Approaching the New Year with a Godly Focus
Psalm 145:1-21
Introduction
- Lots of people celebrate New Year’s in different ways
-- And in addition of celebrating, sometimes we set new goals for ourselves
-- FACT: It is an opportunity for a new start; fresh ideas; even renewed vision
-- Over the next few weeks, the messages will be “centered” around this concept
- But … I’d like to emphasize something as we begin our new year
-- What we do not need is phony resolutions that never work (expound …)
-- As Christians our focus must be Jesus … (our task is) knowing/sharing Him
- However, admittedly, we do get distracted (it’s OK to admit this)
-- The purpose of God’s word is always to point us to the truth … why we’re here
-- So, prayerfully we will look for opportunity to really change in 2022
- Read Psalm 145 / Pray
- TR: So, let’s unpack what this says to us about our focus for the coming year
Point 1 – First, you must know Who you serve
- KEY: What the psalmist begins with is some incredible attributes of God
-- Sometimes we forget these ? especially when our focus is everywhere else
-- So, in this new year, maybe we need to remind ourselves to have equal footing
-- REM: He is creator, savior, provider, father, restorer, and healer …
- Look at how the psalmist declares who God is:
• Great is the Lord!
• He is worthy of praise!
• No one can measure His greatness!
• He has a majestic, glorious splendor – performs wonderful miracles
• His deeds are awe-inspiring; they will cause us to proclaim them
• He is merciful and compassionate; slow to anger; has unfailing love
• Showers compassion on all his creation
- But there is so much more … look at the response we should have:
• I will exalt you (calling Him God and King) (v1)
• I will praise your name forever and ever (v1)
• I will praise you every day (called to spend time) (v2)
• I will testify of your acts - proclaiming you to all who will listen (v7)
Challenge:
- If this should be the reaction of someone who knows the truth …
-- How can we possibly reduce God to such small importance in our life?
-- How can we not declare all that He is … even when we don’t feel like it?
-- Go deeper: How can we not share Him with people we rub elbows with?
- Look, we are not always going to get it right … but this one is self-evident!
-- We are called to testify because of what we know, because of who He is!
- TR: And how do we know more about Him?
Point 2 – God’s word must be our foundation
- What we need to remember, even as we begin a new year, is what we possess
-- The word of God, the very heart and promise of God, is in our hands
-- Yet we must be cautious not to boil it down to a “rule book” (avoid legalism)
- What we have is the very nature of the God we are called to serve and love
- Psalmist declares (v10): “… all of your works will thank you”
-- All of what works? That is all of us! We are His works, we are His masterpiece
-- Creation, universe, and us … and we get to tell the world about Him!
- Your testimony, the words that mark your life, are b/c of what He has done!
-- So, what if we changed our thinking? Consider this: (pause)
-- Instead of celebrating what we’ve done, we proclaim how good He is!
-- EX: Financial stability of the church, is it not Him who is leading/directing?
- REM: We are temporary, He is eternal (v13), we are here for a short time
-- Then what? Then we get to see Him face to face and celebrate His victory!
- TR: So, if God’s word is our foundation, what do we learn about living?
Point 3 – Jesus must be Lord of everything
- The secret to life is that the Lord is the one who does everything! (v14)
-- When we fall, He picks us up … when we are broken, He restores us
-- And yes, when we sin, He forgives us (and restores us)
- Our directive is to look to Him, as the deliverer of hope that we need (v15)
-- When in doubt, look to Jesus! Re: He is the reason we do what we do!
-- Rom 14:7-8, “For we don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
- Even when we are hungry, we go to Him for nourishment
-- EX: When we go with an open hand (v16) our hearts are also opened to receive
-- Receive what? The satisfaction of our true need being fulfilled!
- APP: When we are seeking Him, we place our trust, faith, and hope in Him
-- Jesus taught us in Matthew 6:33, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
-- Not in the trinkets of the world, but in the things that He already has for us
- Said at intro … we don’t need man-made resolutions that promise success & fail
-- To see more of God in 2022, we must seek more of Him daily (ref our v2)
TR: And if we live for Him, what do we obtain in return? We learn that …
Point 4 – Our identity is found in the Lord
- Because of who God is (righteous and faithful) our hope is grounded in Him
-- More specifically, he is close to all who call on Him “in truth” (v18)
-- What is that truth? Turn to and read John 1:1-14 … truth is who Jesus is!
-- And because He walks with us (v19), He grants our desires & hears our cries
- So many today are struggling because they feel alone, feel like outcasts
-- For some a new year is just another opportunity to fail; to be abandoned
-- Some believe that no one cares … but look: the Creator of the universe cares!
- Re-read v19 – this is critical … he hears AND re-read v20 … protects!
- APP: the one who came for us, who became the truth in the flesh, cares for you
-- Church, this is what ought to motivate us beyond the pew
-- It is how we draw people to the church because of what we’ve received
- If you have not received it, then I’m just going to tell you to stop missing it
-- Today can be the day for you – but for many, we don’t practice/live in this
-- Re: God gets the victory, even when there seems to be no way to win (v20b)
- Our missing (always esp. in the new year) is to tell others about what we know
-- Considering we just finished Advent series, what do we know?
-- John 1:4, “The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.”
-- FACT: It is because of what God did that you and I have light (light = life)
-- AP: Which means our identity, who we really are, is found in Him
- TR: So, how should we live this year?
Big Idea
- Last verse is our direction: Psalm 145:21, “I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.”
- When it comes to the “New Year”:
- What if we stopped looking for a magic pill and focused on God’s truth?
- What if we devoted ourselves to loving God and wanting to see Him work?
- What if (hang with me) we focused on loving people like God loved us?
- Look, we’ve had a tough 2020 (and even tough 2019) … but …
- Here is what I know: God is not done with you and I yet!
- You want something tangible to hold onto in 2022? He is still Lord!
-- Maybe we should put aside our wants and ask:
• “Lord, what would you have me do?”
• “Lord, how can I serve you?”
• “Lord, how can I worship you?”
-- If our identity is found in Him, shouldn’t our life reflect where our hope is?
- Pray
** General outline provided from Nelson's Annual Preacher's Sourcebook, 2016
