New Year’s Day First Sunday!

I want us to go to the word of the Lord together on your attention today to the book of the Revelation the 21st chapter the book of the Revelation the 21st chapter we begin reading at verse number five Revelation 21 5 we read and he that sat upon the throne upon the throne said behold I make all things new and he said to me right for these words are true and faithful and he said unto me it is done everyone say it is done I'm Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is a thirst of the Fountain of the Water of Life freely he that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be as God and he shall be my son for a few moments this morning I would speak to you on this subject it is done 2023 it is done let's pray savior we love you God I'm grateful to be in your house I thank you thank you so much for this wonderful strong and crowd of Believers that have joined here today to worship Lord I pray that your hand would be on every class and every meeting that's going on on this campus and Lord we pray that you would especially anoint us today as we hear your word pray that your word go deep in our hearts it would set a foundation for a new year and direction for all that will come in 2023 for all this we're grateful and thankful in Jesus name we pray amen the year of 2022 has come and gone news media Outlets international national and local news have all begun to play their versions of the year in review this is a time of reflection some of the news services are running videos of those memorials to those who passed in 2022. but it's a time of reflecting reminiscing evaluating and hopefully anticipating the future yes we have frustrations and regrets but we also have accomplishments and successes that we should celebrate we should be anticipating this new year that is upon us just a month or so back we had the privilege of going to National youth convention at the Opryland Gaylord Hotel and during NYC there was something I noticed in our room it's amazing where you get messages I noticed that in our room and in all the rooms that I visited during the conference they had these quite extensive telephones that had multiple buttons on them and those buttons one of the buttons said Operator by it another said laundry still another said room service another said concierge another said Bellman still another said valet but there was one button in particular that caught my attention because it had a smiley face above it and below it it said consider it done consider it done that's what it looked like and as I looked at that button and tried to figure out what was going on I found out that apparently this button was for unusual guest requests those exceptional EX extraordinary needs of the hotel patrons well I'm sure many of you who visited the hotel found this buttons Effectiveness maybe to be less than stellar I do appreciate the concept they were attempting to tell all who were their guests that we are Universal problem solvers we are the ones who can answer your questions well with this concept in mind I would like to re-read part of our texts as John was riding from inspiration and vision from God himself and he penned the words and he sat upon the throne and said behold I make all things new he said right write this down for these words are true and faithful and then he went on to say it is done I've got news for you the concierge at Opryland hotel may not can accomplish everything but I'm serving a God if he says it consider it done it's taken care of without fear and without dread we must be confident that the same God that kept us in 2022 is the same God that can make all things new and whatever our need is in this year consider it done if you're serving Jesus the term done defined is no longer happening or existing Jesus said in John 14 4 if you shall ask anything in my name I will do it I will do it consider it done you know some of you children of the 80s and teenagers of the 80s remember when Michael Jordan came on the scene and once he got successful he had his own shoes you didn't just have Nikes you had Jordans man folks did everything to get Jordan you had to have the three color and then the two color and then he he's branched out and had the jump man instead of the Nike Swoosh but during that same time there was a competing company that was in the tennis shoe market that was called Reebok anybody dare remember what Reeboks were and Reebok tennis shoes had a special sales gimmick we'll call it that they came up with they had a shoe called the pumps does anyone in the house beside this old man remember the pumps yeah I see some hands going up now what the pumps were about they had a built-in pump in the tongue of the shoe that before you played allegedly you tightened your shoes up and then you pumped them up man what a concept I can tighten them up for him I'll pump them up but those amazing Folks at Nike in their wisdom in advertising their shoes didn't need pumped up they came up with the slogan that said just do it and everywhere you look there were t-shirts that said just do it now if you wonder where I'm going and still trying to preach some of us before we can do anything for the Lord we've got to be pumped up I'm here to tell you in 2023 you need to just do it consider it done God's gonna do a work if he said he would do it you need to claim it and believe it in Jesus name consider it done considering that on this first day [Applause] Jesus said if you ask anything in my name I'll do it now the amazing thing about the God we serve is the way he makes all things new and the way he gets things done is he never changes he's constant and he's the consistent God he's Dependable he's reliable he is faithful and he even said these words are true and faithful Malachi 3 6 said for I am the Lord not change not how can things be new if he's not going to change you see the God that I serve meets our need but he doesn't have to change to meet our name need Hebrews 13 8 said Jesus Christ the same yesterday today and forever he's an unchanging God but he meets every need he supplies everything that his people have need of the preacher I've got regrets and failures from 2022 some have regretted not meeting certain goals that they established others lament that their team didn't win a championship again this year but let me remind us no matter how you feel that you have failed if you have made your salvation sure in Christ in 2022 it's a banner year for you that above everything else above all else I must be saved did you make your salvation true and confident in 2022 will your salvation be unfailing in 2023 you see Jeremiah said this the Harvest has passed the summer has ended and we're not saved if you didn't find Salvation in 2022 I've got news for you Above All Else 2023 needs to start out with you finding salvation in Christ being obedient to his word following the Acts 2 38 message above all else you need to be saved if you want 2023 to be a successful year the text said he makes all things new second Corinthians 6 1 said we then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain don't let his grace be wasted for he saith I have heard thee in a Time accepted and a day of salvation have I secured thee I've encircled thee behold now 20 23 behold now is the accepted time when should I find Salvation now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation if you hadn't made your salvation sure you don't need to wait till February or March you don't need to wait till spring or summer now is the day of salvation today is your day don't wait another day today's the day to claim it consider it done in Jesus name Hallelujah Jesus gets things done remember he is the author and the finisher of our faith that's what Hebrews said looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith and notice this it said who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross wait a minute for the joy he endured the cross despising the shame and it sit down at the right hand of the Throne of God you mean there was joy in the cross you see Jesus knew all the time that he was becoming the Supreme sacrifice for mankind and he he had this road to travel and it was set before him and he approached it with joy we might ought to look at that as an example for us there's some things we're going to face in 2023 but you need to approach some things with joy instead of dread instead of criticizing instead of finding something fine fault with saying I'm going to face 2023 with joy no matter what I'm called to do somebody hear this preacher there's some things we need to attack with a little more joy [Music] you know at the end of the year they do all these reviews second Corinthians 13 5 said examine yourselves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except you be reprobate hear me on this first day of a new year we need to look down inside ourselves don't point a finger at anyone else but say am I doing what I'm supposed to do am I prepared for 2023 have I taken inventory of what my commitment should be let me ask you in a New Year are you Spirit Led Romans 8 14 said for as many as are led by the spirit they're the sons of God listen if you can't be spirit-led you're not in the family on that doesn't mean you walk around your eyes roll back in your head going what that means is the decisions you make from the greatest decision to the things that to others seems so insignificant you're in a spirit of God I want you to lead me in this decision God I I I'm about to trade cars you mean you pray about that sure I do man we've got a good car dealership here in the church but I still pray about it because I want God to guide them if they look for a vehicle for me I thought those things maybe you're smarter than that you don't have listen pray about your business decisions pray about pray about your job for heaven's sakes pray about taking a job that's going to take you and your family out of the kingdom of God and out of church there's some things you ought to pray about oh I'm getting a raise what would a man gain if he gained the whole world and lose his soul 2023 is here you need to put some more things in the care of God and think like him and consider things spiritually and be Spirit Led being spirit-led does not mean you do not prepare yourself I'll remind all the school students you can pray all you want to if you don't study that grade probably ain't gonna be great after that test and it works the same in the job working day world do your part be spirit-led and let God Prosper you and what you're supposed to do well how do I get all this insight how do I checked this year in inventory starting a new year well do you read his word do you meditate on his word psalmist said but his Delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night you need to commit yourself to reading his word studying his word do I have a prayer life Ephesians 6 18 said praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching there and too with all perseverance and supplication for All Saints I can't pray for you and you can't pray for me you got to pray for yourself I can pray about your situation but if you don't pray about that situation somebody sorely like him I can say would you pray for me but if I don't pray for myself [Music] we're talking about 2023 we're we're taking a little bit of inventory am I willing to deny fleshly desires to follow Christ do I take up his cross that he joyfully went to Mark 8 34 said this and when he had called the people unto him and his disciples also he said unto them whosoever will come after me you're going to be a follower of Jesus let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me we will deny ourselves for a lot of less than spiritual reasons a lot of folks make New Year's resolutions man I am going on a diet I'm going to deny myself certain foods I'm not even going on the side of town where Krispy Kreme is and I'm not preaching against dieting man you need to be healthy but do you have the same fervor to deny yourself the lusts of the flesh to follow Christ do you have the same desire to deny yours man I'm going to deny going here and going there and purchasing this purchasing that because if I'll save up enough and I'll deny myself I can buy that item that I so much want nothing wrong with financial discipline by the way some of us can't deny all we do is make another credit at that's a message for another day but you see well I deny to follow Christ take up the cross please understand today on this first day of the year the importance of taking up the cross because we said in our message title it is done in our text of our message we said consider it Dan and I told you that Jesus is the author and the finisher in John 19 Jesus hanging on the cross his flesh torn from head to toe blood he has a crown of thorns his side has been pierced with a spear his hands and his feet nailed to a cross he said I thirst and the guards offered him vinegar mixed with Gaul the Bible says verse 30 of John 19 when Jesus therefore had received the vinegar he said it is finished he bowed his head and gave up the ghosts you see I said he knew how to finish the enemy himself began to celebrate because this Jesus that had caused so much trouble this Jesus who had so many followers this Jesus who had healed blind eyes this Jesus who had unstopped the ears of the death this Jesus who had even raised the dead now has proclaimed it is finished but you see Satan just didn't understand what it was Satan thought that it he was speaking of was Jesus himself instead Jesus was saying here's what's finished death hell and the grave is finished this Trio is done consider them finished I'm done with death hell and the great there is no longer finality there because you see I'm finishing something right now [Applause] Satan was so dumb Satan was so ignorant to celebrate such if it had heard Jesus words now I know that's kind of crude language but I'm just telling you the devil is done we give him way too much credit for being a smart Devil he's a dumb devil he don't understand plain speaking because you know what Jesus said in John 10 17 therefore does my father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again no man taketh it from me but I lay it down of myself you can't kill me devil if I die I choose to die it's in my time it's in my way I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again take it up again this commandment have I received of my father dumb devil what do you think's happening why are you celebrating you see you don't understand what the it is here the it is there's victory yeah that term finished means having completed or ended an action or activity but there is another definition of the word finish it's this having lost Effectiveness power or prestige you see when Jesus said it is finished suddenly death Hell In The Grave lost its power its Effectiveness and its Prestige Corinthians said oh death where is thy steam oh grave where is thy Victory when Jesus I don't know about you on this first day of a new year I'm so excited that he has done it and it's done consider it done whatever your situation whatever your problem whatever you're going to be facing it's done it's done you see this was a proclamation this was the finishing of a dispensation of blood sacrifice that's why Hebrews said by the which we are Sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all it's done consider it done a new dispensation of Grace is being ushered on the scene no more will there be need for blood sacrifice he's given himself for us all all we need to do now is be obedient to his word to repent of our sins to take on his name and baptism to be filled with his spirit you see in a new year we need to establish a fresh altar in our lives a fresh sacrifice for a fresh Altar and a fresh sacrifice brings a fresh fire I would paraphrase and unread the passage entirely but I would remind you that over in the book of First Kings we find an example when Elijah would go before the people he was the only true prophet and he was being opposed by 450 prophets of Baal and he told the people he said why halt you between two opinions he said if the Lord be God serve him if Baal be God serve him so they said we're going to have a little demonstration here we're going to build two altars one prophet with the true God 450 Prophets of Baal seemed like somebody's outnumbered the prophets of Baal are just remember you and God's a majority always so what happened he said pick out the sacrifice you want to give we're still under that dispensation of sacrifice of blood at this time he said pick out which one you want they took a bullet build you an altar they built the finest altar that bail lights could make and the Bible tells us that they begin to March and chant and call I don't know what the song sounded like oh Bale hear us oh Bill hear us and they did that until noon no fire and Elijah I don't recommend this for anybody else but understand Elijah just had to trash talk just a little bit read for yourself hey prophets uh maybe uh Bale's asleep uh maybe he's going on a journey he's on vacation he's at Disney World sure as the world you've missed him and they stepped it up a notch when he started trash talking they got louder they started cutting themselves cutting their flesh but there was no fire so after their demonstration remember false gods can look real impressive false gods can have great big numbers but I've got news for you we're not looking for numbers or to be impressive we're looking for the fire of the Holy Ghost to overshadow us every time we're in his presence notice what Eli God did Elijah said okay my turn and the Bible said that the first thing he did he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down some of us may need to have some altar reparation there's some other things we may have been worshiping that's superseded and become more important in our lives in 2022 there may be some stuff we need to tear down and we need to repair the altar of God in our lives first no matter what it is I don't care if it's your bass boat the handicap of your golf game there's some stuff that you might need to put in the background until you get the altar of God repaired in your life [Applause] I'm not pointing at you without pointing at me and the Bible says Elijah took 12 Stones according to the number of the tribes of Jacob there was symbolism there he he said this is the the order there's order in Christ he said this symbolizes the 12 tribes of Israel and he built the altar the Bible says in the name of the Lord and he trenched about the altar as great as would contain two measures of seed he dug a ditch around the altar he put the wood in order he cut the Bullock and pieces laid him on the wood and said now get the picture I'm fixing to build and I fixing that's an East Tennessee word some of you folks don't fixing that's that's a East Tennessee where I'm that means I'm about to do something fixing he said it's in the build a fire so go get me four barrels of water let me tell you sometimes if you're going to see a miracle from God you need to do something that the flesh cannot accomplish in you don't build fires with water you see when God does a work sometimes there has to be irrefutable evidence that it couldn't have been anything else but God that did it I'm going to build a fire so get me four barrels of water they came and poured four barrels of water on the Altar and you know what he said not enough need four more barrels of water now we see why there's a trench around this altar he poured four more bounces and that's still not enough give me four more barrels three times he asked for water to be poured on the sacrifice he wasn't cutting his flesh he wasn't dancing in the hucklebuck and trying to make it a spectacle of himself but he was setting up a situation that only God miraculously could answer man couldn't claim it he didn't slip some pyrotechnics in you see everything that we do however we worship it must be to God is the glory we can't manufacture a move of God we can't manufacture the fire of God falling what we must do is set an atmosphere that only God can do the work [Applause] Glory and the Bible says he began to pray he said hear me oh Lord hear me that this people may know that thou art the Lord God that thou has turned their hearts back again then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the bird's sacrifice the wood the stones the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench hahaha and when the people saw it they fell on their faces and they said the Lord he is God the Lord he is the god you may go through some things that you have to make a sacrifice so somebody else can see in your life the Lord is really God it had to be God for that to happen [Music] Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah [Applause] hmm you see after that you know what he said he said gather up all these false prophets Elijah said to them take the prophets of bailed Mount let not one of them Escape and they took them in Elijah brought them down to the brook killer and he slew them there please understand the figurative example here there's some false gods that are in our lives that we need to slay so the True full fire of the Holy Ghost can reign in our life a fresh sacrifice a fresh altar brings Fresh Fire let your sacrifice be so impossible for man to accomplish that it had to be God stand with me musicians get ready Philippians 3 12 says not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which I also am apprehended of Christ Jesus brethren I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind forget 20 22. and reaching forth unto those things which are before 2023. press toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus he said apprehend that term apprehend comes from the Latin apprehendo or apprehendere which literally means to seize to take my forth seeds 2023 sees what you need from God seek him find him apprehend what he has for you in a new year the best resolution you can have for a new year is I'm going to apprehend Jesus he has already apprehended me I'm going to seek him I'm going to seize him how do I do that I submit and obey his word his word because he's Bound by his word and I take us home with our original text for it said he that overcometh shall inherit all things that's Revelation 21 7 he that overcometh shall inherit all things I will be as God and he shall be my son I want to be one of the children of God today how about you in this new year I want to apprehend I want the inheritance of Christ whatever you have need of today I challenge you by faith say Lord I don't know how it's going to come about but I know my faith in you I can consider it done in Jesus name if you have a need whatever it is a lost loved one a health issue a financial issue whatever it is I'm going to challenge you this morning to step out by faith and come around the Altar for a season of prayer to say God I'm claiming that it's done would you come whatever you have need of think about it just a moment this is the place to get your need met today this is not a hop you up first message of the year but as sincerely as this preacher can tell you if by faith you'll consider it done in Jesus name Faith is thee evidence of things hoped for rather do you have faith in the things you haven't seen do you have faith in the things that have not been accomplished yet it's the substance sense of things hoped for the evidence of Things Not Seen I don't have substance yet there's some unseen things but I'm considered it done in Jesus name I'm considering it done this year just before they sing I want the Lord to hear our voices just a minute I'd like for you to pray loud enough that you can hear yourself pray come on lift your voice loud enough that you can hear yourself pray Mighty God I come before you right now in this new year savior you know what I have need of Lord you know the Wayward loved one God I'm calling on you right now I'm considering it done in Jesus name Lord I'm claiming it in your name I can't accomplish it man can't accomplish it man's guidance can't fix it man's counsel can't fix it man's repairs can't fix it God only you can fix this thing right now you're the only one that can bring reparation God you're the only one that can bring healing God you're the only can do this miracle God I'm considering it done it's my inheritance I'm a child of God and I'm claiming it today Hallelujah now would you lift your voices and thank you saying it's done in Jesus name it's done in Jesus name it's done in Jesus name wipe your hands yes Shake It Off Shake It Off [Music] Despair and break every chain [Music] I will crush disappointment and bring every change [Music] show me one thing that's too hard he's the god of the Breakthrough with anything is possible show me one thing that's too hot you are the water she can't find anything is [Music] I want you to sing that again that says all of my fear could you turn your beer into praise today could you turn your fear into praise today [Music] a victory show me one thing that's too hard show me water to care about anything is possible your hands today lift your hands in Victory claiming your Victory and in a year today today Jesus name thank you Lord thank you thank you for victory in a New Year First Apostolic Church what an awesome honor it is to be part of this assembly and this church family I encourage everyone to be here tonight expecting a great time to the Lord for the Vickers will mildly bless you with his ministry let's have a great first Sunday in Jesus name would you greet all of our guests if there's anyone that you do not know