Jeremiah 20

Jeremiah 20:1-18 – The Tool of Discouragement

Introduction

              Barnsley Market

                             “I didn’t sign up for this!”

              The power of embarrassment and discouragement

 

Legs in the stocks (20:1-6)

 

              ‘Terror on every side’

 

 

              The loss of everything

 

 

Fire in the bones (20:7-9)

 

              Under compulsion

 

 

              Drowning at sea

Song in the mouth (20:10-13)

 

              Praise and Prevail

 

                             A mighty warrior

 

Pain in the heart (20:14-18)

 

              The Messenger

 

 

Conclusion

              The Devil’s Toolbox

 

Questions: 1a) When have you felt like saying, “This isn’t what I signed up for” in your Christian life or service? 1b) What made you feel that way, and how did you respond? 2a) Have you ever faced embarrassment, mockery, or rejection for faithfully speaking or living out God’s Word? 2b) How did it affect your desire to keep going? 3a) What does Jeremiah’s honesty about his discouragement teach you about how to handle your own spiritual struggles? 3b) Do you feel freedom to bring your pain before God as Jeremiah did? 4) Do you feel like God’s Word is “a fire in your bones”? If not, what might be dulling your passion to share the Gospel? 5) How do you respond to discouragement – retreat, bitterness, prayer, praise, or something else? 6a) Where might the devil be using the “drill of discouragement” in your life right now? 6b) What truths from this sermon can help you resist and keep going?