Jeremiah 31:31-34 Early AM

[0:00] Let's pray before we have a seat. Lord, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight. O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

[0:13] Please have a seat. If I haven't had the privilege of meeting you yet, my name is Ryan Spear and I serve as a curate here at St. John's. It's kind of like a pastoral apprentice.

[0:25] And this morning we're turning to Jeremiah 31 as we continue in our nine-week series, The Story of God. This is found on page 660 if you want to follow along.

[0:39] In this nine-week series, we're journeying through the entire Bible from Genesis all the way to Revelation, witnessing God's gracious action towards his people.

[0:50] So in week one, we witness God speaking to lovingly bring all things into being. Last week, we heard from Deuteronomy as God spoke to reveal who he is and make himself known to us.

[1:04] Today in Jeremiah, many generations after the events of Deuteronomy, we have God saying, Behold, the days are coming when I will make a new covenant.

[1:15] We're focusing once more on God's act of speaking, this time a God who speaks to make promises. So as we look at this passage in Jeremiah, we're going to consider three things.

[1:29] First, the features of this new covenant. Secondly, its foundation. And finally, how we might faithfully respond to these promises.

[1:40] And here's the big idea. The new covenant gets to the heart of the issue. Our hearts. The promises made in the new covenant reveal God's heart.

[1:53] And it anticipates a fundamental change of heart of his people. And today here in Vancouver, we're invited to live as God's new covenant people.

[2:05] Embracing God's promises. Rejecting the false promises of the world around us. And opening our hearts to God's ongoing writing. So we'll do that in three ways again.

[2:17] Looking at the features of the new covenant. Its foundation. And how we might faithfully respond. So let's first look at some of these features. And what it reveals about our hearts.

[2:28] So if you don't know what a covenant is, in short, it's a promised partnership relationship. Now, a fuller definition. It's kind of wordy, but bear with me here.

[2:40] It's a binding relational agreement between God and Israel. Based on deeds done by God. And promises made by God. Which Israel accepted by faith in God.

[2:53] And for the purposes of living for God. As his unique people in the world. But in short, a promised partnership relationship. You cannot tell the story of God without talking about covenants.

[3:09] God propels his redemptive plan forward through a series of grace-infused promises. Made to Noah, to Abraham, to Moses, to David. And yet, time and again, God's covenant people fail.

[3:25] The first 28 chapters of Jeremiah catalog the failures and self-inflicted consequences of being covenant breakers. Over 100 times, Jeremiah pleads, repent.

[3:42] In this moment in Israel's history, the northern kingdom has already fallen. The southern kingdom is under threat. Even now, at the doorstep of destruction, Jeremiah pleads, repent.

[3:55] The problem, however, in the previous covenants, wasn't the covenants themselves, but the covenant keepers. This is the real tragedy here.

[4:08] It's not so much that the people were incapable of keeping them. It's that they were unwilling. That's worse, isn't it? Jesus heartbreakingly laments this in Matthew 23 as he looks over Jerusalem on the doorstep of his own death and resurrection.

[4:27] Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, he cries out. How often I wanted to gather your children together. But you were not willing. And here is where we gain our first insight into our hearts and back into Jeremiah.

[4:42] Look at verse 33. First, this new covenant will be within. This law will be within. It will be written on hearts.

[4:55] It gets right to the heart of the issue. Now, the two main ways the people of God broke God's promises were through idolatry and injustice.

[5:05] Chasing after other gods and false promises. And treating people in despicable ways far less than the expectations God had of them as image bearers.

[5:19] Now, this was a willful failure to worship God alone and a willful failure to represent God's goodness in the world. This problem once again lies directly in the human heart.

[5:31] John Calvin memorably said, The human heart is a perpetual idol factory. A perpetual idol factory.

[5:44] And yet, in light of God's promises, broken every time, they get better each time he makes them.

[5:55] God puts more on the line every time his people break his promises and he renews his own covenants. And here in Jeremiah, we hear of a new covenant.

[6:09] It's the first time this phrase is used in the Old Testament. It's to be written on hearts, the very root of the problem. So that's our first feature of the new covenant.

[6:22] A new covenant within. The next two features are found in verses 33 to 34. Second, it's a covenant of belonging. I will be their God and they shall be my people.

[6:37] Notice the longing here and the two directions of this belonging. Now, this is important. Commentator Philip Ryken said, Whenever God makes a covenant with his people, what he is really giving them is himself.

[6:54] And in giving of himself, God desires a people called by his own name as his representatives to the world. This mutual belonging.

[7:07] Third, this new covenant is intimate and inclusive. No longer will knowledge of God be second hand. Hearsay from a neighbor.

[7:20] It will be direct knowledge. And it will be for all of them. From the least to the greatest. No one with particular special access to God.

[7:31] Everyone invited. Because the law will be written on their hearts. These are the features of this new covenant. Written on the inmost part within.

[7:42] Mutually belonging to God. With God. Intimate knowledge of God. From the least to the greatest. And all of this points to what the heart of the problem is. Once again, the human heart.

[7:55] And this hints at God's heart. And what he will do to make this writing possible. And with this promise in the new covenant.

[8:05] God intends to go to the heart of the issue himself. So those are the features of our new covenant. A covenant within. A covenant of belonging. And a covenant of intimate knowledge of God.

[8:19] So what's the foundation? How does this happen? This is what reveals the heart of God. Look at verse 34 at the end.

[8:31] It starts with. For I will forgive their iniquity. And remember their sins. No more. Notice the contrast here.

[8:46] God's law is to be written on our hearts. In our inmost being. And yet our sins and iniquities. God will seek. To strike from his own mind.

[8:57] Remember no more. Notice again. You might expect this line to start with. And they will. After all his people were the ones who broke his covenant.

[9:10] Aren't they? Shouldn't they be the ones who have to step up. Change their game. Do something new. And yet no. It's God saying I will.

[9:22] It's what God will do. It's always what God will do. And this is key. Forgiveness is the enabler. And not the effect of this new covenant.

[9:36] What does that mean? As one commentator puts it. Lasting forgiveness from God is not the mark of the new covenant. But it's enabler. We don't do enough to finally earn forgiveness.

[9:49] Or to receive it. Or finally be worthy enough of it. It starts with forgiveness. And everything else flows from there. Think of it this way.

[10:02] Forgiveness is pursuing you. Waiting for you to turn to receive it. It's what changes your heart. Your desires. Your affections.

[10:12] And your will. To want. To want. God. It reminds me of a poem written by Wendell Berry. About his mother. And being.

[10:24] Her rebellious son. I was your rebellious son. Do you remember? Sometimes. I wonder if you do remember. So complete.

[10:36] Has your forgiveness been. So complete. Has your forgiveness been. I wonder sometimes. If it did not precede my wrong. And I erred.

[10:46] Safe found. Within your love. Prepared ahead of me. The way home. Or my bed. At night. This is the kind of forgiveness.

[10:59] And love. Of God. Towards his people. What activates. All of the features. Of the new covenant. Inner transformation. Belonging to God.

[11:09] Knowledge of God. Is the scandal. Of the cross. Jesus crying out. As he hung dying. Father. Forgive them. In a few weeks.

[11:23] We will look at Hebrews. We will hear. These same verses. Again. In Jeremiah. Reminding us. Of how. In Christ. We are part. Of this new covenant. We are in the covenant.

[11:35] Because we are in Christ. The new covenant. Is kept. Because Jesus. Is the one. Keeping it. Reminds me. Of what Paul said.

[11:46] In second. Corinthians. For all the promises. Of God. Find their yes. In him. This is why. It is through him.

[11:56] That we utter. Our amen. To God. For his glory. And it is God. Who establishes us. With you. In Christ. And has anointed us. And who has also.

[12:06] Put his seal. On us. And given us. His spirit. In our heart. As a guarantee. This is the foundation. And a revelation.

[12:16] Of the heart. Of God. Forgiveness. So finally. With the features. And the foundation. In view. What does it look like.

[12:27] To faithfully respond. To this promise. With hearts open. To God's ongoing work. I think we might respond. In three ways. First.

[12:39] Be curious. About the promises. Shaping. Your hearts. What are some of the promises. I cling to. How are they shaping.

[12:50] My heart. My affections. My will. My desires. My values. My priorities. Society can seductively. Whisper. What will give you.

[13:01] Fulfillment. Identity. Safety. Be curious. About these. You'll notice. In this curiosity. Your fears.

[13:13] Your hopes. Then ask. Am I grasping. The promises. Of my forgiveness. In Christ. Through faith. And with hearts. Turned towards God.

[13:24] Remember. That we receive. His promised presence. And we're invited. To reflect. His gracious. Goodness. To a world. Frantically. Running. After false. Promises.

[13:35] So first. Be curious. About your heart. And what's pulling at it. Secondly. We will share. In the Lord's table. This morning. We're invited.

[13:47] To faithfully respond. In Luke 22. Jesus did something striking. He held up a cup. And he said. This cup.

[13:58] That is poured out. For you. Is the new covenant. In my blood. And as we come. To the table. Embrace. Once again.

[14:08] The promises. Offered in the new covenant. The forgiveness. That pursued you. Before you had the will. To seek it. Christ. Offers himself. To us. Remember this.

[14:19] As you partake. In your heart. By faith. With thanksgiving. And finally. Turn to God's grace. Every day.

[14:29] Remembering. That this writing. On your heart. Is an ongoing work. Of God. I'll leave you. With this prayer. From Thomas. The campus. Write.

[14:42] Your blessed name. Oh Lord. Upon my heart. There. To remain. So indelibly. Engraved. That no prosperity. Or adversity.

[14:54] Shall ever remove me. From your love. Oh yesu. My only savior. Write your blessed name. Oh Lord. Upon my heart. Amen.