With God all things are possible

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:17:46 -0800

How can I enter into eternal Life

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:56:27 -0800

Let the children come

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:30:48 -0800

Matthew 19

Divorce

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 10:15:14 -0800

Matthew 19

New YEARS 2012

Sun, 1 Jan 2012 19:38:36 -0800

Psa. 136:1 ¶ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Psa. 136:2 Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Psa. 136:3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.

Communion Mediation -

New Covenant

New Year
New Visitors

Yellow cards

Thank your for gifts

SERMON
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”

Happy New Year…and in light of it being New Years day I’ve put together a somewhat unique message, with 4 points….each of which I hope will be memorable. Each point corresponds with a letter in the word YEAR.

…but before we get to the message here is the way I’m hoping this message will be received, and how I hope it won’t be received.

I hope you don’t receive this as a “wagging finger” message. I don’t want you to feel “scolded.”

I don’t want you to receive it as a “You’re a bad Christian…you blew it last year….you must do better this next year”.

Here is how I’d like you to receive this message.

“Eat” “Feast at the Table of the Lord” “Taste and see that the Lord is good”.

My children have certain favorite foods… they love mac and cheese.

But we feed them more than just mac and cheese in order to help them taste new things.

My hope is that as we look at these different points you will be willing to step out of your comfort zone and be open to the Lord working in your mind and desires and affections in 2012. My hope is that this mornings message will help you rethink priorities, time, and affections.

….and it is a message I have preached to myself already. In fact many of the points for today’s message came through prayerful reflection on what I am hoping that the Lord might do in and through me this New Year. I don’t have this “down”… I am a fellow pilgrim.

So my prayer this morning is that 2012 will be a year of

I. New Yearnings (Y)

What have you been hoping for in 2011? What were you longing for? Were they just earthly things? I’m not saying yearning for or longing for earthly or temporal things are bad. I’d been yearning to move for 3 years and it finally came to pass in 2011…its not wrong or bad to long for children or Home, Spouse or job, or any of those things.

But I want to encourage you in 2012 to set your longings and yearnings and desires on higher, and even more soul satisfying things…to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Listen to what the Bible says about your yearnings and longings

Psa. 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

Is your desire for God so great, that all earthly desires pale in comparison? If not, I pray it will be in 2012

Psa. 61:4 ¶ I long to dwell in your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

Do you yearn for the presence of God in that way? Do you seek the Lord’s presence in that way? Do you set aside time to commune with him?

Psa. 119:40 How I long for your precepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.

Do you long for the precepts of the Lord? Some days, I don’t … but my hope is that God will do something in me and you this New Year so that we will.

Are you yearning for God, his presence and His precepts….you should – for they will satisfy your soul. Lord help us yearn for you.

I pray 2012 will be a year of
II. New (E) Expectations

Expect Mercies that Are New Every Morning.

Lam. 3:19 ¶ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
Lam. 3:20 ¶ I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
Lam. 3:21 ¶ Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
Lam. 3:22 ¶ Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
Lam. 3:23 ¶ They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lam. 3:24 ¶ I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
Lam. 3:25 ¶ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
Lam. 3:26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD.

Octavious Winslow:
It is a matter of much practical importance, that you take heed not to anticipate or to forestall the promised grace. For every possible circumstance in which you may be placed, the fullness of Christ and the supplies of the covenant are provided. That provision is only meted out as the occasions for whose history it was provided occur. Beware of creating trouble by ante-dating it. Seen through the mist, the advancing object may appear gigantic in size, and terrific in appearance; and yet the trouble you so much dread may never come; or coming, it will assuredly bring with it the "word spoken in due season." In the case of every child of God, calamity never comes alone; it invariably brings Jesus with it.

God has mercies for you that are new every morning…which means every day is a new beginning. It means that what ever fear is coming your way…whatever worry is discouraging you…when that storm comes, God’s allotted mercy will be there for you.

My kids never worry about breakfast – they may have opinions about what they are having for breakfast, but they never worry about food not being there.

III. New (A) Appreciation

My prayer for all of us is that we’ll be a thankful people.

When my daughter or son bring my their artistic creations the first words out of my mouth are “thank you” How much more should we as children of our heavenly Father overflow with appreciation for all he has given us.

We are “unthankful” at our own Peril

Rom. 1:18 ¶ The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,
Rom. 1:19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
Rom. 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Rom. 1:21 ¶ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Rom. 1:22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
Rom. 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

- Throughout the Scripture we are called to give thanks to the Lord.
- Psalm 136
- The call to “give thanks” over 36 times in the Bible….but perhaps more

Are you thankful for your salvation? Do you realize how great the sacrifice made on the cross was? DO you comprehend the magnitude of your redemption? Gospel

(how can we be more thankful – with the help of God – ask Him to give us vision to “count our blessings”)

IV. New Resolve
Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.
Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.
 1. Resolved, that I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God's glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration, without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

5. Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.
--
[[10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.]]

11. Resolved, when I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances don't hinder.

[[12. Resolved, if I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.]]

14. Resolved, never to do anything out of revenge.

20. Resolved, to maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking

24. Resolved, whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then both carefully endeavor to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

37. Resolved, to inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent, what sin I have committed, and wherein I have denied myself: also at the end of every week, month and year

42. Resolved, frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism; which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church

Make your own, seek the Lord, ask him for direction, see if there are areas of sanctification the Lord is calling you to.

TCCC Sermon

With God all things are possible

How can I enter into eternal Life

Let the children come

Divorce

New YEARS 2012