LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SUNDAY 8 OCTOBER 2023 pm
JEREMIAH 8 VERSES 18 – 22
Jeremiah is known as the
weeping prophet. Throughout his life he
would see his land backslide and go further from God. He longed for them to turn from idolatry and
to the living God. They believed the
false prophets. They believed the lies
and not the truth. They had a false
confidence based on lying words. They were
at peace but it was a false peace. The
Lord told them the land would be removed.
How did they respond? Turning
from God to walled cities. They
disengaged with God, from the judgement that was coming on them. They knew the judgement was coming and cried
out – verse 20 “the harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not saved.” What a confession. A truth that they were not saved. “The harvest is past” – the ingathering of
the grain. “The summer is ended” – the ingathering
of the fruit. Maybe you have to confess
tonight that you are still not saved.
Another summer has ended, a harvest is past and you are still not saved. As we think of that phrase there are a few
truths to consider.
Not saved and salvation
provided so dearly. Jesus displayed the character of God. He preached the good news by his coming. Salvation would be provided for all
mankind. Salvation by death on
Calvary. That is why it is so dear and
costly. The salvation was nothing less
than the death of the Son of God. He
laid down his life as a willing sacrifice.
John 10 verse 18 “No man taketh it from me, but I lay
it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it
again.” God gave his son over into extreme suffering
even death on a cross. It was necessary that Jesus suffered and died on the
cross. Through his suffering on Calvary
he would restore fellowship between man and God. It had been lost when Adam said “no” to God
in the Garden of Eden. It was restored
when Jesus said “yes” to his Father in heaven.
Before he was crucified in the Garden he prayed to the Father “Father if
thou be willing remove this cup from me, nevertheless not my will but thine be
done. He came to redeem all that was
lost in the Garden. 2 Corinthians 5
verse 21 “For he hath made him to be sin for
us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” He was abused by the world, misunderstood by
his disciples, rejected by the religious leaders, betrayed by his friends yet
he could say “for this cause came I into the world.” At his final trial he was shamefully
treated. The Roman soldiers stripped his
clothes from him, spat on him, plucked the hair from his face yet he spake not
a word. As the crowd shouted “crucify
him, crucify him” there on the hill called Calvary, nailed to a wooden cross
yet did he pray “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” As Luke writing his gospel informed his
readers of the crucifixion said “And when they were come to the place, which is called
Secondly not saved and salvation
offered so freely. An awful cost to make salvation available to
all mankind. It is wonderful to note
that this salvation is offered to you as a free gift from God. If someone was to buy you a gift, for it to
become yours you must accept it. You don’t
pay for it has already been paid – it is a gift. That is why the Lord went to the cross. To provide salvation as a free gift. He paid the punishment we deserved for our
sin. Have you accepted God’s salvation
which is eternal life? Many today in our
society, religious people think that by living a good life, doing the best they
can, being a good neighbour allows them access into heaven. Could it be that someone here is thinking
that way? It might be that you are
depending on church attendance, bible reading, prayers. I want you to tell you on the authority of
scripture what the bible teaches.
Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9 “For by grace are you saved through faith and
that not of yourself, it is the gift of God.
Not of works lest any man should boast.”
Could it be that maybe you are asking “why do I need God’s free gift of
salvation?” Firstly because of our
condition. We have been born on the broad road that leads to destruction. It has been inherited from Adam and Eve –
Romans 5 verse 12 “wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and
death by sin and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned and
come short of the glory of God.” We have
inherited death and sin but we cannot inherit eternal life. It is a free gift from God and that is a gift
you need to accept if you are not saved.
We have been born in sin and shapen in iniquity. Secondly because of our condemnation. Whoever rejects God’s offer of salvation is
under God’s condemnation. John 3 verse
18 “He that believeth on him is not
condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not
believed in the name of the only begotten
Not saved and life with
all its uncertainty. Life is so uncertain. Any one of us could be
plunged into eternity. That is why it is
so important you prepare for the great eternity. Nothing guaranteed for another day. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow for we do not
know what a day may bring forth.” We may
make preparations for next week, next month or even next year but fail to
prepare for eternity that will last forever.
We think life will go on the way they have planned. In the story in Luke 12 the rich farmer thought
his future was secure. His barns were
full of crops. He said to himself in
verse 19 “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou
hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be
merry.” His earthly future was secure but his eternal
future was not. The God that he forgot suddenly
spoke and said “thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee, then
whose shall those things be.” He was
summoned to give an account. His crops
and barns were not of any value. Now he
could not hold back death. Could it be
that there is someone who has made much preparation in life for the temporal
things? You are planning for next week,
month, maybe even next year but you have not made preparation for
eternity. The temporal things of this
life will crumble and decay, eternity will last for ever. I wonder are you saved? Have you made preparation for the great
eternity or would you have to say like the people in our passage tonight “the
harvest is past, the summer has ended and we are not saved.” Not saved and salvation so needful, so
accessible, so available. Many years ago
the American evangelist D L Moody was preaching on this text. When he gave the invitation he noticed a man
and woman in the crowd. The woman had
tears running down her cheeks. She
begged the man to give his life to the Lord but he refused. Many years later D L Moody was back in that
same city preaching at another crusade.
One day someone requested the evangelist come to visit an elderly couple. The man had a terminal illness and his wife
requested the evangelist come to see him.
When he walked into the house D L Moody saw the woman kneeling by the
man’s bed. He noticed the man mumbling
something under his breath. He leaned
down to hear the man say “the harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are
not saved.” D L Moody asked “why is he
repeating this verse?” She replied “you preached
on that text the last night of your crusade many years ago. He heard that sermon and refused to be
saved. This is why he is repeating it
now.” D L Moody got on his knees and
pleaded for him to come to Christ. The
man kept shaking his head and repeating the phrase. D L Moody said that the man died about sunset
gritting his teeth and clenching his fists saying as he went out into eternity “the
harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not saved.” The opportunity for that dear man passed. He persistently rejected God’s offer of
salvation. What about you? Are you persistently rejecting God’s offer of
salvation. The opportunity could pass
for you tonight. Will you trust the
Saviour tonight or would you have to say “not saved”?
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