Jeremiah's prediction was that the people would be taken into exile in Babylon (which happened). He also predicted that they would amazingly come back to the land after 70 years in exile. This happened. The Temple was destroyed 686 and re-dedicated 616. Daniel (9:2), Ezra (1:1), the Chronicler (30), and Zechariah (twice) referred to this prediction as being fulfilled. The point is even in exile, as a remnant, God can give us hope.
9/21- SVPC Jeremiah 29:4-7, 10-13; Mt. 6:25-34 “Relying on the Plan” Rev. Dr. Ben Sloan
Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz7dmPG6kEQ
"For I know the plans I have for you to give you a future and a hope." (29:11)
Plans don’t always go the way
we had hoped.
The Apollo 13 was headed to the moon.
Jim Lovell, who died last month (and was a lifelong PCUSA Presbyterian who read Genesis on Christmas Eve on Apollo 8) was the
commander. On April 13, 1970 an O2 tank
exploded leaving a gaping hole and depleting their oxygen supply. NASA worked feverishly to save them. They
abandoned their plans to go to the moon, and changed it to get them home.
Ernest Shackleton was going to cross
Antarctica in 1914-16 by the South Pole.
But when his ship, Endurance, got trapped in ice, he led his men on a
survival journey- and everyone survived.
Shackleton said he experienced the presence of a fourth individual on
his journey back- later calling it providence.
A movie came out two years ago
called “On a Wing and Prayer” about the true story of Doug White. He and his family were on a plane on vacation
when the pilot died. With a lot of
prayer and direction from air traffic controllers and people on the ground, he
was able to land the plane safely. You can bet he was seeking help from God and
the experts. Certainly, that was not the way he planned his
trip. We could also say that the
disciples had many plans for how things should go with Jesus- but even though
they were told he would die and rise again- it went over their heads.
Jeremiah lived in a day in which people thought God really didn’t pay any
attention to them. They were getting lax
morally and spiritually- worshiping other gods.
Jeremiah, Isaiah and others had said that the Babylonian army would
come. But when the Babylonian army
actually came it shocked everyone. They
were taken into exile. Jeremiah was
writing to the people asking them to not give up on God and the faith- but to
settle in for a 70 year stint and then God would rescue them. God is the One who is steadfast. He knows our future. There are no surprises to God.
Therefore we do not need to rely on our own short-sighted expectations but on
God Himself.
We should always adjust our plans to God’s reality.
Some of you may have wanted Jack to go on being pastor of Spring Valley
forever, but that is not the reality of it. I would like that. I think Jack provided stability. He loved God and was a good guy.
But God has a way of surprising us.
But we can still believe that God has a plan for Spring Valley Presbyterian
Church.
I remember Rick Warren began his all time best selling book, “The purpose Drive
Life” by saying “It is not about you. It
is about God.” In our consumer driven
world where I have a choice of which food, which store, which meds, which house
and more- it is hard to realize I don’t have total choice and control. But that does not mean that the universe and
God doesn’t care for us.
I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU.
The people were going in exile.
Jeremiah was saying it would not be forever. Same here at SVPC. You are without a pastor- it is an interim
period- but it will not be forever.
Jeremiah was telling them this why?
He didn’t want them to give up hope.
Have hope that God can do even greater things.
God didn’t say I might have some plans.
Or I have some plans and if this happens then that will happen. No the God who can figure out all the
probabilities, who can see the past and future as the present says, “I KNOW”
the plans I have for you. Literally it
is “I know the thoughts that I think toward you- thoughts of peace and not of
harm.” When God thinks a thought toward
us- it is a plan sure to happen. He has
weighed every factor and the master architect has a plan- a purpose for us.
Is it possible for God to know us? There
is so much information to know- so many people- how can God know us? Today we are helped to understand this. There is this thing called “Google.” It
handles 95 million requests/searches per minute. It can find you- tell the world who you are-
show where you live- show the license plate of your car in your drive way. If
Google can know you- cannot the God who created the universe?
God knows the plan- we don’t- but we can trust.
It is the hardest thing to walk by faith and not by sight.
I just got back from the mountains of NC- there are a lot of horseshoe curves
and sharp angles. If you are trying to
go up behind a slow moving car- and pass them- you may run into an 18 wheeler.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a drone flying overhead or a satellite you
could use to see if the way is clear for you to pass that car. We can’t see the future. But God can.
He can tell us when we can go and when we should wait. Believe that you are here for a purpose.
PLANS TO GIVE YOU A FUTURE AND A HOPE.
We may think we are permanently in exile, and things will just continue to go
downhill morally, spiritually. Some say
the church is dying. They said that when
the OT church was in exile in Babylon- there was no chance of revival. The mainline churches have lost so many
members. In 1962 there were 6.2 million
PCUSA Presbyterians. Today there are 1
million. But that is also true of the
Episcopalians, Lutherans, Methodists.
You may think the church is dying in America. But God has left a remnant. See the
church is bigger than those groups.
Today there are more non-denominational churches than denominational
churches. You see them around you-
Seacoast church;
You know for the first time in forever this year- Bible reading went up 22%
mainly by young people?
For the first time - according to Barna research there are more young people
attending church than older people.
Maybe not here- yet- but they are searching. There is a hope for the church. We have been in exile long enough. It is time to search ourselves, rise up, look
for the ancient paths and walk in them (Jer. 6:16). Jeremiah gives this promise- a future and a
hope.
In a world that is full of anxiety and that lacks hope- God says you can count
on me for hope. I remember going to one
of the poorest places in all the world- a refugee camp in Kenya just across the
border from South Sudan. The people had
fled from war, famine, and all kinds of evil.
There was still not enough food in the refugee camp. I watched a young mother pass out right in
front of me- because she had given her last bit of food to her child. But I was talking to the elders there. They said something about God-life-and hope I
will never forget. They said, “we can
live without shelter, without clothes, without much food or water…but we cannot
live without hope.” Hope is something
their faith in God gave them even in exile.
Do not give up on the church- or on God.
He has great plans for you if you do not give up.
CALL AND PRAY TO HIM Philippians 4 says “Do not be
anxious about anything but by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known to God.”
Pray about anything. Do not be
afraid to think it is too small. God
sees the atoms- clearer than the strongest atomic microscope. Remember Jesus told Peter to find a coin in
the fish’s mouth to pay his taxes. Do
not be afraid to think it is too big. God who raised the dead.
When you know God knows you- and more than the mightiest machine- He loves you-
then you will call on Him. Do not be
afraid to let God say no to you. Just
pray about whatever is on your heart.
Again, if I can use google as an example.
I am not afraid of asking Google a question. I don’t say, “that’s too trivial for google
to know” or “that’s too big for google to know” I just ask. Just ask God.
He longs for you to ask. Unlike
google- He cares for you- and wants you to know you can call on Him. Jesus said to call on Him as a child would a
Father. Jesus’ favorite name for God- and the name He tells us to call God “Our
Father.”
SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YOU SEARCH
FOR ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART
Jesus echoed these words when he said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; Seek
and you will find. Knock and the door
will be opened to you.” This was part of
Jesus’ core teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus talked about searching for God like a woman looking for a lost coin; or a sheep looking for its shepherd; or looking
for that pearl of great price.
Barna and Pew Research came out with
a 2025 study that showed a significant resurgence of people seeking Jesus- a 12
percentage point increase since 2021- that equals an additional 30
million.
The church is the place where you are
encouraged to seek and find God. Today
there are more people seeking God than ever before. There is an epidemic of loneliness according
to the last two surgeon generals. A
week or two ago we remembered 911- the horror of that. We have lived through the terror of Covid
where hundreds of thousands died- some of you may have had friends or relatives
die. But today we have an
opportunity. We have the opportunity to
find solace, rest, hope, comfort, strength in God. We have the opportunity to trust that God
will see us through our exile into bringing us back home to Himself. I invite you to seek God- and help others
seek and find Him today.
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