“WHY HAS THIS PEOPLE TURNED AWAY? (Outline)
February 16, 2020 - Epiphany 6 - JEREMIAH 8:4-9
INTRO: The Lord’s question for Israel is still fitting for us today: “Why has this people turned away?” Over and over we turn away from the very goodness of God. Theologians define our condition as the natural depravity of man. We are conceived in sin. Born in sin. Live sinful lives. Die in sin. By God’s grace we will live forever in heaven. Perfectly. Sinless. Until we enter heaven we turn away again and again. No one is exempt from sinning. "Every one of them has turned away. Altogether they have become rotten. There is no one who does good. There is not even one” (PSALM 14:3). “WHY HAS THIS PEOPLE TURNED AWAY?” I. Senseless sinfulness. II. Foolish sinfulness
I. SENSELESS SINFULNESS
A. Verse 4. “This is what the LORD says.” Once again this is the Lord’s Word, not Jeremiah’s
1. Common sense questions: “Do people fall and not get up again?” Yes, people get up again.
2. “If a person turns away, doesn’t he turn back again?” Yes, people turn back.
B. Verse 5. “Then why has this people turned away? Why is Jerusalem always turning away?”
1. Israel turned away from the Lord. They did not turn back. It was senseless sinfulness.
2. The answer: “They hang on to deception and refuse to let it go.” Israel had itching ears.
3. God’s people were listening to the lie instead of God. Senseless to worship false gods.
C. Verse 6. The Lord watched and listened. What Israel did not say was the problem.
1. “No one asks, ‘What have I done?’” No one confessed or repented. Did not return to God.
2. Everyone pursued their own desires. Rushed into sin “like a horse charging into battle.”
D. Our sins are often, if not always, senseless. Wicked words tumble from our mouths without much thought about what we are saying. Senseless. Evil thoughts pop into our minds. We give them free rein. Senseless sinfulness follows. And our actions are not always God pleasing. We like to think we are the masters of our own destiny. We make grand and glorious plans. The Lord’s will takes second place to our will. Our godless plans fail. Completely. Miserably. Then we are so proud that we shake our fist at God and blame him. “WHY?” “This is especially true of those who fol-low the defiling lust of the flesh and who despise authority. Daring and arrogant, they do not tremble when they blaspheme glorious beings…" (2 PETER 2:10). Our sinful flesh leads us into senseless sinning.
E. Our loving, heavenly Father clearly warns us about the dangers of sin. God reminds us to get up again when we fall into sin. The Lord encourages us to turn back to him after we have turned away from sin. These words of the Lord in our text are especially meant for God’s people. Today’s gospel (Matthew 5:21-37) speaks about the real meaning of God’s law. Murder includes wicked words. Adultery includes lust of the eye. The wickedness of our world seeps into our souls. Anger, hatred, and name-calling (= murder) are dismissed. Pornography (adultery) is common-place. Do not be blinded by what society accepts. "They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, due to the hardness of their hearts" (EPHESIANS 4:18).
F. Our sins turn us away from God’s will. We have no excuse. There is no one else to blame ex-cept ourselves. Not always easy. The Lord asked Adam what he had done. Adam blamed Eve. Lord asked Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. Adam and Eve both made their choice to turn away from the Lord. Senseless sinfulness. In a perfect world. Thankfully our loving, heavenly Father does not let us run into eternal destruction. “We all have gone astray like sheep. Each of us has turned to his own way, but the LORD has charged all our guilt to him" (ISAIAH 53:6). Christ paid the price for our guilt.
“WHY HAS THIS PEOPLE TURNED AWAY?” Our senseless sinfulness turns us away from God.
II. FOOLISH SINFULNESS
A. Verse 6b. Israel rushed into sin just like the horse rushes into the battle without thinking.
1. Verse 7. The birds of the air know the seasons of the year. Know migration times.
2. “But my people do not recognize the just judgments of the LORD.” How foolish they acted.
3. Israel was listening to false prophets. They followed false gods. Turned away from God.
B. Verse 8. In spite of their foolish turning away from God they still thought they were wise.
1. Lord pointed out the fact they were not wise in the ways of the Lord. Rejected the Lord.
2. False prophets proclaimed false messages. Scribes changed God’s word for their purpose.
C. Verse 9. “Your wise men will be put to shame. They will be shattered and captured.” Foolish wisdom.
1. People captured in their own sinfulness. Foolish thinking will make them ashamed.
2. Simple reason: “…they have rejected the word of the LORD…” Very, very foolish!
D. Our worldly wisdom does not agree with the wisdom of the Lord God of Armies. In wisdom the Lord created the heavens, the earth, and everything in them. Careful study of God’s creation still fills many with wonder about the divine details in everything. Yet, humans still think they can change what God has made. Since the “sky is falling” we need to change the climate. Does anyone really think we can change the atmosphere? Not all lives are valuable. Certain people have decided they know better than God who should live or die. Before birth. Even following birth. Wisdom? Hardly. “To be sure, the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness…’" (1 CORINTHIANS 3:19). Our foolish thinking turns us away from wis-dom
E. It is important to remember the real danger of our foolish, sinful thinking. We like to point our fingers at the wicked world. Just look at them. But we are not innocent. Nor are we exempt from the same foolish sinfulness. As believers we believe the Lord’s Word. Our loving, heavenly Father loves us perfectly. Encourages us. Warns us. “But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not boast and lie, contrary to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but it is worldly, unspiritual, and demonic” (JAMES 3:14, 15). Have you even been jealous of someone else? Do you have selfish ambition? Do not boast about these things. Such sins are “worldly, unspiritual, and demonic.” There are demonic forces at work in our country today. Dark, foolish wisdom.
F. Dearest believer you have been abundantly blessed with the wisdom of God. By God’s grace you have been made wise unto salvation. By faith you understand the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Good and evil. “Then he said to mankind: Listen carefully. The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding” (JOB 28:28). To know the Lord is wisdom. To turn away from wickedness is understanding. Wisdom and understanding comes from the Lord alone. Comes to us by grace. Comes to us through faith. We can turn away from sin.
CONC.: “Why has this people turned away?” This is the Lord’s pointed question to each one of us. We know the answer. Our senseless sinning turns us away from the Lord. Our foolish sinning turns us away from the Lord. We confess. Repent. "Therefore repent and return to have your sins wiped out, so that refreshing times may come from the presence of the Lord and that he may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you” (ACTS 3:19, 20). Our sins are forgiven. Our souls are strengthened. The Lord asks: “WHY HAS THIS PEOPLE TURNED AWAY?” May our answer always be: “LORD we have turned away from sin!” Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
EPIPHANY 6 rdgs.: DEUTER. 30:15-20; 1 CORIN. 2:6-13; MATT. 5:21-37; (PSALM 119)
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