November 2nd, 2003
Let us pray
Welcome.....mention Sis. Moss and the fire at her house last Sunday......
Last Sunday we used as our topic...Be mimics of God or Be imitators of
God, and we were en-couraged to walk in love; walk as children of light,
and walk in wisdom. Today, our topic will be, God is thinking about you,
and our scripture reading will be taken from Jeremiah 29 verses 8 through 13,
and this is found on page 5 in our bulletins. Let’s all stand and read together.
Let’s greet about 5 persons, and tell them, God is thinking about you.
It is quite possible you might ask these questions, Where is God? Does He
care about me? Does He care what happens to me? Don’t God see what I am
going through? I want you to know, God cares about you, and He is thinking
about you. Even though you might think otherwise, God is thinking about
you.............
We are now in the final 2 months of the year 2003, and in a few more weeks
the year 2003 will be no more. Before this year comes to an end, what do you
want God to do for you? I can hear somebody saying, pastor Thompson, I
am so glad you ask, because I want God to do something for me. Maybe you
need a financial break-through. Maybe you need a closer walk with God.
Maybe you need some peace and quietness on the job, and in the home.
Maybe you need a spouse to stand by your side; you have been single too
long. Maye you need to see your children turn to the Lord. What do you need
God to do for you?
Our theme this year is, With God All Things Are Possible or With God
Nothing Shall Be Impossible. I dare you right now to start asking God for
that which you need, for God has promised to supply all your need according
to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. God is thinking about you. God will
supply your need, and every now and then he will give you your want and
your desire. The problem is, God has supplied all our needs or most of our
needs, but in many cases we want more and more. All we might need is a
reliable car to go to work, but that’s not good enough, we want a luxury car,
and even though we can’t afford it, we desire the top of the line. It’s all right
to have the best possible, but maybe it’s not the right time. As the Christmas
season draws near, even though you might want and desire certain things, that
was not promised to you, but your needs God will supply.........elaborate...
Jeremiah 29 is a letter of advice from Jeremiah to the captives in Babylon.,
advising them to be peaceful and obedient captives, and promising return to
their homeland after 70 years. But amids’t all of this, there were false
prophets keeping up their fight against Jeremiah.
In our text for today, we find Go’d people were in captivity, and some very
strange things were taking place. The prophets were prophesying, the diviners
were doing their own thing, the people were dreaming, and deception was
taking place.
Let’s look at verses 8 & 9 of our text (read) Here God is speaking through his
prophet Jeremiah, Thus saith the Lord......Don’t be deceived by the
prophets and the diviners that are among you. My servant Jeremiah has
informed you that you will be in captivity for 70 years, but you have been told
otherwise that your captivity will be short, and soon you will be going home.
Your dreams have been mis-interpreted. These false prophets are using my
name, but I have not sent them.
I believe today, God is sending out a warning to his church here at Harvey to
to be on the look out for the false prophets. In order to recog-nize a false
prophet you must make sure you are genuine, and that you know the truth for
yourself. Because God is thinking about you, he wants you to know the truth
for yourself. Let’s look at a few verses as to what the Bible is saying about
false prophets. Let’s turn to Matthew 7 verse 15 (read and explain) Let’s turn
to 2 Corinthians 11 verses 13 through 15 (read and explain) Not everything
that look good, and sound good, is good. "False prophets appears in sheep’s
clothing, that is they appear to be committed to Christ just like true ministers
and believers. They profess to know Christ and behave like Christians. They
claim to be called ministers, and they hold the position of ministers within
churches and use Bible verses or texts for their messages. They appear to be
messengers of light. They appear harmless, innocent, and good. They start out
as excellent examples of society, but they lack two things: a life and a
testimony changed by the Word of God."
While I was in Cleveland, for a short time at our church we were without a
pastor, and we were praying and seeking God’s face. One Wednesday night, a
lady came to the church and told us God had sent her there to be the next
pastor. God had not told us anything, but according to her God had told her,
she was a false prophet.........elaborate...
Another time a gentleman came to our church and told us that our Christian
brothers in Russia were in need of financial help, and asked us to help. We
collected an offering, but held it for further investigation..........elaborate...
In the mids’t of deception; in the mids’t of falsehood, God said that after 70
years he would visit his people and put an end to their captivity. The people
of God were in captivity for 70 years, and it was now time to go back home. I
want someone to know today that God is thinking about you. In the mids’t of
what you are going through right now, God is thinking about you. In the
mids’t of the problems you are faced with right now, God is thinking about
you. In the mids’t of pain and sorrow, God is thinking about you. In the mids’t
of not knowing where to turn, God is thinking about you. The time for your
breakthrough is at hand, because God is thinking about
you...........elaborate...
Because God is thinking about you, there is a Word from the Lord for his
church today. Let’s look at verse 11 of our text (read) God is saying I know,
there is no doubt about it, I know. Here Jeremiah’s message is presented in its
most beautiful form. Jeremiah has often spoken of divine judgment, but here
he speaks of the purpose behind all divine judgment, that God may give his
people peace, a future, and hope.This verse is showing the concern God has
for his people. The exiles were torn by every possible doubt. They did not
know God’s plan, but God knows, and would see them through. Saints of God
at Harvey, God is thinking about you, and he is saying, I know the thoughts
that I think towards you. The pre-si-dent of the United States may care about
you, but what are his thoughts concerning you? You may never know his true
thoughts, but the God whom we serve is a God who thinks, and he is thinking
about us.
We often do not know our own thoughts or our own mind. We quite often
forget what we are thinking, we had plan to go upstairs, but we find ourselves
going downstairs. We had plan to stop at the store while coming home from
work, but we have driven pass the store. We often forget things, but God is
never at any uncertainty within himself. When God says, I know, he means
what he says. God says I know the thoughts I think toward you, they are
thoughts of peace and not evil. Even when things are not going so good or
looking too good, God is saying I am still thinking out the best for you. Even
when I have got myself in a trap, God is saying I am still thinking out the best
for you. Even when it seems loved ones have turned against me, and it seems
my friends have forsaken me, God is saying I am still thinking out the best for
you. I am so glad God is thinking about me, and want the very best for me. I
love this verse in Romans 8 verse 28 (read and elaborate) When my material
things are all gone, God is saying I am still thinking about you. Even that
which seems evil is designed for good. His thoughts are all working towards
the expected end, which he will give in due time.
Please note very carefully, when God is about to give his people the expected
good he pours out a spirit of prayer. So many people are expecting God to
move on their behalf, but are not willing to spend time talking to God. Let’s
look at verses 12 and 13 of our text (read) God is waiting to hear from us as
we pray, and he has promised to hearken unto us. As a child of God, how
much time do you spend each day in prayer? ....elaborate..
As children of God, we are called upon to seek God with the whole heart.
God is not lost, but if we need his help we have to seek after him. In seeking
God we have to search for him; we have to diligently search. "We must
continue seeking, and take pains in seeking, as those that search; and this we
must do with our heart, that is in sincerity and uprightness...." Those who
seek after God diligently; those who seek after God with their whole heart,
will recieve their reward, they will find him.
Saints and friends, God is thinking about you. If you have sought after God
and have not found him, it may be because you are not seeking with your
whole heart. It maybe that you are not seeking after God in a diligent way. It
maybe that you are not putting out the deisred effort in your searching.
"Blessed are they that seek God with all the heart, for they shall find him."
Saints of God it is time to seek the Lord.
Verse 14 is not a part of our text, but let’s look at verse 14 (read and explain)
God has good thoughts about you. The thoughts God has for you are thoughts
of peace and not evil. There is something we must do, we are called upon to
call upon God in prayer, to seek God with the whole heart, and if we do so
diligently we shall find him. If there is a problem in finding God, maybe we
are not seeking him as we should.........elaborate
As we close, let’s turn to Isaiah 55 verses 6 and 7 (read and explain)
Let us stand
Call to discipleship
Closing song/prayer
