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JEREMIAH 1:10

GOD'S METHODS

Intro: Jeremiah while still just a youth was called to a thankless, hopeless task. Watch  the
       death of a nation. A nation plunging toward doom.

I. THE STATE OF THE NATION.
        A. Described by God in 2:13.
                1. Forsaken Me - "Fountain of living water".
                        a. They had ceased trusting in God.
                2. Hewed out cisterns - broken cisterns.
                        a. Trusting in own genius.
                        b. Relying upon alliances with other nations for their security.
        B. This was the nation specially chosen by God to reveal His Grace to the world.
                1. Adoption - glory - covenants - law - service - Fathers - Christ.
                2. In spite of these advantages,  they failed.
                3. Advantage is no guarantee of success.
        C. When the Word of the Lord first came to Jeremiah they were in the midst of a
           national reform.
                1. Josiah was a good king. He came to throne in the hour of great
  decadence.
                        a. He ordered the idols destroyed.
                        b. He ordered the Temple restored.
                                1. Book of law discovered.
                                2. Ordered celebration of feasts.
                2. It was only a surface reform, people following a popular king. 
                        a. Going to the temple became the "in" thing. There in body, not in
                           heart.

II. JERIMIAH'S TASK.
        A. "Root out" - pluck up by the roots.
        B. "Pull down" - demolish.
        C. "Destroy" - leave to die.
        D. "Throw down" - grind to powder.
        E. To build, and to plant.
        A. Here is a tree bearing bad fruit, God's method is not to cultivate it,
                 prune it - work with it to produce good fruit.
                1. We try so hard to reform.
                        a. We are conscious of the evil fruit.
                        b. We hate the evil fruit.
                        c. Transplant it (change environment).
                        d. Fertilize it (only succeed in getting larger rotten fruit).
                2. God says pluck it up - destroy it. 
                        a. Bring it to the cross.
                        b. Put it to death.
                        c. We are always so anxious to try any other method to overcome the
                           flesh.
                                1. Cast it out.
        B. Here is a building with a rotten foundation.
                1. Paint it.
                2. Put a new roof on it.
                3. Remodel it.
                4. God says demolish it.
        C. God may be in the process of bringing you to nothing.
                1. We yell, we scream, we threaten, we kick, we get despondent.
                        a. The flesh struggles so hard.
                        b. Crucifixion is so painful.
                                1. With Christ we cry, "if it be possible let this cup pass
                                   from me."
        D. When we get to nothing then God begins His work, to plant, to build. 
                1. We think its the end. No, just the beginning.