New Year’s Eve Service, 12/31/09
Songs
- [ Because Of Your Love]
- [ He That Dwelleth]
- [ Holy Is The Lord]
- [ Jesus, Messiah]
- [ I Bless Your Name]
- [ My Chains Are Gone]
- [ One Day]
Message
Pastor Paine
Anything you want to get done this year, I’d say that now is a good time to do it.
The world is out celebrating New Years, and a lot of them do it with alcohol, but we’re celebrating a sober New Years. Tomorrow or whenever you return to work and people asked what you did, I hope you tell them that you had an excellent time.
When you read a book in the Bible, and at the end there are some profound words. I’ve celebrated a lot of victories in my life, and had a lot of failures. At different chapters in my life, if you would have taken a snapshot, the caption might have read “Success” or it might have read “Failure.” You’ve all had moments in your life when everything worked right. Aren’t those moments exciting? But you’ve also had moments when your best just wasn’t good enough.
[Genesis 50;15]
They thought their lives were going to end with the caption “Fate”.
[Genesis 50;16-20]
Let’s say that again:
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass.
There was a moment in Joseph’s life when he couldn’t have understood that, when he didn’t think anything good could come of this. But now we get to the point in his life when his father is dying and his brothers have come unto him, and he starts to understand what the trials and tribulations were all about.
We’ve all been in the place when the devil has his foot on our neck and we think that the trials and tribulations will never end, but there will come a time when we will understand what the trials were all about.
- But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
- Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
- And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.
- And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.
- And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him: and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.
- And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,
- In all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land,
- And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel.
We look at our lives, and sometimes things don’t make sense. But God has a plan, and it all comes together, and we look back and understand that God had everything together, and had planned for something great, even when it didn’t look so great.
Church, we are part of something great, and we as individuals matter. We are part of something that is bigger than us, and God has a plan for us both as individuals and as people.
- And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
After years, we can see it so clearly. We can distill it down to a single thing. Debbie and I were at a 50-year anniversary. Folks asked the man who had been married for fifty years, “What advice do you have for those who are just starting?” He said, “Forgive quickly.” What profound advice!
Our best days are ahead of us. I believe that God has great things planned for us. We’ve come through a recession, and many people are struggling. Some feel that they’ve hit the wall. Some may think that their chapters have the caption, “He did well for a season, but didn’t end well.”
- And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;
- For the LORD our God, he it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and which did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went, and among all the people through whom we passed:
- And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: therefore will we also serve the LORD; for he is our God.
- So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
- And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
- And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
- And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
- And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Great things! At a time when maybe you’d think, “I don’t know if God has any plan for me at all. Perhaps I’ve missed my opportunity to do anything meaningful in my life.”
- Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
- In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
- Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.
What great advice for someone who has lived and seen trouble, and their lives maybe have not born much fruit. I want you to acknowledge to God that your life really matters
- And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
This is the apostle Paul writing to a community of believers. Of course, we read that verse and it makes sense, but how about when we’re on the verge of fainting? I had a man call me. This will seem small to some of you, but I promise to you that to this man it is big. I’ll say is name is “Joe” so I can tell the story. Joe called me late last night. He said, “I know it’s late, but I’m struggling, and I think I’m just about to give in. I know what his struggle is; he’s trying to quit smoking. I’m not condemning smoking; that’s not my message. But he has decided that this is the time in his life to quit smoking. But now he’s saying, “I’m just about to give up and go to the store and buy some cigarettes.” So I said, “What is this, Joe, day sixty-one?” He said, “Well, tomorrow will be day sixty-one.” I said, “That depends on whether you go to the store or not.”
David had a moment in his life when he could choose defeat or victory. He was tending the sheep, and a big bear came. He had a choice; he could have told the owner of the sheep, “It was a big bear.” Fast-forward a few years, and he said, “I can kill that giant.”
So I said to Joe, “What day to you want it to be tomorrow: day zero or day sixty-one?” He said, “Right now, I want day zero.” I said, “Okay then, Joe. Tell me that you want to quit winning.” He said, “I can’t say that.” I said, “I’m glad; now let’s have a prayer.” So we had a prayer, and a few minutes later, Joe called back and said, “I’m so glad we talked. I feel a lot better!”
The devil makes victory look impossible, and God makes it look easy.
- For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Every daily decision has a consequence. Let’s return to some conclusions from the books of the Old Testaments.
- I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
- I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
- His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
- They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
- Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
- Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
These are words of people who have lived a life and looked back, and it all seems so simple when you look back from the end. Saints, I want you to live a life that is faithful.
- And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
- Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
- But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
- For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.
What you’re doing matters. Your life matters. You and I are part of something so profound, that we can’t possibly comprehend it. To make it easy, I’ll put it in the first person. But if I’m faithful, and I don’t quit, when my journey is done, I will look back and realize that I was an integral piece of the puzzle, a part of the intricate plan that God had.
I hope that some of you realize the message, “I matter to God.”
- Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.
- And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
- And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.
Tonight, we look at God’s hands on nations, on generations, on promises made in a world created by God.
Let’s look in the book of Jonah, and see how God had compassion on the multitude. It’s almost completely impossible for us as human beings to understand how vast God is.
- And it came to pass, when the sun did arise, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he fainted, and wished in himself to die, and said, It is better for me to die than to live.
- And God said to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry for the gourd? And he said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.
- Then said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night:
- And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?
God says, “You don’t even come close to understanding my perspective in this situation, but I love the people of Nineveh, and I love you. God cares for the nations and he cares for our notions.
This is a message about endings. But all endings lead to beginnings: birth, life, defeat, victory. We may not win every battle, but we will win the war. In the end, the story of our life should include this:
We chose to be found faithful. We chose to be found victorious. And our lot will be with those who hear “Well done.”
- Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
- To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
We’re about to end a year, and begin another one. A lot of things are going to change in the next twelve months, but here’s one thing that shouldn’t change: You call yourself a Christian, because you choose to be like Christ.
If you’re here tonight and you don’t think you can call yourself a Christian; if you’re here tonight and you’re not sure that if you died you’ll go to heaven, I want you to know that you can be sure. Jesus gave the disciples the great commission:
- Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
- Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Peter, one the eleven disciples, heard the great commission, and this is how he carried it out.
- Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
- Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
We read in Romans that baptism is being buried with Christ that we might rise with him in newness of life.
- Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
When we get on the other side of this life, and the last chapter of this life is written, and the first chapter of the next is written, the last chapter will say “He finished well,” and the first chapter will say “Welcome home.”