A new Heaven and a new Earth

Sermon November 17, 2013 For I am About to Create a New Heaven and a New Earth

Old Testament – Isaiah 65: 17:25

Today’s passage is a reminder that Change happens constantly. Sometimes we are ready for it and most of the  time we are not. We get comfortable in the way things are. Our story from Isaiah is about God Speaking to a people who once had a way of life that is now lost, and like all of us we sometimes think about the way things were in the past.

Life had been good for the Israelites  ( or so it seemed) right up to the time Babylonians came to town, killed many of their family and friends, carried off the youngest and the best into a foreign land, occupied their homes and ate heartily from gardens that they, the people of Judah, had cultivated so carefully.

In many ways, the Christian churches today are like the Jews who dream of the past.  So many people remember the glory of the 1950’s and 60’s when the mainline churches were full and active, and the people gathered each Sunday for Sunday school and worship, and a picnic on the grounds. But like the Jews we are struggling to let go and move forward.  And with some of the changes in front of us we are screaming NO…….

Wesley believed God had raised the “People called Methodist…to reform the nation, particularly the church, and to spread scriptural holiness over the land” (The Works of John Wesley, 1998).

In our Church Charge conference Sunday night it was alluded to that to move forward maybe we should go back to our roots and review how we became the fastest growing denomination for a long time.  The problem is holiness and Sin do not mix.  We all struggle that what we used to consider Sin is now being flaunted in our face to accept.  That’s like mixing oil and water.  

But the hope that God gives us all is in these words:

Look! I’m creating a new heaven and a new earth.

Psalms Psalm 118 :14-29

The Lord is my strength and my power; the Lord has become my salvation. V.14

Without God we are nothing and can do nothing. He empowers us to go great and mighty things in his name. He has commissioned us to go and spread the gospel and to make disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So often we find when we try to do something and do not rely on Him it seems to fall apart. Once we accept The Light our path becomes clearer. God gives us success.

We are to give thanks and Praise His Holy name.  v. 29 O give thanks to the Lord, who is good; for God’s steadfast love endures for ever!

 

Epistle  2 Thessalonians 3:6-13

Two directives are the focus of this passage: avoid people who are not followers of Paul and his group, and avoid unruliness.  Paul is critical of their idle actions and encourages them to do what is right.

The command seems harsh but Paul is admonishing the believers to be mature and not just mooch off the body. During this thanksgiving and Christmas are hearts are conditioned to be kind and loving and to help the poor. But this should be our motive all through the year and not just at certain times of the year.  What is the example that we set before the world?

We should be seen as love in action every day. We should do the right things at all times. Unfortunately we don’t and there are those in the Christian church that have brought a bad name to our faith walk. It must have been very obvious in this church in Thessalonian for Paul to make such a command.

The ideal is that we should be living like Jesus may come at anytime and surely we want to be busy about the Lord’s work when he returns and not hiding our talents in the sand. Each of us needs to take responsibility for our own life – our physical life and our spiritual life. Each of us need to that personal relationship with God and to accept that guidance which will keep us on the straight and narrow path.

Gospel Luke 21:5-19

Every generation, at some time in its history, has thought its time was the end time.

After Jesus spoke of the end times and the disciples questioned him Jesus describes three things that will happen in the future (v.8-11). Imposters will come and try to trick the faithful; war and conflict will rage on; and natural disasters will be prevalent.

He assured them that all of these events would not happen all at once.  Then he said a peculiar thing in verse 13:  This will give you an opportunity to testify.  We all can testify of the great things God has done in our lives. But what kind of testimony does one give in the face of great suffering and great hatred?

Suffering always means pain, disruption, separation, and incompletenesss. It can render us powerless and mute, push us to the borders of hopelessness and despair. So the opportunity to testify during times like this  causes us to muster courage in the face of fear, the boldness to speak in the face of suffering.

The writer of the song “Precious Lord” wrote that song  out of such a situation. Thomas Dorsey played piano for churches, clubs and theaters.  One night he left his pregnant wife to go play piano for a big revival in St. Louis. On the first night of the revival he got a telegram that his wife had died. When he arrive home he leared she died during childbirth and the next day his son died as well.

Mr. Dorsey withdrew into sorrow and agony from family and friends. He refused to compose or play any music for quite some time. In the midst of this despair he was sitting at the piano one day and a feeling of peace washed over him. He heard a melody and started playing it.

That night he recorded his this testimony while in the midst of suffering.

Precious Lord take my hand, Lead me on, Let me stand; I am tired, I am weak, I am worn; Through the storm, through the night lead me on to the light; take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home. (UMH 474).

In times such as we live with threats of destruction all around.  Cries of financial ruin. Wars and rumors of wars.  Imposters in ministry perverting the Gospel.  The time has come for us to Look up for our redemption draweth nigh.

We comfort one another with these words from the Lord:

For I am About to Create a New Heaven and a New Earth ….Amen