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December 8, 2019 6:00 pm
It's been a while since we've been in limitations, but would like to continue the journey. We began several months ago and that book authored by Jeremiah as he laments the conditions that are prevalent in his beloved city. God warned him that these things would take place if the people did not repent and because of their persistence in sin, God brought judgment and devastation. We find Jeremiah panning these words in the book of Lamentations as he tries to give guidance and leadership to the people in, we find instructions here for ourselves as we make our journey through this life through difficulties send disappointments and many challenging things. What's interesting as we come to the end of this book chapter 5 there are no they lived happily ever after moments Lamentations it concludes without resolution and without and with questions still lingering. We have to go to other places in the Scriptures to find out what would transpire after this time in Israel's history. However, this lament despite the fact that there's no resolution is still filled with hope because of where it points us and were points.
This is where I want to point us as we are preparing our hearts for a time around, the Lord's table. The title my message tonight is a roadmap to grace a roadmap to grace I'm going to. I have my new King James Bible in front of me here, but I have the ESV here in front of me and I have my notes here beside it's all be following it. But here's a roadmap to grace and its contained in three prayers that are recorded in this closing chapter, let me point those out to you and give you a couple of words were going to key off of. So you have an idea of I were home going with this sermon. The first is in the first verse of chapter 5. Again, this is prayer language.
Jeremiah says. Remember, old Lord, what has befallen us look and see our disgrace and I'm king off that word.
Remember, and the remembrance of God. That's the first prayer and the nurse to more specific prayers at the end of the chapter verse 19 he says, but you oh Lord rain forever working off of that word rain not only the remembrance of God, but the reign of God, but you oh Lord rain forever and then 1/3 specific prayer in verse 21 we find these words restore us to yourself. Oh Lord, that we may be restored.
Renew our days as of old and working off that word restore the restoration of God.
So we have the word remember we have the word rain and we have the word restore: notice three words together. We have the remembrance of God. The reign of God in the restoration of God. That's how were going to proceed tonight final chapter of Lamentations we see suffering lingering. The temple still lies in ruin. In this chapter is structured a bit different than the previous four chapters. It's not doesn't have that poetic language. It's more of a rapidfire summary of grief is Jeremiah is recalling the conditions that are prevalent in his beloved nation you member where we started. In this study. Lamentations we studied, we started in chapter 1, and it begins with prayer and its ending in prayer C Lamentations is a way that we process grief and process disappointment and process the consequences that same sin brings in our lives and the people around us, and there is a reluctance at times to pray and seek the Lord. Sometimes the pain that we have is so acute and it's so difficult that we sometimes just closing around ourselves. We don't even seek the Lord in prayer and a lesson here for us is that we must make our way to God and we must persist in seeking after God and only as we do do we come to a place of resolution so that so where it starts. That's where we find ourselves remember that movement that we've noticed in not only these five chapters and Lamentations, but in the eight or nine Psalms that we looked at in the series that there is a movement in all of this there. It begins with a turning turning to God in our pain and praying to him and in many of these lament Psalms, and in this book of Lamentations associated with that prayer is a crying out to God, pouring out our lament are complained to God, we see that again either here and in the end of this chapter. These words why you forget us forever why you forsake us for so many days. Verse 20 he still lamenting but there's further movement because as I've said over and over again in the series are complaining are lamenting is not to be a cul-de-sac. We just keep making we we don't go anywhere we just keep complaining and rehearsing all of our pain. Speaking those things to the Lord. No, the complaining.
The lamenting is to take us somewhere so we move from complaining to asking would begin to ask God for something in particular and that asking moves us to a deepening trust and dependence upon God. So again we see that movement were to see that again here tonight so let's look at these three prayers three prayers that serve as directional markers for the journey ahead the roadmap to grace again verse one. Remember, oh Lord, what has befallen us look and see our disgrace should be obvious to you that an omniscient God doesn't need to be told to remember anything so there's more going on here than that this request is a request for God to intervene based on who he is. Based on his character based on his love based on his promises that he's made it's a call for God to act not just pulled out three or four examples so you can see what what I'm driving at and what is intended here with this prayer, remembering remember the Lord after the judgment of the flood reported in Genesis chapter 8 verse one we have these words, God remembered Noah God remembered Noah, God had purposes, and plans yet for Noah and his family. Genesis chapter 9 God promises to never destroy mankind again in the flood and it's recorded there in verse 15, verse 16, where God says, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and when rainbow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant. When the Israelites in with the golden calf. Moses pleaded with the Lord to be merciful by remembering his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob recorded in Deuteronomy chapter 9 verse 27 then one more example Psalm 25 David he's crying out to the Lord for mercy and he's crying out for to the Lord for mercy on the basis of God's remembering notice that emphasis here in these verses. Psalm 25 verses six and seven.
Davis is remember your mercy.
Oh Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old, remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions according to your steadfast love remember me for the sake of your goodness, oh Lord. So when Jeremiah here and Lamentations 51.
Ask God to remember these appealing to God for grace on the basis of who God is revealed himself to be Jeremiah's asking God for help. Israel has suffered devastation. The temple was in ruins. The leaders of been humiliated.
It is a difficult time in Israel's history, the cities destroyed the nation's ruined. This is something that that I'd I don't want to have you miss in this whole emphasis of lament because if we miss it, we won't. We won't benefit to the degree that we need to lament is meant to lead us to trust but the path is not always clear. It's not most of the time it's not straightforward by turning to prayer laying out our complaints and boldly asking were brought by God to a place of growing trust in him. This is the point.
It's not so much a destination as it is a journey we must not forget that too often more interested in the destination. I am here and I want to get to a place of healing and restoration is not that God is not interested in the destination but God far more interested in the process of how he gets us from here to there, because it's in that process that we grow and we learn an awful lot about ourselves in an awful lot about who God is. So keep that in mind. This roadmap roadmap to grace involves an appeal for God to remember while at the same time rehearsing the pain.
It's quite interesting here that the first thing he says in his prayer.
Remember, oh Lord, what is come upon us, look, and behold our reproach and then beginning in verse two all the way down through verse 18. The largest portion of this chapter paints a dismal picture. 17 of the verses of the chapter are recounting remembering the details of their pain and her misery on the walking through it very quickly walking through verses two through 18 in about five minutes. Foreign invaders have destroyed the nation verse two. Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. The people feel abandoned verse three we become orphans fatherless our mothers are like widows. Survival is very very hard verse four. We must pay for the water we drink, the wood we get must be bought there exhausted verse five.
Our pursuers are at our next we are weary we are given no rest. They must appeal to foreign nations while bearing the consequences of national sins. Verses six and seven. We've given the hand Egypt into a Syria to get bread enough. Our father send and are no more and we bear their iniquities.
Desperation and hunger is everywhere.
Verses eight through 10 slaves rule over us.
There is none to deliver us from their hand, we get our bread at the peril of our lives because of the sword in the wilderness, our skin is hot as an oven with the burning heat of famine, women are violated verse 11 women are raped in Zion young women in the towns of Judah princes are dishonored verse 12 princes are hung up by their hands. No respect is shown to the elders and oppression rules the day.
Verse 13 young men are compelled to grind the mill invoice stacker under loads of wood celebrations have ceased. Verses 14 and 15. The old man of left the city gate.
The young men there.
Music the joy of our hearts has ceased our dancing has been turned to morning, the glory of Israel has vanished. Verse 16. The crown is fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned, hopelessness is set in verse 17 for this. Our heart has become sick. For these things. Our eyes have grown dim and wild animals now roam the streets. Verse 18 for Mount Zion, which lies desolate jackets prow over it say what, what, what's the purpose of rehearsing all of this it it's right there in their face, day in day out wise. He recounting in Weiser's wiser, this record of all of this set here in sacred Scripture thought about that contemplated that I think there's a lesson here for us. Restoration does not come by denying the obvious, here's my challenge. Avoid denial and be willing to talk to God about your pain. I've seen the problems of manifest himself down the road when people live through a major loss and are devastated by it. But in the days and weeks and months to go. They act as if nothing's ever happened. There's a denial, and whether it's too painful to rehearse that into live in the reality of that or what it is. Someone as Dido mentioned that person's name again. We have an old picture hanging at the top of our stairs and it's a family tree and the pictures got to be 100 years old or so and there's names of parents in the first name listed is a daughter that died very, very young child, days, weeks, maybe months, I remove exactly how long it is not another recording on that family tree as if life ended, the death of this child nominal what all to read into that but we must be very careful of thinking that were going to bring healing to ourselves by ignoring and denying reality what we have here is facing the hard reality to fax the consequences of sin.
The difficulties that are present in its same time looking to God in the midst of it all.
Restoration doesn't come to those who live in denial, so must be willing to be honest about our situation and I don't know what that perhaps means to some of you here tonight but I I can. It's not hard to understand how we can find ourselves in that place been taught though.
This is where it is just suck it up and get on with life and with some somethings mark you some things scar you you you you don't hear people say all you get over and I'm thinking that's not the right thing to say something she not going to get you will get through by the grace of God which you over.
Pain is real. It hurts deep cuts deep and we where the scars as long as we make our Pilgrim Way, so there's a roadmap for walking through the pain of loss and starts by asking God to remember our struggle and that's what Jeremiah setting force here verse one but that's not the only prayer in Lamentations 5 already showed you. So let's look at the second one was take a look at verse 19 he says, but you oh Lord reign forever. Think about this after the long record of the devastation in the first 18 verses Lamentations 5 Jeremiah says what you oh Lord reign forever. Here's an example of getting your spiritual reorientation. Jeremiah reminds himself to what he believes that God is sovereign over everything, including our pain. He confesses that everything works according to the decree and purpose of the creator God's in control every event in life moves toward the fulfillment of the plan that he ordained he reigns forever.
The choir just saying about that tonight. Listen to these themes in the Christmas music and rejoice in them.
The reign of God was a major theme in Jeremiah's prophetic ministry.
We have these words in Jeremiah chapter 18 in verse six behold like the clay and the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel, the nation of Israel was compared will pod in the hands of a potter.
That's us as well as an God is as skilled a potter is there possibly could be seized per perfect in all of his ways, but one God is working with and crafting his clay. It's God's prerogative to say you know what I don't. I don't like what what's what with his developing here in start over or reshape it's his prerogative were the clay bed and feel very good and it raises all kinds of questions in our minds got what you doing why that's the language of lament got a firm's through Jeremiah his power to do anything even give Jerusalem over the Babylonians listen to Jeremiah 32 verses 27 to 28 behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh is anything too hard for me. Therefore thus says the Lord. Behold, I am giving the city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture the sovereign over the nations again don't forget that in Lamentations 52 through 18. Jeremiah has just recounted a long list of troubles, but now he says, but you reign forever. We need to remind ourselves that frequently the kite because life often feels like it is out of control. The God sometimes feels very distant evil appears to be winning the day.
Lamentations shows us that God's sovereignty and his reign are not negated by suffering God's sovereignty and his reign are not negated by human suffering.
God is still in control even though an even through loss lament affirms God's sovereignty when even when dark clouds linger. I don't know how many times I've pillowed my head at night and only taught way I could get myself to a place of rest to say Lord hmmm. I'm glad you're in charge. I'm glad you're sovereign, I'm glad it's in your hands and not mine. See books like Lamentations help us help us trust God wrote the rest of the story beyond chapter 5 he reigns when the future seems unclear when your future seems unclear. He reigns he's got a plan is got a purpose. It's ordained when my favorite passages to read when I'm struggling. The trust in the sovereignty of God is a second chapter of acts as part of Peter's sermon at Pentecost and that he says this quote this Jesus delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pains of death because it was not possible for him to be held by its acts 223 and 24 God ordained the death of Jesus Christ, the cruel death of the son of God at the hands of wicked men was part of God's plan and here's the thing. Here's the thing. If God can take the most I just moment in history and turn it into redemption, then surely we can say you reign your writing.
If you can. If you can take the most unjust thing that's ever happened in human history and turn it for the redemption of sinners like us who would ever question why would we ever question the reign of God. So even when we can imagine how God might use hard circumstances in our lives, we can still believe that he's in control. You don't have to understand I think that's one of the big takeaways from the book of Job. I've often wondered why didn't God ever give an explanation to Joby didn't tell them on the front end. He didn't tell them what was going on they didn't tell him after that. He didn't say don't let me tell you what what all this was about. Because here's the lesson, you don't have to have an understanding to trust God in fact God glorified when we trust you understand too many people of tither there their comfort to an understanding well if I just knew what God was doing. I could get through this. If God has been pleased to give you an explanation. You better not tie your hope to so when we struggle under the weight of hard circumstances we need to remind our hearts, and ourselves that God is raining the rain through the cross. So let the book of Lamentations. Encourage you don't fear, specifically identifying the pain in your life. But listen list don't allow it to rain either. See, that's the that's the balance don't live in denial.
Face it head on, but don't let your circumstances and your pain rule and reign in your life but God rule and reign in your life, acknowledges rule and reign, so look for opportunities to remind yourself that he sovereign that he rules that he reigns prayerfully celebrate the reign of God, even when you have no idea. You have no idea how this is gonna work out. Celebrate the fact that he's in charge and he knows what he's doing. So we seen what the remembrance of God. We see number two. The reign of God.
Let's consider number three. The restoration of God. Restoration of God again.
Verse 21 Jeremiah says restore us to yourself. Oh Lord, that we may be restored.
Renew our days as of old longest lament in the Bible ends with a prayer for restoration lament. Those types of prayers cry out to God and ask him for deliverance. This book ends with the same focus and tone. It's the final marker as it were, on our journey and grace here. The word restore is used twice. You notice that restore us to yourself. Oh Lord, that we may be restored and we also hear the word renew the word restore could also be translated as return return back repentance and spiritual restoration are in mind here is God's purpose God brought this devastation God brought this judgment upon his nation's people that they might repent and turn back and be restored back to him. Don't miss that overall theme. The Christmas season. That's what God's about you start in Genesis chapter 1 God created us in his image and what did sin do sin marred that image distorted that image twisted that image. There is there is some of the image that remains, but it's twisted it's distorted and what is got done in Christ God is brought Christ into this world to redeem us and to restore us and to conform us into what the image to restore the image that sin has defaced so don't miss that. That's God's chief purpose in sending Christ. He's the second Adam, he came to undo what the first Adam failed to do so. There's wonderful restoration in keep in mind that is we live in a broken world.
And we see creation groaning longing for the consummation of the full redemption that God is going to fulfill that he's going to bring everything to the glorious climax. That's what God is doing here in our last consideration of restoration. There's this longing for renewal.
He says renew our days as a volt renew our days as a volt that desire is not just an expression of returning it back to his former days before Jerusalem was in ruins. It's a longing for a heart based renewal is superb. David in Psalm 5110 create in me a clean heart of God, and renew a right spirit within me. Jeremiah is pleading with the people to return to the Lord and the destruction of Jerusalem was part of God's plan to awaken the heart of his people and bring them back to himself. Restore us to yourself. The Lord, that we may be restored. Renew our days as a volt and then the chapter ends the book ends with verse 22.
Unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure. So this promise of restoration and promise of renewal is tempered with this warning unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure. I think that verse is there to address the temptation of presumption. There's a sober warning does not presume upon God in his grace and his mercy.
Some have thought about this John Gill says he thinks that this is a question. Will thou utterly reject or despise us? The point is surely that will not such is thy grace and goodness.
According John Gill. I like that but I'm not convinced that that's what's being said here but this this this prayer language.
These three prayers that we've looked at the remembrance of God, the reign of God. The restoration of God there here in this book of Lamentations to point us to something that only God can do what would be praying to God. Along these lines, because he's only want to can do this is only one who can renew our heart is only one who can restore sees only one who can give us a new heart is only one can write his law upon her harness and incline our hearts to obey him, and he's done that for those that he's redeemed. That's the blessing of the new covenant. The old covenant was an external covenant was a law was a lot of death because men couldn't keep it low in any problem with the law.
The problem with man's ability to keep it. But God is written his law now on our hearts. He's given us a new heart is taken away the heart of stone and given us a heart of flesh with his iron out obey him, and he gives grace and that enables us to do so and gives us an awareness of our sins that when we fail to do that which we ought to do that which he's enabled us to do.
We acknowledge that confess that your for long time in my Christian life I didn't fully understand. First John 1719 it says if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and why he's militant adverse quickly with you. Conclude with this restrung 1719 am sorry if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Emphasis there is that he is faithful and just and wise, faithful and just to forgive us, because Christ died on the cross to forgive all of your sins, past, present and future, God would be unjust to deny forgiveness of your sins. When you asking for. When Christ, his son paid for those sins that make sense to you. You so is faithful and just can't do anything but write anything by faithful and just say will of my sins are already paid for them. Why do I need to confess them devalue communion with God.
That's what this table reminds us of this is a communion table. This is a table of fellowship. This is reminding us to remember Christ in the way he's commanded us what he did to bring us into a right relationship with the father we been reconciled to God.
A great cost. Therefore, we are in communion with him and we must must guard death and this is a means of grace that God's given the church is wonderful to have this on a timely basis where we just we know that's part of the order of the Church's life that we frequently have the Lord's table and it's a time to do inventory and to check our relationship with the Lord in and rejoice that if he that he is saved us, and to be grateful all over again and to rejoice in the great city gifts to battle with sin and to subdue sin and to put sin to death. Rejoice and how far we have come in our journey and realize that he was begun a good work in us will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ is found pray. Father, we thank you tonight for these lessons.
We thank you for the life of Jeremiah and what you have been pleased to preserve forests through his prophetic ministry. We ask you to examine our hearts search is so good to know our hearts and try us and see if there be any wicked way in us and lead us in the way everlasting. What we desire to be right with you.
We desire to be in communion with you and to be in fellowship with you Lord for all who are blood, but children of yours that you would minister to us according to our needs and for any who are here outside of Christ that you would make Christ irresistible to them that you would be pleased to quicken them to life and do for them what you've done for us.
Plus, this time around the table.
We pray in Christ name, amen