New Years Resolutions                

Sunday, January 01, 2006        

   Today is the beginning of a new year for all of us and like so many new beginnings we have choices to make new obstacles to negotiate and with these obstacles we have new problems that arise. In this country it is a time of resolutions to be made, goals to be set, a time for success or defeat. For so many these new commitments will become a remembrance of failure or the lack of resolve.

    In this sermon I want to highlight what the bible has to say about resolutions, how to make them and how to complete them.

 res·o·lu·tion
Function: noun
1 : b : the act of answering : SOLVING c : the act of determining

 3 a : something that is resolved <made a resolution to mend my ways> b : firmness of resolve
synonym see COURAGE

  cour·age
Function: noun
: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty.

Joshua 1:1-9

    Josh 1:1-9 (NKJV)After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, saying: ² "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them--the children of Israel. ³ "Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. ⁴ "From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. ⁵ "No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ "Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. ⁸ "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

V1-5   In These verses we see the Lord speaking with Joshua, commisioning him. His pep talk to Joshua before the battles to come.

• V1 Joshua is called Moses' assistant. Read Exodus 24:13 “So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua and Moses went up to the mountain of God”. Joshua had been being Prepared for this Job for 40 plus years.
• Joshua was accustomed to hearing Gods voice and watching Moses speak to the Lord.
• He witnessed first hand the relationship Moses had with God.
• Ex 17:8-13 “Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. ⁹ And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." ¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹ And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. ¹² But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. ¹³ So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.”
• Joshua was a man of war and he knew how to command an army in battle
• So when the Lord was speaking to Joshua here in V1 he knew with out a doubt that the Lord would deliver His promises.
• V2-4 Here we see that the Lord is giving Joshua his Plan, specifically how He wants everything accomplished.
• He tells Joshua who he wants used in the battles ahead, what countries He wants conquered, and how He wants it divided up among the people.
• So what we have here in these four verses is an example of an extensive preparation for Joshua, and the preparation was specifically focused to the mission at hand, or Gods plan.
• V5 The Lord is letting Joshua know, re-enforcing with Joshua that he would never leave him. God knew that there would be sacrifice. So the Lord is building him up. Joshua, being Moses' assistant, knew what it meant when He said "as I was with Moses, so will be with you" Joshua was one of only two people that was aloud to enter the promise land because of the Israelites disobedience. So Joshua saw first hand all the miracles God performed, and Gods Providence for them in their Exodus from Egypt.

V6-9 These next three verses are Gods fool proof instructions on how to persevere and to prosper.

• What if someone told you that you could earn one million dollars investing in the stock market in one year? That would be awesome news, but what if someone had inside news about a specific company and gave you money to invest in that company so that when it was sold openly on the market you would instantly become wealthy. This is what God was doing for Joshua and has done for all of us.
• V6, 7, 9 Three times the Lord tells Joshua "to be strong and courageous". Strong in the Hebrew, ref. #2388 in your Strongs concordance, means to be constant, prevail. Courage, ref. #553, means steadfastly minded, prevail. Courage, as we have previously mentioned, is a synonym for resolution.
• In Deuteronomy 31:6,7,23 three times Moses said to Joshua, and the Israelites "to be strong and courageous"
• We serve a God that respects strength, courage, and a resolute spirit. Where would we be today if Jesus Christ had lost His resolve in His journey to the cross! Now, because of Jesus' strength and courage, His New Covenant Resolution, we can spend eternity with Him. When we are strong and courageous, then we can Persevere.
• V7, 8 Here are the fool proof instructions. First God instructs Joshua to follow the Law to the letter. He specifically states "not to turn from the right or to the left"
• Deut 30:19-20 (NKJV)"I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; ²⁰ "that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
• Christians today say that we are no longer to follow the law, and that is true to a point. Col 2:13-14 (NKJV)”And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, ¹⁴ having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
• Jesus took away the requirements that were against us, and that is the reconciliation of us back to God, but the rest of the Law is still in effect. We should use the Law to guide us through our lives here on Earth.
• Matt 5:17-19 (NKJV) “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. ¹⁸ "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. ¹⁹ "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
• Jesus states himself that whoever fails to follow the Law will be least in heaven and whoever follows and teaches the Law will be great in heaven.
• I encourage each of us to teach the Law to our families, read the law to our children, and talk about it in our homes.
• Deut 6:6-9 (NKJV)"And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ⁸ "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. ⁹ "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

·         If you want to put a smile on Gods heart obey His word. John 14:15 (NKJV)"If you love Me, keep My commandments.

·         Meditate on His word day and night, use the entire bible to answer the problems in your lives, and seek it for guidance. This is a good barometer of where you are in your fellowship with Jesus.

·         Are you in fellowship? Or are you just going through the motions. Do you have an active relationship with our risen Savior?John 18:37 (NKJV) Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

·         Moses heard Gods voice, Joshua heard Gods voice, but not only did they hear it, they recognized it and obeyed His commands!

·         When we obey the Word of God, then we can hold fast to the promises that we will Prosper. Josh 1:8  "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

There are 5 "P"s you must follow in order to have success on you New Years Resolutions.

1.       Prepare - How can we prepare? 2 Tim 2:15 (NKJV)”Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Eph 6:10-17 (NKJV) “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 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. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;”

2.  Planning - Your plan or goal should be very specific, down to the minute details, and these goals should be according to Gods Will. How do you know if you are in Gods Will? If you bring God glory then you are in His Will.Matt 6:10 (NKJV) “Your kingdom come. Your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven.”

Col 3:16-17 (NKJV) “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. ¹⁷ And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

3.  Providence- Know that when you are in hard times with your new resolution, I like to say, where the rubber meets the road, that God will provide a way out.  Heb 13:5 (NKJV) "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.' " 

Matt 28:18-20 (NKJV) "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen." 1 Cor 10:13 (NKJV) "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." 

4.  Persevere – God is saying the same to you and I as He said to both Moses and Joshua, "To be strong and courageous", to stay the course. Know that the temporary sacrifices, and there will be sacrifices, pleases the Lord.  He is the God of perseverance.  He became a man, and stayed the course all the way to the cross for the salvation of us all.  So, if perseverance pleases Him, then the lack thereof must displease Him as well.  James 1:6-8 (NKJV) "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."  Rev 3:10 (NKJV) "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." 

Rev 3:14-16 (NKJV) "And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: ¹⁵ "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." 

5.  Prosperity - We can have the confidence that when we prepare, using God's word, plan our goals to give God glory, and turn to God for our provision, and persevere when we are opposed for the changes we are making, then we will enjoy prosperity, in this life and the next.    Jer 29:11 (NKJV) "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope."  Matt 16:19 (NKJV) "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."  Luke 11:9-13 (NKJV) "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ¹¹ "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? ¹² "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³ "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

• My prayer for all of us this New Year is to turn to Jesus Christ, grow in our relationships with Him, and glorify Him in all that we do in 2006. 
• If you are here today and have never taken that step of faith, believing in Jesus for your salvation, I urge you to do that today.  Today is the day of salvation.  You are not guaranteed your next breath.