Get Right

Text:

Jeremiah 4:4

Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

 

Theme:

Get Right

 

Introduction:

• The text comes from the Book of Jeremiah, the 2^nd of the books of major prophecy in the Old Testament.
• Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet for his lamenting two calamities seen in his life:
  • One, the death of King Josiah, a respected and revered King of his time
    • Few prophecies are found from the time of his calling to the time of Josiah’s death
    • Sometimes it takes tragic experiences to bring out God’s will for our lives!
  • Two, the sins of the Hebrew children of God, for which God would judge and punish
  • Jeremiah preached 42 years and never saw one convert!
• The Book of Jeremiah is unique in its organization
  • The book can be organized into 23 separate and independent sections arranged into 5 books.
    • However, the chapters are not arranged into chronological order.
  • The reason for the organization of the book of Jeremiah is not known

• Our single verse of a text comes from the 4^th chapter of the Book of Jeremiah.
  • Judah and Jerusalem are being addressed
  • Both need to be real about their disregard of God’s Word, Will and Way
  • Both need to repent of their sin
  • Both need to fear the consequences of their wicked ways

• The 4^th chapter of Jeremiah is a very relevant chapter for God’s People of today
  • Know that this study is not directed toward those who do NOT believe
    • This is for those who KNOW BETTER!!!!!
    • As Grandmama used to say, “ When you know better, you ought to DO better!”
  • This study is with the intention and instruction for US to…
  • Get Right!

Body: 

• The direction to GET RIGHT is undergirded in the text by three primary elements…
• “Circumcise”
• Originally, circumcision was a Jewish rite or tradition of a physical nature.
  • It was locked in at Abraham, the father of the nation, by God, at the institution and as the token of the covenant, which assured to him and his descendants the promise of the Messiah.
    • Abraham was NOT from Israel or Judah. Circumcision is what established Abraham and his descendants as “God’s”
  • It was thus made a necessary condition of Jewish nationality. Every male child was to be circumcised when eight days old
• Spiritually, circumcision is the act of obedience to the called of God to relationship in their life
  • 1Corinthians 7:19, “Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.”

• The declaration that Paul made was to BE OBEDIENT and not to BE CIRCUMCISED!
  • 1Corinthians 7:20, “Let every man abide in the same calling in which he was called.”
  • If your calling is to abide by the tradition of circumcision, be circumcised. If your calling is to drive toward a service for or to God, do that!!!!!!
• The critical action metaphorically founding the act of circumcision was the removal of the foreskin or “extra” skin
  • Medically – possibility of infection or contamination
  • Aesthetically – Provided a more conventional and accepted look for the male body part
  • Hygienically – easier to clean and maintain the genital area
• “yourselves”
  • Although it may seem to be a minor point in this study, it is a MAJOR issue amongst the community of believers…WE must do what is required to GET RIGHT…not others!
  • Other people can’t do it…
    • As the old adage says, “Seek one’s own soul’s salvation”
  • Their own intellect or understanding can’t do it…
    • Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
    • Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
  • God can’t do it for us…
    • 2Chronicles 7:14, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
• “To the Lord”
  • Let’s be real about WHY we GET RIGHT!!!
  • We gotta be doing it for God and no other!
    • 1Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”
  • We can’t GET RIGHT because….
    • We are trying to please PEOPLE
      • Exodus 20:3 , “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
    • We are trying to bless our own MESS
      • John 3:19, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
    • We are trying to satisfy our own RELIGION
      • Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

• After understanding what it means to GET RIGHT, let’s drive home the fact that there are consequences if you don’t GET RIGHT!
  • Your things MAY work out
  • People MAY like you for what you are enjoying
  • Life MAY be fun for you
  • Worldly treasures MAY come your way
  • You MAY not have to give up your carnal pleasures
  • BUT know that there comes a point when you realize…
    • Psalms 37:1-2, “Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.”
    • Either during this life or at death…
      • The FUN will end
      • The TREASURES will go away
      • The HEALTH will waste away
      • The PLEASURE will dissipate
    • The constants of this world will have power OVER you…
      • ENEMIES will overtake you
      • TEMPTATIONS will transform you
      • SIN will consume you
      • DISTRACTIONS will guide you
      • IGNORANCE will distort you

 

• The only way to avoid these impacts or to be healed of these maladies is to GET RIGHT!

Conclusion:

• Knowing this, if I don’t go to Heaven, as the song says, “It Ain’t Nobody’s Fault But Mine”!!!
  • The Bible makes it clear that It is OUR sin and iniquity!!
    • Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
    • We did our part to mess things up!

• But God has done His part to GET THINGS RIGHT!!!!
  • God created heavens and the earth
  • God established mankind with dominion over the earth
  • God guides mankind away from its own destruction by sin
  • God sent His Son to be born
  • God allowed His Son to teach and then to suffer
  • God gave His Son to die on the Cross
  • God imparted power to His Son to GET UP on that third day morning with ALL POWER in His Hand!

• Now it’s our turn… we gotta GET RIGHT!!!!!

 

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