Jeremiah 9:23-26
We want to
focus on this thought “What Can We Glory In?”
To Glory means to make a show, to
shine, to boast, to be proud of.
We should want to impress God, not
man.
Trying to impress others will only
lead vanity, wars and fightings, envy and jealousy, possibly thievery.
There is no sin in being wise, Solomon was.
Wisdom is the ability to use your
knowledge in the right way at the right time.
Anyone can have knowledge, but to
be able to know how to execute it is the tool.
Gun control, fork control
Wisdom in one sense is just, Good
Judgement. Have you heard the quote,
“Good judgement comes from experience and experience comes from bad judgment”?
True wisdom comes from God and can
be obtained from God.
James 1:5 if any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, the giveth to all men liberally…
It is to be searched for and to be chosen.
Out of over 200 times we find
wisdom in the Bible, a quarter of the references are from the book of Proverbs.
…the Lord giveth wisdom…happy is
the man that findeth wisdom…the Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth…wisdom is
the principle thing, therefore get wisdom.
When wise men begin to trust in
their wisdom, God is left out and destruction lay ahead.
Jdg 6:12
And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD
is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
When men begin to trust in their
own power, their own strength, we will fall.
Psalm 147:10
He delighteth not in the
strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
Zech. 4:6
This
is the word of the LORD unto
Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD
of hosts.
There is
no sin in being Rich,
(especially if you’re my friend),
Mat 27:57
When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named
Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
We all know that the Bible is chocked full of warnings
about trusting in riches.
When we trust in
riches they soon take flight…and if they don’t, if they take roost and keep you
warm, then you will one day take flight.
Then, only what we have done for Christ will last.
God wants us to find our
protection, our comfort in Him.
God wants all our wisedom, might,
and riches to come from Him.
Look how God took care of His
people leaving Egypt and then the fish and loaves, what about the widow woman
and Elijah.
So, the question we asked “What Can We
Glory In?” can be answered in by verse 24. That
he understandeth and knoweth God.
Jeremiah had earned the name“The
Weeping Prophet.”
The weeping came from his deep
concern for God’s people to turn back to God and away from false idols.
Away from their own abilities and
actions.
In political races men claim to be
“Christian” but they never see the need to claim “Total dependence.”
Same with us,
it’s easy to see others failure to recognize God, but what about us?
Here is the message of the hour in
verse 24.
The Lord laid John 3:16 on my heart
for New Testament Light.
Glory in our knowledge of God’s
1.
Lovingkindness
First hand experience. It is the
same word, “Mercy,”
When we don’t get what we deserve.
Adam didn’t, the devils didn’t,
John 3:16 God so loved, that HE
gave…should not perish, like we should.
2.
Judgement
this is too hard a word for most people.
John 3:18…he that believeth not is condemned already.
God is a God of judgement.
Jud 1:14
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying,
Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
Jud 1:15
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among
them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all
their hard
speeches which ungodly sinners have
spoken against him.
He didn’t win “Most Sought After Prophet” award.
3.
Righteousness
John 3:19 – 21
Jer. 9:25 -26
There is a difference, there must be a difference, there is no substitute.
There is no middle ground.
Where would you
say you are this morning? One foot
in and one foot out? Hot or cold or
lukewarm? Think about it, do
something about it, today…