An exposition of Jeremiah 30:1-17. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, September 7, 2008.
Introduction:
We are a “Gospel People.” A people given life and identity by the good news of life through the person of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the glorious good news that God has dealt with our sin and rebellion and offers us life through the person of His Son, the Lord Jesus. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We are all less than what we were created to be. But because God is loving, merciful and kind – He chose to save us rather than destroy us. He chose to give us life rather than death. The problem was how could He do that without denying His own character and nature? How does He remain holy and yet forgive? How can righteousness and justice prevail without handing down the just and right sentence? Our problem is huge. We’ve sinned against the king of the universe. Each act of treason is a violation of His imminent person. And it is not a matter we did one thing – we’ve done hundreds if not thousands! If you got by with only three sins a day (not bad) that is over 1000 a year. Multiply your age by 1000 and what do you come up with? Now stand before a judge and say, “Your honor, I’m no criminal. I’m not a bad person. I’ve only got (45,000, 57,000, 70,000) violations.” What do you think a judge would say? And the problem is not just with what we’ve done – it’s with who we are. At the time of the flood man is describe in the following manner: “…every intention of the thoughts of his heart, was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Jeremiah describes man’s heart as, “…deceitful above all things, and desperately sick…” (Jeremiah 17:9). In the New Testament we read, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and that the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). When we put the biblical account together we find that man is beyond hope in himself. His condition is incurable. There is nothing he can do. In fact man is described as being “dead in trespass and sin.” Man’s condition is universal and hopeless. Unless of course God does the impossible. And that is the good news. Our text this evening is found in the 30th chapter of Jeremiah.
Text: Jeremiah 30:1-17
Jeremiah has been called to deliver a very difficult message. A message of judgment and wrath. And yet throughout there is a hint of hope. Even in judgment God is merciful. When I said, at the beginning, that we are a “Gospel People” I was not just referring to the Church – but all the people of God starting with Adam and Eve in the Garden. God’s people have always been a Gospel people. Our hope has always rested in the promise of a deliverer. No one has ever been saved or ever will be saved by some other method. It has always been, is and forever will be, by the grace of God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus the Gospel is not relegated to the pages of the New Testament rather it is a biblical doctrine found throughout the Scriptures. In fact what I want you to see in our text this evening is that…
Thesis: Six centuries before Christ, Jeremiah the prophet revealed the glory of the Gospel too a bunch of stubborn, stiff-necked exiles.
I just want to point out two things in our text.
- Jeremiah reveals the pain of bondage and the debt of sin. (30:4-7; 10b; 12-15; 17b)
There is a glorious promise of deliverance and we’ll look at that next but what is made clear in this passage is something the exiles already knew – they were captives. This is the starting point for the Gospel. You cannot appreciate God’s grace until you genuinely understand what it means to be in the grip of sin. - Jeremiah reveals the promise of God’s gracious deliverance. (30:1-3; 8-11; 16-17)
This is the Gospel – you are a sinner. Your heart is corrupted. Your condition is incurable. There is nothing you can do but God offers you life by doing the impossible.
Do you know Him? If so rejoice. If not come to Christ now!