http://bible.com/events/48870340

All Things New: The New Road
“If you are in Christ, whatever is next is better.”

Have we ever, as a people, more desperately needed to trade the old for the new than right now?
This season has brought to light some real pain & some real brokenness in all of us.
Our new series, All Things New, is based on the truth that we desperately need something new.
We have incredible hope in this reality: Today God wants to awaken something new in you

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” Isaiah 43:18-19

-This is a powerful promise, written to people in deep despair: to those in exile, to those who would feel totally hopeless. “I am doing a new thing”
-What’s most fascinating about this promise, is that when we see it in its context, it is way more challenging and way more powerful than you might think.

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:16-19‬‬
This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: “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.

-The Lord is reminding His people of the Exodus from Egypt, one of the greatest displays of His power and provision.
-We expect the promise (“forget the former things”) to apply to former moments of pain and frustration, but that’s not the complete context here.
-The message is this: “remember God’s faithfulness, but trust that He has something new ahead. “
-Both implications are true: we can’t be looking for yesterday’s blessings and we can’t be held captive by yesterday’s failures.

If you are in Christ,
whatever is next is better.

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:1-5‬‬
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

The promise of new is not just a promise for the here and now. It’s a promise for what is to come.

“All things new”

Verses for further study/reflection:
Lamentations 3:22-23
Philippians 3:13-14
Ephesians 2:4-5
John 3:3
John 3:5
Romans 10:9
2 Corinthians 5:16-17

All Things New: The New Road
“If you are in Christ, whatever is next is better.”

Have we ever, as a people, more desperately needed to trade the old for the new than right now?
This season has brought to light some real pain & some real brokenness in all of us.

Doesn’t something within us long for something totally new after these last two years?

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21:1-5‬‬
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

This year friends, our Easter series “All Things New” is based on the idea that we not only like new, but we also desperately need “new” and that new is available to us through literal new life in Christ – the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The new that’s offered to us today in Christ, is a down payment on the ultimate new we read about in Revelation 21 – BOTH are offered this very day.

Every year the Easter season reminds us that Christ not only did resurrection (in the past tense), but that he IS resurrection in the present, and he is the source of the new that we so desperately need in our lives and in our world.

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43:16-19‬‬
This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: “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.

-The Lord is reminding His people of the Exodus from Egypt, one of the greatest displays of His power and provision.
-We expect the promise (“forget the former things”) to apply to former moments of pain and frustration, but that’s not the complete context here.
-The message is this: “remember God’s faithfulness, but trust that He has something new ahead. “
-Both implications are true: we can’t be looking for yesterday’s blessings and we can’t be held captive by yesterday’s failures.

If Isaiah 43:16-19 were written for you right now, right at this moment, what would be your “former things” and what would you want him to make new?

Had the people of God allowed their failures and mistakes to deter them from seeking the Lord, or had they only remembered God’s faithfulness in the past- they could have easily believed that it was over. That there was no way they would ever see a new life.

As with so many prophecies in the Old Testament, the prophet wasn’t just speaking about the immediate fulfillment of the return of the Jewish people to their homeland, he was looking ahead to the time when Christ would come, and deal with the real oppressor of his people… Sin

Just as God made a way for the children of Israel then, he has made a new way for all to be free from sin through the life, sufferings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In Christ we have literal new life because of him.

When we have experienced new life in Christ, the new is here and until we reach heaven, God is doing new works of grace in our hearts and lives, making us to be like He is.

He is making all things new!

Verses for further study/reflection:
Lamentations 3:22-23
Philippians 3:13-14
Ephesians 2:4-5
John 3:3
John 3:5
Romans 10:9
2 Corinthians 5:16-17

http://bible.com/events/48864357

He Learned Obedience

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5:7-9‬‬
During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him

Would you be willing to think about suffering this morning? Your suffering?

You may have the faith to be healed but do you have the faith to continue on even if you’re not.

David Guzik: Though Jesus was God and is God, yet He learned obedience. God, enthroned in heaven’s glory, can only experience obedience by casting off the glory of the throne and humbling Himself as Jesus did. Surely, there is no need for “obedience” in Heaven because there is no “disobedience.” As God, Christ had access to divine omniscience and omnipotence. However, according to Scripture, He chose to experience human weaknesses such as hunger and fatigue. He also chose to experience learning and growth. In Luke, Jesus is said to have “learned” through His struggles. In the context of the original writing, the concept of “learning” is intimately tied to the idea of “experiencing.” The focus is not so much on Jesus becoming aware of what suffering is, but Jesus actually putting into practice what He was called to do. He suffered.

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:12-13‬‬
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:17-18‬‬
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

None of the glory we so desire is birthed without suffering:
Not freedom from sin
Not strength for the journey
Not peace that passes understanding
Not the joy of the Lord

Oswald Chambers: To choose to suffer means that there is something wrong; to choose God’s will even if it means suffering is a very different thing. No healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he chooses God’s will, as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. Be merciful to God’s reputation. It is easy to blacken God’s character because God never answers back, He never vindicates Himself. Take for instance God’s so-called ‘waste’ of saints, according to the judgment of the world. God plants His saints in some of the most useless places. We say, ‘God intends me to be here because I am so useful.’ Jesus never estimated His life along the line of the greatest use. God puts His saints where they will glorify Him most, and we are no judges at all of where that is.

About Suffering: One question never to ask and two questions always to ask:
Never ask: Why?
Always ask:
1. What does obedience look like today?
2. Who needs me today?

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1:3-5‬‬
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

Steadfast Loyalty
Christianity is not consistency to conscience or to convictions; Christianity is being true to Jesus Christ. – Oswald Chambers

“We are stuck in a generation (culture) where loyalty is just a tattoo, love is just a quote, and lying is the new truth”

‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭3:1-15‬‬
Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” “I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” “By what route shall we attack?” he asked. “Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered. So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them. “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the Lord called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?” But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, through whom we may inquire of the Lord?” An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elisha son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.” Jehoshaphat said, “The word of the Lord is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him. Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” “No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the Lord who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.” Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. But now bring me a harpist.” While the harpist was playing, the hand of the Lord came on Elisha

GOD’S UNDERSTANDING OF LOYALTY

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:34-38‬‬
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

DEMONSTRATING STEADFAST OR FAITHFUL LOVE IN (COVENANT) RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM

We want a god we don’t have to trust
We want a god that’s ok with lust
We want a god that doesn’t ask for much
Some of us serve a god by the name of “us”
-Andy Mineo

Are we loyal to the One who redeemed us?

HOW HE WANTS LOYALTY TO BE LIVED OUT
1. Completely undivided
2. Daily, over a lifetime

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:23-25‬‬
Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?

http://bible.com/events/48857393

Church of the Nazarene

James and the Wanderers
Wanderers are all around you. What will you do about them?

And as we prepare to dive into these final words from James’ letter, let’s pause for a moment to reflect on our journey.

What have we learned?
How are we different now?
What steps are we taking?

1. We must trust God in the storm
-“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds” James 1:2
-“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
-Almost every truth we read from James is through this perspective: not just that we can trust God no matter what, we must.

2. We must act on what we believe
-You can’t separate this from the first point because they are tied together: trusting God in the storm results in action.
-“Don’t just listen to the word. Do what it says.” James 1:22
-This action shows up in so many different ways: we measure and steward our words carefully (James 1:26, James 3:6), we care for those others ignore (James 1:27), we don’t show favoritism (James 2:8-9).

3. We must walk in humility
-Trusting God in the storms of our life is the birthplace of true humility. Acting on what we believe requires constant humility.
-There is a battle with us, a divided loyalty (James 4:4, James 4:10). The call to humility ultimately asks the question “Who has your heart?” (James 5:5)
-There is power available to us when we walk in this truth: God is the source. He is Lord. I don’t have to be.

But what about those for whom this isn’t true?

-What about those who struggle to trust?
-What about the one who claims no faith in Christ?
-Or whose faith has become so stagnant, so superficial, so lifeless and without any action?

How should we respond?
James’ final exhortation is with this question in mind.

‭‭James‬ ‭5:19-20‬‬
My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

-James’ heart is clear. The final thing on his mind is the return of those who were once followers but have turned away. His heart is for what Jesus called ‘the one’.
-“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?” (Matthew 18:12)
-The word here for ‘wanders’ is the same root word that James uses in 5:19.
-The message of Jesus and the final words of James is this: have such a heart for the wanderer, that you will pursue them. Not separate from them, but run after them.

“My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them.” James 5:19 (The Message)

Wanderers are all around you. What will you do about them?

Verses for further study/reflection:
2 Corinthians 5:11-21
2 Timothy 4:5
1 Peter 4:8
Proverbs 10:12

James in 8 Minutes
This overview video on the book of James breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In this book, James combines the wisdom of his brother Jesus with the book of Proverbs in his own challenging call to live a life wholly devoted to God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY