Bloom Where You're Planted [Part 2]

Pastoral author and Bible teacher I will write whatever you do don't think this is the end of your story is a restoration embolus is that's faster other message of you that will help you see your life and old I'm doing the excited for you to hear the teaching today the series remain as presented with an old church in North Carolina that 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 page message go deeper as we send you today's special contact as a Pastor Alan.org that's Pastor Alan who are 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. Remember that God is God who is interested in and punishing his people for the sake of punishing his people.

He never once, not just since the grace of the new covenant. What we have in Jesus, God never was like the exile was a disciplinary time, but is not because God was interested in putting his people down. In fact, God was up to something here that is mysteriously good, though, can't be discerned yet something interesting here seems to be almost contradictory and the text in verse one, and these are the words, a letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken in exile, but in verse four.

Look who is accredited with the sending people in exile, says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, all the exiles in my sent into exile from Jerusalem.

So now the Lord saying I sent verse one says Nebuchadnezzar sent them.

Verse four says God sent them, which is both what what he saying is remember who I am God is able to take what looks to be only evil from your site and turn it for his good purposes, so wicked, Nebuchadnezzar is nonetheless used by God for God's ultimate purposes and so God still the one is in charge by Joseph. Remember he's sold into slavery by his brothers.

He's falsely accused by his master's wife is thrown into a dungeon and eventually become second in command of all of Egypt and when he is reunited with his brothers. He says you meant it for evil and God meant it for good. Both are true the same time. This is a wondrous mystery of the providence of God. What this means, therefore, beloved is that there are times in your life or something is just irritating. You guys actually using it for your good house stumbled on reading about the African acacia tree this week, but the African the iconic African tree.

The acacia tree that you see so often in the photos the giraffes and elephants enjoy eating of its leaves. It has formed. It's a thorny bushy type tree and those thorns and they have within them a nectar that there is a particular kind of aunt that likes to crawl about on the thorns. Now the thing that makes this interesting is these pants are very aggravating. They are biting ants they are and you don't want to be bitten by and so two things are very interesting about the ants on the acacia tree. The first is that the elephants like to eat the leaves, but they don't like the ants.

So, to a certain degree it limits how much eating the elephants do the ants bother the elephants soak that sort of protecting the tree but some years ago.

Some scientist had this idea that they would take some fences and put it around some acacia trees so that the animals couldn't come in either lease and you would think great. The trees are really flourished because now the giraffes and elephants and things are to come eat the leaves.

The tree can just grow all at once to just blurt but instead something they never could have predicted happened when animals were eating the leaves anymore. The trees decided that they didn't need to produce as much nectar as they normally did and were producing their same degree of thorns and so the Annex that fed off of that were really missing the nectar and so they started eating the tree and other insects that normally didn't come to the tray started coming to the tree and they found out that when they had fenced off the acacia trees to finally give them some peace and quiet from all the animals that were eating them that actually it killed the trees because the tree needed these pernicious ants to do their work. The reason I bring this is that because sometimes the thing that's inviting you and bothering you is the very thing that God is using. We just don't feel it and we'll see it but remember who God is, when you're in exile.

Remember the Lord your God's providential remember that his ways are not your ways. Remember that he is over all and sees all and he's in your past, and in your present and in your future. So he already is able to make provision where you cannot yet see. And so when you don't understand why something is happening and you don't know how in the world. It could be good. Remember God.

This is his specialty. This is his redemptive nature. You never know what aggravating thing might actually be helping you in the long run it doesn't feel like you have the time, but I've been through many of those lonely later I look back go will thank God for those biting ants remember God and in exile. I think what we're learning from Jeremiah 29 is now. I remember who God is, remember who you are.

People of God, remember who you are. That's what he's reminding them look again at verse six.

Take lives have sons and daughters take wives for your sons give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters look at this multiply their and do not decrease weirs that we've heard this we are this in the beginning Genesis 128 where it says God bless them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, so when the Lord speaks to Jeremiah and he says when you're in exile, be fruitful and multiply and fill the place and increase don't decrease every single every single person in the family of God knew instantly. This is hearkening to what God did in the beginning when he blessed Adam and Eve what's God doing the same. Remember you are you are a blessed people real hard. Remember that when you're in exile times real hard to feel that way when you were in a good spot.

Then all of a sudden you're in a Babylon where you were the one that was well thought of it suddenly you don't have all those people where you had altogether and now it feels like everything is falling apart. It's real hard to remember who you are but you must beloved. Remember that your location does not determine your position in Talon 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 difficult 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 page Amanda I. Through our special off. It is not you can learn to live under the favor of guarding and carrying culture the way Daniel Ted 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. Ordination will not only help you navigate through these troubling times. It will also help someone else links for your partnership with our night ministry. We missed you as I don't call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website Pastor Alan.org today's teaching now continues your once again is Alan. There's no time more important than the exile times of our life for us to get up in the morning and tell ourselves again and read it in the word of God and remind one another that we are not only children of God that we are heirs, and if heirs were co-heirs with Christ himself. There's a spiritual battle for our mind, such that the very heirs of God himself are tempted in exile times to instead start feeling like orphan's when you know who you are in Christ, then the humility of your situation. The disappointment of your circumstances. The role that you may temporarily play all of that gets put into its proper perspective.

When you remember who you are, what I'm saying is the person who knows him or herself securely knows him or herself to be an error code will Christ, that person is astoundingly resilient and difficult places and times because authentic humility is not thinking less of yourself, but is no wink how much God has already invested in you and made you fearfully and wonderfully, and for us. When Christ redeemed us in Christ, so that when we are humiliated when we are in the lowly place.

We do not adopt a mentality that this means I am just unworthy.

Thank you for church for loaning me out last weekend I went and did several ministries and couple different places in and trust God's using that good seed. You know sometimes things that we just walk in like the power blessing and sometimes I get a chance to go and talk to other people and slave boy. The acronym never heard it, and it blesses him so as I was loaned out last weekend and I am one of the one of the things I got to do was to preach at a friends church in Texas where I really want to help him know how the church because he's new in his role as senior pastor and I'm excited about what the future holds their but he's got a lot of you know he's got a lot of challenge the court any new pastor you do what's interesting about his story is that he began at this church. Many, many years ago on the custodial staff and so Chris, my friend. He spent the first couple of years cleaning the building belt to to three years, cleaning toilets and learning and being in the fellowship and then eventually he grew into a role in the children's ministry and he learned and he grew he stayed in the fellowship and spiritual fathers and the pastor there were help in any learning grown and he was getting education.

He was and then he had oversight over the youth and the children in the family ministries and then just two years ago after the senior pastor retired made him the senior pastor this very important church. When you are in the place that feels like Babylon where it's like I don't think my whole life is about cleaning toilets, but it is right now and I don't I don't let because I might be a subservient role now that is not what is determining my sense of who I actually AM what Christ wash the disciples feet. Was it because he felt so unworthy and so little of himself that he got down and became a servant of course not. What what happened was that Jesus knew who he was. So he's washing their feet as the son of God, remember God and remember you are. Remember all of the promises that are yes and amen in Christ. Remember that Babylon doesn't determine your future God does remember that your destiny is built around this promise adjourned Aaron a color with Christ so an orphan who feels like it here. She's got no future no inheritance in front of the orphan Michael just grab whatever I can now use living.

For this moment, but the air, the one who sees a fugitive.

I can do hard things now because I know who I am and I'm going to this place. You will be restored.

Jeremiah's prophesy is not to be as quick as you think is some of the false prophets are saying this is a real thing the exiles a real thing is a lot that can be learned a lot to go to go through during this period of time. So during this period time. Don't put off living. Build your houses, plant your vineyards marrying your spouse's get your children in the family get ready for you because you are going to be restored and yet now you're in exile so go ahead and live but whatever you do don't think that this is the end of your story because there's going to be a restoration and and beloved. Sometimes it happens it happens so quick.

Cyrus of Persia and just suddenly there going back home like what my spiritual dad, Billy Hall says be dance and when the spotlight be ready. There is a continuity. Everything God does in our lives. So what you're doing in exile doesn't end in exile. It's part of your life. I'm I'm really learning to play the guitar when I was a kid, but I'm not starting from scratch. I'm starting from where I had been because of continuity, even those many years ago I play the guitar and every thing that I am learning now it's building on itself so that every topic guitar back on them a little bit better than what and it would blessing this is a continuity right. I'm not going to sit there and go until I can play like a world-class conduct, it's I can play this song it right now seems impossible to me. I was nodding off play that's is what we do it openly. Now here's the amazing thing is I don't even think it stopped in this world how we got to know each other in heaven.

We don't know each other because we can still be ourselves and how you know you are was because of not just when you love, but the things you like and the things you do and and and you still there for yourself right so that's what unknowing child skinny continuity in a very real sense, therefore what you're doing now and continuity continues in heaven wise is important. This is important because what it means exiles when you're in that place start living keep living. Keep going because guess what, if you learn the craft of making shoes while you're in Babylon when you're back in Jerusalem, UW Goshen, you start your family now and you get back drew someone that you go enjoy your grandchildren. The devil wants us to stop living either because we think exile so temporary and the hard times are just so quick they would just postpone living, or because we despair and we think I'm I will not try to live because there's no hope for the future and God says note about God says I am providential.

And sometimes you go through dry, difficult exile like periods of time, but it is not the end of your story the end of the story is about God in Jesus Christ who came word became flesh he himself experienced exile on the cross feeling of godforsaken mess on purpose so that he could take our sin and on Easter day restoration.

He's a God who makes all things new is a gospel Allen right. Today's 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 difficult 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 page Amanda I. Through our special off. It is 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, a 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. Thanks for your partnership with our night ministry.

We missed you as I don't call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website Pastor Alan.org bickering distributors your Pastor Alan sporting good news thought for the day and it seems to go with the sentiment that God is so often in the interruptions of our lives in most anything of any importance is usually found on the way to something else in another day. Daniel is unsure blister can identify those all interstate highway driving and I was in the left lane move in a little bit faster than the traffic in the right lane passenger car and eight motorcycles. Nothing is motorcycles and I once had one joint but eight motorcycles pulled and I want to say they were within 4 feet of my back bumper you know where the and it wasn't just root it was extremely dangerous and inconsiderate and everything about right. Well, these Things happen to us regularly where someone just not treating you the way they should. Putting you in harm's way or or just disrespecting you or treating you as your less than this is happens and if okay it's just the first player made love the Lord it follow Christ daily, but I mean in the flesh. It's not the first thing that comes up to you as I will bless you.

God let it never wonderful day.

In the end the exiles in Babylon. They are living in the enemy land they been taken from their houses and their families and jobs in Temple and and yet God said pray for the welfare that city where you live, be a blessing. There listen. We must not cave in to just the ways of the world where haters return for hate and you can make a difference right where you are now even if you're being treated as less than bloom right. We are planted. Bless everything around you the favor of God be upon you that changes things in your environment see what God does some blessing and blessing listeners everywhere blessing you to be a blessing to the world around. Thanks for listening today.

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