We Are All Dead, Dead in Our Sins: Peace, Peace When There is No Peace; Sermon from Jeremiah 8:8-12

Sermon from Jeremiah 8:8-12
March 22, 2020

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The false prophets, who opposed Jeremiah’s warnings, gave Judah false hope, false good news of:

“Peace! Peace!” When There is No Peace
.

"Everyone is greedy for gain, the prophet to the priest. Everyone deals falsely. The [false prophets] have superficially cured the afflictions of My people, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace. Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; … Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says the LORD. Jeremiah 6:13-15



The weeping prophet Jeremiah spoke these words to the people of Israel. Unfortunately, the people have been seduced into contentment, self-righteousness and complacency. In their disobedience to the Lord’s will, they believed the message of false prophets that had told them "good news" – a false good news, a false gospel, which is no gospel at all.

Paul echoes the warning of Jeremiah,

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Galatians 1:6,7

In this letter, Paul is absolutely incensed at the circumcision group who wanted to add to the Gospel. They wanted to add a work to the Gospel, thereby perverting the Gospel of Christ.


O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by[a] the flesh? … Does He who supplies the Spirit to you … do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith — just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Gal.3:1-6


The proto-Gnostics did the same: they too added to the Gospel. They said the Gospel was not enough. The Gospel is too simple. There’s more you need. You need this special knowledge. You need this unique experiences that only I have had. Only I can show you the way to this unique experience. Then you will be complete, then you will be fulfilled. To the proto-Gnostics, Christ was not sufficient.




… you were dead in your transgressions and sins … you followed the ways of this world … gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts.


Eph. 2:1-3

In our sins, we are already dead. Dead in our transgressions and sins.

Yes, physically you are alive, but spiritually you are dead – the walking dead.

Ephesians 4:17-19
… you must no longer walk as the Gentiles [sinners] do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God … due to their hardness of heart.
You see, sin has spread to us from our forefather – everyone’s father – Adam.
Romans 5:12
… just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
We have all been infected with the virus of Adam’s sin because we all chose to sin in the garden -- in Adam. And so because sin leads to death, we are all the walking dead.
We are the walking dead, but our sinful nature wants to deny this. Often times – just like cult leaders – our pride deceives ourselves to thinking that we are the good guy. Just like when we watch movies, we associate ourselves with the good guy, we watch movies associating ourselves with the hero. We never consider ourselves the bad guy, but we are not the good guy; we are the bad guy, only Christ is the good guy.

Because our sin started in the garden, from the day we were conceived, we were born as sinners, we were born already dead.
Psalm 51:5
I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

So this death plague has ALREADY spread to all men. This worldwide plague has already affected you. And that’s bad news!

But in the midst of bad news, God gives us good news! If you believe in the Gospel and trust in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, Jesus gives you the free gift of salvation.

For God was pleased to … [make] peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies … because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through His death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation … established and firm…. This is the gospel that you heard Col.1:19-23

Praise God for giving us the Gospel! Praise God for giving us true peace!