“Change – Who Said Anything About Change”
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
The first of the year our focus is on change. How can I change to be a better person? How can I change to be a better Christian? How can I make changes to be a better father or husband?
Whether we like it or not change happens. We have changes in our health. Changes in our circumstances take place. Adversity may come our way. Friends may desert us. Life is in constant flux.
Someone has written:
“My body keeps adjusting
Under middle age attack
My waistline’s pushing forward
While my hairline’s falling back.
Hey diddle, diddle,
I’ve got a bulge in my middle
And hope to whittle it soon.
But eating’s such fun
That I won’t get it done
Till my dish runs away with my spoon.”
The Passenger Pigeon was a species of pigeon that was once the most common bird in North America. They lived in enormous flocks and during migration it was possible to see flocks of them a mile (1.6 km) wide and 300 miles (500 km) long, taking several days to pass and containing up to a billion birds.
Some estimate that there were as many as five billion passenger pigeons in the United States at the time Europeans arrived in North America
During the 19th century, the species went from being one of the most abundant birds in the world to extinction. At the time, passenger pigeons had one of the largest groups or flocks of any animal, second only to the desert locust.
Some reduction in numbers occurred as a result of loss of habitat when the Europeans started settling further inland. The primary factor emerged when pigeon meat was commercialized as a cheap food for slaves and the poor in the 19th century, resulting in hunting on a massive scale.
"Martha", thought to be the world’s last passenger pigeon, died on September 1, 1914 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Because people refused to change and conserve the Passenger Pigeon the pigeons are now extinct.
As we enter the New Year we must not forget that Jesus changed the way His followers engaged life. Jesus launched a movement that unleashed untapped potential in those who believed in him.
We have the promise that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
I. Jesus Has Been With You in the Past.
We can’t change the past, but we can reflect on the past and learn from the past. Scripture reminds us to remember the past. Remember how God has blessed you and provided for you. Remember to thank the Lord for His many blessings. From time to time it’s good to reflect on the past.
God instructed Moses to initiate special festivals to remember the past deliverance of Israel from bondage in Egypt. Harvest festivals reminded the children of Israel of how God provided his blessings with bountiful harvests.
As a local church we praise the Lord for the vision members of the church had in the past.
This congregation was first organized as the First Free Methodist Church on March 4, 1883 – 125 years ago. The church first met in a storefront mission and then moved to a church building on the corner of Ninth and St. John Streets. Barbara Crandall attended the Free Methodist Church downtown and later Ken Jones started attending the church.
Barbara Crandall and Ken Jones were in attendance with the church relocated to our present location in 1964. When the church relocated the members changed the name to Willow Vale Community Church.
The highest attendance for the church was achieved after the church relocated in 1965 to 1971 with a membership of 179 and Sunday school attendance of 207. Pastor Herb Newland was the pastor at that time.
Now with our three congregations our weekend average is approximately 270.
We can all learn from the past and by God’s grace use our past to help shape our future. The past is like a cancelled check. We can get in a time machine and go back and make some things right.
The Bible does teach that God can forgive our past failures. The New Year reminds us that God wants to give us a fresh start.
The Apostle Paul did not dwell on his past rebellion against the Lord, he pressed forward. He testified: “Not that I have already obtained all this (living in the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ), but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 32:12-14
At your birth you started on a journey. How has your journey been so far? Has your journey been marred by disappointment, sorrow and heartache? Could you testify with Job, “Man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” Job 5:7
Praise God we are not stuck in the past. We know that Jesus has been with us in the past, but he has also promised to be with us in the present.
II. Jesus Is With You In The Present
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.”
As you enter the New Year you can have the assurance that life can be different. You can know that today Jesus is guiding your steps. You are not an accident of nature. God put you on your journey in life. In the divine providence of God you were born and your greatest joy comes when you give yourself to God and learn to walk with Him every day until He calls you to heaven or returns in His Second Coming.
God wants you to allow Him to walk with Him in your life journey. You may abandon the Lord, but He will never abandon you. He is always waiting for your return. He is always waiting for you to take His hand and let him lead you on your life journey.
If you’re walking on the wrong path in life, God wants to take you on a New Path, a path of trust and faith. Walking on the path of life without God is filled with false promises. The path of this world promises peace and security, but delivers anxiety, fear, heartache, boredom and sorrow.
The path of this world says, “Take life easy, eat, drink and be merry.” But God says, “Your fool? This very night your life will be demanded from you.” Luke 12:19-20
Jesus is the same today. The Bible is clear, “Now is the day of salvation.” Not yesterday, nor tomorrow, but today, now is the day of salvation. You can begin the New Year on the path of righteousness and walk on the highway of holiness.
To walk on God’s highway has several prerequisites. First you humble yourself and repent. To repent means to change your way of living. With God’s help you confess your sins and accept God’s forgiveness.
Second, you believe and accept Jesus. You put your total trust in the Lord. “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12) With child-like faith we trust Jesus to do what He promised. Children trust and believe their parents. Years ago when Annette broke her Disney watch and asked me for a new one for Christmas. I told her I would think about it. She quickly announced to the family, “Dad is buying me a new watch for Christmas.”
Trusting Jesus is like coming to him with child-like faith.
Third, following Jesus is walking daily in the light of God’s Word.
Today Jesus wants to give you a New Beginning. It may be that your new beginning is with a new family. When you take the pathway and journey with the Lord you become members of the Family of God. You become “members of God’s household.” Ephesians 2:19
Your new beginning also involves a new purpose. In your journey with Jesus your have a new purpose to serve the Lord and serve others. “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15.)
As you walk with Jesus on your life journey you don’t get stalled out on the path. You are committed to GROW in the Lord. For new believers we have a little Bible study booklet we give out titled, “GROW.”
GETTING INTO THE WORD
RELATING TO GOD THROUGH PRAYER
OBEYING GOD BRINGS FREEDOM
WORSHIPPING GOD THROUGH THE
CHURCH
These booklets are available in the church office and the study is also on line at our church web site, www.wvministry.com
As a Christ follower our journey is more like a marathon than a sprint. Like a marathon runner we are on our journey for the long haul. Our journey lasts as long as God gives us life, and our task is to stay on the path. Our goal is to keep moving forward and take more forward steps than steps back. By staying the course at a steady pace we reach the goal line. This is what Paul meant when he said: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
Walking the walk and honoring Jesus along the way is not the path of least resistance. Like a marathon runner you have to get in shape and take training. The Apostle Paul understand this when he said: “Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.” Paul then adds his personal commentary: “Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly, No, I discipline my body and make it my slave.” I Corinthians 9:24-27
Time and time again the Bible uses the term “Disciple” to describe Christ followers. A disciple is one in training and learning as a student. Jesus said, “If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples.” John 8:31
Another way to describe a disciple is the term “Servant.” A disciple is a servant of Jesus. The commitment to be a disciple of Jesus lasts a lifetime.
True disciples don’t give up when the going gets rough. When knocked off the path true disciples get back on the path. They allow Jesus to give them a helping hand and get them back on track.
An unknown author has written:
“When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
And the road you are traveling seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When trouble is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit!”
When you have to stand-alone remember Noah who for 120 years faithfully obeyed the Lord in spite of a ridiculing public.
If others have hurt you remember Joseph who was hated by his brothers, sold as a slave, lied about, and thrown into prison but through it all was faithful to God.
You have the promise that Jesus is the same yesterday and today. Jesus promised to never leave you or forsake you.
Jesus is also the same forever.
III. Jesus With Be With You in the Future
As you enter the New Year you can dream again because Jesus wants to give you a bright future.
God gives God sized dreams to people with God shaped hearts.
God gave Joseph a dream described in Genesis 37:5-11. Joseph’s immaturity came to the surface and he told his dream to his brothers to hold it over their heads. In his dream his brother’s bundles of grain bowed down to Joseph’s bundle of grain.
Later Joseph had another dream where the sun, moon, and stars bowed before him. This made his brothers very angry. His brothers tried to destroy his dream, but God-given dreams come to pass no matter what opposition they face.
The Prophet Joel declared that a day was coming when God would pour out his Spirit on all people, “Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:28
In Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit filled the 120 believers in the Upper Room the Apostle Peter said the prophesy of Joel was fulfilled.
We are living in the day when the Holy Spirit continues to inspire the followers of Jesus with dreams and visions.
For the past several years the leadership of the Willow Vale Church has been seeking God’s vision for the future ministries of the church. We believe God has given us a wonderful dream. It is a big dream.
We have had small projects during the past 12 years – parking lot was resurfaced for $30,000. The sanctuary was updated with an enlarged platform and pew chairs plus new carpeting for another $30,000. New bathrooms were added to the South side Christian Education wing for $40,000. The old garage and storage shed was remodeled into two classrooms for $20,000. The old bathrooms were remodeled for $18,000.
Our new dream and vision is to see 8 classrooms constructed at the front of our church property near the corner of Curtner & Meridian Avenue. The projected cost is over 3 million. The only way the project will be completed is through miracle giving. We believe that God is able to do exceeding above all we can imagine.
In Philippians 4:19 Paul is tanking the Church in Philippi for their generous offering. He gave a promise to the church: “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
As you enter the New Year you have the promise of the writer of Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Closing Prayer
