It really is our privilege today to have in chapel Pastor Tom Fuller. He's the pastor of Faith Baptist Church in nearby Easley. You may know him perhaps by his children. His oldest son, Sam, is an MA Biblical Studies student here at the seminary. He's got two children in the undergraduate programs, Daniel and Hannah. Pastored for many years in Wisconsin before coming to South Carolina a couple of years ago. finished a bachelor's degree and a master's degree here at BJU, and really grateful that he's going to come and continue our series, Servants Chosen and Equipped. Pastor Fuller. Well, go ahead and take your Bible and turn with me, if you would, to the book of Jeremiah. And our attention will be in the first chapter, Jeremiah, the first chapter. While you're turning there, I just want to say thank you to Dr. Newton and whoever else had a part in extending the invitation today. I look out and see the faces of those that have invested in me, invested in me right in this setting, and I'm profoundly thankful for those. And I look out and see at least one classmate, one peer, Dr. Casillas, that continues to be teaching here in his steadfastness, and others that we went to school with that are continuing to serve the Lord's great encouragement. And then, of course, a number of you that are part of our ministry, worship, and serve with us there at Faith, you are just an exceptional delight to us. And so it really is a privilege to be here with you. When Dr. Newton extended the invitation to speak and related to me the theme of the choosing and equipping, calling and equipping of Old Testament figures, I was right at that point finishing up reading the book of Jeremiah as part of my devotional reading. And in light of the ministry to me just on a devotional level, I determined that unless the Lord redirected, I'd just go ahead and settle into the life and calling of this man. And I think you know that his ministry was not blessed by God to being used to bring about a revival. Really, his ministry wasn't blessed with a fruitfulness that was anything that we might refer to as a great work of God. In fact, it's not an exaggeration. I read Dr. Carson say that Jeremiah's ministry was doomed to what to human eyes was fruitlessness. And that really is the case. We learn right here in chapter 1 in verse 2, that Jeremiah's ministry started during the days of Josiah. And we even have the specific year, the 13th year of his reign. And so that puts the date at 627 BC. And as you continue to read into verse 3, he ministered right to the end of the verse, he ministered until the ultimate fall of Jerusalem. 586 and and we say at least until then because the later chapters indicate his ministry continued for several years beyond the fall. But you can do the math 627 to 586 and beyond and you arrive at the conclusion that he ministered for over 40 years and the vast majority of those years were dark days of really accelerated spiritual decline. Again we know from The record of 2 Kings that after Josiah every leader departed from God and the people followed suit. You don't need to turn. 2 Chronicles 36 mentions Jeremiah by name and notes that at the end of his ministry, kings, the priests, the people, and I'll just use the phrases that come right out of that text, they all had stiff necks and hard hearts. They were exceedingly unfaithful. They followed the abominations of the heathen. And then to just wrap it all up, verse 16 of 2 Chronicles 36 says that they mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy. And so that's the backdrop of Jeremiah's ministry. He was one of the principal messengers that were mocked. that was despised and was misused. And that marked for decades right up until God used Babylon to destroy Jerusalem. So the question we want to look at this morning is how does God prepare a man for that kind of ministry? How does God prepare a man for faithfulness even in the face of decades of fruitlessness? The theme of your series, again, choosing and equipping. And I want to explore together how, in Jeremiah's case, the calling was actually a foundational component of the equipping. And I think we'll be able to see in this first chapter how several elements of Jeremiah's call helped to equip him to be faithful in the face of a fruitless ministry that extended out over decades. And the first element that we're going to spend relatively little time on is so straightforward. Verse number five, God told Jeremiah, as you can see, that he had been set apart for prophetic ministry since when? Since before he was born, God had set him apart to this and ordained that this would be his ministry. And it just seems like in light of the very painful circumstances that God knew Jeremiah was going to face, he took the extra step to assure his servant so that there was no doubt that in serving in this role, this was the mind and purpose of God. I chose this before you were born for you, Jeremiah. The Bible, church history, Personal experience in ministry, all witness to the fact that all of God's servants face some dark days at a minimum. And many face dark seasons, extended seasons of what seems to be fruitlessness, betrayal, just open animosity. And in those days and seasons like that, assurance that none of this has caught the Lord by surprise. None of it is the product of mere happenstance. To know that this is His calling, His doing, will be a source of stabilizing strength. And we know, of course, that Jeremiah received the assurance that he got through special revelation. And New Testament ministers aren't expecting that. And now's not the time for us to explore the components of a New Testament call, but I would just remind us that Paul told the elders at Ephesus that the Holy Spirit is the one that had made them overseers. He told Archippus to take heed of the ministry which he had received of the Lord. And Paul repeatedly, of course, said about his own ministry, he described it as something he had received, and he was thankful that God had put him into it. So New Testament ministers as well ought to be able to expect divine initiative. That God's moving and God's putting and not just man's choosing. And you will face dark days in ministry. And in those days, I would just tell you that time that you have spent exploring indications of divine initiative in your calling will not be wasted. But those will be a source of strength to remain faithful. And then, I would have us note a second element beginning in verse number six. And the second element of Jeremiah's call starts with him, as you see in verse six, objecting, offering an excuse that he didn't think he had the speaking ability necessary. And at this point, he's claiming his youthfulness, his youthful inexperience as a main contributor. When he says that he was a child there, the word is used to describe baby Moses in Exodus 2, but it's also used to describe a young man who was strong enough to go with Abraham to recover Lot and his possession. Most think that by Jeremiah using this, he's at least indicating that he wasn't yet 20 years old. So you think about receiving the kind of commission that he gets when he's a teenager. And that certainly could be intimidating. But it's obvious that the Lord didn't accept this response as a valid objection. Being a teenager and thinking that you don't have the ability to speak isn't going to work. In verse 9, the most specific counter to that from the Lord to the concern about the speaking ability, notice in verse 9, then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. And verse number seven, just back up there, the Lord says to him, you're going to go where I send you, and whatever I command you, you're going to speak. So you're not going to choose the audience, and you're not going to choose the message. And in verse nine, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to put my words in your mouth. And this was the assurance to Jeremiah that God is more than able to equip anyone that he chooses. And again, we have to acknowledge that there's some special revelation that's taking place here. Jeremiah's experiencing God's touching his mouth and hearing his voice. And again, presumably all of that's in a vision. But with the acknowledgement of that, when we understand the ideals of New Testament ministry, We recognize that no preacher is commissioned to go out and create sermons. That no preacher is commissioned to figure out a way to say something about some Bible theme. We're in 2 Timothy 4 verse 2, as you know, to preach the what? to preach the word. 1 Timothy chapter 4, we are to preach as the very oracles of God. Preach the words that God has already given. And so our first responsibility when it comes to preaching ministry is to be an investigator of the scriptural text with the intent of displaying and then proclaiming the big idea of the text, the main idea of the text. And certainly down the line, sermonic work is going to need to be done to effectively proclaim the scripture to my audience. But I would just tell you, brethren, that from the early days of ministry, it has been wonderfully assuring to me that I didn't have to be a creator of sermons. And I did not have to be a great extemporaneous speaker because I am nothing of the sort. I had a sense early in college years of God's calling and was thankful to preach. And one opportunity I had, a seasoned evangelist came up after I was done preaching. And he said, that was good, but next time try this. And he gave me a five-point outline of my message, all alliterated. I'm never going to be able to do that. And even early years into assistant pastoring, it was great to get that occasion to preach. But how am I going to come up with enough to say on a regular basis? And the opportunity both to be under Dr. Mark Minnick and to be over at some preaching conferences at Detroit with Dr. Doran and really understanding you have one of two. And I know you've been through this, but you have one of two thoughts in mind. And one of them is, what can I say? as you begin sermon preparation, or the other is, what does this say? One of them I'm creating, and the other I'm investigating. But I have the wonderful privilege that Jeremiah would have of not having to figure out what I have to say, but just investigating what God has already said and proclaiming His words. And there's more to the preaching call and gifting. I understand, but I don't need to live with anxiety that I'm not equipped to come up with enough to say in ministry. The calling for both Jeremiah and the calling for us today is to preach God's own words. Be diligent to be a workman and stay out of it. This is the one non-negotiable of your calling. And then we can take note of a third element of Jeremiah's call. And it involved really the clarifying witness of two object lessons. Both of these in visions again, but notice in verse 11, the first was that of an almond branch, the rod of an almond tree. And the almond tree was the first tree to bud in the spring, was a sign to the people of the day that spring is coming, the almond tree is budding. But then there is a play on words here that Hebrew readers would detect. The Hebrew word for almond branch sounds much like the word that is used in verse 12 for the expression, the hastening of my word. Or the idea is the watching over my word to make sure that, as you can see at the end of verse 12, to make sure that it is performed, that it is fulfilled. So Jeremiah was encouraged to have total confidence that what God says is coming, is coming. What all of God's word is true and will be fulfilled because God is going to, as it were, watch over his words to bring them to the fulfillment. And then right on the heels of that, the second object lesson that he sees here is, it points to a specific prophecy. You can see in verse number 13 that it is, as you continue to work down, a seething pot, or the idea is a boiling pot. And that pot, in verse number 14, we are told is a boiling pot of destruction that was coming from the north and going to be poured out on the southern kingdom of Judah. And this is a quite graphic way of predicting God's judgment meted out through the Babylonian conquest and all that was going to come with And with those visions, Jeremiah now has received greater clarity that his ministry was largely going to consist of proclaiming a coming judgment. A judgment that would be a devastating consequence, even as other explanations go on following, a devastating consequence of departing from God. A judgment that, in keeping with, again, that olive branch figure, is a judgment that no doubt would come. Judgment is coming for departing from God, and it will certainly be fulfilled. Now, I just want to pause there to say, if you received that kind of clarity from the Lord regarding your calling, all right, here's your calling. that your ministry is going to consist of proclaiming to an unrepentant people that catastrophic judgment was on the way. How excited would you be about continuing to prepare for that kind of ministry? And the fact is that Jeremiah was far from the only one to face that. You've heard, as I've heard, I think it's appropriate, missionary conferences, the call of Isaiah in Isaiah 6. Whom shall I send? Who will go for us? And Isaiah says, here am I, what? Here am I, send me. What do you think Isaiah thought when he surrendered? And Lord, send me. I can't wait to be used of you. And typically at the missionary conference, that's the end. of the text, because why? Because right after that, God tells Isaiah, all right, here's what I'm doing. Your ministry is going to involve confirming the hardness and the blindness of a people that will not turn and be healed. Or here's Ezekiel. God told Ezekiel, I'm going to send you to a nation of rebels. They are impudent. They are stubborn. And they will not listen. But I want them to know that they've had a prophet in their midst. How excited do you get about that? Boy, it stirs you about dreams for ministry. And we could think that that's an Old Testament time of declension type expectation. But think about what the Lord had to say even about the Apostle Paul's calling. Acts chapter 9, and you know this, familiar with it, but the Lord said to Ananias this about Paul. He said, He's a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and children of Israel. And we hear that and we say, now that's the kind of ministry that would be a great privilege to have. bear the name of Christ before many. But the very next verse says, for I will show him how much he must, what? How much he must suffer for my sake. And you and I both well know that there is fruit in Paul's ministry, and I'm not minimizing that at all. But there were dark and lean days as well for Paul. Days where you can hear the agony in his voice as we read the days of rejection and betrayal and loneliness. Days of extended suffering. Paul would say about Ephesus, a great door, an effectual is open, and he hardly gets that out of his mouth. And then adds, and there are, what? accompanying that there are many adversaries. And he spent years of being transferred from one form of imprisonment to another before ultimately facing a martyr's death. And I don't want anyone to get me wrong about how I understand the Scripture about ministry or how I feel about ministry. The call to be God's messenger in the place of his appointment is something I'm thankful for every day, an inestimable privilege. But I tell you on the authority of the scripture that the scripture nowhere represents it as a call to some kind of romantic ideal of success. you know, where you just experience unrelenting seasons of fruitfulness. That's apparent to everybody. I mean, the church you pastor, the parachurch ministry that you're a part of, that it just, you know, grows bigger and better and, you know, you buy more land and you build bigger and better buildings and your influence, ministerial influence, just grows and grows. And brethren, if you think of your calling to ministry in terms of that kind of success, at some point, at some point you will quit, as many do. Or perhaps even worse, you'll stay in, but you'll end up selling out God's truth by adjusting your ministry style. and even your message to make sure that you are viewed as successful. And there were contemporaries of Jeremiah who did that very thing, that would cry, peace, peace, when there was no peace. The clarity that Jeremiah got from the visions was certainly sober, but it was also reassuring. The encouragement was that God will watch over his words and see to it that they are fulfilled. His word will be effective to his intended purpose. And when I have known wrestlings in my own soul about a sense of usefulness in ministry, and has it been cut short, has it been limited, has it, whatever else can go through our minds about that. I come back to this truth, that if I am where I'm supposed to be, then I am preaching what I'm supposed to be doing, then I couldn't be more fruitful anywhere doing anything else. And I don't fall back on that fatalistically. but by the grace of God, anchored in truth, in faith, and draw upon the same kind of clarification that Jeremiah would have to draw on to remain faithful. Don't quit. Don't adjust. You're where you are because of God putting you there. Preach His Word, and He'll bring it to its intended conclusion. And then I would have us to note one last element of the call in this chapter in verse number 17. Notice that the call included a challenge to display courage. You can see as you begin, therefore, gird up the loins is essentially get dressed for work and then arise. So, you know, get dressed for work, get up and get going, but do it without being what? Do it without being dismayed. The word means to be broken, to be shattered, just fall apart, go to pieces, collapse. And in challenging to the opposite of that, in challenging to courage, the Lord didn't sugarcoat the difficulties. I mean, verse 18, he mentions that you will be against the whole land, and then he even details it. I mean, you want to talk about political leaders like kings, you want to talk about religious leaders like the priests, or even the common people. And Jeremiah experienced it. There's a day he said to God, I feel like I'm against everybody, and everybody's against me. And God told him that right from the beginning. And we're, of course, very capable of doing, I'm just going to use the word stupid for lack of a better word. We're capable of doing stupid things that unnecessarily stir up opposition. But no one should think that if I just do right, it's going to take me down a path that avoids opposition and avoids loneliness. One of the repeated exhortations to God's servants is be strong and of a good courage. You know that Paul told Timothy explicitly that God has not given us the spirit of fear. And at the end of verse number 19, when it seems like all these forces are there, Notice, again, if we're doing what God's commissioned us to do, we can be assured that He is what? That He is with us. And one way or another in that last phrase, He will deliver us. And brethren, if you will cling to those promises, it will nurture in you what Dr. Carson referred to as titanic, prophetic courage. that is needed in days of declension. And I urge you to consider these elements of Jeremiah's call as part of God's equipping you to faithfulness in dark days. Consider divine choosing. Consider the ability of God to fully equip anyone that He does choose. And remember, it's His Word that is the ultimate equipment. Consider the clarification that you may be sent to a hard place of service at a difficult time, but He will watch over His Word to fulfill its purposes. And consider that with the commission comes a challenge to courage. And I know that there are many in here that are still seeking the mind of the Lord regarding the whole matter of the call. And I would just say to all of us, whatever realm of ministry we have, one exhortation from Jeremiah's life and testimony is pursue faithfulness, not success. Pursue faithfulness, not success. But in light of how specific this is in the calling, maybe as clear as anywhere, I would just say that if you are called, you are going to face dark days. And there is some unique and peculiar pressures and burdens that will come with that. But if he has called you, I would also say with the songwriter, rise up, O man of God. Be done with lesser things. Give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the King of Kings. and let these elements of the call be a source of equipping you to faithfulness even in dark days. Let's pray together. Lord, our Heavenly Father, we thank you for each of these that is here. And Lord, thank you for the way that you are equipping them through even the training of this seminary. And Lord, we thank you for the fact that Many of them already right now recognize your hand on their life and calling to a full-time preaching ministry. And Lord, we also pray for them that you would strengthen them through the elements of that call like Jeremiah received. And Lord, give us all courage to, in the face of the declension, that is all around us in our secular world and in the clinching that we are seeing even within gospel preaching Christianity. Lord, we pray that you would give us courage to be faithful, to not quit, but not adjust, but to be faithful to your word. We need your help We are thankful that we can expect it as we seek You for it. And Lord, we pray that You would strengthen each of us for faithful ministry in the days to come. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.