Since The Party's Over

INTRO.- ILL.- On New Year’s Eve, Daniel was in no shape to drive, so he sensibly left his van in the car park and walked home. As he was wobbling along, he was stopped by a policeman. ’What are you doing out here at four o’clock in the morning?’ asked the police officer.

’I’m on my way to a lecture,’ answered Roger. ’And who on earth, in their right mind, is going to give a lecture at this time on New Year’s Eve?’ enquired the officer sarcastically.

’My wife,’ slurred Daniel grimly.

Yeah, I bet he was going to get a lecture and then some. And he needed it too. He should have been home with his wife.

Did you have a new year’s eve party? Did you enjoy it? Stay up until midnight? What new year’s eve party? Not for Elaine and me. We don’t party much these days. In fact, we can’t stay up that late. I love early morning so my nights are not much. Certainly not late.

The party is over. The old year is gone. It’s a done deal. Whatever has been done is done. Whatever we failed to do is water under the bridge. But it’s time to think again, rearrange some things and get our act together.

ILL.- We’ve all heard about that rich dude, Bernard Madoff, who ’made off’ with 50 billion dollars that belonged to people, even seemingly smart people that should have known better. But if you trust the devil he’ll take you to the cleaners.

Whether we realize it or not, we’ve all "made off" with God’s precious time in our lives. We’ve stolen time (if not money) from God for our selfish pleasures rather than giving it to Him.

ILL.- A man named Horn said: Neighbors of ours had a terrible disagreement over a patio they wanted for their backyard. The wife had rather grand ideas, while the husband wanted costs kept to a minimum. The wife won out, and the construction bill climbed higher and higher.

I dropped by one day, when the patio was near completion, and was surprised to find the husband smiling from ear to ear as the workmen smoothed over the surface. I remarked how nice it was to see a grin replace the frown he had been wearing lately.

“You see where they’re smoothing that cement?” he replied. “I just threw my wife’s credit cards in there.”

I suspect that God would like to do that to some people today. We’ve all been guilty of poor stewardship with God’s money, which He gives to us AND with the time He gives to us. HOWEVER, IN 2009 WE NEED TO DO SOME THINGS DIFFERENTLY. We should want to please God more than anyone in the new year!

II Cor. 5:9 "So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it."

What a goal to have in life! It should be for us who are in Christ.

PROP.- Since the party’s over, let’s attend to business, some spiritual business in the new year more than we ever have.

1- Get more spiritual

2- Reach more people

3- Perform more service

I. GET MORE SPIRITUAL

II Pet. 3:17-18 "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

We all need to grow in grace and in the Lord more than anything else in this new year. We need His grace for living. God’s grace not only saves us but also blesses us in all ways in life: grace to endure trials, grace to overcome obstacles, grace to empower us, etc.

While multitudes of people are infatuated with Hollywood stars we need to infatuated with our God and Savior! And with the stars of the Bible!

Wouldn’t it be great if we could walk with God like Enoch of old who walked with God? Of course, many people think that walking with God or having a better relationship to Him would spoil their fun.

Many people want the best of both worlds but it doesn’t work that way so many people choose the world over Christ and His church. HOWEVER, WE NEED TO GET MORE SPIRITUAL IN 2009.

What do you need to do to get more spiritual? And what do you need to quit to get more spiritual?

ILL.- A young man at a New Year’s party turns to his friend and asks for a cigarette. ’I thought you made a New Year’s resolution to quit smoking,’ his friend says.