The Lord's Day - February 10, 2008

Praise God! As always, the enemy did everything possible to wreck this day and put my focus on myself and problems. As always, God blessed me through worshiping Him, fellowshipping with my Christian brothers and sisters, and hearing His word faithfully preached. Here's my attempt at a summary of today's sermon: When God's People Stray. The texts were Jer. 2:5-13, Jer. 3:1-5, and 2 Cor. 11:1-6. (This includes the well know verses about leaving God's springs of living water and digging our own broken cisterns - essentially turning away from God's abundance and turning toward lack.)

The first text is God giving His people a certificate of divorce. The first point in the sermon was that if there is a split between God and His people, it's never because of a fault in God. Therefore, if there is a problem, it is our fault - spiritual adultery of some form or other. A good point that I wrote in my notes was that in good times we tend to enjoy the blessings and forget Him, and in bad times we grumble and complain. Then when God convicts us of this sin, we get bitter against Him.

Spiritual adultery - 3 aspects - spiritual, moral, civic. In all 3, we are putting something else in God's place deliberately. Expanding on these 3 points were the bulk of the sermon, which I am too lazy to write out in detail. However, one point in particular struck me. If we say "I am empty - fill me up", are we looking to Jesus or to something/someone else to do so?

The conclusion was hugely encouraging to me. In the OT, adultery deserves stoning. However, in these passages, God does not annihilate His people but divorces them. This was gracious on His part. Also, God calls for His people to repent, and promises that if they do, He will restore them to virgin status. This is what happens to us in Christ - forgiveness and cleansing. Justification - as if I never committed the sin. Always, no matter what's gone on, God is calling me to repentance and waiting to restore me to fellowship with Him. Bottom line - Grace and Mercy is in Jesus. Praise God for this wonderful reminder!!!!!