Hey there, Newbie Friends!
How is new you fitting these days? The last time we chatted together about this, we focused on the familiar verse, 2 Corinthians 5:17
How is new you fitting these days? The last time we chatted together about this, we focused on the familiar verse, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
We realized that since this verse says any man, we fall into the category of any! This applies to us and we also noticed that this verse was talking about the here and now, not the some day. It says IS a new creature, not will be. IS. We just need to be who the scripture says we already are.
We built upon what we had already learned in Part 1
Now, let's add all that together-
1. There is nothing new under the sun. New meant fresh.
2. God is not under the sun, but on His throne, making all things new.
3. Any applies to you and me if we are in Christ and we're not waiting for someday, we IS new!
4. We just need to be who we already are.
Now that we've spent a few moments in the classroom, let's take a little field trip. Get your passport, cause we're going to Athens to peek in on Paul for a bit.
In Acts 17, starting around verse 16, Paul has arrived in Athens and is waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him. While he is waiting, he began to get a little worked up at the environment around him. The place was full of idols. This bothers him so much that he goes to the synagogue to discuss it with the Jews. He also talks it over with the God fearing Gentiles. He even brings it up in the day to day activity of the marketplace. He brings it up to whoever will listen. Paul tells them about Jesus and they think he's weird, some want to hear more, some do not.
There is a striking resemblance in these Athenians to us today, and it's stares back at us from verse 21.
We built upon what we had already learned in Part 1
- There is nothing new under the sun. New meant "fresh".
- God is not under the sun, but on His throne
- And He is making ALL things new.
Now, let's add all that together-
1. There is nothing new under the sun. New meant fresh.
2. God is not under the sun, but on His throne, making all things new.
3. Any applies to you and me if we are in Christ and we're not waiting for someday, we IS new!
4. We just need to be who we already are.
Now that we've spent a few moments in the classroom, let's take a little field trip. Get your passport, cause we're going to Athens to peek in on Paul for a bit.
In Acts 17, starting around verse 16, Paul has arrived in Athens and is waiting for Silas and Timothy to join him. While he is waiting, he began to get a little worked up at the environment around him. The place was full of idols. This bothers him so much that he goes to the synagogue to discuss it with the Jews. He also talks it over with the God fearing Gentiles. He even brings it up in the day to day activity of the marketplace. He brings it up to whoever will listen. Paul tells them about Jesus and they think he's weird, some want to hear more, some do not.
There is a striking resemblance in these Athenians to us today, and it's stares back at us from verse 21.
Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.
Sounds shockingly familiar and this was 2000 years ago! People were always looking for something new then too, and we. are. still. lookin.
Paul tried to share the Good News with them, he tried to share Jesus, the Good News the angel proclaimed to the shepherds in the Christmas story. (Luke 2:10). Did you noticed what God has tucked inside that little phrase Good News?
The very thing the people in Athens were searching for, and it's the very thing we long for - NEW.
As in the past verses we've looked at, new here means fresh, and we've already discovered there is nothing fresh under the sun. So unless the Athenians chose to accept the Gospel, I can assure you they never found anything new, and the were wasting their time.
So are we.
Just like these people, we get to decide whether we believe this or whether we want to keep searching for something we aren't going to find under the sun.
When we accept His gift, we are made new, everything about us that was old is gone. It's about being who we already are. We'll talk about how we do that in Redefining New - Part 4.
Until then, rest from the search for something new. New was born in Bethlehem.
Just for you.
Paul tried to share the Good News with them, he tried to share Jesus, the Good News the angel proclaimed to the shepherds in the Christmas story. (Luke 2:10). Did you noticed what God has tucked inside that little phrase Good News?
The very thing the people in Athens were searching for, and it's the very thing we long for - NEW.
As in the past verses we've looked at, new here means fresh, and we've already discovered there is nothing fresh under the sun. So unless the Athenians chose to accept the Gospel, I can assure you they never found anything new, and the were wasting their time.
So are we.
Just like these people, we get to decide whether we believe this or whether we want to keep searching for something we aren't going to find under the sun.
When we accept His gift, we are made new, everything about us that was old is gone. It's about being who we already are. We'll talk about how we do that in Redefining New - Part 4.
Until then, rest from the search for something new. New was born in Bethlehem.
Just for you.
