I have two questions for you.
Number one: Is God performing the way you expect Him to perform in your life or are you disappointed with God? „Cause He is just not doing the things that you think He ought to do if He is God.
The second question is this: Are you satisfied? Is there a deep contentment in your life despite your circumstances? What‟s the answer to these two questions?
We‟ll look at it today as we look at God‟s precepts for life.
Well, today we‟re finishing up Jeremiah chapter 2. And in Jeremiah chapter 2 verse 29, He says, “Why do you contend with me…?” (Jeremiah 2:29) The word contend means “I have a case against you.” It‟s that word “R-I-B.” I can remember it, it‟s a rib.
And He says, “Why are you contending against me?”
They‟re contending against God because they‟re not happy with God.And that may be you. And Precious One, if that‟s you or someone that you know, then you need to listen very carefully.
Or if you find yourself and you think, I really deep down inside, in my gut; I‟m not content. There‟s not a deep contentment. God wants you to have a deep contentment.
You say, “But I just lost my job.”
You may be among the one million people in the United States of America that when the year 2009 came, I mean, jobs started to tumble and they tumbled and they tumbled and the United States of America is in a mess.
But I want you to know something:
No matter the state of the nation, no matter the state of affairs, it is possible, beyond that state of affairs, to have a deep contentment inside of you. And you will see this as we go through Jeremiah chapter 2. Alright, now we left off at verse 19. So verse 20, He says, “For long ago I broke your yoke…[I] tore off your bonds…;” and He‟s referring, of course, to them coming out of Egypt, out of a house of bondage where they were slaves. He says, “But you said, „I will not serve!‟” I will not serve. “And on every high hill And under every green tree You have laid down as a harlot…,” (Jeremiah 2:20) He says, “…I planted you [as] a choice vine….” (Jeremiah 2:21)
Hey, you were mine.
You were mine and now you are lying down as a harlot?
You‟re walking away from me when I‟m the one that took off your bonds? You don‟t want to serve me? Precious One, do you understand that when you got saved, you weren‟t saved just so you wouldn‟t go hell and so that you would go to heaven, you were saved, Beloved, so that you might serve God, so that you might know that deep satisfaction and that contentment of having a life of worth, having a life of value, having a life that counts, having a purpose. God has a purpose for you. “[You] are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, [that] God [has] before [before you were ever saved] ordained [for you to] walk in….” (Ephesians 2:10, KJV)
There can be this deep contentment, but they‟re not content.
Now watch what He says. He plants them as a vine. And He says, “…„How then have you turned yourself before Me into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine? „Although you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your iniquity is before Me….‟” (Jeremiah 2:21) Now I‟ve gotta stop there. He says, “Although you wash yourself with lye…,” Hey, lye is strong stuff, “… [and you try to get clean], the stain of your iniquity is before Me….” (Jeremiah 2:22)
In other words, you cannot get clean yourself. Only God can make you clean. You cannot get yourself in shape and that‟s why you‟re discontent, because you wash and you scrub and nothing happens. He says, “„How can you say, „I am not defiled, I have not gone after…[Baal]‟…?” He says, “…Look at your way in the valley! Know what you have done! You are…[like a] camel entangling her ways…,” He goes on to say another one, “…A wild donkey accustomed to the wilderness…,” He says, “…That sniffs the wind in her passion. In the time of her heat who can turn her away? All who seek her will not become weary; in her month they will find her.” (Jeremiah 2:23-24)
What is He saying? You‟re like an animal in heat. You‟re running here. You‟re running there. You‟re running there trying to get satisfied. I just got an email from ah a woman that heard me on “Revive Our Hearts.” Nancy Leigh DeMoss is a good friend. And she and I did a series, and I shared my testimony. And this gal told me in that, she said, “I was like you. I went from one man, to another man, to another man trying to find satisfaction. There is no deep contentment inside.” And some of you understand. Get out of their beds. And you men quit fornicating all over. You have a case against God?
Listen, God has a case against you.
You say, “I can‟t get out of their beds. I‟m a slave.” And God says, “Hey, that‟s My business. I redeem slaves. I take you out of the slave market.” Israel was taken out of the slave market, and yet she went back to her slavery because she broke the bonds. It says, “Keep your feet from being unshod….” He says, “You want to go around barefoot and wandering?” He says, “„Keep your feet from being unshod... [keep] your throat from thirst….‟” (Jeremiah 2:25)
Now why is He saying that? He is saying, “Listen, you don‟t have to live the wayyou‟re living. I‟m, remember, the fountain of living waters?” Remember what He says in chapter 2, in verse 13. He says, “„…they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters….‟” (Jeremiah 2:13) Hey, you‟re thirsty? Come to Me. He says, “„Keep your feet from being unshod….‟”
Well, they take off the captive shoes.
He says, “„…And…you said, „It is hopeless! [It‟s hopeless.]…I have loved strangers, and after them I will walk.”‟” He says, “„As the thief is shamed when he is discovered, so the house of Israel is shamed….‟” (Jeremiah 2:25-26) You know, do you feel shamed? If you‟re sinning and you don‟t feel shamed, then I want you to know God had you listen to this program because you are searing your conscience. And you‟re going to be in grave, grave danger.
When you sin, you should feel shamed.
Now the psychologists and the counselors are saying, “Oh, that person just ruined you ‟cause they made you feel shamed.” There is a legitimate shame, and there is an illegitimate shame. A legitimate shame comes when you break God‟s holy commandments, when you do not live according to His word, when you willfully disobey Him. You should be ashamed. It‟s not a shame that is a false shame. It‟s a genuine shame. He says, now listen and He‟s going to describe the state of the nation. He says, “„…So the house of Israel is shamed; they, their kings, their princes…their priests…their prophets….”” (Jeremiah 2:26)
From the top on down every aspect of society is shamed because they‟re not ruling as they should. They are not teaching the Word as they should. They are prophesying falsely. And so they ought to be shamed. He says, “„…[You] say to a tree, “You are my father”….‟” Duh! You look at a tree. Are you a tree? If the tree is your father then shouldn‟t you look like a tree? “„…[You say] to a stone, “You gave me birth….”‟” (Jeremiah 2:27) That hard rock gave birth to you? What is He talking about?
He‟s talking about idols.
He‟s talking about them worshipping trees. They‟re going up on the high hills. They‟re worshipping the trees that are cut in phallic symbols. They‟re worshipping the stones that they have made for altars for their false gods. He says, “„…they have turned their back to Me…and not their face….‟” (Jeremiah 2:27)
In other words, what is He saying? He is saying “Here I am. They are turning their back to Me. I can‟t see their face. They‟re turning their back to Me. They‟re worshipping a tree. They‟re worshipping a stone, and here I am. I am God.” Okay, now watch what He says because it is the time of trouble in the United States of America. He says, “„…But in the time of…trouble they will say, “Arise and save us.”‟” and He says, “„But where are your gods…?‟” (Jeremiah 2:27-28)
You‟re calling to Me now.
All of a sudden, you‟re down on your knees, and you‟re saying, “God save me! Save me! Save me!” He says, “I want to ask you a question, where is that stick? Where is that stone? Where is that tree that you were worshipping? Why are you saying to Me, „Arise and save us in the time of trouble?‟”
You say, “Well, you‟re God, and I expect you to do that.”
Well, listen, because He is God He has expectations for you too. And this is what He goes on to say. He says, “„But where are your gods…,‟” little „g‟, “„…which you [have] made for yourself? Let them arise, if they can save you….‟” (Jeremiah 2:28) See if the stone that doesn‟t even have feet, that lies there, that has to be moved. Or it‟s moved by a storm, or a flood, or a man. See if that stone can save you. See if that tree can save you. He says, “„…Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble….‟” (Jeremiah 2:28)
Now we‟re teaching you to study the Word of God. And I want to remind you before I forget that you need to read Jeremiah 3 and 4 for next week. Just read it through because I‟m going to teach it a little bit differently. I‟m not going to take you verse by verse at first. I‟m going to give you an overview, then I‟m going to take you verse by verse. But if you‟re not studying with us then you need to do this because one of the things we teach you is how to observe the text. And here you should be underlining “in the time of your trouble,” in the time of your trouble. It‟s a time phrase. It tells you when and it tells you what‟s going on. Well, He says, “„“…Arise and save us.”‟” He says, “„…for according to [your cities]
the number of your cities are your gods….‟” (Jeremiah 2:27-28) Do you have another God besides God? Or do you really understand who God is? We‟ll talk about it in just a minute.
I opened this program, the first segment, with a question and I‟m going to open it again with a second question.
What is your complaint against God?
Is God just not performing the way you want him to perform? Is He not living up to your expectations? And then my question is: Do you know God? Do you understand Him, or are you judging Him on the basis of a faulty knowledge? God says, in Jeremiah 2, verse 29 [Why do you contend with love? Why are you bringing a charge against Me?] (PARAPHRASE, Jeremiah 2:29) It really comes out better in the Hebrew, doesn‟t it? Why are bringing a charge against Me? Are you upset with God because you can‟t manipulate Him? Because you pray to Him and you tell Him what you want Him to do and He does not do it? Listen, He doesn‟t always do what you want Him to do because first of all, He‟s not to run and do this and do this. He‟s your God. He‟s the master over you as you will see when you read Jeremiah chapter 3 and 4. He says, Am I not to be your master? (See Jeremiah 3:14)
Listen, God is pure wisdom. He is omniscient. He knows everything. He is eternal. So He knows the beginning, the middle and the end all things are known Him. He is the sovereign Ruler of all the universe. He is loving-kindness, He is goodness and He is merciful. And He is patient, and He is long suffering and His compassions fail not. What is there to have a complaint with God against? It‟s simply, because you don‟t understand as they did not understand that God had their best interest in heart, in mind. And God was moving on their behalf, but because they were not doing what God said that they were to do God had to chasten them. God was speaking, but they weren‟t listening and that could be you.
Listen to what He says, “„Why do you contend with Me? You [all have] transgressed against Me‟….” (Jeremiah 2:29) Listen, I‟m having to do this because I‟m also righteous. He says, “„In vain I have struck your sons….‟” He says, “„…they accepted no chastening….‟” (Jeremiah 2:30) I‟ve been trying to get their attention. I‟m a good Father. I discipline my kids.
Oh, that we had more good fathers, more good mothers that instead of giving their kids everything they want, or being so busy that they would get up out of the chair and reinforce what they want and what the kid should do. God is chastening, and they are not accepting it. I mean they‟re going like this. He says, “„…[Your sword has devoured your prophets] your sword has devoured your prophets like a [roaring] lion.‟” (Jeremiah 2:30)
When I read that it reminded me of what Jesus said in Luke. Let‟s go to Luke chapter 11. In Luke chapter 11, and this is so interesting. He‟s talking the Pharisees. He‟s talking to the religious leaders that just don‟t get it. And He says in verse 39, “…„Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and…the platter; but inside…you are full of robbery and wickedness.‟” (Luke 11:39) Now what is the term that He uses? And you‟ll see it over and over again in Jeremiah, wicked, wicked, wicked. You are being wicked. And then He goes on to say, “„Woe to you Pharisees…!‟” (Luke 11:43) And He says it over and over again.
And He says, “„Woe to you! [the people,] for you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them.‟” I sent them to you. I was trying to speak to you and your sword killed your prophets. “„So you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs.‟” (Luke 11:47-48)
In other words, they didn‟t want Jesus either.
They didn‟t want Jesus they wanted their own religion. And I want to tell you something, there is only one true religion, and that is the worship of Almighty God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So He says, verse 31, “„O generation, heed the word of the LORD [ heed the word of the Lord.] Have I been a wilderness to Israel or a land of…darkness? Why do My people say, “We are free to roam; We will no longer come to You?”‟” (Jeremiah 2:31) Listen if you are roaming it‟s because you are not satisfied.
You are roaming and roaming away from God. He says, “„Can a virgin forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.‟” (Jeremiah 2:32) Now He said this in verse 6, “„They did not say, “Where is the LORD who brought us [from] the land of Egypt….”‟” (Jeremiah 2:6) He said it in verse 8, “„The priests did not say, “Where is the LORD?” …those who handle…did not know Me; the rulers also transgressed against Me…the prophets prophesied by Baal and [they] walked after things that did not profit.‟” (Jeremiah 2:8) They didn‟t miss Me at all because they had their own religion.
Now listen to me very carefully.
If you have your own religion, you will never be satisfied with God. And that‟s why this program exists. That‟s why Precept Ministries International exists. That‟s why I believe that the work we are doing is the most critical work that can be done in Christendom right now, and that is in the midst of all that is happening in the United States of America is to drive you back to the Word of God and teach you how you can discover truth for yourself. Because if you discover it, if you bow the knee, if you hang on His every word, I promise you, you will be able to go through anything. And you won‟t be disappointed with God.
You will be elated with God, satisfied with God, and there will be a contentment within no matter what the storms are without. He says, “„How well you prepare your way to seek love! Therefore even the wicked women you have taught your ways.‟” He says, You played the harlot, and you are teaching these wicked women how to be more wicked. He says, “„Also on your skirts is found the life blood of the innocent poor….‟” (Jeremiah 2:33-34)
He says, “You are not taking care of people.” I mean, when you look at the crisis that started at the end of 2008, exacerbated in 2009, what did you find? You found people spending money, getting billions of dollars, billions of dollars in bonuses. And the lifeblood of the innocent poor was on their skirts. He says, “„…You did not find them breaking in….‟” they weren‟t coming and charging your houses, “„…but in spite of all these things, yet you said, “I‟m innocent; surely His anger is turned away from Me‟” God says, “„…[no behold I will] enter into judgment with you because you say, “I have not sinned.”‟” (Jeremiah 2:34-35)
Precious One, the beginning of a satisfied relationship with God is confessing your sin and turning to Him.
He is the Great Redeemer. He says, “„Why do you go around so much changing your way? Also, you will be put to shame by Egypt as you were put to shame by Assyria.‟” You can read about that in 2 Kings 23:29-30. (See 2 Kings 23:29-30) He says, “„From this place…you will go out with your hands on your head; For the LORD has rejected those in whom you trust, And you will not prosper with them.‟” (Jeremiah 2:36-37)
What is He saying?
He is saying this, Beloved, He said, “You‟re going to go out, you‟re going to arise and leave that country. You‟re going to go out with your hands on your heads. You are going into captivity.”
Why? “Because you trusted them, those nations, because you turned to those gods, to those trees, to those stones, and you didn‟t turn to Me. I‟m the only one that can satisfy you. I‟m the only one that can take care of you because I‟m the only God.” Turn to Him, and be saved.
