Looking to 2011
Matthew 14:22-14:32
Wow! Where did this Christmas go?
Most people are done opening presents and most will get back to normal routine. Unless… you are like the Zibolski’s. we are going today to finish Christmas with some family today.
Like I said last week, the lights will come down. The tree put away. Diets begin next week.
In a few days over one billion people will watch the ball drop in New York City’s Times Square. They will celebrate the coming of a New Year.
(Don’t raise your hands)
How many liked 2010? It was a good year for you.
How many cannot push 2010 out fast enough? Hoping that this New Year will bring new changes for the good.
New York City has celebrated the New Year since 1904, but it wasn’t until 1907 that they began dropping a ball. The ball was made of iron and wood and weighed 700 pounds.
I’m not sure but I think dick Clark was at the first celebration. (just kidding)
The name of the ball is “The star of hope.”
Each year is an opportunity for us to grasp hold of our future and destiny.
It is kind of like making our New Years resolutions’.
We all make them and break them every year.
Mainly because we rely on our strengths to repair our weaknesses, and we forget every year that it is going to Have to be a God thing to help us in some areas of our lives.
Each year we approach the New Year with the hope that “this is going to be the year”! The one that we have been waiting for!
Each year I do the same thing. (creature of habit) I look at my life, my family, the life of the church and I look to see what changes need to be made to move forward. (Too much of a thinker)
But, it cannot stop there- thinking about it, even knowing what to do is not the end result. The end result is doing something about it.
If it is something that you can change- you change it.
If it is something that needs God’s help, then for heaven’s sake, make sure God is involved in it.
2010 was a challenging year for me and the church that God has called me to pastor.
Watching some of you go through some of the things you went through was tough and wishing that I had a magic wand to be able to fix it.
I watched some of you make the same mistakes over and over again and assume unless God is involved that 2011 will not be different.
There are standard principals that we must understand before we can possibly think some of the circumstances will change.
No- where in the Bible does it say that when the economy gets bad, cut down or eliminate your tithes and offerings to the storehouse of God.
No- where in the Bible does it say that we should stay so busy that we forget about God and God’s people.
No- where does it say that we can be disobedient and expect the blessings of God to fall on our lives.
That seems harsh, but the principals of God and being obedient to God’s Word doesn’t change because we are in a situation we do not like.
This is not a tithing message and I am not trying to solicit extra money from you this morning.
What I am saying is as we go into the New Year with high hopes and high expectations, we must do what we know to do.
DO- What Gods Word tells us.
Relying and calling out to God for the things that we cannot do for ourselves.
We cannot do the same thing, the same way and expect a different outcome.
Matthew 14;22-32- not normally a New Years passage, but I want you to see the principal Jesus taught, because it is a good one to learn for the New Year.
Matthew 14:22-32- (read the Scripture).
There are some words that immediately stick out in this passage.
(V23)- Jesus dismissed the disciples, he went up to the mountainside by himself to pray.
If Jesus needed time alone to pray, time to get alone with God. What does that say for each one of us and how much more do we need it .
Jesus said to the disciples- “Take courage” Don’t be afraid. When they were right in the middle of the storm. Jesus walked to them and told them to take courage and then told Peter to “Come to Him”
Jesus reached out- met their needs, while holding Peter’s hand says – “Why do you doubt”?
I want you to see something here!
New Year- old problems- we usually carry them with us to the next year.
Jesus taught the disciples and He is teaching us.
If you want to see God work in new ways- you must be willing to do new things. (repeat) why do you doubt?
Often new experiences require a higher level of faith and obedience.
God operates in our lives by faith and obedience.
We must do what we know to do obediently to the Lord.
We must by faith stretch out into new areas of our lives depending on God to help us.
If you are disobedient, you will lose the blessing of God.
If you operate only by what you can touch, feel, fix yourself, and there is no faith, you will be limited to your own strength and ability.
Illustration-
Faith and works should travel side by side, step by step. Like the legs of man walking. First faith, then works, then faith again, then works again- until we cannot tell the difference between the two.
God told Abraham – leave your country, your people and your Fathers homestead and go to the land I will show you.
Thank God, he does not ask all of you to do that- without the calling of God, you could not do it. But, ask God to help you be more like Abraham who believed God’s promises and did not act in unbelief but with great faith.
Listen- ministry is hard-
Jesus sent his disciples away from the crowd for some R and R and alone time.
Gave them a lesson on trusting God.
Peter says… God, if this is really you- in the middle of this storm…
Take my hand and call me to you! In the midst of the storm…
grab Jesus hand and walk on water! That is good stuff!
Illustration- (Sermoncentral)
One night a house caught fire and a young boy was forced to flee to the roof. The father stood on the ground below with outstretched arms. Calling to his son, “jump! I’ll catch you.” He knew the boy had to jump to save his life. All the boy could see, however, was flames, smoke, and blackness. As you can imagine, he was afraid to leave the roof. His father kept yelling; jump! I will catch you. But the boy protested, Daddy, I can’t see you.” The father replied, but I can see you and that is all that matters.
Faith believes that God’s will done in God’s way will not lack God’s provisions (Hudson Taylor)
I believe that with every fiber of my being.
We want 2011 to be different.
We want to be successful at what we are asking God to do.
Make sure it is of God (God’s will)
Make sure we are obedient (To what we know to do)
Make sure we operate by faith- anything less is of our own strength.
Make sure we are not robbing God , then asking Him to bless it. Weather it be time, money, talents, relationships.
Illustration- (Sermoncentral)
When Hudson Taylor went to China, he made a voyage on a sailing vessel. As it neared the channel between the Southern Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the missionary heard an urgent knock on his stateroom door. He opened it, and there stood the captain of the ship. Mr. Taylor, he said, we have no wind. We are drifting toward an island where the people are heathen, and I fear they are cannibals. What can I do, asked Taylor? I understand that you believe in God. I want you to pray for wind. All right, captain, I will, but you must set the sail. Why that’s ridiculous! There’s not even the slightest breeze. Besides, the sailors will think I’m crazy. But finally, because of Taylor’s insistence, he agreed. Forty-five minutes later he returned and found the missionary still on his knees. You can stop praying now, said the captain. We’ve got more wind than we know what to do with.
When God is in it- He cannot be stopped and it will be amazing.
2011 challenges- yes
Hopeless- no! Absolutely not!
I believe last week at prayer time that God did amazing things in some lives. I wait now just to hear the testimonies to come.
Too many people believe that if they only had power, wealth, and influence, they’d be happy. They struggle to gain these things. They don’t realize the wisdom they already have and what God is trying to do in their lives.
Like a man climbing a mountain wanting to see as far as he can. He climbs higher but no matter how high he climbs, he can only see so far. He is limited by his eyesight. God has no limits, no boundaries, knows it beginning to end.
Closing-
2011, I Cannot even believe I am saying that. God is looking for some people to step out of the comfort zone and make a difference. Dare to live a life that God has for them. Take their life to the next level.
Get out of the boat!
The disciples faced some tough times! They just lost John the Baptist by being be-headed. They were exhausted. They needed to come apart. They needed to get energized by the Lord.
If you are going to do God’s will in your life, then you have to listen to the Lord everyday.
Proverbs 3:5-
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
Some of you have done the same thing over and over and have not gotten any different results. Today, allow God to get involved in your life.
We all have storms- nobody is exempt from them. It is what you do with them and how much you are going to turn these things over to the Lord.
The disciples were headed I one direction, The Lord said, get into the boat and go in the other direction.
Altar Call-
