A Nation in Need of Prayer

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A Nation in Need of Prayer

• Jeremiah 14-17
• Lessons We Need Today

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Jeremiah's Sixth Sermon The Droughts in
Judah      141-1521

• 1.      Judah's Famine Is Described    141-6
• Jer 141 -The word of the LORD that came to
  Jeremiah concerning the droughts.
• Jer 144 - Because the ground is parched, For
  there was no rain in the land, The plowmen were
  ashamedThey covered their heads.
• Jer 145 - Yes, the deer also gave birth in the
  field, But left because there was no grass. NKJV

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When Prayer Fails No Intercession Permitted

• 2.      Jeremiah's First Intercession    147-12
• Jer 147 O LORD, though our iniquities testify
  against us, do thou it for thy name's sake for
  our backslidings are many we have sinned against
  thee.
• Jer 1411 Then said the LORD unto me, Pray not
  for this people for their good.
• Jer 1412 - But I will consume them by the sword,
  by the famine, and by the pestilence." NKJV

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When Prayer Fails and No Intercession Can Change
Things

• 3.      Jeremiah's Second Intercession. . .
  1413-18
• Jer 1413 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, the
  prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the
  sword, neither shall ye have famine but I will
  give you assured peace in this place.

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When Prayer Fails and No Intercession Can Change
Things

• 4.      Jeremiah's Third Intercession   
  1419-159
• Jer 1421 Do not abhor us, for thy name's sake,
  do not disgrace the throne of thy glory
  remember, break not thy covenant with us.
• Jer 151 Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses
  and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not
  be toward this people cast them out of my sight,
  and let them go forth.
• Jer 153 And I will appoint over them four kinds,
  saith the LORD the sword to slay, and the dogs
  to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the
  beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.
• Jer 154 And I will cause them to be removed into
  all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh
  the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for that which
  he did in Jerusalem.

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When The Prophet Fails In Discouragement

•    God Encourages Jeremiah    1510-21
• Jer 1511 The LORD said, Verily it shall be well
  with thy remnant verily I will cause the enemy
  to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in
  the time of affliction.

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When The People Fail God and Themselves

•    Jeremiah Is Not to Marry    161-9
• Jer 161 The word of the LORD came also unto me,
  saying,
• Jer 162 Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither
  shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place.
• Jer 169 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the
  God of Israel Behold, I will cause to cease out
  of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the
  voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the
  voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the
  bride.

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When The People Fail God and Themselves

• Judah's Idolatry    1610-13
• Jer 1610 And it shall come to pass, when thou
  shalt shew this people all these words, and they
  shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD
  pronounced all this great evil against us? or
  what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we
  have committed against the LORD our God?
• Jer 1611 Then shalt thou say unto them, Because
  your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD,
  and have walked after other gods, and have served
  them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken
  me, and have not kept my law
• Jer 1612 And ye have done worse than your
  fathers for, behold, ye walk every one after the
  imagination of his evil heart, that they may not
  hearken unto me

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When The People Fail God and Themselves

• God's Promise of Judah's Restoration Stands
  Firm. 1614-21
• Jer 1615 But, The LORD liveth, that brought up
  the children of Israel from the land of the
  north, and from all the lands whither he had
  driven them and I will bring them again into
  their land that I gave unto their fathers.

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When All Else Fails, God Is Still There

• Judah's Sins Are Listed    171-18
• Jer 171 The sin of Judah is written with a pen
  of iron, and with the point of a diamond it is
  graven upon the table of their heart, and upon
  the horns of your altars
• Maybe When Things Get Bad Enough We Will See That
  God Is All We Ever Really Needed

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When All Else Fails, God Is Still There

• Hopelessness in sin 171-4
• Hopelessness in misplaced confidence -5-8
• Hopelessness in the deceived human heart -9-10
• Hopelessness in life without God v.11
• The Lord is Our Only Hope 12-18

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The Lord is Our Only Hope 12-18

• He effectively deals with ingrained sin 1-4
• He is worthy of ultimate confidence 7-8
• He properly evaluates the heart 9-10
• He assures stability 12-13
• He alone is the source of healing and help 14-18

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When All Else Fails, God Is Still There  

• Jeremiah's Call for Sabbath Observance 1719-27
• Jer 1721 Thus saith the LORD Take heed to
  yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath
  day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem
• Jer 1727 But if ye will not hearken unto me to
  hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden,
  even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the
  sabbath day then will I kindle a fire in the
  gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of
  Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.

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Jeremiahs Confessions in 11-20

• You, Yahweh, are like a deceitful brook, like
  waters that fail 1518
• But, it only SEEMS that way when we struggle in
  crisis
• In His Time
• If you, Jeremiah, repent, Ill restore you to
  serve me once more 1519
• Sometimes we are our own problem
• They have dug a pit for my life deliver their
  children to famine deal with them, God, while
  you are still angry 1818-23
• The desire for revenge is sometimes a pressing
  feeling

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Conclusion

• A Nation Can Drift Too Far For Prayer To Help
• Even Gods People Can Drift Too Far
• A Prophet and/or Preacher Can Become Discouraged
  or Disenchanted
• God Is There When All Else Fails. He Alone
  Deserves Our Hope and Heart