Resolutions…
2 Corinthians 13:5-9
I have mentioned to you in the past that I am not much for New Years resolutions. Maybe it is because I have a history of not keeping them. For me a resolution is ether too easy to too hard. I could make a resolution to not start smoking…pretty easy for me. Mainly because I never started. For someone else it might be almost impossible to stop smoking. For them it is too hard. Loosing weight, very hard for me.
Resolutions are not supposed to be a since of failure they are supposed to be a basis for a new start.
I saw a recent article that listed the five most popular resolutions made most every year. The 5th was to take up a new hobby, the 4th was to make more money, the 3rd most popular resolution was to improve relationships, the 2nd was to stop smoking, and the most popular New Years resolution, you guessed it, losing weight.
=A woman walked into her bathroom at home. As she did, she saw her husband weighing himself on the bathroom scales, sucking in his stomach. The woman thought to herself, "He thinks that he will weigh less by sucking in his stomach." So, the woman rather sarcastically said to her husband, "That’s not going to help." Her husband said, "Sure it will. It’s the only way I can see the numbers."
Often this time of year, after the overindulgence of the holidays we make resolutions to change our habits and often our way of life. A new year gives us an opportunity to start fresh and better ourselves. But come the middle of January we somehow forget our resolutions and go back to our old ways.
I heard about a man who moved into a retirement community to spend the rest of his life there. It wasn’t long until he had made a number of friends among the other residents. There was one lady he was especially attracted to, & she was attracted to him, also. So they spent a lot of time together. Finally one evening he proposed, asking her to marry him.
The next morning he woke up remembering his proposal, but he couldn’t remember her answer. So he went to her & said, "I’m really embarrassed. I proposed to you last night but I can’t remember if you said `Yes’ or `No."’ "Oh, thank goodness!" she replied. "I remembered saying `Yes’ but I couldn’t remember who asked me."
It is so easy to forget the commitments and resolutions we make at New Year’s.
Why do you think we forget or let it drop. Isn’t it because it is usually personal. Normally it only hurt’s ourselves.
I thought this week about why we make resolutions anyway. I guess for one thing it is tradition. But I will throw that one out on a technicality. I was not around when the practice became common. So I tried to think of a reason why I ever tried to keep one. I decided that it was because the New year brings new hope. Maybe another way we see it. Our culture lets us claim a do over. You know, when boys are playing sand lot baseball and the swing is wild and he shouts “do over” I think golfers call it a mulligan when they hut the wall off into the woods.
IT seems the new year brings an annual moment in time when anyone can wipe the personal failures of the year off the slate. Fore most it is a time of Goal setting. To do better or start something new. I am sure that some are able to keep the goal. They are able to make some personal improvement.
However I am afraid that most end up feeling a since of failure. It is usually fairly easy to forget it and move on perhaps just claiming that we will get to it later.
Let me read the scripture today:
2 Corinthians 13:5-9
13:6 And I hope that you will realize that we have not failed the test!7 13:7 Now we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong, not so that we may appear to have passed the test,8 but so that you may do what is right9 even if we may appear to have failed the test.10 13:8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the sake of the truth. 13:9 For we rejoice whenever we are weak, but you are strong. And we pray for this: that you may become fully qualified.11
Today being New Year’s day, we are at the perfect day when we can evaluate where we are. In Our relationship with Jesus Christ. Look at where we are as individuals and as a church to see where we are in the whole process.
Folks, this world lives on the principal of Dog eat Dog. The survival of the fittest and the values that are celebrated as success tend to be the opposite of the values that a Christian should hold personally. There is no doubt that we must survive in the world, however because of our family relationship we must live like children of the king. We need to understand the differences expected do not separate us from the world they allow us to mirror hope to thoes that are having to live a life separated from the people around them.
Do you understand that as Christians we are all connected and is tted of being individuals looking out for ourselves. Our Goal is all for one and one for all. Isn’t that the philosophy of Jesus Christ. He was the one for all. And our role is the all for one.
So this morning is the perfect time to review.
How are you doing on your personal journey?
How are you dealing with prejudice…Race, sex, lawyers, divorce, Mexican, trailer trash.
How are you doing in helping the poor?
How are you doing with your personal time with God, prayer, study, forgiveness?
How are you doing in your ministry? Yes, Your ministry! When you were baptized you were marking your personal start of Christian service sharing the Good news…
How well are you doing in the sharing of the Good News?
I don’t know about you..But, even this short list reminds me of the need to refresh my personl commitment to Jesus Christ.
But let’ s review where we are as a church…
How about our openness to outsiders….our resistance to any form of prejust….
How about helping the poor...?
How about our worship and study experiences?
Are we doing the right ministries?
Are we sharing the good News…..?
Folks, If we are weak in our personal abilities them our collective church abilities are going to be limited.
I think there is an advantage when we make resolutions as a church. Because they are for the common good and for the God of Jesus Christ….we probably have a much larger resolve to keep the promises or choices. Folks, What I am saying as a church we are much better Christians because we help each other to be accountable because of mutual expectation and encouragement.
But, over time it is all too easy to forget. It is too easy to claim that you did your part, to loose sight of the real goal drift off the path. We think awe are ok, things are getting done however, we can loose the outside ministries of the church.
Today I want for us to have a resolution service….really John Wesley called it a Covenant Renewal service.
WESLEYAN COVENANT SERVICE - 2006
