"Being God's People" (Jeremiah 7:1-11)

Introduction

Being God’s people! How can we truly be God’s people. Can we just casually assume we are? God instigated a covenant to be our God; however, continually, sadly, God has had to confront his people, with how they were ignoring God’s ways of being, and thus disrupting their relationship with him. Generation after generation, often strangely when things were going well, the people resisted the leadings of God’s Spirit, and suffered a consequent downturn in their well-being. These were people who had the opportunity to know better. There was a consequent loss of freedom.

Sometimes it took exile in a foreign land, following political and military defeat, to wake people up to what God required of them. We know what that is – to live justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). The Hebrew Scriptures, from which we read, often demonstrate how disobedience leads to calamity (including their very temple’s destruction). {In individual terms, we read last week about the rich man who could not fully embrace God’s leading in his life, because of his addiction to things, and thus went away “sad”.} Here we look at the welfare of a whole nation, and how this might apply to any local church expression.

Six centuries before the time of Jesus, God used a man named Jeremiah to be his mouth-piece … a true prophet in Judah (the Southern Kingdom of Israel). This passage (from Jeremiah 7) is typical of the messages of the ‘Old Testament’ prophets … in calling people to a genuineness, a consistency, an integrity in the way they lived together (and in community). Christopher J H Wright wrote these very instructive words: “The prophets simply would not allow Israel to get away with claiming the blessing and protection of the covenant relationship for their society, while trampling on the socio-economic demand of that relationship”.

Ultimately, Jesus called us to be salt and light as we followed him together; however when we go away from this, it is not just sort of neutral, but rather it can have damaging effects on our actual witness to God’s love. We have seen this in more recent times, as some arms of the church have completely abrogated their responsibility to care for humankind. This has led to suspicion, and a lack of trust … that we all feel. Thus we need, more than ever, to experience the Holy Spirit’s leading into authentic community engagement.

Some may feel that they live in a very unfamiliar culture here now, but this heightens, rather than lessens, our call to witness for Jesus. And, fortunately, with such a merciful compassionate God on our side, whose intention is always inclined to our good, there is always a pathway through which to return to the right track. How can we be known as God’s people? We might simply answer ‘love’, and that would be the right answer; but sometimes it’s an easy answer … in word, and we would need to flesh that out a bit more.

In Jeremiah’s Day

We may have thought that God would have asked Jeremiah to stand in the centre of town, or speak at the town hall, because all the problems are out there – but that wasn’t the case. It was those who had already committed to him … that were in view (read verse 2). It seems from verse 3, that God felt … pushed out of the spiritual centre of these people’s lives. If we are to be in the position to provide some solutions, then God has to be allowed to work fully within us first! So, God asked Jeremiah to go to the entrance of the temple precinct … and speak out.

A big ask … that would require guts. But Jeremiah was not one to walk away from his calling once he had signed on. Obviously there was something wrong, which was interrupting God’s free reign among his people. We might say these days, that the Holy Spirit was being restrained. And as we come to see, it relates to the connection between the people’s worship and their attitudes in life. Thus to make the point in the strongest way, Jeremiah speaks where the worship activity is currently happening.

What could the problem have been? The emphasis is seen in the repeated expressions in verse 4. Oh, aren’t we good … the temple of the Lord! Look at our respectability and good behaviours. No worries – our blessing is assured. Really!?! I grew up in that appearance management sort of thinking about church – put on your best clothes, and use all the right words … that sort of approach to church! I think we are now stripping this aside in Australia, and being more real. And what we might consider to be more challenging times … to be a Christian, actually affords tremendous opportunity to show we are fair dinkum!

In Jeremiah’s time … the way in which the “Temple of the Lord” was spoken of, or thought about, had become “deceptive”. What could this indicate?? It seems that this assembly or gathering had perhaps become exclusive, insulated, protective, defensive, escapist, detached, aloof, complacent – all with a sense of superiority, pride and even arrogance. It had no connection with the real needs of people within, and especially, without! The root of the problem seems to be an over-confidence in their rights and privileges … a false confidence indeed! We’re here – we’re okay! Or as we read it in verse 10 – “we are safe”. This led these people to somehow justify ignoring the broader needs of the community. They were blind to what was happening outside their windows.

We know that each of us is a sinner saved by grace … and we would never be like this; but sometimes wrong attitudes do creep in subtly … that work towards an ‘us and them’ type mindset?! We can become defensive of our position. We might buy stuff from them, let them make our coffee, employ them to fix our plumbing, but not necessarily see them as one loved by God (and one needing to know Jesus)! We do NOT have a lock on the love of God – God does NOT love us anymore than those walking past us right now!

These people of Jeremiah’s time thought that saying those words, “The Temple of the Lord”, could count for much on their own! As if!! Words are never enough; and if such words are NOT in harmony with ones’ action, it would be better if they were NOT spoken at all! There could have even been an attempt at a cover-up, but God cannot be fooled. It’s NOT enough to say we are God’s people, we have to BE God’s people – in the actuality of daily life. For the people of Jeremiah’s time, their problem areas were all spelled out in verses 8 to 11. We can’t think that God would miss anything like this. God saw it all – verse 8 begins … “here you are …”! There had been clear infringements and obvious neglect.

We read they treated the ancient commandments quite loosely. At the same time as seemingly worshipping Yahweh, they were heavily attracted to the Canaanite gods. This lack of character plagued them. The integrity of corporate worship had been compromised by unrepentant sin. This reference to being a “den of robbers” was quoted by Jesus in his time, when he routed out the traders and money-changers from the temple – for they were cheating the poor, and making it nearly impossible for Gentile seekers to find space to worship their newly found God. In all circumstances like this, change is required to release God’s activity amongst them. Worship and ethical living cannot be separated. Worship involves the whole of our lives.

For Our Day

Do we perhaps underestimate the importance of this? What if I said there were Christians out there who made absolutely no positive difference in the world around them (and possibly aren’t even aware of this)!!! Do we cheapen God’s grace? Is the cost of the sacrifice made by Jesus too remote from us? Another prophet by the name of Amos, who lived a couple of hundred years before Jeremiah, put all this in even stronger terms. Amos, speaking for God, in the face of over-confidence and complacency, says (5:21-24):

I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt-offerings and grain-offerings, I will not accept them; … Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Back in Jeremiah 7 – verses 5 to 7 give us a clue, and take us in the right direction. These verses give us an idea of the right sort of mindset. What does it mean to be God’s people? How can we be authentic worshippers?

• Acting fairly in all interpersonal dealings,
• NOT oppressing anyone or bringing them harm (especially the most vulnerable),
• offering hospitality to those outside of our community, and,
• NOT chasing after alternative (and more comfortable) allegiances (to our own destruction).

• Think about others,
• live out of compassion,
• help the vulnerable, and,
• stick with the Lord.

This is the consistent message of the Old Testament, which is then endorsed and lived out by Jesus. What does the Lord require of you, asks another prophet Micah – live justly (or “do justice” – NRSV), love mercy, walk humbly with your God (6:8).

To put this into the most general, but practical, terms, to be God’s people, we need to:

• Encourage, not discourage
• Welcome, not push away
• Support, not ignore
• Lift up, not push down
• Engage, not withdraw
• Participate, not simply consume.

This is a sort of filter through which we can assess our life together in the church.

And then, this can also be a filter through which to evaluate our church’s role in the community.

This is the sort of character that allows for the good news of Jesus to be recognised.

Conclusion

God never loses interest in what is happening in his world. God might baulk and shudder and weep, but never loses interest. We read in verse 11, “I too am watching, says the Lord”.

There was that song written and sung quite a few years back, ‘From a Distance’ (famously recorded by Bette Midler) – ‘from a distance … God is watching us’. We might more easily suggest that God is actually close to us, as I often say – “I am with you always”. However, for me, this particular song paints a picture of God, looking upon a less than ideal world, waiting in the hope of being welcome again. Things are so different when God is in the centre. Yet, sometimes we push God out, and things go awry, and war and famine break out around the world – but God still watches from a distance waiting to be invited back.

Blessing comes as we are totally aligned with God’s ways. Blessing comes as human hearts are fully in touch with God’s heart. We don’t have to pretend, we shouldn’t pretend, we can’t pretend – for the only way to true blessing is through honesty, humility, repentance and openness to God doing new things. We can never be complacent when it comes to God’s grace – God is watching. The Holy Spirit starts working when we drop the pretences, and stop feeling defensive, and are ready to embrace the opportunities that each day affords.

Let’s hear God’s prophet Jeremiah in our time. May we experience God dwelling with us. May the Holy Spirit be released … so we can truly become God’s people. Let’s follow Jesus into authentic life. Let us worship God in Spirit and in truth.