Prophetic Week 2
Notes
Transcript
Pastoral Welcome
Pastoral Welcome
Welcome to worship today. Usually in this pastoral welcome we name each and every person that is in this room worshiping with us, and that was usually a bit easier because it was less than ten people. But today we are joined by members of our church council that are testing out worshiping in person, and working to ensure that when and if we come back to worship we have the safest policies. So welcome to those of you worshiping at home, and welcome to you all here.
This week we continue our series on the prophets by hearing the words of Jeremiah spoken to people that were in exile.
Message Intro
Message Intro
Prophetic Series
Balancing
firm and accurate understanding of the world as it is
a hope that things might one day be better than they are now
Abraham
That he traveled to a new land and gave birth to a people
Several hundred years of history in like the next minute so I am going to oversimplify and jump over a lot of stuff
Abraham gives birth to Isaac
Isaac and Rebecca grow up and give birth to Jacob
Jacob has 12 Children and these Children become the twelve tribes of Israel
The Israelites became slaves
One of Jacob’s sons Levi after three generations has a kid named Moses (you might have heard of him)
Moses frees the Israelites from slavery
They make it to their own land
They keep getting pushed around and following God/Yaweh and eventually they find a place to settle called Jerusalem
With God’s help they build a temple
There are a couple of kings that are appointed the first one is named David and the second is named Saul
Now there were certainly problems with David and Saul but for the most part things appeared to be pretty good. These were the golden years for Israelites
Until the king of Babylon ruined it all
Context for the Israelites
Context for the Israelites
They lived in Jerusalem and they had the temple in Jerusalem
They believed that God spoke in the temple
often times the physical rule of the temple dictated who’s God was better
In addition to that they believed in the kingship of the line of David
that no matter what God would make sure that there a king
Both of those things get flipped on their heads
The Babylonians attack the city and they take it over, and kick a bunch of people out
A lot of the religious elite are kept in the city, and also those that were literate
So on the outsides in exile there were all of these people that were completely displaced
They were in a new land
A lot of them didn’t have the leaders that they trusted
on top of that there were these tragedies they didn’t know if they would ever see the temple again, and they certainly did not know if God was going to continue the kingship of David
Then God speaks through Jeremiah to write to the Israelites that are in exile
We talked about last week how Prophets have two roles to listen to God and to speak to people
4 Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce.
6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.
Settle in, don’t wait to follow God
Settle in, don’t wait to follow God
The Israelites thought their situation would be temporary
“I can’t wait till I can get back to Jerusalem when this all clears up”
They were giving excuses about why it was that they were waiting for
They were waiting for the right moment
God speaks through Jeremiah the first of several prophet things which is don’t wait
You have neighbors rights where you
You have opportunities to spread the love of God right where you are don’t wait
It can be easy to wait. It can be easy to wait to serve God when we
We are adults...
Have just the right job....
Or when the kids get out of the house...
Or when we retire...
but there will always be another thing to wait for. There will always be a Jerusalem to look back at
Right now especially we look back with fondness on the times B.C. Before COVID
We may be waiting for a time when things feel closer to that
We may be waiting until there is less conflict in our world
But God calls us to settle in
All of the things mentioned are just different versions of the words settle in
The sermon series we just ended we prayed together “Lord what do you want to do through me?”
Then Jeremiah goes on to say some equally challenging things...
7 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.
Shalom is the Hebrew word or rather my probably totally off base pronunciation of the Hebrew word that is read as ‘welfare’ in this passage.
Shalom is quite a bit broader than welfare. shalom means,
peace
completeness
safeness
health
satisfaction
blessing
Our number one goal is shalom
Our number one goal is shalom
But use the word shalom instead of welfare
7 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.
I think sometimes we have an idea of welfare
financial welfare
“How are you doing?” “I am doing well”
perhaps we talk about physical wellness making sure that our bodies are cared for
But it means those things in these areas
In my brain
in my heart
in my interactions
in my community
in my world
That means that if
Not everything is well in my community than not all is well
if not everything is well in my partners life, or my family members lives, than not everything is well
“for in its welfare you will find your welfare”
It was prophetic because the people were centered on themselves
the grudges that they held
the personal biases they held
The traumatic history that they carried
“our number one goal is shalom” But don’t mishear that it is not about us or about our peace, it is the belief that we will not be at peace unless our neighbor is at peace. We will not be at peace unless our community is at peace. Shalom is perhaps unattainable but nevertheless worth pursuing
As I was getting ready to preach I saw a poster on my friend’s wall just yesterday that was a quote from Eugene Debs that read
While there is a lower class I am in it, while there is a criminal element I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison I am not free. - Eugene Debs
Am embodiment of shalom where I am not well until you are well is impossible
But it is nonetheless a worthwhile goal
Last week was all about how we are made to be a blessing
That the intention that we are put on this earth with is that we have the capabilities the ability to choose to bless others.
The one
Bless people where you are
Bless people where you are
Bless people in the zoom meetings you are in
If you are in a class room people there
If you are in a workplace bless people there
If you are traveling bless people wherever you are
Don’t get distracted by the ways that you could bless people in the future
Don’t let what could be take away from what is
It may feel like another month of exile for a variety of reasons
Some of those reasons are covid related and many are not
You may feel taken from your old ways of living, or looking forward to some new reality.
When I get that job
or that thing
or that relationship
or that paycheck I look forward to glorifying God with it
Friends there are neighbors in these lands that so desperately are searching for meaning and purpose
That are searching for an awareness that someone could love them unconditionally
They might just be looking for someone to seek their welfare
Wherever you are, share God’s blessing with those that happen to be around you. Amen.
Benediction
Benediction
Create all of the shalom that you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
At all the times you can
To all the people you can
As long as ever you can