• Paul talked about how Titus and Timothy were to use the Scripture - to teach, train, reprove (expose), rebuke (forbid), exhort (make courageous).
• He then said “you have many teachers, but few fathers.”
• A father not only teaches and trains but exposes and forbids.
• God tells Jeremiah that the spiritual leaders of his day are not exposing their sin so as to restore them.
• We gather two things from this:
• 1) We must expose sin. How? By being the light.
• How we live & Words we speak.
• 2) We need to have hearts of restoration.
• A dad always wants a good relationship with his kids.
• Focus must be on the Person of God, not anything else.
• If we focus on anything else then we operate strategically and not spiritually.
Lamentations 2:14 (10/29/15)
Expose & Restore
October 29, 2015 • Benham Brothers
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Lessons From Lamentations
Lamentations 1:9 (11/11/21)
November 11, 2021 • Benham Brothers • Lamentations 1:9
* Those who only consider the short-term consequences of their decisions may experience temporary comfort but will end up with permanent chaos. * But those who consider the long-term consequences of their decisions may experience temporary pain but will end up with permanent gain. * EX: Eat one dessert a day with no workout for 180 days. * EX: Workout once a day for 180 days w/no dessert. * EX: Would you take $1 million today or 1 penny a day for 31 days if it doubles? (Over $10 million) * This is from compound interest - Ben Franklin tried it. * In 1790 he left $4,000 to each to the cities of Boston and Philadelphia when he died in 1790. * For the first 100 years they were to invest that money at 5% interest and loan it to fund entrepreneurs starting out in business. * At 100 years they could pull out 75% and spend on public works (biz first, then roads!). * For the next 100 years they were to invest it, and at the 200 year mark they could take the money and use it for whatever they wanted. * In 1990 both cities received their money - Boston got $5.5 million and Philly got $2.5 million. * Compound Interest - Principle Amount + Interest = Ending Amount * a physical manifestation of a spiritual truth. * When you’re faithful, God compounds it! * Matthew 25 parable of talents - Faithfulness = MULTIPLICATION. * You won’t multiply unless you have a long-term vision for your life that is the filter for your decisions. * Kingdom Agenda book - what we do today determines our position in Christ’s millennial kingdom. * BACKSTORY - Israel fell prey to the danger of not considering her future, and it cost her dearly. * Now they had been taken away to Babylon. * Jeremiah wrote a book of lamentations, weeping over her demise. * It’s a book of reflection. * Vs 1 - God punishes nations! * Vs 5a - people who hate her rule over her. * Vs 5b - the Lord is the one who did it. * Vs 9 - she was near-sighted, not far-sighted. * Hebrews 12:2 - “Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross …” * And we today are still reaping the rewards from that decision!
Lamentations 1:20 (5/8/25)
May 8, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Lamentations 1:20
* Anxiety has many root causes. * Trauma, ambition, self-consciousness, over-work, etc. * Another cause of anxiety is sin (often unconscious). * Conviction and anxiety often feel the same. * Jeremiah had his bout with anxiety and he found the cause: * vs 20 - “See, Lord, how distressed I am! I am in torment within, and in my heart I am disturbed, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is only death.” * The root cause of heartache and despair was rebellion against God. * A great place to start is to ask, “Have I rebelled against God in any way?” * It may not always be the case, but quite often our experience of brokenness is due to our lack of surrender to Him. * Psalms 88:7 - “Your wrath lies heavily on me; and you have overwhelmed me with all your waves.” * The term for “wrath” is ḥēmâ and it’s used a few times to indicate physical heat in body. * Like the heat from a fever. * The term is used to convey the concept of an inner, emotional heat that rises from within. * In various places where ḥēmâ appears it refers to God’s reaction to people who have been unfaithful to Him in some way. * God is aroused to great heat because he, as a jealous God, sees the people He loves disobey him. * According to this verse, the psalmist is feeling divine heat. * In fact, it’s a weight that is almost too much for him to bear. * God is pressing, pressing, pressing—squeezing the life out of him. * Why? * Because He wants us to need Him, to draw close to Him. * Conviction draws us close. * EX: My bout with anxiety. * God revealed some things I needed to get right.
Lamentations 2:19 (5/15/24)
May 15, 2024 • Benham Brothers • Lamentations 2:19
- When we’ve sinned and confessed, what do we do then? - This verse tells us. - The Israelites were on their way to Babylon, and there was no going back. - Regardless of repentance, the consequences remained the same. - Jeremiah shares five things we must do. - vs 19 - “Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner.” - 1) GET UP! - Don't wallow around in self-pity. - You don’t have to “keep repenting.” - But you also don’t want to forget what you’ve repented of. - This memory will keep you from doing it again. - Get up! And then... - 2) GET ON YOUR KNEES! - Posture yourself before the Lord. - Submit in reverence to Him. - Dr. Towns at Liberty taught the importance of posture. - After you posture yourself, then… - 3) POUR OUT YOUR HEART TO GOD! - Pray fervently. - Don't hold anything back. - Pouring it out to God keeps you from pouring it onto others. - They can’t handle that weight. - God likes it when we come to Him in fervency. - 4) SURRENDER TO HIM! - This is what "lifting up your hands" means, like a child reaching for his dad. - Full surrender to God. - Acknowledge His sovereignty, Declare your dependency, and Surrender your will to Him. - 5) INTERCEDE FOR OTHERS! - Don't just pray about you, but others. - God is moved in a special way when we pray for His other kids. - This helps get us out of our own situation. - KEY - your discernment is your direction. - God shows us other’s faults so we can pray for them. - God will make a message out of your mess when you walk through these five steps.