New Years Eve

Prayer

The New Year provides us with a chance to examine ourselves and our walk with the Lord. It affords us a few days to look back upon the last year and look forward to the year ahead. It makes me wonder, it makes me think…

In Paul’s second letter to the church of Corinth, in Chapter 3, we find a couple of my favorite verses. So much so in fact that they were the theme verses to the ministry/church plant that Amy and I started in College.

2 Corinthians 3:17–18 NIV

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

See we are to be like a mirror who is reflecting the Glory of the Son.

And my prayer is that year after year, more of Jesus is shining through this jar of clay.

And so I asked the Lord, Father, what message do you have for us going into this New Year? What do you want us to think about, to focus on and to prioritize so that we can be more like your Son and His answer surprised me a bit.

He reminded me that tomorrow is the last day to hunt Snowshoe Hare here in PA.

Hunting Hare is one of my favorite things to hunt but this isn’t a sermon about hunting hare, but in thinking about Hare I was reminded of one of Aesop’s fables…

Do you remember the famous Aesop’s fable known as The Tortoise and the Hare? It was a simple story used to teach a powerful lesson. The story is about a rabbit that was in a race against a turtle. On first thought, you would conclude there was no way a speedy rabbit could lose a race to a slow and ponderous turtle. That is exactly what the rabbit thought in this story when he dashed off from the starting line and got so far ahead of the turtle that he figured he had time to stop and rest.

Meanwhile, the slow-footed turtle just kept moving along at a steady pace. He was not fast, and he was not flashy; he was just consistent. He did not possess any sudden bursts of speed as did the hare; all he did was maintain his regular pace from beginning to end.

The fable continues as the hare wakes up from his nap and sees the turtle, now far ahead of him, just about to cross the finish line. The hare takes off, running as fast as he can in an attempt to beat the turtle to the finish line. Much to the rabbit’s surprise, the turtle is too far ahead and there is no way the hare can catch him in time. None of the spectators lining the route of the race could believe their eyes; the slow-footed turtle crossed the finish line ahead of the speedy hare.

The moral of the story is that the race is not won by the fastest runner or the one who gets the biggest lead at the start. Most often the race is won by the one who maintains a consistent, regular pace from beginning to end.

Or the main point for us today is this…

It’s not how you start the race, it’s how you finish that counts.

The tortoise and the hare reminds us that most often the race is won by the one who maintains a consistant, a regular pace from beginning to end…

Let me remind you there are three ways to use and understand the word regular. One understanding of the word implies something that is average or common or not at all unique or uncommon.

When a guy goes to Walmart, they sell a lot of regular clothes, and even a few regular suit coats…

The size and shape I’m in, I don’t fit the mold, I’m irregular. They don’t carry my size suit at most regular stores…

That’s the first way regular is used.

A second meaning and usage of the word regular involves something that is normal and in no way altered or enriched. When you order coffee, do you ask for regular or decaf? Depending on where you order coffee, there may be an endless number of choices. I have stood in line at places such as Starbucks, and some people take a half a minute to order their special coffee, and then there I am, ordering a regular cup of Joe. I cannot wear a regular suit size, but I do like regular coffee.

Lastly, the third use of the word regular that I want to consider, and it is that third use of the word that makes this fable and sermon come alive. The third use of regular suggests consistency and routine. Your doctor and dentist urge you to get regular checkups. Your banker or financial planner urges you to make regular contributions to your savings or investment plan. We are urged to make fruits and vegetables a regular part of our daily diet. In every context I have mentioned from health to wealth, the rewards only go to those who have practiced the principle of regularity or consistency.

And if we are going to make the most out of 2023, and 2024 then we need to remember this principal as we look to the New Year.

Because God is a God of new beginnings.

If you start a Bible reading plan that will help you read the Bible in a year, then tomorrow morning you will read…

In the Beginning…

Tomorrow begins a New Year. A new chance to start fresh again.

In fact, our God is such a God of New Beginnings, we don’t even have to wait until a New Year to start over, He offers us a fresh start each and every morning.

Lamentations 3:22–23 NIV

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

God gives us a fresh start each time we open our eyes in the morning. How great is our God. And so, looking into 2024 and this coming New Year, let’s look to the Father of Mercies and see how we can receive encouragement, focus, discipline and motivation to live a life that is honoring to our Lord in 2024…

And to do so we are going to be in Hebrews 12 this morning…

Hebrews 12:1–3 NIV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish that counts.

Run the race with endurance.

How do we run the race with endurance…

The tortoise had endurance to run the complete race, it was at his own pace but he knew that the race wasn’t a sprint. It was more like a marathon.

Likewise, the author of hebrews writes,

Let us run with perserverance the race that is marked out for us.

Each and every one of us are in a race and there is a finish line. The race is life and the question is, are we running the race well? There are others who have gone before us. There is a great cloud of witnesses and all the saints who have gone before us can help us on our journey to finish our races well.

Paul said..

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 NIV

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

If we are going to finish 2023 well and start off 2024 well, we need to first remember that there is a race marked out for each and every one of us and we have a responsibility to ourselves and to our God to run it with endurance. And that takes…

Focus

Hebrews 12:1–3 NIV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Verse 2 of Hebrews 12 says we need to fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. The first and foremost…some translsations use the word author and finisher.

And so we cast of the things of this world. We lay to the side all the weight that slows us down. The baggage of our past, the false selves we have been living from. And we look to Jesus who is our ultimate example. Who for the joy set before him…

Consider him who endured such opposition…

And let us not lose heart during our race.

Keep our eyes focused on our Lord. If we are going to finish well, because the best words that we could ever hear when we pass from this life and into the next are…‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), Mt 25:23.

We first need to remember to keep our focus on Jesus in 2024 if we are going to finish well but the next area that will help keep us on the race marked out for us is…

Discipline

Hebrews 12:4–13 NIV

4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

It’s not just self discipline, it’s a fruit of the Spirit.

The fruits of living in right relationship with Jesus is having the very spirit of Jesus living within you. And His spirit is able to do what our flesh is unable to do.

Galatians 5:13–26 NIV

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

The Spirit is able to empower us for holy living but we first have to hand him over control.

We have to walk in the Spirit. We have to be filled with the Spirit…

Ephesians 5:13–20 NIV

13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Some disciplines that may be helpful in the new year are to develop the habit of daily quiet time with God.

We need focus, we desperately need discipline and Lastly, if we are going to finish our race well. Then we need to have the proper motivation……

Motivation.

Hebrews 12:13–29 NIV

13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. 14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done. 18 You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19 to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20 because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25 See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our “God is a consuming fire.”

The proverbs say that The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

We fear

Matthew 10:28 NIV

28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Jesus has provided a way for us to be right in God’s sight. He has provided a way for us to be free and forgiven. He has provided a way for us to live a life worthy of his high calling. He has empowered us through his holy spirit so that it’s not dependant upon us and our own works.

We are saved by grace through faith…it is a gift of God and not of works so that no one can boast.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Listening to the right voice…

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish that counts.

Remember the lesson of the Tortoise and the Hare this New Year.

Remember it’s not about how well you start off…it’s about how well you finish.

And finishing well reminds us that we need to focus on Jesus.

Be disciplined to follow Jesus

To be filled by the Spirit of Jesus

And to be motivated but the love of God and to fear the Lord…