The New Hopes for the New Year
2 Cor. 5:17
LEARNING CONTENTMENT
One day a fisherman was lying on a beautiful beach, with his fishing pole
propped up in the sand and his solitary line cast out into the sparkling
blue surf. He was enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and the prospect
of catching a fish. About that time, a businessman came walking down the
beach, trying to relieve some of the stress of his workday. He noticed the
fisherman sitting on the beach and decided to find out why this fisherman
was fishing instead of working harder to make a living for himself and his
family. "You aren’t going to catch many fish that way," said the
businessman to the fisherman, "you should be working rather than lying on
the beach!" The fisherman looked up at the businessman, smiled and replied,
"And what will my reward be?" "Well, you can get bigger nets and catch more
fish!" was the businessman’s answer. "And then what will my reward be?"
asked the fisherman, still smiling.
The businessman replied, "You will make money and you’ll be able to buy a
boat, which will then result in larger catches of fish!" "And then what will
my reward be?" asked the fisherman again. The businessman was beginning to
get a little irritated with the fisherman’s questions. "You can buy a
bigger boat, and hire some people to work for you!" he said. "And then what
will my reward be?" repeated the fisherman. The businessman was getting
angry. "Don’t you understand? You can build up a fleet of fishing boats,
sail all over the world, and let all your employees catch fish for you!"
Once again the fisherman asked, "And then what will my reward be?" The
businessman was red with rage and shouted at the fisherman, "Don’t you
understand that you can become so rich that you will never have to work for
your living again! You can spend all the rest of your days sitting on this
beach, looking at the sunset. You won’t have a care in the world!" The
fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "And what do you think I’m
doing right now?" Contentment is a difficult attitude to learn, but so
important. It’s easy to get caught in the world’s trap of working harder
and harder to earn more and more, when we may well already have what can
provide us with the greatest possible happiness. "Now godliness with
contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it
is certain that we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing,
with these we shall be content." (I Timothy 6:6-8).
Hope is the word that we need in this world.
2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; behold all things are become new.
Life As An American: We yell for the Government to balance the
budget, and then take the last dime we have to make the down payment on a
car that will take 5 years to pay off. We demand speed laws that will stop
fast driving, then won’t buy a car if it can’t go over 100 miles an hour. We
know the line-up of every baseball team in the American and National Leagues
but mumble through half the words in the "Star Spangled Banner." We’ll spend
half a day looking for vitamin pills to make us live longer, and then drive
90 miles an hour on slick pavement to make up for lost time. We tie up our
dog while letting our sixteen-year-old son run wild. We whip any enemy in
battle, and then give them the shirt off our backs. We will work hard on a
farm so we can move into town where we can make more money so we can move
back to the farm. We run from morning to night trying to keep our "earning
power" up with our "yearning power." We get upset we’re spending over a
billion dollars for education, but spend five billion dollars a year for
cigarettes. In the office, we talk about baseball, shopping or fishing, but
when we are out at the game, the mall or on the lake, we talk about
business. We’re supposed to be the most civilized nation on earth, but we
still can’t deliver payrolls without an armored car. We have more experts on
marriage than any other country in the world and still have more divorces.
We’re the country that has more food to eat than any other country in the
world and more diets to keep us from eating it.
A. We need hope for a new faith in the new year.
1. For a faith centered in Jesus Christ, Heb. 12:2 We do this by keeping our
eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was
willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew
would be his afterward. Now he is seated in the place of highest honor
beside God’s throne in heaven." 2 Cor 4:18 "So we fix our eyes not on what
is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is
unseen is eternal."
2. For a faith that works for Christ. JAM 2:17 So you see, it isn’t enough
just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is no faith
at all-it is dead and useless.
3. For a faith that lives for Christ. HEB 10:38 And a righteous person will
live by faith. But I will have no pleasure in anyone who turns away." 39"But
we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who
believe and are saved."
B. We need hope for a new location.
1. I need a new location on the solid rock. PS40:2 He lifted me out of the
pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
2. I need to be in a location of acceptance. EPH. 1:6 "So we praise God for
the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his
dearly loved Son. 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ,
might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ
when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having
believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of
those who are God’s possession--to the praise of his glory."
3. I need to be in a location where there is no condemnation.
ROM 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ
Jesus. ROM 6:1-14 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show
us more and more kindness and forgiveness? [2] Of course not! Since we have
died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? [3] Or have you forgotten
that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ
Jesus, we died with him? [4] For we died and were buried with Christ by
baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power
of the Father, now we may live new lives. [6] Our old sinful selves were
crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are
no longer slaves to sin. [7] For when we died with Christ, we were set free
from the power of sin. [8] And since we died with Christ, we know we will
also share his new life. [9] We are sure of this because Christ rose from
the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over
him. [11] So, you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live
for the glory of God through Christ Jesus. [12] Do not let sin control the
way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. [13] Do not let any
part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning.
Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new
life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of
God. [14] Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the
law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God’s grace.
C. I need hope for full assurance.
1. I need assurance over all doubt in my life. JN 10:28 I give them eternal
life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me." The
Greek word here is a strong denial that the sheep will ever perish. The
sheep’s security is in the power of the shepherd, who will let no one take
them from him."
2. I need assurance that I can over come temptation. Rev. 3: 10Since you
have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour
of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live
on the earth. 1 Cor. 10:13 "But remember that the temptations that come into
your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful.
He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up
against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you
will not give in to it.
3. I need assurance that He will keep me forever. Psalm 121:7, 8 "The LORD
will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; The Lord keeps
watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever."
D. I need hope for doing service for Jesus.
1. This life is one that involves bearing a cross. LK 14:27 And you cannot
be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me. 9:23"Then
he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily and follow me." MT 10:38, 39 "and anyone who
does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds
his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
2. This life involves a self-denying life. MT 16:24 "Then Jesus said to the
disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your
selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me." Cross bearing is a
willingness to suffer and die for the Lord’s sake. and follow me.
3. This involves that follows Christ. Mark 8:34 Then he called his disciples
and the crowds to come over and listen. "If any of you wants to be my
follower," he told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder
your cross, and follow me. This means to Cease to make self the object of
his life and actions.
E. I need hope for Joy in my life.
1. My joy comes from a delivery from sin and Satan. Col. 1:13 "For he has
rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and he has
brought us into the Kingdom of his dear Son." Kingdom Does not here refer to
a area but to the authority, rule or sovereign power of a king. Here it
means that the Christian is no longer under the power of evil (darkness) but
under the caring rule of God’s Son.
2. My joy comes from a new freedom. GAL 5:13 For you have been called to
live in freedom, not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to
serve one another in love. Freedom is not a permit to do evil but a freedom
to serve God and each other in love.
3. My joy comes from the comfort only God can give. PS 23:4 Even when I walk
through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, for you are close
beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me." 16:8 "I have set
the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be
shaken."
F. I need new hope for my praying.
1. That I may pray for those against me. MT 5:44 "But I say, love your
enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
2. That I may pray for those over me. 1 Tim. 2:1-2 ’I urge you, first of
all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s
mercy upon them, and give thanks. [2] Pray this way for kings and all others
who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in
godliness and dignity?"
3. That I may keep in the spirit of prayer at all times in persistence. 1
Thes. 5:17 "pray without ceasing." EPH 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all
occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."
G. I need a new hope for a good testimony.
1. That my testimony will be one of praise. PS 119:171 "Let my lips burst
forth with praise, for you have taught me your principles."
2. That my testimony may give out light from for God. MT 5:14 "You are the
light of the world, like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all
to see."
3. That my testimony may be one that show victory over sin. Job 2:10 But Job
replied, "You talk like a godless woman. Should we accept only good things
from the hand of God and never anything bad?" So in all this, Job said
nothing wrong.
Two outs, bottom of the ninth, behind by one run, Ryan’s right foot was
pressed to the front edge of the third base bag. Every muscle in his
eleven- year-old body was flexed, ready to bolt home with the tying run.
Kenny, the winning run, stood grinning on second, Dylan; the team’s best
hitter was at the plate. The first pitch was high and outside, "Ball One!"
The next caught the inside corner, "Steeeriiick!" Two more balls and a foul
tip later, the count is full. Ryan’s eyes are glued to the ball while his
ear is tuned to the third base coach listening for just one word. Dylan
drove the next pitch to the right of the pitcher, well out of reach, and the
coach screamed the one word, "GO!" Ryan digs for home. Now at this level of
play, a hit like that is usually good for extra bases, but today the third
baseman made a play worthy of the Major Leagues. A diving stab knocked the
ball down. Quick as a cat, he scooped it up, spun, and made the peg home to
stop the tying run from scoring; it was going to be close. A perfect peg, a
perfect slide, a perfect catch, a perfect sweeping tag and a big cloud of
dust converge around the plate at the umpire’s feet. The umpire hesitated
for a second; he couldn’t see the tag clearly for dust and the position of
the catcher. He glanced at the field referee who gestured that he wasn’t
sure either. As he was starting to spread his arms wide, palms down, Ryan
looked into the umpire’s face. "Sir, I missed the plate, he tagged me out."
"Son, do you know what it means if I call you out? The game is over and you
lose" "Yes sir, I know. But that’s the truth." Ryan whispered. The umpire
turned his head slightly, "Why would you give it up like that?" "You see
Sir; this catcher knows I became a Christian last week. I can’t trade a
baseball game today for what he will think about me tomorrow."
