/2020 | “Eradication” | Jeremiah 36
In Jeremiah 36 we find the terrible picture of Judah’s King Jehoiakim, burning the words of the Prophet Jeremiah. He was not open to what God’s Word had to say. But he was not the only one. The people of his time neither listened, nor inclined their ears to hear God’s word through the prophets.
When God’s people have little concern for God’s Word, disaster cannot be far behind. The people of Jeremiah’s day only wanted positive messages. While Jehoiakim’s Bible burning shocks us, what should shock us more is that the people who heard all these words were not afraid, nor did they think God’s Word applied to them. What about you? We profess to be a ‘people of the book,’ but is the Bible authoritative and sufficient in your life? Join us as we examine Jeremiah 36 and consider faithful and unfaithful responses to God’s Word.
11/08/2020 | “Cathedral Builders” | Jeremiah 35
It is rare in scripture when men are commended by God for their faithfulness. Yet, Jesus commends a Centurion in Matthew 8:10, saying, “truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.” And in Jeremiah 35, the Lord commends to Jeremiah the example of the Rechabites – not for the particulars of their vow, but for their faithfulness in keeping it, generation after generation. In faithless Judah, they are a remarkable example of steadfast commitment. The Rechabites illustrate the power of one generation discipling the next. Join us this Lord’s Day as we examine Jeremiah 35 and consider the power of multi-generational faithfulness.
11/01/2020 | “Signs and Seals” | Jeremiah 32
In Jeremiah 32, the prophet is in a hopeless place. It’s the eleventh hour. Jeremiah’s prophecies of doom and judgment are at the door. The Babylonian army has laid siege to Jerusalem. Jeremiah has been imprisoned for treason. But God gives a personal, yet puzzling, word to Jeremiah. He is instructed to purchase the plot, seal up the deed, and store it away for safe keeping. Nothing about this deal makes any sense. Jeremiah obeys, but struggles with the ‘why.’ Yet in this simple act, God offers a sign and seal that grace, not judgment, is the last word. Join us this week as we examine Jeremiah 32 and consider the importance of signs and seals as a means of grace for us.
10/25/2020 | “What’s New About the New Covenant” | Jeremiah 31:31-40
When we hear that something is “new and improved,” we would do well to ask hard questions and exercise discernment. Especially when considering theological truth. In the midst of Jeremiah’s Book of Consolation in Jeremiah 31:31-34, God promises a New Covenant – a promise formative in the history and theology of the Church. But just what is ‘new’ about the New Covenant? How ‘new’ is it? And why was something ‘new’ needed? Listen to “What’s New About the New Covenant,” as we examine Jeremiah 31:31-40 and consider what is ‘new’ about the New Covenant and why it matters.
10/18/2020 | “Taking Comfort” | Jeremiah 31:1-30
Jeremiah spent four decades warning of Judah of judgment and exile. Through warning after warning, God called the people to turn back to Him, but they would not. They sought comfort down every path except the path of faith and repentance. But God did not forsake them. When hope seemed lost, God gave the prophet Jeremiah a word of comfort for the people. But to take comfort from God’s promises, we must receive them. We must believe them by faith. We must turn back to Him. We must rest in the assurance that Our Father has it all together.
Listen to “Taking Comfort,” as we examine Jeremiah 31:1-30 and consider how God calls us to receive and experience the comfort He offers.
10/11/2020 | “Book of Consolation” | Jeremiah 30
God instructs Jeremiah to speak words of consolation to fallen Judah. And not just speak them, but write them down. Words for them and for us! Jeremiah spent four decades warning of judgment and exile. Now, when hope seems lost, he opens a new chapter – the Book of Consolation. In the midst of the longest, and most sorrowful book in the Bible, we find bright promises of God’s grace. Jeremiah 30-33 is often called the ‘Book of Consolation.’ Listen as we examine Jeremiah 30 and consider how God calls us and consoles us with grace in the midst of judgement.
10/04/2020 | “Letters from Home” | Jeremiah 29
After the fall of Jerusalem, the people of Judah lived as resident aliens in Babylon. They were not merely collateral of war, the Lord sent them into exile. He had a purpose for them among the Babylonians, to reveal His glory and seek the “shalom” of the city where He sent them. We see in their exile the paradigm and paradox of the Christian life as they are placed by God’s providence in the midst of pagan Babylon, yet called to remain distinct as God’s covenant children. Listen as we examine Jeremiah 29 and consider its instruction and comfort to us regarding how we are to live faithfully as resident aliens in a land that is not our home.
09/27/2020 | “Conflict Management” | Jeremiah 28:1-17
God instructed Jeremiah to warn Judah, if they would submit to His discipline at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, they would live. But nothing provokes conflict in the church like a sermon on submission. Jeremiah is opposed by a false prophet and called a liar. Everything he said was contradicted. And the yoke was wrenched from his neck and broken.
Jeremiah often complains and confronts, so his response here is remarkable. With gracious, prayerful wisdom the prophet rebuts the false teacher and disarms his false gospel. Jeremiah’s life is quite literally an open book. We often see his anger, but here we may observe a godly example of how to handle conflict within the church. An example worthy of imitation. Listen to “Conflict Management” as we examine Jeremiah 28 and consider how to respond to conflict within the church.
Pottsville Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church 