Well, here we are this morning already into a new year: we stand well inside the door of the new Millennium - the 3rd millennium. A chapter in the book has been written and a new chapter is about to begin.
Have we learned anything from the past chapter? Will it teach us anything about the new chapter that is about to be written in our lives this New Year?
I’m excited about being here this morning to worship our great God together.
I’m excited about what God has been doing in the lives of His people here.
And I’m really excited about what God is going to do through this church and through the lives of those who surrender their lives to Him this year.
Can you imagine what the world will be like 100 years from now if the Lord tarries His return?
All you have to do is to have some idea what the world will be like is to just look back 100 years and consider what the world was like then… and consider the incredible rate of change that we’ve experienced over these 100 years… and to understand that – that rate of change is actually accelerating... to understand what it will be like 100 years hence.
Think about it… 100 years ago… at the turn of the 20th century… here in America…
• Over 50% of the population were involved in agriculture – in farming today – less than 2% of the people are involved in any way in agricultural vocation.
• 100 years ago – the 2nd largest vocational group in America was being a “domestic servant” How many of you have domestic servants at home? I don’t even know any – even though some housewives would argue that point with me.
Technologically - In 1900…
• You would find no Airplanes
• You would find no Computers, fax machines, emails
• No CD’s - Cassettes - No 8 tracks or Record albums -- Whatever those are…?
In 1900…
• There were no Credit cards
• No mutual funds
• No multi-national Corporations
• There were no Interstate highways
In 1900…
• There were no Fast-food restaurants… I’m not sure there are today… some just like to call themselves “Fast food”
In fact – 100 years ago…
• The “Big Mac” was 50 years from creation. How did people live?
100 years ago… There was no…
• Mickey Mouse
• No Theme parks - roller coasters
• No “Colts”
• No “Pacers”
There were no…
• Talking movies
• No video tapes
• No VCR’s - No Laser disc -- No DVD’s – (No BVD’s)
There was no…
• Open heart surgery
• No organ transplants
It was not even imaginable… 100 years ago.
100 years ago… there were no cures… for many of the diseases which plagued mankind…
And now, of course – change continues – and if anything – it continues to ACCELARATE!
Politically… did you know… that
• 20% of the member states of the United Nations weren’t even countries – 100 years ago?
• The United Nations itself didn’t even exist at the beginning of the 20th century.
Change is taking place – not just TECHNOLOGICALLY & POLITICALLY…
Change is taking place SPIRITUALLY as well…
And some of the change is very encouraging… for instance -
• Missiologists tell us that 32,000 new believers are coming to Christ –in China – every DAY!
Isn’t that phenomenal? 32,000 new believers!
• In Africa – an estimated 20,000 new believers are coming to Christ daily-south of the Sahara Desert.
• It is quite possible that Africa will become a majority Christian continent for the first time in just the next few years.
• In South America there are 50,000 new churches being established every year.
In fact, the only bad news in that regard is that North America is the only continent of all the continents where the church is NOT growing rapidly today.
AND CHANGE IS HAPPENING WITHIN CHURCH BODIES TOO…
Notre Dame magazine – the alumni magazine of Notre Dame University- had a feature article in which they talked about the changes within Catholicism worldwide.
They reported that 41% of Roman Catholic parishes don’t have a resident priest.
Many parishes only get a priest once a month – some –only once a quarter.
So, increasingly in those churches – lay people are having to take the lead… in leading the services.
If you know anything about Catholic theology – you know that only a priest can celebrate the Mass.
So, if there is no priest, they can’t celebrate the Mass---
So what do they do when they come together –under the leadership of those lay leaders?
The only thing that they can do….
They READ and study the BIBLE!!!
And so this article in this magazine says, That Roman Catholicism – 1 billion people strong – is in the process of making an historic change from the “centrality of the sacrament” as celebrated by the priest … to the centrality of scripture” even as studied by laymen.
Let me tell you that Martin Luther—in his wildest dreams – could never have imagined such changes as these.
Just to show you how dramatic some of the changes are… Did you know that immersion is now the preferred mode of baptism for adult converts in Roman Catholicism? … by Papal decree – no less.
The Catholic Church buildings are being built with baptisteries for immersion… and more and more priests are refusing to baptize infants In favor of believer’s baptism…
Somebody’s reading the Bible, believe it or not!
THESE ARE DAYS OF REMARKABLE CHANGE!
Let me suggest to you that no one – no one has ever encountered more change than… Soviet cosmonaut Sergay Kreckaleff …
He held the record for travel in space for a long, long time.
Then he was launched into space again back in April of 1991 for what was to be a 4-month journey around the earth.
I say, “was to be” because –you see- even though the launch went very well—they found themselves safely in orbit –
something happened soon after … that was a rather an amazing thing.
While he was up in space – his country went out of business. Now think about that for a moment!
His country – the Soviet Union – went out of business.
And so he orbited the earth for 4 months as planned… but in the month of August in 1991 – when he was supposed to come back to earth… There was nobody to bring him back to earth.
There was no more “Soviet Space agency”
And so he orbited the earth for
• 5 months
• 6 months
• 7 months
• 8 months
• 9 months
• And it was only after some volunteers from the former Soviet Space Agency that came in – in 1992 – and did whatever those guys do – that Sergay was brought back to earth… 10 months in space!
Now think about this.
The story thus far is pretty remarkable – but think about the changes…
that he faced when he got back to earth.
When He got back…
• His country was gone – The USSR was replaced by the commonwealth of independent states and the new Russian Republic.
• Micahal Gorbacheff was now longer his president – he was replaced with Boris Yeltzen
• The Communist Party- which had dominated his country for many, many years – prior to his launch into space –was now in disfavor when he came back to earth.
• His hometown of Leningrad no longer existed… because it had been named “St. Petersburg”
• And the 200 rupels – his monthly salary- and excellent salary—now, with the Russian economy – it would not even buy a hamburger at McDonalds.
You talk about change…
• Change is frightening
• Change is intimidating
I mean it’s frightening and intimidating – even when it’s for the GOOD!
Change itself is intimidating to us – isn’t it?
And, of course, we know that all change is not good.
A matter of fact, many of the changes that are happening today are not good at all. There is a huge Philosophical & Epistemological shift taking place in the American mindset today.
We know that the Christian values that most of us have held all of our lives are being severely challenged on every hand.
• Right is being called wrong
• Wrong is being call right
Most people – the polls show – don’t believe in absolute truth anymore.
“Political Correctness” in our society has created all sorts of crazy ideas.
We live in a society where everything is considered plausible…. Nothing is considered certain.
I could stand in this pulpit today and say, “Jesus is Lord” and You could stand up and say, “Ronald McDonald is Lord”
And in our society – there would be those who would say that both points are equally valid.
1. How are we supposed to cope with a society and culture that is getting faster and faster and more and more frantic????
2. How are you supposed to raise your family – when the values that have long held families together are being thrown out the window – left and right?
3. How do you face the “challenge of change” for the new Year as well as the new millennium?
Alvin Toffler a best-selling book several years ago called “Future Shock”
In it Toffler says that when people go through rapid times of change – such as we are experiencing –
They need what Toffler called “Islands of stability”
Those are the things that DON’T CHANGE in your life!
Those things that you can depend upon… you can rest upon.
Those things that – when you boil it all down – you can bet your life on it.
Well, I’ve got good news for you on this Sunday before the historic Millennium changes…
In fact, I’ve got GREAT NEWS for you in the midst of change.
I’m here to tell you that – as we enter what will undoubtedly be the fastest century and millennium of change in the history of mankind… That there are some things that never change.
There are some things that you can use
• as anchors for your soul
• for your life
• for your marriage
• for our culture
• for your personal relationships
And though there are many…
This morning I want to zero in on just ONE of those things that never change.
Good News – there are things that never change.
I. God’s Love Will Never Change
Isn’t that GOOD NEWS? Say “Amen” if you believe that!
Malachi 3:6 God says, “I, the Lord, do not change”
The theological term for this is called, The Immutability of God.
It just means that – He’s always the same.
Why does God never change? Why is He unchanging?
• Is it because he can’t change? Because God can do anything!
• Is it because He doesn’t want to change?
• Is it because he is stuck in a rut?
Why doesn’t he change? Well, the answer is really very simple. The reason God never changes is ….
Because God is … PERFECT
Therefore, he can’t get any better! And He can’t get any worse!
If you are perfect – there is no room for change!
God can’t change for the better---nor can he change for the worse- because he is Perfect! So God is unchanging…
So, in Jeremiah 31:3 God says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love”
That’s unchanging!
You were created, my friend, as an object of God’s love --- You were made to be loved by God.
Do you want to know why you’re here on earth?
Very simply, the Bible says that “God is Love” and God made you – To love you…. You were created to be loved by God.
And God’s love for you is
• unchanging…
• it is consistent…
• it is everlasting…
• it is continuous…
God never gets moody, aren’t you glad? God never has a bad hair day!
God never gets out on the wrong side of the bed
Do you ever hear people say, “I wonder what ever got into God today?”
God is not moody – He is completely consistent - He’s unchanging in his love for us.
Now that is all especially good news – because – while God is consistent –
I am NOT! ….. You are not!
In fact, we are incredibly inconsistent – aren’t we?
And yet the Bible teaches me that, God loves me as much on my bad days
As on my good days. Isn’t that “good news”?
God loves me as much – listen to me carefully – I don’t want you to misunderstand me on this –
God loves me ever bit as much on those days that I’m in his will…
As the days I’m out of His will.
God loves me when I feel like he loves me… and God loves me when I don’t feel like he loves me.
You see, His love is not based on my performance. Did you hear that?
Some of you need to understand this so desperately.
God’s love is not based upon my performance…
His love is based upon His character.
If we could just bask in that one thing this morning.
So, no matter what happens to you in this new millennium
No matter what comes to pass in 2003…
There is one thing you can know FOR SURE…. That God loves You!
And he’s not going to stop loving you. YOU MATTER TO HIM!
In fact, Paul says, in Romans 8:39
“Nothing shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Human love is fickle
Human love is conditional
The truth is … some days we just don’t want to love… or be very loving..
Am I right? Amen?
Some days we’re grouchy and glad for it.
“Just get out of my way… because this is one of THOSE DAYS!
And I’m going to enjoy it!
Sometimes we’re grumpy, grouchy and inconsistent…
BUT – GOD IS NEVER LIKE THAT IN REGARD TO US AT ALL
Psalm 119:159, “Your love never changes” IT NEVER CHANGES! It is UNFAILING!
You can count on his love – no matter what.
THAT’S GOOD NEWS!
We’re facing a lot of changes in the days ahead…
• changes individually
• changes in our families – kids, grandkids
• changes as a congregation – anybody notice any changes around here?
• changes in our community- I believe you’ll start to see some rather significant changes in Edinburgh
• changes in our society
But I want you to know this… Nail this down in your mind and heart…
God loves you
And he has loved you from the beginning of time and it extends all the way through eternity. His love for you never changes!
You can’t do anything to earn it. Because it is wrapped in GRACE!
So you DON’T deserve it. But he still gave it to you. John 3:16
“For God so loved the world – you-me –- that he gave his one and only Son, -that’s Jesus- that whoever believes in him shall not perish, “die” but live eternally.”
That’s what Grace is all about!
• You don’t deserve it… you deserve death…because of your mass of sin against a holy God.
• You can’t earn it… then it wouldn’t be a free gift.
• You can’t do any work that is good enough to merit it
• You don’t have to be of a certain race, or country or color…
• You can’t do – You can’t do – You can’t do…
It is a FREE GIFT of His Love… in Jesus Christ
And like any gift, all you have to DO… is accept it.
Accept Jesus… and his love… His sacrifice for your sin…
His forgiveness of your sin…
Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
But listen to the good news…
And are justified freely… by His grace…
Through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Do you know that this morning?
Have you accepted his special gift of love to you yet?
You see, if you don’t accept the gift – then you can’t partake of the gift.
So let me say this one last thing. Listen carefully, it’s important!
There is one thing that must change… And it’s your heart!
You can’t do that either.
But God can.
In his great, great love… he wants to change your heart to be like His.
That’s why Jesus came… to show you the heart of God.
So you could see what you were intended to be.
When you ask Him – Jesus – to come into your heart… He will bring change… He will give you His spirit… and he will change you to be like him ---- a real man -- a real woman…
Good change… personal change – you can have his peace
You can have hope
You can love like he loves
You can live in the positive
Eternal change… Heaven is your home… you will be where he is…
Think about that!
Where are you headed right now? Truthfully?
All you have to do… is receive His unchanging, everlasting, consistent love… in Christ Jesus.
Confess him as Lord of your life
And let him do His work inside you as you die to your old self in the waters of baptism and rise again to a new life…
…A new creation in him… and his love.
But you have to want to change.
As you sing the song… ask the changeless God to change you
To be like him… forever.
