Building a Firm Foundation: A Year of Transformation

And so let's just make that a declaration of our prayer as we start this new year. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, together, collectively, those of us in this room and those of us watching online, Father, we are declaring today that in 2025, we are not going to build our foundation upon success. We're not going to build our foundation upon our careers only. We're not going to build our foundation upon money, Lord, or good looks. Father, we are going to build our lives on the solid foundation that is Jesus Christ. And Father, I pray that, Father, that this new year would be filled with your presence, would be filled with your guidance, that, Father, this year as we build our life week in and week out upon the truths found in your holy word, that, Father, we just not would be hearers of your word, but that we would be doers of your word, that we would put in our lives the things that we believe in, the things that we into practice, that we would put into application into our own lives, into our own marriages, into our own families, into our own kiddos this year as we build that foundation of faith upon Jesus Christ our Lord. And we ask this in that mighty name of Jesus and all of God's people said, amen, amen. Let's give the Lord a hand. He is worthy. He is good. Hey, listen, before you're seated, would you turn to your neighbor and just tell them happy new year? [00:30:45] (92 seconds)


Now, if you have your Bibles, our whole series is built around one verse. Hebrews chapter 12. If you have your Bibles or a cell phone with the Bible app, if you have the YouVersion Bible app on your cell phone, find Hope City on YouVersion. Follow us as your home church, and all of the slides, all the verses, all the notes are already preloaded up there for you. That's YouVersion Bible app. Search Hope City, make us your home church, and you'll find under events today's message in all the slides. Now, Hebrews chapter 12. Before we read Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1, remember what Hebrews chapter 11 is about. The chapter before the verse we're going to read is all about faith. In Hebrews chapter 11, it talks about the heroes of the faith, and over and over and over again, they use this phrase, by faith. By faith, Abraham. By faith, Moses. By faith, David. By faith, and they list all the heroes of the faith and all the things that they accomplished and all the hardship that they endured because of their faith. [00:41:04] (73 seconds)


And the author of Hebrews, after talking about the incredible faith that our heroes past has, says, man, God has provided something even better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. That even the heroes of the faith never reached perfection on this side of heaven. And the same is true for you and I. We're never going to reach our greatest potential until Christ Jesus comes again. And then in a blink of an eye, at the second coming, we're all going to be made perfect. But that doesn't give us an excuse to hit cruise control. We still have work to do. We still have to partner with the Holy Spirit here and now so that he is working in us and transforming us and bringing this revolution change to our heart and to our lives until ultimately we're formed into the image of Christ. [00:43:05] (64 seconds)


Maybe for some of you, you feel kind of stuck in your job, stuck in your career. I feel like I can't go anywhere else. I can't advance any more than where I'm at. And you've kind of hit cruise control at work. And you're doing just enough not to get fired. That's not how it's supposed to be. Scripture tells us that those of us that have jobs, we're supposed to work, not as we're working. We're not working for men, but as if we're working unto the Lord. God has something better for you in your career. In other words, you should be the greatest employee because you're a follower of Jesus. If you're in the military service, you should be the best soldier in your unit or your platoon or your brigade because you're a follower of Jesus. Because God has provided something better for us. [00:46:04] (55 seconds)


And if we learn to partner with his Holy Spirit and allow him to bring this revolution, this change and complete change and sudden change of heart, this is going to be your revolutionary year. Now, let's go to our main verse that this whole series is built upon. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 1. This is what the author of Hebrews says. He says, Therefore, after what we just read, right, if you were to read through the scriptures and you read through Hebrews 11, you're going to hear about the heroes of the faith by faith, by faith, by faith, by faith, because of all of the faith that they had. Therefore, remember the verse right before this. Therefore, because God has provided something better for you. [00:47:25] (50 seconds)


Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses and the author of Hebrews paints this picture of God, of an arena, that we are now entrusted to run our own race. That God has given you a specific race to run. We all have the same assignment and we all have the charge to glorify God on this earth. But because God is such a personal God, he also has unique and individual callings for each and every one of us. You have a race to run. I have a race to run. But be of good cheer. Be encouraged. Because our, heroes of the faith, who we just read about in chapter 11, all that they accomplished, all that they endured, man, they're in the grand, stands cheering you on and then he goes on therefore we also since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside or put down every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us right or entraps us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us that God has set a race a path in front of you and whatever it was last year that weighed you down whatever it was that you were caring that felt like a burden that hindered you from winning your race. See, the goal is not just to run the race. Paul, in other verses, will tell us, like, man, I train my body not just to run, but to win, to be victorious. [00:47:49] (116 seconds)


We still have to partner with the Holy Spirit and allow him to transform us. To change us more and more and more into the image of Christ Jesus. Now, let me share a quick story about weight. Because some of you, you're thinking already, all right, what was it last year that kind of weighed me down? What is that weight that I need to lay aside this year? What is that weight that I don't need to carry? That weight I carried last year, God is telling me like, hey, drop it. Don't carry it into this year. Because I have something better for you. And for some of you, you're trying to think of something big. Like last year, what was the biggest thing I went through? What is the biggest heartache? What was the biggest trial? What was the biggest heart shape? But what I learned last year, personally, is not necessarily the big heavy things. But sometimes it could be that little consistent thing. [00:50:53] (62 seconds)


Exhaustion taught me three things. Number one, exhaustion isn't necessarily a bad thing. All right, but let me tell you the lessons I learned last year. Number one, exhaustion is a reminder that, Lord, I need you, right? Lord, I can't do this in my own strength. Lord, I need you. I need you in my marriage, Lord. I need you in my family, Lord. I need you with this concern I have for my child. I need you. Because without exhaustion, you might feel like Superman, right? Without exhaustion, you think you're Wonder Woman, and you're out there going, go, go, go, do, do, do. And it's hard because we live in a culture that celebrates accomplishment and success, and the more weight you carry, the more of a man you are. The more weight you carry, the more of a woman you are. That is not kingdom culture. That is worldly culture, right? Kingdom culture is, cast your cares on him because he cares for you, right? Kingdom culture. Kingdom culture is, work hard for six days and then rest on the Sabbath. [00:58:22] (75 seconds)


Kingdom culture at Hope City is the Sundays after Christmas, we go on Sabbath break, right? That's kingdom culture because that helps your heart and my heart realize, God, we're not called to do it all, and we're not called to carry all the weight alone. There are times in our lives and seasons in our lives where it's a reminder to me. That, Lord, I need you. The second thing that exhaustion teaches us, or it taught me, it tells me I need to learn to carry the weight God gives well. Like I said, as the lead pastor, there are certain roles and certain responsibilities that only I can do. And I have to accept that, and I have to learn to carry that weight well. So it doesn't destroy my marriage or my family or the church. And so there's some responsibilities I just have to learn, depending on the Holy Spirit, how to carry well. [00:59:27] (64 seconds)