JEREMIAH 8:4-232009 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Jeremiah 8:4-23

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. Jeremiah chapter 8, continuing our study through the book of Jeremiah.

And last week we went, we covered chapter 7 and the first few verses of chapter 8. So we'll be picking it up at verse 4 and finishing off the chapter this evening. The prophet Jeremiah has been ministering to the nation of Judah.

A nation that is in decline, that is about to be judged because of their rebellion against God and their refusal to repent, to listen to God and turn back to Him. God has sent many prophets ahead of Jeremiah. Many prophets have ministered to the people, have called out and announced the message of God and Jeremiah is the last prophet.

Not that he is the last prophet ever to prophesy, but for the nation of Judah, he is the one who is prophesying until the destruction is fulfilled. Until Babylon comes and conquers the nation of Judah and leads them away captive for 70 years because of their rebellion against God. And so we've seen time and time again that Jeremiah has a very difficult task.

Because he is pronouncing this judgment. It's not a long way off, but it's going to happen in the near future. In fact, he's going to watch it unfold before his very eyes. Those things that he has been prophesying about for years will be coming to pass towards the end of his life.

And so Jeremiah is God's last attempt, really, with the nation of Judah. His last opportunity for them to repent, to turn, to get right with God. And that is so important because, you know, they thought...

They had some more time. They knew the truth. They were not deceived about that. They knew the truth, but they just figured, hey, we have the temple. It's not going to happen. We can kind of continue to go our ways. We can continue in our paths and do the things that we're doing. And it's really not that big of a deal. And what this guy is saying really is not going to happen. They did not know it was their last opportunity to

to repent, to turn back, to get right with God before this destruction was going to be poured out upon the nation of Judah. And that is so important because we always think we'll get right with God because we'll know when it's time. We always think, hey, we can handle sin. It's so amazing how the Lord always intertwines the things that I'm sharing with the things that Larry has shared. But

We always think that we can handle it. We can play a little bit with temptation. We can play a little bit with sin. We can handle it because we'll know when it's gone too far. We'll know when it's time to repent. We'll know when we need to get right with God. We always figure that we know what's going on. We have it under control. And so we disregard the warnings that are sent to us.

And as I shared last week, that the book of Jeremiah, really I think for us as a congregation, is a call to holiness, it's a call to repentance, it's a call to purity, that we would live uprightly before God, that we would hear the message of God,

And not just figure, well, it's okay, I can continue on and everything seems to be fine and I can kind of get away with the sin that I'm involved in and I don't have to worry about it. But instead of being like that and following the example of the nation of Judah, that we would repent and that we would turn and that we would get right with God. The nation of Judah did not do that. But you and I, we have opportunity. God is warning us yet again here in chapter 8.

to deal with sin and the importance of dealing with it because the effects of sin are devastating. Well, we pick it up in verse 4 where God says this to Jeremiah. He says, Why has this people slidden back, Jerusalem, in a perpetual backsliding?

They hold fast to deceit. They refuse to return. I listened and heard, but they do not speak aright. No man repented of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? Everyone turned to his own course as the horse rushes into battle. Here as we begin, God tells Jeremiah, Okay, here's the next thing I want you to tell him, Jeremiah. The next message for the nation of Judah.

Will they fall and not rise? Will they turn away and not return? God here is speaking to them about their backslidden condition. They're in a backslidden state. They were continuing to go to the temple. They were continuing to offer the sacrifices. They were continuing to keep the feasts. They were continuing to do, well, much of what God commanded them

In the law. And yet, even though they were keeping all those things, they were in a backslidden state. Because what God is looking for is not a ritual, not legalism. He's not looking for outward actions so much as he's looking at our hearts. And in their hearts, in their actions as well, they were involved in idolatry. They were worshiping other gods.

And they were disobeying God when it came to the subject of idolatry. They were in rebellion against God. They pretty much said, who cares what God has to say about this? We disagree with God about this. All these other things we're going to keep.

And sometimes we do that. We try to negotiate, right? Okay, well, I don't like this one so much, Lord, so I'm just going to have my way in this area of my life. But in all these other areas, okay, I'll still be at church on Wednesday. You're here. Congratulations. I'll still go to church on Sunday. Every once in a while, you know, I'll serve. I'll help out at the Harvest Crusade or something, and I'll do those kinds of things. But this area, Lord, I just...

This area I need. This area I disagree with. Or this area, well, it's too tough. I can't conquer it. I can't get over it. I can't let that go. Whatever excuse that we have. Here's the thing. You and I know that there's a difference. There's a difference between being in a backslidden state and being on fire with Jesus Christ. Have you ever been on fire?

Have you ever been excited about the Lord? Have you ever been in a passionate relationship with God? Have you ever been in a relationship with the Lord such that you're pushing forward? That you're just seeking after Him? That you're pursuing Him with all your heart?

that you're wanting to know Him. And it's not so much about, you know, being religious and activities, although those are part of that. You know, you were at church every time that you had an opportunity. You were in the Word every time that you had a chance. And boy, you loved to worship and you could spend hours, you know, just worshiping the Lord and playing the guitar and just enjoying your relationship with God. You're

You're pursuing, you're pushing forward. You made time, you had opportunity because you made time to spend time with God. You're pushing forward, going forward, growing in your relationship with God. Well, here in the nation of Judah, we can see kind of the pattern of backsliding because at first he says in verse 4 that they've turned away. He says, well, they turn away and not return. It wasn't so much that they...

And you and I know this to be true. You don't wake up one day and just decide, well, I'm going to run away from God and see how much I can get involved in sin. No, how it began was they just began to turn away. Instead of pushing forward and pursuing and seeking after and chasing after the things of God, they just kind of turned away a little bit. They just kind of backed off that pursuit of God.

For a little bit. We're going to take a break. We're just going to back off a little bit in our relationship with the Lord. It's very dangerous to do. Because this is what began their backsliding. This is the first part of them coming to the point where now they're about to be destroyed by Babylon out of the judgment of God. They've turned away. And God says, why has this people slidden back?

A perpetual backsliding. It's a constant backsliding because they've turned away.

And now they've begun to slide backwards. They've begun to move away. It's a gradual thing. That's why it's called backsliding. It's like you don't really notice so much. It's not like you fell off a cliff backwards. It's backsliding. It's just a little bit of a slippery slope. And you just kind of migrate a little bit farther and farther away from the Lord the longer you stay in that condition because you've turned away.

There's a great danger in turning away. And so I would challenge you this evening, are you pursuing God? Are you chasing after? Are you thirsting for and desiring that relationship with God? Are you hungering for righteousness? Are you thirsting for the Holy Spirit? Are you thirsting for the things of God? You have that yearning, that craving, that desire to know God. Are you going forward and growing in your relationship with Him?

The nation of Judah, he says, they hold fast to deceit and they refuse to return. They have opportunity to return, but they refuse. They refuse. They say, no, we're going to continue on. And that's why it's a perpetual backsliding. They just continue because they refuse to return. Well, it comes to the point, God says in verse 6, he says...

I was listening. I heard them. They don't speak aright. They're not repenting of their wickedness. They don't say, Oh my goodness, what have I done? I can't believe this sin that I've committed. They're not affected by their sin. They're not so concerned about it. Instead, at the end of verse 6, he says, Everyone turn to his own course as the horse rushes into battle. How does the horse rush into battle? Full speed ahead.

It started with them just turning away. They were pursuing God. They were chasing after. They wanted to know God. And then they just turned away. They just relaxed. Well, God is good. I love God. But I'm just taking a little bit of a break. I'm just backing off for a little bit now. Which caused them, which led them to... Well, now they're sliding backwards. If you're not going forward...

If you're not going forward, not drawing closer to the Lord, you're now sliding backwards. And God says, why is my people sliding backwards? Why are they in a perpetual backsliding? It's because they refuse to return. They choose not to turn back, to follow after the things of God. And it brings them to the point, just like it will bring you and I to the point of rushing headlong into battle, rushing into sin.

We don't wake up one day and just say, I'm going to rush into sin. But we do wake up and say, I'm just going to back up a little bit here. I don't really feel like doing the God thing today. I don't really feel like, but I just need some space right now. I just need a little bit. We grow complacent in our walk. We begin to turn away. And so what we need to do is turn back to Him. Turn back to Him. You cannot stay complacent.

in a constant state. You can't stay, you know, you can't like plateau. And so like you get to this certain level and then it's like, okay, I made it here, I can just kick back.

I don't really need to grow. I don't really need to seek after the things of God. I'm a pastor now. I don't really need to strengthen my relationship or really pursue Him like I once did. I reach this level now, so now I can ease up a little bit. It's time for me to take a break. I've really been just filling my life with the things of God for such a long time, and so now I can just kind of kick back.

Well, that's the beginning of a very dangerous, slippery slope. And so we need to be careful. It's a reminder. The nation of Judah is a reminder to turn back to God. Look at verse 7. He says, "...even the stork in the heavens knows her appointed times, and the turtle dove, the swift, and the swallow observe the time of their coming. But my people do not know the judgment of the Lord."

Even these animals, he says, knows the time when they're supposed to migrate. They know the time and the season that they go from this place to that place. Even these simple birds, they have bird brains. Even them, they understand and know when they're supposed to be here and when they're supposed to be there. But he says, my people do not know the judgment of the Lord. Verse 8, how can you say we are wise?

and the law of the Lord is with us. Look, the false pen of the scribes certainly works falsehood. The wise men are ashamed. They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord. So what wisdom do they have? They have rejected the word of the Lord. So what wisdom do they have? God says to them, how can you say we are wise? How can you say that you are wise? God says.

How can you say, well, the law of the Lord is with us? While you're disobeying the law of the Lord and rejecting the law of the Lord and disregarding the word of God. He says, look, how can you have any wisdom since you've rejected the word of God? There is no wisdom without the word of God. How can you say you're wise if you've rejected the word of God?

Proverbs 9, verse 10 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom starts with the fear of the Lord. And so rejecting the Word of God automatically disqualifies you from any kind of wisdom. What kind of wisdom can you have if you disregard, if you reject the Word of God? The fear of the Lord, Proverbs 8, verse 13 tells us, is to hate evil. The beginning of the wisdom of God is to hate evil.

to turn from sin, to repent. And so he says, how can you say that you're wise when you've rejected? And you don't repent, you don't hate evil, but you practice evil. You're living in that condition. How can you say that you are wise? God says, look, birds are wiser than those who rebel against God. Birds are wiser than those who rebel against God. There's a billboard that I often see while driving around.

And it's a picture, perhaps you've seen it, it's a picture of a trap, like a mouse trap, or it looks maybe more like a rat trap. And there is this trap, and you know, it's got the spring, it's got the thing that loads back, and there on the end where you put the bait is a cigarette. And the billboard says, well, it's actually in Spanish, it says, Tú eres más inteligente que ellos. It means, you're smarter than they are.

You are smarter than they are. Don't fall into the trap is the point. You don't have to take the bait and get caught in the trap and start smoking, get addicted, and then later suffer the consequences of that. The point is you're smarter than they are. But God says, look, the birds, even the rats and mice are smarter than you if you reject the word of God. Proverbs 26, 11 says, as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to folly.

if we go back and live in sin, we're fools. How can we say that we're wise? If we go back and we live those same lifestyles, how can we say that we are wise, God is saying? How can you say that? How can you claim that? You've rejected the Word of God.

By choosing to live a life that is in rebellion against Him. Sure, you may have some rituals as a part of your life, and perhaps you still attend church, just like the nation of Judah still went to the temple and still offered sacrifices. Yes, perhaps you have things that relate to God, or that are part of what God has said in His Word, but how can you think that you're wise? How can you think that you're okay? How can you think that you're alright?

When you have in this part of your life rejected God. He's talking about these areas that we allow in our lives that we're in outright rebellion against the Word of God. And somehow we've convinced ourselves that it's okay, we're wise. We can handle it. It's not a big deal. God says, look, the birds are wiser. The birds are smarter. They don't get caught in the traps. They know where they're supposed to be. He says, my people don't know the judgment of the Lord.

You're not wise if you continue to live in that condition. Because you're thinking that you have or you can escape the judgment of God. But we cannot practice sin and escape the judgment of God. No more than we can defy gravity. It's a law that God has set in place. You reap what you sow. We always think we've got it figured out. We think, hey, we're wise. We've got it handled. We've got it under control. God says the birds are wiser than you. Verse 10 says,

Verse 2.

No, they were not at all ashamed, nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall. In the time of their punishment they shall be cast down, says the Lord. God says, because they have rejected the word of God.

Because they rejected me. Because they think that they are so wise and that they can continue to live this way. He says, I will give their wives to others and their fields to those who will inherit them. They are going to suffer the consequences of their sin. They're going to suffer the effects of sin. And then he goes on here, the last part of 10 all the way through 12 is a repeat of what Jeremiah shared or what God had spoken in Jeremiah chapter 6 verses 13 through 15.

He says, look, everyone is given to covetousness, from the prophet even to the priest. No one was exempted. They all deal falsely. The religious leaders, the people, they were all involved in this hypocrisy. But God holds the religious leaders in special contempt because he says, look, they have healed my people slightly, saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace.

He holds the religious leaders responsible for pronouncing to the people, hey, it's going to be okay, when it's not okay. He holds them responsible for telling the people, listen guys, we're the nation of Judah. We're the people of God. We've got the temple. Babylon's not going to conquer us. We're not going to experience this destruction that Jeremiah and the rest of these prophets have been saying. The religious leaders were working diligently to

As diligently as the prophets were working to pronounce the message of God, the religious leaders were working diligently to counter that message and say, no, it's not true. It's going to be okay. We're not going to experience the judgment of God. They were saying, peace, peace, when there is no peace. So God holds them accountable. He says, were they ashamed when they had committed this abomination? No, they were not ashamed. They were not ashamed because

For pronouncing to the people peace when there is no peace. They were not ashamed for the sin that they were living in and the rebellion that they were participating in. He says they did not know how to blush. They didn't know how to be ashamed. They knew no shame over their sin and their failure to represent God. So God says, therefore, they will fall among those who fall.

They're going to fall as well as the rest of the people. They are not going to escape judgment. He says in the time of their punishment, they will be cast down. We're not exempted from judgment because of our rank. We're not exempted from consequences because of our position or our length of time in the church or in a relationship with God. We're not exempted

God says they are going to fall. They're going to be cast down. They're going to experience the judgment of God just like everybody else. Verse 13, I will surely consume them, says the Lord. No grapes shall be on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree. And the leaf shall fade, and the things I have given them shall pass away from them. Why do we sit still?

God says, I'm going to consume them. He uses this example, this picture of the gathering of grapes that we've seen before in Jeremiah. And he says, there's not going to be any grapes on the vine.

which means that nobody is going to escape this judgment. All the grapes, the grapes of wrath, they're all going to be plucked. Everybody is going to experience the judgment of God. There's not going to be, you know, some missing over here, some who escaped over here, some who, you know, kind of were out of eyesight and so they didn't get picked. It's going to be consuming, all consuming. The whole nation is going to experience this judgment. There's not going to be figs on the fig tree. And the leaves shall fade.

Notice what God says there at the end of verse 13, and the things I have given them shall pass away from them. Sometimes we count so much on the things that God has given to us. And God says, those things that I've given, they're going to pass away. God gave the nation of Israel the warning ahead of time. He says, look, when you go into the land, there's going to be great prosperity. I'm going to prosper you, but watch out.

Because in the time of prosperity, well, you begin to forget the Lord. You begin to enjoy all the things that He's given you, but you forget the Lord. And that's a danger. It's a danger for us. It's a danger for all human beings. In times of prosperity, we begin to forget the Lord. We still enjoy all the things that He's given to us, all the blessings that He's poured out upon us, but we forget the Lord.

And he oftentimes has to get our attention again by those things that we're so used to, those things that we're so accustomed to begin to be taken away from us. He says, those things that I've given to them shall pass away from them. All the blessings that they've been enjoying, they will no longer enjoy. And so here in verse 14, we have the response perhaps of Jeremiah, perhaps of the people, most likely not of the people, but of Jeremiah. He says, why do we sit still?

So why are we just sitting here, they say. Assemble yourselves. Let's go into the fortified cities. Let's be silent there. For the Lord our God has put us to silence. He's caused us to drink bitter water. We've got a taste of the judgment that is to come. Again, it's an opportunity for repentance. It's an opportunity for response. It's an opportunity to say, look, we've gotten just a taste of the bitterness. We tasted Assyria and the devastation that they brought to our nation.

We've tasted judgment. We've tasted the effects of sin. Let's go and, well, let's be still and know that He is God. Because of our sin, we've experienced the beginning of judgment. Let's stop talking so much. Let's calm ourselves and spend some quiet time with the Lord, they're saying. Verse 15, We looked for peace, but no good came. And for a time of health, and there was trouble.

The people go on to say, look, we looked for peace, but no good came. Their leaders were telling them, peace, peace, it's going to be okay. We're going to be all right. We're going to pull out of this.

I know it looks bleak. I know it's tough. But God's going to bring us through this because we're His people and we have His temple. So the people say, look, well, we looked for peace then. But no good came. It didn't come. We looked for health, but instead there came a time of trouble.

It came from the north, all the way up in Dan, the northernmost city. They could hear the snorting of the horses, the neighing of the horses. They could hear this army that was coming, this judgment that was coming that devoured the land and all that was in it, and the city and all that was in it. The nation of Babylon came from the north and devoured all of the land, conquered all of the land.

Even came to the nation of Judah and carried away everyone captive. Verse 17, God says, For behold, I will send serpents among you, vipers which cannot be charmed, and they shall bite you, says the Lord. Here's the destruction coming, the judgment coming. God says, there's going to be serpents, there's going to be vipers, and they cannot be charmed. In other words, you can't talk your way out of this one.

When it came to Assyria, a couple hundred years before, the nation of Assyria tried to conquer Judah as well. And the nation of Judah made, what's that called when you make alliances? They made alliances with the Syrians. They made alliances with the Egyptians. They made all these alliances to try to escape this judgment or escape this army that was coming against them.

They'd done that before when the nation of Israel, the northern part of Israel, after they had separated, they tried to attack Judah. And the nation of Judah made some alliances. They made some friends. They called some other people. And they said, hey, come help us out. Get these bullies out of our territory. And so they came and they were successful. But God says, look, this time you're not going to be able to talk yourselves out of it. You're not going to be able to make some friends and escape the judgment.

These vipers cannot be charmed. They will bite you, says the Lord. It's going to happen. Destruction is coming. Here's the thing we need to remember about judgment and the consequences that come from sin. You know, God is not...

excited about this judgment that he's bringing. He's pronouncing it through Jeremiah. He's pronounced it through many prophets before so that they would repent, so that they would turn back to give them the opportunity to get right. But God would much rather have it a different way. Look at the effect of this situation upon God. He says in verse 18, I would comfort myself in sorrow. My heart is faint within me.

Listen, the voice, the cry of the daughter of my people from a far country is not the Lord in Zion, is not her king in her. Why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images and foreign idols? Here's God's response. He says, I would really love to comfort myself in this sorrow. God says, my heart is faint within me. He says, listen, listen to the voice of my people.

Listen to those who are far off and they're watching this and they're saying, isn't God there? Isn't God in Zion? Isn't God in Jerusalem? Isn't her king there? What's happening? God says, why have they provoked me to anger? Why have they done this? God is heartbroken over the state of this nation. Well, you could apply that to Judah, but also to the United States. He's heartbroken over the state of this nation.

He's sorrowful. He says, I would comfort myself in sorrow. What's God's will? God's will is that he would be able to comfort himself in the sorrow. God wasn't seeking for an excuse to bring this judgment. He was sorrowful. He's listening to the people there in verse 20. The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved. Suddenly their deception is, well, it's being removed.

The whole time they're deceived, thinking, well, there's going to be peace and we're going to be saved. And now they're realizing, wow, well, we went through harvest and we went through summer and we weren't saved. We really did experience the judgment that was promised, that the prophet said, oh man, we really didn't think this was going to happen. Consider what our sin does to God. You know, we get so focused and consumed on ourselves.

And even when we talk about sin, sometimes we say things like, well, it's only hurting me, which is a lie. That's never the case. Our sin does not only affect us. It affects the people around us as well. But we begin to think, well, it's only hurting me. It's my life. Hey, I can destroy my life if I want to.

I can hold myself back a little bit in the faith if I want to. I don't have to grow so much. I mean, I'm saved. I prayed the prayer. I've been walking with God. And so it's okay. And we begin to justify ourselves. But we forget all about what our sin does to God. We get devastated when we say, Oh man, the harvest has passed and the summer has ended. And boy, I wasn't saved. That bill caught up with me.

Those things, man, they caught up with me that I had to deal with that situation then. And we get distraught over what it does to us in the end. But we forget all about what our sin does to God. God says, why have they provoked me to anger with their carved images and foreign idols? Why have they forced me into this position, God is saying. God is sorrowing over their sin. It hurts him.

It breaks his heart. Forget about, hey, you shouldn't be involved in sin because it will bring destruction in your life. It will. Stay away from sin because it will affect the people around you. It will do that too. The most important thing to us should be, look at what my sin does to God. Look what it costs Him, His Son there upon the cross. Look at the sorrow that it brings to God when I live in rebellion against Him.

We're so focused and consumed with ourselves that we forget about God. And in a sense, we're saying, look, I don't care what it does to God. I want to do what I want to do, and that's what I'm going to do, and you can't stop me. And that's a horrible attitude. But it's the heart of the nation of Judah. Sometimes it's my heart and your heart. We need to be broken up as we understand how our sin affects God. In verse 20 and 21 says,

It's not explicitly clear if this is Jeremiah speaking or God continuing to speak. But either way, it's important for us to consider. Look at verse 21. He says,

Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet because he sees the effects, the judgment of God upon the sin of the people. He sees what is coming and the pronouncement that is being made and he sees the stubbornness and the people resisting the word of God and it brings him to tears. He's the weeping prophet because he accurately reflects God's heart.

He accurately reflects God's heart. And so it's hard to discern. Is this from God speaking or is this Jeremiah speaking? Either way, this is the heart of God. He says, For the hurt of the daughter of my people, I am hurt. God is hurt because His people are hurt. Because the wages of sin is death. Because they're reaping the consequences of their life of sin. Their life of rebellion and rejection of the Word of God. He says, I'm mourning God.

I'm weeping, I'm mourning, I'm hurt, astonished. Then he asked the question, is there no balm and gillet? Is there no physician? Why then is there no recovery? Isn't there an answer to this situation? Isn't there a solution? Isn't there some type of healing? And when it comes to sin, yes. When it comes to rebellion, yes. And God is saying, look, I would be happy to. I'm willing, I'm ready. Just turn to me. Repent, turn away.

Originally they were following after God, they were chasing after God, but they had turned away. Remember, then they started sliding back, and then they started rushing headlong into sin. God says, look, if you'll just turn back, you've turned away, if you'll just turn back to Me, if you'll just pursue Me, if you'll just chase after Me, if you'll turn from those things and walk with Me. But they refused. And so He says, I'm hurt for the daughter of My people, because they hurt Me.

Because they experienced the judgment of sin. I heard for them. God is not, you know, all giddy about getting to throw down the rod on these guys. He's heard for them. Again, we forget or we ignore the effect of our sin upon the Lord. Forget about all the devastation that it can bring in your own life and the lives of the people around you. Consider what it costs our Lord and Savior.

To hang upon the cross for us. Consider what it does to God. What it is like for God for us to rebel against Him. To ignore His word. To sin against Him. Jeremiah here, he accurately represents God's heart. He's the weeping prophet because God was weeping over the condition of His people. Mourning over their state. Giving them opportunity to repent but they refused.

We need to weep over our sin. To recognize what the effects of it are. To turn from it and pursue. Chase after. Go all out 100% into a relationship with our Lord and Savior. I want to challenge you this evening. As I shared last week, as I'll continue to share. Listen, God is calling us to holiness. He's calling us to turn. And you can sit there and you can refuse and you can be stubborn like the nation of Judah.

But know that our sin, it's offensive to God. And He hurts to see us in that condition. And He calls us to repent for our own sake. Because He knows the hurt that comes from living in rebellion to Him. The worship team is going to come up and lead us in a couple songs. I challenge you, I encourage you, I beseech you. Take some time, take this time to get right with God. One last thought as they prepare.

You know, the prophet Jeremiah was not accepted by the people. His message was not embraced. They persecuted him. They imprisoned him. They ignored him. They maligned him. They were against him continually, but he loved them. And he was grieved for the people. And that's an important example for us as well. He had the heart of God.

And perhaps you might be saying this evening, you know, really, not that I'm perfect, but I really know God's not trying to deal with a sin issue in my life. Then I would encourage you to look at the example of Jeremiah and have God's heart toward the people. Love people. Even if they mistreat you, even if they abuse you and imprison you, love them and be grieved over their condition. Be grieved over their state.

Listen, if we respond poorly to lesser things, how then could we love them when they persecute us? If we respond poorly whenever they, you know, lie about us or say mean things or cut us off on the freeway, if we respond poorly in those situations, how do we think that we could then have the heart of God and love them while they're persecuting us and imprisoning us and abusing us and

Or think about Stephen. You know, he's in the midst, the rocks are being thrown. He's being stoned to death. And he models the example of Jesus Christ, the heart of God. Father, forgive them. Father, forgive them. And so this evening, let's learn to have the heart of God towards people and towards sin. Let's worship the Lord.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.