9/18/2025 Midtown Church Thursday Service
Pastor Christa Armstead
Key Passage:
“Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the Lord.“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” – Jeremiah 2:12–13
Biblical Foundation:
Jeremiah, both priest and prophet, ministered during King Josiah’s reforms. At that time, idols were torn down and the temple restored, yet the people still drifted and forgot the God who had saved them.
The BIG Idea:
Whatever you do, Never Lose Your AWE of God. It wasn’t that the children of Israel didn’t know God, but that they had forgotten who He was and all the wonderful things He had done for them.
Point #1: From Awe to Idols
“You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” – Revelation 4:11 NLT
- What is Awe? Being amazed, impressed, and overwhelmed by creative things. Godly awe, Holy reverence, and wonder before God’s majesty, holiness, and works.
- Worship is a choice—daily, we must decide who or what will receive our allegiance.
- Idols have no life, no substance, no power
- We become like what we worship by chasing emptiness. God’s people became hollow, futile, and empty.
Point #2: Broken Cisterns
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” – Jeremiah 2:13 NLT
“Whoever drinks of the water I give will never thirst again. It will become a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” – John 4:13-14
- God = Living Water: True, reliable source of life and satisfaction.
- Broken Cisterns = Human Substitutes: Idols, worldly supports, false gods—things we trust instead of God.
- Danger: They appear to work, but they leak, fail, and leave us spiritually dry.
Point #3: Recall, Remove, Repent, Return – The Path Back to Awe
“My children have turned their backs to me and not their faces.”
Jeremiah 2:27 NLT
The Path Back to Awe:
1. Recall → Remember what God has done for you
- Reflect on His faithfulness, provision, and past miracles.
2. Remove → Remove the idols from your life
- Anything you’ve placed above God—status, possessions, pleasure, people, power.
3. Repent → Choose to change
- Repentance is more than being sorry—it’s a deliberate turning away from sin and empty pursuits, leading to changed actions.
4. Return → Come Home
- Step back into God’s presence. Restore your awe, trust, and worship.