New Year, New Beginnings
Various Scriptures
Introduction
Well, here we are, on the brink of a brand new year, and for you purists out there, a new millenium.
As is traditional for this time, we take time to reflect on the last year, and to make promises to do better this year.
This morning I want to look at three areas of life we can have new beginnings in for this coming year.
My purpose this morning is to give you some guidance and hope as we begin this new chapter.
First, we have…
I. New Opportunities.
Please turn with me to Ephesians 5:15-17 and follow along as I read.
Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
Pretty straightforward, wouldn’t you say? Can anyone tell me the days are not evil? Can anyone tell me there is no need to live wisely?
We need to make the most of every opportunity, and I think there are at least three opportunities available to everyone of us here today.
The first is…
A. A Deeper Walk with God.
The only way I know to get this is spelled TIME. Time in the Word of God. Time in prayer. Time in worship and fellowship with other believers in Christ.
TIME is the all-important.
Let me caution you against something. Stay away from the mindset that says, “I’ll get with God when I find the time.”
The truth is, folks, you’ll rarely, if ever FIND the time. We need to MAKE time to get things done, and that includes spending time with God.
Make some definite plans to set aside time for God and His people.
The second opportunity is for…
B. Healing of relationships.
Please listen as I read a couple of Scriptures that I think will illustrate what I hope to communicate here.
The first is 1 John 3:18 –
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
The phrase, “easier said than done” comes to mind here for me.
It is easy to say you love someone, but it is an entirely different thing to show it in a way that really communicates it.
Ask God to show you how you can show love in specific ways to someone you love. I have no idea what God would have you to do.
It might be helping or assisting in some way. It might be by curbing your tongue, or checking your attitude.
It might be by stopping someone from hurting themselves.
The possibilities are endless.
The second passage of Scripture comes from 1 Corinthians 13, familiar to most if not all of us. –
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
If your relationship with someone you love is marred, this might be a great place to start looking for the cause, and ultimately, the healing.
One thing God is really working on me is how I talk to my boys. I tend to be a bit harsh with them sometimes.
I tend to forget that love is patient and kind. I forget that 4-year old and 8-year old boys can’t make more mature decisions about keeping their room clean and not playing in such a way that won’t break a window.
I have had to ask their forgiveness more than once, not for what I said, but for how I said it, and for sometimes expecting too much.
Which brings up something else I have mentioned before.
One way to bridge the gap and restore a loving relationship is to extend forgiveness before you are asked to, and even if you don’t think you are the one in the wrong.
Take the initiative to restore. It is always “your turn” to work for healing.
The third opportunity we will look at this morning is the opportunity for…
C. Service to God and man.
Galatians 6:9-10 says this:
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Just as we saw in 1 John about loving with actions and truth, we see here that we need to keep doing it, and to not give up.
We reflect the love of Christ for people when we treat them with love and respect, doing good for people.
Is it any wonder that some of the biggest success stories among the church of God are those in the inner cities that minister the homeless and to the gangs and such?
People are coming to Christ left and right, and their lives are being cleaned up from drugs and violence.
Why do you think that is? I think it has something to do with the fact that these people understand that to minister effectively to the soul, the bodily needs have to be met many times.
We get so comfortable in our middle class lifestyles we forget there are people here in Aberdeen that are starving for food and attention.
God, open our eyes, our hearts, and our pocketbooks to see the hurting around us.
But to be truly effective in the long-term, we need to be equipped. Listen as I read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. –
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
We become to minister effectively by using the Word of God as our guide.
And it is most effective when the Bible is more than a reference, or “how-to” book, but when it is so much a part of you as a person that you instinctively act toward others in a Biblical manner.
Brian, you said the opportunity was to serve God and man. So far you’ve spent a bunch of time telling us about how to serve men, but what about God?
Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew?
`I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Ladies and gentlemen, I think this church is on the brink of doing some great and mighty things for the kingdom of God.
But are we going to allow God to do what He needs to do IN us so He can work THROUGH us? That is up to you and me.
I think we all want God to bring us new opportunities for service to Him.
Next, we look at the new year as a time to make…
II. New Commitments.
By this I am NOT saying new resolutions. To me, the word resolution is just another word for failure, as it relates to new year goals.
I want to focus on one commitment we all need to make every year, and this will not be a surprise to anyone, I’m sure.
Listen to the words of Jesus in Mark 12:28-31. –
One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
I see three ways to help us get a stronger grasp on loving God with our whole being:
A. LOOK to Jesus.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says this:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We need to focus on Him as we go through life.
We are all aware how easy it is to focus on everything else – finances, whether good are bad, health, our careers, whatever.
But I have found that if I focus on Him instead, the other stuff tends to fall into place.
I have seen Him do it in my life, and I am confident many of you can say the same thing.
We focus on Christ by saturating our lives with His Word, spending time in prayer, and spending time with His people.
Any of that sound familiar?
B. WALK with the Spirit.
Listen to Galatians 5:25 –
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Guess how we keep in step with the Spirit?
That’s right – TIME.
C. RUN to win.
Turn with me if you will to 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
The key part of this passage for me is this: Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
When setting goals for this new year, especially in the area of deepening your walk with God, don’t set yourself up for failure.
A great goal for just about anybody is to read through the Bible this year. Reading an average of 4 chapters a day will get you through in a year.
But maybe if you are not much of a reader, your goal should read the New Testament this next year, which you can do by reading about 1 chapter a day.
If you are not used to spending time with God in prayer, you probably should not begin by deciding to spend 2 hours a day in prayer.
Work up to that if that is really something God is laying on your heart.
My point here is that you don’t want to set expectations that are unrealistic.
Set yourself up to win.
Some of you know that I will be working part-time out the office as a satellite location for my employers in Brookings, selling office furniture.
My bosses in Brookings sent up a new copier and fax machine. They are paying to have a fax line installed and internet access and e-mail so we can communicate and place orders and such.
They have given me a company van to use for them. They are getting business cards made up for me.
They are keeping me on their health insurance so I can focus on work and not my prescriptions.
The long and short of it is, they are setting me up to win.
And in my walk with Christ and my ministry, I want to win.
Lastly, I want to look at having a…
III. New Life.
A new year is a great time to begin a walk with God if you haven’t already, and to begin a deeper walk if you are already in Christ.
But I want to begin by talking first about starting a…
A. New life in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come.
In Christ, you have the opportunity to become an entirely new person.
It may not always look or feel like it, but it is true. God replaces the old person with a brand-new one.
And the main change is in your status for eternity.
Here’s what I mean: when you don’t have Christ as your personal Savior, you status is that of “sinner.”
You are outside of God’s provision for heaven, destined for eternity apart from God in hell. Not pretty to talk about, but it is the truth.
But when you do have Christ as Savior, your status becomes that of “saved.”
You are no longer under the penalty of sin. You have a place reserved for you in heaven, and God places His Holy Spirit in you to give you new life.
That is what Jesus came to earth to accomplish for us.
You can begin your new life in Him this morning by praying to Him to forgive your sins and giving you eternal life, which He bought for you with His blood on that cross.
But if you have that settled, then maybe it’s time for the next step, starting…
B. A new life in the Spirit.
What do you mean, Brian? I will explain as we look at three passages of Scripture from Romans.
Don’t worry this won’t take too long, I promise.
First, turn with me to Romans 7:14-24.
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
RO 7:21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
If you are anything like me, you agonize over the disparity between how we SHOULD act and how we DO act. We groan about being a Christian and yet failing. What can we do?
The answer is in chapter 8, verses 5-6:
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
The answer is to set our minds on what the Spirit desires. How do we do that?
Any guesses? TIME.
But here is the final step. Turn to chapter 12,verses 1-2:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The time comes when every Christian needs to make a decision. Whether to live for Christ or to live for themselves.
This Scripture tells us that we need to consecrate ourselves to Him by offering it all to Him.
Our minds, our work, or families, everything.
When we consecrate ourselves to Him, He works to make us holy, moving us toward a perfect love for God, and turning our desires away from sin and to glorifying God in all aspects of our lives.
If you are tired of defeat, today is the perfect opportunity to start a new life in the Spirit.
Conclusion
I said earlier this month that it should be your goal this Christmas season to be able to say on December 26th that you are closer to Jesus than you have ever been.
I don’t know about you, but I could not say that. I did not do what it takes to deepen my walk with God to that point.
I simply let other things get in the way.
But not the next time. Because I am covenanting with God to live for Him and be available to Him like never before.
I am making measurable and reachable goals for myself that will make me stretch.
And I will be accountable to the Board to check my progress.
I would invite you to make some goals and make yourself accountable to someone to check up with you to see how you are doing.
Invitation
I want to close with two invitations this morning.
First, if you don’t know Christ as your personal Savior this morning, I would invite you to give yourself to Him this morning, allowing Him to give you a new life on earth, and the promise of an eternal home in heaven.
We are going to pray in just a few moments if you want to do that.
Second, if you have Christ as your Savior but are tired of living in defeat, I would invite you to lay your life on the altar of God today in your heart.
Are you tired of just going through the motions? Let’s covenant together to yield ourselves completely to God.
Consecrate yourself to Him and His service, allowing Him to fill you with His Holy Spirit, enabling you to love Him more perfectly.
We will pray about that as well.
I would ask for every head bowed and every eye closed as we pray. And after we pray I would like you to stay with heads bowed and eyes closed for a moment.
Let’s pray.
With heads bowed, if you prayed with me to take Jesus as your Savior this morning, would you do me the favor of lifting you hand high so I can see it, I want to pray for you this week.
Also, if you prayed to offer your body as a living sacrifice today, giving it all over to Jesus, would you lift your hand as well so I can pray for you?
Thank you.
And now may God bless you abundantly more than you can ask or imagine in this coming year.
You are dismissed.
