A Future and a Hope
We Must Remember That Jesus Is Our Hope And Our Future.
George Wright
Oct 4, 2020 1hr m
Have you ever found yourself feeling lost and hopeless? In these times we need to remember that Jesus has placed us where we are, to do what he calls us to, and we can trust and know that Jesus is our hope and our future. Video recorded at Columbia, South Carolina.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
George Wright: 00:03 As we gathered together this morning and continue in this series on our Reason For Hope, there is no question that we are being reminded every single day that we need to have a reason for hope. There are so many circumstances, so many situations swirling around us, that have knocked us back on our heels. And you may today be here walking through a very personal, real struggle that has been painful and difficult. And you may have been wondering, is there any hope that things are truly going to change?
George Wright: 00:38 And so today we return to the Word of God to be reminded that we have been given a reason for hope. And so if you have your Bible, I want to ask you to go ahead and turn to Jeremiah chapter 29. We're going to look at a passage of scripture that if you've spent any time in Bible study may be familiar to you, one of the more famous verses in all of the Old Testament is in Jeremiah 29, and that's where we'll begin that this morning.
George Wright: 01:03 But as you're turning there, as you're joining us online, you may be pulling up your phone or pulling out your Bible right now. I do want to give you just a little update of something that has taken place in the last week here in the life of our church, through our Love Cola Initiative. And we're so thankful for those of you who participated in this opportunity to serve local schools and teachers here in our community, in a very difficult season, as it relates to what teachers and educators have been walking through. And so the people of Shandon, I want you to know, wrote 500 handwritten notes that went out to five different elementary school staff and teachers this week, which was a great encouragement. We were able to deliver snacks and goody bags to four different schools, and to a bunch of different teachers, and to students as well. We were able to make cash gifts to 22 schools, all 22 schools in our five mile radius here at Shandon received something from Shandon in the last week. And I just want to tell you, the joy at the facilitators and administrators receiving a little gift from a local church was incredible, it was absolutely incredible. In addition, the people of Shandon spread out around the city and prayed for these 22 schools over this last week. And I just can't thank you enough, in the midst of this season, that has been so discouraging and so difficult for so many. We recognize that those who are our educators have been dealt a very difficult hand, and it's been very frustrating, and it's been very hard, and there are not many people singing their praises or encouraging them right now. But we as a church had the opportunity to do so last week and it was well received, and it is our prayer that God will use those little gestures of goodwill and kindness that the people of Shandon provided through Love Cola to point many to the good news of the hope we have in Christ. So would you just join me in thanking the church, the body, you, for what happened this last week? Really, really encouraging, what a gift to have the opportunity to serve, thank you to all who joined us.
George Wright: 03:27 Now, let me turn your attention to this very well known verse in the scripture. In fact, even if you haven't spent a lot of time in the Bible, you may have heard Jeremiah 29:11. This is one of our coffee cup verses, right? And this is one of the verses that people look to when things are not going the way they had hoped, when things are not going the way they had planned, we see what the Word of God says. And so I'd like to invite you, if you're willing able to stand with me, Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11. We're going to look at several verses in this great chapter, but we're going to start with verse 11, the one that is familiar to many. Listen to the Word of the Lord as we stand to be reminded of what is right and good and true, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Do you believe this? Are you living this?
George Wright: 04:38 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." With this is our foundation, let's pray and let's ask the Lord to speak into our lives this morning, to remind us of the reason we have for hope as the people of God. Let's pray. Father, as we stand before you, now, we are reminded over and over again, that there are so many circumstances and situations in this life that appear to be hopeless. There is tremendous angst in our culture right now, there is tremendous hostility in our culture right now, there is tremendous need all around us, and many of us are walking through very difficult, personal struggles. Lord, we need to be reminded that there is reason for hope. And so I pray today that you had used your word to speak life, to speak hope into all who are willing to listen. We turn our attention to you, and we pray that you would have your way among us. And Father, as we pray, and as we think about the uncertainty of the situation that we are walking through collectively as a culture, this morning I lift my voice and I pray for our leadership. Lord, I pray specifically today for our president, we ask you to provide health for him in the midst of all of this uncertainty, in the midst of all of this turmoil and angst. Lord, this is not a political prayer, this is a biblical prayer. We pray for our governing authorities, give them wisdom, Lord God, and protect our president. We pray that you would provide healing for he, and the first lady, and all who have been impacted by the coronavirus. Lord, we need you, we look to you. And we pray, Lord God, that you would remind us today that there is hope beyond this life because of what you, Lord God, have given to us. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus' I pray. Amen. Amen. Would you be seated? Thank you for standing
George Wright: 07:22 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." What a great verse, it is with good reason that this is one of the most well-known verses in all of the Old Testament, it is with good reason that this is one of those verses that we do often turn to or quote in times of need, in times of uncertainty. But at the same time, this is a verse that is often taken out of context, this is a verse that is often misunderstood. For we must be reminded here that the statement of the Prophet Jeremiah was spoken at a very specific time, to a specific people, in a specific context. And so if we want to understand the true significance of this great statement of the Prophet Jeremiah, to the people of God, we must look back and see, okay, what's really going on in this scene? What's really taking place that then leads the people of God to be in a posture and in a position where they can receive this promise of God for a future and a hope. When we understand the significance of the context, we get to see with even greater clarity, the significance of what God is revealing.
George Wright: 08:58 So I want to go back to the beginning of Jeremiah 29, let's start in verse one and let's set the stage. What is the context for this great declaration of God? It says, "These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people." Look what it says, "Whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon." So here we see a scene where the people of God are in a very precarious situation, they are in a situation that they did not expect, a situation that they did not plan for, they have been taken away into exile by a ruthless evil king, Nebuchadnezzar. This is one of the most narcissistic, evil leaders that we see in all of the scripture and the people of God do not want to be where they have now been taken captive. They do not want to be an exile, all they want is to be able to go home, all they want is to be able to return to normal. They find themselves in this very difficult, uncertain time, and they are stuck in exile in a situation that they feel is hopeless. Can anyone relate? Was this written in 2020? It's amazing what we see here, because the people of God are in the midst of a very difficult season. Living in the reality of uncertainty, in a place they never wanted to be, just longing to return to normal. The frustration of longing to return to normal, longing to go home, and yet being stuck and being told right now, this is where you are and there is nothing you can do about it.
George Wright: 11:10 But God wants the people of God to see with a different perspective, he wants to change the narrative while they are in exile. And so look at what it says in verse 4, as we continue in the story, this is still setting the context, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to..." Listen to this, "...to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon." Did you notice a little subtle change between verse 1 and verse 4? Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 1 says this letter, or this statement, is given to the people of God through the prophet Jeremiah, as the people of God are in exile. What does it say in verse one? Because King Nebuchadnezzar took them into exile. But God says in verse 4, I want you to understand that you're now in the place that is your normal because I sent you there. God is leading the people to have a perspective change. He's leading the people to see their situation in a very different way than perhaps they had been seeing. They were saying, Hey, this evil King ripped us out of our home, he took us to a place we don't want to be. We don't like it, we're ready to get out of here. And God is saying, hold on, I want you to understand that you're an exile in Babylon because I sent you to Babylon.
George Wright: 12:58 I mean, if you're the people of God reading this letter, aren't you a little bit confused at this point? No, no, we were taken somewhere that we did not want to go, I thought we were being forced to live here by this evil, ruthless king. And God says, let me change your perspective, you are where you are because I sent you there. This simple statement is intended to remind us that God is in control, even when we find ourselves in a place or a circumstance that we did not want to be to begin with. You are where you are, because God sent you there. It's difficult for us at times to get our head around this truth, but this will change your perspective all together. And you may be thinking, no, I thought I was where I am because I needed a career change a year or two ago. God is saying, no, you are where you are because I sent you there, and I used a career change to get you there. You're thinking, no, no, no, I live in Columbia, South Carolina because the military brought me here. And God is saying, no, I want you to understand you are where you are because I sent you there, and I use the United States military to get you there. If you're a student, you may be thinking, no, no, I'm here because I wanted to attend school at one of the finest institutions of higher education in all the land. And God is saying, no, no, no, no, I sent you there, and I used the University of South Carolina to get you there. Some of you may think, no, you don't understand, I've lived here my whole life, I'm here because this is where my family has always lived. And God is saying, no, no, no, you are where you are because I sent you there, and I used your family of origin to get you there. This is a change in perspective altogether from the way we often navigate the place that we find ourselves, you are where you are because there is a sovereign reigning Lord over all of creation who sent you here, and while you are here, you are here for a reason. And God's wants the people of God to understand, even in exile, even in this place you didn't want to be, even as you're just longing to go back to normal, Hey, I've got you here for a reason, I sent you there. There's something I want you to see, and while you're there, I don't want you to waste the time that you've been given, I want you to use the time that you've been given for my glory.
George Wright: 15:57 So look back at the scripture, Jeremiah 29 verses 5 through 7, as the story continues, what does God say to the people of God who have been sent by God to exile in Babylon? God says, "Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage." Do you see what God is doing here, "That they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." What is God saying to the people of God, as they find themselves in a place and in a circumstance that they never wanted to be? God says, you are where you are because I sent you there, and you have been sent there with a mission. You have been sent with a mission. Don't miss this, this is so incredibly important. You are where you are for a reason. You are where you are because God has placed you there. And I know it doesn't feel like home, God is saying, and I know this doesn't feel comfortable, and I know this doesn't feel like the normal that you're used to, but I want you right now to begin to treat it like your home. I want you to recognize you're there for a reason, and I want you to view this time and this place as a mission field, you have been sent with a mission.
George Wright: 17:56 God's making it clear, I want you to treat this place and this circumstance like it is your home for now. I don't want you to just blend in with the culture, that's not what I'm saying. And I don't want you to just live separate than the culture, I want you to stand out in the midst of the culture, that's what I want God is saying. I want you to live where I have placed you in such a way that your life would stand out as different from the people around you. And the way that you do this, God is saying, is you live like this foreign land is your home, and you pray for this foreign culture, and you seek the welfare of this foreign city where I have placed you. In short, God is saying to the people of God live like a missionary, because that is what you are. Live like a missionary, because that is what you are, right where you've been placed. So what does a missionary do when it uproots his life? When the missionary family picks up their life and moves to a foreign land, what do they do? What do they do? They begin to view that foreign land as their new home for the time being, and they seek to do all that they can to serve the community and serve the people where God has placed them. They study the culture, they learn the culture, they get to know the locals, and they seek to live in this foreign land in such a way that they can win the right to be heard so they can share the good news.
George Wright: 19:58 That is exactly what God has called his church to do right here right now, right where God has placed us for such a time as this. I love this quote from Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, as he talks about the church. He says, "When the church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first." The church is to be in the world, but not of the world. The church is to be in the culture, in the city, in the context where God has placed her, but out as different for the sake of pointing the culture to the good news that the church has received.
George Wright: 20:56 Go back to our missionary family. Think about this, a missionary family that lands in Southeast Asia would never say, they would never say, we need to do whatever we can to stay separated from all the people who are not like us and don't believe what we believe. That would be crazy, their very mission is to reach the people who are not like them and don't believe what they believe, that's the whole reason they're there. Church, do we see this? We have been sent to a place by God for a reason, with a mission. This missionary family that lands in Southeast Asia, they would never get on Facebook and bash all the customs of the culture that they disagree with. That would be crazy, because then they would never have the opportunity to win the right to be heard by the culture that they disagree with and are trying to reach. You have been sent by God, to the place where you dwell for a reason. Right where you are, right now, you've been given a mission. You are a missionary carrying the good news. That's why our mission statement here at Shandon is simply this, we want to leverage who we are, and what we've been given for the sake of the gospel, wherever we are and wherever God takes us. Wherever you are right now, you are on mission. I love what the current president of our denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention says about this, Pastor J D Greer, he writes this, "We need to help ordinary believers in our churches recover the understanding that they are called to the mission and shaped by God for a specific role in that mission. The question is no longer if we are called to leverage our lives for the great commission, only where and how. You are where you are for a reason, God sent you here with a mission."
George Wright: 23:32 But then look at what God reveals in verse 10, Jeremiah 29 verse 10. It says, “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place." What is God's saying here? This is fascinating. God tells the people to live in exile, like the foreign land is their home, praying for the city, seeking the welfare of the city, recognizing they're on mission in this foreign city. But then God follows it up and he says, you are not going to be there forever. This is important, God says, your assignment is temporary. You were sent where you are by God, you were sent by God with a mission, but your assignment in that place is temporary. God is saying to the people in exile, this is your temporary home. But look at the parentheses around what's temporary, for 70 years, you're only going to be there for a temporary amount of time, you're only going to be there for 70 years. Seventy years, George, all the elders and the priests and the prophets receiving this letter would say, we're going to be dead by the time this ends, 70 years doesn't feel temporary at all. In fact, the overwhelming majority of exiles in Babylon at the time that this letter is read will be dead when the time of exile comes to an end, that's a long time, 70 years. But God wants his people to understand that this is not forever. He wants them to live for the betterment of the city while they are in exile, but he wants them to long for the day when they can return home. He wants them to long for the day, knowing that the day is coming, when they will be back home again. What a glorious thoughts for a people in exile.
George Wright: 26:10 And this is so important for us, as we think about the call of God to live the mission, right where he has placed us. God wants us all to understand, we are simply passing through, the assignment is temporary. A mentor of mine in ministry said to me, not too long ago, every pastor needs to have a view that says, I am an interim pastor. I won't be the pastor forever, you know that. Some of you are like, it's already been too long, but the reality is the assignment is temporary, it's not forever. We are where God has placed us for a reason, for a season. And we are called to make the most of the time while he has placed us, where he has placed us, until he calls us to another place or until he calls us home. Steward what you have been given and where you have been placed, knowing that where you have been placed is just your temporary home. Scripture talks about this at length. Let me point you to Philippians chapter 3 verse 20, it says, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." Our citizenship, if you are a follower of Christ, is not of this world. Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await our savior so that we can return home to be with the Lord. God is saying to his church, don't get too comfortable. Don't get too comfortable, you've been given a mission, stayed true to the mission and know that the day is coming, when you will be invited home, what a beautiful day that will be.
George Wright: 28:52 And so with that, we come back to the place that we started in Jeremiah 29, let's go back to verse 11 and let's see what the Word of God then has revealed. Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." This beautiful declaration of the Lord to his people, in the midst of a place and a circumstance that they never wanted to be. You are where you are because I sent you. You are where you are with a mission. Where you are is temporary, but please don't miss this, as the people of God, your future is bright and your hope is secure. That's what God is saying to his people in the midst of a circumstance that they don't really understand, and they certainly don't want to be in the middle of. Your future is bright, and your hope is secure. God says, call on my name and I will hear you, for God does not ignore the cries of those who earnestly seek him. God says, trust your heart to me, and I will hold you, for God promises that he will never abandon or forsake those who trust in him. If you are in Christ, you can know with confidence that your future is bright and your hope is secure.
George Wright: 30:54 Yes, it is true over and over again that the things of this world will disappoint or even hurt. But the plans of the Lord, in the midst of this broken world for his people, are plans that are for your good, they are plans that give you a future and a hope. So recognize that your God has not abandoned you, no your God has strategically placed you. And he is using you, if you will live by faith and he is longing for the day, as you are longing for the day, when you will be perfectly united with him for all of eternity because of what Christ has done. This is the promise of God for his people. So if you are a follower of Jesus Christ this morning, if you call yourself a Christian, may you live in light of what you have received. You have received this beautiful gift of salvation, granted to you through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, making payment for your sin, covering you in grace, giving you victory in Christ, to be united with the Lord forevermore through the power of His resurrection. Live in light of what you have received. And in receiving that gift of salvation, you have received a mission, so live the mission right where you've been placed to the glory of God. And as you look to the future, know your future is bright, and know that this is your temporary home.
George Wright: 32:46 The day is coming when the Lord will call his people home forevermore. And if you're joining us today, recognizing that right now, you are longing for hope. And the hope that the Word of God has been describing here to us this morning, is a hope that you are unfamiliar with, if that is you, our prayer for you, our desire for you, our longing for you, is that you would look to Jesus. For Jesus is your invitation to a future and a hope that will not disappoint, for all the promises that are in Christ are answered with a yes and amen. And those promises can be yours if you trust in Christ, it is for your good that God is getting your attention to recognize your need for hope. Because in getting your attention, as you recognize your need for hope, he is inviting you to see that he alone, he alone is your reason for hope. The Lord wants you to know that he has plans for you, plans for a future and a hope, if you will trust in him. So we invite you to trust your life to Jesus Christ, knowing that in Christ your future and your hope is secure in who he is and what he has done. Let's look to Jesus, let's be reminded that we are in the midst of a very challenging time, but we are in the midst of a very challenging time right here right now, because God in his sovereign reign has placed us here. He has given us a mission. He wants us to know it is temporary, there is a day that we will return home. But until that day comes, may we live in light of the hope that we have received, and may we point the world around us to the good news of this future and hope that has been made available through Jesus Christ our Lord.
George Wright: 35:28 To that end, let's pray together as we close our time here this morning. Heavenly Father, we look to you in times of need, we look to you in times of confusion, we look to you in times of uncertainty needing to hear what you say. And so Lord, I am tremendously grateful for your grace and mercy over us, that you have laid before us in your word, the beautiful promise of a future and a hope for all who trust in you. You have laid before us in your word, this very clear declaration that you are where you are, we are where we are because the Lord God has placed us here, we are where we are because the Lord God has placed us here with a mission. So Lord, give us eyes to see the mission field as a missionary, give us the faith to follow you as you lead, and use our lives as the church to point others to the hope that we have.
George Wright: 36:53 Lord, for those who are joining us, that have never experienced this gift of knowing there is a future and a hope because of what Christ has done. I pray today in this moment, this would be a divine sacred moment for them, that they would say to you in their own heart. Jesus, I am ready to trust my life to you. I long for a future and a hope, I long for something more than what I have been experiencing in this life. And so I am trusting my life to you, because I recognize I have a need, I recognize that my only hope is a savior. I recognize the savior has offered me new life and forgiveness through the power of his blood shed on the cross, and through the power of his resurrection, and I trust in the name of Jesus as my Lord and savior.
George Wright: 37:59 Oh Lord, thank you for the gift of salvation that gives us hope. Thank you for the gift of salvation that invites us into something so much greater than anything that this world has to offer. Lord God, fix our eyes on who you are and what you have done, so that we can live our lives in light of the hope that we have that the world might see through us, the good news of what Jesus Christ has done.
George Wright: 38:38 Father, I just feel led to pray this. I know there was some kind of situation, that appeared to be a health situation happening as I was preaching, in the back of the room. And so I just pray for that individual, whatever is going on, would you comfort them now, would you provide the care that they need, would you heal what might need to be healed, Lord God, we ask you in your power to intervene.
George Wright: 39:06 And Lord, as we now lift our voices in response in worship, I pray, Lord God, I pray, Lord God that you would reveal in our hearts what needs to be laid before you, that we might live where we are in this mission for your glory. Lord, we thank you for what you've given us, and what you've invited us into. We lift up this time in gratitude to the great, good news of Jesus Christ, saying thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina.
George Wright: 00:38 And so today we return to the Word of God to be reminded that we have been given a reason for hope. And so if you have your Bible, I want to ask you to go ahead and turn to Jeremiah chapter 29. We're going to look at a passage of scripture that if you've spent any time in Bible study may be familiar to you, one of the more famous verses in all of the Old Testament is in Jeremiah 29, and that's where we'll begin that this morning.
George Wright: 01:03 But as you're turning there, as you're joining us online, you may be pulling up your phone or pulling out your Bible right now. I do want to give you just a little update of something that has taken place in the last week here in the life of our church, through our Love Cola Initiative. And we're so thankful for those of you who participated in this opportunity to serve local schools and teachers here in our community, in a very difficult season, as it relates to what teachers and educators have been walking through. And so the people of Shandon, I want you to know, wrote 500 handwritten notes that went out to five different elementary school staff and teachers this week, which was a great encouragement. We were able to deliver snacks and goody bags to four different schools, and to a bunch of different teachers, and to students as well. We were able to make cash gifts to 22 schools, all 22 schools in our five mile radius here at Shandon received something from Shandon in the last week. And I just want to tell you, the joy at the facilitators and administrators receiving a little gift from a local church was incredible, it was absolutely incredible. In addition, the people of Shandon spread out around the city and prayed for these 22 schools over this last week. And I just can't thank you enough, in the midst of this season, that has been so discouraging and so difficult for so many. We recognize that those who are our educators have been dealt a very difficult hand, and it's been very frustrating, and it's been very hard, and there are not many people singing their praises or encouraging them right now. But we as a church had the opportunity to do so last week and it was well received, and it is our prayer that God will use those little gestures of goodwill and kindness that the people of Shandon provided through Love Cola to point many to the good news of the hope we have in Christ. So would you just join me in thanking the church, the body, you, for what happened this last week? Really, really encouraging, what a gift to have the opportunity to serve, thank you to all who joined us.
George Wright: 03:27 Now, let me turn your attention to this very well known verse in the scripture. In fact, even if you haven't spent a lot of time in the Bible, you may have heard Jeremiah 29:11. This is one of our coffee cup verses, right? And this is one of the verses that people look to when things are not going the way they had hoped, when things are not going the way they had planned, we see what the Word of God says. And so I'd like to invite you, if you're willing able to stand with me, Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11. We're going to look at several verses in this great chapter, but we're going to start with verse 11, the one that is familiar to many. Listen to the Word of the Lord as we stand to be reminded of what is right and good and true, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Do you believe this? Are you living this?
George Wright: 04:38 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." With this is our foundation, let's pray and let's ask the Lord to speak into our lives this morning, to remind us of the reason we have for hope as the people of God. Let's pray. Father, as we stand before you, now, we are reminded over and over again, that there are so many circumstances and situations in this life that appear to be hopeless. There is tremendous angst in our culture right now, there is tremendous hostility in our culture right now, there is tremendous need all around us, and many of us are walking through very difficult, personal struggles. Lord, we need to be reminded that there is reason for hope. And so I pray today that you had used your word to speak life, to speak hope into all who are willing to listen. We turn our attention to you, and we pray that you would have your way among us. And Father, as we pray, and as we think about the uncertainty of the situation that we are walking through collectively as a culture, this morning I lift my voice and I pray for our leadership. Lord, I pray specifically today for our president, we ask you to provide health for him in the midst of all of this uncertainty, in the midst of all of this turmoil and angst. Lord, this is not a political prayer, this is a biblical prayer. We pray for our governing authorities, give them wisdom, Lord God, and protect our president. We pray that you would provide healing for he, and the first lady, and all who have been impacted by the coronavirus. Lord, we need you, we look to you. And we pray, Lord God, that you would remind us today that there is hope beyond this life because of what you, Lord God, have given to us. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus' I pray. Amen. Amen. Would you be seated? Thank you for standing
George Wright: 07:22 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." What a great verse, it is with good reason that this is one of the most well-known verses in all of the Old Testament, it is with good reason that this is one of those verses that we do often turn to or quote in times of need, in times of uncertainty. But at the same time, this is a verse that is often taken out of context, this is a verse that is often misunderstood. For we must be reminded here that the statement of the Prophet Jeremiah was spoken at a very specific time, to a specific people, in a specific context. And so if we want to understand the true significance of this great statement of the Prophet Jeremiah, to the people of God, we must look back and see, okay, what's really going on in this scene? What's really taking place that then leads the people of God to be in a posture and in a position where they can receive this promise of God for a future and a hope. When we understand the significance of the context, we get to see with even greater clarity, the significance of what God is revealing.
George Wright: 08:58 So I want to go back to the beginning of Jeremiah 29, let's start in verse one and let's set the stage. What is the context for this great declaration of God? It says, "These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people." Look what it says, "Whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon." So here we see a scene where the people of God are in a very precarious situation, they are in a situation that they did not expect, a situation that they did not plan for, they have been taken away into exile by a ruthless evil king, Nebuchadnezzar. This is one of the most narcissistic, evil leaders that we see in all of the scripture and the people of God do not want to be where they have now been taken captive. They do not want to be an exile, all they want is to be able to go home, all they want is to be able to return to normal. They find themselves in this very difficult, uncertain time, and they are stuck in exile in a situation that they feel is hopeless. Can anyone relate? Was this written in 2020? It's amazing what we see here, because the people of God are in the midst of a very difficult season. Living in the reality of uncertainty, in a place they never wanted to be, just longing to return to normal. The frustration of longing to return to normal, longing to go home, and yet being stuck and being told right now, this is where you are and there is nothing you can do about it.
George Wright: 11:10 But God wants the people of God to see with a different perspective, he wants to change the narrative while they are in exile. And so look at what it says in verse 4, as we continue in the story, this is still setting the context, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to..." Listen to this, "...to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon." Did you notice a little subtle change between verse 1 and verse 4? Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 1 says this letter, or this statement, is given to the people of God through the prophet Jeremiah, as the people of God are in exile. What does it say in verse one? Because King Nebuchadnezzar took them into exile. But God says in verse 4, I want you to understand that you're now in the place that is your normal because I sent you there. God is leading the people to have a perspective change. He's leading the people to see their situation in a very different way than perhaps they had been seeing. They were saying, Hey, this evil King ripped us out of our home, he took us to a place we don't want to be. We don't like it, we're ready to get out of here. And God is saying, hold on, I want you to understand that you're an exile in Babylon because I sent you to Babylon.
George Wright: 12:58 I mean, if you're the people of God reading this letter, aren't you a little bit confused at this point? No, no, we were taken somewhere that we did not want to go, I thought we were being forced to live here by this evil, ruthless king. And God says, let me change your perspective, you are where you are because I sent you there. This simple statement is intended to remind us that God is in control, even when we find ourselves in a place or a circumstance that we did not want to be to begin with. You are where you are, because God sent you there. It's difficult for us at times to get our head around this truth, but this will change your perspective all together. And you may be thinking, no, I thought I was where I am because I needed a career change a year or two ago. God is saying, no, you are where you are because I sent you there, and I used a career change to get you there. You're thinking, no, no, no, I live in Columbia, South Carolina because the military brought me here. And God is saying, no, I want you to understand you are where you are because I sent you there, and I use the United States military to get you there. If you're a student, you may be thinking, no, no, I'm here because I wanted to attend school at one of the finest institutions of higher education in all the land. And God is saying, no, no, no, no, I sent you there, and I used the University of South Carolina to get you there. Some of you may think, no, you don't understand, I've lived here my whole life, I'm here because this is where my family has always lived. And God is saying, no, no, no, you are where you are because I sent you there, and I used your family of origin to get you there. This is a change in perspective altogether from the way we often navigate the place that we find ourselves, you are where you are because there is a sovereign reigning Lord over all of creation who sent you here, and while you are here, you are here for a reason. And God's wants the people of God to understand, even in exile, even in this place you didn't want to be, even as you're just longing to go back to normal, Hey, I've got you here for a reason, I sent you there. There's something I want you to see, and while you're there, I don't want you to waste the time that you've been given, I want you to use the time that you've been given for my glory.
George Wright: 15:57 So look back at the scripture, Jeremiah 29 verses 5 through 7, as the story continues, what does God say to the people of God who have been sent by God to exile in Babylon? God says, "Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage." Do you see what God is doing here, "That they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." What is God saying to the people of God, as they find themselves in a place and in a circumstance that they never wanted to be? God says, you are where you are because I sent you there, and you have been sent there with a mission. You have been sent with a mission. Don't miss this, this is so incredibly important. You are where you are for a reason. You are where you are because God has placed you there. And I know it doesn't feel like home, God is saying, and I know this doesn't feel comfortable, and I know this doesn't feel like the normal that you're used to, but I want you right now to begin to treat it like your home. I want you to recognize you're there for a reason, and I want you to view this time and this place as a mission field, you have been sent with a mission.
George Wright: 17:56 God's making it clear, I want you to treat this place and this circumstance like it is your home for now. I don't want you to just blend in with the culture, that's not what I'm saying. And I don't want you to just live separate than the culture, I want you to stand out in the midst of the culture, that's what I want God is saying. I want you to live where I have placed you in such a way that your life would stand out as different from the people around you. And the way that you do this, God is saying, is you live like this foreign land is your home, and you pray for this foreign culture, and you seek the welfare of this foreign city where I have placed you. In short, God is saying to the people of God live like a missionary, because that is what you are. Live like a missionary, because that is what you are, right where you've been placed. So what does a missionary do when it uproots his life? When the missionary family picks up their life and moves to a foreign land, what do they do? What do they do? They begin to view that foreign land as their new home for the time being, and they seek to do all that they can to serve the community and serve the people where God has placed them. They study the culture, they learn the culture, they get to know the locals, and they seek to live in this foreign land in such a way that they can win the right to be heard so they can share the good news.
George Wright: 19:58 That is exactly what God has called his church to do right here right now, right where God has placed us for such a time as this. I love this quote from Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones, as he talks about the church. He says, "When the church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first." The church is to be in the world, but not of the world. The church is to be in the culture, in the city, in the context where God has placed her, but out as different for the sake of pointing the culture to the good news that the church has received.
George Wright: 20:56 Go back to our missionary family. Think about this, a missionary family that lands in Southeast Asia would never say, they would never say, we need to do whatever we can to stay separated from all the people who are not like us and don't believe what we believe. That would be crazy, their very mission is to reach the people who are not like them and don't believe what they believe, that's the whole reason they're there. Church, do we see this? We have been sent to a place by God for a reason, with a mission. This missionary family that lands in Southeast Asia, they would never get on Facebook and bash all the customs of the culture that they disagree with. That would be crazy, because then they would never have the opportunity to win the right to be heard by the culture that they disagree with and are trying to reach. You have been sent by God, to the place where you dwell for a reason. Right where you are, right now, you've been given a mission. You are a missionary carrying the good news. That's why our mission statement here at Shandon is simply this, we want to leverage who we are, and what we've been given for the sake of the gospel, wherever we are and wherever God takes us. Wherever you are right now, you are on mission. I love what the current president of our denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention says about this, Pastor J D Greer, he writes this, "We need to help ordinary believers in our churches recover the understanding that they are called to the mission and shaped by God for a specific role in that mission. The question is no longer if we are called to leverage our lives for the great commission, only where and how. You are where you are for a reason, God sent you here with a mission."
George Wright: 23:32 But then look at what God reveals in verse 10, Jeremiah 29 verse 10. It says, “For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place." What is God's saying here? This is fascinating. God tells the people to live in exile, like the foreign land is their home, praying for the city, seeking the welfare of the city, recognizing they're on mission in this foreign city. But then God follows it up and he says, you are not going to be there forever. This is important, God says, your assignment is temporary. You were sent where you are by God, you were sent by God with a mission, but your assignment in that place is temporary. God is saying to the people in exile, this is your temporary home. But look at the parentheses around what's temporary, for 70 years, you're only going to be there for a temporary amount of time, you're only going to be there for 70 years. Seventy years, George, all the elders and the priests and the prophets receiving this letter would say, we're going to be dead by the time this ends, 70 years doesn't feel temporary at all. In fact, the overwhelming majority of exiles in Babylon at the time that this letter is read will be dead when the time of exile comes to an end, that's a long time, 70 years. But God wants his people to understand that this is not forever. He wants them to live for the betterment of the city while they are in exile, but he wants them to long for the day when they can return home. He wants them to long for the day, knowing that the day is coming, when they will be back home again. What a glorious thoughts for a people in exile.
George Wright: 26:10 And this is so important for us, as we think about the call of God to live the mission, right where he has placed us. God wants us all to understand, we are simply passing through, the assignment is temporary. A mentor of mine in ministry said to me, not too long ago, every pastor needs to have a view that says, I am an interim pastor. I won't be the pastor forever, you know that. Some of you are like, it's already been too long, but the reality is the assignment is temporary, it's not forever. We are where God has placed us for a reason, for a season. And we are called to make the most of the time while he has placed us, where he has placed us, until he calls us to another place or until he calls us home. Steward what you have been given and where you have been placed, knowing that where you have been placed is just your temporary home. Scripture talks about this at length. Let me point you to Philippians chapter 3 verse 20, it says, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself." Our citizenship, if you are a follower of Christ, is not of this world. Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await our savior so that we can return home to be with the Lord. God is saying to his church, don't get too comfortable. Don't get too comfortable, you've been given a mission, stayed true to the mission and know that the day is coming, when you will be invited home, what a beautiful day that will be.
George Wright: 28:52 And so with that, we come back to the place that we started in Jeremiah 29, let's go back to verse 11 and let's see what the Word of God then has revealed. Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." This beautiful declaration of the Lord to his people, in the midst of a place and a circumstance that they never wanted to be. You are where you are because I sent you. You are where you are with a mission. Where you are is temporary, but please don't miss this, as the people of God, your future is bright and your hope is secure. That's what God is saying to his people in the midst of a circumstance that they don't really understand, and they certainly don't want to be in the middle of. Your future is bright, and your hope is secure. God says, call on my name and I will hear you, for God does not ignore the cries of those who earnestly seek him. God says, trust your heart to me, and I will hold you, for God promises that he will never abandon or forsake those who trust in him. If you are in Christ, you can know with confidence that your future is bright and your hope is secure.
George Wright: 30:54 Yes, it is true over and over again that the things of this world will disappoint or even hurt. But the plans of the Lord, in the midst of this broken world for his people, are plans that are for your good, they are plans that give you a future and a hope. So recognize that your God has not abandoned you, no your God has strategically placed you. And he is using you, if you will live by faith and he is longing for the day, as you are longing for the day, when you will be perfectly united with him for all of eternity because of what Christ has done. This is the promise of God for his people. So if you are a follower of Jesus Christ this morning, if you call yourself a Christian, may you live in light of what you have received. You have received this beautiful gift of salvation, granted to you through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, making payment for your sin, covering you in grace, giving you victory in Christ, to be united with the Lord forevermore through the power of His resurrection. Live in light of what you have received. And in receiving that gift of salvation, you have received a mission, so live the mission right where you've been placed to the glory of God. And as you look to the future, know your future is bright, and know that this is your temporary home.
George Wright: 32:46 The day is coming when the Lord will call his people home forevermore. And if you're joining us today, recognizing that right now, you are longing for hope. And the hope that the Word of God has been describing here to us this morning, is a hope that you are unfamiliar with, if that is you, our prayer for you, our desire for you, our longing for you, is that you would look to Jesus. For Jesus is your invitation to a future and a hope that will not disappoint, for all the promises that are in Christ are answered with a yes and amen. And those promises can be yours if you trust in Christ, it is for your good that God is getting your attention to recognize your need for hope. Because in getting your attention, as you recognize your need for hope, he is inviting you to see that he alone, he alone is your reason for hope. The Lord wants you to know that he has plans for you, plans for a future and a hope, if you will trust in him. So we invite you to trust your life to Jesus Christ, knowing that in Christ your future and your hope is secure in who he is and what he has done. Let's look to Jesus, let's be reminded that we are in the midst of a very challenging time, but we are in the midst of a very challenging time right here right now, because God in his sovereign reign has placed us here. He has given us a mission. He wants us to know it is temporary, there is a day that we will return home. But until that day comes, may we live in light of the hope that we have received, and may we point the world around us to the good news of this future and hope that has been made available through Jesus Christ our Lord.
George Wright: 35:28 To that end, let's pray together as we close our time here this morning. Heavenly Father, we look to you in times of need, we look to you in times of confusion, we look to you in times of uncertainty needing to hear what you say. And so Lord, I am tremendously grateful for your grace and mercy over us, that you have laid before us in your word, the beautiful promise of a future and a hope for all who trust in you. You have laid before us in your word, this very clear declaration that you are where you are, we are where we are because the Lord God has placed us here, we are where we are because the Lord God has placed us here with a mission. So Lord, give us eyes to see the mission field as a missionary, give us the faith to follow you as you lead, and use our lives as the church to point others to the hope that we have.
George Wright: 36:53 Lord, for those who are joining us, that have never experienced this gift of knowing there is a future and a hope because of what Christ has done. I pray today in this moment, this would be a divine sacred moment for them, that they would say to you in their own heart. Jesus, I am ready to trust my life to you. I long for a future and a hope, I long for something more than what I have been experiencing in this life. And so I am trusting my life to you, because I recognize I have a need, I recognize that my only hope is a savior. I recognize the savior has offered me new life and forgiveness through the power of his blood shed on the cross, and through the power of his resurrection, and I trust in the name of Jesus as my Lord and savior.
George Wright: 37:59 Oh Lord, thank you for the gift of salvation that gives us hope. Thank you for the gift of salvation that invites us into something so much greater than anything that this world has to offer. Lord God, fix our eyes on who you are and what you have done, so that we can live our lives in light of the hope that we have that the world might see through us, the good news of what Jesus Christ has done.
George Wright: 38:38 Father, I just feel led to pray this. I know there was some kind of situation, that appeared to be a health situation happening as I was preaching, in the back of the room. And so I just pray for that individual, whatever is going on, would you comfort them now, would you provide the care that they need, would you heal what might need to be healed, Lord God, we ask you in your power to intervene.
George Wright: 39:06 And Lord, as we now lift our voices in response in worship, I pray, Lord God, I pray, Lord God that you would reveal in our hearts what needs to be laid before you, that we might live where we are in this mission for your glory. Lord, we thank you for what you've given us, and what you've invited us into. We lift up this time in gratitude to the great, good news of Jesus Christ, saying thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina.
Read More
