## What's New?

## Acts 17:21; Eccl 1:9

Welcome to 1999! We have never been here before; It is a brand New Year! Isn't that exciting? But is it really new? Solomon wrote that there is no new thing under the sun.

(Eccl 1:9) "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun."

Well, if there is nothing new under the sun, what about this New Year? I was all set for something new weren't you? Most of us are like the Greeks on Mars Hill that Paul writes about in the 17th chapter of Acts.

(Acts 17:21) "(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)"

We want to hear something new. I am sorry to disappoint you this morning if you came to hear something new.

Oh, I have never preached this particular sermon outline before, but it isn't new. It may be arranged differently or presented in a new manner, but the message is the same. God tells us that He never changes. "For I am the LORD, I change not…" (Mal. 3:6a). The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God, never changes. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." (Heb. 13:8). If God doesn't change, and His living Word doesn't change, then the message of His written Word doesn't change either.

But, old things can become new! Much of this depends upon our approach and our attitude. The school kids collected stuffed animals to give to children this Christmas. Many organizations take old toys and fix them up to give as gifts. They are new to them! When we bought our car, it was a demo model, but it was new to us! Many other examples of this sort of thing could be given, but this morning I want to apply this type of thinking to some things that can and should become new in our lives today.

I. We Need a New Excitement Over Spiritual Things.

A. Salvation of Souls

1. Do you remember how exciting it was when you first came to Christ?

2. What about the time when God allowed you to lead someone else to a saving knowledge of Christ?

3. Do we still get excited over these opportunities?

(John 3:7) "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."

4. Jesus told Nicodemus not to 'marvel' over the fact that he needed to be born again.

5. However, we should always marvel in the fact that God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son to die for us, that we might be saved!

6. That is and continues to be truly Amazing Grace!

B. Submission of Will.

1. Remember the lesson of the prodigal son and his father?

2. The father rejoiced over his son who had returned home.

3. How exciting when we see believers who are willing to submit to the will of the Father.

4. Those who come to the place where they will submit to believer's baptism.

5. Those who join the local church and become active.

6. Certainly a person can be a Christian and not be baptized…they can be a Christian and not be a member of their local church…but

7. God's plan is for each of us to submit our will to Him in these matters.

(Mat 28:19) "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"

C. Surrender of Hearts.

1. What a joy to see folks grow and mature in Christ.

2. But to see them surrender their hearts to serve Christ with their lives!

3. Nothing can compare to that!

4. Some surrender only to renege on that commitment to the Lord.

5. I am not talking about change in direction of ministry…that is something that is expected as God directs.

6. I am talking about those who turn their backs upon the Lord that they have surrendered their lives to serve.

(Luke 9:62) "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

7. Jesus is not talking about someone losing their salvation here at all, He is talking about our service to Him.

8. We cannot serve Him half-heartedly …with one hand on the plow but our eyes on what we left behind.

II. We Need a New Look at an Old Commandment.

(John 13:34-35) "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. {35} By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

A. "…Love one another…"

1. What does that mean?

2. It means that our lives need to be for others rather than for ourselves.

3. We have a responsibility to each other.

B. How are we to 'love one another'?

1. "…As I have loved you…"

2. How did Jesus love us?

3. Unconditionally…

4. Totally without reservation and without regard for whether we loved Him back.

5. He loved us when we were at our worst.

(Rom 5:8) "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

C. Others will know that we are His children.

(John 13:35) "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

1. We need a new look at this old command.

2. The world will take notice of this kind of love!

3. This is what people are looking for… we could offer facilities, programs, or other perks…but what they want is to be loved.

III. We Need a New Burden.

(Ezek 36:25-27) "Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. {26} A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. {27} And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."

A. For our personal Worship of God.

1. Have we grown complacent with our personal relationship to the Lord?

2. We need to ask God to renew our burden for a walk with Him that is real and alive.

3. We need to do whatever is necessary to see it corrected.

B. For the corporate Work of God through this church.

1. There is so much that could be done.

2. That has always been the case, though.

(Luke 10:2) "Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest."

3. There is a place of service for you in this church.

4. We need folks to serve in so many areas, let this be the year that you put your shoulder to the wheel and help us.

C. For the need of people Worldwide to hear the Gospel message.

1. Jesus is coming soon; what we do for Him we must do quickly.

2. So many need to hear.

3. We can do one of three things.

a. We can surrender to go and tell them.

b. We can commit to give that others might go while we hold the ropes.

c. We can let them die and go to hell.

4. What will be our choice?

What will the New Year bring to us? Much of that will be determined by our attitude toward it. Let's decide today to make some old things new! Come to Christ this morning. For salvation, for submission, or for surrender. It is time for a change in our attitude.