JEREMIAH 22009 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Jeremiah 2

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2009. But this evening we're looking at Jeremiah chapter 2 and as we look at the book of Jeremiah, we remember last week Jeremiah was called by the Lord at a young age.

He objected to his calling, and so you and I can remember and recognize that if we object to our calling, we're in good company, and if we are uncomfortable with being sent forth into our world to proclaim the gospel, well, we're in good company because really we have many examples throughout the scriptures of those that God has called, and

And they objected and they tried to get out of it and they tried to have excuses for themselves. And Jeremiah was no different. And he says, what, I'm just a youth. I'm not able to do what you've called me to do. But God says, I'm going to send you.

And so last week in chapter 1, we saw the calling of Jeremiah, his commission. God was putting him into service. And now as we go on into chapter 2, we get to see now the beginning of this ministry that is taking place. And God's first real command to him that's recorded here, for him to go and actually deliver a message. And it's a message to the people of Judah and the city of Jerusalem.

Now, the historical context of this chapter, chapter 2, and the whole book of Jeremiah, is the nation of Israel had been split in two. And the northern kingdom kept the name Israel. And they had been conquered about 100 years before what is taking place right here in Jeremiah. The southern kingdom was called Judah. And Judah remained a little bit faithful to the Lord, but Israel,

Over time, and as time progressed, they began to wander farther and farther away from God, even though, and God will bring this up in the coming weeks, even though they got to see the judgment of God upon Israel for their rebellion against God, they continued on in rebellion. And so Jeremiah was sent to Judah, to Jerusalem, to warn them, to proclaim to them the judgment that would come if they would not repent.

And it's amazing how it's so similar to the calling that you and I have. As we consider end times, as we consider the return of Jesus Christ and the way this world is going, we can see that the time is very short and that you and I have been given a message,

that judgment is coming, that there's a need for repentance, and that people can find that rest that they're looking for, the satisfaction that they need, the fulfillment that they're searching for in a relationship with Jesus Christ. And so Jeremiah is sent to Judah, and we see this here in verses 1 through 3 of chapter 2. It says this, Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying, Thus says the Lord, I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your betrothal. When you went after me in the wilderness, in a land not sown, Israel was holiness to the Lord. The firstfruits of his increase, all that devour him will offend. Disaster will come upon them, says the Lord."

Here as we start out chapter 2, Jeremiah says, The word of the Lord came to me. He receives his command now to go and deliver a message. God says, Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem. Now, in preparation for this evening, as I was going through Jeremiah chapter 2, I was

I was amazed by the difference, and maybe you won't notice it as much as I did, but in preparing for Isaiah, man, there was lots of toil and labor just trying to figure out sometimes what in the world Isaiah was talking about.

But the beautiful thing about Jeremiah is these things are so powerful. I really think that maybe we should do this sometime that we could just read through these chapters and there's so much here just in the text itself. I don't have to give big colorful examples and illustrations and make you laugh and stuff because there's so much. It's just so clear right in front of us these things that God is speaking through Jeremiah. And I pray that you will be open and receptive and looking...

for the Lord to speak to you through these things because they're right here for us to receive. Now, he says to Jeremiah, go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem. He is then to go out to the city of Jerusalem and to cry aloud.

To shout from the rooftops, perhaps, or to shout from the neighboring hill. He could be on the Mount of Olives and be crying aloud so that Jerusalem could hear. That they could hear this message that God had given to Jeremiah to deliver. And what was this message? Well, it starts out with God saying, Hey Judah, Jerusalem, I remember you.

I remember the kindness of your youth and the love of your betrothal when you went after me in the wilderness. When you were seeking me. God calls Jeremiah to go out to the mountain and say, Hey guys, I remember when you had a passionate relationship with me. I remember when you first fell in love with me and you sought after me. I remember when, you remember those times when you would stink?

stay up late reading the Scriptures and you couldn't get enough and you kept spending time with me. He sat forth and God says through him, I remember those times. Do you remember those times where you would seek me early, you would seek me often, you would chase after me even in the midst of wilderness, even when you didn't have much. And

And you were known as holiness to the Lord. You were set apart to the Lord. You were living your life for me. God says, remember those days. It was similar to what Jesus wrote to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2, verses 1-7.

where Jesus is writing there in the book of Revelation through the Apostle John. And he says, hey, I know your deeds and I know your kind of outward activities, but you've left your first love. And then he tells them to remember from where they've fallen and to go back and remember those times when you had this passionate relationship with me. There was this real intimacy that it wasn't just ritual, it wasn't just on the outside, but that there was a real connection with us.

And that's the place of the nation of Judah at this time. We'll see in coming chapters, Jeremiah will...

Asked them basically how they can continue to go through the outward motions. They continued to go through to the temple. They continued to offer sacrifices as if they were in a right relationship with God. But in reality, their hearts were far from him. And although they went through the outward practices of godliness, they were pursuing the things that God had forbidden. And so God sends this messenger to them.

To say, hey, remember how much you loved me? Remember how you were set apart for me? Even though I was out there in the wilderness and you didn't have much? Remember those days he ends by saying that all that devour him will offend and disaster will come upon them, says the Lord? Remember those days where you were chasing after me, God is saying, and then I would defend you?

Remember those days and you're there and you're stuck and you're at the Red Sea and there's nowhere to go. Mountain on one side, mountain on the other side. Red Sea in front of you and behind you is coming Pharaoh's army and I opened up the waters and I caused you to walk across on dry land. And those that were coming against you, those that would devour you,

They were wiped out in the Red Sea. Remember those days when I sent you into the Promised Land and I told you, walk around the city seven times and I knocked down the walls and I defeated your enemies and I drove out your enemies before you. Remember those times that those enemies would come against you or this person would come against you and I defended you and I took care of you? God's calling them back to remind them. He says, I remember those first days, those first times.

And he uses Jeremiah to call to their mind, to remind them of those early days. Going on in verse 4, it says, Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord, What injustice have your fathers found in me, that they have gone far from me, have followed idols, and have become idolaters? Verse 6,

Neither did they say, Where is the Lord who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, through a land of drought and the shadow of death, through a land that no one crossed and where no one dwelt. I brought you into a bountiful country to eat its fruits and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination."

Verse 8, the priest did not say, where is the Lord? And those who handle the law did not know me. The rulers also transgressed against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and walked after things that do not profit. Now, picture yourself as Jeremiah for a moment. It's one thing to stand on the mountain and say, hey, I remember when you were in love with the Lord, but now he goes on to say and to give them a challenge that

He's going to really call them to account for their actions, their choices, and their state. They're in public, taking a stand for God, proclaiming the message of God. And again, as I shared last week, I encourage you and I challenge you to put yourself in Jeremiah's shoes because really, it's his shoes that we've been put into. We've been called into the ministry and called to take the gospel to the world and to make disciples.

And there's times that God may call you to stand on a mountain, to stand on a hill, to stand on a corner, to take a stand. Maybe it's not on a corner of a busy street, but maybe it's there in your workplace or there in the grocery store or there with your family. That

That openly and publicly you're called to proclaim what God has said and what God's word says. Now, God says this. He asks them and challenges them with the question, What injustice have your fathers found in me? What wrong has your fathers found in me? And that is a powerful question. It's a powerful thing to consider.

Because they were not following the Lord. And so God says, what has caused this? What has been lacking in the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that has caused you to chase after these other gods and to worship them and follow these idols and become idolaters and not to follow me? He goes on to explain, they didn't say, where is the Lord? They didn't seek out the Lord. They didn't consider. They didn't take time to say,

What does the Lord want to do in this situation? They didn't consider where God was and seek Him out. They weren't seeking the Lord as the point. They weren't looking for Him. They weren't desiring and pursuing a relationship with Him. They didn't say, hey, where is the Lord who brought us out of the land of Egypt and led us through the wilderness? Notice how they describe it. It's a land of deserts and pits and drought and the shadow of death and a land that no one crossed and where no one dwelt.

They spent 40 years in that land and God provided for them and met their needs and yet no one, no one was saying, we should seek the Lord. Where's the Lord? Let's find out where the Lord's at and what He's up to and what He's doing and let's pursue Him and seek after Him. This is a God that can provide for millions of people out in the wilderness that no one dares to cross and dwell in because there's nothing out there yet God provided and God met their needs.

Then God goes on in verse 7 to say, look, I brought you into a bountiful country. A land flowing of milk and honey. I blessed you abundantly, but when you entered this land, you defiled it. You made my heritage an abomination. You turned this land that I gave you into something disgusting by your sinful activity. And again in verse 8, he goes on to talk about their leadership. He said, look, the priests...

They didn't seek me. They didn't say, hey, where's the Lord? Let's find out what the Lord's up to and let's pursue Him and seek after Him. Even those who handle the law, those who are teaching the people, those who are students of the Word, he says, they didn't know me. They handled the law. They had their Bibles, but they didn't know me. They didn't have a relationship with me. They didn't seek after me. He says, the rulers, they transgressed against me.

The prophets, well, they stopped prophesying in my name. They started walking after the ways of Baal and those ways that do not profit. That's funny. I just realized the wordplay there. The prophets, you know, went the way that does not profit. That's funny. Okay. There you go. There you go. Kind of caught on as a wave. Okay. So God presents this challenge to them, this question, starting with, what injustice have your fathers found in me?

You've wandered from me, God is saying. But what's the cause of that? Was it because God was lacking something? Of course, we would say no. We would say no. God proved it by reminding them of the examples of how he delivered them, how he provided for them and blessed them abundantly. And yet their hearts were not after him. They were not seeking the Lord.

And this evening, again, as we look at these things, on the one hand, we can put ourselves in Jeremiah's shoes and realize that we've been called to proclaim a message to the nation around us, to the world around us. But we can also put ourselves in the shoes of the people because, well, I don't know about you, but there's been times that I've walked away from the Lord. And there's been some times that I have turned and that God could ask this question to me and it would vary greatly.

very aptly apply. Where God could remind me, and maybe you've been in that situation, or maybe you are in that situation, and God could remind you and say, hey, remember how I delivered you? You remember all the things that you once were involved in and bound in and how you needed to be set free, but you couldn't free yourself? And remember how I did this incredible work and I brought you out and

preserved you and provided for you there in the wilderness and that drought and that time that there was nothing and no way for you to make ends meet, to provide for yourself? You remember how I brought you into a beautiful land, I poured new life into you and I just blessed you abundantly? How is it? What's caused you then? What has been my problem, God would say, that you've not sought after me?

That you've stopped seeking me. That you've turned from me. And so God brings a charge against these people. Against those who are in that predicament. Verse 9, he says, Therefore, I will yet bring charges against you, says the Lord. And against your children's children I will bring charges. For past beyond the coast of Cyprus and sea.

Send to Kedar and consider diligently and see if there has been such a thing. Verse 11. Has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods? But my people have changed their glory for what does not profit. Be astonished, O heavens, at this. And be horribly afraid. Be very desolate, says the Lord. For my people have committed two evils.

They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water. Again, this is just one of those passages that we could read over and over, and not much has to be said here. God asked the question, has a nation changed its gods, which are not gods?

He says, this is the charge I bring to you. Go to the north, go to the south, go look around. Consider the nations that are all around you. He says, has a nation changed their gods? And of course, the obvious answer is no. And we can continue to see that today. Consider the cultural aspects of religion. The Hispanic culture is...

Well, it's closely linked with Catholicism. And Catholicism is deeply rooted and it's part of the culture, it's part of the tradition. And it's very difficult for that to change. But you can look at other nationalities, you can look at the Muslim nations and how culturally they're Islamic and how

Even if they are not really radical believers, it's part of their culture. And they hold to it as part of their culture. They don't change their gods. It's very difficult for that to change.

You can look at Buddhism or anything else. I was talking with Pastor Dion for the podcast this week and Pastor Dion was sharing about how there's the Mormons there in their community and how it's a long-term mission for them. That, you know, Mormons don't just...

quickly turn and believe in Jesus, but it takes a long time and you've got to invest. And there's a long time of preparation, of sowing seed, of being an example, of sharing the love of Jesus in order for them to begin to see and understand that their system of trying to reach God by their works is bankrupt and it's not going to work. And so he said that's our long-term mission to reach those Mormons.

But it's a difficult thing. Has a nation changed their gods? No. They don't change their gods. It's part of their culture. They don't just, you know, this year we'll worship this god or this year we'll worship that god. But he says, my people have changed their glory for what does not profit. The nations around you, they don't change. They have their gods. They worship their gods. But my people who had the true and living God who provided for them and delivered them and set them free...

They've traded me for these gods that are not gods. These gods that do not profit. Although it's difficult for nations to change their gods, my people, the people who call themselves by my name, have quickly changed their god. You see the contrast there. The irony there. They have the true and living God, but they have quickly turned. They've not been faithful to the Lord. So God says they've committed two evils.

Number one, they've forsaken me, the fountain of living waters. And number two, they've hewn cisterns.

But they're broken cisterns that can hold no water. In my place, instead of the fountain of living water, they've dug out some pits. They've built some pottery. They've made for themselves these things to hold water to try to kind of replace the fountain of living waters. But these cisterns are broken and can hold no water. And so they lined up being empty. You ever done that? I mean, again, I can relate.

I can relate to Jesus. You know, he said, if anybody thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. Flowing forth from him will come torrents of living water. Jesus pronounced and shared, and I hope that you know, he's the one who can satisfy you and fulfill you and meet your needs. He's the one that has everything that we're looking for, and yet people trade him for

And instead of coming to Jesus, the fountain of living waters, they make for themselves and chase after these things that do not satisfy, these leaky cisterns that do not hold water and through which they're never fulfilled. My people, he says, have changed their glory for what does not profit. And so we find that their judgment really is self-inflicted. Because they've turned from God, their judgment is self-inflicted. Look at verse 14.

Verse 17, Verse 18,

And now, why take the road to Egypt to drink the waters of Syhor? Or why take the road to Assyria to drink the waters of the river? Verse 19. Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and the fear of me is not in you, says the Lord God of hosts.

Now again, picture yourself. You're Jeremiah. You're there calling out to this city. You're calling out to this nation that has forsaken God. And he says, have you not brought this judgment upon yourself? You have forsaken the Lord. He has to tell them the truth. And it must have been very difficult for Jeremiah. But he brings forth this message. Asking the question, how is it that you are plundered?

How is it that the young lions and these little nations around you, that they've been able to ravage the land? How is it that the crown of authority, the glory that you once had as a nation, as a people, has been broken? He says, have you not brought this on yourself? It's self-inflicted judgment. To turn from the Lord is self-inflicted judgment. You know, sometimes we kind of get the picture that God's, you know, got a rod in his hand and he's ready to strike and

We blow it and so he strikes us and he judges us and he brings judgment. The reality is when you forsake the Lord, when I forsake the Lord, it's self-inflicted judgment that comes upon us. It's not that God's out to get us and out to beat us. In fact, the sending of Jeremiah the prophet is so that the nation has an opportunity and a chance not to be judged.

It's something we should remember as we look at these prophecies throughout the scriptures, that God sent his prophets so that the people would repent, so that they would turn to him. You remember the example of Nineveh, where God sent Jonah to Nineveh, and the message was, in 40 days this place is going to be destroyed, it's going to be judged by God. It was an opportunity for repentance. The nation repented, and God relented, and the judgment did not come.

In the same way, God has sent Jeremiah to call to their attention, to show them the truth, to tell them, this is where you guys are at. You've brought this judgment upon yourself. You're in this state because you have forsaken me. But it's not just to make them feel bad and beat them up and tell them how stupid they are. It's so that they can then recognize where they're at and repent and turn and stop going that direction instead of forsaking God to turn back to Him.

But that's not what they're doing. He asks in verse 18, why now do you take the road to Egypt to drink the water of Syhor? Or why do you take the road to Assyria to drink the waters of the river, the Euphrates River? They've forsaken the fountain of living water.

They've built for themselves cisterns that cannot hold water. They've learned that, well, these things, these gods that I'm worshiping, these things that I'm filling my life with, they're not satisfying me. So now, instead of turning back to God, the fountain of living waters, now they're going to Egypt. Egypt.

Well, maybe if we rely upon Egypt and we have a relationship with Egypt, we'll be strong and we won't experience this judgment of Babylon coming against us. And we won't experience this judgment. Maybe if we make this trade agreement, then our economy will be healthy and we'll be blessed and everything will be taken care of. Maybe if we go down to Assyria and drink of the Euphrates and worship their gods, well, then our needs will be met. Then we'll be satisfied.

They're trying everything that they can. They've tried all the gods and the people around them. They've tried everything they know how to do. They're trying to reach out now and go a little bit farther into Egypt or into Assyria to establish these deals, to make these things so that, well, they'll be able to... They're trying to replace the fountain of living waters, but you cannot replace the fountain of living waters. And once you've tasted of that fountain, once you understand and know that

What it is to have a real relationship with God, you can't replace that. You recognize. But instead of turning back to the Lord, that fountain of living water, they're trying to quench their thirst with the things that the world around them has to offer. It's self-inflicted judgment. They're chasing after these things that are actually being the instruments of judgment upon them. They're plundered and burned and broken by their own doings.

And so God says in verse 19, your own wickedness will correct you and your backslidings will rebuke you. Your own wickedness will correct you. Romans chapter 6 verse 23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. The wages of sin is death. And we must never forget that the wages of sin is death. We must never forget that your own wickedness will correct you and your backslidings will rebuke you. God doesn't have to chase you down with a stick and beat you.

Your own wickedness will correct you. And so God calls them to account and reminds them. He says, know therefore and see it's an evil and bitter thing that you've forsaken the Lord your God. It's an evil and bitter thing that the fear of God is not in you. Recognize what you're doing. Recognize where your heart is at. He's using Jeremiah to bring to their attention, to call them to repentance, to show them and remind them where they've come from and to let them know

The judgment they're experiencing is what's been brought upon by themselves. They're being corrected by the wickedness that they've been pursuing and participating in. Verse 20. He says, For of old I have broken your yoke and burst your bonds. And you said, I will not transgress. Sound familiar? When on every high hill and under every green tree you lay down playing the harlot.

Yet I planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before me into the degenerate plant of an alien vine? For though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, yet your iniquity is marked before me, says the Lord God. How can you say, I am not polluted? I have not gone after the Baals.

See your way in the valley. Know what you have done. You are a swift dromedary breaking loose in her ways. A wild donkey used to the wilderness that sniffs at the wind in her desire. In her time of mating, who can turn her away? All those who seek her will not weary themselves. In her month, they will find her.

Withhold your foot from being unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, there is no hope, no, for I have loved aliens and after them I will go. God says, look, of old I've broken your yoke. I set you free. I released you. All of those burdens, those masters that you enslaved to, the sin that you were involved in, I set you free. And you said, no.

I will not transgress. You said, Hallelujah, Lord, you set me free. I am not going to continue in that sin anymore. I'm not going to pursue that. I'm not going to go down that path any longer. You set me free, Lord. I'm going to walk with you. But in the same verse, he says, when on every high hill and under every green tree, you lay down playing the harlot. How many, not with a show of hands, but how many can relate to that? God sets us free.

He delivers us. He breaks the bonds and bursts the yoke. And we say, I will not transgress. And then the very next sentence, every opportunity we get, we're involved in sinful activity. God said, I planted you as a noble vine. I gave you my spirit. You've been born again, the seed of highest quality. How then have you turned before me into a degenerate plant?

How is it that you've turned from me and become a worthless plant? A dead plant. How can you say, he says, I'm not polluted? How can you say I've not gone after the Baals or the other gods? He likens her to a wild donkey in heat. In her time, he says, in her time of mating, who can turn her away? Who can turn her away? Those who seek her, he says, will not weary themselves.

In other words, it won't be hard to find. Because like a donkey in heat, she's eager, searching out, looking for, pursuing. God says, Again, can you relate?

Can you believe? God sets you free. You say, I'm not going to sin. Yet under every tree and every opportunity, there it is. And it seems like you're not looking for trouble, but trouble is looking for you. And it doesn't weary itself in trying to find you. It comes to you quickly and easily. And God says, keep yourself from sin. Don't give in to those cravings. Don't gratify the flesh. And you say, there's no hope. No. For I've loved aliens.

And after them I will go. Tragic words. Tragic words. Because here's the choice. Here's where they make the choice. After them I will go. They've decided, they've determined there's no hope. It's too hard. It's too difficult. I'm just going to keep on chasing after these gods, this person says. God says, don't rush into sin. You say, there's no hope. There's no hope. We deal with difficult addictions sometimes.

We deal with difficult habits. We deal with the cravings of our flesh. We deal with the seduction of the world around us. We have some strong pulls on us on every side. Don't let these words be yours, saying there is no hope. What did God tell us? He who the Son sets free is free indeed. What did God tell us? Walk in the spirit, you will not gratify the lust of the flesh.

Don't let the enemy deceive you and trick you into saying and thinking and considering that there is no hope and so you make the decision, I'm just going to chase after these things. After these things I'm going to go. I've tried to quit. I've tried to stop. I've tried to walk with God. I've tried to do it right and I can't do it. I'm just going to chase after them. No, that's the wrong decision. Yes, it may be difficult and yes, there may be struggles, but walk in the Spirit and you will not gratify the lust of the flesh. Don't choose...

to chase after those things. Even if you're in the midst of struggling with them, don't choose to chase after those things. That's what put them in this situation. That's why they're here. That's why you and I experience the self-inflicted judgment of our own wickedness correcting us. Don't choose to give in. Don't choose. Don't give in. You don't have to.

Paul the Apostle, you remember in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, he says, look, all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under bondage by anything. I won't enslave myself again and go back to those things. He speaks very clearly about the need to watch out, to be careful, to not put ourselves in those situations where we once again become enslaved to those things that once ruled over us. Don't choose. You don't have to choose.

Walk in the Spirit. You will not gratify the lust of the flesh. Judah has been set free, but they have rushed into bondage. They've chased after the aliens and they've said, they've chosen, after them I will go. Verse 26, As the thief is ashamed when he has found out,

So is the house of Israel ashamed. They and their kings and their princes and their priests and their prophets saying to a tree, you are my father. And to a stone, you gave birth to me. For they have turned their back to me and not their face. But in the time of their trouble, they will say, arise and save us. But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise.

if they can save you in the time of trouble. For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah. Here God continues on. Again, Jeremiah is proclaiming this message in the marketplace, on the mountaintop, openly and publicly to the nation. And he says, as a thief is ashamed when he's found out, that's how the nation of Judah is going to be.

They've said to the tree, they've said to the stone, hey, you're my God, you're my Father, you gave birth to me. They've chosen to worship these other gods, to practice idolatry. And so they've turned their back to God and not their face. They're not seeking the Lord. They're not pursuing Him. They're not chasing after Him. Now, for you and I, in 2009...

Looking to a tree, looking to a stone and saying, you're my God, you're my Father, you gave birth to me, sounds pretty ridiculous. But as we've discussed many times, as we studied through Isaiah as well, as ridiculous as idolatry sounds to us, as ridiculous as it sounds to bow down and kneel before a statue, as crazy as that sounds to us, it is just as ridiculous. It is just as ridiculous.

to not give God his rightful place in our life, to not love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It's just as ridiculous to not surrender completely to him, to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus Christ. It's just as crazy. It's more acceptable to us. It's more common. We're used to it. We're comfortable with that idea. The idea of, you know, I come to church on this day and that day, and that's about it. I don't really need more than that.

I don't have to be all sold out and like a radical Christian. I can just kind of be a normal Christian. Biblically, the normal Christian is a radical Christian where God speaks to them, ministers to them, God uses them. That's what we're called to be. We're called to be disciples, sold out 100%. You're like, well, I'll be happy if I kind of get a C in the whole Christianity thing.

Just kind of, you know, average, you know, kind of 70%, you know, maybe 69.5%. That's good enough. That's as ridiculous as kneeling before a tree, a rock, a statue and saying, you are my God. It's turning your back against God and not your face. But like us, in their time of trouble, what did they do?

They knew where to call. They knew where to turn to. In their time of trouble, they call out and say, Arise and save us. But what does God respond? Well, where's your gods that you've made for yourselves? Let them arise. Let them save you. I mean, you've got a lot according to the number of your cities. That's how many gods you have. Go for it. Let them save you. See, God gives you the choice and then He honors that choice.

He gave them the choice. They said, we're going to choose and follow these other gods. We're going to forsake the Lord and we're going to follow these gods. They, just a few moments ago, said, no, there's no hope. I've loved aliens. After them, I'll go. They made that choice. And so, later on, when they were in a desperate situation, they said, hey, Lord, save us. And God says, you chose your God, so call out to your God. You didn't choose me as your God, so why are you calling out to me? Call out to those gods that you've made for yourself.

God says, let them save you. Verse 29, why will you plead with me? You all have transgressed against me, says the Lord. In vain I have chastened your children. They received no correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a destroying lion. Oh, generation, see the word of the Lord. Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of darkness? Why do my people say we are lords? We will come no more to you.

Can a virgin forget her ornaments or a bride her attire? Yet my people have forgotten me days without number. God says, are you going to plead with me? You're going to come to me now and say, arise and save you? When you've forsaken me, you've transgressed against me? He says, in vain, I've chastened you and chastened your children. Your sword devoured the prophets that I sent.

to warn you and to turn you around and to share with you the truth. You killed, you put to death my messengers, God said. I tried to reach out to you. I did everything I could. And you ignored. You put them to death. You destroyed those opportunities. So he says, see the word of the Lord. Stop and take notice. Have I been a wilderness, God says?

He asks the question, why do my people say we are lords or we have dominion? Or the idea here is that we're self-sufficient. The people have decided, hey, we've got it all taken care of and so we will come no more to you. And God says, why are they saying that? Can a virgin forget her ornaments or bride her attire? These are my people that I've redeemed, God is saying, and yet they've forgotten me. They've forgotten me days without number.

Days without number. How many days have you forgotten the Lord? See, it's a challenge for us. As we look at the example of the nation, man, there's a lot of parallels. The nation of Judah, as it was on its way towards its last and final judgment, Babylon was going to conquer them and carry them away captive for 70 years. You could draw a lot of parallels between that nation and our nation. How many days have you forgotten the Lord? How many days have gone by where

you didn't spend time with Him? How many days have gone by where you didn't bother to open up His Word and say, where is the Lord? And seek Him out and search Him out? How many days have gone by where you have not partaken of the fountain of living waters? Once a week? Twice a week? Three, four, five times a week? Is it only on Sundays that you concern yourself with the things of the Lord? Maybe only on Wednesdays? Maybe you think you're doing really good because it's Sundays and Wednesdays. How many days?

Have you forgotten? God desires with us a daily walk, a daily relationship. Not that we need to be condemned and feel like, man, God's given up on us if we forget to read the Bible one day or another. But to be able to look back and take stock and can you count on your hands? Or would it take all of our hands to count the days that we have forgotten in 2008?

How many days in 2009 will you forget the Lord? How many days in 2009 will go by that you don't seek Him out, you don't seek after Him? God says, My people have forgotten me days without number. They call on me here, they call on me there, but there's many days they've not paid me any attention at all. Verse 33, Why do you beautify your way to seek love? Therefore, you have also taught the wicked women your ways.

Also on your skirts is found the blood of the lives of the poor innocents. I have not found it by secret search, but plainly on all these things. Yet you say, because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold, I will plead my case against you, because you say, I have not sinned. Why do you gad about so much to change your way? Also, you shall be ashamed of Egypt as you were ashamed of Assyria.

Indeed, you will go forth from him with your hands on your head, for the Lord has rejected your trusted allies, and you will not prosper by them. God closes this chapter with some heavy thoughts. First of all, he says, why do you beautify your way to seek love? Why do you beautify your way to seek love? It caused me to reflect on what we experienced recently with Proposition 8 and the many abundance of commercials that

beautified the way of homosexuality in order to seek love. Try to paint a picture of beauty on what God has called sin. And so he says, you've taught the wicked women your ways. It's become an abundance. It's not in secret that these things are found. I didn't have to dig and search in the hidden places, but it's in openness. It's proclaimed.

It's true. We live in a nation that sin is proclaimed, that it's beautified. And yet the people say, because I'm innocent, his anger shall turn from me. We're so good at justifying our sin, explaining it away and how it's no big deal and it's different for us and we're in a different situation. God says, look, I'm going to plead my case with you because you say I have not sinned. Because you insist that you have not sinned. And here's the real root of the problem. This is the real issue.

When you say, I have not sinned. In verse 36, he says, why do you gad about so much to change your way? Why are you so excited about this idea of change? He says, you'll be ashamed of Egypt. You'll be ashamed of Assyria. You're going to go forth with your hands on your head in bondage, captivity. You're trusting in the wrong people and the wrong things. The Lord's rejected your allies. You will not prosper by them, God says. Why? Because you say...

I have not sinned. God brings this incredible charge to the nation of Judah, the city of Jerusalem, to you and I this evening. I mean, some heavy-hitting words. And again, I would encourage you, just read through this on your own and allow these words to sink in and to hit hard. A nation that had forsaken the fountain of living waters and instead made for themselves broken cisterns.

And chase after all these other things that do not satisfy. And when they find that they don't satisfy, they go to Egypt, they go to Assyria. They try to reach farther. Trying more and more. And God's saying, don't rush into sin. Don't try to satisfy yourself with that dream. Don't try to satisfy your thirst with those activities. But you say, there's no hope. After them, I'll go. I've loved aliens. I love these things. These things are part of me. This is who I am. I'm just going to go.

My people have forsaken me, God says. Has a nation changed its gods? And yet my people who know the true and living God, they have forsaken me. And yet all the while they say, I have not sinned. See, here's the issue. Here's the problem. Here's what God requires and desires of us to agree with Him. Yes, you and I struggle. Yes, we sin. But God wants us to seek Him and to confess.

To confess means just simply to agree with God, to recognize the state that we're in. He's not telling us, get yourself perfect, clean up your act, and then you can come to me and have a relationship with me and then I'll withhold judgment. No, what he's saying is, all of this time, you're insisting on your innocence. And you're thinking that, hey, I've convinced myself that I'm innocent, so I won't experience the judgment of God. And you're deceiving yourselves, you're fooling yourself. That's not going to fly. But,

If you'll acknowledge, if you'll confess, if you'll recognize and agree with God about your sin and turn from it. If you'll believe in Jesus Christ, if you'll turn to Him, if you'll walk in the Spirit, you won't gratify the lust of the flesh. If you'll seek God, not forgetting Him days without number, but pursuing Him, spending time with Him. It's what God desires of us. He knows we're not perfect. He's not expecting us to be perfect. Don't give up. Don't give in. Don't say there's no hope. I...

I'm just going to chase after these things because I can't get away. No, resist. Seek the Lord. Turn to Him completely and agree with Him about those areas of your heart and those things in your life. Confess them to Him. Jeremiah began to prophesy in the days of Josiah. And in the days of Josiah, there was a little revival that was taking place because they found the Word of the Lord.

And as the word of the Lord was read before King Josiah, he responded. He broke out in tears. He tore his clothes. He recognized that the judgment of God was coming because the people, the nation had rejected him. And God sent a message to him. He sent a message to Josiah and said, because your heart was tender,

and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before me. God says, I also have heard you. This is what God's looking for, a tender heart. He's looking for us to humble ourselves before him. And so the worship team's going to come up and lead us in a couple songs, and I want to challenge you and encourage you to do the same. Let's have a tender heart.

Let's humble ourselves before God. Not insist defiantly that we're innocent, but to agree with God. As we see as He reveals to us those areas in our lives, He's calling us to agree with Him, to confess our sin to Him. And He's faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. He's calling us to pursue Him, to seek after Him, not to forsake Him. So let's seek the Lord. Let's take some time.

to confess our hearts to Him, to repent, to turn, to humble ourselves before Him, to have tender hearts and seek for God to work in us. Let's worship the Lord together.