Preparing for a New Year
New Year 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Here we are once again, just a few days away from another new year.
Honestly, just when I finally get used to writing “2024” at the end of the date, I have to switch to writing “2025.”
I used to think that things would slow down as I got older. But now I realize that was a myth! Things speed up the older I get rather than slow down.
So, here we are facing another new year. I wonder how many of you fall into the category of making New Year’s Resolutions?
Top Adult Resolutions
Top Adult Resolutions
Some of the “resolutions” that are tending for people this year are:
Loosing weight
Getting out of debt
Cleaning or reducing clutter
Getting organized
Top Teen Resolutions
Top Teen Resolutions
For Teens some of the top resolutions are:
Getting better grades
Being nicer to siblings
Limiting screen time
Eating less junk food
Getting more sleep
And getting more exercise
Now all these resolutions are great! And I think it would be good for many of us to make some changes in our lives.
But honestly, NONE of the changes that were listed will revolutionize our lives. So, this morning I want to challenge us to look at a New Year’s “resolution” that will actually change us forever!
Follow God
Follow God
This year, I want to challenge us to have one resolution for 2025! And that resolution is to follow the Lord with everything that we have.
Perhaps our verse for 2025 ought to be Proverbs 3:5-6. There we read:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
First we are to Trust in the Lord. The idea of trust here is “to have confidence in. . .” We need to have confidence in the Lord. The idea of trusting in the Lord is seen throughout scripture. For example there’s Psalm 20:7.
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Or how about Psalm 25:1
In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.
Or James 2:19
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
Next we see that we are to have TOTAL confidence in the Lord. That comes from the phrase “with all your heart.” One thing that heart includes is trusting Him with our emotions! We are to place ALL of our emotions and with our emotions out of the way we can put our confidence and trust in the Lord.
This idea is reinforced in Psalm 62:8
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Or consider the words of Jesus in John 14:1
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.
To make sure we get this idea of total trust, Solomon tells us not to trust our own understanding of things! This “leaning” has the idea of being supported by. . .
Again we could look at Paul’s warning in Galatians 6:7-8.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Okay back to Proverbs 3.
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Next we are told that no matter where we go, we need to submit to the Lord. The word “submit” means to know, to make known, to acknowledge, to accept, to follow, or to find out.
Think about that! We are to submit to the Lord and in the process we will make Him known! That is what we read in Psalm 105:1
Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
And it is what Paul asked the church at Ephesus to pray for him.
Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
When we submit to God’s will we are promised that God will make your paths straight.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
So What?
So What?
Here we are at another new year. Just a couple of more days before we usher 2025 in and 2024 is but a distant memory.
So here’s the question each of us must answer: “What will you do for Jesus in 2025?”
Serving as a parallel passage to Proverbs 3:5-6 is found in Psalm 37:5-7
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.
This psalm of David encourages us to commit our way to the Lord and trust Him. That’s one of my big problems is there are times when it is hard to trust Him! But this year, part of my New Year’s resolution is to trust in the Lord no matter what my circumstances look like.
The Lord will show me the reward that He gives because of our faithfulness!
And part of my reward is vindication!
Then we’re called to be still (or silent) before the Lord. One of reasons that I don’t hear God speaking to me is because there is too much noise around me. So sometimes I need to be quiet, find quiet places and quiet times when I can listen to the Lord.
In addition to being quiet, I also need to be patient and wait for God to work. Remember that God’s timing is seldom my timing (2 Peter 3:8-9).
Because we are trusting in the Lord we don’t need to fret and worry when evil people succeed, and carry out their schemes.
So for this New Year: I resolve to:
I resolve to trust in the Lord with the totality of my being! I’ll trust Him no matter what my circumstances look like!
I resolve not to trust my own understanding of things! This is a hard one for me! So often, I trust myself more that I trust the Lord!
Since I trust the Lord, I resolve to conform my plans to His plans rather than trying to get God to conform His plans to my desires!
I resolve to take time this year to be quiet before the Lord! And while I’m quiet, I will also wait patiently!
And finally, I resolve not to fret about the situations that unfold before me, because I trust in the Lord to lead me down straight paths.
