[0:00] let's turn in our Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 8 before we leave it maybe we can just bow our heads in prayer our gracious Father we're about to look into your word be pleased to speak from heaven to open our ears to hear your voice be pleased to reveal yourself be pleased to convict be pleased to transform be pleased to regenerate be pleased to convert give us hearing ears understanding hearts willing feet turn us over Lord we shall be part save us and we shall be saved we pray this for your own glory in Jesus name
[1:08] Amen well let's turn to Jeremiah chapter 8 and we'll read the last three verses Jeremiah chapter 8 verse 20 the harvest is past the summer is ended and we are not saved for the heart of the daughter of my people I am I am mourning astonishment is taken over to me is there no is there no is there no physician there why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people is there no is there no physician there why then is there no recovery for the health of the daughter of my people this morning we noted that Jeremiah assured
[2:22] Israel of blessing if if they repented and believed Jeremiah also warned the people his people that time was short they could not complain there was so little time to do anything about it he preached for 40 years verse 20 the harvest is past the summer is ending we are not saved that is not a cry for mercy that is not a cry for help that is much more a cry of despair it is too late verse 16 the snorting of his horses was heard from Dan the Lord warned that the enemy would come in from the north you see
[3:24] Dan was at the extreme north of the country and that is where the Assyrians the enemies were going to come in to destroy them and they were so near you could hear the snorting of the horses that's why I was saying we got to the end of the summer the harvest is past the summer has ended there's the snorting of the horses and Dan it's as it were almost too late but even at the very last moment all could be forgiven if I would just repent and leave but the very great the herds the horses and Dan but they do nothing about it what a hope what a group sin has of sinners how Satan dupes his victims as God would help me just like to look at two things first of all very briefly the bad health of the daughter of my people and then secondly the healing provision the balm and gillied where there was a physician first of all briefly their bad health the serious spiritual health of God's people
[4:55] Israel and Judah it's all summed up in one verse in chapter 2 of Jeremiah just a couple of pages back for my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed out for themselves broken systems that can hold no water note carefully my people my people God's people you see it's one thing for the wicked to behave wickedly it's another thing for God's people to live wickedly one thing for pagan heathens who've never heard the truth who've never heard the commandments even one thing for them but my people who have had such blessing who have had so much been another another thing for them to commit evil they can't say they never heard they can't say we didn't know they can't say they will never work and what were the two eagles they forsaken they forsaken they had it all in their grasp it was there in front of them but they abandoned it and walked away through it and they had hewn out for themselves broken scissors now just think of this illustration what a wonderful illustration it is they forsaken me the fountain of living water think of it a pure clear fountain of spring water flowing up overflowing they left that they forsook that to do what to do what to build leaking tanks to hold rain water isn't it crazy doesn't sound make a frost broken sisters leaking tanks going to capture rain water and a flowing fountain of pure clear cool water they left how mad it is how self destructive a life of sin is water and that's all in one verse in chapter two that summarizes it all in chapter three they've got as it were
[7:49] God saying return to me now it's late very very late but return to him now and all could be forgiven but chapter three says she turned not and you see my people for Jeremiah was Judah down in the south and as we indicated already the captivity began in the north and Judah down in the south was watching looking at what was taking place up in the north and she went and did exactly the same thing but treacherous sister Judah saw what happened to Israel up north and down but did nothing about it carried on doing the same things what a mark of madness what a mark of falling no greater standard judgment than disregard fall and rejection of warnings when it's portrayed in front of your eyes that that was the rendition that was the bad spiritual health that
[9:09] God's people were in at that time but let's change the subject we spoke enough about it in the morning the remedy the balm in Gilead where there plenty physicians where was the cure where was the remedy was it far away it was in Gilead Gilead was that far away listen Gilead was part of their own land remember the two and a half tribes on the other side of land they got that portion there Gilead was one of them Gilead was there that's where they were it was so near at hand it was part of their own territory and you know the Bible tells us the word is near us the gospel the gospel is near us you might think you're far away tonight if you're not a
[10:16] Christian and if you're not a Christian you are far away and yet the word is near now the remedy is very very close it's within your grasp you don't have to travel to a distant country it's there you I remember once when the children were ill we had to get medication we had to get treatment but there was I can't remember a holiday and something and the chemist said I'm sorry I ran out that you'll have it first thing on Monday morning and they said the whole weekend with a crying baby and Monday came got the medicine I had it in my own cupboard but I didn't know I didn't realise that can be the same if you're not a Christian you don't realise how near salvation is how near
[11:19] Christians can be how near salvation can be Christ is not far from anyone of us but not only was it not far not only was it in their own charity Gilead was very easily seen it was a 2,000 foot plateau you couldn't miss it a 2,000 foot mountain a plateau that was a tabletop mountain a mountain with a flat top that was Gilead wherever you are wherever in the country you are you just would have to turn and see it very obvious very plain do you remember the story the old testament story of the children of Israel going through the desert and the lord in judgment sent them five serpents and they complained bitterly god gave
[12:19] Moses a remedy he says make a bronze a brass serpent and put it on a pole and set it in the middle of the camp i can't remember how tall that pole was but it was meant to be so high that wherever you were in the camp of his own all you need to do is turn and look at the brazen serpent the brass serpent up in the pole it was to be that high above the hills it could be seen anywhere if a mother saw a snake come into a tent and go into a cradle or a cop or whatever they've had in these days and bit a baby just take the baby out out out look up there door there door there look at that look at that thing up there that's all you have to do a crippled man wherever he was just get your snake come out come out just look in another Bible there's a verse in the
[13:22] Bible look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth and that's a call to ends of the earth not to the throne of judah god's people but to all the ends of the earth look and be saved for where you are wherever you are in your sin and you're going away from Christ all you have to do is turn around and look at Christ and look at the crucified guy but something else good should have done for the Israelites the very mention of the name should have reminded every prophet in Judea that of the greatest victory they had in all their adventures throughout the world it was there in Gilead that they had this victory over Sion king of Heshbon and Og king of
[14:24] Bishon and the very mention of the name should have given them confidence should have given them heart should have inspired them remember what god did for us how we defeated Og how we defeated Sion the two terrors of the world if you could say at that time and yet little Israel little Israel the son of the arm and he defeated these two giants and Gilead and that should have reminded them what a picture that is of Jesus at the cross who do you feel sorry for in the Easter story who do you feel sorry for reading about the crucifixion oh how well there were three crucified that day two of them deserved it the one on the left and the one on the right deserved it but the one in the middle holy heartless undefiled separate priesthood and yet and yet if you might feel sorry for him but wait what a victory who won at
[15:38] Calvary not Satan the biggest mistake he ever made in his life killed the son of God thereby he conquered himself the but the Satan has given you a rough time remind him of Calvary remind him of the blood of Christ he hates being reminded of the biggest mistake he ever made when he was involved in the crucifixion of Christ biggest mistake he ever made the blood cleanses from all sin that's where the remedy was what about the balm three things quickly it alleviated pain it was soothing it soothed the pain now
[16:42] I'm a sin that's consequences our sin consequences the gospel consumes the pain of it the gospel doesn't remove the consequences but it takes away the pain the gospel can save us from hell where the greatest pain is but I need to say this to you by way of warning even Christ cannot take you out of hell if you enter Christ can stop you entering hell but even Christ can't take you out once you enter so do not enter heed the warning free to Christ trust in him it alleviated pain and secondly it cured disease it had healing power
[17:49] Christ's gospel does more than keep us from pain we go to the doctor oh he says I can give you a pain cure he said hey is for something wrong with me I want a cure oh yes it's nice to be free of pain but I want a cure Christ can cure sin not just alleviate the pain he can heal he can cure from sin he can stop it dominating our lives and at the end it set us completely free from sin and a third thing about that it was important my friend there's nothing in this world that can save us from sin but blessed be
[18:55] God there was something in heaven and he came to earth he was imported from heaven God sent him only something divine can save and rescue a sinner who's a problem of sin we need something divine to save us this bomb and this resin that was imported was extracted from a tree and this is where I was getting my children's story from it was extracted from a tree by crushing the tree and that's how the resin came out you want to picture that is of Christ it's absolutely vital to grasp it isn't really Christ who saves us it's
[19:57] Christ crucified who saves us even Christ could not save us unless he paid for our sin and the only payment the only substitutionary payment that would suffice is the death the crucifixion of the second person of the blood only because Christ died can he save there are those who call themselves Christians but they say oh it's the Christ example we only need his example to follow no we need our sin to be paid for or else we pay for it ourselves Christ atoned for sin at the cross there's no cross there's no salvation that leads us to the physician man is no use without a physician we need a doctor we need a spiritual physician no one who knows you or your condition better than
[21:22] Christ he made you and every sin you commit pierces him every sin we commit pierces Christ no one knows the extent no one knows the damage which sin does more than Christ you might rightly say you don't know how bad I am probably not but Christ knows Christ knows exactly what a sinner you are he he he he he made sure you be here tonight to hear there's man and there's hope there's mercy there's healing there's redemption there's a new life in Christ no one knows your condition better than Christ he knows your condition better than you not and not only does he know your condition he knows that a physician doesn't simply need to know about the disease he needs to know the cue of the medication
[22:38] I have a cousin who was a policeman actually and became a marketing director or something of a pharmaceutical company and I remember speaking to him and I said you could know medical degree and how can you say to doctors I says the doctors know more about the disease than we do but they don't know more about the medication than we do we know more about the medication we need to know somebody that knows our disease thoroughly and we need somebody that knows about the medication who is more qualified than Christ you could set me loose in a pharmacy and say look every medication available they have help yourself you know what you go for and so most of you go to the hospital look at that theatre it does it has the highest technology they're set loose in the theatre there are all the equipment you need no use without a physician a qualified physician
[23:54] Christ is the physician of souls knowing the disease of the sinner and knowing the remedy available through his blood no one is more qualified than Christ to be our spiritual physician but do you know something else about the physician a spiritual physician he needs he needs to be authorised it's not any doctor it's not every surgeon that can walk into any surgery or pharmacy and demand they need a licence they need to be authorised and you see we can't set ourselves up and say oh I'll do this we need to be authorised by the courts of heaven the courts of heaven if I have a friend who's in trouble with the courts I can't go and say
[24:55] I'll defend you it has to be acknowledged and accepted by the courts can't be authorised who's authorised who's authorised to advocate in the courts of heaven Christ Jesus Christ Jesus none more qualified none authorised listen Christ isn't just licensed to save sinners by the courts of heaven Christ isn't simply authorised to save sinners he's actually been commissioned by the God of heaven to save every sinner that applies to him for forgiveness have you ever applied for forgiveness have you ever asked Christ to be your saviour have you ever said to him save me forgive me
[25:57] I can't help myself I can't stop sinning against you be my saviour he's been he's been commissioned by heaven's courts commanded as it were everyone who applies to you receive accept forgive bless but there's still something else in the quarry still a qualification as it were he's capable he's knowledgeable he has the remedy he's licensed by heaven he's authorized he's commissioned to do it so what's the other question you have to ask you ever think of the councils of past eternity when God the Father God the Son God the Holy Spirit were discussing communion salvation how can these wretches made in our image how can they be forgiven and come to heaven with us how can we arrange it what will suffice what will do and there was only one thing sufficient the death the crucifixion of the second person of the
[27:24] Godhead but he must become human he must go to the cross he must be forsaken by the Father he must go through all that what was the question then that arrived surely this is he worthy he's qualified but is he worthy I love the illustration you know how willing Christ was to go to the cross you remember Peter trying to stop him going to the cross and the Christ get behind me don't stop me do what I came to do but some others said Christ was so keen so willing to save his people he began to come he began to come when he heard the crunching of the apple in the garden of Eden so willing so keen he began to come when he heard the crunching of the fruit in the garden of Eden that's his love how qualified how qualified he is he came he died he's calling in the gospel to you oh men
[29:03] I call and my voice is to the sons of men and I tell you this he's not only calling he's wicked it's not easy remember when he sat on that donkey and that donkey and went up the hill and looked down and Jerusalem and began to throb to I though Jerusalem of Jerusalem how often would I have gathered you as a haying gatherers of brood under roams and you would not I would I wanted I wanted I wanted but you did though want but he wanted heroes not the people who are going to a lost eternity people are going down to a lost eternity without a quarrel without a thought with a lie and the right hand deceived and being deceived can you hear the problem why then why then why then is this people not becoming if it is so freely available if it is so easily accessible if it is so lovingly offered why then are they not recovered can you face that question if you're not a
[30:47] Christian here can you answer that question why not why are you not saved why are your sins not forgiven Christ comes in the gospel and says there's plenty in me to forgive you and change you but you must come you must be sorry for your life and you must commit it to me well how do we close God if any lesson we learned God desires all men to be saved listen he will not twist anyone's arm against their will he desires it he wants it he calls out for it he weeps for it but he'll not twist your arm if you're insistent on perishing well you can at your own cause but he wants it he desires it this is the work of salvation
[32:05] I always remember I've never been doing it outreach never been doing it back and holding people never been never had to preach the gospel to the damn renounce i always remember a friend who was able to go to prisons and he went to prisons freely to hold gospel services and i remember him saying i love going their prison i love it i said why you don't have to spend two minutes telling them they're sinners they know they're sinners what they want is their remedy they're for church goers isn't it a bit different you don't think you need salvation isn't the work of salvation largely convicting sinners of their need of salvation oh you say i'm not wicked i'm not wicked wait a minute who defines wicked who defines wickedness you the church your elders your minister me no god defines it listen to the bible's definition of wickedness psalm 10 verse 4 the wicked who does not seek god that's the definition of what it is you might be good you might be conscientious kind are you seeking god if not the bible defines you as wicked but here's the good news christ came for wicked people christ came for sinners i just want to end with one text i've been the gospel as far down as we dare as we dare not take it lord in the scriptures here to me is a glorious gospel how close how near christ is in the gospel here and your soul shall live hear hear hear hear hear the gospel hear christ's invitation and your soul shall live and that word used hear means hear consenting and glean with the invitation and glean with the call hear hear and your soul shall live i end with smirging preaching from is it i say 22 44 45 22 i think it is look unto me and be see and he brought the gospel down to this he said a blind man can look a blind man can look he may not be able to say i see but he can turn towards he can face he can stare in the direction there's life that's around the creek there's a crucified life you blind people look unto christ and be saved all the ends of the earth may god the holy spirit make his word be faithful to everyone of us let's pray here nap a year for anything