12.30.18 See I'm making all things new.

Father God I just ask that you would be with us that we could set things aside Christmas that did or didn't happen and the New Year's that's about to unfold I pray that we would be present with you and that you'd speak to us that your spirit would move and that we would simply here and be transformed Lord. I display all of this in your name. Amen. How many of you guys make New York New Year's resolutions anybody make one two three, not many. Okay. I asked us in the 9 hour. And one of our younger people said what's the point because most people don't follow through on it. And I think that's that's probably true. But can I get that first the next line? I was a head looking up in 90 and 2019 about 38% plan to make this their number one resolution and it's down from 41% in 2018 you guys It would be.

Lose weight every degree. It's lose weight, of course, you know dope at your blood thing fits right in which is nice. So more people are focusing on saving money 37% up from 6% While others resolve to make new friends 11% Get a new job or hobby 12 and then the thing that's the most interesting thing. I think they covered all of the states. No state in 24 2019 has chosen finding love. No state has chosen finding love as their top resolution Okay, so I found that significant. And I also think it's part of what I felt like I was talking to me about for this year and why our numbers are kind of thinning out. Okay. So I love one another going to get that 9 hour and if you haven't been there, I'm recommending that you don't have to there's no shame if you don't go, but if you can make it, it's really good discussions. And I think Dave said about loving one another and I said I felt spontaneously that I wanted to see our church be known as I love one another church. and this is my New Year's resolution for this year. I don't tend to make them and yet I think there's some power and saying it out loud and then we've got 12 months. So 12 months from now and in my goal is not if nothing changes we get bigger or smaller again, that's not the point. The point is that those of us that do come that you would feel that you're being loved by one another. And that this community no matter how big or small it becomes would be known as a place that you could go where they love one another. That's my goal. Okay, that's my goal. And this all kind of fits into this this idea of choice. So on your hand. I found this quote it says that you're looking to change your life or are you looking to just take a break from the one that you're in? Kate and to me. There's really different things that I think when I heard it or read it the first time I was thinking about the repentance deal when you're hell-bent, you know, and you're like, oh no, I don't want to go this way. So you just turn around now, I think this is taking a break where you just like that was rough, you know, maybe it's the day after the morning after that kind of thing and then you're ready to go back and watch you catch your breath again and I think change the change that I'm looking for is where we actually want to go in a different direction. So my question to you is as you're going into this year, are you looking to actually change your life or you're just looking to take a break? It'll make a difference on how much energy you're going to put into your decisions. Okay. That's all prepped for this Isaiah 43 18 through 19.

The prophet Isaiah says but forget all of that. It is nothing compared to what I'm going to do for. I'm about to do something new. Okay. This is the prophet Isaiah having a message from God and God is telling his people forget all of that. You know what that is and he's talking about can I get them Moses picture? He's talking about God's people being set free from slavery. He's talking about the Passover. He's talking about everything that the Jewish people celebrate on a regular annual basis for thousands of years. God is saying to his prophet Isaiah. Forget that that ain't nothing that's the Small Potatoes compared to what I've got planned for you.

Are they see I have already begun. Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the Wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry Wasteland. God I think is communicating a message that as Grand a story as that was there's a grander story that is coming in the future that is yet to be told. So then he goes on Isaiah. 65:17 says this is look I am creating a new heavens and a new Earth and no one will ever think about the old ones empty anymore. He's preparing us. This is again some 700 years before Jesus appearance on the earth. The prophet God is talking to is telling us that this new Heaven and new earth that's coming is going to be so radically different you're going to forget all of the stuff that is come before and I'm going to make not only the Earth new not only everything that's in this but Heaven itself is going to be transformed with you. This is the kind of change that God is talking about and this is the kind of change that we want to focus on over this next year. Around seven hundred years before Jesus. The man was first on the planet. We just celebrated that he starts building this new Heaven and Earth. Can I get that picture there? It is anticipating my every move on my new lovely and talented assistant cuz dance in Green Bay. So, thank you Brian. Can we talk about this where Heaven and Earth are literally going to be brought back together? They were once one place where God was with his people no tears. No Struggle No strife. And this is being rewoven this a promise that before Jesus was told and then now we're going to get to where Jesus talks about this. So the birth of Jesus the death and Resurrection happen some 60 years after this and this is what the Apostle Paul is talking about in Ephesians 2 The Apostle says he did this by ending this system of law with its Commandments and regulations and made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people with the two groups. It's all part of this transformation is where the Jewish people were set apart. And then he brings to all of us the Gentiles into this new Heaven and new earth. This is part of the transformation. So if you are Jewish person this would be revolutionary. This would be crazy making okay to thousand years ago. It would be crazy making now. It's what we know it's commonplace. So what is our future going to look like? Who is it that we exclude ourselves from that do not feel welcome here and why? Again, our younger member of our 9 hours said people know what to experience when they come to church when you talk to somebody about church. They have a picture in their mind whether it's the theater whether it's Notre Dame the Catholic Church where there's Jacob's Well, they have an understanding and an expectation. I was this morning going to turn it upside down. This is what I intend to do. I always go over the top. So I was going to meet you know, flip the you know, have you guys said here face that way I didn't know exactly how crazy I can make it by was going to make it crazy. I thought well that's just ridiculous. Cuz there's no way you can continue that the next week in the next week in the next week. And what point is it, right? That doesn't do anything. But what if each week we can change one thing that's really going to make you feel more. I think the words were accepted appreciated Affirmed. And then we had a few others accepted appreciated affirmed a welcome. That was another one. What is it that we could do in the next seven days were you would feel that we were glad that you were here that you felt personally all day really miss me when I'm not here not like or where is he? I can't believe that he's out doing something crazy. But like I missed your friendship I missed your face. I missed your joke I missed your children. What is it? That could be done simple small within our powers so that you feel loved and accepted and appreciated. Those are the kinds of things that were talking about. You're like, okay, that's not very revolutionary. According to the statistics it would be revolutionary. The one thing people have stopped looking for is love. It's the one thing that's missing and I think that it's the one thing. that matters

can I get to human dignity?

And whether you like the pope or not, I again I've going up and down with this guy. I fell in love with him when he first came on the stage. He did a lot of things that made me think he looks a lot like Jesus. And this is one of my favorite images.

There's a man who has a disease and most people. Wouldn't even make eye contact with him. Much less Embrace him. most people and the pope stopped his motorcade saw the man on the side got down off his vehicle and went to him to embrace him.

And we can say that we love people.

And not mean it.

Or we can show that we love people.

And let it kind of speak for itself.

The image then I want you to think about is what are those things that people can do and do for you where you do feel that your scene? That they know who you are. They recognize Where You Are. They're glad that you came. That you feel loved and appreciated and then how can we do more of those things?

Hebrews 8:13

This is again Paul writing a letter the Apostle to the letter to the Hebrews. It says when God speaks of a New Covenant it means he has made the first one obsolete. I could stop right there when God says he's made a new covenant. It means that he has made the first one. Obsolete Pat. Do you have your phone on you? Okay, just hold it up. Okay, Pat entered into the 21st century by getting a smartphone this year, right? It's amazing incredible. Okay this Amazing device was what he had before that, right? Okay. So there's I don't think yeah, no battery power whatsoever. Why? Why? It's obsolete. It's not it doesn't it's not that it didn't work. It worked fine. Right but it's no longer necessary because he has a new one. It's it's pretty simple. It wasn't a condemnation of this phone. It's simply not there. Yes, sir.

Okay, so he said what would you say to people who are defensive of the flip phone? And for those of us who are slow like me? I think you're saying what about those Christians who are defensive of the old Covenant. Is that what you're saying? Okay, it's a little cold work for me. So we have this this plant in the audience now, they ask the questions. I'm just hoping for okay. So what would you say to somebody who's you know about the Ten Commandments? How are you doing on the Ten Commandments? Give me anyone flying. Okay, have you lied today? How about tomorrow? How about yesterday? You know, you're condemned. You know what you have to do. Do you know what you have to do? If you are confessing that you lied or caught in a lie, if you're under the old Covenant, do you know you have to do

You have to go sacrifice something an animal. Yeah, you have to go to a priest you have to go to Jerusalem. Figure that out. Good luck there, okay. There's no Temple. That's right. It's gone. Now. What are you going to do? Worse, okay, cuz I put kids and my kids sometimes are a little disrespectful. Do you know what you do with your disrespectful children? If you're under the old Covenant you Stone them? You know, how easy life would be?

I would be dead years ago and my wouldn't have any kids. We we get confused. We mix it up we get it mixed up and often times. I think I'm probably I'm going to be the poster child because I represent the people were supposed to teach you the right way. I think we're misleading when I teach so this year my commitment is to start teaching the difference between the old covenant made for the old people which was perfectly good for the time. It was written. But now again it says we have a new covenant which means he's made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear and you know, I have Pat's flip phone. Cuz mine disappeared. I don't know where it is. You know, we just let the kids play with them, but then I don't know. Anyway, it disappeared. One of the problems I think we have in the church is we haven't let the old Covenant disappear. Cuz we're under the new one again. I know I'm going to cause trouble but hang with me, okay? So going on the Apostle John in Revelations, 21 says God tells him this and the one sitting on the throne said look I'm making everything new and then he said to me write this down what I tell you is trustworthy and true. This Apostle saw Jesus. In the flash he walked with them. He talked with them he ate with him.

He also saw firsthand. Jesus die.

He's a first I Witness.

I think John followed Jesus. While he was living because he was really revolutionary. He was a most loving person the most humanizing person that there was Ever what? And you know, what happened when he died when Jesus died. What happened to John? Where did he go?

Do you know?

He won. He was at the cross, but where did he go after that? Most of them scattered they were scared. Know whether or not he followed them in that moment or not, but there was some point where I think some doubt wasn't involved. You know, he saw this guy. I thought he was going to do this and look no worries add. It's going to be hard to rule from the grave. You know what I'm saying, right? but when he rose

John followed wholeheartedly because he wrote Because he wrote. Because it was the evidence of the new life that God had begun.

So God is making all things new everything. Is he making everything new? Is there any limitation? What does it include? What is excluded in the word everything?

nothing Nothing is excluded. He's making all things new which brings me back to the this beginning idea

We have a history. In our family of hiding Easter baskets for a kid's. I don't know if some of you will know the story some of you won't few years ago. I was challenged that it was too easy. You know, I wasn't doing a good job as a dad hiding the basket. So this was Izzy and I'm glad she's not here cuz she might be a little embarrassed. But anyway, so I'm like so I am hit the basket so well that everyone else had found theirs and she was kind of distraught. It was like, I don't know hour later. It was a while. She looked everywhere. And she was everyone helped right and it was in the house and she was now this is my good dad moment shopping. on the floor crying a great dad, right? I'm very happy Easter to thank you. Thank you. Thank you. What was funny about this as I had duct tape the basket underneath the kitchen table and literally she was on her face sobbing on the floor about two-and-a-half feet from where the Easter basket was. She wasn't looking in the right places. I think people are looking for love in the wrong places. And I think that's why the seats are empty. I also think people may have looked here and not found it. Which also makes me very sad.

Mother Teresa We cannot all do great things. I can't change. What's happened here? I can't change the fact that a lot of people are misrepresenting Jesus and some really awful ways. I can't change that. But we can do small things with great love. I want to become a better caretaker of you all. I want to be able to show you God's love in a better way.

Practical real not not some mystical thought Theory filled way but in a real way. Were you feel accepted? You feel appreciated you feel welcome. And you feel this great love.

Jesus died for you. There's no greater love than that.

and if that's true

Then all we need to do is be able to reflect that back to one another and I think things will change.

the most important thing that will change me important to me the most important thing to you is you will change. The only thing we got I can't fix you and you certainly can't fix me. Although many have tried. But I know who can't I didn't know who will. Cuz he's the one who locked.

Start New Year's about to happen. I'm kind of stirring things up as we go forward hoping those questions. I'm hoping you have a ideas how we can do this together. I want to know if you have time you could email you could put it on a piece of paper and put in a box. Tell me what it was. What's a way that you specifically personally feel loved and accepted. What would happen What would have to happen what could possibly happen then that would make a difference and then share that with us. And then let's see how creative we can be together. I'm going to pray and then I'm going to go rescue Isabel from her kids father God. I just ask that you would straighten out the difference between the old Covenant and the new. That you would speak to us about how you have you didn't abolish the old but you fulfilled it and so once it was fulfilled it can be set aside and now you give us this new covenant. And your arm making a new creations. Lord give us a vision for what that could be for each one of us as individual. And then also speak to us about a community that is known for its love of one another. I pray that you would make it specific and clear and that it may not be easy. But you said it is certainly doable. I pray all of your name.