2. 6. Living in Today Jeremiah 29:1-14 p. 725-6

3. Baptism  Choosing salvation in Christ - most important decision  It starts our life of “shalom”  God has been at work throughout history.  A Plan that began long ago.  Part of our story.

4. Exiles  The New Testament says we are exiles!  Heb 11:13, 1 Peter 1:17-18, John 17:14-16  Jeremiah writes to exiles promising “shalom” and hope.

5. 1. “Shalom” for Exiles  “Shalom” – peace; welfare, human flourishing, good.  Occurs 3x in verse 7  Year is 397 BC. Babylon has conquered Judah.  Defeated king Jehoiachin taken into exile  Also leaders, priests, key people and their servants.  Some left behind under Zedekiah (Jehoiachin’s uncle)  Full destruction of Jerusalem & exile in 586 BC

6. 1. “Shalom” for Exiles...  Jeremiah writes against the false prophet Hananiah  He said exile would be over within 2 years (28:3)  Jeremiah, the killjoy, writes it will be 70 years (v 10, 25:12)  According to Moses that’s a normal lifespan (Ps 90:10)  i.e. They will never return ! ! !

7. 1. “Shalom” for Exiles...  Jeremiah gives very specific instructions (v 5-6)  No resentment - seek the “shalom” of the city (v 7)  Instructions sound pleasant … but they are not.  They wanted to go home.  But God had brought them to Babylon (v 4).  The whole generation would perish in a foreign land  They were not left without hope.

8. 2. Hope for Exiles  Some of our “fav” verses (v 11-13):  For I know the plans I have for you, … plans for shalom and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  You will call to me … and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  Read them without context, they seem happy.

9. 2. Hope for Exiles...  Written to people in despair … they will not get what they want  God speaks to them in their despair:  The calamity of exile was because of their unfaithfulness  They were getting their just deserts  God always shows mercy

10. 2. Hope for Exiles...  He speaks hope to them  It is not a quick fix  Salvation will come to them in the future (v 14)  He will not abandon them in their sinfulness  He will act to save them.

11. Living It Living in “TODAY”  Seek the “shalom” of the city (settle down, build homes)  We too are exiles … but not like them.  We have an identity and purpose  Our home is somewhere else In our world people are like exiles (not rooted, no identity)  We have a fullness even in our exile (Eph 3:16-19)

12. Living It... Others are so focussed on this world they’ve lost all sense of the greater reality  We are not in bondage to fleeting pleasures of this world  How shall we live?  Seeking the shalom of where we find ourselves.  Our world focuses on everything but the present.  We should live in the present (v 7)  Not deferring our shalom into the future. E.g. Adam LaRoche, Chicago White SoxE.g. Adam LaRoche, Chicago White Sox

13. Living It... Living in the WAITING  Part of establishing shalom is faithfulness in the waiting  The exiles were to contribute even though their hopes would not be fulfilled in their lifetime.  Today little time for things that may be slow.  E.g. MacFarlane movie.