CREATED FOR A PURPOSE

Transcription

1 CREATED FOR A PURPOSE 84 SPECIAL FOCUS

2 God created us for a purpose. It s quite satisfying to go through life with a purpose. Unfortunately, not all of us experience that satisfaction. Worse, we may even look at others and wonder what their purpose is. Sadly, our culture often determines a person s value by how much that person can contribute to society, or at least not be a burden to others. If an individual s purpose is not apparent to others, those others may question his very worth as a person. But God never sees us that way. Every person has inherent value and purpose as a human created in the image of God. Jeremiah discovered his purpose from God. As we look at the call God placed on Jeremiah s life, we discover principles that apply to all of us. Regardless of how the world sees us or how we see ourselves God has created us for a purpose. RON EDMONDSON Ron Edmondson pastors Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington, Kentucky, a church full of people whom God fearfully and wonderfully made and is using in incredible ways. He admits that his favorite church member is his wife, Cheryl. Together they have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and an extremely happy and spoiled Yorkiepoo. Ron blogs on leadership, church, and culture at ronedmondson.com. 85

3 GET INTO THE STUDY 5 minutes GUIDE: Direct attention to the image in the Personal Study Guide (PSG) page 82 as you discuss Question #1: What s the most valuable object you ve touched? Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 95): Before you were born, God designed you with great value. GUIDE: Call attention to The Bible Meets Life (PSG, p. 96), and the author s account of conducting the medical clinic in the Brazilian slum. Ask volunteers to share about similar encounters they may have had on mission trips in the past. How did those encounters open their eyes and hearts to the intrinsic value of each and every person God has created no matter what his or her earthly situation might be? PRAY: Father, may we realize that You created every person with great value and You gave every person a purpose before he or she is born. SPECIAL FOCUS CREATED FOR A PURPOSE The Point Before you were born, God designed you with great value. The Bible Meets Life Our culture often determines a person s value by how that person can contribute to society or not be a burden to others. Unfortunately, a lot of people including the unborn, the elderly, or those with special needs must depend on others. Some people question the value of a person who cannot stand on their own two feet, but God never does. Every person has value and purpose. The Passage Jeremiah 1:4-10 The Setting Scholars generally agree that Jeremiah s message is the most personal and passionate of all the prophets. Jeremiah s passion is evident because of his love for God and God s people the people of Judah, the Southern Kingdom in Israel. What made Jeremiah s concern so intense was his central theme that God was going to allow another nation to destroy Judah as punishment for its continued failure to be faithful to God s covenant. 86 SPECIAL FOCUS

4 Jeremiah 1:4-5 4 The word of the Lord came to me: 5 I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations. KEY WORDS: Formed (v. 5) To fashion, sometimes potter. This is the same word used in Genesis 2:7 to describe how God formed the man out of the dust from the ground. God has a purpose for every life. 1 Verse 4. In order to validate the authenticity of his message, Jeremiah began the record of his messages from God by describing God s call to serve as His prophet. Jeremiah stressed that the message he preached came from God. With his words, the word of the Lord came to me, Jeremiah wanted those who heard his messages to know that his words were truly God s words. Verses 1 3 provide the historical context of Jeremiah s call and his time of service. The word of the Lord came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah (v. 2), about 627 B.C. Jeremiah s ministry lasted for over 40 years. 2 Verse 5. Notice that God used three terms to announce His call to Jeremiah. All three words point to God s sovereign selection of Jeremiah to be His prophet. (1) God chose Jeremiah to be His prophet at this point in Israel s history. There are numerous examples of God choosing specific people to serve Him. God chose Abraham to be the father of a great nation (Gen. 12:1 3). God chose David to be king of Israel (1 Sam. 16:1 13). God chose Isaiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and others to be His prophets. Jesus chose twelve men as His apostles (Luke 6:13-16). In His sovereignty God chooses individuals for specific roles of service. God chose Jeremiah to be a prophet before God formed him in his mother s womb. This emphasizes that His choosing of Jeremiah had nothing to do with Jeremiah s knowledge or ability or righteous living. The term formed is the same word used in Genesis 2:7 to describe how God formed the man out of the dust from the ground. The psalmist said it so beautifully: For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother s womb (Ps. 139:13). STUDY THE BIBLE Jeremiah 1: minutes READ: Read or invite someone to read Jeremiah 1:4-5. SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 1 to clarify the phrase the word of the Lord came to me, and explain why Jeremiah used those words. LEADER PACK: Use Item 8: Jeremiah to give background on the Weeping Prophet: the time he prophesied, and what he prophesied. GUIDE: Refer group members to KEY WORD (PSG, p. 84) to explain the word formed. Invite a volunteer to read Psalm 139:13. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF JANUARY 15 87

5 THE POINT Before you were born, God designed you with great value. SUMMARIZE: Use information on PSG page 84 and Bible Commentary 2 on page 87 and this page to explain the three terms God used to announce His call to Jeremiah: 1. I chose you before I formed you in the womb. 2. I set you apart before you were born. 3. I appointed you a prophet to the nations. DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 85): Does God create every person for a specific purpose or just a select few? Explain. (Alternate: How do you respond to the truth that God knows you personally?) TRANSITION: We all have intrinsic value to God because He created each of us in His image, and also because He has designed each of us for our special part of His mission to make Himself known to all the peoples of the world. (2) God not only chose Jeremiah before he was born but also set [him] apart. The Bible often describes someone who has been set apart by God for His service as being holy. God Himself is holy because of His sovereignty and unique character (Ps. 33:21; Isa. 5:16). Since God is holy, He expects His people to be holy (Lev. 11:44 45). In the New Testament those redeemed in Christ are holy because of their new relationship with the Father (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:9; 1 Pet. 2:4 5,9). While we become holy because of our relationship with God who is holy, we also become holy as God calls us and sets us apart for His service (Acts 13:3; 2 Tim. 2:21). The apostle Paul used a similar description of God s setting him apart and calling him to be His servant (Gal. 1:15 16). All of this meaning is bound up in God s setting Jeremiah apart even before he was born. (3) Finally, God appointed Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations. Jeremiah delivered most of his messages while in Judah, and his primary focus was certainly the people of God. However, God would also speak through him a message to all the nations. The thrust of this message was to be God s judgment upon the nations that had oppressed His people (Jer. 46:1 51:64.) The obvious implication is that God is not only sovereign over His chosen people but over all the peoples He has created. God makes each of us unique in terms of our bodies and personalities and circumstances and timing because He has a unique plan and purpose for each of us. Yes, His common plan for all of us is to know Him (2 Pet. 3:9), to worship and serve Him (Ps. 138:4 5), and to bring Him the glory He deserves (1 Cor. 10:31). [People do that by coming into a relationship with God by accepting the salvation God provides through faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.] But the individual stories of the men and women that fill the pages of God s story illustrate again and again that God sovereignly creates each of us to accomplish His unique plan for our individual lives. Whether we are from a family of priests like Jeremiah or like the man Jesus freed from Satan s demons (Luke 8:26 39), we all matter to God. We all have intrinsic value to Him, both because He created each of us in His image (Gen. 1:26 27) and also because He has designed each of us for our special part of His mission to make Himself known to all the peoples of the world (Matt. 28:18 20; Acts 13:46 47). 88 SPECIAL FOCUS

6 Jeremiah 1:6-8 6 But I protested, Oh no, Lord, God! Look, I don t know how to speak since I am only a youth. 7 Then the Lord said to me: Do not say, I am only a youth, for you will go to everyone I send you to and speak whatever I tell you. 8 Do not be afraid of anyone, for I will be with you to deliver you. This is the Lord s declaration. KEY WORDS: Youth (v. 6) Used of an infant (Ex. 2:6), older teen (Gen. 37:2), and young warrior (2 Sam. 2:14). Jeremiah was probably in his late teens when God called him. God is with us to carry out His purpose. Verse 6. While Jeremiah realized the greatness of the honor to be called by God to be His prophet, he also grasped the awesome responsibility to stand as His spokesperson. He knew about the great prophets of Israel s past like Elijah, Elisha, and Hosea. And he may have heard firsthand the messages of Habakkuk and Zephaniah. His response, Oh no, Lord, God! was similar to the apostle Peter s response when he saw a vision from heaven (Acts 10:14). Sometimes God s call is so overwhelming that we respond without thinking and say no and Lord in the same breath. If God is truly our Lord, God, then we cannot oppose His command. 3 The term translated youth is also used of an infant (Ex. 2:6), an older teen (Gen. 37:2), and a young warrior (2 Sam. 2:14). Jeremiah was probably in his late teens when God called him. Because of his young age and lack of experience, Jeremiah told God that he didn t know how to speak. (Moses also offered the same excuse Ex. 4:10.) Jeremiah knew God had sent His prophets to rebuke powerful leaders (2 Sam. 12:1 14; 1 Kings 17:1). How could anyone so young and inexperienced stand up and boldly declare God s message? Verses 7-8. While God did not agree with Jeremiah s point of view, neither did He chastise or condemn him. God simply pointed out that His call did not depend on Jeremiah s age or abilities. The reality is that God s call never depends on us and our abilities. Paul eloquently pointed out that God chooses what is foolish in the world what is weak in the STUDY THE BIBLE Jeremiah 1: minutes READ: Read or ask someone to read Jeremiah 1:6-8. GUIDE: Refer group members to KEY WORD (PSG, p. 86) and Bible Commentary 3 to understand the word youth. Note Jeremiah was likely in his late teens when God called him to serve Him. GUIDE: Highlight on PSG page 86 the two ways God reveals His plan to us: 1. God s plan is found as we seek Him. 2. God s plan is found as we follow His Word. SUMMARIZE: Just when we begin to get a picture of what God wants us to do, we find one hundred reasons why we cannot do it. This happened to Jeremiah. He countered God s plan with two excuses (PSG, pp ): 1. I don t know how to speak. 2. I am only a child. 89

7 THE POINT Before you were born, God designed you with great value. DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 87): What are some excuses we use for not doing what God has called us to do? (Alternate: How would you describe the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives?) SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 4 to show God gave a directive to Jeremiah to go to whoever I send you and say what I tell you. SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 5 on this page and page 91 to point out that the emotion of fear is not uncommon for a person to experience when God gives a specific assignment. Joshua was reminded again and again after Moses death, be strong and courageous (Josh. 1:6,7,9). In the same way God told Jeremiah, Do not be afraid of anyone. The strong reason for trust over fear is found in God s promise: for I will be with you to deliver you. world what is insignificant and despised in the world so that no one can boast in His presence (1 Cor. 1:27 29). God wants and deserves all the glory for Himself. By choosing the young, inexperienced, and inarticulate Jeremiah to be His prophet, God would clearly demonstrate the message from His prophet was truly His message. 4 God then assured Jeremiah that he would have the courage to go and stand before whomever God would send him. Not only would he have the courage to go but also the confidence to speak the words God would give him. While God at times revealed to His prophets knowledge about the future, most often He sent them to deliver messages about the present (the times they lived in). From the written account of Jeremiah s ministry, we know that the work God was calling him to would be a combination of bold condemnation for the people s present sins and foretelling about coming destruction and eventual restoration of their nation. Though at this point God had not revealed specific assignments or messages to him, Jeremiah almost certainly knew Judah had failed to obey God s Law and to keep His covenant. He knew that any message from God to His people would contain words of rebuke and righteous judgment. And Jeremiah knew these types of messages would not be popular. Who wants to have their sinful ways pointed out and their judgment announced? Jeremiah was rightly afraid of how his listeners would respond. In fact, Jeremiah would one day be denounced by his own people and arrested (Jer. 26:7 16; 38:1-6). On one occasion the king took a scroll on which God had instructed Jeremiah to write (written with the aid of Jeremiah s assistant Baruch) and burned it (36:1 26). How could someone like Jeremiah endure such opposition and remain faithful? 5 A response of fear such as Jeremiah s is not uncommon for those God calls to difficult tasks. When Joshua succeeded Moses as the leader of Israel, he was clearly afraid of his assignment to lead the people to claim the promised land. God saw Joshua s fear and spoke to him words of strong encouragement (Josh. 1:6 9). When Paul left young Timothy to serve as pastor of a congregation of new believers, he urged Timothy to be fearless and to rely on God s provision of power, love, and sound judgment (2 Tim. 1:6 7). God understood Jeremiah s primary problem was his fear about how people would respond to him and his message, so He gave him a two-fold word of encouragement. First, 90 SPECIAL FOCUS

8 God told Jeremiah, Do not be afraid of anyone. Fear is a choice. We look at our situation, assess the potential consequences, and then decide how we will respond. Evil people in our world detonate bombs on crowded city streets and in airplanes. How do we assess our situation? How do we respond? Will we never go out in public places? Will we never fly in airplanes? Will we allow our fear to control us? Jeremiah was realistic. He saw the potential consequences of accepting God s call to be His prophet. He was tempted to allow his fear to prevent him from obeying. God dared Jeremiah to choose to replace his fear with trust in Him. Notice that God didn t simply say, Don t be afraid. He added a strong reason to trust and not fear. God offered His solemn promise: for I will be with you to deliver you. First God promised that He would always be with Jeremiah. God promised that His presence (and therefore His power) would be with Jeremiah to enable him to carry out God s purpose in his role as God s prophet. Jeremiah would never be alone. As God s presence was with the prophet Jeremiah to guide and empower him in his ministry, God presence is with believers today as well in the Person of His Holy Spirit. Just before Jesus was crucified, He promised His disciples that after He left them He would send another Counselor. the Spirit of truth to be with them forever (John 14:16 17). Acts 2:1 4 describes the fulfillment of Jesus promise with the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Jesus promise applies to every one of His disciples for all time (Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13). In writing of his encounter with God, Jeremiah noted that God had said that these words were the Lord s declaration. This is the second time Jeremiah emphasized that these words were from the Lord (see Jer. 1:4). These words ( the Lord s declaration ) were intended for all who would hear and read Jeremiah s prophetic messages, but they were also possibly a reminder to encourage Jeremiah that he was not speaking on his own authority but on the basis of God s authority. GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG page 87 and read or summarize the following: Fear is an all-too-common trait in so many areas of life, but when God Himself calls us to a task, we may be especially afraid. God s plan just seems too big for us. We must remember, however, God s plan is always going to be too big for us; otherwise it wouldn t be a God thing, but just another human thing. Just as God promised to be with Jeremiah, God will be with us to carry out His purpose. TRANSITION: God provided even more assurance to young Jeremiah in the next passage. 91

9 THE POINT Before you were born, God designed you with great value. STUDY THE BIBLE Jeremiah 1: minutes READ: Read or ask someone to read Jeremiah 1:9-10. SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 6 to help group members understand the symbolism (and history) behind God touching Jeremiah s mouth and filling his mouth with God s Words. GUIDE: Refer group members to PSG pages for the following key points. God has uniquely and wonderfully made each one of us. Just as God called Jeremiah in a unique way, He equipped Jeremiah in a unique way. God works the same way today: giving each of us a unique way to serve Him. No matter how others may see us, God continually shapes us and equips us for His purposes and His glory. Jeremiah 1: Then the Lord reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and told me: I have now filled your mouth with My words. 10 See, I have appointed you today over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and demolish, to build and plant. God equips us with what we need to carry out His purpose. 6 Verse 9. When God first called Jeremiah to be His prophet, Jeremiah said he would not know how to speak for God (v. 6). God told Jeremiah he would go where God sent him and speak the words God told him to speak (v. 7). After reassuring Jeremiah He would always be with him (v. 8), God also gave Jeremiah a visual picture to reinforce what He was telling the young man. God reached out His hand and touched Jeremiah s mouth. When God called Isaiah to be His prophet, God sent one of His angels to touch Isaiah s mouth (Isa. 6:6 7). When God called Ezekiel to be His prophet, He showed him a scroll and told him to eat it (Ezek. 2:8 3:3). Ezekiel understood that what he saw meant that God was giving him the words to speak to the people of Israel. God used these visions to encourage Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah that He was equipping them to fulfill their roles as His prophets. Besides using a visual image, God also declared, I have now filled your mouth with My words. God was telling Jeremiah that from that point on He would put His words in Jeremiah s mouth. God spoke to Jeremiah through both the vision and the assuring words. He wanted Jeremiah to have absolute confidence that God had equipped him to serve as His prophet. Of course, God does not call everyone to be His prophet. But He does call all believers to serve Him. However God calls us to serve Him and others, He always equips us with everything we need in order to be effective. This equipping comes through the Holy Spirit, who gives each of the members of the body of Christ at least one spiritual gift (Rom. 12:6 8; 1 Cor. 12:4 31; Eph. 4:11 12; 1 Pet. 4:10 11). God fully empowers each of us who are Jesus disciples so that we can do the good works for which God created us (Eph. 2:10). 92 SPECIAL FOCUS

10 Verse 10. At the beginning of His call, God told Jeremiah that He was appointing him to be a prophet to the nations (Jer. 1:5). At this point God emphasized that Jeremiah would not only speak to the people of Israel (Judah) but also to nations and kingdoms. Sadly, Jeremiah s message to those outside of Judah would not be one of hope but of judgment. God used two images to describe the major thrust of Jeremiah s collective message. The first image was that of a tree, and the first part of Jeremiah s message would be to announce God s judgment to his own people ( to uproot ). The second image was that of a building. Picturing the theme of judgment Jeremiah would proclaim, God described the building being torn down, destroyed, and demolished in other words, total destruction. That image became a reality for Judah in 586 B.C. when the Babylonians completely destroyed Jerusalem, including the temple. God s judgment would come on both Judah and her enemies. Yet Jeremiah s prophecy would also contain a message of hope. After carrying out His judgment, through His grace God would also build back the building that had been destroyed and plant the tree that had been uprooted. Though Judah would be in exile for 70 years, God would one day restore them to their homeland (Jer. 29:10 14). The message which Jeremiah was to declare would reflect both God s judgment and His grace. According to His sovereign plan and purpose, God chose Jeremiah to be His prophet even before Jeremiah was born. Then God called and equipped Jeremiah to carry out his difficult assignment of announcing God s judgment to his own people. The Bible contains numerous accounts of how God chose and called individuals to unique roles of service in His kingdom. The ways of God have not changed. God has a plan and a purpose for every person. Even in the womb, God sets apart each life for His purpose and glory. This understanding should guide us in how we treat each person: the unborn, the child with physical or mental limitations, the adult who is living a godless lifestyle, and the senior adult who is severely limited by problems of aging. God values every life, and so should we. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 88): What are some things all Christians are called to do? DISCUSS: Question # 5 (PSG, p. 90):How has God equipped you to fulfill your purpose? (Alternate: When has God given you what you need to carry out His purpose?) DO: Use the activity on PSG page 90, Precious in His Sight to emphasize to members that God values every human life because He created and designed every person with purpose and value. As followers of God we are to value every human life as well. Encourage members to find a specific way to let someone know this week that he or she is valuable to them. 93

11 THE POINT LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes Before you were born, God designed you with great value. LIVE IT OUT Every life matters because God designed every person for a unique purpose. How will this truth be evident in your life? GUIDE: Emphasize The Point: Before you were born, God designed you with great value. REVIEW: Live it Out (PSG, p. 91); see text to the right. Encourage each member to follow through this week with at least one of the applications. WRAP IT UP GUIDE: Emphasize that God has designed every person for a unique purpose. We must work so that no one is forgotten or devalued by society. > > Memorize Proverbs 3:5-6. Write Proverbs 3:5-6 on a card where you will see it throughout the next several weeks. Every time you read it, whisper a prayer to God asking Him to make clear His path for you. > > Ask for God s direction. Pray and ask God to show you something specific He wants you to do. It may be as simple as inviting your neighbor to church or Bible study group. Then watch for Him to provide an opportunity. > > Stand up for others. Find others in your community the unborn, the aged, or those with physical and/or mental challenges and work to see that they are not forgotten or devalued by society. Help them find their purpose and worth in Christ. SAY: Our society today places value on individuals based on what they can contribute instead of realizing they have intrinsic value based on being created by God in His image. Every life matters because God created every person for a unique purpose. PRAY: Father, we thank You because we are fearfully and wonderfully made for Your purposes. 94 SPECIAL FOCUS

12 ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/BRITISH MUSEUM (31/11/25) Found in the outer town at Carchemish, bronze arrowheads used during the siege of Carchemish; dated to 605 B.C. Jeremiah received his call from God in the thirteenth year of King Josiah s reign (Jer. 1:2), and reluctantly entered the prophetic ministry at that time (vv. 1-7). These events in Jeremiah s life occurred at a moment of great spiritual significance in Israel s history. About three years earlier (630 B.C.) the prophets Habakkuk and Zephaniah had warned of catastrophic divine judgment that God would use to punish Jerusalem for its many sins (Hab. 1:2-11; Zeph. 1:1-18). Then two years later, in 628 B.C., Judah s 20-year-old King Josiah had kicked off the greatest spiritual reformation since the days of Samuel (2 Chron. 34:3 35:18). Jeremiah s arrival on the scene, marked by his warning of a devastating invasion from the north (Jer. 1:13-16), only heightened the nation s awareness of the need for spiritual reform. The years of Jeremiah s ministry after 605 B.C. were tumultuous both for the prophet and his nation as Nebuchadnezzar worked to gain more control. In January 588 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar brought his army to Jerusalem and attacked it for a final time (2 Kings 25:1). Jerusalem was sealed off for about 2 1/2 years. In August of 586 B.C., Jerusalem s buildings were ransacked and burned, and its walls were broken down. Many of the remaining citizens, including Jeremiah, fled to Egypt (2 Kings 25:22-26; Jer. 40:5 43:7). The excerpt above is from the article Jeremiah in its Historical Setting (Summer 2011), which relates to this session. More Biblical Illustrator articles are available that relate to this session. See page 7 about Biblical Illustrator. SHARING THE GOOD NEWS God loves each of us and has a clear plan and purpose for our lives. Most important in that plan is that we repent of sin and trust in Christ, restoring our relationship to God. Each week, make yourself available either before or after the session to speak privately with anyone in your group who wants to know more about becoming a Christian. See the article, Leading Someone to the Greatest Decision of All, on page 2 for guidance in leading a person to Christ. Remind group members that page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ. Free additional ideas for your group are available at BibleStudiesforLife.com/AdultExtra 95