Be instructed

Jeremiah 6:8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

1. Sin has consequences Jeremiah 6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

2. God’s people thought and did evil

3. Now Babylon was coming to destroy them

4. God even instructed Babylon in the best way to attack

5. You can’t sin and think nothing is going to happen

6. God is moving in the affairs of men and nations Jeremiah 6:22 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. 23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.

7. God moves Babylon to come against His people

8. The heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord

9. While we see things happening on the political scene we may never consider that God is actually working

10. God is in control Jeremiah 6:21 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.

11. God is moving and does as He will Daniel 4:17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

12. God moves nations and people

13. No one is greater than God

14. No one else can be like Him

15. He knows the number of hairs on your head

16. He knows when a small bird dies

17. He knows the past and future as if it were today

18. God gets angry even though He is patient Jeremiah 6:11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the Lord; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. 12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the Lord.

19. God has been holding it in while giving them time

20. He will now stretch out His hand and destroy them

21. They had bad leadership and followers due to money motivation Jeremiah 6:13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

22. Wicked spiritual leaders Isaiah 56:11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, And they are shepherds that cannot understand: They all look to their own way, Every one for his gain, from his quarter.

23. Even the men of God are just serving for money Micah 3:11 The heads thereof judge for reward, And the priests thereof teach for hire, And the prophets thereof divine for money: Yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? None evil can come upon us.

24. They didn't realize the evil effect money can have on people I Timothy 6:9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

25. Covetous is idolatry, making money your goal and your God can never please God

26. God may reject His own people from service and blessing Jeremiah 6:30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord hath rejected them.

27. Israel failed to do God’s work and were replaced Romans 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

28. Israel is the natural branch that failed and was cut off

29. The church should never think that God can’t replace them

30. Jerusalem was the first church used but failed to reach the world and God raised up Antioch

31. As a Christian you can sin to the point that God will no longer use your life I Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

32. Truths that work in your life today

33. Do what the Scriptures say Jeremiah 6:8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.

34. To be instructed means to be taught what to do and do it

35. If they refused to be instructed then He would remove His blessing, His soul would depart

36. If they refused He would allow sin to destroy their land

37. Live what you are taught Jeremiah 6:10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

38. Their ears were worldly

39. They still heard things like a lost person would hear them

40. They didn’t love the Bible but found it to be a burden I John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

41. Love the Word they have no delight in it.

42. We should love what God has to say Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

43. We should hunger to please God II Corinthians 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

44. We want to find out and do what pleases Him Ephesians 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

45. Hate sin Jeremiah 6:15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.

46. How can you claim to love God and not hate what He hates

47. How is it that we are not embarrassed when we sin

48. How does our sin not cause us to blush before God and others instead of almost being a badge of honor

49. Get back to your first love Jeremiah 6:16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

50. We should want to return to the way we used to love Him before we grew cold

51. We should go back to where we started

52. We should live in our first love Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

53. Be sensitive to the Lord’s direction in your life Jeremiah 6:17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.

54. Focus on hearing and obeying what God is showing your Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

55. Expect His direction Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

56. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

57. Do not quench the Holy Spirit I Thessalonians 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.

58. Stay in the Scripture and ask God to guide and direct your life

59. Get in the Word Jeremiah 6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.

60. We may hear preaching and read the Bible but do we hearken, listen and apply it?

61. Do we think of the Bible as just good thought material or in truth the very word of God?

62. How is your relationship with the Word of God and God as He speaks to you through it all

63. Worship God Jeremiah 6:20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.

64. God didn’t want worship like they did with other gods or in other countries

65. God has told them what He wants in His worship

66. Is your worship God honoring