God Is Doing A New Thing - Jeremiah: Week 35

Jeremiah 31 unfolds as a sweeping announcement: God will enact a new covenant that repairs what the old covenant could not. The text moves from exile’s judgment to a promise of restoration, reconciliation, and a radical internal renewal. The present exile provides the backdrop for a covenant that will reunite divided Israel and Judah, repopulate the land, and restore a people to relationship with God. The new covenant stands in deliberate contrast to the Mosaic covenant; the previous agreement failed because outward obedience never reached inward loyalty. Rather than another round of temporary reforms, God promises a covenant that changes the root—writing the law on minds and hearts and enabling true obedience from within.

This inward change involves regeneration by the Holy Spirit: faith receives a new birth that transforms desire, thought, and practice. As the law moves from stone into the inmost being, knowledge of God becomes personal and accessible to every person “from the least to the greatest.” The covenant secures permanent forgiveness; sins are separated from the people and remembered no more, a reality tied to Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice and the Lord’s Supper language that identifies Jesus’ blood as the new covenant. The promise reaches forward into multiple fulfillments—immediate returns from exile, gospel unity in Christ, and final consummation in the end times—so that the covenant addresses present need and eschatological hope.

God also guarantees Israel’s preservation as a people and promises a rebuilt, holy city whose ultimate fulfillment exceeds any single historical rebuilding. The covenant issues sure and certain futures for God’s people, binds forgiveness and intimacy with God, and calls for personal accountability: each person must respond in faith, not blame ancestral sin. The invitation is urgent and clear—this is the covenant by which people become God’s people, and it requires trusting the one who inaugurates it. The call is to believe, to receive the new birth, and to live out the inward law with confidence in God’s enduring promises.

Key Takeaways

• 1. New covenant restores God's people God promises to reunite and rebuild a scattered people—physically and spiritually—so that Israel’s story moves from dispersion to restoration. That restoration includes repopulation of the land, reunion of north and south, and a future ingathering that finds full meaning in Christ’s work and the final consummation. This is not merely political rehabilitation but covenantal reconstitution under God’s lordship. [07:35]
• 2. Personal accountability precedes covenant acceptance The text rejects ancestral blame and insists each person bears responsibility for sin and faith. This clears the path for a fresh covenant by removing collective excuses and placing choice squarely before every heart. Authentic covenant relationship requires owning one’s sin and deciding to trust God personally. [19:02]
• 3. New covenant changes the heart God promises to put his law into minds and write it on hearts, signaling internal transformation rather than external compliance. Regeneration—the new birth by the Spirit—reorients desires so obedience flows from love, not mere rule-keeping. This internal law enables true knowledge of God and enduring moral renewal. [27:46]
• 4. Forgiveness becomes permanent in Christ The covenant includes decisive soteriological language: iniquity forgiven and sin remembered no more, grounded in the one sacrifice that fulfills the old sacrificial system. Jesus identifies his blood as the new covenant, making forgiveness once-for-all and reconciling people to God. That divine forbearance enables intimate fellowship and clears the barrier sin erected. [41:50]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:23] - God doing a “new” thing
• [01:26] - The lawn mower illustration
• [05:09] - Exile: the historical setting
• [07:04] - Announcing the new covenant
• [07:35] - Reconciliation and restoration promised
• [19:02] - Personal accountability explained
• [23:06] - Not like the Mosaic covenant
• [27:46] - Regeneration: law on minds and hearts
• [37:09] - Intimate fellowship with God
• [41:50] - Permanent forgiveness in Christ
• [44:57] - A sure, certain future for Israel
• [52:24] - A rebuilt, holy Jerusalem
• [60:57] - Invitation to trust Christ

1. In Jeremiah 31:32, how does God contrast the new covenant with the old covenant made with Israel’s ancestors?
2. What specific actions does God promise to take in Jeremiah 31:33-34 to create a transformed relationship with His people?
3. According to John 1:12-13, what is required to become a “child of God,” and who enables this transformation?
4. How does Jesus’ statement in Luke 22:20 connect to the promises in Jeremiah 31?

1. Why does Jeremiah emphasize personal accountability for sin (Jeremiah 31:29-30) as a foundation for the new covenant? How does this shift from collective blame to individual responsibility?
2. What does it mean practically for God’s law to be “written on hearts” instead of stone (Jeremiah 31:33)? How does this internal transformation differ from external rule-following?
3. The sermon mentions that God’s forgiveness in the new covenant is “permanent” because of Christ’s sacrifice. How does Jeremiah 31:34 (“I will remember their sin no more”) align with the idea of Jesus’ blood inaugurating this covenant (Luke 22:20)?
4. In John 1:12-13, why is being “born of God” necessary to become His child? How does this relate to the new covenant’s promise of regeneration?

1. Where in your life do you still rely on external rules or habits to feel “right with God” instead of trusting the internal transformation He promises? What step could you take to surrender that area to the Holy Spirit’s work? [27:46]
2. The sermon stresses personal accountability: “Each person must respond in faith, not blame ancestral sin.” Is there a situation where you’ve blamed others or circumstances for your spiritual struggles? How can you take ownership today? [19:02]
3. God’s promise to “remember sin no more” means we don’t have to live in shame. How might your life look different if you fully embraced this truth? What practical habit could remind you of this forgiveness daily? [41:50]
4. The new covenant guarantees a “sure and certain future” for God’s people. When facing uncertainty, how can you actively lean into this promise instead of fear? Share a recent example where this truth could have changed your response. [52:24]
5. The sermon invites people to “trust Christ” as the only way into the new covenant. Who in your life needs to hear this invitation? How can you compassionately share the hope of internal transformation and forgiveness with them this week? [01:00:57]