The Stroke Of The Clock

The Stroke of the Clock

Psalm 27:8 (and several others)

Introduction

- In the bulletin you will see the four pieces of scripture we’ll be looking at

- This morning we are going to conclude the message that we began on Wed eve

- Today, we find ourselves in the New Year facing many different challenges

- Often times reflect on what has gone on the past year, or what we’re facing now

- But this morning, I want us to consider (and focus) on what God needs from us

- Each day, we have an opportunity to seek the Lord and to serve Him

- Psa 27:8, “My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.”

- Resolutions come and go, but Jesus Christ will always remain the same

- He is the constant, He is the One we come to worship, and He is who we follow

- That is why our sign says, “Need a resolution? Repent and accept Jesus”

- It is a resolution that we can all gather behind, but there is more to be done

- Today, I want us to be encouraged AND prepared to face the New Year

- There are four passages of scripture this morning that are our focus

- Each verse has different applications to our lives; but they all tie together

- APP: We are called church to grow, to minister, and it must begin today

- Pray

- When we come to Christ, there are four things we must be involved in

Point 1 – To ask for His pardon

- Isa 55:6, “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”

- The first thing we must do when we come to Christ is to seek His forgiveness

- Each person must understand that it is to Christ that we owe our salvation (Why?)

Phil 2:6-11, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

- Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can come to Him to seek forgiveness

- The danger we run into is that we think we can work ourselves to be good enough

- But look at the text: Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be used” – it is not even something that He aspired to; nor should we as we live

-- Thus, we must put ourselves in a place of submission to His authority

-- It is Jesus that has done the work, and thus we submit to Him to submit to God

- APP: Before we can be used by God, we must submit ourselves to God

-- We must have His righteousness through Christ on our lives before we can work

- This is a critical point here, and where most believers are “stuck in neutral”

- When God calls us to be used by Him, there is an obligation to submit to Him

- And by submit, we are to come before Him and lay down our control/will

- Then, confess Him as Lord and ask for His forgiveness; it is not about our desire

- TRANS: Once He has made us right, our next point is to draw closer to Him

Point 2 – To draw closer to Him

- Psalm 105:4, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”

- We are called to draw closer to God always, seeking Him in prayer, worship, etc.

- In everything that we do, in everything that we attempt, we are to seek His face

-- 1 Chron 16:11 says, “Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.”

- What does seeking His face do for us? It allows us to focus on Him

- Think about the blinders on a horse; why are they there? (To narrow the view)

- If we are to get serious about God, we need to narrow our view to see Him

- We need to narrow our view as followers; we need to focus on God in all things

- Even when we don’t feel like it, we are called to seek Him and to want more