Jeremiah 30:10-22 "Time to Give Up?"

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Thank you guys. I love that song. I love the music of Christmas in general. Yes, I started listening long before Thanksgiving,

which I know for some of you is a violation of everything sacred.

But there is a lot of really, really good Christmas music, really great songs written through the centuries about Jesus' birth,

some of which many of us will get to enjoy together tonight. Looking forward to those songs.

But for the next few Sundays leading up to Christmas, I want to take some of those rich lyrics that we've sung and loved

and I want to contemplate them together. We'll call it Songs of a Savior.

This morning, learning about our Savior and His birth from the words of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.

Now that said, I'm not preaching song lyrics.

We preach God's word from this pulpit.

And there are no exceptions, including this one.

I'm just letting some of these great Christmas carols lead us to different passages that will feed our souls this Christmas.

This morning, we're going to focus on a prophecy from Jeremiah chapter 30.

Jeremiah 30 · chapter mention

We'll look at some other passages too.

But it's the theme of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel that led me to Jeremiah 30.

One more thing about songs.

One of the reasons we love songs and one of the ways that they help us so much is that they engage our emotions in a unique way, don't they?

Songs do that, whether it's the lyrics themselves, the tunes, the corporate singing of them.

All of it connects with our hearts.

And in our relationship with God, we Presbyterians sometimes struggle with that part.

We sometimes struggle to connect things that we know in our heads with our hearts and our emotions, don't we?

But it's really important.

So I hope that spending some time connecting biblical truth to beloved songs will help all of us to know our Savior and to worship our Savior more with all our hearts and minds and strength.

That's what I want for us this Christmas season.

Let's pray together and then we'll look at God's Word as it speaks into our lives.

Pray with me.

Father, we most of all need to know you.

You've been reminding us of that day after day, week after week as we come and open your Word.

And as the prophets have called us back to a relationship with you and knowing you.

And now that's why you've sent Jesus.

That we would know you up close and personal.

And so, Father, we long for that.

We know that's your heart for us.

And we ask this morning as we open your Word that you would today send your Spirit.

To open our eyes and open our hearts that we might know you and love you more.

Help us, we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Imagine just a minute this morning that you're a young person.

When Malachi prophesied to God's people around 460 B.C.

You remember the striking words of the prophet.

Warnings that frightened you.

Promises that inspired you.

And then all of a sudden he was gone.

The hope of a deliverer to come stayed there in your heart.

You read other prophets.

You studied the Torah.

You learned of Yahweh's character.

And you waited.

The rest of your life.

And your children's lives.

And your grandchildren's lives.

And nothing.

No other prophets of Yahweh seemed to be speaking.

Occasionally a strong leader popped up and got everybody's hopes up.

But then he faded.

Entire lifetimes.

Generations.

Centuries.

Past.

In silence.

Imagine trying to hang on to faith.

Imagine trying to pass on faith to the next generation.

You cling to the words of God's promises.

And the stories of God's faithfulness.

And the glory of God's character.

But you're longing to hear from God.

To have God actually show up.

To experience that hope that you've only heard of.

Over 400 years.

That's a long time, isn't it?

A lot of waiting.

I almost put down as the text for this morning.

This blank page between Malachi and Matthew.

You have one of those in your Bibles?

It's one blank page usually.

And the end of the prophets.

Since we've just finished Malachi.

And our study of the minor prophets.

God.

I just.

Display my foolish pride.

For people to respond.

To his call to repent.

And to return to him.

I mean.

Certainly God is active here.

But.

People are longing for more.

For God himself.

To come.

As he's promised so many times.

And here God.

God's going to come.

And it doesn't seem to be.

Happening.

It's a long way.

To live.

The God.

The God.

Gives voice.

To the Christ.

Such a long way.

To live.

Kids.

Do you know what Emmanuel.

Anybody know what that word.

It's a big word.

I'm a desperate man.

The word Emmanuel means.

God is with us.

God is with us.

That's what it.

You've been more patient all this time.

You were me.

I've given up long ago.

He's the only one who can help us.

Come be with me.

Like a bunch of times.

Maybe when you're in the world.

It's a dark.

He's been in the world.

I've given up mommy.

Daddy.

Come help me.

Come help me.

Come help me.

Come help me.

Come help me.

Come help me.

Come help me.

Come help me.

Come help me.

Come help me.

Come help me.

Come help me.

It's a sad way to live.

Such a sad, sad way to live.

Without God showing up.

They face the only cross.

I'm a desperate man.

You're in the shadow.

I'm in desperate need.

I'm here saving him.

The O come.

Come help me.

Come help me.

It's that longing.

Oh, getting desperate for God to come.

Not sure how much longer they can hold on without him showing up.

Some of them certainly gave up.

Come on.

Come on.

It's too much.

It's not worth it.

It's too long.

Maybe we don't have to try to.

but they

It's all I need and go on.

But the pain and the simple truth.

He speaks to the issue of what is it going on.

I'm a desperate man.

I'm in desperate need of your saving end.

Come and rest me.

I'm in desperate need of your saving end.

Come and rest me.

He delivers to God's exiled people.

For thus says the Lord, verse 12,

Your hurt is incurable and your wound is grievous.

There is none to uphold your cause.

No medicine for your wound.

No healing for you.

All your lovers have forgotten you.

They care nothing for you.

For I've dealt you the blow of an enemy.

The punishment of a merciless foe.

Because your guilt is great.

Because your sins are flagrant.

Why do you cry out over your hurt?

Your pain is incurable.

Because your guilt is great.

Because your sins are flagrant.

I have done these things to you.

Give up on yourselves.

On your self-sufficiency, he says.

Your situation really is as bad as you think.

Probably even worse.

Your wound is deep and beyond cure.

Your guilt is unmanageable.

Your sins are obvious and condemning.

And God's people hearing this weeping prophet,

as Jeremiah is known,

they join in with the weeping, right?

Psalm 137.

The exiles weep.

How can we sing the songs of God

in a foreign land?

We might say,

do you seriously want me to sing Christmas carols

in the face of my real life, pastor?

You being serious with me four weeks in a row?

It's hard for me even thinking

of what some of y'all are feeling

because you've shared some of that with me.

Why life is hard.

Why singing like that might be hard.

One of our members

sent me a text a few weeks ago saying,

could you preach sometime

about going through something tragic

with long-term effects?

I'm just not hearing what God says to me here.

Brother, we can relate.

And hopefully you'll hear with me

some of what God says to us

in those situations.

We can relate here, can't we?

Maybe especially during the Christmas season,

we feel it.

We live in a place that is not our home

and God sometimes seems absent

or silent.

I've talked with enough of us to know

we have felt and we do feel this.

Some of us are stuck in dead-end jobs

that don't give us dignity or worth.

No light at the end of the tunnel.

Some of us are struggling to fit in

with friends at school

and it hurts

and it seems to get worse,

not better.

Some of us are battling chronic pain

that we can hardly describe to anyone else.

It's limiting.

It's isolating.

Some of us are aching

with the loss of a loved one,

maybe more acutely this time of year.

Some of us are waging

what feels like a lifelong battle

with sinful desires,

addictions,

with anger.

And these things and many others

make us feel like the exiles that we are, right?

Not fitting in.

Not finding fulfillment here.

Not feeling hopeful.

And realizing that all of these

either directly or often indirectly

result from our sins,

our failures,

our idols.

And Jeremiah begins by saying,

yep,

that's the truth.

If you don't feel any of these

longings or groanings

in yourself,

think beyond yourself

to the hunger,

the genocide,

the trafficking of people

in our own country

and around the world.

I'm not seeing you, God.

This doesn't feel right to me.

How can I just keep going on

with all of this?

Those words of the song

Deliver Us

that we'll hear tonight,

we heard last Sunday,

are haunting, aren't they?

Our sins more numerous

than all the lambs we've slain.

Our shackles made with our own hands.

sins.

We've made our own bed.

But we look at it

and it's disgusting.

It's horrible.

Oh, Yahweh,

break this silence

if you can.

We cry out

and yet the struggle continues

as we are born captive to sin.

As we live in a world

broken and cursed by sin's effects.

As we find our flesh

warring against our spirits

so that we live so often

for ourselves,

the pain persists.

The longing for whom

keeps gnawing.

Yes?

You with me in this?

You're about ready for me

to leave it?

We live here, don't we?

Maybe not every day

you feel it the same way,

but do you feel that ache?

Do you recognize that longing,

that cry in your heart?

God is warning us through Jeremiah

not to take our predicament lightly.

Quit pretending.

I'm fine.

Good.

Yeah, you know, fine.

Yeah.

Yeah, fine.

How can you pray for us?

Ah, I mean,

my aunt's goldfish

lost a fin.

Yeah, but I mean,

that's about it.

We're good.

Really?

Really?

We're good?

Fine.

Good.

Yeah, we trust Jesus.

We know God.

I mean, we go to church,

don't we?

We're good.

Fine.

Fine.

Yep.

Y'all, we are so self-sufficient.

We don't even realize it

sometimes.

We hate receiving help

from anyone.

And God is telling us

this morning

that when we deny

the reality

of our helpless situation,

we miss our true hope

because we are not it.

It's not me.

It's not you.

When we depend on ourselves,

when we insist we are okay,

when we commit to trying harder

to handle it,

we are barricading ourselves

against the one

who can truly help.

When we seek to fight sin

and Satan

without surrendering to God,

without depending

on His strength,

we really are hopeless.

I know you're ready

for me to get to the hope,

but before we do,

Jeremiah has one more warning.

One more thing

we should give up on

beside ourselves.

Look at verse 14.

All your lovers

have forgotten you.

They care nothing for you.

Give up on being

sufficient yourselves

and give up on your idols

that promise to be enough

to fulfill you.

For God's people,

it was sometimes

the nations around them

that looked strong enough

to provide security.

For God's people,

it was sometimes

idols of wood and stone,

other gods

who promised to provide

fertility or rain

or whatever they needed.

For God's people then,

it was sometimes

the people of the other nations

in whom they thought

they would find life

in that relationship.

And God says,

no.

None of those lovers

truly care for you,

can truly help you.

See, when you're in exile,

when you don't feel at home

where you are,

it's so appealing,

isn't it,

to look for that feeling

of home,

comfort,

rest,

belonging,

security,

in someone

or somewhere else

other than God.

after all the chaos

of travel

and football

and arguing

and decorating,

last night,

my family

finally had the moment.

You know,

we turned off

all the lights

and turned on the lights

on the Christmas tree.

We sat on the sofa together

for just that moment

and sang Christmas carols.

All that chaos

for that one moment,

that one magical moment

of peace.

Not a bad idea,

but a bad idol.

Right?

It's good

when it turns

our hearts to God.

Bad

when we find

our hope

in it.

See,

we don't want to admit

we're exiles

here,

do we?

So when we find

ourselves

groaning,

hurting,

longing

for something more,

it's tempting

to think

we will find

relief

in a better

relationship,

in a little more money,

in an escape

to Netflix,

in even

a more moral

or religious lifestyle.

Hope

in social status,

hope in children,

hope in success

or popularity.

prosperity.

It's so tempting

because it offers

a glimmer

of light

in the darkness.

It's so tempting

because so many

of our idols

have an element

of goodness

or truth in them

like that

sparkling Christmas tree

moment.

It's so tempting

because we feel

lost and we long

for a temporary home

even if it's

just for the night,

just for that one moment

to feel at peace

some moment,

however briefly,

where the ache

or the longing

is soothed.

And God says,

no,

those things

cannot actually

deliver

what they promise.

They can't heal

your incurable wound.

They can't deal

with your overwhelming guilt.

They can't provide

you permanent security.

And when we deny

that reality

and go running off

after our glittering

idols of our hearts,

we miss our only hope.

We do this

in so many ways, y'all.

We keep the groaning

and the longing

at arm's length

by living in a nice

enough neighborhood

with nice enough friends,

with nice enough kids

in a nice enough church

because we hate admitting

we're aliens

and strangers here

and for at least

parts of our days

we can feel

that we're at home.

We soothe ourselves

with half-truths.

We settle for quick fixes.

We stop at feeling hope

rather than truly

having hope.

And in so doing,

we miss

our only hope.

When there is only

one real solution,

settling for any other one

keeps you from finding

the real one,

doesn't it?

When you stop

and get satisfied there.

It's like masking

your need for emergency surgery

with enough pain medication

that you don't feel

you need the doctor anymore.

that's dangerous.

The words of this song

are crying out

the right thing.

Oh come,

oh come,

Emmanuel

and ransom

captive Israel

that mourns

in lonely exile here

until the Son of God

appear.

Unless, God,

you show up,

we will be mourning

in exile.

We will be battling sin

and often losing.

We will be grieving

over death.

We will be longing

for the home

that we were made for.

How many of these

real situations

we're facing,

including certainly

the fact that we are

living as exiles

in a world

where we are aliens

and strangers,

will not be cured

by anything short

of Jesus coming again

to take us home

to be with him

forever.

You know that, right?

The Israelites'

one hope

was a Savior

coming to rescue them.

And our one hope

is that same Savior

coming again

to rescue us.

Amen?

That's it.

There aren't other ones.

There are substitutes.

there are sooths

for a moment.

But he's our only hope.

Listen to Jeremiah

gloriously bring

that hope home

to God's people

walking in darkness

like us.

Then fear not,

O Jacob,

my servant,

declares the Lord.

Nor be dismayed,

O Israel,

for behold,

I will save you

from far away

and your offspring

from the land

of their captivity.

Jacob shall return

and have quiet

and ease

and none shall

make him afraid

for I am with you

to save you,

declares the Lord.

God with us

to save us.

That's the Christmas message,

right?

It's the Christmas message

the angel first speaks

to Joseph

in Matthew chapter 1.

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

She will bear a son

and you shall call

his name Jesus

for he will save

his people

from their sins.

And all this took place

to fulfill

what the Lord

had spoken

by the prophet.

Behold,

the virgin shall conceive

and bear a son

and they shall call

his name

Emmanuel,

which means

God with us,

right?

God with us

to save us.

Remember,

God shows up

as a baby

after 400 plus

years of waiting.

None of us

has yet waited

that long

in our lives.

There's no need

for us to deny it.

Often,

God seems absent

or silent.

He seems absent

or silent

in our lives

for any number

of reasons

and we feel that

but Jesus comes

to remind us

even in those moments

it's still not time

to give up

on God,

is it?

Yes,

give up on yourselves.

Yes,

give up on your idols

but no,

in those moments

God's not

actually absent

or silent.

Just wait.

What's about to happen?

He breaks in

with a sky-glowing

herald of angels.

Not simply

sending some

words of hope

to hang on to.

not merely

sending another prophet

to go tell you

how to be

but actually

entering in

himself

breaking in

as Emmanuel

and being

with us

to save us

to save his people

from their sins.

That's what happens

at the end

of all that waiting

because God loves

to bring his light

into the darkest nights

to bring his hope

into the most

hopeless places.

Listen to Jeremiah

one more time.

It's after

recapping

that incurable pain

we read about earlier

the great guilt

and sin

in verse 15

he says

therefore

therefore what?

I mean

you finish it, right?

incurable wounds

and great guilt

and sin

that's overwhelming

therefore what?

You're sent away

in exile forever?

Therefore

I will punish you

with certain death?

What does it say?

No.

Therefore

all who devour you

shall be devoured.

All your foes

every one of them

shall go

into captivity.

Those who plunder you

shall be plundered.

All who prey on you

I will make a prey.

The very opposite

of what we deserve, right?

What the world

is going on?

Verse 17

For I

will restore health

to you

and your wounds

I will heal

declares the Lord

because they have

called you

an outcast.

It is Zion

for whom no one cares.

Did you hear that?

God saves his people

not in spite

of their outcast status

but because

of their outcast status

because he loves

to heal

when the wounds

are incurable.

Because he loves

to rescue

when no one else

is able to

and there's no other hope.

John Calvin says

of this verse

when therefore

the people

should become

so sunk

in misery

as to make

all to think

their deliverance

hopeless

God promises

that he would

then

be

their redeemer.

Is that where

you are today?

Are you honestly

looking at life

and

you're groaning

you're longing

you're crying out

you've thought

how could I not

give up?

It seems to make sense

it's the only

reasonable path forward

God loves

then

to be your redeemer

he loves

now

if that's

where you are

and what

your heart

is feeling

this morning

to be the one

who comes

and enters in

and meets you

right there.

That's what he's like.

Listen

friends

we

like God's people

are exiles

who've been given

God's word

to study

to learn

his character

to trust

his promises

even

and especially

for the moments

of groaning

he gives it

to us again

this morning

for that

because God

is the only one

who can truly

help people

groaning

as deeply

and honestly

and painfully

as we are

he loves

to make us

like Paul

who remained

because of

God's being

with him

in the midst

of real

difficulties

sorrowful

yet always

rejoicing

having nothing

and yet

possessing

everything

2nd Corinthians

6

own the pain

give up

on any

other cure

and then

rejoice

rejoice

Emmanuel

shall

come

God

with us

kids

one more

time

want you to

help us

what does

Emmanuel

mean

God

is

with us

don't forget

that

you will

never

be alone

because of

that

thus says

the Lord

behold I

will restore

the fortunes

of the tents

of Jacob

and have

compassion

on his

dwellings

the city

shall be

rebuilt

on its

mound

and the

palace

shall stand

where it

used to

be

out of

them

shall

come

songs

of

thanksgiving

the voices

of those

who celebrate

I will

multiply

them

and they

shall

not

be

few

I'll

make

them

honored

and they

shall

not

be

small

their

children

shall

be

as they

were

of old

their

congregation

shall

be

established

before

me

I'll

punish

all

who

oppress

them

and

listen

to this

listen

to who's

in

charge

their

prince

shall

be

one

of

themselves

their

ruler

shall

come

out

from

their

midst

we know

that one

don't

we

that great

prince

of God's

people

I will

make him

draw near

and he

shall

approach

me

for who

would

dare

of himself

to

approach

me

declares

the

Lord

and then

the best

part

of all

these

promises

of all

of God

showing up

in the

pain

you

shall

be

my

people

and

I

will

be

your

God

for

us

looking

back

on

Jesus

these

are

no

pie

in

the

sky

promises

maybe

God

will

show

up

God

has

actually

come

Jesus

has

come

once

he's

left

his

spirit

as a

deposit

in

us

and

he's

promised

to

come

again

for

us

so

this

song

and

this

passage

point

us

to

our

only

true

hope

Emmanuel

shall

come

God

with

us

to

be

with

us

and

be

our

God

forever

let's

not

settle

for

anything

less

let's

not

settle

for

anything

less

than

Emmanuel

as

our

savior

God

as

our

hope

heaven

as

our

home

let's

pray

oh

holy

spirit

help

our

hearts

that

so

easily

and

quickly

settle

for

substitutes

for

false

hope

that

won't

really

last

strengthen

our

faith

even

as

we

look

back

even

as

we

see

you

fulfill

your

promises

to

God's

people

after

centuries

of

waiting

that

we

will

find

you

to

be

faithful

again

to

us

and

to

know

that

we

can

trust

you

God

we're

hurting

some

of us

feel it

personally

some

of us

because

we're

in this

family

together

we have

brothers

and sisters

longing

and groaning

and crying

out

here in

this

church

family

around

the

world

and

we

together

say

God

don't

let us

have

any

hope

but

you

because

we

believe

you

have

come

and

you

will

come

again

why

we

cry

out

to

you

together

trust

you

to

meet

us

and

be

with

us

and

save

us

for

more

information

visit us

online

at

southwood.org