READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)
The prophet spoke God’s promise to an anxious people seeking relief – exiled by God to Babylon for their sinful rebellion. God promised to gather them back after 70 years. (29:10) In the meantime, they were to “call on Him” in prayer so that He “will be found” when they sought Him “with all their heart”. There are many passages in the Bible that assure us that God is with us. So it is we who feel that God is not with us when we neglect Him, fail to pray, fail to read His Word and block out His presence when we insist on our sinful desires.
We intentionally seek God when we cultivate a deeper relationship with Him – as the LORD of our lives, by:
1.Growing Deeper in Love – as with people we love, we should set our minds and affections to know who God really is, what pleases Him, and spend time in His presence. It gave God great pleasure to love us. “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes… bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” (Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT) Does God’s incredible infinite love by the sacrifice of Himself on the cross ring true for us? We respond, compelled and unrefrained, to this love the LORD has initiated when we:
a.SPEND TIME SEEKING GOD – to know, love and trust Him. Not only will we find wisdom and knowledge hidden in Christ, the Word of God (Colossians 2:3), we will also be called “God’s friend” as Abraham and Moses were. Not servants who do not know their master’s business, but His friends when we obey the commands of Jesus who has made known His Father to us. (John 15:14-15)
b.SNEAK IN MOMENTS OF PRAYER – to be still and know that the LORD is God. With the 1-minute Pause Prayer from John Eldredge (author of Get Your Life Back) we can remember to centre our lives in Christ. Stop, be silent, release our worries by praying, “LORD Jesus, I give everything and everyone to you. Jesus, I need more of you. Fill me with more of you, God. Restore our union, fill me with Your life.”
c.READ CHRIST’S LOVE LETTERS EVERY DAY – Receive God’s revelation of Himself through His Word like you would a dearly anticipated letter from a loved one. Saturating our minds by meditating on God’s Word “day and night” to do “everything written in it” helps us fulfil God’s plans for us to “be prosperous and successful.” (Joshua 1:8) Reading our Bibles daily regardless of our busy schedules is to intentionally develop a sacred rhythm that protects our time with God, and guards us from being distracted.
2.Growing Deeper in Faith – Staying spiritually faithful despite overwhelming trials, medical or otherwise, allows us to see God’s goodness, grace and mercy through it all. We are sustained physically and emotionally when we trust in God’s sovereignty and wisdom, no matter what the outcome. We are strengthened when praying with a community of faith that journeys with us. We can hold tighter to God through each storm because He is faithful to keep His promises. God’s everlasting faithfulness helps us keep faith in Him when it’s time to go through the valleys of life.
3.Growing Deeper in Service – “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10) We each are called to reach the last, least and lost for Christ. What good work has God assigned to you? He is pleased to make us able when we make ourselves available. When we serve sacrificially and intentionally as Christ’s disciples, God reveals Himself to us, deepening our love and faith in Him.
We “must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ” to “receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10) Are we making our lives count for God, or misplacing our time and effort in a world that will soon pass away? Do not slack like the nobles of Tekoa who “would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors” (Nehemiah 3:5) but seek Jesus’ affirmation, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23).
Eric Liddle, Olympic Games champion, 1924, resolutely served God his entire life even if it meant sacrificing a race because it was held on the Sabbath. “I have had my eyes on a different prize…This race ends when God gives out the medals.” Eric knew God’s promise, “Those who honour Me, I will honour.” (1 Samuel 2:30) The LORD has promised: “For I know the plans I have for you… to prosper and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future.”(29:11) Let us grow deeper in God by seeking to find Him with our whole being, not with our leftover time, money and love.
(Sermon notes by Marjorie Tan)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- How has the Holy Spirit spoken to you through the preaching of God’s word?
- Do you have any questions? (or How would you summarise the message of this section or story?)
- What are the implications for us through this message?
- What are the personal implications (for you)?
- What are the communal implications (for our gospel community)?
- What are the missional implications (for those we want to reach for Christ)?
