And Then…. #1 New Beginnings
A series regarding the journey to:
“His Lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”
(Matthew 25:23 NKJV)
Proposition: Either start the journey or acknowledge the journey starting today!
Sunday, December 26, 2021
Introduction
“You are My witnesses,” says the LORD, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.”
(Isaiah 43:10 NKJV)
Opening Reading
“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Accuse me, let us go to trial; set forth your case, so that you may be proved right. Your first ancestor sinned, and your interpreters transgressed against me. Therefore I profaned the princes of the sanctuary, I delivered Jacob to utter destruction, and Israel to reviling.”
(Isaiah 43:25–28 NRSV)
“But now hear, O Jacob my servant, Israel whom I have chosen!
Thus says the LORD who made you, who formed you in the womb and will help you: Do not fear, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring.
They shall spring up like a green tamarisk, like willows by flowing streams.
This one will say, “I am the LORD’S,” another will be called by the name of Jacob, yet another will write on the hand, “The LORD’S,” and adopt the name of Israel.”
(Isaiah 44:1–5 NRSV)
Opening Illustration
Oh, how perfect everything is when a beautiful child is born into this world- healthy, happy, and a true blessing to all. There is for a time a sense of serenity as the whole world seems “right.”
Then you go home…. The sleepless nights, the crying, the feeding, and every other stressful moment that comes along with the upbringing of a new baby.
The nerves, or are you doing it right? What do the different cries mean? What if they poop and there is no one else around to hand them off to change the diaper?
Then we start to ask ourselves questions such as we, as parents, children, and families, embark upon a journey.
• What will they look like as they get older?
• What will their interest and hobbies be?
• What will they want to do for a living?
• Will they grow in the faith that which we instruct them?
Scripture Background
A fascinating trend develops in the prophecies of Isaiah, in that it is the first time that the idea of universal salvation is presented to the people of Israel. This bears significance because no longer was growth in the Lord exclusive to a birthright.
That salvation would be nothing other than a gift of grace, not merely a birthright.
Message
Opening Points/Observations
As we have just celebrated the birth of Jesus, the savior we know that because of him we have the opportunity to be “born again.”
And then……
We learn that not only do we have the opportunity, we see that it is THE ONLY WAY
“Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”
(John 3:5–6 NRSV)
And then……
When we were born again, Full up hope, promise, and a future! REDEEMED!
“For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring;”
(Isaiah 44:3 NKJV)
“He has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—”
(Colossians 1:22 NRSV)
And then…….
Free!
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
(John 14:6 NRSV)
“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
(John 8:36 NRSV)
Many if not all of us can perhaps think back to that moment when we were born again. What it felt like. The sense of excitement, and relief and all of the feelings that accompany being born again. The peace and joy that came when the weight of the world, and burden of our sins were removed!
And then……
The world tries to “remind us” constantly of who we were before the new birth. And by reminding it would be more applicable to say re-label.
“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
(Isaiah 43:25 NRSV)
But we can know that GOD (who is the only one who matters when it comes to judgment) has blotted out our transgressions.
And then….
We have a new name… A Name was written down in Glory. We have the name in Glory by the Lord God, FOR the Lord God. Our salvation and redemption is a display of HIS infinite power.
“FOR MY OWN SAKE”
We come to know that while God allowed us, like the children of Israel to come to a moment of utter destruction, his loving and guiding hands provided safety against ultimate demise.
“I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Accuse me, let us go to trial; set forth your case, so that you may be proved right.”
(Isaiah 43:25–26 NRSV)
We can know that the world does not possess the power of the works of GOD, and his word shall never return void!
That although we are guilty at this trial, it is the birth, blood, burial, and resurrection of Christ which acquits us of all guilty verdict!
That although the world may always find us guilty, it matters not.
We can look back, and NOT conduct an appraisal of our worth based today upon our past, but know that we are of sacred worth and value by the blood of Jesus Christ.
““Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
(John 3:17–18 NRSV)
To the contrary looking back reminds us of the grace that which we have received.
Looking back is not a bad thing provided that when we do, we realize that AND THEN…..
““For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
(John 3:16 NRSV)
And then..
A journey begins. A journey that ends with hearing the words which we all long and pay to hear spoken to us one day.
The words
“His Lord said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’”
(Matthew 25:21 NKJV)
There is no conclusion today.. Rather an invitation to a beginning. A beginning to the journey in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah Chapter 43: 1-24
“But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble. Who among them declared this, and foretold to us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to justify them, and let them hear and say, “It is true.” You are my witnesses, says the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me.
I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses, says the LORD. I am God, and also henceforth I am He; there is no one who can deliver from my hand; I work and who can hinder it? Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For your sake I will send to Babylon and break down all the bars, and the shouting of the Chaldeans will be turned to lamentation. I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the nature, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise. Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob, but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
You have not brought me your sheep for burnt offerings or honored me with your sacrifices. I have not burdened you with offerings or wearied you with frankincense.
You have not bought me sweet cane with money or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices. But you have burdened me with your sins; you have wearied me with your iniquities.”
(Isaiah 43:1–24 NRSV)
