As we said a couple of weeks ago, Jeremiah was given the burden of speaking the truth to Israel at a time they would have been surprised to hear what God had to say. From their perspective, they were in a time of renewal: economic, social, political and spiritual.  They thought of themselves as experiencing good times, finally, and turning the country around. Things were looking up and prophets should have been encouraging them – not calling them to judgment. At first they were quizzical and then angry…but Jeremiah does not change in response to the pressure. Powerful and persuasive people were leaning on Jeremiah to stop because he was…

This morning we are going to look at three basic things. In these chapters Jeremiah addresses three conditions of the people. The first is God says you are worthless. In the second you are faithless. In the third you are shameless. What does it mean to be worthless from God’s perspective? It is a tragic indictment of people who began with such promise. The word is repeated many times in Scripture to describe what happens when people follow after worthless things. They become worthless themselves. All the weight, the substance and the value has gone away and the people have become hollow. You know what cavitation is? It is part…

At the LORD’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD’s order and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud…

1. Moses had a number of serious challenges as a leader from the very beginning. a. He didn’t want to do it. “O, Lord, please send someone else to do it.” b. He didn’t have the talent or gifting he thought necessary. “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue. Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?” c. He had no credibility with the people. He was not one of them. He was privileged and they were slaves. He had escaped the consequences for what he had done and…

  1. I love this story. When I say “story” I don’t mean to say it is fiction. No, it simply means it is the truth written in a particular form that makes it even more memorable for us. We all love the story form. It gets beneath our radar. Neuroscientists even say that our brain is wired to respond to stories because they have a pattern that is easy to grasp. And when stories are turned into songs they are even more permanently wired into our brains. Think about “Joshua Fit The Battle of Jericho” or “Go Down Moses” or “It Came Upon The Midnight Clear” People who have…

Among the great cathedrals in Europe there are two that stand out for me. Not because of their architecture but for the stories behind them. The first is St. Mark’s in Venice. We have told the story before of John Mark, the young disciple who runs away naked from Gethsemane and then as a spoiled and privileged young man he loses his courage and deserts Paul and Barnabas and, eventually, is the cause of their splitting. Mark travels to Rome and is mentored by Peter who assigns him to be the first bishop of the Church in Egypt where he is martyred and part of his bones are taken later…

1.  Numbers 6:1-8 1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of dedication to the LORD as a Nazirite, 3 they must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or other fermented drink. They must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. 4 As long as they remain under their Nazirite vow, they must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, not even the seeds or skins. 5 “‘During the entire period of their Nazirite vow, no razor may…

As we’ve said over the last few weeks, John does not simply make lists of miracles. There are seven signs and the final sign, the raising of Lazarus, comes just before our passage this morning. The ministry of Jesus is about to change radically at this point. You might say this story comes between the final sign and the beginning of the end. It is an in-between moment, a pause, a rest in one of his favorite places with people he loves and trusts between the two momentous events – the raising of the dead and the triumphal entry. No miracles here. No signs. No big audience. Just Jesus, his…

“When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in…