When the Water Runs Out | Summer at College Park: Refreshed, Restored, Renewed
2026-08-02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD3uHUfqBLU

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Thank you. I'm not going to be able to get out of the way that I'm going to be able to get out of the way that I'm going to be able to get out of the way that I'm going to be able to get out of the way. I'm going to talk a little bit about this, but I'm going to talk a little bit about that, but I'm going to talk a little bit about this, but I'm going to talk a little bit about it. I'm going to talk a little bit about it. I'm going to talk a little bit about it. I'm going to talk a little bit about it.

This is how we're going to get out of here. We're going to get out of here. We're going to get out of here. We're going to get out of here.

I was like, "Oh, that's what I was going to be doing." I was like, "Oh, that's what I was doing." I was like, "Oh, that's what I was doing." I was like, "Oh, that's what I was doing." And I was like, "Oh, that's what I was doing." And I was like, "Oh, that's what I was doing." And I was like, "Oh, that's what I was doing."

I'm going to take a look at the table. I'm going to take a look at the table. I'm going to take a look at the table.

But to have an answer to some of the questions, because it's not a problem that it's not, it's not a problem, it's not a problem, it's not a problem that it's not a problem. It's not a problem, it's not a problem. It's not a problem. It's not a problem. It's not a problem.

And that was one of the most important things that we had was that we had to ask for a specific call, because of this piece that's not going to tell us we had to tell you a lot. And that was the fact that we don't know how to do this. It's not going to tell you a lot. It's not going to tell you a lot. It's not going to tell you a lot. It's going to tell you a lot. It's going to tell you a lot. It's going to tell you a lot. The most important thing is what is the best thing to do with the children. The children are not just the best. The children are not just the best. The children are not just the best.

I don't know if you're talking about this one. This one is coming to me. I don't know if you're talking about this one. I don't know if you're talking about this one. I don't know if you're talking about this one.

Because our school was in the bathroom because we found people crazy. And we have to use the bathroom because of the business. We have to use the bathroom. And we have to use the bathroom. And we have to use the bathroom. And we have to use the bathroom.

So there's no one in front of the camera. And then the camera's just going to be right to the camera. And the camera's just going to be right. And the camera's just going to be right. And the camera's just going to be right.

I think it's important to see what's going on in the future. I think it's important to see what's going on in the future. I think it's important to see what's going on in the future.

I'm not sure how I look at, but I think it's important to me to be able to write it down. Why do you think it's important to me? I think it's important to me. I think it's important to me. I think it's important to me. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I have carried what was never mine to hold Running hard on roads that leave me worn and cold But you finished it, you spoke and said it's done The seventh day you rested, you the Holy One If even you could stop and breathe And who am I to say I have no need? Come to me, you weary. Lay your burden at my feet. I am not the God of endless striving. I am rest. I am peace. Now fast, let your soul breathe. The work is done, the weight is lifted. Come and catch your breath in me. The servant and the stranger got to rest. David at the Jordan, broken spin You give your breath to the lowest and the least Lord, I come to you now, nothing more to prove If even kings could stop and breathe

And here I kneel, I'm coming home to thee Come to me, you weary Lay your burden at my feet I am not the God of endless striving I am rest, I am peace Now fast, let your soul breathe The work is done, the weight is lifted Come and catch your breath in me Times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord Not a dream of what once was A gift in Jesus' word He who rested on the seventh now Has risen from the grave The rest he offers now is everlasting It is safe to come to me You weary Lay your burden at my feet I am not the God of endless striving I am rest I am peace Now flash, let your soul breathe The work is done, the weight is lifted Come and catch your breath in me Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden And I will give you rest Matthew 11, 28

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I have carried what was never mine to hold Running hard on roads that leave me worn and cold But you've finished it, you've spoken, said it's done The seventh day you rested, you, the Holy One If even you could stop and breathe Then who am I to say I have no need Come to me, you weary Lay your burden at my feet I am not the God of endless striving I am rest, I am peace Now fast, let your soul breathe The work is done, the weight is lifted Come and catch your breath in me The servant and the stranger, God to rest David at the Jordan, broken spent You give your breath to the lowest and the least Lord, I come to you now Nothing more to prove

If even kings could stop and breathe And here I kneel I'm coming home to thee Come to me, you weary Lay your burden at my feet I am not the God of endless striving I am rest I am peace Now fast, let your soul breathe The work is done, the weight is lifted Come and catch your breath in me Times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord Not a dream of what once was A gift in Jesus' word He who rested on the seventh now Has risen from the grave The rest he offers now is everlasting It is safe to come to me You weary Lay your burden at my feet I am not the God of endless I am rest, I am peace Now flash, let your soul breathe The work is done, the weight is lifted Come and catch your breath in me Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11, 28 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

I have carried what was never mine to hold Running hard on roads that leave me worn and cold But you've finished it, you've spoken, said it's done The seventh day you rested, you, the Holy One If even you could stop and breathe Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

We're going to be for a few minutes this morning in the second chapter. Before we do that, let's go ahead and go to God in prayer one more time. Heaven, we thank you so much for your people. We thank you that you are the fountain of water that satisfies our souls. May we drink deeply and continually. May we not chase after and go dry after just a few moments. As you've reminded us that you're with us both in our good and in our broken. And so we ask that your hand this morning as we look at your word. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So Jeremiah 2 through Jeremiah chapter 4, we have this sort of legal case that unfolds against the people of God from the hand of God himself. And it's something that I think our culture is often

fascinated with. We have books, even news stories or famous court cases. Maybe we follow out of interest to what will happen. And what's interesting about the case that God brings to his people and against his people, it's easy to look back and Say, isn't that the people signing against? But the reality is this case could very likely be brought against one of us. In the courtroom, in Jeremiah chapter 2, we find a legal argument facing God. For I will still contend with you, and it's a legal word for bringing a case against God's people, declares the Lord. And with your children, I will contend. People are answering, why do you contend with me? You have all against me, declares the Lord. You say, surely his anger has turned from me. Behold, I will bring you to judgment.

That's a picture of bringing to this legal case for saying, I have not sinned. And what's interesting about the case that God is about to bring is it's very different from any modern case that we have experienced, right? It's easy to think about what's about to happen in these verses. I don't know if you've spent much time, but most of us have seen depictions and dramas of the courtroom. It's very much based upon faith and separation. ...wearing different clothes. And the two sides sit back and separated, and you can only approach the judge with permission. And those who are observing or who there may be to testify later are sitting behind another rail further back in the courtroom. And our courtrooms are a picture and distance and decorum. And what I want you to see about this court case

is yes, God is bringing a formal case against the man in a cold and distant... The legal drama that plays out over the next several chapters is very different than what we see in the modern world. The ancient legal system is very different. In fact, it often happens when Boaz goes to negotiate with the other kinsmen for Ruth's hand. And he meets him at the city gates. And from the people who are there, he calls out some elders who sit, and they are witnesses, and they adjudicate the case. It wasn't distant, and it wasn't formal, but it was a true and legal case. I want you to understand that this is not just simply a legal argument, but these chapters are filled with a deep emotion that runs through every part. I didn't think as we look through these words

that this is some kind of dry, distant, legal, intellectual case that God is bringing against his people, but rather it comes from the depths of his life for and towards. In fact, I want you to hear how this begins. Jeremiah, go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus said the Lord, I remember the devotion of your youth, Your love is the bride and how you followed me in the wilderness. So God begins by saying three things about his people that you were devoted to. You followed me wherever you wanted to go. And then God responds like this. Israel was holy to the Lord. The firstfruits of it incurred guilt and disaster came upon them. God says, I responded to your love. and your devotion and your folly by protecting you and making you holy

in the same way offering you to God, and anyone who ate it was judged. He says, that was Israel, that anyone who touched you with everything that I have. And so as we see these words of God do a peep to you and poured out and leaking from everything that they have tried to fill the depths of their heart with, This is not some sort of, remember your love for me and remember my devotion and protection to you, that this is not happening to me. The picture, the main picture of chapter 3 is that of a broken-hearted husband looking to his beloved wife who has left for someone else. This is a passage of Scripture. And so the love that God is showing is going to make the case. His love and protection. I want you to hear God's article.

He's going to bring it forth, first of all. He's going to go back to their history, their fathers. What wrong did your fathers find? They went far from me and went after worthlessness and became what God is asking. Very simply, he says, I do to deserve this. In what way have I failed you? What way have I let you down? I brought you through the wilderness. I fed you. I protect you. I brought you out of Egypt. In fact, he answers this in verses 6 and 7, saying, I brought you from slavery out of Egypt into a place that is plentiful and full. What have I done that you would turn your back on me? And you can hear in this case where God is at one point bringing a charge, he's doing so with a broken and a hurting heart for his people.

And here's the thing. You haven't just ignored me. You've actively opposed me. When you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.

And what you'll find next. God's not just being just. He's showing the brokenness of a relationship that brings just an accuser. This is a broken hearted husband. And then he brings forth the evidence. He doesn't just bring an accusation. He brings evidence. And it's this. For the cross to the coast of Cyprus and to Kemp. are east and west and examine with care see if there has been changed its gods even though they are no gods but my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit and what he is saying just very simply is there is no pagan nation with their false gods who has done as you as you have done he says the people who follow these false gods they don't They don't change their gods. They're loyal to them even though they are no gods.

And the God who has loved you and protected you and brought you out of you and through the wilderness and has given you every good thing. And in your brokenness, you have turned your back on him. God rules being broken, but the fact that this is so bad that the nations around them don't even engage in this kind of behavior. And then God calls and says that this be shocked, be utterly desolate, desolate is covenant language. Throughout the whole book of Deuteronomy, God calls upon the heavens to witness. And in ancient documents and covenants, heavens were called to witness because they see and they last. And so God here just so very simply calls his people to court. As a betrayed husband, he lays out the case. What has been done, the depth of their depravity,

the fact that it was not witnessed by the heavens. And so he lays out his case. And then we hear his accusation. For my people have two evils. They have forsaken me, the living waters, And he hewed out cisterns for themselves. Broken cisterns that can hold no water. Essentially, they have turned their backs on God and tried to desire their own effort. They have turned their hearts to something else. And it's in these verses, this verse specifically, we begin to see this case against God's people is not just a Jeremiah thing, but it's a humanity thing.

Jeremiah 2.11, my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Romans chapter 1, they exchanged the glory of God and worshipped and served the creation rather than the creator. God's heartbreaking charge against his people is not just an Old Testament problem. It's an us problem where our hope and our joy and our refreshment has left the God who satisfies us to the deepest part of our being and we've chased something else. Something else has captured us in a way that moves us like God should have moved us. And the question here is, how can something else capture our heart? And at this, right, gradual distance. This speaks of the people in verse 6. they did not say, Where is the Lord who brought us from the land of Egypt and led us in the wilderness,

in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep wind where no man dwells? They stopped asking about God, despite the fact he brought them through the darkest moments of their life. And it wasn't just the people, it was the priests. The priests did not say, Where is the Lord? Those who handle the law did not against me. prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that did not be a prophet. And the two accusations here are just simply this. They did not say, where is the Lord? And this is not looking for God, trying to find him, but looking to him, to be in relationship with him and to be close to him. We've all had those relationships, right? I talked to maybe once a year one person from high school.

Because what happened, changed locations, changed jobs, and what happened, like, more years than I want to count. I just did the math in my head, and we're not going to talk about that, right? More years than I want to count has gone by. And at first, you're really close, and then over time, less and less and less. The picture of God's people in this accusation is not that one day they woke up and turned their back on God, but over time it became less and less asking where God was. Then it continues with a lack of thankfulness. We read these verses a moment ago in verses 6 and 7 where you look at how God has delivered out of and brought into there is this place where God has done great things and it's so easy to stop and so when thankfulness ends it then moves to continual

dissatisfaction and one of the ways that it happens and we see it throughout the book of Jeremiah is in terms of thirst we stop satisfies us and begin to seek everything else which brings us to this my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters They have hewed out broken cisterns that can hold pictures. There is living water and it is good. But over time you have separated and you've forgotten. And now you are filled with runoff. That's what a cistern was. It was just a pit dug down deep and it required work to be sealed. And instead of going to the living and the fresh and the refreshing stream, They were digging these pits and let her during the rainy season fill them up. And it turns out they were, right?

It's not just a charge against them, right? It's a charge. It's not just found in this charge against them, but what you find is they're continually doing this. And there's an interesting moment in Israel's history that happens next where they make an alliance with Assyria, and they don't like how Assyria treats them, and so they make an alliance with Egypt and then Assyria comes and there's this fight between them and look at how God describes this political maneuvering and now what do you gain by going to eat the waters of the Nile what do you gain by going to Assyria to drink the waters of the Euphrates not just an illustration of waters and rivers of God's people in this moment going let's go to Assyria and trust in them. Let's go to Egypt and trust in them.

And you and I do this in those moments of brokenness. If we have begun to distance ourselves from God, stopped being thankful, we begin to try to find refreshment. And we're seeking and running after it over and over again. And notice what the true extreme for a cistern. They have forsaken me. The true exchange here isn't about literal water, changing God for our own selves. The journey to begin with distance, discussing God's blessing, seeking to satisfy our own needs, ultimately ends in brokenness because the system holds no water. And historically, you would dig down into stone. And limestone wouldn't hold water very well. And so we have some history where you would mix together lime and some mud. You would come up with this coating. And you would paint the inside of your cistern with this water.

And the hope was that during the rainy season that would fill up and it would seal. You wouldn't have water again until the next rainy season. The problem is in this coating or the cistern, maybe the ground settled. Maybe you just didn't get it all when you were painting it. You go out one day in the heat of the summer to find water and your cistern is empty. All the water is water, but it's life and death. And ultimately, it ends in hopelessness. Listen to what Jared says.

Keep your feet from going unshod and your throat from its feet, but you have saved foreigners and after them I will go. Here, seeing the hopelessness of their situation, and God goes, stop running after them. Come to the place where you won't be thirsty. And they're saying, there's no hope. I'm just going to keep doing what I've always... The depth of despair in the heart of the people as this leap comes against them. David says something similar. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, your hand was heavy upon me. My strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. So the road these people have walked, and that you and I walk is this. It starts with distance to a lack of thankfulness.

We ultimately find ourselves far away and broken and thirsty. And we get there's no hope. I'm just going to keep going forward. and step at it and what i love so much i want you to hear this about this text who have seen God's deliverance they've tasted his goodness they have now walked away from him and they are hopeless God doesn't say fine you've brought it on yourself he doesn't say good luck He doesn't give them steps to fix it. Instead, there is good news. From Jeremiah 3, verse 1, verse 4, there is one word that's repeated over and over again. And it's fascinating because it's repeated in every form in the English. So it's a verb. It's a noun. It's an adjective. And the word is simply this, turn. So as a picture of sin, it's used as turning away.

It's used as a condition, faithlessness, and to turn to God. And immediately we hear that we are to turn to God and we're faced with a problem. I can't go back. In fact, Deuteronomy 3, verse 1, in the picture of the husband and the wife, God's saying, I can't go back. Verse 8, God presents his people with the certificates that are part of the same family. But hear God's words in the midst of the north and say, Return, faithless Israel, declare the Lord. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the Lord. but I will not forever. Right, we can return not because we're good. It is good. Return, O faithless sons. I will hear your faith. See what's just happened. God has called us to bring those people to the city gates.

The charges have been made, they've been proven, they've been shown how terrible they were the heavens have testified and the sentence brought to us is this right not a task not a prison sentence not a punishment but this this is the verdict return will heal it's a glorious promise that God calls to the people who have done everything wrong and nothing right who are broken who are in the midst of darkness who are deeply thirsty, seeking to satisfy their soul, looking for anything to hope in. And he says, come to me. And notice, it comes with a call to action. Jeremiah chapter 4 begins with a list. Remove, don't waver, deal with your treacherous hearts. And we hear, I do that. And once again, we find ourselves struggling. There are two things that I want you to see.

First of all is the treasure of God's goodness. I think as Christians we begin to take God's goodness for granted. This week we were fishing on Thursday night with the kids. We went down to Lake Time and I always forget how beautiful the lake is. Especially as the sun began to change and you got the trees, you got the water and we just got done fishing and I'm just looking out and It's just beautiful, and I had totally forgotten. And one of the things that especially in our lives when we've been around God's goodness is to just be like, well, it's always been there. And part of the call that we need to our hearts is to return and to see that goodness again, to be astonished and amazed by the glory of God. That's why we say, turn your eyes this morning.

The power of His provision. We're faced with these things to return, to remove, to not waver, to deal with your treacherous hearts. And the first step is to see God's goodness in this is provision. Because he says two things. You've got to break up the hard soil of your heart, and then you need heart Scriptures. I know, and I've read historical accounts of guys who've been isolated, and they've taken out their own opinion. And it was actually at the South Pole, medical training and a bottle of whiskey, right? I can take out my own appendix, but you can't do heart surgery on yourself no matter how hard you try. But hear what God says. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days. Declare to the Lord, I will put my law within them, and they shall be my people.

This isn't just a Jeremiah thing. Peter writes this as he preaches in the temple. Repent therefore and turn back. That your sins may be blotted out. The times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. And he may send the Christ appointed for you. And here Peter, centuries later, preaches in the temple before some of those same people shouting crucify him.

And he says this, see God's goodness, see the power of his provision, and turn back to him. The hopelessness doesn't begin in Jeremiah, it begins in Genesis, where something we thought looked better, and since then, everything has been broken. Jeremiah, in chapter 3, points to hopelessness. In Provision, and here's the thing, he doesn't ignore yourself, and he doesn't pretend it's not there. He doesn't overlook it and excuse it. What sin is blotted out. And you who are dead in the trespass of your flesh, God has made it alive together with you, given us all our trespasses by canceling the record of the debt that stood aside us with its legal demands. Listen to this. This he set aside by nailing it to the cross. Your hope is in Jesus. I want you to hear these.

Christian, there are things that are going to pull at your heart. They're going to try to grab your eyes, try to engage your hands. And the call in the midst of this is to see you.

See how he takes you from hopeless to hopeful. It's not always temptation that tries to grab us and pull us away. Sometimes it's the brokenness of life that tries to wait. And the answer to both of these struggles is the fact that God is good and he has made a provision for you. So many times it's easy to find ourselves digging for our own salvation. Peter does it in Galatians chapter 3. Almost as he begins to turn aside from the Gentiles and eat only with the Jews. Almost without thinking, he seeks salvation somewhere else, and we will. We sing, prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Take it and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above. The call here for us is to return to the one who saves because we can't do it.

And we've been seeing his provision. And if you are not a Christian, there is hope. Jeremiah chapter 2, 3, and 4 tells us no matter how far, no matter how deep, there is a place for healing, for transformation, and for hope. Here are the sins. And the uncircumcision of your flesh and God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all. As he said to the death that stood against us with his legal demands, this he set aside, nailing it. Father, we thank you that you refresh us. We have chased our own hope and our own living water. been turned aside either by difficulty and may we see that you are and may we see that you provide. So calm our weary hearts, satisfied by our thirsty souls and may we see your goodness. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We're going to stand and we're going to sing All Who Are Thirsty Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

We'll be here Wednesday night for our Wednesday evening. I'm going to read from Jeremiah, chapter 7, verses 7 and 8. It says, Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is in the Lord. He is like a tree planted by the water that sends out roots by the stream and does not fear when the heat comes, for its leaves remain green, year of drought for it does not cease to bear fruit now may the God being the fountain of living water the one who calls you home and in some cases calls you home with the very words of your wandering that's the return may he send you out today with your life refreshed and when the heat comes, and when the year turns dry, may your leaves stay green. You're never found

in your own cisterns, but it was found in the goodness of God. So we return to him and he says, and he will heal our faithlessness. Let's pray. Father, thank you for Jesus and for grace and for hope. Restore our souls deep with the way we not leave Your living wants, it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

It is weak and shall never fail. Praise God who raised the nation's sins. Praise Him for Christ the way to the end His joy shall never end All praise forever unto Him Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.