Sermon on Jeremiah 29:1-14 and John 14:27
Given 28 November 2021 at St. Alban’s Church, Coventry
Do not be afraid, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.
When Alex and I were first married, we travelled to the other side of the world for a teaching job in Jakarta, Indonesia. When we arrived, I struggled with severe culture shock. I had never lived in a city, yet alone a city with a population of 17 million people. We didn’t have any family or friends nearby, we didn’t know the language, we didn’t know that rainy season meant unexpected torrential downpours and flash flooding for days on end. But Alex managed to find us a church, and on that first Sunday they read out Jeremiah 29:11, ‘For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.’ I cried when I heard those words.
Many of you will know that I cry or at least get emotional quite often, that I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve. When I was recommended for training to become a minister, they even commented on my vulnerability and the necessity to keep it in check in ministry, a work in progress I must say. So my crying at a Bible verse in church probably seems insignificant, if not unsurprising. But at that point, on that day, I cried because I didn’t believe what God was saying. How could the Lord possibly bring me all this way, to be a stranger in a strange land, and say that the greater plan was somehow for my welfare? At that point, I saw no hope. But twelve months later, we were living in Poland, and twelve months after that we were preparing to move home to the U.K to have our first child. Yet on that first Sunday in Jakarta, Indonesia, I could never have imagined getting a job back in Europe closer to home. And the thought of being in a position to have a child was something that felt so impossible that I remember the visceral pain at just talking about the children that I thought I would never have.
Do not be afraid, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.
The Gospel reading today reminds us that God does not give to us the way the world gives to us. Very often we grow accustomed to broken promises by those around us. We become cynical and lose hope. But God’s promises are forever. And God is a God of hope. Her plans for our future are filled with hope. So as Jesus proclaimed, there is no reason to let our hearts be troubled. There is no reason to be worried or anxious or fearful. In times of pain and despair, we can look to the God of hope, who never breaks promises. We can be reminded that though we may have our own plans for how we think our life should go, God’s plans are the greatest, because they are for our welfare, whether we like it or not.
Do not be afraid, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, marking the start of the Church year. Advent is a time of expectant waiting. Waiting for the joy that comes at Christmas, but perhaps more importantly, waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled. Barney reminded me that the first candle we light is often referred to as the candle of the Patriarchs, but I thought we’d heard enough from the Patriarchs these past few months, so I decided we should go with the other theme for the first candle, which is hope. Of course, it could be said the two go hand in hand. It was the hope of the Patriarchs that created the nation of Israel, the hope of the Patriarchs that freed Israel from slavery in Egypt, the hope of the Patriarchs that created a family line of kings that led right to Jesus. But the hope I’m talking about today, is not the hope of history. It is a present and real hope. We often think of hope as a wish, an expectation. But the hope of Jesus Christ is about trust. Our hope for the future is based on the promises of God. Our hope is that we can trust the Lord our God to fulfil all his promises.
Do not be afraid, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.
Perhaps you’re thinking, ‘the Lord having plans for me is a very good reason to be afraid!’ Or maybe you’re thinking, ‘how can the Lord have plans for me?’ Little ol’ me? Who am I for the Lord to know me. And the answer is you are a child of God. Psalm 139 declares,
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
You. You are God’s great idea. And she has wonderful plans for you. So as we enter this Advent season, let us come with hearts full of hope, knowing we can trust the plans of our loving Father for us.
Do not be afraid, for I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.
Reflections of a Christian 