Sermon Tone Analysis

We are turning over a New Year

2017 ends tonight at 11:59 pm.

It has held some great things for each of us

It has also held things that each of us would not want to ever face again

Death

Loss

pain

broken dreams and plans

at 12 midnight, we turn the page on a new set of calendar pages and a new year

We each are encouraged by what blank space of time in front of us can mean.

A new job

A new dream fulfilled

new relationships

new possibilities

Some will put their hope in the lottery system

Some will put their hope in a resume and a new company

Some will put their hope in relationships

The fact is, we will all put our hope in something for this new year.

Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ 4 Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD.”

And they did so.

5 Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6 So he made ready his chariot and took his people with him.

7 Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.

8 And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.

9 So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them.

So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the LORD.

11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?

Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’?

For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.

Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today.

For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.

14 The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

15 And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.

The people felt that they were trapped.

All around them were obstacles

And now they look back and they see their past catching up with them

And they fear for their lives.

Problem - We are Eternal Beings Limited to Temporal Bodies

Adam and Eve (Mankind) were created in the image and likeness of the Godhead

They were to live in community relationship

They were to live forever

They were not limited by the confines of sinfulness

Used 100% of their brains and faculties

Because of sin - we use 10%

They could see things that we cannot

They could believe for things that we cannot

They lived in a way that we cannot

They lived with an eternal mindset - we do not

We live in the here and now - That influences moments like New Years Eve.

We are affected by and molded by what we have experienced up to this moment

The pain of 2017 has created mindsets in our thinking

Those mindsets will set direction in 2018

Those mindsets will limit vision in 2018

Those visions will set boundaries for 2018

God Doesn’t want us to be Limited in 2018

I believe that God is going to use the year 2018 to set his people free to worship him

That was the whole reasoning behind the exodus from Egypt.

And that’s the point that got Pharaoh in trouble with God

He would let the men

No women, no children

But God wanted all of his people to worship him.

I also believe that God is going to use the year 2018 to set his people free to do his work.

The days are getting short

Time is of the essence - It’s important

And God has put the church here to do something great for the Kingdom.

With those two things in mind - I believe that there are three things that the Lord gave me for us going into the new year.

#1 - Your past does not have to dictate your future!

The things that we have been through

The homes we grew up in

The situations that we have experienced

All of these things effect us

And for too many, they lead them into a future of despair and brokeness and even death

Yes, we are the result of what we have been through and the way that we are raised

Bu the God of heaven today says that you are my child.

And though you are very much affected by these things of your past, I have written your future.

The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for so long that’s all they thought they could ever be.

but God was showing them a different future.

Peter vs Judas

Peter met Jesus at a fire

Judas went and hung himself

#2 - God will use your past for GOOD!

Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose

God knows what He is doing

He is trying to bring you to a much different place than where you are at.

It may take some recalculating, but he will get you there.

God knows how to fit the broken pieces of life back into the puzzle of life

God sees the end and knows how it all fits together

And He can speak things that are missing back into place.

The Apostle Paul

Saul, persecuted the church.

They were afraid of him

they didn’t trust him

But God takes all of that and Saul the destroyer of the church becomes Paul the builder and networker of the church.

#3 - In God - Your tomorrow holds more promise and possibility than you ever could have believed in Yesterday.

What am I saying?

- Now that you are one more day away from the trials and tribulations of yesterday - tomorrow begins to look a little better.

God has been in your future

God knows your future

God cares about your future