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New Year's Eve Service
New Year, No Fear
By Rev. Bruce A. Shields
This document is a Sermon Outline. You may hear the full audio of the sermon by following the link Online Audio Files located above for this and other Full Sermon Audios. For a complete list of Sermon Outlines, visit TruthDigest.org or Truth Digest on Facebook; for our Official Church website, visit PS127.org, or find us on Facebook at House of Faith Church. #worship #godheals #newtestament #jesuslovesyou #churchfamily #godsword #loveoneanother #holy #godislove #church #jesus #god #bible #christian #love #faith #worship #jesuschrist #gospel #prayer #christ #christianity #pray #holyspirit #godisgood #hope #blessed #armorofgod
INTRODUCTION
Today is Sunday. December 31st, 2023
Over the past few years, our country has had a lot of turmoil. There have been ups and downs in the financial sectors, the housing market, socially, politically, and medically, and the adverse effects have been seen in our businesses, homes, and churches.
A recent Pew Research report shows the decline in church attendance across the board of American churches since COVID-19.
As of November 2022, only 40% of those polled participate in services in some way (including in-person, on TV, or online). That means 6 out of 10 have nothing to do with any church, in-person or otherwise.
Now, here is the interesting part.
The most significant growth in church participation (from 4% to 16%) was among those who attended in person! Those who only watched online or TV Dropped in the same period, from 27% to 12%.
What does this tell us?
Regarding our faith and church (Body of Christ), in-church attendance is stronger than watching on TV or online. Why? I believe it is because the Body of Christ is supposed to be made up of many individuals, not a person sitting in their home watching others.
Church attendance is IMPORTANT. The numbers prove it. You are strengthened, encouraged, lifted up, and made better by those who surround you with Spiritual Gifts instead of watching or listening to others act out their faith in real life.
I understand some cannot make it to a church service, such as residents of nursing homes. This is why the Iosco Ministerial Association hosts the Chaplaincy program, which has brought weekly church service to four of our county's nursing homes over the last 30 years.
I believe that at this very moment in time, we currently have one of the best chaplains we have ever hosted, Lori Ulman. We get great reports of her dedication, service, and work.
It is great to know your calling in this life and even greater to have the opportunity to do it.
The new year may bring thoughts leading to worry or fear, but I say, fear not.
Terrible times of conflict around the world. Our insane and unpredictable weather. Concerns over race issues, political use of people as pawns, social injustice, crime, drugs, people not knowing whether they are male, female, a furry or lamp post. The list goes on and on.
Over the years, I have spoken with many Christians and non-Christians who have expressed their fears and worries, which, in some cases, literally keep them up at night.
It is easy for me to say, “Fear not,” but perhaps difficult for you to believe. Especially when we are bombarded daily with negative news and manipulating stories, everything is a tragedy, a terrible event. Nothing good is reported anymore. Everything is created to invoke anger, hate, fear, worry, stress, or divisiveness to destroy bonds of peace.
Let us not forget who our true adversary is. He comes to kill, steal, destroy. The fact of the matter is nothing has ever truly been good since Genesis 3.
Because of the constantly manipulating information being poured into us daily, we forget that this world has been falling and failing since Genesis 3 and will continue to do so until the Judgment.
When people tell me they are afraid to have children in these times, I remind them that terrible times are throughout the history of mankind, and we are called to be lights in it.
What if the Hebrews had no children during their time in the wilderness?
What if Christians decided not to have children during the Reconquista? That war lasted 774 years. Or, the Anglo-Irish wars, which lasted 762 years?
Many wars lasted 100s of years. Those were terrible times, and many thought it was the end of the world. However, it wasn’t.
Terrible times happen in this life, and life is not an easy road to travel. Jesus said as much!
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33
SCRIPTURE READING
Genesis 1:31 (Legacy Standard Bible)
“And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”
Today’s Topic: The New Year
TODAY’S MESSAGE: The New Year
I. THEN IT STOPPED BEING VERY GOOD
a. Cursed is the ground because of you
i. Genesis 3:17-19 “cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground,”
1. You see, because of the fall, the Earth is cursed. So, daily, we must face hard work just to eat, and while we toil, we will struggle with the thorns and thistles of this fallen world. We will work and sweat until the day we die, all because of the curse brought about through sin.
ii. This is the curse. Humankind has faced this since Genesis 3, and we will continue to face it until we die.
iii. So why do we think today is different from 1000 or 3000 years ago?
1. I believe there are a few reasons. Firstly, because we didn’t live then, we live now. Our present condition is all we truly know. Unless we study the past, we cannot see there have always been troubles in this fallen world.
2. Secondly, we are constantly told things are worse. These false narratives confuse and confound all to gain the end result of justifying, legalizing, and normalizing even more sin into the world, our culture, and society. That’s been Satan’s plan from the beginning.
3. Imagine a huge barn in the middle of the night. Clouds cover the moon, no stars can be seen, and no light anywhere.
a. Now, imagine you light a single candle.
b. That candle may not be able to illuminate the entire barn, but everywhere you step, a difference is made because you carry that light. You are not lighting the barn. The candle is, however, wherever there is darkness, you bring that light with you, making a difference.
iv. Jesus says, in Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
v. Jesus is calling you to be the light in these dark times.
b. The evil of this age is hard at work
i. The powers of this world are controlled by evil forces, and they wish to control you through fear and lies. So, who are the powers of the fallen world?
ii. Ephesians 6:10-12 “be
strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Put on the whole armour
of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12
For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
iii. Heavenly places refer to the unseen spirit realm. But those of us who belong to the Lord have the tools and power through Christ to navigate this fallen world's nonsense. In turn, we have a peace that others cannot understand because they are still blinded by the world's lies.
c. Do not live by sight, but believe what the word of God says
i. Paul tells us about the spirit realm and the real enemies of God in other dimensions because he wants us to understand that what we see in this realm are the symptoms of evil working in another realm.
ii. Therefore, we cannot go by sight, which is limited to this realm, but by seeing things in the Spirit with the wisdom and understanding given to us by God.
iii. 2 Corinthians 5:6 “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight—"
iv. Ephesians 1:17-21 “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, 18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.”
v. Walk by faith. Look with the eyes of your enlightened heart. You WILL SEE the hope He has called you to. The riches of His glorious inheritance and immeasurable greatness of His power for us who believe.
II. THOUGH THE WORLD CONTINUES TO FALL APART AROUND US
a. We take refuge in the shadow of the Almighty
i. Read Psalm 91
ii. He
who abides in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the
Almighty.
iii. I
will say to Yahweh, “My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!”
iv. You
will not be afraid of terror by night, Or arrow that flies by day; Of pestilence
that moves in darkness, Or of destruction that devastates at noon.
v. A
thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it
shall not approach you.
b. There are many fears in the world causing other issues
i. Anxiety,
depression, instability of thought
ii. People
are fearful of so much, mainly because they are manipulated into fear by the
powers of darkness. We can find ourselves fearing other people, evil, the
climate and weather, terrors in the night, war, anxiety, leaders of the world
and even our own country, lies, man, and even death itself.
iii. There
is so much fear in the world today. We have an entire generation of young
people who are all neurotic, anxiety-filled, mentally unstable, and afraid of everything,
and it’s not their fault.
iv. Many
have been rendered helpless and hopeless because of what they have been taught
in schools and what they see on the news and social media, but the worst factor
is what they have NOT been taught in their homes.
1. Think about an average church. How many there are genuinely committed to the Word of God? How many study God’s Word? How many live it daily?
2. The Pew Research I quoted earlier states only 4 out of 10 attend church. What percentage of that is truly faithful?
3. How many are teaching their children the Word of God in their home?
v. For example, a small percentage of children today are educated in God's Word. Which is where our understanding comes from. Without the Word, we have no Sword of the Spirit.
1. It is no wonder they cannot defend themselves against the evil day. They know nothing of the Full Armor of God.
c. Fear, re-branded and weaponized
i. Fear has been a weapon of Satan’s for many millennia
ii. If we do not educate our young about the reality of Spiritual Warfare, we are not equipping them for this evil world.
iii. Satan’s number one weapon against us is lies.
1. Listen to what Jesus says in John 8:43-47
John 8:43-47 “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me. “Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me? “He who is of God hears the words of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God.”
Therefore, do not believe the lies of this world, which create fear, because every lie is born of the devil. “He who is of God hears the words of God;”
And we know our faith comes by hearing.
1 John 4:15-18a “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love has been perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear…”
III. YAHWEH IS THE GOD OF CREATION AND GOD OF HAPPY ENDINGS
a. What does the bible say about the world
i. Though
we are in this world, those who belong to the Lord are not part of it.
Therefore, we belong to the kingdom and should not fear this world or what is
happens in it.
1. 1 John 2:15-17
“Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world,
the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust
of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not
from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and
also its lusts, but the one who does the will of God abides forever.”
ii. John 14:27 “Peace I leave with
you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not
let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
iii. Psalm 34:4-5 “I inquired of Yahweh, and He answered me, And delivered me from all that I dread.”
iv. Psalm 56:3-4 “When I am afraid,
I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I trust; I shall not
be afraid. What can mere man do to me?”
v. Lamentations 3:57
“You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not fear!”
b. What the bible says about the future
i. Revelation 21:1 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away…”
ii. Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
iii. Matthew 5:18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
iv. 2 Peter 3:10-13 “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be found out. 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens burning will be destroyed, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”
c. Why the bible says to us, we should not fear
i. Proverbs 30:5 “Every
word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”
ii. Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or be in dread of them, for Yahweh
your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”
iii. Psalm 23:4 “Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
iv. Psalm 46:1-3 “God
is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will
not fear, though the Earth should change And though the mountains shake into
the heart of the sea; Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains
quake at its lofty pride. Selah.”
v. Matthew 10:28 “And
do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather
fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
vi. Hebrews 13:6 “so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?”
CONCLUSION
Why is the world the way it is?
Genesis 3:17-19 “cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground,”
And we were told these times would come.
2 Timothy 3:1-7 “But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Keep away from such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and take captive weak women weighed down with sins, being led on by various desires, always learning and never able to come to the full knowledge of the truth.”
And we are told what to do about it as well.
Psalm 27:1 “Yahweh is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strong defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?”
Therefore, go forth in this new year without fear, for the Lord is with you, and He will strengthen you, and He is your shelter and mighty fortress. Call on His name, and He will answer.
Next week:
The Spiritual Gifts
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