Freedom From Resolutions Series

“Freedom from Resolutions”

Galatians 5:13

Gal 5:13

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

• Every year New Years Resolutions are made. Only 17% of people according to Time Magazine are kept. 73% of people break them within a week. Think about it..

• Resolution- is the act of resolving or determining upon an action, course of action, method, procedure, document etc., to resolve a decision or determination:

• Now you would think that since the very definition of resolution has the word “method” in it that, we Methodist would have it in the bag.

• Documents like a Living Will, or last Will of Testament, Marriage Licenses are Resolutions

• But so often people have a difficult time making a decision and standing behind their decision.

• Resolutions to stay committed to a marriage seem to have contingency plans tied into the,” Ill stay married to you till you make me mad, or you see something better come along. As long as I’ve been a pastor, I’ve done 36 weddings, and I have never seen a license with a stipulation page, or an attachment to it@!

• There are some reolutions that are needed in the matters of law but I believe that making resolutions for your life are more damaging than of a help.

• Think about it, you make a resolution to diet. And you fail. What do you do? You indulge yourself, go overboard

• Wind up deeper in the hole than what you were. You feel defeated, depression sets in.

• Life Resolutions set you up to fail. Resolutions set up unrealistic expectations. Resolutions bind you up just as the law had bound up God’s people and limited them.

• God doesn’t want to limit you; in who you are in Jesus Christ. God’s desire is to bestow his blessings on his people, but we tend to limit God’s moving.

• My challenge to you this morning is to stop making New years Resolutions instead make a News Year to Do List.

• There are a couple Biblical parameters when making a list so you can use these notes to construct your own.

Biblical Parameters for a New Years To Do List

1.) Keeping it Short and simple creates Freedom

John 8:36

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

• What makes your life free’er?

• To Do’s : Are they Factual, logical, simple, and attainable- Do you have the ability to do it?

• Yearly To Do List’s are not Bucket Lists

• Short ideas create long term plans

• Be simplistic with how you go about achieving your goals and that will create good habits

• For example: Stop drinking pop. Eat what you want. Don’t drink soda. It is simple, its short. Guarantee you will lose weight 15-20 lbs in 3 months. Try it .

• Pay off ONE Credit Card. Creates Freedom

• Don’t try to read the Bible in a year. The Bible will become a Resolution Curse and a dread, instead commit to a devotional.

• Achieving a To Do List goals builds our self esteem and our confidence in standing behind our word.

Gal 5:13

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free.

• Obviously the best decision you can make to start the new year is to accept Jesus Christ as your Personal Savior and give Him your life so He can save you.

• It’s factual, its logical, it’s simple and attainable- Creates freedom

Biblical Parameters for a New Years To Do List

2.) Be Intentional by going beyond Yourself

• Intentional- planned course of action, done deliberately on purpose.

• Do you know how many times that the Bible speaks of the word plan? 71 times. And in each time God was speaking to His people to achieve a specified goal.

• God gives you life and expects you to do something with it. You can’t be couch potatoes.

• Live life with and intent and on purpose. Count for something.

Galatians 5:13b

But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

• The church is full of a bunch of spoiled and selfish brats! We have the truth about Jesus Christ, the empowering of the Holy Spirit and the tools to make Christ relevant in our world, but we do NOTHING with Him@!

• We are so consumed with the color of the church carpet or the flowers in the flower bed that we have found a way to indulge our flesh in the life of the church.

• Paul says “don’t use your freedom (in Christ) to indulge yourself”. In other words; don’t allow church politics, or church tradition to be minimized as your relationship with Christ.