Time to Pay Attention

Jeremiah 25:3 From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the Lord hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

1. God made His message clear to His people of Judah Jeremiah 25:1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; 2 The which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 3 From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the Lord hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

2. They were commanded to turn from their sin Jeremiah 25:5 They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:

3. They had a pattern of living wrong, evil his evil way,

4. They were on a road, way, of wrong and evil

5. They had set their feet in the direction of doing wrong

6. They were headed towards more and more sin

7. They were doing wrong also evil of your doings,

8. It was more than just something they were doing wrong

9. They had a bent towards wrong

10. They should stop the actions and the attitude

11. They were not worship other gods Jeremiah 25:6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.

12. God alone is to be worshipped and they knew that well from the basic ten commandments they had been given

13. They weren’t to expend energy in serving or worshiping these other gods

14. They should not even consider what was said about those gods Romans 16:19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

15. It angered God as they built idols and worked on their worship

16. God is a jealous God, He wants our entire heart James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

17. This message came with God’s promise

18. They would get all God had promised Jeremiah 25:5 and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever:

19. If they would just get right they could avoid the punishment that was coming Jeremiah 25:6 I will do you no hurt.

20. We know God’s will

21. We know what He wants us to do

22. We know what we need to get right

23. We know that He has abundantly clearly told us His will through His Word

24. We know that God wants to do great things in our lives

25. We know that we have drawn too close to the world and worked on being too comfortable here

26. We recognize that He is calling us to get things right

27. vii.We have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit of God at work in our lives

28. God’s people refused to listen Jeremiah 25:4 And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. 7 Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the Lord; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.

29. The Word of God was being preached from early in the morning

30. The problem wasn’t a lack of knowledge but a rebellion against what God wanted

31. They chose to suffer God’s judgment rather than let the Word of God change their lives

32. Now the Babylonian captivity looms on the horizon Jeremiah 25:8 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Because ye have not heard my words, 9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.

33. God is going to bring the countries from the north to fight against Judah

34. They faced complete destruction

35. People would be shocked at the horrible condition of Judah after the attack

36. A clear truth taught here is that God is bigger than the nations, He moves them like He wants Jeremiah 25:9 Behold, I will send and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land,

37. Even a wicked king, knowing or unknowingly, serves the great God of heaven

38. This will make us consider Romans 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. 2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. 5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. 6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

39. Never forget that God rules over all

40. The punishment would last for 70 years Jeremiah 25:10 Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle. 11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

41. All joy would be taken from the city of Jerusalem

42. Food would be a problem

43. Nightlife, fun times, would be gone

44. The reason they would be in captivity for 70 years Leviticus 25:3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; 4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. 5 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.

45. God built in crop rotation for His people long before scientist understood the need

46. God also told His people to learn to trust Him

47. God could care for them if they would recognize Him and obey Him

48. If they choose to not trust God in something as small as their crops then in effect they will seek other gods

49. This disobedience will bring about the Babylonian captivity II Chronicles 36:20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: 21 To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years.

50. God rules over nations and does as He pleases

51. After God finishes punishing His people using Babylon He will punish Babylon Jeremiah 25:12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the Lord, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

52. Remember that it isn’t just a war between countries, God is moving

53. If God uses a nation they better not do more than He wants them to do

54. The fact that God is using you doesn’t mean that you can get away with sin

55. God judges even nations Jeremiah 25:13 And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations. 14 For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of them also: and I will recompense them according to their deeds, and according to the works of their own hands. 15 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel unto me; Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.

56. God claims to be over all nations Jeremiah 25:17 Then took I the cup at the Lord’s hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the Lord had sent me:

57. He is not a territorial god but the God of the universe

58. His Word is not just for Jewish people

59. God claims total jurisdiction, He is God over all people Jeremiah 25:30 Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, And utter his voice from his holy habitation; He shall mightily roar upon his habitation; He shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth. 31 A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; For the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, He will plead with all flesh; He will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord.

60. World evangelization, domination, etc has always been God’s agenda

61. He wanted all His Words preached to all the inhabitants of all the nations as He pleas with all flesh

62. God in no way is just the God of the Jews

63. God starts His judgement with His people Jeremiah 25:29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the Lord of hosts. 32 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth.

64. This punishment will be horrible Jeremiah 25:27 Therefore thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.

65. God’s punishment against sin and wickedness will be horrible Jeremiah 25:33 And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day From one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: They shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; They shall be dung upon the ground.

66. Never think that God’s love will stop Him from dealing with sin I Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

67. Lessons learned and to be applied

68. Whatever God says will come true

69. He is the God over all the universe and every nation

70. He remembers what He said and it will come true

71. He is the God of the whole world and wants His message to get to them

72. He will judge sin

73. He gives hope to those that will listen, believe, and act on His truth

74. We better pay attention to the Word of God, really hear it and pay attention

75. If He is talking about the whole world we must be concerned with the whole world

76. World evangelism has to be our agenda because He will judge the world

77. When judgment starts it starts with us