Starting The New Year Off Right

12/27/2009

Starting the New Year off Right

Philippians 3:13-14

Philippians 3:13-14

Introduction

We are 5 days away from the New Year.

For some, swinging into the new year will be easy.

Because there will not be anything different.

Not expecting anything different.

Not attempting anything different.

Not willing to do anything different.

Guess what It won’t be different.

9 years ago we were in the same spot?

Remember we were going into 2000. Remember the Y2K dilemma?

The computers were supposed to shut down, they would lose all the vital information.

National security was at threat.

Bad people would get our information and steal our identity.

They were building bomb shelters, they were getting survival supplies, because it would end as we know it.

I was in the propane business as a bi-vocational pastor and they were buying propane heaters because they feared the electric would be off for a long time. (They got ingenious when they believed there was a need to change what they were doing.)(After it was over, the same ingenious ones wanted to bring back all those supplies.)

They knew they could not do the same thing and expect a different outcome.

Apostle Paul tells us to forget those things that are in our past, those things that hinder us and press forward to achieve the goal that Jesus Christ has won for us.

He says that he has not quite got there yet, that’s comforting to know that the great Apostle has some bugs that he needed to work out in his life.

The one thing that I should point out is that he said that after he was determined that Christ was going to be first in his life.

Phil. 3:7- Read from Bible

“But what ever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

(V10) “ I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Let’s face it;

Most of us are on overload

We are committed to things we really don’t need, and we are not committed to the things that could change our lives.

We get caught up with the here and now, and we fail to deal with things eternal.

There are only 365 days in a year. 8760 hours this year.

when you figure if you get 8 hours of sleep a day, you can take off 2920 for maintenance and strength. I’m 52 years old- I have lived a little over 19,000 days so far. If I live to 70 years, I hope I live longer, but that would mean roughly 6600 days left. 2/3 of my life is behind me. I can either look behind with regret, or I can look ahead and plan what I will do with the remaining days. I choose , and so should you to decide what you are going to do with what is left.

Illustration-

Optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year come in- the pessimist stays up to make sure the old one leaves. Bill Vaughan.

“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”

Here is the question to ask yourself.

1. Have I made he most of every opportunity?

2. Have I realized that life is short, and use my time wisely?

3. Do I understand what the :Lord’s will is for my life?

Because you are sitting in church this morning, I am praying right off

“Your relationship with the Lord is first in your life.

It comes before scheduling.

It affects my decisions.

It goes before and ahead of other relationships.

It beats the Sunday kickoff. He will be first

“Life is what happens to you while you are making plans to do something else.”

If you are a Christian this morning, you need to be reminded of that.

If you are not a Christian today, you need to understand that that is the first step of starting this new year right. It keeps you from just getting one year older.

Okay, here we go. Some thoughts to get 2010 off on the right path.

I. Commit to give up un-forgiveness

Ouch “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” Col. 3:13.

God challenges us to personally forgive so we can move on.

That baggage is what most people take to the new year; old stuff in a new bag, into a new year.

un-forgiveness is resentment we have in our hearts against others.