Sermons From The Old Testament

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                           "REMEMBER SHILOH!"

                            Jeremiah 7:1-15

INTRODUCTION

1. In the days of Jeremiah (ca. 600 B.C.), the people of Judah faced
   difficult times...
   a. The northern kingdom of Israel was history, taken into Assyrian
      captivity
   b. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had defeated Assyria, and was
      making his way into Judah

2. The people of Judah had developed a false trust...
   a. One condemned by the Lord through His prophet Jeremiah
   b. One which we do well to remember and avoid today

[We read of that false trust and how the LORD responded to it in Jer
7:1-15...]

I. THE FALSE TRUST OF JUDAH

   A. TRUSTING IN THE TEMPLE...
      1. To excuse their failure to fully serve the Lord - Jer 7:1-7
         a. Jeremiah commission to preach in the temple - Jer 7:1-2
         b. Calling for repentance when the city was in danger of being
            destroyed by Babylonian forces - Jer 7:3
         c. Their trust was in the fact the temple was in Jerusalem
            1) Their attitude:  "We are safe; surely the Lord will not
               allow His temple to be destroyed!"
            2) As implied by the threefold statement "The temple of the
               Lord...!" - Jer 7:4
         d. The Lord required more than rituals involving temple worship
            and outward piety
            1) Repentance and service was to be done "thoroughly"
               (truly, NASB) - Jer 7:5a
            2) Affecting their individual and daily dealings with people
               - Jer 7:5b-6
         e. Such true service would spare them from Babylonian captivity
            - Jer 7:7
      2. To excuse their obvious sins - Jer 7:8-11
         a. Again, theirs was a false trust - Jer 7:8
         b. Blatantly transgressing the Law - Jer 7:9
         c. Then going to the temple, believing that such excused their
            conduct - Jer 7:10
         d. Yet the Lord could see through their hypocrisy - Jer 7:11

   B. THE LORD'S RESPONSE...
      1. To the folly of such a false trust:  "Remember Shiloh!" - Jer
         7:12
         a. Where the tabernacle had once been - Josh 18:1
         b. Where the ark of the covenant had been captured by the
            Philistines - 1Sa 4:10-11
      2. God would do likewise with Jerusalem and the temple - Jer 7:
         13-15
         a. Because of their failure to heed His prophets - Jer 7:13
         b. What happened at Shiloh would happen at Jerusalem - Jer 7:14
         c. They would be taken into captivity, just like Ephraim
            (Israel) - Jer 7:15; cf. 52:12-30

[In 1Co 10:11-12, we're told that God's dealings with Israel were
written for our admonition.  With the very real danger of falling, what
application can we draw from our text in Jeremiah?  Perhaps one
about...]

II. THE FALSE TRUST OF CHRISTIANS

   A. TRUSTING IN THE CHURCH...
      1. Could we have a false trust as "members" of the church which
         Christ built?
         a. Like the Jews who cried "The Temple of the Lord..."
         b. There may be those who cry "The Church of Christ..."
      2. Acting (and perhaps believing) that membership excuses:
         a. Negligence and inactive service?
            1) With an attitude based on faulty reasoning?
               a) E.g., The church will be saved, I am a "member", so I
                  will be saved
               b) E.g., As long as I am a "member", I can get by
            2) Yet remember the parable of the tares - Mt 13:41-43
               a) One may be in the kingdom (church) now
               b) But cast out of the kingdom (church) at the last day
            3) Salvation is dependent on individual allegiance, not
               group association! - Jn 15:2
         b. Sinful actions?
            1) Like the Jews who disobeyed God, then claimed exemption?
               a) E.g., living in the world, then going to "church"?
               b) E.g., engaging in immorality, worldliness, but being a
                  "faithful member"?
            2) God has not changed!
               a) His grace demands holy living - Tit 2:11-12
               b) Despise His grace, expect His wrath! - cf. He 10:26-31
            3) Salvation is dependent upon God's grace, not church
               ritual!

   B. THE LORD'S RESPONSE...
      1. To the folly of such a false trust:  "Remember Sardis!" - Re 3:
         1-6
         a. They had "a living name", but that did not free them from
            the threat of condemnation - Re 3:1-3
         b. As always, salvation was based on individual consecration
            - Re 3:4-6
      2. To the folly of such a false trust:  "Remember Laodicea!" - Re
         3:14-22
         a. They had become "lukewarm" - Re 3:14-15
         b. They were in danger of expulsion because of worldliness - Re
            3:16-17
         c. They were in need of rebuke and chastening - Re 3:18-22

CONCLUSION

1. Like the Jews whose salvation from destruction depended upon
   wholehearted service to God, so our salvation depends on complete and
   faithful obedience to the will of Christ!

2. We must avoid the fallacy of "virtue by association", and remember
   that God has promised to do to us just as He did to Israel if we are
   not faithful - cf. Ro 11:20-22
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