New Year, New You - Part 1

Opening Story/Illustration: So it’s a new year. How many of you set a new year’s resolution? What were they? Over the next few weeks I want to lay out some “new” things I believe God wants to give us. They are things that help us each day to be grow and be made new in Christ. I was talking to a friend of mine the other day. She was down because she didn’t think God was coming through and answering her prayers the way she wanted. She said she had a faith problem - I told her she didn’t have a faith problem, she had a perspective problem. Maybe God was working in a way she didn’t see. This is what I think we could all use from time to time - A new Perspectiv

Transition to the Text: The book of Revelation, for all its weirdness, is a great book. It was written at a time when the people of God, and even the writer John, were asking some questions. Tough questions. John sits exiled on the island of Patmos. He’s basically in prison for his faith. The Church is experiencing persecution and perhaps the tough questions they are asking -

Where is God?

Isn’t life supposed to be different than this?

Why are we going through difficulty?

What do we do now?

Have you ever asked questions like this? Maybe you’re asking them now. Where is God? Why are we going through what we are going through.

God answers John with a series of visions we know as the book of Revelation. What I think God is doing is changing their perspective.

All they saw were the problems in front of them, God was going to help them see the bigger picture.

Text:

In John sees in a vision the throne room of God

Text:

Revelation 4 NLT

1 Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” 2 And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. 3 The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. 4 Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. 6 In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. 7 The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. 8 Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” 9 Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), 10 the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, 11 “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

Transition to Points: This is what I want to remind you of tonight. See the bigger picture. Let God give you a new perspective for 2019!

Jesus is still with you

In , John Gets a vision of Jesus - It’s a vision of someone who is powerful and in Control. Where is he? He’s among his churches!

Jesus is reminding his church that he is present with them! Even though they may be going through difficulty and problems.

God is on the throne, and Jesus is in Control

Revelation 1:9–20 NLT

9 I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus. 10 It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit. Suddenly, I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet blast. 11 It said, “Write in a book everything you see, and send it to the seven churches in the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” 12 When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. 13 And standing in the middle of the lampstands was someone like the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. 14 His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were like flames of fire. 15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. 16 He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth. And his face was like the sun in all its brilliance. 17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. 19 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen. 20 This is the meaning of the mystery of the seven stars you saw in my right hand and the seven gold lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

God is still on the throne

Jesus is with us

In , John Gets a vision of the throne room. He sees God on the throne and the angels around the throne worshipping him!

John makes a big deal about the throne here - He mentions it 9 times in these 11 verses.

What’s John’s point - Even though you’re facing issues and the world may seem like it’s out of control, God is still on the throne.

Revelation 4 NLT

1 Then as I looked, I saw a door standing open in heaven, and the same voice I had heard before spoke to me like a trumpet blast. The voice said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this.” 2 And instantly I was in the Spirit, and I saw a throne in heaven and someone sitting on it. 3 The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones—like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow. 4 Twenty-four thrones surrounded him, and twenty-four elders sat on them. They were all clothed in white and had gold crowns on their heads. 5 From the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder. And in front of the throne were seven torches with burning flames. This is the sevenfold Spirit of God. 6 In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living beings, each covered with eyes, front and back. 7 The first of these living beings was like a lion; the second was like an ox; the third had a human face; and the fourth was like an eagle in flight. 8 Each of these living beings had six wings, and their wings were covered all over with eyes, inside and out. Day after day and night after night they keep on saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty— the one who always was, who is, and who is still to come.” 9 Whenever the living beings give glory and honor and thanks to the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever), 10 the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the one sitting on the throne (the one who lives forever and ever). And they lay their crowns before the throne and say, 11 “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

Jesus Will make all things new

As you go into 2019, remember God is still present, and God is still in control.

How do we remind ourselves of those 2 realities? We worship.

Jesus

Notice in Chapter 1, before all these visions start - John was worshipping in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.

Worship takes my eyes off of my issues and puts them on God. This allows me to see that God is present with me and in control. God is bigger than my problem. No matter the outcome, God is still in control!

Tonight I don’t know what you are facing, But like John, lets worship and let’s allow God to speak and give us a new perspective tonight!

Main Idea: Worship gives us a new perspective

Tonight, let’s worship!

New Year, New You - Part 1

Introduction

Points

Conclusion