We are so glad that you joined us today at North Main Street Church of God. At North Main, we exist to develop completely committed followers of Christ who...

Know Christ intimately,

Grow in Christ continually, and

Go for Christ daily

Dishes
North Main’s kitchen is giving away the hundreds of sets of unused ceramic dinnerware that have been in the kitchen for decades. They’re sitting out on tables in the Life Center for you and are FREE FOR THE TAKING. They will only be available this Sunday and next Sunday the 18th.

The Descendant
(Jeremiah 23:1-8)
Yearly Theme: “Kindness is… Amended”
Series Title: “Kindness through Discipline”
June 11th, 2023

Something to think about:

It's hard to have faith in something (or someone) you cannot see, but faith is what is needed in order to conquer some of the most towering doubts that we face.

As we continue our series today through the book of Jeremiah, entitled “Kindness through Discipline,” we come to a passage of hope. After having warned the leaders and the people of Judah about impending judgment from GOD through the Babylonian Empire’s invasion of the land, GOD gives Jeremiah a word of hope to the people for future generations; a descendant of David who will come and rule with wisdom and do what is right throughout the land. This ruler will be called, “The Lord is our Righteousness,” and in that day Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. Let’s take a closer look today:

Here’s the takeaway:

Key Point: “Even though people may fail us, GOD will always come through for those who remain faithful to Him.”

There are three main characters that we need to take a closer look at today in order to understand the goodness of GOD:

· _____________ Shepherds.

Jeremiah 23:1-2 (NLT), “What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.
2 Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: “Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them.

· ___________ Shepherds.

Jeremiah 23:3-4 (NLT), 3 But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their own sheepfold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the Lord have spoken!

· The ___________.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 (NLT) 5 “For the time is coming,”
says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant
from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
6 And this will be his name:
‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved,
and Israel will live in safety.

Something to take home:

Even though GOD may discipline His people through judgment, He still comes through for those who remain faithful to Him. These people throughout the Old Testament are called “The Remnant,” people who continue to remain loyal to GOD even when the rest of the world/culture rejects Him.

In your walk of faith, have you become too familiar with a certain concept of GOD that you’ve lost interest in Him altogether? Have you become so used to going through the motions of religious activity, that you’ve grown bored with what you consider to be “Christianity”? Have the government and spiritual leaders in your life left you frustrated and weary to the point where you’ve said cynically, “If you can’t beat them, then join them?” Are you judging GOD’s responsible shepherds through the lens of irresponsible, destructive shepherds?

Let us remember the words of Paul to the Church at Galatia:

Galatians 6:7-10 (NLT), 7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. 9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. 10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

Jeremiah 18:4
The Hebrew word for marred is translated ruined. The flaw was in the clay itself not in the skill of the potter. Reflecting on the entire verse, what does this reveal to you about God’s hand in your life? How can you respond to God when you find those flaws in your own life? Are you able to trust the Potter as he creates you into something new?

Jeremiah 18:1-12
Count the times the word “if” is used in this passage. What does that tell you about God’s promises? Since God does not change, what are his blessings and punishments contingent upon? Does this idea force you to consider how you approach God? Does this passage help you better understand the importance God places on relationships as opposed to religion?

Jeremiah 23:1-8
Reading through the passage and reflecting, can you identify a “shepherd” who was uncaring, harsh, frightening, and or destructive? What was your response? Was it effective? What does God promise in this passage not only about the destructive shepherds but of the sheep in their care? How can you walk out faithfulness to God when He places you in the role of a shepherd over others?

Jeremiah 23:5-6
In this passage, God describes a new King. What are some of the promises to come with this King? What are the Hebrew people looking for regarding this King who was to come? Often, as we read these texts, we wonder how the nation of Israel missed the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Why might it be easier to understand the dismay of the Crucifixion because of passages like this?

Jeremiah 29:1-14
Reflecting on this passage, what are the Israelites instructed to do while in exile, and for how long? Why is obedience to this directive important? What happened within a period of 70 years? Can you find any connection between this exile and the time following the Exodus? How easy do you think it was for the Israelites to follow God’s lead, to find that place between revolt and compromise? How difficult is it for you to do today?

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