To the Future

Introduction: Second Movie in the Series, Marty Mcfly just woke up back in his bed in 1985 after a stressful timetraveling adventure with Doc Brown. He is with his girlfriend when a Delorian explodes into existence out of thin air. It is Doc Brown, “Marty, you’ve got to come with me. Where Doc., Back to the Future.”

After an eventful 2020 year, what does the Future look like?

7-God’s Promises are Sure.

Having just celebrated Christmas we are celebrating the faithfulness of God to his Promises.

8-Watch: The Messiah Biblical Theme Video | BibleProject™

9-Let’s think of some other promises that God has made due on.

He Promised to Abraham that he would make him into a great nation and all the nations of the world would be blessed through him.

He promised to Israel that he would save them from slavery in Egypt.

He promised Israel that he would give them the promised land.

He promised the Prophets that if Israel kept chasing idols they would find themselves in exile.

It was these same Prophets that God promised he would bring them back to the promised land.

God’s Promise to David:

2 Samuel 7:25–26 NIV

“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.

12-When I was in High School I received God’s greatest promise - to Redeem me - I had heard of all of his promises all of my life.

Now I know his promise that he will be with me to the very end of the age is true.

We have the best foundation in a God who makes promises and keeps them, but God makes new promsies.

13-God Promises New Ways.

Isaiah 43:18–19 NIV

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

16-God is telling Israel through an Oracle that he was the one who saved Israel from Egypt, but a new thing was going to come which involved sending the Babylonians to exile them. They will have a new Exodus Story that will shape their identity.

While God’s Promises are sure, God does new things.

History of the Church from Abraham to Present

What does this mean - The Gospel never changes, but the means has to change for these reasons.

The Culture around us changes and we need to express the unchanging Gospel in new ways.

We as humans often get attached to the methods more than the Gospel itself.

Many methods have started off well, but human nature makes a mess of it and the method can become an idol. Change helps remind us of the what it is all truly about.

2020 - 2021 - Expect Changes in the Church

COVID

Changing Culture

I don’t know what that is - We are engaging in God Dreams.

Does change scare you or does it excite you?

17-We Can Embrace God’s Promises.

Isaiah 42:9–10 LEB

Look! the former things have come, and I declare new things. I announce them to you before they sprout up.” Sing a new song to Yahweh; praise him from the end of the earth, you who go down to the sea and that which fills it, the coastlands and their inhabitants.

20-This passage is a transition between a word of the Lord through Isaiah speaking about how he was going to send the Messiah. Verse 9 is the end of that Oracle, and Verse 10 is the opening lines a Song of Praise in response to this Oracle.

Knowing God’s promises are true.

The Church will prevail against the gates of hell.

Christ is with us to the end of the age.

Christ will make all things right when he comes again.

Can we embrace the New that God has in store for us?

Many of us will want things to go back to how things were before. - God encourages us to look foward and not back.

Many of us will be torn - I embrace the future, but I also want to embrace old patterns.

Many of us will be super excited for the new - we might get impatient with those who do not share our excitement

We will need to mourn the past and move at the pace of Love.

Conclusion: