Jeremiah 1:4 - 10 (NKJV)...
4 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
6 Then said I: “Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a youth.”
7 But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak.
8 Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord.
9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.
10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”
The Call to Reform & Being a Reformer
If you are to be in cutting edge ministry as was Jeremiah, with the call to ministry comes the call to be a reformer. The obvious requisite to being a reformer is to have gone through the process of reformation yourself and occupy the place of being reformed.
It is of utmost importance that as a reformer you know the scope and extent of your sphere of responsibility to ensure that you are not easily shaken when difficulty presents itself. When you are faced with the calling of God upon your life (to reform and be a reformer), you can expect to be immediately confronted with your limitations and inadequacies (vs. 6). God's consistent response to our limitations and inadequacies is absolute obedience to Him (vs. 7). We access God's power and ability (the anointing) in our obedience to Him.
In verse 8 God says to Jeremiah, "Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you." Hidden in this admonition to resist fear is a promise of opposition. While there is a hidden promise of opposition, notice the visible and open promise of God's presence and deliverance. God provides the tools you need to accomplish His will (vs. 9).
Jeremiah 1:10 (NKJV)...
10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.
Not only did God call Jeremiah to be a prophet, but he called him to be a reformer. Notice the order...before Jeremiah could get to the point of building and planting he had to first root out, pull down, destroy and throw down (a 4:2 ratio). You cannot build on a faulty foundation...the old must first be destroyed before you can build and plant. It is spiritually illegal to destroy without having the wherewithal and sustenance to rebuild anew...and this is the seat of reformation.
Reformers Opposition
Jeremiah 20:1 - 2 (NKJV)...
1 Now Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.
2 Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord.
Pashhur the priest, the chief officer in the house of the Lord, had Jeremiah beaten and imprisoned. Observe that Jeremiah's opposition comes from a fellow believer who would not accept the prophetic message of reform which Jeremiah proclaimed. The uncomfortable message of reform will not be met with immediate acceptance, but rather with opposition and controversy.
Opposition often causes us to wonder if we are operating accurately under the direction of the Lord and this is a dilemma. There is a tendency to desire migration towards that which is popular and engaged by the majority. This fixation to be enthralled with that which is popular can often be a fatal mistake. Be careful and very cautious about crowd mentality.
1 Corinthians 10:11 (NKJV)...
11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
The biblical record of holy writ is provided for us to be an example and an admonition so we have a clear understanding of the configuration of God. The stories in the Word of God give us understanding on how God works and how we should and should not respond to God and our situations / circumstances. That being said...
On What Side Do We Really Stand...? It begs the question...given our fixation with the crowd and the majority, on what side would we have found ourselves had we been in these situations accounted in the canonical record...
- Noah and the Great Flood
- Sodom and Gomorrah
- Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea
- Moses and the Israelites at the base of Mt. Sinai
- The Crucifixion of Jesus
Jeremiah 20:7 - 8 (NKJV)...
7 O Lord, You induced me, and I was persuaded; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I am in derision daily; Everyone mocks me.
8 For when I spoke, I cried out; I shouted, “Violence and plunder!” Because the word of the Lord was made to me a reproach and a derision daily.
Here we find Jeremiah, in the big middle of operating in his call as a reformer, distraught and complaining about the outcome of his opposition. This is the classic example of "Reform Fatigue". This is the place where you become tired of being the reformer (read: the "odd ball" out) and you just want out...whatever out means or represents. Have you ever been there...?
Jeremiah 20:9 (NKJV)...
9 Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, Nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.
Within the heart of a true reformer is the resolve to continue in the call regardless of the stance of the majority or heat of the opposition. To the reformer the message of reform is like a burning fire shut up in his bones. Without technical controls, fire cannot be contained...it will spread beyond its containment.
Jeremiah 20:10 - 11 (NKJV)...
10 For I heard many mocking: “Fear on every side!” “Report,” they say, “and we will report it!” All my acquaintances watched for my stumbling, saying, “Perhaps he can be induced; then we will prevail against him, and we will take our revenge on him.”
11 But the Lord is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.
Jeremiah recognized, as we all must, that regardless to the opposition waged against the reformer, the might and power of the awesome God is ever present to deliver and avenge (as he was promised at his calling).
The Reformer's Addiction
1 Corinthians 16:13 - 16 (NKJV)...
13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
14 Let all that you do be done with love.
15 I urge you, brethren—you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the
saints—
16 That you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us.
Within the heart of a true reformer lies an addiction to the message of reform and the ministry of the saints. Let's look at the anatomy of an addiction...
- You can't help it...You find yourself doing whatever it takes to get to what you're addicted to.
- Nothing deters you from your addiction.
- You seek out others who are addicted like you and you attempt to recruit others to the addiction.
THE CURE FOR REFORM FATIGUE IS THE REFORMER'S ADDICTION...!
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