A Call to Set Our Hearts on God
We are called to set our hearts to seek God with all diligence and determination, and to go to His Word with ever-increasing love and desire.
David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of setting our hearts on God, drawing inspiration from the life of the prophet Jeremiah, who sought the Lord and received His word. Despite being known as the weeping prophet, Jeremiah delivered messages of hope and the promise of the New Covenant, filled with mercy and goodness. Wilkerson highlights the deep brokenness behind Jeremiah's prophecies, as he lamented over the impending judgment on Israel, reflecting God's own sorrow for His people. The sermon calls for a diligent and determined pursuit of God, encouraging believers to immerse themselves in His Word to receive guidance and revelation. Ultimately, it is a call to recognize the urgency of our times and to seek God wholeheartedly.
Text
Jeremiah the prophet was a man who set his heart to seek the Lord, and the Word of God came to him. Over and over we read of the prophet, "The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah."
Many commentators call Jeremiah the weeping prophet, and that was certainly true of him. But he also brought us the happiest, most praiseworthy gospel in all the Old Testament. After all, he foretold the coming glory of the New Covenant: "I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good" (Jeremiah 32:40). "I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord" (31:14).
Now, that's good news! The New Covenant is full of mercy, grace, joy, peace and goodness. But, the history behind each of Jeremiah's words here includes a deep brokenness.
Jeremiah wrote, "O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war" (4:19).
Jeremiah was weeping with holy tears that were not his own. Indeed, the prophet actually heard God speak of his own broken heart. First, the Lord warned Jeremiah that he was going to send judgment on Israel. Then he told the prophet, "I will take up a weeping and wailing for the mountains, and for the dwelling places of the wilderness a lamentation" (9:10). The word for "lamentation" here means weeping. God himself was weeping over the judgment to come upon his people.
The Lord shares with us his very mind and thoughts. We are living in life-and-death times right now and I urge you to set your heart to seek God with all diligence and determination. Then go to his Word with ever-increasing love and desire. He will be faithful to his Word and guide you into all that he wants to reveal to you.
Sermon Outline
- The Example of Jeremiah
- The New Covenant
- The Importance of Seeking God
- Living in life-and-death times
- Urging diligence and determination in seeking God
Key Quotes
“The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.” — David Wilkerson
“I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from doing them good” — David Wilkerson
“I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We must seek God with all diligence and determination in these life-and-death times.
- We can trust that God will be faithful to His Word and guide us into all that He wants to reveal to us.
- We must go to God's Word with ever-increasing love and desire to receive His guidance and wisdom.