What to expect for 2013?
Introduction-
Good morning everyone, I hope that you have survived the hectic time of present opening, over-eating, being sleep depraved, and sugar overload.
All under the heading of Merry Christmas!
Truth is when we do calm down, most of us are just plain exhausted and looking forward to a New Year.
These 7 days between Christmas Eve and New Years Eve causes many to try to get a grip on the old year and with much anticipation hope the New Year will be better.
Question, right up front- what do you expect to happen in 2013?
Same thing different year?
Change by someone else that will affect you?
You change, that brings some change?
Poke and hope that New Year will be better?
There is a saying – “you cannot do the same old thing, the same old way, and expect a different
Out come.”
On our webpage this week- “getting back in the groove.” Get out while you still can. You want
2013 to be better, not the same.”
For most of us- we don’t need to get in the groove, we need to get out of the groove and do something different.
Jesus said “I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.”
I want life!
I want it to be more abundantly, and I want to live instead of just feeling like I am existing.
Anyone feel that way too?
This life is sometimes just over whelming- this life causes us to feel like we are in bondage instead of the freedom that is in Christ.
So I will answer my own question this morning- what can you expect out of 2013?
You can expect to get what you put into it. (repeat)
If you do the same old thing, the same old way- don’t be surprised that the outcome is the same.
If you do not learn from your mistakes that you have made and you again make them this year- guess what?
Some of us last year were right here facing these same situations and we either made bad choices or made no choice. Here we are!
Some of us said:
I am going to grow my relationship with the Lord
I am going to get grounded in God’s word and be more involved in the church.
I am going to spend quality time with my family.
Pray more, give more, correct my mistakes.
That list was endless! Here you are… How did you do with that?
Listen,
Fresh start doesn’t always mean that you have to turn your life upside down, move to japip
. It means to change the things that you know to change and be where God wants you.
God is the God of 2nd, 3rd, 4th chances- Fresh starts!
Lord says
Isaiah 43:18
“forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up, do you not perceive it?
Former things- new thing
Forget what has happened in the past- move on! Learn from it, don’t dwell on it!
You need to understand that God is more interested in your future than He is our past!
Make a fresh start! Get out of the way and let God do a new thing!
Illustration-
A boy told his father, “Dad, if three frogs were sitting on a limb that hung over a pool, and one frog decided to jump off in the pool, how many frogs would be left on the limb? The dad replied, two. No, the son replied. There is three frogs and one decides to jump, how many are left? Oh, I get it, if one decides to jump, the others would too. So there are none left. The boy said no, dad, the answer is three. The frog only DECIDED to jump.
Deciding to do something and doing something is 2 different things with 2 different outcomes.
Every year people stay up to midnight to see the old year go out and the new year come in.
Every year we promise ourselves it is going to be different.
“I’ll quit this…”
“I’ll start this,”
We make resolutions- what we need to do is make commitments. (repeat)
The text this morning is 2 Corinthians 5:11-5:17
That text is for the New Year and brings with it New Hope.
Now quickly, I want to show you 4 things that need to happen if 2013 is going to be different than 2012.
I. Expect change
II. Live Deliberately
III. Examine your life
IV. Get a fresh start
Gave them to you up front for those taking notes and we will look at them one at a time.
I. Expect change
If you do not like what is happening- expect change. At least be open to change because if you do nothing, nothing will change.
Stop making excuses
Stop blaming others
Don’t look at yourself as a victim.
Most problems we face- we have caused.
If it is out of your control, if you could do nothing about it, move on! Stop worrying. Stop beating yourself up!
Romans 28:13 (NLT)
“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.”
Don’t expect to see change if you don’t make one.
God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Change begins in you. Under God’s direction, in God’s strength, we can see change.
Putting pride aside, working the things of God- we make changes.
We fail to prepare and we fail to listen to God or other people.
We quit too soon.
We fall short of the change needed in our lives.
II. Live Deliberately
Live- the process of sustaining or maintaining a way of life.
Deliberately- carefully thought out and done intentionally.
Maintaining a way of life that is carefully thought out and done intentionally.
Live your life with passion! Intentionally! You don’t want to just exist- you want to live!
“Abundantly” God says
If God is in it- Do it!
If the only thing that stops you is fear, overcome fear and do it!
If God is putting the brakes on something, step on the brake and realize that down the road is a blessing just for you!
Some of you say that you want change, but when God tries to put you in position to make the change, you pull in like an old dried prune.
Christians are not meant to be stagnant- they are meant to live life! Abundantly! Plentiful life! Deliberately- intentionally!
Only you know you- and God!
Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life”
You trying to live life abundantly without God is not happening!
Maybe you need to stop playing safe and do what the Lord intends for you to do.
Deliberately- carefully thought out and intentionally with God in control.
III. Examine your life
Expect change
Live deliberately
Examine your life
Most resolutions given on New Year’s Eve are broken and forgotten by January.
It is about focus and priority. It is about taking a realistic look at what is going on and allowing God to make necessary changes so that you don’t have the same old results with the same old broken resolutions every year.
Look at your life-
Priority- is God first? If He is not- you are limited to your strength, your wisdom, your abilities.
Paul tells us clearly
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.”
After examination, only you can answer that question.
Apostle Paul was talking to church folks- that was not a odd question to ask.
Where is your focus? What has the Lord already told you and have you done it?
Today when it comes to examination, people want to look at others.
We are critical of others.
We jump to blame others.
We challenge other people’s faith and beliefs.
Question
What does God see when He looks at you? What does He say to me when He looks at me?
Expect change
Live Deliberately
Examine yourselves
Last one,
IV. Get that fresh start
For you this means you have to define Fresh Start.
Is it starting over?
Is it doing what you know to do?
Is it forgetting the past and moving forward?
Christ offers us new hope, new life! It is between you and the Lord.
Seeing change correctly is doing things God’s way.
We do what we know to do until God tells us different.
He tells and shows us change and we adjust.
We do that until we sense the peace and presence of God. Then we live it out with confidence because we know God is in it.
We don’t necessarily have to turn this world upside down. But we have to be willing too if that is what it will take in our lives and if God is in it.
Fresh starts have to start and end with God. Have to have God in control.
The Bible says that “Anyone” you and I that is “in” Christ is a new creation. The old has gone and the new has come. Spiritually, He will not leave us the way we are, but will make something new. Fresh start! The key word in this text is “in Christ.” We need the Lord to do it.
Closing,
In Christ, united with Him through faith in Him and committed to Him.
Redemption is the restoration and fulfillment of God’s purposes in creation.
This takes place in Christ in whom all things are restored or created anew.
(V18)- “All this is from God”
God takes the initiative in redemption and making us new. He sustains it and brings it to completion.
Amen.
