New Year, New You
Notes
Transcript
Preliminary:
Preliminary:
Invite to Rev 21.
Introduction:
Introduction:
Here we are at the end of 2023, 12,31,23 in fact if you put the numbers just right it is 123,123.
Seems like we were just starting our on our new adventures at the start of the new year -
And here we are closing out the year.
My the things that have happened in 2023 - I don’t have time to recount them all but I do know one thing - God was faithful
Every step of the way - God was faithful
The songwriter talks about standing at the end of life and looking back over it and writes:
“If God should let me there review
The winding paths of earth I knew
It would be proven clear and true
Jesus led me all the way”
God is good and God is faithful, and Jesus leads all the way if we follow.
But I also want us to notice something else about God. We find a little nugget about his ability and powers in a little verse in Revelation 21:5 lets turn there and read:
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
This is a prophetic promise by “Him that sat upon the throne” and as far as I can tell - this is the only time we find “Him that sat upon the throne” actually uttering words -
But He says some things that forever change the world as we know it
Revelation 21:5 “...Behold, I make all things new.”
Ever since man has know there was a “last day” man has lived with an eschatological worldview that the entire world was waiting on tiptoe for the coming redemption.
Job knew that the worms would destroy his body but at the last day God would be able to change it back.
Abraham trusted that God was able to raise Isaac back from the dead after he offered him on an altar.
Martha recognized that at the last trump God was going to raise his people up.
And now God says - in this end time - timeline -
Revelation 21:5 “Behold, I make all things new.
A Treasury of Great Preaching The New Creation (John Wesley)
It must be allowed that after all the researches we can make, still our knowledge of the great truth which is delivered to us in these words is exceedingly short and imperfect. As this is a point of mere revelation, beyond the reach of all our natural faculties, we cannot penetrate far into it, nor form any adequate conception of it.
But we do know that what God says is going to happen - we may not fully understand what God has said - but to the best of our ability we see this as part of the “final act or part of redemption”
Wright in a beautiful and poetic description says “final redemption will be the moment when heaven and earth are joined together at last, in a burst of God’s creative energy for which Easter is the prototype and source” (Wright, 2007, p. 135).
Our world that has been hindered and blustered and flustered by the curse that came upon Adam and Eve for thousands of years - will at last be free - it will be a new day
The world that is groaning and crying and it on “TIP-TOE waiting for redemption” will be realized and actualized as God makes all things new.
What that newness fully entails we can only speculate and I won’t take the time to do that this morning
But we have the picture of a God who has spent thousands of years working in the hearts and lives of people to bring them to this new place.
A God who likes to do new things
18 Remember ye not the former things, Neither consider the things of old.
19 Behold, I will do a new thing; Now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert.
A God who likes to take Saul a persecutor of the way and turn him into Paul a preacher of the way
A man like Jacob a deceiver and turn him into Israel one who struggles with God and in reality prevails with God.
A man steeped in idolatry like Abraham and turn him into the friend of God.
God likes to take the broken and bruised and bind and heal them up
the old and disposable and make them into something new and useful for Him.
1 Corinthians 6:9–11 “9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”
YOU HAVE BEEN MADE NEW!!!
Oh I’m so thankful we can be made new!!!
I don’t think God had John write these words because he wanted us to spend our lives looking out for the newness that was to come in Rev. 21:5 but rather the newness that was to come in the now - in the present - in our lives
We do not stay still spiritually - we think we put brakes on - but in reality we are either sliding backwards or we are moving forward
we are either anchored to the truth of the Word or we are blown about by ever wind of teaching that comes our way
we need to have those times of newness - the current moments
We were talking last night in our family Christmas about all the craziness and chaos of this last year -
God did some new things in our lives
I see growth in people that I had only dreamed about before
But its because we let God do a new thing
Oh I know we can look around at all the reality and see struggles, and areas that need work, and empty pews, and all of those things - but I believe God has some new things in store for us this coming year -
Oh yes I am longing for the redemption of the all things
but I am also longing and praying and beleiving and trusting God for some new things right here right now in this present world.
I have friends and loved ones who are struggling
There are times that I struggle
We need the God who makes all things new - to do some new things around here.
what do I mean by that -
Personal growth - we should be seeing new victories, answers to prayers, and when we see those climb upon them and plant your flag - This is something new that God did. - We had one of those recently with Bro. Mark - a tremendous answer to prayer
Paul so wanted the Galatians to experience this newness that God offered he prayed...
19 My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,
WE sometimes only think of new things in terms of getting saved - having a relationship with Jesus - but the disciples learned things and we are going to have to as well.
After the experiences of this last year - I want us to close in prayer together this morning asking God’s help in the coming year specifically for God to show himself strong and redemptive in new things.