How To Get Through The New Year
How To Get Through The New Year
All of the scripture readings today are from the NIV
Trust:
John 14:1-3
1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Forgive:
Matthew 6:14-15
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Love:
I Corinthians 13:13
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Introduction:
Take time to trust in God it is the measure of God’s power for you.
Take time to Forgive it is the measure of your forgiveness.
Take time to Love it is the measure of your relationship to God.
Take time to pray it is the greatest power on earth.
1. Trust In God
Our Trust is to be put in:
A. God’s Name Psalms 33:21-22
21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
B. God’s Word Psalms 119:41-42
41 May your unfailing love come to me, O LORD, your salvation according to your promise; 42 then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in your word.
C. Christ Matthew 12:17-21
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 "Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. 19 He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. 20 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory. 21 In his name the nations will put their hope."
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.
C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)
II Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And we will receive the benefits of:
Joy because He is our refuge and help.
Deliverance because He has delivered us.
Triumph because He will triumph.
Because God is good to us.
Because He has shown us mercy.
Because He has blessed us.
Because He provides us with guidance.
2. Forgive
Matthew 6:9-15
9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
What does it mean to forgive?
Forgiveness is man's deepest need and highest achievement.
Horace Bushnell (1802-1876)
He that demands mercy, and shows none, ruins the bridge over which he himself is to pass.
Thomas Adams (1612-1653)
It is cheaper to pardon than to resent. Forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred.
Hannah More (1745-1833)
FORGIVENESS (from Nelson's Bible Dictionary)
It is the act of excusing or pardoning another in spite of their slights, shortcomings, and errors.
God's forgiveness of us demands that we forgive others, because grace brings responsibility and obligation.
Matthew 18:23-35
23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 "The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27 The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. 29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' 30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Jesus placed no limits on the extent to which Christians are to forgive their fellowmen. A forgiving spirit shows that one is a true follower of Christ.
In fact, when you examine the story in Matthew,
ten thousand talents is probably equal to millions of dollars. We are not sure because a talent is a weight of around 100 lbs (the actual value is determined by the whether the man owed Silver Talents of Gold Talents)
and
a hundred denarii is just a few dollars, generally about a days wages.
The Living Bible says 10 million and 2 thousand.
Matthew 5:43-48
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
3. Love
I Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Conclusion:
Another year is dawning; dear Father, let it be, in working or in waiting, another year with thee.
Another year of progress, another year of praise, another year of proving thy presence all the days.
Another year of service, of witness for thy love; another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning; dear Father, let it be, on earth, or else in heaven, another year for thee.
Frances Ridley Havergal (1836-1879)
Trust:
John 14:1-3
1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Forgive:
Matthew 6:14-15
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Love:
I Corinthians 13:13
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.