New Year:New World

Intro

We have been talking about the gospel this year and what it means for God to make us new.

I was talking with someone on Sunday and she put it in a helpful light. Being made new is about having NEW PERSEPCTIVES

New People

New Community

How we as new people belong to and depend on the support of one another to live new lives in a world still marked by Not Quite Right

New World

When Jesus came he called new people to See the world and to live in it DIFFERENTLY.

Sermon on the MOUNT

LG LO MD

This week we conclude our series looking at what it means to live our lives based on the values of a new world. Even when that new world isn’t fully here yet.

It challenges what we really believe,

Lets pray,

I - Here I am doing what I am supposed to do and its just so hard. What is up with that! I want to give up.

Y

Y - How do we sustain a new kind of life in an old kind of world? What happens when we live what we belive and it doesnt work out.

When I try and live like new in this old world things dont go as I hope.

Like...

Start praying more

going to church

connecting with belivers

behaving better

reading the bible

making sacrifices

Love God

Loving others

Being a disciple

and then my car breaks down

I get fired

G

that thing I have been praying for forever still hasnt happened

i get sick

im back in the hospital

ect. ect. ect.

and I think, what is the point of all this. Here I am trying, and im not recieving the blessings I expect.

I give so much to you God, cant you throw me a BONE! Because this way of life is HARD.

Its so much easier to not go to chruch, to not love others, to hold onto grudges, to keep all my money, to ignore the needs of others, to never pick up the bible ect. ect ect. WHERE IS THE PAYOFF?!

G - If we fix our eyes on what is unseen, it becomes possible to live a new way in an old world. Our attention determine our

Trans:

Story:

Paul made new, tells other they are new creations, lives in a new way

but what does it get him?

TROUBLE

Tell the story:

Paul's troubles

WHy should anyone listen to you!

makes people want to ask, "If what you are saying is true how come your life sucks?!" - "I have asked this question of God, for me it usually looks like this 'If this is all really true what did X happen?' 'WHere is the blessing?' - If you are REALLY following the one true God why does your life suck!?

Paul rather than hide his troubles instead argues that God is REVEALED by the contrast. PAUL can have hope in the middle of a troubled life FILLED with setbacks. why?

2 points basically -

1 God's power is REVEALED in the midst of the contrast and trouble

2. Paul survives Because his eyes are FIXED on what is UNSEEN - IF they werent he would give up

Because the way the world is now is on its way out.

Living like New PEOPLE in the OLD world is hard. we are called to do crazy things

love ENEMIES, Give generously, offer hospitality, forgiveness, love, service. The CALL is not easy.

In our workplaces and lives we are called to put others first. to lay ourselves down for the good of someone else.

reconciliation, forgiveness, trust, humility, dependence

We face trouble all the time . Regular stuff AND a life that is harder because of being new in an old world. The gospel calls us to live in ways that dont make sense in this world. BUT they do make sense in light of the next one.

Jesus talks about it like storing up treasures in heaven. for paul its about where you fix your eyes.

Where will I fix my eyes this year?

Y

WHere are you fixing your eyes?

Is it on the hope that something will happen, a good weekend a new job a dream you have

Is it on that good things bad things scale "things have to work out for me soon"

Is it on the last hard thing that has happend to you

we get to decide where we are going to fix our eyes

and usually we have to do it again and again

Every day with every decision you make you get to decide which world you believe is true

God's story or something else

God's view of me or something else

God's view of the church or something else

God's view of others or something else

And when you wake up tomorrow you gotta do it again step with the spirit or not

What do you believe today

Are you now in Christ?

How goes your walk?

It's a battle

It's not easy

When you are with your enemies (what perspective will you take?)

When you wake up - What world do you believe is true?

When that person does that

Where you fix your eyes, determines where you Go

1.Remember

2. Draw closer to someone who can HELP you adjust your focus when you are missing the point.

3. Spend time in God's Word.

4. Spend time with God's people.

5. Live like its true

6. Get support.

7. Take time to FIX YOUR EYES on CHRIST

W

Revelaiton 21

One of Jesus disciples ended his life in exile. And while he was living out the last years of his life he had a vision recoreded in the book of Revelation.

It ends with a picture a promise.

An image of what as Christians we put our hope in. The new world that is right around the corner

read it.

SS:

Our attention determines our Destination

our Focus determines our Future

Fix your eyes on what is UNSEEN

Your body follows your eyes

Where you look determines where you will go