SundaySermon - Soumya
A New Thing!
Verse: Isaiah 43:18-19
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
In our looking back, we may have made mistakes. And God is reminding us that we need to let go of it. God is doing something new. God is asking us, ' ... do you not perceive it?'. Are you sensitive to what God is doing? Are you ready for what God has for us?
Verse: Psalm 1:1-3
1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither — whatever they do prospers.
Here is picture of the new thing that God is doing in our lives. .... 'like a tree planted by streams of water .... whatever they do prospers.' But what is important for us to 'delight in the law of Lord'. The love for the Law of the Lord will shape our lifestyles and the practices will not be a burden.
The first behavior trait of the newness of this year (loving the Law of God) is
- Consistency
- Learning God's Word - Rooted in his Word
- Prayer
- Fellowship
- Gratitude
Consistency
Verse: Colossians 2:6-7
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
We need to continue to keep our passion for the Lord alive and growing stronger. The outcomes are a blessing. The words used in our communion with God are 'rooted.... built up.... strengthened.... overflowing'
Here is another verse that reiterates our continuing living with God.
Verse: John 15:5
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
The word again used is remain or continue.... So God is calling us to be consistent and disciplined in our living and understanding God.
Learning God's Word - Rooted in His Word
Consistency requires that we keep at something that naturally does not come to us. But we know that this is the right way of doing it. What is the right thing to do? It is learning God's word. We need to take root in the Word of God
Verse: 2 Timothy 3:16
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
What does God's word do? It teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us and trains us
Prayer
Daniel was a man of prayer. We have so many things that distracts us from our resolution to be consistent. But Daniel was so disciplined that the possibility of death did not deter him
Verse: Daniel 6:10
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Fellowship
Verse: Hebrews 10:25
25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
There are things we can do alone, but when two people synergize, the reward is not just double. The reward is many times over. That is why we Fellowship is important.
Gratitude
Verse: Colossians 2:7
7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Gratitude for what God has done makes all of lives difficult seem small. This frees you from fear