For Our City

Jeremiah 29:11–14 CSB

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. 12 You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and places where I banished you”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “I will restore you to the place from which I deported you.”

Jeremiah 29:4–7 CSB

4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7 Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.”

God has great plans for us! God has great plans for our city! (29:4)

(CSB)

4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon:

God may call you to go, live, serve, and love Babylon.

God may call you to go, live, serve, and love Babylon.

(CSB) 4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon:

4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon:

Illus: We have lived in a day where in many ways we have assumed those who live around us are christians. IN those days we thought our country was a christian nation.

We looked at out neighbors and though they may not go to church, but they are christians… they believe in Jesus.

I think the false idea that we live in a christian nation is wearing away. People who do not love the things of God don’t feel the cultural pressure to pretend anymore.

Lets be honest, most of our neighbors don’t know Jesus. Many of our family members don’t know Jesus.

We are not living in a christian nation. We are living in Babylon.

The question we need to ask is what are we going to do about it?

Illus: (CSB) 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who should I send? Who will go for us?

(CSB)

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking:

I said: Here I am. Send me.

Who should I send?

Who will go for us?

I said:

Here I am. Send me.

God may walk us through difficult seasons in our lives for our good.

(CSB) 4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon:

4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon:

Illus: Following Jesus is costly. Choosing to be faithful, to live as light in a dark place will be a costly decision for you.

It might cost you friends. It may cost you a promotion. It might stain your relationships with your family.

With this cost in front of us, we must remember that Jesus is worth it. He is worth any cost that we incure.

He may call us to serve in deepest and darkest places. He may call us to sacrifice relationships. He may walk us through hurtful seasons… but he will be with us every step of the way.

Illus: (CSB) 43 Now this is what the Lord says— the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel— “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine. 2 I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.

(CSB) 43 Now this is what the Lord says—

RESTORATION OF ISRAEL

43 Now this is what the Lord says—

the one who created you, Jacob,

and the one who formed you, Israel—

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by your name; you are mine.

2 I will be with you

when you pass through the waters,

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not overwhelm you.

You will not be scorched

when you walk through the fire,

and the flame will not burn you.

3 For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.

Cush and Seba in your place.

Part of your witness is in serving your city.

(CSB)

5 “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7 Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.”

Part of your ministry is in being a good neighbor.

5 “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce.

Illus: I don’t know about you, but for me it is easy to be a hermit. This is what I mean, every morning I get in my car and drive to work. At the end of the day I drive home, park in my carport and go inside. The depth of my relationships with my neighbors most days is waving if they are pulling out of their driveway at the same time.

Do you know your neighbors? I mean really know them. Do you spend time talking with them. Do you particulerly invest in them for the sake of Jesus.

When was the last time you just stopped and talked with them? Have you ever considered that being a good neighbor is living as a missionary in this community?

Illus: (CSB) 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.,, 31 The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself., There is no other command greater than these.”

(CSB) 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.,, 31 The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself., There is no other command greater than these.”

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.,, 31 The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself., There is no other command greater than these.”

We are called to be for our city.

5 “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7 Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.”

Illus: I love seeing our people making this city better. It is awesome to see teachers and administrators serve the children of this community. It is awesome seeing nurses serving both young and old bringing health and healing. From the linemen, to store owners, to restaurants, to city officials, to policemen and correctional officers… God has given each of us a place in this community.

The question for each of us, do we seek the welfare of our city, AND how can we use our places to magnify the name of God?

Illus:

As a church this year we are on focusing on how we can be “For Vidalia, and for the Miss Lou” . We have a team looking to see how our church can invest into this community and then we are going to start serving. I want people to know that we are for them, both now and eternally.

Illus: (CSB) 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels, with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations, will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

(CSB)

THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels, with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations, will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

35 “ ‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or without clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’

40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me, sick and in prison and you didn’t take care of me.’

44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Don’t forget where you hope is found.

(CSB)

10 For this is what the Lord says: “When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. 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. 12 You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.

As we live and serve in a broken time, our hope rests in the perfect God.

Illus: The call to follow Jesus is a call to sacrifice. We sacrifice ourselves to make our city better. We cacrifice ourselves to serve our neighbors. We sacrifice ourselves when following Jesus costs us.

We sacrifice ourselves because we know our home is not in this world. It is in Jesus Christ.

Illus:

John 4:35 CSB

35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest.