Your Year To Succeed

Preparation

Genesis 17:9–27 “Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you. From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant. Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.” Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she w…”

Introduction As a new year begins, it’s only natural to set new goals for your life. Show Goals Reels.... 45sec

It’s discouraging though every year when you feel like you can never achieve them Personally there are things God puts on our hearts each year that he wants to do through us. It’s very precious to us and we would love nothing more to see those come to fruitition. And so when they don’t it really sucks. Getting in shape, starting a business, building or buying a dream home, buying the perfect car for the family, drawing close to Jesus, reading the whole bible in one year, starting a connect group, being a better husband etc. Aren’t you sick of the cycle? How can we change this?? How can we see God do new and incredible things in our lives over 2024? It’s obviously not working so far… What is needed for real change and fulfilment? I don’t know about yours, but my Bible it says “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.”

“He will finish the work he began”

C’mon Church let your faith rise up for what God could do in and through you in 24. There’s more in 24, theres new within you.

Today I want to communicate to you the simplest principle from God’s word - that if you would follow it - It would change everything.

It comes from the Story of Abraham. He’s the guy we all want to be like. Father of faith

He’s the one who; leaves his country, shows audacity for Sodom, covenant made with by God, blessed by priests, corageous enough to go into enemy lands, called by God, has great faith in God over his kids lives. A bit of what ever he has would be nice… We read a story about covenant and circumcision etc. God reaches out to Abraham - GIVE CONTEXT HERE - this text is about God making a covenant with Abraham that is the foundational understanding of our relationship with God. Circumsicion becomes about the heart so when God picks us out and picks us up we respond with circumsising the heart and dedicating our lives to him by faith in Jesus. “On that day”

When God spoke to Abraham - He just did it. What is the difference between Abraham and us, Abraham does it, we just talk about doing it. Today I want to preach a simple message which is also the slogan of NIKE - “JUST DO IT” Main teaching - “On that very day” - Abraham just did it!

T1a - “Then God said to Abraham” - God gives Abraham the word, the vision, the goal When a boss gives direction you do etc. The narrative is create a space for God to fill and he will fill it. Create a space for God to speak and he will speak. God will give you the vision/goal etc.

T2 - “Continual responsibility” - if we have faith we are responsible to respond to God’s covenental love. It was Abrahams responsibility to outwork the covenant. It’s ours too.

+++ “When God finished speaking, he left Abraham” - God doesn’t want to babysit us. He’s our shepherd not babysitter.

T1b - “bear the mark of my covenant” - you are supposed to look different to everyone else. Circumcision = circumcision of the heart 1. God not only wants us to be his people, but to let others know that we are his too

2. Obedience to him

3. A cutting off and a binding to

Col2:11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Circumcision cuts off the old self and embraces new self. It’s a sign.

It’s not uncommon for us to want to keep the old, use the old etc. Abraham...

T1c - “May Ismael live under your special blessing” - Abraham wanted to use an old thing, for a new season. It’s easy to look at what you got to see what God has promised to do. It’s harder to believe he is going to bring something completely new into your life. Especially when you’re 99 and promised a child.

T3 Main teaching - “On that very day” - Abraham just did it!

- Think Less - Overthinking causes procastination and kills dreams - Lean more on your Godly instincts - You’ll end up at square 1 anyway 6 months later - may as well do it now - Fear latches on to your thoughts. Fear of failure keeps people out of the game. If you can live as if you’re already dead, fear cannot win. This is how Abraham does it, and this is how you will suceed in faith in 2024. Jesus had a vision, took responsibility for that call, and just did it. Prophetic & gospel ending

OUTLINE - Your Year of Success

Introduction

Speak about our Holidays as a family

It’s natural when the New Year rolls around you think about the year coming up and what you want to see happen...

I have a love hate relationship with goals…

It’s discouraging when year after year you don’t achieve or accomplish..

SHOW INSTA REELS

Why does this happen? I’m sick of it...

Failure or disatsifaction shouldn’t lead you to feel bad, it should lead you to pay attention..

Why isn’t this working? One of two things: 1. It’s a goal you were never supposed to accomplish 2. You need a new strategy

God wants you to have a successful year. He wants you to step into the things he has planned, and he wants you to do them and do them well. For His Glory, your others benefit and for your good.

But how? Should we set goals, what goals should we set? how? what? when?

The story we read today will give a few simple principles to have a sucessful year

READ Gen 17:9-27

One of the main reasons why we set the wrong goals to succeed is because we allow the wrong voices to shape our direction for the year.

Insecurity Fear Pride

Let God Speak - God gives Abraham the word, the vision, the goal When a boss gives direction you do etc. a - “Then God said to Abraham” - The narrative is create a space for God to fill and he will fill it. Create a space for God to speak and he will speak. God will give you the vision/goal etc. Let him speak. How do you b - “bear the mark of my covenant” - you are supposed to look different to everyone else not just fit in.. Circumcision = circumcision of the heart

God not only wants us to be his people, but to let others know that we are his too

Obedience to him

A cutting off and a binding to

Col2:11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Circumcision cuts off the old self and embraces new self. It’s a sign.

It’s not uncommon for us to want to keep the old, use the old etc. Abraham...

c. “May Ismael live under your special blessing” - Abraham wanted to use an old thing, for a new season. It’s easy to look at what you got to see what God has promised to do. It’s harder to believe he is going to bring something completely new into your life. Especially when you’re 99 and promised a child.

We should set out to achieve all that God wants us to, we just need to let him define our goals - otherwise we won’t enjoy Godly success. Enemy’s stategy vs God’s strategy Abraham decides to go with God’s strategy… me and my household will serve God

Hard to set godly goals after a break. That’s because when we’re disconnected we should for different targets. It’s important to get with God and listen.

Jesus was a failure according to the world, but look what his faithfulness brought..

It’s freeing when you delete the goals you were never supposed to accomplish.

2. - “Continual responsibility” - if we have faith we are responsible to respond to God’s covenental love. It was Abrahams responsibility to outwork the covenant. It’s ours too.

+++ “When God finished speaking, he left Abraham” - God doesn’t want to babysit us. He’s our shepherd not babysitter.

3. Main teaching - “On that very day” - Abraham just did it!

- Think Less - Overthinking causes procastination and kills dreams - Lean more on your Godly instincts - You’ll end up at square 1 anyway 6 months later - may as well do it now - Fear latches on to your thoughts. Fear of failure keeps people out of the game. If you can live as if you’re already dead, fear cannot win. This is how Abraham does it, and this is how you will suceed in faith in 2024.

How? Step 1 - change your core belief/think differently about that thing, yourself or God’s ability

Step 2 - Immerse yourself in that world.

Step 3 - Create new pathways (repitition)

JUST DO IT