2018: The Year Ahead

Dear Brother & Sister's in Christ,

Happy New Year! And may God Bless you in the year ahead.

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I wrote the above right at the turn of the New Year, and have pretty much been stumped as to what to share with you. Now I know.

The past several years, our church has invited Dr. R.T. Kendall (of Westminster Chapel fame) to preach in January. He never disappoints, his sermons are inspiring, his  humor contagious. His 2018 visit did not break that mold. He preached both sermons today, a.m. and p.m., And while this morning was phenomenal about the conscious and unconscious presence of God in our lives, I want to focus and share with you the verse that guided his preaching tonight.

Philippians 1:12 (KJV)
But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

This verse, as he shared it was inspiring and convicting. Paul is the author of Philippians, and what preceded was that he wanted to go to Jerusalem, and everyone was against him doing so. Upon doing so a real mess occurred, and he ended up in Rome. Where he was able to share to Caeser the gospel.

Was he right to go? Should he have listened to the others?

The point: IT DOESN'T MATTER!

What does matter, is that the gospel was furthered. And that is ultimately what we need to focus on. Are our lives furthering the gospel? If so, then good, if not, why not? You know the great commission in Matthew 28:19-20 (NASB)

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

We are to make disciples of all nations, you make disciples by sharing the gospel, then nurturing in the new believer all that Christ commands in the gospels. The point of our existence is to share and live the gospel, therefore bringing glory, honor, and worship to our LORD.

So as you go into 2018, whatever circumstance you may be facing, whatever decisions are looming, go forward, making sure to further the gospel.