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Sermon Series: What Does God Want? ​ Part 3: God’s Plan for “You” Text: 25 - 29 [focus on Jer. 29:11] ​ Date: 8/02/2020 ​

*This sermon was recorded at our annual outside service at Beaver Creek Farm Cabins in Strasburg PA

● :11 - “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, ​ ​ “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

● Who was Jeremiah? ○ He was an Israelite who lived in during the final decades of (the Southern Kingdom of ) ○ He was called as a to warn Israel of the severe consequences of breaking their covenant with God through idolatry and injustice

● ○ No one listened to the LORD Almighty! Therefore, God used the nation of to rip Israel out of their land. ○ However, God was calling down a sword on all who lived on the earth, not just Israel (v29, 31). ○ Why would God punish the world? ■ 1. His own people had abandoned Him ■ 2. Through their suffering, the hope is that people will find their way back to God

● :3 ○ “Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways. Then I will relent and not inflict on them the disaster I was ​ ​ planning because of the evil they have done.” ■ God relenting would be Him ceasing His wrath due to His grace (grace is an undeserved gift) 2

● - False were preaching prosperity and false ​ promises

● - Hananiah the Prophet ○ He said that He heard from the LORD and that Israel would only have to remain in Babylon for 2 years, not 70 ○ Hananiah died because he persuaded the nation of Israel to trust in lies ■ We must pray for false teachers. No one is too far out of reach for the gospel message of Jesus

● Jeremiah 29 ○ Make the best of a bad situation! Live in Babylon… build houses, plant gardens, have families and do not decrease ○ When the 70 years are completed, the LORD will fulfill His promise and bring His people back to their land (v10-14) ■ God always keeps His promises!

● What can we learn from Jeremiah 29:11? ○ The “you” is not about YOU ○ If you want to stay true to context, then you need to be willing to go through suffering… maybe even 70 years of suffering… because God never promises immediate relief, but He does promise that He’ll walk through our pain and suffering with us. ○ There will be a time in the future where suffering, death, mourning, crying and pain won’t exist! (Revelation 21:4) ○ It’s God’s will for us to remain faithful to Him in this life! It’s God’s overarching will for us to put our believing loyalty in Jesus, because Jesus paid the debt that none of us could have done on our own!

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1. How does knowing the story around Jeremiah 29:11 shed light on this popular verse?

2. :1 asks, “Why does the way of the wicked prosper?” Does this question resonate with you and your experiences?

3. Why do you think suffering is what tends to bring us closer to Jesus?

Recommended Resources: ● Project, Overview: Jeremiah, search on YouTube ​ ​ ● The Most Misused Verses in the Bible, Book by Dr. Eric J. Bargerhuff ​