Good morning.
Am I on?
Good morning.
Happy New Year's.
It's good to see you all.
It's not that cold out, is it?
Maybe it is.
I think today it qualifies as really cold.
Some of my best favorite stories have it in it.
Bilbo Baggins runs out the door without his handkerchief.
Harry Potter shows up at the nine and three quarters platform at the train station.
Lucy pushes her way through the back of the wardrobe.
All of them on the brink of something that they have not yet seen, encountered, or experienced.
They're going into an adventure.
They're facing something that is unknown and they don't know what lies ahead.
If they knew what would lie ahead, they would probably be afraid.
If they knew what would lie ahead, they might be tempted to turn back.
They might say, no, I don't know what I'm going to find on the other side of this.
I think I'd rather go back home and sit in my hobbit hole, smoke my pipe weed,
or go back and play with my brothers and sisters in the professor's mansion.
These kinds of things happen in our lives as well, don't they?
You go to the first day of a new school year at a new school where you don't know anybody.
What is it going to look like?
What is it going to happen?
When you move to a new town, when you stand at the altar and say, I do.
When you step up and take a new job in your business or in your company,
these transitions are new adventures.
And though we often try to plan and try to examine and try to know ahead what's going to happen,
in fact, they are adventures into an unknown.
Now, some of you love this.
Some of you are made for this kind of adventure.
Give me something unknown.
Give me something that's new and different.
You get bored easily and you think, there's got to be something new around the corner.
It's worth exploring.
Some of us, maybe many of us though, shrink back.
And sometimes for those of you who have that love of new adventures,
the hardest challenges are the new adventures that occur in the place that you already are.
Where you have to rebuild or build a new relationship with your teenager as they grow up.
Where you have to develop new patterns of life in the same place
to stop continuing falling into that habitual sin that has characterized your life for so long.
You have to rebuild intimacy with your wife or husband
when you've lived together for years and years in patterns of slow decay.
Or where you walk into your work environment and you're asked to do the same job,
but to do it differently.
And you have to change in those things.
These kinds of changes, these kinds of things force us into an unknown
where we often in our human nature tend to shrink back.
We tend to be afraid of what we don't know.
We feel the insecurity rising up in us.
And we wonder, how can we go on?
How do we do this?
You know, I've thought about this a lot because I've been,
as I've been praying for our church recently.
I wonder if there's a corporate application for us.
Many of you know, next door, probably in the next month,
permits pending,
there will be a big construction site next door.
At a congregational meeting later this spring,
we will discuss together whether we want to do our own construction project.
At Easter, we are expecting, at this point,
to move to two services for the rest of the spring.
We're still exploring that,
but we think we're probably going to do it.
There are unknowns that are facing our church.
Unknown things about our context,
unknown things about our patterns.
And it would be very easy for us to face them with fear,
to feel the insecurity,
and to want to pull back
rather than moving ahead.
I think I can say for sure that whatever this year holds,
it will not be more of the same
from what you've experienced in the last couple of years.
There'll be new territory to explore,
new encounters to engage in,
new challenges to face.
And the question is, how will we face it?
How will we face these things in our own lives?
How will we face them together as a church?
This brings me to my text this morning,
which is in the book of Joshua, chapter one.
If you want to turn in your pew Bibles,
it's page 178.
Joshua, chapter one,
we'll be looking at verses one through nine.
And as you're turning there,
because this isn't a part of a series
and we haven't talked about the context,
remember that this is at the end
of the great story in the Pentateuch,
the first five books of the Bible,
of God calling a people to himself
and then doing this great act
in Exodus through Deuteronomy,
this great act of deliverance.
His people who lived in slavery in Egypt,
God has shown immense power
and sovereignty and grace
and love to his people
by delivering them out of slavery,
out of the hands of Egypt,
bringing them through the wilderness
and to the brink of the promised land.
They've been led through all of this
by the servant Moses
that God has raised up
to be a leader of his people.
And now as the people stand on from your,
as you stand,
they're now up along the eastern edge
of the Jordan River
and they're gonna move west
across the Jordan River
into the promised land,
into the land that God told Abraham
hundreds of years before,
this will be the place
where you and your people will live.
this is the land that I have,
that I will give to you.
But if you remember the story,
it was the land that earlier
in Numbers 13,
they explored,
they came to the edge of it
once before,
they looked,
they sent in 12,
12 spies,
they call them,
to examine the land
and what did they find?
The land was as good as promised,
flowing with milk and honey,
abundant in every natural resource.
It was in many ways paradise,
particularly compared
to their wandering
on the Sinai Peninsula
in the desert
and yet it was full of people.
People who,
it seems,
were taller than them.
People who,
they were afraid of.
People's nations
and they said,
we cannot defeat these people,
they are too great for us
and they shrunk back
at that time earlier.
They've known their own weakness
of grumbling and complaining
and not trusting God.
They didn't trust God for water
and God made it flow from a rock.
They didn't trust God for food
and God rained it down
from heaven.
A food that they
nor anyone else
had ever seen before.
and now they come again
to the edge of the promised land.
Now they come again
to the very brink
and yet Moses has died
and they're going in
with more uncertainty,
more fears,
more insecurity.
how will they respond
to what comes next?
It's in this context
that we will read
our passage this morning.
For God then comes
to speak to Joshua
who is the one
that God has determined
raised up
to be Moses' successor
as the leader
of God's people.
God speaks to Joshua
about what is to come
and how it is
that they can move forward.
So let's read this together.
Joshua chapter one
verses one through nine.
Now after the death of Moses,
the servant of the Lord,
the Lord said to Joshua,
the son of Nun,
Moses' assistant,
Moses, my servant is dead.
Now therefore arise,
go over this Jordan,
you and all this people,
into the land
that I am giving to them,
to the people of Israel.
Every place that the sole
of your foot will tread upon,
I have given to you
just as I promised to Moses.
From the wilderness
in this Lebanon
as far as the great river,
the river Euphrates,
all the land of the Hittites
to the great sea
going toward the going down
of the sun
shall be your territory.
No man shall be able
to stand before you
all the days of your life.
Just as I was with Moses,
so I will be with you.
I will not leave you
or forsake you.
Be strong and courageous,
for you shall cause this people
to inherit the land
that I swore to their fathers
to give them.
Only be strong and very courageous,
being careful to do according
to all the law
that Moses, my servant,
commanded you.
Do not turn from it
to the right hand
or to the left,
that you may have good success
wherever you go.
This book of law
shall not depart from your mouth,
but you shall meditate on it
day and night
so that you may be careful
to do according to all
that is written in it.
For then you will make
your way prosperous,
and then you will have
great success.
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be frightened
and do not be dismayed,
for the Lord your God
is with you
wherever you go.
Will you pray with me?
Lord, we thank you
this morning for this word.
Lord, thank you that
in every part of your word,
Lord, you have given us words
that are useful for us.
Words that teach,
words that convict,
words that instruct,
words that command,
words that encourage,
words that rebuke.
Lord, thank you for your word
and how it does speak to us.
And Lord, we pray this morning
that you would speak to us
through your word.
Lord, I pray for all of us
that we would have
receptive hearts
and listening ears
to hear what you would have
to say this morning to us.
We pray this in Jesus' name.
Amen.
This is a rich passage.
It would be fun to spend
lots of time on it.
We're going to try
to move through it.
We're going to focus
on three things.
Three things that God says
to his people
as they're facing
this uncertainty
and this new transition.
They're facing this new situation.
And we're going to look
at these three things
and apply them to our lives
as we go along.
And the first thing
that God says
is go forward.
Right?
This is pretty obvious,
isn't it?
They're standing on the brink
of the promised land.
There's really one way
for them to go.
So,
and yet it's interesting
as you look
at the first couple of verses,
especially verses 3 and 4,
particularly,
some of the emphases.
One of the things
that he says
is all of you
must go forward.
He says go forward together.
Don't leave any behind.
None of you
should shrink back from this.
But all of you should go.
And all of you should go
and take all of this land.
And the promise here
is an immense amount of land.
In fact,
the people of Israel
didn't get all of this land.
They didn't go as far
as the extent
is described here
out of their lack of faith
and disobedience
as they went forward.
But the promise
that God gave them
was that there is
a great big land
that is going to have
everything that you need
to live and to thrive
and to prosper
in this world.
God had given them
a big promise.
And he had said
go into it.
Yes, it looks unknown.
Yes, it looks uncertain.
And in fact,
it looks scary.
And it probably looks hard.
It's not going to be easy
to take this land.
There are people
who live there.
There are armies
that live there.
They have weapons.
They are taller than you.
All of those things
haven't changed.
God says,
I want you to go forward.
Do not be afraid
but be strong
and courageous
and go forward
into the things
that I have for you.
He does it based
on his promise.
Go forward
because I have promised
you
that these things
will be yours.
Now,
how do we think
about this today?
How do we read
the promises of God
particularly with regard
to taking land?
It's a little tricky.
People have disagreed
with it over the years.
But let me say this.
God is not calling us
to build
a Christian nation
where he will establish
his kingdom
through a particular
political entity.
In fact,
it doesn't even seem
that God will,
God is promising
that he will do that
even through any particular
local church expression.
None of us have a claim
to the promises of the land
to that extent.
But what we do know
for sure
is that
as God's people
in the Old Testament
had a physical place
where they were going
to live
and display God's glory,
in the New Testament,
God takes his people
and instead of
bringing them together
in a place,
he scatters them
into every tribe
and tongue
and nation.
And he says,
I will send you
to be my people
throughout the earth
to the ends
of the earth.
And as I do this,
I will build my church.
This is the promise,
it seems,
that we are able
to hold onto
and to know
that what God promised
to the Old Testament people,
the descendants of Abraham,
was there is a land
that I am going
to give to you.
But as we see
the greater fulfillment
of what this is pointed to,
it is God saying,
I will build my church
that will thrive
in every part
of this world.
And in every part
of this world then,
God's church
will await
for the return
of Christ
and the establishment
of the kingdom
when once again
there will be a day
where the whole land
will be
for the people of God.
and we will,
with Christ,
rule over it
on the day
that he comes
and returns
and establishes
his kingdom
and makes all things new
and makes all things right.
And so there will be a day
when we will get land,
but it's not now.
For now,
what we get
is the church.
This is the promise
that God has given us.
This is what we read earlier.
I will build my church
and the gates of hell
will not stand
against it.
So how do we apply this
then to our lives?
Well,
I want to be
really practical here.
I want to call you
to reaffirm
the importance
of the church
in your life.
I want to ask you
to be a partner
with God,
to be a participant
with God
in the thing
that he is doing
in building
his church
in the world.
I want you
to go forward
and say,
yes,
I will do it.
I will find
a way
to be a part
of building
the church.
And because you're
here,
why don't you
do it here
in this church?
What a great idea.
We'd love for you
to do that.
How do I build
the church?
Well,
one thing it is,
it means
don't spend
all your time
grumbling
and complaining
about what we aren't,
but seek to invest
in improving
our church
so that we can be
all that God
would want us to be.
I don't say this
because we struggle
with this.
We actually have
a wonderful church.
I do not feel
like this is a
besetting problem
in our church,
but I say it
because it was
the problem
that Israel
struggled with
the most.
God,
I don't trust you.
God,
this is never
good enough.
God,
you're not
providing the way
I think you
ought to.
God,
this isn't the way
I expected you
to work.
God,
I want you
to do this
differently.
This is all
the ways
that the people
of Israel
disbelieved
and doubted God.
And I don't want
us to be
that kind of people.
I want us
to be people
who believe
that God
will build
the church
and that God
graciously will
build this church
and that maybe
he's called you
to come here
and to be a part
of it.
Look for God
to use you
to build our church.
And not because
we want to be
great in the
biggest church
or the best church
or the hippest church
or the hottest church
in town.
We don't really
care about any
of those things.
What we do want
to be is a church
where Jesus Christ
is lifted up
and where people's
lives are changed
by it.
And we want
to call you
to be a part
of that.
Find ways
to invest.
Find ways
to serve.
Find ways
to plug in.
Invest your
prayer life.
Do you pray
daily
for our church?
Do it.
Do you give
regularly
to our church?
Do it.
Do you give
of your time?
Do you give
of your talents?
Do you give
of your finances?
Do you give
of your heart?
Do you love
the church?
Are you willing
to go forward
into this next year
believing
that God
wants to
continue
to use
this church
to display
the glory
of Christ
and the good
news of the
gospel?
So the first
thing we see
here is God
wants us
to go forward.
The second
thing
is that God
wants us
as we go
forward
he wants us
to go back.
that is
he wants us
to hold
on
to the
things
that he
has already
said.
Look with
me in
verses
7 and 8
God
gives Joshua
this command
take the
people
go in
take the
land
do this
but then
we see
secondly
this
significant
exhortation
in 7 and
8
be careful
to do
all the
law
do not
turn from
it
to the
right
to the
left
this
book
of law
shall not
depart
from you
but you
shall
meditate
on it
day
and night
now
think about
what these
people have
seen
or at
least what
they are
just one
generation
removed
from
the law
that they
have
came to
them
as Moses
met with
God
as a man
meets with
a man
face to
face
on the
top of
a mountain
with smoke
and fire
right
God
appeared
in a
dramatic
life
changing
way
to reveal
himself
and to
give the
law
as an
instruction
to people
who
just a few
months
earlier
maybe a few
years earlier
wondered if
God had
completely
forgotten
them
God
shows up
and he
says I
have not
forgotten
you
in fact
I have
delivered
you
and now
I'm
giving
you
this
law
so that
you
will
understand
what
does
it
mean
to
enter
into
this
covenant
with
me
and to
take
up
this
covenant
with
me
where
I
will
be
your
God
and
you
will
be
my
people
and
it's
a
whole
law
of
instructing
them
on how
to
live
corporately
civilly
in their
worship
in their
everyday
lives
it's
instruction
on how
they
are
ought
to
do
this
and
all
of
it
is
how
are
they
entering
into
covenant
faithfulness
with
this
God
who
has
delivered
them
and saved
them
and called
them
covenant
faithfulness
expressed
in love
and devotion
worship
in obedience
in trust
and
remember
these
people
who are
standing
on the
brink
of the
Jordan
River
about
to go
into
the
promised
land
they
remember
they
remember
that the
generation
before
them
failed
they
recognize
that
Moses
himself
isn't
entering
in
because
he
did
not
trust
and
follow
God's
word
they
know
that
there
are
people
prone
to
turn
back
from
God's
word
to
grumble
and
complain
and
doubt
to
be
independent
thanks
God
for
your
instruction
but
I
think
we're
going
to
do
it
our
way
because
it'll
probably
work
better
than
your
way
at
least
it
seems
so
to
me
God
says
no
remember
the
covenant
that I
made
with
you
and
remember
that
my
words
to
you
are
words
that
are
meant
to
give
life
that
obedience
is
the
way
of
life
for
God's
people
that
it's
not
just
about
outward
formalism
and
conformity
to
certain
rules
and
regulations
but
it
is
an
internal
transformation
and
a
delight
and
life
oriented
to
please
God
in
everything
that
we
do
and
they
are
told
to
not
simply
remember
it
but
to
meditate
on
it
let
it
be
a
part
of
their
lives
day
and
night
so
what
about
us
well
I
hope
you'll
be
encouraged
but
as
we
go
forward
as
Trinity
Baptist
Church
we
know
that
there
is
only
one
thing
it's
a
really
slick
logo
that's
going
to
get
us
going
that's
going
to
move
us
forward
to
it's
a
joke
it's
a
joke
it's
not
a
logo
it's
not
a
gimmick
it's
not
even
a
cool
building
it's
not
even
a
killer
children's
program
or
a
great
small
group
program
or
anything
that
we
do
the
most
important
thing
that
we
do
is
that
the
word
of
God
is
central
in
the
life
of
our
church
we
need
to
be
careful
in
our
world
and
in
our
culture
and
the
pragmatism
of
our
culture
and
the
pragmatism
of
our
hearts
where
we
think
yeah
does
God's
word
really
work
I
think
we
probably
need
something
more
and
in
the
busyness
of
our
lives
when
we
don't
see
the
immediate
results
of
slogging
our
way
through
a
Bible
reading
course
where
we're
in
the
middle
of
the
second
half
of
Leviticus
in
February
and
we
wonder
really
is
this
changing
my
life
today
and
we
give
up
and
we
think
I
give
up
it's
too
hard
the
word
of
God
is
the
center
of
our
life
as
a
church
it
is
why
we
spend
so
much
time
listening
to
God's
word
on
Sunday
morning
and
we
don't
shrink
back
from
saying
we
think
this
is
worth
it
the
proclamation
of
God's
word
is
worth
it
every
Sunday
it
it's
why
the
word
of
God
is
central
in
our
small
groups
why
when
we
gather
together
in
small
groups
we
are
meant
to
be
people
gathered
around
the
word
of
God
and
yes
there's
community
and
yes
there's
prayer
and
yes
there's
love
and
all
sorts
of
wonderful
things
but
the
thing
that
pulls
us
together
is
our
time
in
the
word
together
and
I
pray
that
we
are
a
church
where
the
word
of
God
is
central
in
our
lives
of
daily
devotion
that
daily
Bible
reading
is
an
individual
and a
family
practice
that
we
do
on a
regular
basis
we
hold
to
God's
word
because
it
is
the
one
way
that
we
know
God
has
spoken
to
us
objectively
clearly
without
confusion
we
know
that
God
has
spoken
to
us
and
he
has
spoken
to
us
fully
and
richly
and
sufficiently
all
that
we
really
need
to
know
about
God
is
in
there
so
God's
word
is
central
and
God's
word
is
cherished
this
is
what
God
was
challenging
and
calling
his
people
to
do
as
they
entered
into
the
promised
land
cherish
my
word
and
this
is
what
God
is
calling
us
to
do
as
well
and
so
even
as
we
move
forward
with
some
of
these
things
that
so
easily
could
distract
us
I
want
to
reaffirm
this
is
the
center
of
what
we
do
and
let
us
make
sure
that
building
programs
and
parking
plans
and
multiple
services
don't
distract
us
from
the
preaching
and
from
the
cherishing
of
God's
word
and
the
proclamation
of
the
word
that
tells
us
about
a
God
that
reveals
to
us
a
God
who
has
worked
salvation
for
us
in
Christ
how
about
you
how
are
you
going
to
cherish
and
value
God's
word
in
this
coming
year
and
I
say
this
to
myself
as
much
as
I
say
this
to
you
I
hope
you
hear
me
when
I
say
that
we
all
need
this
do
you
have
a
reading
plan
there
are
great
ones
back
there
little
gold
booklets
reading
plans
it'll
help
you
read
God's
word
every
day
it was
really
fun
this
morning
Eli
and
I
were
just
sitting
on
the
couch
and
he
got
a
Bible
for
his
birthday
and
he
started
reading
it
which
is
wonderful
I
love
to
see
him
picking
up
and
reading
he
was
reading
about
Dinah
that
was
fun
Genesis
35
if you
don't
know
what
it
is
it's
one
of
the
ugly
stories
of
the
Old
Testament
but
I
was
pointing
to him
to this
reading
plan
saying
hey
as you
are
reading
maybe
you want
to try
something
like
this
it was
really
fun
it was
a
sweet
moment
as a
father
but
I
was
thinking
I
should
do
that
with
him
that
would
be
good
for
me
be
some
accountability
do
a
reading
plan
and
find
a
reading
partner
most
of
us
don't
do
it
well
on
our
own
find
someone
to
do
it
with
find
someone
to
check
in
with
one
of
the
joys
of
text
messages
is
that
you
can
send
a
five
second
text
message
saying
hey
how'd
your
reading
go
today
and
that
can
be
both
a
spur
and
an
encouragement
to
one
another
that
you
continue
to
read
have
you
thought
about
joining
a
small
group
are
you
trying
to
do
God's
word
on
your
own
let
me
encourage
you
consider
it
if
you're
not
in
a
small
group
we
have
wonderful
small
groups
we
have
wonderful
small
group
leaders
it's
a
great
time
to
value
God's
word
in
your
life
on
a
regular
basis
thirdly
consider
reading
if
nothing
else
consider
reading
the
book
of
Exodus
over
in
Oregon
we're
going
to
start
a
series
in
the
book
of
Exodus
next
week
and
I
think
we're
going
to
do
the
whole
book
through
the
summer
so
but
consider
reading
with
us
so
that
you're
prepared
so
that
when
you
walk
in
here
on
Sunday
morning
as
you're
preparing
to
hear
God's
word
it's
not
totally
new
to
you
like
oh
what
are
we
reading
I
don't
remember
I
you know
I've
been
distracted
all
week
but
think
about
how
you
can
invest
in
reading
ahead
so
that
you're
prepared
as
you
come
into
service
on
Sunday
to
hear
God's
word
there
can
be
a
great
danger
in
our
loving
God's
word
rather
than
loving
God
Jesus
rebuked
the
Pharisees
for that
very
thing
when he
said
you
search
the
scriptures
but
you
fail
to
see
that
they
testify
about
me
and
they
point
to
me
so
we
have
to
know
that
as
we
search
the
scriptures
it
is
in
the
context
of
a
relationship
with
God
it
is
so
that
we
know
God
more
it
is
so
our
minds
know
God's
mind
more
it
is
so
that
our
hearts
know
and
respond
to
God's
heart
and
God's
actions
more
it
is
so
we
have
a
real
relationship
where
we
don't
simply
know
him
in
our
head
but
we
love
him
in
our
hearts
so
God
has
said
move
ahead
God
has
said
move
ahead
under
his
word
and
the
final
encouragement
the
final
word
that
God
gives
to
his
people
on
the
brink
of
the
promised
land
and
the
final
word
for
us
is
this
and
you
saw
it
multiple
times
God
is
with
us
that
is
God
is
with
his
people
in
the
original
context
God
is
reaffirming
this
saying
I
am
with
you
Joshua
as
the
one
who
I
have
raised
up
to
be
the
leader
of
my
people
in
the
same
way
that
I
was
with
Moses
now
I
want
you
to
think
about
what
a
weighty
promise
that
is
I
was
with
Moses
when
he
spent
40
years
in
the
wilderness
I
was
with
Moses
when
he
walked
into
Pharaoh's
court
and
did
wonders
and
signs
I
was
with
Moses
when
he
and
my
people
were
trapped
between
the
armies
of
Egypt
and
the
Red
Sea
I
was
with
Moses
as
he
instructed
the
people
to
paint
the
doors
the
lintels
of their
door
so that
the
tenth
plague
the
judgment
would
not
come
into
the
houses
of
God's
people
because
a
blood
sacrifice
had
been
given
I
was
with
Moses
when
you
wandered
in
the
wilderness
and
didn't
have
any
water
and
he
struck
the
rock
and
water
came
out
I
was
with
Moses
as
I
revealed
myself
to
you
through
my
word
in
the
Ten
Commandments
and
in
the
law
I
was
with
Moses
in
these
absolutely
stunning
life
changing
outside
of our
normal
expectation
kinds
of
ways
and
most
importantly
I
was
with
Moses
to
fulfill
all
the
promises
and
purposes
that
I
revealed
to
him
I
never
failed
Moses
so
he
says
to
Joshua
I
will
never
fail
you
I
showed
up
to be
your
deliverance
I
showed
up
to
be
God
who
reveals
himself
with
you
I
showed
up
not
only
to
reveal
myself
to
you
but
to
go
with
you
this
is
what
it
meant
for
God
to
be
with
Moses
and
God
was
saying
I'm
going
to
do
the
same
thing
you're
facing
an
uncertain
future
you're
going
into
an
unknown
land
you
don't
know
what
lies
ahead
everything
could
feel
really
scary
but the
reason that
it won't
be is
because of
this simple
fact
I
will
be with
you
I
will
go
with
you
I
will
go
with
you
to
fight
your
fights
I
will
go
with
you
to
provide
where
there's
no
human
means
of
provision
I
will
go
with
you
to
love
and
to
care
for
you
as
a
shepherd
I
will
go
with
you
and
be
your
God
so
that
you
will
be
my
people
friends
this
is a
great
promise
and
as
we
face
uncertain
futures
as
we
face
unknowns
as
we
face
the
insecurity
and
the
fears
that
rise
up
in
our
own
hearts
it's
so
easy
for
us
to
say
I
can't
do
this
I
can't
do
this
and
God
looks
at
us
and
he
says
I
know
you
can't
that's
right
you
got
it
but
I
will
be
with
you
and
I
can
do
it
I
am
the
God
who
does
immeasurably
more
than
you
ask
or
imagine
and
Moses
didn't
know
it
and
Joshua
didn't
know
it
and
it
took
another
thousand
years
more than
another
thousand
years
for them
to see
the degree
and the
length
to which
God
would go
to show
how faithful
he is
to his
purposes
and his
promises
to show
what extent
God would
go to
to be
with us
I
I don't
think
anyone
imagined
the
incarnation
before
it
happened
I
don't
think
anyone
imagined
that
God
would
come
and
be
with
us
that
he
would
be
Emmanuel
God
with
us
taking
on
human
flesh
so
that
we
might
know
him
but
more
than
just
so
that
we
might
know
him
as
a
revelation
but
so
that
he
might
come
and
be
our
perfect
deliverer
who
by
being
with
us
could
then
stand
for
us
and
rescue
us
from
sin
Jesus
Christ
by
his
perfect
life
by
his
sufficient
death
and
by
his
incredible
resurrection
from
the
dead
has
done
all
for
us
to
accomplish
the
promises
of
God
in
our
lives
by
defeating
the
power
of
sin
and
death
in
our
lives
and
he
is
now
given
in
this
church
and
in
the
church
universal
the
promise
that
he
is
continuing
to
build
his
church
through
the
proclamation
of the
gospel
through
the
ongoing
application
of the
work
of
Christ
in
the
lives
of
individuals
and
the
building
of
communities
of
believers
throughout
the
world
we
can't
do
any
of
these
things
we
can't
change
our
hearts
we
can't
save
ourselves
we
can't
build
a
church
and
we
can't
change
the
world
but
God
can
do
all
of
these
things
and
in
fact
God
is
doing
all
of
these
things
and
my
greatest
prayer
for
you
in
this
coming
year
is
that
you
would
know
this
God
that
you
would
know
this
God
who
has
called
you
out
of
darkness
into
light
God
who
has
called
you
to
be
his
chosen
people
from
all
the
peoples
and
tribes
of
the
earth
he
called
you
to
be
his
chosen
people
his
royal
priesthood
his
holy
nation
a
people
that
belong
to
him
so
that
you
may
declare
the
excellencies
of
him
who
called
you
out
of
darkness
and
into
light
as
1 Peter
2
says
he's
called
us
to be
his
church
and
to
go
forward
under
his
word
knowing
that
this
is
what
God
wants
to
do
in
our
lives
this
year
may
not
be
easy
it's
going
to
be
really
inconvenient
I
promise
you
it's
going
to
be
inconvenient
we
need
to
be
ready
for
that
but
I
hope
that
you'll
go
back
to
Joshua
1
again
and
remember
that
the
inconvenience
and
the
scariness
of
unknowns
and the
insecurity
that we
feel
and our
discomfort
with change
and new
things
that they
will be
met
with a
confidence
in God's
word
a courage
to go
forward
and a
foundation
of knowing
that God
is with
us
and that
he can
do
immeasurably
more than
we ask
or even
imagine
let's
pray
father
thank you
for this
word
thank you
for
the
encouragement
and the
challenge
that it
is for
us
lord
I
pray
that you
would
help
us
in this
coming
year
lord
to
return
to
this
truth
again
and
again
and
again
that lord
as we
move
forward
and cling
to your
word
lord
that we
would
know
you
to be
with us
and lord
through the
great trials
and great
triumphs
of this
coming year
through the
great sorrows
and through the
great celebrations
and through the
great celebrations
lord
lord that we
will know
that you
are with us
and that you
are certain
to be
working
to fulfill
your promises
to do the
work that only
you can do
in this world
for your
glory
lord we
pray that we
might be
those who
are walking
with you
who are ready
to be used
by you
for those
purposes
lord help
us
as a church
lord to
walk this
next year
in faith
lord knowing
that you
are God
who has
come to
be with
us
so that
we can
be with
you
we pray
these things
in Jesus
name
amen