The Faithful, Unending Love of God

Welcome to Britton BBC. We are so glad that you have decided to worship with us this morning. While we long for the day when we can all meet together, we also understand that the church is not a building. Rather it is the people who gather together for worship; even if the gathering is in the virtual world of electronic media. If you are not already a part of a local assembly then we would invite you to join us once we are able to meet in person — that is, if you live nearby. Please join me in a word of prayer before we begin our service.

Almighty Father, before whom we bow, we acknowledge that You alone are God. You are the Creator and Sustainer of life. You are the Sovereign God who controls all things. We ask this morning that you would aid us in clearly our minds of any distractions which will prevent worshiping You in spirit and in truth. That Your Holy Spirit would give us focus as we meditate on Your word. We ask that You would help us to recognize the importance of coming to You in prayer when we are in the midst of the trials of this life and of this present time. We ask that You help us remember that many good things that You have done for us; both in the physical realm and in the spiritual realm. We ask that You would enable us to hold fast to the eternal hope which we have in Jesus Christ, and that we would acknowledge your mercies which are new every morning. And it is in Jesus name we pray; Amen.

A lot of things in our daily or weekly routines have changed since the coronovirus quarantine began. This includes my method of message preparation. More to the point, my method of choosing a passage to preach on. Since I usually preach through an extended passage, such as the Gospel of Matthew, I usually have a good idea of what my next passage will be, give or take a few verses. But since we have not been together I have been going week to week and it has been very different for me.

There are a lot of areas in both our personal lives and in our church life which will have to change. Sometimes change is good. Sometimes change is bad. Most times change is difficult.

Please take your Bible and turn to Lamentations 3:19-24, as we consider the Faithful, Unending Love of God. Lamentations is a small O.T. book, sandwiched between Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Having been written by Jeremiah, in the Hebrew Bible it was a part of the Book of Jeremiah.

The times in which Jeremiah ministered were difficult times. The northern tribes of Israel had been in exile for around a hundred years due to their constant idolatry. And though the southern tribes, collectively referred to as Judah, continued to exist Jeremiah’s original message was that judgment was coming.And finally that judgment has come. During his ministry three waves of exiles were taken from their native land, and dispersed throughout the Babylonian kingdom. The last wave of exiles was taken in 586 B.C. In mid-July of that year the city fell into the hands of the Babylonians, and in mid-August the temple was burned. And Jeremiah was a witness to it all.

Jeremiah’s description of the horrors he witnessed as the result of the long seige which led to the fall of the Holy City can make a person nauseous as they read it. Consider the first six verses of this chapter: Lam 3.1-6

Lamentations 3:1–6 CSB

I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath. He has driven me away and forced me to walk in darkness instead of light. Yes, he repeatedly turns his hand against me all day long. He has worn away my flesh and skin; he has broken my bones. He has laid siege against me, encircling me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those who have been dead for ages.

Folks, if you’re wanting to lose weight I don’t recommend the Jeremiah method!

Judgment came upon both Israel and Judah because they had been disobedient to the command of the Lord. And their disobedience can be summed up by one word — unbelief.

It is because of unbelief that God’s judgment will one day fall on all of mankind who refuse to repent and believe the gospel. Thus, the message of this inspired writing is just as applicable to the world today as it was in 586 B.C. when Jeremiah wrote it.

God is the Creator/Ruler/Owner of all the world and everything in it. He is the One who sets the standard which must be fulfilled. But man, who was created in the image and likeness of God, has rebelled against their Creator. Not only has man rebelled against God personally, but we have caused others to rebel as well. As a race, either by our actions or our teaching, we suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness. And we cheer others on to do the same as well.

Though this is the condition of mankind as a whole, God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to call sinners to repentance. He lived a sinless life, and thus, fulfilled all righteousness. He died on the cross as the sin-bearer for God’s people. And those who repent and believe the gospel are declared righteous before God. Their sins are forgiven. They are at peace with God. But all of this is found only as a result of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is for all who believe in His person and His work on their behalf.

Jeremiah’s writing is a sorrowful, mournful, poetic writing about the situation of Jerusalem at the time of its fall to Babylon. But in the middle of Jeremiah’s loud cries of dismay (which is the meaning of the term Lamentations) we find a statement of hope and trust in God that is as beautiful as anything penned by David. And that will be our text for this morning. Let’s read this together:

Lamentations 3:19–24 CSB

Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood and the poison. I continually remember them and have become depressed. Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.”

Because we who are in Christ have an enduring relationship with God, through Christ, we can take comfort in the knowledge that His love for us is eternal; because of His faithfulness His mercies are always fresh, and refreshing.

First let’s note that:

In the Midst of Affliction we Should Petition God to Remember Us

Look at verses 19-20 once again.

Lamentations 3:19–20 CSB

Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood and the poison. I continually remember them and have become depressed.

Jeremiah’s affliction was due to his ministry on behalf of God

It’s not wrong to reverently ask God to remember our faithful service to Him

If, however, our faithful service is all in the past, and not in the present, then there is something wrong with our present lack of service

Even a home-bound believer can faithfully serve God through prayer and witness

If our affliction is due to our own sin, then we need to confess it and seek forgiveness and restoration

In the Midst of Affliction we Should Remember the Good that God has Done

Notice verse 21:

Lamentations 3:21 ESV

But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

There are many things which God has done for us, as believers, that we can call to mind. Of course the most important things are those that are spiritual.

We’ve been chosen in Christ

We’ve been adopted as God’s sons

We’ve been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb

We’ve been forgiven for our sins, past present, and future

We’ve obtained an inheritance in Christ

We’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit

These are only some of the blessing that the believer has in Christ. But let’s consider what it is that caused Jeremiah to have such hope in the midst of such great affliction.

We Can Have Hope Because of That Which is Eternal

Lamentations 3:22 CSB

Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end.

What Jeremiah mentions as being eternal are the mercies of God which flow from His faithful love.

Note first:

The word translated faithful love in the CSB, steadfast love in the ESV, lovingkindness in the NASB, and mercies in the NKJV has to do with a kind benevolence toward those who are miserable

It is because of this that believers do not perish, but have eternal life

Note next:

The reason for God’s faithful love which keeps us from perishing is that: His mercies never end.

God’s mercies are like an Artesean well which bubbles forth with refreshing, cool water, and it never runs dry

The term for mercies or compassion comes from the Hebrew word for the womb

Just as a mother has such great compassion for her own children, so God has even more so for His own people

Notice next that:

We Can Have Hope Because God’s Mercy Flows From a Well That Never Runs Dry

Look at verse 23:

Lamentations 3:23 CSB

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!

This verse has been memorialized by the great hymn titled GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS. Having been written by an employee of the Moody Bible Institute, it was considered to be our unofficial school theme song. If I recall correctly, this song was written in the 1920’s but it came to hold special meaning during the time of the Great Depression. Perhaps during these times it should also come to hold a special meaning as well.

There is something about the promise of a new day that gives hope to the hurting heart. So many songs abound about such things. I think of one sung by the Little Orphan Annie:

The sun'll come out Tomorrow Bet your bottom dollar That tomorrow There'll be sun

Just thinkin' about Tomorrow Clears away the cobwebs, And the sorrow 'Til there's none

When I'm stuck a with day That's gray, And lonely, I just stick out my chin And Grin, And Say, Oh

The sun'll come out Tomorrow So ya gotta hang on 'Til tomorrow Come what may Tomorrow, tomorrow I love ya tomorrow You're always A day Away

In a sermon on this passage Charles Spurgeon said:

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. LV The Novelties of Divine Mercy (No. 3,170)

To the sinner, especially, it is a great mercy to have another day of grace, another opportunity for repentance, a new reprieve from death, a little more space in which to escape from hell, and fly to heaven.

Spurgeon went on to say that for the believer the promise of a new day is special because it is yet another day in which we can walk with God in sweet fellowship just as Enoch and so many other people of God have done.

What mercies have you received anew this morning?

Physically speaking:

Another day in which I have food to eat

Another day in which I have clothing to wear

Another day to spend with my family

Another day to be in contact with friends

The list could go on and on

Spiritually speaking:

Another day to worship my Redeemer privately

Today is the day in which I always look forward to worshiping God with other believers (even if it is via electronic media)

Today is yet another day in which I can serve my Lord who paid the ultimate price for my redemption

Think about that last part of verse 23 — great is your faithfulness. How great is His faithfulness? It is so great that even when you and I are unfaithful to Him, yet He remains faithful to us. This is because He must always act according to His character. It is impossible for God to be unfaithful.

Next notice that:

Our Hope is Based on Our Inheritance

Look at verse 24:

Lamentations 3:24 CSB

I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.”

Jeremiah is saying that the Lord is all I have and all I need. Though he has suffered great affliction because of his testimony for the Lord, though this affliction causes bouts of depression, still he has all he in needs in God.

Can you and I truthfully say that?

One current songwriter, Laura Story, has taken an interesting, thought provoking look at the blessings of God in a song titled:

Blessings by Laura Story

We pray for blessings We pray for peace Comfort for family, protection while we sleep We pray for healing, for prosperity We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering All the while, You hear each spoken need Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops What if Your healing comes through tears What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom Your voice to hear We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love As if every promise from Your Word is not enough All the while, You hear each desperate plea And long that we'd have faith to believe

When friends betray us When darkness seems to win We know that pain reminds this heart That this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments Or the aching of this life Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy What if trials of this life The rain, the storms, the hardest nights Are your mercies in disguise

Let’s pray.

Dear Father, we bow before You, the Maker of heaven and earth, and confess our need of You. Even if we are believers in Jesus Christ, we still continue to struggle with sin. But You have promised that if we confess our sins You will be faithful to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Our sin may be in the form of fear. Certainly in these present times many are afraid. We pray that you help us to conquer our fears by clinging to Christ who is our Refuge. We pray that you will remind you to come to you in prayer during our hour of affliction; that we would remember the many good things you have done for us in Christ our Lord. We thank you for your faithful love and Your mercies which never end. May we cling to that during these trying times. And when You bring trials of any kind into our lives, may we recognize them as mercies in disguise.

Father, I pray that if there be anyone listening this morning who does not have a personal relationship with You, through Christ, that this would be the day in which your Spirit would awaken them from the spiritual dead, and breath into their nostrils the breath of life.

It is in Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Numbers 6:24–26 CSB

“May the Lord bless you and protect you; may the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; may the Lord look with favor on you and give you peace.” ’