Introduction
Let me begin with a discipleship question: how will you follow Jesus in prayer and dependence on God this week?
Main Points
In this lesson shaped by Calvary Boise's teaching on Where Do We Go from Here, Christ invites us to receive truth with humility, practice repentance, and walk in faithful obedience.
Sin and Salvation
We're starting a new journey and I want to talk all about it this morning by looking at Psalm chapter 90 Psalms chapter 90. Is a prayer of Moses that spoke to me as I was trying to answer a question for our church that happens to be.
- A question that I find to be very common throughout a church body throughout life and especially in the city that we belong to.
- Because there's so many people using this city as something new there's people are just moved here whether it's for a job whether it's.
- To go to school and there's people within our city within our church there's so much transition happening all the time people going from.
- Single to married people going from full house to sending off college kids and as you shift the season summer to fall what happens.
In a shift is two words it comes in a question of this what now what are we supposed to do now and I've. Been asking the question a lot because we went through a series in the summer and we've been transitioning into okay fall is coming.
Sin and Salvation
Like to do is let's just see what happens but and I and I want to do that sometimes as the pastor leader of. The church that's supposed to use the word of God to give us the direction sometimes it's my job to say what's next and.
- I just want to say okay here it is and there's a part of me that has some direction next week we're going to.
- Start a study in the first part of the book of Joshua because Joshua the Lord is using that to really speak to me.
- About who we are as a church and the story of Joshua crossing the Jordan wilderness to promise that's part of what's next and.
- I so eager to get to that but before you start answering the questions you have to stop and you have to realize that.
In all of the change before you answer what's next you have to say what's the same before you start making plans the upside. Down Kingdom that we got studying about we study about all summer long the upside down Kingdom says before you answer what's next you.
Grace and Justification
Church and we could look at a little farther because the church calendar really does start in September I don't know if you've realized. That but for a church when you're trying to lead a church or serve a church what you have to kind of keep in. Mind is that the summer months is like the end of a year for a church is when everybody kind of scatters and goes. To be refreshed and they're on the way I love it in September really represents when we all come back together all the vacations. Are over everyone is now settled into the permanent the permanent season of fall whatever they have and we all kind of regather and. You can see that even happening now throughout the summer there was times when we didn't need the balcony it was you know it's. Like people are away you can kind of get cozy and it's a little bit smaller but look what we have here people are. Back welcome back from your vacation your balcony people are back thank you for giving me the illustration and being here this morning that. Would have been a tough one to pull off if we didn't see a practical change there's just more people because it's an it's. A new church here September kicks off the new church here so this is a new year for our church what we'll do is. We'll point everything towards Christmas we celebrate Christ's becoming flesh entering into our world and we just glorify God and sending his son that's. Christmas then we take a break we pray through what's the upcoming 2019 year that's what we'll do prayer and fasting and then we. Point our eyes towards Easter resurrection celebration we continue to look to the word and then may hits and we kind of settle out. Again that's our church here but there's more than that even because I believe as a church it's not just a new season and. Fall and it's not just a new church here I believe for our church we're actually entering into a new era if I may. Say that word and that's bigger than both of those things and the reason I say that is because as the pastor I'm pretty. Young really I've only been the pastor of this church two plus years so thank you for all the grace I got a ton. To learn and in saying that.
Sin and Salvation
What I love about this that the generational prayer here is realizing that sometimes the work that we have to do is just getting. From the next thing then one generation to the next and that's really been my leadership over the last two years it's like looking. Back in many ways trying to grab that baton from the generation before us the pastor before me all of the ministries that we've. Inherited we look back and we say okay what we taking into this new season that's in itself transition part of your life transition. Is part of the prayer of this because that is what you have to do at first when you go from being single to. Married part of your new work or your new thing to be doing is just figuring out how to get to the new season. And that's packing up and moving to Boise taking on the new job getting to school first thing is you look at the transition. And then a transition is only as good as what it takes you to and so what I'm realizing is I ask the question. Of what's next it's more than what's next as a series what we're doing is we're transitioning from looking back to now what are. We here for where are we going as a church and if you're just a visitor you're not part of a church then I. Want to I want to let you in on that for your own lives the life that God has for you is made up. Of a number of different seasons and what you have to do is you have to realize that as one season ends you look. Back for a minute and then you have to look forward that's why your life unfolds in seasons all of us life changes all. The time your family dynamic changes your job is going to change the people you hang out with is going to change your neighborhoods. Can change you've got to say in all of that change what is the constant this is what Moses says before the mountains were. Brought forth or ever you had formed the earth and the world from everlasting to everlasting all of the seasons have changed in between. The one constant is that God remains and that's why you have to start with prayer to go back into the thing that endures. Throughout you try to hold on to tradition or do the.
Faith and Obedience
Way you used to do things and you're gonna be confused because it doesn't always get to the next season seasons teach us to. Ask the question what is next to God because he's the one that remains season to season to season God teaches us in the. Way that the creation unfolds in seasons every new season there's a new thing to be doing and so for those of you who. Just moved to Boise we celebrate four seasons it's a four times a year we get reminded that things shift and we look to. The constant thing that's got you're gonna love the fall in Boise if you came from California you're gonna hate the winter and then. You're gonna love this bring and every time as of seasons change the constant is that God is still doing something in your life. To teach you how to follow him a very first sermon as the pastor of this church it'll be three years ago in Easter. Short amount of time very first sermon was this I said I don't know what to preach I don't know what to say but. I know one thing there's a new season there's a new pastor at a church but it's the same Lord it's the only encouragement. I found in anything that I did where do I start okay there's a new season where do you start in a new season. You start and all the change you find the constant the constant is God so if you're at this season in your life you. Start with prayer because God endures God knows what this new season is for God knows the answers to the questions that you have. Amidst all this change in transition in your life and if you're part of this church what I want to do this morning because. If it doesn't start in prayer you'll be all sorts of wrong directions if you try to answer this question without going to the. Dwelling place of God who endures generation to generation you'll go the wrong direction on offer for prayers no we don't want to go. The wrong direction get excited about where we need to go I get a picture of that when I Drive sometimes have you ever. Driven in the crazy and hardened streets of Boise Idaho and yes you have and you see people that are speeding by you're maybe. Trying to get out maybe take a right turn get.
Sin and Salvation
Onto the street you want to get into the engaged traffic and people are speeding by you're not letting you in because they're in. Such a hurry and you look to where all they're going and they're speeding to a red light you notice that it's like you're. Going to a red light why can't I just join you in our idleness sometimes with a lack of prayer a lack of commitment. To say God what are you doing in our life we speed to red lights we go through life so eager to get to. Where we're going I need the answers I want to unbox the boxes I want to get in to my groove I want to. Get to my job gets my class I want to go go without ever asking the question through prayer what is this all. For what is next according to the one the God who knows don't speed to a red light and as a church the way. We prevent that is we take everything to the constant in the midst of change you go to the constant that is God the. Dwelling place from generation to generation and I'm gonna ask you to join me in four prayers for our church for prayers that say. We don't want to rush into all of the things that we think we may be here for four ways to not run into. A red light for prayers for our church if you go to this church I'm asking you to pray this if you don't go. To this church you're passing through like so many of us are these are four prayers that you add to your life when you. Come to the new season of life so that you know you're not going to outrun the reason that you're there so that's what. We're gonna look at very simply if you don't typically take notes this would be a good time to do it because I want. You to pray that this would truly be something God moves in our church so that we can be a generation that sees God. Do what he wants to do a transition is only as good as where it's taking you if the transition is ending we have. To ask ourselves well what are we here for what's next so for prayers I want to start in verse 10 Psalm chapter 90. Verse 10 says this the days of our lives.
Prayer and Dependence
Are seventy years and if by reason of strength there are 80 years yet there boasts is only labor and sorrow so as Moses. Is leading this prayer to the God that transcends generations everlasting to everlasting he realizes something very important about his own life he doesn't. Last our life is very finite seventy years if you've got good health insurance you got good medicine and you avoid accidents and you. Live wisely maybe 80 years your time is short and we live in a world that doesn't necessarily want you to hear that message. And that's why we have elevated the industry of beauty and youthfulness because what that is supposed to try to suppress the truth of. God's creation in doing is to say stay beautiful and stay young so you don't have to think about how short your life is. If you can stay if you can if you can look young maybe you'll be young forever and it won't work it does not. Work in fact if you really want to study this you look at the people at the top of the food chain in the. Celebrity world that are the farthest out on this idea that if you can look young you'll stay young the more plastic surgery. You get the weirder you look okay so that is some application for you this morning maybe you come to church like I got. A huge question my heart should I or shouldn't I it goes down a very strange Road the more that you try to stay. Young in your appearance because not much has changed in 3,000 years our health insurance has gotten better and our modern medicine is better. But 80 years is pretty much what you get and added to that not much has changed in this either it says you get. 80 years and there boast is only in labor and sorrow or what you really can count on what you can know those 80. Years are going to be defined by is hard work and trouble and all of us have to deal with that your life is. Going to be full of hard work and it's going to be full of trouble now why are we pointing that out is we're. Trying to get towards the prayers for the new season new era of our church or the prayer for your life here's where Moses. Is taking us in this prayer it says in.
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.
Conclusion
We return to the opening teaching: discipleship is not just information, it is transformation through faith and obedience to Jesus. If we receive His Word and walk it out, He will shape us into people who endure and bear fruit.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus, help me hear Your Word, obey it with faith, and grow as Your disciple. Amen.