Bloom Where You're Planted [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright started on something, then it will never happen and there's no way all the forces of hell can keep you from God's plan for your life and the destiny God has for your life but if we opt out of living in. That's what that's pastor other message of good.

You will help you see your life and old I'm deliberate excited for you to hear the teaching today.

In the series remain as presented with an old church in North Carolina that I will stay with us throughout the entire program today. Mr. will make sure you know how to get our special resource right now you can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright so as you listen to the message go deeper as we send you today's special contactors of Pastor Alan.org that's Pastor Alan.Mark G or call 877-5448 60 anymore on all this later in the program but right now let's dig in and get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright are you ready for this. You don't have to ever postpone living, even if it feels like you're not in your ultimate destination. Even if you know there's some greater destiny for you. You don't have to put off live until such time. In fact, were going to see from Jeremiah. The old adage is true. You might as well bloom where you're planted my wife and I were traveling last week and we stopped at a Cracker Barrel more accurately, multiple Cracker Barrel is is are stopping place and usually a Cracker Barrel is a fairly cheery place. You know they bring out the cornbread and the biscuits and people are nice in a Cracker Barrel, but it seemed like we went in Cracker Barrel that everybody was a little bit depressed. I don't know. Maybe it's just pandemic. It's hard to find help these days and our server came around and she was just well she was just happy and not overboard happy young woman maybe in her 30s blonde here lady that was very pleasant and she was just just engaging and she was more. She was just moving a little step faster than everybody else. I may not in a hurry, but just know she was working hard and she was energetic and she was just nice and very extra because she had she spoke very clear English but was some sort of European accent I would sure where she's from.

So eventually I disastrous. Where was that lovely accident and she said I'm German and she hadn't been in the United States that long. I don't know her story.

I mean, I didn't go into your story, but walked out and my wife just turned to me and said our server was bright sunshine beam in the middle of that Cracker Barrel one passage sees you and I got to thinking I wonder what her story is what or how long she'd been here wonder what family she left behind.

Wonder what obstacles she's had to face and it kinda makes me wonder what would I be like if you suddenly transplanted me into a foreign culture where I didn't know the language you have learned didn't understand the customs and had to adapt didn't have all of the people that I rely on for my sense of fitting in, and maybe I wonder did she leave behind some other career and this is where she's needed to start out in certain tables what your education what what what other opportunities as she had to forgo because what if for whatever reason she's been transplant. I wondered about all this. What would it be like and that made me think of course about this very sad time it were, and where there over 2 million Ukrainians that have fled the Russian invasion was interesting is that 100,000 of them have gone into Russia. What's that like when the people who have invaded you take away your homeland and everything precious to you destroyed structures and threatened your life and now you go into that very country that is and what is that feel like what the reason I bring all this up is because if you can begin to think a little bit about what it is like to be transplanted suddenly into a culture that is completely different were suddenly not only are you the minority, but you are the one who was was taken captive and you're the one who's had to give up everything comfortable and familiar. If you can begin to think like that, then you're going to be able to enter the world of this text in Jeremiah chapter 29 because this is the time where there after many prophecies that have forecast how there would be a fall of the southern kingdom and Jerusalem would be sacked now after five, 97 first wave of people have been deported to Babylon and is probably during that period of time in the 590s where we get this prophecy, and then going to be a whole big change that happened in 587 went invasion of Jerusalem. The tearing down the temple and destruction of their houses and all and what is it like for those people and why would God say to them, and you might think if you can envision yourself as it is one of these. It's been deported. You can envision yourself suddenly pagan land in a place where people are worshiping idols a place where you have been robbed of the life that you know what would God say to this people knowing he's gonna bring him back.

One day, and you might think he would say would just hold on, hang in there you you're not going to be there that long. Whatever you do don't get too involved in things because I will bring you back just endure this temporary discipline or on the other hand, you might think that he would say you are going to be there for a while but what ever you do, do not start involving yourself in this pagan culture and do not become too familiar with their ways and don't start practicing your business is there just clumped together and separate. You might think that be neither of them is what God has to say where in Jeremiah chapter 29 and there's much to learn that is relevant for our time and there is deep insight into the power of the gospel here. Jeremiah 29 verse one these are the words of the letter the Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of exile and to please the prophets and the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon is said before, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles who absent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon build houses and live in them plant gardens either produce, take wives have sons and daughters take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters multiply their and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I've sent you into exile and prayed to the Lord on his 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 your diviners are among you deceive and do not listen to the dreams that they dream for the lie that they're prophesying to you in my name. Specifically referring to those prophets that said you're not going to go to Babylon or you only briefly be there almost all prophecy is. If I do not send them, declares the Lord, for thus says the Lord. When 70 years are completed for Babylon at 70 is actually close the period of time there there but this is probably a symbolic number seven and 10. Both those numbers represent a sense of fullness.

Like you get 1010 fingers are there seven days to the week and in the multiple that 70 it means when this full-time is completed I will visit you and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place of the Lord doesn't say hang on for a little while can be temporary and no big deal. Steady rebukes the false prophets who it said that kind of thing and he doesn't say on the other hand, hate and despise the people around you curse them, but instead in this intriguing passage of Scripture what the Lord says is very surprising. This this powerful prophetic taxi says I want you to go into your exile and I want you to flourish longer. There while in talent right will have more teaching moment from today's important series. Many Christians in America today. You're starting a nation's culture has turned away from God values in our country have changed.

Suddenly, most people don't go to church or had a biblical one can make you feel like an alien in your own culture. There's a lot to learn from Danielle when he was exiled to the pagan land through our special offer.

This night you can learn to live under the favor of God in Aryan culture the way Daniel gave before the end in mind listening to Pastor Alan's idea series, Daniel favored for you may feel like a stranger in this world that is God should favor to Daniel and his four man God's grace is upon you as well. Nation will not only help you navigate through these troubling times. It will also help someone else thinks for your partnership with our night ministry. We missed us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website Pastor Alan.org today's teaching now. Can you once again is let's just make sure you clear about what happened here as we try to understand this text is great prophecy Jeremiah has been been prophesying about coming judgment. Got lots of judgment articles in the book of Jeremiah and now it's coming to pass.

What is happening really was first map is that there is a eyehole move that is already happened back in 722 of this report with Syria has already invaded the northern kingdom kingdom of Israel is divided, sometimes called the northern the southern someone called Israel and Judah. And what's happened is this whole Babylonian Empire has grown under Nebuchadnezzar, and they are going to come in destroyed Jerusalem and basically deport people to Babylon, which is just a little north of modern-day Tel Aviv and you can see that that route of the exile leaves them into this most come into the city of Babylon, which by most historians. Estimation would've been a very beautiful place.

Here's one artist rendering of what it might've look like the this this is kind of a picture of the by this beautiful reverend and so they're going to going to this place, but is very pagan and what could happen is that in 539. Everything is going to change because Cyrus of Persia has been building his kingdom and his kingdom starts becoming massive so is known as the Medo Persian Empire and start taking over all of this is a very different philosophy about how what he does with lances captured and he's gonna send people back and say they're going to actually be sent back in 539 so that's what's happening here in this period of time. This period of time between when they are deported to Babylon.

And then there restored this period of time is called exile so that the exiles and that's what I want to think about because this becomes a a picture a spiritual picture. It is, is the place that they never imagine being never would've even thought they could wind up there. Babylon. It is the place where you feel like you're stuck because you're not at home and you definitely want to go back to what is familiar and yet you can't right at that moment, so exiles is in between place is the place that you know is not your dream. It is not your destiny is not. We are destined to stay in exile could be. I think figuratively when you experience a problem in this world and you're disappointed because of the obstacles and you go. I can't believe I'm in this place.

I can't believe this is how accurately this is where I am right now. This is not the way ahead figure mama.

I think relationships can go through times of delight exiles are 70 couples in this address are marriages become so rough and I was never imagine we could be in this hard spot and and and you and you and you and you in that you know it's not always be this way. But right now this hard. It's not what I signed up for it could be that it exiles legacies it up.

Obscurity.

There are lots of times which God takes and elevates and promotes people who went through long seasons in which they were completely obscure in humbled and what they were doing. David become the king of Israel, but he spent years running for his life and King Saul spent years hiding in the case of a dollop might be the exiles like you just don't have the people around you that you want to this lonely feeling her exam. I just be simply list what you had once counted all for your earthly security is gone and you're stripped away of the kind of earthly hope that you have so now you have into two count on God exile in between place and when when when we're in exile, when the people God when in Babylon, there are these two opposite equal temptations in the first is to get in mind that this exile time is just so fleeting, just a blip on the radar screen so that whatever you do, you just say what I was going to postpone my main plans. I'm a postpone at all because I'm sure not to do that in Babylon and other Wistar postpone live and the false prophets. It is very fast and will have time to look at all but Jeremiah, the true voice of God you spoke to Jeremiah was essentially telling the people that want to come in. This really the Lord was saying is painful as it is.

You just submit Babylon and other poems like this. The worst thing to say right and that the false prophets were saying is it's either they were saying is not actually happened. Jerusalem is not a fall. You don't have to go anywhere you will have to submit to anything's gonna happen when Babylon, or they're just think it's gonna be so short is going to. This is going to be like his barely happen and Jeremiah is not popular because he sees say no. It's good to be a real exile. It's is eerily similar to what we've just been through this last two years when it was just two years ago that we went into quarantine and we thought, you know it's going to be about three weeks and although all my pastor friends where I okay will you shut down church for three weeks and then when you get ready and have them all my pastor friends all over the nation. I got friends and they are like, how are you preparing for what can be the biggest Easter service ever after people miss church for three weeks in a row to be so hungry go to church and like this is going to be a is still a momentary glimpse will be in this coming rushing back in the and, instead, you know, to Jaris ill go by, and so yeah there's something within us wants to just think that is going to Quicken is not going to be a big deal and and that's what a lot of the people were feeling in Babylon everything with them everything with us in exile wants to go. This is it really happening and is not to be happening very long at all and so I'm just going to postpone everything for now again eerily similar what happened in pandemic where people are so I'm postpone them to wait and after a while ago. Our house is all gone. So peoples are saying I want to go and get married Univac I do in the big mignon want to go ahead and I'm glad I'm I was laying about starting his new biz. I'm going to start it, I can just wait forever is a Tim Tatian in exile figuratively in our lives to postpone living and to think that there is just such a temporary message to this that I just want even wanting to start. So if you never get started on something right then it will never happen and there's no way that all the forces of hell can keep you from God's plan for your life and the destiny God has for your life but if we opt out of living. It that's what can prevent not the devil.

But I was choosing opt out, but there's an equal and opposite temptation in exile and they felt this and it was to despair of a future at all. So some might be to go was can be so short. I'm not about to start living and got say no.

I want to live a want you to build your house is a want to get married I want to get your sons and daughters may want to Grandchildren. I want to learn your trade wanted interactive business. I want you to prosper. But this is whole other great Tim Tatian to look at what's happening around you look at Babylon look at all of the lost and end time goes by, and time goes by. To start feeling as though there's really no hope in God wants to speak to those who are in exile and say no is not a there's not that is a blip on the radar but but what I really want you to know is that this is definitely not the end of your story. This is not the end of the story. People God by any means. This is a period of time that is in between what you once knew and what is coming and there is going to be paying in this, but there's really much to learn and be things and it would be better than they ever were. After this period of time so infertility was not the end of Abraham and Sarah story so dungeon wasn't in the Joseph story and the desert was at the end of the people God's story and David in the cave wasn't the end of the story of Jonah story didn't end in the belly of a whale, and Jesus is story written in a tomb. Alan Wright needs good news message loom where you're planted from the series remade Pastor Alan is back with us here in just a moment during a parting good news thought for the day.

Stick with us.

Many Christians in America today.

You're starting a nation's culture has turned away from God values in our country have changed. Suddenly, most people don't go to church or had a biblical one can make you feel like an alien in your own culture. There's a lot to learn from Danielle when he was exiled to the pay command through our special office not you can learn to live under the favor of God in Aryan culture the way Daniel Ted gave before the end in mind, senior Pastor Alan Zaidi series Daniel favored for you may feel like a stranger in this world that is God should favor to Daniel and his point man God's grace is upon you as well. Nation will not only help you navigate through these troubling times. It will also help someone else thinks for your partnership with our night ministry team as I think Collison 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website Pastor Alan.work but your answering Pastor Alan sporting good news thought for the day and on this one. Bloom where you're planted them in the series title remade what if I don't feel all new, fresh and shiny and clean well.

I imagine that the exiles in Babylon didn't didn't feel feel like much. A lot of times, and they had to have been shocked when the Lord said no when you're there in a foreign land, aliens and exiles there build houses live in them plant gardens either produce, take wives don't postpone living just because you're not in your final destination and water word that is for all of us. Let me say it again. Don't postpone living just because you're not in your final destination. Your final vocation or you've gotten everything settled the way you hope Bloom where you're planted right now, today, God's going to do good things through you and you don't have to wait for some future day.

It was a word to the exiles in his word to us who also like aliens in this world. Thanks for listening today. Visit us online@pastorallen.org or call 877-544-4860 877-544-4860 if you only caught part of today's teaching. Not only can you listen again online also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching delivered right to your email inbox free.

Find out more about these and other resources@pastoroutand.org that's pastoralan.org. Today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen Wright ministries