Jeremiah: The Old and New Covenant (pt3)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Open to Jeremiah 31, we will start in verse 35 this evening, that’s Jeremiah 31:35
First a little recap from where we have been
The Lord said, “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant.” (Je 31:31, ESV).
We talk about how this new covenant is not contrary to the old.
God did not deal with people one way in the past and a different way in the future.
Everyone the is saved is saved by
By Grace alone
Through Faith Alone
By the work of Christ Alone
Revealed in the Scriptures Alone
For the Glory of God Alone
The New Covenant is New in the same way that Wine can be New and Old.
Then in verse 34 the Lord gives us the sign of this new covenant,
“they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD.” (Je 31:34, ESV)
Regeneration is the sign of the New covenant.
Again, Regeneration has always been, the sign of God’’s people, but now, has gone out in a new as God dwells within his people because the vail is torn.
Then at the end of verse 34 the LORD promised the impossible
“For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Je 31:34, ESV)
How can a just God forgive sins? Every Christian answer emphatically, Christ born my sins on the Cross, in Christ is both just and the justifier.
Its all about Christ, in him and through him and for him were all things made. Period.
New Let’s Read
35 Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name: 36 “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” 37 Thus says the Lord: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the Lord.” 38 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when the city shall be rebuilt for the Lord from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. 39 And the measuring line shall go out farther, straight to the hill Gareb, and shall then turn to Goah. 40 The whole valley of the dead bodies and the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be sacred to the Lord. It shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”
May God Bless the Reading of His Holy, Infallible, and all sufficient word.
Let’s Pray
Transition
Transition
The Christian world view is necessary if you don’t want to be a fool. The modern man thinks of himself as to wise. After all, we know the world is round, can go to space, but in all that technology in many ways modern man is more foolish then those before him. Trusting to himself and his power. There is no foundation the only foundation is the word of God. Verse 35 and 36 start out with the first of two oaths or promises that anchor the
Body
Body
God Ensures His Promises by His Power
God Ensures His Promises by His Power
35 Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name: 36 “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” 37 Thus says the Lord: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the Lord.”
This text are amazing
The Lord swears two oaths by his power and by his knowledge
The first verse 35-36
“35 Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord of hosts is his name: 36 “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” (Jeremiah, 31:35-36, ESV)
“who gives”
as sure as the sun rise is my faithfulness to my people
We cannot view the the sun rise as a mechanical process.
He upholds the universe, kosmos, be the word of his power.
If He stops upholding the World then He will stop being faithful to His people.
Notice who God is saying is the source for the promise. It’s his power.
“ for all that they have done”
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” (Is 1:18, ESV) ]
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Ro 8:38–39. ESV)
God Promises cannot be true if in anyway God’s love is based on us.
Sorry to break it to you, you are not lovable.
Transition
Transition
We are going to get to the statement about “Israel [not] cease from being a nation before me” at the end of verse 40 so we will move on to verse 37
God Ensures His Promises by His Wisdom
God Ensures His Promises by His Wisdom
37 Thus says the Lord: “If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth below can be explored, then I will cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the Lord.”
Its interesting the ways God bring Sermon illustration
I heard Neil Degrasse Tyson say
“Do you know how little of the universe we have seen? The idea that there is not other life out there is reticulated.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle
If you believe everything is a natural process and that everything came about by a magical explosion billions of years ago, of course you would say that.
But the believer knows that the vastness of the universe, the unexplorable depths of the earth, are testaments to God’s power and God’s Wisdom.
Some more souls where just crushed to death just a few miles down in the ocean, can you imagine what its like 3,900 miles down in the ocean of molten rock at the center of the earth.
The voyager prob has traveled for 50 years at 38,000 MPH and it didn’t even leave our solar system until 2012.
You have to travel at 38,000 MPH for 35 years just to get out of our solar system.
The Scriptures say in Psalms 8, “What is man that you are mindful of him?”
There is nothing within nature strong enough to explore the depths of the earth or visit the all the stars. There is not one with the wisdom to know what the center of the earth it like or count the stars much lease.
There is nothing strong enough to stop God from
This is a real good point about divine revelation
The impossibility of knowing anything
Thinking himself wise he is actually a fool
“18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” (Ro 1:18–23 ESV)
Its easy to look around at the atheists and see the level foolishness, but what about Christians
It is foolishness to say, I am saved because I believed and my salvation depends on my ability to keep believing.
The Lord clearly says, the New Covenant depends on thing but my power and nothing but my wisdom and nothing can undo it not even the sins of my people.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The New Covenant is the work of Christ and his blood, no one can assail, no one can take his from him.
That is the comfort, saint, your salvation doesn't depend on you. It depends on thee one who up holds the world by the word of his power, he is the author and finisher of your faith and he began a good work and he will complete it.
Next tiem we will get into verses 38-40
Tonight We conclude with the words from
Benediction
Benediction
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.” (Jud 24–25, ESV)