Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
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The P's of God
Jeremiah 31:31-31:37 April 2, 2006
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son…” We take these words for granted
don’t we? Those of us who have grown up in the church rarely think about the depth and
breadth of God’s love. We don’t sit and contemplate what God did in order to make it
possible for us to walk with him in our daily lives. Well this morning I want to look at
the things that contribute to our peace with God and just for the fun of it I’m going to
call them the Ps of God.
Over two decades ago a Christian group called the Imperials recorded a hit song entitled,
"He Didn’t Lift Us Up To Let Us Down." The lyrics go like this: "He didn’t bring us this
far to leave us. He didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown. He didn’t build His home in us
to move away. He didn’t lift us up to let us down."
That song implies a truth about our faith in God and also lifts up a promise. For why
would God bring us so far in life and then let us down? Why would He abandon the very
people that he loves? It’s impossible because God is faithful! He’s true to His word! And if
He’s says He going to do something, then He’s going to do it!"
That’s the message of our text this morning. In Jeremiah 31, God says that I will make a
new covenant with my people. I will forgive their wickedness. And remember their sins
no more. And you can’t stop me! If you can’t stop the sun from shining. And the moon
from giving its light. And the waves of the sea from crashing down. Then you can’t stop
me from loving my chosen ones!"
In other words, it’s not going to happen. Nothing can stop God from keeping his promise
to the his children. Maybe you’re thinking, "OK. What’s this got to do with me?"
It’s got everything to do with you. Because God has expanded this promise to include
everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. It began with the
Jews and now extends to asll of us who call on his name. How do I know that? Because
Luke 22:20 says, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for
YOU." In a little while we are going to gather around the Lord’s table and celebrate the
new covenant. You see Jesus gave his life so that we might have peace with God. He took
the old covenant, the one Jeremiah was talking about and transferred it to all who believe
in him.
The Jeremiah passage is a beautiful picture of God’s faithfulness. There are three
components that lead to this new peace we have with God. I am calling them the Ps of
God.
First off, we can praise God for his persistence. He doesn’t give up easily. He didn’t
abandon us when we turned from him in the garden of Eden. He didn’t leave us when we
wanted a King and kept turning our back on him. He’s determined to make a new
covenant with us even though we keep disappointing Him. In effect, God is saying to us,
"You may have given up on me. But I’m not giving up on you! Someday, I’m going to get
through to every last one of you. And you and I will have the kind of relationship that I’
ve always wanted!"
Condoleeza Rice is President Bush’s National Security Advisor. But she’s also a preacher’
s girl. And she grew up going to church every Sunday. But she fell away from God as a
grownup. Her life got too busy. She was traveling all over the world. And she didn’t have
room for church anymore.
One Sunday morning, she was shopping at a local Supermarket. And a black man walked
up to her and said, "Hi, Connie. Good to see you again. I was wondering, ’Do you by any
chance play the piano?’"
And she said, "Yes." And he said, "Well, we really need a piano player at church right
now. Can you help us out?"
So she agreed to play piano for the church. Later on, she heard a sermon about the
prodigal son’s older brother. And how the older brother was smug. And self-satisfied. And
didn’t realize that he was just as distant from his Father as his brother was.
And then Condoleeza Rice said this: "I realized that I was the older brother. I was the
self-satisfied one. I was the one who needed to come back to God. So I became more
active with my church. I started going to Bible study. And I began to have a more active
prayer life. It was a very important turning point in my life. I tell this story because I
thought to myself, "My goodness, God has a long reach. I had been running from him for
years. And he found me in the middle of a Supermarket on a Sunday morning."
That’s the way God is with us. He’s persistent! He never gives up on anyone as long as
they’re alive. And he’s constantly knocking on the door of your life because He wants
something more than just our Sunday morning religion. He wants a life long relationship.
2 Timothy 2:13 says that "Even when we are faithless, he remains faithful." Even when
we show no signs of loving God. He shows signs of his love for us.
That’s God’s persistence. The second thing I see in this passage is God’s pardon. Verse 34
says that "I will forgive their wickedness, and remember their sins no more."
Sometimes, we beat ourselves up again and again over things we did years ago. And we
fail to realize that God doesn’t even remember them! Because once you’ve repented of
your sin, it’s gone forever!
I was reading a story about a man who took a job at college as a waiter in a fancy
restaurant just off campus. On the very first day on the job he was running back and
forth and on one of his trips out to the floor, with a tray filled with soup and salads, he
was bumped by a fellow waiter and lost the tray into the lap of the college President.
As he looked at the President sitting there with greens and noodles all over him, he was
horrified at what this might mean for his college career. He rushed to try to help clear
the mess and then offered to have the man’s suit cleaned. The President noted that the
suit was most likely ruined and that is was a designer label, meaning it was quite
expensive.
With a gulp, he explained that he was just a college student but that he would do right by
the man if he was given a little time. The President took his name and agreed that they
would work it out. Over the next few months the student saved his tips and kept in
contact with the President regularly. Once a week he stopped into the office and the
President always asked how classes were going and what was happening in his life.
When he had saved up enough money to purchase a new suit, they arranged to go to the
store so the President could be fitted. The session was gut wrenching for the student. He
relived that moment in the restaurant over and over again while the suit was being sized.
When all the measurements were done and the President was satisfied, the student was
ready to pay the bill. Just then the President said to the tailor, “now that you have
finished, take my friend in back and measure him up for a suit just like mine and then
send the bill to me for both of them.”
In a moment of sheer amazement the student realized that the President was no longer
mad, and that he had been pardoned, forgiven and blessed.
That’s the way God is with our sin. If you go up to him and say, "Lord, do you remember
that terrible thing I did back in 1980," he’ll say, "I have no idea what you’re talking
about. What terrible thing?" Because when God forgives, God forgets.
And God is willing to forgive and forget every bad thing you and I have ever done. All you
have to do is ask! 1 John 1:9 says that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and
will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Notice that beautiful word
"all." He doesn’t just forgive and forget the little itty bitty sins that we commit each day.
He forgives and forgets ALL of them! Every single sin you’ve ever done in your whole
life. And every single sin you’ve ever thought about. Even the sins that you think are too
ugly to ever mention in public. That’s how faithful God is to those who love Him.
That is the promise of the new covenant and when we come to this table, we have God’s
peace because of his Ps, Persistence and pardon.
So we’ve seen God’s persistence. God’s pardon. And number three: We see God’s
promise. Verses 35-37: "I will never ever forget the children of Israel. I will always love
them with a special kind of love."
And now, we are children of Israel because we have a personal relationship with Israel’s
Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:16 says that WE are the Israel of God. When
you take Jesus into your life, he will do for you everything that this scripture in
Jeremiah says. God always keeps his promises.
I was reading about a Christian guy named Roger Simms. He was just discharged from
the army. And was hitchhiking his way back home. And he was picked up by a guy
driving a Cadillac. The driver said, "My name is Mr. Hanover. I’m headed to Chicago. I
have a business there. Come on in."
After talking about many things, Roger felt led of the Spirit to share Christ with him.
But he kept putting it off, until he realized he was just thirty minutes from home. It was
now or never. So, Roger cleared his throat, "Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk to you
about something very important." Then he shared the gospel. And he asked Mr. Hanover
if he would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s surprise, the Cadillac pulled
over to the side of the road. Roger thought "Oh boy, I’m about to get kicked out of the
car." But the businessman bowed his head and received Christ right on the spot. And
then he said, "Roger, this is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you
so much."
Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own.
Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business
card Hanover had given him. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises. The
receptionist said, "His wife is here." So she came out. And extended her hand. "You
knew my husband?" And Roger told how her husband had given him a ride when
hitchhiking home after the war. She asked, "Can you tell me when that was?" He said,
"It was May 7, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army. I shared Christ
with him. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He
gave his life to Christ right on the spot." And then explosive sobs shook her body. And
she cried openly. She said, "I prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I really
believed God would save him." "Roger said, "Where is your husband?" She said, "He’s
dead. He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see-I
thought God had not kept His promise." Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, "I stopped
living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!"
Mrs. Hanover found out something. God ALWAYS keeps his word. Even when we can’t
see it with our own eyes, God is working behind the scenes in people’s lives. He is faithful
even when we aren’t.
On Sunday nights we have been exploring the Bible and looking at the promises of God.
Do you know what the number one promise of God is? He declares that he will be with
us. Over and over again God declares that he will walk with us and hear our prayers and
bless us. That iis his promise and we can depend on it.
The point I’m making is that God is reliable. Psalm 145:13 says that "The LORD is
faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made." I invite you to become a
part of this new covenant tonight. Take Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. And
experience for yourself God’s faithfulness and love. Let’s pray.
Jeremiah 31:31-31:37 April 2, 2006
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son…” We take these words for granted
don’t we? Those of us who have grown up in the church rarely think about the depth and
breadth of God’s love. We don’t sit and contemplate what God did in order to make it
possible for us to walk with him in our daily lives. Well this morning I want to look at
the things that contribute to our peace with God and just for the fun of it I’m going to
call them the Ps of God.
Over two decades ago a Christian group called the Imperials recorded a hit song entitled,
"He Didn’t Lift Us Up To Let Us Down." The lyrics go like this: "He didn’t bring us this
far to leave us. He didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown. He didn’t build His home in us
to move away. He didn’t lift us up to let us down."
That song implies a truth about our faith in God and also lifts up a promise. For why
would God bring us so far in life and then let us down? Why would He abandon the very
people that he loves? It’s impossible because God is faithful! He’s true to His word! And if
He’s says He going to do something, then He’s going to do it!"
That’s the message of our text this morning. In Jeremiah 31, God says that I will make a
new covenant with my people. I will forgive their wickedness. And remember their sins
no more. And you can’t stop me! If you can’t stop the sun from shining. And the moon
from giving its light. And the waves of the sea from crashing down. Then you can’t stop
me from loving my chosen ones!"
In other words, it’s not going to happen. Nothing can stop God from keeping his promise
to the his children. Maybe you’re thinking, "OK. What’s this got to do with me?"
It’s got everything to do with you. Because God has expanded this promise to include
everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. It began with the
Jews and now extends to asll of us who call on his name. How do I know that? Because
Luke 22:20 says, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for
YOU." In a little while we are going to gather around the Lord’s table and celebrate the
new covenant. You see Jesus gave his life so that we might have peace with God. He took
the old covenant, the one Jeremiah was talking about and transferred it to all who believe
in him.
The Jeremiah passage is a beautiful picture of God’s faithfulness. There are three
components that lead to this new peace we have with God. I am calling them the Ps of
God.
First off, we can praise God for his persistence. He doesn’t give up easily. He didn’t
abandon us when we turned from him in the garden of Eden. He didn’t leave us when we
wanted a King and kept turning our back on him. He’s determined to make a new
covenant with us even though we keep disappointing Him. In effect, God is saying to us,
"You may have given up on me. But I’m not giving up on you! Someday, I’m going to get
through to every last one of you. And you and I will have the kind of relationship that I’
ve always wanted!"
Condoleeza Rice is President Bush’s National Security Advisor. But she’s also a preacher’
s girl. And she grew up going to church every Sunday. But she fell away from God as a
grownup. Her life got too busy. She was traveling all over the world. And she didn’t have
room for church anymore.
One Sunday morning, she was shopping at a local Supermarket. And a black man walked
up to her and said, "Hi, Connie. Good to see you again. I was wondering, ’Do you by any
chance play the piano?’"
And she said, "Yes." And he said, "Well, we really need a piano player at church right
now. Can you help us out?"
So she agreed to play piano for the church. Later on, she heard a sermon about the
prodigal son’s older brother. And how the older brother was smug. And self-satisfied. And
didn’t realize that he was just as distant from his Father as his brother was.
And then Condoleeza Rice said this: "I realized that I was the older brother. I was the
self-satisfied one. I was the one who needed to come back to God. So I became more
active with my church. I started going to Bible study. And I began to have a more active
prayer life. It was a very important turning point in my life. I tell this story because I
thought to myself, "My goodness, God has a long reach. I had been running from him for
years. And he found me in the middle of a Supermarket on a Sunday morning."
That’s the way God is with us. He’s persistent! He never gives up on anyone as long as
they’re alive. And he’s constantly knocking on the door of your life because He wants
something more than just our Sunday morning religion. He wants a life long relationship.
2 Timothy 2:13 says that "Even when we are faithless, he remains faithful." Even when
we show no signs of loving God. He shows signs of his love for us.
That’s God’s persistence. The second thing I see in this passage is God’s pardon. Verse 34
says that "I will forgive their wickedness, and remember their sins no more."
Sometimes, we beat ourselves up again and again over things we did years ago. And we
fail to realize that God doesn’t even remember them! Because once you’ve repented of
your sin, it’s gone forever!
I was reading a story about a man who took a job at college as a waiter in a fancy
restaurant just off campus. On the very first day on the job he was running back and
forth and on one of his trips out to the floor, with a tray filled with soup and salads, he
was bumped by a fellow waiter and lost the tray into the lap of the college President.
As he looked at the President sitting there with greens and noodles all over him, he was
horrified at what this might mean for his college career. He rushed to try to help clear
the mess and then offered to have the man’s suit cleaned. The President noted that the
suit was most likely ruined and that is was a designer label, meaning it was quite
expensive.
With a gulp, he explained that he was just a college student but that he would do right by
the man if he was given a little time. The President took his name and agreed that they
would work it out. Over the next few months the student saved his tips and kept in
contact with the President regularly. Once a week he stopped into the office and the
President always asked how classes were going and what was happening in his life.
When he had saved up enough money to purchase a new suit, they arranged to go to the
store so the President could be fitted. The session was gut wrenching for the student. He
relived that moment in the restaurant over and over again while the suit was being sized.
When all the measurements were done and the President was satisfied, the student was
ready to pay the bill. Just then the President said to the tailor, “now that you have
finished, take my friend in back and measure him up for a suit just like mine and then
send the bill to me for both of them.”
In a moment of sheer amazement the student realized that the President was no longer
mad, and that he had been pardoned, forgiven and blessed.
That’s the way God is with our sin. If you go up to him and say, "Lord, do you remember
that terrible thing I did back in 1980," he’ll say, "I have no idea what you’re talking
about. What terrible thing?" Because when God forgives, God forgets.
And God is willing to forgive and forget every bad thing you and I have ever done. All you
have to do is ask! 1 John 1:9 says that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and
will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Notice that beautiful word
"all." He doesn’t just forgive and forget the little itty bitty sins that we commit each day.
He forgives and forgets ALL of them! Every single sin you’ve ever done in your whole
life. And every single sin you’ve ever thought about. Even the sins that you think are too
ugly to ever mention in public. That’s how faithful God is to those who love Him.
That is the promise of the new covenant and when we come to this table, we have God’s
peace because of his Ps, Persistence and pardon.
So we’ve seen God’s persistence. God’s pardon. And number three: We see God’s
promise. Verses 35-37: "I will never ever forget the children of Israel. I will always love
them with a special kind of love."
And now, we are children of Israel because we have a personal relationship with Israel’s
Savior. The Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 6:16 says that WE are the Israel of God. When
you take Jesus into your life, he will do for you everything that this scripture in
Jeremiah says. God always keeps his promises.
I was reading about a Christian guy named Roger Simms. He was just discharged from
the army. And was hitchhiking his way back home. And he was picked up by a guy
driving a Cadillac. The driver said, "My name is Mr. Hanover. I’m headed to Chicago. I
have a business there. Come on in."
After talking about many things, Roger felt led of the Spirit to share Christ with him.
But he kept putting it off, until he realized he was just thirty minutes from home. It was
now or never. So, Roger cleared his throat, "Mr. Hanover, I would like to talk to you
about something very important." Then he shared the gospel. And he asked Mr. Hanover
if he would like to receive Christ as his Savior. To Roger’s surprise, the Cadillac pulled
over to the side of the road. Roger thought "Oh boy, I’m about to get kicked out of the
car." But the businessman bowed his head and received Christ right on the spot. And
then he said, "Roger, this is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Thank you
so much."
Five years went by, Roger married, had a two-year-old boy, and a business of his own.
Packing his suitcase for a business trip to Chicago, he found the small, white business
card Hanover had given him. In Chicago he looked up Hanover Enterprises. The
receptionist said, "His wife is here." So she came out. And extended her hand. "You
knew my husband?" And Roger told how her husband had given him a ride when
hitchhiking home after the war. She asked, "Can you tell me when that was?" He said,
"It was May 7, five years ago, the day I was discharged from the army. I shared Christ
with him. He pulled over to the side of the road and wept against the steering wheel. He
gave his life to Christ right on the spot." And then explosive sobs shook her body. And
she cried openly. She said, "I prayed for my husband’s salvation for years. I really
believed God would save him." "Roger said, "Where is your husband?" She said, "He’s
dead. He was in a car crash after he let you out of the car. He never got home. You see-I
thought God had not kept His promise." Sobbing uncontrollably, she added, "I stopped
living for God five years ago because I thought He had not kept His word!"
Mrs. Hanover found out something. God ALWAYS keeps his word. Even when we can’t
see it with our own eyes, God is working behind the scenes in people’s lives. He is faithful
even when we aren’t.
On Sunday nights we have been exploring the Bible and looking at the promises of God.
Do you know what the number one promise of God is? He declares that he will be with
us. Over and over again God declares that he will walk with us and hear our prayers and
bless us. That iis his promise and we can depend on it.
The point I’m making is that God is reliable. Psalm 145:13 says that "The LORD is
faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made." I invite you to become a
part of this new covenant tonight. Take Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. And
experience for yourself God’s faithfulness and love. Let’s pray.