The Classic

[0:00] Hello and welcome to the broadcast today. I'm Pastor Steve Frenzmeyer from the First Christian Church in Graysburg. I'm glad you're here with us today and I pray that the Lord would just speak to our hearts and do what he wants to do today.

[0:13] So if you would, let's get started this way. In your mind, can you picture a 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle SS with a big black engine?

[0:26] White paint with a dark red interior. Can you picture that in your mind? Okay, how about this? How about a 1968 Dodge Charger with a big block 383 under the hood?

[0:39] Got that one? Orange paint with black interior. So how about this one? Picture this one in your mind. A 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1 with a 351 V8 engine under the hood.

[0:57] White on blue exterior paint with a black interior. So what do these three things have in common? We would all consider them classic muscle cars.

[1:09] Okay, so how about this? Let's switch gears, literally. What if I mentioned the name Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart? What do you think about? Okay, what about this name?

[1:21] Johann Sebastian Bach. Okay. The two of them would be considered classical music composers. So how about these names?

[1:31] What comes to mind? Van Halen. Journey. The Allman Brothers Band. We would consider those classic rock bands. You know, I still like that old time rock and roll.

[1:45] That kind of music just soothes the soul. I reminisce about the days of old with that old time rock and roll. You know, we all love classics.

[1:55] Classic cars, classic music, classical rock. We all love it. You know, there's just something about those things that are so nostalgic to us. You know, they bring back so many memories and just things like that.

[2:09] And then we often say, you know what? They just don't make them like that anymore. You know what? There's even a channel, you know, that goes back to the classic sports channel, the ESPN classic.

[2:21] All it has is sports games, basketball games, football games, baseball games from years gone by. You know, we are so caught up in old things.

[2:33] We are also caught up with things that are considered retro. Old things that look new. You know, we have bell-bottom jeans, paisley ties, double-breasted suits, Airstream travel trailers.

[2:49] We are in a society where we are always looking to think about the good old days. And yet we're still hoping for newer and better things in our future.

[3:01] So here we are. It's New Year's. Some look at it as a fresh new start. A new start for something better. New Year's resolutions are being made all over the place.

[3:13] And it's hoping that a resolution will be a new year, a new me. A better me. This year, if I could only lose 20 pounds, I'd be so much better.

[3:27] This year, if I could just grow a hair, I'll be so much better. If this year I could do this, I'd be so much better. This year, if I could change this, I would be so much better.

[3:43] If I could do only this, I would be so much better. We all want something new in our lives. Because newness, we equate that into something being better.

[3:56] New equals better. So is there anything that has never changed but is constantly doing something new? Let's go back to the beginning.

[4:08] In Genesis 1.1, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He created something new. So if you notice in that verse, it didn't say that God was created in the beginning.

[4:24] It doesn't say that. Because God has always been there. When the world and time began, God was already there. You see, God is not a created being because he's always been there.

[4:38] So why is that so important to know? Well, God has to exist outside of space, time, and matter. Okay? And God can because he's the creator of all of them.

[4:51] Because if we can say that God were created, okay, then we can scientifically put together what made God.

[5:02] When he was made. Why he was made. All those kinds of things. We can come up with a scientific explanation for him. And if we can scientifically explain God, then somehow we think that we can understand God.

[5:17] And if we can understand God, then that puts us on God's level. Isaiah 58, excuse me, 55, 8 and 9 says, If we could totally wrap our heads around the thoughts and deeds of God.

[5:49] If we could only understand God completely. I mean, his thoughts, his deeds, his will. If we could grasp that and understand it, fully understand it.

[6:01] Then that would make God just like us. Very understandable. We could totally define who God is. Now, I know there's, we know a lot about God.

[6:14] Okay? We know a lot about him. We know his personality. We see a lot of his characteristics. We see his love, his mercy, his grace, his justice.

[6:27] But right now, on this side of heaven, do we totally understand the extent of his love? Do we totally understand the depth of his mercy and grace?

[6:40] And do we totally understand the sovereignty of his justice? Well, the answer has to be a resounding no, because it's true. We won't. Because we will never fully see and understand the fullness of God on this side of heaven, here on earth.

[7:00] In Daniel, the 7th chapter, verse 9, Daniel refers to God as the Ancient of Days. Which literally means that God existed before time ever began.

[7:14] You know, my two boys think that I'm ancient. Not just because of the gray beard and the bald head. But because I lived during a time that didn't have cell phones or the internet.

[7:27] That makes me ancient. But nothing compared to God. You know, because age is just a number. But not to God, because time doesn't mean anything to God.

[7:38] In Revelation, Jesus refers to himself as the Alpha and the Omega. Which is the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

[7:48] In Psalm 102, 25-27, David writes, In the beginning you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.

[8:01] They will perish, but you will remain. They will wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them. Then they will be discarded.

[8:12] But you remain the same. And your years will never end. You know, we look to God as our Heavenly Father.

[8:23] And He is. With that, as God being our Father, He's never left us. He's never forsaken us. He's never turned His back on us.

[8:35] He's never turned His back on you. He has never forgotten you. He's never forgotten us, me. God never changes. And with that, we can put a lot of hope and trust in that.

[8:47] Because He is the same. Isaiah, the 40th chapter. I love this passage. Isaiah, chapter 40, verses 28-31.

[9:00] It says, Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God. The creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary.

[9:11] And His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases power to the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary.

[9:22] And young men stumble and fall. But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar like wings like eagles.

[9:33] They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. You know, there's just so much in this passage alone. First, the passage is just another source of scripture that's pointing to the very nature of God as the creator of everything.

[9:51] And that the Lord is everlasting. So let's take just a glimpse of that word everlasting. It means no beginning and no end.

[10:02] So just like we have read through several of these scriptures already. It just one more time confirms that God has been and always will be.

[10:14] The passage goes on to say that God will never tire or weary. God never takes a vacation day. He never calls in sick.

[10:25] God never says, I'm too busy to handle something. He says, there's nothing I can't handle. God never needs a break. God never needs to step away for a moment to collect His thoughts.

[10:37] Because God is always there. He never changes. However, youths. And I think God's being kind here because He's calling all of us youths.

[10:49] Because we're so much younger than Him. So I appreciate that. Youths will grow tired and weary. At some point in our lives. At some point probably during this last year.

[11:02] And maybe for some of us at some point during this day. We have all grown tired and weary of something. We reach a point where we say, I can't take of this anymore.

[11:15] The pressures of this life have just continued to mount up. And I just feel like there's no end in sight. There's no hope at all. And those pressures come from so many different areas.

[11:28] So many different places. And when we grow tired and weary. Then we stumble and fall. We have a health scare. We make bad decisions.

[11:41] Our relationships are stretched to the brink. Our spiritual life becomes basically non-existent. At work. You may feel that your workplace keeps just adding things on top of all your normal duties.

[11:56] Keeps on adding it on. They may have laid off three people this year. So what used to be done by seven people is down by four now. You may have an overbearing and demanding boss.

[12:09] That is constantly in your grill. And never gives you the credit for the work that you've done. Or maybe I'm being paid for 40 hours a week.

[12:20] But I'm here 50, 60, and sometimes even more. I'm tired. I'm tired. I've had enough. I can't take any more. That happens.

[12:32] That's realistic. That's life. With our family. You may feel overwhelmed with the demands of your household. Taking kids to all their activities. Balancing and maintaining a family budget.

[12:45] Meeting the needs of your spouse. Maybe even dealing with the mistakes and the consequences of those mistakes from adult children. And you may just come up to say, I don't know what else I can do.

[13:01] I've done all I can. I've reached my end here. And some of us with our health, you know, we're all getting older. And sometimes we can't do what we used to do.

[13:14] Diabetes. Heart disease. Blood pressure. Cancer. May lead us to being just scared of not knowing what's going to happen to us. Who's going to take care of us?

[13:27] How are we going to take care of our family if something happens and we're gone? Or if we just physically can't do it anymore? You know, and I'm sure that that list of worries could go on and on and on.

[13:40] But take heart here today, please. God knows we have our limits. And sometimes those limits come pretty quickly, don't they? They just sneak up on us or they just jump out at us.

[13:53] But let's go back to that passage in Isaiah. The second part of that. He says that he gives strength to the weary and increases power to the weak.

[14:05] Those that hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.

[14:16] Here's the key. The key is our hope is in the Lord. Your hope is in God.

[14:29] Your hope is in God. It's not going to be a New Year's resolution. Not a new workout program at the gym. Not a new diet. Not a new self-help book. Not a new year, new me philosophy.

[14:41] Speaking of self-help books, did you know that there are over 86,000 different self-help books on the market? 86,000. Which account for 18.6 million books sold each year.

[15:00] Self-help books, you know, they're all good intentions. You know, they all mean well. Self-help books tell us that our happiness, our joy, us feeling good about ourselves is something that we can all change on our own.

[15:16] And if we do this one thing or we follow these three simple steps or whatever it may be, then everything that we ever wanted, everything that we've always wanted to be, can happen if we do those few things.

[15:29] You know, but even if we change our habits, we change our looks, we change whatever it may be, it doesn't change one thing.

[15:42] It doesn't change our heart. It takes a renewal of our heart for true change to happen. A renewal that can only come through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

[15:55] You see, the classic God, the God who never changes, the God that remains the same, the same God wants to do something new in you and through you.

[16:12] First thing God wants to do is bring you into a relationship with him through his son, Jesus Christ. In that relationship with Jesus, God gives us a brand new heart.

[16:26] 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come, the old is gone, and the new is here.

[16:41] Some of us need to be renewed. Some of us need a whole new heart. No, life has gotten us down, and we need to be refreshed with something new.

[16:55] 2 Corinthians 4, verses 16-18 say, Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

[17:09] For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes, not on what is seen, but what is unseen.

[17:23] Since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. So how often do we need to be refreshed and renewed?

[17:36] Is it once a year? Brand new year, start now. Once every month? How often? The Bible tells us that we need to be renewed each and every day.

[17:54] Because each and every day, God has something new for us. Lamentations 3, 22 says, Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed.

[18:05] For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. You know.

[18:17] They, the place of hope in the Lord, they're going to be renewed. It reminds me of the old hymn. Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father.

[18:29] There is no shadow of turning with thee. Thou changest not thy compassions, they fail not. As thou hast been, thou forever will be.

[18:44] Great is thy faithfulness. Great is thy faithfulness. Morning by morning, new mercies I see. All I have needed, thy hand hath provided.

[19:01] Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me. Great is God's faithfulness. To me and to you.

[19:13] Every day, He is able and willing and wanting to do something new for us. God wants us to, God wants to do something new in you and through you.

[19:26] And all we have to do is trust Jesus in all that. And then make ourselves available to do His will. You know, it's a new year.

[19:39] Let's allow God to do something new in us. Something new. New strength for each day. New hope to get through the hurts of each day. New mercies and blessings to count on.

[19:53] A new vision on how God wants us to serve Him. A new heart to know God even more and deeper. A new heart to love and to serve those around you.

[20:07] A new you that can only happen. That can only happen because of God. And God alone. You know, change can always be difficult.

[20:20] Because it's scary. It's exciting. But let's don't worry. Because God has it all covered. Because He said He will never leave us or forsake us. He's never going to turn His back on us.

[20:34] He is the God who never changes. His attributes never change. He is the God who's the same yesterday. The same God today.

[20:44] The same God tomorrow. He is the God that will never leave us or turn His back on us. God is the true classic.

[20:56] That wants to do something new in you and through you. And we can trust that because He never changes. Even though He's doing something new. He never changes.

[21:09] His love for you never changes. So trust in Him. And always keep your hope in Him.

[21:20] Because great is God's faithfulness. Lord unto you and me. And that is something that we can trust in.

[21:33] That is something that we can find hope in. Because there's nowhere else that's going to give us that peace. That we so desire so much in our lives.

[21:44] Only through God. So I pray that these words have comforted you. Have strengthened you. Give you new life. Have renewed your life.

[21:54] And I pray that as the new year begins. That God can start something new in you. Because you know what? Once God starts something.

[22:06] He's faithful to complete it. Isn't that exciting? And I hope it is for you. So let's just pray before we go. Okay?

[22:17] God, I thank you for today. I thank you for the words spoken. And Lord, I just pray for those that need healing. I pray for a physical and a spiritual healing for those that need it.

[22:28] Then Lord, that we can be renewed. That we can literally mount up on wings like eagles. And fly. That we don't get tired when we run and walk.

[22:40] That we won't grow weary. Because we are drawing off of your strength. And not ours. So God, allow us to always keep our eyes focused on you. God, we thank you.

[22:53] In Jesus' name. Amen. Well, I hope these words today have touched you where you need it. And if you made a first time commitment to the Lord today.

[23:05] Man, I'm excited for you. Because your life is on a new track. You know, you're a new you. In so many ways. And I pray that you would find a church where you can grow in.

[23:15] That you can serve in. That people will come alongside you. And love you and encourage you in your daily walk. And in your life. And if you can't find a church. I pray that you would come visit us here at First Christian Church here in Greensburg.

[23:28] We love you. And I'm so glad that you were part of this today. God bless you all. Take care. Bye-bye.