Welcome!
Passage: Jeremiah 17: 5-17 (NIV 84)
Today: Need healing in the church!
14 Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.
15 They keep saying to me, “Where is the word of the Lord? Let it now be fulfilled!”
16 I have not run away from being your shepherd; you know I have not desired the day of despair.
What passes my lips is open before you. (Jeremiah 17, NIV 84)-emphasis added
Jeremiah, a prophet of God, a person who was to bring healing to the people, is in need of some healing for himself; he was hurt, broken
Which is the place where people get hurt the most? Family/work/church…?
A good number of people, especially those in ministry, gets hurt in church, the most!
Ministry brings lot of hurts because you deal with people. Those who run immediately to Jesus will get the proper first-aid. Those who (a)dress it themselves might make it worse
In any sickness, the place where you go first, makes a big difference
Moses dealt with lot of hurts, and so was David. They ran straight to God
Elijah went through a lot of fear and frustration; Jeremiah went though a lot
Jesus Himself often went to the Father in prayer, sharing his concerns
When we get sick in our spirit/mind, who do we run to? What steps do we take?
Sometimes, people explode and act in the flesh, which makes simple wounds get worse and even lead to spiritual death!
I know people who walked out of their spiritual life and lived the rest of their life without Christ, for something that happened
Many young people trust a certain pastor, and they get affected badly when that pastor/ leader does something wrong; they then go into “spiritual shelves”, get all confused and commit some sort of spiritual suicide!
They may still go to church after that, but their minds are full of questions; they sit in worship services, “dead”!
The other day, someone was telling me about a pastors’ son, now living without God, because of all that he witnessed in the church, while growing up
I have seen spiritual leaders treating some people badly in church, infront of their children/family. That is the worst they do, to those children
In the same way, when people in church treat a pastor/leader wrong in front of their family, those children get hurt badly!
Church is to be “hospital”, for sinners and the wounded; but when it becomes a place where people get hurt the most, something is wrong
We need to get our relationship with Jesus straight, in the first place
We have a good percentage of leaders and lay people in church who need Jesus badly; we need to go back to the basics. People need to come into a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus
Pray for those who lead, and those who are hurt. Have a blessed day!
BG
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for ministering to me. I rarely see you in the people around me. But let someone see Jesus in me, because of my words and actions that come from my intimacy with you. You are good, Lord Jesus. Amen
We may lead people away from Christ, just like we lead them to Christ; so watch!