Why Has This People Turned Away?

“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.