Before You Leave Here

When you are raised in the church, New Year’s Eve is not New Year’s Eve without a watch meeting. We gather together to bring in the new year with praise. We thank God for all that He has done. We celebrate the fact that we have arrived at the beginning of a new year with brand new mercies. The pandemic has altered the way that we gather together but we were still able to meet through the wonders of technology. Pastor challenged us to assess ourselves before we left 2020 behind. Ready for the FIRST sermon recap of 2021? Well, ready or not, here it is.

1 Corinthians 16: 5-9 is a portion of a letter that Paul wrote. While the words penned here were not part of a sermon from him, they certainly preach. Paul shares his personal plans. He has lots of them. But then he adds an important clause…if the Lord permits. Paul, the one anointed on a Damascus road, the one who lives a life that is sold out for Christ. That Paul. He was humble enought to admit that His plans may not line up with what God had planned for him. He left room for a change of plans. He recognized that God’s plans would always surpass his own. If 2020 has taught us nothing else, we should be able to make adjustsments when we realize that God has shifted His direction.

Paul does not stop there. He shares the struggle and joy of ministry. During his time ministering in this region, he has faced many adversaries. But his outlook is not like many of ours. He sees that God has opened great and effective doors to him in the face of his adversaries. He recognizes that problems and progress are a package deal. The great opposition that he faces is just an indication that he is doing a great work in the kingdom. He embraces the opportunities to minister in spite of. He does not run in the opposite direction. Before I run out of 2020, have I fully realized that my problems have grown me?

Paul realizes that his struggles are an opportunity to showcase Jesus in a positive life. He has the chance to make the name of Jesus great. His response to adversity is one of the most effective forms of ministry. While people will listen to what we say, they are always watching what we do. They want to see how we respond. Will our walk match our talk? Could others look at the way that I handled 2020 and see Jesus clearly? Did I lift Him up more than I lifted up my problems?

We have been blessed to make it to a new year. But before we dismiss 2020 and write it off, we should be sure that we have learned all the lessons that we were meant to learn. I do not know about ya’ll but that was a test that I do not want to have to retake. #wepreach