Sermon: New and Refreshing

Introduction

Yesterday I went to breakfast with my wife Sharon and I bought the local paper. The Headline was about the execution of Saddam Hussein and on the bottom half of the paper was “Local citizens, officials have hopes for 2007”

Here are some of the people’s quotes:

One man from Gridley “We have seven boys and nine grandkids, so I’d just like to have family harmony. It’s hard, but we all have to work on it”….

Krystal from Beale AFB said, “I need to get in shape. I want to exercise more frequently and consistently, and stop procrastinating”

The Mayor of Marysville Bill Harris says, ”Things are chaotic with me at times and I hope I can keep my life more orderly. I’d like to spend more time with my family. The kids grow up before you know it and I want to be there with them to enjoy it.”

Larry Combs says “I would wish for peace and goodwill for all.”

The other quotes where all along the same lines, better health, more time with the family.

As I turned the pages I came across another story…

The headline read “Injured girl in “miraculous” recovery”

It’s a story about Hanna Anderson age 13, crossing highway 65 at night was hit by Ian Moore 22 of Sheridan. Hanna was treated on scene before being air ambulance to Roseville Trauma Center, where she is recovering. She suffered minor head injury, chipped pelvis and underwent surgery for internal injuries…She is expected to get out of ICU this afternoon and her recovery has been miraculous…

This is the same girl we prayed for this Wednesday night….So I hope this encourages you to pray for people…

But the real reason I bring this story up is as we look to the new years we make plans and resolutions….resolutions we have every intention on keeping…It’s the New Year.

It’s a time of new beginnings; it’s an opportunity to start over…

But many times life has its way…Hanna Anderson I’m sure didn’t want to start the New Year from a hospital bed. Ian Moore, didn’t intend to have his life turned upside while driving through Wheatland…but that is what has happened. You see none of us are sure of what the New Year will bring…

The title of this morning’s message is New and Refreshing…It is a promise we see over and over through out the year as we watch commercials or walk through the grocery store. We read about a products promise, something new and something refreshing.

Like the New Year we all want the best for our families, for the future…we look to the New Year for new opportunities…we buy the “New and Refreshing” cola to quench our thirst and curiosity…Many time both never live up to expectations…

Acts 3 Peter’s Sermon

In the book of Acts chapter 3 a cripple man was carried to the gate called Beautiful, where he was put everyday to beg from those entering the temple gates…

We look at the text and we see his life was about to change…This day was going to be different…Peter and John was entering the temple when they saw the cripple man…Peter says in verse 6, Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk.”

They help him up and instantly the mans feet and ankles became strong…he enters the courts walking and jumping and praising God! That’s exciting!

Soon everyone see’s the man and recognizes him, still hanging on to Peter, Peter tell the crowd about Christ…

He directs the people attention away from the healed crippled man and focuses on Christ. He tells them how Jesus the was Servant and Christ, the Holy One and the source of life verse 13, Peter continues on how Jesus had to suffer, how he was the “Holy and Righteous One”, the author of life…these titles used by Peter speak of the uniqueness of Jesus in his suffering and glory, they speak of his character and mission, his revelation and redemption.

Having exulted the name of Christ, Peter challenges his listeners, Brothers (starting in verse 17), I know, you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders…

Peter wasn’t excusing them of their sin, and he wasn’t saying forgiveness wasn’t necessary, but he was showing them why it is was possible.

Although they didn’t know what they were doing, God knew what he was doing…For what happen to Jesus was the fulfillment of prophecy. For “this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, especially that his Christ would suffer verse 18.

Having made this point Peter points out two things we have to do…v19, Peter makes the point that God’s predictions nor their ignorance would free them from their sin. Peter tells the crowd they must repent then and turn to God….by doing so they would receive three blessings…

But First let us look at Repentance and Turning to God…

Repentance and Turning to God

Repentance is a change of mind and will…It involves deliberately turning from sin to righteousness. I believe it is born out of true sorrow for ones sins that leads to a transformation in life…a life in Christ…because we turn from our sin and faith is turning to God.

Peter is saying turn from your sin; recognize what Christ has done for you, understanding he died for your sins, for my sins. When we understand this, it causes us to turn from our sins…and to put our faith and hope in Him to deliver us from our sins. Our faith isn’t in our turning from our sin, but is in God’s faithfulness…

Peter is telling us repent, turn from your sins and turn to God, put your faith in God and by doing so…watch what happens…

Blessings

The First blessing is “that your sins may be wiped out….

Even their sin of killing the author of life, the Holy and Righteous One….the Greek word (Exaleipho) used here means to wash off, erase, obliterate. It is the same word used in the book of Revelation both of God “who wipes away our tears” and of Christ who refuses to erase our name from the book of life.

William Barclay says it this way….

Ancient writing was upon papyrus, and the ink used had no acid in it. It therefore did not bite into the papyrus as modern inks do; it simply lays upon the top of the papyrus. To erase the writing a man might take a wet sponge and simply wipe it away. Just so, when God forgives our sins, he wipes the slate clean…

God wipes away our sins and remembers them no more…He wipes them away forever and ever…

Second promise blessing is “that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”

God is promising rest, relief…refreshing….As part of forgiveness God restores our soul…he doesn’t wipe away our sin without refreshment to our spirits.

Think of being on a long walk, a ruck march. You have to walk a long distance carrying a heavy load in your backpack or rucksack. After awhile the fifty pounds starts to feel like you’re carrying a car on your back. At the end of the march you get to rest, and remove your pack…once you remove the pack you feel lighter and rest is better, everything is better…

In life many of us carry burdens, sins of the past…God takes those things we are carrying and restores our spirits…he gives us rest from carrying a load we where never designed to carry…he refreshes us

Thirdly, v20 “That he may send the Christ who has been appointed for you—even Jesus” during this time Jesus continues to give forgiveness and refreshment yet he himself v21 “must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets”. This will be the second coming of Christ, the day when all things will be made new, nature will freed from pain and decay, God will make a new heaven and new earth…the third promise is one in which everything will be restored.

Conclusion

So here we stand on the edge of 2006, our hope like the people of the beginning is in new directions and opportunities. But in reality, it’s like Hanna and Ian, we don’t know what the future hold for us. We make plans but in reality we are unsure….

We see advertising New and Refreshing in the store and in commercials, most of the time such promises fail to meet our expectations, or don’t deliver on the promises.

The Bible also presents opportunity and makes claims…Peter said and we have looked at it in detail…

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that time of refreshing may come from the Lord and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you…

The promises are not made up by a marketing firm try to get you to buy into a product. They are not a New Year resolution we intend to keep but some how fall short…they are promises we can stand on.

We stand in the doorway of 2007, we don’t know what the new year will bring, we hope for the best…

God promises if we Repent, that is turn from our sin and put our faith in the Servant, the Righteous One, the Author of Life, he promises your sins will be forgiven…you will not carry then anymore…he will wipe them away. He will refresh your spirit, he will give you a new life and one day he will come in all his glory and restore the world to what it was indented to be…

So today sits before you an opportunity an opportunity to trust in the promises of man or the promises of God. This morning I pray you will trust in Christ…

If you’re a Christian start the New Year off by making a commitment to fallow Christ more closely.

If you are not a Christian repent and turn to God this morning, let him start wipe away your sins and start the New Year--New and Refreshed--or if you have made a commitment to Christ but for some reason you have falling away…again repent and turn to God…this morning…

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Conditions or being conditioned…

I thought about this as I was exiting a store. I stood sheepishly in front of the door to exit, I was expecting it to open and it didn’t. At first I thought maybe something was wrong with it. I looked around the door and then at the door itself. Push, spelt out the action required…so I pushed open the door, feeling very stupid. As the door opened, to my right was another gentleman standing there waiting for the door to open. He looked at me and we both started to laugh, as he pulled the door open and entered the store. This event got me thinking about life, and how we live our lives. Do we pray, read our Bibles, go to church because we are conditioned or is it something more? You see I have come to the conclusion many of us live a “religious” life because we are conditioned. “It’s the way I was raised”, someone might say. Many of us feel its right, we feel better about the world around us, and it satisfies something deep in our being. But didn’t, Jesus talk about more than going through the steps, isn’t following “Christ” more than filling blocks. Jesus said,”Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus gave his life for more than “religion”, more than just showing up Sunday morning. He is talking about friendship, building a friendship requires time. It requires sacrificing our time and investing into someone else. Having a relationship with Christ has to come from the heart and requires us to sacrifice our time. You’re thinking I’m so busy I don’t have time…here is a thought…if it is important to you, you will make time. Here is my challenge, start with 5 minutes. In the morning, prayerfully read a chapter in the Bible for 5 minutes, prayerfully seek a closer walk with Christ. It’s a New Year, take the challenge and see the difference it makes in your life.

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Home and Old Stories

We are back…we had a great visit with my parents. We again had plenty of food and conversation. It’s nice to return home, where home may be. Christmas day I went and visited an old friend who I haven’t seen in sometime. We shared stories from when we were kids and I was flooded with memories. It’s funny how the older I get, I remember less and less about the bad times and remember more of the good times, which seem to grow in stature. It’s as if childhood becomes a montage of great stories, told in rapid sequence till you find it hard to breath between the laughter. They are the stories that have been relived over and over again. It’s in these stories we connect to something larger than life. The stories we share bind us in relationship with friends and family. They are the bonds that are passed from generation to generation, they are the bonds of love. My boys have discovered these stories about their Dad. They enjoy the stories and eagerly want to hear more about me and what I was like as a young man growing up. In sharing the stories of my youth, we discover our own family stories and find our own bonds. Laughing and sharing in relationship with family and friends, reflecting on the gift of life, that is what I hope you’ll do over the next few days leading up to 2007.

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Merry Christmas

"The good news of great joy that will be for all people." This is what the angel said to the shepards. The reason the good news would be a great joy is because the message of the gospel was for all people. The Shepards were on the low end of the scale, the poor. They where doing the job no one else wanted, they where looked down upon. In fact in giving testimonies in court their voice didn't count. Yet here the angels talked to them first. Isn't this how it works...a baby who is God, born among the animals of a manger. Angels who talk to shepard, the last shall become first, the first last. The greatest gift is not the fact Jesus was born but in what he came to do. He came to live the perfect life, the life we could never live. He died to pay the price for our sin and he rose again so that we can have a relationship with him now and forever. So remember the good news and the great joy that is for all people...for a Savior has been born! God bless you all and Merry Christmas. I will be back Tuesday the 26th. Will be in Pine Grove with family following the candle light service.

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Accountability and the Giant Squid

Yesterday a giant squid was videoed taped for the first time off the coast of Japan. Marine biologists have been trying to film the creature for years. It started out in legends and in myths, a giant creature of the deep. Whalers had known of their existence because of the scars left on Sperm whales, the giant squids only known predator. Once in awhile a giant squid which had died would wash upon a shore, only stirring up more curiosity.

This for some reason made me think about sin in our lives. Some sin we push to the depths of our soul, deep and of reach of others. We think no one knows…the problem is there are going to be little signs left behind. Scars left from the battles, remains of relationships will wash upon our shores, killed by this secret beast of the deep. But most of all God knows “For God will evaluate every deed, including every secret thing, whether good or evil (Ecc 12:14). In the New Testament Paul encourages us to share one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2), which is accountability. We need to have a brother or sister we can to confine in, who will love and encourage us in our Christian walk.

We live in a world that does not want you to have a pure walk with Christ, which makes accountability very important. I meet every Friday morning with two of my brothers in Christ and we honestly confess our struggles and pray for each other. There are times I don’t want to meet with them because I know I’ll have to confess something I am not proud of. In the end my relationship with them and most of all with Christ is strengthened. So I want to encourage you to have accountability built into your lives. If you not sure where to go or start let me know and I’ll help you get started.

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Good Morning

Good morning! I have to start thinking of ways to use this site. Here it is 6 A.M. and I am with coffee in hand getting ready for a little time with God.

This Sunday I am preaching on Great Joy. It's interesting to study to find out we can have great joy now. Many times in our lives finding joy is like nailing jello to a tree. We find "happy" moments waves, and we ride these waves thinking we have found joy. But shouldn't joy be more. Paul said "I am overflowing with joy in the midst of all our suffering (2Co 7:4)". Wouldn't it be something to find a place where no matter what the circumstances we could have joy.

Jesus had some interesting things to say about joy...in Chapter 15 and 16 of the gospel of John. I'm going to purposely leave you hanging right there, I hope you will take the time to read those two chapters and I'll come back later to further the discussion.

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First Post

Here it is the first official post! This is exciting! I had Joshua my oldest son take a quick picture and I hope you will join me here on a regular basis as we go through life. My prayer is this would be a place where we can explore and learn to live out our Christian faith together.

-ps