New Year; New Hope
2 Corinthians 5:11-5:17
Philippians 3:12-3:14
Prayer-
Introduction-
Scripture-
2 Corinthians 5:11-5:17
Philippians 3:12-3:14
Happy New Year!
When we say Happy New Year what are we saying to someone?
We are saying that we hope this New Year will be 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
A 1000 lb. piece of cheese drop in Plymouth Wisconsin.
Truth is, each one of us has a hope and some kind of expectation that the new one will 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.
I think everyone of us needs to take time to evaluate the old year going out and the New Year coming in.
Ask yourself these questions-
What do you want to see happen in 2017
What things need to change in 2017?
Apostle 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.
What is your attitude toward the New Year?
Are you looking at 2017 as an unbeliever with no hope or as a 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.
Illustration-
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.”
If you do not believe anything will change in 2017- it won’t. (Repeat)
If you do nothing different, you will not see different results.
If you need to be reminded that you need God in your life to make a difference, you are in trouble.
If you are trying to fix yourself, find someone to blame, you are in trouble.
2017 will have renewed purpose when we understand that without the Lord , 2017 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 having 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 2017 coming in without an attitude change, without Christ being first in your life offers little hope. Our hope is in Jesus Christ.
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.
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
Leave un-forgiveness behind
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 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.
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.
“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.
What do you think God’s will is 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 2017?
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.
What if you lived every moment as though God was all around you?
What if you lived as though nothing could happen to you that God could not take care of?
What if you lived as though you already had one foot in heaven, and that heaven was, in fact, all around you?
What if you really lived as though your sins and failures were gone in the mind of God.
What if you lived as though the power of the Holy Spirit lived in you, and you were walking around in a world created by God, loved by him and blessed by his presence?
What if you lived believing that evil did not stand a chance, and that it is only a matter of time until it is gone altogether?
What if you lived as though every person around you was a result of God’s will and creation, and that they were made in the likeness of God?
What if you lived as though you were not meant to be alone, but an important part of the family of God?
What if you saw the glory of God everywhere, and the image of God in every person?
What if the very sight of a tree or cloud inspired you to worship, and you lived life in deep gratitude and thanksgiving?
How different would you life be? A new awareness and attitude could literally change your life.
Amen.
