Starting the New Year off Right

Make this a resolution for your year, preach the gospel to yourself daily

Introduction:

Happy New Year! One thing the new year is known for is resolutions that make it only a month

Usually motivated with the realization of just how much Christmas baking you have ate

• But pretty soon you become numb to this resolution and live life just as you always have

ILLUS: Numbness: Liam’s zoned out

• Why do we celebrate communion? It was a way of reminder (Illus Phone Reminders)

• It is natural for things to become routine and monotonous. How often does our faith become like that?

Our Numbness

• It is human nature to become numb to things

Trades jobs where things just become second nature.

Can be a trap though of stagnation and doing enough to get bye and not advancing

Humans are naturally forgetful, not that we forget the concept, we forget to let that concept impact and change us

• “Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have. I think it is right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13)

• It’s not that I simply forget that Jesus died on the cross, but I become numb to it, just a fact in head

• Might include not wanting to go to Church, having prayers that repeat the same thing every night

• We need to be reminded so that we do not become numb to things.

• One of the clearest ways to see how numb alot of adult christians are is how we view one of the greatest verses in the bible as a childrens memory verse

• That is John 3:16,I can repeat it without even thinking! And that's a problem

• It is more than a memory verse. That’s not to say don’t have it memorized, do! But don’t treat it as a mindless mantra

• Billy Graham referred to this verse as the ‘gospel in miniature’ 25 words that paint the most profound idea possible. God loves us.

• Growing numb to this verse is growing numb to the gospel, it is a symptom

• So what should be our resolution this year? Preach the gospel so you do not become numb to it

John 3:16 Context

• The word ‘for’ means that it’s referring to something just said

o John is using verses 14-15 as an illustration for what he is going to say in verse 16

o This refers to Numbers 22:4-9 where in punishment for the Israelites grumblings God sent poisonous snakes

o They were condemned to wait for death, like we were) Moses created a bronze serpent and ‘lifted it up’ just as the Son of Man needs to be lifted up

o Just as the Israelites had to look upon the Serpent in faith we have to look upon Jesus in faith, believe in him.

o The ‘for’ connect with that in explaining how it is possible we can look upon Jesus and be saved

Should not Perish: The Danger

o Every good story has to have a conflict, a problem that must be solved.

o We are all perishing (3:19-21) We Loved the Darkness

o God is Just, he cannot go against his character

o “But it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.” Ps. 75:7

o 1 Peter 1:16 be holy as I am holy

o What about ‘God is love?’

o Compare v 16 (whoever believes should not perish) v 18 (whoever believes is not condemned) perishing is being condemned, not physically dying.

 Found guilty and then condemned

 V. 36; wrath of God remains on those who don’t obey the son

 Rev. 14:11 “and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. There is no rest, day or night”

 This is for all people (Rom. 3:23)

o Hell is bad because it is void of the presence of God and all good things he gives freely to all

• This is important to grasp, a lot of times when our minds are numb we go straight to we are saved! But remind yourself what you have been saved from first (Illus)

For God So Loved the world that he gave his only Son: The Design of God

o Our perishing/condemnation should be a foregone conclusion, but not God’s design

o The design of God to save the world is to love the world

o ‘Only Son’ emphasizes the greatness and the power of the gift

 God has always loved us, his love for us had no beginning and will have no end

 The Son’s mission is grounded in the love of God

o Hearing that God loves us is something we are used to, DON’T BE NUMB TO THIS but think about that in comparison to other ‘gods’ that are worshipped.

o God’s love should be so wonderful because the world is so clearly evil and against him

o God rescues us from God!” -Piper

 Remember, the wrath of God is our ultimate problem

 This is the story of how God saves us from himself

 The love of God at the cost of his Son rescues us from the wrath of God

o The all powerful holy God loves us, based off nothing we have done

 (Red timeline Illus (Timeline marked in red everytime we sin))

 He knows all our flaws but still loves us

 God’s love (which doesn’t need to be proved) is proved by sending his son

o The Son took our place, think about that (Don't think of it as a shrug of yeah he did. Think about all your sin, your timeline)

Whoever Believes in Him: The Duty of Humanity

o What we must do to enjoy the benefits of the design

o One of those ‘that’s it?’ things.

 No strings attached, no fine print (Illustration)

ILLUS: Not a loan shark

o Whoever does not believe will be subject to the wrath of God

o Believes is in present tense

o Believing is more than an intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. remind yourself daily of this

o John 20:31-”But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,, and that by believing you may have life in his name”

o You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. (James 2:9)

 Genuine belief brings action and change

 How can you live it out if you are numb to it?

But Have Eternal Life: The Destiny of the Saved

o What is this life?

 It is not the length of life but the quality of it

So much gets made on that it is eternal, guess what hell is eternal as well.

 We receive this life through Christ, it is a divine and new life (Jn. 14:6 I am the way...)

 Death is the transition from this life to eternal life. It used to be from this life to eternal condemnation

 Eternity will not be boring, author of joy we live with

ILLUS: Not sitting on clouds playing harps

 It is eternal, we will never cease to leave the presence of God once he calls us home

Preach the Gospel to Yourself

• Simple truth; we are loved by God, and because of that love he gave his Son to save us

• From this verse we can see that our identity, who we are is loved. We are no longer declared guilty.

• This should blow our minds every day! Why do I get numb to this?

• You may have zoned out because I’m talking about nothing new

• There is no easy solution, it is a heart thing. Only God can change our hearts, ask him to! Ask him to reawaken the love for Christ that you had

• John 3:16 is so rich and abundant in the truth of God’s love, yet I look at as a children's memory verse, it is a symptom of the greater problem

• Becoming numb to the gospel is becoming numb to our identity, numb to the love of God

• When Sunday is our only time being reminded of these things we can throw that into the routine of our week

• So how do we avoid becoming numb to this? Preach the gospel to yourself

• Simple reminders go a long way

• Remember your identity, remember God’s love do not grow numb to that