Romans 12:21 ESV

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Proverbs 3:5 ESV

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Philippians 4:13 NKJV

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:6 NKJV

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Romans 8:28 ESV

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

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.

A text can’t mean what it never meant.

Exegesis — refers to an explanation of the biblical text based on an investigation of the language, history, culture, and context of a passage in its original setting.

Eisegesis — refers to interpretation of a passage of Scripture based on a subjective understanding of the text.

Narcigesis — refer to interpretation of a passage of Scripture by finding or putting yourself in it.

• Jeremiah 29 will help us understand how we can get involved in shifting this worldly culture into a Godly culture as it pleases God.

Jeremiah 29:1-3 ESV

1 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, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2 This was after King Jeconiah and the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers had departed from Jerusalem. 3 The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. It said:

• Jeremiah 29 is part of a letter that was written to a specific group of people, in a specific place, under specific circumstances, during a specific time.
  • People: from Jerusalem
  • Circumstance: taken into exile
  • Place: Babylon
  • Time: sometime after 597 BC

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Jeremiah 29:4 ESV

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon:

Jeremiah 29:8-9 ESV

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 is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 28:14-15 ESV

For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put upon the neck of all these nations an iron yoke to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him, for I have given to him even the beasts of the field.’” And Jeremiah the prophet said to the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah, the LORD has not sent you, and you have made this people trust in a lie.

Jeremiah 28:16-17 ESV

Therefore thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will remove you from the face of the earth. This year you shall die, because you have uttered rebellion against the LORD.’” In that same year, in the seventh month, the prophet Hananiah died.

Jeremiah 29:10 ESV

“For thus says the LORD: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place.

God doesn’t owe you anything. We owe Him everything.

Jeremiah 29:12-14 ESV

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

• The 29:11 promise is a multigenerational & corporate promise.

Jeremiah 29:5-7 ESV

5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their 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. 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.

How To Live In A Babylonian Culture:

#1) We Lay Down Roots (v. 5)

Jeremiah 29:5 ESV

Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce.

• This may not be the place we want to be forever, but it’s the place God has us.

#2) We Live Multigenerationally (v. 6)

Jeremiah 29:6 ESV

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.

• Optimistic people get married and have kids.
• God uses His people and He uses them multigenerationally.

#3) We Seek The Welfare Of The City (v. 7)

Jeremiah 29:7 ESV

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.

Welfare = shalom = well, happy, health, prosperity, peace, safe, friendly, rest.

Babylon — cup of God’s just anger (Ch. 25)

• Rampant social injustice (widows, orphans, immigrants)
• Idol worship
• Child sacrifices (ch. 7)
• False teachings
• Lover of pleasures (Isaiah 47)
• Identified themselves as ‘mistress of kingdoms.’
• Sorcery & enchantments

If you are a Christian, you should care for the welfare of your city, state, country.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

• As we seek to expand His Kingdom & seek His righteousness, we will seek the welfare of the people you are trying to reconcile to God.

CONCLUSION

1 Timothy 2:1-4 ESV

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

• If you care about the welfare of people, you must care for the policies because it affects people. You must care about politics because it affects the policies which affects how we relate and live life people.
• Although there was a Babylonian empire in the OT, there’s also one spoken about in the end times… The Babylonian culture still exists. (Rev 17-18)

5 Idols of Babylonian Culture

1) Self-Glorification (Rev 18:7)

2) Comfort (Rev 18:14-17)

3) Sexual Immorality (Rev 18:3)

4) Church Persecution (Rev 18:24)

5) Deception (Rev 18:24)

• We have a responsibility to get involved in the welfare of our city. Let’s be obedient to God and… Lay down roots… Live with a multigenerational mentality… Seek the welfare of our city.