“IT’S TIME!”
LENT 5 APRIL 1, 2006
READ SCRIPTURE
We are 5 weeks into our season of Lent – 5 weeks into our journey with Christ and His disciples as they journey to Jerusalem – where Jesus will be crucified for our sins. As we journey with Christ on that road to Jerusalem, we see His commitment to His task. As we journey with Him it is our prayer that we will become more committed to Him.
This is a time for reflection upon our relationship with Christ — our relationship with God.
This is a time for us to recommit our lives to God and to Christ — to living in His ways.
This is a time for us to turn to Christ — and recommit our lives
to following Him — to being the person He calls us to be.
It is a time for us to see the new life God offers us through Christ — and accept it — and live in God’s new ways.
New life.
This is the message of Lent.
New life because of the death of Christ.
New life through a new commitment to Christ.
That’s the message of our texts for today.
Our Old Testament text almost shouts the promise of new life as Jeremiah envisions the renewal of the covenant — the promise of God to love — guide — bless — and save the people — if the people would follow God.
Our New Testament lesson has Jesus saying that it’s time to have that covenant renewed within us.
Listen to God’s word.
READ BOTH PASSAGES
The poet Ann Weems writes:
GOING THROUGH LENT
IS A LISTENING.
WHEN WE LISTEN
TO THE WORD,
WE HEAR
WHERE WE ARE SO
BLATANTLY
UNLIVING.
IF WE LISTEN TO THE WORD,
AND HALLOW IT
INTO OUR LIVES,
WE HEAR
HOW WE CAN SO ABUNDANTLY
LIVE AGAIN.
Weems. “A Listening.” Kneeling In Jerusalem. p. 33
Jeremiah wrote:
BUT THIS IS THE NEW COVENANT
I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM,
AND I WILL WRITE IT ON THEIR HEARTS;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,
AND THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE.
Jeremiah 31:33
Jesus said:
“THE TIME HAS COME
FOR THE SON OF MAN TO BE GLORIFIED.
WHOEVER SERVES ME MUST FOLLOW ME,
AND WHERE I AM,
THERE MY SERVANT WILL BE, ALSO.”
John 12:26
IF WE LISTEN TO THE WORD,
AND HALLOW IT
INTO OUR LIVES,
WE HEAR
HOW WE CAN SO ABUNDANTLY
LIVE AGAIN.
Our Old Testament text almost shouts the promise of new life as Jeremiah envisions the renewal of the covenant — the promise of God to love — guide — bless — and save the people — if the people would follow God.
But — that’s where the covenant — the promise — broke down.
If God promised to love — guide — bless — and save the people if they would follow Him — what would happen if they would not follow God?
Would the world be destroyed — as in the days of Noah?
Would all die because of the poison of sin — as many had died in the wilderness when they were bitten by the poisonous snakes?
What would happen if the people did not follow God?
That’s the question of the Israelites in captivity in Babylon.
Years after they had reached — taken — and settled in the Promised Land they found themselves enslaved again — this time in Babylon.
Why?
What happened?
Could it be that they had forgotten the promise of God to love — guide — bless — and save them if they would follow Him?
Yes — it could be that indeed.
The people of God had forgotten to be God’s people.
They had forgotten their part of the covenant — and now — once again — they were captives.
What now?
What would happen now?
What could happen now?
Would God do something?
Could God do something?
What would God do?
What could God do?
Apparently something new was needed. The covenant wasn’t working. It had to be changed. It had to be made new. But — could it be made new? Could there be a new way for God to guide — love — bless — and save them — and for the people to follow God?
Jeremiah envisioned a renewal of the covenant with God.
A way for the covenant to be “keepable.”
BUT THIS IS THE NEW COVENANT
I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM,
AND I WILL WRITE IT ON THEIR HEARTS;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,
AND THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE.
God was going to renew the covenant — not because the people deserved it — but because God loved the people — and deeply wanted to love — guide — bless — and save them — and deeply wanted them to follow Him.
IT’S TIME
IT’S TIME
What an exciting — beautiful promise God makes to God’s people in captivity. When they had looked at God’s covenant — God’s promises to them — all they could see was how badly they had failed. But now God gives them a way to see new life. The renewal of the covenant wasn’t going to come by some new laws — or even some new promises — it was going to come when the people let the promises of God — the uncompromising — unending — never take “no” for an answer love of God change their lives.
BUT THIS IS THE NEW COVENANT
I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM,
AND I WILL WRITE IT ON THEIR HEARTS;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,
AND THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE.
JESUS ANSWERED THEM:
“THE TIME HAS COME
FOR THE SON OF MAN TO BE GLORIFIED.
WHOEVER SERVES ME MUST FOLLOW ME,
AND WHERE I AM,
THERE MY SERVANT WILL BE, ALSO.”
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
In the death of Christ, the time has come.
In the resurrection of Christ, the time has come.
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
That’s the message of Lent —
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
Friends – it’s time for each of us to hear God’s promise of new life — a life where God changes our hearts and we know God.
It’s time for you to hear God’s promise of new life — a life where God changes your heart — and you know God.
Too many times we are all like the Israelites — forgetting how to be the people God has called us to be — forgetting to be God’s people — forgetting to act in God’s ways. And we have become captives — not to a government of foreign people as the Israelites were to the Babylonians — but we have become captives to sin — to the things of the world — the things that keep us away from God — the things that keep us from living in God’s ways. We have become captives to sin — and find it hard to become free.
It’s time for freedom.
It’s time to let God’s will begin to truly make a difference in your life.
Through Christ on the cross — you can be free from sin — and God’s new covenant can be written upon your heart.
Through Christ on the cross, you can be the person God has called you to be all along.
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
It’s time for you to see Christ on the cross — and the new life God promises because of the death and resurrection of Christ.
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
It’s time for you to let God touch you in a new way — to let that uncompromising — unending — never take “no” for an answer love of God change your heart and change your life.
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
Will you let it happen?
Will you let yourself be renewed — made into a new person — by God?
Will you let God do away with that part of you that is not all that interested in the things of God — the things that make for a Christian life — and renew your heart so that the things of God are the most important things in your life?
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
Will you let God — in His uncompromising — unending — never take “no” for an answer love change your heart and change your life?
Will you let God change you so that His will is the most important thing in your life — and the things that make for the Christian life become the most important things for your life?
Will you start letting the things of God be the important things in your life?
Will you?
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
You can’t put it off any more.
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
Letting God change your life — letting the uncompromising — unending — never take “no” for an answer love of God change you is the most important decision you can ever make. Making that decision can give you eternal life in heaven. Failing to make that decision only leads to eternal life in sin — and in hell.
Let God write His law upon your heart.
Let God change you.
Do it now.
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME.
Maybe you’ve never really let God make a difference in your life.
If not — do it.
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
Maybe you turned to God a long time ago — but it never really meant a lot to you — and never changed your life. If that’s the case — turn to God — and let Him change your life.
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
Maybe you turned to God a long time ago — but like the Israelites you have forgotten what it means to truly be the person God has called you to be.
If that’s the case — use this as the opportunity to turn back to Christ.
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME.
Lent is indeed a time for us to reconsider our relationship with Christ — and recommit ourselves to Christ.
Indeed —
GOING THROUGH LENT
IS A LISTENING.
WHEN WE LISTEN
TO THE WORD,
WE HEAR
WHERE WE ARE SO
BLATANTLY
UNLIVING.
IF WE LISTEN TO THE WORD,
AND HALLOW IT
INTO OUR LIVES,
WE HEAR
HOW WE CAN SO ABUNTANTLY
LIVE AGAIN.
Weems. “A Listening.” Kneeling In Jerusalem. p. 33
BUT THIS IS THE NEW COVENANT
I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAW WITHIN THEM,
AND I WILL WRITE IT ON THEIR HEARTS;
AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD,
AND THEY WILL BE MY PEOPLE.
“THE TIME HAS COME
FOR THE SON OF MAN TO BE GLORIFIED.
WHOEVER SERVES ME MUST FOLLOW ME,
AND WHERE I AM,
THERE MY SERVANT WILL BE, ALSO.”
IT’S TIME
IT’S TME
AMEN
