Ruled by Faith or Fear - Jeremiah 15:15-21
Posted by Calvary Chapel Fremont at 2/16/2011 11:23 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Rule Faith Fear Jeremiah
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Rule Faith Fear Jeremiah
Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Wednesday February 16, 2011
Ruled by Faith or Fear
Jeremiah 15:15-21
This passage grows out of a personal crisis in J’s life where he longs to experience the presence/peace of the Lord.
15 J knows that it’s hard to experience peace and a sense of safety/security when you are surrounded by your enemies. He is seeking peace in one way and God is going to direct him to seek it in another way. J is going to discover that the depth of his faith will determine the breadth of his peace. There is no peace w/o faith.
UR called to a walk of faith – this is the root of all God seeks to do in/through you. And here, faith is the root of peace. J thinks there is a problem w/ fruit in his life, but the problem isn’t w/ the fruit of his life, but his roots.
Back in C12, J was having something of a pity party. He was concerned w/ his safety because of his enemies/the Lord told him that He had his back. But J was upset at the Lord when He didn’t immediately eliminate his enemies. He demanded an answer/told the Lord how the situation should be handled. The Lord lovingly rebuked him. Something of the same thing is happening here.
15 …take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
Even though the Lord has been protecting him from his enemies, his enemies haven’t been eliminated. Possibly J thinks that the presence of the enemy means the failure of God’s protection. Wherever he goes, there they are. He said to himself, “I thought the Lord was going to take care of these guys.” J has not learned to have peace in the presence of his enemies.
Everywhere you go, there are your enemies/persecutors/bad guys – temptations/trials/difficult people/impossible circumstances. Maybe you thought the Lord was going to eliminate all your foes and guide you into a peaceful life. It doesn’t work like that. God doesn’t take away your foes, He takes away your fears. J’s problem wasn’t the presence of his foes, but the absence of faith.
The presence of your enemies doesn’t mean the absence of God’s protection. Ps. 23 – You prepare a table b4 me… Even the growing pressure of the enemy doesn’t mean the absence of God’s protection. David was running from Saul and one day he said, “Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul... nothing better than to escape into the land of the Philistines.” The growing pressure of the enemy caused him to stumble. He took refuge, not in the Lord, but in the land of the enemy. You can have God’s peace/protection even when the pressure of your enemies increase (marriage/finances). This is a lesson J has to learn is he is going to continue serving God. Apply to us.
J’s complaints
1) You’re not paying enough attention to me
* 15 Remember me = pay attention to me/protect me/I’m suffering for you, God, where are You?
* J said this because God hadn’t done what J wanted Him to do. J measured the presence of God by the absence of his enemies. His persecutors still stalked him/plotted his death, and to J this meant that God was ignoring him.
* So many do the same thing on a global scale. If God were really paying attention to planet earth, He would see the slaughter in the Sudan/the sex trade in Asia/ drug problem in America. He’s not paying any attention.
* So many do this on a personal level. If God were really paying attention to me, He would see that I’m unhappy and do something about it.
* We measure the presence of God by the absence of our enemies and this isn’t wise to do. We complain just like J.
2) You don’t appreciate all I do for You – what did J do for God?
* 15 I endure reproach/insults
You should be ashamed of yourself, scaring the children like that.
You should be ashamed of yourself, telling people they’ll go to hell w/o Christ
If you say Jesus is the only way to God, we will kill you.
J: god, if you were really paying attention to me, you’d hear all this.
* 16 I love Your word
Refers to finding the book of the law in the temple. J ate it up and it was precious to him. How many could say that?
* 17 I separated myself from life of the world
He read the word of God and the hand of God came heavy on him – cf. Eze. 1:3. The word of God is the doorway for the hand of God. The word/hand of God will make the things of this world seem so empty/unsatisfying.
3) Where is my reward?
* 18 My pains/wounds are due to the presence of the enemy
My faithfulness, my ministry is killing me. I didn’t sign up for this. J is complaining because all of this is so unexpected. I don’t know if he expected joyx3, but he didn’t expect what he was getting.
4) You are unreliable/untrustworthy
* 18 God, You are a deceptive stream w/ an unreliable flow.
When I expect peace, I receive nothing. God, You’re disappointing me. You’re not doing Your part. I expected one thing and you have given me something else. I am bitter. I don’t deserve this. I thought that serving God would be so different from this.
I expected a spouse by now/bigger ministry/more money/fulfilling career/more friends/obedient children…
J is in crisis and he knows that when you are surrounded by your enemies, it’s hard to experience peace and a sense of safety/ security. The continued presence/increasing pressure of his enemies has turned J from being a spokesman for God to an accuser of God. His fear/pain have brought him to the place of almost being disqualified.
GOD’S COUNSEL
What J is to do
19 Return (God doesn’t explain/defend Himself)
Your problem isn’t that I’ve left you, but you’ve left Me. J cries out: O, God, where are You? God cries out, J, where are you?
The further you are from God the more warped your perspective becomes. The very fact that J is talking the way he is indicates that he is not where he needs to be before God. He actually thought there was something wrong w/ God. Return = repent. Repent, get back to where you belong – before Me.
19 Remove the precious from the worthless | What is worthless?
* J’s fears are worthless. They are real and they are worthless – they have no value and do not enrich his life.
* J’s expectations are worthless – they have led him to accusing God being a liar.
Precious/worthless – diamonds/cowpies – not every impression is from God – Peter in Mt. 16. The false prophets told the people what they wanted and not needed to hear. They prophesied according to their hearts and impressions/not God’s heart.
What is precious? Word/will of God. Our fears/expectations/ impressions r2b submitted to this.
19 Resist the people
Keep your face toward My face – don’t allow a person’s flattery or hostility to turn you.
What God will do
19 I will restore you
Prodigal son returned/father restored him
19 I will stand you before Me
19 I will make you My spokesman
You will become as My mouth kjv.
20 I will make you a wall of bronze
I will make you a wall of judgment.
20-21 I will save/redeem/deliver from the grasp of the wicked
In this way, I will deliver you. I will not deliver you by removing your foes, but by eliminating your fears. J was delivered by the presence of God and not the absence of his enemies.
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Ruled by Faith or Fear
Jeremiah 15:15-21
This passage grows out of a personal crisis in J’s life where he longs to experience the presence/peace of the Lord.
15 J knows that it’s hard to experience peace and a sense of safety/security when you are surrounded by your enemies. He is seeking peace in one way and God is going to direct him to seek it in another way. J is going to discover that the depth of his faith will determine the breadth of his peace. There is no peace w/o faith.
UR called to a walk of faith – this is the root of all God seeks to do in/through you. And here, faith is the root of peace. J thinks there is a problem w/ fruit in his life, but the problem isn’t w/ the fruit of his life, but his roots.
Back in C12, J was having something of a pity party. He was concerned w/ his safety because of his enemies/the Lord told him that He had his back. But J was upset at the Lord when He didn’t immediately eliminate his enemies. He demanded an answer/told the Lord how the situation should be handled. The Lord lovingly rebuked him. Something of the same thing is happening here.
15 …take vengeance for me on my persecutors.
Even though the Lord has been protecting him from his enemies, his enemies haven’t been eliminated. Possibly J thinks that the presence of the enemy means the failure of God’s protection. Wherever he goes, there they are. He said to himself, “I thought the Lord was going to take care of these guys.” J has not learned to have peace in the presence of his enemies.
Everywhere you go, there are your enemies/persecutors/bad guys – temptations/trials/difficult people/impossible circumstances. Maybe you thought the Lord was going to eliminate all your foes and guide you into a peaceful life. It doesn’t work like that. God doesn’t take away your foes, He takes away your fears. J’s problem wasn’t the presence of his foes, but the absence of faith.
The presence of your enemies doesn’t mean the absence of God’s protection. Ps. 23 – You prepare a table b4 me… Even the growing pressure of the enemy doesn’t mean the absence of God’s protection. David was running from Saul and one day he said, “Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul... nothing better than to escape into the land of the Philistines.” The growing pressure of the enemy caused him to stumble. He took refuge, not in the Lord, but in the land of the enemy. You can have God’s peace/protection even when the pressure of your enemies increase (marriage/finances). This is a lesson J has to learn is he is going to continue serving God. Apply to us.
J’s complaints
1) You’re not paying enough attention to me
* 15 Remember me = pay attention to me/protect me/I’m suffering for you, God, where are You?
* J said this because God hadn’t done what J wanted Him to do. J measured the presence of God by the absence of his enemies. His persecutors still stalked him/plotted his death, and to J this meant that God was ignoring him.
* So many do the same thing on a global scale. If God were really paying attention to planet earth, He would see the slaughter in the Sudan/the sex trade in Asia/ drug problem in America. He’s not paying any attention.
* So many do this on a personal level. If God were really paying attention to me, He would see that I’m unhappy and do something about it.
* We measure the presence of God by the absence of our enemies and this isn’t wise to do. We complain just like J.
2) You don’t appreciate all I do for You – what did J do for God?
* 15 I endure reproach/insults
You should be ashamed of yourself, scaring the children like that.
You should be ashamed of yourself, telling people they’ll go to hell w/o Christ
If you say Jesus is the only way to God, we will kill you.
J: god, if you were really paying attention to me, you’d hear all this.
* 16 I love Your word
Refers to finding the book of the law in the temple. J ate it up and it was precious to him. How many could say that?
* 17 I separated myself from life of the world
He read the word of God and the hand of God came heavy on him – cf. Eze. 1:3. The word of God is the doorway for the hand of God. The word/hand of God will make the things of this world seem so empty/unsatisfying.
3) Where is my reward?
* 18 My pains/wounds are due to the presence of the enemy
My faithfulness, my ministry is killing me. I didn’t sign up for this. J is complaining because all of this is so unexpected. I don’t know if he expected joyx3, but he didn’t expect what he was getting.
4) You are unreliable/untrustworthy
* 18 God, You are a deceptive stream w/ an unreliable flow.
When I expect peace, I receive nothing. God, You’re disappointing me. You’re not doing Your part. I expected one thing and you have given me something else. I am bitter. I don’t deserve this. I thought that serving God would be so different from this.
I expected a spouse by now/bigger ministry/more money/fulfilling career/more friends/obedient children…
J is in crisis and he knows that when you are surrounded by your enemies, it’s hard to experience peace and a sense of safety/ security. The continued presence/increasing pressure of his enemies has turned J from being a spokesman for God to an accuser of God. His fear/pain have brought him to the place of almost being disqualified.
GOD’S COUNSEL
What J is to do
19 Return (God doesn’t explain/defend Himself)
Your problem isn’t that I’ve left you, but you’ve left Me. J cries out: O, God, where are You? God cries out, J, where are you?
The further you are from God the more warped your perspective becomes. The very fact that J is talking the way he is indicates that he is not where he needs to be before God. He actually thought there was something wrong w/ God. Return = repent. Repent, get back to where you belong – before Me.
19 Remove the precious from the worthless | What is worthless?
* J’s fears are worthless. They are real and they are worthless – they have no value and do not enrich his life.
* J’s expectations are worthless – they have led him to accusing God being a liar.
Precious/worthless – diamonds/cowpies – not every impression is from God – Peter in Mt. 16. The false prophets told the people what they wanted and not needed to hear. They prophesied according to their hearts and impressions/not God’s heart.
What is precious? Word/will of God. Our fears/expectations/ impressions r2b submitted to this.
19 Resist the people
Keep your face toward My face – don’t allow a person’s flattery or hostility to turn you.
What God will do
19 I will restore you
Prodigal son returned/father restored him
19 I will stand you before Me
19 I will make you My spokesman
You will become as My mouth kjv.
20 I will make you a wall of bronze
I will make you a wall of judgment.
20-21 I will save/redeem/deliver from the grasp of the wicked
In this way, I will deliver you. I will not deliver you by removing your foes, but by eliminating your fears. J was delivered by the presence of God and not the absence of his enemies.
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