New Year; New Hope
2 Corinthians 5:11-5:17
Introduction-
Happy New Year!
When we say Happy New Year what are we saying to someone?
We are saying that we hope this New Year is better than the year before.
We verbally give them a blessing that their problems are behind them and blessings are in the future.
Every year people stay up later than usual to see the old year go out and the New Year come in.
Pa. has a lot of ways to see the New Year come in.
You can stay up late and watch the ball drop on Times Square in New York. You can watch a strawberry, Pickle, or sausage drop.
Here what some others do:
Watermelon drop in Indiana
Pine cone drop in Arizona
Beach Ball drop in Florida
Peach drop in Georgia
My favorite is a 1000 lb. piece of cheese drop in Plymouth Wisconsin.
What person would not want to spend the New Year that way?
Truth is, each one of us has an expectation that the new one would be better.
Bill Vaugh:
Optimist stays up till midnight to see the New Year in.
A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.
Oprah says:
“Cheers to the New Year and another chance for us to get it right.”
Here are 3 things to think about going into the New Year.
What is your attitude going into the New Year.
What/who are you putting your trust in.
What part do you play in the process.
Let’s see what the apostle Paul has to say to us.
2 Corinthians 5:11- 5:17
Paul is telling us that if we are in Christ that the old is gone, the new has come.
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself.
He is telling us that we are Christ’s ambassadors.
I. What is your attitude toward the New Year
Are you looking at 2012 as an unbeliever with no hope or as Christ Ambassador with all the resources of heaven available to you to have an amazing New Year.
Every year offers us a chance at a new beginning and offers us new hope, But how many of us really believe that, or put ourselves in a position to receive it from the Lord?
Most people look forward to a new year for a new start, but carry the same old habits and hang ups with them.
Illustration-
Wife came into the bathroom to see her husband on the scale with his stomach sucked in. she told him that sucking in his stomach would not make it better. He said that it would, because if he didn’t, he couldn’t read the numbers.
We make resolutions like ….I quit this…., I’ll start this…., I would say this.
Resolutions that most of the time are not kept even the first month.
Illustraton-
Little boy asked his father what his new year’s resolution was. “He was going to do everything possible in this new year to make his mother very happy.” The little boy then asked his mother the same question. She said, “To do everything possible to make sure your father keeps his resolution.”
Our attitude will have everything to do with whether 2012 ends up the way we desire it to.
If you do not believe anything will change in 2012- it won’t. (repeat)
If you need to be reminded this morning that you need to keep close to God in 2012- you are headed in the wrong direction.
If you are trying to fix yourself, or try to find who you can blame for all that is goin gin in your life- you are headed in the wrong direction.
2012 will have renewed purpose when we understand that without the Lord , 2012 will just be another year, another resolution, another goal, but it won’t be a new life!
Looking for joy in this life- looking in the wrong place.
Looking for joy without the lord- at best it is circumstantial.
Looking for peace- peace comes from God, and is not based upon no trouble.
Looking for hope- it is because we know the end of the story. It is based upon God’s wisdom and strength, that God will guide us through this journey to his promises.
Attitude is a whole sermon, but 2012 coming in without an attitude change, without Christ being first in your life offers little hope. Our hope is in Jesus Christ.
II. What part do I play in the change
Here is where we dig into the text.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he [she] is a new creation.
The key words are in Christ. He does not say people that know of Christ. He says those that are in Christ.
In Christ- is an intimate and personal relationship with the risen Christ.
Because of Christ death and resurrection, He offers to us in Christ a new life- new creation.
Our forefather- the old Adam- offered death because of sin. The new Adam (Christ) offers us a new life.
The problem with most of us is we know of Christ, but we are not willing to live in Christ.
One is according to the flesh, and one is according to the Spirit of God.
The creative process that is underway is redemptive not destructive.
All humanity was In Adam, but all Christians are suppose to be in Christ.
Just like the ending of one year and the start of a new year. Those that are in Christ should be leaving some of their old ways behind with the hope of the redemptive change that God wants to make in us.
When we pray- we ask God to take things away that we know are harmful, yet instead of leaving them, we pick them back up by the time we are done praying.
This New Year:
Leave resentment behind
Leave worries behind
Leave your failures behind
Resentment
The one that suffers from un-forgiveness is you. You were not meant to carry that load from year to year.
Hurts need to be given to the Lord- not carried around.
Worry
Worries take up time and energy and have no positive outcome. Over 90 % of what we worry about never happens.
There are 2 things that should be on your mind.
Doing things that need to be changed.
Realizing that some things that cannot be changed- and have the Lord show you how to deal with both.
Failures
I believe we only fail if we do nothing- never try.
If we are in Christ, we are not failures.
No matter how many setbacks, Christ puts you back on your feet and calls you a winner.
What is our part? Be reconciled to God and allow God to be active in your life.
Ephesians 6 tells us to put on the whole armor of God.
“Be strong in the lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
Some of you have been beaten up this past year- some things we bring on ourselves, and some things are unavoidable.
Change the things that you can change, and trust God in those unavoidable times to see you through.
Ephesians 5:15-
“Be very careful then, how you live- not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.”
Recap-
I. Our attitude determines what kind of year we will have.
Whether we are doing things in our own strength, or the un-limited power and strength of the Lord determines the outcome.
II. what part do you play? Change the things that we can change- know that there are some things that won’t change. Trusting God to help you in both circumstances.
III. The last thing- Finding God’s will for 2012
“Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
If you only know of Christ, and you are not in Christ, you will not be able to find God’s will for your life.
God promises to allow us to know God’s will for our life as we seek God and listen to what He has for us.
Do you think God’s will for your life is:
Worrying about everything?
Saturating your mind with negative thoughts?
Having anxiety attacks?
To busy that you cannot even grasp spiritual thoughts or have devotions time with Him.
Let me share a thought:
Establish your priorities- God must be first. God must be a part of your decision making. If you are a Christian, you must be asking God for direction in your life.
Closing:
How many would like to see something happen for them or their family in 2012?
Do you have the right attitude to see it happen?
Is God first? Are you in Christ? And Christ controls your life.
Are you willing to change what you know to change and are able to change?
Are you trusting the Lord for the things that you cannot change and willing to turn the results over to God so that His will be done in your life.
Altar Call
