1203. Proclamation to Self When Doubting Your Call

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville South Carolina were continuing a series from seminary chapel on proclaiming the invincible word in a counsel culture today speaker is Dr. Mark Otori, Executive Director of gospel fellowship Association missions. I'd like to invite all of you to open your Scriptures this morning to Jeremiah chapter 20 I'm assuming that the majority of us, if not all of us have already told the Lord, Lord, here are my I will do whatever I will go. Whatever mother I'm your servant to use as you would be your will, I'm launching out on that assumption that you would not be here today.

Starting in the seminary preparing yourself this way. Had not already committed yourself that way to the service of the Lord may be reconsidered. What all that means that I was assigned the topic. The proclamation to self.

When doubting your call, what are you doing you doubt your call how you handle the discouragements of ministry throughout the history of the servants of the Lord, that we find that they have mixed they themselves experienced the depths of discouragement and minimum led to the doubt of their own call William Carey we know this mystery statesman, one biographer wrote about him and said that he expressed many times in sheer black depression. Spurgeon realize out of 39 years of ministry only times he resigned 3232 times out of 39 years of ministry.

David Brainerd deep bouts of melancholy. He often wondered if God, whatever. It would ever do anything through him. The beginning of his ministry there, which is visible.

The doubts maybe I missed my calling Eddie Simpson and the list can go on and on and on John the Baptist. I've often thought of this utility was finally put into prison, the disciples came and John asked them, is this the Christ which we seek another disorder that the moment of MLM wave. I wasted myself. The disciples themselves.

John 21 after the resurrection. Even after the resurrection and there was a time span of time when Christ had not appeared and we find Peter saying I'm going fishing I'm going back to my former vendors will go fishing. I'm hungry and the other the other disciple, so we vulnerable with you what motivated. They had been given such wonderful prospects and promises. What God was going to do, but March 6 teenagers.

They were afraid at that point, verse 11, they believed not verse 13 neither believe they them verse 14. They believed not discouragement, wondering, and questioning did we make the wrong decision, but in the beginning how that I have to trust and believe that all that one point made a decision. I will serve Jesus Christ.

I will follow him wherever do whatever Jeremiah I like of this passage is Jeremiah's letter of resignation. We see him also really get into that passage a little morbid to places like this not working out like I thought I might as well quit. My mother will just throw in the towel couple years ago I talked with the young man who was studying for the ministry here is becoming more into his his plans he thought was very wise for him to approach his preparation. This way, he said in preparing for the ministry, but I'm I'm majoring in business just in case the ministry doesn't work out I have something to fall back onto we think it was going my mind at that moment mother's going to the business because at some point, like the disciples and Peter saying on bonefishing because I can pretty much guarantee all of us as we go into the ministry and serve Christ thereof can be moments when there's great disappointment, discouragement and even times when you would doubt your call. Jeremiah, where are we esteemed him. We look at him is this great prophet of God, but was discouraged possibly even doubted his call. At this moment discouragement can come by disqualifying sin. Discouragement can come upon a servant of Christ by a distracted focus by disobedient heart by discouraging results, but here Jeremiah we can find that his discouragement came as we find her in this passage by two things. First walked by them verse it out by adversities that were from without a faithful man.

This often happens, we faithfully serve. We freely give our lives to serve Christ, but somehow does work out the way we've envisioned it. Go back to chapter 19 the last verse of the refined Jeremiah prophesied verse 1415 and it says that the dust of the Lord of hosts, I will bring upon this city and upon all the towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it is they have hardened their necks. He prophesied against them. We get in the chapter, one of one versus wanted to chapter 20 we find that pass. Shortly, the son of the high priest, a leader eight truck Jeremiah and Sissy smote him the word sloth really means at least that he is severely beaten as to destroy the rest of murder to kill because he prophesied his. He did, he took this magic of the prophet and severely beat them and then thrown in stocks through minim in the prison in the dark, binging, multidigit dungeon of the prison and chained them to the wall we get into and continue on here in chapter 20 verse three and onward it says in the came to pass on the morrow. The next morning the next day is going to pull Jeremiah out of the prison mall is asking the Jeremiah came for anyone not perform or versus me condemning the city condemning the man back.

He says that Jeremiah told in verse three the Lord had called by name and not go the name pasture, which means the giver freedom, but Bob or me shopping meaning the cause of terror on every side select some politicians with no more aware of by me on every side causing disruption in terror. All right now Jeremiah is speaking the word of Lord. The prophecy against the very man the day before BDM and thrown in stocks and outcomes of the next day with greater boldness.

I mean, he really listened to this man.

Verse five you will deliver all that all the strength of the city all their labors are ever the precious things will be given over babbling in person or you will die in battle and all your friends and family who do you think he did at that moment how much a notice from verse six to verse seven we over verse six. The prophet's bold proclamation that we see in verse seven.

Lord you deceived me, so it would have between six and seven and I can pretty much guarantee by what happened pressure what the guy didn't beat him the blurriness and and thrown once again in jail the Stockton treatment to all here. Jeremiah going for you deceived me, I am gone faithfully during which labs asked me to do but look what Is this the way you treat your servants. You deceived me. Jeremiah 1119, Jeremiah described himself as being as an ox to the slaughter. Okay, so what caused Jeremiah's discouragements mentor was the adversary from without.

He suffered physical violence, something we have not had to experience our country.

Yet I think of and I hear stories of North Korea how Babel go in and there be a church. They will find having church services and they will take them out into the street, starting with the pastor they will steamroll the infection. I envision as they pull the past Robin, one of the brethren said no. The first visit faithfulness to God's call may cause or may bring upon us such difficulty in attacks.

There was the attack from without, was upon him as best we can speak with the pastor. The church is epic up near Milwaukee. It was only about years ago there'd been someone who passed some false information about him and nine. He had, he was affected by verbal abuse matches physical abuse was verbal and same with Jeremiah. We can find that the people stood against and they rejected him.

They rejected his message. This pent up a road to verse down is that this is a verse that sustained him in function.

If nothing else, it often we think and a lot of those preparing the management… This went on the young men also want to be a pastor, people are likely to be a pastor. Everybody will like me. Everyone thought that it doesn't work out that way when your Nehemiah you know he was the weeping prophet.

The book is full of his tears.

It is shed for the people that he gave his ministry heart to but they rejected it. Sometimes of physical attacks don't hurt as much as when the people that you love turn on you and that's what this pastor said. Years later, the Lord redeemed his testimony with this verse, he uses his brothers, 29, 22 through 23 as an angry man stirs up strife in a hot tempered person abounds in wrongdoing. A person's pride will bring him low, but humble spirit to obtain favor and he found the city Quoting that that he would respond in humility, he would respond correctly in the Lord did redeem him so there was attacks from without the attacks from within by the way also. These are the most devastating people can speak against us. People can harm our bodies when we begin with the wrong attitude or matter that victim mentality, poor me, but is against me to the inward attitudes can do more to damage our ability to minister the people just bought anything else, but they're abusing me here what I've often thought is the best when it's of a man's got a servants heart is find out how we react to see people treat them that way. What we do with people respond to us in such a negative way. I'm all alone, he said. Chapter 15 verse seven pieces I said not in the assembly.

The markers more rejoiced. I sat alone because of thy hand, Lord, I was all alone and will we start getting this type of victim mentality. We start to make the wrong kind of judgments and decisions of often thought of Elijah. You know when is being pursued by Jezebel. Why was he fleeing she's going to kill me.

She's after my life, so he goes out under the juniper trees is what you might as well kill me going to admit that the design seem logical to you while I'm at a flea Jezebel's hand… And here, what are you going to kill me makes no logic for logic of of how we begin to think when arm when our attitudes are wrong from within. We start making wrong decisions. By the way, when you're in the moment of discouragement. That's not the time to make decisions as you will also be in danger of responding irrationally, thought of Jonah is on the ship and was he told the sailors throw me overboard, you rascal want to jump where you have ever thought about that formula worked what he was include them and have them verbatim, you rascal job and also think of what happened was okay this rollover.

He was probably the mother should know about the Pentagon. The three men I mean your rational thinking. Alexander Jonah then find himself. One of the juniper tree. Lori my students kill me, many things when you start down the path of those wrong internal attitudes. I'm all alone. I messages flea and run notice quit fully with these people quit that was to become irrational chapter members to we find that you're my sister. I will not make mention of him nor speak anymore.

His name I'm done Mr. Brown this day of his quit. They don't deserve me anyways I will go someplace else is good flea discouragement will affect our judgment so we should Jeremiah have got just a couple more minutes. I just want talk not about the causes of his discouragement, but secure a business of highly commodities. Let me say this remit remember anything else from her this okay discouragement when responding to correctly will not last the God of your call. When dealt with properly before the Lord will not last. You will understand the power of the call of God in your life and how he uses you. You will see his hand upon you this way: quit Jeremiah in the stocks there in the depths of that prison chained to a wall and one poison Lord you've deceived me. You let me.

I'm thinking that you would do this and now look at me and richly the Lord's servant so often over the years, we can find as you read their stories of the minute I read to you the very beginning. These are listed there.

More Spurgeon William Carey always been. They discovered the laws always seem to proceed. New times of empowering for ministry. David Brainerd after he slipped into the depths of doubt and present outpouring of the Spirit came upon the American Indians and God used his preaching to reach multiple multitudes of these may people for Christ. There is a great empowering of his life as we know them today, but had he went through a time of great despair before then. Discouragement will not last forever. If we respond correctly.

God will show his hand in his mighty power. The cause of the cure of journalized out. First of all is that he returned to the word he was called to proclaim he was a return to the word he was called to proclaim how someone verse eight he says the Lord told him, be not afraid of their faces fine with the to deliberately support people be called Jeremiah chapter 1 in causes. I will be with you.

I will defend you. I will deliver you. We forgot about that when he was chained to the wall of the dungeon. We had to go back to the word of God, and that's what gave them the assurance chapter 20 verse 11 message but the Lord is with me. This test when the Lord is with me.

He went back and rehearsed God's promise to God first called was reading chapter 1 verse eight Lord is with me. Therefore, my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail. Patient greatly be greatly ashamed for the shall not prosper their everlasting confusion shall not be forgotten. The seal was not the power the will of man that got him out of the discouragement was the power of the word of God, the government discouragement and working on her this morning and I'm I am sure most of you here have learned have made the most wonderful discovery by this phrase, I would tablet this works great when I travel I got there on the right arm on on the road all the time with this Scripture has become the most wonderful treasure in my life. It's not a book just a study to understand.

It's a book to read and understand that it can be applied to our lives.

This has become the most wonderful treasure in my life.

If you are only looking at the Scripture for sermon preparation for fulfillment of a class requirement.

You need to get to the point of this book, you see that it is alive.

It is alive and it does work in our third I'm a morning I'm up and forth with his mom I wake on the desk.

I missed him up. This is great because I used to get up and go to my little study and open up and have a cup of coffee or something that likeness open this up in lights up and boom I can still stay in nice warm comfortable bed and I just look forward to it so much.

Do you have that relationship with this book. My friends don't start and this will sustain you more than anything else in your Christian life.

This will keep you anchored in God's purpose, no matter what comes number.

What happens this will give you that strength that is needed. So he returned to the word he was called to proclaim but always return to his call to proclaim the word. To do this. It says in verse nine says, but his word was in me.

The burning fire shut up in my bones and I was wearing with forbearing is always weary of resisting everything so alive in me. I could not resist it goes on engaging, desist, and I could not stay a good state of nosiness that means I couldn't stop. This is something that's so overwhelmed me that I had to do an Asian gentleman again this book is the thing that will empower you to do would crisis called you to do whatever difficult circumstance. Worry wall you may be chained to one day per preaching the truth of the gospel. It is best book that will sustain you for everything else she had to go back to his call. I can go back to when God said I'm call you before you were born I called you their times and that's what we need to do. We go back to that moment when God laid on her heart. He made it clear that he wanted us to serve him in this way years ago by the way, I've been Executive Director for 31 years. That means I've I've worked a lot of situation missions run deputation and for the month.

This just is not working out like I thought I begin the wonder of God's will call me was a problem we know, I've been to 25 churches, only 10 were taking me on for support or great wonderful now, but I'm doubting my comic strip is welcomed by the let's remember when God called you all yes yes I do I do how God confirm that in your life all yes God's people can bring us to so know what is changed but nothing. There's your answer return to that moment God could put that in your heart and mind. Sometimes it is as one moment, one spot one picture point in time.

Sometimes it may be that it was a overtime he revealed this to you what you should be doing to keep that in your mind, and Jeremiah stood up again, and continued by the way, we know the book of Jeremiah doesn't have it doesn't have a happy ending. It's about the unraveling of a nation. It's a sad story of the decline of God's people from faith to idolatry to exile. It is evident very happy ending but he continued faithful by what this book becomes a great book for our generation as we live in a post-Christian generation winning men and women who gonna stand up and stay true, even though there may be the physical assaults there will be the word spoken against us. The opposition we need a generation that will really that will remain faithful to the word in their calling, even in times like this. Jeremiah doubted it got discouraged and doubted, but in the end he could do no, none other than to do what God's call to do this determined to be that generation now is our moment in history now is our opportunity to be like Jeremiah willing to do. I say this determined right now we are going to stand for Christ and we get discouraged, we will go back to the word will reconfirm our call and keep going. The returns as my God is abandoned.

This was a Lord you just know you you know you were unfaithful to me where you act with the Newcomb through his room so faithful and powerful but takes our ability to stand true Nesta need right now of our generation of your generation to be Jeremiah in a post-Christian culture that withdraws it can to make us conform to them. The stay faithful to God. Father pray that you bless now is these things and help us to understand that discouragement and doubt only respond correctly to will not last forever, which will give us once again strength conference boldness and power to do what you called us to do this is our moment in history that we be found faithful in Jesus name, amen.

You been listening to a message preached by Dr. Mark Hattori, Executive Director of gospel fellowship Association missions join us again tomorrow as we continue the series proclaiming the invincible word in a cancel culture here on The Daily Platform