Renewed Through Jubilee
FAITH RENEWED
1 Cor. 13:13 (MSG)
But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.
Hebrews 11:1 - 12:3 selected (NAS)
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. [2] For by it the men of old gained approval. [3] By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, [33] who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, [34] quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. [35] Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. [36] Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. [37] They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- [38] the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
[39] These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. [40] God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. [2] Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [3] Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Intro:
We have designated this year, 2003, as a year of Jubilee here at New Hope. Jubilee in the Old Testament was a Sabbath of Sabbaths. Every 7 years, the people were to let their lands lie fallow and celebrate God’s natural provision. Then after 7 cycles, they were to set a year aside where the field of life was made level once again. In the year of Jubilee debts were canceled, lands were returned to their original family owners, slaves were set free and the people celebrated God’s provision. One of the key concepts for Jubilee was renewal. The covenant with God was renewed, relationships were renewed, promises were renewed and the life of the nation was renewed.
Renewal, means fresh life or strength. Throughout the year we will be looking at the various ways God is longing to renew us and our vision. Even the 50-Day Adventure fits this theme, Daring to Dream Again. If you want to get a head start, the material is now available in the Narthex. For the next 3 weeks, I want us to think about the three abiding virtues that the Apostle Paul identified for us in 1 Cor 13:13
Faith, Hope, Love. These are virtues that will set us apart as followers of Jesus.
We begin today with Faith. The writer to the Hebrews defined it this way: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” For some reason we tend to forget the nature of faith. It is something that can not be seen or proven. If I could prove to you that Jesus walked on water and had a repeatable experiment to demonstrated Jesus walked on water, then the need for faith would be gone. In I Cor 13, Paul tells us that the time is coming when faith will not be necessary, but for now, faith is the heart of our relationship with God.
The writer to the Hebrews detailed the faith of the patriarchs and others. It was their belief that God would go with them wherever they went that was the source of their relationship with God.
THE PEOPLE
Today we are installing the men and women who we believe God has called to lead this congregation through this next year. Each of these people come with a different story of faith. As a congregation, you have said you believe God has set these apart to seek His will and lead the ministries of this congregation. Therefore you have a responsibility.
And so I call you
1. To pray for these who are seated before you. To lead a congregation is one of the most humbling responsibilities that is ever undertaken. It is not a position of honor. I get very nervous when a person tells me they have always wanted to be a deacon. None of these sitting before you today have sought these positions. They are here because they believe God has called them. You see, to lead a church is to speak for Jesus Christ. And so the responsibility these have accepted is first a personal responsibility to seek God and to listen to God faithfully. They need your prayers.
2. To be open and honest with them and give them the benefit of the doubt. Inevitably there will be decisions that you may not agree with. There will be times when you will tempted to criticize and complain. Ask God to give you strength and faith to resist that temptation. If you have concerns, take them directly to the leaders, refuse to participate in gossip, and recognize that there is often information discussed at ministry meetings that is not public. Give them the benefit of the doubt.
3. To support the ministries of this church with your time, finances and attendance. When the choir sponsored the 9-11 concert this Fall the support of the congregation was tremendous. On the other hand, in a matter of weeks we will celebrate 2 years of worship at Oasis of Hope. To this day many have not attended a single service. I urge you to support the ministry of New Hope with your time, finances and attendance.
4. And then I call you to believe that God will lead his people into His Kingdom. Faith is the assurance of what is not seen. You see, faith is not a feeling, it is not an emotion, it is a decision to trust God. And so I urge you to trust God to lead his people.
THE LEADERS
Now to you who are being installed as leaders of this congregation, I have a call for you as well. The task before you will not be easy. The writer to the Hebrews spoke of many who stood strong in faith. Some “conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, [34] quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword.” These are the stories of victory that we like to hear about. I trust that at the end of this year you will be able to stand and testify to the victories you have experienced through faith. However, victory is not always visible to us in it’s familiar images of promises and escape and conquering. Some of God’s saints by faith “were chained and put in prison. [37] They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated.” These are the times that will try your faith, yet these are the times that God will use to strengthen you. The same God that is with you in victory will be with you even when you are destitute, persecuted and mistreated..
Be renewed in your faith. Today, open your heart to god’s leading and directing.
The congregation has acted in Faith by electing you to lead us. We do not know every gift you bring to leadership. We do not know where God will lead you, yet in faith, we the congregation of New Hope Baptist will pledge to believe that God will lead you faithfully. But know that it is only as you lead together that you will find God’s will. Each of you bring very distinct gifts and burdens to your role. Work together, share one another’s burdens, learn from each other and trust one another.
Having been called to direct ministry, I would remind you that you are not guiding projects. A project has a beginning and an ending, however the ministry of Jesus Christ is part of the ongoing work of God through his people. Therefore, seek His leading every day. Do not enter this as a volunteer position, remember that you are called God.
On the night of his arrest, Jesus ate the passover with his disciples. Before the meal, as the disciples were arguing over who was the greatest, Jesus washed their feet. Friends that is leadership. As you lead this year, look for ways of washing the feet of those around you. Serve one another and you will faithfully lead God’s church.
At this time Kitty Perkins, our new Moderator would like to address you.
