Embracing God's Faithfulness: A Call to Spiritual Comeback
Summary
### Summary
Today, we gathered to reflect on God's unwavering goodness and faithfulness, even when our lives are not perfect. We are reminded that God's plans for us are always for our good, even in the midst of hard times. Drawing from Jeremiah 29, we explored the context of Israel's 70 years of captivity in Babylon due to their disobedience. Despite their circumstances, God promised them a future and a hope, emphasizing the possibility of a spiritual comeback.
We discussed the importance of making a spiritual comeback by examining our spiritual status, remembering our identity in Christ, and being intentional and intense in our pursuit of God. We often feel distant from God not because He has moved, but because our hearts have become hardened. To reconnect with God, we must seek Him with our whole heart, not just superficially.
We also touched on the significance of fasting as a means to draw closer to God. Fasting is not about manipulating God to fulfill our desires but about aligning ourselves with His will and serving others. It requires sacrifice and a genuine desire to seek God's presence and guidance.
In conclusion, a spiritual comeback is inevitable when we identify our spiritual status, remember our identity in Christ, pursue God intentionally and intensely, and engage in practices like fasting to deepen our relationship with Him. This week, we are called to go beyond our comfort zones and fully commit to seeking God with all our hearts.
### Key Takeaways
1. God's Faithfulness in Hard Times: Even when we are faithless, God remains faithful. Our circumstances may not be ideal, but God's plans for us are always for our good. This is evident in Jeremiah 29, where God promises a future and a hope to Israel despite their captivity. We must trust in God's unwavering goodness and faithfulness. [20:24]
2. The Importance of Spiritual Inventory: Regularly assessing our spiritual status is crucial. We often get caught up in our daily routines and neglect our spiritual health. Taking time to evaluate our proximity to God, our dependence on Him, and our engagement with His Word helps us stay aligned with His will. [34:15]
3. Intentional and Intense Pursuit of God: Seeking God requires intentionality and intensity. We cannot put our spiritual lives on autopilot and expect to grow. We must actively pursue God with all our hearts, making deliberate efforts to deepen our relationship with Him through prayer, study, and worship. [43:27]
4. The Role of Fasting in Spiritual Growth: Fasting is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. It involves sacrificing physical desires to focus on spiritual needs. Fasting helps us align with God's will, seek His presence, and serve others. It is not about getting what we want from God but about drawing closer to Him and becoming more like Christ. [54:15]
5. Inevitability of Finding God: When we seek God with our whole heart, it is inevitable that we will find Him. This pursuit brings us into His presence, where we experience His joy, power, and provision. Our relationship with God becomes more fulfilling and transformative when we prioritize and invest in it wholeheartedly. [01:05:25]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[20:24] - Opening Prayer and Thanksgiving
[21:21] - Lighthearted Moment: Cowboys and Roll Tide
[22:43] - Introduction to Jeremiah 29
[23:41] - Context of Israel's Captivity
[24:37] - Making a Spiritual Comeback
[25:29] - God's Promise of a Future and a Hope
[26:19] - Seeking God with All Your Heart
[27:21] - Feeling Distant from God
[28:24] - Hardened Hearts and Spiritual Blindness
[29:24] - Misplaced Priorities and Entitlement
[30:50] - Pursuing God Wholeheartedly
[31:54] - The Value of a Relationship with God
[33:11] - Experiencing the Benefits of a Relationship with God
[34:15] - Identifying Your Spiritual Status
[39:21] - Remembering Your Identity in Christ
[43:27] - Intentionality in Seeking God
[49:30] - Intensity in Pursuing God
[54:15] - The Purpose and Spirit of Fasting
[01:05:25] - Inevitability of Finding God
[01:08:11] - Call to Action: Spiritual Fast
[01:13:53] - Closing Remarks and Encouragement
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Jeremiah 29:10-14 (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. 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. 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."
#### Observation Questions
1. What promise does God make to Israel in Jeremiah 29:10-14?
2. According to the sermon, what are the steps to making a spiritual comeback? ([24:37])
3. How does the pastor describe the role of fasting in our spiritual growth? ([54:15])
4. What does it mean to seek God with all your heart, according to the sermon? ([26:19])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it significant that God made His promise to Israel during their captivity? How does this context affect our understanding of God's faithfulness? ([23:41])
2. The pastor mentioned that our hearts can become hardened, making it difficult to feel God's presence. What are some signs of a hardened heart, and how can we address them? ([28:24])
3. How does fasting help align our desires with God's will, according to the sermon? ([54:42])
4. What does the pastor mean by saying that a spiritual comeback is inevitable when we seek God with all our heart? ([01:05:25])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current spiritual status. When was the last time you took a spiritual inventory? What did you discover? ([34:15])
2. The sermon emphasized remembering our identity in Christ. How does your identity in Christ influence your daily decisions and actions? ([39:21])
3. What are some practical ways you can be more intentional in your pursuit of God this week? Consider specific actions like prayer, Bible study, or worship. ([43:27])
4. Have you ever participated in a fast? If so, what was your experience? If not, what might be holding you back from trying it? ([54:15])
5. The pastor mentioned that seeking God with all our heart involves intensity. What are some areas in your life where you need to increase your intensity in seeking God? ([50:05])
6. How can you move beyond your comfort zone to fully commit to seeking God this week? Identify one specific step you can take. ([01:08:11])
7. The sermon concluded with the inevitability of finding God when we seek Him wholeheartedly. How can you ensure that your pursuit of God is wholehearted and not superficial? ([01:05:25])
Devotional
Day 1: Trusting God's Faithfulness in Difficult Times
Even when we are faithless, God remains faithful. Our circumstances may not be ideal, but God's plans for us are always for our good. This is evident in Jeremiah 29, where God promises a future and a hope to Israel despite their captivity. We must trust in God's unwavering goodness and faithfulness. [20:24]
Jeremiah 29:11-13 (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. 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."
Reflection: Think of a challenging situation you are currently facing. How can you trust in God's faithfulness and goodness in this situation today?
Day 2: Conducting a Spiritual Inventory
Regularly assessing our spiritual status is crucial. We often get caught up in our daily routines and neglect our spiritual health. Taking time to evaluate our proximity to God, our dependence on Him, and our engagement with His Word helps us stay aligned with His will. [34:15]
2 Corinthians 13:5 (ESV): "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"
Reflection: Take a moment to evaluate your current spiritual status. Are there areas where you have drifted away from God? What steps can you take today to realign yourself with His will?
Day 3: Pursuing God with Intentionality and Intensity
Seeking God requires intentionality and intensity. We cannot put our spiritual lives on autopilot and expect to grow. We must actively pursue God with all our hearts, making deliberate efforts to deepen our relationship with Him through prayer, study, and worship. [43:27]
Psalm 63:1 (ESV): "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water."
Reflection: What specific actions can you take today to pursue God more intentionally and intensely? How can you incorporate these actions into your daily routine?
Day 4: The Purpose and Spirit of Fasting
Fasting is a powerful tool for spiritual growth. It involves sacrificing physical desires to focus on spiritual needs. Fasting helps us align with God's will, seek His presence, and serve others. It is not about getting what we want from God but about drawing closer to Him and becoming more like Christ. [54:15]
Isaiah 58:6-7 (ESV): "Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"
Reflection: Consider incorporating fasting into your spiritual practice this week. What physical desire can you sacrifice to focus more on your spiritual growth and service to others?
Day 5: The Inevitability of Finding God
When we seek God with our whole heart, it is inevitable that we will find Him. This pursuit brings us into His presence, where we experience His joy, power, and provision. Our relationship with God becomes more fulfilling and transformative when we prioritize and invest in it wholeheartedly. [01:05:25]
Deuteronomy 4:29 (ESV): "But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul."
Reflection: Reflect on your current pursuit of God. Are you seeking Him with your whole heart? What changes can you make today to ensure that your pursuit of God is wholehearted and genuine?
Quotes
1. "Now, God, You being good doesn't mean everything in our lives are exactly the way we want them. But it definitely means, God, that it's better than what it could be. So, God, we are grateful this morning, God. And we are thankful this morning, God, because we serve a great King, a great Lord, a great God who loves us, who cares for us, who directs us, who navigates our lives. And, Lord, we just thank You, God, that, Lord, we don't have to do life alone because we get a chance to do life with You, O God." [20:24] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "So, God, we need You and we can't make it without You. It's in Jesus' name we're going to ask it all. Amen? Amen. Let's give our great God a round of applause, please. Amen. Amen. Well, the Cowboys are not playing today, so I can take all day to preach. They played. They won. We take a win no matter how it comes." [21:21] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Everybody's going to have hard times at some point in time or another. Amen? So, we came to a very familiar passage in Jeremiah 29. And so, in Jeremiah 29, we got that passage where it says, God says for, that's chapter 30 over there. Over here, he says, for I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, a future and a hope. Amen? Plans for wholeness and not for evil to give you a future and a hope. Amen?" [22:43] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "And so, God makes that statement in the midst of Israel being in the midst of 70 years of captivity. Their 70 years of captivity was in the literal Babylon, not the allegorical or spiritual Babylon. They were really in captivity for 70 years. There were three deportations from Israel. Where Israel was marched out of their hometown into this foreign land due to their disobedience. And God had moved them there because they were not faithful to him. They were not consistent with him. So then, now he comes here in this passage. And now he says that he's got a future and a hope. And it gives us the idea of making a spiritual comeback." [24:37] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Where are you at spiritually? Where are you at when it comes to your walk with God, your commitment to God, your devotion to God, your experience of God, your service for God? Where are you at when it comes to all of that in God? Amen? So when you come to Jeremiah 29 again, I want to pick up at verse 10 again. And it says here in verse 10, For thus says the Lord, When 70 years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me. And I will hear you." [25:29] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "It's not that God has moved. It's that you're not conscious and capable of registering his presence. It's not that God has abandoned you. It's not God has skipped town on you. It's not that God has ceased to be God. It's not that God has not kept his promises. What it means is we've gotten to a point to where our hearts have become so hardened, our eyes have become so glazed over, our ears have become so clogged that we cannot hear God, see God, feel God, and experience God. And it's not that God doesn't exist. It's that we have not positioned ourselves to experience all that God has to offer." [28:24] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "When you totally pursue God, you will be totally fulfilled in God. In Acts chapter 3, they had a blind man. He was begging outside the temple and it says, it was Peter, and he said, silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I unto thee. Is your relationship more vital than silver and gold? Is your relationship with God more valuable than your valuables? Is your relationship with God worth more than anything else in the world to you? And so very often, our relationship with God is not that valuable to us. But when you totally pursue God, you will totally be fulfilled in God. In other words, when you prioritize the relationship and you invest in the relationship, you will experience the benefits of the relationship. Amen?" [32:35] (65 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "How many of you all know in Jesus Christ, no matter how good you are, no matter how bad you are, because you belong to Christ, your identity is always set. You are a child of God. And what happens is, sometimes what happens is when you don't satisfy God to yourself, you feel dissatisfaction, then you feel like God has given up on you. We don't live the way God wants us to live. You know what? God is like people. God disposes of us when we don't do what you want me to do. We think that we have lost our value in God because, quote, unquote, we're not valuable to him. God is not putting you on a layoff. God is not gonna ship your identity overseas. God is not gonna bring somebody in who can pay less and then train them up. No, God loves you. God secured you. God wants to keep you. God doesn't give up on you when you don't perform at the level you ought to perform. He just says, get your stuff together. Go and sin no more. Repent of your sins and live for me and glorify me. Amen?" [40:02] (62 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "We need to seek God deliberately if we're going to make a spiritual comeback. One of the problems right now is that people are waiting for God to do what God is waiting for you to do. We're waiting for God to do what God has empowered and commanded for us to do. Amen? So it's not based upon our own initiative. It's based upon how God has empowered us, how God has equipped us, how God has positioned us. Now we need to act upon what God has done in our lives. Amen?" [48:54] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "You will seek me and you will find me when you seek me with all your heart. You know, what's interesting is that sometimes we, we quote on quote, we see God, but we don't see compassionately. You all have asked your kids to go look for something they say, well, I couldn't find it. They say, well, I just asked you 30 seconds ago, so you really didn't have an adequate time to really go look for it. So then you get smart. You say, well, boy, show me how you look for it. Turn around. I did this I didn't see it. That's not passionately pursuing it. That's not passionately looking for it. Did you go lift that up and turn it upside down? Did you pull the cushions? Don't pull the cushions because you're going to be surprised what's back there. Something might bite you when you pull the cushion, right? Did you, did you passionately go after it? Did you pursue it? See, guys, sometimes in life things are just not easy and you've got to demonstrate a level of intensity." [50:05] (67 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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