The NEW YEAR is a time when many of us are motivated to take a harder look at ourselves. We often take an inventory of ourselves and consider what needs to be changed for the next 12 months.
For some reason during the month of January we have the strongest resolve to makes changes than we will usually have all year long.
January comes from the Roman god ‘Janus’ who was the ‘gate god’. An image of Janus was placed at the entrance gate of each city in the Roman Empire. He was a god with two faces which allowed him to see in two directions at the same time. That is a good definition of how most of us are during this month of the year.
I assume that most everyone here has at least considered ‘changes’ or ‘life adjustments’ or RESOLUTIONS that you might make this year.
Health clubs are supposedly going to much more crowded during these next few weeks. SUBWAY: Lines will be clear back to the door.
As I grow older in my adult years it reminds me that I one less year left in my life.
TIME has gone from MARCHING ON to jogging to new a full run.
LIFE CLOCK: Imput vital information such as present age, male or female, life habits(do you smoke, drink, have high stress, exercise or lack of) Hit the button and it starts of count down the rest of your life day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.
At the average death rate I would guess that I would have about 12,000 days left in my life: About 6 more Presidential elections and Olympics, 30 or so more Superbowls, 60 or so more seasons of the Biggest Loser, about 50,000 more church services and maybe a dozen or so grandchildren and some great grandchildren..
Think this morning:
1. How did you do this past year?
Not how much money did you make or lose?
How much success have you had at school or at your job?
2. How have your grown in your relationship with God?
To what percent has His will been lived out in your life? 75% 80% 50%
What went wrong this year? What needs to be changed? Should you?
a) Eat less and exercise more?
b) Spend less and save more?
c) Read more(especially God’s Word) and watch TV less?
d) Pray more and worry less?
What needs to happen to make sure my commitments see the light of February 1st?
I want us to take a Spiritual inventory this morning out of the book of Philippians. Turn with me to chapter 3 and start with verse 7
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.(3:7-11)
We live in a day where so many people are in a hurry to go nowhere that will matter when this life is over and for that matter does not really have value on this side of death.
Paul would look at so much of what fills our lives and count it as LOSS or even as RUBBISH/GARBAGE.
Back in 1967 there was a prediction by the experts that by 1985 technology would be so advanced that the average American would work only 22 hours a week and only have 25 weeks of vacation each year. The biggest problem would be what to do with all the free time. There is no free time but only freed up time. Question is how God wants it used.
The irony is that now 27 years past 1985 people are working multiple jobs and/or both husbands and wives are working and people will always tell you how busy or worn out they are with life. For those who don’t have an ‘official’ second job they have made a job out of their TV watching or kids sports or golf game or shopping or web surfing.
The devil doesn’t care what it is but only what it replaces.
People have less and less time for God, for church or for God’s Word and Prayer
The MAYAN CALENDAR says you just celebrated your last Christmas. This world will end by December 21 this year. I don’t go in for all that BUT what if they were right.
How would you live the next 12 months knowing for sure they were your last?
SPIRITUAL INVENTORY FOR 2012
I RESOLVE TO SET GODLY GOALS IN MY LIFE But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.(3:7)
I read about a guy in S.F. who was buried with his motorcycle. The quote said, ‘It was his whole life’. His life revolved around a two wheeled vehicle. What do you think you should be buried with? Your golf clubs? Your credit card? Your TV or computer? A fishing rod or your favorite sets of clothes?
I want to have my casket lined with pages from my Bible. Maybe Philippians 3:7 right in front of my face.
Billy Graham has one verse from Scripture all over his house on various plaques and such. It is out of Galatians chapter 6: Verse 14 says, ‘But may I never boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world’.
‘Whatever things were gain’ is meant to be defined by the world’s definitions. The world thinks so many things are gain that are only for this world. Money/stuff/popularity/power
Paul had a Spirit filled moment where he began to move many things in his life from the asset column to where it really belonged in the LOSS column. ‘Counted as loss for the sake of Christ’.
One Dr. wrote that the problem most Americans have is ‘overload’. They are overload in three areas:
1) Their commitments: work, hobbies, kid activities, television
2) Their possessions: cars, homes, clothes
3) Their information: no time to think, kids loss of imagination, constant bombardment of music or TV news or stories.
Paul is saying that anything that threatens of challenges God’s place in our lives needs to be adjusted or removed even if the world calls is GAIN.
LOSS: literally means ‘a loss at sea’. Something ‘thrown overboard’. When a full ship is caught in a storm then the crew will have to start considering what to JETISON overboard. Otherwise there is the danger of shipwreck. There are many who call themselves Christians who lives are shipwrecks or disqualified of unusable because of the stuff they won’t disguard from their lives.
The Christian life is meant to be a disciplined life demanding the right goals and priorities and a constant focus. It is to be lived out in the midst of storms of persecution and trials and temptations which are meant to constantly remind us of what really matters and is work keeping on board. Problem is after the crisis we start dredging the water for the same old things and let them back in our lives.
Hebrews 12:2 Let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race that is set before us.
Ps 101(David) I will set no worthless(unprofitable) thing before my eyes…it shall not fasten it’s grip on me.
I RESOLVE TO HAVE AN INTIMATE FELLOWSHIP WITH CHRIST More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ,(8)
a. A good way to access the value of something is to ask, ‘Does this thing make me to know Christ in a deeper way in my life?’
Not many people would be willing to go around trading $100 dollar bills for pennies. It would be crazy to do so but people will constantly trade things in this life for a deeper relationship with God. Paul doesn’t say the bad things are garbage but anything that replaces God’s place in you should be counted as garbage.
Paul estimated value in any decision or choice or possession by how it affected the ‘surpassing value of knowing Christ’.
The first garbage day after Christmas must be the biggest garbage day of the year. You can tell what most people got for Christmas by just looking at the garbage pile in front of the house. We usually throw out all the boxes or children who like to play in boxes.
What if you passed by a house and out front were new TV’s and DVD players, new toys and clothing and jewelry because they saw more value in the boxes and kept them instead of what was in them. The boxes were meant to be just temporary containers for what was of value.
Paul says this world and the things in it are just temporary and to miss out on finding and keeping what really matters is like preferring the box over the true gift that was given.
John 10:10 says, ‘The thief come to steal and kill and destroy but I have come to give you life and that more abundantly’.
Jesus told the parable of the SOILS which warned us about having what really mattered being stolen or not fully planted into our lives. Word of God.
C.S. Lewis said that some people see God like a little boy did when he was asked about what God was like and responded that God is like someone who snoops around seeing who is having any fun and then tries to put a stop to it.
God is not trying to put a stop to something but a START to something that really matters which is to have a genuine dynamic relationship with God in your life.
This won’t happen if our hands and hearts are already full of the things of this world.
and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, A fellowship with Christ is only possible when we stand before God in His righteousness and not our own.
I RESOLVE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT’S POWER MIGHT WORK IN MY LIFE: that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.(3:10-11)
Paul points us to three things we need to have an intimate knowledge of if we are going to live the Christian life as we should.
1) TO KNOW HIM: that I may know Him
To walk with Him, study His Word, strive for time in prayer….to think His thoughts after Him
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2) TO KNOW HIS POWER: , and the power of His resurrection If you don’t have God’s power in your life it is not because He has not made it available. The same power strong enough to raise Jesus from the dead is available to give you daily victory in your life as well.
3) TO KNOW HIS SUFFERINGS: and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. We need to have an intimate understanding of what it means to truly suffer for Christ. Paul prayed for this in his life while most of us avoid it like the plague. Lord teach me to die to myself this year, to live for you in spite of the hardships and fear that I have felt in the past when it comes to serving You or taking a stand for You.
Three commitments we need to make this new year:
1. Forget your failures: don’t live imprisoned by the past, chained to it’s failures but focus your mind and affections upon the cross and His forgiveness and the power now in your life through Christ.
2. Give up your grudges: deep and ongoing issues that clutter our hearts with bitterness, anger and unforgiveness are dangerous and destructive to our spiritual lives.
a) Former pastor of mine once said, ‘You can only love God as much as you love the person you dislike the most’. OUCH
b) Grudges destroy and ruin things like friendships and families and churches and have no place in the life of one forgiven by God.
3. Turn your back on your transgressions: Don’t live for the things Christ died for. Don’t let sin find a stronghold in your life. Make your life the most uncomfortable place for the devil in all the universe.
Let me put your choices for this next year in terms we all can understand:
All of us have probably watched some police shows in our lives.
People being arrested are always given the same three choices.
1. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT: You can go on living a secret Christian life if there is such a thing. Say nothing, do nothing, give nothing. And be nothing for the kingdom of God.
2. ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU: You can live life like a lost world, say what you want do what you want, go where you want, buy what you want BUT
remember that it will all be used against you on judgment day. BUT ALSO
3. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK FOR AN (attorney) an ADVOCATE…ONE WILL BE APPOINTED FOR YOU. His Name is Jesus.(ACTS 17) To choose Him and serve Him and Live for Him
DO YOU UNDERSTAND THESE RIGHTS? How are you going to live in this coming year?
