Faithful Witnesses in Exile: Trusting God's Plans
Summary
This morning, the focus is on how God calls us to be faithful witnesses, even in the midst of difficult and uncertain circumstances. Drawing from a personal experience in hospital, it became clear how easy it is to approach God with a list of wants, forgetting to cultivate gratitude and to seek His will above our own comfort. When the prayer shifted from self-centered requests to a desire to be a good witness, God opened unexpected doors for meaningful conversations and opportunities to share faith, even in a place as unlikely as a hospital ward.
The heart of the teaching centers on Jeremiah 29, particularly the well-known verse 11: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This verse is often quoted out of context, but its original setting is a letter to exiles—God’s people who had been forcibly removed from their homeland and were living in Babylon. They were grieving, disoriented, and felt abandoned. Yet, God’s instruction to them was not to escape or resist their situation, but to settle in, seek the peace of the city, and trust that He was still at work, even in exile.
This context challenges the assumption that God’s plans always mean immediate relief or personal success. Instead, God’s promise of “prosperity” is rooted in the Hebrew word “shalom”—a deep, holistic peace that comes from His presence, not from circumstances. Many of us search for peace in stability, relationships, or material security, but true shalom is only found in God.
The story of exile and return ultimately points to Jesus. Through His death and resurrection, He brings us out of spiritual exile and restores us to God’s presence. The image of Jesus as the gardener in John’s gospel is a powerful reminder that He is at work, cultivating our hearts, even through pain and waiting. Whether we are in a season of waiting, wrestling with hardship, or just longing for peace, God invites us to trust Him, to be shaped by Him, and to witness to His faithfulness wherever we are.
Key Takeaways
- True prayer is not just a list of our desires, but a posture of gratitude and surrender. When we shift from asking God to change our circumstances to asking Him to use us as witnesses, we open ourselves to His purposes and see opportunities for His kingdom in unexpected places. [02:29]
- The promise of Jeremiah 29:11 is not a guarantee of immediate comfort or success, but a call to trust God’s long-term faithfulness. God’s plans for us may unfold over years, even decades, and often involve waiting, perseverance, and faith in the unseen. [09:50]
- God’s definition of prosperity is “shalom”—a deep, abiding peace that comes from His presence, not from external circumstances. This peace cannot be bought or manufactured; it is a gift that transforms us from the inside out, even in the midst of chaos or loss. [17:10]
- Jesus, the true Gardener, brings us out of exile and into the presence of God. Through His resurrection, He reverses the curse of separation and continually works in our lives, pruning, shaping, and cultivating us to reflect His character, even when the process is painful. [19:34]
- Seasons of waiting and hardship are not wasted; they are opportunities for God to deepen our trust, refine our character, and use us as witnesses to His grace. In these times, we are invited to persevere, to seek God’s presence, and to remember that our ultimate hope and future are secure in Christ. [21:32]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:57] - Hospital Story: Learning to Pray Differently
[02:29] - Opportunities to Witness in Hard Places
[04:18] - Unexpected Encounters and Conversations
[06:38] - Called to Be Witnesses in Every Circumstance
[07:47] - Jeremiah 29: Context of Exile
[09:50] - Understanding Jeremiah 29:11 in Context
[11:00] - Israel’s History of Wandering and Exile
[12:28] - “Rivers of Babylon” and the Reality of Exile
[14:06] - The Pain and Loss of Exile
[14:54] - God’s Command: Settle, Seek Peace, and Pray
[16:00] - Witnessing Through Suffering and Illness
[17:10] - The Meaning of Shalom: God’s True Prosperity
[18:02] - Jesus Brings Us Out of Exile
[19:34] - Jesus the Gardener: Restoration and Transformation
[21:32] - Waiting on God and Responding in Worship
[22:43] - Reflecting on Our Own “Babylon” and God’s Faithfulness
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
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### Bible Reading
Jeremiah 29:4-14 (ESV)
4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 8 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, 9 for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord. 10 “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. 11 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. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 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.”
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### Observation Questions
1. What instructions does God give to the exiles in Babylon about how they should live during their time there? (Jeremiah 29:5-7)
2. According to the passage, what is the meaning of “prosperity” or “welfare” that God promises in verse 11? How is this different from what the exiles might have expected? (Jeremiah 29:11; [17:10])
3. In the sermon, what changed in Barry’s prayers while he was in hospital, and what was the result of that change? ([02:29])
4. How did the exiles feel about their situation, according to Psalm 137 as referenced in the sermon? ([12:28])
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think God told the exiles to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city” where they were taken, instead of telling them to resist or escape? What does this reveal about God’s character and His plans for His people? ([14:54])
2. The sermon explains that “shalom” means a deep, inner peace that comes from God’s presence, not from circumstances. How does this understanding of peace challenge the way people usually think about prosperity or success? ([17:10])
3. Barry shared that when he shifted his prayers from asking for personal comfort to asking to be a good witness, God opened doors for meaningful conversations. What does this suggest about the relationship between our prayers and God’s purposes? ([02:29])
4. The sermon connects the story of exile and return to Jesus, describing Him as the “true Gardener” who brings us out of spiritual exile. How does this image help us understand what Jesus is doing in our lives, especially during hard times? ([19:34])
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### Application Questions
1. Barry realized his prayers were mostly a list of wants, and he was challenged to pray with gratitude and surrender. When you pray, do you tend to focus more on your own desires or on seeking God’s will? What would it look like for you to shift your prayers this week? ([02:29])
2. God told the exiles to settle in, seek the peace of the city, and trust Him even in a place they didn’t want to be. Is there a situation in your life right now where you feel “in exile” or out of place? How might God be calling you to be a faithful witness there? ([14:54])
3. The sermon says that true “shalom” is a gift from God that can’t be bought or manufactured. Where do you usually look for peace or security? How can you intentionally seek God’s presence for real peace this week? ([17:10])
4. Barry’s story in the hospital showed that God can use even difficult or unwanted circumstances for His purposes. Can you think of a time when God used a hard situation in your life to help someone else or to grow your faith? ([06:38])
5. The image of Jesus as the Gardener means He is always working in our hearts, even when it’s painful. Is there an area of your life where you sense God is “pruning” or shaping you right now? How can you respond to Him in that process? ([19:34])
6. The sermon encourages us to persevere and trust God during seasons of waiting or hardship. What helps you to keep trusting God when answers are slow or circumstances are tough? ([21:32])
7. Looking back on your own “Babylon” moments—times of loss, waiting, or feeling far from God—how have you seen God’s faithfulness or experienced His peace? How can you share that story with someone else this week? ([22:43])
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