Asking for the old paths

Sermon notes from Sunday 16 February 2020 pm

Jeremiah 6 verses 16 - 20

"Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths, where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls.  But they said We will not walk therein."

This passage is directed to the nation of Israel.  We can imagine a great battle going on.  The judgment of God is about to fall on this people.  The King of Babylon is about to attack Jerusalem.  There is a people swaying in the balance.  Similarly we come to this meeting with a battle that is on for the soul of men and women, for your soul and mine.  The enemy would seek to damn our souls in a lost and Christless eternity but the Lord took on him all our sin on Calvary`s tree.  There in his final minutes he could say "it is finished", all we have to do is to enter therein.  I wonder have you ever come to the cross of Calvary, trusting him as Saviour and Lord?  The Lord gives us a picture of a traveller on his journey.  He comes to this part where there are a few roads he can take.  He is confused as to which road to take.  The Lord tells him to look and see the road he is on.  There is a great picture for us as sinners, we were born in sin and in iniquity, on a broad road.  Proverbs 16 verse 25 "there is a way that seeemeth right unto man but the end thereof is the way of death."  There is a religious way tonight, it accommodates many views, which ever one you want.  You could be all right, could have an out and out view, that there is no such thing as God, no place like hell.  Your churchianity will not take you into the splendours of heaven.    We are really looking for a narrow way, "few there be that find it" Jesus himself said. (Matthew 7 verse 14) The Lord is pointing out 4 things here.

There is a instruction to wait.  This is coming from the heart of God himself.  "Stand ye in the way".  He is saying "wait."  He was trying to break into their lives.  Somehow we are so busy.  People do not have much time.  Here are a people who have come to this place.  God is saying to them they must take time to assess where they are.  Is God saying to you "wait, take time and assess where you are."  Remember the story Jesus told of a man who prepared a great supper.  Everything was prepared for the great feast.  He sent out invitations, "come for all things are now ready."  They all cried with one accord, began to give an excuse, note not a reason but an excuse.  One man couldn`t come because he had bought a plot of ground and he had to look at it.  Another said he had bought a yoke of oxen and had no time.  Another one had married a wife and couldn`t come either.  Isn`t that what we find with the gospel in this day and age?  Men and women don`t have the time for the things of God, don`t have time to close in with his offer of mercy.  A man in the New Testament told Paul to come back another time and he would hear him again.  People lead busy lives today, even children.  There are so many after school activities.  Social media and television takes up our time, demands our attention.  The Lord says he wants them to wait.  Isaiah 1 we read "the oxen knowth his owner, the ass his masters crib but Israel doth not know my people, do not consider."  Will you take time to stop and consider your later end?  The one who was sinless, pure.  Will you take time to consider why he died?  Why he left his Father`s heavenly home and was sent down into this world?  We are on our way to a lost sinners hell.  God took the very best he could offer and sent his son down into the world.  Have you taken him as Saviour?  Do you know him in your heart?  You are the only one who can say whether you are saved or not.  In the Old Testament the Children of Israel came out of bondage and slavery.  They were to establish the Lord`s house but they got complacent.  The Lord said through the prophet "its time to consider your ways."

An instruction to watch.  Watch for the direction they were to take.  A picture that shows confusion.  God knew they needed an instruction.  The course they were on - the judgment was about to fall.  The course they were on would bring disaster.  "Ask for the old paths."  What would they do?  Bring blessing to their soul.  In the book of Chronicles chapter 7 verse 14 "if my people that are called by my name and humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear their prayer."  There is the old path.  God said to come to old paths which were repentance and humility, believing and trusting.  There is no other way to heaven.  You have to come to God as a humble child.  You have to turn from your sin, give your sin up and come to the Lord.  He takes you in.  We are living in a new era when we think differently.  God hasn`t changed, he saves in the same way.  Remember the promise given at his birth "thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sin." (Matthew 1 verse 21) Notice not in their sin but from their sin.  God sent Jeremiah to stand in the gate of the city.  He could see the sin in that nation, listened to false prophets.  Jeremiah all the time pointed back to the old pathways.  John the Baptist said "behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1 verse 29)  He was pointing to Christ himself, he is the one who would die for their sins.  Has he borne your sin?  Have you allowed him to take away your sin?  Matthew 7 verse 14 be careful the gate is narrow.  The devil has many directions, the cost of discipleship is not a few meetings here and there but what is the real cost?  Taking the name of Christ and saying "I am saved".  Jesus said "if any man will take up his cross, deny himself."  The cost is - how does Jesus want me to live my life?  In Judges we read "every man did that which was right in his own eyes."  God wants us to follow him.  The Lord said wait and he says to watch.  Jeremiah speaks of his own ministry.  Jeremiah 25 verse 3.  For 23 years I have stood to warn you, I have risen early in the morning, told you to turn back to the old paths.

The third instruction was to walk therein.  Are you walking with Christ tonight?  Are you saved tonight?  Walking with him?  The traveller has stopped and is examining every pointer available, the signposts that are available to him.  This is a picture of a man waiting, he is watching for someone to come to tell him the direction he should go.  There is a direction to follow.  Are you saved tonight?  Walking with the Lord?  Remember Matthew sitting at the seat of custom when Jesus walked past him.  Jesus said "follow me".  Matthew arose and followed after him.  In Acts 16 Jesus showed the guard his need of salvation.  Paul told him to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and he would be saved.  He brought them to his own home to bring his family into God`s family too.  Bartimaeus on the road "followed after Jesus". (Mark 10 verse 52)  Are you saved?  Are you studying the word?  Are you in the prayer meeting?  Are you out giving out invitations, talking to people about the Lord or is it one off on Sunday?  The Lord says to wait, to watch and to walk.  You have come to that place on the journey and you are not saved.  The Lord says it is time to consider your ways.  

An instruction that is wasted - verse 16 "but they said we will not walk therein."  We will not do it.  Verse 17 "we will not hearken."  We see this great instruction coming from the heart of God.  What do we say tonight - no - even if it means the very blessing of God on their soul because not prepared to do as God asks? God wants your all tonight.  Jeremiah 6 this instruction has fallen on deaf ears.  Is this instruction wasted on you?      The keeper of a cemetery had his home inside the gates of the cemetery.  Someone said to him one day "does it not bother you watching the hearse going in and out on a daily basis?"  He replied "at the beginning it caused me sleepless nights.  Sometimes there are big coffins, others are small.  Sometimes I would get up in the middle of night but it doesn`t bother me now.  I have got used to it."  For many sitting in gospel meetings, have heard the gospel preached time after time to come unto Christ, to surrender their all.  Time after time they have walked away.  They have said no.  It hasn`t bothered them.  The old paths they will bring blessing to your soul.  It will mean an acknowledgement of your sin.  Come to the cross and repent of your sin, trust him as Saviour and Lord.    

Sermon notes from Sunday 14 April 2013

Jeremiah 6 verses 9 – 17

Look at one of the messages laid by the Lord on Jeremiah’s heart.  The message was for the people of Israel to turn and come back.  Jeremiah was a young man.  Even when he was conceived in the womb God said he knew him already.  Before he even came out of the womb God said he sanctified him, set him apart for the preaching of God’s own word.  Jeremiah was sent to a nation who had turned away from God.  They had known much of God’s blessing.  They were brought out of Egypt into the Promised Land yet turned their backs on God.  There are many today who have been brought up in a Christian home, sat in gospel meetings yet have turned their backs on the loving God.  God says to Jeremiah I want you to give the nation a message from me.  Take it to the leaders, the elders, the priests and the people of Israel.  Verse 16 “thus saith the Lord.”  The authority he had.  He was coming from the presence of God.  When we open up this word of God then we have the authority of God.  Here’s what the Lord had to say to the nation.  “Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therin, and ye shall find rest for your souls.  But they said, We will not walk therein.”  Jeremiah was asking them to pause and consider these words.  To consider where they were going.  The message for you today is to stand still and see where our lives are taking us.   “There is a way that seemeth right unto man but the end thereof is the way of destruction.”  We say “there’s no harm in the life I lead, surely God will not close heaven’s door in my face?”  Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life.”  He says stand for a moment, look around and see where you are going.  Then he says “ask”.  Whenever you realise where you are going you have to ask where.  Who do you ask?  The word of God.  It is a picture of travellers travelling through this pilgrim way.  Then God says “walk”.  God asks for the old paths.  We are always being told we need something new.  We need to go down a different pathway to present the word of God but God says no – it is the old pathway we need.

The old path of preaching.  We are getting away from the preaching of God’s word today.  On the day of Pentecost in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit came down and filled those people’s hearts it was as a result of Peter preaching.  They heard the word of God proclaimed in their own language.  Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and 3000 were saved.  It is through the foolishness of preaching that men and woman should be saved.  Peter preached the Lord Jesus Christ on that particular day, that he came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost.  People were convicted of the wrongs they had committed and the Holy Spirit came down and opened up their hearts that they would believe the gospel of saving grace.  It is the old pathway of preaching.  The Son of God himself was the example.  When he came into the city of Capernaum to a particular house he found rest and succour but it was noised abroad that he was in the house.  We need to be telling others what the Lord can do.  The Lord is coming back again to take those who have been saved by the precious blood of Christ.  The preaching of the word of God is no longer fashionable today.  People have turned it over to drama and mime.  1 Corinthians 1 verse 17 “Christ sent me to preach the gospel not with wisdom of words lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.”  Galatians 1 verse 6 “that I might preach him.”  Paul advised young Timothy “preach the word.”    If there is one thing God is going to reach this lost world with it is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Paul told Timothy “do not let anyone despise thy youth.”  Great revivals in the past came through the preaching of God’s word.  When Josiah the king found the word of God he expounded it and thousands came to a knowledge of the word of God and his saving faith.

The old path of prayer.  The prayer meeting is considered old fashioned today.  To be still when we want action.  The early church was born in prayer.  When Jesus left his disciples he told them to return to Jerusalem and wait in prayer.  Acts 1 verse 4 “they all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.  Acts 2 verse 1 “when the day of Pentecost was fully come they were all with one accord in the place.”  Solomon built a great temple for the God of heaven to be worshipped in.  On the day of dedication he lifted up his hands to God and began to pray “if this people turn away, if you stand by for this people, allow their enemy to come in and if this people will pray you will remember them.”  God answered that prayer “if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray then will I hear from heaven and I will heal their land.”  Acts 4 verse 24 “they gathered together to pray and lifted their voices unto God.  It was a hard time for the leaders but the church overcame its doubts and despair.  Daniel prayed 3 times a day.  We only have to look back to the 1859 revival and see them beginning to pray and revival came.

The old path of power.  The church has swapped power for organisation.  Paul said in 1 Corinthians “your faith should stand in the power of God not in the intellect of God.”  They were told to wait in Jerusalem to receive the power of God.  They needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Acts 1 verse 8 “ye shall receive power after which the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Samaria, in Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth.”  The moment you give your heart and life to God you are given the Holy Spirit.  We need to be filled with it to have the power of God in our lives.  Acts 2 the day of Pentecost when fully come they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.  Acts 6 the leaders in the church, the characteristics of these men verse 3 look ye out among you 7 men of God full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom.    We should strive to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Be no value to God unless filled with the Holy Spirit.  Was there a moment in your life when you can point back to whenever you gave your all to the Lord and he filled you with the Holy Spirit?  Stephen was the first martyr in the church stoned to death.  Stephen was full of faith and power, full of the Holy Ghost.  Paul encouraged the believers in Ephesus he found 12 men all professing to be saved.  Paul asked “have ye received the Holy Spirit since ye believed?”  He was not interested in anything else but Holy Spirit activity.  Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?  Are you saved today?  Are you seeking to live for him in this day?

The old path of peace.  We are to follow peace with all men.  Don’t be deceived by thinking the church is old fashioned just because we preach the word of God.  Take time to pray.  We need this power of God.  These are the old paths.  A church may be filled with commotion and activity and be far away from God.  A church may be large in number and be far from God.  A church may be small in number and be far from God.  We need to get back to the old pathway today.