Embracing Tomorrow: Faith, Worship, and Divine Guidance
Summary
As we stand at the threshold of a new year, it's a moment to pause and reflect on the journey we've traversed and the uncertainties that lie ahead. This past year, 2024, has been monumental with events like the first commercial lunar landing, the Olympics, and an election year. Yet, as we look forward to 2025, the future can seem daunting, much like navigating a winding road in a snowstorm where visibility is limited. However, we are reminded that even in uncertainty, tomorrow is holy ground because Jesus is with us, making every day an opportunity for heaven to touch earth.
Reflecting on the biblical narrative, we see Joshua, Moses' successor, standing before the fortified city of Jericho, facing his own uncertain tomorrow. In a divine encounter, Joshua meets the commander of the Lord's army, who presents a third way beyond Joshua's plans and fears. This encounter teaches us that God’s ways are higher than ours, offering solutions beyond our comprehension. As we face our own tomorrows, we must remember that God has a plan that transcends our understanding and fears.
Anxiety often stems from the unknowns of tomorrow, but as Christians, we are called to a different response. The Apostle Paul, writing from a prison cell, encourages us to be anxious for nothing, presenting our requests to God with thanksgiving. This is not a denial of life's challenges but a call to trust in God's higher ways. Worship becomes our response to anxiety, as it shifts our focus from our fears to God's faithfulness.
Worship is expressed through gratitude and service. Like Joshua, who remembered God's past faithfulness by stacking stones, we too must reflect on God's goodness throughout the year. As we enter 2025, let us worship by being obedient to God's call, serving others, and trusting that every step we take is on holy ground. This is our opportunity to see heaven on earth, to choose worship over worry, and to embrace the holy ground of tomorrow with faith and gratitude.
Key Takeaways:
1. Embrace Uncertainty as Holy Ground: Just as Joshua faced the unknown with faith, we too can view our uncertain futures as holy ground where God is present and working. This perspective transforms fear into an opportunity for divine encounters and miraculous life changes. [09:39]
2. God's Third Way: When faced with plans and fears, remember that God offers a third way that surpasses our understanding. His ways are higher, and His plans are beyond what we can imagine, providing a path where fear has no place. [18:29]
3. Worship Over Worry: Worship and worry cannot coexist. By focusing on God and His faithfulness, we can shift our perspective from anxiety to gratitude, trusting that God holds the future in His hands. [29:28]
4. Gratitude and Service as Worship: Reflect on God's past faithfulness and express gratitude. Serve others as an act of worship, which helps us focus less on our own anxieties and more on God's work in the world. [33:39]
5. Trust in God's Greater Plan: In the face of life's challenges, trust that God is working all things for good. His plans are greater than our fears, and every step we take is on holy ground, an opportunity to witness heaven on earth. [36:19]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:15] - Reflecting on 2024
- [03:45] - Facing Uncertainty
- [06:30] - Holy Ground of Tomorrow
- [09:39] - Joshua's Encounter
- [12:50] - Planning vs. Fear
- [15:27] - The Third Way
- [18:29] - God's Higher Ways
- [21:23] - Anxiety in Modern Life
- [23:44] - Paul's Prescription for Peace
- [26:04] - Understanding Paul's Message
- [29:28] - Worship Over Worry
- [32:43] - Worship Through Gratitude
- [33:39] - Worship Through Service
- [36:19] - Trusting God's Plan
- [38:02] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Joshua 5:13-15 - Joshua's encounter with the commander of the Lord's army.
2. Philippians 4:6-7 - Paul's encouragement to be anxious for nothing.
3. Isaiah 55:8-9 - God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours.
#### Observation Questions
1. What significant events from 2024 were mentioned in the sermon, and how do they relate to the theme of uncertainty? [09:39]
2. How did Joshua respond when he encountered the commander of the Lord's army, and what was the significance of this encounter? [15:27]
3. According to the sermon, what are the two common responses people have when facing uncertainty about the future? [21:23]
4. What does Paul advise believers to do instead of being anxious, according to Philippians 4:6-7? [23:44]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the concept of "holy ground" apply to our understanding of facing uncertain futures, as illustrated by Joshua's story? [09:39]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that God's "third way" offers a solution beyond our plans and fears? [18:29]
3. How does the sermon interpret Paul's message in Philippians 4:6-7 in the context of modern-day anxiety? [26:04]
4. What role does worship play in transforming anxiety into gratitude, according to the sermon? [29:28]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you faced an uncertain future. How can viewing it as "holy ground" change your perspective on similar situations in the future? [09:39]
2. Consider a current fear or plan you have. How might God's "third way" offer a different path than what you have envisioned? [18:29]
3. What practical steps can you take to shift your focus from anxiety to gratitude in your daily life? [29:28]
4. Identify one area in your life where you can express worship through service. How can serving others help reduce your own anxieties? [33:39]
5. How can you incorporate the practice of gratitude into your routine to remind yourself of God's past faithfulness? [33:39]
6. What specific actions can you take to be more obedient to God's call in 2025, as a form of worship? [36:19]
7. Reflect on a situation where you felt anxious about the future. How can you apply Paul's advice in Philippians 4:6-7 to find peace in that situation? [23:44]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Uncertainty as Sacred Opportunity
In life, uncertainty often feels like a daunting challenge, much like navigating a winding road in a snowstorm. However, this uncertainty can be transformed into holy ground, a place where God is present and actively working. Just as Joshua stood before the fortified city of Jericho, facing an uncertain future, he encountered the divine presence of the commander of the Lord's army. This encounter reminds us that God is with us in our uncertainties, offering opportunities for divine encounters and miraculous life changes. As we step into the unknown, we are invited to see it as sacred ground where heaven can touch earth. [09:39]
Joshua 5:13-15 (ESV): "When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, 'Are you for us, or for our adversaries?' And he said, 'No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.' And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, 'What does my lord say to his servant?' And the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, 'Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.' And Joshua did so."
Reflection: Think of a situation in your life that feels uncertain or daunting. How can you invite God into this space and view it as an opportunity for a divine encounter?
Day 2: Discovering God's Third Way
When faced with plans and fears, it's easy to feel trapped between two options. However, God often provides a third way that surpasses our understanding. This third way is a path where fear has no place, and God's higher plans unfold. Joshua's encounter with the commander of the Lord's army illustrates this concept, as he was presented with a divine strategy beyond his own plans and fears. In our lives, we are encouraged to trust that God's ways are higher and that He offers solutions beyond our comprehension. [18:29]
Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Reflection: Consider a decision or fear you are currently facing. How can you open yourself to the possibility of a third way that God might be offering?
Day 3: Choosing Worship Over Worry
Anxiety often stems from the unknowns of tomorrow, but as Christians, we are called to respond differently. The Apostle Paul, writing from a prison cell, encourages believers to be anxious for nothing, presenting their requests to God with thanksgiving. This is not a denial of life's challenges but a call to trust in God's faithfulness. Worship becomes our response to anxiety, shifting our focus from our fears to God's faithfulness. By choosing worship over worry, we can experience peace and gratitude, knowing that God holds the future in His hands. [29:28]
1 Peter 5:7 (ESV): "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."
Reflection: Identify a specific worry or anxiety you are holding onto. How can you turn this into an act of worship and trust in God's faithfulness today?
Day 4: Expressing Gratitude and Service as Worship
Worship is expressed through gratitude and service. Reflecting on God's past faithfulness, like Joshua stacking stones to remember God's goodness, helps us focus on His work in our lives. As we enter a new year, we are called to worship by being obedient to God's call, serving others, and trusting that every step we take is on holy ground. This is our opportunity to see heaven on earth, to choose worship over worry, and to embrace the holy ground of tomorrow with faith and gratitude. [33:39]
Hebrews 13:15-16 (ESV): "Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."
Reflection: Reflect on a specific instance of God's faithfulness in your life. How can you express gratitude and serve others as an act of worship this week?
Day 5: Trusting in God's Greater Plan
In the face of life's challenges, we are reminded to trust that God is working all things for good. His plans are greater than our fears, and every step we take is on holy ground, an opportunity to witness heaven on earth. Just as Joshua trusted in God's plan for Jericho, we too are called to trust in God's greater plan for our lives. By embracing this trust, we can move forward with confidence, knowing that God is with us every step of the way. [36:19]
Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Reflection: Think of a challenge you are currently facing. How can you actively trust in God's greater plan and take a step forward in faith today?
Quotes
And that's what God speaks to us. He reminds us, hey, he says, hey, I have a third way. And my way is beyond what you can actually think. It's beyond what you plan. And my way is something that your fear has no place in. So I think we always need to be reminded what God spoke in Isaiah. This is what he says. He says, for my thoughts are not your thoughts. [00:18:18] (24 seconds)
And it's so important that we see tomorrow with this in mind, right? Because as we remember, hey, God has a way that I haven't even thought about. Guess what? It helps us to walk in the confidence, knowing that wherever we walk, whatever tomorrow brings us, it's going to be on holy ground with Jesus. Amen? We got to hold on to that. [00:19:33] (22 seconds)
And I want you to know this, that the unknowns of tomorrow are anxiety's best friend. But here's the good news, church. Here is the good news. We as Christians do not have to live that. Well, I just want to be crystal clear about that. I want to state that again, because this is the this is the native language of the culture we live in. We don't have to live that way. [00:22:57] (25 seconds)
This is why Apostle Paul gives us a great prescription famously found in Philippians four. He writes this. He says, let your gentleness be evident to all. He says, the Lord is near. He says, do not be anxious about anything. But in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds. [00:23:33] (31 seconds)
So how could Paul, in the middle of this, right, be anxious for nothing? Well, I think the truth, actually, when we read this, is in what Paul is not saying. I'm saying it again. I think we find more truth and more application. And when we see what Paul is not saying and what Paul is not saying is Paul is not saying you don't have anything to be anxious about. [00:24:01] (25 seconds)
Why in the face of the things worth being anxious about, why in the face of things worth being worrying about is is Paul saying to us that you don't have to be anxious because I believe Paul understood what Joshua experienced. Right. What we just talked about, that when we are facing the planning of tomorrow, we're facing the fears of tomorrow. Many times we forget what Joshua learned is that God offers us a third way. [00:27:03] (29 seconds)
Sometimes he has a way that's going to work out that blesses us and blesses other people. Sometimes he's working out something so that we just have a testimony. Sometimes it's necessary for us to go through a struggle so he can use it for the growth of ourselves and other people, but God always has a way that is above our way that we haven't thought. [00:28:06] (20 seconds)
Worship and worry cannot coexist. Listen, when you are so focused on God, the one who loves you and the one who holds the future in his hands, it's impossible to also then worry about that future. You understand? The God of the universe loves you when you're focusing on that God, knowing he has the future in his hands. You can't then worry about. The future that is in his hands. [00:32:43] (24 seconds)
We worship with gratitude by looking back and being thankful. And we worship with service by looking forward and being obedient to what God is calling us to do. And I'll ask you a question. What is that for you? Here's another secret. It's hard for us to be focused and be anxious about where our life isn't going right when we're bringing help to somebody else's life. [00:35:57] (23 seconds)
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