Full Sermon Jesus is Our Security in a Troubled World based on Jeremiah 33:14-16

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I. Where do you look for security? We are offered security from many different places. Having a lot of money is one place many people look to for security. Or having good health insurance. Or having enough food. Or having a nice house. Or having a famous name. Where do you look for security?

II. The unbelieving world does not give true security. The sad truth is the security we are offered by the people and things of this world are not that secure at all. People with a lot of money falsely think having even more money will make them secure. More money gives people a false sense of security. People with good health insurance still have troubles with their health. People are always looking for food for their next meal. A nice house can be destroyed by fire or by a tornado or by a flood. A famous name does not guarantee that our problems will go away somehow. Part of life is hoping for security, but that security is never perfect in this life.

III. Difficult things shake us. Each of us has been shaken by difficult things in life. A loss of a loved one. A time of illness. A bad investment. A broken relationship. A poor harvest. Life is not easy for us all the time.

IV. Jeremiah had frustrations, according to Jeremiah 20:7-9. Whatever worries or troubles make sleeping at night a tough thing, the prophet Jeremiah would have had some of the same insecurities. First, God called him to be a prophet even though Jeremiah thought he was too young. Jeremiah’s life was threatened more than once. Jeremiah did not enjoy the violent reaction to his prophetic messages. Jeremiah wrote about some of his frustrations as a prophet of the Lord in Jeremiah 20:7-9, “O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, ‘Violence and destruction!’ For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, ‘I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,’ there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.” Have you ever felt like God was deceiving you? Have you ever felt a burning fire in your bones that caused you to speak up for God even though you knew others might not want to hear your words?

V. Jeremiah and the collapse of his outside world. If the inner struggles for Jeremiah were not enough, he also had to deal with the upcoming collapse of his outside world. In about a year the city of Jerusalem and the temple would be devastated by the Babylonian army. In the midst of Jeremiah’s inside and outside difficulties, he was telling the people of Jerusalem something they did not want to hear—that the Babylonians would destroy Jerusalem and the temple because the people had sinned and turned away from God. They rebelled against God who had given them the land, the temple, and the city of Jerusalem. They would be severely punished for their sinful rebellion against God.

Whatever inner or outer struggles we have are small in comparison to the struggles of the prophet Jeremiah.

VI. Read Jeremiah 33:15-16. In such a shaken world Jeremiah speaks a remarkable message from God to the people of Jerusalem and to each of us. In Jeremiah 33:15-16 the prophet writes, “In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’”

VII. A calming word from God about real security. A calming word from God. A refreshing word. A word from God about real security. This word would change reality for those who believed God’s promises. The One was coming who would reverse the curse of rebellion and turning to other gods. The same Jerusalem that would experience terrible fighting and bloodshed would one day know salvation and dwell securely. God’s blessings would be poured out on the city of Jerusalem.

VIII. Great reversal through a righteous Branch. This great reversal would be brought about by the One God would send to spring up for David as a righteous Branch. That One would bring justice and righteousness to the land. That One from the line of King David, Jesus, would bring all of this about because of the gracious favor of our God. Jesus fulfilled this refreshing word from the prophet Jeremiah.

IX. True security through Baptism into the saving name of Jesus. True security through Jesus, the righteous Branch, is ours through the gift of faith. We are in Him and He is in us, not by our efforts but by the saving efforts of Jesus for us. We are buried with Him through our Baptism. We are raised with Him through our Baptism. Jesus died for us, so that Israel’s sins and wrongs, Jerusalem’s sins and wrongs, our sins and wrongs are all forgiven. Jesus arose for us, so that we have life in His name. We have life and hope in the saving Name of Jesus no matter what comes our way—the sadness of the loss of a loved one, a time of illness, loss of money, loss of crops, or loss of a relationship with someone special. Not even death can conquer us with the saving Name of Jesus on our side.

X. Read John 11:25-26 and comment. The sure word of Jesus spoken to Martha, near the grave of Lazarus, from John 11:25-26 is, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” We can answer with Jeremiah and with Martha, “Yes, Lord I believe.”

XI. False gods are helpless to give true security. The false gods of money, power, fame, and material things are helpless to give us true security in life. Those who have a lot of money, power, fame, and material things are looking for more. Those false gods never give people what they hope for. How silly people are to believe that money, power, fame, and material things can be treated like gods. What a waste is a life devoted to those false gods.

XII. Jeremiah spoke that message but only a minority of people believed him. Jeremiah spoke that message over and over to the people of his time. He faithfully spoke the Word of God. The majority of the people did not believe that message. But a minority of the people did believe the message of Jeremiah was true. They saw the goodness and mercy and love of God in the prophetic words of Jeremiah. They repented in sadness over their many sins and wrongs. They believed in the mercy and forgiveness of God through the righteous Branch, Jesus.

XIII. Conclusion. So rejoice with Jeremiah that God keeps His promises in spite of the trials and troubles of this life. Our security is not based on the things of this world that come and go. Our security is based on the love and mercy of God shown to us in Jesus Christ. No amount of problems and challenges that come our way in life can take away the true and lasting security we have through the undeserved love of God in the person and saving work of Jesus, the righteous Branch and only Savior of the world. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.