God's Ideal for the Church

Introduction

A Catholic priest, a Baptist minister and a rabbi are camping together

Around the campfire they each claim to be the best at winning converts to their respective faiths. To settle the friendly dispute they decide to seek out a bear and try to convert it. The next day they fan out in different directions into the woods, planning to meet back at the campsite in twelve hours to see which one executed the best plan. That night they gather around the fire again. "Well," said the Baptist, "how did you do?" "After a few hours I came upon a bear foraging for berries," the priest said. "I read to him from our Catechism and we talked about theology, and I'm happy to report I signed him up to start our conversion education." "Good," the Baptist said. "I found a black bear in a creek. I laid out God's plan for salvation for him. He prayed the sinner's prayer and I baptized him right there in that creek!" They then both turned the rabbi, who they now noticed had scratches on his face, torn clothes and blood across his belly. He took a long, deep breath and said: "If I could do it over again, I would not start with circumcision." The Rabbi did not execute the best plan.

But what does offer us hope is that God has a perfect plan for your life. His ways are perfect. And, He has a perfect plan for God’s people, the church.

The problem is we are not perfect. We are sinners and we fall short of God’s perfect plan for our lives. When sin invaded our world through Satan, we corrupted that plan for us and His church. Oh, but there is coming a day when Jesus will come again and we will see that plan perfected and fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

We have been studying Jeremiah 31 where Jeremiah is of offering up a Messianic promise of fulfillment of God’s ideal for His people spelled out in this chapter.

Jeremiah as we have heard him referred to as the weeping prophet was assigned the duty of sharing tough news, news of judgment to the people of Israel. He was the bearer of bad news. But, in Jeremiah 31, the tide turns and as He recites “for thus says the Lord,” Jeremiah was able to record words that offered hope for the people of Israel and hope for us today.

Jeremiah wrote God’s perfect desire for His chosen people. We discussed in this series in prior messages that the church today, those called of the Lord and that accept His Son, Jesus Christ are spiritual Israel today. We are spiritual Israel because God called you out and He called me out for those of us who believe. He chose us, He sought us, He pursued us to join in a relationship with Him made possible through His Son, Jesus Christ. And, on the day that you confessed your sins, and asked forgiveness for your sins and invited Jesus into your heart, you were adopted into His family. You are a part of spiritual Israel today.

Now, at the time that happened you were saved of sins, past, present and future and that family dynamic is secure in Jesus Christ.

John 10:28-29 “28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”

Does that mean we will never sin again? Absolutely not. We at that time began a process of conforming to the image of Christ with each day.

Why I bring this up before we study our text this morning is that the ideal will never be reached or fulfilled until Jesus comes again to rescue us from this world, we term that glorification.

Inn the mean time, God have given us His church as His way of pursuing that ideal for His people with the help of the Holy Spirit guiding us.

With that in mind, let’s continue the journey.

Turn in your Bibles this morning to Jeremiah 31:7-14.

Jeremiah 31:7-14

Jeremiah 31:7–14 NKJV

7 For thus says the Lord: “Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel!’ 8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there. 9 They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn. 10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’ 11 For the Lord has redeemed Jacob, And ransomed him from the hand of one stronger than he. 12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, Streaming to the goodness of the Lord For wheat and new wine and oil, For the young of the flock and the herd; Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more at all. 13 “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together; For I will turn their mourning to joy, Will comfort them, And make them rejoice rather than sorrow. 14 I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.”

Prayer

Message

Jeremiah recorded words quoted by God Himself. May we never forget that the Bible is God’s Words for us.

As we drove in Anchorage and especially the outskirts along the Seward Highway, Highway 1 of only three major highways in Alaska, it appeared that the speed limit signs were being received strictly as suggestions. There was not much attention to the speed limit at least as I saw it.

Must we never forget that God’s Words for us are not suggestions, but they are commands, but better than commands they are promises of what the Lord offers us in our relationship to Him.

We Respond in Worship to the Lord

We discussed in last week’s message of the importance of our response in worship to the Lord.

Look back on verse 4:

Jeremiah 31:4 You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.”

Our worship or lack thereof is a manifestation of the heart. Worship is our outward expression toward God.

Jeremiah wrote in two different phrases, verses 7-9 and then in verses 10-14 of the joy that Israel would experience post the exile from Babylon. Jeremiah was offering a better promise, a better day for the people of Israel.

Listen to me very closely this morning if you do not hear anything else I say, we, the church and that is you and me, by the power of the Holy Spirit within us are to fulfill the promise of a better life for one who comes in our midst and accepts Christ as Lord and Savior. We are His people and we have the responsibility of being the feet and hands of Christ to fulfill God’s promises to a lost and dying world. God’s Word states:

John 10:10 “10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

The church should bring abundance to each of our lives and if you feel church is a liability and not an asset to your life, we the church has failed you. The key-you are the church and I am the church. We have failed. May each of ask ourselves this morning as we walked into His house this question:

How have I brought the abundant life of God’s people today in the life of another?

God is stating in verse 7 and later in verse 12:

Jeremiah 31:7 “7 For thus says the Lord: “Sing with gladness for Jacob, And shout among the chief of the nations; Proclaim, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people, The remnant of Israel!’”

Jeremiah 31:12 “12 Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, Streaming to the goodness of the Lord For wheat and new wine and oil, For the young of the flock and the herd; Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden, And they shall sorrow no more at all.”

Listen to the action words of response to our worship to Him: sing, shout, proclaim, praise, save your people-more proclamation. Those are all actions words and they are expressive actions of worship. And may I say they are contagious actions of worship. I feed on your worship and you feed on mine.

Sing is mentioned for the 2nd time in verse 12. Our singing is a response of our hearts.

I met the pastor at Yarborough Street Baptist Church this week, Pat VonCor, that was on our mission team that went to Alaska. Brother Pat was a gifted man as it related to building improvement, but he did something that stood out all week as we worked. He sang intermittently all week as we worked. He had a beautiful voice, but more importantly, his singing was a billboard of his heart. He was full of the Lord this week as we worked. He had a song in his heart.

Do you have a song in your heart today?

Let me ask you a question. How do we elevate our worship? What brings about elation in our worship to God?

The goodness of God. Oh yes, there are times we respond in jubilation and celebration over God’s hand in our lives due to something great happening to us or for us.

But, what about those times you do not seem to be acting or doing quite as you ought? What about those times things did not turn out just as you think they should turn out? How do you respond in worship on those occasions?

Due to this fallen world we reside in there will be times that life’s circumstances are not favorable. In those times you will struggle to have a song in your heart if it is only supported by your life and your circumstances. How can we have a song in our heart regardless of what befalls us?

Focus on the Lord.

Isaiah 12:4–6 NKJV

4 And in that day you will say: “Praise the Lord, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth. 6 Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”

“Call upon His name”

Names in the Bible defines the character or the attributes of someone.

We note their are many names of God in the Bible.

In fact, the second part of that verse defines those character traits in God to focus on.

“Declare His deeds”

Adonai

Meaning: "Lord" or "Master"

Etymology: Derived from the Hebrew word "Adon," meaning "lord" or "master."

Example: Psalm 8:1 (ESV) – "O LORD (Yahweh), our Lord (Adonai), how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens."

Adonai signifies God's authority and sovereignty over all creation. When we address God as Adonai, we acknowledge His lordship and submit ourselves to His guidance and direction. Regardless what befalls you, He is God and He is in control.

Elohim

Meaning: "God" or "gods"

Etymology: Derived from the Hebrew root El, meaning "mighty" or "strong."

Example: Genesis 1:1 (ESV) – "In the beginning, God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth."

Elohim, the first name of God mentioned in the Bible, emphasizes His role as Creator. This name is often used when referring to God's power and might, and it reminds us that He is the one who formed the universe and everything in it.

There is nothing He can not overcome. You do not have a single issue that is outside the scope of His abilities to change.

Yahweh

Meaning: "I AM WHO I AM" or "the LORD"

Etymology: Derived from the Hebrew verb "to be," signifying God's eternal, self-existent nature.

Example: Exodus 3:14 (ESV) – "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.' And he said, 'Say this to the people of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

Yahweh is the personal name of God, revealing His self-existence, eternity, and unchanging nature. When God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, He revealed Himself as Yahweh, the great "I AM," assuring Moses that He would be with him throughout his mission to free the Israelites from Egypt.

When everyone else rejects you, leaves you, denies you, forsakes you, Yahweh can be trusted, He will be three, He will be consistent, He is immutable-unchanging.

El Olam

Meaning: "The everlasting God" or "the eternal God"

-Remember: Whatever you are facing is temporal at best, God is eternal and He will outlast any struggle you have.

El Roi

Meaning: "The God who sees"

You may be facing a matter today and you are foggy or at a total loss for direction or answers.

God sees your situations and God knows your solution.

El Shaddai

Meaning: "God Almighty" or "God the All-Powerful"

And we just broke the surface of the many names of God, Jehovah Nisei, Jehovah Jireh, etc.

Let me ask you a question this morning. How many of you without raising hands enjoy worship or feel your worship is unbridled or expressive in nature?

How many of you feel like you know how to witness or share your faith? How many of you feel you witness sufficiently for God’s desires?

When someone states “ I do not know how to witness or how to share my faith,” that is not a doctrinally sound statement.

“and shout among the chief of the nations”

When we share God’s goodness in our lives to our friends, our peers, our coworkers, our community, we are a witness.

There has been a statement that has surfaced at a greater degree in recent days.

“Coming out of the closet.”

In Anchorage Alaska, Terry and I were using the facilities before getting on the last leg of our flight from Chicago to Birmingham.

Terry pointed out to me a sign he noticed as we used the restroom. There next to the men’s restroom, the women’s restroom was an all gender restroom. The universal visual icon for an all gender restroom is the icon of a half man/half woman icon for the bathroom. He has the photo on his phone.

Oh dear brother and sister this morning, if there were ever a time that the church needs to come out of the closet and let loose the greatest secret known to all mankind. Let’s not keep it a secret. Let’s sing it, let’s shout it, let’s proclaim the saving Knowledge of Jesus Christ and make it the Great news, the Gospel News, we could see God’s ideal of His church reach the world and bring transformation to people’s lives.

From the very beginning God wanted all of mankind to know of Him. God intended Israel to share of Him to the world and God expects the same of us.

Genesis 12:3 “3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.””

Isaiah 12:4-6 that we just discussed.

Isaiah 49:6 “6 Indeed He says, ‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob, And to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ””

“Oh Lord, save Your people” and our worship is expressed through witnessing.

Which marries into point # 2 this morning.

Our witnessing is to be communicated to the wayward.

We Receive the Wayward For the Lord

Jeremiah 31:8 “8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there.”

We read in verse 8 of that great divisiveness being healed by the Lord. The Bible is full of divisiveness and turmoil, jealousy, bitterness and waywardness for its beginnings.

Adam & Eve

Cain & Abel

The Tower of Babel

Shem, Ham, & Japheth

Abraham & Lot’s Men

Wayward lives, Sodom & Gomorrah

Esau & Jacob

the twelve tribes and the jealousy toward Joseph

Time doesn’t permit to recite every wrong, sin, decisive act, rebellion, or waywardness in the Bible.

Jeremiah writes of a period of the coming together of the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom, the twelve tribes coming together, a time that the Jews and the Samaritans would come together and the list goes on.

Jeremiah writes of a time when people groups, cultures, races, different dialects and the list goes on will come together.

Divisiveness has been a part of the DNA fiber since creation since Satan entered the garden. Alabama/Auburn, Republican/Democrat, Liberal/Conservative, North vs. the South, World powers-America/Russia/China, must I go on.

What does this divisiveness say to the church? If the Lord’s desire is for everyone to know Him as Lord and Savior what does that say to us about our mission?

“Among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and the one who labors with child, together; a great throng shall return here.”

In layman’s terms God desires His church to reach people that may be different than you and different than me. God wants everyone to feel welcome in His house.

We Remorse & Rejoice with Weeping Over the Lord

Jeremiah 31:9 “9 They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn.”

Don’t you know that Israel had many days of weeping over their sins that brought judgment on them. They would be elated the day they came out of exile, but notice what it will be like the day Jesus comes again or we see His glory in heaven:

Revelation 21:4 “4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.””

When was the last time you wept over your broken estate? Or, have you experienced tears of joy for God’s cleansing and washing and the liberality that is felt when one comes into a new relationship in Christ.

If you are experiencing tears of distraught and guilt of past, present them to the Lord and look what happens as spelled out in verse 4.

Let’s pray.