Pray for The Welfare of the City

How Long O LORD? 70 Years!

Habakkuk last week dared to let God know how he feels about what is going on in his community. How long Oh LORD must I cry for help! God’s answer sparked a second complaint from Habakkuk ending with “Will you let them get away with this forever?”

Today in through the Prophet Jeremiah Habakkuk has his answer to how long. The LORD through Jeremiah tells the people you will be in Babylon for 70 years. Get comfortable, seek and pray for the peace of the city , which I have sent you into exile. Because its welfare will determine yours.

In our constantly changing times , and communities sometimes we can feel as if we too are in exile. We are essentially a church in exile. God’s words through Jeremiah, give us instructions on how we are to live as God’s people in exile.

Jeremiah 29:7 NRSV

7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

Highlight, underline, put a star by verse 7, make it stand out. To get to Jeremiah 29:11 we have to go through verse 7. Take this verse to your prayer closets, your prayer meetings, your watchtowers and dare to ask God how can we Leicester Church of the Nazarene seek the welfare of the city of Leicester? Pray to LORD for it because its welfare will determine your welfare.

Embracing Exile

Last week God told Habakkuk that he was raising up and sending the Babylonians. Jeremiah is writing a letter to those who have been carried off into exile by those same Babylonians.

Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar came and laid seige to Jerusalem completely destroying the temple, the city and carrying off its king and inhabitants into exile in Babylon.

Jeremiah gave this prophecy with a competing prophecy from Jeremiah 28 that stated the Babylonian exile would only last a couple years.

Jeremiah writes to the people of God, the word of God instructing them how they are to live while in exile.

Get comfortable You’re going to be here awhile.

-70 years

-put down roots

2. Work and pray for the peace and prosperity of the city.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C, Volume 4 Homiletical Perspective

His call to pray is a call to shift from understanding Israel’s God as a localized, territorial deity to understanding YHWH as a universal God who rules over all the earth and all the peoples of the earth

God sent them into exile

It’s welfare will determine your welfare.

Jeremiah’s message was radical. God told his people to work for and pray for the peace of their violent, ruthless captors. People who utterly destroyed their temple, and their homes. God is telling them to seek the peace and welfare of people who starved their family friends to death during the seige. What Babylon did to the exiles would stir up resentment and revolution in most of us but God is calling his people to seek peace and prosperity. This is what Jesus means when he says to love your enemies in Matthew 5:43-44

Matthew 5:43–44 NLT

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!

Luke 6:27–28 NLT

27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C, Volume 4 Pastoral Perspective

He told the Jews that rather than resisting, resenting, or rejecting their circumstances, they should put down roots and become productive. It is a message for all who live in what they believe has become an alien culture, made so by technology, immigration, and new accommodations to politically correct inclusivity. Seemingly gone are the Norman Rockwell scenes of barber-pole streets and postmasters who know our names. Communication has moved from front porches to telephones, from letters to e-mail, from cell phones to text messaging and from text messaging to Facebook postings. Neighbors down the street are no longer Lutheran or Baptist or Catholic. They are Hindu or Muslim or New Age.

Seeking the Welfare of Leicester

Feasting on the Word: Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary: Year C, Volume 4 Pastoral Perspective

Yes, we will miss much of the past, but whining and pining about it will not make it reappear. Instead, Jeremiah challenges the Jews in captivity, and us, to embrace the place where God has us and find ways to be faithful in our living, so that others might inquire about our inspiration, our resolve, and our trust, and thereby be drawn into relationship with God.

Imagine if churches put verse 7 into practice, and actively worked for and prayed for the peace and prosperity of the cities God has sent them. Imagine the change in this church in the city of Leicester, if we the people of God sought and prayed for the peace and prosperity of Leicester.

What are active steps we can take? First, take verse 7 to your prayer closets, prayer meetings and board meetings. Pick up the local news paper and bring the issues of the community you read about to the LORD in prayer.

Our prayers must move us to actively seek the peace and prosperity of the city. As we pray be prepared for God to lead, you and us into action that works for the peace and prosperity of the city. What does that look like? It looks a church opening its doors so a local school in need can meet. It’s a church offering space where people can access the internet. It’s helping the local pregnancy center or food pantry. It’s a church telling their community we are here for you, and being ready to do what God enables them to do.

The key to Jeremiah 29:11 is putting verse 7 into action.

Jeremiah 29:11–12 NLT

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.