In These Most Recent Days

 Read Hebrews 1:1-4

It’s the end of the year. That’s often a time to look back, so I googled top lists for 2024. Top albums and songs came up for the first page of search results. It turns out that I don’t know any songs from the past year. I don’t know many from this century.

I Googled the best quotes of the year, and there was too much politics. I always feel better when I Google Yogi Berra quotes. “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”

I always like to check New Year’s resolutions, especially for athletes. When asked about his goals for next year, I liked the running back's answer: “I’m going to rush for 1000 or 1500 yards, whichever comes first.”

The Hebrew people looked back a lot. The richness of who they were was in their history. Moses, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and others spoke from the past, but the author makes it clear that God has spoken in these most recent times.

His message was his Son. His Son humbled himself for his task and has been exalted to the right hand of the Father. His message continues to this day.

God is love and he loves you.

Our response is to love him back by loving others.

God has placed everything in the hands of Jesus. Our eyes are fixed on Jesus. It all begins and ends with him. Jesus is Lord. He is above the angels. He is in everything and everything in him.

It’s all about Jesus.

In 2024 America, people have heard this countless times: Put Christ back in Christmas. They hear the jargon, but its meaning is lost in a sea of narcotizing nonsense that pervades us. We are bombarded with so much information that it makes us numb to all information.

Can we discriminate as to what is essential and what is not? Can we?

We are blessed to know Jesus as Lord. It is the beginning of a forever relationship, but others do not have this relationship. They have heard of Jesus Christ, Donald Trump, P:-Diddy, and Elon Musk and know they must be important people because we see their pictures everywhere and are always talking or sometimes taking the fifth, and that’s the end of it. There is no follow-on thought.

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. That means it won’t register as anything significant on the scale of what’s important in my life right now.

If the most important message God ever sent humankind doesn’t register with you, or you can easily discount it, you are among the perishing.

This is not most of you, but each of you knows someone who has discounted the message of love sent to humankind in Christ Jesus. We all know someone.

Now, it’s time for a little end of the year/New Year is coming challenge.

As we look to a new year, consider those you know who refuse to believe. Think of those who continue to resist the Lord’s calling.

Now, commit to pray for them as we begin a new year. Pray that they come to know God and profess Jesus is Lord.

Commit to talking with them whenever you get a chance. You don’t have to be preachy. Just let the love that lives within you shine through.

Commit to witnessing to this person at some point early in the new year. This does not go into your "when I get around to it" file.

Yes, I am charging you to witness to another person, but not just another person. Witness to the person that God places on your heart. If after a week or two, nobody comes to mind, then witness to anyone and everyone.  If God has no one specific for you, then they are all for you. Talk to everyone

In these most recent days, God spoke to us through his Son, Christ Jesus. And his Son said to go and make disciples and to put his words into practice.

This year is over, but a new one awaits us. Let’s begin by witnessing to our community about the love of God that we know in Christ Jesus.  

 In these most recent days, God spoke to us through his Son, Christ Jesus. His Son said to go and make disciples and to put his words into practice.

Amen.