Here we are at the end of another year. My, how time has flown by and, before we knew it, 2019 is about to be another year that has come and gone.
In a few days we will be in another brand new year. I really hope today that we see the seriousness of where we are. In a few days this whole year will be over. And I want us to know that it is no accident that we all are here. None of this “I almost didn’t make it here!”
No, God ordained that all of us reading this were going to make it. No accident and no coincidence; God said to Satan and every circumstance that you faced this year that you were going to make it to Dec. 27, 2019. And here you are!
We ought to be glad today. A lot can happen between today and Wednesday morning, but right now, this moment we are all here! And this ought to tell us something; it ought to tell us that Satan is not in charge of our lives, God is! And we are going to be here until our time is up!
Community, rejoice with me when I say “we made it!” Not by any merit of our own and certainly not because we have been so good all year. Nobody reading this has earned the right to be here this last Friday before the New Year. Especially when so many others didn’t get this privilege.
And perhaps all of us reading know at least two or three people that did not make it to this day. But at the same time some of us have been in captivity this year. Some because of our own doing, we strayed away, became lackadaisical and went tip toeing into the tulips.
But others due to no fault of our own have struggled to make it here — 2019 brought its challenges, and even now today is not one of your best days, but you made it. You lost some things along the way; lost some health, lost some friendships, lost some relationships; losing some hurt but you didn’t need them. And because He brought you to this place, He has a question for us; now that we are here and He has given us another chance, what are we going to do?
His word to us is that since we are all here this last Friday of 2019 that we just “go for it!” If you are going to serve the Lord, serve him! If you are going to do better (and we all can) then do better! If we are going to make some spiritual changes in our lives, then make them!
The Lord spoke to his people, the nation of Israel, and He’s talking about a great restoration for these people (Zephaniah 3:15-20). His judgments are taken away; they had lost some things mainly because of their own disobedience; but instead of judgment they were going to get back what they had lost.
Community, isn’t it good when you lose some things but then God gives it back to you, and better than what you had? Remember Job lost everything (Job: 1:13-19; 2:7,8); but in the end he got back double what he lost (Job 42:12,13)! And is that somebody this morning? You lost some things in 2019; we are not where we once were. We don’t talk the same; we don’t look the same; we don’t act the same, we’ve lost something; we’ve let something come between us and God; that’s the way Israel felt; they were expecting judgment to fall on them.
But you know community friends, I’m so glad we serve a merciful God! Because only in God’s love will He extend mercy when we deserve judgment. I’m glad that God doesn’t hold grudges and unforgiveness in his heart like we do sometimes. He will let us turn our backs on Him, be disobedient and stiff-necked; but when we repent from our hearts, He will extend mercy.
He told Israel “The Lord has taken away YOUR judgments … and has cast out YOUR enemy (vs 15a) … you shall not see evil anymore (vs 15b).”
Community, we all have failed God in some way this year. And none of us did all what we could have done. But in spite of all of that, God has removed the judgments and given it all back to us. Now what are we going to do? Is it going to be the same thing? Will we give Him halfhearted service? Will we do no better?
May I suggest that we all “go for it!” Let’s give Him the best of our service. This is the last Friday of the year and I guess it’s like if someone was to wipe out all of our debt, give us a $1 million and say, “what are you going to do?” and they looked at us and say “go for it!” That means take advantage of the situation.
This is what God has done for us; He’s wiped out the debt and given us another chance … now take advantage of the gift He has given us. For stress He’s giving you peace; for sadness, He’s giving you joy; for brokenness He’s giving you wholeness; for death He’s giving you life; and to somebody He’s giving you double for your trouble.
In 2020, let’s get busy for the master; in church this Sunday let’s make a joyful noise unto the Lord (Ps. 100:1). Community, let’s go for it!
Happy New Year.
The Rev. George Ellis is pastor at Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
