It is so easy to confess that nothing is too hard or impossible with God, and that is true. But it is one thing to confess it but entirely another thing to demonstrate our faith in God’s power, or His ability. In this passage, we learn how to demonstrate and also experience the power of God in our lives.
In the Bible, Israelites living in exile was often a result of their disobedience and their lack of trust in Yahweh. Instead of repenting of their sins, they grumbled against God without understanding His purpose for their lives even during their state of exile. This passage reminds us how we can be like Israelites, but also shows us the remedy to live a purposeful life.
God often uses man as a vessel for His own Holy purposes. But He not just uses people for His purposes, God also shapes them into a particular vessel so that His children can fulfill their intended purpose in life. In this passage, we learn how God is a potter, and we are His clay who are shaped into Christlikeness as vessels of His glory.
In the Bible, whenever God calls His Prophets and Servants, it would always be for a specific task in order to be God’s faithful messengers. But God’s calling is not just limited to prophets, kings and priests but also extends to every Christian. In this Book of Jeremiah, we learn what God’s calling in our lives entails.
Christian Life consists of various character qualities which are an indication of our genuine faith in Christ. God expects His children to exhibit certain spiritual qualities so that the world might glorify His name. In this passage, we learn about being faithful in our callings, and also to seek God’s approval in everything that we do.
Church history has a record of martyrdom so prevalent that a person’s genuine faith in Christ was verified by how much they were willing to suffer and be persecuted for Christ sake while witnessing for Him every second of their lives. So, what kind of character traits should a Christian show forth in the church and in the world especially in times of spiritual adversity? Listen to the sermon to learn the marks of a healthy Christian.
The church as an institution is always dependent on its mature and effective leadership committee, or a group of Elders. If there are no godly Christian men who are equipped to handle the Word of God and the saints with integrity and moral uprightness, the church would collapse immediately. In this passage, Paul not just defends his ministry, but also lays out marks of a true Christian leader called by God to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and to lead a life that brings glory to God alone.
There is one prevailing truth which the Bible keeps reminding Christians about, that is our eternal fellowship with God. This is not just our destiny, but it is also our longing. We were created with a sense of eternity in our hearts, which can only be realized in actuality when we behold God on the last day and enter into eternal fellowship with God. In this passage, the Apostle Paul explains why and how we need to keep groaning for our eternal home, which is God Himself.
Jesus Christ commissioned His Apostles to go around the world to preach the gospel and make disciples. It is not just for the Apostles to do this job (obviously because they’re not here), but every Christian is called to witness for Christ and be a disciple maker in some capacity. In this passage, we learn what kind of attitude and motives we are all called to have, in order to stand for Christ and serve His people.