RISE ABOVE DISCOURAGEMENTJEREMIAH 20:1-13

AUGUST 19, 2012FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, USA

OUTREACH OPPORTUNITY WEDNESDAY

AUGUST 223:15 P. M. - 5:00 P. M.

Water Distribution for the State employees at the Sillers Building and at the Supreme Court Building. Meet in the Chapel Dining Room for instructions, assignments and prayer time at 3:15 p.m., then at 4:00 p.m.-5:15 p.m. hand out water for FBCJ’s invitation to our “Good Neighbors”. If anyone would like to volunteer, contact Cathy Jeffcoats at CJeffcoats@FBCJ.org or call 601-949-1941 or come at 3:15 on Wednesday to the Chapel Dining Room.

REVIVALSEPTEMBER 9-12

Dr. Frank Page, Preaching Kevin Batson, Minister of Music at Taylors First Baptist Church, Taylors, SC

Leading Music Sunday, September 9

9:00 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday School and Worship Sunday night 6:00 p.m. Worship

Monday, September 10-Wednesday, September 12 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. (Lunch: 11:30-12:10 - Lunch $5.00 Lite Line, $6.00 for

Regular Line) Weekday Revival Services

12:10-12:45 p.m. 5:00-6:00 p.m. Supper in Fellowship Hall East (same price as Wednesday

evening) 6:00 p.m. Revival in Sanctuary (On Wednesday there will be no other

Wednesday night activities)

Camp-What-A-FamilyLake Forest RanchSeptember 28-3025th Anniversary

Brochures are available or look online at FBCJ.org for all details.There will also be an opportunity to attend on Saturday only.

$5.00 day fee with $10.00 per person for each meal.

RISE ABOVE DISCOURAGEMENTJEREMIAH 20:1-13

Definition of discourage - To deprive of confidence, to deprive of hope or spirit. To try to prevent by expressing disapproval or raising objections.

SYNONYMS: dishearten, dispirit. To make less hopeful or less enthusiastic. Enthusiastic - Origin: 1595-1605; Greek enthousiastikós which ultimately comes from entheos: from en (“within”) and theos (“God”) “having God within”.

American Heritage Dictionary

It is God in us (en theos) that gives us our motivations and passions.

Enthusiasm is the opposite of discouragement.

God’s enemy wants us to forget that God is our Source and attempts to “discourage” us with his lies and messages of hopelessness.

The antonym of discourage is encourage.

God has already given us enough courage to face today and the challenges that it brings.

2 Peter 1:3 NIV3 “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3 NIV

Every time God’s enemy attempted to tempt Jesus in Matthew 4:1-12, Jesus quoted God’s word in order to defeat Satan. We should do the same.

Ephesians 3:20“God is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power (His Holy Spirit) that works in us .”

1 Samuel 30:6 “David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”

Jude 20“Build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.”

Romans 10:17“Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.”

Discouragement is: 1) dissatisfaction with the past, 2) distaste for the present, 3) distrust of the future.

It is: 1) ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, 2) indifference to the opportunities of today,3) insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow.

Discouragement is: 1) unawareness of the presence of beauty, 2) unconcern for the needs of others, 3) unbelief in the promises of old.

It is: 1) impatience with time, 2) immaturity of thought, 3) impoliteness to God.

William Ward, Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 18

Plough Ahead Pay as little attention to discouragement as possible. Plough ahead as a steamer does, rough or smooth, rain or shine.To carry your cargo and make port is the point.

(opPORTunity)Maltbie Babcock Bits and Pieces June, 1990, p. 12From Bible.org

This lesson is about: 1) honestly dealing with the discouragement and doubts we will experience as we serve the Lord and 2) maintaining the proper focus on God during those times of discouragement and weariness as we serve Him.

Galatians 6:9-10a9“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10a So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people”

Galatians 6:9-10a

Jeremiah 20:1-13 HCSB 1 “Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer and chief official in the temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. 2 So Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate in the Lord’s temple.

3 The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, “The Lord does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-missabib (MAY gahr-mih SAY bib), 4 for this is what the Lord says, ‘I am about to make you a terror to both yourself and those you love. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will deport them to Babylon and put them to the sword. 5 I will give away all the wealth of this city, all its products and valuables. Indeed, I will hand all the treasures of the kings of Judah over to their enemies. They will plunder them, seize them, and carry them off to Babylon. 6 As for you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, you will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon. There you will die, and there you will be buried, you and all your friends that you prophesied falsely to.’”7 You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived.

You seized me and prevailed.I am a laughingstock all the time; everyone ridicules me.

8 For whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim, “Violence and destruction!” because the word of the Lord has become for me constant disgrace and derision.

9 If I say, “I won’t mention Him or speak any longer in His name,”His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones.I become tired of holdingit in, and I cannot prevail.

10 For I have heard the gossip of many people,“Terror is on every side! Report him; let’s report him!”Everyone I trusted watches for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we might prevail against him and take our vengeance on him.”

11 But the Lord is with me like a violent warrior. Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.Since they have not succeeded, they will be utterly shamed,an everlasting humiliation that will never be forgotten.

12 Lord of Hosts, testing the righteous and seeing the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance on them, for I have presented my case to You.

13 Sing to the Lord!Praise the Lord,for He rescues the life of the needy from the hand of evil people.”

Jeremiah 20:1-13 HCSB

Scripture never tries to hide the weaknesses of God’s servants. Their failures often stemmed from either fear, anger or

F ear motivated Abraham to lie about his relationship with Sarah more than once (Genesis 12 & 20).

Anger at the Israelites’ hard-heartedness caused Moses to strike the rock to gain water instead of just speaking to it as God had commanded him (Numbers 20).

Elijah became extremely discouraged after Jezebel threatened his life for defeating the 500 prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel (I Kings 19).

On one occasion when Paul’s life was threatened, Christ appeared to him to encourage him (Acts 23:10-11; also see Acts 27:23-24).

Jeremiah had his weak moments too.Like Moses, Jeremiah was opposed by God’s people.Like Elijah, Jeremiah was threatened by a powerful ruler.Like Paul, Jeremiah was imprisoned.

This lesson focuses on Jeremiah’s discouragement , explains that it is not uncommon for God’s people to get down and discouraged as they serve Him, and provides insights that will help us to overcome discouragement as we serve Christ.

Jeremiah 20:1 1 “Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer and chief official in the temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things.” Jeremiah 20:1

The very one who should have welcomed Jeremiah’s words from the Lord, Pashhur, was the main aggressor against him. Pashhur had prophesied falsely.

Jeremiah had been prophesying the truth.

True friends tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.

Your best friend is the one who tells you the most truth.

Have you been avoiding speaking a difficult word to a friend?

Jeremiah 20:22 “So Pashhur had Jeremiah the prophet beaten and put him in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate in the Lord’s temple.” Jeremiah 20:2

Pashhur had Jeremiah beaten which may refer to the maximum of 40 lashesfrom Deut. 25:3 that was later modified in Jewish legal procedures to 39 lashes for misconduct.

The Law of Moses demanded the death penalty for false prophets in Deut. 18:20 so it seems strange that Pashhur did not have Jeremiah executed.

As the priest, one of Pashhur’s jobs was to preserve order in the Temple. To him, Jeremiah was trouble & he had him beaten and placed in the stocks.

The Hebrew word for stocks means “causing distortion” since the prisoner was nearly doubled up.

Pashhur had been distorting what God wanted said so now he would attempt to distort Jeremiah, God’s prophet at the Upper Benjamin’s Gate, one of the busiest locations of the city where people could observe Jeremiah in an effort to add to his pain and humiliation.

Jeremiah 20:3-43 “The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, ‘The Lord does not call you Pashhur, but Magor-missabib’ (MAY gahr-mih SAY bib),4 for this is what the Lord says, ‘I am about to make you a terror to both yourself and those you love. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will deport them to Babylon and put them to the sword.’”

Name changes are significant in Scripture, and this one predicted God’s judgment on Pashhur.

The name Pashhur could be of Egyptian origin, meaning “son of Horus”.

His new name means “terror all around”.

If God renamed you, what might He call you based on your behavior and character?

Pashhur may have been one of the leaders superficially claiming, “Peace, peace” to a broken people (Jeremiah 8:11). But there would be no peace, only terror.

Jeremiah 8:10b-12a10b “From prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. 11 They have treated superficially the brokenness of My dear people, claiming,

‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.12a Were they ashamed when they acted so abhorrently? They weren’t at all

ashamed. They can no longer feel humiliation.” Jeremiah 8:10b-12a

The Day of the Lord1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, 6, 8b, 112 ”For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 When they say, “Peace and security,” then sudden destruction comes on them, like labor pains come on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. … 6 So then, we must not sleep, like the rest, but we must stay awake and be serious. … 8b we must be serious and put the armor of faith and love on our chests, and put on a helmet of the hope of salvation. ... 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up as you are already doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, 6, 8b, 11

Signs of the End of the Age Luke 21:7-19 The Destruction of Jerusalem Luke 21:20-24 The Coming of the Son of Man Luke 21:25-28

Signs of the End of the Age Luke 21:7-197 “so when will these things be? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?8 Watch out, many will come in My name … . Don’t follow them. 9 You will hear of wars and rebellions ...

11 … earthquakes, and famines ...12 Before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you because of My name. 13 It will lead to an opportunity for you to witness.

15 for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.16 You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you.” Luke 21:7-19

The Destruction of Jerusalem Luke 21:20-2420 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies.

24 Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” Luke 21:20-24

The Coming of the Son of Man Luke 21:25, 2725 “Then there will be signs… 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Luke 21:25, 27

The Need for Watchfulness Luke 21:34-3634 “Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly 35 like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth.36 But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Luke 21:34-36

Pashhur would observe the destruction of those he was supposed to protect: family, friends, city and Temple.

He most likely was taken to Babylon in 586 B.C. where he witnessed the deaths of his own family and where he died far from everything that meant anything to him.

6 “As for you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, you will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon. There you will die, and there you will be buried, you and all your friends that you prophesied falsely to.”

Despite having just been tortured by Pashhur, Jeremiah did not refrain from continuing to speak God’s truth and to tell the priest what God had in store for him.

Sometimes circumstances bring discouragement and sometimes people do but God always expects us to remain faithful in serving Him regardless of the cost to us & to those around us.

Even though we expect discouragement (John 16:33), we do not have to allow it to have victory over us (Romans 8).

Publicly Jeremiah continued his ministry, but privately he was discouraged and he went to God in prayer and honestly expressed his feelings.

Let this be a reminder to us that some of our leaders may appear strong to us publically when inside, they may be on the brink of despair and need our support.

7 “You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived.You seized me and prevailed.I am a laughingstock all the time; everyone ridicules me.

8 For whenever I speak, I cry out, I proclaim, “Violence and destruction!” because the word of the Lord has become for me constant disgrace and derision.

9 If I say, “I won’t mention Him

or speak any longer in His name,”His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones.I become tired of holding it in, and I cannot prevail.

10 For I have heard the gossip of many people,“Terror is on every side! Report him; let’s report him!”Everyone I trusted watches for my fall. “Perhaps he will be deceived so that we might prevail against him and take our vengeance on him.”’

Jeremiah had been serving God faithfully for 20 years when this happened to him.He had been warning folks of God’s judgment and no one was listening.

God had showed Jeremiah that a train wreck was approaching and he longed for repentance from those he loved.

We as parents feel discouraged when our children don’t heed our warnings and it takes a toll on us.

Francis Schaeffer said that “If you love God and love men and have compassion for them, you will pay a real price psychologically.”

Don't be discouraged if your children reject your advice. Years later they will offer it to their own offspring.

Following Jeremiah’s example, one of the first steps in overcoming discouragement is to confess our feelings to God.

He is certainly big enough to handle our frustrations.

Jeremiah told God that the gossip was getting to him in verse 10, “For I have heard the gossip of many people”.

Gossip is deadly to God’s kingdom work.

We are to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15) but never to gossip.

The Hebrew word translated “gossip” in the OT is defined as “one who goes about as a talebearer or scandal-monger.”

Gossip is distinguished from sharing information in two ways:1. Intent. Gossipers often have the goal of building themselves up by making others look bad and exalting themselves as some kind of repositories of knowledge.

2. The type of information shared. Gossipers speak of the faults and failings of others, or reveal potentially embarrassing or shameful details regarding the lives of others without their knowledge or approval. Even if they mean no harm, it is still damaging gossip.

In the book of Romans, Paul reveals the sinful nature and lawlessness of mankind, stating how God poured out His wrath on those who rejected His laws (including gossiping). Romans 1:29b-32

Romans 1:28b-31 28b “God delivered them over to a worthless mind to do what is morally wrong. 29 They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful.” Romans 1:28b-31

We see from this passage how serious the sin of gossip is and that it characterizes those who are under God’s wrath.

Gossips hear and observe situations which they can distort. “A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man [or woman] who talks too much” (Proverbs 20:19).

“A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts” (Proverbs 18:7-8).

Those who guard their tongues keep themselves from calamity (Proverbs 21:23).

So we must guard our tongues and refrain from the sinful act of gossip.

May we all follow the Bible’s teaching on gossip by keeping our mouths shut unless it is necessary and appropriate to speak.

Jeremiah felt as if no one had his back and that everyone was talking behind his back by turning Pashhur’s God-given name into a slurring nickname for Jeremiah.

The gossips would say, “Here comes old Mr-Terror-on Every-Side himself”. Jeremiah’s pain was so great that he, like Job, lamented the day of his birth (Jeremiah 20:14-18; Job 3:1-12).

Jeremiah 20:1414 “May the day I was born be cursed. May the day my mother bore me never be blessed.” Jeremiah 20:14

There is a difference between complaining about our circumstances to others and confessing our frustrations to God.

When God calls us to a task, He will give us the strength and fortitude to do what He wants us to do.

Jeremiah 20:99 If I say, “I won’t mention Him or speak any longer in His name,”His message becomes a fire burning in my heart, shut up in my bones.

I become tired of holding it in,and I cannot prevail.” Jeremiah 20:9

How would the world be different if all believers felt as though God’s message was “fire in our hearts” and we were compelled to share it with others?

Jeremiah 20:11-1311 “But the Lord is with me like a violent warrior.

Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.Since they have not succeeded, they will be utterly shamed,an everlasting humiliation that will never be forgotten.

12 Lord of Hosts, testing the righteous and seeing the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance on them, for I have presented my case to You.

13 Sing to the Lord!Praise the Lord,for He rescues the life of the needy from the hand of evil people.”

Jeremiah 20:1-13

“But the Lord is with me” in v11 is also proclaimed in Zephaniah 3:17: 17 “The Lord your God is with you,

He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you,He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zephaniah 3:17

“the Lord is with me like a violent warrior” views God as a Champion and Defender of those who serve Him.

God has gone to war and will go to war for you!

The change in tone in these last three verses is quite abrupt and marks the change in Jeremiah’s attitude.

Jeremiah stopped thinking about his situations through the filter of his experiences and began to consider them in the light of God’s greatness and power.

This is the only way Jeremiah – and we – can keep our difficulties in perspective.

We must remember Who is in control and our problems begin to fade into the background as praise rises to the foreground.

What are some of your experiences when God calmed your fears and helped you to see Him?

What are some situations when you tend to feel out of control? Illnesses? bad weather? financial difficulties? family crises?

How can we give God the praise in each of these situations?

How does our desire to be in control prevent our trusting God to take care of us?

Following Jeremiah’s journey is like riding a roller coaster. He’s up, then he’s down, then he’s up again!

We may wonder about ourselves during times of discouragement.

Voices try to drag us down. Others bring us up. Which ones speak for God?

What voices do you hear when you’re discouraged?

Which messages do you pay the most attention to?

What does that do for your level of discouragement?

The whispers of those who declared they would prevail against Jeremiah threatened to drag the prophet into the quicksand of discouragement. But he refused to give in to those messages.

Instead he chose to believe God’s promise, “I am with you to rescue you.” (Jeremiah 1:19)

Jeremiah quit focusing on the hardship and humiliation and chose to focus on the God Who would deliver him from those who opposed him.

Jeremiah remembered that God was his faithful warrior and everything He told Jeremiah came true.

Jeremiah was so certain that God would prevail that he sang a victory song!

Do you think Jeremiah’s song of praise came after God raised him out of discouragement or did the praise raise Jeremiah? Or both? What say ye?

The ultimate source of our discouragement is Satan.

We must remember that God has already defeated Satan.

Everything God has promised about our victorious future will come true.

He shows us what to do in the meantime.

God has provided us with this glimpse into Jeremiah’s psyche to encourage us and let us know that His servants get discouraged.

The people God uses are not emotionless super-humans but real people who genuinely care.

They want to please God!

Every bout of discouragement presents us with a choice.

We can keep looking down at the frustrations and decide to stop serving God.

Or we can look up in prayer and continue serving the God Who saved us from the pit of Hell.

It is certainly appropriate to confess our frustrations to God, but if we want to rise above discouragement, we must conclude with worship.

Jeremiah followed Job’s example and made the large jump from pessimism to praise.

Discouragement is not always a sign of unhealthy mood swings.

During those times of discouragement and despair, we call on God for help and guidance.

We should sing praises to Him even in the midst of persecution, suffering and despair.

We remain confident that He is in control.

He proved His love for us at the cross!

Let us rise above discouragement.

5 Biblical truths of this lesson:1) Those who serve God faithfully can expect opposition from God’s

enemies, even to the point of torture.2) God calls on us to be faithful in proclaiming His Word regardless of the

cost to us or to those around us.

3) God’s Word is sometimes hard to proclaim, especially if it says something people we love and want to help are offended by – but we do so anyway.

4) Feeling frustrated or discouraged while serving the Lord is not uncommon. At such times, we should be honest with God about those feelings.

5) God’s people need to remain confident in Him as the Sovereign of the universe Who will accomplish His purpose and vindicate them at the proper time.

2 Corinthians 4:8-98 We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; 9 we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

2 Corinthians 4:16-1816 “Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Assignment for next week is to study Jeremiah chapters 37 and 38.

Psalm 27My StrongholdWritten by David1 ”The Lord is my light and my salvation —

whom should I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life — of whom should I be afraid?

2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh,my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.

3 Though an army deploys against me, my heart is not afraid; though a war breaks out against me, still I am confident.

4 I have asked one thing from the Lord; it is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, gazing on the beauty of the Lord and seeking Him in His temple.

5 For He will conceal me in His shelter in the day of adversity; He will hide me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high on a rock.

6 Then my head will be high above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Lord, hear my voice when I call; be gracious to me and answer me.

8 My heart says this about You, “You are to seek My face.” Lord, I will seek Your face.

9 Do not hide Your face from me; do not turn Your servant away in anger. You have been my helper; do not leave me or abandon me, God of my salvation.

10 Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord cares for me.

11 Because of my adversaries, show me Your way, Lord, and lead me on a level path.

12 Do not give me over to the will of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing violence.

13 I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and courageous. Wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27