Promises Made; Promises Kept

Good morning.

If you'd like to, there are plenty of Bibles in the pews around you.

! I think it's page 780 is where we're going to park a little bit today.

So you can be turning there.

You saw on the back of your bulletin there's a little bit of an outline to follow.

Now, Jeremiah chapter 29 verse 11 may have been a favorite verse of many over the centuries.

Jeremiah 29:11

But I don't remember people quoting it when I was a kid.

I think that since the escalation of something called the health and wealth movement over the past few decades,

this verse has probably been quoted as a favorite verse and is seen on plaques and in greeting cards

and other Christian merchandise.

In fact, I just received this week a refrigerator magnet of Jeremiah 29 11.

And I put it on my refrigerator, alright?

Generally, this verse is quoted in the New International Version of the Bible.

It goes like this,

Now, on its face, I would say that believers, I want to emphasize that,

believers in the Lord Jesus can say,

Amen.

Certainly, God knows the plans He has for us, right?

I mean, after all, they're His plans, right?

And He works all things according to His will and for His own good pleasure.

His plans are for us good and not evil.

We learn that from many places in the Bible.

In Him, we have hope regarding the future,

at least for our future glorification.

That's certain.

There are good things to remember.

These are good things to remember.

Good reasons to give thanks to God and good reasons to rejoice.

Unfortunately, too many people have fixated their attention on plans to prosper you.

I think assuming material possessions are the focal point of Jeremiah's prophecy.

The expectation of hope in a future is often understood today as short-term

in expectation of or anticipating material blessings here during our earthly lives,

even expecting prosperity in the immediate future.

And I would like for us to look a little bit more closely to the context of this passage.

We'll get there in a couple minutes.

I would like for us to...

And part of the reason is I think that together we need to learn perhaps a little bit more

about how to interpret the Bible

so that we make sure that we interpret it correctly

and that will help us sharpen our focus on the promises that God has made

and promises that He will absolutely keep.

What I don't want to do is to rip off a promise like tearing,

trying to remove a stubborn bandage and leave you in pain.

I'm not trying to do that.

But what I want us to do is to understand this passage in its context

and then see if we can actually accurately and appropriately make some application

and see if we can understand a little bit more what this is saying.

So here's the verse again.

This is from NIV to start with.

We'll get to another translation in a bit.

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.

Let's pray before we get into this.

Father, thank You for Your Word.

Thank You that Your Word is given to us by You

through prophets, apostles, and others who recorded it.

Thank You that we have it.

You desire that we understand it.

And You call us to make appropriate application to it.

And You call us to have our lives driven by it.

So help us, we pray, as we study this text

and then encourage us by the promises that You have made.

For Your promises that are made certainly are always kept.

And we thank You in Jesus' name.

Amen.

All right.

Context in terms of where this verse appears.

Nebuchadnezzar, that's probably a name you know.

Nebuchadnezzar was during the time of Daniel.

He was involved with the Babylonian people,

the Babylonian Empire.

Nebuchadnezzar was leading the Babylonian army.

He besieged Jerusalem about 605 B.C.

And he was on the threshold of taking the city.

In fact, he succeeded actually in bringing the king of Judah, Jehoiakim, to a place of surrender.

And he planned to take him back to Babylon.

But before the process could be completed,

Nebuchadnezzar got a very serious and important message given to him

that his father, the king Nebuchadnezzar, had just died.

Well, he had to hurry and get back to Babylon in order to secure the throne for himself.

So he didn't complete his siege against the city.

But before he left, he did force Jehoiakim, the king of Judah,

to promise loyalty by paying annual tributes.

It went something like this.

You give me money, maybe I won't destroy you.

How's that for an agreement?

That was pretty much what was going on.

So some of the Israelites were deported at this time.

Daniel, you know the stories of Daniel and his three friends.

We know them as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

They were all transported back to Babylon.

There are many others that were too.

Well, things went reasonably well during that three years

that Jehoiakim was paying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar.

But at the end of three years, he decided to no longer do that.

That was against the threat of Nebuchadnezzar coming back.

But it was also against the warnings, the vigorous warnings by the prophet Jeremiah.

So actually this verse that we're considering was written to the exiles

from Jerusalem who were in Babylon.

Not to the people in Jerusalem at the time, but to the exiles.

Those who were already there in Babylon, including Daniel and others.

Jeremiah prophesied that the captivity would eventually end,

but it would be many years before it actually would happen.

The city was captured in 597 B.C.,

methodically destroyed by the time of 586 B.C.

Temple gone, walls gone, city gone.

Well, here's a portion of the text that will help us to get a grip

on what Jeremiah 29.11 is saying.

This is from the English Standard Version,

the version that we typically use here at Christ the King Church

when we preach and teach.

So here it is. You can turn there if you like.

It's the beginning of chapter 29.

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, and to the prophets,

and all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile

from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Thus says the Lord of hosts, verse 4,

Now, what's he talking about? Babylon.

Babylon. All you people in Babylon do this.

Seek the welfare of the city, Babylon, where I have sent you in exile,

and pray to the Lord on its behalf,

for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel,

Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you,

and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,

for it's a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name.

I did not send them, declares the Lord.

For thus says the Lord,

When seventy years are completed for Babylon,

I will visit you.

I will fulfill to you my promise,

and bring you back to this place.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.

Plans for welfare, not for evil,

to give you a future and a hope.

So all that related to them being exiled,

and then seventy years brought back.

The rest of the part of the text I'm going to read begins at verse 12.

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me,

and I will hear you.

You will seek me and find me,

and when you seek me with all your heart,

I will be found by you, declares the Lord.

I will restore your fortunes and gather you

from all the nations and all the places where I've driven you,

declares the Lord,

and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

And that's what happened.

After seventy years,

God's promise was fulfilled.

Judah was allowed back into the land of promise.

But most of the people,

I think this is important to remember,

most of the people in exile,

to whom the letter was written by Jeremiah,

a letter probably written in 594 B.C.,

most of those people never made it back to Jerusalem.

You know why?

Because if they were an adult going into exile,

seventy years passed before they could go back.

Most of them died in Babylon.

Though false prophets,

both in Jerusalem and in Babylon,

claimed the captivity would be over very quickly,

God, through Jeremiah, said no.

Even the time of the captivity was made very clear.

In one of the verses I read,

it was prophesied to be seventy years,

and it was exactly true,

just as God had said.

All right.

So, let's go back to that verse

and see if we can learn a little bit more.

Jeremiah 29 11.

I'm going to read about four different translations,

just to give you an idea of what translators

sometimes do with the text.

The verse that you often see on refrigerator magnets

and other places,

the verses that you see are almost always quoted

in the New International Version.

And here's the verse.

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

in a future.

ESV, which we use,

for I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord,

the Lord,

the Lord,

plans for not prosper,

but plans for welfare

and not harm,

but not for evil,

to give you a future

and a hope.

King James,

if you still are using the King James Version,

goes like this.

For I know the thoughts

that I think toward you,

saith the Lord,

thoughts of peace

and not of evil,

to give you an expected end.

The New King James,

which updated a few things,

said,

for I know the thoughts

that I think toward you,

says the Lord,

thoughts of peace,

and not of evil,

to give you a future

and a hope.

So the Hebrew word

that's translated prosper

in the one text,

welfare in another,

and peace in the other two,

is actually the word shalom.

That's the Hebrew word.

So we're going to compare that

a little bit

with another passage,

another verse,

that comes from Jeremiah,

comes from God through Jeremiah,

and it's in Jeremiah chapter 38.

Jeremiah 38 · chapter mention

You can look at that if you like,

chapter 38, verse 4.

When Jerusalem was under siege,

Jeremiah was telling the people

to surrender to the Babylonians

and to go with them

into captivity without resistance.

That was his message.

That's what God had told him to do.

Remember?

Go there

and live the way

you're supposed to live there.

Raise your families there.

Build houses there.

But in 70 years

will bring the nation back.

That was the promise.

Well,

if the Jews refused

and they stayed in Jerusalem,

guess what would happen to them?

They would perish.

So,

Jeremiah's encouraging them,

surrender to Babylon,

go to Babylon in exile.

Here's the verse.

Then the officials,

these are the officials

of Jerusalem,

in Jerusalem,

said to the king,

the king of Judah,

let this man be put to death.

They're talking about Jeremiah.

Let this man be put to death

for he is weakening

the hands of the soldiers

who are left in this city

and the hands of all the people

by speaking such words to them.

For this man is not,

not seeking the welfare

of this people,

but their harm.

Interesting, isn't it?

Just about backwards

of what God had said.

The promise of peace

was given to the exiles

in Babylon,

not to the people

who were in Jerusalem.

God's plan for the exiles

was for their welfare,

not for their harm,

not for evil against them.

If they surrendered

to the Babylonians,

but if they remained

in Jerusalem

resisting the Babylonians,

harm would come to them.

The officials were warning

that if Jeremiah's counsel

was followed,

the results would be

exactly opposite

of what God had said,

God had promised

and Jeremiah had announced.

So Jeremiah was telling

the exiles in Babylon

to live out their lives

in Babylon

as normal as they could.

The promise to return

would come eventually,

but for most,

they would probably

not see it.

That's the background

of our text.

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.

Now, let's look at

application just a little bit.

Is there appropriate

application for believers

from Jeremiah 29, verse 11?

Jeremiah 29:11

Let's start with just looking

at Daniel and his three friends

for a moment.

They were exiled to Babylon

and they remained there.

They rose to prominent positions

there, actually,

but their lives were not

without trials and dangers.

Remember that they were

charged with betrayal

by jealous coworkers.

They were demanded

to bow to idolatrous images

or they would face death

by being burned alive

in a fiery furnace

or thrown into a den

of hungry lions.

You know the stories.

With God's protection,

these people

lived out their years

generally in peace

as God had promised

regarding their welfare

and their protection

from evil.

So do we have

a parallel today?

Well,

though the fulfillment

of the promise

of hope and a future

was decades away,

God's purposes remained

and he was in complete control.

Certainly that's true today.

After 70 years,

God promised his people

that judgment

would be fulfilled

and they would go back

into the land.

But even exile,

God was with his people.

In fact,

I'm sorry,

Isaiah prophesied

about 100 years

before any of this happened

in a passage you know,

Isaiah chapter 40.

Isaiah 40 · chapter mention

You know the end of it,

I'm sure.

He's talking about Babylon.

He's talking about

what was going to happen.

Ten decades from there.

Behold,

the Lord God comes

with might

and his arm rules

for him.

Behold,

his reward is with him

and his recompense

before him.

He will tread his flock

like a shepherd.

I'm sorry,

tend his flock

like a shepherd.

He will gather

the lambs in his arms.

He will carry them

in his bosom

and gently lead

those that are

with young.

even youths

shall faint

and be weary

and young men

shall fall exhausted

but those who wait

for the Lord

shall renew their strength.

They shall mount up

with wings

like eagles.

They shall run

and not be weary.

They shall walk

and not faint.

Most likely a prophecy

for the people

in Babylon.

Now I think

we can make

a good case

right now

that we as believers

are essentially

aliens,

exiles,

right?

I mean,

we are living

in a Babylonish world,

okay?

We're living

in a lost world,

a messed up world,

a terrible world

and so in that sense

we are kind of like

the exiles

of Judah

and we need

to remember

that our citizenship

is in heaven

and Jesus promises

us that we will

have tribulations

here,

right?

But remember

what he said,

in me

you will have

peace.

It's a great promise.

And then he said,

take heart,

I have overcome

the world.

So though we may

live in a Babylonish

world kind of today

and we are exiles

on our way

to heaven,

the problems

are there,

the difficulties

are there,

but we have

his peace

and we have

the assurance

that he has

overcome the world.

Now there's no

promise

guaranteeing

that we will be

healthy and wealthy

throughout this life.

In fact,

any biblical promises

of prosperity

for the believer

is spiritual.

It's not physical.

Some may live

a long time

and have excellent

health.

Others may be

sickly most

of their lives.

Some will gain

much of this

world's possessions

while others

will have very little.

Any riches

we might possess

did not come to us

as rewards

for faithfulness.

In fact,

sometimes

they are more

of a curse

than a blessing.

The Bible

talks about that.

They are often

a distraction

from following

Jesus.

Contentment

is the blessing

regardless of

whether we have

little or much.

Thanks for that,

Zach,

yesterday.

God has

to understand

the plans

God has

for us

and for our

peace

and for our

hope

and for our

future.

What I'd like to do

is take those

concepts

that appear

in Jeremiah 29

and transpose

those,

if you will,

to the New Testament

and give you

promises

promises

that were

specifically

given

to us

as believers

in Jesus

right now.

Okay?

So let's start

with a sample

of New Testament

promises

given to us

by God

about His

plans for us.

I love this

passage.

You know it,

but sometimes

we don't get

the magnitude

of it.

For we know

that those

who love God,

let me read it

again,

and we know

that for those

who love God,

all things,

all things

work together

for good.

Not all things

are good.

All things work

together for good

for those

who are called

according to

His purpose.

Talk about plans

that God has

for us.

That's amazing.

What about this?

This gets even

more specific.

Romans chapter 8

Romans 8:31–32

verses 31-32.

If God is for us,

what?

Who can be

against us?

He who did not

spare His own

Son but gave

Him up for us

all, how will

He not also

with Him

graciously give

us all things?

And the all

things are all

the things we

live to live

godly in Christ

Jesus.

That's His

promise to us.

Or how about

this?

Ephesians chapter

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

1.

In Him we have

redemption

through His blood,

the forgiveness

of our trespasses

according to

the riches

of His grace

which He

lavished on us

in all wisdom

and insight

making known

to us the

mystery of His

will according

to His purpose

which He set

forth in Christ

as a plan

for the fullness

of time

to unite all

things in Him,

things in heaven

and things on earth.

Wow.

They're His plans

for us.

That good?

And remember

what God

promises

He always

answers.

He keeps

His promises.

Alright,

how about

peace?

The Bible

has some

things to say

about peace.

Jesus said

to His

disciples,

Peace I

leave with

you,

my peace

I give

to you,

not as the

world gives

do I give

to you,

let not your

hearts be

troubled,

neither let

them be

afraid.

Whatever our

circumstances,

we have

His peace.

That's a

promise.

peace.

And the

peace of

God,

he says

in Philippians

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3,

Paul writes,

and the

peace of

God which

surpasses

all

understanding

will guard

your hearts

and your

minds in

Christ Jesus.

I'm so

grateful we

have something

guarding that.

Peace

seems like

for many

of us

sort of

one of

those

it drifts

in and

out

kind of

thing.

No,

no,

God

guards

His

peace

in us.

Peace of

God which

surpasses

all

understanding

will guard

your

hearts

and

your

minds.

Let's

look at

Romans 5.

Since we

have been

justified

by faith,

we have

peace

with God

through our

Lord Jesus

Christ.

Through

Him,

we have

also

obtained

access

by faith

into this

grace in

which we

stand and

we rejoice

in hope

of the

glory of

God.

That gives

us a

transition

now to

hope.

Here's

some

samples

of what

the

Bible

has

to

say

to

us.

Promises

of

God

to

believers

about

hope.

Here's

the first

one.

No,

in all

these

things

we are

more

than

conquerors

through

Him

who

loved

us.

These

are

Paul's

words.

They're

amazing.

For

I am

sure

that

neither

death

nor

life

nor

angels

nor

rulers

nor

things

present

nor

things

to

come

nor

powers

nor

height

nor

depth

anything

else

in all

creation

will be

able to

separate

us

from the

love of

God

in

Christ

Jesus

our

Lord.

That

is

hope.

Amazing

hope.

We read

from the

words of

Jesus

in John

14.

Let not

your hearts

be troubled.

Believe in

God,

believe also

in me.

In my

Father's

house

are many

rooms.

If it

were not

so,

would I

have told

you that

I go

to prepare

a place

for you?

And if

I go

and prepare

a place

for you,

I will

come again

and take

you to

myself,

that where

I am,

you may

be also.

Do you

realize that

the promise

that God

has made

for everybody

who belongs

to Jesus

is someday

you will be

with Him?

Face

to face?

That's

hope.

And this

I love

from Peter

chapter 1.

Blessed

be the

God and

Father of

our Lord

Jesus

Christ.

According

to His

great

mercy,

He has

caused

us to

be born

again

to a

living

hope

through

the

resurrection

of Jesus

Christ

from the

dead.

Though

we have

not

seen

Him,

though

you have

not

seen

Him,

you love

Him.

And though

you do

not now

see Him,

you believe

in Him

and rejoice

with joy

that is

inexpressible

and filled

with glory,

obtaining

the outcome

of your

faith,

the salvation

of your

souls.

And then

verse 13

of chapter 1

he says,

set your

hope

fully

on the

grace

that will

be brought

to you

at the

revelation

of Jesus

Christ.

That means

our hope

becomes

reality.

Our

assurance

is made

full

in the

presence

of Jesus.

And I love

this passage.

1 John 3

See what kind

of love the

Father has

given to us?

That we should

be called

children of

God?

And so

we are,

John writes.

The reason

why this

world does

not know

us is that

it did

not know

Him.

Beloved,

we are

God's

children

now and

what we

will be

has not

yet appeared

but we

know that

when He

appears

we shall

be like

Him

because we

shall see

Him as

He is.

And everyone

who has

and everyone

who thus

hopes in

Him

purifies

Himself

even as

He is

pure.

That's

real hope

directed

to a

certain

future.

And what

is that

future for

us?

Here are

some passages

that remind

us of

those

promises.

Romans

Romans 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8

again.

For

those

whom

He

foreknew

He also

predestined

to be

conformed

to the

image

of His

Son.

It's

going to

happen.

I look

at myself

and it

isn't even

close to

being in

the image

of Jesus.

But the

promise that

God makes

is if

He foreknew

me,

if He

loved me a

long time

ago,

predestined

me to be

conformed to

the image

of His

Son,

it's going

to happen.

That's

His

promise.

And those

whom He

predestined

He also

called,

and those

whom He

called He

also

justified,

declared as

righteous,

and those

whom He

justified He

also glorified.

It's very

interesting,

Paul uses

all past tense

words there.

Now,

I get the

predestined

and the

conformed

and the

called

and the

justified,

but I

got news

for you,

I'm not

glorified yet.

Starting with

my voice

today,

sorry about

that.

We're not

glorified,

we got

aches and

pains and

difficulties and

problems and

the only thing

certain for us

in the future

is probably a

box,

okay?

I mean,

that's where

we're kind of

heading,

unless Jesus

comes back,

right?

But Paul

says,

it is so

certain to

happen,

I already

wrote it as

if it did.

Not only have

you been

called,

and not only have

you been

justified,

you have

been glorified

in God's

plan and

purpose,

that is

your future

guaranteed.

That's

amazing.

And he

goes on,

Jesus said

to Martha

at the funeral

of Lazarus,

I'm the

resurrection

and the

life.

Whoever

believes in

me,

though he

die,

yet shall

he live.

And everyone

who lives

and believes

in me shall

never die.

The promise

for my

future is,

the day I

close my

eyes on

the planet

earth and

open them

again,

I will be

in heaven.

Death,

though he

die,

yet shall

he live.

That's

God's

promise.

That's

amazing.

And how

about this?

Titus

Titus 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3,

but when

the goodness

and loving

kindness of

God,

our Savior

appeared,

he saved

us,

not because

of works

done by

us in

righteousness,

but according

to his

own mercy,

by the

washing of

regeneration

and renewal

of the Holy

Spirit,

whom he

poured out

on us

richly

through Jesus

Christ,

our Savior,

so that being

justified by

his grace,

we might

become heirs

according to

the hope

of eternal

life.

A couple

more.

1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4,

for the

Lord himself

will descend

from heaven

with the

cry of

command,

with the

voice of

the

archangel,

with the

sound of

the trumpet

of God,

in the

dead in

Christ,

our bodies

rise first.

Then we

who are

alive and

remain,

who are

left,

will be

caught up

together with

him in

the clouds

to meet

the Lord

in the

air,

in this

part of

the promise.

And so

we will

always be

with the

Lord.

What a

promise.

And then

one of my

favorite verses

in all the

Bible,

Jude 24

and 25,

now to

him who

is able to

keep you

from stumbling

and to

present you

blameless

before the

presence of

his glory

with great

joy,

to the

only God

our Savior

through Jesus

Christ our

Lord,

be glory,

majesty,

dominion,

and authority

before all

time and

now and

forevermore.

Amen.

Now that

believer is

what God

has planned

for you.

That's your

hope in

him.

That's your

future in

Jesus Christ.

Our great

God has

plans for

us and

he's going

to work

them out,

all those

plans to

perfection.

Those plans

are not

for evil.

Those plans

are for

peace,

his peace

which he

promised

to us.

It's for

our

spiritual

welfare

which he

promised

us.

He has

promised us

a future

that will

ultimately

open up

into eternity

with him.

That's our

hope.

That's our

confidence.

That's our

assurance.

What the

Lord said to

the Jews

in exile

through the

prophet Jeremiah

was very

good and

very encouraging.

But what

he has

promised to

us is

beyond

comparison.

Hallelujah.

To our

wonderful

counselor

who has

declared his

plans and

his purpose

for us.

Who as

the prince

of peace

has extended

to us

a peace

that passes

all understanding.

As the

father of

eternity

has our

future in

his hands

and as

the God

of might

he will

not let

go.

To know

and love

this God

is to

have hope

that it

will never

dissipate

or be

lost.

All of

this

and more

is yours

if you

belong to

the Lord

Jesus

Christ.

Have you

trusted him?

If not

ask him to

save you

and watch

what he

does.

He has a

plan that

includes peace

and hope

and a future

for all who

belong to

him.

Hallelujah.

Thank you

Jesus

for what

you promised

us.

I'm hanging

on to those

promises.

Unfortunately

he's got a

hold of them

even tighter

and they

will come

true.

We've got

an amazing

future out

of us.

Let's pray.

Father

we thank

you for

your word

and we thank

you that

your word

is clear.

We thank

you that if

we spend

a little bit

of time

looking at

it we may

discover

truths that

we never

really

realized.

We never

saw them

there before.

We never

were able to

get into the

depth of

what they

mean.

We thank

you that

you are

a God

who gives

promises

throughout

your word.

And to

us you've

given many

promises

and you

keep them.

And we

thank you

for that.

Our confidence

is in you

because you

always do

what you

say.

And so

we rest

in you.

If there

are some

here who

do not

know you

and never

trusted you

as Savior

and Lord,

dear Father

I pray that

you would

call them.

That you

would open

their heart

to believe.

That they

would cry

out to you

that they

want to know

you and

trust you.

And you

would bring

new life

into their

heart.

Save them.

justify them.

Declare them

righteous.

Welcome them

into the

family.

And all

those promises

then are

applied to

them.

Grant that

we pray

in your

name.

Your precious

name.

Amen.