This is the second of five sermon outlines I’ll be posting this week.
Revelation or Imagination?
I.
Introduction
a.
“Thus
saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his
arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
(6) For he shall be like the
heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the
parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. (7)
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD
is. (8)
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out
her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall
be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease
from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:5-8).
“Thus
saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his
arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
(6) For he shall be like the
heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the
parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. (7)
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD
is. (8)
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out
her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall
be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease
from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:5-8).
b.
Who do you trust in? What are you focused on in
this life? Where is your hope? How many “gods” do you have your attention
divided among?
Who do you trust in? What are you focused on in
this life? Where is your hope? How many “gods” do you have your attention
divided among?
c.
Jeremiah was asked to preach to a people that
had all of their priorities mixed up. They trusted in their armies, kings,
and prophets more than they did their God.
Jeremiah was asked to preach to a people that
had all of their priorities mixed up. They trusted in their armies, kings,
and prophets more than they did their God.
d.
Many people today put all of their faith in
their so-called pastor than they do in God!
Many people today put all of their faith in
their so-called pastor than they do in God!
e.
Do you put more emphasis on revelation or
imagination?
Do you put more emphasis on revelation or
imagination?
II.
Man without God
a.
Everyone has a decision to make concerning where
they put their trust. For a lot of folks, this choice happens subconsciously.
For some, they may deliberately choose evil. And for even less than that, they
make the decision to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Everyone has a decision to make concerning where
they put their trust. For a lot of folks, this choice happens subconsciously.
For some, they may deliberately choose evil. And for even less than that, they
make the decision to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
i.
Matthew 7:13-14 tells us plainly that few will
find the kingdom of God. Honestly, many will not even begin looking!
ii.
One main reason for failure is that a person
refuses to strive to enter God’s eternal kingdom (Luke 13:24; Hebrews 4:11)
b.
When man chooses to turn against God and follow
after His own ways, the only place he can go is to the evil imaginations of the
heart.
When man chooses to turn against God and follow
after His own ways, the only place he can go is to the evil imaginations of the
heart.
i.
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
ii.
Paul describes these people in Romans 1. “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in
unrighteousness; (19) Because that which may be known of God is
manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. (20)
For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (21)
Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither
were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart
was darkened. (22) Professing themselves to be wise, they became
fools, (23) And changed the glory of the uncorruptible
God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted
beasts, and creeping things” (Romans 1:18-23). Don’t leave revelation for
imagination!
c.
A man who does not have the nourishment of God
in his life is like a shrub in the middle of the desert or a man trying to live
in an uninhabitable land that has been sown with salt (Jeremiah 17:6)!
A man who does not have the nourishment of God
in his life is like a shrub in the middle of the desert or a man trying to live
in an uninhabitable land that has been sown with salt (Jeremiah 17:6)!
i.
Those who leave home without God come back
empty.
1.
“As the
partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches,
and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end
shall be a fool” (Jeremiah 17:11).
“As the
partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches,
and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end
shall be a fool” (Jeremiah 17:11).
2.
“O LORD,
the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that
depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the
LORD, the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 17:13).
“O LORD,
the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that
depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the
LORD, the fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 17:13).
ii.
Man is composed of two parts, so man needs two
sources of nourishment (Matthew 4:4). He needs bread for the body, and he needs
the sword for the spirit.
III.
Man with God
a.
“And if it
seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve;
whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the
flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and
my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).
“And if it
seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve;
whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the
flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and
my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).
i.
“No man
can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or
else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and
mammon” (Matthew 6:24).
ii.
“Then said
Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
(68) Then Simon Peter answered
him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. (69)
And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the
living God” (John 6:67-69).
b.
We must strive to seek those things which are
above because this old earth has nothing for us. (Colossians 3:1-2)
We must strive to seek those things which are
above because this old earth has nothing for us. (Colossians 3:1-2)
i.
“Lay not
up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves break through and steal:
(20) But lay up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matthew 6:19-20).
ii.
“Charge
them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in
uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to
enjoy; (18) That they do good, that they be rich in good
works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; (19)
Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to
come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (I Timothy 6:17-19)
IV.
Conclusion
a.
Who do you trust? Do you trust God or man? The
individual who decides to put their faith in God will be blessed beyond all
measure (Jeremiah 17:8; Ephesians 1:3).
Who do you trust? Do you trust God or man? The
individual who decides to put their faith in God will be blessed beyond all
measure (Jeremiah 17:8; Ephesians 1:3).
b. One can get into Christ, where all spiritual
blessings are, by being baptized (Galatians 3:27)