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JEREMIAH 1:1-3

I. THE NATURE OF THE AGE.
        A. The decline and fall of Judah.
 
                1. Things were rushing to their final doom.
                2. The Words of God to a decadent age.
                        a. Remarkable that God was still speaking.
                                1. Faithfulness of God despite unfaithfulness of His people.
        B. Who were these people?
                1. "What advantage then hath the Jew?" Adoption - glory - covenants - laws -
                   service - promises - fathers - Messiah.
                2. People of divine election and intention.
                3. People through whom God was to manifest Himself.
        C. God's Word in an age of darkness. 
                1. God knew they would not respond. 
                2. Reveals God's attitude in dark days.
                        a. In these days of national darkness.
        D. The man to whom God's Word comes is important.
                1. Vs.10 - "I have set thee over the nations."

II. THE NATURE OF THE PROPHET.
        A. Young priest living at Anathoth.
                1. Living in fellowship with God in a dark age.
                2. When God wants to speak His Word to man, He finds an instrument who in his
                   own life has become familiar to His voice.
                3. We see Jeremiah shrinking, never.
                                         shrinking.
                                         trembling never.
                                         trembling.
        B. "Then said I, 'Ah, Lord Jehovah!  Behold I know not how to speak, for I am a child." 
                1. If God spoke to you early some morning with this commission, what would you
                   say?
                2. Cry of weakness not of unwillingness.
                3. It came from the consciousness of solemn responsibility.
        C. God's method with Jeremiah.
                1. He ordained him a prophet to the nations. God said four things...
                        a. "I know thee."
                        b. "I formed thee."
                        c. "I sanctified thee."
                        d. "I ordained thee."
                2. "Say not, 'I am a child', for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee." 
                   "I can not speak."  "Whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak." vs.9

III. THE NATURE OF THE MESSAGE.
        "For my people have committed two evils:  They have forsaken Me, the fountain of 
        living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
        A. "They have forsaken Me."
                1. "Hath a nation changed their gods which are yet not gods?"
                        a. The heathen more faithful to their gods.
                        b. Communist more dedicated to their gods.
                2. "The fountain of living water."
        B. "They have hewed them out cisterns."
                1. Created their own religions.
                        a. Worshipped their own creation.
                        b. "...Worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator..."
                2. "Broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
                        a. Your soul will always seek because it will always be empty.
                                1. Those who call themselves seekers.
                        b. There will never be, and can never be, rest for the soul apart from 
                           Him - the true fountain.
        "If any man thirst..."