The People's Response to God

Introduction

We are continuing in our series through the book of Jeremiah. For those of you who are linear in your thinking, this sermon may frustrate you. The first and second sermons were on Chapter 1 & 2 and now we move to Chapter 7.

As I stated in the introduction of the sermon series, we are not going systematically through the book of Jeremiah. With 52 chapters it will seem like a never ending dialogue on the same plot.

For most of us that is ok, but I recognize that for some of you that may be frustrating.

I do want to start by getting you to think about something.

What do you have in your life, something you hold onto or and by possessing this item, you believe that shows that you are a follower of Christ.

At Christmas time do you go about setting up a manger scene on your front lawn.

I do, It’s called Joy, I thought I had a picture to show you, but this one give you an idea of a manger scene.

What about the famous saying a few years back. It was quite a movement.

WWJD

I did a search on the internet for pictures to show you that are royalty free. It was quite amazing actually, there was one of the WWJD that was politically & socially charge even in this simple little saying.

For those of you who don’t know. WWJD was a phrase to remind us to the words of Jesus,

What Would Jesus Do?

I don’t recall my involvement in this movement as my memory fails me , but thinking about this and working on this passage, that saying failed us in so many ways.

We really should be saying, What does Jesus Say to do?

But I guess that is just too many letters.

Here is another,

Now I know you may have all been thinking this, ways in which people use to show that they were followers of Christ, Ways that were developed by the first Century Christians. That is the fish.

You would see and in some cases still see this, the fish.

You may be wondering why a fish.

he fish symbol references an acrostic, consisting of the initial letters of five Greek words which formed the word for "fish" in the Greek: ICTYS, pronounced ICHTHYS. It contained the Greek letters Iota, Chi, Theta, Upsilon and Sigma. To the early Christian community, this signified, "Iesous Christos, Theou Yios, Soter," or in the English translation of the Greek, "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior."

- https://archive.naplesnews.com/entertainment/christian-fish-symbol-has-a-long-history-ep-398616999-334600671.html/

This sign was there to show the world, although quietly, that you were a follower of Christ.

I often saw these on the back of a car in either a bumper sticker or window art. One that car that was speeding past me or cut me off. Ironic, isn’t it.

Is there something in your life that helps you show the world that you are a follower of Christ.

Do you use it to proclaim to the world your beliefs?

Is it a starter question so that you can engage with the person in an attempt to bring the conversation around to the gospel?

I love the evangelist in our midst, Jeremy, as his approach to impact people’s lives with the gospel. Simply. “What is your story?”

It is a chance to bring the Gospel into the conversation. It’s not just a slogan, but converstation starter that has a rich, eternal purpose.

What do you have.

Why bring up the topic of a symbol.

Well today’s passage hints at the same thing,

but before we look into God’s Word, let’s Pray

Prayer

Background Information

Before we begin to look into the text, I want to give you some background information of what is happening.

It’s like coming into a TV Drama series halfway through the season and you need to get caught up with the events to fully understand the characters and the plot.

As I have been encouraging you lately, I want you to bring your own Bibles with you to church. For some of you, that is a physical Bible, others, on your tablet or device, but I want to encourage you to bring your own.

As our definition of a disciple is one who is seeking to know God.

Knowing God, means that you are applying what you are hearing.

For some its taking notes, others its seeing the words, whatever it is I would love to see you in the Word.

While I give you some Background information, turn to Jeremiah chapter 7

The people at this time were in a bit of an unrest.

Chaos was happening as their beloved King, Josiah had died.

Remember Him. Became King at the age of 8 and brought out the Law hidden in the temple and hadn’t heard God’s Word to the people before.

The people during his reign turned back to God.

But now, a new King was in place Jehoiakim

He brought back Idol worship, in fact, it was a combination of Idol worship and an apparent worship to Jehovah.

Let’s turn to Jer 7

I’ll start in verse 1

Jeremiah 7:1–4 ESV

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Stand in the gate of the Lord’s house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all you men of Judah who enter these gates to worship the Lord. 3 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will let you dwell in this place. 4 Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’

Temple Sermon

This passage has been referred to by many as the temple sermon. If you look in your bible, there is often a caption that starts the passage.

Mine says Evil in the Land, others say False religion worthless or trusting in Lying words.

If you put those two together, you have a sermon at the temple and actions that do not seem to line up together.

First Public Proclamation

If you are reading through the book of Jeremiah, you will begin to notice that this is his first public appearance.

If Jeremiah’s publicist was here today, It would be the launch from a private blog that hasn’t been noticed to the sermon being broadcast across the local and national channels.

Stand in the gates of the Lord’s House

In other words, God told Jeremiah to go to the heart of the communities local area of communication.

I guess if Jeremiah was to come to Merritt and give this sermon, he would most likely head to

Post Office??

Tim Hortons?? or at least at coffee time

You see the temple had become a place of the meeting of the people.

Business transactions were handled at the gate.

If you were anybody during this time, the gate area would be the local place you would go.

If fact, It has once been said that temple worship had become the latest fad.

It was considered cool if you participated in temple worship.

You had your place, you did this ritual because it was expected.

Look at verse two.

All you men who enter to Worship.

Jeremiah was speaking to well quite frankly, if we were to put it into today’s context,

The church people.

I shudder when I read this. I shudder for myself......

If Jeremiah’s sermon was within earshot of me today, Would he be talking to me today.

Are there things in my life that has made worship, and or the practice of my faith, meaningless?

If these are your thoughts as well, let’s look at a couple of things about this sermon and then make that assessment whether or not does it apply to me? To You?

Main Theme of the Sermon

So what was the main theme of this Sermon from Jeremiah? Not today’s main theme, but This Temple sermon found in Jeremiah 7

Amend your ways

Amend your deeds.

Do not trust in these deceptive Words.

This is the temple.

The writer repeat this three times to remind them how hollow, it can be to repeat without a heart change.

It reminded me of the little train that could.

I think I can I think I can I think I can.

Thinking and repeating doesn’t get you to God. It requires a heart change.

Let’ continue

Jeremiah 7:5–7 ESV

5 “For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, 6 if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own harm, 7 then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers forever.

Secondary Theme of the Sermon

Here we now see the secondary theme of the sermon.

God told Jeremiah to tell the people if they truly would change....

God was looking for a change. He hadn’t given up hope.

He was still pleading with the people even though they had gone down the wrong road so clearly and not following God.

You can hear the cry and call of God.

He calls them to turn.

To seek justice for people. To once again open their hearts.

Look if you will at verse six

They were oppressing the vulnerable people in their midst.

One person wrote,

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel a. Misplaced Confidence (7:1–7)

Idolatry, the root of their problems and their first national sin at Mount Sinai, comes last for emphasis. Nothing less than spiritual renewal would insure continuance in the land God had given their fathers in perpetuity (v.7; of Deut 14:29; 24:19–21; chs. 28–30). As always, acceptance with God depends not on ceremonial observances but on true piety.

Thinking back for me, Jeremiah’s words for me.

Have I allowed things in my life that give me the comfort of outward compliance while on the inside I am no where near God.

Do I seek after the things of this world above and beyond that of God’s work in my life?

Am I seeking to be a disciple who is daily being transformed into the image of Christ as I get to know God more and more?

You see these words to the people can be words for me and you.

Jeremiah then moves onto what I call the Reality Check

Jeremiah 7:8–11 ESV

8 “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known, 10 and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations? 11 Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.

Reality Check of the sermon

This is the reality that the people are living.

Trusting in something that isn’t real.

Trusting in a fake promise.

I often look at the lotteries and wonder, would God be honored if I spend my money in hopes of a big payout.

I mean I look at the commercials and they tell me that if I play I can win and If I win, I am to think big of what I could do.

Where is our trust? Are we placing our trust in the idols of this world.

The ones that appear to be spiritual, but fall into the same category of idols.

Many people have used this time to point out the idols in our lives. The things of this world that are bad and as followers of Christ, we should avoid.

To be honest, you know what they are.....

You know that anything that gets in the way of

Getting to know God, that stops you from living a transformational life to be in the likeness of Christ. To rely on anything other than God’s empowering spirit. Is wrong.

In fact,

The people of Jeremiah’s time started out great. They had a passion for God and then things,

even “Churchy” things got in the way of the heart attitude with God.

Does verse 11 sound vaguely familiar ?

Matthew 21:13 ESV

13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

Jesus approached the people during His time to treat the same attitude.

Let’s continue in the sermon.

Jeremiah 7:12–15 ESV

12 Go now to my place that was in Shiloh, where I made my name dwell at first, and see what I did to it because of the evil of my people Israel. 13 And now, because you have done all these things, declares the Lord, and when I spoke to you persistently you did not listen, and when I called you, you did not answer, 14 therefore I will do to the house that is called by my name, and in which you trust, and to the place that I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I cast out all your kinsmen, all the offspring of Ephraim.

The History lesson of the sermon

God through the words of Jeremiah, takes the people on a history lesson.

Shiloh,

If you remember, last summer we visited this topic in our sermon on Samuel.

When the nation of Israel was in its early stages, the Ark was the place of God.

It was to them the dwelling place of God. Then God’s Ark began to reside in Shiloh.

If you want to later do a follow up study, take some time to read I Sam chapters 1-4

But the history lesson was to tell the people you are putting your trust in the wrong thing.

God is not limited to a place. He desires to have the tabernacle or dwelling within us.

I often think about the ark and God’s dwelling place and what was in the center of the dwelling place. His ten commandments.

Summed up buy Jesus to say.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbour.

You see Shiloh was viewed that if God Dwells there, nothing can ever happen to us.

It’s like the symbols we talked about earlier.

I’ve seen people carry crosses around their necks, yet their actions are far from Christ’s call on our lives.

I’ve seen people call themselves Christian, hoping that in saying it they would become one.

The Shiloh was like that.

They had trusted in the place, but not the God in that place.

They felt that if we have God in our midst, we can live like we want and yet remain untouched.

God said, Look back. How did that work out for you?

The commentary wrote it this way.

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 6: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel c. The Example of Shiloh (7:12–15)

The sanctuary at Shiloh proved the falsity of the claim that the Lord was unalterably committed to an earthly temple and its preservation regardless of the moral state of the people.

Folks that place is not the important part. God dwelling is.

Jeremiah was telling the people to look back and then look forward.

I called back then, and they did not listen, I call today and you are not listening.

Jerusalem the Temple was in the same state as the Shiloh before its destruction.

He was warning the people that a time is coming for them.

Turn now to verse 16

Jeremiah 7:16–20 ESV

16 “As for you, do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with me, for I will not hear you. 17 Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? 18 The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger. 19 Is it I whom they provoke? declares the Lord. Is it not themselves, to their own shame? 20 Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, my anger and my wrath will be poured out on this place, upon man and beast, upon the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; it will burn and not be quenched.”

2nd Reality Check of the Sermon

This was the second reality check for Jeremiah.

It was a reality check for him as a prophet.

God said to him, do not pray for the people.

In fact, this is the first of three times, God tell him not to pray for the people.

You will find the other two in Jer 11:14 and Jer 14:11-12

Now if you are reading along and wonder what the Queen of Heaven is talking about, scholars battle over the same things.

Most hold to the fact that it is a part of idol worship.

It could have been a Babylonian deity one that was commonly worshiped during that time.

Some see the reference to cakes and aligned that with moon worship.

So the reality check is that worship had become a mixed bag of whatever pleases them.

They had turned away from God and God alone. They had gathered the idols and worship practices of those around them and God took notice.

It is truly amazing watching people replace the things of God with the things of this world.

I have seen people read books, and modern day philosophies that on the surface seem spiritual, but have very on no little reference to God.

They sound holy and righteous but it is not God centered. Sadly, there are also some doctrines out there of some churches, that I struggle with as the focus on Us and not Christ.

God pointed out to Jeremiah, walk away if they are like this.

He says Look

Can you see what they are doing?

They are doing this in public.

I once heard the thought.

We have 3 lives.

Our public, for all to see

Our private, for those in our inner circle

Our secret, those that cannot be hidden from God.

Folks these people that Jeremiah is calling out to have brought private to the public and in some cases secret to public as well.

Our response

So what is our response to this temple sermon.

As you know, we are to be disciples of Christ.

People who are

Seeking to know God, while being transformed into the image of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit in the context of community.

Community has three lives as well.

Public- One with many

Private- One with a few

Secret- One with God.

We need to start with the secret because those things in which we keep secret, God needs to deal with us. For those things that we keep secret have a way of making themselves known and sometimes are dealt with better when they are not secret.

Have you given your secret life to God.

Can you say with all clarity and honesty

Psalm 139:23 ESV

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!

God can handle our thoughts, our heart. We need to give him full control of that which we hold onto as secret.

Second is we need to deal with those that are private.

Are you in a relationship with others who hold you accountable.

We are just finishing up our Cord of Three groups, some of you may be taking a break for the summer, but we will be looking once again at these in the Fall.

God can work through people in your lives if you let them in. Keeping people in our lives who are not afraid to challenge us is good thing.

The people of God during Jeremiah’s day stopped being challenged by God’s Word and were able to do as they pleased.

Finally, your public life.

Is what people see the real you or is it a bumper sticker claiming a truth.

Do you walk around with the signs or fashion, yet are doing the opposite?

I don’t know about you, but I want to be able to stand before God, and hear the words, well done my good and faithful servant.

I want my public life be synonyms with my private and secret.

Yes there are things that do not need to be public, but is there a willingness to bring it all before God.

His main theme of this temple sermon was to challenge people to turn away from the things of this world and turning back to God.

To me, this is a daily event in my life. A correction when I am turning to the left or right.

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Conclusion

As the worship team makes their way to the front.

Let me leave you with this.

Where are you at? Do you identify with the people described in this chapter,

or,

and I pray that you are.

People seeking to know God, living a transformational life, that is only possible with the power of the Spirit that dwells within us, to be a community of Faith.

Response to Worship

Benediction