Jeremiah: Being God’s People in Hard Places - Week 1
Opening Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
You have called us to be Your people for this world.
Your call is for justice, for us to challenge and dismantle the unjust systems and structures of this world that oppress and stunt and imprison people.
Your call is a call to courage, a call to action, a call to trust.
Help us, in all we do to answer that call, to be worthy followers of Your love.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Key Scripture:
(Below is the beginning of Jeremiah chapter 1. You may wish to read the entirety of Jeremiah chapters 1-2.)
The words of Jeremiahson of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. 2 The word of the Lord came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, 3 and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.
4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
6 “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”
7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.
9 Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Jeremiah 1:1-10
Sermon Summary:
This sermon marks a transition from our mini-series on Psalms to the prophetic words of Jeremiah. While Psalms of lament often feature authors struggling with God's perceived inaction and questioning why He allows suffering, the Prophets take a different approach. Instead of blaming God, prophets like Jeremiah highlight the failures of society, kings, and individuals. As theologian Walter Brueggemann suggests, rushing to the lament of the Psalms can sometimes be a way to deny our own role in maintaining unjust systems.
The Context of a Crumbling Kingdom
Jeremiah spoke to the southern kingdom of Judah during a time of imminent collapse. Situated as a buffer state between the powers of Assyria, Egypt, and a rising Babylon, Judah faced intense external pressure and internal political instability. Despite being socially unjust and resistant to truth, the people maintained a "head in the sand" confidence. They believed that because they had the Temple and a king from the line of David, they were untouchable. Jeremiah used provocative, sometimes offensive, poetry and metaphors to shatter this false ideology and awaken the people to their reality.
A Call to Deconstruct and Rebuild
The heart of the message focuses on Jeremiah 1:1-10, where God reveals that Jeremiah was set apart for this role before he was even born. Jeremiah’s immediate reaction was to offer excuses, claiming he was too young to speak. However, God dismissed these hesitations, commanding him to go where he was sent and speak what he was told.
Jeremiah's specific mandate was to:
Dig up and pull down: Challenging the systems and ideologies that destroyed lives and broke trust in God.
Destroy and demolish: Shaking up the status quo to bring buried injustices to the surface.
Build and plant: Creating something new, just, and hopeful that works for all people.
Modern Application:
The sermon connects this ancient call to our church’s modern commitment to a majority world slum in a large Asian city. This 50-year mission aims to transform a community burdened by extreme poverty and modern slavery. Just as Jeremiah was called to "build and plant," the church is called to end child marriage and provide access to education, health, and employment. Though everyone has reasons to avoid God's call—just as Moses and Jeremiah did—the community is urged to put aside excuses and nervously step up to the task of restoration.
Discussion Guide:
This community guide is designed for small groups to engage with the themes of Jeremiah 1:1-10, focusing on the call to dismantle unjust systems and build a future of hope.
Small Group Guide: The Call of Jeremiah
Opening Reflection
As we move from the study of various Psalms to the book of the prophet Jeremiah, it is important to recognize their different tones. While the Psalms of lament often question God’s lack of action or "blame" God for suffering, the Prophets shift the focus toward human responsibility. The Prophets raise contemporary issues and place responsibility on leaders and society for neglecting the poor and forgetting God.
Discussion Questions:
Have you ever felt more comfortable "blaming God" for the state of the world than looking at our own part in creating systems that don't work for people? Why is this?
What are the main problems in the world that God is often blamed for? Why?
Part 1: Understanding the Context
Jeremiah spoke to the southern kingdom of Judah during a time of catastrophic political instability. Judah was a "buffer state" caught between rising empires like Babylon, Egypt, and Assyria. Despite the external pressure and internal injustice, the people held a "head in the sand" confidence, believing the Temple and their kingly line made them untouchable.
Discussion Questions:
What are the "Temple-centered" ideologies today that might give us a false sense of security or cause us to ignore the "cracks" in our own society?
Part 2: The Call and the Excuse
Read Together: Jeremiah 1:1–10
God’s call to Jeremiah was personal and predetermined: "Before I created you in the womb I knew you... I set you apart". Despite this clear calling, Jeremiah responded with an excuse: "I don’t know how to speak because I’m only a child".
Discussion Questions:
Jeremiah felt "not quite up to it". What is the primary excuse you find yourself giving God when you feel a nudge to step into a difficult situation or call out an injustice?
How do we overcome this reticence to step up?
Part 3: Plucking Up and Planting
Jeremiah’s mission was twofold:
To Dismantle: To dig up, pull down, destroy, and demolish systems that destroy lives and break trust in false gods.
To Rebuild: To build and plant things that are new, just, and bring hope to the people.
Discussion Question:
Why is it necessary to "pluck up" or "tear down" old ways of ordering society before we can successfully "build and plant" something new?
Practical Implications: Living the Call
The sermon highlights the church’s 50-year commitment to the transformation of a community in a major Asian city slum living under extreme poverty and modern-day slavery. We are called to "see the crap," call it out, and build new systems that treat all people as the image of God.
Practices:
Practices for Individuals:
Identify Your "No": Reflect on the reasons you have for not answering God’s call. This week, acknowledge that excuse to God and tell Him you are willing to "nervously step up" regardless.
Waking Up to Themes: Jeremiah used metaphors to awaken people to underlying themes of injustice. Pay attention to your local community this week. Where do you see "crap" that needs to be called out—perhaps in the form of social isolation, greed, or neglect of the vulnerable?
Practices for the Community:
Long-term Commitment: How can our group better support this long-term mission to end child marriage, grinding poverty, lack of education, and other issues facing those in the slums and places of poverty in the majority world?
A Community of Hope: Discuss one practical "building and planting" project your group could support locally. How can you work together to restore hope to those struggling with systems that cause them harm?
Additional Resources:
For a printable version of this guide click here.