Which basket are you in?

November 13, 2016

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Sunday service, Erlo Stegen, 13 Nov 2016

Jeremiah 24

1 The LORD shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after that Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.

2 One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad. note

3 Then said the LORD unto me, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, Figs; the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

God showed these two baskets to Jeremiah, and then asked him what he saw. God wanted him to look properly. These figs represent people, some good and some bad. King Nebuchadnezzar had taken many Jews into exile.

God had said that if you diligently listen to His Word then there’s blessing, but if not then you’re like those bad figs. Even those taken into exile, if they listen to Him, He would bless them and bring them back. So too even here at KwaSizabantu those who listen to God’s word would be blessed but if not you would receive a curse even here. You only receive true blessing through being made alive by God. If you’re in the basket of good figs many will be the blessings, even in exile, God would bring you home to the place of blessing. He will plant you and not pluck you up. He won’t allow you to wither away. You would be His people and He would be your God. Is there anything else as wonderful as this? To know the Lord and be His child.

If you harden your heart and go your own way many are the troubles you will meet up with.

A certain girl from America went to the doctor because she was ill. As she was waiting in the waiting room, she saw one book that caught her attention, a Bible. She remembered from school about the ten commandments but she didn’t pay attention. She opened it randomly and it opened at the ten commandments and she read. One of the commandments said you shall not murder. It convicted her. She remember that she had been pregnant sixteen times and aborted each one. She had killed sixteen of her children! She trembled with fear and closed the book and cried profusely. She went to the receptionist to see the doctor urgently. The receptionist asked the doctor and allowed her in. She was still crying profusely. He asked her what it was. She explained to him what she read in the Bible and that she had murdered sixteen of her babies. He replied that the Bible also says that though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow. Jesus died for our sins to cleanse and wash us. She prayed with him and confessed her sins and left a new creation, rejoicing.

Another girl went to the witch doctor because she was sick. She had been sleeping around with boys and aborted her children. The witch doctor said she had been bewitched and gave her some medicine but it didn’t help. She was about to die and told the nurse she had a terrible dream where she wanted to enter heaven but her child, a beautiful girl, stood in her way that she could not enter. As she told this story she passed away.

Maybe your sin is standing in the way that you cannot enter heaven. Come to Jesus with your sin, surrender all to Him, and He will give you new life.

A certain Dutch minister went to another country to preach. He found the people very lazy and decided to plant a pineapple garden. But the people were also terrible thieves and stole all his pineapples. He got nothing. He planted another crop but they stole that too. Greatly displeased he spoke to them in anger. They said to him, “preacher you’re not a Christian because you still get angry”. It stunned him. He didn’t know what to do. Should he just return to his country? Then the Lord spoke to Him, “have you surrendered everything to Me?” He reasoned with the Lord that he left so much to go to preach to them. But the Lord said to him, “but you haven’t fully surrendered to Me. You haven’t surrendered your pineapples”. He then surrendered the pineapples to God. Again the people stole his pineapples but he didn’t get angry or say anything. They asked him about it and he told them that the pineapples didn’t belong to him anymore, but to God. They were troubled. Illnesses broke out among them and they didn’t know what to do. Some even died. They decided to stop stealing. And many got saved.

William Booth was the founder of the salvation army. Someone asked him late in life why his ministry was so blessed. He answered that he had surrendered all to the Lord. His daughter added that he never took it back.

Martin Luther said that the one who takes back what he gave to the Lord is hell bound.

Which of the two baskets are you from? Have you surrendered all to the Lord? Have you taken anything back? Is your life God’s possession? Have you given all to the Lord and left it with Him? If you take back what you’ve given you’re a thief, ready for hell.