MEANT FOR MORE: GOD'S WAY IS BETTER THAN ANY OTHER

Invite those in the back to move forward, and spend time in prayer.

Hard to believe that while we have one more day this week together, that this is the last day where it is just us. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it has been such a BLESSING to share with you this week. I’ve enjoyed getting to worship alongside you, to pray for you, and to learn from God’s Word together. It’s been so awesome to see you go and pray with teachers, pray for each other, and to just allow God to speak to you. It’s been amazing to just see you worship and to be bold.

But here’s the deal, after today and after tomorrow, with as great as what this has been, that’s going to matter. That’s the real challenge. Here, we have been on the mountain top. But soon, Spiritual Emphasis Week will be over, and your routine will go back to normal. That’s when the challenge really happens. Are you going to go back to your old way, or are you going to follow through and continue to live boldly in faith?

In the time that we have had together, we discovered so much together.

On Monday we talked about how we don’t have to be paralyzed by fear. How God wants us to take a bold leap, to be willing to do whatever it takes for others to have an encounter with God. We saw how a group of friends did that for one of their friends who was a paralytic. We saw how they were so willing to do whatever it takes that they tore a part of the roof of the house where Jesus was just so that their friend can have an encounter with Jesus. We shared about how so many of us have been paralyzed by fear.

We learned that there is a better way. That there is a way that we no longer have to be paralyzed by fear of stepping out in faith. That way is through Jesus. Who believes in us. Who sees us for who we really are and loves us just the same. But we have to be willing like the friends in this story, like the paralytic, we have to be willing to let go of our fear, breaking free of being paralyzed and trust in Him. And as hard as that is, it is one of the most freeing things we can experience. We are no longer who we once were. We are no longer living in the pain of being paralyzed by our fears, our sins, our past. We are set free!

And then Tuesday, we learned how God begins a good work in us. That when He calls us to do something, that He is the one doing the work and He invites us to join Him. Not only does God begin a good work in us, but He sees it through. Until Jesus comes back, God will always see us through. The thing that He is calling us to do, He will see us through.

We also learned together that when we trust God leading us to the good work that He is doing, it not only affects us and our faith, but it leads to a legacy of future believers and how they respond to what God is wanting to do in their lives. It even leaves a legacy for those who are not followers of Jesus to see how God worked in us. And because of that, they will put their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

And then yesterday, we were challenged to look at the community we surround ourself with, particulary with our friends and how we act as a school here. We are meant to do life together. And when we do life together, we become stronger to following after God because we aren’t doing it alone. If you get nothing else today, get this: being part of a Christian community provides strength, encouragement, and accountability that helps each believer live our their faith boldly and joyfully. We are to do life together, whether that is in a church community, with our friends, or even here at school. It matters in our faith walk how we treat others.

Today, let’s talk about what the challenge is that you are going to face. And for many of you, you have been facing all week. This morning we are going to look a famous passage. Sometimes it is used in a way that makes it sound like that God is going to give you everything you want. And that everything is going to go your way. But the reality of this passage is not that God is going to give you an easy life with everything going your way. It is so much more than that.

If you get nothing else today, get this: When we trust God's plan for our lives and seek Him wholeheartedly, we discover a path filled with purpose and hope beyond our wildest dreams.

Jeremiah is a prophet. He receive these messages from the Lord to relay to the people of Israel. I shared with yall before about how the prophets had this common message of the following:

You’ve forgotten your first love.

You are being punished.

But there is coming a day of hope.

Jeremiah is no different. It is that third point that we find ourselves looking at. Israel ends up being divided into two Kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom sticks with the name Isreal, while the Southern Kingdom calls themselves Judah.

The Northern Kingdom falls like a house of cards. Assyrians come and take it over, and wipe them out. The Southern Kingdom falls but takes a little longer to do so. And while they are not wiped out, there home is completely destroyed. Everything. Including the place where they worshipped God. Gone. And the people who survived were sent to Babylon to be exiled there.

There began this rumor and false teaching that people who called themselves “prophets” would return home soon. But Jeremiah says that is not what the Lord says. That they are to go and build homes and families in Babylon. This is not a short exile but a long one. It is in this part that our passage takes place. In Jeremiah 29:11-13, it says:

Jeremiah 29:11–13

“For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.”

1. Promise of Prosperity

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

Here, God is telling those in exile to trust in His plan for thier lives. That His plan is going to see them through. That His plan is for a hope and future. That they need to simply trust in His timing.

Notice that God doesn’t say when the plan will start or how it will look. Just that He knows them. Show of hands, do any of you like to plan? Like you’ve got to know every single detail about what is going on? Like you’ve got summer down to a tea. (Have fun with this. If there are them out there, say something silly like, “Bless Your Heart. You are a unicorn.” or say that’s a “BD for being lazy” if no one raises their hand.) If we are honest, all of us at least want to know what the plan is. Imagine if your coach gathers yall right before the game and says we are going to win, but doesn’t give a plan for exactly how it is done. It wouldn’t work out too well.

Yet that is what God does with us. He calls us to follow Him, but He doesn’t always tell us the full details. That’s where trust comes in. We have to be willing to trust in His timing and His guidance. That’s why Scripture says in Psalm 119:

Psalm 119:105

“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”

Sometimes, the path is only lit one step at a time. Emphasize that this verse invites us to trust in God’s plans for us, even if life gets foggy. For those of you who have never accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, God's path is clear, the only hope that you have for handling this journey of life is Jesus Christ. Trying to do life on your own will leave you disappointed. Trying to be a good person will not get you into heaven. Scripture teaches that:

Acts 4:12

“There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.””

For those of you who are still struggling with making that choice to follow Jesus, today is the day for you to make the change. Today is the day for you to do so. For the rest of us, we have to trust that whatever God is leading us to do, that it is for our benefit and His glory. And for us, we have to be willing to trust in His timing knowing that His timing is perfect. So what does trusting in His timing look like? Let’s look back at the rest of this passage.

2. Prayerful Pursuits

Jeremiah 29:12

“You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”

Prayer. First and foremost. That’s why the Lord told Jeremiah to tell the people to call out to Him. To pray to Him. We need to pray! We cannot expect God to guide and lead us if we don’t take the time to talk with Him. The only way we can know with clarity is through prayer. By seeking God through prayer can transform uncertainty into confidence. There have been times where God has been clear in what He wants me to do, and there have been times that He has simply said trust me with this. And the only way I knew how to go was by praying and seeking Him.

For some of you, that is scary because you want to be in control. And to be in the unknown is scary. Here’s the truth - if it was all told before us how it was going to go, there would be no need for us to have faith. There would be no need for us to trust in Him. As hard as it is, I’m glad that there are times that I have to simply trust in Him.

Prayer is one of the keys that help us understand what God is calling us to do. Even if it means that you say, “Lord, I don’t understand this, but I’m trusting you.” Maybe for you, it isn’t God calling you to a plan, but maybe it is to give something to Him. Maybe it is your insecurity. Maybe it is your future. You know you need to give it to God, but you are scared because of not knowing what will happen if you do. Today is the day to let go and trust God with it in prayer.

3. Passionate Pursuit

Jeremiah 29:13

“You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.”

Seek Him. Scripture here is tells us that finding God brings the realization of His purpose. While we do this through prayer and worship, we also do this through spending time with Him in His Word. You can’t know God if you never take time to read, worship, and talk to Him. For some of you, you might be here and you’re like I’ve never felt God leading me to do anything. You just go through the motions. Like God is cool, but that’s it. If that is you, ask yourself this question, could it be because you have never talked to Him in the first place.

That’s the thing: if we’ve never talked to Him about saving us from sin, then we can never know what His plan is for us. So if that is you, today is the day to make that change. Ask God to come and be the Lord of your life. Ask Him to save you. He will.

You might feel that you can’t. You’ve messed up too much. You’ve done things that you are ashamed of. Even though we have talked about this, you still feel this way. I’m so sorry that you have believed this lie. But it is a lie.

1 John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

I’m here to tell you this morning that God has a plan for you. Despite your past, despite what you’ve done. God has a plan for you. He simply asks you to trust in Him.

As the musicians come, it really boils down to one question. A question that no one but you can answer to. Are you going to try to go back to doing your own way, or for even some of you, continue to do your own way? You’ve heard all week long that doing that doesn’t work. That it just causes more and more pain.

In Him, we find the perfect plan of salvation that offers hope and a future. Jesus embodies the promise that God is actively working for our good and invites us into a relationship with Him.