back to indexBerean Community Church New Year's Service
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All right, we're going to get started right at 11 o'clock. 00:00:18.000 |
So if there's people outside, if you see people out just hanging out, 00:02:29.000 |
Okay, we're going to get started right at 11 o'clock. 00:02:31.000 |
So if I can have the praise team come and begin to get ready. 00:07:42.000 |
All right, as we prepare to get ready to begin our worship, 00:07:47.000 |
I just wanted to make clear that you understand the reason why we do this on New Year's Eve. 00:07:53.000 |
And I know that you guys could have, you know, 00:07:57.000 |
like spend time sleeping or gathering together with your friends and doing the countdown and all that. 00:08:02.000 |
But the part of the reason why we do this is we want, this is more of a dedication service, 00:08:07.000 |
that as we face a new year, you know, we had our last Sunday service this morning, 00:08:12.000 |
but we wanted to give the very first period, again, obviously it's symbolically, but our own hearts, 00:08:18.000 |
that as we face 2024, and again, as Pastor Mark reminded us this morning, 00:08:23.000 |
that we would live our lives intentionally, that we would not be just satisfied with, 00:08:28.000 |
well, you know, we're just sinners and we're all just going to fail, 00:08:33.000 |
that we would never settle into that, but that we would be resolved to make sure that we live our lives deliberately. 00:08:39.000 |
And so we want to give the first fruits. And I know some of you guys who brought small children to the church, 00:08:44.000 |
and I know they're tired, but, you know, when our children were young, 00:08:49.000 |
the reason why we did it is because even though they may not fully understand what they're doing, 00:08:54.000 |
that they understand, it's like, yeah, I remember we used to go to New Year's Eve services or early rise services, 00:08:59.000 |
and that they understand how important that our dedicated time is. 00:09:04.000 |
So whether it's New Year's or whether it's Christmas or whether it's whatever services that we have, 00:09:10.000 |
that in their memory, that it would be embedded in them, that my parents really thought that this was important, 00:09:16.000 |
that dedicating ourselves to New Year's, that this is more important than our sleep. 00:09:22.000 |
This is more important than anything else that we could do, that making God first in our lives. 00:09:27.000 |
And even though sometimes we say it in our hearts, we don't necessarily carry it out in the way that we live. 00:09:33.000 |
And so it's important for us as we face the new year that we want to make sure as we come before God saying like, 00:09:38.000 |
Lord, whether I succeed or whether I may have a hard time, that at least in my heart, 00:09:45.000 |
I want to dedicate this new year to be deliberate in making you first. 00:09:50.000 |
And so that's why we're having this service as a community together, that we would dedicate it together. 00:09:55.000 |
So let me pray for us. And so the way that this night is going to go is that after I pray, 00:10:01.000 |
our worship is going to lead us in our first song, and then we're going to take about 10 minutes. 00:10:05.000 |
Our media team has created a video to kind of wrap up the year. 00:10:09.000 |
And then after that, we're going to have our main praise section, and then I'm going to come up and give a short encouragement. 00:10:14.000 |
And then we're going to split up into if you're here with your families to take time to pray with your families, 00:10:19.000 |
or if you have people around you to take some time to pray for each other. 00:10:24.000 |
These are some of the things that we're shooting for in the new year. 00:10:30.000 |
And then after that, hopefully we'll be able to finish in time to say Happy New Year together. 00:10:35.000 |
We're going to have a countdown. And then after that, please go home. 00:10:39.000 |
Okay? And then get some sleep. I know a lot of you guys have a big day tomorrow as well. 00:10:44.000 |
So let me pray for us, and then we'll begin our worship. 00:10:52.000 |
Father, we thank you so much for sustaining us through 2023. 00:10:58.000 |
And as we face a new year, Lord, you know our hearts, our desires. 00:11:05.000 |
Lord, each year as we make resolutions, and oftentimes so frustrated, Lord God, that we are not able to reach our goals. 00:11:17.000 |
Knowing, Father, that you are patient, knowing that you called us, knowing, Father God, that we are fighting the good fight. 00:11:25.000 |
Help us not to simply go along with the rest of this world, and not to be given and to be influenced by the tide that is around us. 00:11:34.000 |
Help us to be resolved to live lives truly worthy of the gospel, not only for ourselves, but even for our children, 00:11:41.000 |
that they would understand that dedication to you is more important, Lord God, than anything else that we engage in. 00:11:47.000 |
And so we pray that as we spend this time together singing, praising, and praying together, 00:11:53.000 |
may it be a time, Lord God, that we would truly dedicate our hearts, dedicate our time. 00:12:49.000 |
♪ Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore ♪ 00:25:15.000 |
♪ You breathed death into a dummy as your own ♪ 00:25:21.000 |
♪ You have raised me up so high above my station ♪ 00:25:27.000 |
♪ I'm a child of God by grace and grace alone ♪ 00:26:11.000 |
♪ By your blood I have redemption and salvation ♪ 00:26:17.000 |
♪ Lord, you died that I might reap what you have sown ♪ 00:26:23.000 |
♪ And you rose that I might be in your creation ♪ 00:26:52.000 |
♪ A head full of rocks, a heart made of stone ♪ 00:27:01.000 |
♪ At your touch my sleeping spirit was awakened ♪ 00:27:07.000 |
♪ On my darkened heart the light of Christ is shown ♪ 00:27:13.000 |
♪ Calling to a kingdom that cannot be shaken ♪ 00:27:19.000 |
♪ Heaven set us in by grace and grace alone ♪ 00:27:25.000 |
♪ So I'll stand in faith by grace and grace alone ♪ 00:27:31.000 |
♪ I will run the race by grace and grace alone ♪ 00:27:37.000 |
♪ I will slay my sin by grace and grace alone ♪ 00:27:44.000 |
♪ I will reach the end by grace and grace alone ♪ 00:28:43.000 |
♪ Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord ♪ 00:28:47.000 |
♪ Wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord ♪ 00:28:52.000 |
♪ Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord ♪ 00:28:55.000 |
♪ Wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord ♪ 00:29:39.000 |
♪ Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord ♪ 00:29:43.000 |
♪ Wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord ♪ 00:29:48.000 |
♪ Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord ♪ 00:29:51.000 |
♪ Wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord ♪ 00:34:17.000 |
♪ All glory and honor, all power and praise ♪ 00:35:34.000 |
♪ All glory and honor, all power and praise ♪ 00:36:43.000 |
We're going to be looking at portions of Psalm 90. 00:36:53.000 |
Verse 12, it says, "So teach us to number our days 00:37:02.000 |
that we may present to you a heart of wisdom." 00:37:14.000 |
of the things that you desire and not just our hearts. 00:37:21.000 |
Pastor Mark mentioned this during the service today, 00:37:29.000 |
but one of the things that I will remember about this year 00:37:33.000 |
is that we've had more funerals in our church 00:37:39.000 |
And I know that while we were going through a pandemic, 00:37:46.000 |
and even though we were able to open up pretty quickly, 00:37:53.000 |
I was sharing with another pastor friend of mine 00:37:58.000 |
and his congregation, their average age were in their 70s, 00:38:01.000 |
and he would tell me how he's constantly attending, 00:38:13.000 |
and so I'm not accustomed to going to a lot of funerals. 00:38:17.000 |
But this year I would say I probably attended more funerals 00:38:21.000 |
than I did weddings this year for the first time in ministry. 00:38:25.000 |
And I'm not sure if that's going to be the pattern going forward. 00:38:30.000 |
I know part of it is because some of you guys are getting older, 00:38:35.000 |
and you have aging parents, and some of them were very sudden. 00:38:39.000 |
Some of the people who passed away were, again, young. 00:38:43.000 |
A lot of them were not just simply of old age. 00:38:48.000 |
But as a result of that, it forces us to think about our mortality. 00:39:06.000 |
for when a face is sad, a heart may be happy. 00:39:09.000 |
The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, 00:39:11.000 |
while the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure." 00:39:15.000 |
If you're in the habit of only surrounding yourselves 00:39:21.000 |
and you're not accustomed to being sad or mourning, 00:39:25.000 |
when you begin to have these feelings of mourning and sadness 00:39:28.000 |
and something serious, you automatically think something is wrong. 00:39:33.000 |
They're more than willing to just give you pills to make you feel better 00:39:36.000 |
so you don't think too deeply about these things. 00:39:39.000 |
The Bible says that it's good for us to mourn. 00:39:42.000 |
There are times when sadness is good for our souls. 00:39:52.000 |
It causes us to think because this is the destiny of every man. 00:39:59.000 |
we have a tendency to kind of like funerals and death, 00:40:06.000 |
But as soon as it's over, we want to go right back to our joy, 00:40:14.000 |
And the more we contemplate it, it says it makes us wise. 00:40:21.000 |
that we may present to you a heart of wisdom." 00:40:25.000 |
When you mourn, and I know many of you in this room 00:40:45.000 |
And no one has seen more death in his leadership 00:41:00.000 |
And the Scripture tells us that whole generation got wiped out. 00:41:04.000 |
And by the time they went into the new promised land, 00:41:08.000 |
with new leadership that went into the promised land, 00:41:14.000 |
of over a million people during those 40 years. 00:41:17.000 |
And so Moses is not just saying something just off the cuff. 00:41:25.000 |
hundreds of thousands of deaths that he oversaw. 00:41:37.000 |
He says, "We know where they went, we're all going. 00:41:43.000 |
"that what happened to them won't happen to us." 00:41:46.000 |
But in fact, he says, "Help us to meditate on that. 00:41:51.000 |
"to recognize that where they went is where we're going, 00:41:58.000 |
This morning, this afternoon, I wanted to talk about, 00:42:07.000 |
that causes us to have heart of wisdom, right? 00:42:11.000 |
Death, number one, reminds us how fragile our life is, right? 00:42:17.000 |
When all you do is fill your life with laughter, 00:42:24.000 |
You think that that's the normal, that's what's normal. 00:42:29.000 |
"You have swept them away like a flood, they fall asleep." 00:42:32.000 |
He gives three examples of how fleeting life is. 00:42:36.000 |
Like a flood that comes, and all of a sudden, it's gone. 00:42:39.000 |
It's like you just, all of a sudden, fall asleep. 00:42:41.000 |
And then he says, "In the morning, they are like grass, 00:42:45.000 |
"In the morning, it flourishes and sprouts anew. 00:42:53.000 |
and then next thing you know, it's completely gone. 00:42:58.000 |
It's like a flood, it's like our sleep, it's like a dew. 00:43:01.000 |
Help us to know that this is how fleeting our life is, 00:43:06.000 |
Psalm 39, 4 through 5, "Lord, make me know my end, 00:43:15.000 |
"Behold, you have made my days as high-end breath, 00:43:20.000 |
"Surely, every man at his best is a mere breath." 00:43:28.000 |
is that you have lived more, you know, much more 00:43:38.000 |
you think you have a whole life ahead of you. 00:43:40.000 |
You're going to find somebody, you're going to get married, 00:43:47.000 |
You ask anybody who's lived, you know, in their 50s or 60s, 00:43:57.000 |
and I'm not--I know everybody, you know, gets older, 00:44:00.000 |
says the same thing, but it really went by that fast. 00:44:07.000 |
I can't believe I just turned 40, and then now I'm 50. 00:44:09.000 |
So in the 50s, I stopped even counting, right? 00:44:21.000 |
No matter how hard we work to try to hold on to life 00:44:25.000 |
you can go to the gym and stay as healthy as you can, 00:44:28.000 |
and you can extend your life another 5, maybe 10-plus years, 00:44:32.000 |
but at the end of the day, no matter how healthy you are, 00:44:39.000 |
That's where the days of our life contain 70 years, 00:44:57.000 |
and to meditate on how fleeting this life is? 00:45:02.000 |
Because the decisions that we make oftentimes 00:45:10.000 |
I don't know about you, but when I was younger, 00:45:14.000 |
we used to play marbles, and either we play marbles 00:45:18.000 |
or we used to play, like in Korean it's horchak, 00:45:26.000 |
And then we would play, and then the kids who are good 00:45:31.000 |
and there was this one kid in our neighborhood 00:45:35.000 |
and he was the most popular kid in our neighborhood 00:45:47.000 |
but we could never beat him because he had so much. 00:45:58.000 |
and I had a winning streak, and then he got mad, 00:46:00.000 |
and he bet the whole thing, and I won the whole thing. 00:46:09.000 |
And I remember that was the envy of all the kids 00:46:12.000 |
in the neighborhood, but if you look at it now, 00:46:27.000 |
and we tried so hard to be good at playing these marbles 00:46:35.000 |
it was worthless glass that we were fighting for. 00:46:40.000 |
When we don't have a concept of where we're headed, 00:46:44.000 |
and we don't realize how fleeting this life is, 00:46:48.000 |
so many things that are so fleeting and is meaningless 00:46:55.000 |
we covet, we sacrifice, we compromise, we sin 00:47:01.000 |
But in light of eternity, you're going to look back at it 00:47:16.000 |
that I may be able to see what is truly valuable 00:47:27.000 |
You can't properly understand and apply the scriptures 00:47:38.000 |
and we're so concerned that we get to the next stage 00:47:46.000 |
scripture is not going to make a lot of sense to you, 00:47:51.000 |
The biggest problem with the health and wealth gospel 00:48:08.000 |
and that we will have great rewards in heaven. 00:48:20.000 |
So even though we easily point fingers and say, 00:48:30.000 |
thinking that if I put in my time when I'm 19 00:48:33.000 |
that the payoff's going to happen when I'm 22? 00:48:53.000 |
But when you look at it in the context of eternity, 00:49:16.000 |
And all these things are good things to contemplate 00:49:26.000 |
trying to figure out when these things are going to happen, 00:49:32.000 |
the fact that we are going to go no matter what. 00:49:42.000 |
Majority of us are going to go to Him before He comes. 00:49:56.000 |
It's in the Scripture. We should be studying it. 00:50:01.000 |
really understanding that we're going to go to Him? 00:50:10.000 |
When was the last time you thought about your death? 00:50:13.000 |
When was the last time you thought about your death? 00:50:15.000 |
You know, it's interesting, if you go online, 00:50:26.000 |
and then they'll tell you how much you got left. 00:50:39.000 |
And then you have about 20 questions that you ask, 00:50:42.000 |
and then they calculate, and they'll tell you that 00:51:29.000 |
how would I want to live those 20 more years? 00:52:15.000 |
They're driving the car, and they're leaving the house. 00:52:42.000 |
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 00:52:47.000 |
then you also will be revealed with him in glory." 00:53:03.000 |
were just those who thought most of the next. 00:53:11.000 |
that they have become so ineffective in this. 00:53:13.000 |
Aim at heaven, and you will get earth thrown in. 00:53:39.000 |
not so that they can be honored while they're here. 00:53:43.000 |
How much of our focus in raising our children 00:53:49.000 |
When was the last time you talked about death 00:54:21.000 |
because that is exactly where we're all headed. 00:54:29.000 |
The whole reason why we are believers in Christ 00:54:31.000 |
is not so that we can have a better life here. 00:55:18.000 |
you're so eager to get them to the next stage, 00:55:20.000 |
and you don't really enjoy the kid during that period. 00:55:29.000 |
you would appreciate what you have much more. 00:55:33.000 |
The stage that you have is a short period of time. 00:55:36.000 |
You're going to wake up one day, and they're gone. 00:55:43.000 |
it helps us to appreciate everything that we have. 00:55:47.000 |
Not only does it help us to appreciate what we have, 00:55:49.000 |
second, it helps us to endure through hardship, 00:55:54.000 |
No matter how difficult of a situation that you're in, 00:56:11.000 |
and the temporary hardships that come into our life, 00:56:24.000 |
how would we spend 2024 if you knew that this was it? 00:56:33.000 |
how would you treat your wife, your husband, your children, 00:56:41.000 |
What things would you change if 2024 was your last year? 00:56:54.000 |
One of these days, I'm going to say what I'm saying now, 00:57:06.000 |
and it will be your last worship that you give. 00:57:15.000 |
and then I'm going to break us up into groups 00:57:40.000 |
It's full of all the things you'd be incomplete without. 00:57:50.000 |
you could have nothing else and still lead a full life. 00:57:55.000 |
you'll still have some space to fit more things, 00:58:00.000 |
This is your job, your car, your house, money. 00:58:30.000 |
Things that make your life that little bit nicer, 00:58:32.000 |
but things that are really just trivial in the end. 00:58:41.000 |
Wasting your time in front of the television, 00:58:47.000 |
You could follow it up with the material things. 01:00:15.000 |
we'll give you time to finish after the countdown. 01:00:28.000 |
And then we're going to have to do this quick 01:19:08.000 |
For those who are able, why don't we all stand together 01:20:26.000 |
You're the way, the truth, and the life. You're the well that never runs dry. I'm the branch and you are the vine. Draw me close and teach me to abide. 01:20:50.000 |
Where the spirit leads, as I'm followed. I depend on you. I depend on you. 01:21:16.000 |
For the victory's still in front of me. I depend on you. I depend on you. 01:21:37.000 |
You're the way, the truth, and the life. You're the well that never runs dry. I'm the branch and you are the vine. Draw me close and teach me to abide. 01:21:57.000 |
Be my strength, my song and my life. Be my all, my treasure, my prize. I am yours forever, you're mine. Draw me close and teach me to abide. 01:22:23.000 |
When I pass, when I pass through death, as I enter rest. I depend on you. I depend on you. 01:22:44.000 |
For eternal life to be raised with mine. I depend on you. I depend on you. 01:23:05.000 |
You're the way, the truth, and the life. You're the well that never runs dry. I'm the branch and you are the vine. Draw me close and teach me to abide. 01:23:24.000 |
Be my strength, my song and my life. Be my all, my treasure, my prize. I am yours forever, you're mine. Draw me close and teach me to abide. 01:23:53.000 |
Should nothing of our efforts stand, no legacy survive. Unless the Lord does raise the house in vain. 01:24:16.000 |
It's builder's strife. To you who boasts tomorrow's gain. Tell me, what is your life? 01:24:34.000 |
A mist that vanishes at dawn. All glory be to Christ, our King. All glory be to Christ, our King. 01:24:55.000 |
All glory be to Christ. His rule and reign will ever sing. 01:25:09.000 |
All glory be to Christ, our King. All glory be to Christ. 01:25:30.000 |
His rule and reign will ever sing. All glory be to Christ. 01:25:46.000 |
Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for our brothers and sisters, Lord, in this church where we can run this race together. 01:25:56.000 |
Lord, in times of celebration, Lord, that we would be able to come together and rejoice together. 01:26:02.000 |
But also in times of mourning, Lord God, and in hardship. 01:26:07.000 |
That our brothers and sisters around us would be the people that we lean on, that we would gain strength in. 01:26:14.000 |
That we are sharpened by, and at times even rebuked, Lord God. 01:26:19.000 |
I pray that you would knit our hearts together as one. That you would truly give us a heart of wisdom. 01:26:26.000 |
That in 2024, whatever it is that you have ordained, that we would greet it, Lord God, with confidence. 01:26:34.000 |
That you would be at the center. Lord, as we go our own way, help us, Lord God, to make you our first. 01:26:43.000 |
That you would not simply be Lord, Lord, on our lips. 01:26:47.000 |
But our whole year, Lord God, that we would pursue you with all our might. 01:26:52.000 |
May Christ, in Christ alone, be magnified in our lives. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 01:26:58.000 |
Alright, so if we can take a few minutes just to say, greet one another, say hello, happy new year. 01:27:04.000 |
And then, if we can make our way out of the sanctuary.