Sermon Tone Analysis

*NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS*

*TEXT: Psalm 76:1-12 *

*Introduction: *This is a song of Asaph.

It is a song of thanksgiving into the Lord.

Verses: 1-3 Records the voices of the people in thanksgiving.

\\ 4-10 Expressed the victory of the Lord and His greatness.

11-12 Records the vows of the people of God.

In 701 BC God gave Judah a great victory over the Assyrians.

(II Kings 18:13-19:37, Isaiah 36-37)

            Judah was a small nation; Assyria was mighty having defeated the most powerful nations in the Middle East.

Sennacherib, Assyrian King demanded 300 talents of silver, so Hezekiah, King of Judah took all the gold and silver from the temple and from the palace to give to the Assyrian king.

Assyria sent her great general Rab-shakeh, with their mighty army who camped outside Jerusalem.

Rab-shakeh then rebuked Judah by saying who will you turn to for help little nation?

Egypt and other nation will not help you.

You can not even call on your God, because you have not served Him.

Why would your God help you after you have torn down His altars?

Assyria was rebuking not only Judah, but also the Lord God Jehovah.

Hezekiah, turned to the Lord and confessed his and the sins of Judah, and ask God for deliverance.

The Lord responded that they were not to fear the ungodly Assyrians.

During the night God killed 185,000 Assyrians and Rab-shakeh with what was left of his army returned home.

Back in Assyria, God continued to work, and Sennacherib's sons assassinated him.

God gave a great victory to Judah.

I want to focus on verses 10-11.

Asaph, who wrote this Psalm, was there during these happenings.

He records in the Psalm 76 important detail of these events.

The people vowed themselves unto the Lord.

First the King begged for forgiveness for his sins and lack of faithfulness....then led the people to follow.

They committed themselves unto the Lord and God turned their desperate situation around and greatly bless the child of God.

This is the beginning of a new year.

It is a time to reflect on the past and consider the future.

It is a time when resolutions are made and conscious vows are made toward living a better life.

Of doing better this year.

Of overcoming problems and of prospering.

Every Christian ought to know the joy of moving forward in Christian growth by making solemn sacred vows.

We must be willing to commit ourselves, in solemn promise, to God.

            *2 Peter 3:18*, says, /"but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever.

Amen.

/

            Christians who never make any conscious dedication to Christ is a believer who does not mature in his faith and misses the blessing of God for his life and the joy of serving and reaping the rewards of serving our wonderful loving Savior.

Every Christian ought to know the joy of making promises to God and keeping them.

Every Christian ought to know the experience of the favor of God in making a commitment to Him.

Only an uninformed or backslidden Christian would refuse to make a solemn commitment to Christ Jesus who suffered so much for us.

Some have used the verse in Eccl.

5:4-5 as a reason not to make vows.

/When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools.

"Pay what you have vowed.

It is better not to vow than to vow and not pay"/ *Ecclesiastes 5:4-5*.

What it means is a Christian should not make a vow he does not intend to keep.

A vow made without conviction and determination to keep it, is not a commitment in the first place.

The true vow or commitment to the Lord is one that comes from a heart felt desire of thanksgiving to God and longing to serve God as God would have him serve.

Some faithless Christians never make a vow for fear they will not be able to keep it.

They are like the servant whom Jesus called wicked and slothful, in the parable of the Talents in Matt.

25.

He took what God gave him to be responsible for and did nothing with it.

Christian growth and the Lord's blessings are withheld from those who never make any step forward by faith.

Making a commitment to the Lord is an act of faith.

We know we are not able within ourselves to please God.

            *Hebrews 11:6* says /it is impossible to please God without faith/.

Paul says in *Philippians 4:13*, /"that in Christ Jesus he could do all things."/

God wants a willing heart...that is when he works, that is where we find our strength!

Being willing to be used of God.

It is easy to try and excuse ourselves by saying our flesh is weak.

The failure of the flesh is NO excuse.

We are to live by faith in God's strength; We are not to serve God through the flesh.

It is true what the old saying says, NOTHING VENTURED NOTHING GAINED.

Do not be faithless, believe God and trust in His power to work this miracle in you.

Of maturing you, or using you.

I want to suggest that you and I make four vows unto the Lord.

!

I.           A VOW OF SEPARATION.

!! A.       No Christian can be obedient to Christ who does not live a separated life.

!!! 1.

A young husband separates himself from former companions in order to give himself more completely to his bride and family.

Even so the child of God must separate himself from worldly attractions in order to give himself to Christ in love and complete devotion.

!!! 2.      it is much more than just a turning from the world!

Believers who abstain from worldly practices and habits with no intention of doing anything positive for Christ have completely missed the point.

!!! 3.      The separation is from the world, and unto Christ.

Either one without the other is useless and doomed to failure.

!! B.       Daniel was not unlike you and me.

He had the same weaknesses and human failing as all have.

What made him different was his commitment to the Lord.

*/Daniel 1:8/*/ But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

/

!!! 1.      Note: "He purposed in his heart".

Daniel made a conscious vow to be faithful to the Lord.

In being faithful to his vow he was faithful to the Lord.

!!! 2.      He had great pressure from the world to live as they did.

It actually endangered his life.

But his commitment was complete.

No matter what the consequence, he vowed to do what was right!

!! C.       God says be separated from sin.

*/ 2 Corinthians 6:17-18/**/ /*/Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

/

!!! 1.

This is God’s commandment to us...thus we should surely be committed to this? Would it be a act of love and thanksgiving toward Christ, not to live as He in love directs us too?

!!! 2.      A separated Christian is a happy and satisfied one.

!!! 3.      With Daniel would you not purpose in your heart to be separated from the contaminated wine and meat of the world?

!

II.

A VOW OF SERVICE.

!! A.       Some have reckoned that this is the day of "spectator Christianity."

!!! 1.      Churches have become a show place where the pastor and a few others put on the show.

Others sit back a watch.

!!! 2.      Every Christian is called on to render faithful service to God.

This is a task for which God will not accept any substitute.

!! B.       Christians are not spectators!

They are the ones who are working actively for the Lord.