He Makes Us New

On a cold night in April of 1912, the Titanic sailed into

history. It was the largest ship in the

world, called Unsinkable by many who believed nothing could

destroy it. Built with both luxury and

pride, the Titanic carried rich and poor dreamers and workers

across the Atlantic Ocean. Music played, lights glowed, and

passengers slept peacefully as the ship cut through the dark

sea. But at 11:40 PM on the 14th of

April, the massive ship hit an iceberg hidden in the black

water. At first it seemed like a small

problem, but deep below the surface, the ship was badly

wounded. Waters rushed in.

Panic spread. Lifeboats were lowered as the

ship began to tilt. Table decorations fell to the

floor. Chairs crashed into each other

and then crashed into the walls. Rumor has it that the band kept

playing, trying to keep people calm.

Families clung to each other as the freezing Atlantic Ocean

opened wide and swallowed the lives of over 1500 souls.

And on this weekend, in December of 1997, James Cameron released

the movie based on the tale titled the same as the sunken

ship, The Titanic. It was.

And this is an interesting genre of movie.

It was called a romantic drama disaster.

Some of you like I married that. I married a romantic drama

disaster. Yeah.

Your love story's that of the Titanic.

The this romantic disaster drama followed Jack Dawson, played by

Leonardo DiCaprio, and Rose, played by Kate Winslet.

It went on to become the highest grossing film of its day and

today it sits on in fourth place, bringing in $2.2 billion.

When it showed up at the Oscars, it had 14 nominations and walked

away with eleven wins, tying the record for the most Oscars won

by a single film. Then when it showed up for the

Golden Globes, it had eight nominations, walked away with

four Golden Globes, which was the most that year.

And the soundtrack. Oh, the soundtrack skyrocketed

to #1 on the Billboard 200. And it stayed there for 16

consecutive weeks, eventually going 11 times platinum.

How did it do it, you might ask? Well, with the star-studded help

of lead vocalist Céline Dion singing the title track, My

Heart Will Go on the opening lines, I am making all the

middle-aged women all across this region so happy today.

Every night in my dreams, I see you.

I feel you. That is how I know you go on far

across the distance and spaces between us.

You have come to show you go on near, far where?

Yeah, you know exactly what's happening.

I want to welcome all of our campuses, joining at all of our

different locations, those of you watching online and inside.

And for those of you who are here for the first time or the

first time in a long time, yeah, we're that crazy.

That's just what this is. Hear me before I get all the way

into the message. We will be starting our

Christmas Eve services next week.

Two things for you to do 1. Make sure you have found your

service and make sure you have found the person that you are

going to invite and bring it with you.

But today we are in a series called Behold.

What Happens when You Claim the Promises of God?

The word Behold shows up because there is something that God, His

Spirit, and the Scriptures want us to look at because there is

something there that they do not want us to miss.

I grew up going to church. And when I say I grew up going

to church, I mean, we went to church on Sunday mornings to

Sunday school, and then we stuck around for Sunday service.

And then on Sunday night, because this church was crazy,

we went to Sunday night services.

And then on Wednesday we went to Wednesday church.

My parents made financial sacrifices and they sent me and

my siblings to a private Christian Academy 30 miles away

from where we grew up. And so every day my mom would

drive us there, drop us off for school, and then she'd pick us

up and drive us the 30 minutes home.

And this private Christian School dedicated an hour.

One of our classes every single day was on the Bible and on

Wednesdays we had to wear a button up shirt and a tie

because we would go to Chapel and do you know what you they

did in Chapel? They would teach us the Bible.

And then my parents, when I got into high school, they

financially prioritize spiritual environments for me.

And so every year they would spend me for a week to summer

camp and they would send me for a week to a Christian

conference. And guess what they did two

times a day at church camp and two times a day at the Christian

conferences. They would teach us the Bible.

And in between my junior and my senior year of school, I decided

that I was going to go into full time ministry, that God had put

a calling on my life to tell people about Jesus.

And so I enrolled in a Christian college that trained men for

ministry, leadership, and Christian service.

And when I showed up at this school, their classes started at

7:00 AM. Do you know what you learn at

7:00 AM? Not much.

But you know what they were teaching us at 7:00 AM?

The Bible and I had a class at 8:00 AM and you know what they

taught us at 8:00 AM? The Bible.

And guess what they taught us at 9:00 AM?

Another class, The Bible. And from 10:00 to 11:30, guess

what? They taught us the Bible.

And then we would have lunch from 11:30 to 1:00 and then we'd

have an afternoon class from 1:00 to 2:00 and guess what they

taught us there? They would teach us the Bible.

And on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the 10:00 to 11:30 time

slot, they would have Chapel. So twice a week I would go to

Chapel and guess what they did in Chapel?

They taught us the Bible. I grew up being inundated with

the Word of God. One day in the spring of my

freshman year, I was going to the cafeteria.

I may have missed class from time to time, but I did not ever

miss the cafeteria. I showed up and there was a

folding table and behind it were seated some people in folding

chairs. And they worked at a summer camp

and they were interviewing people that they were going to

hire to come help them with their summer ministry.

And I got hired. They hired me, and I don't want

to brag. They hired me to be a Wrangler.

Yeah. Eat your heart out.

Don't let these golf pants fool you.

I was rough and tough. My job was to, every morning at

this camp, saddle forty horses and teach horseback riding to

the campers because I had grown up with horses and that was kind

of my thing. And so after my spring semester

ended, I hopped in my Ford Ranger and I drove down the

winding 2 lane roads to Colcord, Oklahoma.

What is or where is Colcord, Oklahoma?

It's as if Arkansas could get even worse and move 20 miles.

That is Colcord, Oklahoma. And as I was driving down the

big hill into a beautiful valley nestled on the far southwest

edge of the Ozark Mountains, I arrived at a place called New

Life Ranch. We were going through the

orientation where they were teaching us all the things that

we would need to know about being on staff with this

particular organization over the summer, how we were supposed to

interact with the students, what are different responsibilities

are going to be what team we are going to be on all this stuff.

And I started to ask myself this question, why is it called New

Life Ranch? And the person said, we should

you know, there's a, there's a scripture verse on the sign.

So I saw the scripture verse on the sign and I was like, OK, I'm

going to look it up. And so I opened up my Bible and

I could not believe what I read. Then I ended up reading the

entire chapter and could not believe that this chapter

existed. This was the first experience

that I can remember of these powerful, life changing words.

I don't know if I had heard it before.

I don't know if maybe I was coloring during Sunday school

and they taught it and I didn't pick it up.

I don't know if I was asleep in the 7:00 AM Bible college class,

but it was. I couldn't make sense of it.

I had spent so much time being around the Word of God that I

was frustrated the fact that I did not know that these words

existed, that somebody had not told me these words.

I have since made it my ambition to make sure that the people

within that sound of my voice on a regular basis hear the power

of these life altering, eternal destination changing words.

What are the words? They're found in Second

2 Corinthians 5:17

Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17. Therefore, if anyone is in

Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away.

Behold, the new has come. This is the ultimate tattoo

verse. It is easily a top five verse in

a top five chapter in all of scripture.

Let me walk you through it. It begins with one of my

favorite words. Anyone.

Anyone, Because anyone means everyone.

What God wants you to know, what this church has a heartbeat for

you to know. What I want you to remember.

What God is trying to speak to you is that this message, this

verse is for anyone and everyone.

This message is for those who pretend to have it all together.

It's for those who think they have it all together.

It's for those who have no idea what having it together even

looks like. It's a message for the person

who thinks that they've never sinned and for the person who

all they seem to know is sin. This message, this verse, our

God, is for people who have a past, have made mistakes, and

are afraid that if the people who are sitting next to them

really knew them, they wouldn't sit as close to them.

It's for people who hate who they have become.

It's for those who pretend that they have not become what they

have actually become. This anyone is not just for the

strong and the perfect few. It is not for the saved, for the

clean, or the ones who belong. It is not earned by the right,

and it is not erased by the wrong.

This anyone includes the weary and the worn, those who hide in

the night. For those who can never get it

right. It's for the doubter who wonders

if grace still applies. It's for the center who hides

with regret in their eyes. This anyone is welcome, from

every place, every story, every fear, every face.

No past too heavy, no chain too tight, no soul too lost to be

called to life. For anyone who is in Christ, the

old is gone. The weight of the past is no

longer drawn. A new life begins, rewritten and

free. Not who you were, but who you

were made to be. And this promise still stands,

unwavering and true. This anyone is me, and this

anyone can be you. But what does it mean to be new?

Well, I think if you were to ask God what is one of His top five

words, I think He would say one of his top five words is new.

Now, I don't say that flippantly.

I'm not saying that just to fill space in a sermon.

I genuinely believe that God's top five words has got to

include the word new. Let me show you we read about

Jesus, God's Son in the New Testament, the New Covenant.

Mark chapter one, verse 27 says that the people were amazed at

the teachings of Jesus and they asked what is this a new

teaching? And Jesus tells them in the New

Testament that His new teaching cannot fit in the old wineskins

of their life. It needs a new wineskin, it

needs a new heart. And when Jesus takes the Last

Supper with his disciples, he says that his blood is going to

be poured out and will usher in a new covenant.

Mark chapter 14 verse 24. And that he will not drink it

Mark 14:24

again until he drinks it new in his Father's Kingdom.

To those who would follow Jesus, he gives them a new command.

John chapter 13 records what this new command is.

John 13 · chapter mention

This is Jesus talking. As I have loved you, so you must

love one another. By this all men will know that

you are my disciples. If you love one another, that

because of Jesus's death and resurrection, you and I are able

to, as Ephesians 424 says, put on the new self created in God

or created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

We get to put on the new self in the new covenant purchased by

Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

And then God tells us that one day He will make a new heaven

and a new earth. Second Peter chapter 3 verse 13,

2 Peter 3:13

where there will be a new temple and a new Jerusalem in the new

city. Revelation chapter 21, verse 2.

Revelation 21:2

And what does he say in verse 5 where He will make all things

new? God has promised that one day He

will make all things new. But guess what is the first

thing that He starts to do? He starts to make His people

ready for the new by making them new.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation.

Who are the people who will see all the newness that God is

creating? It is the people who have been

made new. How are they made new by the

Jesus that shows up in the New Testament with the new teaching?

That is not because of what we have done, but because of what

He has done. And then He makes this new

covenant in His blood. All of this happens and then

what happens? If you're in Revelation, all of

a sudden you're starting to experience all this newness.

Your ears pick up what the Bible says, a new song.

But before that happens, to those who come, to those who

cling to the promises of God, to the people who hang on to faith

in Him and never let go, to the overcomers, God says that He

will give them a new name. And just after you hear Him say

your new name in the new heaven and the new earth, when God is

making everything else brand new, your ears will pick up a

new song, a song that has not been sung before.

It is a brand new song sung in the new heaven, in the new

Jerusalem, in the new heaven and earth.

And what are the lyrics to the song, you might ask?

Well, Revelation chapter 5, verses 9 through 13 tells us

Revelation 5:9–13

what it is. It's singing to Jesus.

This is what they say. You are worthy to take the

scroll and open its seals, because you were slain, and with

your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and

language and people and nation. Remind me in January to tell you

something cool that God's been doing in my life about that

verse, verse 10. You have made them to be a

Kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the

earth. Then I looked, and I heard the

voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and

10,000 * 10,000 they encircled the throne and the living

creatures and the elders, and in a loud voice they were saying,

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and

wisdom and strength, and honor and glory and praise.

And then I heard every creature in heaven, and on earth, and

under the earth, and on the sea, and all that is in them.

Saying to him, they're talking about Jesus who sits on the

throne, and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and

power forever and ever. The promise of Scripture is that

all of this will be yours when you are made new in Christ. 7 *

7 times. Seven different times, the

Titanic got a message that there were icebergs in the waters that

got them from other ships. In fact, another ship called the

s s America sent information to the Titanic asking the Titanic

to pass along the message. So the Titanic received a

message saying that there were icebergs in the waters, and they

sent the message that there were icebergs in the waters to the

office in Washington DC, but they did not send it to the

captain. The hydrographic office later

went on to say this and their reports.

It is a lamentable fact and a remarkable coincidence that the

sinking of the Titanic was caused by an iceberg, the report

of which she had transmitted. Had she but heeded the one

warning that she transmitted, she would probably have saved

herself. There are some of you gathered

across this region, sitting in one of our locations or watching

online who you need to take warning.

Maybe you have heard the gospel. Some of you have even shared the

gospel. Some of you have served the

gospel. Others of you have contributed

to the spread of the gospel. However, for some reason or

another, you have not received the gospel.

You have transmitted the message, but you have not

followed the message. You've shared the.

Message. But you have not submitted your

life to the message. You've passed on the message,

but you have not come under the power of the message.

And if you are not careful, your story could just be as tragic as

that of the Titanic that if you had heeded the one warning that

you transmitted, you could have saved yourself.

One of the. Biggest lies that Satan weaves

into the heart of a believer is that the good news of the gospel

is for everybody else, but it could not possibly be for you.

And because you believe. That message you will invite

other people, you will talk to other people about the love of

God, but you will not allow the love of God to be received in

your heart, and so you never fully allow yourself to be made

new in Him. We're moving to a.

Time of decision. Some of you at.

This point might be asking yourself, so how does he make us

new? And you can go.

Home and back me up on this. If you were to go home and read

second Corinthians chapter 5. I mean it one of the top five

2 Corinthians 5 · chapter mention

chapters in all of Scripture you'll read verse 17.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he's a new creation, the

oldest God and the newest come. You'll read 18 which is good, 19

which is good, 20 also good, and then you'll come across verse

21, and verse 21 describes how you and I are made new.

How it happens? This is what it.

Says God made him, That's Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for us

so that we might become the righteousness of God.

This is how I would describe this to 1/6 grader.

You have God, the righteous, fair, holy Judge, wrapped in

perfection. You have his Son, Jesus.

Who knew? No.

Sin and then you have you and me and all of human history.

And 2nd. Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21

says this. God made him, That's Jesus to be

sin for us. How did he do that?

God came over to. Us to you and me, and every sin,

every cuss word spoken or thought of, every lustful

thought, every adulterous encounter, every lustful moment,

every bit of rage, every mistake, every failure, every

shortcoming. Not just for you, but for all.

People for all of time, not just the sins that you know you did.

But even the sins. That you are not aware that you

did and he spooled them up. He got out a.

Broom in a dustbin and he made sure he left no sin behind.

And he put. It in a big bag.

And he took it. Over to the one.

Who was perfect and righteous and holy in every way.

The one who had never sinned. And he emptied.

All the contents of sin in all of human history, and he poured

it on him who knew no sin, and then he took all of the

righteousness and holiness and perfection and blamelessness of

Christ. And he spooled it.

Up he got out of broom in a dustbin, and he made sure he got

every piece of righteousness and holiness and perfection, and he

put it in a bag. And he took the.

Righteousness and the holiness and the perfection of Jesus.

And he poured it. Out on us.

And after he had. Placed all of the sin of

humanity on Jesus and all of the perfection of Jesus and put it

on humanity. Then he dealt.

With the sin, and in doing so he treated Christ like our sins

deserved. So you and I.

Could be treated like Christ deserved to be treated, and all

of His perfection and all of His Holiness.

That is. The gospel message.

That is how you and I are made new.

Jesus was treated like our sins deserved so you and I could be

treated by God the way Jesus deserved.

Hear me clearly. You are not made new by how

often you go to church. You are not made new by whether

or not you wear out your knees in prayer.

You are not made new based on how much you give, how much you

serve, how many old ladies you help reach, tall stuff at the

shelf at the store. You are not made new by how many

sermons you listen to, how many Bible verses you read.

I am not made new by how many services I write or how many

sermons I preach. We are made new because God made

him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him in

Christ. We could become.

The righteousness of God, I take offence.

When people say God. Is not loving.

Because if. That's not love.

I don't know what is. And so if.

You are here today and you've never started an intimate

personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The promises that I just claimed of how you are made new can be

for you if you are in Christ. Therefore, if anyone is in

Christ, he is a new creation. You might be asking yourself, so

how do I become in Christ? The Bible is incredibly clear

when you are buried and raised with Him in the waters of

baptism and in. Just a few moments.

The people around you are going to stand and sing and some of

the people are going to come to the steps and pray.

And I want to encourage you to walk right over there underneath

that screen next to the baptistry and talk to somebody

about you claiming the promises of God, of what it means to be

in Christ. Because I.

Got to be honest. With you, I don't need an

upgrade. I don't need an.

Update There doesn't need to be a Clayton 2.0.

I don't need to be tweaked. I don't need to be fixed.

I need to be. Made new.

And so do. You to the rest.

Of you in the. Room To those of you who already

have an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ,

I'm just going to ask you one big painful question.

What? Is the proper response to that

kind of love. What should the?

Rest of your life look like because God made him who knew no

sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the

righteousness of God. What does that require out of

the rest of your life? Who is the person in your life

that needs to hear this would. You stand with me, Heavenly

Father. I just want to begin with a

gigantic thank you. Thank you for.

Being so good to us. Thank you for being.

So long-suffering, so patient. We have failed you again and

again and again. We've returned to you again and

again and again. You have every right and every

reason. To walk away from.

US. And yet your promise.

Still stands. Thank you.

And God in faith. We're coming to you right now,

in this moment, asking you to give every person in here

clarity on what it is that you want them to do.

And then father through. The power of your Holy Spirit

would you give us the courage and the strength to do it?

In your name, our praying. Amen.