"The Harvest Is Past"

Jeremiah 8 v.4 - ch 9 v. 1 - God's Passing Opportunity - v. 20 "The harvest is past"

1. God's Opportunity Revealed - v. 4 -12

(a) The Divine Inquiry - v. 4 The Love of it, logic of it (prodigal), Lesson of it -repentance demanded, described, and desired (help us to repent), the loss of it - v. 5 why bent on destruction "O Jerusalem - how oft"

(b) The Divine Indictment v. 5 & 6 "They hold fast deceit" its source - idols, strength - holdfast, its stubborness - refuse to return, deceit of religion without Christ, ritual without (1) reality,(2) righteousness without (3) repentance, without (4) regeneration

v. 6 they hold fast defiance "no man repented" v. 5 refuse to return - not couldn't, not shouldn't, wouldn't return - they refused to return

v. 6 they hold fast defense - despite Lord's desires, word's denouncements, sin's dangers "as horse"

(c) The Divine Interest v. 6 "I hearkened and heard" - what he heard? sinful speech (sinners), what he saw? (sinners) sinful state - v. 6 Arrogance - "turned to his own course"

v. 7 Ignorance - "my people know not the judgement of the Lord" - birds wiser

v. 8 Negligence - "The pen of the scribes is in vain" or made it vain - law displaced

v. 9 Intransigence - "they have rejected the word of the Lord"

What he said? v. 10 - 12 "I will bring judgement upon them" sinners sentance

(d) The Divine Intent - v. 10 to reject those who rejected him

2. God's Opportunity Rejected v. 5 - 12 - by the peoples sin v. 5 holdfast deceit, speech v. 6, senselessness v. 7, -"know not", stubborness v. 9 "rejected word of the Lord, selfishness v. 10 covetousness, shamelessness v. 12 neither could they blush

3. God's Opportunity Removed v. 20 "the harvest is past"- Babylonish captivity

Here (a) God's opportunity is a limited opportunity - the harvest is past

Its passing,pressing, probing, preaching to all - "my spirit" soon will the season of rescue...

(b) Its a lost opportunity -"the summer is ended" - how soon,sad, solemn

I have only one life on this earth, like vapour its passing away

(c) Its a lamented opportunity - "we are not saved" - how truthful, traumatic, & tragic this confession

(d) Its a longed for opportunity - when its too late- rich man - "I have five brethern"

Luke 13 v. 23 - 27 come, come now,come as you are Him that cometh 6 v. 37