Title: What Would the Lord Have Us Remember and Forget at New Year? Where: GNBC 1-2-22 Script: Is. 46:9; Is. 43:18-19 Type: Thematic/Topical
Intro: Robert Garrett lists several items that if they are to happen to you may be foreboding of a bad year to come: You see a “60 minutes” news team waiting in your office; Your b-day cake collapses under the weight of all the candles; You wake up and find that your waterbed broke, only to realize later that you have box-springs; Your income tax return check bounces; Your twin brother or sister forgets your birthday; The bird singing outside your window is a buzzard! Now, if any or all of these were to happen to any one of us we may have a right to consider this new year a bit ominous. Seriously though, folks, as many of us considered resolutions or goals for the New Year, did you take the time to consider what the Lord would have you to do this New Year?
Prop: Exam. Is. 46:9 & Is. 43:18-19 we see 3 items the Lord have us consider at new year?
BG: 1. Isaiah - believe only one, wrote 3rd section of book, chapt. 39 changes tone, more conciliation and loving tones toward Judah.
2. Writes about 700 yrs. BC, Israel destroyed by Assyria, only Judah left. Future looks very bleak. Tendency towards despondency, etc.
3. In midst of this, see in these 2 chapters 2 seemingly very different commands by Lord
for His people. These are good meditative verses to consider His leading at New Year.
Prop: Exam. these verses we see 3 items the Lord would have us consider at New Year.
I. 1st item: At New Year, the Lord would have us to Remember Certain Items. Is. 46:9
A. What should we remember? We should remember His faithfulness!
1. In this passage Israel was being challenged to remember the Person of God.
a. Illus- "I am God, there is no other; I am God, there is no one like Me." - exclusive claims for Deity. The proper name "Jehovah" is used here (Isaiah 43:13) as a name indicating essence: "I and no other am the absolutely existing and living One," i.e., He who proves His existence by His acts, and indeed by His saving acts. (Have you become born again this year? Survived accident? Healed of disease? Went thru hardship of divorce or death in family? God is faithful.
b. Here we see the Lord contrasting the utter worthlessness of Babylon's idols & the True and living God- v.7. 46:5-13 Here the folly of those who made idols, and then prayed to them, is exposed. Displays to the listeners the utter stupidity of praying to such a "god". The Bible makes very strong claims to the fact that there is only One “God” eternally existent in 3 Persons. Just because our Constitution allows for equality of religions does not mean each are equally valid or true.
2. This verse brings to mind the children of Israel crossing the Jordan into the Promised Land.
a. Illust- Josh. 3&4- after entire nation had crossed, Joshua has 12 men, 1 per tribe, go out into the middle of the Jordan and bring back and make into a mound. "When children ask: "What do these stones mean?" - be a memorial to God’s faithfulness. What’s a memorial? Gettysburg, Arlington, Iowa Jima, etc. Visual reminder of a past event or person. Friends, in that passage recounting Israel’s entrance into the Promised Land, in Joshua 3:15 – we see that the Jordan river didn’t dry up or quit flowing until the priests took the first step into the river with the Ark of the Covenant! The Lord didn’t act until their feet stepped into the water! Do you realize that everything was normal one minute and then the next moment God demonstrated His power. I wonder if the Lord wants to apply this same principle in our congregation’s life? Are there steps of faith we need to take this year that He will bless…once we step!
b. In remembering His faithfulness to us, Christian families should develop "memorial stones" for the next generation. Over the years- van, piano, tv, table, china, chair, etc. that God has provided. I want to encourage you to keep account of the Lord’s provision and protection in your own lives in this year to come. Remember ye not the former things,.... Just now referred to, the bringing of Israel out of Egypt, and through the Red Sea, and the drowning of Pharaoh and his army in it; for though these things were worthy to be remembered with thankfulness and praise, and to the glory of God, and for the encouragement of faith, yet not in comparison of what was hereafter to be done; meaning, not the redemption from Babylon, unless as a type of spiritual and eternal redemption by Christ;
B. 2nd, we should Remember His Plan for You! v.10
1. Remember that God is Sovereign and Has Complete Fore-knowledge and plan for your life.
a. v.10- God has known from the past, yet God's foreknowledge in no way violates your ability to choose. Have you accepted or are you rejecting Christ, His call, His plan, etc. Choose to obey. Illust: While in Texas met a man who at 17 yrs. Of age, although brought up in a loving Christian home, told God he wanted to experience the “prodigal lifestyle” and see why the world was having so much fun. At 33 yrs. Of age, hit rock bottom in life and cried out to God Who heard his prayer and restored him in a right relationship. (Are you at or near rock bottom?)
b. Illus- Here it is, a new yr., might be no closer to goal than yr. ago. Illust- Karen Lamb has said: “A Year from now you will wish you had begun today.” (Saving money, working out, taking class, learning a language, starting with the Lord!)And yet time and opportunity passes. Life can become discouraging. Might be questioning where you are. God called you and yet call seems a little "fuzzy "now. Isaiah says: Remember the former things... God's call hasn't changed, your condition has! Remember! Remember! Remember! Do not be blinded by this world. Illust: In The Two Towers, Theoden, king of Rohan is under the spell of Saruman. Cannot remember who he is or what he is to do. Confused by the evil counsel of Grima Wormtongue. Spell is only broken when Gandalf comes and frees him. (Fictional. In reality this is what Christ does!)
2. Remember that Plan God has for you, is about Affecting People for the Gospel.
a. Ministry is about people. Loving people! Loving people w/ the sacrificial love of Christ. All Christians (if you are a Protestant) are ministers! Ministers of the Grace of Xst. Ministry is about being in a right relationship with God and His people to serve His people in the context of the Church. How sad when Christianity has become something about me and having my personal needs met. Don’t understand Christianity if that is your idea.
b. Illust- "It's a Wonderful Life". Clarence the angel says to George: "Strange isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. And when he isn't around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he? Remember & choose to pursue His plan for you this year because there are people depending on you. Family member. Classmate. Neighbor. People group. Some of you God is calling into ministry.
C. Applic: This New Year remember afresh God’s great faithfulness: (The Lord's lovingkindness indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail; Great is Thy faithfulness."- Lam 3:22-23.
II. 2nd item: At New Year, the Lord Would Have Us to Also Forget Certain Items. Is.43:18
*At first glance, w/o meditation, seems as though completely contradictory with other passage.
A. In this passage we see God calling His People to Forget Certain Items.
1. Notice the conditions under which this statement was made.
a. Illus- BG- Judah is remaining element of the once mighty Hebrew Kingdom. Assyria has destroyed Samaria and now beginning to harass Judah. Bleak period in the nation. Maybe the old timers in captivity are beginning to state how God has to work on their behalf. The old deliverance will be as nothing compared with the new. Israel must cast its eye forwards, not backwards. As a Christian, don’t be living in the past! Live in the present and look to future!
b. vv.16-17- Jehovah is reminding His remnant that He has delivered against oppressive foes before. Rag-tag band on Sinai Peninsula w/ Red Sea before and Egyptian chariots behind. Utter despair, hopelessness, begin to malign Moses. Cry out to God and dirty old Egyptians take a bath!
Yet, the Lord is saying to Judah: Do not call to mind the former things... Why???
2. Why would the Lord make such a request of His troubled people? They need assurance. ?
a. Possibly God calling Judah to forget preconceived notions and restrictions on how He has and will work. Possibly in midst of clinging to doctrinal purity, Jews had crossed line of idolatry, thinking that God could be contained by their little theological boxes. (Us?)
b. Illust- H. Taylor- Set missionaries aghast over his innovations. Came to field w/o formal theol. education. Decided to live outside of miss. compounds and mix w/ people, dressed like Chinese. Grew out a pig tail. To fellow miss. he was an embarrassment and object of ridicule. God certainly could never work through that! Yet, by time of death, CIM had 800 missionaries. in China! Largest of era. Is some preconceived notion you have of God limiting His work in our lives?
c. But the picture here is of a people who are afraid to jettison old habits and old ways. They have had to pick up and move to a new place they don’t like very much. They are not sure what the future holds. But they think they might hold on to the past. So they pick up their little statuettes and load them on their pack animals and set off on their long and lonely journey to an uncharted destination. Their idols are burdens loaded on weary animals. Brothers and sisters, is it really any different with us? We have made ourselves into tired out, weary pack animals, beasts of burden, because we carry around with us too much stuff, and it’s wearing us out. Some of us carry around the burden of shame. We’ve done things we don’t want anybody to know about. We have stored up in our years so many secrets that we can’t count them all. We’ve lied to ourselves and to others about who we are so much and so long that we’re not even sure ourselves who we are. Some of us carry around the burden of shame, and it’s killing us. I know a person who carries around the burden of disappointment and disillusionment. He was going to set the world on fire. A career as an engineer; or medical research on cancer. But he got into a destructive drinking pattern; too much alcohol, too many classes skipped, too many exams missed, and the grades went down. The dream of science or medicine faded away. And now, 35 years later, there is nothing but the sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest of which are, “It might have been”. I’ll wager not one adult in this room is without a burden they are carrying, burdens from to the past. You cannot live 40-50-60+ years w/o accumulating some regrets. Illust: We all have scars. Physical as well as emotional/spiritual. A scar can either be a physical reminder of pain or a beautiful reminder of strength! Are you at peace with your scars? Quit trying to hide them. Quit being embittered by past hurts. A scar means a wound has healed! Praise God for His grace!
B. At years' end there are many items we should simply quit "pondering" -get on w/ Life- v.18
1. Is a tendency to be more reflective. Yet, quit rehearsing and pondering past failures.
a. Illust- great philosopher- "Hall Mark" once said: "Sometimes we have to let go of the past in order to enjoy the present, and be able to dream of the future." Is there something or someone from the past that has an unhealthy hold over your life? Forget the past! Let it go. “Do not call to mind the former things!”
b. Illust- In this past yr. we all exp. share of failures, some more than others. Possibly in raising child, on the job, in the classroom, in relationship, goals for life. Good to take stock and examine and if broke Scriptural Principles, but otherwise, if due to sin, and have asked God's forgiveness, and attempted to make right, then go on w/ life. Vance Havner said: "When we ask God to forgive, He puts our sins into the sea of forgetfulness and posts a sign, "No fishing!" Quit fishing! (Illust – When I was a kid there was a certain pond near our home that had great pan fish in it. Was a wonderful pond surrounded by small wooded area in middle of farm field. Only one problem, “No Trespassing” sign clearly marked boundary. I am sorry to say this, but such a notice did not deter me in my angling adventures at that age. Now, the fishing was good, but more importantly, do you know that I had absolutely no right to be there! It wasn’t my property. Let me apply this to our lives in a spiritual sense. As Christians, if after having sought the Lord’s forgiveness, and making appropriate restitution, if that was necessary, don’t make a habit of re-visiting your sins! You’re trespassing in the sea of God’s forgetfulness!
2. Quit pondering past failures or you will become a prisoner of those failures.
a. By this time in nation’s history, Israel knew a lot about failure and defeat. But God didn’t want His people to live in that failure and defeat.
Illust- Go to any zoo, African gazelle can be kept in a pen w/ a solid fence eye level. Can easily jump much higher. Why? Beast won't jump where can't see. You have ability in Christ to go "much higher", yet your past failures all you can see, and penning you in. Let me tell you something: II Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
C. Applic: Are you prejudicely pondering your past? Pause your preoccupation and proceed in living! As a church we need to remember our past, and be grateful for that, but realize that God just may wish to work in a new way this year!
III. 3rd Item: At New Year the Lord would have us Look w. Expect. towards what He desires to do.
*People have asked me: What would you like to do in this coming year. Truth is, it doesn't matter what I want, nor what you want. But be desperate to know what He wants! Henry Blackaby said numerous times, it is much more important that I ask God what He is doing and join in with Him than to tell God what I want to do and ask Him to bless it.
A. Notice again the Example from Judah.
1. God was Promising to do "Something New" for His beloved people.
a. Illust- Judah haggard and harassed on all fronts by Assyria. Who could have imagined what God would do! Raise up "Cyrus" (Is. 45:1 - 150 yrs. before birth) over Babylonians, to defeat Assyria and then allow Jews to rebuild temple in Jerusalem. My friend, more than one agnostic has come to faith in Christ when, having taken notice of this promise, realized that God faithfully predicted, 150 yrs, in advance a man who would be ruler and through whom Israel would be blessed.
b. Illust – The wise old physical as well as spiritual physician, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said the following about Christians who are always worried about their future: “When you have put them right about the past, they immediately begin to talk about the future, with the result that they are depressed in the present.” We need to see that it is Satan’s work to attempt to make the Christian miserable in whatever sphere; past, present, future, he/she is considering. (John 10:10)
2. Notice God's Promise in v.19 of "Rivers in the Desert"- Many spiritualize, probably is intention, that God would bring forth refreshment in one’s soul. Yet, interesting to note God's blessing even today. Agr. report few yrs. ago- Israel produced more tons of food per arable acre than any other nation, certainly God has provided "Rivers in the Desert"!
B. We must ask: "What new thing would the Lord Have us to Look forward to as well?"
1. The church must recognize these are exciting times in which we live!
a. Illust- Do you realize this is greatest time in history of church to be living for Xst? Missiologically speaking, Center for World Missions, Fuller, smallest # of people % per Xstian, who have not heard gospel. New methods and new technology being utilized, formerly closed countries now open. The “A” family are faithfully serving in Uffa, Russia! In a week or two we are gong to show you a brief video of what has been going on! Muslims coming to Christ! Believers baptized! A Church is planted! PTL!
b. Yet, in the midst of this, the Lord needs to have “all of us”, all of who I am and who you are if we are to see His work in our lives. Illust – When you were a child did you ever dream that you about being someone else? Probably most common in sports, but also in other areas. I idolized Pete Rose, and when I played baseball, I tried to act like Pete Rose. However, you know, that no matter how hard I tried to be Pete Rose I never was Pete Rose. You know why? There already was a Pete Rose. God doesn’t want us to imitate another person, even another Christian, however, He wants, through Jesus Christ, to totally transform your life into something and someone who is uniquely and completely you!
2. Yet, exciting times Require us to See the Value of the Time God has Given us.
a. Illust – Canon John Young tells a story about a friend of his who runs an antique stall in Bermondsey, England. One day this woman bought a piece of colored glass which wasn’t very old, but was pretty. She bought it for a pound ($1.7 US). Later in the day, she sold it for 10 pounds, and prided herself in thinking how very well she had done. However, later that same day, that same piece of glass went for 6,000 pounds! Eventually, at auction, she heard that the piece went for 14,000 pounds (roughly $25,000)! Although Canon Young’s friend turned a profit, she did not realize the inordinate value of the object she had. The truth is none of us realize the gift of time that we have been given.
b. How would God have you to use this year? Looking back in remembrance Of His past deeds? Looking forward to the new things He will do in the year to come?
C. Applic: Are you looking forward w/ expectation to what the Lord desires to do? Are you open to His "new thing" for your life?
(This sermon is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Robertson McQuilkin, who I heard preach on these two passages in chapel at CIU in the late 1980s.)
