INTRO.- ILL.- THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don’t believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.
ILL.- A lady said: Recently I went to the doctor for my annual physical. The nurse asked me how much I weighed. I told her 135 pounds. Then she weighed me and the scale said 160.
She asked me how tall I was. I said, "5 feet, 6 inches." She measured me and I was only 5 feet, 3 inches.
So she took my blood pressure and told me it was high. "Of course it’s high," I said. "When I came in here I was tall and slender. Now I’m short and fat!"
ILL.- A lady said: My sister and I decided to reframe a favorite photograph of our mother and father from when they were dating, some 60 years ago. After removing the picture from the frame, I turned it over, hoping to find a date. It didn’t. Instead, my mother had written, "128 lbs."
How do you like growing older? If you’re young (a teen perhaps), you probably like the idea of getting older. If you are already older, you may not like the idea of getting any older. Why? Because most people fear what is ahead.
We may not like the idea of a new year because a new year means we’re getting older and we may experience more health problems. It’s true, isn’t it? We never know what the new year will hold for us.
Some of us think, “Ugh!” And some think, “Oh boy!”
NEW SOUNDS GOOD TO MOST PEOPLE, especially if it’s something new like a new possession: a new house, new car, new wardrobe, a new computer, etc.
ILL.- I saw a picture of a T-shirt that read, “I love new stuff.” Well, who doesn’t? New is nice. And often better but not always, however. Did you ever get something new that didn’t turn out to be not so nice?
ILL.- Here is what one man said after buying a new car: “The transmission makes a loud grinding noise while braking. The power windows sometimes stick and won’t go up. At least this keeps me from going to the carwash. The alternator gave out at 950 miles. The seams on the seats are already pulling apart after 2,000 miles. CD player ate my favorite CD and won’t eject it. And it guzzles gas!!!”
That man is not a happy camper with his new car! New is not always nice.
At least, we’re starting a new year and maybe, just maybe some things will be better or get better. It depends on our attitude and our altitude, that is, our spiritual altitude.
The important thing about a new year is to think about what we’re going to do that will make us better people in the eyes of God. It’s only in our relationship to God that anything can be better or get better.
When things go wrong He’s the only one who can make things right or better.
PROP.- Going into the new year, what should we do to have a better life?
1- WAKE UP
2- CLEAN UP
3- DRESS UP
I. HEADING INTO THE NEW YEAR - WAKE UP
11And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
ILL.- A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"
Little Johnny replied, "Because people are sleeping."
ILL.- A lady who was known as Winston Churchill’s main rival in parliament was giving a speech. Churchill, with his usual enthusiasm for his rival, dozed off while the lady was speaking. She stopped her speech and woke Sir Winston by yelling, "Mr. Churchill, must you sleep while I talk?" Churchill sleepily replied, "No, ma’am. I do so purely by choice."
Most people who are spiritually asleep do so by choice. Many people deliberately ignore God, Christ and the Bible and go their merry miserable way!
Spiritual apathy abounds in our day and time. Many people are spiritually asleep and don’t care to be woke up. They have the attitude of “I don’t know and I don’t care.” Or else “I don’t believe it and I won’t do it.”
ILL.- A teacher gave a subject for composition class. The subject given was “WHAT?” and for an hour, the whole class expounded and defined this word and related concepts on paper. One smart alec boy submitted his paper in 1 minute and left the class. On his sheet, he had written: “SO WHAT?”
That’s the kind of attitude that many people have today toward God, Christ and all things holy. We understand, however, that Paul was writing to Christians, saying, “It’s time to wake up!” We expect people in Hollywood and the world to be spiritually asleep but not those who are in Christ. What about us? Are we asleep spiritually in any way? It’s highly possible.
ILL.- Old preacher Vance Havner used to say, “The same church members who yell like Commanche Indians at a ball game on Saturday, sit like wooden Indians in church on Sunday.”
Could our lack of enthusiasm for the things of God be an indication of something wrong with us? IT COULD BE.
ILL.- Recently, my preacher friend, Truman Brady, complained to me or perhaps confided that none of his people ever say “Amen” to anything that is preached. That goes for his sermons and any revival sermons that are preached in his church.
I wanted to say, “join the crowd.” Our lack of enthusiasm for the Word of God or the things of God could be an indication that we are somewhat sleepy and need to be woke up!
There are other things, however. Truman also told me that’s he had a hard time getting people in his church to volunteer to serve in various ways: nursery, calling, teaching classes, etc. JOIN THE CROWD, BROTHER!
There are many things that we do or perhaps fail to do that indicate we may be somewhat asleep spiritually. And how do we wake up sleeping people? Well, we could have one of those rattlesnake handling services! I bet that would wake up some people! Otherwise, we just keep on serving, loving, preaching, teaching, and praying. And hopefully, someone will catch on fire!
II. HEADING INTO THE NEW YEAR - CLEAN UP
12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
Who likes to stay dirty? Some people in our world do! HAVEN’T YOU NOTICED?
ILL.- Who is Adam Lambert? He’s that 27 year old man from San Diego, CA, who got second place in last year’s American Idol contest. And he’s openly gay! He’s gay and doesn’t mind if all the world knows it!
Adam Lambert doesn’t apologize for much of anything, BUT HE SHOULD! Adam Lambert admits he got carried away with his sexually charged American Music Awards performance, but he’s offering no apology. WOW! DID HE EVER! ABC canceled him.
The rocker from "American Idol" said on "The Early Show" that his performance would not have caused as much controversy if he weren’t openly gay. He also said there were other "adult" moments on the show that caused no outrage.
"I admit I did get carried away, but I don’t see anything wrong with it," he said. "I do see how people got offended and that was not my intention. My intention was to interpret the lyrics of my song and have a good time with it."
Brothers and sisters, I’m not against Adam Lambert but I’m against his actions and what he stands for! And personally, I think he’s wrong and needs to clean up his act. But he probably won’t because he’s been deceived and duped by the world, the flesh and the devil! He’s like so many in our world.
Adam Lambert needs to clean up his life, but that won’t happen unless he comes to believe in the Lord Jesus and surrenders to His Lordship.
ILL.- INDIANAPOLIS — A man was arrested after police say he left his 5-year-old son in a tractor-trailer while he ducked into an Indianapolis strip club to drink. The 39-year-old was arrested at 1:15 a.m. on child neglect and public intoxication charges after calling police to report his truck stolen and his child missing. Police say the man was too drunk to remember where he had parked.
They found the boy inside watching cartoons on a television inside the cab. The keys were in the ignition, and the doors were unlocked. Police say the suspect put his son in jeopardy by leaving him exposed in a high crime area. The man was taken to the Marion County jail, where his wife picked up him and the child.
DUMB MAN/FATHER. HE NEEDS TO GET HIS ACT TOGETHER. HE NEEDS TO REPENT. He needs to clean up his life!
12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
Most of us are probably not as bad as Paul talked about in this text, but we all struggle with our own sins of the flesh or sins of the disposition. And it’s time to clean up! How do we do it?
We take whatever sin that is dragging us down to the Lord and ask for mercy and grace. We ask for mercy for our sins and ask for His grace to get over them!
God created us and He can recreate us if we’ll let Him by walking with Him daily. It’s when the Lord gets out of sight that He is also out of mind and that’s when we get into trouble. WE NEED TO KEEP HIM IN SIGHT AND IN MIND EVERY HOUR OF THE DAY!
III. HEADING INTO THE NEW YEAR - DRESS UP
14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
We need to wake up, clean up and dress up! But how are we going to dress up?
Obviously, we are either a “dress up” or a “dress down” society with the emphasis on the outward appearance. We all prefer to look decent whether we are dressed up or down. Casual is the “in” thing today.
But “casual” is not what God wants from us on the inside. We all know that we have an outer person and an inner person. And while the outer person may be clean and dressed up, what about the inner person, which is the real you???
ILL.- Remember the story of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson and first published in the year 1886? It is about a London lawyer who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, and Mr Hyde.
The dual title character is a doctor who has covered up a secret life full of cruel deeds. He feels as if he is constantly battling within himself between what is good and what is evil, and is pushing away people dear to him.
HEY! THIS SOUNDS LIKE SO MANY TODAY! This sounds just like us! We all battle with the darkness that lies within us! WE ALL HAVE A DARK SIDE! In the Bible, it’s called the old man of sin. Sin still lurks within us and raises it’s ugly head occasionally and seems to take control!
Romans 7:15 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.” THERE IT IS! It’s what Paul struggled with and it’s what we struggle with. We all struggle with the darkness or sin within us, but perhaps in different areas or arenas.
ILL.- Like another famous athlete, British tennis star Andy Murray has been having relationship problems of late. Unlike Tiger Woods, Murray hasn’t been spending too much time with other women, however. He’s been spending too much time on his Playstation.
Murray, the No. 4 ranked player in the world, was dumped by his long-time girlfriend Kim Sears due, in part, to the fact that he spent up to seven hours a day playing video games. AH HA! There it is! Of course, most people wouldn’t consider his Playstation addiction being anything really bad, but it is! Why? Because it’s a waste of time and has taken his attention away from people! In this case, his girlfriend.
What Andy Murray does with Playstation we do with other things and it has become a sin to us. If nothing else, it’s idolatry. It’s idol worship. Instead of focusing on the God who created good things, it’s focusing on the gift. And that’s idolatry or spiritual adultery!
We’re all guilty and we need to clean up our act and dress up! We need to dress up with Christ.
14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
How do we clothe ourselves with the character of Christ? It won’t happen overnight. It takes time, effort, energy, and devotion.
ILL.- These days, Becky Griggs starts her morning well before the sun comes up, in time to meet her clients at the gym at 5:30. It’s a big change from six years ago, when she weighed 352 pounds and, as she calls it, engaged in a "slow form of suicide."
Becky Griggs is a 43 year old wife and mother who decided enough was enough. She knew she was killing herself with her weight and eating habits. She took the bull by the horns and went to work. She eats right (emphasizing protein and what God made) and exercises faithfully, regularly. Now she weighs around 150 lbs. and is healthier than ever. She did it in only two years, which is rather amazing. She changed her lifestyle.
WHAT SHE DID PHYSICALLY IS WHAT WE MUST DO SPIRITUALLY! Many of us have poor spiritual habits: we don’t go to church as much as should. We don’t read God’s Word as much as we should, which is a life-changing thing. We don’t pray as much as we should. We don’t serve as much as we should. We don’t focus on walking with the Lord daily like we should. AND THESE ARE THE TOOLS BY WHICH WE CHANGE AND GET DRESSED WITH THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST!
And for the new year, we all need to make some changes in our daily living in order to daily walk with Christ and allow Him to change us.
CONCLUSION--------------------------
New and better. We don’t need new and better material things, but we all need to be a new and better person! And that will only happen in Christ.
Nature forms us. Education informs us. Sin deforms us, but only Christ tansforms us! Choose Christ to become the better you in the new year!
