James Earl Massey - "All Things Made New" (January 3, 1993)

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	(hymnal bell music)	0:00
	(hymnal bell music)	1:20
-	Good morning, and welcome to Duke Chapel.	4:01
	Our guest preacher this morning is Dr. James Earl Massey.	4:04
	Dr. Massey is dean of the Anderson School of Theology	4:10
	at Anderson University.	4:14
	We welcome him to the pulpit this morning.	4:17
	Also, we are grateful to have this morning The Bell Ringers	4:21
	from the First Baptist Church in Henderson, North Carolina,	4:24
	under the direction of Philip Young.	4:29
	Please stand now as we begin our worship.	4:33
	The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.	4:41
Congregation	And also with you.	4:45
-	The splendor of Christ shines upon us.	4:47
Congregation	Praise the Lord.	4:51
	(organ plays O Come, All Ye Faithful)	4:54
	♪ O come, all ye faithful ♪	5:26
	♪ Joyful and triumphant ♪	5:31
	♪ O come ye, O come ye ♪	5:37
	♪ To Bethlehem ♪	5:40
	♪ Come and behold Him ♪	5:46
	♪ Born the King of Angels ♪	5:50
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	5:55
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	5:59
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	6:04
	♪ Christ the Lord ♪	6:09
	♪ True God of true God ♪	6:15
	♪ Light from light eternal ♪	6:19
	♪ Lo, He shuns not ♪	6:24
	♪ The Virgin's womb ♪	6:28
	♪ Son of the Father ♪	6:33
	♪ Begotten not created ♪	6:38
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	6:42
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	6:47
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	6:52
	♪ Christ the Lord ♪	6:57
	♪ Sing, choirs of angels ♪	7:03
	♪ Sing in exultation ♪	7:07
	♪ O sing, all ye citizens ♪	7:11
	♪ Of heaven above ♪	7:16
	♪ Glory to God ♪	7:21
	♪ All glory in the highest ♪	7:26
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	7:30
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	7:35
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	7:40
	♪ Christ the Lord ♪	7:45
	♪ See how the shepherds ♪	7:50
	♪ Summoned to His cradle ♪	7:55
	♪ Leaving their flocks ♪	7:59
	♪ Draw nigh to gaze ♪	8:03
	♪ We too will thither ♪	8:08
	♪ Bend our joyful footsteps ♪	8:13
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	8:17
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	8:21
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	8:26
	♪ Christ the Lord ♪	8:31
	♪ Child, for us sinners ♪	8:36
	♪ Poor and in the manger ♪	8:41
	♪ We would embrace Thee ♪	8:45
	♪ With love and awe ♪	8:49
	♪ Who would not love Thee ♪	8:54
	♪ Loving us so dearly ♪	8:59
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	9:02
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	9:07
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	9:12
	♪ Christ the Lord ♪	9:17
	♪ Yea, Lord, we greet Thee ♪	9:22
	♪ Born this happy morning ♪	9:27
	♪ Jesus, to Thee be ♪	9:32
	♪ All glory given ♪	9:35
	♪ Word of the Father ♪	9:40
	♪ Now in flesh appearing ♪	9:45
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	9:49
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	9:53
	♪ O come, let us adore Him ♪	9:58
	♪ Christ the Lord ♪	10:03
-	Let us pray.	10:13
	Oh God, You are infinite, eternal, and unchangeable,	10:16
	glorious in holiness, full of love and compassion,	10:21
	abundant in grace and truth.	10:27
	All Your works praise You in all places of Your dominion,	10:30
	and Your glory is revealed in Jesus Christ, Your son.	10:35
	Therefore we praise You, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.	10:40
	One God, blessed forever.	10:46
	Amen.	10:49
-	Let us pray together the Prayer for Illumination.	11:03
	Open our hearts and minds, O God,	11:08
-	[Sheila And Congregation] By the power	11:11
	of Your Holy Spirit, so that,	11:12
	as the word as granted proclaimed,	11:15
	we may hear with joy what you say to us this day.	11:17
	Amen.	11:21
-	The first reading, as taken from the 60th chapter	11:25
	of the prophesy of Isaiah, starting with Verse 1.	11:28
	"Arise, shine, for your light has come,	11:33
	"and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.	11:36
	"For darkness shall cover the earth,	11:40
	"and thick darkness, the peoples,	11:42
	"but the Lord will arise upon you	11:45
	"and His glory will appear over you.	11:47
	"Nations shall come to your light,	11:51
	"and kings to the brightness of your dawn.	11:53
	"Lift up your eyes and look around.	11:57
	"They all gather together, they come to you.	12:00
	"Your sons shall come from far away,	12:03
	"and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.	12:06
	"Then you shall see and be radiant,	12:11
	"your heart shall thrill and rejoice,	12:14
	"because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,	12:17
	"the wealth of the nations shall come to you.	12:21
	"A multitude of camels shall cover you,	12:25
	"the young camels of Midian and Ephah.	12:28
	"All those from Sheba shall come.	12:31
	"They shall bring gold and frankincense	12:35
	"and shall proclaim the praise of the Lord."	12:38
	This is the word of the Lord.	12:42
Congregation	Praise be to God.	12:44
-	Please stand.	13:09
	Give the king Your justice, O God.	13:18
Congregation	And Your righteousness to the royal son.	13:22
-	May he judge Your people with righteousness.	13:25
Congregation	And Your poor with justice.	13:28
-	Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people	13:31
	and the hills, in righteousness.	13:34
Congregation	May he defend the cause	13:37
	of the poor of the people,	13:38
	give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.	13:40
-	May he live while the sun endures,	13:44
	and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.	13:47
Congregation	May he be like rain that falls	13:53
	on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.	13:55
-	In his days, may righteousness flourish	13:59
	and peace abound, 'til the moon be no more.	14:02
Congregation	May he have dominion from sea to sea	14:07
	and from the river to the ends of the earth.	14:10
-	May his foes bow down before him,	14:14
	and his enemies lick the dust.	14:17
	May the kings of Tarshish and isles render him tribute.	14:19
	May the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.	14:23
Congregation	May all kings fall down before him,	14:28
	all nations serve him.	14:30
-	For he delivers the needy when they call,	14:33
	the poor and those who have no helper.	14:36
Congregation	He has pity on the weak and the needy.	14:39
-	And saves the lives of the needy.	14:42
Congregation	From oppression and violence	14:46
	he redeems their life, and precious is	14:48
	their blood in his sight.	14:50
	(hymnal organ music)	14:53
	(congregation sings hymn)	15:01
-	This reading is from the Gospel	15:54
	according to Saint Matthew, Chapter 2,	15:57
	starting with the first verse.	16:00
	"In the time of King Herod,	16:03
	"after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea,	16:05
	"Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem, asking,	16:09
	"'Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?	16:12
	"'For we observedHis star at its rising	16:16
	"'and have come to pay him homage.'	16:20
	"When King Herod heard this, he was frightened,	16:23
	"and all Jerusalem with him.	16:26
	"And calling together all the chief priests and scribes	16:28
	"of the people, he inquired of them	16:32
	"where the Messiah was to be born.	16:35
	"The told him, 'In Bethlehem of Judea,	16:38
	"'for so it has been written by the prophet.	16:41
	"'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah	16:46
	"'are by no means least among the rulers of Judah.	16:49
	"'For from you shall come a ruler	16:52
	"'who is to shepherd my people Israel.'	16:54
	"Then Herod secretly called for the Wise Men	16:58
	"and learned from them the exact time	17:02
	"when the star had appeared.	17:04
	"The he sent them to Bethlehem, saying,	17:07
	"'Go and search diligently for the child,	17:10
	"'and when you have found him,	17:13
	"'bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.'	17:16
	"When he had heard the king, they set out,	17:22
	"and there ahead of them went the star	17:25
	"that they had seen at its rising,	17:28
	"until it stopped over the place where the child was.	17:30
	"When they saw that the star had stopped,	17:37
	"they were overwhelmed with joy.	17:40
	"On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary,	17:42
	"his mother, and they knelt down and paid him homage.	17:45
	"Then, opening their treasure chest,	17:50
	"they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.	17:52
	"And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,	17:58
	"they left for their own country by another road.	18:02
	"Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord	18:07
	"appeared to Joesph in a dream and said,	18:10
	"'Get up, take the child and His mother, and flee to Egypt,	18:12
	"'and remain there until I tell you.'	18:16
	"'For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy him.	18:19
	"Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night,	18:24
	"and went to Egypt, and remained there	18:28
	"until the death of Herod.	18:31
	"This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord	18:33
	"through the prophet, 'Out of Egypt, I have called my son.'	18:37
	"When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the Wise Men,	18:43
	"he was infuriated and he sent and killed all the children	18:46
	"in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under,	18:51
	"according to the time that	18:57
	"he had learned from the Wise Men.	18:58
	"Then was revealed what had been spoken	19:01
	"through the prophet Jeremiah,	19:03
	"'A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation,	19:05
	"'Rachel weeping for her children.	19:10
	"'She refused to be consoled, because they are no more.'	19:12
	"When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared	19:19
	"in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,	19:22
	"'Get up, take the child and His mother	19:25
	"'and go to the land of Israel,	19:29
	"'for those who were seeking the child's life are dead.'	19:31
	"Then Joseph got up, took the child and His mother,	19:35
	"and went to the land of Israel.	19:39
	"But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea	19:42
	"in place of his father, Herod, he was afraid to go there.	19:45
	"And after being warned in a dream,	19:51
	"he went away to the district of Galilee.	19:53
	"There he made his home in a town called Nazareth,	19:57
	"so that what had been spoken through the prophets	20:01
	"might be fulfilled.	20:04
	"He will be called a Nazarene."	20:06
	This is the word of the Lord.	20:09
Congregation	Praise be to God.	20:12
	(hymnal bell music)	20:22
-	Our third lesson is from the Revelation,	26:35
	Chapter 21, Verses 1 through 5.	26:40
	"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,	26:46
	"for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,	26:51
	"and the sea was no more.	26:55
	"And I saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem,	26:59
	"coming down out of heaven from God,	27:03
	"prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.	27:06
	"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,	27:10
	"'Behold, the dwelling of God is with men.	27:13
	"'He will dwell with them, and they will be His people,	27:19
	"'and God Himself will be with them.	27:23
	"'He will wipe away every tear from their eyes,	27:27
	"'And death will be no more.	27:30
	"'Neither shall there be mourning,	27:33
	"'nor crying, nor pain, anymore,	27:35
	"'for the former things have passed away.	27:39
	"And he who sat upon the throne said,	27:43
	"'Behold, I make all things new.'	27:47
	"Also he said, 'Write this,	27:53
	"'for these words are trustworthy and true.'"	27:56
	This is the word of our Lord.	28:03
Congregation	Praise be to God.	28:05
-	The text I have read from the Revelation	28:14
	holds a promise from God about the future we can expect.	28:19
	Hebrew Christians who heard this passage	28:26
	read in their hearing	28:30
	took it to be a reminding word	28:35
	from the Old Testament prophets about what God had in store	28:37
	for those who remain faithful.	28:42
	They were a world-weary group that heard these words first.	28:46
	And John was using the words	28:52
	to give them some cheer during their hard times	28:55
	of being harassed by an ungodly Roman system.	28:59
	Earlier in the writing, he had dealt	29:06
	with the privileges of salvation	29:08
	and with the reason for Christian hope.	29:11
	So now, as he is about to close the Revelation,	29:14
	he uncovers for them what they can expect	29:18
	if they are faithful to the end.	29:23
	They can expect utter newness,	29:26
	in God's time, in God's way,	29:29
	for themselves as God's people.	29:34
	The promise that they first heard includes us	29:38
	and those who will come after us,	29:44
	our children and their children's children,	29:47
	and to as many as are afar off	29:50
	who hear and believe the Gospel.	29:53
	"I make all things new."	29:59
	This promise appeals to a very ancient	30:07
	and deep-seated human hope.	30:10
	The hope is in all of us, and it shows itself	30:14
	in many very stirring ways.	30:17
	Martin Luther King Jr. was speaking	30:21
	out of that sense of hope when he said,	30:23
	"Humanity is waiting for something other	30:26
	"than the blind imitation of the past."	30:29
	We are a part of that mass of humanity,	30:36
	waiting for something other than what we've already known.	30:40
	You see, the idea of renewal is as old	30:45
	as the human experience of brokenness.	30:49
	The desire to see utter newness is as old as human failure.	30:53
	There's always been a strong wish	30:59
	in the human heart to start out fresh again.	31:01
	This human desire for renewal is reflected	31:07
	in our earliest records, and it is influenced	31:10
	by all of what we have experienced of life.	31:15
	It is also a major influence upon the forms	31:20
	of our religious life, because particularly at	31:24
	the season of the new year,	31:28
	we are reminded of this hope.	31:32
	And the Christian scriptures let us know	31:36
	that the hope in not in vain.	31:39
	"I make all things new."	31:42
	There are many theories about how the newness	31:49
	will take place, but beyond the theory	31:51
	is the promise that it will take place.	31:56
	You and I are conditioned by nature	32:01
	to desire change and to make change.	32:03
	This is our human story.	32:07
	But the story sadly shows a prolonged imitation of the past.	32:11
	It's a story of limitations, failures,	32:18
	frustrations, errors,	32:22
	all made in our attempt at tinkering with life.	32:25
	And most of our hands, because our hands are soiled,	32:30
	soil whatever we touch.	32:36
	Thus the painfulness in our human struggle.	32:41
	The old order refuses to yield to our will and desire	32:44
	to change it for the better, and no matter how much we try	32:50
	in our tinkering, the old keeps repeating itself.	32:54
	The same selfishness, the same suffering,	33:00
	the same sadness,	33:04
	the same sin, the same societal madness	33:06
	is in Europe now.	33:12
	Is in Africa now.	33:17
	We humans are in no condition to bring about	33:20
	the renewal for which we deeply hope.	33:25
	God promises to bring it in His own time, in His own way.	33:31
	"I make all things new."	33:37
	This promise about newness should not be misunderstood	33:45
	to mean a total break with everything	33:50
	our experience in this world has involved.	33:53
	The promise does not include a shift so total	33:57
	that every link with the past will be broken.	33:59
	No, the promise is rather about a renewed scene of life.	34:02
	God will make a permanent, sustained, rightful change	34:09
	in the state of affairs, and the promise has to do	34:15
	in its fullness with a setting in which	34:19
	all creation will find itself fulfilled.	34:21
	There's another passage where this theme	34:26
	is treated in Scripture, on a grand scale,	34:28
	as here in the Revelation, Chapter 21.	34:32
	It's in Romans, Chapter 8,	34:34
	where Paul, stirred by the same expectation,	34:38
	shows how much he anticipated it when he wrote,	34:44
	"I consider that the sufferings of this present time	34:48
	"are not worth comparing with the glory	34:52
	"that is to be revealed to us.	34:54
	"For the creation waits with eager longing	34:57
	"for the revealing of the sons of God.	35:00
	"For the creation was subjected to futility,	35:03
	"not of its own will, but by the will	35:06
	"of him who subjected it in hope.	35:09
	"Because the creation itself will be set free	35:12
	"from its bondage to decay, and it will obtain	35:17
	"the glorious liberty that belongs to the children of God."	35:20
	Renewal is a theme that ought to inspire us	35:29
	to maintain our hope as we begin this new year.	35:33
	We are reminded about that which awaits us,	35:39
	and we are called upon to ready ourselves for it.	35:44
	I said that this does not mean	35:50
	a total break with all of the past.	35:53
	The newness that is promised will be continuous	35:56
	with the best of the past, the best meaning	36:01
	that which God Himself has done in history,	36:05
	He will continue and fulfill it.	36:10
	The Christmas story reminds us that newness	36:14
	springs from the heart of God, for He sends a child.	36:18
	Why a child?	36:24
	To be born in our world, to experience what we experience,	36:26
	to go through the stages you and I know,	36:32
	to know the pain, the turmoil, the stress,	36:36
	to experience the strain that you and I experience and know.	36:39
	And at the proper time in His maturity,	36:45
	do the deed that brings us	36:49
	inward newness now.	36:53
	You see, the promise to make all things new	36:58
	implies that some things have been made new,	37:03
	and that is the case.	37:09
	Because God has acted in history again and again	37:12
	to show His power and to help us in our plight.	37:15
	God, our God, the God whom we worship is a changemaker,	37:19
	and the first change of which we ought to be concerned	37:26
	is a change of character, as well as a change	37:30
	of our expectation for the future.	37:34
	God, a changemaker?	37:38
	Yes.	37:41
	Beginning with creation.	37:43
	"Let there be light."	37:45
	And the light pierced the previous darkness,	37:49
	changing it.	37:54
	He shaped and guided the life and fortunes of the Hebrews,	37:58
	drawn from the rest of the peoples.	38:01
	He makes a new nation.	38:03
	Changing a path in the future by marking out	38:08
	a people to move in that direction.	38:12
	Changemaker? Yes.	38:17
	The sending of a son in His own image,	38:19
	to show us what humanity is at its best.	38:23
	And it is this that reminds us of what we can be	38:29
	as we come again and again to worship and to name His name.	38:33
	For newness is God's work,	38:39
	and He sends His son to remind us	38:43
	that it is His plan and His will	38:47
	to give newness to us.	38:51
	He begins by making us new.	38:54
	Then the formation of the church,	38:59
	a people drawn together in order to be on mission for God	39:02
	throughout the world, letting the rest of the world know	39:08
	the old will be superseded, the best is yet to be.	39:11
	When we lose that edge, there is no more good news.	39:17
	It is only old news.	39:22
	At the beginning of 1993, we are reminded	39:27
	newness in full awaits us,	39:33
	in God's time,	39:39
	in God's way.	39:42
	Are you aware of an inward newness?	39:47
	Have you believed the gospel?	39:52
	Have you seen a change within?	39:55
	The same John who wrote the Revelation in his Gospel	40:01
	speaks of this as the new birth,	40:05
	born from above, acted upon from above,	40:09
	so that newness can occur within while we wait	40:14
	for the newness that will take place in everything else.	40:19
	Those who have experienced this newness know it	40:25
	in their minds, which glow with a brighter awareness	40:28
	because of a renewing knowledge of the truth that saved us.	40:32
	They know it in their spirits,	40:38
	which rejoice in freedom, having been set free	40:41
	from a previous bondage to habits,	40:45
	disordered living.	40:49
	They know it in their hearts, where they daily worship God	40:53
	and bless His name with a joy known only	40:57
	by those who have been forgiven much	41:00
	and are so grateful, they want to live for God.	41:04
	Inward newness is a present reality.	41:10
	And again and again, we give God thanks for it	41:15
	as our troubled moods subside,	41:17
	and as our fears are lessened,	41:20
	and as our anxieties die,	41:25
	when we gather to worship or when we kneel to pray.	41:28
	An active sense of God's presence,	41:34
	a realized understanding of God's purpose	41:38
	does a creative renewing service to the whole self.	41:42
	So we come in limping,	41:47
	and we walk out leaping, when we have truly worshiped.	41:50
	James S. Stewart, the great Scotch preacher,	41:59
	was reminding us about the secret of this radiance	42:04
	about which I've been speaking when he wrote,	42:06
	"I am growing more and more convinced that a great part	42:10
	"of the secret of achieving steadfastness and serenity	42:14
	"in the face of the battle of life is this:	42:18
	"not only to commit your way to God in some high moment	42:21
	"of conversion, but to do that very thing every morning,	42:25
	"to go down on your knees and say,	42:30
	"'Dear God, I do not ask to see the distant scene,	42:33
	"'but here, for the next 24 hours, here is my life.	42:37
	"'I give it back to Thee, to guard,	42:42
	"'to bless, and to control.'"	42:45
	He went on to say, "This will give the daily divine miracle	42:52
	"its chance to work out in your experience,	42:57
	"and it will make all things new,	43:01
	"as new and fresh and fair, as when the morning stars	43:04
	"sang together when the world was young."	43:08
	So exuberant was he in his experience with grace	43:14
	that he spoke those words I have just quoted.	43:19
	Claiming too much?	43:25
	No, those who have experienced it as he has done	43:27
	know that he did not claim too much.	43:32
	There is that inward newness	43:39
	that makes us feel as fresh	43:42
	and as fair as when the morning stars	43:45
	sang together when the earth was young.	43:48
	Gives pep to tired feet	43:53
	and strength to an aged life.	43:56
	So newness, it begins inwardly.	44:01
	The world is no longer young,	44:07
	and all of us who are here are daily aging.	44:10
	The aging process is at work in all things earthly,	44:15
	all things, and every person.	44:22
	There is a decay that keeps prodding us	44:26
	to attempt escape,	44:31
	and yet we cannot, finally, so we seek God's help	44:34
	while we pray, and watch, and work,	44:39
	and live for the final new order of things	44:42
	under God.	44:47
	Meanwhile, we can go on serving.	44:51
	We can go on building relationships.	44:55
	We can go on blessing lives.	44:58
	We can go being responsible to God.	45:00
	We can go on obeying the mandates of our master,	45:04
	open to God for daily renewal, for a deepening of our hope,	45:08
	and open to the people we meet,	45:13
	in order to serve them at their point of need.	45:17
	Those who first heard the words of the textual passage	45:23
	which is the basis of the sermon knew that obedience to God	45:26
	would keep them on the side of the future,	45:30
	because capitulating to Roman power	45:33
	would only put them on the side of the past.	45:36
	Rome was going to fall.	45:40
	So will everything human that is not blessed of God.	45:44
	I would much rather cast my vote	45:50
	for the future under God	45:54
	than for anything of supposed power in our time	45:58
	that seems to hold sway for the moment,	46:03
	but is not built on a solid foundation that is righteous.	46:08
	Those who first heard the textual passage	46:20
	knew that they must remain sensitive to the moral order	46:22
	and remain steady within the historical order	46:28
	if they would be worthy	46:32
	of the full and final order	46:36
	that God promised to send.	46:40
	The best is yet to be.	46:45
	On the plane yesterday, coming into Durham,	46:54
	as I was leaving Pittsburgh, I was sitting	46:59
	in my assigned seat, and it was the last moments	47:03
	before the plane door was to close	47:07
	and we were to take off.	47:11
	And down the aisle came a couple,	47:14
	and the woman approached me, and she put her baggage	47:17
	up above me in the compartment,	47:20
	and then she was to take her seat beside me.	47:23
	We were in a two-seat section, and then there was	47:26
	a three-seat section over on the right.	47:29
	But with her was her husband, holding a young baby,	47:32
	and he asked, "Sir, I have the seat just across the aisle.	47:37
	"Would you mind giving me your seat	47:40
	"so that I could sit with my wife?"	47:43
	I said, "Of course you may have my seat."	47:45
	As we were riding along, I watched the baby,	47:49
	couldn't have been more than a month old.	47:51
	What a blessing to see new life.	47:57
	There's something contagious about newness.	48:03
	I watched, I watched, I watched.	48:06
	The father was so enamored of the child.	48:11
	Something about newness draws the best out of us.	48:18
	Charles W. Eliot of Harvard	48:26
	lived into his 90s.	48:32
	He learned of a recent birth	48:34
	down the street from where he lived.	48:36
	During his walk that day, he went to see the child	48:40
	and to hold the child in his arms.	48:42
	The mother must've felt a bit squeamish to place a child	48:45
	in his aged arms, but she did.	48:49
	And as he held the child, he marveled out loud	48:52
	about the glory that surrounds new life,	48:55
	and aware that he was nearing his own end, he said,	48:59
	"I came down because I wanted to hold in my arms	49:03
	"a life that is just beginning."	49:08
	You can hold in your heart	49:17
	a life that just begins,	49:21
	a life that will be fulfilled	49:25
	on grand scales,	49:29
	progressively,	49:34
	and will finally have its setting	49:38
	in a final place that God is going to send,	49:43
	so that the inner and the outer can be according	49:49
	to the full scope of His wisdom.	49:53
	The New Testament and the passage	49:57
	about which I have been speaking refers to it	49:59
	as the new heaven and the new earth.	50:02
	We ready ourselves for it by faith in Jesus Christ.	50:06
	We begin within,	50:13
	looking for that which God will send	50:17
	in His own time, in His own way,	50:19
	to finish it in full.	50:24
	Don't let anything in this old world	50:30
	keep you from missing out	50:35
	on a prescribed place in the new one to come.	50:38
	Amen.	50:47
	(organ plays The First Noel)	50:53
	♪ The First Noel, the angels did say ♪	51:12
	♪ Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay ♪	51:20
	♪ In fields where they lay keeping their sheep ♪	51:28
	♪ On a cold winter's night that was so deep ♪	51:36
	♪ Noel, Noel ♪	51:44
	♪ Noel, Noel ♪	51:48
	♪ Born is the King of Israel ♪	51:54
	♪ They looked up and saw a star ♪	52:03
	♪ Shining in the east beyond them far ♪	52:11
	♪ And to the earth it gave great light ♪	52:19
	♪ And so it continued both day and night ♪	52:27
	♪ Noel, Noel ♪	52:35
	♪ Noel, Noel ♪	52:40
	♪ Born is the King of Israel ♪	52:44
	♪ And by the light of that same star ♪	52:54
	♪ Three Wise Men came from country far ♪	53:02
	♪ To seek for a king was their intent ♪	53:10
	♪ And to follow the star wherever it went ♪	53:18
	♪ Noel, Noel ♪	53:26
	♪ Noel, Noel ♪	53:30
	♪ Born is the King of Israel ♪	53:35
	♪ This star drew nigh to the northwest ♪	53:45
	♪ O'er Bethlehem it took its rest ♪	53:53
	♪ And there it did both pause and stay ♪	54:01
	♪ Right o'er the place where Jesus lay ♪	54:09
	♪ Noel, Noel ♪	54:16
	♪ Noel, Noel ♪	54:21
	♪ Born is the King of Israel ♪	54:26
	♪ Then entered in those Wise Men three ♪	54:36
	♪ Full reverently upon their knee ♪	54:44
	♪ And offered there in His presence ♪	54:51
	♪ Their gold and myrrh and frankincense ♪	55:00
	♪ Noel, Noel ♪	55:07
	♪ Noel, Noel ♪	55:11
	♪ Born is the King of Israel ♪	55:17
Ann	The Lord be with you.	55:30
Congregation	And also with you.	55:32
-	Let us pray.	55:34
	Almighty God, in whose hand are held the times and seasons.	55:43
	As the ledger of life is turned to yet another page,	55:51
	we bow before you in fear and thanksgiving.	55:56
	So obvious are our smudges on the page of 1992	56:02
	that we are hardly anxious to take pen in hand another time.	56:08
	Yet in that turning, we become aware	56:14
	of a new life and opportunities untried.	56:17
	In this new year, keep us from trying Your patience so.	56:23
	The infinite tenderness of a manger must always move	56:30
	toward the gaping wound of a cross.	56:35
	But we know that there is forgiveness with You.	56:39
	Upon Your love we rely, and into the keeping	56:43
	of Your power and purpose we commit ourselves,	56:46
	until, within Your providence,	56:50
	we are summoned to that greater union with You in heaven	56:53
	through Jesus Christ our Lord.	56:58
	Eternal God, strong to save all who put their trust in You.	57:02
	As the body of Christ, we intercede for the world.	57:09
	Keep the church strong and true,	57:14
	ever faithful to the good news freely offered to all people.	57:17
	Through the ministry of word and sacraments,	57:21
	let of miracle of the manger transform every hardened life,	57:25
	break down the fear and bigotry,	57:30
	which separate black from white, rich from poor.	57:32
	Show us unforgettably that only in becoming	57:37
	as little children can we hope to know the joy,	57:41
	and laughter, and love that marks one	57:45
	who is called by the name of Jesus Christ.	57:48
	And then, O God, we pray again for peace.	57:53
	Move the hearts of those who rule the nations,	58:00
	that the pettiness of politics and narrowness of	58:04
	national self-interest may be transcended	58:09
	for the sake of the common good.	58:13
	For the sick, the lonely, and the dying,	58:17
	we especially entreat You.	58:23
	Comfort and heal,	58:27
	sustain and defend,	58:30
	that all may know You to be not only their Lord,	58:33
	but no less their friend.	58:38
	Amen.	58:42
	God has given us the gift of His son.	58:46
	Let us praise God by presenting our offerings.	58:50
	(hymnal bell music)	59:06
	(hymnal organ music)	1:05:09
	(congregation sings hymn)	1:05:29
-	Let us pray.	1:06:23
	We thank you, O God, for all the wealth of past years,	1:06:26
	and for every stalwart life that without reckoning the cost,	1:06:32
	has borne its own brave witness to the eternal truth,	1:06:37
	of which now You have made us both heirs and stewards.	1:06:41
	By Your grace, hold us to it, that through us	1:06:47
	to our generation, and to lives that yet are not,	1:06:51
	such faith may come as that men and women	1:06:56
	shall dare once more on earth what You promise.	1:06:59
	Through Jesus Christ our Lord,	1:07:05
	who taught us to pray, saying--	1:07:07
-	[Ann And Congregation] Our Father,	1:07:10
	who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name.	1:07:11
	Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,	1:07:15
	on earth as it is in heaven.	1:07:19
	Give us this day our daily bread,	1:07:21
	and forgive us our trespasses,	1:07:24
	as we forgive those who trespass against us.	1:07:27
	And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.	1:07:30
	For Thine is the kingdom, and the power,	1:07:35
	and the glory, forever.	1:07:38
	Amen.	1:07:40
	(organ plays Go, Tell it on the Mountain)	1:07:44
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	1:08:04
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	1:08:09
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	1:08:14
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	1:08:18
	♪ While shepherds kept their watching ♪	1:08:23
	♪ O'er silent flocks by night ♪	1:08:28
	♪ Behold, throughout the heavens ♪	1:08:33
	♪ There shone a holy light ♪	1:08:38
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	1:08:43
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	1:08:48
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	1:08:53
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	1:08:57
	♪ The shepherds feared and trembled ♪	1:09:03
	♪ When lo, above the earth ♪	1:09:08
	♪ Rang out the angel chorus ♪	1:09:12
	♪ That hailed our Savior's birth ♪	1:09:17
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	1:09:23
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	1:09:28
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	1:09:33
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	1:09:37
	♪ Down in a lowly manger ♪	1:09:43
	♪ The humble Christ was born ♪	1:09:47
	♪ And God sent us salvation ♪	1:09:53
	♪ That blessed Christmas morn ♪	1:09:58
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	1:10:05
	♪ Over the hills and everywhere ♪	1:10:09
	♪ Go, tell it on the mountain ♪	1:10:14
	♪ That Jesus Christ is born ♪	1:10:18
Ann	Go in peace and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,	1:10:28
	the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,	1:10:33
	be and abide with you this day, and forever more.	1:10:38
	Amen.	1:10:43
	(hymnal organ music)	1:11:03

Item Info

Title:

James Earl Massey - "All Things Made New" (January 3, 1993)

Description:

Since the Fall of humanity, the hope for renewal has been with us. Our God is a God of change and has promised to bring about new life in his timing and in his way. We must, then, prepare ourselves for it. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Sermon start time: (Part 1) 28:14. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 50:49.
Key quotation: “God, our God, the God whom we worship, is a changemaker, and the first change of which we ought to be concerned is a change of character, as well as a change of our expectation for the future.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4bk17441

Date:

January 3, 1993

Speaker:

Massey, James Earl

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0309
ref9201_ktv
uachapelsermaud
duke:321344
dcrmv001295
ark:/87924/r4bk17441
01649aef-9993-4869-8699-335ca2de4a2a

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings, 1954-2005

Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

The Duke University Chapel Recordings were transferred to the Duke University Archives beginning in 1970.

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

CC BY-NC 4.0

Rights Note:

This recording may contain 3rd party materials, such as music or readings that are therefore not covered by the Creative Commons license indicated here. For more information see https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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Transcript

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Duke University Archives

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