All Things New

Post Holiday Blah’s

Last Monday, the day after Christmas, I grew aware that I was experiencing the post-holiday blah’s.

Can anyone relate?

You wake up the day after Christmas and it’s just not the same.

The buildup to Christmas has all the novelties of the season.

Jesus in the manger.

The decorations and lights.

Santa Clause.

Excitement about opening gifts.

Each year, though, we do have one thing to look forward to after Christmas.

New Year’s!

How many of you celebrated last night?

I celebrated by going to bed at 9pm, which seems to be my new way of partying.

New Things

I think it’s safe to say that for many of us, new things are exciting things.

A new holiday season is exciting.

A new gift is fun.

Have you ever thought of the importance of new things from a faith perspective?

This morning we are looking at how God makes new things in us, and in the world to come.

We start with Rev 21:5

Making Everything New

Revelation 21:5 NIV

5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

The Bible starts with the assumption that everything on Earth is good because God is the Creator of all.

The Bible also assumes that everything on Earth is imperfect because of sin.

As a result, we consistently find the theme of things being made “new.”

People are made new in Jesus Christ.

All creation will be made new in Revelation 21

New in Us

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

When you follow Christ, you are promised the renewal of your spirit in ways that are often unimaginable.

I’m reminded of the story a friend told me about a person who didn’t know Jesus who came to faith.

The day after this person was baptized he approached my friend and asked, “What did you do to me?”

Apparently, after the Holy Spirit had come in, and a few former activities were no longer enjoyable.

The Holy Spirit began to speak to his spirit in a new way, and this new way of speaking meant that his affections were changed.

He was, in every way, a new creation as a result of his faith in Christ.

My guess is that all of us know someone who was headed one way in life, and then experienced God in a profound way and their lives changed.

Perhaps that person is you.

Faith in Jesus does something to us from the inside out that changes the way we see everything.

New in Creation

If this is true for us, it’s also true of creation.

It isn’t just people who are affected by sin.

We read in Romans 8:21-22

Romans 8:21–22 NIV

21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.

It’s as if Paul, the writer of Romans, is saying that the Earth is just like us.

The Earth decays and awaits the newness that only God can provide.

Just as we have all spiritually and physically struggled with effects of sin, the world around us struggles with the effects of sin.

Defining “New”

The question we might ask is, what does it mean for us and for creation to be “made new.”

The answer is surprisingly simple and summarized by Anglican theologian, N.T. Wright...

That is, may you be worshipped by your whole creation; may the whole cosmos resound with your praise; may the whole world be freed from injustice, disfigurement, sin, and death, and may your name be hallowed.

N. T. Wright

To be made new is very simply to know God, to be known by God, and to worship God.

Made new means that we are freed of the things in this Earth that keep us from loving as God loves.

To be made new means that all of creation is oriented toward the love and worship of God.

We read in Psalm 98:4-9

Psalm 98:4–9 NIV

4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King. 7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Note that being made new and worship are intricately connected.

For all creation to be made new is for all creation to

make music to the Lord

clap our hands

to sing

In short, creation’s destiny is the same as our destiny.

We, and creation, are made for joyful praise and worship of our Lord and our Savior.

Resolutions

I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions spiritually, but here’s a whole life resolution.

When you wake up, each day start by praising God.

ESPECIALLY on the days you don’t feel like it.

Live today and every day like a people who have already experienced the Rev 21:5 renewal.

Praise God, sing with God, clap your hands to God,

ENJOY your relationship with God.

Commit to that your entire life, and you will always, and every day, be “new.”

Happy New Year. Amen