Text:
Isa
42:9 Behold, the former
things are come to pass, and
new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you
of them.
Lamentations
3:22 It is of the LORD’S
mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They
are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Intro:
We
now move into a new year. The old one is just completed. And as we
reflect on it we remember, good things, bad things, some defeats,
and some victories.
We
take note of things we have accomplished. Some things we
have failed to get finished. And we begin to think and plan
ahead with intentions of
things we want to accomplish in the new year, the new
opportunity.
We
will make ourselves promises of various sorts in order to have goals
to reach toward planning on filling up the new year with better
things than the past.
This
is good as long as we don't overlook the importance of setting
out to please the Lord with our lives by seeking His Perfect Will
and Purpose for us. And
the great truth is, it is in
HIM, Christ Jesus, that we have all things new.
Now on the threshold of the New
Year we want to note and consider some truths about New
Things.
I...
THE NEW YEAR:
1. Offers
new objectives or goals;
Provebs 29: 18 Where
there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law,
happy is he.
Ø
Make New Year
Resolutions to please the Heavenly Father.
2. Offers new opportunities;
·
Opportunity
to become a child of God;
Romans 10: 8 But what
saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy
heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in
thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. 10
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with
the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the
scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 ¶ For there is no difference between the Jew and the
Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon
him. 13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved.
·
Opportunity
to win souls;
Proverbs 11: 30 ¶ The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and
he that winneth souls is wise.
Psalm
126: 5 They that sow in
tears shall reap in joy. 6
He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall
doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
3. Offers new
responsibilities;
·
To
your Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ;
Col
1:18 And he is the head
of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from
the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
·
To
your family; Joh
13:34 A new commandment
I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that
ye also love one another.
·
To
your community.
4. Offers new beginnings;
·
Perhaps a new
life style, 2Co 5:17 Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new.
·
Perhaps a new
ambition, etc.
II.. THE NEW DAY:
1.
Calls for action; Ro
13:11 ¶ And that, knowing
the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for
now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
2.
Calls for decision; Joshua
24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose
you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which
your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the flood, or
the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and
my house, we will serve the LORD.
3.
Calls for determination; Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
III... THE NEW HOUR:
1.
Demands attention;
II Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time
accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold,
now
[is] the accepted time;
behold, now [is] the day of salvation.)
2.
Demands to be utilized Ephesians
5:15,16 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as
wise, Redeeming
the time,
because the days are evil.
IV....
THE NEW MAN:
II
Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new.
Galatians
6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing,
nor uncircumcision, but
a new creature.
Ephesians
2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of
commandments [contained] in ordinances; for to make in himself of
twain one
new man,
[so] making peace;
1.
He has a new direction;
2.
He has a new Master;
Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants
to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin
unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
3.
He has a new life;
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and
to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have [it] more abundantly.
4.
He has a COMPLETE PARDON FOR his SIN:
1)
(Isa 43:25 KJV) "I,
even I, am he that blotteth out thy
transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy
sins."
2)
(Isa 44:22 KJV) "I
have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy
transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for
I have redeemed thee."
3)
(1 John 2:1-2 KJV) "My
little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And
if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but
also for the sins of the whole world."
Now
are you ready for our Lord Jesus to make a new man of you?
