Sunday Sermon Outline: Jeremiah 31

Jeremiah 31
The Benefits of Redemption

I.  Grace vs. 1-6
     ““At that time,” declares the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people.” [2] Thus says the LORD, “The people who survived the sword Found grace in the wilderness— Israel, when it went to find its rest.” [3] The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. [4] “Again I will build you and you will be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! Again you will take up your tambourines, And go forth to the dances of the merrymakers. [5] “Again you will plant vineyards On the hills of Samaria; The planters will plant And will enjoy them. [6] “For there will be a day when watchmen On the hills of Ephraim call out, ‘Arise, and let us go up to Zion, To the LORD our God.’””

1 Peter 1:10-12; Hebrews 12:22


II. Joy vs. 7-20

     A. Salvation vs. 7-11 
     “[7] For thus says the LORD, “Sing aloud 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 am bringing them from the north country, And I will gather them from the remote parts of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child and she who is in labor with child, together; A great company, they will return here. [9] “With weeping they will come, And by supplication I will lead them; I will make them walk by streams of waters, On a straight path in which they will 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 in the coastlands afar off, And say, “He who scattered Israel will gather him And keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.” [11] For the LORD has ransomed Jacob And redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.”

     B. The Spirit vs. 12-14
     "[12] “They will come and shout for joy on the height of Zion, And they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD — Over the grain and the new wine and the oil, And over the young of the flock and the herd; And their life will be like a watered garden, And they will never languish again. [13] “Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, And the young men and the old, together, For I will turn their mourning into joy And will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow. [14] “I will fill the soul of the priests with abundance, And My people will be satisfied with My goodness,” declares the LORD.”

     C. Hope vs. 15-17
     “[15] Thus says the LORD, “A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.” [16] Thus says the LORD, “Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears; For your work will be rewarded,” declares the LORD, “And they will return from the land of the enemy. [17] “There is hope for your future,” declares the LORD, “And your children will return to their own territory.”

Romans 15:13

     D. Mercy vs. 18-20
     “[18] “I have surely heard Ephraim grieving, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, Like an untrained calf; Bring me back that I may be restored, For You are the LORD my God. [19] ‘For after I turned back, I repented; And after I was instructed, I smote on my thigh; I was ashamed and also humiliated Because I bore the reproach of my youth.’ [20] “Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a delightful child? Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him; Therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him,” declares the LORD.”

Luke 1:57-58 (NIV)


III. Blessings vs. 21-40

     A. A Savior vs. 21-22
     “[21] “Set up for yourself roadmarks, Place for yourself guideposts; Direct your mind to the highway, The way by which you went. Return, O virgin of Israel, Return to these your cities. [22] “How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth— A woman will encompass a man.””

     B. A City vs. 23-28
     “[23] Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I restore their fortunes, ‘The LORD bless you, O abode of righteousness, O holy hill!’ [24] “Judah and all its cities will dwell together in it, the farmer and they who go about with flocks. [25] “For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.”
     [26] At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.”
     “[27] “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast. [28] “As I have watched over them to pluck up, to break down, to overthrow, to destroy and to bring disaster, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” declares the LORD.”

     C. A Covenant vs. 29-34
     “[29] “In those days they will not say again, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children's teeth are set on edge.’ [30] “But everyone will die for his own iniquity; each man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge. [31] “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. [33] “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. [34] “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

     D. A Future vs. 35-40
     “[35] Thus says the LORD, Who gives the sun for light by day And the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night, Who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The LORD of hosts is His name: [36] “If this fixed order departs From before Me,” declares the LORD, “Then the offspring of Israel also will cease From being a nation before Me forever.” [37] Thus says the LORD, “If the heavens above can be measured And the foundations of the earth searched out below, Then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel For all that they have done,” declares the LORD. [38] “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the city will be rebuilt for the LORD from the Tower of Hananel to the Corner Gate. [39] “The measuring line will go out farther straight ahead to the hill Gareb; then it will turn to Goah. [40] “And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields as far as the brook Kidron, to the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east, shall be holy to the LORD; it will not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever.”” 


LISTEN TO AUDIO MESSAGE HERE

Merry Christmas!

That's right, I said, "Merry Christmas!" The only reason this season means anything is because of "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

I am grateful to the Lord for those who have helped make this internet ministry possible through their financial support. Some have provided single gifts, while others have included us in their pattern of regular giving. What a true blessing ... a spiritual blessing ... it is to see the Scriptures fulfilled. I have endeavored to provide "sound teaching" (Proverbs 4:2), to which some are responding with their whole hearts. Having received "spiritual things," they are responding by providing for my physical needs (Romans 15:26-27). What a grand restoration of the simple plan of sharing and fellowship established in Acts 2 ... “not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account” (Philippians 4:17).

In the next year, I will try even harder to provide more ... more of the gospel, more of the apostles' doctrine, more of the Law and the Prophets ... more of that which is foundational to our life and growth in Christ. Whether by articles or audio sermons and lessons, I want to provide you with "strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. [19] This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast" (Hebrews 6:18-19).

It is a dark world in which we live, and we need all the light we can get. Pray for me, please, and for all those who would shift your attention from earthly things to "things above, where Christ is" (Colossians 3:1-2). However you may choose to support this mission, I covet your partnership in providing good spiritual food. I desire to prove myself a good workman, "accurately handling the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

I would also love to hear from those who are benefiting from this site. My email is available through my profile, which is always found to the top right of the page next to my picture. I am still amazed at the growth in activity over the last six months in particular. Traffic (both visits and page views) has tripled since June, and I pray that trend will continue. I truly hope that - as our nation falters - there will be a renewed interest in the things of God and a desire to "see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it" (Jeremiah 6:16).

Again, Merry Christmas! Why? Because of the One whom God has made "both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). "To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: [2] Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:1-2).

How Great Thou Art!

I was thinking this morning of that verse of the old hymn “How Great Thou Art” that says, “When through the woods and forest glades I wander, and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees ….” The rain has been drizzling down now for a solid day, but that in no way has diminished the beauty of the woods. Everything is green and vibrant. The animals are present in abundance. Over the last two days, I have seen four deer, two chipmunks, a wild turkey, a raccoon and numerous squirrels and birds. I hear no traffic noise, no human voices … nothing but birds singing sweetly in the trees.

I consider the beauty of God's creation … I think of how marvelous it is to be surrounded by what He has made … and remember that – even amidst such splendor – this is nothing compared to what awaits the Christian in heaven. I look forward to standing with the Lord someday. As great as this world may be, I long for “new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

But praise God, I do not have to wait for heaven to begin experiencing its joys! Certainly there is a future event coming that will be glorious indeed, but when I repented of my sins … when I was “baptized into Christ” (Galatians 3:27) … when I received “the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38) … an immediate change took place. “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, [14] in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

In other words, there are benefits available right now, if only those who are called by His name would remove their eyes from the world (Colossians 3:2) and fix their eyes on Christ (Hebrews 12:2). Truly, it is a blessing to be surrounded by nature, but greater still is the consideration of “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Earthly eyes cannot appropriately apprehend such blessings. They are specifically designed for those who “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). It is so difficult for those with physical bodies to think spiritually, but this is exactly why the Lord has given His Spirit to those who are reborn into Christ Jesus. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, [13] which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” (1 Corinthians 2:12-13).

It is hard for us to see beyond the earthly. We consider our families, our homes and land, our belongings, our jobs, and believe ourselves to be blessed. And perhaps we are, but not all blessings are “spiritual” blessings. The Lord “causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). Even evil people have jobs, land and families ... and some Christian people do not!

But the Lord has prepared something special for His people! Speaking spiritually, the prophet Ezekiel looked forward to the time of the Christ, saying, ““I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. [14] I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. [15] I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord GOD” (Ezekiel 34:13-15).

This is not speaking of physical things, but of spiritual blessings to those who willingly submit to the leadership of the One who is “the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). Note the separation from the ungodly (2 Corinthians 6:17), the spiritual feeding (1 Timothy 4:6), and “rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29) available for the Lord's flock.

Even today, the wilderness and the woods can be a dangerous place, full of predators. But spiritually speaking, that's why we need a Shepherd … to protect the flock. Again, the prophet Ezekiel looks forward, “I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. [26] I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing” (Ezekiel 34:25-26).

What a privilege to be the recipients of that promise! “Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Our dwelling place is secure, because we “are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, [20] having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone” (Ephesians 2:19-20).

All men can receive the benefit of God's physical blessings. They may appreciate the fall of the rain, the warmth of the sun, a walk in the woods, or the sound of birds singing sweetly in the trees. But only those in Christ Jesus receive the full benefits of being a part of the family of God, “for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).

“When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, and take me home, what joy shall fill my heart. Then I shall bow in humble adoration, and then proclaim: My God, how great Thou art!”