You know you go to a car salesman and he knows you are looking for a car. It is in Leviticus 25. Get this in the right order and things go well. God blessed a specific group of people in a specific corner of the world because He wanted the rest of the world to see that if people would walk with God, He would bless them. However, God was going to allow them to thrive even in captivity. You take 490 years and divide it by 7 and you get 70 years. God would make good on that promise. There are some people you don’t need to listen to for advice. Don’t listen to what other people say about my life. But what happened? If I never try God’s plans for me may be very different than God’s plans for you. They were taken to Babylon—a land to which they would never have gone otherwise. So don’t you sit upon the shoreline Sermons. Jeremiah 29:1-14 God’s Plans And My Life is a sermon about the way that God directs my life. Refusing to bow down to the statue Nebuchadnezzar built, three young Jewish men named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were thrown into a fiery furnace. You have to talk to Him to find them out. And let the waters slip away Do you think the Babylonian officials were shocked when, after spending a night in the lions’ den, Daniel emerged unharmed (Daniel 6:22)? He is working these plans out in your life right now, today. “This is the text of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the rest of the elders of the exiles, the priests, the prophets, and all the people Nebuchadnezzar had deported from Jerusalem to Babylon.” (Jeremiah 29:1, HCSB), “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.” (Jeremiah 29:2, HCSB), “The letter was sent by Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah whom Zedekiah king of Judah had sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. This sermon encourages Christians to not listen to others, but to God for His plans for them. 1 Garth Brooks, “The River,” http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/brooks-garth/the-river-5011.html. A ministry that has blessed millions of people got started because Charles Colson committed a crime. And never knowing what’s in store As you get older, you can figure out that some people just have an agenda and you have to stay focused and do what you are supposed to do. This was the question which the Israelites asked after they were deported to Babylon in this text. You ask what He is going to do. That must follow where it goes Choose to chance the rapids Then God gives Daniel another prophecy that tells us that Jesus will come and afterward the nation of Israel will be scattered. And I know I’ll take some falls God is going to tell you what He will do. Jeremiah was told this. Makes each day a constant battle On a personal level though, God is ready to restore your life. And will you renew your commitment this morning to seeking God, and following Him, and serving Him with your whole heart; free of the past, no longer weighed down by regret?6. Jeremiah 29:11-14 'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to … ‘Til what we put off ’til tomorrow So, as the Lord often has done throughout history, He had them scattered. ‘Til the river runs dry In the Mosaic Law, there was a provision called the Sabbath, which they were supposed to keep. I can make it through them all…, Yes, I will sail my vessel (Daniel 5:14). He will listen. It takes discernment. What is going to happen to me? Make the Best of Things (vv. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it has prosperity, you will prosper.”” (Jeremiah 29:7, HCSB). 6 Alan Perkins in “Getting Past Your Past.” Therefore, because of their fascination with idolatry, the Lord allowed them to be carried away to Babylon, where they would worship idols day and night until they got sick of them.2 And dare to dance the tide…, Yes, I will sail my vessel Unlike Egypt, God used Cyrus, the leader of the Medo-Persian empire to bring the people back to Israel. These waters are my sky God would allow them to live there in peace. LCMS Sermons - Pastor Robin Fish Sermon on Jeremiah 29:11-14. Consider Charles Colson, the aide to Richard Nixon who was sent to jail for Watergate. 5 Chuck Missler, Learn the Bible in 24 Hours® (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2002). In fact, when Daniel was in Babylon reading the prophecies of Jeremiah, he noticed the seventy years were almost over. That happened on May 14, 1948. In allowing His people to go to Babylon, the Lord was, in effect, saying, “If this is what it takes for you to get your fill of idols, go to Babylon for seventy years in order that you might come back and love Me with your whole heart” (Jeremiah 24:7). Get updates from Jim Erwin delivered straight to your inbox. Browse Sermons on Jeremiah 29:1-11. Then Daniel picks up this scroll and realizes this. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. “For this is what the Lord of Hosts, 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, for they are prophesying falsely to you in My name. I’ll never reach my destination You have to come and pray. Church and ministry leadership resources to better equip, train and provide ideas for today's church and ministry leaders, like you. Did you get yourself into trouble and wondered why you were being punished? But all the while God was noticing. Prison Fellowship has more than 50,000 volunteers working in hundreds of prisons in 88 countries around the world. The people were not listening to God. There is no one plan. Settle down. This sermon encourages Christians to not listen to others, but to God for His plans for them. The Jews were to be a witness to the world of what God will do for those who walk with Him. There were three reasons God sent them into captivity: The Jews had a tendency to persist in the worship of idols and all that went along with it, including the offering of their children as sacrifices.