Sermon Tone Analysis

New Years Celibration

Like other Christian festivals, the celebration of New Years Day in the West started before the church came into existence.

At first, the Romans celebrated the beginning of the new year on March 1, not January 1. Julius Caesar instituted New Year’s Day on January 1 to honor Janus, the two-faced god who looks backwards into the old year and forwards into the new.

The custom of "New Years resolutions" began in this earliest period, as the Romans made resolutions with a moral flavor: mostly to be good to others.

When Rome took on Christianity as its official faith, the Christians kept New Years Day.

Only, they traded the vaguely moral emphasis for a practice of fasting and prayer aimed at living the New Year in the New Life of Christ.

Soon, however, the new year celebration reverted to March 1, and this early emphasis on spiritual things dissolved.

Beginning in the middle of the sixth century, parts of the church began to set aside January 1 as the Feast of the Circumcision, commemorating Jesus’ circumcision.

But the pagans had apparently spoiled January 1 for many Christians: the Roman church did not accept this feast day until the 11th century.

It was finally in 1752, January 1 again came to be recognized and celebrated as the first day of the year.

Some Christians, however, still hesitated to celebrate the day.

The Puritans, for example, were leery of the associations of January 1 with the pagan god Janus—they preferred not even to say the name of the month, referring to it rather as "First Month."

Instead, the Puritans urged their young people, especially, to skip the celebrations and meditate on the year past and the year to come.

They adopted again the old custom of making resolutions.

They vowed to take more care against their besetting sins, make better use of their talents and other divine gifts, and treat others with Christian charity.

Today, some Christians may be inclined to follow the Puritans’ lead, at least absenting themselves from the festivities: January 1st has clearly continued to be a day dedicated more to godless indulgence than to meditative fasting.

But many have also seen, as the Puritans did, a divine opportunity in the longstanding practice of making resolutions.

In fact, this practice even harmonizes with the Feast Day: circumcision is a symbol of sanctification—that is, the "setting aside" of persons and things for God’s purposes.

With or without such historical understandings, many of us may have taken New Years Eve and New Years Day as God-given opportunities.

We have taken at least a few minutes to reflect, pray, and dedicate ourselves anew to our Lord—whether at a "Watch Night Service" or in private.

Last year at this time, some of you were saying, "This year, things are

TOO CLOSE TO QUIT

going to be different!

I’m going to change!

Everyone has been called to walk in destiny… God has promised all of His children precious gifts who obey His instructions… Although these gifts are available, they don’t just fall into our lap… In fact the enemy’s goal is to derail and distract us from reaching our destiny.

(Question…) What do you do when these distractions hit you…?

What do you do when you have a date with destiny, but in reality you find yourself standing in the doorway of despair…?

I’m going to be a better spouse.

I. BE HONEST WITH SELF (v 12)

- We have not arrived to perfection

I’m going to spend more time with my family.

I’m going to spend more time reading my Bible.

More time praying to God.

More time serving others.

- We still struggle with issues in life

This is the year I get my ducks in a row!"

- We must learn to grab hold to Him which has grabbed hold of us

II.

SEEK YOUR DESTINY WITH THE EYES OF FAITH (v 13)

Just by a simple show of hands, who has stuck to their new years resolutions?

- Let go of past failures and successes in order to move forward

- Be able to press with the power of Christ

*You know what they say about New Year’s resolutions?

They usually go in one year and out the other!

- Paul says “One thing…”

TOP 5 resolutions made most every year.

- Too many are living divided lives: world/ Lord

r resolutions made most every year.

The 5th was to take up a new hobby.

III.

NEVER GIVE UP, NO MATTER WHAT (v 14)

- “I press toward the mark…”

The 4th was to make more money.

The 3rd most popular resolution was to improve relationships.

- With a decisive focus

The 2nd was to stop smoking.

- With a diligent attitude

The most popular New Years resolution, you guessed it, losing weight.

- With a determined goal

HUMOROUS ILLUSTRATION – MAN ON SCALE

A woman walked into her bathroom at home.

As she did, she saw her husband weighing himself on the bathroom scales, sucking in his stomach.

The woman thought to herself, "He thinks that he will weigh less by sucking in his stomach."

So, the woman rather sarcastically said to her husband, "That’s not going to help."

Her husband said, "Sure it will.

It’s the only way I can see the numbers."

HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET

Often this time of year, after the overindulgence of the holidays we make resolutions to change our habits and our way of life.

A new year gives us an opportunity to start fresh and better ourselves.

Come the middle of January we somehow forget our resolutions and go back to our old ways.

Now by a simple show of hands who can even remember their new years resolutions?

I heard about a man who moved into a retirement community to spend the rest of his life there.

It wasn’t long until he had made a number of friends among the other residents.

There was one lady he was especially attracted to, & she was attracted to him, also.

So they spent a lot of time together.

Finally one evening he proposed, asking her to marry him.

The next morning he woke up remembering his proposal, but he couldn’t remember her answer.

So he went to her & said, "I’m really embarrassed.

I proposed to you last night but I can’t remember if you said `Yes’ or `No."’ "Oh, thank goodness!" she replied.

"I remembered saying `Yes’ but I couldn’t remember who asked me."

It is so easy to forget the commitments and resolutions we make at New Year’s

Resolutions basically fall into 3 categories.

They deal with:

This is the 1st Sunday of the New Year.

You know, when you think about it, all New Year’s Resolutions basically fall into 3 categories.

They deal with:

1. Things to make us look better and live longer.

2. Things to make us have more.

3. Things that will help us to get along with everyone.

BIBLICAL?

I call them - Longevity, Prosperity and Peace.

BIBLICAL?

PROV CHAPTER 3 - .

I’m titling this sermon 10 New Year’s Resolutions From The Wisest Man That Ever Lived.

Proverbs - chapter 3.

PROV CHAPTER 3 - .

I’m titling this sermon 10 New Year’s Resolutions From The Wisest Man That Ever Lived.

Proverbs - chapter 3.

I. Resolution 1. LET Mercy AND Truth NEVER LEAVE YOU V 3-4

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.