New Years 2008 - Whole Hearted Pursuit

Reading: Jeremiah 29:10-14
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

I.   God Plans that we seek Him (11)

     A.  He plans our Shalom

           1.  He knows His plans for us

                 a.  I know what I’m doing - The Message

                 b.  We are sometimes shocked by life

                 c.  God’s plan takes everything into account

           2.  He plans our Peace/Prosperity / Shalom

                 a.  He doesn’t plan harm to His people

                 b.  Even hardship benefits us (Ro 8:28, James 1:2-4)

                 c.  Our future is Shalom

                 d.  He is for us, who can be against? (Ro 8:31)

           3.  This plan includes our return to Him

                 a.  Includes vv.12-14!

                 b.  Israel/we had wandered/compromised

                 c.  God’s plan brings them/us back to Him

     B.  He Gives us hope

           1.  It’s not for us to conjure it up

                 a.  We don’t will hope into existence

                 b.  We don’t get it thru denying reality

                 c.  We lose hope, when we lose sight of God

           2.  Hope is God’s gift to hurting people

                 a.  We receive it from Him thru trust

                 b.  His plans for us are full of blessing

                 c.  Once we believe Him, hope must follow

           3.  Come & get the hope you need from Him

                 a.  Don’t wait another day/minute

                 b.  Come believe & find hope again!

     C.  He Secures our future

           1.  We can do nothing without His blessing

                 a.  We know, we’ve tried!

                 b.  Illus: “A Morning Prayer”

           2.  Within His will we are unstoppable!

                 a.  Because His plans are unstoppable!

                 b.  Jesus only did what He saw the F. doing

                 c.  “His kingdom cannot fail”

           3.  Trade in your anxiety for His sure plans

                 a.  Momentary anxiety is understandable

                 b.  But we don’t have to live with it

                 c.  A blessed future is secure in Him

II.  He Promises we will find Him (12)

     A.  We Call on Him

           1.  Call upon=lit. Summon, attention getting

                 a.  God calls out “Samuel, Samuel.”

                 b.  Almost always out loud=cry out

                 c.  A whole range of emotional color

           2.  Things happen so that we will call on Him

                 a.  Hardships/testings/trials come: Lord!

                 b.  Blessings return: Lord!

           3.  If He feels far away, call on Him

                 a.  Like a child lost in a corn-field: Call out!

                 b.  Like a child found: Call out!

     B.  We Come to Him

           1.  Come and pray: pray but not from afar

                 a.  For those seeking God for the 1st time

                 b.  For the lukewarm, 1st love faded

                 c.  Come & pray; draw near, get close

           2.  Approach the throne of grace with confidence

                 a.  Jesus knows our weakness/struggle

                 b.  Know He intends Shalom, not harm

                 c.  The prodigal’s Father is already running

           3.  He wants not just our prayers, but us!

                 a.  Come & pray (not just pray)

                 b.  Not mere religion/duty; relationship

                 c.  Come give Him your heart (not just words)

     C.  We Find Him (13)

           1.  Find implies a search

                 a.  Implies God isn’t obvious to us

                 b.  Kingdom like a treasure/pearl

                 c.  We must look: Where is He in this?

           2.  You will seek me and find me (13a)

                 a.  Find=discover & keep/hold on to

                 b.  God plans that we both seek & find

                 c.  I will let myself be found by you (Jeremiah 29:14a: lit.)

           3.  When we come we will find Him

                 a.  If you don’t see Him, seek Him!

Come near to Him and He will come near to you James 4:8

                 b.  You aren’t meant to feel so alone.

III. He wants an All-Out search (13-14a)

     A.  A Conditional promise

           1.  Many Bible promises are conditional

                 a.  Unconditional election/grace: Yes!

                 b.  Many other promises: conditional

                 c.  “If” is an important word in Scripture!

           2.  The condition here is with all your heart

                 a.  I.e.: with all of who you are at the core

                 b.  All your heart implies 2 things:

                       (1)      Single-heartedness

                       (2)      Unstoppableness – unrelenting

           3.  Half-hearted service got Israel in trouble!

     B.  How Much do we want Him?

           1.  Lost coin/sheep/ (credit card?)

                 a.  How soon would you give up?

                 b.  How much more this Treasure/Pearl!

           2.  “We have as much of Him as we want” (!)

                 a.  A little scary isn’t it!?

                 b.  Yet He promises: those who seek find

           3.  How long can you tread water? (!)

                 a.  Let dissatisfaction/hunger /thirst arise!

                 b.  Don’t settle for less than all God offers!

                 c.  This year get closer than ever before

     C.  He Rewards the unrelenting

           1.  Go after Him; don’t stop till you find Him

                 a.  He promises: your search will succeed!

                 b.  He will bring us home to Himself

           2.  Seek Him to Know Him

                 a.  Because He’s worth knowing

                 b.  Know His love, grace, might, glory…

                 c.  Know He is your Father; you His child

           3.  Seek to please Him

                 a.  Find out what pleases the Lord (Eph 5:10)

                 b.  Please Him first with your presence

                 c.  Please Him in all you do/how you live

The Bottom Line:

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