WHY IS IT SO EXCITING FOR US? Because of two reasons:
(1) By nature we always like new things, it is exciting when we get:
• A new car
• A new suit of clothing
• A new home
• A new child or grandchild
But it is also exciting as we anticipate entering a New Year.
WHAT MAKES THE NEW YEAR SO EXCITING?
(2) The old year we have had has brought some very difficult times, such as:
• Some have lost loved ones this year
• Some have had to endure great sickness throughout the year
• Some have lost jobs this year
• Some have lost friends through death or betrayal
• Some have had financial setbacks
Those who have had to endure these things look forward to a New Year, and they are more than happy to close out the Old Year and send it to the history books.
Those who have had difficult times this past year may feel that WHEN IT COMES TO FACING THEIR PROBLEMS, THEY ARE OUT OF SOLUTIONS!
Illus: These remind us of the woman who walked into a convenience store.
• She walks straight to the manager and asks, "Do you have any small notebooks?" "Sorry," says the manager. "We're all out."
• The woman shrugs, and asks, "Well, do you have any mechanical pencils?" "Nope, don't have those either," says the manager.
• The woman feels her stomach rumbling and asks, "Do you have Doritos? Nachos?" The manager shrugs, "Sorry."
• "How about Chapstick?" says the woman. "Nope. Don't have that."
"Well" the woman says, "If you don't have anything, why don't you close the store?"
The manager shrugs, "Can't. Don't have the key."
For many, life seems to be caught between a rock and a hard place. They can not find the key to the problems they face. But the solutions to their problems is to turn to the Lord Jesus who can help them.
Notice that Lamentations said, “TURN THOU US unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; RENEW our days as of old.”
The homes, communities and many of the churches in this country are in a mess. The solution is to RENEW OUR DAYS AS OF OLD.
There are three areas I want us to look at today as we consider a year of renewal.
I. WE NEED TO RENEW OUR MINDS
Rom. 12:1 2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but BE YE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Look at the word “RENEWING”. This word means to restore. It speaks of renovation.
We all know that with the daily wear and tear of things, we have to RESTORE some things in our homes from time to time. Sometimes we have to have the whole house completely restored because things have gotten so bad.
As Christians, a lot of damage is done to our mind through wear and tear of daily activities. One of the things that we need today is to have our minds “renewed”.
Illus: A family became very sick and they did not know what was causing the problem. They were shocked to later find out that their pump was too close to the septic tank and that it was running into their well water. They had no idea that they had been drinking sewage. This was taking place each day as they drank from their well.
Many Christians today are not conscious of the fact that, every day, the devil is pumping pollution and corruption into their minds. This is why the world in which we live is so messed up. All this garbage is being pumped into people’s minds daily.
For example, why are people today so filthy in their daily conversations? We have always had people with “sewer mouths”, but never as much as we have today.
• It used to be that men would see a woman or a child walk into a room, and one of the men, out of respect for women and children, would say, “Watch your mouth, here comes a child or a lady.”
• It is used to be that men and women would not talk about certain things that were private matters in their life, but now there is nothing they will not talk about publicly.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? The problem is that men, women and children listen to all the garbage that flows from the television programs they watch each day.
Listen, our minds are like computers, that is, "if garbage goes in, garbage come out".
The mind is incredible. We can store and retrieve information in our minds that far exceeds the most advanced computer.
Illus: Someone said:
• The mind is a garden that could be cultivated to produce the harvest that we desire
• The mind is a workshop where the important decisions of life and eternity are made
• The mind is an armory where we forge the weapons for our victory or our destruction
• The mind is a battlefield where all the decisive battles of life are won or lost
The Bible warns us in Prov. 23:7a, "For AS HE THINKETH in his heart, so is he:..."
If you do not get your mind under control, you will not get your life under control.
This is why the apostle Paul says, in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Paul lists the kind of things we should think about –
• Is it true
• Is it honest
• Is it just
• Is it pure
• Is it lovely
• Is it of good report
These are the kind of things we need to think on.
This old world in which we live is corrupted because the minds of people are corrupted. We need to RENEW OUR MINDS so that good things will come forth from our life.
Let this year be the year we renew our minds in Christ Jesus. But also-
II. WE NEED TO RENEW OUR STRENGTH
We do not need to ASK the Lord to RENEW OUR MINDS. This is something God expects us to do. We have control over what goes into our mind.
But notice, when it comes to STRENGTH, this is something God must do. We have a part to do, but only God can place STRENGTH IN THESE BODIES.
Strength comes from three places. For example, if you want physical strength, there are three things you must do.
(1) EXERCISE DAILY (Something you can do)
Did you know you can sit in a chair and dry up? One of the reasons people are so weak when they come out of the hospital is because they have been laying in bed. When they finally start to do something, they feel weak.
One of the reasons that we have so many weak Christians in the pews is because that is all they do, THEY JUST SIT THERE! God expects us to take the talents we have and exercise them. You will never grow strong just sitting in a pew.
(2) EAT NUTRITIOUSLY (Something you can do)
A person can get by with eating junk food for a little while, but eventually it will catch up with them.
A person can build their Christian life around recreation, entertainment and activities. But they are never going to grow in the Lord until they get under the preaching and teaching of God’s Word.
(3) GET PROPER REST (Something you can do)
Sometimes in our effort to serve the Lord, we get so busy that we do not have time to REST at the feet of Jesus.
If you do not have time to rest at the feet of Jesus daily, you are not going to be a STRONG Christian.
Look at Isa. 40:28 31, “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
• We can live the Christian life in OUR STRENGTH, but if we do, we are going to pay a costly price.
• We do not have to do this. The Bible says we can live the Christian life in the strength of the Lord if we are willing to wait upon the Lord.
He said in verse 31, “But THEY THAT WAIT UPON THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Never think you are wasting time sitting at the feet of Jesus.
In Luke 10, Martha thought Mary was wasting time at the feet of Jesus, but the Lord set her straight and said, in verse 42, “But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
When we are sitting at the feet of Jesus, something very mysterious begins to happen. God’s strength begins to flow into us.
The reason we have so many weak Christians today is because we have so few Christians sitting at the feet of Jesus. Let this year be the year we will RENEW OUR MINDS, and RENEW OUR STRENGTH, sitting at the feet of Jesus.
But also-
III. WE NEED TO RENEW OUR STEADFASTNESS
Col. 2:5, “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the STEDFASTNESS of your faith in Christ.”
Illus: A small boy was standing by a horse that was tied to a post. A stranger asked him, "Can that horse run fast?" "I don't know," said the boy, "but he can sure stand fast."
Paul rejoiced at seeing Christians standing fast in their faith in Christ. We are CERTAIN that we can rely upon God, but the question is -- can God rely on us?
Paul said in 1 Cor. 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye STEDFAST, UNMOVEABLE, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
The STEDFAST Christian will be UNMOVEABLE in the things of the Lord.
As previously stated, we live in a world of change. All around us things are constantly changing.
• If you flew on an airplane a year ago, they did not make you take your shoes off and put them through the metal detection device as they now do. You could have carried a fingernail clipper with you and it was OK.
• Things have changed! Look how the public schools are today.
• Things have changed! Look at the television programs that are filled with ungodliness.
• Things have changed! Look at the terrorist threats to mankind.
We are living in a changing world. But in the light of all these changes, we as Christians are to remain STEDFAST in Christ!
Heb. 12:1 2, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The renewing of a steadfast lifestyle comes when we faithfully run the course that is set before us. Anyone who has ever done any track racing knows that when you run the course, you can not decide to take short cuts.
The same thing is true in this spiritual race that we are in, you can not take short cuts and maintain a good testimony.
Notice the Bible says, ”…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us…”
Look at the word “beset” this is the word “Euperistatos” (Pronouned as “Yoo-per-is'-tat-os”) It means “in every direction.”
God can not use a Christian that is going in every direction. He can only use a steadfast Christian that stays on course, day after day.
Let this year be the year we become more faithful, a year when we stand steadfast:
• In Christ
• In His Church
• And in His Word
Conclusion:
We as Christians have the opportunity and ability through Christ, to make this year A YEAR OF THE RENEWING of our minds, our strength and our steadfastness.
If God is gracious enough to give you a NEW YEAR, WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH IT.
You can waste it, but remember that at the judgment you will have to give account to God for wasting it.
You can take every precious day that God gives you and use it for His glory, and He will reward you for it.
I hope you will have a “HAPPY RENEW YEAR!”
I. WE NEED TO RENEW OUR MINDS
II. WE NEED TO RENEW OUR STRENGTH
III. WE NEED TO RENEW OUR STEADFASTNESS
