Resolutions for Believers

Well, here we are… 2021 is behind us and we are looking forward to seeing what God has in store for 2022. The start of the new year is always a time for people to make resolutions… They say things like “New Year, New me!…” or “I am really going to stick to my new years resolutions this time...”

For many of us, our New Years resolutions seem to resemble carbon dating – where we can establish the date of our resolution by how many “half lives” it has had. Here are some examples:

2015: I will read at least 10 books a year.

2016: I will read 5 books a year.

2017: I will finish Portals of Prayer from 2006

2018: I will read some articles in the newspaper this year.

2019: I will read at least one article this year.

2020: I will try and finish the comics section this year.

Or for those of you who are constantly worrying about your weight:

2015: I will follow my new diet religiously until I get below 200.

2016: I will try to develop a realistic attitude about my weight.

2017: I will work out 5 days a week.

2018: I will work out 3 days a week.

2019: I will try to drive past a gym at least once a week.

2020:… … Covid weight

Or for those with money issues:

2015: I will not spend my money frivolously.

2016: I will pay off my bank loan promptly.

2017: I will pay off my bank loans promptly.

2018: I will begin making a strong effort to be out of debt by 2019.

2019: I will be totally out of debt by 2020.

And so goes the cycle…

I know that Covid has been a thorn in the side of many people the past couple of years… But as the year 2021 draws to a close, what kind of year has it been for you? Has it been a year to cherish or a year to quickly forget?…

Whatever the past year’s tone has been for us, this week fills us with hope. A hope that a new year will bring a change for us. A chance for a fresh new start- a new beginning. And with that many of us make new year resolutions- pledges or promises to yourself or to God that you will personally be different this coming year.

This morning I want to focus upon some new year’s resolutions that each of should consider for ourselves… and I have entitled this Message as “Resolutions for Believers”…

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11…

Pray:

Meat:

I read this whole passage today, but this morning we are going to focus on verses 6-11 and in these few verses... I see 3 resolutions that we, as followers of Christ, should commit to this coming year.

Paul had spent a great deal of time dealing with the rapture of the church and the second coming of the Lord. He sought to enlighten the Thessalonian believers concerning the events that are sure to happen. But now, Paul shifted his focus toward preparing the saints to endure for the Lord until He returns.

He has answered the “When” question… which the answer was, if I may paraphrase… “we don’t know when, but we know that it could be today”… And now he is answering the question they should’ve asked and that is “What”… “What are we to do until He returns?”

As Believers, I see 3 things that…

We need to be…

And it is my prayer that you would see these 3 things as resolutions to work on throughout this coming year… So let’s look at them together…

First of all… we (As believers) need to be…

1. Alert

V.6 says “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

This verse starts off by saying “Therefore”… and anytime you see that word “Therefore” you know that the following verse(s) are going to be a response to the verses preceding it.

so we go back, real quick to vv. 4-5 and Paul says…

“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.”

“Therefore” or “Because we are the Sons of Light and not of the darkness”.... “let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.”

Because we are Believers, Because we are followers of Christ, we need to be Alert!

Being alert means, first of all… being…

1.1 Awake

Paul says “Let us not sleep”… in Romans, he also says…

Romans 13:11-12 “11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

Scripture often uses sleep as an image of spiritual laziness or a lack of alertness towards God. People start to view God as some distant being that is off on vacation and seems how He is off on vacation, He cannot see what we are doing, so we should be able to do whatever we want.

I used to work with a fella and one year while the boss was on vacation around the 4th of July, the question surfaced as to how far a fire cracker would propel an airsoft bb out the end of a pipe? … … Really, that is a legitimate question… Now… Don’t read into this any further than you have too, by trying to figure out why we had airsoft bb’s and fire crackers in the shop to begin with…that part is irrelevant... just stay with me here…

We could try to be all nerdy and smart... and multiply this… divided by that... and come up with an accurate hypothesis of how far this bb would shoot… That is what we could have done...

or we could grab a chunk of pipe, stick a little wad of paper down the hole, put the bb on top of that, light the fire cracker and stick in the other end, cover that end with a chunk of wood… you know, to contain the small explosion… and let er fly…

This plan was working great until he went to grab the chunk of wood… a misplacement of that chunk of wood and the next best thing to contain the small explosion was his thumb...

After that, if you didn’t know where he was, you could follow the red trail to the bathroom...

I am happy to say that he still has both of his thumbs...

It goes back to the old saying… When the boss is away, the boys will play…

Folks, we are to be alert, we are to be awake… we should not be caught sleeping… Don’t get caught with the same attitude of the world, being insensitive to the fact that God is ever present, He is here, He is not on vacation, we are not able to hide anything from Him…

Not only are we to be awake… in order to be alert, we need to be…

1.2 Sober-minded

Paul says “let us watch and be sober.”… the Greek word translated as “Sober” can also be translated as “Self Controlled”. It means “to curb the controlling influence of inordinate emotions or desires...” or... “to be free from the influence of intoxicants”

We are not to be intoxicated with the things of this world. We are to be alert, We are to have our eyes open, We need to be able to stand steady.

Warren Wiersbe says “Paul pictured two groups of people: One group was drunk and asleep, while the other group was awake and alert. Danger was coming, but the drunken sleepers were unaware of it. The alert crowd was ready and unafraid.”

A sober person exhibits self-control, lives a serious, balanced, calm, steady life, and maintains proper priorities.

John MacArthur says “To be sober is to be alert; the two terms are essentially synonyms. Just as sleep and drunkenness define night people’s insensitivity to spiritual reality, so alertness and soberness describe day people’s sensitivity to it.”

Folks if we are going to make the resolution to be Alert, then we need to be Awake and Sober-minded… we need to live as people of the Light… why, because v.7 says…

“For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night.”

The world lives in darkness… The world desires that darkness rather than light. We as Believers are not to be consumed with the desires of the flesh. Paul encourages us to watch and be sober.

We are to be “alert and on guard, constantly looking for the Lord to come.” Our lives are to be lived with a rigid discipline, a discipline of purity and righteousness.

The second resolution that I see, is the fact that… we need to be...

2. Armored

v.8 “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”

Paul knew this would be a battle. He knew the enemy would be relentless in his attacks. If Christians are to endure, we must possess and properly use our armor. Let’s take a moment to look at this armor.

The first piece of armor mentioned is…

2.1 The Breast-plate of Faith and Love

Paul speaks of the breastplate of the soldier. This was a vital piece of armor… Today, our soldiers wear bulletproof vests... It protects the heart and the vital organs. If a soldier’s heart is left vulnerable, he may not survive the battle.

The same is true for us. We don’t wear physical armor, but we must ensure that we are dressed with the breastplate of faith and love.

Why does Paul specifically mention Faith and Love?… I believe that it is because faith and love are critical in defending the heart.

Without faith in the Lord we are tempted to abandon the cause and flee from the fight. If we lose our focus and faith, we will not survive. Through faith we trust in the power of the Lord and are shielded from temptation and sin.

Love is also important within the heart. When we shield our hearts with love, we are willing to endure when others might fail. Love creates an allegiance to our Master. Love allows us to see as God does. It allows us to feel the needs of others.

It is much easier to abandon a cause when there are few consequences, but when we love and care for those around us, we are more likely to stand and fight. Love will compel us to endure for our children, for our church, and for those who are unsaved.

Paul also mentions…

2.2 The Helmet of Salvation

This is another critically important piece of armor... The helmet protects the head and brain. We all know that without the head, the body quickly dies. Without the ability to think and process information the soldier will not survive long.

The mind is the most vulnerable part of the body. It is there that doubt and fear begin. It is often within the mind that sin takes hold. It is vital that we keep our minds focused on the Lord and the blessed hope that we have in Him. As long as we have faith in the Lord, looking toward His coming, we can overcome the struggles we face. A heart and mind that is settled in the Lord and looking for His return will endure even in the most difficult situations.

These are just two pieces of the armor that God provides… We are instructed in Ephesians 6:11-13

Ephesians 6:11–13 NKJV

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We need to be armored because the Armor of God…

2.3 Provides Protection

Protection from the attacks of Satan and his demons… but it also protects us from the wrath of God… If we are wearing the armor God, then that means we are identifying ourselves with Christ as Sons of the Light, and we will be protected from the wrath to come.

vv.9-10 “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”

Paul reveals where our hope and assurance lies. We are not appointed to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ… The wrath of God is reserved for those who reject Him and deny the Lord in salvation, but provision was made for our redemption upon the cross of Calvary.

Beloved, we don’t have to face the wrath of God if we are cleansed in the shed blood of His precious Son. The Lord provided a means of escape from the wrath of God as He offered Himself the perfect sacrifice to atone for our sin.

Paul is reminding us that it was Christ the Lord who died for us. He bore our sin; He faced the wrath of God for our sin; He offered Himself as the only sacrifice worthy to atone for the sins of humanity. Christ died in our place; He became our substitute.

What a blessed assurance we have in the Lord. We have no way of knowing what we will face or endure in this body of flesh. When all is said and done upon this earth and in this life, the saved will enjoy the glorious presence of the Redeemer throughout eternity!

If that doesn’t motivate you to make these resolutions, I don’t know what will…

The final resolution that I want you to see… is the fact that… we need to be…

3. Active

v.11 “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”

We need to be actively...

3.1 Comforting Each Other

2021 was filled many joyful blessings, but it also had its times of sorrow, grief, worry, anxiety… Life is difficult, but thankfully, this life here on earth is not all there is for the child of God. We are a people of hope. We have the assurance of our salvation based upon the finished work of Calvary and the empty tomb. And because of that, we can find comfort even in the most difficult of times.

And finally… we should be actively…

3.2 Building Each Other Up

This is what it means to Edify… Paul was well aware that some were weak in their faith… whether it was new believers, or others that were struggling with doubt… There would be those who would not understand or embrace God’s truth as they should.

This is an exhortation for the strong to build up the weak. He wanted them to maintain their commitment to each other… And we need to be doing the same thing... Build each other up, pray for one another, pray with one another, encourage each other to stay focused on Christ and the promises of His Word.

I have said that these need to be “New Years Resolutions”… but lets face it, Resolutions very rarely get kept… These need to be commitments…

We need a steadfast commitment to encouraging and edifying one another. There is enough tearing down already; we need to be committed to building up for the glory of God and the good of the church!

Closing:

As we open up 2022… are you willing to make a commitment to be Alert, Armored and Active?

We need the Lord’s help and we need the help of each other. Times are difficult and unfortunately, they will only get worse, but we are more than conquerors through Christ.

These verses reveal a sobering reality.... The reality is… The wrath of God will one day come upon all who have rejected Him. and so I need to ask… Do you know Christ as your Savior?… If not, you will face God’s wrath.