The New Year For Our Church

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

Let’s be honest for a moment. How many of you kept to the diet throughout 2022? How many of you actually kept exercising past February? This year I am determined it's going to be different. I have made a New Years' resolution I can keep. I have decided to eat more and exercise less.

This morning I want to talk to you about some resolutions, that will make a radical difference in our lives and our church. I want to challenge you to make 4 new commitments for this New Year.

I. Commit Yourself to Forget Your Failures

Brothers, I do not consider myself as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13–14)

The power of the Gospel is that we do not have to live imprisoned by our past.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

Sin is like a prison. The person living in sin feels encaged by that sin and will always long for the freedom that is available beyond the prison walls. Simply put, sin is not a good place to be.

Because sin feeds off the flesh, when a person is entangled by sin, that person will not recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit because the Spirit and the flesh are not in agreement with each other. Those who live by the Spirit walk in step with the Spirit and those who walk in the flesh live according to the flesh

“So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)

Discussion: What are some ways Crossway Christian Fellowship can help set prisoners free this year?

and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32)

II. Commit Yourself to Give Up Your Grudges

So, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and graciously forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord graciously forgave you, so also should you. (Colossians 3:12–13)

Did you catch that challenge? God in those words is challenging us to give up our grudges. That is what he means when he says to forgive each other whatever quarrels you may have against one another. I want to challenge you to be a person of grace.

?As each one has received a gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10)

A grudge is a deep ongoing resentment that we cultivate in our hearts against someone else. A grudge is an unforgiving spirit that leads to unforgiving attitudes and unforgiving actions.

Harboring a grudge is about nursing a dislike for someone. What you need to know is that grudges are dangerous because they are destructive. Grudges destroy marriages. Grudges break up families. Grudges ruin friendships. Grudges split churches.

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for building up what is needed, so that it will give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this, all will know that you are My disciples if you have a love for one another.” (John 13:34–35)

I am absolutely certain that there are people here who need to give up their grudges and forgive the grievance they have against someone else. Some of you need to forgive the grievance you have against your parents for what they did or didn’t do. Some of you need to forgive your children for the same reason. Some of you need to forgive a partner for emotional or physical abuse. Some of you need to give up the grudge you have against someone at work because of the way they have treated you. Some of you need to give up the grudge that stems from an argument you had with someone. Some of you maybe even need to give up the grudges you have against other people in this congregation. God says that that deep-seated resentment you have against that person has to go. What better time to make that difficult decision to forgive than the start of a new year?

if possible, so far as it depends on you, being at peace with all men, (Romans 12:18)

God is challenging us to do all we can to restore our relationships. Some relationships might have gone wrong in our lives because of what other people have done and they might well not want that relationship restored. That is why he starts by saying “If it's possible” But some of our relationships have gone wrong because of what we have done.