It was in seminary that I first saw it, hanging on a dorm room wall of Larabee-Morris Hall. This was the early 70s so imagine a psychedelic style, quite large poster with a golden orange sun as a backdrop with these words emblazoned upon it, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Not being the sharpest theological student, my first reaction was “What a stupid statement,” but as I mused over that poster, it began to make more sense. I began to see the implications of that saying and the possibility of hope that this statement brings.

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life,” proclaims loudly the possibilities of change for 2007. All of us whether we like it or not, want it or not, happy about it or not, are in a brand new year. For some of you, you are very glad that 2006 is over because it was not a good year. Others of you experienced some successes, victories, and milestones and all in all, 2006 was a good year. As a congregation this past year, we lost several saints from our earthly existence and graduated them on to heaven. And we saw the beginning of a new phase in ministry for SUMC through the Family Life Center.

One of the great themes of God’s Word that runs from Genesis to Revelation is the word ‘new.’ Our Scripture exemplifies this great message of hope: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come.” The Biblical assumption is that new is good and better than the old. Of course this is often a matter of perspective. Have you ever heard it said, “It can’t get any better than this?” and then discover that it has. In God’s Kingdom new is always better and so if you can’t think it can’t get any better, God’s promises in His Word is that it can and it will!

1. The Old Testament speaks of a new song. From Psalm 40, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mire and mud; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth.” Notice it wasn’t an old song, but a new song, a different song, a fresh song. The prophet Ezekiel speaks of a new heart and a new spirit because the old heart and the old spirit had become hardened like stone and the old spirit had grown cold.
2. In the gospels, Jesus speaks to Nicodemus of a new birth because the old birth wasn’t good enough for eternity. Jesus also spoke about a new covenant, a new promise between God and mankind because the old covenant was inadequate for our salvation.
3. In the Epistles (letters) of the New Testament, which is the early church era, Paul speaks of new life, new yeast, new creation, new attitude, a new self, and a new way. All because the old had gone bad, had grown stale and had been found lacking.
4. In the book of Revelation, John looks into the future and sees God’s promise of a new heaven and a new earth. John speaks of the new names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
   One of the great promises of God’s Word is all that is new because of His saving grace and work in our lives.
5. There are two kinds of time in our world. The Greek use 2 different words to describe them. The first is ‘chronos’ from which we get the world chronology. This time is kept by the terms of centuries, decades, years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds, nano-seconds, et al. From this we understand that time marches on. The second word the Greeks use for time is ‘kairos.’ These are special events of great importance and significance. From this we use the phrase, “Remember the time when….” While God’s Word is chronological—“In the beginning…” “I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end” – The Bible is the story of God’s mighty acts in this world among His people. These acts of God are kairos moments and we can point to them as significant, life changing and history changing events. One of which we just celebrated at Christmas.

So, while the New Year may be new in chronological timekeeping, without the presence and working of God’s Spirit in our world and in our lives, it is still the same old thing. The calendar may change, the year may change, but we discover that nothing changes; it is the same old, same old thing. Chronological change actually brings no change whatsoever. The change happens when God’s ‘kairos’ time impacts our lives and our world, then something new has happened.

Jesus had gathered his disciples for their last meal together and in raising the cup He said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you.” It is the shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary that makes all things new in our lives. It is that fundamental change of heart and attitude that changes everything else in our lives so that the old becomes new.

With Christ the new has come and it can truly be a ‘kairos’ new year and not just a ‘chronos’ new year because “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”

Thank You for Taking The Time to Read This Message.
May God Use These Words to Help You and Strengthen You.