Meant To Be (Jeremiah 1:5)

Introduction

For some reason I felt a lot better about this sermon yesterday. So good luck with this tonight. And I’ve planned for this to be more than one lesson on this subject. I can’t exhaust what I wanted to talk about, though I only wrote most of tonight’s lesson. So lesson two is still open to any ideas and thoughts that you might have. This could just sort of evolve into something by next week. But there were some thoughts that I wanted to share with you by way of introduction tonight, so here we go.

It was actually released last year by Florida Georgia Line with Bibi Rexa. And the song is called Meant to Be, which you might have noticed is the sermon title for tonight. The lyrics of the song was sort of catchy, I sort of like them. Nice little tune. Who knows where this road is supposed to lead? If it’s meant to be, it’ll be, it’ll be. I almost want to sing the song. So come on, ride with me. Ride with me. See where this thing goes. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be, it’ll be, maybe if it’s meant to be. Maybe we do, maybe we don’t, maybe we will, maybe we won’t. You’re part of the song. But if it’s meant to be, it’ll be, it’ll be baby just let it be.

Now, I think this song is about personal relationships and about people who are dating and could eventually be together long term. So, young people, this might have some relevance to your dating life. You’re dating someone and you’re wondering, is this the one? Is this going to be the person? Well, as the song says, if it’s meant to be, it’ll be. Or is that right? I started thinking about that. If it’s meant to be, my question is, by who? Who’s determining that it’s supposed to be or meant to be? Is this relationship? If it’s meant to be, it’s going to be. Let’s just ride and see where it goes. Well, is it destiny? Or we might use the term like tismet. It’s like determined by lots or fate.

It’s written in the stars. You heard that expression, right? Something’s going to happen because that’s pretty solid if it’s written in the stars. Well, what does all of that say about our lives? About what the future holds. I think that’s a thought that’s on people’s minds. But I thought of this as well as I thought about maybe the implications of these kinds of thoughts. Cynthia Tisdale came to mind. Was it meant to be? Now some of you are saying, I don’t know who Cynthia Tisdale is. Sixty-three years old.

Substitute teacher who died in the Santa Fe shooting.

She had only been substitute teaching for about a year. Doing so not because she really needed the money as much as she just wanted to help the special needs kids with whom she was involved at school. A substitute teacher, not even a permanent everyday teacher, loses her life in that horrible tragedy. Was that meant to be? I wonder if talk like this reflects that we want our lives to be meaningful, to have purpose, that there’s something at work outside of ourselves that is greater than us causing and manipulating these events to occur. And so I want to talk about something that’s not new that I’ve talked about before with you, but I think it bears repeating to speak of the forces that are at work in the world from the biblical point of view, what God is telling us about why things happen in the world.

1. The Forces at Work in the World

And of course, the ultimate force, the most powerful force that’s working in the world is God Himself. And nothing can trump what God is able to do or wants to accomplish. And yet not everything that happens in this world is a result of God’s specific activity. That is, he alone brought it about or caused it to happen. But nothing happens outside of his view, nor his ability to prevent or stop if he so desires. But the Bible tells us that there are other forces at work in the world. The devil is one of those forces. He is called the ruler of this world, the God of this world. And so he certainly is at work. I just think of Judas, for example, when it says Satan entered his heart.

Judas had given himself over to the purposes of the evil one. It’s not that the devil said, hey, Judas, you have no say in the matter. That’s really where I’m going with these thoughts. In these lessons, however many there might be. But the devil didn’t just say, okay, Judas is the guy I’m going to use, and Judas has no say in the matter. We are already given insights into the character of Judas that made him the suitable pawn for the devil to use. And so when it says in John 12 that Satan entered his heart, he has soul sold himself to the devil’s purposes. That he would be the one who would betray the Lord as we’ve often studied and know about.

Also, the deeds of men cause certain events to happen. We see things all the time in the news about somebody who does something silly. I know somebody was driving this week on the wrong side of the highway. That happens all the time, especially in an era of people misusing drugs and alcohol and things like that. I mean, people do crazy things. And what is it with people always running from the police in their cars all the time? I mean, what’s going on with that? Tim’s always trying to run them down. You know what? Why are people doing these kinds of things? And what can happen when somebody does that? You know, on TV it doesn’t look like they’re going that fast, but they may be going well over a hundred miles an hour, and they’re going through intersections, and sometimes innocent people get caught, as we would say, in the crossfire.

And that’s literally true in regard to the use of guns as well. Well, when those things happened, were they just meant to be? Was there some force in the spirit realm that caused those events to happen? Was the devil involved specifically and personally? Here, I want to ruin this person’s life or this family’s life. Or was it simply the sowing of man’s deeds? And then there is, of course, time and chance. That the wise writer Solomon talks about as the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them, like a fish caught in a net or birds trapped in a snare. He says, time and chance overtakes them all. And just because you’re the fastest doesn’t mean you’ll win. Just because you’re the strongest doesn’t mean the war is yours.

There are things beyond our ability to control events and circumstances that happen. Time and chance. And may I throw this in? We may not always know. If it was simply this force at work in the world, perhaps in regard to the deeds of men. The devil is personally involved in a good number of those. God is involved in a number of those. Or simply they could be the occurrence of time and chance. There could be a combination of these things, but here’s what I want to tell you. We can’t always know without special revelation. God telling us, like he does, as we’ll be looking at in a moment, regard to several characters. Unless God is telling us this is what’s going on behind the scenes in the spirit realm, we may not always be able to ascertain the number of forces that are at work in any given occurrence.

I want to show you something in Psalm 34. Psalm 34, this is actually quoted in 1 Peter 3. Psalm 34 and verse 12. Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good? Okay, you want to live a long life? Here’s what the wise writer says keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it. Well, that’s a guarantee, isn’t it? Why does he say those kinds of things? If you’re a peaceful person, if only good emanates from your lip, you’re guaranteed to live until you’re not. Right? No, that’s not what he’s saying. He’s saying this is the kind of behavior that tends not to create enemies and people who would want to snuff out your life or hurt you.

These are the kinds of things that bring goodwill to relationships, and this tends toward longevity and no untimely demise at the hands of an evil person, but it is no guarantee that’s going to happen. We’re going to look at a man in a second who was such a guy. But his life still ended early. And God had a hand in that to some degree. So I want to look at a couple of biblical examples and learn some things about the forces that work in the world, especially as it relates to God himself, because we want God working in our lives. Well, what does that mean? How does that play out on the human stage? Those are the kinds of things we’re going to talk about.

2. The Death of Josiah

And what about my life could be meant to be as a result of God’s involvement in my life? Let’s look at the death of Josiah. Young people, this is a great story. Here’s a young man who made a difference in his short time here. 2 Chronicles 34, 27 and 28. Josiah began to serve God in his youth. The young king. Almost the time when teenager, high school days, he’s instituting major reforms for a whole nation. Let no man look down on your youthfulness. Don’t you think there were some people in Judah looking down on his youthfulness as he was instituting all these reforms. In fact, Jeremiah may have been referring to this in chapter 3 and verse 10, shortly after this period when he says, they have returned to me, but not with their whole heart, but rather in deception.

Perhaps they went along with Josiah’s reforms, but really their hearts weren’t that engaged with all of his reforms. And so God says to him this as a result of all that he did, all of his deeds are chronicled. He’ll hear great things that he did during his reign. He says, Your heart was tender. And that’s always good. His heart was tender to the words of God. He says, and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants. Because you humbled yourself before me, you tore your clothes and wept before me. I truly have heard you.

Behold, I will gather you to your fathers. Whoa. That’s really, that’s really not what I was looking for here. I was looking for, you know, some kind of I don’t know, anything else but that. Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace. So your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants. So I want to tell you, I’ve noticed you how you humbled yourself before me, and here’s what I’m going to do for you. I’m not going to let you see what’s going to happen to my people, your people.

Read on. Chapter 35, verses 20 through 25. After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Neco, king of Egypt, came up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates. And for some reason, Josiah is going to intervene in this. Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians to the north are emerging. And Josiah goes out to engage Pharaoh Necho. And Neko sent messengers to him saying, What have we to do with each other, O king of Judah? He said, My fight is not with you. I am not coming against you today, but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Now, we haven’t been privy to the information that God has given Pharaoh Neca. But I’m going to assume that at least some of this is true, if not all of it, because of what follows.

He says, Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me that he may not destroy you. Now, this is very unusual. For Neko to send word to another king and say, look, my fight isn’t with you. Get out of the way. I’ve been told about this ahead of time. So he says, stop for your own sake from interfering here. He gives him a warning in advance. That doesn’t happen in war very often. However, Josiah would not turn away from him. Now, underscore that. Josiah would not turn away from. I don’t know what all of Josiah’s concerns were, what his political concerns were, or why he felt it was necessary to go ahead with this, but this is going to play out exactly like God has said in chapter 34.

This is interesting too. But he disguised himself in order to make war with him, nor did he listen to the words of Nekoh from the mouth of God. Okay, so it does seem that the chronicler is saying that Neko didn’t receive his information from the true God of heaven. But came to make war on the plain of Megiddo. Now, let’s talk about this disguising himself. Why did he do that? It’s almost as if, and it’s the language is almost verbatim to that of Ahab. Earlier in the king’s story, in 2 Chronicles chapter 18. He disguised himself. Remember that? When Micai the prophet said, he’s not coming back. Or the Lord has not spoken by me. And so what did Ahab do in that battle? He disguised himself, and some random arrow pierces through his armor and strikes him.

And Ahab dies. I don’t know why Josiah disguised himself. But like the Ahab story, and here’s the point. Okay, you can disguise yourself, but you can’t get away from random arrows if God wants them to hit the target. They’re not so random after all. And the archer shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, Take me away, for I am badly wounded. Now you might think about all this that Josiah’s made a very bad mistake here at the end of his life by refusing to hear the voice of God through Pharaoh Necho and taking this action. But after his death, Jeremiah chants a lament for Josiah in verse 25. And all of his acts of devotion are written down. I’m not sure we’re supposed to see here that Josiah disobeyed, and he probably lost his soul as a result of this choice.

I don’t think that at all. God sort of spoke this as a blessing to him that he would not see the destruction that is about to come about in the days of Zedekiah, one of his descendants. But it does seem this was meant to be. Does it not? Interesting story in regard to the death of Josiah. Was there more than one force at work in this story? Oh, I believe so. Like in the case of Job that I’ve mentioned many times. When God takes full responsibility for what happens to Job. He speaks of Satan and he says, You incited me against him. And yet Satan is pulling all of the little levers in the story. He’s the one inflicting Job with boils. He’s the one that’s taking his children and possessions from him.

And yet God takes full responsibility. Is that not the idea of God being sovereign and having the ability, if he wish, to say, no? And after all, Satan has come into the presence of Job in the presence of God to make a request about Job. Could not God have said, absolutely not. You shall not touch his skin. You shall not touch his life. But he did not. He allowed that to happen. And so it seems as a result of that, God speaks of himself as being incited against Job because he did not prevent it. Is that possibly the case here in relation to Josiah? You know, is God the one that’s causing that archer to pull back that bow and take that shot that ultimately does Josiah end, or is he simply saying, I could have stopped that.

3. Jeremiah and Paul: Was It Just Meant to Be?

I could have prevented that. But I didn’t. How directly was God involved? I think perhaps this is a unique case of a more direct involvement with some of the other things that we might look at. But that’s interesting to consider. But here’s where this gets really challenging and a little bit more tricky, if you will, and that is in regard to Jeremiah and Paul. I want to look at two passages with you very quickly. Jeremiah 1 and verse 5. Now the word of the Lord came to me saying to Jeremiah, before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Okay. So before Jeremiah was even born, he says, I knew you. Now, I want to pause right here and say that before you were ever born, God knew you too.

But just hold that thought. Because this is different. And before you were born, I consecrated you. I chose you. Now I’m thinking here, my mind’s now going back to Esau and Jacob, where it says, remember when they came out, the older shall serve the younger? And Jacob has a hold of Esau. And God declares their future even at their birth.

And before you were born, I consecrated you, I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations. Okay, hold that thought. I’m going to come. Put a string there if you have a Bible, some of you don’t have a string. String it on your electronic device. However, you string it. We’re coming back there. And go over to Galatians chapter 1, and I just realized I put verse 5, and that’s verse 15. Galatians 1, my mind was seeing 15, but that says 5. Galatians 1 15. Notice what Paul says here, but when he who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through his grace. Okay, so Paul says, I was set apart for this task from my mother’s womb. So in regard to Jeremiah and Paul, I guess it was just meant to be.

You want to look at something further, and I didn’t put his name here, but this is a Psalm of David. And we looked at this a couple of weeks ago, Psalm 139, Psalm 139 and verse 16, when he says, Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance, and in thy book they were all written. The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.

What is David saying there? Firstly, we can argue that David’s a special character in the Bible. God had a special plan for David. And so did God specifically appoint every event and happening in the life of David. Did he predetermine everything that David would do in all the events of his life? He knew every single day from start to finish. There are actually many people who believe this concept. And I think it sort of ties in with the thoughts of the Psalm. You know, this is all meant to be. And if that’s the case, what about for you? Is it all just simply meant to be? Has God predetermined everything? Boy, it’s a good thing I’m one of the predetermined ones that could be a part of the Lord’s church at Decor Prairie and go to heaven when I die, because everybody’s not predetermined in that way.

Because if that were the case, then everyone would be saved.

So I’m one of the predetermined ones, more on that next week. So going back to Jeremiah, go back to Jeremiah chapter 1, verse 5. Is that what this passage is saying? I was reading a guy named Daniel Zisto, who was writing about this, who totally denies the concept of predestination. That Jeremiah is not being told, look, you’re this prophet right here and right now, because I determined you were going to be this prophet. Right here and right now. And that’s not, he says, that’s not what Jeremiah 1 in verse 5 is saying. And makes a long, excellent argument about the things God knows and consecrates, and how he makes promises about the endurance of those things, and yet those things can still be conditioned. One being the temple itself.

And if I had more time, we would look at some of the passages that talk about my name shall be in this place forever, perpetually, God says. But all of that was tied to conditional things or how Israel would respond to the covenant. And we know that system is no more. From other passages, particularly New Testament passages that talk about a new covenant. Okay, there’s a lot more that could be said about that. So is it true? What will be will be, and Jeremiah had no say in the matter. And this would be very comforting to him, one person who believes in predestination said, to know, well, God has already determined this. You’re in this situation because God determined it, and it had really nothing to do with you.

4. You're My Guy, Be My Guy

But that’s not what is being said. And I can show you this in Jeremiah chapter 1. Look at Jeremiah chapter 1 and verse 17. If that’s what’s being said, Jeremiah, you really didn’t have a say in this because I determined this was the way it was going to be.

We don’t gird up our loins. But that’s that’s putting your loins together in such a way that you’re ready to take action. Gird them up. You don’t want to be tripping over your robes and stuff. Okay. Gird up your loins and speak to them all, which I command you.

Do not be dismayed before them. Lest I dismay you before them. Well, if it’s all been predetermined, what? And you just said that in chapter 1 and verse 5, did you not? About being consecrated from your mother’s womb. I knew you before you were born. But he says, now, if you’re dismayed before them, then I will dismay you before them. Now, behold, I have made you today as a fortified city and as a pillar of iron and as walls abroad against the whole land. And they will fight against you, but they will not overcome you, for I am with you to deliver you. I do believe that these statements in Jeremiah chapter 1 are designed to encourage him. Here’s what I believe they’re saying. Yes, Jeremiah, I saw this from eternity.

That you would be the man in this moment. You’re my guy, but at the same time, when he said, Hey, you’re my guy, he’s saying, Be my guy. Be my guy. Jeremiah’s got a choice to make. And that is the consistent truth in the whole scripture. About what God foreks, and about what is going to result. And that is that it does not trump man’s personal choice. And here’s the point. I want to elaborate more on this next week, I think. God, knowing the future. And this is what bodies people’s minds said. I just want to tell you, these things are too wonderful for me. And that’s also in Psalm 139. This not, it’s way too, this is too deep and too wonderful for me. But this is what the scriptures are saying.

God, knowing the future, and I’m going to show you some things in just a second about this, does not rob any person of the personal freedom of choice. The fact that Jeremiah was known, the fact that Jeremiah was consecrated, the fact that Paul was known from his mother’s womb and separated from these great purposes, is only due to the fact that God knows what’s going to happen on the road to Damascus. And that he’s going. What shall I do, Lord? Nothing. Nothing I’ve already taken care of. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it. I’ve already done everything. I predetermined it, bud. I separated you from your mother’s womb. What shall I do, Lord? Nothing. That’s not what he was told. Go into Damascus, and it’ll be told you what you were saying.

And you know what? Let me tell you a little secret. God knew what choice he would make. But it was still Saul’s choice. God, knowing the future, does not rob any person of the personal freedom of choice. Now, I feel confident. There’s some things I don’t understand. Everything about the story of Josiah, I don’t understand all of that. Well, I don’t understand all of any of this. Because, I mean, this is knowledge too wonderful for me.

But I know these passages are saying that God is intimately acquainted with all of our ways. He is intimately acquainted with everything about you and with all history. God knows the future. He knows the present. He knows the past. There’s not a single event in history that God doesn’t know about. I marvel at those people, I guess Mary Lou Henner is one of those people that has perfect recall of the past. I mean, you wouldn’t want to be married to a person like that. Because you can never win an argument about what happened way back when. And even if you were right, we could lie, and you’d never know. You can never beat her in an argument because she sees it perfectly. God sees everything, knows everything.

And it’s hard for us to see that what God knows, he is not causing to happen. At least some of those things. But he is allowed the freedom of choice. And if that’s not the case, as we get to the conclusion of this, if it’s just meant to be, it’ll be.

5. Why the Urgent Appeals?

Why reason with them? If it’ll be, it’ll be. Maybe it’ll be. Just ride with it. I mean, it’s going to be. You’re either going to accept or reject because God has so determined. Really? Why reason with me? Why the urgent appeals for action? Repent or perish.

Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men, Paul says, we must all stand before the judgment seat of God. 2 Corinthians 5, 10 and 11. Why make urgent appeals? If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. Why the Great Commission? Why go preach the world? Preach to the world. Preach the gospel to every creature. Why? If it’ll be, it’ll be. What about failures to evangelize? It could have been, but it isn’t because you didn’t evangelize. You see what that does to all of these passages that talk about freedoms that we have. And you have to move from this to more difficult passages. And we’ll conclude with this in Acts 13. And again, if you want to add any thoughts, anything you want me to cover about predestination next week, let me know.

This is just your intro. And that is if I actually have something to say next week. Acts 13. As Paul’s custom, he would go to the Jews first. Verse 46. And Paul of Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first. Since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. Behold, we’re turning to the Gentiles. Okay, so either go to the Jews. They reject it. So he said, We’re turning to the Gentiles. And he quotes a passage in Isaiah which predicted this, that God would indeed make his saving appeal to the Gentiles. He was never anti-Gentile, as the Jews concluded. And he evidences that in the quotation of Isaiah 42. It says, and when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and then, oh, this is it.

And as many have been appointed to eternal life, believe. I will tell you, those who believe in the false doctrine of predestination. That is that God has selected certain individuals. He didn’t select all individuals because you can’t read the Bible and see all people have saved. So God then selected certain individuals, and there’s often tied up in that the Holy Spirit works on a person, and when a Holy Spirit comes in and works on your mind, then you’re capable of receiving salvation and knowledge and understanding. And again, God would have to be the first agent in all of that to tamper with your mind and make it receptive to the truth. And so you’re one of the lucky ones, the God predetermined. And so that’s what this verse is saying.

This is one of the verses that they use. The only reason why these specific Gentiles obeyed the gospel is because God appointed them to eternal life. See, it says it right there. God chose them. More on that next week. And if this is the only verse we had, you might be able to make an argument for that. But this is not the only verse we got. In fact, it’s not, it’s not the only verse in this context that suggests that’s not what Luke is recording here. These Gentiles believed as a result of their choice. And because they were believers, they were thus appointed to eternal life. That’s what he’s saying. And we know that from verse 46, because he says, the word of God was spoken to you, Jews first, and God didn’t let you have salvation.

That’s not what the passage says. It says, you repudiate. And judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. So I’ll tell you this. Here’s the deal tonight. You’re either going to be appointed to eternal life because you chose to embrace the gospel, or you’re going to judge yourself unworthy of eternal life because you reject the message. Your personal choice makes all the difference. Now, whatever you choose you make, God can work with it. And I think if we make this personal, you know, you’re my people, you’re my church. Now, be the church I’ve called you to be. I want to talk more about that next week. You’re my church, you’re my people, you’re the ones appointed to eternal life. And then God is telling you, now be my church.

Conclusion

Do the work I’ve called you to do. So I want to conclude here tonight. What will you decide about your spiritual destiny? The New Testament says it’s in your hands. And I’m here to tell you that obedience to the Lord is good. It is sensible. And it is rewarding. Embrace it while you have the opportunity. Let’s stand and see.