He Will Make All Things New
In Revelation 21:5 The Apostle John records Jesus saying
“And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.”
I don’t know a person that doesn’t like and
appreciate things which are new! Our children’s eyes light up when we
talk of giving them a new toy, a new gadget, or a new book. Even we like
new clothes, new cars, new appliances, new tools, jewelry, furniture,
and even new ideas. In this respect, we are all like children.
So we should not be surprised, that the
mere words of the text this morning sound like a pleasant song in our
ears; but I am thankful that their deeper meaning is even more joyful.
The newness which Jesus brings is bright, clear, life changing, ongoing,
heavenly, and even enduring.
Most of us here this morning are ready for a new year.
Most of us have grown weary of 2011 with all its hardships. We are glad
to escape from what has been for many twelve-months of trials, and we
hope that this newborn year will be better than its predecessor. At any
rate, it is new, and we are encouraged, even happy, so we say to one
another, “I wish you a happy New Year.”
It is a shame when people get stuck in the
past and lose the joy because they don’t see the ever evolving
progression of God’s plan for their lives. The Bible in 2 Cor. 5:17
declares that when we become a Christian we become a new creation in Christ.
The Bible speaks a lot about new things; specifically of new songs, new
covenants, new mornings, new hearts, new garments, new wine, new
heavens, and a new earth. In fact, even in the closing words of the
Bible,
God finalizes His eternal agenda by declaring,
“Behold I make all things new…” (Rev 21:5)
The Lord has been in the business of
renewing ever since the beginning. From the Creation event where He
manipulated matter itself, to making new covenants, to remaking lives
and now even on a personal level of making us anew.
As we read thru the New Testament we read about individuals who after meeting Jesus, their lives were changes, made new.
Do you remember the stories of Zaccaheus
and Matthew. When Jesus first met them they were both looked down upon
because they were Tax collectors. And after their encounter with Jesus
Zacceheus choose to make it right with anyone he ever cheated, and then
had Jesus into his home, and likewise Matthew opened his home to Jesus
and eventually became one of the 12 apostles. Peter, James and John,
mere fisherman also became his greatest spokesmen and apostles.
Those steeped in sin and immoral ways of
life after meeting Jesus change their lives. Even Saul who persecuted
the church and Christians with a vengeance after meeting Jesus on the
road to Damascus became a new man, even receiving a new name like Peter
who was on called Simon, Saul was later called Paul, He was a new man
and became one of Jesus’ greatest missionaries and apostles.
Over and over we read stories in the New
Testament of men and women whose lives were changed when they came in
contact with Jesus, and it’s still happening today.
Someone once said, “Newness can also come from rediscovering that which may be old.”
As people hear the old, old story about the
Savior, lives change. Criminals give up their life of crime and become
missionaries. Addicts give up their addictions and become servants and
spoke persons for the Lord. You hear about the personal testimonies over
and over again, of how Jesus can make us new. I want to show you two
videos that illustrate this:
IMPORTANT
Click on and View
Then
You may not believe how these men saw
their visions but they do, and it changed them. Or maybe your story is
not a dramatic as these two examples but it is happening every day. Why do we change and do things we never thought we’d be capable of doing because of Jesus? Is it because He forces something on us, twisting our arm saying, ‘you better do it or else?’
No, rather it’s because when
someone reads or hears about Jesus, and learns about who He really is,
and how much He loves us, and then what He did for us, some believe.
Something touches our heart and we fall in love with Jesus. Faith wells
up, a want, a desire, a hope for something better something new, and a
life changes.
Some of you personally know exactly what I
am talk about. You are not the person you were when you first learned
about Jesus. - You heard about Him, You learned about Him, how much He
loves you, and wanted to save you from your sin and restore you back to
the Father, How He was willing to die for us.
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- You believed, you put your faith in Him, you asked Him to save you and take away your sin. You trusted Him as you went down in the waters of Baptism to remove your sin,
- You believed, you put your faith in Him, you asked Him to save you and take away your sin. You trusted Him as you went down in the waters of Baptism to remove your sin,
- and now you want to live for Him, asking Him to be the new Lord of your life,
And because of the new relationship with our Lord Jesus your whole life has turned upside down. Because
of our relationship with Him, we think differently, we act differently,
our priorities change, we become better people as we draw even closer
to Jesus. Some of us are even different than we a year ago.
As we enter this new year, He still wants
to work on you and me, renewing us and helping us become more than we
ever thought we could become. Whether you realize it or not, if you are a
Christian the best is yet to come.
In Philippians 3 Paul was basically saying,
‘Yea as far as my old life goes, I’ve given that up because knowing
Christ and His way is so much better. Compared to knowing Jesus and
doing His will my old life was no more than garbage.’
I think he was saying, ‘Yea even if I have
to suffer and die like Jesus did, it’s still worth it just to be able to
experience a resurrection and the prize of Heaven. He goes on to say,
“Not that I already have it, (Just like none of us have it easy or
perfect now) but he says,
“but I press on to take hold for that which Christ took hold of me.’ He said, ‘One thing I do: I try to Forget what is behind me and strain toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.’
He
goes on to say that you should all have the same attitude if you are a
Christian. To read entire context click on the following
link Philippians 3:7-14 And I think we should likewise seek a new
righteousness that comes from God on the basis of our faith. I believe
that Jesus will help us and wants us to become all that we can be if we
just let Him.
In John 14, John records Jesus saying,
“15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
In Chapter 16 John records Jesus saying,
“12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all
truth. He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what he hears,
and He will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.”
When we think we can’t change, or conquer a
sin habit, or change a lousy attitude, or overcome a fear, or do
something we never thought we could do before on our own, Jesus tells
His disciples, ‘You don’t have to do it on your own.
As this new year begins I want you to
realize Jesus going to be there to help you. His Spirit will be with you
and in you to help you make those changes. He will convict you from
within. He will silently help and guide you.’
That promise if for everyone who is a Christian.
If you are not a Christian I encourage you
to consider becoming one. Learn about who Jesus is and what He has done
for you. He is God’s one and only son who was born with flesh and blood
just like you and me. He lived a perfectly pure life and then was
willing to give up that life as a sacrifice for us. He was beat and
abused and was willing to suffer punishment and a cruel death on a
wooden cross for your and my sin. If you believe that let others know as
well a Jesus Himself. Do your very best to turn from your sin in
repentance and follow Him. And then He tells us that He will take away
and remove our sin in the waters of Baptism (see Acts 2:36-41 and Colossians 2:8-13 ) I encourage you to find a Church of Christ near you and let them help and assist you learn more about our wonderful savour.
So may challenge is to pick something you
want to change about yourself or something you want to improve in your
life and lay it before Him. If it’s something He wants to help you with,
He will. If Jesus could change those men we saw in the videos, or
dramatically change the lives we read about in the Bible I think is He
strong enough to help you with an attitude problem or a bad habit.
Trust Him and just watch what He will this up and coming year.
For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566
