12-31-19 GT NYE

Isaiah 12:1-6 New Year’s Eve

Pastor Ron Koehler

Grace—Tucson, AZ

December 31, 2019

PRAISE GOD FOR THE YEAR NOW PAST AND TRUST HIM FOR THE YEAR TO COME Dear Friends in Christ, When you think back on the last year and all that things that happened in the world, what do you think of 2019? Was it more of the same…or even worse than previous years? I mean, there were major terror attacks in places like New Zealand, where 50 were killed in a mosque, and in Sri Lanka, where on Easter Sunday bombs went off in churches, hotels, and houses, killing more than 250 people. There was the dam that broke in Brazil and killed 237 people and a cyclone that killed over 1,000 others in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. A fire devastated the treasured Notre Dame Cathedral. More countries celebrated laws allowing same-sex marriages. There were all kinds of political problems around the world, including in our country as impeachment talk became threats and ultimately a House of Representatives vote to impeach our president. Any list of top stories of the year includes these kinds of things and more. It’s amazing how negative things dominate those lists!

Yet—perhaps surprisingly—I’m going to suggest to you this evening that you take some time here in God’s house and later on your own to PRAISE GOD FOR THE YEAR NOW PAST! Do you personally have reasons to praise God? Over the last 12 months you have lost friends and relatives. We’ll remember a few from our church family here tonight. They won’t be at any New Year’s Eve party later tonight. You won’t be calling them on the phone on New Year’s Day or watching any bowl games with them. You lost a job this past year—or hated the one you had. You got sick, you had surgery, the cancer came back. Things at school didn’t go the way you had hoped. You kids didn’t always behave—and parents didn’t always discipline the right way. Our cars broke down, our debts increased, we got in arguments with people. Even at church people disappointed us by saying the wrong things or doing things that were hurtful. We didn’t get to serve in just the way we wanted or we felt like we were asked to do too much. The pastor missed a visit…or didn’t seem to notice me…or forgot my birthday…or anniversary…or failed to thank me for something I did.

And we should praise God for 2019? Well, I suppose you could look at all the bad things of the past year and sit and pout. You could be angry with God and complain.

Your personal review of 2019 could be all negative if you want. But I’m again going to suggest that you ought to PRAISE GOD FOR THE YEAR NOW PAST! Why? Because if you look at all those negative things—which did happen this year— you’ll notice something. They all came about because of sin. Your sin—your bad attitude, your insistence on taking the words and actions of others in the worst way, your selfishness, your wanting to be #1, your unwillingness to change, your unwillingness to accept God’ will. I know this because I’m sinful too.

And some of those things happened because of the sinfulness of others—bosses, friends, other people who did not always behave in ways that please God. They really did hurt us—sometimes when we did nothing to bring it on. I know this because I, too, have been hurt by the sins of others.

And some of those things happened just because there is sin in the world. As a result, death will come to those we know and love; there will be diseases and sicknesses; there will be tragedies. And yes, those things have affected us and those we love. I know this because the sin of the world has affected my life too.

You might be thinking, “But pastor, you said we should PRAISE GOD FOR THE YEAR NOW PAST and all you’ve done is reminded us of our sin and the sin of others and the sin in the world!” That’s true. Just like all the top-stories-of-the-year lists include many negative things, so we cannot ignore the reality of the big story of sin in our lives. We have to think back so that we can repent over them.

That was true for the people Isaiah spoke to. The Israelites had some glory years where it would seem their annual review would be all positive. But those days were past. The people and their leaders had paid less and less attention to God, and Isaiah had to report that God would swing the ax of judgment down upon the once glorious tree of Israel. All that would remain would be a stump. But in that stump of believers that remained—that “stump of Jesse” (King David’s father)—they could see the love of God. God would still send a Savior.

Because of Isaiah’s preaching to the people, they could repent at the reminder of their past sins and they could see the goodness of their Lord! Can’t we do that too? Surely we can fall on our knees in deep humility as we review the sins of the past year. And we too, can see the goodness of the Lord as he has forgiven us of so much! In that state of forgiveness, under the canopy of God’s grace and love, we can now review the past year through clear eyes and see the blessings of 2019.

We can clearly see the gift of life from God as babies were born and baptized, as people who didn’t know the Savior came to know him for the first time, as people found a church family here with you, as sicknesses were healed and diseases held at bay, as hearts were mended and healed after heartache, as friends stayed loyal, as pastors cared, as bills were paid and offerings made and love settled over your homes and hearts.

Maybe you’ve had this experience—a child sits under the Christmas tree, rips the wrapping paper off a present and with fake excitement, the little comedian says, “Ooh, look a brown box—with blue tape on it! Just what I always wanted!” What if we really were excited about the box and unconcerned with the gift inside? No matter how nice the box, it would be a bit foolish!

Well, it would also be foolish for us to simply review the last year and be overly concerned and excited about all the “exterior” good things in our lives and totally miss the real gifts from God—the stuff on the inside! Money and good kids and loving parents and faithful friends and a nice job and decent cars and all that stuff is great— but they are the “box!” The most valuable gifts are God’s love and forgiveness and promise of eternal life! And you and I received those from God every day of the past year! Think about that! EVERY DAY God was there with perfect love, with no-stringsattached forgiveness, with the comfort that no matter if you died of cancer or were killed on purpose or your life was taken by accident or old age, HE would make sure you got to heaven!

Why? Why would God be so good when we have been so bad and even forgetful of his blessings? Why would the Almighty and Holy God not treat us as our sins deserve, but instead shower us with gifts like that?

Surely Isaiah’s listeners must have come up with questions like that. They knew their history. They knew their sin. They could even see how God had preserved their nation and given them blessings despite it all. Some must have wondered how God could still love them. How could he promise a Savior—the Righteous Branch from their stump— when they didn’t deserve it? That, my friends, is grace. That is love that is not deserved, but given anyway. That is the love God had for Isaiah’s people, which prompted him to be faithful to his promise to send a Savior to them and through them.

And that same undeserved love rains down on us from the same Savior-God. The Lord made promises to be with those people long ago—even when things were difficult. He promised to be their Savior from sin and death and hell. He had not abandoned them in the past and he would continue to be there for them and with them in the future. The faithful God who loved and saved them is still the same today as he watches over us. Isn’t that news that we can use on a New Year’s Eve?! Isn’t that helpful for us as we sometimes wonder how things can get any worse in our country, in our world…even in our personal lives.

I would like to think that you and I, people who can PRAISE GOD FOR THE YEAR NOW PAST, can also TRUST HIM FOR THE YEAR TO COME. The people of Isaiah’s day were prompted to look forward to the Messiah who would come from them and would pay for their sins and bring them full and free salvation by his sacrificial death. The news that God was still planning to send that Savior had Isaiah look forward to the praise that would come from God’s people. They would not be able to hold back their praises to God and would sing what we call The First Song of Isaiah—the words of our text, which I will finally read now.

To appreciate these words, you have to know why they would sing praises to God— because they would see “that day”—the coming of the Savior. And now here are Isaiah’s words:

In that day you will say: I will give thanks to you, LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger has turned away, and you comfort me. 2 Surely God is my salvation. I will trust him and will not be afraid, because Yah, the LORD, is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation. 3 Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: Give thanks to the LORD! Proclaim his name. Declare among the peoples what he has done.

Proclaim that his name is exalted! 5 Sing to the LORD, for he has done amazing things! Let this be known in all the earth! 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, daughter of Zion, for the Holy One of Israel is great among you!

“That day” spoken of by Isaiah has already come. Jesus Christ was born and he made atonement for the sins of all people, both before and after him, because he was perfect when none of us could be.

When he laid down his life on the cross, sin was paid for.

When he rose from the dead, death was defeated.

When he ascended into heaven, he brought the assurance that no matter what your earthly life is like, if you trust in Jesus for salvation, you too will rise to live with him in heaven forever.

“That day” came and the people rejoiced. “That day” is also every day that the good news of salvation in Christ is proclaimed and people in repentance turn from their sin and cling to Christ. “That day” is today, the last day of 2019 and it is tomorrow, the first day of 2020.

So TRUST GOD FOR THE YEAR TO COME! On what basis would you not? He has stuck with you despite your sin. He has blessed you in countless ways and has given you the greatest gift of faith in His Son Jesus. He fights for you, defends you, blesses you, forgives you, and saves you! That will not end in 2020! Let that good news move you to sing praises to God and proclaim his name. Amen.

Now the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.