A healing presence in a hurting city

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. 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. 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. 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, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord .

Jeremiah 29:4‭-‬9 ESV

Rev. Dwight Yoo

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There were multiple prophets in the time of Jeremiah. Hannaniah was saying that it would be a short stay in exile. But Jeremiah was saying that they should prepare to be there for seventy years. Plant gardens and continue to be married and give away children in marriage. This was a multi-generational stay in Babylon. 

This is a specific prophet speaking a message for a specific place and time, yet we can still look at it for us to apply in our lives. There is something that we face now that no one in the old or new testament had to face. There is a lack of rootedness to our lives in the States. More than 1 out of 4 Americans have moved in the past five years. Americans have moved 11 times in their lives. The people of these times were largely agricultural.. They were born, married, made friends, and likely died on the same place. 

Rootedness enables the gospel to move not only in your life but through your life. "A rooted life in a place", an article on the gospel coalition website speaks on the danger of the unrooted life. There is power in sticking to a place and devoting time and energy to bettering that place. That can allow us to be a heading presence.

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Jeremiah never said what the Israelites wanted to hear. The Babylonians were the ones who tore open pregnant women and dashed babies against the city walls. Jeremiah said that they were to work and pray for the good of THESE people. God had not given up on Israel. God wanted them to engage this city even though the Israelites were hated and despised by them. This is called engaged alienation. Jesus calls all Christians to this as well. Do good to those who hate and persecute you. We are still called to it today in this day and age. We are not to assimilate, but not disengage either. The way that we can thrive is not to disengage in self protection or assimilate to the culture, but to engage even while alienated.

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We are to aim for Shalom. Universal thriving and flourishing... All is as it should be. Right not in our eyes, but in the eyes of God. To work for Shalom means to bring wholeness. Spiritual flourishing. Relational flourishing. Physical flourishing. We are not to expect perfection in our work towards shalom in our city, but progress. This earthly city should reflect, through our prayers and work, some aspects of our heavenly home. We will find our thriving in seeking the good of this city.

Hospitality to the lonely city

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. - Romans 12:10‭, ‬12‭-‬13 ESV

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: - 1 Peter 4:8‭-‬10 ESV

Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. - Hebrews 13:1‭-‬2 ESV

Rev. Dan Whang

Hospitality is the friendly reception, acceptance, and welcoming of guests and strangers through kindness

It's using your home and other resources in a daily way that seeks to make strangers into neighbors, and neighbors into the family of God

The need for hospitality

There is loneliness in our city. Just because there is so many people does not address our need for relationship. Loneliness is one of the greatest problems of the current generation.

Loneliness is a result of sin. Between Adam and Eve there was perfect relationship. But that was broken and people now hide from one another. We are created in his image and He is constantly in relationship within the Trinity. So we were created to be in relationship.

The power of hospitality

The Gospel shows us that we are welcomed by God first. Jesus came into this broken world and exposed himself to all the pain and brokenness. He was lonely, so he would know our pains. He felt the loss of the presence of God in a way that we will never know.

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"- Matthew 27:46 ESV

The cure for our loneliness is the intimate and close relationship with God. We need one another, but that is to point us to our need for relationship with God.

Practical steps

+ Pray for a hospitable heart and for opportunities to share it
+ Plan ways ahead of time to show hospitality
+ Look at every resource you have something to share
+ Don't always do it alone but work as a team
+ Pay attention to spiritual needs (not just fun and entertainment)
+ Press on and don't give up

Peace to a Divided City

Rev. Travis Drake

Seeing the division

Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.- Proverbs 29:8 ESV

Scoffers are a bit difficult to define. Scoffers are a type of fool. Fools are headed to death. The wise are on the path to life.

Scoffers are proud and arrogant. They will not listen to others or God. They are unteachable. They are wise in their own eyes. So how does this type of person set the city on fire? First, a city on fire is a desperate situation; it is a crisis.

The way they do this is by deceiving us. The prime example is the devil. He uses lies and decit to tempt us to greed and selfishness. That is what burns the city to the ground. When we allow greed and selfishness to reign, we turn in to ourselves. This makes us see others as our enemy.

But the chief enemy is not the person we are fighting with. It is the devil. We allowed his lie to take root. We must remember that we are not fighting truly with others but rather the devil.

Scoffers are not the only fool. There is also the slanderer. They are looking to stir up conflict. They use half truth and innuendo. They just want to see the world to burn now.

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.- Proverbs 10:12 ESV

Finally, there is hated. It is digging up past wounds. It wants to shame and tear down the offender. It brings about strife.

The book does not pretend that everything is happy and cheery. We will offend one another. The question is how we will respond.

Making peace

How do we make peace? Remove the source of division. Remove the fuel for the fire. Drive out the scoffer. Why? Because the scoffer is unteachable and will not change. This seems harsh. Remember the chief scoffer is the devil. We are called to drive him out. But we can't fight him ourselves. Why? We actually like the self glorification. We like holding grudges. The fight is not just external but also internal.

But we don't need to lose hope. God will drive him out. He will show us that he does save. How? Through the cross. Our past, present, and future sins is covered by the blood of Christ. He destroys the accusations of the devil.

How then does the city find peace? Through Christ. Jesus sends us into the city. We, the foolish, are sent to the city. And because Christ is in us, the city has peace. How does this work? We are the worse of fools. We are the scoffer and the slanderer. But in Christ, that slanderer and scoffer also died on the cross. The old you who scoffed and slandered is dead. So in Him, you will be peace.

Living out that peace

Scoffers set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath. - Proverbs 29:8 ESV

We are to let go offenses as far as it depends on us. Both scoffers and wise are in the city, but the wise stand in the gap and turn away wrath. How? They bring the injustice to Christ. They leave the wrath to God. They bring those who don't know God to Jesus to increase peace.

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. -Proverbs 10:12 ESV

Love cherishes the offender as a friend to be won. It doesn't lift them up as an enemy. How? Because we look at them, the same way God looked at us. We were enemies with God, He covered our sins and He reconciled with us.

We cover over offenses. Love acknowledges the offense and covers it over. It is not that we ignore sin. We must wisely confront some sin and cover/overlook minor ones. This takes the Holy Spirit. This reflects our God.

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. - Proverbs 19:11 ESV

How do we practically apply this?

Accept the peace of Christ

Acknowledge the enemy is not just out there but also inside. Accept that God is enough for us. Accept the Jesus is King.

Examine the peace of yourself and the city

If you have the peace of Christ, are you living like that? Do your friends know you that way? Do your kids? Do your neighbors and coworkers know?

When you see division, do you try to turn away wrath? Or do you ignore it? Or does it get you worked up? Where can you bring more peace?

Commit to living out peace

As a Christian, this is a full time ministry. We cannot opt out. The people of God are peace because God has made us at peace. We are to see offenses as opportunities to overlook them.  This is the best clothes of those who are saved, of those who have tasted God's grace, His overlooking of our many sins.