Turn with me for our scripture
reading this evening to Psalm chapter 8. While you're turning
there, I have some news. Alec and Lindy's baby shower,
I think pretty much everyone knows that we canceled that for
this coming Saturday with everything going on with COVID. Precaution,
we would cancel that for now. Frank has been kind of in a holding
pattern. He's still an inpatient at King's Daughters. It doesn't sound to me like the
pain is getting any better. In fact, they've been trying some
different pain regimens and it seems to have gotten worse over
the past couple of days. He does have a consult, I just
heard right before we came, he's got a consult scheduled August
10th, right, August 10th down in Lexington. with the clinic
that they're hoping to get into down there. I think that's the
same clinic that, assuming this leads to surgery, would do the
surgery. And that certainly is what it looks like. From what I can tell, there's
no pain management. We're looking for a cure at this
point, which the hope is surgery. So I know he appreciates the
cards that he's received. He and Janet both continue to
keep them in prayer. Our Lord provides. And they know
that even, even in the midst of it, even in the midst of it,
the Lord provides and they know when they're comforted. Continue
to keep them in prayer. Psalm chapter eight. Let's read
that together. Oh Lord, our God. How excellent
is Thy name in all the earth, who has set Thy glory above the
heavens! Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast Thou
ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest
still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider the heavens,
the work of Thy fingers, the moon, and the stars, which Thou
hast ordained, what is man that Thou art mindful of him, and
the Son of man that Thou visitest him? For Thou hast made him a
little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory
and honor, madest him to have dominion over the works of thy
hands, that was put all things under his feet, all sheep and
oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air,
and the fish of the sea, whatsoever passeth through the paths of
the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all
the earth. Let's pray. Our Holy Heavenly Father, Hallowed
be thy name. Pray that your name be glorified
here this evening. That we worship together as a
family, as we ought. That your name be magnified,
as is your due. That we see Christ again this
evening. That we sinners will continuously,
continually come, to whom cometh, that we continually come to that
throne of mercy found found only at our Savior's feet, only at
Christ's feet, that throne of mercy earned by Him, earned by
Him through His sacrifice, through the perfect blood, the remission
of sins, the full remission of sins, for it is finished. And
I pray that your name be glorified as it ought in this place this
evening. Father, give me a message and bless it to the hearts of
your people that your purpose be fulfilled. We do pray for
our pastor and for Janet at this time of trial that you brought,
that you brought, that you control. We pray that you comfort them,
that the trial serve your purpose, that your name be glorified in
it, and that you bring them through according to your will, speedily,
if it be your will. We thank you for the comfort
that you have given me. We pray that you keep your hand on the
doctors on the nurses as they treat, and that you keep your
hand on our pastor and on Janet, that you continue to comfort
as you have and according to your promise. We thank you. We
pray for others that are undergoing whatever the trial is that you
brought, the trial of a cold heart, the trial of heartbreak or physical trials,
whatever the trial may be, Father, that your will be done and that
you comfort. Can I pray that your name be glorified, that
you send your spirit to be with us this evening, that we may
truly worship in spirit and truth. We pray this thankfully in Christ's
name and for his sake. Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry, While on others Thou art calling, Do not
pass me by. my humble cry. While on others Thou art calling,
do not pass me by. Let me at Thy throne of mercy
find a sweet relief Kneeling there in deep contrition Held
my unbelief Savior, Savior Hear my humble cry While on others
Thou art calling Do not pass me by Trusting only in Thy merit
Would I seek Thy face Heal my wounded, broken spirit Save me
by Thy grace Thou on others Thou art calling,
do not pass me by. Thou the spring of all my comfort,
more than life to me. Whom have I on earth beside Thee? Whom in heaven but Thee? Hear my humble cry While on others
thou art calling Do not pass me by While on others thou art
calling Do not pass me by Let's turn this evening to the
book of Jeremiah chapter 29. We'll look at four verses here in Jeremiah
chapter 29. verses 10 through 14. Read those
together. Jeremiah chapter 29, starting
in verse 10. For thus saith the Lord, that
after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you
and perform my good word toward you in causing you to return
to this place. For I know the thoughts that
I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, not
of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon
me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto
you, and ye shall seek me and find me, and ye shall search
for me with all your heart, and I will be found of you, saith
the Lord. I will turn away your captivity,
and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the
places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord. I will bring
you again to the place whence I caused you to be carried away
captive. Aren't those sweet verses? And we're going to especially
focus on the words that our Lord uses there in verse 11. Thoughts
of peace. Thoughts of peace and not of
evil. For context, historical context,
the Lord has given the prophet Jeremiah these words for the
people of Jerusalem. They've been carried away captive
to Babylon. They've already been carried
away captive to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar. King Nebuchadnezzar
has conquered them, conquered Jerusalem, taken many of those
citizens back to Babylon. And he's getting ready to do
it again for the second time. So King Nebuchadnezzar is preparing
to come the second time to Jerusalem. And this second time, he's going
to absolutely, utterly annihilate the city and the citizens. He's
getting ready to come a second time. He's going to utterly destroy
Jerusalem, utterly destroy the temple this second time. Trial's
coming. Trial's coming. In fact, for
these people, trial's here. Right? Trial's already here.
Many are already captives in a foreign land of Babylon, and
those that are still in Jerusalem are under a puppet king that
King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Trial's here, and trial's coming. Trial of war, trial of disease,
trial of famine. This city is going to be utterly
annihilated. Trial's coming. Turn back, actually
stay here in 29, look in verses 17 and 18. Thus saith the Lord
of hosts, behold, I will send upon them the sword and the famine
and the pestilence and will make them like vile figs that cannot
be eaten. They are so evil and I'll persecute
them with the sword and with the famine and with the pestilence
and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth
to be a curse and an astonishment and a hissing, a reproach, among
all the nations, whether I've driven them. They're in trial. They're in trial. More trial
is coming. Listen to what our Lord has to
say back there in our text in in verse 10 for thus saith the
Lord. Thus saith the Lord. After 70 years be accomplished
at Babylon, I will visit you, perform my good word toward you
in causing you to return to this place. Thus saith the Lord. After 70 years, the Lord's in
total control. The Lord's in absolute and total
control in this trial. And there's comfort in that.
Turn back a few pages to Jeremiah 25. This is of the Lord. This is of the Lord. It must
be of the Lord. This is of the Lord. Chapter 25 in verse 9. 25 verse 9. Behold, I will send
and take all the families of the north, saith the Lord, and
Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, my servant, and will
bring them against this land and against the inhabitants thereof
and against all the nations round about and will utterly destroy
them, make them in astonishment and a hissing and perpetual desolations. He calls King Nebuchadnezzar
his servant. King Nebuchadnezzar is our Lord's
servant. And King Nebuchadnezzar is doing exactly what King Nebuchadnezzar
wants to do. He's serving the Lord's purpose, exactly as the
Lord. The Lord is controlling this,
and I want to be careful with the word controlling. In this
way, when I say the word careful, the Lord's causing it. Not controlling
boys play basketball. Controlling the basketball just
means you haven't quite lost it. You can be pretty much all
over the court. You can be pretty well out of control and just
barely holding it together. and they still call that controlling
the basketball. That is not the way the word controlling is used
here. The Lord isn't holding it together. Our Lord's causing
it. The Lord is in the trial. Our
Lord is in total control of the trial. And there's comfort there,
comfort for us and comfort for these people. The Lord's in control. The Lord will deliver. Look there
again in verse 10. For thus saith the Lord that
after 70 years be accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you. I will visit you and perform
my good word toward you in causing you to return to this place.
The Lord will deliver. He says, I will visit you and
perform my goodwill toward you. That's a weighty statement. I'll
visit you and will perform my goodwill toward you. He says,
I will. I will. Our Lord is self-sufficient. He says, I will. His will's not
dependent on anything. Turn over, turn to James chapter
four, all the way back to James. When I say I will, I mean, I
intend to, um, but it's dependent on a lot of
things. It can be dependent on how I
feel. It can be dependent on something
as simple as the weather. Our baby shower was dependent
on COVID, right? I say I will. And I mean, I intend
to, but more self-sufficient. We can't say with any certainty
because we're not self-sufficient. We both quoted Elijah in the
last couple of weeks when they had the two sacrifices and the
false prophets hopped up and down on the false sacrifice,
begging Baal to send the fire down. And Elijah mocked him and
said, maybe he sleeps. Perhaps he's on an adventure.
Your Lord, Baal's not in control. Or perhaps something else has
his attention. He's not in control. Our Lord's in control. Our Lord's
in control. James chapter four there, verse
13. Go to now, ye that say, today
or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there a year
and buy and sell and get again. Whereas you know not what shall
be on the morrow, for what is your life? It is even a vapor
that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away. For
that you ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and
do this or do that. You ought to say, the Lord will.
The Lord will. The Lord says, I will. He's self-sufficient. And the Lord says, I will. Proverbs says, there's many devices
in a man's heart. Many devices in a man's heart.
Nevertheless, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Baal
isn't self-sufficient. I'm not self-sufficient. Our
God, Jehovah, our God is self-sufficient. And he says, I will. And we could
just sit there on those two, those two words and take a lot
of comfort just from the fact that I will. He will. He says,
I will perform there in verse 10. I will perform. He will. And he's able, he's able to perform. He'll actually accomplish his
will. He, he won't try. He doesn't need any help. He
says, I will, I will perform. He's able. He has the power.
He also has the jurisdiction. The jurisdiction, that means
he has the authority. He has the right. I will perform. Our
Lord will perform. He's self-sufficient. He has
the power. He has the authority. Our Lord will perform. He says,
I'll perform my good will. Lord's will to his children is
good. It's good. It's good meaning
that his will His will for his children is all goodness. It's
all mercy. His will is good. It also means
his will is good, meaning it's sure. It's sure. He has plenty in reserve. Once
COVID lifts and we're all able to go out for ice cream again
after services and we go and I'll forget my wallet and I'll
say, can you stop me? I'm okay. I'm good for it. Right? It means I've got it.
I've got it in reserve. I'll pay you back. I've got it
in reserve. My goodwill, he says, he's good for it. His will is
good and he has will, will, goodness in reserve, plenty to cover his
purpose, plenty to cover his purpose. The Lord's in control.
The Lord will deliver. He's able and his will is good. That's what he says there in
verse 10, right? I'll visit you and perform my goodwill toward
you. His word is good. Third, the Lord knows. Look in
verse 11, for I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith
the Lord. Thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected
end. Our pastor said in a recent message
that we, we cause ourselves a lot of trouble. And it really struck
me when he said this, we cause ourselves a lot of trouble when
we try to figure out what the Lord's will is in the middle
of a trial in a given time. When I try to figure out what
his purpose is, Oh, this is what he's doing. I get myself a lot
of. turmoil doing that because that's
really ridiculous, isn't it? Yeah, I'm really trying to say,
I know what the Lord's will is. What his way is higher than my
way. His thoughts are higher than
our thoughts, but he does, he does shed some light in some
of it's here in verse 11, right there at the end. Thoughts of
peace and not of evil to give you an expected end. He does
shed some light. Let's look at a few verses. Turn,
turn over to Corinthians. And I would do well, we would
do well, I would do well to stay right here in the light that
we're given. Look in second Corinthians without knowing every detail
of the Lord's will and a trial. You know, this, uh, second Corinthians,
uh, verse one. Starting in verse eight, and
we'll look at a couple of verses here, starting in verse eight. For we would not brethren have
you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that
we were pressed out of measure above strength in so much that
we despaired even of life. We had the sentence of death
in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God,
which raised up the dead, delivered us from so great a death and
doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.
ye also helping together by prayer for us, for the gift bestowed
upon us by the means of many persons, thanks may be given
by many on our behalf. I know one purpose for the trial,
that we lean on the Lord. We're taught to trust the Lord. Let's go over in chapter 12.
2 Corinthians chapter 12. starting in verse 7. Most gladly, therefore, will
I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities and reproaches
and necessities and persecutions and distresses for Christ's sake.
For when I am weak, then am I strong. I know some of the Lord's will
in trial. We don't know all, nor do we
need to know all. We know this. We know this. That's
enough to rest. We know what Romans says, Romans
8, 28. We know that all things work together for good to them
that love God, to those who are called according to his purpose,
according to his purpose. We know of his purpose. Hebrews
4 says, trials remind us that our great high priest is touched
with feelings of our infirmities. In trials, we remember who he
is. He's our great high priest. He can be touched with the feelings
of our infirmities, and therefore, Therefore, we come boldly to
the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy. Find grace to help
in time of need. Our Lord's in control. Our Lord
will deliver. It's his will to deliver. He
will deliver. He's able. His word is good. And he knows. He knows. Thoughts of peace and not of
evil. Back in our text there in verse 11. And that's really
where I want to Focus these words, for I know the thoughts that
I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not
of evil, to give you an expected end. Hebrews 12, look over there
in Hebrews actually together. Hebrews chapter 12. Thoughts of peace and not of
evil. Hebrews chapter 12, starting in verse seven, and these verses
have to do with chastening, and not all trial is chastening,
but our response is the same. Hebrews chapter 12, starting
here in verse seven. If ye endure chastening, God
dealeth with you as with sons. For what son is he whom the Father
chastens not? But if ye be without chastisement,
whereof all are partakers, then ye are bastards and not sons.
We've had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us. We gave them
reverence. Shall we not much rather be in
subjection under the father of spirits and live for? They barely for a few days chastened
us after their own pleasure. Our fathers did what they thought
was right, but he, for our profit, that we might be partakers of
his holiness. Now, no chasing for the present
seem to be joyous, but grievous, grievous. Nevertheless, afterward,
it yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness under them,
which, which are exercise. Thereby, wherefore lift up the
hands, which hang down in the feeble knees, make straight paths
for your feet, less that which is lame be turned out of the
way. Let it rather be healed. Thoughts of peace and not of
evil. And finally, they're, they're
back in our, in our text. In Jeremiah 29, verse 11, I know
the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts
of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, to
give you an expected end. It's for you. It's for you to
give you an expected end. Whenever we set our Christmas
tree up, there's always a few ornaments that I like to put
on myself. And two of them are from former places I used to
work. One was a real large corporation. They gave every employee the
same ornament. And it's, you can neither like it nor hate
it. It's something that everyone will just take, right? Because
they gave everyone the same ornament. And it's not personal. It's just, it's for everyone.
I'm appreciative of the ornament. We saved it. I put it up. Then
I got another ornament from another place where I used to work. And
it was handpicked for me by a boss that I had a lot of respect for. She picked it out from a, some
artisans in Berea and it's handmade and it's one of a kind and she
got it just for me because she knows that I like that. And that
means a lot to me when I pick that orman up and I put her on
the tree because that's for me. That's for me. That's what this
verse says, to give you an expected end. It's for you. Our Lord, in his goodness, selected
this particular trial for you. and for me, it's for your expected
end. And that end is good. Look back
a couple chapters to Jeremiah 24. Jeremiah chapter 24 in verse
five. Thus saith the Lord, the God
of Israel, Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that
are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this
place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For their good. That end is good. It's for your
expected end. And that end is good. Our Lord
is in control. He will perform His good will. He will. Our Lord knows. The Lord's thoughts are of peace
and not of evil. toward us, toward his children,
it's for you, it's for me, it's for our good, for an expected
end. Now let's take what time we have
left and still focus on those words, thoughts of peace and
not of evil. How does a holy God have thoughts
of peace and not of evil to me, to a sinner? Habakkuk says, Thou
art of purer eyes than to behold evil. Canst not look on iniquity. Wherefore, lookest thou upon
them that dealest treacherously. Can't look on evil. Our God, Jehovah, is holy. He
can't look on evil. How can a holy God have thoughts
of peace and not of evil to a sinful man? That iniquity, that evil,
them that deal treacherously, that's every son of Adam. that
was ever born in the world. How can God, whose eyes are holy
and perfect, have thoughts of good, thoughts of peace and not
of evil to a sinner? Thoughts of peace and not of
evil. God's thoughts to his elect children have never been evil. There's never been a time that
God's thoughts to his elect children have been evil. They've always
been only peace. We know, we know that God does
not change. Change simply does not apply
to God. Change hints that either there's
room for improvement or there's been a decline, right? That's
change. Change is either getting better or getting worse, right?
That can't apply to our God. That can't apply to God. Neither
of those can be attributed to him. God does not change. And
God who does not change, before the foundation of the world,
had thoughts of peace and not of evil. to his children. I'll
quote a few verses. In Ephesians, Ephesians 1.4 says,
according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love. Thoughts of peace and not of
evil. Earlier in Jeremiah, it says, before I formed thee in
the belly, I knew thee. Before thou camest forth out
of the womb, I sanctified thee. Before we were in existence,
thoughts of peace and not of evil. 1 John 4, 19, we love him
because he first loved us. Before we loved him, thoughts
of peace and not of evil. Before the foundation of the
world, God had thoughts of peace and not of evil to give his elected
children their expected end. Isn't that amazing? It's amazing
that God would have any thoughts toward man. We read that to open
the surface. Go out here tonight and just,
just look at the moon and you say, what is man? What is man
that you're mindful of us? And that's just barely scratching
the surface. What is man that our mindful
of us that, that he'd have any thoughts toward us, let alone
thoughts of peace and not of evil. Back in Psalm 80, when
I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, and
the stars, which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful
of him, the son of man that thou visitest him? Now, what a terrifying
thought to be thought of by God outside of Christ. What a terrifying
thought to approach into a holy God outside of Christ. What is
man? There's a few examples of men
in the scriptures who realized what is man when faced with a
holy God. Let's turn to a couple, back
in Genesis chapter three. What is man? Genesis chapter three, verse
eight. They heard the voice of the Lord
God. walking in the garden in the cool of the day. Adam and
his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God
amongst the trees of the garden. The Lord God called unto Adam
and said unto him, where art thou? And he said, I heard thy
voice in the garden. I was afraid because I was naked
and I hid myself. Adam knew what his man, I'm a
sinner before a holy God. And Adam hid himself. He didn't,
he didn't want thoughts of God. He hid himself. Exodus chapter
three. What is me? Look here at Exodus chapter three,
verse eight. I apologize. I've got the wrong,
the wrong reference. Here's the verse I'm looking
for. Moreover, he said, I am the God of thy father, the God
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. And Moses hit
his face. So when Moses came to the burning
bush and he saw the holy God, he saw a holy God in the burning
bush. Moses hit his face for he's afraid to look upon God.
What is man? He was afraid. What is man? Revelation says, John speaking,
in the midst of the seven candlesticks, one like unto the son of man,
clothed with a garment down to his foot, gird about the paps
with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white
like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were as a flame of fire,
and his feet like undefined brass, as if they burned in a furnace.
His voice is the sound of many waters. He saw a holy God, a
sovereign God. He had in his right hand seven
stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. His
countenance was as the sun, shineth in his strength. And when I saw
him, I fell at his feet as dead. What is man? Outside of Christ,
before a holy God. What is man? Outside of Christ,
man wants nothing at all to do with a holy God. We talk frequently.
man will call for the mountains to fall on him, hide himself
from the face of God. No plea. Here is playing that
boy. I have no, no other argument, no other plea, no plea, no plea
outside of Christ. But, but Christ, but Christ had
thoughts of peace and not of evil. God, the father had thoughts
of peace and not of evil before the foundation of the world.
Christ had thoughts of peace and not of evil. when he was
made flesh, the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. He
was made flesh and came into this world, lived a sinful life,
bore the sins of his people in his body on the cross, nailed
that body to a cross, poured out his perfect blood as a sacrifice
and a full atonement, full covering for sins, his own perfect blood. Thoughts of peace, not of evil. Sinners washed and and given
a right standing before that holy God in Christ's righteousness,
always thoughts of peace and not of evil. That spotless lamb
sacrificed with thoughts of peace and not of evil to give his own
unexpected end. Thoughts of peace, not of evil.
When God, the Holy Spirit, comes in time and regenerates sinners,
gives that sinner a heart, calls that sinner and points him to
Christ, In time, thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you
an expected end. In thoughts of peace and not
of evil, right now, in this present world, in this present trial,
our God, our God, made heaven and earth. He controls both equally. He controls today. He controls
today. He reigns in both. With thoughts
of peace and not of evil, not of evil to the child of God.
to give you an expected end. Amen, I hope that blesses. Let's
pray together. Father, I pray that you bless
your word. Comfort your people. Bring glory to your name. Be
with us through this week. Bless according to your will.
Father, teach us to pray. We don't even know what to ask
for. Teach us to pray for your will,
to pray for what's good. We thank you that you've seen
fit in Christ to have thoughts of peace and not of evil to us.
Certainly not deserved from anything that we have done or possibly
could do. We give you all the praise and the honor and the
glory for Christ's sake.