Study

Out With The Old And In With The New

August 5, 2017 by in Study

Text:

Jeremiah 6:16:

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.

Ecclesiastes 1:9:

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

 

Theme:

Out With The Old and In With The New

 

Introduction:

  • On the occasion of a New Year, we as African-Americans, Black folk, find ourselves scurrying to uphold some long standing tradition in our community and culture:
    • Have all of the clothes in the house washed before the New Year
    • Be in the House of God on our knees praying when the New Year begins
    • Cook the “pig and peas” meal for the first meal of the year to remind us from whence we have come
    • Making what we consider “New Year’s Resolutions” (an “American” tradition that we have bought intoJ)
  • All of these traditions were created, are upheld, and will be revered because one basic principle that incessantly embodies the character of the New Year holiday:

Out With The Old and In With The New

  • The Holy Bible addresses this very principle in its addressing the concept of the OLD vs. the NEW.
    • The first of the two texts was drawn from the book of Jeremiah, the 2nd of the books of the books of major prophecy in the Old Testament.
      • The writer was the prophecy Jeremiah who was appointed by God to be a prophet at an early age as it says in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
      • Jeremiah was also known as the weeping prophet for his lamenting two calamities seen in his life:
        • One, the death of King Josiah, a respected and revered King of his time
        • Two, the sins of the Hebrew children of God, for which God would judge and punish
    • The second of the two texts was drawn from the book of Ecclesiastes, the 4th of the books of poetry in the Old Testament.
      • The book primarily presents discussions of certain problems in the human life. It is an excellent source of the reality of life and God’s Truth within life itself!
    • These books have certain scriptures that shed light on our primary concern à the Old vs. the New
      • How should the believer address the principle of “Out With The Old and In With The New”?

Body:

  • The Old Way is the Only Way for the Believer
    • We live in a world where everything is about the NEW THING. New is always better!
      • New things (car, clothes, homes) are valued HIGHER than old things. The financial concept of depreciation grants constancy to the fact that the older it is the less valuable it is.
      • Even spiritually, the text explains how people when presented the “old way” of salvation and a Christian life respond with “We will not walk therein”
        • The old church is shunned while the new churches are overflowing.
        • The old hymns are frowned upon while the contemporary music sells platinum albums.
        • The old sermon of “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” is slept on while people sit for hours listening to proclamations of financial prosperity!!
    • However, for the believer in Jesus, the Christ…for the saved soul…for a child of God…the OLD IS ALL THERE IS!
      • The beginning of the verse in our text explains, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls”
      • Why the OLD WAY?
        • The Gospel of Jesus Christ is an OLD TRUTH
          • Old Testament à Psalms 90:2, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
          • New Testament à Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
        • It has worked, does work, and will always work
          • Old Testament à Jeremiah 10:10 proclaims, “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king….”
          • New Testament à
            • Matthew 7:14, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
            • John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
            • Hebrews 4:3, “For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.”
          • The Old Way has and will always be the way to Him.
  • Although it is an “Old Way”à It is NEW to our LIFE!
    • In the grand scheme of things, there is nothing “new”.
      • In fashion à Styles are cyclical. Older folks can laugh at how what we used to wear growing up is now “in style” again!
      • In music à Sounds are recycled. Older folks boast of how the “new beats” are really “old beats” to new songs!
      • In the sinner à Wrongdoing is still wrong. Young folk think that they are doing a “new thing” when older folk sit back and smile while they tell them, “Been there…done that”!
      • The Bible tells us the same truth in out text in Ecclesiastes 1:9 when it says, “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”
        • So, the concept of something “new” is in itself an error in one respect.
          • There is nothing new “under the sun” (of THIS world).
    • However, within the context of our individual lives, there are “new” things in other ways.
        • In fashion à Although the style existed before, in the context of the “played out” styles around, innovation is priceless
        • In music à Although the beats are sampled or song itself is old, in the context of good lyrics and production, good music is truly timeless.
        • In the sinner à Although sin is sin and has been done before, the contamination that takes place in that person’s life is a new illness that needs to be healed. e.g. The cold is common but MY COLD is uncommon!

Conclusion:

  •  Greatest of all, the Bible addresses the “newness of life” for the Believer!
    • The gift of God given today through salvation
      • John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
      • Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
      • The forthcoming Glory of Eternal Life with the God
        • Matthew 26:29, “But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
        • The Life of the Believer is clothed in newness
          • In Revelation 21:5 John writes, “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.”
          • Psalms 98:1, “O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.”
          • 1 Peter 1:8, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”
          • Lamentations 3:22-23, “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
          • The Old Hymn says it in a more familiar fashion for us:
          • Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see; All I have needed Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy Faithfulness, Lord unto me.
    • Thank you, Father, for NEW MERCIES
      • The “old” MERCY was for my “old” SITUATION
      • Morning by morning I see NEW MERCIES for:
        • New struggles
        • New sufferings
        • New mistakes
      • So, “Out With The Old and In With The New”
      • In with the NEW MERCIES:
          • Life
          • Love
          • Forgiveness
          • Peace
          • Power
          • Longsuffering
          • Provisions
          • Protections

    • THANK YOU!!!!!!

 

 

 

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