Jeremiah 29 verse 11

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2021

JEREMIAH 29 VERSES 1 - 10

Our motto verse for 2021 is Jeremiah 29 verse 11 "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the LORD thoughts of peace not of evil, to give you an expected end."

I want to think of the context of the verse - why was it written - to a people in captivity who felt all hope was gone.  God was reassuring them he had everything in control.  He knows everything at the outset of this new year, whatever difficulties will come your way.  Isn't it wonderful to realise that God has all in his control.  This pandemic did not take God by surprise.  These people were in captivity, their future was bleak.  God had the remedy and cure.  In verse 1 we see the background to this chapter.  A letter sent by Jeremiah.

A letter of explanation.  God wants the people to see clearly why they are in the situation thy are in.  Jeremiah 29 verse 4 "I have caused you to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon."  God permitted it, allowed it to happen.  God would not tolerate sin.  "He is of purer eyes that to behold iniquity" (Habakkuk 1 verse 13).  At Calvary darkness fell across the scene.  God caused his son to bear our sin.  God sent this letter that he might explain to this people if they were in any doubt about why this situation had arisen.  They had sinned and rebelled.  Some times people throw up their hands and blame God for this pandemic.  We ask 'why is there so much suffering and pain, why are all these things happening?'  The bible explains it all, right back to the Garden of Eden when Adam turned his back on God.  He rebelled and fell from the grace of God.  From that day we have taken on the nature of sin.  All the pain and suffering today goes back to the fallen nature of man in the Garden of Eden.  In Jeremiah's day the people had taken the blessings of God and turned to a false religion.  It was so bad that it affected all the families of Israel - Jeremiah 7 verse 18.  A religion of their own making.  They were worhipping the sun, moon and stars with all their hearts.  The children were sent out into the city streets to gather wood.  The father took the wood and made a fire.  The mothers were busy baking cakes to be offered to the queen of heaven.  A false religion after their own imaginations.  Verse 18 "that they might provoke the Lord to anger."  Jeremiah 7 verse 13 "but ye heard not and I called you but ye answered not."  God sent his prophets to reach out to these people but they wouldn't listen.  Jeremiah 29 verse 4 the judgment hand of God had fallen.  Have you turned to Christ yet?  Maybe you have heard this preacher time after time, have been brought up in Sunday School, have been taught the things of God, have attended missions, heard how Jesus had suffered and bled and died for your sin.  Maybe you still haven't repented and turned to God.  Hear today that the judgment hand of God will fall.

A letter of education.  God was explaining the situation to come.  Babylon would bring judgment on them.  He wants them to see the reason for their defeat - it was because of their lifestyle.  Sin cannot be overlooked.  In the days of Joshua when Israel marched on Jericho they listened carefully to what God had planned for them.  They had to walk around the city walls very day and on the seventh day they not only walked but shouted and the walls came down.  The next battle was Ai but this time they were defeated.  Joshua got on his knees before God.  God came to Joshua and told him to get up because there was sin in the camp.  We need educated today.  We cannot live in sin and live in victory.  We must be cleansed by the blood of Christ.  God was educating this people on how they should act and react.  In verse 5 they were told to settle down, build houses, plant a garden and eat the fruit of it, take wives, have sons and daughters, to seek the peace of the city.  He was telling them how to live.  These people were worshipping false idols.  What did the people say to God - Jeremiah 44 verse 17 they claimed all these blessings were as a result of worshipping this false religion.  They were not giving honour to God.  It affected every generation.  Jeremiah 14 verse 14.  Jeremiah 2 verse 8 the priests were seeking to find fault with God.  The prophets were dreaming false dreams.  The people needed to be educated.  They were listening to the wrong people.  That was their downfall.  Jeremiah 29 verses 8 and 9.  You and I need to be careful today.  Are we listening to people who should have known better?  There was no mention of God at all.  The challenge was to be right before God.  These people needed to be educated and so do we today.  Think of David - he never confessed his sin until Nathan the prophet pointed it out to him.  Peter too never cried out until he began to sink.

A letter of encouragement.  In verse 1 we see it was a letter sent by the hand of Jeremiah but in verse 4 we see it was inspired by God himself.  We read in the bible that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God."  His people were being deceived, and they went into captivity for 70 years.  God told them he had raised Nebuchadnezzar to come and carry Israel away.  In 70 years time he would also raise up the Medes and Persians with Cyrus bringing the Israelites back to Jerusalem.  God has the whole future planned out.  Jeremiah suffered much for the Lord but he reaches out to the people once more.  Is there someone you can encourage today, show them the way of God's salvation?  God was in control of the whole situation then and now.