New Year; New Hope

New Year; New Hope

2 Corinthians 5:11-5:17

Introduction-

Happy New Year!

When we say Happy New Year what are we saying to someone?

We are saying that we hope this New Year is better than the year before.

We verbally give them a blessing that their problems are behind them and blessings are in the future.

Every year people stay up later than usual to see the old year go out and the New Year come in.

Pa. has a lot of ways to see the New Year come in.

You can stay up late and watch the ball drop on Times Square in New York. You can watch a strawberry, Pickle, or sausage drop.

Here what some others do:

Watermelon drop in Indiana

Pine cone drop in Arizona

Beach Ball drop in Florida

Peach drop in Georgia

My favorite is a 1000 lb. piece of cheese drop in Plymouth Wisconsin.

What person would not want to spend the New Year that way?

Truth is, each one of us has an expectation that the new one would be better.

Bill Vaugh:

Optimist stays up till midnight to see the New Year in.

A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.

Oprah says:

“Cheers to the New Year and another chance for us to get it right.”

Here are 3 things to think about going into the New Year.

What is your attitude going into the New Year.

What/who are you putting your trust in.

What part do you play in the process.

Let’s see what the apostle Paul has to say to us.

2 Corinthians 5:11- 5:17

Paul is telling us that if we are in Christ that the old is gone, the new has come.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself.

He is telling us that we are Christ’s ambassadors.

I. What is your attitude toward the New Year

Are you looking at 2012 as an unbeliever with no hope or as Christ Ambassador with all the resources of heaven available to you to have an amazing New Year.

Every year offers us a chance at a new beginning and offers us new hope, But how many of us really believe that, or put ourselves in a position to receive it from the Lord?

Most people look forward to a new year for a new start, but carry the same old habits and hang ups with them.

Illustration-

Wife came into the bathroom to see her husband on the scale with his stomach sucked in. she told him that sucking in his stomach would not make it better. He said that it would, because if he didn’t, he couldn’t read the numbers.

We make resolutions like ….I quit this…., I’ll start this…., I would say this.

Resolutions that most of the time are not kept even the first month.

Illustraton-

Little boy asked his father what his new year’s resolution was. “He was going to do everything possible in this new year to make his mother very happy.” The little boy then asked his mother the same question. She said, “To do everything possible to make sure your father keeps his resolution.”

Our attitude will have everything to do with whether 2012 ends up the way we desire it to.

If you do not believe anything will change in 2012- it won’t. (repeat)

If you need to be reminded this morning that you need to keep close to God in 2012- you are headed in the wrong direction.

If you are trying to fix yourself, or try to find who you can blame for all that is goin gin in your life- you are headed in the wrong direction.

2012 will have renewed purpose when we understand that without the Lord , 2012 will just be another year, another resolution, another goal, but it won’t be a new life!

Looking for joy in this life- looking in the wrong place.

Looking for joy without the lord- at best it is circumstantial.

Looking for peace- peace comes from God, and is not based upon no trouble.

Looking for hope- it is because we know the end of the story. It is based upon God’s wisdom and strength, that God will guide us through this journey to his promises.

Attitude is a whole sermon, but 2012 coming in without an attitude change, without Christ being first in your life offers little hope. Our hope is in Jesus Christ.

II. What part do I play in the change

Here is where we dig into the text.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he [she] is a new creation.

The key words are in Christ. He does not say people that know of Christ. He says those that are in Christ.

In Christ- is an intimate and personal relationship with the risen Christ.