Resolutions For A Blessed New Year
01/04/09 AM
Text: Hebrews 10:24-25
Introduction:
In a lesson last Lord’s day we considered developing the habit of reading the Word of God daily as a resolution for this New Year which began just this past Thursday. As often is the case there was an article in the newspaper about the most common New Years resolution made by people in the US. The top three were: (1) Spend more time with family; (2) Increased fitness; and, (3) Lose weight. As I read the list I was struck by how easily these most common resolutions could apply to our spiritual lives and so this morning, the first Lords day of the New Year, I’d like us to explore resolutions not for a physical happy New Year but for a spiritual blessed New Year. (Appropriate as the Greek word for blessed, makarios, is often translated as “happy.”)
I.Spend more time with family
A.Who is our family?”
1.Jesus identified all who do the will of the Father as family.
Matthew 12:46 - 50 (NASB) While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.” But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! “For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
a.Romans 8:16 (NASB) The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,
b.1 John 3:1a (NASB) See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are.”
2.There are dozens of scriptures which instruct us in dealing with our family.
a.Romans 12:10 (NASB) Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
b.We are to bear with one another; forgive one another; be kind to each other; encourage, exhort, and admonish one another.
c.Most importantly, we love another
John 13:35 (NASB) “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
1 John 3:11 (NASB) For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
3.We should seek to increase our time with our spiritual family.
a.Paul called us God’s household (1 Timothy 3:15)
b.Hebrews 10:24 - 25 (NASB) and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
1)Simply put, God has commanded that we gather together and encourage each other. We cannot do that if we do not gather together.
2)Going to services faithfully allows us our family in Christ while we build ourselves up in Christ, too.
3)Typical year has approximately 8700 hours. We spend on average 2900 hours sleeping, 2400 hours working, and 1100 hours eating. If you attended each (of our) scheduled worship service and bible study it would be 208 hours in the year. (Leaving roughly 2100 hours of “free time.”)
[Let’s resolve to spend more time together in this New Year...]
II.Increase Fitness
A.Fitness requires proper diet and exercise
1.What does “diet” really mean? We associate with diet the fact that we are trying to lose weight, which is technically a part of the definition, but here is the definition:
i.di·et - noun (plural di·ets)
1)What a person or animal eats: the food that a person or animal usually consumes.
2)Controlled intake of food: a controlled intake of food and drink designed for weight loss, for health or religious reasons, or to control or improve a medical condition a wheat-free diet.
3)Regular intake of something: a continuous or daily experience of, or indulgence in, something other than food: living on a diet of soap operas and game shows.
ii.What is your spiritual diet this morning? Our diet plan is given to us in scripture:
i.John 4:31-34, where Jesus is speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well, we have this recorded conversation between Jesus and the disciples: “Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”
ii.Matthew 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
2.Our Diet begins with Spiritual Milk
a.1 Peter 2:2 “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,”
i.Can you tell when a baby is hungry? In fact, babies will let you know in no uncertain terms when they are hungry. They will fuss, cry, and/or scream to let you know they want food! That is the picture that’s painted for us - our attitude toward spiritual food should be just like that.
3.Our Diet changes as we mature
a.Infants really can’t handle much more than milk. There comes a day, however, when they will mature to the better things in life, like steak and potatoes. Now, as parents, it would concern us if, after a year or more, our babies were still eating only milk. That would not be the sign of a healthy baby. In fact, it would be a sign of a severe problem, because they would not be growing the way he should.
i.Hebrews 5:13 - 14 (NASB) For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
4.We are to desire spiritual milk (the Word), but we are to study the word and mature to solid food as well. That should be our diet.
a.We are to have a healthy diet but we should also be involved in a workout program. It’s not just what you eat, it’s what you do!
B.We Need to Exercise Our Faith
1.Any pediatrician will tell you that in addition to watching what your baby eats, you must also make sure they are active and doing things.
a.The Father doesn’t want us to just eat; he wants us to exercise our faith. Here it gets beyond knowing what is right to do (reading and studying), to actually doing what is right.
i.Luke 6:46-49
ii.James 1:22-25, 2:14-17
iii.Philippians 4:9 (NASB) The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
[Let us resolve to increase our Spiritual fitness through a proper diet of God’s word and the exercise of our faith!]
III.Shed the weight of this world and sin
Hebrews 12:1 (NASB) Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
A.Note The Comparison To Running...
1.The runner who seeks to win:
a.Loses as much weight as possible without hurting performance
b.Wears clothing that is light and allows freedom of movement
2.Excess weight, chafing clothing, etc., can be the difference between victory and defeat!
a.The word rendered “encumbrance” –ogkon- means what is crooked or hooked, that is any thing that is attached or suspended by a hook that is, by its whole weight, and so came to mean weight.
b.As applied to our lives it means anything which would obstruct our progress in the Christian course, even harmless and otherwise useful things which would hinder us in our race.
B.We Too Must Lay These Things Aside...
1.“every encumbrance”
a.Those things which hinder our spiritual progress
1)Martha’s focus on worldly tasks (read Luke 10:38-42)
2)The parable of the Rich Man (bountiful harvest)
Luke 12:21 (NASB) “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”
3)The Rich Young Ruler
Matthew 19:21 - 22 (NASB) Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.
4)Read Luke 9:57-62
b.Past lives, material possessions, careers, or family any of these can be an encumbrance if they take priority in our lives.
1)Colossians 3:2 “Set your sights on things above, not on things on the earth.”
2.“the sin which so easily ensnares us”
a.The word which is here rendered “easily entangle” properly means, “standing well around;” denoting what is near, or at hand, or readily occurring.
b.It takes all these words to give us the sense of a single Greek word that refers to something so very close to us that it entangles us. It is like getting caught in the hem of our own clothing.
c.This is the sin that has the greatest advantage against us, by the circumstances we are in, our constitution, our company, our upbringing, our careers, what have you. This is the sin of which we are most familiar. The "sin which so easily entangle us" must be laid aside.
[It's a simple matter. Either we decide to lay aside the weight of this world and our sins or they will trip us up in our race for a crown of life.]
Conclusion
This lesson is given at the beginning of this New Year that we may and will resolve to spend more time with the family of God, increase our spiritual fitness, and shed the weight of this world and sin that we may and will have a truly blessed New Year.
Invitation
