New Commitments for the New Year

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, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

SLIDE: Word of God for People of God

SLIDE: WELCOME HOME

For those of you joining us on the internet this is Curry’s Chapel Church in Greenfield, Indiana. And I am pastor Rich Bailey. Thanks for joining us.

Welcome Home!

SLIDE: Sermon Title

Introduction

Well it’s that time of year again when in a fit of optimism many of us make great promises to ourselves about what we are going to do in the New Year many we usually abandon about the second week in January.

Let’s be honest now.

How many of you kept to the diet?

How many of you actually kept exercising past February?

Well this year I am determined its going to be different.

I have made a New Years resolutions I know I will be able to keep for the whole of 2023.

I have decided to eat more and exercise less.

Now I believe I'll be able to keep that kind of resolution.

But seriously!

This morning I want to talk to you about some resolutions, some commitments which I guarantee you, will make a radical difference in our lives if we will just follow through on them.

In fact, what I want to do is to offer to you a way of starting the New Year in a way which will significantly change your life.

Here is what I want to suggest to you: If you will make four commitments that God in His Word encourages us to make, I guarantee you that the start of 2023 could become one of the most significant events in your life.

In fact, I tell you that if you will follow God’s advise, that 2023 could be the best year of your life thus far.

I want to challenge you to make 4 new commitments for this New Year.

Here they are:

First

SLIDE: 1st: FORGET YOUR FAILURES

1: COMMIT YOURSELF TO FORGET YOUR FAILURES

Philippians 3:13–14 (NLT)

That advise from God’s Word has stood the test of time.

I don’t know of any more relevant and practical advise for us at the start off 2023, then that advise that I have just read to you.

We don't have to live our lives imprisoned by our past.

All of us have failed in some way in our lives over the last year.

Probably we won’t see our failures recorded for history on TV, but they are recorded in our hearts and minds.

For many of us our failures are painful memories.

Maybe for you it is a memory of how you failed in a relationship.

You made the wrong decisions,

said or did the wrong things and the relationship ended.

It’s more than likely that many of us know that we have failed ourselves in some ways.

SLIDE: ALL HAVE FAILED

And all of us should know that in some way we have failed God.

What God’s Word is saying to us here is that we must NOT allow ourselves to be bogged down by our past failures.

We don’t have to dwell on our past, so much that it stops us from moving forward into the future that God has for us.

I think that the start of the New Year is a good time for us to rise to that challenge.

THAT IS: Say to yourself I am going to, with the help of God, forget my past.

I am going to stop torturing myself about what I did or didn’t do.

This New Year is a good time to stop being chained to our past failures.

God is saying here, that he doesn’t want you to go through your life branding yourself as a failure.

SLIDE: FORGIVEN

Jesus Christ died on the cruel Cross of Calvary so that we could be forgiven

When we become Christians that forgiveness becomes a REALITY in our lives.

When we have received Christ’s forgiveness it allows us to forgive ourselves and forget our failures.

Maybe you need to do that right here this morning

Maybe you need to accept Jesus’ forgiveness and then forgive yourself? EFFECTIVELY YOU CANNOT FORGIVE OTHERS IF YOU CANNOT FORGIVE YOURSELF.

The second commitment for 2023 is

SLIDE: 2nd: GIVE UP YOUR GRUDGES

2: COMMIT YOURSELF TO GIVE UP YOUR GRUDGES

I want you to listen to these words from the book of Colossians because in them you’ll hear the second challenge I believe God wants us to rise to if you want to make 2023 a significant turning point in your life

Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Did you catch that challenge?

SLIDE: God’s Challenge to give up GRUDGES

God in those words is challenging us directly and personally to give up our grudges. That is what he means when he says forgive each other whatever quarrels you may have against one another.

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.

Now I know you know what I am talking about.

Harboring a grudge is about nursing a dislike for someone.

SLIDE: GRUDGES DESTROY

What you need to know is that grudges are dangerous because they are destructive.

ADVANCE: MARRIAGES

Grudges destroy marriages.

ADVANCE: FAMILIES

Grudges break up families.

ADVANCE: FRIENDSHIPS

Grudges ruin friendships.

ADVANCE: CHURCHES

AND: Grudges split churches.

Let’s be honest enough to admit that one of the problems of the Church in general is the grudges that Christians hold against one another.

I want to tell you this morning that if you know you are holding a grudge against someone then God has something to say to you.

He says “give it up.”

SLIDE: GRUDGES ARE SELF DESTRUCTIVE

I want to remind you that grudges are not just destructive they are also self-destructive. When you hold a grudge against someone you will hurt yourself as much and perhaps more than you will hurt the person you are holding it against.

As I was preparing for this sermon

I read a tragic example of just how destructive grudges are.

A man was killed by a parcel bomb and then a couple committed suicide a week later. It turned out that the couple who had committed suicide had sent the bomb because of a grudge that the man had against his intended victim that stretched all the way back to school.

Ultimately that man’s grudge destroyed his victims life.

And then it destroyed him and his wife's life to.

Make no mistake about it, if you keep harboring a grudge then it will eventually destroy you,

if not physically, certainly emotionally and spiritually.

It will make you a bitter and twisted person.

In Job 21:25 it describes people who “Have no happiness at all, they live and die with bitter hearts.”

Do you really want that to be the way you are remembered?

Do you remember that parable that Jesus told about the servant who was forgiven a huge debt by the king and then refused to forgive someone else a tiny amount?

Jesus said the servants unforgiving spirit landed him in prison.

SLIDE: Lucado QUOTE

Max Lucado makes this interesting comment in his book “In the Grip of Grace”.

He says, “Unforgiving servants always end up in prison.

Prisons of anger, guilt and depression.”

God says to you in His word “don’t sentence yourself to prison.”

Set yourself free.

Give up your grudges

forgive each other whatever you may have against one another.

According to God’s Word the way to give up a grudge is to forgive.

It's just that simple

Notice what God is saying here.

He isn’t asking you to ignore whatever the person has done to you.

He isn’t asking you to pretend it did not happen.

He doesn’t ask you to condone it,

or to pretend it didn’t matter.

What God asks you to do is to forgive the grievance.

That means to acknowledge how wrong and painful what was done to you was but to decide to forgive person who did the wrong to you.

IT’S NOT EASY, but it is just that SIMPLE!

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 grudges you have against other people in this congregation.

God says that the 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?

Now don’t tell God you can’t forgive,

because what you really mean when you say that is that you won’t forgive.

If Christ can forgive you your sin despite the fact that it costed the pain of the cross, then surely you can give up your grievance you have with someone else.

The question is will you do it?

Will you forgive?

The third commitment for 2023 is

SLIDE: 3rd: RESTORE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

3: COMMIT YOURSELF TO RESTORE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

God in his word issues an invitation to check our minds, and our hearts, as to whether our personal relationships are working properly.

Here is how the Lord issues that challenge in:

Romans 12:18 (NRSV)

18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

SLIDE: CHALLENGE TO RESTORE RELATIONSHIPS

The important challenge here is that:

God is personally challenging each one of us to do all we can to restore our relationships.

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.

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.

SLIDE: RESTORE THE RIFT

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 wonder how many relationships 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 over the years.

Maybe God is saying to some of you that this new year is the right time to restore the relationships you have ruined by going and sincerely saying that you are sorry for those angry words or those selfish and un-thoughtful actions.

Keith Drury in his book “Spiritual Disciplines For Ordinary People” touches on this whole subject of restoring relationships when talking about restitution. This is what he says:

“Restitution is going back and making things right for things you took or the people you hurt.

But restitution deals with more than property. It is also going back and making things right for hurtful things I've said or done. It's far easier for me to reveal my mustache story than to tell you of the difficult and painful times I've had to ask my wife, my boys, my boss, friends and secretary to forgive me. Restitution is asking forgiveness for harsh words, quick tongue, or cutting remarks. It is asking forgiveness from a brother you hurt, a mother you caused heartache to, or a former spouse which you maligned. Restitution is confessing and seeking forgiveness from an old business partner, neighbor, or roommate. It is admitting my past errors in relationships and humbly seeking forgiveness from the one I've hurt. And it's harder to make personal restitution than property restitution.

SLIDE: RESTITUTION

Restitution is a discipline in humility. Pride and restitution are incompatible. I'm afraid it's not popular. And it isn't easy. It is one of the most painful disciplines of the obedient life.”

Will you rise to that challenge and make a commitment to restore your broken relationships in this new year ?

Then the fourth and final commitment for 2023

SLIDE: 4th: TURN YOUR BACK IN YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS

4: COMMIT YOURSELF TO TURN YOUR BACK ON YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS.

While preparing this sermon:

I recalled reading about the American Civil War and an interesting fact that after the war was over and the slaves had been set free many slaves decided to stay with their former master and continue to do what they were told.

They were set free but they chose to live as slaves.

The New Testament says that is exactly how many Christian choose to live.

SLIDE: POWER TO BE FREE

Christ died to set us free, the Holy Spirit has given us the power to be free, but just like those former slaves many Christians still choose to obey their old master, sin.

Romans 6:12 (NLT)

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires.

That is the last challenge that I believe if you will rise up to meet then it will make this New Year truly significant for you.

When God says for us to not let sin control the way we live and to not give in to its lustful desires He is issuing the challenge to turn our backs on our transgressions.

SLIDE: BESETTING SINS

Christian writers used to talk about something called besetting sins.

What they meant by besetting sins were particular sins that a particular Christian was prone to doing time and time again.

For most of us when we are saved we give up certain sins easily,

but there are other things that we know are wrong that we really battle with.

Those are our besetting sins.

ROCK SLIDE

Many of us end up choosing to give into our besetting sins and end up living double lives.

There was an article online by an anonymous pastor that described his battle with his besetting sin, pornography.

How he gave into that sin time after time and then was overcome with guilt.

Maybe that is how you lived over the last year, constantly defeated by the same old sin.

SLIDE: DON’T LIVE WITH IT

There was a Man with a Huge GROWTH on the neck “He would not do anything about it he has just learned to live with it”

Eventually he became a paraplegic.

That sums it up too many Christians just live with their besetting sin.

They won’t do anything about it and they learn to live with it.

ADVANCE: IT WILL CRIPPLE YOU

I have to ask you is your spiritual life crippled because you have learned to live with a besetting sin?

Do you have a quick temper that you constantly give into?

Or a tongue that loves to assassinate other people’s characters or wound their feelings?

Have you learned to live with that critical judgmental attitude you know is wrong?

Is there some other sin that you keep on giving in to?

SLIDE: GOD’S CHALLENGE

God here in his word challenges us

ADVANCE: TURN BACK

To turn our back on that sin whatever it is.

ADVANCE: STOP CONTROL

To stop letting it control the way we live.

ADVANCE: STOP GIVING IN

To stop giving in to it.

ADVANCE: STOP OBEYING THE OLD MASTER

He wants you to stop obeying your old master.

Let’s be clear about this: Jesus death broke the power of sin.

The holy spirit can give us the power to resist sin.

That means that we don’t have to go into this new year still being defeated by the same old sin.

SLIDE: VICTORY OVER SIN

You can have the victory over it.

God says you are no longer a slave to sin so don’t live like one or act like one.

If you will ask for God’s forgiveness for your sin and his power to resist that sin then this new year can be for you not just a new era in history but a new era in your spiritual life.

Don’t miss that opportunity.

Conclusion

It all boils down to this:

Will this New Year be just a calendar changing event for you or are you willing to rise to these challenges from God’s word and make these commitments and make it a life changing event?

SLIDE: Are you willing to commit?

Are you willing to make these 4 commitments for 2023?

Will you commit yourself to forget your failures?

ADVANCE: GRUDGES

Will you commit yourself to give up your grudges?

ADVANCE: RELATIONSHIPS

Will you commit yourself to restore your relationships?

ADVANCE: TRANSGRESSIONS

Will you commit yourself to turning your back on your transgressions?

This New Year will really be something to celebrate if you’ll make forgiveness the heart of what it’s about for you.

SLIDE: HAVE COURAGE

Have the courage right here today

To forgive yourself and “forget the past”

ADVANCE: GRIEVANCES

To forgive others who have hurt you “and forgive whatever grievances you have”

ADVANCE: DEPENDS ON YOU

To ask for forgiveness from those you have hurt and “as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”

ADVANCE: LIVE FREE OF SIN

To ask for God’s forgiveness and “No longer be a slave to sin”

Let's pray!

Related Media

Related Sermons