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The Rock Family Worship Center
Taking The Church Outside The Walls
The Rock Family Worship Center
A New Year's Reflection
What if the key to a fulfilling new year isn't about setting more goals but embracing something already completed? Join us as we explore the liberating concept of resting in God's finished work and how this perspective can impact your life as 2025 approaches. This episode challenges the norm of setting resolutions, like weight loss, that rarely stick past March, and instead invites you to experience the peace that comes from understanding the true meaning behind "It is finished." We promise you'll gain a refreshing outlook on living in victory and freedom, not through striving, but by embracing your true identity in God's plan.
Throughout our conversation, we unpack the profound implications of the "finished work" of Christ, examining its impact on our spiritual journey. Discover how Jesus’s fulfillment of redemption abolishes barriers between God and humanity, shifting the focus from escaping hell to nurturing an intimate relationship with Him. Through insightful discussions on passages from Hebrews, Colossians, and Matthew, we delve into the transformation from the old covenant to the new, highlighting the significance of living with the awareness of God's presence within us. This exploration reshapes traditional religious norms, empowering you to embrace a gospel-centered life.
As we approach the new year, we encourage you to ground yourself in the truth of Christ's accomplishments, allowing it to transform your priorities and relationships. Setting kingdom-centered goals aligned with God's view of us, rather than self-focused resolutions, can lead to a life of purpose and joy. We also emphasize the importance of actively engaging with the Bible, challenging assumptions, and uncovering liberating insights. Together, let's walk confidently into the new year, assured by God's ongoing work in our lives, as highlighted in Philippians 1:6, and embrace the endless possibilities that faith brings.
There is so much that I've got today, and it's one of those days where I've got something I want to say but then part of me wants to hold back because we've got so many people out. But I'm not going to. I'm going to go ahead and say what's on my heart this morning and what I've studied out, and then we'll go from there with it. But I really want you to listen to this morning. This is another one of those messages. It's like it was at Christmas. We preached a Christmas message. Today is sort of like a New Year's type thing. We're getting ready to end 2024. We're getting ready to move into 25, into a new year. And what does that look like? What's my expectation? What can I look forward to? First of all, I look forward to the fact that 2024 is just about over. Some people will be happy about that, some people may not, but I know a lot of people will be glad to see 2024 go. And it reminded me of John 19 and 30. I've talked about this verse a lot. You don't have to pull it up, but I just want to use three words out of it in John 19 and 30. It says it is finished. 2024 is just about finished, so we're getting ready to move in to a new year.
Speaker 1:Normally, if we talk about a new year's message or what's being preached at a lot of churches today, is talking about goals and resolutions and things that we're going to set ourselves up for in the new year. What are we going to do better, what are we going to work on and what are we going to strive for? Some people, some people number one goal has been shown in all kind of different data and everything is how much weight are you going to lose in the new year? How much healthier are you going to get in the new year? That's number one goal is I want to lose weight in the new year. That's number one across the board. So my point in saying that is we always make these resolutions, these goals, these aspirations of something that we can attain, something we can work for, we can strive for. And it's amazing, the first month, if you look at it, you can pull this data up. I pulled it up and looked at it. Look at the data on how many gym memberships are increased during the month of January and by March they're gone. I mean why? Because people set these goals. Nothing wrong with that, okay, but I'm just saying people set these goals and these expectations for themselves. Why? Because they want to attain something in the new year that they feel like they didn't have in the old year. Maybe better health, maybe less weight, maybe whatever. So they reach for something.
Speaker 1:So here's my question as Christians, our foundation isn't on striving. So what if we went into the new year and our new year was built on resting instead of striving? What would it look like for you if you went into 2025 and said I'm not going to make resolutions, I'm not going to set goal, I'm not going to do all this resolutions, I'm not going to set goals, I'm not going to do all this. I'm going to rest in the new year with the idea that it's already finished. I'm going to rest in God's finished work. So today I want to reflect on what it means to live in the victory and live in the freedom of the finished work.
Speaker 1:We talk about the finished work all the time. I hope that most of you understand what we mean when we say that. Now, I'm not naive enough to think that everybody in here does. So you know, if you don't ask a question today, I may. If we have too many questions, then we just won't put this thing online, okay, but I want to challenge you today that if I say something and something in you says I have no idea what he's talking about, lift your hand up and let's ask a question. We just got a few people here today. We can do that. Every one of these don't have to go online. Most people don't go on there and watch an hour message online anyway. They watch small clips. So if something comes up and you need more clarification on what I'm saying, please raise your hand and ask it. You're not going to be out of line. I'm telling you to do it. So let's make sure we understand it today and what we're talking about, because when we look at living in victory and living in freedom and living in the finished work and what that looks like moving into the new year, it can change our whole perspective of what 2025 can look like.
Speaker 1:So let me go back first and just briefly describe. I've talked about this several months now, but I just want to kind of summarize it. What does it mean that it is finished? When we say it's finished, what do we mean? Because a lot of people who's never heard that teaching who is a futurist and they're waiting on everything to happen one day, doesn't always understand what we talk about when we say it's finished, okay. First of all, let me say this it's biblical. There is nothing that we're saying and I'll challenge you any pastor, any body out there that says that it's not biblical. I'll challenge them and I don't like to debate, but I'll be happy to debate them on it, because it is biblical. It is in the word. It's just the word taken in context instead of being taken out of context. So that don't mean that that we know everything. We're right about everything. We're still learning every day. I was reading something while ago and it hit me and I and I started putting me a note in here, because I don't want to preach on a chat, but I want to mention it this morning.
Speaker 1:So every time we read a verse from a lens of finished work, it brings something new, it opens up something new to us. So I think the first thing you've got to say when you say it is finished is you've got to ask a question. You've got to become a detective in a sense, and you've got to ask a question. You got to become a detective in a sense, and you got to say what was finished. That's my first question. If somebody looks at me and says it is finished, my first question is what was finished? Okay, jesus completed the work of redemption, plain and simple. He completed the work of redemption on the cross. The dead of sin was paid in full and the old covenant was fulfilled. That's what we're talking about.
Speaker 1:We're talking about the redemptive plan that god had in place to bring us back to who we really are. It's not always about escaping hell and getting to heaven, but it's about coming back into the understanding of who God really called us and created us to be. That's not taking hell out of it or taking heaven out of it. It's just saying that's not the focus, that is not the main focus of it. Heaven was not the main out of it. It's just saying that's not the focus, that is not the main focus of it. Heaven was not the main focus of it. It was living here on earth. Now we've made heaven the main focus because we don't know what else to do. So we just want to escape this place in the hopes that we're getting somewhere one day. And it's challenging for people to look at it and say I'm not taking that away from you, but that is not the number one goal. That was not Jesus' number one goal. If it was, he'd done a really poor job of describing it, because he talked about kingdom here, kingdom now, kingdom now on this earth. That's what the finished work is talking about.
Speaker 1:The redemptive plan is complete and I believe what he done on the cross is absolutely sufficient. I don't believe that there's anything else that I can do to add to what he did on the cross. That's what we talk about the works. There's anything else that I can do to add to what he did on the cross. That's what we talk about the works. There's nothing wrong with doing good things and doing good deeds and helping people and serving other people. That's not what we mean. We're not saying stop doing that stuff, but we're saying that doing those things adds nothing to what he did on the cross. That's already done, it's already complete, it's sufficient, it's finished. What I do now, with all these works that I do on the earth, is out of the understanding of what he done on the cross. I do these things because of what he did, not to try to change anything about what he done on the cross. I do these things because of what he did, not to try to change anything about what he did To me.
Speaker 1:There's a big misunderstanding about that. I feel like some people feel like if they do these Christian things and they dress the right way and they go to church every Sunday and they do all these Christian things, that it improves their relationship with God. That is absolutely false. It does not. The relationship has already been completed in Christ. Okay, so Jesus completed the work of redemption on the cross.
Speaker 1:The temple sacrifices, the rituals, all the barriers between God and humanity was abolished. Think about it like that. I'm trying to come up with ways to teach some of this in a way that makes it more simpler to understand, because some of this is hard, it's difficult to grab onto, and I know that. Okay, so just think about that. There's a God that we want a relationship with, and you got God and you got humanity, and there's this divide, there's this separation, and there's something in there that's dividing us, separating us. It was the rituals, it was the laws, it was all that stuff in the old covenant that separated us. Why do you say that? Because I could not go to God in the first century. The people who lived in the first century could not go to God themselves. There was no relationship, could not go to God themselves. There was no relationship. I tell you what go get married to somebody and live in different states. They might be a marriage, but they would not be a relationship. You can't have a relationship separated, okay. So when we look at those barriers that's in there, we've got to ask ourselves what happened to those barriers. If I now have a relationship with God, if before I had no access, somebody had to go for me. But now he lives in me. Something eliminated that the barriers, the breakdown, and that was the destruction of the temple.
Speaker 1:The Old Testament is made obsolete. I mean the Old Covenant. Let me correct that Old Covenant was made obsolete. New Covenant was put into place. New Covenant means he's here with me right now. It don't matter what I do. It don't matter if I slip up. It don't matter if I backslide, it don't matter I do. It don't matter if I slip up, it don't matter if I backslide, it don't matter. He's with me, he lives in me. He said I'll never leave you, I'll never forsake you.
Speaker 1:Do you know how hard it is for Christians to grab on to that, one of the most simple things in the Bible. The foundation is so hard to grab on to and then therefore, I look at everything else from a messed up Bible. The foundation is so hard to grab onto and then therefore, I look at everything else from a messed up viewpoint, because I can't grab onto the simplest of things in the Bible. So think about a completed work. And I got a couple verses I want to read here.
Speaker 1:I told Ronnie Hebrews 10, 11 through 18. But, ronnie, if you'll start in Hebrew, verse 1. I want to read something in 1 and 2. This is what I was reading a while ago and it hit me and I don't want to preach on it yet because I've got so much running through my mind, but I do want to bring this out and just show you something in Hebrews 10, starting in verse 1. But the main verses we're going to hit today and look at is verse 11 through 18.
Speaker 1:But look what this says right here. I'd seen this while ago. So if I mess it up and jumble it up a little bit, just have a little grace, because I'd just seen this while ago For the law law having a shadow of good things to come and not the very image of things can never with these same sacrifices. Listen to that. He's talking about sacrifices here. Okay, the the, the animal sacrifices if you go back and reading the word, that's what it's talking about Can never with these same sacrifices which they offer continually, year by year. So let me just put that in my own words. Every year they go and they make these sacrifices Every single year, but it says it can never, with sacrifices, make those who approach perfect. Making animal sacrifices year after year after year after year could not give perfection. Okay, verse 2. How do we know that? Because if it would have, they would have stopped giving sacrifices. You wouldn't have had to keep coming every year if it was working to bring perfection. I'd never seen that in there. What does that matter?
Speaker 1:Because my first thought was why christians today keep doing the same thing over and over and over to try to receive something from god. Why do we? We do the same thing they was doing in the first century, the same exact thing that in the first century. God said it will not work. We're still doing it today. We're still trying to gain something from Him and he's sitting here the whole time saying it's already complete. So for then, they would not have ceased to be offered. If it had worked to make it perfect, they would have never offered Him anymore, for the worshipers, once purified, would have had no them anymore. For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sin. The sacrifices, the sacrificial stuff that was taking place did not work. Some of the things that we're being taught to do in the church today is the same thing. It's just a different shadow of what was taking place right here.
Speaker 1:And if he said it wouldn't work, then it's not going to work now. So if that's not going to work, what's the answer? To just trust in what he done on the cross and realize it's finished. I don't have to do anything else. I just have to trust in the finished redemptive plan and realize what he did is absolutely sufficient. Quit striving, quit working so hard to try to gain something that I already have access to.
Speaker 1:Anyway, let me go to. I'm going to hit at that a little deeper later on, but that hit me today like man. We're still doing this. So, anyway, let me go to 11 through 18. I want to share this with you. This is a really important Scripture here. If you hadn't read through in detail in context, read Hebrews 10, mark that in your notebook to go and read through Hebrews 10. You will get such a deeper understanding of what we're talking about. I'm going to read 11 through 18, and then we're going to go back and hit a couple of points.
Speaker 1:And every priest stands ministering. Now understand context. He's not talking about every priest who's standing in the Rock Family Worship Center in the New Vision in the Church of God. He's talking about in his day in the first century, every priest stood ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sin. Can I put it in my own words? They were wasting their time. They were every day repeatedly doing the same thing and it would not work. That's what it says right there.
Speaker 1:But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever. Do we need to go in detail on the word forever? It means I don't have to come get saved every Sunday. I don't have to get saved and then, all of a sudden, if I slip up in a month or I lay out of church for a couple of weeks, I don't have to come back and get saved when I come back Forever. It's done. He had offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down at the right hand of God, from one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down at the right hand of God. Remember, I said last week, sitting down was not a sign of laziness, it was a sign of completion. There was nothing else to do. He finished it From that time waiting till his enemies are made his footstool, for by one offering, he has perfected forever there's that word again forever those who are being sanctified.
Speaker 1:But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us For after he had said before this is the covenant that I will make with them. After those days, says the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts and in their minds. I will write them. Then he adds their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Oh, god looks at me every day and he's seeing every bad thing you've done and you're good. How this? Come on, we might have to edit this part out. I'm just going to tell you my how. I think right here.
Speaker 1:This may be scary for some people, but if he remembers my sin no more, how am I going to stand before him? And he's going to judge every bad thing I ever done. If he don't remember it no more. That's me thinking. Now, these are the. And he's going to judge every bad thing I ever done If you don't remember it no more. That's me thinking.
Speaker 1:Now, these are the things I battle with. These are the things I get in here and say let me dig this up. He remembers this no more. Why? Because Jesus paid the price for it. And if he's going to remember it over and over and over and I've got to keep repenting every single Sunday and then I've got to stand before him one day for him to point his finger at me and look at every negative, bad thing I've ever done in my life then what is he saying? He's saying I sent my son to the cross and it was insufficient because it didn't work. Now, this is just the way I look at things. You ain't got to agree with me, but does that make sense? If this was sufficient, then he covered it. It's done, it's complete. So now, where there is remission of these remission happened on the cross where there's remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. What does that mean? We don't have to kill bulls and cows anymore. We no longer have to offer anything anymore. Why? Because one sacrifice was offered that took care of everything.
Speaker 1:Let me summarize 11 through 18. I hope you'll go back and read it on your own, but it emphasizes the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan in history, moving from an external ritual-based relationship, an external ritual-based relationship, to an internal transformative relationship under the new covenant. Let me come right here to this verse again. I don't remember which one it was. Let me come right here to this verse again in verse 12, but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever. If you go in there and study that out, really, really research that out, it'll blow your mind on what you're seeing. And then he talks about their sins and their lawless deeds. I will remember no more. He takes these and he writes it about their sins and their lawless deeds. I will remember no more. He takes these and he writes it on their heart.
Speaker 1:Now we've talked before about the Ten Commandments and different things like that and a lot of people will think, because we're New Covenant and we're finished, work people, and that's the way we think that we're saying the Ten Commandments are useless. We're not saying that, but what we're saying is remember what I just read there the emphasis is on the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan, moving from an external, ritual-based plan relationship, which means that it was written on stone and you had all these laws 613 of them to be exact and you had to follow these laws. It was external and there was punishment if you didn't follow these laws. He said I'm going to do away with that, I'm going to make it obsolete and I'm going to write my laws on their heart, which means I can still follow the Ten Commandments but I'm not bound to it anymore. It's something I do because of who, I am, not because I have to. Does that make sense? We're not saying the Ten Commandments are obsolete from the standpoint of they're not important, but they're written on our heart. In the New Covenant they were laws and they were overhearing, they were strict and all. In the Old Covenant. That's done away with. The laws ain't done away with. The process is done away with. Now we're in a new process and it's an internal thing and it's about being transformed.
Speaker 1:I've preached many times on being transformed from the inside out. See what church a lot of times teaches us is to change from the outside in. Change everything around you, get in the right church. Get in with the right people, dress the right way, get in the right church, get in with the right people, dress the right way, get in the right denomination. Do all these things right and it'll change you on the inside. That is absolutely wrong. But if I change on the inside, then everything on the outside begins to shift. Why? Because of an internal change. That's what he's talking about here. So the work of Christ on the cross is not partial or temporary. It is complete and it's eternal.
Speaker 1:Ronnie, will you go back to verse 17, right there? That was the one I was looking for a while ago and I couldn't find it Verse 17. Then he adds You've got to see this, ronnie, will you go back to verse 17, right there? That was the one I was looking for a while ago and I couldn't find it Verse 17. Then he adds you got to see this. Their sins and their lawless deeds. I will remember no more. You got to keep that in your mind Because remember, in verse 12, we talked about the once and for all sacrifice. Jesus died one time and I don't care how bad your situation gets, he's not coming back to do it again. It was finished, it was done, it was complete. So when we look at this, in verse 17, he completely dealt with sin, unlike the repeated sacrifices of the old covenant where they had to keep coming back and keep coming back and keep coming back. Jesus completed it One sacrifice forever.
Speaker 1:The destruction of the temple in AD 70, we talked about this so much in the last few weeks. You're probably getting tired of hearing it, but you've got to understand the importance of it. Temple in AD 70. We talked about this so much in the last few weeks. You're probably getting tired of hearing it, but you've got to understand the importance of it. You really do. Understanding the temple and the importance of the destruction of the temple will help you transition from old covenant thinking over to new covenant, thinking it really will. It will help you.
Speaker 1:The destruction of the temple in AD 70 symbolized the definitive end. Listen to this. It was the definitive end of the sacrificial covenant, the sacrificial time. How do I know that? Because where do they make sacrifices? At Temple. There is no more temple. So if God wants to take away the process of sacrificial process, what does he do? He takes away the place where they make the sacrifices at. If I don't have a place to sacrifice, then that pretty much means the sacrifices are not important anymore. We're talking about boys and goats now. Please understand that. We're talking about old covenant. Killing animals to make a blood sacrifice is not important anymore. It's done away with. It's done away with. It was done away with at the destruction of the temple, so the forgiveness promised in Christ was fully realized, rendering the temple sacrifice obsolete. That's why it says that it was time for the old to pass away so we could do what Step into a new. It was time for the old to pass away so we could do what Step into a new. It was obsolete. This reality became undeniable with the destruction of the temple, because this is where sacrifices were made at. I can't I mean, I don't know anybody that's still making animal sacrifices besides a court or something but it's a mindset shift that's got to go from old covenant to new covenant.
Speaker 1:As we begin the new year, you might ask what does this have to do with moving into 2025? As we begin this new year, remember that we don't have to earn God's favor or we don't have to even prove our worth, and so many Christians work diligently, earn God's favor or we don't have to even prove our worth, and so many Christians work diligently to prove themselves, to try to be perfect in the eyes of God, to try to be perfect in the eyes of other Christians. We want to make it like we got everything together and I'm just on my way to heaven. Christ's work is sufficient and we are invited to live in that grace. It's as simple as that. He's inviting us to live in something that's already been done. What does it mean? To live in the reality of a finished work In 2 Corinthians 5 and 17, really well-known verse, but very, very good verse for what we're talking about here To live in the finished work, the reality of it.
Speaker 1:He says therefore, if anyone is in Christ and you can study this verse out right here and that word if was not actually in there, because this right here, if I read it as a saying right here, if that means you can either be or not be, that word was added in there. If you go back and study it, just trust me on it or go back and study it for yourself. That word was not in there. It says to those who are in Christ and we are all in Christ, why? Because he died once for all. That word don't change. So, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. I love this because this is that redemptive message. This is that redemptive message that we can walk into a new year with, and the finished work of Christ means we're no longer defined by sin, we're no longer defined by failures, we're no longer defined by addictions, we're no longer defined by regrets. We can walk away from all of that. We're no longer defined by it.
Speaker 1:In Colossians 2, 13 through 15, just a couple of verses I want you to see right here and you being dead to your trespasses. Dead to your trespasses I'm pausing because I want you to get that. You are dead to your trespasses. How do you keep trying to kill something off every week? Oh, you got to die to that sin every week. How do you die to something that's already dead? The only way you die to it is bring it back to life, resurrect it and die to it again. We're not resurrecting anything. The sin died not by what you did, by what he did on the cross. So, being dead to your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh he has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses. You mean, I don't have to worry about what I've done when I was 25? No, he's forgiven all your trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirement that was against us, which was contrary to us, and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, these verses start making so much sense.
Speaker 1:Having disarmed principalities and powers, he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them. You're empowered for the present, you're empowered for this new year, because the work is finished. We are free to live with purpose, with joy. We are free to live with confidence. We don't have to strive to earn salvation. Instead, we live in gratitude and respond to his love through obedience and through service. That's where the good works comes in, at our response, because of who we are. Not because we're trying to become something, not because we're trying to go to heaven, but because, simply, he lives on the inside of me and I want to do these things for other people. I want to help other people, I want to love other people, even the unlovable, even the ones I don't like. Wouldn't it be amazing to start the new year in rest, instead of striving and working for something we already have One more verse here.
Speaker 1:I want to share with you A couple more Matthew 11, 28 through 30. This is an important one. Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. That verse right there.
Speaker 1:We say it so often, but how much do we believe it? How much do we walk in it? Rest is in His accomplishment. Listen to this. Rest in His accomplishments, not our achievements. We got too many church folks resting in their own achievement. I did good there, man. We got 14 people saved this morning. That's great. Give them a hand.
Speaker 1:But we're not resting in our achievement. We're resting in His accomplishment and out of His accomplishment. We have the ability to do these achievements, but we've made the achievements supersede the accomplishments His, that's a word right there. The world tells us work harder, do more, but Christ invites us to rest, just chill out, know who you are, understand your identity. This doesn't mean inactivity. When we're saying rest, we don't mean be lazy. We're not saying be inactive. It means working from a place of peace and security and an understanding. I don't have to work for it, I just be who I am. It's a lot easier. I can't be anybody else anyway, it's just understand who you are.
Speaker 1:What if we said remember I talked about the resolutions and all that that people said at the beginning of the year Think about this. What if we set gospel-centered goals, gospel, good news, gospel-centered goals instead of resolutions? Resolutions is about my own attainment. Resolutions is about me feeling better, looking better, it's about myself, it's about my health and all, but it's about me. Let's be real about it. But gospel-centered goals is about my relationship with Him. Resolutions are based on self-improvement. I want to look better, I want to feel better, I want to be better. Gospel centered goals align with God, aligns with what God has already said about me. If I can take the word of God and I can say what did he really say about me? And I can begin to align with that, that's gospel-centered goal Growing in your relationship with God by seeing yourself through the lens of the finished work, sharing the message of the finished work with those around you to help remove the guilt.
Speaker 1:This is important because I think this is where we're struggling at right here, and I'm saying us as the ones in this church, because this message is hard to talk to other people about. That goes to the Baptist church, that goes to the Baptist church, that goes to the Methodist church. It was raised up in Grandma's church. This is a different message and I'm not saying that it's different as saying we're right and they're wrong. I'm not saying that at all. But it's a different message. It's more in-depth, it's more detailed, it's more context. It's more context and it's hard to talk to somebody about it. So that's why I wrote this. I said sharing the message of the finished work with those around you to help do what Remove the guilt, the fear and the condemnation that they're living in, because that is a I know we don't like to say it, but that is what a lot of people walk out of church with because of the message it's taught Fear, guilt and condemnation.
Speaker 1:We want to remove that. The message of finished work removes that, helping them see the Father in the true context of who he really is. It'll challenge what they've always been taught. It challenges what we've been taught. But I'm telling you, if we can begin to understand it and begin to live from that perspective. Everything changes In 2025, let's reflect on the new creation.
Speaker 1:I'm going to finish right here, but I wanted to hit on a couple of verses right here, just simply because I'm going to be talking. I'm going to go into detail next week on this. Everybody's so scared of Revelation, book of Revelation, the scary book of Revelation. It talks about the Antichrist, it talks about the end of the world. It talks about all this negative stuff, the tribulation. You know what it's? The revealing of Jesus Christ. Revelation is the revealing of Jesus. So I'm going to take chapter 21 out of Revelation next week and we're going to hit about the top, maybe the first 10 verses in it, and that's all we're going to do. We're going to talk about those verses and we're going to bring into context what's scaring so many people and we're going to show that it's not scary. Number one, because it's being read out of context, is what makes it scary. But I want to just show you real quick. I want to just read this to you because you're so familiar with these verses right here Revelation 21, 1-6.
Speaker 1:Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea. Then I, john, saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, you know, that city that we're waiting on to float down out of the sky, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying behold, the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, no more sorrow, no more crying. That's awesome about heaven, ain't it If it was talking about heaven. There shall be no more crying. That's awesome about heaven, ain't it If it was talking about heaven. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Then he who sat on the throne said Behold, I make all things new again. And he said to me Write, for these words are true, not will be. They are true and faithful, and I love this last part. And he said to me it is done, not, it will be done, it is done. I am the alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give the fountain of the water of the life freely to him who thirsts. We'll stop right there. But I'm going to break that down next week Because those verses right there is what messes so many folks up. You can go read it ahead of time if you want to.
Speaker 1:Revelation 21. You can read the whole chapter if you want to, but I'm just going to hit probably verses 1-6 or 1-10. But let me just give you a little bit of insight here to what I'm going to be talking about. And you see, you go back and read it and see if you get to seeing this. It's interpreted as a symbolic description of the establishment of the new covenant and the transformative reality of God's fulfilled promises after the old covenant passes away. The old system is gone, it was brought to an end.
Speaker 1:This perspective views the passage not as a future physical renewal of the earth. And that's what we start thinking, because we hear New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven and that's not wrong. I want you to see this. That's not wrong in what it's saying, but it's imagery. You've got to look at it in context and understand. It's not talking about a physical renewal of the earth, but a spiritual renewal and the culmination of God's redemptive plan. This is a spiritual thing that's happening and it really happened. But if I see it as a physical thing and not a spiritual thing, then I don't have no choice but to make it futuristic. Why? Because if you look outside, there's no New Jerusalem floating down out of the sky right now, right. So if that's the mindset that I have, then automatically I have to say one day, one day, but this was not talking about one day.
Speaker 1:This was to say one day, one day, but this was not talking about one day. This was talking about his day. This was talking about what was going on spiritually with the passing away of the old and the bringing in the new. And I'm telling you that's hard to explain to people that's waiting. On this stuff, through Christ, we are already part of God's new. On this stuff, through Christ, we are already part of God's new creation Already. This shapes how we view ourselves. It shapes how we view each other. It shapes how we see the world around us. It shapes how we read the Word of God.
Speaker 1:Our lives should reflect the victory that he's already won for us, instead of anticipating something that we really don't know, because you ask people who are and I call it futurists, because they're waiting in the future for something. You ask them well, what's going to happen? Most of them can't even tell you. I'm just trusting God, so you don't even know what's going to happen. Most of them can't even tell you. I'm just trusting God, so you don't even know what is going to happen. You're waiting on something, expecting something that you are not even sure what it is. We are sure of what Jesus has done. Why can't we rest in the surety of what he done rather than waiting on the expectation of something that we don't even know? I'm getting on some stuff there that will mess with people, because it messes up our theology of what we've always been taught, and some people I'm telling you the names they would call me if they heard me say that oh, you're taking away no, we're not taking nothing away from you what you're saying.
Speaker 1:Read it in context. That's it. Jesus is still coming back. We're not taking that away. So my hope is that we can approach the new year grounded in the gospel, the good news.
Speaker 1:Can I read one more verse? Just because I got it on here. That'll be it, I promise. Last verse, philippians 1 and 6. I don't even know if I gave it to Ronnie, I'll just read it to you right here. He who began a good work in you will carry it on until the day of Jesus Christ, on to completion, until the day of Jesus Christ. That verse right there says we're not doing away with the return of Jesus until the day of Jesus Christ. Everything is not complete. Me and Ronnie had a conversation about this this morning. I'm trying to figure out ways to teach that where people don't think what we're saying is everything is done. No, there's a lot of stuff done, but there's a lot of stuff still in motion. It's still being played out. There's a lot of things that's done that people haven't accepted. Okay.
Speaker 1:So we want to reflect in the new year on how God has been faithful. Look at your own life. I don't know what everybody God has been faithful. Look at your own life. I don't know what everybody here has been through, but if you look at your own life and look at how God's been faithful in your life over the past year, even in challenges, you're still here. You may not be where you want to be. You may feel like you've been knocked back a little bit, but you're still here. This should give you confidence for the new year ahead. You're still. You made it through, no matter what it was. You made it through Trust that the same God who completed the work of salvation in you has the ability to continue to work through you in the coming year.
Speaker 1:Well, you don't know what I'm facing. It don't matter what you're facing, and that's hard to say, because I'm telling you, there's some people facing some major, major stuff. It's hard to stand up here and preach a finished work, looking at somebody battling cancer and thinking what are they thinking? I mean, I'm just being real with you, but that does not change the finished work, it doesn't. The last question what would your life look like if you fully embraced the truth of the finished work? How would it change your priority, your relationship, your outlook?
Speaker 1:On the new year, I want to encourage you. You can stand up, you can get ready to go. I want to encourage you. You can stand up, you can get ready to go. I want to encourage you as we leave here, as we go. This is the last Sunday before the new year. I want to encourage you to step into the new year with confidence and joy and peace.
Speaker 1:Not because of what you can achieve and I hope you achieve a lot in the new year but because of what Christ has already accomplished. Your achievements will never, ever supersede His accomplishments. I have the ability to achieve because of. I have the ability to achieve because of. I have the ability to walk into situations that look like there's nowhere to go and all of a sudden, things shift around and this thing works out for my good. Why? Because all things work for the good to those who love the Lord. Situations just rearranged themselves. People get moved in, people get moved out. Things change simply because of who's on the inside of us. It's not what we've done, it's what he did. And then when we walk with that assurance, and we walk with that confidence of the finished work and the confidence of the understanding of who I am in Christ, it changes the whole perspective of a new year. What can be accomplished? Anything. Nothing is impossible. Her shirt says Nothing is impossible. Her shirt says Nothing is impossible. I think some of us dream too small. We've given up on some things because we think I'm getting older. There's no way I could ever do that Nothing is impossible.
Speaker 1:So in the new year, what's going to be your kingdom-centered, gospel centered goal, rather than your resolution? Keep that in mind, think about it. You get a chance over the next week. Go back and read Revelation, read Hebrews 10. If you want some good reading material, just read those two chapters. I mean, I could give you a bunch of them, but I would love for you to be.
Speaker 1:When you're, you know, when you're reading through your Bible, reading the same thing we're talking about, because it makes more sense to you. You can check me and say, well, wait a minute now, that ain't what I got out of it, and we can talk about it on Wednesday night. I'm not saying I'm always right, I mean at home. I mean at home I am, but you don't agree with that. But let's challenge each other.
Speaker 1:I'm reading stuff right now, studying stuff right now, that I don't necessarily align with. I'm reading it because I don't align with it and I want to understand where they're coming from. And then there's some things I didn't align with, and the more I read it I'm thinking, wait a minute, and the more he takes me to this verse and this verse and this verse. And then I start to put them together, I'm like, wow, I've never seen that that makes sense. So don seen that that makes sense.
Speaker 1:So don't be afraid to get in there and study. Don't just take it as gospel because I say it Go, study it out, challenge me with it, push me with it. I want you guys to ask questions. It really does. It challenges me. Ryan called me one night and asked me a question about something and I was probably on the laptop for the next three hours Just because that one question got me looking at stuff. And I love to go in there and dig and study and dig nuggets up. And you know I love to challenge religion, not in a rude way, but I love to challenge the things that keeps people bound, and find ways to say, hey, this right here will free you. You ain't got to be bound anymore. Any questions. Nobody raised their hand the whole time. Either I done really, really good or y'all ready to go.
Speaker 1:Let's pray, father God, we thank you for this day. We thank you for everything that you're doing for us, everything you're teaching us. We thank you for the understanding and the revelation that's coming back to us. It's nothing new, but it's bringing us back to the original. It's helping us see the true identity of who you created us to be and, father, I thank you that you're giving us insight that we've never had before. And I pray for every person in this room, father, as they begin to read Hebrews, as they begin to look through the book of Revelation, that they see that it's not a scary book, it's not an end-time book, but it's the revelation of your Son, jesus Christ. So, father, I pray for every person here. I thank you for each one of us. I pray health and safety going into the new year.
Speaker 1:Father, we pray for the finances of every person in this church. We pray for the finances of this ministry, father, because we know the plans, we know the purposes that you have for this ministry. You've already opened up doors, you've given us land and, father, we pray for the provision to be able to follow through and do the things that I know that you've called us to do. So we thank you for everybody that's here, the ones that's not here. Father, we just ask you to remove every reason, every excuse, every barrier. Father. We ask you to remove every reason, every excuse, every barrier. Father. We ask you to remove those things so that they can become a part of the place that you've called them to be, and we'll be careful to give you the praise, the honor, the glory for everything, in the mighty name of Jesus, amen. Amen.