The Stroke of the Clock
Psalm 27:8 (and several others)
Introduction
- In the bulletin you will see the four pieces of scripture we’ll be looking at
- This morning we are going to conclude the message that we began on Wed eve
- Today, we find ourselves in the New Year facing many different challenges
- Often times reflect on what has gone on the past year, or what we’re facing now
- But this morning, I want us to consider (and focus) on what God needs from us
- Each day, we have an opportunity to seek the Lord and to serve Him
- Psa 27:8, “My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.”
- Resolutions come and go, but Jesus Christ will always remain the same
- He is the constant, He is the One we come to worship, and He is who we follow
- That is why our sign says, “Need a resolution? Repent and accept Jesus”
- It is a resolution that we can all gather behind, but there is more to be done
- Today, I want us to be encouraged AND prepared to face the New Year
- There are four passages of scripture this morning that are our focus
- Each verse has different applications to our lives; but they all tie together
- APP: We are called church to grow, to minister, and it must begin today
- Pray
- When we come to Christ, there are four things we must be involved in
Point 1 – To ask for His pardon
- Isa 55:6, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
- The first thing we must do when we come to Christ is to seek His forgiveness
- Each person must understand that it is to Christ that we owe our salvation (Why?)
Phil 2:6-11, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
- Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can come to Him to seek forgiveness
- The danger we run into is that we think we can work ourselves to be good enough
- But look at the text: Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be used” – it is not even something that He aspired to; nor should we as we live
-- Thus, we must put ourselves in a place of submission to His authority
-- It is Jesus that has done the work, and thus we submit to Him to submit to God
- APP: Before we can be used by God, we must submit ourselves to God
-- We must have His righteousness through Christ on our lives before we can work
- This is a critical point here, and where most believers are “stuck in neutral”
- When God calls us to be used by Him, there is an obligation to submit to Him
- And by submit, we are to come before Him and lay down our control/will
- Then, confess Him as Lord and ask for His forgiveness; it is not about our desire
- TRANS: Once He has made us right, our next point is to draw closer to Him
Point 2 – To draw closer to Him
- Psalm 105:4, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”
- We are called to draw closer to God always, seeking Him in prayer, worship, etc.
- In everything that we do, in everything that we attempt, we are to seek His face
-- 1 Chron 16:11 says, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”
- What does seeking His face do for us? It allows us to focus on Him
- Think about the blinders on a horse; why are they there? (To narrow the view)
- If we are to get serious about God, we need to narrow our view to see Him
- We need to narrow our view as followers; we need to focus on God in all things
- Even when we don’t feel like it, we are called to seek Him and to want more
- APP: If you want more of God, you’ll get more into His Word and seek Him
- We have a chance today to know more about who He is, if only we’ll look
- You cannot depend on your preacher to be your only source of spiritual food
- We must draw closer to Him; and seek His face in order to live for Him
- APP: It is our responsibility to know the One who died for us!
- TRANS: Now, when we are drawing closer, we must then accept who we are
Point 3 – To accept who we are
- John 1:12-13, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
- APP: We are accepted into the family of God, ONLY because we’ve confessed Christ as Savior, we now have things that we need to do and be involved in
- The work is the calling to spread the Gospel; in many forms and many outlets
- Accepting who you are means that you realize there is now work to be done
- Our church will be involved in this in two specific ways in the coming months
1) Intentional Sunday school evangelism
- To be intentional because we’ve been given a right to be His children
- This means that we need Sunday school teachers to be committed to reaching
- And because we are His children we’ve a commission to follow and act on
- First we need to be faithful to attend Sunday school; and THEN to help it grow
- Sunday school is where you grow because you share; and we need to be active
- APP: In order to grow in Sunday school … you have to GO to Sunday school
-- Will you commit to growing this year in SS?
- We are not born of natural descent, but we have a part to play in His kingdom
- Because we are His children, we must be actively involved in sharing Him
- But in order to be active in sharing, we must be strengthened together
2) Brotherhood / WMU
- As a pastor, I love that we have time to visit before and after church
- I love that when church is over most are not running for the door to leave
- I love that our church is growing spiritually and that lives are being changed
- But, as children of God could we not spend more time growing together?
- Men, it’s time to get together a little more often and share with one another
- Ladies, it’s time for you to get together and share and encourage one another
-- Titus Chapter 2 shows the importance we have to minister to one another
- And this morning I want us to pledge to one another to lift each other up
- When we gather in the name of Jesus we do so to exalt Him, but what then?
- We need to grow together through sharing and exalting Jesus Christ
- Show of hands, how many could use an accountability partner (look around)
-- Look at those around you that could use Christian accountability …
- This is why we are going to spend time growing together and increasing
- TRANS: When we understand who we are, we then must strive to live for and share Him always
Point 4 – To live for and share Him always
- How do we seek the Kingdom of God? How do we live for Christ always?
-- Matt 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
- We have a responsibility to reach and to evangelize and to proclaim Jesus
- In the next month or so we will begin several evangelistic outreaches
- Visitation
- As a pastor I realize that some cannot go, but there are things to be done here:
- 1) Writing letters to prospective visitors is one way
- 2) Taking time and making phone calls to some is a way to help
- 3) Spending time before the Lord in prayer while others are out is a VITAL role
- I want you to consider something this morning as we prepare to close:
- Will you spend time seeking the Kingdom, so that we may receive His blessings?
- God has called each of us to respond to Him in specific ways
-- To some He has called to teach
-- Others He has called to minister
-- Some He has called into discipleship
-- And even others He has called to serve
- But, do you know why He calls us? Because of His love for us!
-- IMP QUESTION: Do you know how much God loves you?
Play Audio Clip
Pray
Salvation
Repentance
Joining with fellowship
