A New Year

I began to reflect upon this past year and thought it was important as your shepherd to spend a few moments reflecting upon this past year. I want to take a look and see how God has worked in our lives over this past year and to offer a perspective as how we are to look forward to this coming year.

Heather in her wonderful words, posted this the other day on FB

As we are poised to embark on a brand new year, it causes us to look back, even momentarily. This past year has been filled with loss: milestone graduations and birthdays were not celebrated in a way that was deserved; weddings were not the lauded and consecrated as planned; lives of those passed on were not commemorated as warranted. Trips were cancelled; family gatherings put on hold; hugs weren't given and connections were made difficult. With this loss comes grief and it is appropriate to mourn and cry. As tears stream down our faces and drop into the crevices of our fractured hearts, may they warm our souls to melt the iciness of grief into the warm subtle glow of gratefulness. Until we mourn our losses, we cannot be expected to be grateful for what we have (inspired by Kay Warren).

Grateful for what we have.

As I began reflecting this week, I realized that God has wired me with a propensity to look only to the future.

I, to a fault often overlook the past and seem to move forward leaving a trail for others to follow and sometimes miss things that God is wanting me to see.

It is in the moving forward that I overlook the lessons, blessings, losses and gains that have been in our lives.

Grateful

It is with this in mind that I thought we could take a few moments, this Sunday, to reflect upon the past year and from those reflections hopefully have a new perspective as we look to the future as to what God has in store for us.

This morning I would like to take you through a walk or journey of various scriptures . It should give us a look into the process that people went through as they journeyed with God and to discover our journey is similar.

But First, I want you to think for a moment upon this past year.

I want you to reflect on this.

Can you state one way God made himself real this past year to you.

A moment, a time or a situation in which God’s presence, His power or comfort stood out in your life.

There are many things we could describe that we lost, but in that Loss, how has God become real to you?

If a thought doesn’t come to your mind, can you state what you are grateful for from this last year?

This morning, we are going to take a few moments for those who are willing to go into our breakout rooms and be given a chance to discuss this with one another.

To share with one another in a practical way in which we have weathered the storm of last year and to be reminded of God’s presence in that storm.

As we work through scripture this morning, we will reflect upon how God has become real to us this past year.

Has something come to mind?

You know, 12 months ago we were looking forward to 2020. I am not sure about you but I liked the way 2020 sounded like.

A new year

As pastors in our district we gathered together to study and encourage one another and the book we worked through posed this question.

“What would your church look like if you could not meet?”

The author was getting us to think and examine what is and should the church look like.

As we meet to discuss the book this question seemed to catch our attention and a discussion was lively, we had a lot of theories.

I can tell you now, I now I don’t just have theories, I have answers.

Those answers have led me to believe that the Church is stronger than we could have ever imagined.

Let’s Pray

The first scripture I want to take you through is that of the beginning of the early church

Remember the early church? It started out with a dozen leaders following a risen saviour.

Jesus said to Peter,

Matthew 16:18 ESV

18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The followers are excited with thoughts of the messiah had come to rescue them from the Romans.

Then their world is turned upside down.

Jesus is lead to the cross and dies.

For three days, they mourn the loss of what they perceived as what could have been for their dreams and hopes of a messiah.

Their hopes and dreams of what they believed God was going to do for them were shattered during those dark days between the cross and the empty grave.

But then Hope became alive.

Christ rose triumphantly from the grave bringing chaos to an end and victory ensued. They began to understand God’s plan and not theirs.

Jesus spent his last few weeks on earth, bringing words of hope and preparation for what was a coming kingdom.

He leaves his followers with a promise that the Holy Spirit will come and build the early church.

It was an exciting time of growth and powerful working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the people during those early days of what we have become to understand as the local church.

God was real, God was evident in their lives,

Life was good… Then the unexpected happened... chaos.

Acts 8:1 ESV

1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

What was quickly developed as normal church life, had now turned upside down.

They were not together, in fact, many had gone into hiding.

Folks, this past year has been rough as a church family, I have often felt that we have been scattered from one another.

I have been mourning the loss of meeting together. We still haven’t seen a few people for various reasons.

Yes, we have been told we can’t physically meet together once again,

and yes, we haven’t been banned from meeting.

And yet,

I have listened to stories of people missing the connections with one another and feeling the loss.

The Feeling of isolation and loss.

I have been talking of the Context of community in a disciples life

and it has been very different these past months.

We have mourned the loss of loved ones this past year and were not able to gather together to encourage one another.

Just recently my good friend from College was able to stay with us as he quarantined. He was coming to say goodbye to both his Father & Mother who died within weeks of one another.

If there is one thing that this pandemic has done for us as a church is to really establish what is important to us as disciples of Christ.

We have been learning that a disciple is one who is

Seeking to know God, while being transformed into the image of Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, in the context of community.

So I ask a question.

During this past year, has the pandemic brought you closer to God?

I have story after story that people have had the chance to slow down and take the time to seek after God’s Word.

Psalm 119:105 ESV

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

In your times of quietness have you spent time seeking to know God better. What scriptures have come to mind

Maybe its a song

Look at the song,

Holy, holy, holy!

Maybe your life is feeling like the verse

Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see

Only Thou art holy There is none beside Thee Perfect in power, in love and purity

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty Oh thy works shall praise Thy name In earth and sky and sea

What have you clung onto this past year?

Before I take you to a familiar passage and a direction for the coming year, I would like for you to spend a few moments in the context of community sharing with one another what has held you this past year.

If you are listening to this recording, I want you to stop for a moment and write out ways you have experienced God this past year.

The Israelites were often told to mark this down, build a structure, tell your children.

This is one of those times.

As you head into break out rooms, may I encourage you to take a few moments to share with one another.

If you want to spend this time alone with God, feel free to stay in the main session and write out the ways you experienced God this past year.

Breakout Rooms

A New Year

Welcome back. I hope those who wanted a time to share were able to share and those listening were encouraged in your walk with God. We will be opening up at the end of the service once again time for you to go to breakout rooms, may I encourage you to go and to spend some time in prayer with and for one another.

I would like to now take a few moments and spend some time in a few familiar passages.

Passages that should direct us as we move forward this year, a year that is starting out with many unclear pathways. Many questions.

I want to guild you through the stories in scripture to provide clarity in the life we live as believers in this world of uncertainties.

I would love to be able to give you answers to the many questions we have as to what the future holds, but I want to leave you with out a shadow of a doubt the clarity we have in the hope in our God.

The first scripture I want to take you to is found in the book of Joshua.

Scripture

Joshua 1:1–9 ESV

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Where they have been

You see the people of God up until this point were also living in a world of chaos.

40 years earlier, they were heading to a promise land filled with potential and promise. Having seeing the power and miracles of God they found themselves on the edge of the long awaited return to the promise land.

Doubt and fear in the promises of God led them to Chaos.

Chaos, wandering 40 years in an area that some of us travel today in a day.

It’s a reminder that their chaos was brought on by their lack of faith in a faithful God.

Has there been time in your life that you feel you are wandering?

Has the path or journey you took last year been wandering without purpose or direction?

Do you feel like you have become disconnected with God for some reason.

May I encourage you today, God hasn’t changed.

Circumstances around you may have changed, but I serve and we serve a God who is unwavering in his Love and direction for our lives.

No matter where you were last year, today can and is a new day for us in our walk and journey with God.

God doesn’t look to where you have been, He only sees where He wants you to be.

Maybe the road you have been walking this past year is not where you wanted to be you are seeking something different in your walk with God.

Imagine Joshua.

God brought clarity into his life in a powerful way.

Joshua 1:2 ESV

2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.

God brought direction into Joshua’s life in the simple command.

“I know where you have been”,

“I know what your experiencing”

Arise, Go I will be with you

What had they experienced

Before we move forward, we must understand what the people had experienced in the last 40 years.

They experienced grief over the loss of a generation.

They experienced loss of what they expected the blessings of God.

Their experience was about to change, once they took their eyes of of the experience and placed them on the one who knows the future.

I remember when the pandemic was first announced and we began not meeting in person only believing that we were going to be doing this for a couple of weeks. Those weeks turned into months, and felt like years.

Unlike the people of God, we did not wander aimlessly.

It looked different but we continued to be the people of God seeking after Him.

Where they were Going

If we look back at the story of the People in Joshua’s day, It was clear where they were going.

I would love to be able to tell you what the next few months will be like for us as believers and us as a church, but I cannot. I’m not even sure what next Sunday will look like.

This past year has brought about so many ways of changing how ministry looks like and it is in a constant change.

It use to be that ministry or styles of ministry changed over years, but I saw it change several times in a few months.

I can tell you for certain what didn’t change,

God’s faithfulness to us.

Did you catch the line from God to the people of God as He brought direction for their lives?

Joshua 1:5 ESV

5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you.

I will never leave you or forsake you.

Do you feel like you are still wandering today.

God hasn’t left.

In fact, God’s promises are clearer today as they have every been.

Maybe today you have tried to restart in the new year and as it is only a few days in you have already wandered. Don’t dismay.

God hasn’t left. He is still there waiting for you to try again.

God’s wasn’t finished with the people of God, neither is He finished with you or me.

Remember some of the people in the Bible:

David was a shepherd boy rose to power and through power sinned, yet through confession, he was described as a man after God’s own heart.

Job, considered to be blameless, had the weight of loss cast upon him and he continued to seek out after God

Saul, the very threat to the church, came face to face with God which changed his direction and became a servant of God.

Peter, zealous Peter, publicly forsake Christ, yet God built his church upon him.

James, the half brother to Jesus had great expectations of what his brother would do for him, expected many things, yet in the end, gave his life to serve Christ.

If today you are feeling downcast because you don’t think you measure up to God’s standards, you are not alone. These stories are but a few

God brought them through their times, He will bring you through your times. It takes turning to him.

Joshua was told with Clarity where they were going. That clarity was clear because of who was with and on their side.

Who was with them

Certainty vs Clarity

As we enter this new year, let’s look with Confidence ,

As Joshua and the people of God entered from Chaos to clarity into the land of promise, look at what God said.

Joshua 1:9 ESV

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua and the people could enter the promise land knowing God was with them.

He was their source of strength and guidance.

This week I read this little comment on Joshua,

It's no wonder that Yahweh spoke these words to Joshua as he stood there overwhelmed with this new responsibility and all the uncertainty that came along with it. God said, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9). This changes everything. The basis of Joshua's courage and the foundation of his leadership was the presence of God.

He knew he couldn't provide certainty, so he provided the next best thing—clarity. Joshua gave them something to do immediately. He told them, “‘Get your provisions ready. Three days from now, you will cross the Jordan right here to go in and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you for your own’” (Joshua 1:11). It does not get any clearer or any more specific than that. Everybody knew their assignment; everybody knew the time frame, and everybody knew what to do next. But nobody knew what was going to happen, including Joshua, and including you.

This coming year, may I encourage you to face whatever life may bring us that we face it with the knowledge that God is with us.

Romans 8:31 ESV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Joshua faced the conquering of the promise land with the same resources that are in our disposal.

I know for certain that life has changed in how we move forward in our country and in our church.

We will be adjusting to church life moving forward as the world copes with this pandemic.

As disciples of Christ, we must continue to Seek God, live transformational lives, empowered by God’s Spirit, and in ways we can do it in context of community.

We have something that others in this lost world need. That is Christ transformational power.

God will go before us this year as we grow in our relationship with Him and we seek to reach out to those around us with the Good News of Salvation for all of mankind.

We have within our stories our lives and our journey the greatest cure for mankind. The cure of separation from God and salvation.

This coming year, may I encourage you to challenge yourself to share that good news with others around you.

Many people are searching and have lost hope, but we have the greatest hope to give to others.

Closing

In closing, this year is going to bring,

I’m not sure,

But what I am sure of is that God will be with us and go before us.

As Joshua led the people over it was only because of knowing God and his greatness.

Joshua first went to spy the land and saw what God had promised,

Now he is leading the people to the fulfillment of what He has promised.

This year promise is one that no matter what is thrown at us, we are not alone.

We do not stand alone, for God is saying to us.

Be strong and courageous.

This year, I have set out to pray for each one of you as families.

I pray that you will be strong and courageous and live a life trusting in God for all that He will provide.

One of the greatest things about this pandemic has been the gathering of creative resources and abilities to produce worship media.

I want to play for you something some of you may have seen. After I will post it to the church’s FB account for you to enjoy.

Go in Peace this year and trust in God.

Be strong and courageous.

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