SundayJanuary 8, 2017 Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas e-mail:
Message: New Year 2017 Text: Psalm 108:3
The Right Resolve for the New Year
INTRODUCTION:The Year of our Lord 2017 has arrived. That means there are 365 days on the schedule. What's past is past, and we can't relive it. What we can do is make a fresh start in 2017 and resolve to make it the very best that we possibly can.
At the first of the year it is customary with many people to take stock of themselves and make resolutions. As obviously good as this is, there are some who oppose New Year's Resolutions. They say that people do not keep their resolutions; therefore they ought not to make them.
But many people do keep their resolutions, and you can be sure that nobody ever does any better without first resolving to do better.
Now in this very short first Weekly SERMON for 2017 may I lay out a game plan that could be the foundation on which we all can build?
FIRST:Give the Lord full place and first place in your life!Make Matthew 6:33 your everyday theme verse for 2017 - 24/7 - in every activity, in every choice you make and in every circumstance of life, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
SECOND:Read your Bible daily and in its entirety in 2017!Every year I produce a Bible Reading booklet for our church family. If you need a Bible reading guide, write to me, and I will send you one.
The Psalmist resolved in Psalm 119:15-16, 69 “I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. (69) I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.”
God’s people should resolve to meditate on the precepts of the Bible, delight in God's Law and not forget His Word. Why not promise God, now, to read His Book daily and meditate thereon? You can read the whole Bible through in a year, reading four chapters daily, or reading three chapters each weekday and five on Sunday. Another way to read the Bible in a year is to read through the Book of Proverbs nine times along with two chapters each day from the New Testament. The other three months begin with two chapters a day from Psalms.
THIRD:Keep yourself close to your church! There should be no debate on this issue. Every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night—just be there with the family!
In Hebrews 10:25 we read, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Every father should have the resolve of Joshua in Joshua 24:15, "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua's vow would include the family altar, which would also include, Christian teaching in the home and leading one's family to live for God. In Deuteronomy 6: we read,
“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: (2) That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. (3) Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. (4) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (5) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (6) And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
Fathers, we need to make this resolution for this new year.
FOURTH:Pray about everything! Little things, big things, all kinds of things—take them to the Lord in prayer.
In Psalm 116:2 we read, “Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live."
In Psalm 27:8 we read, "When thou saidst Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee. Thy face. LORD, will I seek."
Don't you want to start daily secret prayer and like David, make a vow to God to seek God's face for His power and blessing? In Psalm 55:16-17, David even vowed to pray three times daily - “morning, evening and noon.”
FIFTH:Keep yourself clean! Resist Satan! Flee temptation! Avoid the very appearance of evil! Build your character upon the clear commands of God. Live a true, honest, upright, dedicated, moral Christian life. Some of the best characters in the Bible made resolutions.
In Daniel 1:8 we read, “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." That holy resolve kept Daniel pure in the midst of a licentious Oriental court and under the gravest temptations.
In Daniel 3:18 three companions of Daniel resolved, "But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were cast into the fiery furnace, but Christ walked with them and delivered them from harm.
We should, like them, resolve to put God first and worship Him only, not bowing down to money nor to the opinions of men. Young people especially need to vow that they will not be led by popular opinion to do that which is wrong.
SISTH:Witness every day and win souls as often as you can! Resolve to apply Mark 16:15, “… Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
All living, breathing human beings need to be saved.They can be saved if they will come to Christ while they are in possession of their faculties. The Gospel still works! Jesus will save! You and I are the difference! Getting the message out is our God-mandated task!
SEVENTH:Be a good steward of all you possess! In I Corinthians 4:2 we read, "Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” You have an obligation in the stewardship of your time, your talents and your treasure. Good stewardship includes tithes and offerings.
In Malachi 3:8-12; we read, “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. (9) Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. (10) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. (12) And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.”
In I Corinthians 16:1-2 we read, “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. (2) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”
Don't be wasteful and don't be extravagant. Be a good steward!
EIGHTH:Give your family full measure! Make sure that there is no conflict between your family and your service to the Lord. To the contrary, they complement each other. Your family is a top priority at every hour of the day. Don't short-change your family. Tie yourself together with words of love, and walk hand-in-hand with your church.
NINTH:Take a stand!The issues these days are numerous. The enemy has besieged us so that we are forced to fight or lose by default. Christians need to determine a proper scriptural course on every single issue and stand up to be counted on it.
In Ephesians 6:10-13 we read, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (11) Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
The composer of this hymn wrote:
Stand up; stand up for Jesus, Ye soldiers of the cross,
Lift high His royal banner. It must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished,And Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, The trumpet call obey;
Go forth to the mighty conflict, In His glorious day.
Ye that are men, now serve Him against un-numbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, And strength to strength oppose.
Stand up; stand up for Jesus, Stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you - Ye dare not trust your own;
Put on the gospel armor, Each piece put on with prayer:
Where duty calls, or danger, Be never wanting there.
TENTH:Use your influence! You do have influence! Your family, your neighborhood, your school, your job and your church are all venues where you have presence, and consequently some influence.
Others of you have even wider areas in which you have input. As a good Christian and as an ambassador of Jesus Christ, make your presence felt. Use your influence everywhere you go.
So with the New Year of 2017 looming before us, it's decision time for each of us. As someone said,
You can coast, or you can climb! You can whimper and whine or you can wake up, rise up and do right. You can waste your life, or you can make it useful, productive and fruitful!
There is a lot that we can do, but we must decide and then give ourselves wholly to those determined actions. 2017 Can Be Very Special!Whether or not the economy recovers, the year ahead can be a great year in the harvest fields of our labor. Whether or not the political scene shapes up, we can have a wonderful, blessed year of fruitful service.
But, again, we must decide, we must resolve to put ourselves in the place of the blessing. We must not become weary,for in Galatians 6:9 we read, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
So with the New Year before us, let's push the reset button and go boldly to the throne of grace and go aggressively about our God-given tasks every day, all year long. Amen! Amen! Amen!
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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “The Right Resolve for the New Year”right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.
Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in
Acts 16:31,“...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...”
Romans 10:13,“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”
If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, please let me know. Please send an e-mail to and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.
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