A New Year or Another Year

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Good morning, CHURCH!
Welcome to FFM where we love God, and we love people.
Are you ready to be equipped today?
Let me see your Bibles.
If you are a first time guest, you can scan the QR code on the screen to access the sermon notes and follow along with me.
Let’s pray.
Today I’ll be talking about a very important topic.
As we start a new year it is paramount that we start it with the right mindset.
We must prioritize Christ and the Kingdom above all else.
The Bible says:
Matthew 6:33 NKJV
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Jesus provides His followers with a guiding principle for how they should live in relation to their material needs and spiritual priorities.
This verse emphasizes the importance of prioritizing God's kingdom (God’s sovereign rule) and righteousness above all else.
And in doing so understanding that God will provide for our physical needs.
Seeking first means putting in first place.
It means prioritizing with no comparison.
It means totally committing to it.
Which leads me into today’s message title which is:
A New Year
Or
Another Year
I don’t know who coined this thought, but my daughter passed it on to me.
If you don’t change any habits, you’re not going to have a New Year, you’re just going to have another year.
I want each one of us to focus on some new commitments in 2025.
As followers of Christ Jesus, if there are any committed people on this earth, it should be us.
I’m sure you’ve heard the idiom, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
The truth be told, we already are committed people.
- People commit to friendships
- People commit to jobs
- People commit to belief systems
But there is nothing more important than being fully committed to Christ Jesus.
Complete and total commitment is the expectation of those who follow Christ.
(All of this wishy-washy half-hearted commitment is unacceptable.)
Jesus in the scriptures talked so much about the commitment level necessary to follow Christ.
America might not talk much about the commitment level necessary, but the Bible absolutely does.
Matthew 22:37-38 NKJV
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.
All is what underscores the total devotion that is expected of a Christ follower.
The commandment calls for complete love and commitment.
-heart (emotionally) (Greek: καρδία kardia): Metaphorically represents the inner most part of our emotions, desires, and will.
-soul (spiritually) (Greek: ψυχή psyche): This encompasses our entire being or the essence of who we are which is to be devoted to God.
-mind (intellectually) (Greek: διάνοια dianoia): Refers to our thinking, understanding, and intellectual engagement.
The greatest priority in our life should be a deep, abiding relationship with God
Luke 9:23-24 NKJV
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
You are not following Christ if your life is not marked by self-sacrifice based on obedience to Him.
And the scripture says that He said this to all of them.
To stay committed to Christ Jesus we must stay connected to Him.
John 15:5 NKJV
“I am the vine you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
It will be impossible to live a life committed to Christ in this society if you don’t stay attached to His hip.
Let me give you a brief reminder of what can happen if you don’t stay connected to your commitment to God.
Judas Iscariot once walked with the master.
He was once enlightened.
He had tasted the heavenly gift.
He had tasted the goodness of the word of God, like Hebrews 6:4-6 says.
And then He turned on Jesus and dimed Him out.
John 13:21-27 NKJV
When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” 22 Then the disciples looked at one another, perplexed about whom He spoke.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke.
25 Then, leaning back on Jesus’ breast, he said to Him, “Lord, who is it?”
26 Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it.” And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, “What you do, do quickly.”
Look at what he did.
Matthew 26:14-16 NKJV
Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver. 16 So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.
Straight dimed him out.
He lost his place as a disciple.
The scriptures went on to say in:
Acts 1:18 NKJV
(Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle and all his entrails gushed out.)
I know we say that salvation is a gift.
And it is in the sense that you didn’t pay for it with your life.
But don’t think for a second that it doesn’t cost you something.
Luke 14:27-28 NKJV
And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it
Judas didn’t finish.
You’re, commitment can’t be for a few years.
The scripture says you must have enough in you to finish.
Will you finish strong?
Or will you betray Jesus like Judas?
The great Apostle Paul gave a great locker room type speech to us:
Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
This commitment involves perseverance.
Paul here is conveying the idea of pursuing with intense effort, as a runner strains toward the finish line.
This commitment has an intended goal.
The goal is spiritual maturity.
To one day know Christ fully and be conformed to His likeness.
This commitment is rewarded with a prize.
To experience eternal life with Elohim.
This commitment has an upward calling.
God Himself is summoning us to a life focused on heavenly priorities rather than earthly concerns.
Revelation says we need a commitment that perseveres even in the face of death.
Revelation 2:10 NKJV
Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
Christ has promised eternal rewards for those of us who stay committed to Him.
You’re, commitment needs to line up with the eternal rewards which are greater by far than earthly rewards that don’t lead to eternity with the father.
In 2025 commit to supporting the work of Kingdom and your Pastor.
Starting with your local church.
If you are receiving spiritual food and a spiritual family from your church,
you should be supporting that work financially as best you can.
1 Corinthians 9:14 NKJV
Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
Your pastor should never be stressed with any type of burden about possibly having to work another job.
Galatians 6:6-7 NKJV
Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
If you sow sparingly to the one who teaches you, you should expect to reap sparingly.
But on the flip side, if you sow generously to the one who teaches you, you should expect to reap bountifully.
1 Timothy 5:17-18 NKJV
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
If you have a pastor that labors in the word to make sure that he is shelling out plenty of good corn, you should be cheerfully supporting them.
In 2025 commit to reading and studying the Bible
I’m about to say something that should cause your chin to hit the floor.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, only 11% of Christians read the Bible at least once a week, while 38% read it several times a year or less.
And the crazy thing about this stat is that most Christians agree that they should read the Bible and that it’s good for them.
The substitute for reading the Bible has become daily devotionals.
Why is that?
It’s easy to understand when someone does the explaining for me.
Covering one or two scriptures is less intimidating.
Daily devotions don’t go over the boring parts of scripture.
Daily devotions are quick and easy when I don’t have much time.
What does the Bible say about reading it?
Psalm 119:105 NKJV
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Just as a lamp provides light in darkness, God’s word gives clarity and direction amid life’s uncertainties.
By using the imagery of feet and a path, the psalmist conveys a sense of personal, practical dependence on God’s word for every step of life.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
Paul is asserting that Scripture originates from God, inspired through the Holy Spirit, and carries His authority.
And the practicality of Scripture for guiding and equipping believers in their faith and ministry.
Romans 15:4 NKJV
For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
Paul emphasizes the purpose and benefit of Scripture.
And in this verse his focus was particularly the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), for the Christian community.
His intent is to encourage believers to look to Scripture as a source of guidance, endurance, and hope in their lives of faith.
Matthew 4:4 NKJV
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
The intended meaning of this verse is rooted in affirming that reliance on God and His word is more essential to life than physical sustenance.
In closing, we all need to raise our level of commitment to God and to the things of God.
If there is anything in you that is resisting any of this, I promise you it’s not from the Spirit of the Lord.
It’s from your fleshly desires that dwell within of which you need to crucify.
If you’re watching online or here in the room, I have a very important question to ask you.
What is Holy Spirit saying to you right now?
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