A Fresh Approach to 2012 - Rev 21:5

A Fresh Approach to 2012

January 1, 2012

Revelation 12:5

Introduction

• Charles Swindoll says, “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude to me is more important: than facts, than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do, than appearances, than giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company. . . a church. . . a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you. . . We are in charge of our attitudes.”
• How many of us made new years resolutions last January?
• Did you see improvement during last year?
• It is God’s purpose for us that we grow and prosper and be in health, physically, emotionally and spiritually
• He is doing something in each of us, that we are even unaware of
• But His purposes in us will be completed
• Phil 1:6 – “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”
• In Lamentations we are told “His mercies and compassions are new every morning” (Lam 3:22-23)
• Each day is a fresh opportunity to start with a clean slate
• And the start of the year is traditionally a time when we take stock of ourselves, and commit to grow in our walk with God
• Today we will examine three fundamental approaches toward life, that will make a difference in our lives

Be Honest

• Most of us I am sure try to be honest in the way we conduct our life
• But are we honest about ourselves?
• Often it is hard for us to take a magnifying glass to our own life to see how we are doing, before God
• But God knows where we are at already
• Jer 17:10 "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve"
• Ps 139:23-24 "Search me o God, and know my heart ..."
• David asks God to show him areas where he needs to grow
• It takes real honesty about ourselves to ask God to do this
• If you want to know if you are really being honest about yourself, ask someone who knows you really well, to give you a personal evaluation.
• The hard part is not in asking for their help, the hard part is in wanting to ask the question in the first place.
• Pride and fear get in the way.
• That is why we wear masks, the ways we want others to see us
• But that is not being honest about ourselves
• The way we are on the inside should match the way we appear to others.
• God tells us, lets get together and talk about things
• Isa 1:18 "Come now let us reason together ..."
• God is not wanting to punish us for sin. He does not want us to be fearful of him
• He wants to forgive our sins and give us a clean makeover!
• So there is nothing to be afraid of in being honest about ourselves

Be a person of hope

• We look back at the past year and we may have a lot of pain and hurt back there
• But faith believes that things will get better, because God's hand is in it
• 1 Cor 10:13 " God is faithful, he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear"
• God is watching over us, day and night
• Because of this we can have tremendous hope for the future
• We are each special to God
• He knows the thoughts of our heart, he knows the trials we are going though, but he also knows where he is taking us
• He knows that what we are going through will bear rich fruit
• Rom 5:1-5
• Our character is being forged in the crucible of trials
• So the affliction we are going through today are only temporary, the results are eternal!
• Often we become discouraged when we look at out trials.
• We forget the big picture
• But God is working something in us which we cannot see now, but one day he will say, Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord
• When we are discouraged, remember the times when God has been there for you
• Times when you were healed, a prayer was answered, provision came for a need
• God is there for you, 100% of the time
• So be full of hope and faith

Be in touch with God

• This may need to be the first point, because it is out of our relationship with God that we are able to be honest, and we are able to be hopeful
• But be closely in touch with your heavenly Father
• Jesus lived so closely with the Father
• He did what he saw the Father doing
• He said what the Father said
• He was the living representation for us, of the Father (John 14:10)
• As Jesus lives in each of us, we will be growing to look like the Father, week by week, in increasing measure
• 2 Cor 3:13
• But this happens by the Holy Spirit molding us and changing us, bit by bit
• For the Holy Spirit to grow us in this way, requires close contact with the Father
• Just as Jesus did, on a daily and continual basis
• One way to help discipline ourselves to maintain this relationship with God, is through the use of a Bible reading program.
• If you are interested, look at our church website, a good program is there in the resources section, or ask me and I will give you a copy.

Conclusion

• On this new years day, we can make a choice to turn over a new leaf in some area of our life.
• Or we can go deeper, we can decide to be honest about ourselves, with God and with each other
• We can decide to be hopeful people, not bellyaching because of how hard life is, but instead being thankful that God will work all things out for our good
• And finally, we can decide to stay in constant touch with God, being obedient to Him, and allowing Him to live his life through us.
• Happy new year to Grace Fellowship!