Sermon: Purposeful Inconveniences
Bible Passage: Jeremiah 29:1-14
I. People of Judah were shaken up when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem and took some significant people to Babylon as slaves (ca. 597 BC)
1. Elders, priests, and prophets (verse 1)
2. King Jehoiachin and Queen Mother, Nehushta (verse 2)
3. Leaders, artisans, and craftsmen (verse 2)
4. Those who were in Exile were in shock probably trying to push back and rebel
5. In the midst of the crisis, some false prophets like Hananiah were misguiding people
6. Jeremiah sent this letter through Elasah and Gemariah
II. Prophet Jeremiah instructs them how they need to handle their situation (vv. 4-9)
1. God is sovereign (“God over all”) (verse 4)
a. Their situation was not caused by a hostile political power, but God Himself caused it cf. “I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon” (verse 4)
b. God permitted Babylonian invasion
c. Therefore, they must not rebel, pushback, or find fault with God (cf. verse 1)
d. Instead, they must accept their present situation (verse 5)
e. It is not their jurisdiction to question God for His decision, but settle down for His decision
2. Get used to the new normal and invest in the following areas (verse 6-9):
a. Themselves (marry, build houses, start businesses, etc.)
b. Their family (take and give in marriage)
c. Community
i. Work for the betterment of their city
ii. Pray for the wellbeing of the city
3. Identify people who give false hope and reject their messages (vv. 8-9)
III. God would reverse their predicament at His appointed time (verse 10-14)
1. Blueprint—Plan that I have for you
2. Completeness—Plan to give you
3. Future and hope
IV. Until God changes the apparent difficult days, the people of Judah must (vv 12-13)
1. Pray
2. Seek to strive after something (not to locate)
3. Find—intense searching to gain information that was previously unknown
4. Inquire—finding intensely, investigate the nature of the crisis
V. God will become available to them in the place of displacement and in a state of despair (verse 14)
1. Restore
2. Gather
VI. Romans 8:28: “In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose” (NIV)
1. Paul makes this climactic statement of the hopeful suffering of the children of God
2. To those who love God, the divinely intended goodwill come out of sufferings and other forms of evil
Take Away
Invest in yourself, family, and community, and prepare yourself for God’s imminent deliverance