There are many similarities between the saints at the dawn of 2017 and saints at the dawn of Christianity. But I don’t know if the idea of the “New Year” is shared between them. Ancient cultures did celebrate various solar time-markers, but if they did, I am not sure January 1 was one of them. For administrative purposes, we have established an imaginary line which we call the “New Year.” For the most part, what is on the left side of the New Year is past. And the past is past; our infancy, our childhood, those days without Christ, and now, even year 2016. Admittedly there are remnants of our lives which never look at the calendar. Brother Bill’s broken leg remains broken, and his 2016 case of shingles is still with him. I still have the same old mortgage on my house, and I still have the same very adequate car. BUT – I am no longer a child, and I can’t remember when I could see without glasses. To the disciples it was much the same. Past were the days of the ceremonial law, and even the personal ministry of Christ Jesus. The past is past, and the future is future, and none of us knows for sure what lies ahead.
There are right attitudes and wrong attitudes as one enters a New Year – or a new Era. I think we can see that in words of the angel – “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing into Heaven?” “What you should be doing is not longing for what you have lost, but facing the future.”
Attitudes and perspective are important parts of the Christian life. We have all heard about the fella who was “so heavenly minded that he was no earthly good.” This is what our text and my message deal with this morning. We can spend the next 12 months like the Galilean disciples – gazing into Heaven. We can so occupy ourselves with eternity that we forget that we are not there yet. Or conversely, we can become so occupied with this moment, we forget we are citizens of glory. And of course, we are far more likely to get more earthly than heavenly. There needs to be a proper balance.
I don’t want repress anyone’s anticipation for 2017. But at same time I want us be encouraged about this particular day for Lord – this day – today. “This is the day which the Lord had made, so we should be glad and rejoice in this particular day.” Today has a decided advantage over tomorrow and yesterday. This is the only day which the Lord has given to us to enjoy today. We can do things today which we can not do yesterday and may not be able to do tomorrow. The words of text might be able to help us to balance our approach and attitude about 2017.
Remember that we have very limited specific information about the future.
This is perhaps one of the great blessings of our all-merciful God. We do not know what joys or calamities will befall us in the next twelve months. The disciples came to the Lord before His ascension and asked – “Now? Will you restore Israel to its former glory?” But what was our Lord’s reply? “It is not for you to know the times and seasons.” What they were asking involves the return of Christ to this sin-messed-up world. The disciples could see how much better things would be if the Millennium began soon. The engineer who originally designed the great machine was being called in to repair it. Christ is coming again with vengeance and wrath for those who hate Him. But He has decided not to tell His disciples the precise time of His return.
And that illustrates our lives, but in a much smaller way – there is very little we know about 2017. We know we will experience some joy and likely face some sorrow – but what percentage of each? We know that unless Christ returns most us will be alive a year from today, but who will not be here? Your thoughts may wander from my message for a moment, answering my last question. You may picture one or two who you think might not be with us on December 31st, but it might be two others that you’d never suspect. Once a person reaches my age, most of life is routine, with few outstanding, exciting new things. We have our usual duties, joys, sorrows and problems with little change. But that is only generally speaking. Perhaps for some of you this next year will hold some colossal changes. And yes, it may be the right time and season for the Lord’s return. We know that 2017 looms in front of us, but there is a fog which hides nearly everything.
With this being true what should we do entering this new year?
Negatively, we should not be over-confident planning for tomorrow or next summer. I have been thinking about a major vacation next summer, but I haven’t spoken to anyone but Judy. I have been tempted to mention it to friends and certain relatives. But it is so uncertain, so nebulous, so financially precarious that even to mention it at this point might be a waste of time. James 4 – “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” We paint the future in the colors of past, because those are the shades and hues we know. But it is impossible to accurately create a scene which we’ve never experienced. Not even the best meteorologist can prognosticate what our weather is going to be for summer camp. And yet, it is still necessary to reserve a week and a campsite. We can’t be over-confident in anything, because of our physical weaknesses and our mental limitations. “Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” No two weeks, or two years, are precisely the same; there are always similarities and dissimilarities.
So this means that just as we can’t afford to be over confident, neither should we be worried. Christ Jesus said, “Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” The Lord was not telling us not to plan for tomorrow’s dinner menu, or that we shouldn’t lay out our clothes before we go to bed. He was telling us not to worry whether we’ll have food or clothing tomorrow. We simply can’t afford the price of that worry. Worry may appear small today, but it borrows against tomorrow’s assets and weakens our potentials. The interest it charges is usury – something with the Bible forbids. Worry often ruins the future for us before it ever arrives.
What should be done as we enter 2017? Forgetting tomorrow’s uncertainties, we should try to prepare for its probabilities. “And (the Saviour) said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
Leave behind for a moment the specifics of verse 8. Jesus tells us to ignore our speculations and get busy about our responsibilities. “Disciples, get down to Jerusalem and stay there preparing yourselves for my service. You will be endued with the omnipotent Holy Spirit not many days hence.” A Christian poet name Ewart once wrote: “Today is the only day we have, Of tomorrow we can’t be sure, To seize the chance as it comes along, is the way to make it secure. Every year is a shorter year, And this is a truth sublime: A moment mis-spent is a jewel lost From the treasury of time.” It is worse than useless to be yearning about the future if we are not participating in today. As we enter the New Year we should do it as though stepping on stones across swollen stream. Crossing the stream is not an option; we are going home. But whether or not we stay dry and clean is, at least in some measure, a matter of our choice.
And when taking that step, remember who it is who steps with you.
“The Holy Ghost is (going to) come upon you.” When looking into foggy 2017 remember there is a technology called “radar” which cuts through that stuff. We don’t have leave the New Year to some impersonal fate, or chance, the law of averages, tendencies, natural laws or anything else. “The Father hath put this year into His own power.” He who controls every snow flake and gust of wind, sovereignly controls every second of the coming year.
Please notice precisely the terms which our Lord uses here. “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you…” These verses are permeated with the fragrance of the omnipotence and sovereignty of Jehovah. But notice – Jesus refers to the Lord not as “God,” “Elohim,” “Jehovah” or “Theos,” but rather as “Father.” “Our Father which art in Heaven hath put all things in His own power.” Whatever the future holds for us, we know that it is in God’s will, and He loves His children.
Think about Matthew 7:9-11 – “What man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
For decades an insurance company has used the slogan “You’re good in hands with Allstate.” Remember, it is an advertizing slogan and shouldn’t be trusted any more than you can trust the insurance sold by a whale jumping out of the ocean. But we ARE in safe hands if they are the hands of our Heavenly Father. To paraphrase the Lord Jesus, “I give unto my sheep today, tomorrow and eternity, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Because my Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand which holds today, tomorrow and eternity.” All power belongs unto Jehovah, and all things are under His control. Should I be anxious when “my Father” is in control? That great title ties together God’s omnipotence, God’s love and God’s children.
You’ve probably heard the old story about the little boy in the midst of a storm while crossing the Atlantic. When other passengers asked how a little five-year-old could be so calm, he replied, “I’m not worried because my Daddy is the captain of this ship.” Well, my Heavenly Father is Captain of 2017 and beyond.
This scripture reminds us of the strength which is available to us.
“The power of the Holy Ghost shall come upon you.” I admit that this was a specific promise for a specific purpose. The context is directly related to the work of evangelism. But the Holy Spirit has not yet been withdrawn – He still touches us and can empower us. And doesn’t the Bible teach us every child of God is sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise? Don’t all saints possess the earnest of God’s inheritance and the indwelling presence of the Spirit? In Him we are made ready for our future – just as the first church was made ready for its future.
For something on which to meditate in the first few days of this year – try the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is described as the “Comforter.” In John 14:16 Jesus said –”I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” Will there be things in this year which require the ministry of God’s comfort? Perhaps there will arise questions for which as yet we have no answers. “When he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” Who is the best interpreter of providence? The Spirit of God. He alone can give us wisdom to step where we need to step and to jump when we need to jump. And the Holy Spirit is the soil from which His own fruit grows – fruit which will be badly need this year. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness (and) temperance.” The other day, Judy fixed supper and included bite-sized pieces of cantaloupe – mmmm, it was good. And I’m sure we’ll find that the fruit of the Spirit will be just as refreshing when we need it this year. It is God the Spirit who can fully satisfy us as we take each step throughout this year.
Obviously, our scripture here in Acts 1 is practical.
That we have responsibilities is something to keep in mind as enter each new day. Some people, especially people reaching my age, begin to look at life as a river. We get into our little canoe, trusting the Lord to keep it afloat, and we let it begin to float – downstream. No sir, it’s our job to keep paddling and pushing forward. We have work to do and a God to glorify. It may be the Lord will give us an abundance of things to enjoy, but their number may be smaller this year than last year. Yes, we pray that they may be numerous – especially for our loved ones. But if all we do is eat the sweets of life, our teeth will fall out. We have vegetables to eat as well. And then come the fruits of our labors. Why do we need a well-rounded spiritual menu? Because we need energy to do the work of the Lord.
Don’t worry about the potential evils of the year. Don’t make plans to come down with shingles, or cancer or to have a car accident. If you put a rotten apple in the barrel, you may spoil every apple pull out.
The way to look at 2017 is that we have one more opportunity to serve the One who saved us. Make whatever preparations are necessary and leave the rest to the Lord. Today is the day with which we need to be occupied.
The Book of Matthew closes with the words, “and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.” That promise was made to Christ’s disciples – the members of His first church. We can properly apply that to God’s children and Jesus’ disciples in every age, including 2017. But it cannot apply it to sinners and rebels against the Lord.
No, we do not know what the Lord will send our way in this coming year. It may be the rapture – the translation of God’s saints to Heaven. On the other hand, it may be death or perhaps a coma. Are you ready? Will it be a home-going or a hell-going? I point you to the One who gave us the encouraging words of today’s scripture. Repent before God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.