Would you turn your Bibles for
a moment to Ecclesiastes chapter one? Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes,
while you're turning there, Matt and Kara have made a CD, Songs
of Grace, and they're back on the in the foyer and they're
two dollars apiece. And there's a bunch of them back
there and they're very good. You'll enjoy that. And also want to
remind you after this weekend, I'm going to have them pick up
that bucket for the food. So if you have any canned goods
or nonperishable items put in there by this Sunday, please
do so. Ecclesiastes chapter 1. I want
you to remember that verse I just read. That's our text where the
Lord said, Behold, I make all things new. You know, I was thinking something
that is new doesn't have a history. That's appealing, isn't it? Now, regarding the things that
are going on under the sun in the affairs of men, there's nothing
new. I'm not making a political statement
one way or the other. God forbid that I do that. But
I read in the paper this morning where they were saying this is
a new deal, a new deal. And men are always looking for
a new deal, a new ethic, a new way, something that is exciting. But regarding the things that
are going on under the sun in the affairs of men, there's nothing
new. Look in Ecclesiastes 1, verse
8. All things are full of labor,
toil, weariness. Man cannot utter it. The eye
is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.
The thing that hath been It is that which shall be. And that
which is done is that which shall be done, and there is no new
thing under the sun. Is there anything whereof it
may be said, See, this is new. It hath been already of old time
which was before us. There's no new deal. There's
no new way of thinking. There's no new ethic that will
make things better. Because men are the same that
they've always been. Men have not improved. So no matter how excited we may
become over something new, it will be seen to be a recirculation
of something old. Nothing more. You know, there
are no new errors. It's only the recirculation of
old errors. Perhaps with a new name, but
the same thing, and this is what all new things will amount to. Look in verse 12 of Ecclesiastes
chapter one. I, the preacher, was king over
Israel in Jerusalem. And I gave my heart to seek and
search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under
the heaven. This sore travail hath God given
to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the
works that are done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity
and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot
be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. There is nothing new, nothing, and all that is is vanity
and vexation. of the spirit. Pessimistic? No. Realistic. You know, if I was given a new
start with a clean slate, you know how much good it would do
me? None. Because I would mess it up as
soon as I began. I have no doubt about that. I don't need a new start. I need a new heart. I don't need
a fresh beginning. I need a new nature. I need a new standing. I need a new man. A new man without a history. I need a miracle. I need a miracle. Now while there is nothing new
under the sun, there is one who is over the sun. And he says,
behold, I make all things new. And then he says, you write it
down. These words are true, and these words are faithful. I make
all things new. Now, he has the power to do this.
He's God. And with God, nothing shall be
impossible. Isn't that wonderful? And he says, Behold, I make all
things new. Cannot he who created the universe
from nothing make all things new? Yes, he can. Now, the word new in our text
does not mean new in respect to time, like recent or thirty
seconds ago or yesterday or five minutes ago. New in respect to
different. New in respect to quality. New in respect to substance. New in respect to nature. Something altogether different. Behold, I make This is the creative
power of God. He who created something from
nothing. Who said, like me, and like was. He said, I make all things new. Now, I find this so appealing.
Just the thought of it. There is Nothing new under the
sun. So how exciting it is to hear
of the one who can do this. Say, I make all things new. That's just a wonderful thought,
isn't it? I make all things new. Would you turn to Mark chapter
one? And this is at the beginning
of our Lord's earthly ministry. We read beginning in verse 22
of Mark chapter one. And they were astonished at his
doctrine. For he taught them as one that
had authority And I love this slam. Not like the scribes. They
had no authority in what they said. It was just religious mumbo-jumbo. There wasn't anything to it.
But he's fake. What he said recommended itself as the Word of God. He spake with authority. Verse 23, now here's a demonstration
of that authority with which he spake. And there was in their
synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, saying,
Let us alone. What have we to do with thee,
thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the
Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying,
Hold thy and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had
torn him and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And
they were all amazed insomuch that they questioned among themselves,
saying, What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority commandeth
he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. What new doctrine is this? The new doctrine is as old as
God is, but it's new in that it was altogether different from
what they had heard. It's the doctrine of authority. Now what is meant by that? When
he told the unclean spirit to leave, the unclean spirit had
no choice. It had to leave. Now that is the word of authority. When he said come out, It couldn't
say no. It couldn't delay. It had to
do exactly what He said to do. The authority of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And this new doctrine, the gospel,
speaks of the authority of God. I love every doctrine of the
gospel because it just screams of His authority. One of the
reasons I love election so much is it tells us how much authority
God has. He chooses who will be saved and he chooses to pass
by the rest. Whatever he does is right. I
like that. I love it. I really do. I love his authority.
I love the authority of the Son of God when he died on Calvary
Street. It must be successful because
of his great authority. I love the authority of God.
The Holy Spirit is irresistible, invisible grace when he says
live. You live, you can't say no. This is the authority of the
Lord Jesus Christ. What new doctrine is this for
with authority? He commands even the unclean
spirits and they come out. You see, nobody can say no to
this authority. Isn't that wonderful? Nobody can say no. I can say
something, you can say no to me. happens about everything
I say. But when he speaks, his will
is done. Now, this is all because this
new doctrine is because of the New Testament or the New Covenant. Now, we read numerous times in
the scriptures of the New Testament and the New Covenant. But understand
that the New Testament is a whole lot older than the Old Testament. It is eternal. It's the eternal
purpose of God, but it's always new and it's always fresh. Now,
the New Testament and the Old Testament, I want to give you
something very simple. that will tell you the difference between
the New Testament and the Old Testament, the New Covenant and
the Old Covenant. This is so simple. Turn with
me to Luke chapter 10. Now here's the Old Covenant. If you want
to understand the Old Covenant, what it means, here you go, Luke
chapter 10. Verse 25. And behold, a certain lawyer
stood up. and tempted him, saying, Master,
what shall I do to inherit eternal life? And he said unto him, What
is written in the law? How readest thou? And he answering,
said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy
and thy neighbor as thyself." And I imagine the fellow felt
pretty good about his answer. Probably people were listening
and he was feeling pretty good. I gave a good answer and it was
a good answer. I wouldn't deny that. That was a good scriptural
answer, wasn't it? Now look what the Lord says to him. Verse 28, And he said unto him,
Thou hast answered right, This do, and thou shalt live. Now here
is the old covenant. This do, and thou shalt live. You know what the new covenant
is? Live, and you do. This do, if you can do this,
Thou shalt live. Problem is, you can't do it.
And our Lord met this man on the ground. He wanted to come.
He said, What good things shall I do to inherit eternal life?
Keep the commandments. Love God with all your heart
and all your soul and all your strength and all your mind and
your neighbor as yourself. This do. And thou shalt live. Now turn to Hebrews chapter 8. I thought of the deserted, deformed
infant in his own blood. Ezekiel chapter 16, cast out
to the loathing of its person. And God said to it, live. Live. And he lived. Verse 7, for if that first covenant
had been faultless, Hebrews chapter 8 verse 7, Then should no place
have been sought for the second, for finding fault with them.
He saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I make a
new covenant." A new covenant. Remember, he said, Behold, I
make all things new. a new covenant with the house
of Israel, with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant
or the old covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land
of Egypt, because they continued not in my covenant. I regarded
them not, saith the Lord, for this is the covenant that I will
make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord.
I will put my laws into their minds and write them in their
hearts. I'll be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
They shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord. For all shall know me from the least
to the greatest. For I will be merciful, propitious to their
unrighteousness, and their sins, and their iniquities will I remember
no more." You see, in this new covenant, it begins with God.
In the old covenant, it begins with you. If you do your part,
then God will do His part. The only problem is you won't
do your part. That's why I say it wouldn't do me any good at
all if I was given a perfectly clean slate and a new start.
I'd mess it up in the first second. As a matter of fact, I'd start
wrong. I guarantee y'all would. I need the Lord to make a new
covenant with me. Not dependent upon me, but dependent
upon what He is going to do. Here's the language of this covenant.
I will. And they shall. The first is
this, do and live. That won't do me any good. I
will and they shall. He said, behold, I make all things
new. In 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17,
turn with me there. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ. He's a new. Creation. He's somebody that he was not
before. He is a new creation, and this
is a creative act of God, it's what God, how much help did God
have in creation? How much was he dependent on
somebody's response? Not at all, he said. Be, and
it is. If any man be in Christ, he's
a new creature. He's a new creation. Old things
have passed away and behold, all things have become new. I
remember one time I was preaching in a prison and the chaplain
got up and he quoted this passage of scripture. He said, all things
have passed away and behold, all things have become new. And
he says, I don't have the desires I used to have. I don't desire
the sinful things I used to. I just desire to obey God. And
when I was listening to that, and I was listening to those
prisoners listening to that, if I would have done what I should
have done, I would have said, you're a liar. Because that's what he
was. He had the same wicked desires
he always had. I guarantee you did. That's not
so much what this passage of scripture is talking about. I have a new standing before God. perfect,
righteous. I have a new relationship with
God. I'm His son, not a slave. I have a new motive. I have a
new object of faith. Old things have passed away,
and behold, all things have become new. Ephesians 2.10 says we are
His workmanship created in Christ Jesus. unto good works which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Galatians
6.15 says, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything,
nor uncircumcision, but a new creature, a new creation. And
as many as walk according to this rule, here's the rule of
the kingdom of heaven, being a new creature in Christ Jesus.
Not some kind of law that you see how you measure up. No, a
new creature in Christ Jesus. As many as walk according to
this rule, mercy upon him and peace from the Israel of God. Now from this new creation comes
a new man with a new heart. That means he has a will that
he did not have before. He has affections that he did
not have before. He has an understanding that
he did not have before. Turn to Ephesians chapter 4. He's in chapter four, verse 24.
Well, let's begin in verse 23 and be
renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the
new man. A new man, a man that was not
there before the new man, which after God is created, there's
that new creature creation is created in righteousness and
true holiness. Now, this new man is righteous,
altogether righteous. He stands righteous before the
holy law of God. He has the very righteousness
of Christ. This is justification. He has
true holiness, not false holiness that so many people have, but
true holiness, a new nature, a holy nature. This new man,
as opposed to the old man who's unrighteous and unholy, this
new man is created in Christ Jesus. in righteousness and true
holiness. Don't you know that that new
man knows that his new man comes from him who said, Behold, I
make all things new. If you're a new man, you know
why you're a new man. It doesn't have anything to do
with your works. It's because he said, behold, I make all things
new. This new man has a new will.
It's no longer not thy will, but mine be done. That's our
natural will, but not my will, but thine be done. And you want, if you're a new
man, you want God's will, even if it crosses everything about
you. You want his will to be done. You have a new affection. You love God. You love him as
he revealed in his word. You love every attribute of God. No attributes that you don't
delight in. You love God just as he's revealed
in his word. You have a new understanding.
You have an understanding of the gospel. He said, Behold,
I make all things new. Let me show you what this understanding
is. Turn to Colossians chapter three. Colossians chapter three. Verse nine. Lie not one to another. Don't be a phony. Don't put on
something that's not real. Lie not one to another, seeing
that you put off the old man with his deeds and have put on
the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image
of him that created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew,
circumcision or uncircumcision, barbaric, Scythian, bond or free,
but Christ is all in all. Now, this is the new knowledge
of the new man. Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, is all. He's all
the God. I know that. If pleased the Father,
then in Him should all preeminence, fullness dwell. He's all in the
Scriptures. This book is all about Him. I
know that. He's all in salvation. God saves for Christ's sake.
And He's all to me so that I say all that thrills my soul is Jesus. He is more than all to me. And
the fairest of 10,000 in my blessed Lord I see. That's the will. That's the affections. That's
the understanding of this new man, this new heart that God
gives. A new heart also will I give
you. And this new man has a new relationship. I'm a son of God. He's my father. He's my daddy. He loves me. The same love that
he has to his son, he has to me. I'm a child of God. I'm a son. Behold what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called
what? The sons of God. As many have received him, to
them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them
which believe on his name which were born. blood, not of the
will of the flesh, not of the will of man, but of God. And the reality of this sonship
is seen in what our Lord said to us. And if he didn't say this,
I couldn't believe it, but he said it in John chapter 17, verse
23, he said, thou has loved him as thou has loved me. Could you
believe that if it wasn't in the word of God, that God, the
father loves you with the same love that he has for his son. I believe that because the Bible
says it, but I can't get my mind around it. But there we have
it. This new man has a new view of
this world. Paul put it this way. He said,
God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ, by which I'm crucified to the world. and the world to
me. In light of the cross of my Lord
Jesus Christ, I see this world and the ways of this world and
the values of this world and the maxims of this world and
the desires of this world and the goals of this world and the
motives of this world and the love of this world, I see it
as a crucified thing. I really do. I am I'm not impressed
with this world. I'm really not. I mean, folks,
I'm impressed with the word of God. I'm impressed with the gospel. I'm impressed with believers,
people who love the Lord Jesus Christ, but I'm not impressed
with this world. I see it as a crucified thing
and it sees me in the same light. This new man has a new desire,
perfect conformity to the image of Christ. It has a new fear. You know what I'm more afraid
of than anything else? I'm afraid of not trusting Christ
alone. That's what I'm afraid of. I'm
afraid of sin. I'm afraid of unbelief. I'm afraid
of myself. There was a time when I didn't
have those fears. I do now. I am afraid. And that's the fear
of God. There is a new nature that causes
you to say whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do
all to the glory of God. There's a new motive. And this
new man, get this, this new man has a new name. This new man has a new name that
God has given him. Remember in Revelation chapter
two, verse 17, when he said concerning that one who overcomes, he said,
I'll write a new name for him on that white stone. And then
in Revelation chapter three, verse 12, it says, I will write
upon him my new name. Here's my new name. And, you
know, I've been I've been struggling with this all day thinking about
about how to say it, say it the right way. And I don't know how
to say it other than to say it. In Jeremiah 23, it says, this
is the name wherewith he shall be called. The Lord our righteousness. Jehovah Tsidkenu. The Lord our
righteousness. And then in Jeremiah 31, he turns
around and says, this is the name wherewith she shall be called. Jehovah, our righteousness. You know what my new name is?
And it's scary to say this, and I wouldn't say it if the Word
of God didn't say it. My name is Jehovah, our righteousness. That's the name of every believer. What a new name that is. Now, I couldn't help but think
about, we considered it a few weeks ago, when old Jacob was
trying to deceive his father. And he comes into his father's
presence, and I'm sure he's nervous. He's dressed up like Esau. He
smells like Esau. He has the clothes of Esau. He
brings the venison and all that kind of stuff. And Israel, I
mean, Isaac was suspicious. He said, Art thou verily my son
Esau? You know what he said? I am. I am. And when God the Father Says,
art thou verily my son, the Lord Jesus Christ? If I'm in him,
I say, that's me. A new name, what a name. And we have a new song, don't
we? A new song that only the redeemed can learn, the 144,000
in Revelation chapter 14. They sing a new song saying,
thou art worthy to receive honor and power and glory and riches
for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, tongue and tribe and nation and has made us kings
and priests of God, every believer knows this new song, the song
of the redeemed. And we have a new commandment.
What is that new commandment? He said, a new commandment I
give you that you love one another as I have loved you. And you know what? That commandment
is not grievous, is it? A new commandment. Truly, this
is as Romans 6, 4 says, walking in newness of life. And Romans
7, 6 says, walk in newness of spirit and not in the oldness
of the letter. Now, because that the old man
is still there, the new man needs to be renewed every day, doesn't
he? Don't you find that? He seems
to die. And he's raised up again, renewed
on a daily basis. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4,
16, Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed
day by day. Who renews it? The Lord renews
me every day. I don't renew myself, but He
renews me every single day. Now, let's close by looking at
Revelation 21 again. You know, we're not always going
to have to deal with this old man. He's going to be put out
of business. And we read in Revelation 21,
verse 1, And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away, gone, and there was no more sea. You know, when I go to the beach,
I look at the ocean and I think of the people on the other side.
I think, I wonder who's over there. But you know what I see?
A great separation, a great divide. But in heaven, the New Jerusalem,
the New Earth, there's no more separation. I'm not separated
in any sense. I'm in the very presence of the
Lord, so as I see Him, and He sees me. No more see. And our John, verse 2, saw the
holy city, New Jerusalem, Coming down from God out of heaven prepared
as a bride adorned for her husband. I love the language here. It
doesn't say the bride's coming up to him prepared. It gives
our true origin. Coming down from God. That's my origin. That's where
I'm from. Where are you from? I'm from God. That's where I'm
from. I'm from Him. Coming down as
a bride adorned, made beautiful for her husband And I heard a
great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God,
the Lord Jesus Christ, is with men, and He will dwell with them,
and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with
them, and be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears from
their eyes. And there shall be no more death,
and the reason being there's no more sin. It's been put away. There's no more death. There's
no more sorrow because there's no more sin. There's no more
crying because there's no more sin. There's no more pain because
there's no more sin for the former things are passed away. That
evil nature that I'm dealing with right now, the unbelief,
the uncleanness, the wicked, it's going to be passed away.
I can't even fathom this, but I'm going to be without sin. And that's why I'm going to be
without sorrow and pain and crying and so on. I'm going to be perfectly
conformed to the image of Christ. Verse 5, And he that sat upon
the throne, speaking in absolute sovereignty, said, Behold, I
make all things new. And he said unto me, Write. For these words are true. and
faithful. And he said unto me, it's done.
I've made all things new. It's done. I am Alpha and Omega,
the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. That means
everything spells the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever you have, everything
spells Christ. And I am the beginning and the
end. I'm the cause and I'm the purpose. And then he says, I will give
unto him that is a thirst of the fountain
of the water of life. And don't miss this word freely. without a cause in you. I'll give this freely. Well, I know this. The only way
I'll have it is if He gives it freely. But thank God He gives
this freely. He that overcometh This is the
victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that
overcomes the world? Even he that believes that Jesus
is the Christ. He that overcometh shall inherit
all things, and I'll be his God, and he shall be my Son. And one
of the glorious things about heaven that we can't possibly
understand is everything's always new. Everything's always fresh. Everything's always for the first
time. And after a billion times, it's
still the very first time. Don't get tired of anything. Behold, I make all things new. Let's pray.