Jeremiah 30.18 - 31.6 “Zion the City of Our God”

“Zion the City of Our God”

Rome fell to the barbarian Visigoths in 410 AD. This shocked the Roman world including Christians who had become the leaders of Rome. Augustine, a bishop of the Christian church, wrote a book to console Christians and ensure the that even though the most powerful and significant city of man was ransacked, burned, and destroyed by barbarian anarchists, the city of God was being built on its ashes and would ultimately triumph. Augustine fixed God’s peoples’ eyes on heaven and the eternal city which God is building. Christians had become focused on earthly pleasures and were distracted from the eternal values. So our God was providing an understanding of history that those only immersed in the cares and pleasures of this world could not comprehend.

I. Arise, Let Us Go Up to Zion –

A. Jerusalem has two locations

1. The physical city – the center of Israel –

2. And a heavenly location –

B. Jeremiah promises a return to the city of Jerusalem

1. The people of Israel will possess God’s promised land –

2. God will restore health to the city –

II. Jerusalem Renewed –

A. The city will be rebuilt on its own ruins (mounds) –

1. Joy in the renewed city (no joy reported in the Jerusalem of Jesus’ time)

2. Many children – “I will multiply them” – ;

B. Honest governors –

1. No corruption

2. Worship will be at the center of the city –

3. You will be My people –

This is the covenant promise – . The mouth of the Lord has spoken it and God will perform His Word!! . You will see this in the last days (the latter days).

III. An Eternal Love –

A. God will keep His people in the wilderness –

1. The wilderness is a place to find God –

2. “The wilderness is the best place to be found.” Michael Card

3. Jesus was ministered to by His Father in the wilderness – , ,

B. God’s love is eternal –

1. He loved us before the foundation of the world –

2. Believers are sojourners –

3. We love him because He first loved us –

C. Seek the city which God is building –

1. Confess you are a stranger and pilgrim in this life –

2. There is a better country than this one – we are progressing as pilgrim in Pilgrims Progress to the celestial city

to the celestial city

Are you a citizen of this world or the new heavens and the new earth where righteousness dwells?

; ;