Transcript [00:03] [music] [00:06] We're going to talk about [00:09] our minds. We've been in this series [00:11] called Hold That Thought. And the title [00:14] of my sermon tonight is Hold That Hope. [00:18] We're going to look at Jeremiah. He was [00:20] a man who faced devastation here in [00:23] Jerusalem. [00:24] We can say certainly that it was worse [00:27] even than October the 7th as [00:30] Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian armies [00:32] invaded our city, destroyed the temple, [00:37] took Jewish people captive to Babylon, [00:40] and it seemed like a hopeless situation. [00:45] Well, in the midst of this, Jeremiah was [00:48] very honest with us and with God and [00:50] wrote down what was going on his in his [00:52] mind, in his thoughts, and by God's [00:56] grace, [00:57] he was able to come out of his [01:00] depression. And we're going to look at [01:02] how he did that this evening. But with a [01:04] little bit of background, [01:09] we're going to learn that [01:13] Jeremiah was like us. Aren't you [01:16] thankful that when you read the [01:17] scriptures, [01:18] many of the scriptural writers speak not [01:21] just theology, but they talk about [01:25] what's going on inside of them. David, [01:28] all of those psalms. [01:31] Paul admits in the in 2 Corinthians the [01:35] struggles in his own mind and his own [01:37] thoughts. And Romans chapter 7, he's [01:40] talking about, "Oh, I know I need to do [01:42] this, but I don't do this." And he [01:46] struggles. [01:48] He's honest. I don't know if you [01:50] struggle. Maybe you're one of the rare [01:52] people in the world that do not have [01:54] struggles with your thoughts and with [01:55] your mind. We're going to talk about [01:57] that this evening. [02:01] Can you imagine walking through a city [02:02] you love and not recognizing it anymore? [02:06] Jeremiah isn't watching from a [02:08] disinterested distance. He is very much [02:11] part of Judea among the Jewish [02:14] population [02:16] called to be a prophet of God to speak [02:18] to his own generation. He had warned the [02:21] people of Jerusalem and Judea that if [02:24] they keep on sinning, if they keep on [02:26] worshiping false gods, God is going to [02:28] destroy his own city. [02:33] And we know what happened. He could have [02:35] said, "I told you so." He could have [02:38] said, "You now you know I wasn't crying [02:41] wolf. It's really happened." But [02:43] instead, [02:45] he wept. In fact, Jeremiah is known as [02:49] the weeping prophet. [02:56] We're going to look at the book of [02:57] Lamentations. [02:59] Lamentations by most [03:02] scholars [03:04] say the author is Jeremiah. And if you [03:07] want to find Lamentations is between [03:09] Jeremiah and Ezekiel. And it's only five [03:11] chapters. So try to find that with me. [03:15] And uh we're going to read some passages [03:17] from there. [03:19] We begin [03:21] at verse one of chapter 1 of [03:23] Lamentations. [03:25] And this is how Jeremiah laments. [03:29] This is why it's called Lamentations. [03:31] How lonely sits the city that was full [03:34] of people. [03:35] She who was a princess has become a [03:38] slave. [03:41] Jeremiah [03:43] looks at the city [03:46] and in many ways in his mind he's [03:48] defeated. [03:49] He sees the external ruin, but he's got [03:53] an internal issue that he's dealing with [03:55] with God and with himself. [03:58] And coming to chapter three, he stops [04:00] looking only at the ruins of the city. [04:02] He starts to look inside himself. [04:05] Look at chapter three of Lamentations, [04:07] beginning at verse one. [04:10] I am the man who has seen affliction. [04:13] He has driven and brought me into [04:15] darkness without any light. [04:19] And Jeremiah feels hunted. Listen to the [04:22] verse 10. This is amazing. He's speaking [04:24] of the Lord here. He is a bear lying in [04:27] wait for me, a lion in hiding. He turned [04:31] aside my steps and tore me to pieces. [04:36] I've had some low times myself. [04:38] Uh maybe never as low as Jeremiah, but [04:41] I've had four heart attacks. [04:45] Got seven stents to prove it. [04:48] And every time I would go through a [04:50] recovery period after a heart attack, I [04:52] would go into a deep [04:55] discouragement, [04:57] questioning God, wondering if I'll ever [05:00] be the same again. [05:02] Will I have the strength? Will I have [05:04] the courage? Will I be able to [05:06] contribute anything to the kingdom of [05:08] God? [05:10] I've had some low moments. Have you ever [05:11] had low moments? [05:15] This is a heavy message, so I I need to [05:17] lighten it up just a little bit, but I'm [05:19] going to tell you the truth. It's a true [05:20] story. 10 days ago, I was in Dallas, [05:23] Texas, and I was part of a con [05:26] conference there. [05:28] And uh conference ended and uh [05:32] I get a call. Uh Wayne, I I got some bad [05:36] news for you. Uh I'm in I'm in Canada [05:38] and I have your passport in my purse and [05:42] I'm in Dallas. [05:44] I was keen to get back to Israel. I was [05:47] supposed to meet a friend, a partner in [05:50] ministry, and we were going to spend a [05:51] couple of days together in Galilee. And [05:53] uh I don't have my passport, but they [05:57] went to a [06:00] up UPS [06:02] ship center and and and shipped it to [06:05] Dallas, they thought. [06:07] But then the next day it didn't show up [06:09] and they went to the office to find out [06:11] what happened. And there the passport [06:12] was still sitting in the UPS office. The [06:15] driver didn't pick it up. [06:18] And then I find out that [06:20] [cough and clears throat] [06:21] somebody's iPad was left in our rental [06:24] vehicle. So I had to go and fetch that. [06:27] Then discovered some friends who were in [06:30] the same hotel. She left her wallet with [06:32] a lot of money and credit cards in her [06:34] room. Could you please recover that and [06:36] send that by UPS or FedEx? [06:41] Well, in the end they sent they went to [06:42] FedEx and then sent it to an address of [06:44] a FedEx in Dallas, which was the wrong [06:47] address because they don't receive [06:48] packages. They only ship packages. [06:53] And let me just tell you, I would I'm [06:54] ruminating on these things. I'm [06:56] thinking, it's only going to get worse. [07:00] It it wasn't, "Oh, God, I just trust [07:03] you. I I know good things are going to [07:05] happen out of this. It's all going to be [07:08] good." No, no. I'm thinking it's going [07:10] to get worse. [07:14] And then I finally get a flight. I got [07:16] the passport back. I got it from a [07:18] different FedEx office. We tracked it [07:20] down before the driver would go to the [07:22] wrong place and then I have to wait [07:23] another day. Got it. Got a flight. Got [07:26] on the plane. And I'm thinking now if I [07:28] if the plane leaves on time, but it [07:31] might not, I'll have at least a several [07:34] hours with my friend in Jerusalem. And [07:37] on the microphone, [07:40] the pilot says, "We have a bit of a [07:44] minor problem, [07:47] but we'll be able to leave soon." And [07:49] I'm thinking, so no, we're not leaving [07:51] soon. We're not. We're not. No, I know [07:54] better. I I have a prophetic word about [07:57] this. It's going to get worse. That part [08:00] I didn't say. [08:02] Well, I found [08:04] three hours later, the plane got off the [08:07] runway, arrived at Ben Gordon Airport [08:09] here in Israel, and I got a whole hour [08:12] with my friend before he took his flight [08:14] out of Israel. [08:18] But I'm not Jeremiah. That this is [08:20] nothing compared to Jeremiah. But [08:23] sometimes you can relate, can't you, to [08:25] the man of God. [08:29] Well, [08:32] we read in chapter 3 20 of Lamentations, [08:36] Jeremiah's being honest here. He says, [08:38] "My soul continually remembers it and is [08:41] bowed down within me." He's ruminating. [08:44] He can't get rid of this thought that [08:47] just keeps coming and coming and it's [08:49] very negative. [08:52] And Jeremiah was believing lies as well. [08:54] Look at this verse 8 of chapter 3 of [08:57] Lamentations. Though I call and cry for [09:00] help, he shuts out my prayer. [09:03] What? [09:05] He's praying to God. Though I call and [09:06] cry out for help, he God shuts out my [09:09] prayer. [09:11] That's a lie. [09:13] Psalm 102:17 says that God regards the [09:17] prayer of the destitute and does not [09:19] despise their prayer. [09:22] But to Jeremiah in the pit, it felt like [09:25] God was hard of hearing. And he hits [09:28] rock bottom in verse 17 of Lamentations [09:32] 3. Listen to this. My soul is beereft of [09:35] peace. I have forgotten what happiness [09:38] is. [09:40] My endurance has perished. So has my [09:44] hope from the Lord. [09:47] So has my hope from the Lord perished. [09:52] Some of you have felt like that in [09:54] recent years, [09:56] especially in the last two years, and [09:59] you ask questions like, "Is the hatred [10:02] against Jews going to turn into another [10:05] holocaust? Is God done with Israel? Is [10:08] my theology about Israel accurate? It's [10:10] not looking like it's supposed to be. [10:15] Will the salvation of Israel ever [10:17] happen? [10:20] Or you may have ruminated over and over [10:24] asking the question, "Is God done with [10:26] me?" [10:31] It's best to read a whole book whenever [10:33] possible. You know, we take verses out [10:35] of context all the time, but we think of [10:37] this book Lamentations, five chapters. [10:39] The first two chapters are a kind of uh [10:42] descent or ascent from a a pit from a a [10:47] place, a really low place. And then the [10:50] last two chapters, four and five, is a [10:53] descent back down. But in the middle, [10:57] just a few verses in the middle of [10:59] chapter 3, in the middle of the book, a [11:01] light shines in the darkness for [11:03] Jeremiah. And something amazing is [11:06] written in [clears throat] these verses [11:08] in verses 21 to 26. [11:11] It's the summit. [11:14] And standing at this peak for a brief [11:16] moment, Jeremiah makes a choice. [11:21] How does Jeremiah [11:23] get to this place? And what's the secret [11:26] that we could learn from him so that we [11:28] would stay at that place where the light [11:32] continues to shine in our hearts and in [11:33] our minds? [11:35] Well, I'm calling it five keys to hope. [11:38] And we learn these keys in these verses. [11:42] Lamentations chapter 3 verses 21- 26. [11:47] Key number one, call it to mind. [11:50] Verse 21, he says, "But this I call to [11:53] mind and therefore I have hope." This I [11:58] call to mind, therefore I have hope. [12:03] Zotiv, [12:05] this I call to mind. The Hebrew word [12:07] ashiv literally means [12:11] I will take a turn or make a turn. I [12:15] will turn my heart. He's not passive, [12:17] but he's active. He'll no longer let his [12:19] negative thoughts lead him. He's going [12:21] to lead his thoughts. [12:25] Hope is not a feeling. [clears throat] [12:28] Hope is a discipline. [12:31] Uh when your brain says it's over, you [12:34] grab your mind and say, "No, I am [12:36] calling something else to mind." [12:40] Don't listen to yourself. [12:43] Talk to yourself. [12:46] I know people will think you're weird. [12:47] Although now everybody's got a a [12:50] smartphone, they're all talking to [12:51] somebody, right? They won't know. Talk [12:55] to yourself. Don't listen to yourself. [12:58] If you're going to listen to anybody, [12:59] listen to [laughter] God. Listen to wise [13:01] counselors. But most of the time, talk [13:03] to yourself. [13:05] And so Jeremiah says, "But this I call [13:08] to my mind, and therefore I have hope." [13:13] Well, what does he call to his mind? [13:17] Verse 22, the steadfast love of the Lord [13:22] never ceases. [13:25] >> So we're to remember God's [13:29] compassion, his mercies, [13:32] his love. The word is hessid in the [13:35] Hebrew. It's a love that has to do with [13:38] a relationship, a covenant relationship. [13:41] It's that kind of love. And God has made [13:43] a covenant to the Jewish people and to [13:46] those who were grafted in among Israel, [13:48] part of the commonwealth of Israel. [13:50] Yeshua has made a covenant, a new [13:52] covenant with his followers. And that's [13:55] covenant love. In other words, that love [13:57] is not fickle. It's not fair weather. It [14:00] is committed is absolute commitment. He [14:03] never leaves us nor forsakes us. His [14:06] love is always toward us. [14:10] Anybody say amen? Amen. [14:16] >> Hebrews 12:6 says, "For the Lord [14:19] disciplines the one he loves." [14:23] So when you go through rough waters, [14:26] when you're wondering what's going on, [14:29] sometimes it's God needing to discipline [14:31] us, get us back on track [14:35] because he loves us so much. [14:39] It's a bad father who never disciplines [14:41] his son. [14:44] If you are breathing right now, then [14:45] God's steadfast love is holding you [14:48] together. [14:49] Call to mind God's character of [14:51] steadfast love. That's a key to [14:54] overcoming destructive thinking. Number [14:57] three. Key number three, [14:59] we read it in verse 23. [15:03] Speaking of the Lord, his mercies never [15:05] come to an end. They are new every [15:08] morning. Mercies raim. Many believe it's [15:12] related to the word reheim, a mother's [15:14] womb. It is the instinctive compassion [15:17] of a mother for her child. And you know [15:20] the Lord says this in Isaiah 49 and [15:23] verse 15. Can a woman forget her nursing [15:25] child? That she should have no [15:28] compassion on the son of her womb? Even [15:30] these may forget, yet I will not forget [15:34] you. [15:36] God's got father's love for us and [15:38] mother's love for us. [15:42] And it says here, "His mercies never [15:44] come to an end. They are new every [15:48] morning." [15:50] New every morning. For many of us, [15:52] yesterday was heavy. [15:54] We're thankful that [15:57] today was a little better. Or maybe for [16:00] some of you, today was really rotten. [16:02] But tomorrow morning, his mercies will [16:06] be new. And before you scroll through [16:09] the news or look at your email, [16:13] [snorts] have had you your alarm c alarm [16:18] clock been set before dawn, you would [16:20] have been able to watch the sun rise [16:23] and get a whole new perspective on your [16:25] life and especially that day ahead of [16:28] you. Make that a habit. [16:31] It's part of the discipline. His mercies [16:34] are new every morning. [16:38] Many of you have sleepless nights, [16:41] nightmares, [16:43] anxious thoughts. [16:46] Catch the fresh delivery of the Lord's [16:48] mercies every morning. It's like mana. [16:53] may not last, [laughter] [16:56] but if every morning you collect it [16:58] again, you've got fresh mercies. [17:03] Key number four, [17:06] to overcome your destructive thinking, [17:09] your depressive thinking. [17:11] Declare, "The Lord is my portion." Look [17:15] at this verse 24. [17:18] Jeremiah says this in the midst of his [17:19] doom. [17:21] The Lord is my portion, [17:24] says my soul. [17:26] Portion in the Hebrew [17:29] usually means a piece of land or an [17:32] inheritance, something secure to hold on [17:35] to. [17:37] But Jeremiah has no tangible secure [17:40] piece of land to hold on to. [17:43] But Jeremiah says, [17:46] in fact, he says, "I lost my city. I [17:49] lost my peace. [17:51] Many of us are asking what ifs and these [17:54] questions reveal our insecurity. [17:58] What if the war isn't over? What if it [18:00] expands and gets worse? Uh what if I [18:03] lose my job to AI? Uh uh what if I don't [18:08] get my residency status renewed? [18:12] What if I can't pay my rent this month? [18:17] But instead of dwelling on these [18:18] thoughts, say with Jeremiah, [18:22] "The Lord is my portion. The Lord is my [18:27] tangible security." [18:31] Someone said, "You will never know God [18:33] is all you need until God is all you [18:36] have." [18:38] Let me say that again. [18:40] You will never know God is all you need [18:42] until God is all you have. [18:48] Is God enough? If he is, then losing [18:52] everything else is not the end of the [18:55] world. [19:00] Key number five, [19:03] we read it in verse 26. It is good that [19:06] one should wait quietly. [19:12] This key is trust this season will pass. [19:17] Trust this season will pass. [19:22] Wait means active trust. It's not [19:25] passive sitting in a waiting room for a [19:27] doctor. Jeremiah knows a secret. God [19:31] said that this exile would last 70 years [19:34] and he proclaimed it. That is a very [19:37] long time. [clears throat] [19:40] I know [19:43] I'm 72. [19:47] It was a long time, but it was a limited [19:50] time. [19:51] And that the truth of this future was a [19:55] source of hope for Jeremiah. He writes [19:58] down these words in Jeremiah 29 verse [20:01] 11. [20:04] For I know the plans I have for you, [20:06] declares the Lord. plans for welfare and [20:08] not for evil to give you a future and a [20:13] hope. [20:17] It's a long time, 70 years, but it's a [20:20] limited time. Whatever season you're in, [20:23] if it's difficult, it might seem like [20:25] it's a long, long time, but it's a [20:27] limited time. This too will pass. [20:33] It really will. [20:40] Whatever season you're in, it's a [20:42] chapter, but it's not your whole story. [20:46] You may be in a tunnel, but it is not a [20:48] grave. [20:51] This too shall pass. [20:55] Now, you may say, "Well, that's [20:56] Jeremiah. I mean, he was a prophet of [20:58] God. He knew God so well. [21:01] I I'm not a prophet, nor the son of a [21:04] prophet. In fact, I'm a nonprofit [21:06] and I [laughter] [21:08] and I just I I can't do what Jeremiah [21:12] did. I I'm too deep in my depression. I [21:15] can't I can't come out of it. [21:18] Pastor, you're giving me some really [21:20] good tips here, some good te keys, but I [21:23] don't know if I can do it. [21:26] Well, I want to remind you that Jeremiah [21:29] was [21:31] very weak at times. [21:33] He believed lies at times. We already [21:35] saw that he wasn't perfect. [21:39] There was only one who was perfect. But [21:41] that perfect one knows exactly what [21:43] you're going through. He has experienced [21:47] the trials and temptations that you [21:50] experience. [21:53] And when Yeshua faced the darkness of [21:56] the cross, [21:58] when he faced this ultimate [22:02] A that's the name of leventations in [22:05] Hebrew. You know the word e means how. [22:08] But ea is how awful. [22:12] Oh no, [22:15] how terrible. [22:17] When Yeshua was in the garden about to [22:20] face the cross, [22:23] he felt the full weight of trauma. He [22:26] cried out and the Bible says he sweat [22:29] drops of blood. That's heavy. [22:33] But here's the victory. He drank that [22:35] cup. He went and voluntarily died on [22:38] that cross to take our punishment upon [22:40] himself. And he got victory over his [22:44] thoughts in the garden. He stared fear [22:47] and failure in the face. And he obeyed [22:50] the father. And how many of you are [22:52] thankful that he did? [22:54] >> Hallelujah. [22:57] And I close with this. Jeremiah saw [23:00] Jerusalem destroyed. [23:04] But 70 years came to an end. Daniel is [23:07] in Babylon. He's one of those Jewish [23:09] captain captives. And he's reading [23:12] Jeremiah. [23:14] And he sees THE PROPHECY. 70 YEARS. And [23:16] 70 years are almost up. It's going to [23:19] happen. [23:21] And miraculously, the day comes after 70 [23:24] years that Cyrus, the emperor of Persia, [23:28] of today's Iran, [23:31] makes a decree and he calls for the [23:34] Jewish people to return to Jerusalem. [23:36] And not just to return, [23:39] but to rebuild their temple. [23:43] Wow. [23:45] It came to pass. And let me tell you, we [23:48] can look forward to a future Jerusalem [23:50] that will never be destroyed again. [23:54] We read about it in Revelation 21:es [23:57] 1:4. [24:01] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. [24:04] For the first heaven and the first earth [24:06] had passed away, and the sea was no [24:09] more. And I saw the holy city, New [24:13] Jerusalem, [24:14] coming down out of heaven from God, [24:17] prepared as a bride adorned for her [24:19] husband. And I heard a loud voice from [24:22] the throne, saying, "Behold, the [24:24] dwelling place of God is with man. He [24:27] will dwell with them, and they will be [24:30] his people, and God himself will be with [24:33] them as their God. He will wipe away [24:36] every tear from their eyes, and death [24:40] shall be no more. Neither shall there be [24:44] mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, [24:48] for the former things have passed away. [24:54] >> Uh Jerusalem's story is not over [24:57] and your story is not over. [25:02] Hold that hope. [25:08] Father, we come to you [25:10] in the most powerful name of all, the [25:12] name of Yeshua, [25:15] the Lord of the universe. [25:18] Thank you, Lord Yeshua, that you [25:21] know what we go through. [25:25] You did not come into this world to [25:26] condemn us, but to show us the way to [25:30] live [25:32] and give us eternal life, abundant life, [25:36] not a life of depression, [25:39] discouragement, [25:41] constant tears, but you've [25:44] promised us a life [25:47] that is full [25:49] joy, [25:52] peace, [25:55] your presence. [25:57] Oh God, [26:00] for anyone in this room this evening [26:01] who's in a deep, dark chasm, [26:06] lift their spirits now. I pray, Lord. [26:09] May they be like Jeremiah and ascend to [26:12] that summit [26:14] and take those verses in Lamentations 3 [26:17] and put them into practice. [26:20] And may the joy of the Lord be their [26:23] strength, your joy. [26:28] Lord, may we be victorious [26:31] even in our struggles. [26:34] Give us a testimony that we can share [26:37] from experience, [26:40] whether it's your discipline or just [26:43] life circumstances. Oh God, we pray that [26:46] we will confess that all things do work [26:49] together for good for those who love you [26:51] and are called according to your [26:54] purpose. [26:56] In Yeshua's name, amen. [27:00] Well, we have a prayer team, trusted [27:02] people that would love to pray with you. [27:05] If you need uh someone to partner with [27:08] you in prayer tonight, would you please [27:10] come as the worship team leads us in [27:12] worship? Let's all stand now and uh [27:17] we're going to make ourselves available [27:18] and myself as well. We want you [27:21] encouraged tonight from the word of God. [27:24] God bless you. [27:28] [music]
