New Year Resolutions
Notes
Transcript
New Year Resolutions
New Year Resolutions
Happy New Year! We made it! Thank you Father for bringing us here today. You know, for some of us the past year has been full of great moments. New births, healing, restoration, overcoming hurdles, and some are experiencing God in a deeper way. We have celebrated these things as brothers and sisters in Christ. Sharing in the joy, wonders, and gifts of grace from above. For some, the past year has been filled with pain, depression, loss, and struggles.
We have done our best to come up beside one another during these times. Praying with and for one another, helping to carry one another’s burdens, encouraging, edifying, and grieving at times with each-other. Some of us are looking at the past few years and asking “What happened!” Almost like the scariest roller coaster ride we have ever been on, fearing what may be around the next corner, closing our eyes and hoping for the best.
As we enter this New Year, 2023, take heart knowing that we are working toward the upward call of Jesus Christ. Let’s consider some Biblical goals for the new year that will improve our spiritual life, and bring us into closer relationship with Abba and with others.
The Apostle Paul lays out some incredible resolutions, commitments, that radically change the lives of those who put them into practice. These three commitments require something of us though: to set aside the pride, to set aside ego, and to humble ourselves, like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ did. Let’s look at the first commitment.
Commit to Forget the Failures!
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
It is important to understand the next few verses in the context of this verse. The Apostle Paul is openly claiming that he is far from perfect. Brothers and sisters, that gives me hope in my own walk. When the Apostle Paul declares he is not perfect, but presses on toward perfection in the Lord, I do not feel like such a miserable failure! He does not make excuses for his failures, but he continues to improve, just as we should commit to doing.
When the Apostle talks about being possessed by Christ, he is talking about his road to Damascus experience. All believers have a road to Damascus type experience. At some point, Christ entered your hearts. The light came on, and you experienced Holy Spirit alive within you. Recognizing our imperfection is to recognize our dependence on Him. This is a sign of a mature believer. Realizing that we do not give up on pressing toward perfection in Christ means that we know we depend on Him to show us the way to live through Him. Look at what the Apostle tells us next:
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
Wow. I am not sure there is a more fitting Word from God as we enter the new year. I know there are so many of us who see ourselves as having failed someone or something this past year. The truth is that most of us have failed at something this past year.
Our failures and perceived failures evoke painful memories within us. Maybe you feel as though you have failed a child. Perhaps you think you have failed a parent. Maybe failed in a relationship with a friend or a loved one. Maybe you feel as though you have failed yourself. Sometimes what seems like one bad decision after another. I know that most of us at some point feel we have failed God.
I also know that some of you are taking responsibility for a failures that are not yours. That you have no control over. Let me ask you this morning, and be honest with yourself, how much control do you have over the situation you are not forgiving yourself for? If it is out of your control, then stop blaming yourself. If it is within your control, then do something about it.
Your failures in this life are not a prison, nor does God want you to be a captive to anything except to Him, especially your failures. I got stuck on this verse, as I often do. When Paul says “Forgetting.” I asked myself “if I forget my mistakes how can I learn from them?” See, Paul is not telling us to forget them in that respect.
That word forgotten in the Greek means to let go of it and stop dwelling on it. Once we have learned from a mistake or a failure, our behaviors change, and those failures do not continue to occur. When we talk about our failures, there are a few questions we should be able to answer “yes” to are: “Have I done what I can to correct my mistake?” Have I sought forgiveness? Have I repented? Have I tried to make amends? Once you have done all that you can do, there is nothing left you can do except let God do what God does.
Your failures are not your master, Jesus Christ is your master. Look to Jesus Christ! Kingdom life is what lies ahead for all who believe! Christ’s first utterance from the cross was: “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do!” He forgives you, it is time to forgive yourself. Stop torturing yourself, forgive yourself, move on, and do the work of the kingdom. Do not be imprisoned by your failures, remember, Jesus Christ came to set the captives free!
The second resolution or commitment I present for your consideration is:
2. Commit to Give up Your Grudges
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
I looked for a loophole for this one.I looked through every version of the Bible I have, the Greek Texts, the KJV, NLT, NIV, NKJV, ESV, LMNOP, and I found that every version issues this as a command. It does not say “You should consider,” or “think about,” or “it may be a good idea.” It says “BEAR WITH EACH OTHER AND FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER.” It is expected. This is forbearance, enduring one another. Holding back, refraining, putting up with, exhibiting self-control. Every single person here and online has something about them that others have to forbear. Just like you have your failings, so does everybody else.
Everyone is guilty of… some weakness, some unattractive behavior, some wrong behavior, some mistreatment, some neglect, some failure, some bad habit, some irritating behavior. Any person can be looked at and have their flaws picked out. The Word of God commands us to clothe ourselves in forbearance.
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.
Grudges are dangerous because they are destructive.
Grudges destroy marriages.
Grudges break up families.
Grudges ruin friendships.
Grudges split churches.
I am honest enough to say that one of the problems of the Church in general is the grudges that Christians hold against one another. It boggles my mind and it breaks my heart how many believers absolutely refuse to work out their grievances with one another in a Christ like manner. Holding grudges and un-forgiveness are the antithesis, opposite, to the message of the cross. If you are holding on to a grudge this morning, God has something to say to you. “Give it up.”
I remember a particular situation where I refused to talk to or even acknowledge someone who had wronged me. I mean, just the thought of hearing their voice or looking at them was like nails across a chalkboard. So, as I was sitting in my own misery about this person, blood pressure up, grinding my teeth, really battling if I wanted to talk to them or not, I caught an image of Jesus, on the cross, battered and pulverized, look at me and say “Tell me more about your spirit of unforgiveness.” Message recieved.
The individual and l did not become good friends, but I learned to make allowances for their faults, and they made allowances for my faults. Forgiveness is not condoning a behavior or saying what happened is okay. Forgiveness has nothing to do with our feelings either. Forgiveness in it’s simplest form is giving up the right to get even. Forgiveness is all about the will of God.
I matured in my walk as a result. And I was freed from the crushing burden of a bitterness that started to become a hatred. I am telling you, a root of bitterness will grow into something ugly that is not of the LORD. That kind of bad fruit has no place in the believers life.
Some of you need to forgive a grievance you have against a spouse.
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 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 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? The LORD commands it.
The third resolution or commitment we should commit to is...
3. Commit to Restore Your Relationships
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
The cause of conflict must not arise from a believer. You are to do everything within your power to bring peace and to keep peace. Just a reminder that if you are waiting for the other person to come to you to work it out, Jesus told us something different.
15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.
Notice that Jesus places the imperative on YOU to go, he does not say to wait for them to come to you.
The Lord wants us to do everything we can to restore any relationships that may have gone wrong in our lives.
Some relationships might have gone wrong in our lives because of what other people have done and they might not want that relationship restored.
God recognizes that. Looking back at Romans 12:18...
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
That is why he starts by saying “If its possible”
But let’s be honest some of our relationships have gone wrong because of what we have done
When God’s word says here as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” it is saying if you have caused a rift in a relationship then you have a responsibility to do everything you can to restore it.
That everything includes the one thing we all probably find most difficult, asking for forgiveness.
I am sure that I am not the only person who finds it hard to say “I am sorry” to the people I am closest to.
I wonder how many relationships remain broken or are not all they should be or could be simply because someone won’t say
“I was wrong,
I am sorry,
will you forgive me”
I am certain that some of us need to ask forgiveness for “ harsh words and cutting remarks” that have really wounded others. As believers, we must do these things. We are bought and paid for by the blood of the Perfect Lamb. There should not be another option.
We are going to take communion on this first day of the New Year. The Apostle Paul tells us that we are to examine ourselves before taking Holy Communion.
28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup.
29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself.
As we take communion, I ask that you meditate upon His Word and go to Him in personal prayer. That you bring your heart before the Father, that you honor and remember Christ going into this day and every day after. Commit to him that you will forget the failures, that you will forgive those grievances you have held onto, and that you will commit to restoring relationships in so much that you are able. Will you come and receive Him?