Sermon outline for Jeremiah 29 verse 4 – 14

Darren Pepper

Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Summary Sentence: - God’s wants to use you in the midst of your current situation; don’t wait until things improve!

Introduction

Begin by discussing things people would like to do when Covid is over. eg hug family members, go for a meal, go on holiday abroad etc. Its good to look forward to doing things but God wants to use us now in the midst of our current situation

Read Jeremiah 29 CSB

Jeremiah 29 CSB

1 This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining exiled elders, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah, the queen mother, the court officials, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metalsmiths had left Jerusalem. 3 He sent the letter with Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. The letter stated: 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.” 8 For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you, and don’t listen to the dreams you elicit from them, 9 for they are prophesying falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 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. 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.” 15 You have said, “The Lord has raised up prophets for us in Babylon!” 16 But this is what the Lord says concerning the king sitting on David’s throne and concerning all the people living in this city—that is, concerning your brothers who did not go with you into exile. 17 This is what the Lord of Armies says: “I am about to send sword, famine, and plague against them, and I will make them like rotten figs that are inedible because they are so bad. 18 I will pursue them with sword, famine, and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse and a desolation, an object of scorn and a disgrace among all the nations where I have banished them. 19 I will do this because they have not listened to my words”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“the words that I sent to them with my servants the prophets time and time again. And you too have not listened.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 20 Hear the word of the Lord, all you exiles I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon. 21 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, the ones prophesying a lie to you in my name: “I am about to hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and he will kill them before your very eyes. 22 Based on what happens to them, all the exiles of Judah who are in Babylon will create a curse that says, ‘May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!’ 23 because they have committed an outrage in Israel by committing adultery with their neighbors’ wives and have spoken in my name a lie, which I did not command them. I am he who knows, and I am a witness.” This is the Lord’s declaration. 24 To Shemaiah the Nehelamite you are to say, 25 “This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: You in your own name have sent out letters to all the people of Jerusalem, to the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah, and to all the priests, saying, 26 ‘The Lord has appointed you priest in place of the priest Jehoiada to be the chief officer in the temple of the Lord, responsible for every madman who acts like a prophet. You must confine him in the stocks and an iron collar. 27 So now, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth who has been acting like a prophet among you? 28 For he has sent word to us in Babylon, claiming, “The exile will be long. Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce.” ’ ” 29 The priest Zephaniah read this letter in the hearing of the prophet Jeremiah. 30 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 31 “Send a message to all the exiles, saying, ‘This is what the Lord says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite. Because Shemaiah prophesied to you, though I did not send him, and made you trust a lie, 32 this is what the Lord says: I am about to punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his descendants. There will not be even one of his descendants living among these people, nor will any ever see the good that I will bring to my people—this is the Lord’s declaration—for he has preached rebellion against the Lord.’ ”

Explain background

The Israelites are in exile in Babylon because Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon broke into Jerusalem destroyed the city and took the people captive. Jeremiah the prophet wrote the Israelites a letter from Egypt in which he tells them what God is saying to them in this situation. Some false prophets had said the Israelites would be out of exile and would be back home in two years but God told them to build houses in Babylon, get married, grow food and basically settle down. He told them to pray for the city of Babylon and pursue the wellbeing of the city. None of this was what they wanted to hear and was really hard to cope with as they had suffered so much due to the Babylonians, they were traumatised and had lost homes and probably loved ones.

People often focus on verses 10 -14 of Jeremiah 29 where God talks about a hope and a future and restoration, but God said the Israelites were going to be in Babylon for 70 years before this happened and God didn’t want them to sit around waiting for this. He wanted them to make good use of the time now.

We can relate to exile in lockdown and during the pandemic and maybe feeling like you just want to curl up in a ball and hide until it’s all over. Or perhaps you could relate more with your own personal exile which could be struggling with ill health, a tricky work situation or a difficult relationship for example.

Summarise what God is saying

Settle down get married, build houses etc. (verses 5 and 6) Seek the peace and prosperity of the city and pray for it (verse 7) Do not be deceived by false prophets (verse 8-9)

Expand on what God is saying

Settle down get married, build houses etc. (verses 5 and 6)

God’s plan wasn’t to provide immediate escape, in fact they were going to be there 70 years so he didn’t want them to waste that time.

It would be easy to hide away, not do anything and wait until things return to “normal” again But

What if things never return to normal again? God wants to use you in exile not wait until you are out of itThis is valuable time that God can use, don’t waste it

Don’t be distracted from being active in this present situation. Sometimes you have to be creative and think outside the box especially when there is a lockdown on, but ask God to help you

Examples

Have those conversations with your neighbours that you never normally see, have a chat with that elderly lady who is lonely. I started an online Alpha in November even though I was tempted to wait till after the pandemic, and we could meet in person, but it has been a real blessing to everyone who has attended. Again, I started the leadership engine and didn’t wait until after the pandemic. This has been something good and positive to do during a hard time and in fact has been easier to fit in as I have had less commitments on a Saturday during this last year.

Seek the peace and prosperity of the city and pray for it (verse 7)

God asks the Israelites to pray for this city so that it will prosper – use this opportunity of time at home to pray for our city, our village, our neighbours, for its prosperity and pray for revival in the area. Pray for healing of the nation and the end to Covid19.

The Israelites were traumatised and had lost homes and probably loved ones. Why would they want to seek good things for these people but God wanted them to pray for the Babylonians?

Example Corrie Ten Boom

The family of Corrie Ten Boom’s, a Christian girl, helped many Jews escape from the Nazis during the Holocaust in World War II by hiding them in their home. The family eventually ended up in a concentration camp where her sister died. After the war God helped Corrie to forgive the guard that was present at her concentration camp where her sister was killed.

Ephesians 4:32 CSB

32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

This verse tells us to treat enemies with kindness, putting away the temptations to gossip or become bitter. When we think about the way God forgave us, God does the seemingly impossible and He helps us to forgive others and start to treat them differently, looking at them through a lens of compassion.

Do not be deceived by false prophets (verse 8-9)

The Israelites were being deceived by people who had easy answers and were saying things would be resolved soon. God was saying it was going to take 70 years. The Israelites didn’t want to hear this!

Don’t trust people that don’t know what they are talking about or only give you the answers you want to hear. Fake news!!

Proverbs 3:5 CSB

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;

Don’t look to your own understanding – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding

Summary

Ephesians 5:16 CSB

16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil.

Remember God has other plans you haven’t even considered yet. Make the most of every opportunity and don’t wait till things get back to normal because I am not sure they ever will!